Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 14, 2022 | sundance
The U.S. Census Bureau {LINK} reports the March retail sales data {pdf LINK} showing a contraction in sales overall (excluding gasoline) and a massive contraction in on-line sales. As we expected, we are seeing the continued demand side contraction for non-essential purchases.
First, when you review the data, keep in mind all of the statistics are based on dollars. Currently the BLS calculates the rate of inflation at 8.5 percent year over year. So, when we look at retail sales figures, we must remember the items being sold cost more. Any reported sales figures in a sector that do not exceed the inflation in that sector, indicates decline in units sold.
The top-line for March retail sales is 0.5% growth; however, the rate of inflation is 8.5%, so the amount of goods sold is substantially less than the 0.5% dollar increase would indicate. Subtract the sales of gasoline (w/ massive price increases), and retail sales are negative (-0.3%) in March. SEE TABLE-2
A good category to note the contraction in non-essential purchases is electronics and appliances. Again, CORE inflation in that segment is around 6%, and yet total sales were only 3.3% higher, meaning less actual units sold. Compared to 2021, electronics and appliance sales dropped 9.7%.
Showing how much people are pinched, gasoline prices are around 60% higher than this time last year, yet gas station sales only increased by 8.9%. This means people are buying a lot less fuel at much higher prices. People have shifted their transportation habits because gas costs so much.
Two more very interesting notes:
Food and beverage stores only reflected a 1.0% increase in sales, amid massive inflation in that sector. People are buying less food at higher prices. The year-over-year rate of retail sales increase for supermarkets is 8.4%, however, prices in the grocery store are well beyond 20%. Again, food prices are changing shopping habits. You can see the same trend in Health and Beauty Care products. Consumers are being thrifty and prioritizing their expenses away from non-essentials.
Secondly, perhaps the most obvious shift in consumer spending is noted in on-line (nonstore) retailers. March retail sales dropped 6.4 percent for on-line shoppers, again as a consequence of much higher on-line prices and some product unavailability.
The bottom line of the Retail Sales report is not unfamiliar to us. What we are seeing is a lessening in overall consumer spending, as the costs for food, fuel, energy and housing have skyrocketed. The demand for non-essential purchases is what we would naturally expect to see amid a nation having to make tough purchasing decisions based on inflation.
The economic policy of the people behind Joe Biden is catastrophic, and it appears to be a feature not a flaw.
That said, wise people -including people here- know how to extend their budgets and make use of raw ingredients for multiple purposed meals. Keep doing that as much as possible to offset the dramatic increases in price. Look for sales, use coupons, multipurpose products and be smart with purchase decisions.
We can and will get through this together.
If you have tips for people to assist with lowering costs of everyday items, please feel free to share them in the comments section below. We always find excellent ideas around us for small ways to save.
Coming from a family whose Tupperware® was a matching set of Cool Whip containers, I can tell you there are times when being frugal is a valued skillset. I welcome all the great advice we share as a community, and I will not let these horrible government officials remove joy.
I’ve been broke more than most, but I ain’t never been poor.
Above is a clip from “Studio 22,” a program on the Saudi government-owned television network MBC. The skit portrays US President Biden as mentally incompetent, repeatedly fumbling his words, forgetting names, and falling asleep behind the podium. Biden’s declining mental health is apparent every time that he is permitted to speak publicly. This is how other nations now view the US, as everyone sees there is a puppet at the helm. Biden makes America appear weak on the international stage.
The skit is far from a comedy sketch. Joe Biden has referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as the “First Lady,” as portrayed on the Saudi program. Recently he called Michelle Obama the former vice president and referred to Ukrainians as Iranians. Let us not forget how his “gaffe” nearly caused World War III when he declared that Putin needed to be removed from power. The White House simply retracts his statements and makes excuses for his erratic behavior.
Even with pre-scripted cards, Biden continually forgets the topic at hand and has been filmed repeatedly being redirected by his handlers at various functions. Even Secretary Psaki is jumping ship as she can no longer deflect the truth. The entire world sees the leader of the United States as a complete fool. Yet, he was allegedly the most popular presidential candidate and secured a record number of votes. The Democrats chose the wrong puppet; besides his slim margin of supporters with cognitive dissonance, no one believes that he is leading the nation.
