Dec 16 2024

Americans Earning Under $50K Regularly Skipping Meals to Afford Shelter

Posted originally on Dec 16, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

Inflation data is skewed and does not factor in the reality that the costs of basic necessities like food and housing have not waned significantly since COVID began. Shelter costs, in particular, have become unaffordable for the majority. Redfin recently reported that 74% of Americans earning under $50,000 are seriously struggling to maintain consistent payments on their rent or mortgage.

Nealy, a quarter of Americans earning under $50,000 annually regularly skip meals and delay healthcare to cover the rent or mortgage. Nearly a quarter have admitted that they can no longer afford to eat three standard meals per day because the money must go toward shelter. Around the same percentage said they have been forced to sell off their belonging to make ends meet. Around 25% said they have asked family or friends for a loan, while 19% received a monetary gift to cover housing costs. Eight percent moved in with their parents, 10% moved in with other family members, and 3% moved in with their adult children. Six percent were sadly forced to abandon their pets, and 4% stated they delayed having children because the costs were simply too high. Eating out at restaurants (-43%) and vacations (-36%) are no longer in the budget.

Around 21% of this demographic have delayed or chose to forego medical care due to financial reasons. This could expand to Americans in many income brackets as healthcare is a luxury service. Countless people who can afford it simply travel to other countries to receive healthcare. I hear this frequently with dental procedures that are not as time sensistive in particular.

Shelter costs spiked 7.9% from January 2022 to January 2023, marking the largest annual increase since 1982. Shelters across America have reported a 23% rise in people seeking emergency assistance from 2019 to 2023. The median home in the US now costs $420,400, but it is hard to gauge an average cost when home prices vary significantly by state and city. People living in New York, California, and Hawaii are more likely to spend 50% or more on household income on shelter costs. Rental costs remain 20% higher than they were before COVID, while the cost to buy remains up by 40%.

This is precisely why they fail to include shelter costs in the inflation data. We hear the central banks tout how inflation is at or near their target but they omit key data. The talking heads in government like Yellen who claim people are better off than then before the pandemic are completely out of touch with reality.

Dec 16 2024

Biden Commutes Sentence of Former Comptroller who Embezzled $53M

Posted originally on Dec 16, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

President Biden has commuted sentences for 1,499 people and issued 39 pardons. The majority of these commuted sentences were on behalf of people who were placed on home confinement rather than prison during the pandemic years. The people he has chosen to give a second chance seem suspicious.

Dixon, Illinois comptroller Rita Crundwell was found guilty and ADMITTED to funneling $53 million from her city since the 1990s. A career criminal politician, Crundwell opened a bank account in 1990 on behalf of the city of Dixon, but only she had access to the account. Over the decades, Crundwell admitted to transferring money out of that account to her personal accounts. She has admitted to using taxpayer funds to pay her personal credit cards, numerous houses, and personal business expenses included a horse breeding business.

The public servant admitted to created fraudulent invoices to trick Illinois state auditors. Budget deficits were blamed on a shortfall of tax revenues. Her 19-year sentence had already been reduced by eight years and she has been serving the remainder of her sentence on house arrest sine COVID.

“Now, today I anticipate she’s dancing in the streets of Dixon with her commutation, because she just also conned the President of the United States,” said former U.S. Marshal Jason Wojdylo. “This official act undid decades of work.” Wojdylo spent four years on this case and stated the overwhelming nature of her crime made it almost impossible to determine the true amount of stolen funds.

Dixon has delayed infrastructure projects and city officials say it will take decades for the city to recover. Why did Joe Biden pardon this woman who stole from the American public without shame? Considering the 10% for the Big Guy ways of Biden’s own criminal career in politics, he likely sees the $53 million as mere chump change.

Dec 16 2024

US Intelligence Agencies Clear Themselves of Jan 6 Wrongdoing

Posted originally on Dec 16, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

January 6 was a staged and orchestrated event intended to criminalize Donald Trump and his supporters. There is a slew of evidence pointing to US intelligence interference, with more emerging by the week. US intelligence agencies wasted additional resources to investigate their own bureaus, “FBI’s Handling of its Confidential Human Sources and Intelligence Collection Efforts in the Lead Up to the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral Certification.” Naturally, US intelligence found no wrongdoing on their end.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced that over two dozen confidential human sources (CHS) were present at the Capitol on January 6. He admits that three FBI agents were among the crowd but insists there were no undercover officers. Twenty-six CHS agents were also among the crowd, but the report insists only three were authorized to be there. One actually entered the Capitol building while the other two made their way into restricted areas. None of those four agents were charged with committing a crime.

“Our review determined that none of these FBI CHSs was authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6,” he stated.

Horowitz believes that they have simply “found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6.” The FBI applauded the investigation, which was clearly skewed in its favor, and said they would take additional precautions in January 2025.

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that he is fleeing his post before Trump takes office. “When Chris Wray first got there back in 2017, the FBI was spying on congressional hill staffers, including the guy who is slated to replace him, and then the day after he announces he’s leaving, this report comes out and confirms what so many of us suspected, that there were these confidential human sources present on Jan. 6,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News.

Those who read between the lines can see that the DOJ and FBI have been weaponized political tools of the deep state under the Biden-Harris regime. Over 1,265 Americans were charged in connection to the January 6 events. The government used J6 as a premise to weaponize financial institutions to spy on Americans and usurp more power. These agencies are working against the American people for the private interests of the deep state and will never admit to any wrongdoing. It is laughable to think that any agency will deter civil unrest next month at Trump’s inauguration.

Dec 16 2024

When You Have to Work Hard – Remember Who You’re Really Doing This All For

Posted originally on Dec 15, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

Dec 16 2024

Mitt Romney Reflects on a Career of Lightly Held Stances

Posted originally on the CTH on December 16, 2024 | Sundance

So many people have seemingly forgotten that Mitt Romney was the 20212 Republican presidential nominee. He was crushed by Barack Obama despite record turnout by republican voters who held their nose, yet again, one last time and voted for the last of the GOP ‘next in line’ crew.

As he exits a career in politics, Mitt Romney reflects upon his professional legacy of ‘lightly held stances’ and expert level graciousness in losing; he’s had lots of practice. As Mitt Romney concedes the Republican party to the MAGA movement, this is somewhat of a reflective moment. WATCH:

Dec 16 2024

Sunday Talks – Devin Nunes Discusses Kash at FBI and His Role Filtering Out Political Intelligence

Posted originally on the CTH on December 15, 2024 | Sundance

Devin Nunes appeared on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo today to discuss Kash Patel as the possible FBI Director and the new role for himself just outlined by President Trump. {Direct Rumble Link}

Devin Nunes will be chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Intelligence, and he describes his role as recognizing, researching and filtering out the political intelligence products. Exactly as we suspected. WATCH:

I’ll work with President Trump to depoliticize America’s intelligence agencies

Nunes noted some declassification of prior evidence will be considered and reviewed.

♦ Intel Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, former counsel to DOJ-NSD Head Mary McCord during the construct of the Carter Page FISA application, testified to a closed session of the House impeachment committee about the CIA whistleblower, the connection to Alexander Vindman and the construct of why Atkinson changed the rules of the CIA to permit anonymous whistleblowers.

That transcript of Atkinson’s testimony was sealed and classified by Adam Schiff. At the time of his testimony, Mary McCord was working for the House impeachment committee.

Start by locating and releasing that transcript. START THERE! It’s a great first document to release.