CTH has covered the origin of food inflation since we first raised the alarms in the spring of 2020.  A confluence of events starting with the fracturing of the food supply chain (shutting down restaurants, hospitality venues, schools, cafeterias, etc), created the initial major problem.  Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sold at retail stores could not keep up with demand after 50% of the food supply system was shut down.

Within the U.S. retail food supply chain (350+ million people), manufacturing CPG products relies on a system of staying one to two harvest cycles ahead of demand.  However, when restaurants and fresh food venues were closed, very quickly frozen, bulk stored and siloed U.S. food storage systems, the storage needed for CPG products, were emptied.

Long after the time when all food distribution was reopened, the shortages of CPG products continued. You saw the result with empty shelves at the supermarket.  It takes a long time (years) for those inventories to refill.

We warned of this in 2020 and then followed the predictable outcome in 2021 and 2022.

When Joe Biden then shut down the U.S. energy production system in early 2021, the massive increases in energy costs -and the shortages of natural gas- became fuel on the inflationary fire of CPG goods.  Again, in October 2021 CTH noted that retail prices were going to rise quickly, and they did.

Throughout 2022 food prices have risen dramatically as the food distribution and processing system was now under pressure from all sides.  The shortage of inputs (to refill food storage and warehousing needs) combined with the much higher costs to generate those inputs -the direct result of the exploding energy costs- created massive inflation pressure.  The pricing result we are seeing now (third wave of food inflation) is exactly what we have stated, discussed and predicted for more than two years.

While all food costs are skyrocketing, the prices for manufactured or processed food are much higher than the price increases for fresh food.

(more…)

In a very odd and yet scant set of details, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked shortly after 2am by a hammer wielding suspect from Berkeley named David DePape (42).

DePape has been identified as a nudist/activist from the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. Speaker Pelosi was not home at the time; she was in Washington DC.

(San Francisco) – […] San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said Depape, 42, is now facing charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other additional felonies stemming from the incident after 2 a.m.

Scott said police responded to a wellbeing check and found Depape and Paul Pelosi, 82, struggling over a hammer. He said officers then witnessed Depape pull the hammer away from Pelosi and “violently assaulted” him.

Officers then immediately tackled Depape, disarmed him and took him into custody, while requesting emergency backup and rendering medical aid at the scene. The motive for the attack remains under investigation. (read more)

Police briefing below:

(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 JoeBama Administration and Presidency.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”

“But I tell you this: We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh

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…)

Elon Musk officially took control of Twitter on Thursday evening.

Immediately after taking ownership, Mr. Musk fired Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ned Segal, and the Head of Legal Policy, Vijaya Gadde, the person who took responsibility for banning former President Donald Trump from the social media platform. According to The Washington Post, Sean Edgett, the company’s general counsel was also given the boot.

The CEO, CFO and top legal officers all immediately removed. Nice start. Immediately after the top brass cleaning, Musk Tweeted “the bird is freed.”

According to financial reports, the S&P 500 is exiting Twitter (TWTR) from its stock market index effective November 1st as Musk takes the company private and promises to open source the background code to the public.

While there are many people waiting to see exactly what the changes mean to the user engagement aspects of the intelligence community engaged platform, this is easily the biggest change in the public information space in many years.

(more…)

Will big tech and social media remove Joe Biden for violations of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation?  Considering his remarks today, they should.

Reading from a teleprompter loaded with lies about the economy, Joe Biden stunningly states that gas prices are lower today than when he took office. Further claiming that gasoline was $5/gal.  {Direct Rumble Link} Nothing about any of his economic claims is true.  WATCH (1 min):

.

Allowing people to return to work after the pandemic lockdowns is not “creating jobs.”  And gasoline was not $5/gal when Joe Biden took office.

(more…)

President Donald J Trump has announced four key election week rallies, with more possible, as the race to the midterm election comes down the stretch.

The announced stops include Sioux City, Iowa (Thursday 11/3); Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Saturday 11/5); Miami, Florida (Sunday 11/6); and Dayton, Ohio on Monday November 07.  See Below:

(source)

The Sunday evening event in Miami, Florida, is happening as Democrat donors and party officials have all but given up on the state.  According to Politico:

[…] “Most worrisome for Democrats, national organizations and donors have all but abandoned their candidates — setting off fears that Florida is no longer viewed as competitive. That would have dire implications for the next presidential election.”

[…] “Translation: It’s over. And it’s going to be ugly.”

(more…)

The dissidents at Project Veritas have received leaked whistleblower information from the FBI highlighting a guidance document that puts “disinformation” into the category of an “election crime.” [Source Article Here]   According to the internal guidance, sharing “false or inaccurate information intended to mislead others” may lead the FBI to charge people with election crimes.

[WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 27, 2022] Project Veritas published a newly leaked document today provided by an FBI whistleblower.

The document details how the Bureau will tackle what they consider to be “election crimes.”

It lists “misinformation” as a potential election crime, describing it as “false or misleading information spread mistakenly or unintentionally.”

(more…)

Just a quick notice and alert to highlight some common technological ‘glitches’ and occurrences that are appearing around the internet, coincidentally timed as a result of the pending 2022 midterm election.

By now everyone is familiar with Big Tech control mechanisms like blocking, shadow banning, downgrading and throttling.

Essentially, these are methods within the technology space that are designed to influence opinion and block access to information and communication adverse to the ideology of the provider(s).

Most often we associate those terms with social media platforms; however, within the infrastructure of the internet itself the same intent is also carried in various forms you might not be familiar with.  I am seeing a lot of deployed control systems triggered recently, it is worth mentioning in case you notice something different.

Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) are increasingly directing your background internet travels and blocking you from access to content they define as against their interest.  Major players in the field of providing online access (comcast, Xfinity, AT&T, etc.) as well as regional operators also have a vested ideological stake.  If you find yourself having difficulty navigating the internet, especially during this election season, be aware the ISP provider could be in control.

Cell phone communication networks also have the ability to control data transmitted through their systems.  Text messages containing links to unapproved or dissident websites can be blocked by code and algorithms assigned to monitor traffic.   Phone browsers and portable internet hot spots may also be controlled by the provider.  You may not be aware, but your agreement with your cell phone provider gives them the ability to filter data on your device according to their individual standard.

Again, just be aware.

(more…)

The topline of a third-quarter GDP at +2.6% looks good [DATA HERE]. However, a look into the numbers shows alarm.  The domestic U.S. economy, as measured by Main Street creating goods and services for domestic consumption, contracted in the third quarter.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculation is a valuation of all goods and services created within the economy, minus the value of goods and services imported.  However, even a cursory look under the topline number shows how the import/export dynamic creates the illusion of economic growth.

In the third quarter we exported hundreds of billions worth of energy products, including massive liquified natural gas (LNG) sales to Europe, and oil sales to the global market from the strategic petroleum reserve.  We also sold billions in weapons to Europe. Those sales are calculated as exports, lifting the GDP number (Table 1).  At the same time, imports of durable goods into the United States collapsed; meaning less was deducted from the GDP.  The net import/export impact on the GDP dynamic was +2.77% (Table 2).

Meaning the third-quarter import/export dynamic alone contributed 2.7% growth to the percentage of change for the prior period.  However, the total GDP only rose 2.6%, because the actual economic value created domestically got smaller.  We made less internally, sold less internally and consumers purchased less internally.

(more…)