Engineers, construction workers wearing protective masks to prevent dust and infections working together at construction site site amid coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (Photo: AdobeStock)
Asbury Park, N.J. (PPD) — More voters are ready to return to work and less concerned about coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, a new poll finds. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds 43% say “it is time for America to get back to work,” up from just 36% on April 16.
Now, only 38% disagree and believe that the country is not ready to return to work. While 52% are at least still somewhat concerned about personally getting the coronavirus if they go back to work, the figure is down from 71% in the prior survey.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters believe by June that a lot of the country should be back to normal. But 44% disagree.
Last Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported initial jobless claims rose slightly more than expected by 3,839,000 for the week ending April 25, due to the mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate rose again to 12.4% for the week ending April 18. That marked the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the series.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 18 was 17,992,000, an increase of 2,174,000 from the previous week’s revised level. That also marked the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted April 30 – March 3, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Speculation Over Health Of Kim Jong Un Ran Amok After Online Reports
U.S. President Donald J. Trump shaking hands with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un during the US-DPRK nuclear summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Photo: White House)
Kim Jong Un made his first media appearance in 20 days amid speculation about his health, state-run media in North Korea reported.
South Korea-based Yonhap reported state-run media “showed” on Saturday that Chairman Kim attended a ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer plant in Sunchon, South Phyongan Province.
As People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) reported earlier this week, speculation over the health of the North Korean communist dictator ran amok after online reports suggested it was on the decline after surgery.
Daily NK, an online newspaper run mostly by defectors based in South Korea, reported that Chairman Kim received a cardiovascular system procedure on April 12.
CNN reported the communist dictator was “in grave danger” after the surgery, citing a U.S. official with direct knowledge. Katy Tur at NBC News posted a tweet claiming Chairman Kim was “brain dead” before deleting it “out of an abundance of caution”.
Now-deleted tweet from NBC News’ Katy Tur, claiming Kim Jong Un was “brain dead”.
Worth noting, intelligence gathering and media reporting on North Korea are notoriously difficult. The communist government keeps information close to the vest, particularly when dealing with leadership.
Reuters, citing three people familiar with the situation, reported China sent a team to North Korea including medical experts for Chairman Kim. Two sources told the news agency a delegation was led by a senior member of the Communist Party of China (PRC) International Liaison Department.
A U.S. official told PPD that concerns over Chairman Kim’s health are credible, but that it is difficult to assess the severity of his condition.
Chairman Kim, believed to be 36 years old, had last appeared until Saturday on North Korean state-run media on April 11. He presided over the Workers’ Party’s politburo. On April 15, North Korea held a national holiday marking the anniversary of the birthday of its founding father, Kim Il Sung.
But Chairman Kim was not in attendance for the ceremony celebrating his grandfather. Of note, the regime fired multiple short-range missiles during the ceremony, an event typically observed by the chairman.
In 2008, Kim Jong Il was absent from North Korea’s 60th anniversary, leading to similar speculation. It was later revealed he had a stroke. His health never fully recovered and in fact continued to decline until his death in 2011.
Construction planning drawings on the table and two yellow pencils to illustrate total construction spending data and projects. (Photo: AdobeStock)
Washington, D.C. (PPD) — Total construction spending was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,360.5 billion in March, an unexpected gain of 0.9% (±0.8%). The U.S. Census Bureau revised the month of February higher from its initial estimate to $1,348.4 billion.
Forecasts ranged from a low of -5.8% to a high of -2.0%. The consensus forecast was -3.5%.
The March figure is 4.7% (±1.3%) higher than the March 2019 estimate of $1,299.1 billion. During the first three months of this year, construction spending totaled an estimated $297.0 billion, 6.7% (±1.2%) higher than the $278.5 billion for the same period in 2019.
Private Construction
Total private construction was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,012.5 billion in March, a gain of 0.7% (±0.7%) from the upwardly revised February estimate of $1,005.8 billion.
Residential construction was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $550.3 billion in March, or 2.3% (±1.3%) higher than the revised February estimate of $537.7 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $462.3 billion in March, down 1.3% (±0.7%) from the revised February estimate of $468.2 billion.
