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Politics

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House on his way to Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Photo: People's Pundit Daily/PPD)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House on his way to Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Photo: People’s Pundit Daily/PPD)

Ypsilanti, Mich. (PPD) — President Donald Trump pushed for the reopening of churches and eluded to an expected release of guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

“We’ve got to open our churches,” he said during remarks during his tour of a plant owned by Ford Motor Company (F) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. “I spoke with the CDC and I think they’re going to put out something later today.”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has tested the lengths to which governors and government will go to limit the First Amendment. Attorney General William Barr has warned states not to exceed their authority, particularly as it relates to restrictions on religious freedom.

The Justice Department intervened on behalf of Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss., filing a Statement of Interest. The church filed a lawsuit challenging an executive order issued by Mayor Errick Simmons, which prohibits drive-in church services.

Freedom of religion is the first of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. The freedom to protest has also been denied during the pandemic lockdown, predominantly by Democrats to include Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As it did in Michigan, these draconian policies have led to larger protests in numerous states.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

“They’re so important to the psyche of the nation,” the president added. “I think churches are essential.”

President Donald Trump pushed for the reopening

Politics

John Ratcliffe Will Assume the Role from Richard Grenell Amid Declassifying Bonanza

President Donald Trump meets with John Ratcliffe and the Republican Study Committee regarding healthcare in the Oval Office on Friday, March 17, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
President Donald Trump meets with John Ratcliffe and the Republican Study Committee regarding healthcare in the Oval Office on Friday, March 17, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The U.S. Senate voted 49 to 44 on Thursday to confirm John Ratcliffe the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Rep. Ratcliffe has had a long road to the confirmation vote on Thursday. In August, he withdrew his name from consideration after the scandal-embattled Senator Richard Burr, R-N.C., then-Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, worked to sink his nomination before it got started.

President Trump nominated Rep. Ratcliffe again in late February. Now, Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has taken over as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

On May 14, Senator Burr stepped down amid an insider trading investigation. He came under fire for stock sales shortly before markets crashed earlier this year and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) seized his cell phone while serving a warrant at the his D.C.-area residence.

Mr. Ratcliffe, a Republican congressman from Texas, served as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. He will now assume the role of the leader of 17 U.S. intelligence agencies from acting Director Richard Grenell.

Mr. Grenell, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, has been serving as acting DNI since Dan Coats left the post last summer on July 28 under a cloud of criticism. Mr. Coats, himself a former senator and member of the intelligence committee, was stonewalling efforts to uncover wrongdoing.

That stands in stark contrast to Mr. Grenell, who recently ordered the 17 intelligence agencies under the post to review whether they are complying with strict guidelines on unmasking U.S. citizens. He has declassified numerous documents uncovering wrongdoing by the previous administration.

The U.S. Senate voted 49 to 44

Economy

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — Existing home sales fell 17.8% to the lowest level of since July 2010 after surging to a 13-year high pre-coronavirus lockdown, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported. At a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.33 million, it’s the largest month-over-month drop since July 2010 (-22.5%).

“The economic lockdowns – occurring from mid-March through April in most states – have temporarily disrupted home sales,” Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR said. “But the listings that are on the market are still attracting buyers and boosting home prices.”

Forecasts ranged from a low of 4,200,000 to a high of 4,920,000. The consensus forecast was 4,325,000. While each of the four major regions saw a decline in both month-over-month and year-over-year sales, the West saw the greatest decline in both categories.

The median existing-home price for all housing types came in at $286,800 in April, up 7.4% from April 2019 ($267,000). Prices increased in every region for April, marking 98 straight months of year-over-year gains nationally.

“Record-low mortgage rates are likely to remain in place for the rest of the year, and will be the key factor driving housing demand as state economies steadily reopen,” Mr. Yun added. “Still, more listings and increased home construction will be needed to tame price growth.”

Existing home sales fell to the lowest

Economy

Mid-Atlantic Manufacturing Firms Expect Overall Growth Over Next 6 Months

Philadelphia, Penn. (PPD) — The Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey rose less than expected in May, but off the low in April. Most manufacturing firms continue to see light at the end of the tunnel, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported.

Forecasts ranged from a low of -60.0 to a high of -25.0. The consensus forecast was -41.0. The headline rose 13 points to -43.1, off the 40-year low of -56.6 in April.

The percentage of firms reporting decreases this month (58%) still far exceeded the percentage reporting increases (15%), resulting in the third negative consecutive reading. The index for new orders rose 45 points out of an all-time low for the series last month, from -70.9 to -25.7.

