Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference after meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.  As Netanyahu remarked, “President Trump’s decision to act with us …. has made a remarkable change in the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu also emphasized the need to “change the government of Gaza” as part of the current objective within the conflict.  Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized repeatedly that President Trump and himself are connected in common purpose. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, the government of the USA and the government of Israel have never been as deeply intertwined as they are at this moment in history.  WATCH:

.

Pay close attention to the tone and emphasis of the remarks from Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as the content.  For Netanyahu there is a domestic political need to stay as close to President Trump as humanly possible, and he is showcasing that intent in every word and inflection.  Netanyahu’s power is directly related to his proximity to Trump.

Benjamin Netanyahu fears distance from President Trump more than any element around him.  Remember, the need for control is a reaction to fear.  Netanyahu will do anything to keep close proximity.

(more…)

The Term-1 effect of deflation created by tariff policy is resurfacing in Term-2 even with larger tariff impacts across the network of global manufacturing exports. [DATA SOURCE]

In essence, there is little to no end result in price increases in the final price of consumer goods (Consumer Price Index). In fact, there is a slight deflationary aspect on CPI data from imported durable goods.  The lower price of arriving imported durable goods is effectively putting downward pressure on US consumer prices.   This is identical to the Term-1 result. A pattern is repeating.   [PCE personal consumption expenditure / CPI consumer price index]

[Source – WH Council of Economic Advisors]

It sounds counterintuitive, but tariffs do not impact the final price of goods to USA consumers; there are just too many factors, too many elements within the Total Cost of Goods (TCG) within supply chain.  Global energy prices, domestic energy prices, currency evaluations and fluctuations, state/govt subsidies to manufacturers, labor negotiations and production profit offsets are only a few of the components.

Additionally, and this is where U.S. consumers do not get a fulsome explanation from corporate media analysts, the tariff rate is applied to the ‘cost’ the exporter pays, not the final consumer price.  A pair of jeans from China may be sold to the import company for $5 per pair. A 30% tariff raises the price of the jeans by $1.50 to $6.50.  The tariff rate does not apply to the retail price of $50 paid by the consumer.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

President Donald Trump has begun posting the country specific tariff rate announcements on his Truth Social account.

Beginning with Japan and South Korea, President Trump is sending letters to each nation not currently in direct negotiations with the USA.  Japan example below:

Both Japan and South Korea are assigned 25% baseline tariff rates “separate from all Sectoral Tariffs.”  Additionally, if the nation participates in transnational shipping, the rate attempting to be avoided will be applied to the country violating the trade position.

Example:  South Korea (25%) acts as a passthrough for a country with a higher tariff rate like Vietnam, 40%.  If South Korea is caught engaging in transnational shipping then the applied tariff rate on the South Korean goods is 40%.

(more…)

Yesterday, the DOJ and FBI released a memo concluding Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide, maintained no “client list,” and engaged in no blackmail – effectively debunking theories of his motives.  This DOJ/FBI memo contradicts Attorney General Pam Bondi’s prior claims of reviewing such a client list.  Many people are wondering what is going on?

You can read the Two-Page Memo HERE – Also the Video File is HERE

If the memo content is accurate, Jeffrey Epstein trafficked in sex with thousands of minors for his own gratification.  He was not providing underage girls to high profile clients and did not maintain a client list.  Additionally, there is no evidence to support a supposition that Epstein’s actions were part of a system to generate blackmail of influential people.

[SOURCE HERE]

Oddly, perhaps not, there is no information as to the source of his wealth or financing of his sick activity.  Apparently, Jeffrey Epstein was able to conduct all of these targeting acts, and live a luxurious lifestyle surrounded by codependent enablers, from an unknown source of material wealth and income.

Yes, it all seems odd and irreconcilable.

You are not weird, strange or alone if you do not understand.  None of it makes sense.

(more…)

White House Trade and Manufacturing Advisor Peter Navarro talks about how the Fed monetary position is lagging with the intent of Trump’s MAGAnomic policy.  In the short review, Chairman Jerome Powell is approximately 0.50% in rate cuts behind the growth plan of President Trump.

Peter Navarro notes this disconnect is politically motivated when viewed through the window of hindsight.  Navarro is correct.   CTH has been outlining this economic policy and monetary policy disconnect, specifically as it pertains to President Trump’s Main Street focused agenda, for almost a decade {GO DEEP}.

Additionally, in many ways the Trump tariffs are the reverse of decades of ‘exfiltration’ of American wealth. Just as there was a shift when the value of the Wall Street economy surpassed the value of the U.S. Main Street economy, the politicians began responding to their new donors, so too is the Fed reluctant in reverse focus and advance the agenda of Main Street.  WATCH:

Here’s the key – The DC challenges are not overwhelming when you take a non-traditional approach toward finding solutions.

(more…)

Appearing on CNBC to explain the big picture economics, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlines how debt and deficit hawks are seemingly blind to the need for GDP growth to deal with federal spending.

From the outset of President Trump’s MAGAnomic policies in his T-1 and T-2 platform, growing the U.S. economy, expanding the size of the GDP is a key facet to dealing with debt and deficits.  President Trump has always promoted economic policy that expands the size of the pie rather than focus on making smaller portions of each spending slice.

Secretary Bessent also explains the current status of the tariffs as delivered by the Trump administration.  The next few days are exceptionally busy with incoming requests to renegotiate trade terms, and avoid countervailing duties.  WATCH:

.

Big picture:  Trump, Lutnick and Greer are now transmitting 1. Baseline tariffs (10-20%), 2. Reciprocity tariffs (trade imbalance) and 3. Section 232 tariffs (ex. Steel and Aluminum).  Countries are notified and their tariff rate begins on August 1st.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)