Perhaps it is becoming clear that the USA is nearing the end of it Empire status. We have spent (debt)ourselves into oblivion! There is no no way to avoid a default and Trump’s people know it. Trump is a default pro after all! Last ditch efforts hiding behind America first I suppose. That’s my guess.
Steve
The wealth has been consolidated, it’s the end of an era
The Old World Order has outlived its usefulness
Enough of the global wealth and power have been consolidated and the current system can come down. There’s no need for it to continue anymore and the United States is rapidly reaching its denouement as we know it. It’s not a collapse, so to speak, but rather, a transformation. How we respond to this transformation over the next several years will be the difference between our personal success and failure.
Based on the confusing Ukraine news feed over the past three years, it seems that the banking powers in control of the US are working with the banking powers that control Putin and Russia to create a dialectic mechanism in which a new global geopolitical tableau can emerge. The 1.5 million dead fighting the war are just collateral damage.
Trump is heading up a global bankruptcy reorganization
The US can no longer fulfill its role as the world’s premiere consumer of imported goods. It’s no longer going to be able to support the dollar around the world, especially in Asia. Moreover, based on what I’m observing, I doubt the USG wants to.
Although the USD-based monetary system was of paramount importance in establishing the New World Order, the dollar’s global reserve currency status is ending. Its role is ending and Americans will have to endure the resulting persistent inflation and pain. The US can no longer run these large trade deficits anymore. It’s all over now. We have to accept this.
But the pain will be felt worldwide. How will these arrogant export driven economies support themselves when Americans stop buying their products? Good luck. There are no other global consumers that are as self-indulgent and hedonistic as the American consumer.
The upshot is that the US is technically energy independent, and that couldn’t come at a better time. So, it’s “drill, baby, drill”, because that’s out of necessity. At least the US has the energy capacity, unlike most other developed nations. The US will come out better anyway. It has no choice.
Trump is looking for acquisitions, while selling off dead weight
Thus, Trump’s mission, evidently, is to facilitate this reorganization and transformation. I guess this means creating an Oceania-type of sovereign geopolitical beast that will incorporate Canada, Mexico, and the Panama Canal, as well as the rest of the Western hemisphere. The US will take Greenland, too, because Europe cannot defend Greenland against the US. The US would blow any EU military to smithereens.
It’s a done deal. Trump’s role is to have the US separate from mainland Europe. He will redirect the USA towards concentrating on the Western hemisphere with the U.K in tow.
Canadians need to accept this reality or the US will invade its borders. US troops are already entering Mexico under the guise of fighting the fentanyl crisis. I am sure both Canada and Mexico will inevitably surrender to the Oceania beast.
Canada has no one to blame but themselves. Many in America say it serves Canadians right for mocking Americans, while running massive trade surpluses amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars over the years. The Canadian government didn’t put any of that wealth into their military like China. Rather, its media mocked America, while its government plowed all that money into developing a Marxist doppelganger.
Australia and NZ are wild cards, but it looks like they will be on their own. Good luck to them when the CCP Navy comes knocking.
South Africa will not be in Oceania and Trump’s actions regarding SA have sealed that deal. At least Trump is trying to get the Caucasians to leave SA before it’s too late. Trump can’t have South Africa, so he’s poaching its most talented people (the whites).
The world is cooked and Trump has his orders. He’s not as stupid as some may think, but most of these ideas are not his own. Trump should be successful as long as he wraps his ambitions in the American flag.
Carville was wrong. Trump agenda launches forward with no opposition.
Carney removed the carbon tax in Canada and moved the girls out of cabinet – effectively neutering any chance of a conservative opposition winning an election.
This North American Union is going to happen while the rest of the world burns.
I tried to warn ya’ll. 😉
🎖️
But seriously, did you ever figure out why Catholic teaching of the Bible is anti-semitic? Here’s why:
1. Catholics do not read the bible, pre Vatican II ot was a mortal sin to do so. It is still frowned upon, in it’s place are Ignatian spiritual excercises.
2. If you are Catholic and insist on studying the Bible then it must be the Douay-Rheims version and no other. Go to Genesis 3:15 of your DR Bible and you will understand why it is anti-semitic. Anti Shem = that which negates the centrality of Jesus Christ.
Ken, what on earth are you talking about? None of that makes any sense.
I will clarify:
1. Personal experience as I was raised Catholic by pre Vatican II parents. I also attended Catholic school until grade 13 – reading the Bible was discouraged. That’s not anti-semitic, it’s just that Bible study is non-existent for laity.