Over 25% of the firms reported an increase in new orders, up from none in April, while 51% reported decreases, down from 71% last month.

The diffusion index for future general activity rose 7 points to 49.7. More than 62% of the firms expect increases in activity over the next six months, while 13% expect declines.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s Manufacturing Business Outlook

Inside the Numbers

Watch Live 10:00 AM EST (PPD) — On ‘Inside The Numbers’, we discuss the media handicap from Russia to Ukraine to COVID-19. Plus, jobs and leaked audio.

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Discussed on the Show

On ‘Inside The Numbers’, we discuss the

Economy

Jobless Claims Again More than Forecast, But Continue to Trend Down

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported initial jobless claims rose slightly more than expected by 2,438,000 for the week ending May 16, due to the mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). That’s a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week’s downwardly revised 2,687,000.

Forecasts ranged from a low of 1,700,000 to a high of 2,600,000. The consensus forecast was 2,375,000. Roughly 37 million Americans are now out of work as a result of the efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The 4-week moving average was 3,042,000, a decline of 501,000 from the previous week’s downwardly revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 73,500 from 3,616,500 to 3,543,000.

Lagging Jobless Claims Data

U.S. initial jobless claims graph on a tablet screen. (Photo: AdobeStock)
U.S. initial jobless claims graph on a tablet screen. (Photo: AdobeStock)

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate rose again to 17.2% for the week ending May 9, an increase of 1.7%. The previous week’s rate was revised down by 0.2 from 15.7% to 15.5%.

This marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the series. However, it was the smallest increase since the start of the crisis.

The first high during the current crisis was recorded at 8.2% for the week ending April 4. The all-time high prior to that was 7.0%, recorded in May of 1975. On April 11, it rose to 11.0% and 12.4% on April 25.

Under the Trump Administration, this rate had fallen to an all-time low 1.1% and remained at 1.2% just weeks ago, before coronavirus (COVID-19) mitigation efforts.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 9 came in at 25,073,000, an increase of 2,525,000. The previous week’s level was revised down by 285,000 from 22,833,000 to 22,548,000.

The 4-week moving average was 22,002,250, an increase of 2,313,500. The previous week’s average was revised down by 71,250 from 19,760,000 to 19,688,750.

Extended Benefits were available in Connecticut, Michigan, and Rhode Island during the week ending May 2.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 2 were in Nevada (23.5), Michigan (22.6), Washington (22.1), Rhode Island (19.9), New York (19.6), Connecticut (19.3), Puerto Rico (19.2), Mississippi (18.8), Vermont (18.8), and Georgia (18.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 9 were in Florida (+48,222), Georgia (+14,420), Washington (+8,615), New York (+4,309), and South Dakota (+1,340), while the largest decreases were in California (-103,590), Texas (-102,382), Oklahoma (-54,806), North Carolina (-28,602), and Missouri (-21,382).

Initial jobless claims rose slightly more than

Politics

Joe Biden Pressured Petro Poroshenko to Fire Prosecutor Planning To Question Hunter Biden In Corruption Case

Former Vice President Joe Biden, left, with his son, Hunter Biden, right.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, left, with his son, Hunter Biden, right.

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — A leaked audio purportedly captures former Vice President Joe Biden telling former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that his nation would receive $1 billion in U.S. aid if then-General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin was fired.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the audio tape could be evidence of “high treason” and called for an investigation on Wednesday.

Mr. Shokin was appointed by Mr. Poroshenko and received a 318-vote consent of the Rada (Ukraine Parliament), a vote considered a constitutional authority. He served from February 10, 2015 to April 3, 2016.

He was fired at the behest of the U.S. administration, specifically Mr. Biden, who had been appointed by former President Barack Obama to oversee U.S.-Ukrainian relations. He testified in a sworn affidavit he was fired as a result of “direct and intense pressure from Joe Biden and the U.S. administration.”

“Poroshenko asked me to resign due to pressure from the U.S. Presidential administration, in particular from Joe Biden. who was the U.S. Vice-President,” Mr. Shokin testified. “Biden was threatening to withhold USD$ I billion in subsidies to Ukraine until I was removed from office.”

In December 2015, The New York Times reported Burisma Holdings had hired Hunter Biden only weeks after his father was appointed to head up relations with Ukraine, despite having no relevant qualifications. Mr. Biden insisted and has maintained the U.S. administration wanted Mr. Shokin fired due to corruption and ineptitude.

