Not that long ago, I would have said to allow the free market to decide if a merger or acquisition was valuable for the consumer.  However, in the era where massive multinational corporations, investment groups and financial institutions have now used corporatism to merge their interests with government, the massive multinationals need scrutiny.

Two major food retailers, Kroger and Albertsons, have announced their intent to merge into one massive company in a deal valued at $24.6 billion.  The majority stakeholders in Kroger are institutional investors Vanguard ($3.72 billion/11.29%) and Blackrock ($3.02 billion/ 9.17%).   The majority stakeholder in Albertsons is institutional investment group Cerberus ($3.90 billion/28.54%).

In the past few years, food has surfaced as a growing national security issue.  Foreign companies and large multinationals continue to expand their control over U.S. farm production and export U.S. farm products (Big Ag).  A major retail level move like the merger of Kroger and Albertsons creates a weaker competitive environment and gives a larger potential footprint to price control.

CBS – […] Together, the companies will have more than 710,000 workers and operate nearly 5,000 stores, along with roughly 4,000 pharmacies. Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, including brands like Ralphs, Smith’s and Harris Teeter. Alberstons, based in Boise, Idaho, operates 2,220 stores in 34 states, including brands like Safeway, Jewel Osco and Shaw’s. 

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You often hear me talk about how financial pundits and economic analysts are disconnected from Main Street.  Today we get a prime example of that from the Wall Street Journal.

The topline of the WSJ article is essentially that people are not spending money on anything except essential goods (housing, energy, fuel, food, etc), which is somewhat of a ‘duh tell us something we don’t know‘ type article.   However, the analytical part of the article is where you find the insufferable disconnect.   Here’s one example:

[Data Point 1] “Gasoline prices dropped in September for the third month in a row, falling 4.9% from August.”  [Data Point 2] Sales at gasoline stations, a proxy for spending by car owners, declined 1.4% last month.” 

If gasoline dropped 4.9% in price, but sales only declined 1.4% that would indicate more physical gasoline was purchased at a lower price than the month before.   It’s not a hard concept to understand.

This is a retail sales reality even identified in the article itself, “Unlike many government reports, retail sales aren’t adjusted for inflation, so some swings reflect price changes rather than shifts in the amounts purchased.”

However, now look at this:  “Spending at restaurants and bars grew 0.5% in September from the prior month. But prices at restaurants grew 0.9% in the same month, according to a separate Labor Department report released Thursday, meaning that consumers are getting less for their spending.”

No, that’s not what this means.

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As expected, the Lawfare ideologues have weaponized the legal system to grant special visa status to the illegal aliens flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.  The aliens have been granted lawful U.S. residency status via “U VISA’s” reserved for victims of crimes.

Their applications as criminally trafficked victims come as the result of Texas Sherriff Javier Salazar certifying they were victims of an illegal human trafficking operation led by the Florida governor.  As an outcome, Ron DeSantis is under investigation by federal authorities and Texas authorities for violations of human trafficking laws.

[Picture Source – With More Detail]

The federal government, U.S. Treasury Dept, has an open investigation into the funds used by DeSantis to conduct the transfer operation. “Documents indicate Florida officials paid Destin, Fla.-based Vertol Systems Co. $1.56 million for the Martha’s Vineyard flight and possibly for a flight to Delaware, the home state of President Joe Biden, that ultimately didn’t happen.” [link]  Meanwhile Texas Sheriff Salazar is conducting a criminal investigation for human trafficking.

The 50 aliens have essentially been designated as victims and received the special VISA’s protecting them from extradition.  They are now considered witnesses for use by the Treasury investigation and Texas criminal probe.

WASHINGTON DC – Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar on Thursday certified that the group of migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., last month by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) were victims of a crime, qualifying them to obtain a visa.

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Folks, I’m not trying to bust on Ron DeSantis, I’m just highlighting the dynamic in the background to include the political players and deep connected GOP club operatives.  If the truth makes me a critic, then so be it; but I’m not going to play the pretending game.  Quite frankly, I’m tired of it.

Ron DeSantis is backed by the same assembly of political insiders, donors, corporations and financial backers that supported Jeb Bush.  The professionally republican class know what they have in DeSantis, and he is brand organized, packaged & managed to deliver on their intents.

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is as dialed in to the GOP club system as it gets.  Ryan’s brass nameplate is rivetted to one of the select mahogany chairs at the club table.

Speaking Wednesday at the Robin Hood conference before billionaires Steve Cohen and Paul Tudor Jones went on stage, Paul Ryan noted the GOP 2024 nominee will be “someone other than Donald Trump.”

According to a recording of his talk, Ryan named Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott as his three favorites. {source} DeSantis fighting Disney was “really good for him, from a political perspective,” Ryan said.