2. “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: SHE shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for HER heel”
Genesis 3:15 Douay-Rheims
Who is she? The line of the seed through Shem did not end at Mary, it is Jesus who will crush the head of the serpent. Only the Douay-Rheims states it this way. What does it mean to be anti Shem – certainly not Jewish fables and trickery. It is to negate in any way the centrality and superiority of the end of that line, Jesus Christ.
I am not trying to be cute, it is an honest answer to a question you posed on this blog. Take it or leave it.
God bless.
I can second your experience growing up in a half ass Catholic house. I heard Martin Luther’s name once in Grade 12 religious study’s. We owned a bible but it was never opened from what I remember and never in school. Only selected passages from Religion text books. Lol…who knew??
The Catholic Church teaches that the passage refers both to the seed, which is Christ Jesus, and also to His mother Mary. The Church does not teach that it only refers to Mary. There is nothing unBiblical here. The Greek Septuagint renders it neuter (it), I believe., which is also correct. Mary plays a part in the seed, who is Jesus. I prefer Jesus crushing the head of the Serpent, and the Church accepts that as well.
Stone, your link is broken
What gets me is that Carney served as both the Governor of the Bank of England as well as the Canadian Bank.
That’s never a good sign for Canadians. An internationalist sellout who pleases the synagogue.
I read China CCP is fuming over the Panama Canal deal.
Trump’s also going to revoke visas from 41 countries……
Trump administration considering new and expanded travel ban, memo says
The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of 41 countries
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/trump-administration-considering-new-and-expanded-travel-ban-memo-says-3586541?ito=smart-news
People in Oceania were forbidden from traveling to the other two blocs.
Take a look at this except from an article from 1933 about Technocracy! Note the countries in the North American quadrant! Look familiar?
Technocracy was thoroughly outlined in Technocracy Inc.’s 1933 publication of its Technocracy Study Course. According to the study course’s technical specifications, society should be separated into what the advocates of Technocracy (from now on referred to as “technocrats”) call a “sequence of functions.” In this sequence, society as we know it is removed. Instead, centralised control of all human interactions and behaviour is proposed as part of the “social mechanism.”
An entire “social mechanism” subjected to technocrats is called a Technate. A Technate is designed to work “on a Continental scale”—that is, on each continent, or Technate, whose boundaries are drawn on a map. The Technate of North America map includes Greenland, Canada, the United States, Mexico, parts of Central America, northern South America, Caribbean islands, and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
And, no surprise, Musk and his Technocrat Brotherhood all agree with this and will promote it!
Chucky Schumer folded like a cheap tent. He was presented with a Hobson’s choice.
Remember Limbaugh called him Chuck you Schumer!
I’ve seen wonks on the internet talking about the US. Military planners long ago drew up plans to take western Canada militarily. Confederation has been a bad deal for the west. US military planners know this. Albertans do to. Alberta oil revenue has financed the Launentian Elites nonscense for 70 years to the tune of a trillion dollars. American interests own a great deal up here more than Eastern Canadian Elites I figure. For the US to take western Canada they have to do a deal with the British Crown. They have nukes so you can’t just take there stuff. I have a feeling the Brits doing the Ukrainian mineral deal is perhaps tied into this? “These things are handled quietly.”
House of Cards opening theme. Excellent soundtrack and an excellent show.
This show was the reason I originally subscribed to Netflix (that and Breaking Bad) in 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w-O60x1bYk
I finally dropped Netflix about a year ago, after it raised my subscription from $9.99 to $15.49. That rate is now $18.99.
That seems a little like “the good old days”. Breaking Bad was very entertaining and well written! Did you watch the sequel about Jesse? That was also entertaining.
I know right? The demoralization process was so fun to watch back then.
The movie El Camino? It was okay. Too long and drawn out.
It seems like the Pope is hanging in there. That is, if we are not being lied to. If he recovers, then things remain on track for the prophesy of the popes.
He’s hanging on by a thread. What a hypocrite (in so many levels). At least we know either Francis is not the false prophet or Trump is not the antichrist as Francis does not like Trump.
In a way I hope he does die and a new pope is quickly elected, so I can throw the prophecy of the popes into the trash. The next Pope would be #113.
For a guy who claims to understand kayfabe, strange that you don’t see how it applies to Francis and Trump—two Communists using a dialectic to bring about the same outcome.
What I find interesting is that you come on to people’s blogs and create consternation and discord. It’s toxic.
