The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the November job openings and turnover data today [DATA HERE] showing 370,000 workers quit their jobs in November bringing the quits rate now to 4.5 million people.

From the report, “Quits increased in several industries with the largest increases in accommodation and food services (+159,000); health care and social assistance (+52,000); and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+33,000).”

Over the 12 months ending in November 2021, hires totaled 74.5 million and separations totaled 68.7 million, yielding a net employment gain of 5.9 million for 2021. However, while the unemployment rate drops with fewer people working, the employment picture overall appears to be tenuous.

The FRED personal savings rate for Americans overall [DATA HERE] has been dropping rapidly since March 2021, the last federal COVID employment bailout injection. All of the federal assistance has created massive data skews in the savings rate, as federal subsidies gave an artificial boost to the U.S. savings rate.

It appears that the aggregate American worker is now using their savings, created by COVID bailouts, to offset the massive inflation created by the COVID bailouts.  The net result is a workforce going into negative savings each month as inflation driven expenses (energy, fuel, food) are higher than earnings.  This is an unsustainable situation.

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You might remember on October 13, 2021, Joe Biden delivered widely carried remarks about specific actions his administration was taking to increase operations at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB).

Here we take a closer look at the claims since the original announcement, and then highlight the actual results from the ports.  The port operations are actually doing worse today than they were in October. They are less efficient, less productive and have offloaded less freight in November than they did in October.  The factual results are exactly the opposite of the administration claims.

The October 13, 2021, White House fact sheet is HERE, “announcing a series of public and private commitments to move more goods faster, and strengthen the resiliency of our supply chains, by moving towards 24/7 operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.”  On November 17, 2021, the White House gave an update, “Recent Progress at Our Ports: Moving Cargo and Filling Shelves” and claiming the increased hours of operations were delivering on the White House expectations of increased productivity and offloading capacity.

Throughout these past 11 weeks, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg have been claiming their supply chain task force has been successful in generating exceptional results and removing the backlog at the ports, specifically the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  However, if we look at the actual records from both ports, we find exactly the opposite:

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In order for the hardline leftists to continue advancing their ideological agenda, they must always, always, pretend not to know things.  Cue Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg…

Pete Buttigieg has promoted open borders and mass illegal immigration as a “basic human right“, those are his words.  However, now he proclaims the process of trafficking people across the border is a violation of human rights.  In this brief public service announcement, Buttigieg urges people to call the authorities whenever they suspect human trafficking might be happening.  WATCH:

You can report Human Trafficking by calling 1-888-373-7888 or Texting BEFREE as one word.

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The Commerce Department November retail sales data was release today [DATA HERE] – [DETAIL pdf HERE].  The top line issue is a shocking drop in retail sales for November in key categories that align with previous discussion of inflation spending priorities for all U.S. consumers.

Before getting to the data, one point is critical to remember.  The commerce department sales figures are based on dollars spent. This point is important, because the items being purchased have inflation within them.  When prices are higher due to inflation, sales figures should be higher due to higher prices.  Ex. If there is an 8% increase in retail price, but only a 4% increase in retail sales, that means less stuff is being sold.  [Less units sold at a higher price gives the illusion of an increase in sales.]

Despite the start of the traditional holiday sales and shopping period, the total sales growth in November was 0.3% over October [Column A].  Factoring in inflation during the same month to month comparison at 0.9%, you can tell that overall in November there was a drop in units sold across the total of retail sales outlets.

A drop in sales at a time when holiday shopping should be taking place is concerning.  However, the sales reality aligns with the employment data last week showing a drop of 20,000 workers in the retail sector for November.  Put them together, and the picture shows retailers did not need employees, because consumers are not spending.

If we look deeper into the November sales figures, we can see that a contraction in discretionary spending is the primary issue. Electronics (-4.6%), Department Stores (-5.4%) and even online sales at ZERO.  We can also see a direct correlation in comparative inflation impact within the sales data for November 2021 when compared to November 2020 [Column B].

