Funny how that happens. Less than 24 hours after President Trump declared new tech telecommunication is a national security issue; and one day after Secretary Wilbur Ross bans Huawei (and affiliates) from buying parts and components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval; all of a sudden the UK is having second thoughts.
…Huh, go figure:

LONDON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei poses such a grave security risk to the United Kingdom that the government must not allow it to have even a limited role in building 5G networks, a former head of Britain’s MI6 foreign spy service said on Thursday.
In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried that 5G dominance would give any global competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept.

(more…)

The overall strategery here is brilliant.  After two years of rope-a-dope…. Trump exits the corner for the championship rounds in the trade fight: First the body blow, China boxed-in with trade confrontation and consequences of retreat from agreement (Mnuchin and Lighthizer);… Then whammo, the roundhouse XO placing telecom under national security review (Navarro and Pillsbury); then upper-cut, Wilburine places Hauwei and affiliates on Commerce Dept. trade blacklist…  Lions and Killers and Strategists, oh my.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it is adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its so-called “Entity List” – a move that bans the telecom giant from buying parts and components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval.
U.S. officials told Reuters the decision would also make it difficult if not impossible for Huawei, the largest telecommunications equipment producer in the world, to sell some products because of its reliance on U.S. suppliers.
Under the order that will take effect in the coming days, Huawei will need a U.S. government license to buy American technology. Huawei did not immediately comment.

(more…)

Good discussion between Tom Friedman and Steve Bannon on the ‘big picture’ of the U.S. -vs- China geopolitical trade confrontation.   Friedman is an insufferable prog on methods, but he recognizes the President Trump approach is necessary.  Worth Watching:

.
Where academic Friedman is helplessly naive is on the key point of how a coalition approach toward China is a pipe-dream.  When it comes to economics each entity has unique self-interests.  Put fifty self-interested governments together (ie. TPP) and you end up with paralysis of analysis and no action; as each entity fights to hold their own interest over the group interest….. While China grows in the background.
(more…)

Earlier this afternoon President Trump welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the White House for bilateral discussions.  During an oval office press availability both leaders answered questions from the media. [Video and Transcript]

.
[Transcript] Oval Office – 2:14pm EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s a great honor to have with us the Prime Minister of Hungary. And Viktor Orbán has done a tremendous job in so many different ways. Highly respected. Respected all over Europe. Probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that’s okay. That’s okay. You’ve done a good job and you’ve kept your country safe.
(more…)

There’s a remarkable political restructuring happening on the other side of the Atlantic. Nigel Farage has led the U.K. Brexit Party into the leading political force in a matter of weeks.

With frustration over the intransigent unwillingness of the political elites who control power in the U.K. to deliver on the Brexit referendum, the grassroots “Brexit Party” was formed.  According to recent polling the movement now leads in advance of upcoming EU Parliament elections.  It’s possible another political earthquake is about to happen:

(Via Breitbart Media) New polling for the upcoming European Parliament elections shows another astonishing surge in support for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, while the governing Conservatives have crashed to fourth place on just 11 per cent.
The Opinium poll of 2,004 people, conducted online between the 8th and 10th of May, showed support for Mr Farage’s weeks-old party up 6 points to 34 per cent, more than Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour — down seven points to 21 per cent — and Theresa May’s Conservatives — down three points to just 11 per cent — combined.

(more…)

Rudy Giuliani cancels a trip to Ukraine where it was predicted he would inquire about pre-existing investigation of Joe and Hunter Biden.

.
[Note: I don’t think Giuliani was ever really planning to go to Ukraine. He might have just seeded/fed the story to get headlines and attention toward Joe Biden’s corrupt endeavor.]
(more…)

Following the refusal of the professional political class within the U.K. to honor the Brexit votes of the majority, British leader Nigel Farage came off the sidelines and said ‘enough’.
Farage and a group of independent British politicians have formed the Brexit party to take down the two-party structure and finally deliver the voice of the people.  Their Brexit party campaign has been criss-crossing the nation ahead of elections on May 23rd.  The response has been exceptional….  “A Movement for Democracy”.
Nigel Farage delivered remarks during a rally today [Prompted to 01:18:30, just hit play]

(more…)

This is interesting…. because it strikes at the heart of the CIA/FBI construct around George Papadopoulos.  The impetus for the early 2016 CIA/FBI investigation motive of George Papadopoulos surrounds Joseph Mifsud as a Russian asset; who supposedly told Papadopoulos that Russia had ‘dirt’ on Hillary Clinton.
Professor Mifsud being a Russian asset underpins all of their subsequent activity. If Mifsud is not a Russian intelligence asset, the FBI and CIA have a problem within their narrative.  If Mifsud is a Western asset, well, that proves Papadopouls was being set up.

(Fox News) House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is scrutinizing the findings in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report about Joseph Mifsud — the mysterious professor from Malta who helped ignite the Russia probe in 2016 – and wants to know exactly who he was working for when he spoke with former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos.

(more…)

Earlier today President Trump met with Slovakia Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in the White House.  Prior to bilateral meetings they held a press availability in the oval office and President Trump took questions from the media. [Video and Transcript]

.
[Transcript] – Oval Office – 1:55 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s my honor to have the Prime Minister of Slovakia with us today in the Oval Office. We have a lot of talking to do. We’re dealing on trade. We have a very big trade arrangement and deal. They’re buying quite a few of the F-16 planes from us. And a very big order, actually. I’m very impressed. And it’s — I have to say, it’s a great plane. It’s a great, great plane.
But we do a lot of trade. And NATO partner. And our relationship has been very good. And this is the Prime Minister’s first time in the Oval Office, and I think he’s impressed with it.
(more…)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the April 2019 jobs report and the results are excellent.  It’s a home run for MAGAnomics as the trifecta continues: Job gains +263,000, Wage growth +3.2%, Inflation low at 1.4%.
With a gain of 263,000 new jobs in April, the overall unemployment rate dropped to 3.6%.  There are more jobs available than people looking for work.  Additionally, the prior two months jobs results were revised upward by 16,000 more than previous reported.

• Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in April, compared with an average monthly gain of 213,000 over the prior 12 months.
• Professional and business services added 76,000 jobs in April. Over the past 12 months, professional and business services has added 535,000 jobs
• In April, construction employment rose by 33,000. Construction has added 256,000 jobs over the past 12 months.
• Employment in health care grew by 27,000 in April and 404,000 over the past 12 months.
• In April, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 6 cents to $27.77. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent.
• BLS Release Link

(more…)