Several times you wanted me to agree with you that Makow and others were controlled opposition. Makow’s controlled, because of his upbringing and religion. People we might think who are controlled opposition are indeed, controlled. They are mind controlled by religion and upbringing. A terrible stumbling block. Most aren’t getting orders from somewhere or a payoff.
You overestimate most people. Most people are just ignorant and unable to overcome their mind control.
Fed Expected to Cut Rates Twice This Year, Starting in September
(Bloomberg) — The Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady through the first half of the year, before delivering two reductions beginning in September, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Fed officials have signaled they may be on hold for some time amid uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s economic policies, particularly on trade. Those policies — both proposed and implemented — also led most economists to dial back their forecasts for growth, while upping their projections for inflation, the survey showed.
Trump has threatened or implemented new tariffs on America’s largest trading partners, including China, Canada and Mexico, but has frequently vacillated on the specifics of his plans. The uncertainty has rattled financial markets, and stoked concerns the US may face slowing economic growth while inflation remains elevated, a situation economists call stagflation.
“The Fed is in a very tough spot right now, facing a more stagflationary outlook even as core inflation remains well above its medium-term target,” said Scott Anderson, chief US economist at BMO Capital Markets. “Uncertainty around the magnitude, duration and targets of future tariffs further complicates the monetary policy outlook. They have the potential to roil monetary policy expectations as well as financial markets.”
The vast majority of respondents see the risks to inflation and unemployment as primarily to the upside, according to the survey conducted March 7-12.
As for next week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and fellow policymakers are widely expected to leave the central bank’s benchmark interest rate unchanged in a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. Economists anticipate policymakers’ updated projections to also show two quarter-percentage point reductions this year.
Forecasters see these cuts in September and December, according to the median projection. In a December poll, economists forecast three cuts in 2025, with the first in March.
Economists expect officials’ quarterly forecasts to show slightly higher so-called core inflation, which excludes food and energy, and incrementally slower growth. But most survey respondents don’t expect much change to the key parts of the Fed’s post-meeting statement.
About 11% of respondents expect officials to further slow the pace at which they are shrinking the Fed’s portfolio of assets — a process known as quantitative tightening — at next week’s meeting. Another 41% anticipate that to happen at some point in the second quarter.
Trump Impact
Looking ahead, a key question for Fed policymakers is how they might respond to a situation where inflation remains stubborn, but the economy weakens.
Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said they now see weaker growth in 2025 compared with their estimates at the end of 2024, as a result of Trump’s implemented or proposed policies. About two-thirds said they now forecast higher inflation.
Fed officials have broadly said it’s too soon to know how Trump’s policies might affect their rate decisions, while expressing optimism that labor market conditions will remain solid overall and inflation will continue to cool.
“The costs of being cautious are very, very low,” Powell said earlier this month. “The economy’s fine. It doesn’t need us to do anything, really, and so we can wait and we should wait.”
Roughly two-thirds of survey respondents said they would expect the Fed to hold rates steady if the economy were to weaken while inflation remains elevated. Still, such a scenario could prompt the Fed to cut more or sooner.
“If our downside scenario plays out, the Fed will have to shift to focus on growth risks and could start to cut rates by Q3,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide. She projects one quarter-point cut this year in October.
Good for asset prices.
AI leading to faster, cheaper oil production, executives say
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence is speeding up oil and gas drilling and prompting companies to take a second look at places they had viewed as too difficult or expensive to develop, executives detailed during the CERAWeek conference in Houston.
AI took center stage in many sessions at the world’s largest energy gathering. Oil producers are seeking ways to remain profitable in an environment of plummeting oil prices and worries that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs could slow global energy demand.
UK oil major BP is using AI to steer drill bits and predict potential problems in wells before they happen, said Ann Davies, BP’s senior vice president of wells.
“We are able to drill more wells per year and have a better capital allocation,” she said.
BP announced last month it would boost annual spending on oil and gas production as part of a major strategy shift to improve investor confidence.
AI has helped U.S. oil producer Devon Energy drill in areas where it was unfeasible before, said chief technology officer Trey Lowe in an interview.
For example, the company can gather information about a fault in a formation, then drill on the other side to avoid it, he said.
Chevron is using AI-powered drones that fly over its shale operations in Texas and Colorado to remotely monitor potential problems like emissions leaks and alert field workers.