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Joe Biden may be celebrating his historic achievement in reaching an inflationary milestone previously set by Jimmy Carter, but the working class is paying the price for their economic stupidity.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the November inflation rate today [DATA HERE] showing another rise in the annualized rate of inflation of 6.8 percent.  As you review the data, ask yourself this question: ‘Is there anything in the current economic landscape to indicate this is going to stop?’  The honest answer is no.  Here’s why…

As the BLS accurately (albeit briefly) notes, their inflation data reflects the cumulative increases in costs of products and services at all stages in the supply chain.  Raw materials cost more (extraction, regulation impact), processing costs more (energy impact), transport costs more (fuel impact), final goods assembly costs more and handling costs more.  From field-to-fork or mining-to-showcase, the total cost to create stuff costs more. [AP Interactive Chart]

Yes, the inflation data is backward looking. Meaning, it is looking back toward the previous period to compare costs.  However, despite the White House protestations to the contrary, that’s not a good thing, because it is going to get worse.

The contracted price for goods delivered (depending on sector) are net terms in 30, 60 or 90 days.  Meaning, the purchase price on final goods wholesalers are receiving now, were agreed upon months ago.  Those terms for current arriving goods are no longer valid.  The new terms (purchase orders) carry higher costs, and as an outcome higher prices to consumers are still coming.

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We originally outlined the new COVID-19 variant along with the international motives of the science community for delivering it HERE.  Previously the new worrisome, 10 spike, vaccine resistant variant was called “The B.1.1.529 variant“.  However, those types of names do not work well for larger fear narrative distribution.  As a result, the international scientific community has given it the name “Omicron“.  Perhaps the “Merry Christmas” variant would be culturally insensitive.

Globally, and not coincidentally –politically– the greatest challenge to those in power is a massive rise in direct inflation.  What is the quickest way to eliminate the political risks due to inflation?  Shut down demand….. lock down the economies… turn the values closed on economic activity, and then watch oil prices plummet.

As the science is told, Omicron originated in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.  Government officials around the world have responded to the Omicron variant by banning travel from those countries.  The U.K and Australia kicked off the latest round of fear porn with their travel bans.  Subsequently, fellow EU nations Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Malta all announced imminent entry bans to all travelers who’ve entered South Africa and surrounding nations in the past two weeks.

In North America, Canada will be “banning the entry of foreign nationals…that have traveled through southern Africa in the last 14 days,” due to the new coronavirus variant Omicron, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said at a news conference Friday. (link)  And right on cue the Biden administration joins the effort:

WHITE HOUSE – “This morning I was briefed by my chief medical advisor, Dr. Tony Fauci, and the members of our COVID response team, about the Omicron variant, which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering additional air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries. These new restrictions will take effect on November 29. As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by what the science and my medical team advises.” (more)

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A very interesting interview with Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association.

During a House Transportation Committee hearing on supply chain issues, CEO Chris Spear shares an internal survey showing that 37% of truck drivers “not only said no, but said hell no” to the Biden vaccine mandates.

To give some perspective of the downstream consequence, the ATA President noted that “if just 3.7 percent, not 37 percent, just 3.7 percent” of the drivers left the industry, there would be over a quarter million vacancies resulting in a “catastrophic” collapse of the U.S. supply chain.  Mr. Spear also shared his opinion the OSHA rule is completely unworkable and unlawful.

The consequences are grave if just 3.7% did not work.  However, if ten times that many, 37 percent of truck drivers, stopped hauling products because of the Biden vaccine requirement, American civic society would collapse within days as panicked citizens took to the streets.  Desperate Americans would be clamoring for scarce products, and the impact on society could not be measured.  WATCH:

As we have continued to point out, a federal vaccine mandate might sound like a good idea on a think tank, academic or white paper policy level of consideration; but on a practical level, wiping out a large percentage of your most productive workforce over a vaccine mandate is unworkable, and might even end the operation of the entire business.

It is important to note the recent NBC poll on this issue amid the outlook of the vaccine mandates.  A majority of the country do not support the vaccine mandates, and worse still, the number of unvaccinated workers is essentially unwavering in the past six weeks {poll data}.  Remember, the number of Americans who willingly quit their jobs increased to 4.3 million in August {link}, and then increased again to 4.4 million in September {link}. People are not f**king around now.