Public Construction
Total public construction was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $348.0 billion. That’s 1.6% (±1.3%) higher than the revised February estimate of $342.6 billion.
Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $80.9 billion. That’s down 0.3% (±1.5%) from the revised February estimate of $81.1 billion.
Highway construction came in at an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of $108.3 billion. That’s 4.6% (±4.8%) higher than the revised February estimate of $103.5 billion.
Manufacturing Export Wooden Crate, reading Made in USA. 3D Illustration for ISM Manufacturing Index (PMI). (Photo: AdobeStock)
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Index (PMI) came in at 41.5% in April, down from 49.1% but beating the consensus forecast. Forecasts for the PMI ranged from a low of 30.0 to a high of 43.0, and the consensus forecast was 37.5.
“Comments from the panel were strongly negative (three negative comments for every one positive comment) regarding the near-term outlook, with sentiment clearly impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and continuing energy market recession,” said Timothy R. Fiore, Chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.
“The PMI indicates a level of manufacturing-sector contraction not seen since April 2009, with a strongly negative trajectory.”
WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING
“Thirty-percent decrease for April due to COVID-19 impact on both customers and suppliers.” (Computer & Electronic Products)
“Production stopped, other than to make hand sanitizer for those in need.” (Chemical Products)
“COVID-19 has created a wave of activities, including vendors closing, vendors focusing only on the medical industry, employees not coming to work, delayed shipments from overseas, [and] etcetera.” (Transportation Equipment)
“The food processing B2B space remains steady. We are weathering the storm. There is a fortunate increased need for packaged foods. Softening is showing through in some products that find their way into food service and lodging.” (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products)
“Our refinery is losing money making gasoline due to the falling demand.” (Petroleum & Coal Products)
“We supply the construction industry in various ways, where the slowdown has been a bit slower than most industries. It is, however; beginning to impact our business, and we see more challenges on the horizon.” (Fabricated Metal Products)
“The company I work for manufactures personal protective equipment [PPE], specifically N95 masks, face shields, as well as selling protective clothing and hand protection. In the area of PPE, our backlog has spiked to numbers we have never seen. While no doubt some of the backorders will be canceled, many of the orders are longer term commitments from [the] U.S. government.” (Apparel, Leather & Allied Products)
“Our packaging business is starting to see signs of a slowdown in May after two strong months into COVID-19.” (Paper Products)
“COVID-19 has destroyed our market and our company. Without a full recovery very soon, and some assistance, I fear for our ability to continue operations.” (Nonmetallic Mineral Products)
“Dealing with the effects of coronavirus and having 65 percent of our operations down.” (Furniture & Related Products)
Watch Live 10:00 AM EST (PPD) — On this episode of ‘Inside The Numbers,’ we discuss the politics of Joe Biden and Tara Reade, Michael Flynn and wrap up the markets.
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn puts Iran ‘on notice’ during a press conference in response to a missile launch. (Photo: AP)
Washington, D.C. (PPD) — Newly unsealed documents and text messages contain damning evidence against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding their case against Lt. General Michael Flynn. The two trances of documents totaling 15 pages were unsealed by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan.
On Wednesday, the first four unsealed pages contained clear evidence the investigation and prosecution of the former national security advisor — code name “Crossfire Razor” — was a setup for a perjury trap. The documents — inappropriately withheld from the defense — contained handwritten notes.
While not initially revealed, multiple sources now identify the note-taker as Bill Priestap, then-Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division. Those notes state agents investigating Lt. Gen. Flynn aimed “to get him to lie so we can prosecute him or get him fired.”
On January 24, 2017, federal agents interviewed Lt. General Flynn under false pretenses and without counsel about a conversation he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. At the time of the conversation, Lt. General Flynn was the top foreign policy adviser to then-President-elect Donald Trump.
The note-taker wrote that one objective of the interview was to “get [Flynn] to admit breaking the Logan Act,” a 1799 law widely viewed as unconstitutional. It has never been successfully used in a prosecution against anyone, ever.
Nevertheless, the law intends to prohibit private citizens from speaking with foreign governments about official U.S. policy. At the time, Lt. General Flynn was not a private citizen. He was the incoming national security adviser to the newly-elected president.
