White House Trade and Manufacturing Policy Advisor Peter Navarro discusses some of the more granular details behind the COVID-19 mitigation strategy.   The policies are designed to counter the economic impacts, and then use a tactical approach toward the challenges in the supply chain for medical supply needs.

Navarro discusses some of the private sector shifts in production and manufacturing to generate medical supply needs as an outcome of the defense production act.

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As expected more retail food outlets are reducing store hours.

Several factors have increased retail market demand for fresh food and non-perishables. People stocking up, kids out of school, some panic shopping (example toilet paper) and now curfews & quarantines have people purchasing more for ‘meals prepared at home’.

Add in a level of closed restaurants and the demand on retail food markets is severely stressed.  With that in mind what are you experiencing in your city, town or neighborhood market? Use the comment section to share your experience. How is the supply chain responding to the increased demand in your area? Has the panic buying settled down?

As an outcome of short-sighted coronavirus issues, the Philadelphia police department has announced they will no longer be arresting suspects for retail theft, auto theft, burglary, narcotics or other “non violent” offenses.  Instead they will write tickets, release the suspects and address the criminality later on.  Now watch what happens.

CTH saw the instructions earlier today (see below) but we did not want to immediately distribute the information.  It should be remembered the current Philadelphia police commissioner, Danielle Outlaw (pictured left), is a social justice  activist from Portland, Oregon.

Unfortunately, there is a predictive element to this.  Perhaps some are familiar with the post Hurricane Andrew experience in Homestead and Miami-Dade.

The only thing standing between law-abiding citizens and those who would take their possessions is an ability to defend your own property.  This is now the Philadelphia reality.

PHILADELPHIA – In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Philadelphia police officers have been instructed to stop making arrests for certain non-violent crimes.

The department said individuals who would normally be arrested and processed at a detective division, will be temporarily detained to confirm identification and complete necessary paperwork. The individual will then be a arrested at a later date on an arrest warrant. (read more)

Beware, the law of unintended consequences.

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CTH is spending time on this issue because the food distribution sector is the most important sector in all commerce. Having some familiarity with the supply chain might help people to understand the challenges; and possibly help you locate product.

The Inversion – Big chain markets; those who spent millions developing their own proprietary ‘just-in-time’ distribution networks and automated ordering systems; are currently the least equipped to deal with the level of demand.  Meanwhile smaller chains, or mom-and-pops, who rely on third-party brokered distribution are faster to respond.

Several factors have increased retail market demand for food products and non-perishables.  People stocking up, kids out of school, some panic shopping (example toilet paper) and now curfews/quarantines have people purchasing more for ‘meals prepared at home’.  Add in a level of closed restaurants and the demand on retail food markets is severely stressed.

In major urban areas the larger retailers are unable to keep up with demand.  This is creating an outward spread as people drive further and further distances to find their needs.  Those who travel a distance ultimately stock-up more; thus the outward spider web-cycle is created.  Based on ground reports Atlanta Georgia is a prime example.

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San Francisco has skipped the interim mitigation efforts and has announced a forced quarantine of all residents inside their homes 24-hours-a-day for the next three weeks.

A totalitarian dream.  All residents must remain confined inside their homes or residences and no-one will be permitted outside except for emergency services or monitored visits to the grocery stores.  The order remains in effect until April 7, 2020, and may be extended.

CALIFORNIA – [….] Mayor London Breed announced what she calls a “defining moment” in U.S. response to the pandemic. Beginning at 12 AM, all residents within the city can only leave home for doctor’s appointments or runs to the grocery store.

It’s the strictest new policy enacted in the nation, and matches the current rules in Italy … which has been the 2nd hardest-hit country in the world.

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Telling people to remain calm and simultaneously forcing people to remain in their homes would seem to be a contradiction in messaging; potentially only worsening the panic.  However, this is one of those, “well, yes it’s unconstitutional except when….” moments, that may have rather profound consequences.

The Democrat mayor of Hoboken New Jersey has announced a mandatory curfew between 10pm and 5am where all residents are not permitted to exit their residence; and all bars must close due to the coronavirus.