In three months of testing drones through a partnership with autonomous drone company Percepto, Chevron reduced the amount of time that production was shut in for repairs or maintenance, said Russell Robinson, a deputy program manager of facilities and operations at Chevron, in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.
The drones helped workers spend less time criss-crossing the shale field performing routine inspections, he said.
“We’ve continued to have more assets that are running at a longer time, so this is all around just producing more oil or gas,” he said, adding Chevron is evaluating whether to expand use of drones to monitor its refineries.
Devon Energy has machine learning models monitoring each of its oil rigs across the U.S., Lowe said, adding the company has seen a 25% improvement in productive life of its oil and gas wells.
AI is also speeding up offshore drilling. BP is evaluating vast amounts of seismic data in the Gulf of Mexico in just eight to 12 weeks with the help of AI, versus six to 12 months previously. This helps geoscientists determine where to drill a well and predict difficulties, a spokesperson said.
While the oil and gas industry has used AI for years, recent advances like large-language models are revolutionizing the sector, said Chicheng Xu, founder of OpenPetro AI, a company building AI tools for the energy industry, and a former petrophysicist at Aramco.
For example, building three-dimensional visualizations of features deep beneath the ocean floor would be time-consuming for humans, he said.
“AI can dig through the data and find the features you want to see and visualize it to you. That’s the real difference,” Xu said.
Cutting time and costs means gaining a competitive advantage.
“Companies that don’t deploy it (AI) will get left behind at this point,” said Devon’s Lowe.
Geologists look out.
Anybody who listens to Vladimir Putin or has a bias towards that devil, deserves to be fleeced. They are so brainwashed and the Soviet Russian disinfo is now mainstream media. There are more people following the Soviet Russian disinfo channels than the mainstream legacy.
More people tune into the Russian disinfo news feeds than watch the MSM like George Stephanopoulos and all of the other Western disinformation puppets.
Even president Trump has jumped on the pro Putin bandwagon. Everything Putin says is a lie and meant to demoralize and deceive those in the West who hate their own governments.
Even many of the readers who stop by this blog are stuck listening to the mainstream Soviet disinfo.
Putin is a man of Satan. His promises have been empty so far and he is a turncoat. I think Trump is making a misjudgment dealing with him. Any alt news outlet that takes a side with Putin should be taken with a grain of salt like rense.com, zero hedge, and especially Hal Turner. Alex Jones is another one.
Andrei,
MAGA is the 5th and highest level in the Church of Satan, attained long ago by D. Trump, and yes, he is dealing with Putin, another MAGA level member.
People listen to Mr. Dugin quite a lot too.
Dugin appears to want to wipe out the White race. He’s pretty sneaky about it, talking in codes like “4th political theory” and “Kabbalah is greatest intellectual achievement of mankind” and similar brainy stuff.
I remember once Red Ice Radio interviewed him and he said something to the effect of “White people need to go”. The host said wait on, what did you say? Dugin mumbled some intellectual nonsense, said “sorry for misunderstanding due to unfortunate misconception of fundamental political principle attached to conceptualisation of current theoretical framework” or some similar Hollywood Russian nonsense, and pretended his English was no good. The next day I checked the video again and that part was missing. Interesting. Must have been a mistake I guess. Of course it was. Dugin tipped his hand and they didn’t want to spoil the interview.
So Dugin a.k.a. “Putin’s Brain” is a Kalergist, Kabbalist, Jew worshipper, anti-white nuclear holocaust armageddon promoter and genocidal maniac, and all round nice guy.
He says the “Atlantacists” or “Atlantic Powers” (US, UK, Europe, Christians i.e. the people of the fish) will be destroyed in battle with the land powers (Islam and Communism). The Kabbalists refer to this as the Leviathan and Behemoth destroying each other, so the ooze can inherit the world.
The question is, is Putin any worse than Trump? What if Trump is even worse?
BTW Hal Turner is an FBI informer. He was forced to do it. His website is designed to “attract crazies”.
Excellent PPI data this morning. Jobless claims look pretty good. Overall, a definite plus for inflation hawks.
PPI (MoM) (Feb)
Act: 0.0% Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.6%
PPI (YoY) (Feb)
Act: 3.2% Cons: 3.3% Prev: 3.7%
PPI ex. Food/Energy/Transport (MoM) (Feb)
Act: 0.2% Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.3%
PPI ex. Food/Energy/Transport (YoY) (Feb)
Act: 3.3% Cons: 3.4% Prev: 3.4%
Core PPI (MoM) (Feb)
Act: -0.1% Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.5%
Core PPI (YoY) (Feb)
Act: 3.4% Cons: 3.6% Prev: 3.8%
Initial Jobless Claims
Act: 220K Cons: 226K Prev: 222K
Continuing Jobless Claims
Act: 1,870K Cons: 1,900K Prev: 1,897K
Jobless Claims 4-Week Avg.