“I have been a criminal defense attorney for decades. I have seen abusive tactics. However this is one of the most thuggish records I have seen,” famed liberal attorney Jonathan Turley said after reviewing the documents. “Most concerning is that they were trying to create a crime, not investigating a crime.”
“The use of Logan only highlights that bias.”
Transcripts of the intercepted phone call were leaked to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who kicked off the narrative that Lt. General Flynn was a traitor who violated the Logan Act.
It’s unclear whether the intercept was made as a result of an illegal warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In December, he was traveling outside the country with his wife on vacation.
The agents who conducted the interview initially stated they believed he told them the truth. However, Special Counsel Robert Mueller still charged Lt. General Flynn with “willfully and knowingly” making false statements to federal investigators in late 2017.
Special Prosecutor Mueller and his team — composed of Democrats and Democratic supporters with a long history of prosecutorial misconduct — leaned on Lt. General Flynn to accept a plea deal. That included threatening his son with prosecution. The family was forced to sell their home to fund a defense.
Lt. Gen. Flynn, the former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under Barack Obama, has withdrawn his initial plea. Represented by Sidney Powell, a defense lawyer known for fighting corruption and prosecutorial misconduct at the DOJ, he is fighting for the case to be dismissed.
Ms. Powell noted after the release of the 15 documents that it wasn’t the end of the paper trail damning to the FBI. Indeed, it was not.
Newly unsealed documents contain text messages that refer to the original 302 interview, which was never turned over to the defense. In those text messages, former FBI attorney Lisa Page and FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok discuss the interview conducted at the White House. They insinuate the document was altered.
Mr. Strzok was fired from the FBI and his extramarital lover Ms. Page resigned in disgrace alongside Jim Baker, who is now cooperating with authorities, according to multiple sources and reports.
As People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) previously reported, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras, who presided over the initial case against Lt. General Flynn, had a personal relationship with Mr. Strzok. The unethical conflict of interest, which is clear from an earlier batch of text messages, was only discovered after Judge Contreras recused himself.
“Rudy is on the FISC! Did you know that?” Ms. Page texted Mr. Strzok on July 25, 2016. “Just appointed two months ago.”
“I did,” Mr. Strzok replied. “We talked about it before and after. I need to get together with him.”
The new evidence further indicates the FBI was closing the case due to a lack of proof and in fact did so on January 4, 2017. It also deals another blow to the now-debunked “Russia Collusion” conspiracy theory as a pretext for investigating the former national security advisor.
“We have a case on Flynn and Russians,” Mr. Priestap jotted in the documents unsealed last week and obtained this week, adding “our goal is to resolve case.”
However, the new evidence states there was “NO DEROGATORY information on him” in either DNI or CIA files reviewed during the investigation.
An email from Mr. Strzok to Mr. Priestap dated January 21, 2017, which was sent only days before the ambush interview with Lt. General Flynn, details how a defensive briefing for an incoming president was used to spy on the advisor and members of the campaign.
“CROSSFIRE RAZOR: Provide a defensive briefing to him about CROSS WIND and (redacted) put him on notice, and see what he does with that. If that’s not possible, then continue to monitor. We need to discuss what happens if DOJ directs us, or directly tells, VPOTUS or anyone else about the (redacted) specifically w/r/t what we do under light ‘defensive briefing’ pretext unless WH specifically directs us not to CROSS WIND (redacted).”
Disgraced and fired former FBI director James Comey would later brag about using a defense briefing to spy on the incoming president’s team during an interview on December 9, 2018.
“It’s something I wouldn’t have done, wouldn’t have gotten away with in a more organized administration,” he boasted. “And I thought, ‘It’s early enough. Let’s just send a couple guys over there.'”
Mr. Strzok also refers to George Papadopoulos by his code name “Crossfire Typhoon” in the email. But the following text was redacted.
In May, Attorney General William Barr assigned U.S. Attorney John H. Durham in Connecticut to investigate the origins of and potential wrongdoings in the Russia probe.
In October, he expanded that investigation from the genesis of the probe through the election, the post-election timeline through the spring of 2017, up to when Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel by then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
On April 9, Attorney General Barr said in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News that the evidence shows “we’re not just dealing with mistakes and sloppiness,” adding it was a travesty of historic proportions intended to sabotage the presidency.
