As CTH has noted since last October the rapid increases in fertilizer costs could potentially create a major issue for global food supplies later this summer.  As the farming costs continue escalating, including fertilizer and diesel fuel prices, this will eventually lead to major price increases on the harvests.   Field to fork inflation is looking increasingly severe later this year; what we have called the third wave of inflation.

Beyond prices, a primary impact in the U.S. market, concerns are now escalating about grain shortages {SEE HERE} and lower European crop yields which will lead to less food products on a global basis.   According to information shared by ZeroHedge, “We think it will take at least 2-3 years to replenish global grains stocks,” Illinois-based CF Industries Holdings Inc.’s president and chief executive officer Tony Will said in a statement in Wednesday’s earnings report.”

Axios is reporting on the continued escalation of fertilizer prices; however, they conveniently and purposefully avoid noting the origin of the problem in North America is directly the result of Joe Biden’s immediate energy policies that drove up the costs of natural gas (a critical component):

AXIOS – “Skyrocketing fertilizer costs — like those made from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) — are driving up food prices and, worse, threatening food security around the globe.

State of play: Prices for NPK were up 125% in January from a year before, and rose another 17% from the beginning of the year to March, according to data compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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The fact this lawfare case was even brought before a court exemplifies the desperation in the Democrat party. Georgia State Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot has rejected the challenge to Marjorie Taylor Greene after listening to legal arguments last week.

Washington – “ATLANTA (AP) — A judge in Georgia on Friday found that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) can run for reelection, rejecting arguments from a group of voters who had challenged her eligibility over allegations that she engaged in insurrection. But the decision will ultimately be up to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

State Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot announced his decision after a daylong hearing in April that included arguments from lawyers for the voters and for Greene, as well as extensive questioning of Greene herself. (read more)

The White House has announced {SEE HERE} that Karine Jean-Pierre will replace Jen Psaki as chief narrative engineer for the Biden regime effective May 13, 2022.  Anita Dunn will return as media fixer.

[White House Press Release] – Today, President Biden announced Karine Jean-Pierre has been promoted to be Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary. Karine will step into the Press Secretary role replacing Jen Psaki, who will depart from the White House on May 13.

Statement from President Biden: “I am proud to announce that Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as the next White House Press Secretary.

“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people. Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration. (read more)

Additionally, the White House has announced Anita Dunn will return to the JoeBama administration as senior advisor.  Dunn’s specific expertise is using pressure, blackmail and political leverage to control information distribution by media organizations.

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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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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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It’s not that hard to see the GOPe Club moves in Georgia, you just have to shake off the ‘battered conservative syndrome‘ to accept it.

Georgia is holding an open primary, where democrats can vote for republicans and republicans can vote for democrats.

The Democrat Governor candidate is Stacy Abrams, and she is running unopposed.

The AME Church Network (think prior Mississippi strategy for Thad Cochran by  Haley Barbour and Mitch McConnell) have been activated to vote in the republican primary, so democrats in Georgia will choose the republican candidate who will run against Stacy Abrams.

Georgia Democrats will vote for incumbent republican governor Brian Kemp this month because that’s who they want on the ticket in the November general election, facing their candidate, Stacy Abrams.  Georgia is the homebase of the AME church network and their political operations.  This is part of the reason why Georgia politics is: (a) racially divisive; and (b) fraught with corruption.

As a direct result of democrats selecting the opposition, Stacy Abrams will win in November.  Open primaries are club rules used to make red states turn blue.  Allowing your opposition to choose your candidate is never smart. [Note: Texas is soon to follow if they are not careful.]

Everything at this level of electoral games is controlled by the state political clubs.   The republican club in Georgia is ideologically against MAGA more than they are against Democrats.  The GA parties control the rules and thereby the political outcomes, the voters in GA operate under the illusion of choice.  This is not uncommon.

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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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Senator Liawatha is big mad because she might not be able to kill babies any longer. WATCH:

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There is something very disturbing about people who cannot control their physical, mental or emotional state.  Expressing rage because the abortion issue could potentially be reversed back to the states for rules and restrictions on the murder of babies reflects a particular instability.

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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.