Walgreens announced that it has begun to ration baby formula amid the supply chain crisis. The rule will go into effect for all 9,021 locations. Customers may only purchase three infant and toddler formulas per visit due to “increased demand and various supplier issues.”
Retail sales tracking company, Datasembly, reported that 29% of infant and toddler formula products were out of stock at over 11,000 stores during the week of March 13. In comparison, only 11% of those essential products were unbailable in November 2021. CBS MoneyWatch reported that certain states had seen more significant shortages, such as Minnesota, where 54% of baby formula products were unavailable. The rate is an alarming 40% in Iowa, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas.
The recent recall of Abbot’s Sturgis formula has made the situation worse but does not begin to contribute to the shortage. If Walgreens is experiencing this issue, other major chains will soon follow suit. Although selling actual breast milk is not illegal, the practice is not very regulated and often unsafe. Still, human milk banks are growing in popularity. There will be a revolt if mothers are unable to feed their babies. It is absurd for anyone to deny the supply chain CRISIS at this stage.
Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Apr 14, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
The supply chain issues across the world are continually worsening due to government mismanagement. It seems as if there are sinister intentions at play, as these new restrictions seem to be a deliberate attempt to destroy the global economy.
California’s far-left politicians only implement laws to hurt the people. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently revised its Air Resources Board Truck and Bus Regulation:
“The Air Resources Board (ARB) Truck and Bus Regulation requires diesel trucks and buses that operate in California to be upgraded to reduce emissions. By January 1, 2023, nearly all trucks and buses will need to have 2010 model year engines or equivalent. Compliance requirements are currently in effect.”
CARB continues to deny that removing 17% of the trucking fleet will impact the supply chain crisis. “There is simply no evidence to support any claim that the current supply chain issues have any connection to the state’s effort to clean up California’s trucks emissions,” a representative stated.
Trucking companies are pleading for this ruling to be repealed as they simply cannot afford new trucks. Small trucking companies will go under.
Peter Navarro, former manufacturing adviser to former President Donald Trump, called the situation “Woke microeconomics.” Reducing fossil fuels with no other alternative available seems appealing to the far-left. They do not realize that their save the environment plight cannot dismantle the industrial world without repercussions. Woke microeconomics will lead to our downfall.
The wholesale prices in Germany rose at a record pace in March. Compared to the same month the previous year, wholesale prices jumped by 22.6%, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Tuesday in Wiesbaden. This is the highest increase since calculations ever began in 1962. In February, the rate was already high at 16.2%, which has been surpassed here in March. Month-on-month, wholesale prices rose 6.9%, which is yet another record increase.
Our models are pointing to serious trouble ahead for Germany and this poking Russia is all intended as a diversion from the collapse of the European economy that is underway. The negative interest rates since 2014 have wiped out the pension funds and proven that the central bank can no longer control the economy. Add to that, the braindead COVID restrictions which have dealt a serious blow through the heart of the supply chain, and we have a recipe for total economic disaster which is being reflected in the inflation rates which then leads to civil unrest.
I have stated many times, we have the WORST possible crop of world leaders I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. There is not a single character that I would be able to sit down and have an intelligent conversation with. Germany appointing Jenifer Morgan in charge of their environmental policies and the intent was to make her their Secretary of State is just astonishing. What is her role? Tell Putin to turn off his tanks because they create CO2?
These climate zealots have managed to destroy the world economy in just two years. Never in the history of humanity has there EVER been such stupidity from those in power. They should admire their heads in the mirror every day, for if history repeats, they will be dragged from their palaces and their heads might be adorning spikes with cheers of vindication.