Act: 226.00K Cons: Prev: 224.50K
What I find somewhat disturbing is that the 10-year yield is actually up on the day, even after this favorable PPI data.
Gold is the true safe haven asset. Only BTC shills claim the same thing as owning gold.
Gold was the only asset that rose during the COVID crash. BTC tanked to mid-4 figures.
Imagine if an idiot trader like MSTR has a margin call. Good luck on BTC. That would immediately shave off 30k of the BTC price
Cool. Buying op?
For gold? Yes. Once over 3,000, we could see a nice run to 3,200. Then 3,400, if we hit 3.2k.
Ask for bitcoin, I suspect we could see something come unexpectedly. If we see further price cuts on the large NASDAQ tech stocks, there could be some Cascade effect as other risk assets will be liquidated. This especially includes Bitcoin.
If the federal government shuts down we could see some knee-jerk reaction. Overall, I think it’s more about the uncertainty than anything else.
At this point, I would just park as much money in cash as possible and continue accumulating gold. Gold is good and it always has been.
Manhattan apartment rents soared to a record high in February amid intense competition that saw bidding wars in a more than a quarter of all deals. The median cost of a new lease is now $4,500. It probably isn’t helping that New York City’s population is growing again, thanks in part to international arrivals—a trend that’s likely to be tested by Donald Trump’s threatened immigration crackdown.
Yet many People are living there. Are they all on welfare? All those people how are they paying the rent? Then there are the ones that commute into the area daily, for low paying jobs. These high priced rent areas, San Fransisco, etc..even places like Hawaii and St Thomas have a large number of people living there. They aren’t all millionares. There has to be a HUD housing welfare system in these places?
People in Manhattan can easily make 200-300k. A two bed can go for 5k and two roomies making 150k a piece can “afford” it.
The 100k job in Manhattan 30 years ago is now the 300k job and everyone I knew in Manhattan in the mid 90s were already above 100k.
While the residential areas in Manhattan still looks kind of the same since I moved out in the early aughts, midtown looks a lot more built up.
Midtown lost many old buildings. Lots of well known bars, nightclubs restaurants are gone. Ever goto the Mars Bar? The leases on those small business are insane. Big money at play in that area, also with the infranstructure. It’s like a different planet and way of life compared to small midwest towns. Those are decent salaries, but there are many that don’t make that, yet somehow live there. Seems like the winters would really suck.
Makin’ way for megacities…
Here is the Brain Trust behind DOGE. James Fishback. Low level change agent extraordinaire. I am guessing Mencius Moldbug wasn’t palatable enough for primetime. He outlines D.O.G.E but called it R.A.G.E.
https://youtu.be/VQbuf6NvZFA?si=n1WKQBGq4JoXpaWm
Hamilton was without a doubt a Rothschild agent as is this guy I figure. 250 years of constant attack. My hats off to the founding fathers that there nations made it this far.
James is the guy pushing the $5000.00 payout! Inflation anyone? More money chasing less goods. I guess the world isn’t drowning in enough dollars yet!
I should add that this is diabolical in every sense of the word!
I’m not trying to sound partisan, but much of what Trump has been getting in place since entering office has actually been deflationary. It has shown up in the first set of CPI and PPI numbers this month.
I suspect that most of it is through demand destruction and less to do with supply stimulation. Unfortunately, that is showing up in current GDP estimates.
So far it appears deflationary and the stock market is acting deflationary these days.
Sure, I understand what you are saying. I’m just thinking of the millions of taxpayers that will get cash that will flood the market. Maybe at this point in the cycle, it won’t matter.
If there is any DOGE dividend, you can kiss any deflationary forces goodbye. it will be just like what happened during covid. I suspect saner heads will prevail.
Stone, what do you think of Putin rejecting Trumps 30 day cease fire. Now Trumps envoy might hit a brick wall. Sounds like things could escalate!
Yes. I would never trust anything Putin has to say. We could see an escalation with Trump having to regroup in a way that would be what Biden did to help Ukraine.
Time will tell, but if Trump re engages, we might get a full blown NATO vs Russia war. Zelensky will be irrelevant. They better watch were the Russian submarine fleet is!
