White House manufacturing policy advisor Peter Navarro has an important discussion with Maria Bartiromo about the consequences of the Coronavirus which includes the need for U.S. companies to return manufacturing to the United States on key medical products and pharmaceuticals.   A very important subject.
Both Navarro and Bartiromo note that our dependency on Asia for medical products is a problem when a global virus erupts, global demand for those products peaks, and the supply of those products becomes most urgent.

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It would seem obvious (to me) that medical products and pharmaceuticals would be two sectors for the Commerce Department (Sec. Wilbur Ross) where a national security review would be well worth the time & effort.  The multinationals would fight the administration, but it might be worth this fight.
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This is very concerning given the propensity for political violence on the left.  The GOP of Duval County, Florida are reporting that a man intentionally drove his van into a Trump voter registration booth in Jacksonville, Florida.   Thankfully the volunteers were able to jump out of the way and no-one was hurt, but this is alarming.

FLORIDA – Jacksonville police say a driver intentionally crashed a van through a tent where Duval County GOP volunteers were registering voters Saturday afternoon.
Nobody was injured in the 3:45 p.m. incident at the Walmart Supercenter, 11900 Atlantic Boulevard, near Kernan Boulevard in the Sandalwood neighborhood, Lt. Larry Gayle of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told reporters at the scene.

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A stunning (not really) shift in late Iowa caucus results overnight caused the New York Times to flip their predictions.  Few noticed but Tue/Wed the NYT predicted 97% certainty that Pete Buttigieg would win Iowa.  Last night as more caucus results were released that predictive model flipped and now Bernie Sanders is 54% predicted to win. [LINK]

What’s happening is clear to anyone who knows the Club’s objective.  The DNC Club is attempting to diminish Sanders and elevate any non-Bernie candidate.  Sanders has won the popular vote in Iowa and will likely split national delegates with Buttigieg.
Knowing the ongoing purpose, Sanders, declares victory today and holds a press conference. Immediately after Bernie’s declaration, DNC Club Chairman Tom Perez requests an Iowa recount in an effort to keep ‘never-Bernie‘ Pete Buttigieg elevated.
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The Coronavirus was first first diagnosed in China less than a month ago. On Thursday (U.S.) / Friday (Beijing) the Chinese government stated they have confirmed cases of 830 patients and the death toll has risen to 25.
The virus has infected more than a dozen people outside China around the world, mostly in Asia. However, the first U.S. case has been reported in Texas who traveled to the epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan City, China.

A total of 18 million people are now under quarantine in China.

(Via CNBC) […] Local authorities in China have quarantined Wuhan and Huanggang, which have a combined population of 17 million. Including Wuhan where the virus was first identified, travel bans were in effect Thursday for at least eight cities.
[…] The previously unknown, flu-like coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from an animal market in central Wuhan city.

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White House manufacturing policy advisor Peter Navarro has an interview today to discuss the enforcement mechanisms behind the U.S-China trade agreement.
One of the interesting points Navarro raises is how the intellectual property provisions align with the newly initiated Customs and Border Protection “operation megaflex” where thousands of packages from China are opened looking for counterfeit goods.
According to Navarro the operation has identified a counterfeit rate of ten percent; fake goods and contraband narcotics.  China prosecuting these identified companies becomes part of the compliance system to see if China is adhering to the agreement.

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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appeared on Fox News with Brett Baier for a more detailed discussion of the U.S-China ‘phase-one’ trade agreement.  Additionally, Secretary Mnuchin discussed the status of sanctions with Iran and his view on impeachment.

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…and Brett Baier is a human cabbage patch doll.
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White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on FOX Business for his first interview since the signing of the U.S.-China trade deal.  Mr. Kudlow is optimistic but also shares notes of caution for the compliance and enforcement aspects.

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In the background of the delegation it should be noted Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping sent a hard-line handler, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, to accompany the more moderate Vice-Premier Liu He.  Zhong Shan was noted at the center of the signing ceremony and directly opposite Robert Lighthizer at the luncheon.
The two Beijing representatives highlight the ongoing Dragon -vs- Panda dynamic within China.
Internal to Chinese politics…. If the reformers are successful (Liu He) the compliance and enforcement mechanisms will succeed and ‘phase-one’ will lead to future negotiations.  However, if the hardliners block reform (Zhong Shan), then the compliance and enforcement mechanisms will fail and ‘phase-one’ becomes a dead end.
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Earlier today President Trump, together with his trade delegation and the delegation from China represented by Vice-Premier Liu He, signed a new, fully-enforceable Phase One Trade Agreement. This is the first ever trade agreement any nation has attempted to change the dynamic of how a free-market system (USA) can engage with the Communist system within China. [Video Below – Transcript ADDED]
While ‘phase-one‘ was structurally created to set the foundation, and test the principles of enforcement, this historic trade agreement will frame the text that all other free-market nations will follow in their own efforts to come to a substantive agreement with Beijing.
This is a really big deal on a worldwide scale of international commerce.  Structurally the biggest changes inside China relate to Intellectual Property protections, U.S. ownership of assets, and changes within the Chinese legal system to stop Forced Technology Transfer.
During the ceremonial remarks Vice-Premier Liu read a statement from Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping to commemorate this historic trade agreement.

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[Transcript]  PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Please. We greatly appreciate your joining us at this White House event. This is a very important and remarkable occasion.

Today, we take a momentous step — one that has never been taken before with China — toward a future of fair and reciprocal trade, as we sign phase one of the historic trade deal between the United States and China. Together, we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security for American workers, farmers, and families.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appears on FOX Business to discuss the U.S-China ‘phase-one’ trade agreement, the benefits, enforcement mechanisms and retention of tariffs and particular sanctions until compliance can be reviewed.
Phase-1 establishes the baselines; resets the ability of U.S. companies to enter China; establishes rules for market entry; and sets the parameters for enforcement.  Any future phase is contingent upon evaluation of phase-one enforcement mechanisms.

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Project Veritas spent some time in Iowa with the revolutionary communists at the heart of Bernie Sanders campaign. In a video expose’ (see here) the Veritas group showcase Bernie Sanders campaign workers who are prominent Antifa activists. The calls to violence are quite disturbing but familiar for those who followed the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, RevCom, or the Democrat Socialists of America; all factions of the same far-left ideology.

(Des Moines, IA) A Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign Field Organizer, Kyle Jurek, was secretly recorded bragging about his extreme left-wing fringe views, calling for violence and death to those who oppose Sanders’ radical policies. Kyle Jurek, who works out of the Sanders campaign Iowa office, has been paid at least $9,775 since starting in his official campaign role. Project Veritas Action Fund’s undercover journalists secretly recorded Jurek’s statements for months; recording footage on multiple occasions where he lashes out against Sanders’ Democratic opposition, President Trump’s supporters, and others.

The recordings give insight into the mentality of many Sanders staffers and what they truly believe. In the video, Jurek details his expectations for the 2020 Presidential election and emphatically states that cities will “burn” if President Trump wins re-election. (read more)