It is well known that the first casualty of war is the truth, and nothing sorts out the lies more than troops crossing political borders. Hence, they also say that history is written by the victors. Ever since COVID, we have witnessed a rising trend of civil unrest politicians have been working hard to deliberately create war with Russia all cloaked in their real objective of controlling the planet. Ever since this intended war to poke the Russian Bear, there’s been an acceleration of every conflicting agenda on the world stage. This has crashed the world economy, ended Globalization, and divided the world into US v THEM with the only resolution being armed conflict. Our World Leaders need a war with Russia and then will turn on China as they think threatening China with sanctions will prevent them from joining Russia against the West. This will fail – China is not that stupid. Blaming the other guy is always the way to war. They need to demonize the enemy to inspire hatred that they use to manipulate war.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 13, 2022 | Sundance
CNBC commissioned a poll by Hart research and associates, a friendly outfit for the left. Unfortunately, that means CNBC then needed to tell everyone what the results were [Full Poll pdf Here]. That task fell to CNBC’s Steve Liesman; an appropriate name given the task at hand.
The irony doubles when you remember this was the same CNBC pundit who refused to accept the horrible economic data that began surfacing last fall. There was even a public broadcast where Liesman said the BLS statistics had to be wrong, because the results were so horrible. A few months later, and here he is explaining how the country now feels about Joe Biden. WATCH:
(CNBC) – […] The pessimism is clearly dragging on Americans’ opinions of President Joe Biden. In fact, nothing looks to be working in the Biden presidency from the public’s viewpoint.
The president’s approval rating sank to a new low of just 38%, with 53% disapproving. Biden’s -15% net approval rating is measurably worse than his -9% approval in the CNBC December survey. What’s more, his approval rating on the economy dropped for a fourth straight survey to just 35%, with 60% disapproving, putting the president a deep 25 points underwater. (article link)
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 13, 2022 | Sundance
Yesterday in Iowa, Joe Biden called the Russian military operation in Ukraine a “genocide,” which has a very specific set of legal definitions to it.
When asked if he had seen enough evidence to support that statement Biden responded:
“Yes, I called it genocide. It has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being — being able to be Ukrainian. And the amount — the evidence is mounting. It’s different than it was last week. The — more evidence is coming out of the — literally, the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine. And we’re going to only learn more and more about the devastation. And we’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me.” (link)
Several ground reports from European journalists indicate the U.S. military is running all of the combat operations inside Ukraine. A French reporter said on Euro News, “I thought I was with the international brigades, and instead I was facing the Pentagon.” Now today, Joe Biden announces he is arbitrarily sending U.S. combat helicopters into the conflict.
(WHITE HOUSE) – I just spoke with President Zelenskyy and shared with him that my Administration is authorizing an additional $800 million in weapons, ammunition, and other security assistance to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we are providing to devastating effect. As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself.
This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine. These new capabilities include artillery systems, artillery rounds, and armored personnel carriers. I have also approved the transfer of additional helicopters. In addition, we continue to facilitate the transfer of significant capabilities from our Allies and partners around the world. The steady supply of weapons the United States and its Allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion. It has helped ensure that Putin failed in his initial war aims to conquer and control Ukraine. We cannot rest now. As I assured President Zelenskyy, the American people will continue to stand with the brave Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. (link)
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki was asked about this escalation earlier today:
.
The Biden administration is all-in for this Ukraine proxy war, taking all actions to highlight a zero-sum position.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 13, 2022 | Sundance
The CDC announced today {SEE HERE} they are extending the federal emergency order requiring masks on planes, trains and public transportation for a period of 15 days, ending May 3rd.
The mask mandate was set to expire April 18. However, the Biden administration will keep the requirement in place for another 15 days under the justification of a rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the new BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant.
(Press Release) – […] The CDC Mask Order remains in effect while CDC assesses the potential impact of the rise of cases on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and healthcare system capacity. TSA will extend the security directive and emergency amendment for 15 days, through May 3, 2022. (link)
There are contradicting claims on the benefits and/or futility of wearing masks to avoid spreading the COVID-19 virus. Several scientific studies have found no significant benefit; however, the theatrics of mask wearing is now a litmus test for global virtue.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has recently announced a new indoor mask mandate for their extended metropolitan area. Fauci soundbite below.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house April 13, 2022 | Sundance
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivered a remarkable speech today outlining “the future of the international order,” in the aftermath of the global pandemic and the current conflict in Ukraine. Within the speech, Yellen outlines the priorities of the United States according to the current administration and the international financial mechanisms that she controls.