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As the third day of the trial of Igor Danchenko took place a Clinton campaign operative named Charles Dolan was called to the witness stand to explain his relationship to the accused fabricator of information used within the Christopher Steele dossier.  [TechnoFog has a deep dive on the testimony – HERE]

Charles Dolan has deep ties to the Democrat party. He has been a long-term advisor to Hillary Clinton, served as state chairman of Bill Clinton’s 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns, and was a key player in Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.  Dolan is an operative within the larger democrat machinery, a leftist version of Karl Rove.

Dolan was also a source for the Steele Dossier by providing information to Igor Danchenko who then sent the information to Chris Steele for inclusion in the Trump-dirt Steele Dossier.

When Charles Dolan was called to the witness stand, he admitted under direct questioning that he “embellished” and manufactured information provided to Igor Danchenko. He also noticed when the Dossier was made public that information he provided was included.  In essence, Dolan was one of the many people who generated nonsense lies, which became fabrications within the Steele dossier that the FBI later used to gain a FISA warrant.

It is infuriating, albeit not surprising, to see leftist media like Politico report on the Dolan lies as if the held no consequence.  This, after years of pushing the dossier material in order for leftist media to engineer completely fabricated narratives.

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The J6 Committee attempted to culminate their super serious grand theatrical performance with their closing effort.  A vote to subpoena President Trump and compel him to testify before the sham committee.   The made-for-television production was as ridiculous as it sounds.  WATCH:

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There is no precedent for the legislative branch to subpoena a former President of the United States, the executive branch.  No court, including the Supreme Court, would validate a congressional subpoena against the President.  The separation of powers would not permit the enforcement mechanism and there is no constitutional authority within the legislative branch to compel the executive. Period.

As a result, the effort of the J6 committee is essentially a made for television performance intended to create some goofy October surprise in advance of the November midterm election.  The transparency of the insufferable political nonsense is clear.   President Trump responded via Truth Social:

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Joe Biden’s economic and energy policies have resulted in another record matching former President Jimmy Carter.  The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced an inflation driven increase in SAA benefits of 8.7% beginning in January 2023.  This is the largest cost of living adjustment in 40 years.

(Social Security Administration) – Approximately 70 million Americans will see a 8.7% increase in their Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments in 2023. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.

Federal benefit rates increase when the cost-of-living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W rises when inflation increases, leading to a higher cost-of-living. This change means prices for goods and services, on average, are higher. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) helps to offset these costs.

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The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) released the September wage report [DATA HERE] delivering worse economic news for workers.

Real wages are dropping at a historic rate as inflation continues to rise and as a result wages buy less.

[BLS] “Real average hourly earnings decreased 3.0 percent, seasonally adjusted, from September 2021 to September 2022. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with a decrease of 0.9 percent in the average workweek resulted in a 3.8-percent decrease in real average weekly earnings over this period.” (link)

REAL WAGE CHART:

As the Biden economic/energy policy and Federal Reserve monetary policy merge together, the economy shrinks.  As the economy shrinks, fewer goods and services are purchased.  As less consumer goods are purchased, employment hours drop.  As employment hours drop, wages decline.

Declining wages combined with increased inflation forms the perfect storm against middle-class and working-class families.  This dynamic means lowered income and higher prices for essential goods and services like food, fuel, energy and housing.  It’s not difficult to see why this is happening.

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The lawsuit alleged that Alex Jones and Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, used the Sandy Hook mass shooting to build an audience and make money.  The jury in the case ordered Alex Jones to pay $965 million to the relatives of eight victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and an FBI agent because Jones stated the 2012 mass shooting was a hoax.

As the jury verdict was read, Alex Jones was broadcasting. {Direct Rumble Link} WATCH:

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It is doubtful that any of this award will be recovered by the plaintiffs.

(Via WTNH) – Here is the breakdown of what the jury decided each plaintiff should receive in total compensatory damages:

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The global economic cleaving continues.  Western allied nations are intentionally shrinking their economies to meet intentionally lowered energy production, ie ‘the green new deal’.  However, as the phrase is used, “managing the transition to the green energy economy” still requires the use of oil and gas no longer being generated within the same western allied nations.

As a result of this self-serving and ideological dynamic, any foreign oil provider who restricts the western nations from having access to cheap imported energy is viewed as an enemy.  The U.S. and western alliance forbid domestic development of oil, coal and gas, but the U.S. and western alliance still need oil, coal and gas.  This is the backdrop for Biden creating a dependency on foreign oil and being angry at Saudi Arabia for lowering production. {Direct Rumble Link}  WATCH:

The era of great pretending continues.

In this example Jake Tapper pretends not to know that Biden’s policy to block U.S. oil development has made the U.S. vulnerable to foreign oil decisions.  Saudi Arabia is the bad guy for limiting oil production, but Joe Biden is not confronted for limiting U.S. oil production.  It’s a media game of pretending not to know things.

In a semi related note, do not forget the connections.  NYT/Politico are used for FBI/DOJ narratives.  The Washington Post is used for CIA/IC narratives, and CNN is used for State Dept narratives.   The US State Department is conducting the war operations in Ukraine which is the core issue in the CNN interview above.

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