However, in the leaked audio released by People’s Deputy Andrei Derkach, Mr. Poroshenko says there was “no information” that Mr. Shokin had done “something wrong.” But he carried out the firing reportedly ordered by Mr. Biden, regardless.

“Yesterday I met with General Prosecutor Shokin, and despite of the fact that we didn’t have any corruption charges, we don’t have any information about him doing something wrong, I specially asked him — no, it was day [sic] before yesterday — I specially asked him to resign in his position as a state person,” Mr. Poroshenko appears to have said on the clip dated February 18, 2016. “And one hour ago he bring [sic] me the written statement of his resignation. And this is my second step for keeping my promises.“

“I agree,” Mr. Biden replies.

The leaked audio — which People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) has not independently verified — appears to support Mr. Sholkin’s version of events and contradicts the explanation long given by Mr. Biden. At the time of his firing, he had plans to question Hunter Biden about $3 million in fees that he and his partner, Devin Archer, collected from Burisma through Blue Star Strategies, a U.S. lobbying firm.

Incorrect reports have claimed there were no open investigations at the time of Mr. Shokin’s firing. But official case files dated March 2016 detail open cases surrounding corruption and tax violations. The Kyiv Post, citing company officials on the record, reported Burisma was not free and clear of investigations until January 2017, only days before the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.

“The truth is that I was forced out because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Burisma Holdings (“Burisma”), a natural gas firm active in Ukraine, and Joe Biden’s Son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board Of Directors,” Mr. Shokin further testified. “I assume Burisma, which was connected with gas extraction, had the support of the U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden because his son was on the Board of Directors.”

Mr. Sholkin was replaced by Yuriy Lutsenko, who Mr. Biden praised in the now-infamous videotape in which he boasts about the firing to the Council on Foreign Relations. He later accused U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch of delivering a “do not prosecute list” to him at the behest of Mr. Biden.

Ms. Yovanovitch was a key witness for Democrats during the impeachment trial. She testified she was the victim of a “smear campaign” conducted by Rudy Giuliani and his allies in conservative media.

Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly referred to the allegation as “debunked,” claiming Mr. Lutsensko was himself corrupt and had “recanted.” However, Larysa Sargan, the press secretary for Mr. Lutsensko, released a statement disputing only that there was a written list and cited “translation challenges” for the confusion.

She did not dispute the central allegation, which is that Ms. Yovanovitch cited 13 names the Obama Administration did not want prosecuted. It consisted of former officials loyal to the Poroshenko government and Valeriya Hontareva, the corrupt former head of National Bank of Ukraine.

Late last month, District Court Judge S. V. Vovk in Kiev ordered the country’s law enforcement services to formally list Mr. Shokin as the victim of an alleged crime by Mr. Biden. The judge ruled “the order of the court may not be appealed.”

In leaked audio, former Ukrainian President Petro

Opinion

A graphic concept of the coronavirus on a yellow police tape against the backdrop of the Capitol Building in Washington DC. (Photo: AdobeStock)
A graphic concept of the coronavirus on a yellow police tape against the backdrop of the Capitol Building in Washington DC. (Photo: AdobeStock)

When I write enough columns with the same underlying point, I sometimes create a special page to highlight the theme, such as the “Bureaucrat Hall of Fame” and “Poverty Hucksters.”

I may have to do something similar for people who assert that America’s response to the coronavirus has been hampered because the federal government is too small.

For instance, Dana Milbank wrote in The Washington Post last month that “anti-government conservatism…caused the current debacle with a deliberate strategy to sabotage government.”

Ironically, the nations he cited for their successful approach – Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan – all have a much smaller burden of government spending than the United States (US).

Which actually supports my argument that bigger governments are less effective and competent.

But evidence doesn’t seem to matter to some journalists.

One of Milbank’s colleagues, Dan Balz, has just authored a long article that regurgitates the assertion that there’s been “underinvestment” in the federal government.

The government’s halting response to the coronavirus pandemic represents the culmination of chronic structural weaknesses, years of underinvestment and political rhetoric that has undermined the public trust… The nation is reaping the effects of decades of denigration of government and also from a steady squeeze on the resources needed to shore up the domestic parts of the executive branch. This hollowing out has been going on for years as a gridlocked Congress preferred continuing resolutions and budgetary caps… The question is whether the weaknesses and vulnerabilities exposed by the current crisis will generate a newfound interest among the nation’s elected officials — and the public — in repairing the infrastructure of government. …“We don’t want to invest in the capacity of government to get the job done,” Kettl said. …said David E. Lewis, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University…“We’re seeing a government that is suffering now from a long period of neglect that began well before this administration. And that neglect has accelerated during this administration.”

