CTH puts released economic data into ‘what does it mean‘ terms as a conversational priority.  The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) releases the first quarter productivity and costs report today [BLS Data Here].

Outputs, what was created, dropped 2.4 percent, yet labor hours used to create those outputs increased 5.5 percent.   This creates a productivity drop of 7.5% for the overall business.  The largest quarterly drop in productivity since 1947.

This is a warning indicator inside the economy to employees of large organizations.  CTH has been tracking productivity for quite a while, and the signs have all looked foreboding. {Go Deep}   Businesses cannot afford to keep employees on payroll if customer demand drops.

The per unit labor cost to make the products has increased 11.6%.   Wages have gone up 3.2% (pay increases) and productivity has dropped 7.5%, combined that creates the 11.6% increase in per unit cost to producers.

I have often used the example of making bread {Go Deep}.  If you are making 10 loaves of bread, there is a set amount of cost associated with each loaf created.  The total cost of each loaf is the total cost to produce the entire batch divided by ten.

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CNN conducted another poll to evaluate voter trends [pdf data here].  The results show a significant drop in American opinion of the economy with 77% rating the current status as “poor,” and 23% saying it’s “good.”  Additionally, 66% of people polled disapprove of the way Biden is handling the economy.

As CNN painfully noted: “Even within the Democratic Party, just 7 in 10 approve of Biden on the economy (71%) and helping the middle class (71%), considerably lower than the 86% of Democrats who approve of his performance overall. Fewer than half of Democrats say Biden has improved the nation’s economic standing (45%), down from 58% in December.” (article link)

In the video discussion, CNN Political Director David Chalian is just gobsmacked, stunned and amazed that 63% of these people are saying they are buying fewer groceries because stuff is just too expensive. WATCH:

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Whenever voters put democrats in charge of the economy, it just sucks.

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As expected, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates .50%.  However, inflation is expected to remain high as prior spending debt bubble remains in place.

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by half a percentage point, the biggest jump in 22 years, and the U.S. central bank’s chief made an appeal to Americans struggling with high inflation to be patient while officials take the hard measures to bring it under control. (read more)

Within hours of the announcement, major U.S. banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co, Wells Fargo Bank and Citibank raised their prime rate to 4%, effective Thursday.

The timing of the rate increase is what was expected.  Last year’s inflation spikes started appearing in June of 2021.  By delaying the 2022 FED response until right now, the political operatives in control of U.S. monetary policy create a scenario where the Fed impact will appear to surface in June of 2022. Exactly one year from the date of the first wave of inflation from the prior COVID spend.

Year-over-year inflation will statistically begin to give the appearance of moderation, once the June (’21) to June (’22) comparison cycle arrives.  The Fed and White House will use the intentionally timed statistical outcome to claim inflation is diminishing.  It’s a political trick we expected.

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Kentucky Senator Rand Paul questioned DHS Secretary Mayorkas about what constitutes disinformation and what will the DHS Disinformation Bureau do about it?  {Direct Rumble Link}

After multiple back and forth dodges by the DHS Secretary, at 06:40 Mayorkas slips a little and gives an example using the COVID vaccination program. After giving the example of a hypothetical claim of the vaccine containing fentanyl, Mayorkas asks “should I sit back and accept that,” meaning do nothing about it.

Right there Mayorkas gives away the intent and purpose of the Ministry of Truth.  Identify disinformation, then communicate with the networked partnership of social media companies, and then target whoever made the claim.  The government then controls the speech.  The government then becomes the arbiter of what is true and/or false.  The problem as Rand Paul is drilling down, is that ultimately government will approve speech.  WATCH:

There is no such thing as “disinformation.”  There is information the government approves of, and information that is averse to the interest of government.  That’s the bottom line and the end of this regulatory slippery slope discussion.

Example: Ask the DHS Disinformation Governance Board if a fetus is a baby human?

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If we thought the rage-filled apoplectic leftist meltdowns were bad about the Twitter purchase before….. whoooo doggies, them splodey’ heads are going to erupt even bigger now.

According to Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes, former President Donald Trump encouraged billionaire Elon Musk to purchase Twitter to help bring free speech emphasis back to social media.  {Direct Rumble Link} WATCH:

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The democrat narrative for 2022 is from the exact same playbook used against the Tea Party in 2011/2012.  Weaponizing the J6 committee to frame the construct this year, democrats are back to the playbook of calling their opposition “extremists.”

After resounding MAGA candidates won all the contested primary elections yesterday, Joe Biden takes to the microphones today and says:

…”this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history.”

WATCH (prompted):

[Transcript of Remarks]

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Defying threats from the European Union, Hungary has announced they will not stop purchasing oil and gas from Russia and join a blockade of energy products by the 27 member EU alliance.

CTH has been watching carefully for several weeks; looking, reading and observing the expressed priorities of Elon Musk in an effort to evaluate his free speech intents and purposes.  After careful and cautious consideration, I can now say Elon Musk is the closest thing to John Galt in our lifetime.

Today, Mr. Musk drew attention to one of the central cancers. Musk is highlighting the strategy leftists use to target corporations, demand they withdraw advertising dollars, and force them into compliance against any unapproved platform designated by the woke mob.

[CNN Story Here – MMfA Letter Here – Elon Musk Tweet Link Here]

David Brock’s Media Matters for America (MMFA) has organized an activist campaign against companies who advertise on Twitter. [SEE LETTER HERE]  Their intent is to assemble all of the radical activist groups, directly target any company who would advertise on Twitter and by extension force woke compliance by the social media platform Musk is purchasing.

The letter urges advertisers to make their next ad deals with Twitter contingent on changes to platform policy under Mr Musk.  However, Musk is pushing back against the effort by asking, “who funds these organizations that want to control your access to information? Let’s investigate.” He then goes on to tweet, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

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Previously a federal judge overturned the federal mask mandate for transportation, thereby allowing travelers to make their own choices.  The DOJ has appealed that decision after the CDC said it wanted the mask mandate to remain in place.  The status of that litigation is unknown.

Today, the CDC has announced a semi-permanent extension of the federal transportation mask mandate with no expiration date noted. [Announcement Here] That means all travelers on airplanes, trains, busses and ridesharing will be required to wear facemasks again, including inside the terminals and operational hubs of those transportation nodes, pending the outcome of the DOJ appeal to the federal court.

CDC Announcement – “At this time, CDC recommends that everyone aged 2 and older – including passengers and workers – properly wear a well-fitting mask or respirator over the nose and mouth in indoor areas of public transportation (such as airplanes, trains, etc.) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, etc.).

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A few hours ago, the installed occupant of the white house delivered impromptu remarks to the press concerning a leaked draft from a pending Supreme Court decision. [Video and Transcript Below]

[Transcript] – Q What do you think of the ruling — or the draft that leaked, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: “Well, first of all, I just got a call saying that it’s been announced that it is a real draft, but it doesn’t represent who’s going to vote for it yet. I hope there are not enough votes for it.

It’s the main reason why I worked so hard to keep Robert Bork off the Court. It reflects his view almost — almost word — anyway.

Look, the idea that — it concerns me a great deal that we’re going to, after 50 years, decide a woman does not have a right to choose within the limits of the Supreme Court decision in Casey, number one.”

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