In July and August the U.S. was heading into a recession according to the media.  The Washington Post was at the forefront of the recession narrative with multiple articles predicting certain doom for the U.S. economy…. except there was a problem. All of the economic data would not support their predictions.  Things only got better.
The media gnashed their horrible teeth and stomped their horrible feet; alas Main Street continued to get stronger; wages higher, unemployment lower, and more middle-class Americans gaining strength and financial footing.  The media shouted at trees hoping and praying their predictions would soon evidence and the economy would throw itself into reverse.  Foiled again, it just never happened.  Democrats have permanent frowns.
Today the Washington Post admits defeat, informs their audience that cheering for economic collapse is futile, and states, reluctantly, the U.S. is unlikely to enter a recession:

At the same time Beijing is reportedly promising internal reforms to retain access to a vital and necessary U.S. market for Chinese goods, Beijing is threatening Germany if they block Huawei technology from their 5G network China will announce German autos are unsafe for import…. Chancellor Angela Merkel is in a pickle.

According to Bloomberg analysis, German automakers sold approximately seven million cars to China in 2018.  The Chinese Ambassador to Germany said this weekend: ” “If Germany were to take a decision that leads to Huawei’s exclusion from the German market, there will be consequences. The Chinese government will not stand idly by.”

(SCMP) […] The Chinese ambassador in Berlin has stirred up a fresh controversy over the tech giant Huawei after he threatened “consequences” if it was excluded from Germany.

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Earlier today President Trump held a round-table meeting with several governors to discuss the ongoing regulatory reform initiative. [Video and Transcript Below]

[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, everybody. We’ve had a very big day in the stock market today, as you know. That will be 133 days where we set a new record. And that’s fantastic. Our jobs numbers have come in fantastically well — really well. And we’re with some of our great governors and other leaders of areas of our country that are doing incredible things.
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Regardless of whether you would support or not support the vigorous defense of Michael Flynn, I would hope we would all agree a fulsome discovery of all relevant background material is a cornerstone of justice appropriately applied.
With that in mind it is concerning how Attorney General Bill Barr would prefer to keep DOJ conduct against Flynn hidden from public review.  Consider…
♦Would it be valuable for Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan to know the FBI was discussing how to “lock in” charges against [Flynn] in a “formal chargeable way”?

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♦Would it be valuable for Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan to consider how Special Counsel Robert Mueller requested DAG Rod Rosenstein to provide leverage against [Mike Flynn Jr] to coerce a plea against Michael Flynn in the second scope memo?
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In an order released moments ago, Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan has denied all of the Brady requests by the Flynn defense lawyer and summarily rejected the position of defense counsel.  Flynn sentencing is scheduled for January 28th, 2020.
Judge Sullivan relies heavily on the Mueller report and finds: the case was adequately predicated and authorized by Rod Rosenstein; the original guilty plea to Judge Contreras was appropriately informed; the government followed all appropriate notifications for Brady material; the evidence of Flynn’s guilt is accurately demonstrable to the guilty plea Mr. Flynn accepted; and there was no prosecutorial misconduct.

Here’s the ruling:

[scribd id=440008649 key=key-yzRbLnR1b7Bm41zSyIHS mode=scroll]
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National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears on Fox News for a discussion of the status of the U.S. economy, the USMCA and the U.S-China trade agreement.
The Wall Street GOPe, positioned primarily in the senate, are preparing to punish the administration for their restructuring of global trade against the backdrop of the senate influence over impeachment.

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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.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

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 †

USTR Robert Lighthizer made a rare appearance in the media to discuss the “big picture”, and some specifics, around the U.S-China phase-one agreement.
Ambassador Lighthizer notes the principle challenge is generating an enforceable set of standards -within a written agreement- between a totally controlled communist economic system (China) and a free-market system (USA).  No other nation has ever tried, and there is no preexisting trade agreement to facilitate a mapping.  What Lighthizer is constructing will be what all nations will start to use going forward.  This is historic stuff.
Arguably, next to President Trump, USTR Lighthizer is one of the most consequential members of the administration. What he is constructing, with the guidance of President Trump, is going to influence generations of Americans.

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[Transcript] MARGARET BRENNAN: This week, the U.S. and China agreed on the first phase of a trade deal that would roll back some American tariffs. It’s expected to be signed in early January. We’re joined now by the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, the top negotiator in those talks with Chinese officials. Good to have you here.
U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT LIGHTHIZER: Thank you for having me, MARGARET.
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Interesting:  Tuesday budget vote. Wednesday Impeachment vote. Thursday USMCA vote.
National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the ratification of the USMCA and the U.S-China “phase one” trade deal.

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USTR Lighthizer appeared on CBS to discuss the China agreement, he goes into more detail. That conversation is coming next.
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