What’s especially remarkable is that the article cites the government’s lack of testing capacity as evidence of “underinvestment.”

Over these years, there have been a series of major government breakdowns that helped shake confidence in government’s competence. …The pandemic has forced another critical look at government’s competence. …more tests might have helped contain the spread. It is the case now as businesses look to reopen but cannot assure safety for workers or their communities without the widespread availability of tests, which so far does not exist.

Yet the bureaucracies with responsibility for testing – the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – have received big budget increases.

Was that money well spent?

Hardly. Not only have they failed in their mission, their red tape and inefficiency have hindered the private sector’s ability to develop and deploy tests.

Notwithstanding all this evidence, Balz wants readers to believe that people don’t have faith in government because of hostile rhetoric from politicians.

Marc Hetherington, a professor at the University of North Carolina, said the public conversation about government began to shift with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. …“What changed with Reagan and the decades since is that the conversation moves away from what government ought to do to government is incompetent to do things,” he said. …Democratic politicians have engaged in some of the same kind of thing. “Every candidate has campaigned on a bureaucracy-bashing theme,” Nabatchi said. “That message has gotten through to affect people’s confidence in government.”

The alternative explanation, needless to say, is that people don’t have confidence in the public sector because government has a long track record of mistakes and incompetence.

But I guess that’s merely my opinion.

So let’s instead close today’s column with some hard data.

Here’s a chart I shared last month while debunking an article by George Packer for The Atlantic. Hhe claimed we have “a federal government crippled by years of…steady defunding”.

It shows that federal spending has tripled since 1980. And that’s after adjusting for inflation!

Which led me to observe that, “The bottom line is that I can’t figure out whether to be more dismayed that journalists are innumerate or that major publications apparently don’t have fact checkers.”

That same sentiment obviously applies to Dan Balz and the Washington Post.

P.S. While Balz and Milbank were guilty of avoiding numbers, The Washington Post doesn’t have a great track record when its journalists try to use numbers. In other words, maybe the problem is bias rather than innumeracy.

Columns on federal spending and coronavirus by

Policy

A flag of the state of Florida waving in the wind with a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) blood test tube. (Photo: AdobeStock)
A flag of the state of Florida waving in the wind with a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) blood test tube. (Photo: AdobeStock)

Tallahassee, Fla. (PPD) — In Florida, 64 of 67 counties entered Phase One on May 4 and the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) data make a strong argument for reopening. Despite large increases in total residents tested, the positivity rates for both the Phase One counties and statewide haven’t exhibited spikes.

Generally speaking, the more testing is conducted, the more positive results can be expected. But that has not occurred in Florida and positivity rates have remained well below the target rate of below 10%.

On May 11, Phase One counties reported the lowest positivity rate to date. There’s a clear downward trend for the percent positive for laboratory testing, which has declined to its lowest rate ever over the last six weeks.

Percent Positive for Lab Testing. (Source: Florida Department of Health)
Percent Positive for Lab Testing. (Source: Florida Department of Health)

That data can be further supported by comparing the sum of persons testing positive and negative each week. As testing rose nearly two-fold from roughly 66,500 for the week ending April 11 to roughly 118,100 for the week ending May 16, the sum of persons positive actually fell from approximately 7,200 to 5,100.

Sum of Persons Tested Positive versus Negative. (Source: Florida Department of Health)
Sum of Persons Tested Positive versus Negative. (Source: Florida Department of Health)

Since Phase One was initiated on May 4, intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalizations for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have declined 21%. Ventilator usage for COVID-19 patients has fallen 32%.

Resident Deaths By Date of Death, April 19 - May 18, 2020. (Source: Florida Department of Health)
Resident Deaths By Date of Death, April 19 – May 18, 2020. (Source: Florida Department of Health)

Resident deaths, which are a lagging indicator, posted their smallest totals per day over the last four days during the April 19 – May 18 period. While often updated and revised, the latest count for May 18 is only 3 deaths, following a revised 17, 15 and 24.

That compares to a peak 58 daily death toll recorded on May 4, the very day 64 of 67 counties in Florida entered Phase One. While criticisms to enter Phase One were many, both the trends and recent data suggest those criticisms were unfounded.

In Florida, 64 of 67 counties entered

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