I don’t know if this is the first ‘mandatory’ coronavirus curfew, or even how such an effort could feasibly be enforced, but it’s likely not going to be the last:.

New Jersey – 10:45pm ET – Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Bhalla announced a citywide curfew will be in effect starting Monday. The curfew also places major restrictions on bars and restaurants.

The curfew will be in effect from 10 p.m.- 5 a.m.starting on Monday, and until further notice.  Residents will be required to stay home, except for emergencies, or if needed at work by their employer.

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The White House has announced that magnanimous big tech firm Google has ‘voluntarily’ joined the federal government (within the national state of emergency) to assist citizens with the effort to voluntarily ‘test’ for the coronavirus.

As announced the details are under rapid construction, but don’t worry during a crisis there’s no need for prudent pause.  Trust is a currency.

President Trump noted today that over 1,700 data collection engineers from ‘big tech’ Google have been assigned by tech executives to create the system.

Google is undertaking this effort as a ‘free service’ to the American public. Everything is free, including the test.

Soon you will be able to use your hand-held transponder to sign-up, register for testing, and find your local neighborhood testing (dna collection) site.

Also noted, in a partnership with big corporate multinationals like Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreens, citizens will be able to drive up to their local parking lot and have coronavirus ‘testing’ done without ever leaving your vehicle.  There will likely be instructions to bring your transponder (phone) with you to facilitate a faster ‘check-out’ process.

As soon as the other big tech and social media companies recognize the proactive nature of the system it’s likely Apple, Facebook, Twitter and all social media platforms will create links to the Google HHS data-hub to assist with citizen registration and fulfillment.  Lots of that pesky red-tape eliminated under the necessary framework of a national emergency.

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CTH has received multiple requests for a review of predictable consequences as a result of the midterm election.  Thankfully, and perhaps unfortunately, we have solid references to base these predictions on – because there’s a solid frame of reference from the 2006 midterm and the subsequent consequences we saw in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
If we take the empirical 2006 example as the starting point and overlay the 2018 landscape to modernize the predictive model, what results is a most likely scenario.

First, any intellectually honest review must overlay the current political environment.  In 2018 the scale of unchecked lawless behavior is a significant influence toward the differences we can expect from the last time Democrat/Marxists held congressional power. The term “Democrat-socialism”, in essence a Marxist approach, is now the dominant fuel within the professional DNC  political operations.
When the Democrats last held power in 2006, their actionable objective was toward a far-left, Saul Alinsky-type aggressive tone and influence; however, there was a need to couch that intention as they positioned Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election.
In 2006 the radicals, needed to downplay their radicalism.  In 2018 the severity and aggression of the left, as assisted by the dropping of all media pretense, no longer needs to hide the intention.  When Democrat-Marxists take control in January of 2019 they no longer need to couch the extremism, the American electorate have been prepped.
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As of the 11:00am advisory Florence has become a category one hurricane with rapid strengthening anticipated over the next 36 hours.  The forecast track is still uncertain; however, residents of South and North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region should pay close attention. There is a reasonable possibility Florence could be a multi-day event for the east coast – hovering for several days next weekend – SEE HERE (hit play)
Coastal residents of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic should pay close attention; and begin carrying out the beginning of a proactive hurricane plan.  Florence will likely approach the coast sometime on Thursday; residents have four full days for preparation. This specific storm has the signature forecast for of a major multi-day power outage.

[National Hurricane Center] At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located by a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 24.4 North, longitude 56.3 West. Florence is moving toward the west near 6 mph (9 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week.
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The full speech (both video and transcript) by President Obama yesterday at the National Counter Terrorism Center, McLean Virginia.  Presented below for two reasons.

• #1 To share the substantive information provided by the President of our United States.
• #2 Because, in my humble opinion, having spent considerable time following nuance and inter-governmental messaging, this speech -and included insurances- as outlined within the President’s delivery, are 180° divergent from the FBI federal complaint released yesterday in the San Bernardino terrorist investigation.

Here is President Obama’s NCTC speech:

And here’s the transcript: (more…)