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I’m not sure what is more blood boiling: that Joe Biden thinks it is okay to mock the American electorate, or that he actually believes the horse crap that comes out of his twisted, stupid brain.

The question was a perfectly well presented inquiry about the Biden administration’s incompetence to put policies in place to streamline the supply chain chaos that he has created.  His response is disconnected, absent of anything even remotely accurate, and entirely disconnected from factual substance.  This guy is a complete and utter failure of staggering and stunning incompetence.  WATCH:

I do not use the word ‘hate‘ lightly.  I have a solid grounding on what that word actually means.  However, the only people I hate worse than the current occupants of the White House, are the complicit DC media stenographers who sit there and giggle as this pontificating pustule of an idiot spouts nonsense. They clap and comply as if this is the professional or normal state of a functioning government.

COVID didn’t do squat to disrupt supply chains, impact prices or create massive shortages and inflation… people did.  Specifically, the people in the background of this administration who intentionally trashed the U.S. economy, because they are ideologically aligned with that destruction.  The current economic team is devoid of any real world experience that would shape their outlooks on how to solve problems. Example: Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

[Transcript] – […] THE NATIONAL FOOL: (Laughs.) (The fool covers his eyes and points towards the press.) (Laughter.)

Q Mr. President, Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger said of your presidency this week: “Nobody elected him to be FDR. They elected him to be normal and stop the chaos.” How do you view your mandate after Tuesday’s election losses for Democrats? And is she wrong?

THE NATIONAL FOOL: Well, Abigail is a friend. We had a long talk. She joked and said that I have a picture — she said I have a picture of Roosevelt hanging in my office — her office, okay?

I don’t intend to anybody but Joe Biden. That’s who I am. And what I’m trying to do is do the things that I ran on to do. And, look, people out there are — ordinary, hardworking Americans are really, really — been put through the wringer the last couple years, starting with COVID.

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Perhaps it’s only a lie if he believes it.  However, what Joe Biden said in front of an assembled group of G20 leaders was not only a lie, it was so transparently false that world leaders knew Biden was just making stuff up.  Truly this is such a false statement you have to wonder if the script writer was intentionally setting up Joe Biden for ridicule.

Unfortunately, none of the media fact-checkers are likely to call him out for this; but, believe me, those world leaders sitting around the table know this level of propaganda is beyond anything even Baghdad Bob would attempt.  And yes, it’s also in the transcript.

Given all of the economic impacts crushing the United States working class, Joe Biden’s team thought it would be a good idea politically for his administration to select “Supply Chain Resilience” as the U.S. selected discussion topic for the G20 group.  During his introductory propaganda remarks (obviously he did not write), Joe Biden said the following [video at 02:34]:

TRANSCRIPT – […] “Just a few weeks ago, we were able to facilitate an agreement with key unions, retailers, and freight movers to begin operating two of the largest ports in the United States that account for 40 percent of the imports on the West Coast: the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, California. So, we got them to move from 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, to 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.” (read more)

The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and Port of Long Beach (POLB) have never worked 8hr/days Monday through Friday.  That is complete, abject and utter nonsense.  That statement is so far away from the truth, the light from where truth begins could not catch that statement in a year.  Even the ASL interpreter seemed to notice (see below).

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The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released the first estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the third quarter (July, Aug, Sept). [DATA HERE]  The top line number of two percent GDP growth is significantly worse than most economists and financial pundits expected.

The second quarter GDP was 6.7%, so a slow down to 2% is very significant considering the economy should be rebounding and reopening after the COVID-19 impacts.  However, when we dig into the details [Table One] you will see how what is happening in your life is actually reflected in the data.   None of this should be a surprise, as the data is simply reflecting what is happening in your personal checkbook economics.

First, here’s the media jaw agape, with false explanations and justifications:

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The drop has nothing to do with the ‘delta variant’, and everything -EVERYTHING- to do with inflation and impacts from Joe Biden’s economic policies.

Let’s take a look at the details, and you will see how the national GDP is simply a reflection on what we are doing to survive the Biden economy.

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