What happened to General Michael Flynn, a war hero, should never be allowed to happen to a citizen of the United States again!
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee and former vice president, in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC This Week on April 5, 2020.
Asbury Park, N.J. (PPD) — More voters than not believe Tara Reade is telling the truth about Joe Biden sexually assaulting her in 1993, according to a new poll. A Rasmussen Reports national online and telephone survey finds 34% of likely voters believe the accusation and only 24% think the former vice president is telling the truth.
Ms. Reade, a former staffer for then-Senator Biden, accused the now-presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, of sexually assaulting her in a hallway in 1993. In interviews with Insider, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and podcaster Katie Halper — who broke the story — Ms. Reade alleges that she was told to meet Mr. Biden in a semiprivate corridor to deliver a duffel bag. Mr. Biden then pushed her up against a wall, reached under her skirt, and penetrated her with his fingers.
Two people came forward immediately after the story broke to confirm Ms. Reade had told them of the assault shortly after it allegedly occurred — her brother, Collin Moulton, and a friend who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. She also claimed to have told her mother at the time.
An archive video emerged of a woman Ms. Reade identified as her mother calling into CNN’s Larry King Live in 1993 to talk about her daughter’s “problems” with a prominent senator. Shortly after, two more sources came forward to corroborate certain details about the claims in an interview with Business Insider.
Nearly 4 in 10 voters — or, a sizable 41% — are undecided. Sixty-two percent (62%) say they have been following stories about the allegation, though only 26% have been following Very Closely.
That might have something to do with the widely-criticized media blackout of the story. It has been a stark contrast to the 24/7 speculative coverage given to the accusations against U.S. Supreme Court Justice Bret Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate.
However, those who know the story best and are most familiar, are more likely to believe the allegation leveled by Ms. Reade against Mr. Biden. Among those who have been following Very Closely, 60% think Ms. Reade is telling the truth.
While Republicans (48%) are more likely than Democrats (21%) to believe Ms. Reade, far more voters not affiliated with either party believe the accuser over Mr. Biden, 36% – 16%, respectively.
Further, only 30% think the media is likely to cover the allegations against Mr. Biden as much as they did those against Justice Kavanaugh. A 45-percent plurality disagrees, and says the media is unlikely to cover the allegations against Mr. Biden as much.
Twenty-five percent (25%) are unsure.
Meanwhile, the University of Delaware and Biden campaign are stonewalling requests to access his senatorial archives. Fox News has also uncovered extensive financial and personal ties between the candidate and the board of trustees at the university.
Jobless Claims Worse than Forecast, But Continue Trending Down
Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported initial jobless claims rose slightly more than expected by 3,839,000 for the week ending April 25, due to the mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). That’s a decrease of 603,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised (15,000) level of 4,442,000.
Forecasts ranged from a low of 2,000,000 to a high of 3,700,000. The consensus forecast was 3,500,000. Roughly 30 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 5,033,250, a decline of 757,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 3,750 from 5,786,500 to 5,790,250.
Lagging Jobless Claims Data
U.S. initial jobless claims graph on a tablet screen. (Photo: AdobeStock)
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate rose again to 12.4% for the week ending April 18. This marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the series.
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%.
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 April 18 was 17,992,000, an increase of 2,174,000 from the previous week’s revised level. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series.
The previous week’s level was revised down by 158,000 from 15,976,000 to 15,818,000. The 4-week moving average was 13,292,500, an increase of 3,733,250 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 39,000 from 9,598,250 to 9,559,250.
No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending April 11.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 11 were in Michigan (21.8), Vermont (21.2), Connecticut (18.5), Pennsylvania (18.5), Nevada (16.8), Rhode Island (16.7), Washington (16.0), Alaska (15.6), New York (14.4), and West Virginia (14.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 18 were in Florida (+326,251), Connecticut (+68,758), West Virginia (+31,811), Louisiana (+12,270), and Texas (+6,504), while the largest decreases were in New York (-189,517), California (-127,112), Michigan (-85,500), Georgia (-72,578), and Washington (-60,980)
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