The speech is quite jaw-dropping when you consider the nature of her position, and the fact that she is an unelected bureaucrat within government.
As you read the speech {Transcript Here}, keep in mind she is not the President of the United States, or the commissioner of the New World Order, yet she presents herself as authorized to control the geopolitical constructs of the Biden administration. The hubris is astounding.
Secretary Yellen: outlines the goals and objectives of the international order, predicts a concerning global famine, warns against the cleaving of financial mechanisms for international trade as an outcome of the Ukraine conflict, threatens any nation who does not support the western political alliance and outlines the need for decarbonization of the global economy.
Yellen expresses all of these powers from the position of a U.S. Treasury Secretary – the equivalent of a government financial minister. Speech highlights with emphasis mine:
(Transcript) – […] “Russia’s horrific conduct has violated international law, including core tenets of the UN Charter—challenging countries to demonstrate where they stand with respect to the international order that has been built since World War II. Therefore, when I speak about a changed global outlook, I’m not just talking about growth forecasts. I’m also referring to our conception of international cooperation going forward.
I will focus my remarks today on the significance of international cooperation in this current environment and for our future.
[…] With Attorney General Garland, I convened a novel taskforce of law enforcement and finance ministry leaders from G7 and partner countries to advance our efforts. […] Rest assured, until Putin ends his heinous war of choice, the Biden Administration will work with our partners to push Russia further towards economic, financial, and strategic isolation.
[…] When Russia made the decision to invade Ukraine, it predestined an exit from the global financial system. Russian leaders knew that we would impose severe sanctions. […] We are now seeing higher commodity prices that have added to global inflationary pressures and are posing threats to energy and food security, trade flows, and external balances across many countries.
[…] The ultimate outcome for the global economy of course depends on the path of the war. Russia could end this unnecessary war and the near-term impact could be contained.
[…] While many countries have taken a unified stand against Russia’s actions and many companies have quickly and voluntarily severed business relationships with Russia, some countries and companies have not. Let me now say a few words to those countries who are currently sitting on the fence, perhaps seeing an opportunity to gain by preserving their relationship with Russia and backfilling the void left by others. Such motivations are short-sighted. The future of our international order, both for peaceful security and economic prosperity, is at stake.
[…] The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dramatically demonstrated the need for us to stand together to defend our international order and protect the peace and prosperity that it has conferred on advanced and developing countries alike. […] On some issues, like trade and competitiveness, this will involve bringing together partners that are committed to a set of core values and principles.
[…] we need to modernize the multilateral approach we have used to build trade integration.
[…] we should implement last year’s global tax deal. Some 137 countries—representing nearly 95 percent of the world’s GDP—have agreed to rewrite the international tax rules to impose a global minimum tax on corporate foreign earnings and to partially reallocate taxing rights from countries where companies are headquartered to those where they sell goods and services.
[…] the economic and financial response to the global financial crisis in 2008-2009 was too timid and short-lived. With inadequate global liquidity, the crisis caused lasting damage. In response to the pandemic, the IMF acted creatively to support poorer countries. […] Experts put the funding needs in the trillions, and we have so far been working in billions. The irony of the situation is that while the world has been awash in savings—so much so that real interest rates have been falling for several decades—we have not been able to find the capital needed for investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
[…] We know we have not yet done enough in terms of mitigation, adaptation, green technology innovation and adoption, and funding for those efforts. […] We must redouble our efforts to decarbonize our economies, recognizing that countries will use a range of tools—including carbon pricing, regulation, and subsidies—to achieve needed emissions reductions. Because those approaches will have quite different consequences for the costs of production, we will see differing impacts on trade competitiveness. We will need to work together to avoid trade tensions and in time to coordinate and harmonize our approaches.