I think D.O.G.e could be a modern monetary strategy to combat deflationary forces same with Tax cuts. I thought this interview with Warren Mosler is enlightening.
I have keep remembering that there is no real money in the system.
https://youtu.be/k6RJOD2ksZ8?si=sHXgB7ZcUaCEV9hx
I too have a question about wealth preservation. Cash out of stock market and buy physical PM or ??
For Bob – your reference to Mrs Ed made my evening. What a set of chompers on that one.
I was having a conversation today with others about areas of the planet to relocate to. Japan was a new option as was Nicaragua or Paraguay. Canada is done especially if the globalist Carney gets the nod from the sheep voters. He is the finisher from the WEF
I like Treasury money market funds. It has a good yield. Accumulate gold bullion over time.
Gold is holding up while BTC moves with stocks and risk assets. Stocks look very risky if Trump keeps to his message. Every day that goes by makes it more difficult for Trump to backtrack.
Thanks Peter. I was just horsing around, but I guess it explains why she tried to stop everyone else getting the paste – she wanted all the paste for herself. What a mutant.
“Australia and NZ are wild cards, but it looks like they will be on their own. Good luck to them when the CCP Navy comes knocking.”
I heard years ago that children in Indonesia are taught that Australia really belongs to them, that white people don’t belong there, and that they are selfish having that huge land mass for just 25 million people while Asians are forced to crowd together in their little islands.
I guess when the dust settles, if the US is gone, Oz and NZ are in trouble. Or maybe not. The NZ and Aust govts policies have been (for decades) to make our populations 90% Asian by 2100, so it’s already more or less planned that way. They’ve already invaded.
Fait Accompli!
Huge increases in budget deficit year to date.
https://www.terminaleconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MonthlyTreasuryStatement_202502.pdf
Its almost as though someone wants to break the system! Or worse, its completely out of control!
Obama and his shill, Biden, tried. QE and the resulting COVID crap that trump also had a hand in basically put us here. Plus the Fed purposely misread inflation.
Because of this, the Fed can’t buy bonds without stoking price growth. A thousand small well executed cuts brought us here.
I wonder if the USD will hold up if Trump is doing a bankruptcy reorganization of the USA.
Will stocks and real estate assets hold up?
Space X Crew-10 is going up in about 45 minutes. 🍿🍿🍿
Will we get our Miracle on ISS? Wrap Elon in the flag?
Launch scrubbed.
I get that it’s fake. The footage on the ISS is also very suspect, does hair really do that all the time? Both of them have their hair on end and his veins are bulging in his forehead so they are probably suspended in some basement somewhere. But why?
This fraud has fingerprints on it right up the the White House. Trump, Musk, now Isaacman taking part in the production, blaming Biden for leaving Butch and Suni up there. Whats the point? Everyone on the live stream was ridiculing the flimsy production, then they scrubbed the launch. It has been delayed three times, then they brought it forward to this week only to postpone it for a hokey technical issue. Nobody even cares, so why are Trump and Musk participating? This could be handled by a low level dream team and award them fake medals, nobody would know the difference. It is strange.
Inflation cooled more than expected in February
insider@insider.com
New consumer price index data showed what inflation looked like in February.
•Inflation cooled more than expected in February.
•The consumer price index rose 2.8% year over year, under the expected 2.9% rate.
•Traders think the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady next week.
•Inflation slowed more than expected last month.
The consumer price index, an inflation measure, increased 2.8% year-over-year in February. That’s under the forecast of 2.9% and January’s rate of 3%.
It’s a reversal after four consecutive months of inflation heating up and is a step toward the Fed’s target.
“The path to sustainably returning inflation to our target has been bumpy, and we expect that to continue,” Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said on Friday at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business 2025 US Monetary Policy Forum.
The index rose 0.2% over the month from January to February. That’s below the expected 0.3% and the previous 0.5%. A Bureau of Labor Statistics news release said shelter accounted for almost half of the monthly rise. The shelter index increased 0.3% from a month prior, cooler than January’s 0.4%.
While energy prices overall increased in February from a month ago, gas saw a decline over the month after rising 1.8% in January and 4% in December.
“The shelter increase was partially offset by a 4.0-percent decrease in the index for airline fares and a 1.0-percent decline in the index for gasoline,” BLS said.
Energy also declined in February from a year ago, with the index dropping by 0.2%. Egg prices increased 58.8% in February from a year prior. The index for food at home, which accounts for groceries, was steady, though. It increased 1.9% year over year again.
