Wow, CPL is having a very bad day. [Details Here] The scale of the new grand jury indictments against Avenatti for his alleged criminal behavior is clear; if convicted on all counts he could spend 335 years in prison.
Attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged in a 36-count federal indictment alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients, did not pay his taxes, committed bank fraud and lied in bankruptcy proceedings.

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DOJ Details on Avenatti Indictment HERE

Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks during an energy and infrastructure event in Crosby, Texas. [Video and Transcript]

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[Transcript] – 4:07 P.M. CDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.) And one of my all-time favorite governors is right here. Greg, thank you very much. Greg Abbott. (Applause.) Great, great job.
I’m thrilled to be here in Crosby, Texas, with the incredible members of the International Union of Operating Engineers. (Applause.) I know you well. I know you well and I also know who most of you voted for, and I appreciate it. (Laughter.)
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There’s a term called “zeroing” at the heart of this World Trade Organization decision that supports President Trump, Secretary Ross and USTR Lighthizer.
When an industry product like Canadian softwood lumber is shipped into the U.S. for sale at a lower price than exists in Canada, the U.S. Commerce department calls that “dumping“.  If the Canadian product is the same or higher in the U.S. as it is in Canada there is no dumping.  No dumping is a “zero” or normal price differential; hence “zeroing”.

The Canadian government is subsidizing their lumber industry by allowing tree removal from federal land at discounted rates so long as the lumber is exported.  This made softwood lumber cheaper in the U.S. than in Canada and set up the dumping issue.
[NOTE: This is the same issue with Steel and Aluminum from China]
U.S. lumber mills were going out of business because Canada was dumping subsidized product into the U.S. market at a discounted rate.  As a consequence, in 2017 Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross instituted a 20% tariff on Canadian lumber to protect the U.S. lumber industry.  The tariff is a countervailing duty to offset the Canadian subsidy. ie. “zeroing”.
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Put this into the geopolitical file labeled: “Things that make other things make sense”…  You only need to watch the first minute and fifteen-seconds of this announcement to see the bigger BIG picture.  WATCH:

[Transcript Snippet] … “This is the first time that the United States has designated a part of another government as an FTO. We’re doing because the Iranian regime’s use of terrorism as a tool of statecraft makes it fundamentally different from any other government. This historic step will deprive the world’s leading state sponsor of terror the financial means to spread misery and death around the world.”

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During a bond hearing today prosecutors say the FBI is still investigating whether a 32-year-old Yujing Zhang, the Chinese woman accused of lying to illegally enter President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, is a spy.
After a search warrant, additional spy tech was found in her hotel room including: $7,500 in one hundred dollar bills; a signal detector device to find hidden cameras; nine USB drives, five SIM cards and an additional cell phone.  Sketchy… all of it.

(Via CBS) A federal prosecutor says a Chinese woman who was arrested for illegally entering President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club had a device to detect hidden cameras in her hotel room when Secret Service agents searched it.
Speaking at Yujing Zhang’s bail hearing Monday in West Palm Beach, Florida, prosecutor Rolando Garcia said agents also found U.S. and Chinese currency in her room, along with nine USB drives and five USB cards. She’s charged with lying to a federal agent and illegal entering.

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Acting chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss current political events in Washington DC.  Topics include resistance effort by House democrats; the ongoing border crisis with Mexico; the House effort to get President Trump’s income taxes from the IRS; and the upcoming release of the Mueller report by Attorney General William Barr, and Healthcare initiatives.

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National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears on Face The Nation to discuss issues with the U.S-Mexico border and possible economic ramifications if the security issues are not addressed. Additionally, Kudlow discusses the USMCA trade deal and the status of current negotiations with China.

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National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow discusses the latest BLS jobs report, the overall health of the economy and U.S-China trade discussions.

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There are no coincidences when you dance with the dragon.  Earlier today U.S. prosecutors notified Huawei in a court filing they intend to use classified surveillance evidence gained through a FISA warrant against the Chinese state-owned enterprise.

Assistant US Attorney Alex Solomon said at the hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, that the evidence, obtained under the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), would require classified handling. (more)

A few hours later, President Trump holds a meeting in the oval office to discuss trade issues with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He….  [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – 4:31 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s a great honor to be with the Vice Premier of China, a highly respected man all over the world. We’ve had tremendous discussions. We’re getting very close to making a deal. That doesn’t mean a deal is made, because it’s not, but we’re certainly getting a lot closer. And I would think with — oh, within the next four weeks or maybe less, maybe more — whatever it takes — something very monumental could be announced.
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This is a rather remarkable statistic [Technical Data Here] Weekly unemployment claims dropped to 202,000 for the week ending March 30th.  That’s the lowest level of jobless claims since December 1959.  More people are working today than ever in U.S. history. [The DOL jobless claims statistic is not connected to the unemployment rate; the BLS unemployment report for March will be announced tomorrow morning.]

(Via CNBC) The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a more than 49-year low last week, pointing to sustained labor market strength despite slowing economic growth.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 202,000 for the week ended March 30, the lowest level since early December 1969, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

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