[…] Some may say that now is not the right time to think big. Indeed, we are in the middle of Russia’s war in Ukraine, alongside the lingering fight against a global pandemic and a long list of other initiatives underway. Yet, I see this as the right the time to work to address the gaps in our international financial system that we are witnessing in real time. […] we ought not wait for a new normal. We should begin to shape a better future today.” {Read Full Transcript}
Think carefully about what you just read, and then remember the previous warning:
[CTH March 23, 2022] A Build Back Better society, or “great reset”, is factually underway as triggered by the gateway of SARS-CoV-2 and the massive spending by western nations to subsidize the lockdowns, shut-downs, economic closures and forced unemployment.
Global inflation is being driven not only by the American spending spree, but also by the massive government spending programs of the EU, U.K, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and many western nations.
The bills for those subsidies and bailouts are due. The labor of the citizens is going to have to pay those bills, while simultaneously we deal with inflation and massive debt balances on all nations’ balance sheets.
Into this mix comes the very real possibility of a declining U.S. trade dollar, as a result of geopolitical conflict between the west and Russia, China, Iran and OPEC in the geography of Ukraine. The financial sanctions by NATO and western allies have factually created a rift in currency exchange valuations.
As the proverbial west hammers those sanctions even harder and more deliberately, what they are doing is creating a stronger and greater likelihood that the dollar will be removed as the global trade currency, and we will enter a phase where two sets of nations exist:
One set of nations will run their economy on oil, gas and fossil fuels. The other set of nations will be focused on running their economic engine on the premise of sustainability, or renewable energy.
The sanctions toward Russia actually help to drive this chasm even wider.
To me, this looks entirely purposeful – done by specific intent and design.
Two world groupings. One group, oil-based energy (traditional) – let’s label them the RED GROUP; and one group GREEN energy (the build back better plan). It is not accidental these two groups hold similar internal geopolitical views and perspectives.
♦ The important part to see is… there are going to be two sets of nations with two structurally different economies. A red group and a green group.
What Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen outlines in that speech is the geopolitics of this exact cleaving. Also worth noting, We The People represent the carbon she seeks to eliminate.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on April 13, 2022 | Sundance
DeceptiCon ruler Mitch McConnell is the ultimate abuser in the relationship of the Republican Party to its base of voters.
During a series of remarks at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce convention Tuesday, the Senate Minority Leader went right back to his familiar pattern of telling voters they should listen to who he says is acceptable or not acceptable as a 2022 Republican candidate.
Those of you who have walked the deep political weeds with us, will remember the battles against McConnell’s uniparty wing in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 races. This is where McConnell and McCain famously called the base of the GOP “whack-o-birds” and “jihobbits” for supporting unsanctioned Senate candidates like Scott Brown, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, Tom Cotton, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and more.
(KENTUCKY) – […] McConnell, speaking at a chamber event in Kentucky, said that 1994 had been the best year for Republicans and that the atmosphere heading into November “is better than it was in 1994.”
“From an atmospheric point of view, it’s a perfect storm of problems for the Democrats,” McConnell said. “How could you screw this up? It’s actually possible. And we’ve had some experience with that in the past.”
“In the Senate, if you look at where we have to compete in order to get into a majority, there are places that are competitive in the general election. So you can’t nominate somebody who’s just sort of unacceptable to a broader group of people and win. We had that experience in 2010 and 2012,” McConnell added. (read more)
.@LeaderMcConnell on the 2022 midterms: "How could you screw this up? It's actually possible. […] In the Senate, if you look at where we have to compete in order to get into a majority, there are places that are competitive in the general election." https://t.co/pevgKhkPwmpic.twitter.com/eHRBVGRjQF
This guy is such a profound manipulator it is almost sickening. After the 2008 election, the Democrats had a 60-seat majority. A veto-proof majority. Mitch was the minority with 40 Republican senators in January 2009. It was the Tea Party that changed it all around, starting with Scott Brown in December of 2009.
In the specific races McConnell points out in 2010 and 2012 were races where the Tea Party base of the GOP actually produced more seats for the Republicans, culminating in a successful majority reestablished in the Senate in 2014. The Republicans did nothing with that majority and couldn’t even get rid of the Obamacare mandate which they campaigned on with eight years of promises.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
Centinel2012 