Core inflation also slowed. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased 3.1% in February from a year prior, below the forecast of 3.2% and January’s 3.3%. It increased 0.2% month over month, under the 0.3% forecast and January’s 0.4%.
One of President Donald Trump’s priorities in his second term has been trade, with several rounds of threatening or imposing new tariffs on countries like China, Canada, and Mexico. Economists fear that those could raise prices for US consumers, threatening higher inflation in coming months.
“The focus by the president on tariffs risks reigniting inflation which would be most unfortunate given the progress which has been seen over the past couple of years,” Mark Hamrick, Bankrate’s senior economic analyst, previously said in a statement to Business Insider.
The Federal Open Market Committee will meet next week to decide whether to change interest rates. Members will likely consider the new consumer price index data and recently published employment figures in their decision-making process. While unemployment has slowly ticked up over the past couple of years, it was still historically low in February, data published Friday showed. Job growth was below expectations in February, and the prime-age labor force participation rate was steady.
Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told BI on Friday that the Fed will probably still think the labor market is robust and have time to make rate adjustments. However, job cuts happening in the public sector, tariffs’ potential impacts on businesses, and other changes could have an effect.
Stahle said the Fed may feel “like their time is running out given how quick a lot of these changes are happening.”
CME FedWatch, which estimates predictions for Fed interest rates based on market activity, showed traders expected a 97% chance the Fed will hold rates steady later this month, unchanged from before the report.
“With a lower-than-expected inflation number (both month-over-month and year-over-year), at least the Fed still has the flexibiilty to step in to support a weaker economy, and that would be good news for markets, which have been through the ringer in the past month and a half,” Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, said.
And yet bond yields are still higher right now.
The markets breathe a huge sigh of relief as the CPI data come in slightly less than expected. Double plus good!
Core CPI (MoM) (Feb)
Act: 0.2% Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.4%
Core CPI (YoY) (Feb)
Act: 3.1% Cons: 3.2% Prev: 3.3%
CPI (MoM) (Feb)
Act: 0.2% Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.5%
CPI (YoY) (Feb)
Act: 2.8% Cons: 2.9% Prev: 3.0%
CPI Index, n.s.a. (Feb)
Act: 319.08 Cons: 319.22 Prev: 317.67
CPI Index, s.a (Feb)
Act: 319.78 Cons: Prev: 319.09
Real Earnings (MoM) (Feb)
Act: 0.1% Cons: Prev: -0.3%
This past weekend, I filled up my gas tank for $2.67/gal. That’s the same price as gas was selling for after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Don’t worry Thomas, USA will be the last marxist dopleganger…
There aren’t any good sides. I wouldn’t infer any particular mindset.
Regular gas in rural California is $5.89. Regular gas in Front Royal Virginia is $2.67.
I can buy a beautiful 4 bed/3 bath house in Winchester VA for $350,000. That same house in Redlands California would go for $750,000 and both economies are roughly the same for opportunity.
The United States is a humongous country and to paint with a broad brush about the entire nation is very foolish. In most areas of this country, the only similarity between the states is the English language. And even that is up for debate.
The one advantage of living in the big shithole you all consider the USA is the 10th Amendment. If one state seems unlivable, just move to another state.
Here’s an interesting headline. US Deficit Hits Record $1.1 Trillion In First 5 Months Of 2025 As February Taxes Failed To Cover Even Half Of Spending.
Oblivion, here we come!
When Donald Duck slaps down martial law, all statehood ceases to exist as you know it, and all authority/control shifts to the federales acting on behalf of the crown.
You’re listening to too much Alex Jones. Hal Turner, and X22.
If that happens in the US that will mean Europe has been blown off the map and Australia and NZ are already CCP penal colonies.
I’ve said for years that the whole irony coming out of the Soviet alt-media about relocating is that the US is still the best place until the force majeure. 90% of expats leave the US, because they can’t afford it.
I look at what’s been going on in Canada, Mexico, Latin America, etc. and I would never recommend those places. Not anymore. COVID changed all that.
My life here in VA was barely affected. The gym closed and I had to wear a mask in the stores. How did your country do? Once again the 10th Amendment hit a home run for me.
I have given up on Alex Jones and X22 years ago as none of there statements ever came true. Hal Turner delivers way overblown news just for click bait and most of the time Hal turner is not on the ball.
Europe will be blown off the map, that is the end game of NATO, and AUS/NZ have been owned, and operated lock stock, and barrel by the CCP for some years, just as Alberta(oil), and Saskatchewan(uranium) have been for some years.
I certainly do not recommend Canada in any positive way, and not just due to covid.
I have never listened to A. Jones, H. Turner, nor X22, whatever that is.
Much more importantly, ask yourself why Alexander Hamilton, when he created the first 4 American banks, he chartered them as identical copies of the Bank of England, regarding usury, debt-slavery, and fiat currency. And while you ponder this, also ask yourself, why did A. Hamilton organize, upon funding of these banks, an 80% stock ownership by foreign banks, mainly British banks, of the First Bank of the United States.
These Bank of England “chartered” banks today are: Wells Fargo, BNY Mellon, Citizens, JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Barings, and Rothschilds.
America has NEVER contolled her banks.
I assure you A. Jones, etal did not, nor would they ever divulge the above information…
To close, all amendments become null, and very void under martial law.
The crap about Alexander Hamilton is old crap we discussed years ago. This is why I stated that Andrew Jackson was my top three favorite Presidents. He kicked out the bankers and paid off the national debt. That’s why he had at least two assassination attempts against him. Hamilton was a Rothschild agent.
Of course, you will do your Internet search of Jackson and it will conclude he was a terrible president.
The second amendment keeps the other amendments in effect. 450mm lawfully owned firearms.
I suggest you get your bias elsewhere. Stop wasting my time.
How did NZ do in Covid? Some might wonder considering the news about it.
Personally I never got tested or vaxed. Had to wear a mask for a while, but for the first 6 months you could just pull your T-shirt up over your nose so I did that. (Ridiculous, I know. Any aliens watching must have thought we were all mad as hatters.) Towards the end Mrs. Ed said we had to use a proper mask.
Couldn’t go to a lot of shops with out a pass. I pretended to scan the QR code at the supermarket if security was watching, and signed my name “Adolf Hitler, 88 Fuck You St.” if they forced me to sign in manually (happened twice in the whole thing). A couple more times I just waggled the pen over the last name on the page.
When they announced new mask rules I’d put on a hazmat suit with goggles, respirator, little blue boot covers and surgical gloves and walk around like in a movie, just for fun. Why not? Sometimes people looked at me like I was insane. The next day I’d go to the same place with no “protection” at all. I noticed that without a mask I could smell the vax on people, which made me wonder if that was the real reason for them – a type of coverup.
They would put a big blob of sanitiser in my hand at the supermarket at peak insanity and I just went a few steps and dropped it on the ground and kept walking.
I would drive around in my car for fun. It was nice, no traffic, no cops, and speed limits magically rose 20%. (When the lockdowns ended everyone still drove like maniacs for a couple of days – it was like dodgems out there.)
If I needed to go to the supermarket I’d drive to one with a short queue. It was amazing, there were queues a quarter mile long (literally, I measured it) in one place and no queue at all at another. Idiots lined up in the hot sun at the popular one like lemmings. The irony was that if you went there at 8 am you’d be the only customer in the place.
The whole thing taught me that humans are basically morons and there’s no hope.
As with the oil, has the US been using everyone else’s copper while using tough environmental laws to hinder mining in the US?
Bob Moriarty says mining will ramp up now.
https://robertsinn.substack.com/p/bob-moriarty-the-us-will-withdraw
Amen. I have concluded that there is no hope for most of humanity since the peer pressure from family and friends to get the kill shot .
One more thing. Who’s going to be king?
Maybe we should ask Menicous Moldbug and the tech bros?
https://sherwood.news/tech/why-countries-are-seeking-to-build-sovereign-ai/
He would be a great guy to ask! He’s the pied piper of the technocrats.
Once again, great objective analysis. Those who didn’t get their financial house in order are toast.
We are either in the have or have not camp and there is no way to work or invest your way into wealth at this point.
In fact there will be a lot of financial, emotional, political, and perhaps physical pain on the way. As the airlines say “This is your captain speaking, buckle up your seat belts as there will be a lot of turbulence on the way” To bad I can’t include an airplane bonk for sound effect.
I do have a question about investments as I see that stocks are facing some pain in this turbulence and long term bonds are out of the question.
Which assets will hold up or better yet thrive during this upcoming shift?
Very astute article! I would say when the wheels fall off the average person will be shocked! That shock wave will cause so much pain, the world will beg for the beast system!
As Hemingway said when asked about going bankrupt, he said, gradually, then all at once! We may be getting close to the suddenly part.