Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE – FOUR MORE DAYS

We're in the last FOUR days of our drive.  We slipped a bit yesterday.  It is critical that we do better, as subscriptions and donations make our work possible. 

Please subscribe or donate.  The most important reason is to support Urgent Agenda, but you'll also receive our twice-a-week emailed page, the Angel's Corner, which features posts by subscribers and donators.  It is our most popular feature, and it will let you make your views known to our audience.

If you're already a subscriber or donator, please consider raising your participation to secure our future. 

Details on subscribing and donating are in the right-hand column of this page, opposite these words.  You can join us through PayPal, or use SENDINC, which has become increasingly accepted by our readers.  If you prefer a regular mail subscription, just email me at service@urgentagenda.com, and I'll give you our mailing address. 

We hope to welcome you.

JANUARY 18,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

THE NATIONAL CRISIS – FROM PJ MEDIA:   Shoppers at Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. have been astonished to discover empty shelves at their local stores in recent months, with one customer describing the stores as "the Soviet Safeway." Barclay analysts found stores in disarray with "entirely empty" shelves and deteriorating produce, Business Insider reported.  "Analysts said they encountered 'high' out-of-stock issues last week in every department of one Midwest store across both private-label items and branded items," according to the report. One East Coast store had "extraordinary" inventory problems, according to the analyst.  "The store had no bananas and the supply of eggs and Tropicana products was very low," the analyst reported. "Entire displays, refrigerated cases, and end caps were completely empty. The prepared foods hot bar was entirely empty."  Recently acquired by Amazon.  Maybe if you ordered the bananas online you'd have better luck.

IS ANYONE SURPRISED? – FROM THE GUARDIAN:   The United Nations has allowed sexual harassment and assault to flourish in its offices around the world, with accusers ignored and perpetrators free to act with impunity, the Guardian has been told.  Dozens of current and former UN employees described a culture of silence across the organisation and a flawed grievance system that is stacked against victims.   Of the employees interviewed, 15 said they had experienced or reported sexual harassment or assault within the past five years. The alleged offences ranged from verbal harassment to rape.  Seven of the women had formally reported what happened, a route that campaigners say is rarely pursued by victims for fear of losing their job, or in the belief that no action will be taken.  “If you report it, your career is pretty much over, especially if you’re a consultant,” said one consultant, who alleged she was harassed by her supervisor while working for the World Food Programme. “It’s like an unsaid thing.”  Is anyone surprised by this?  The UN is one of the most corrupt organizations in the world.  Why not add sexual harassment?  I wonder if "feminist" groups will show the slightest interest.  Mustn't be too critical of "multicultural" organizations.

GOING THE WAY OF THE NFL – FROM THE WRAP:  The National Alliance of Theater Owners (NATO) announced on Wednesday that the national ticket average for 2017 rose 3.7 percent year-over-year to $8.93, up from $8.65 last year.  At that average, the estimated number of movie tickets sold last year is 1.23 billion. While that is only a rough estimate that does not account for the higher ticket prices for premium formats and theaters in more expensive cities like New York and Los Angeles, NATO’s estimate is the lowest since 1993, when “Jurassic Park” was the top grossing film of the year and an estimated 1.24 billion tickets were sold.  Put out an inferior product and raise prices.  What a great formula for success.  No hoorays for Hollywood.

January 18, 2018       Permalink

CONTINUED COLLAPSE OF THE NFL – AT 12:48 P.M. ET:  This can no longer be considered a temporary thing.  Professional football, which has probably been the true national pastime for decades, is in trouble.  From outkickthecoverage.com: 

This past weekend the NFL had three very competitive games among its four divisional round playoff contests.

Unfortunately for the league, ratings continued to plummet.

In fact, ratings are plummeting so much that virtually no major media outlets are even talking about ratings at all. It’s almost like the league and its television partners have put out the code red not to acknowledge the collapse in viewership so far in 2018.

Adding all these numbers up 120.8 million viewers watched the NFL divisional round playoffs in 2018 vs. 144.1 million who watched in 2017, a decline of 23.3 million total viewers.

That’s an overall viewership decline of over 16%, even steeper than last week’s 13% playoff decline. (Even if you leave out the Packers-Cowboys numbers completely the NFL playoff ratings would have still been down 10.3%).

These playoff numbers weren’t just bad compared to last year either, they hit a ten year low.

COMMENT:  Are we seeing the death of a major sport?  No one can predict, But the combination of increasing public awareness of serious injuries, and the absurd, anti-American "taking a knee" by outrageously overpaid players, has cast a pall over football.

Not much is being done to improve matters.  The feelings of the fans are simply ignored.

January 18, 2018       Permalink

AMERICA IS BECOMING GREAT AGAIN – AT 11:52 A.M. ET:  The new jobs report is spectacular.  Of course, we all know that Obama did it.  Why, in fact he hired all these people himself.  Pass it on.  From Bloomberg: 

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits plummeted to the lowest level in almost 45 years in a sign the job market will tighten further in 2018, Labor Department figures showed Thursday.

• Jobless claims decreased by 41k to 220k (est. 249k); lowest level since Feb. 1973, biggest drop since Dec. 2008

• Continuing claims rose by 76k to 1.952m in week ended Jan. 6 (data reported with one-week lag)

• Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 244,500 from the prior week’s 250,750

The drop in claims shows that companies are increasingly holding on to their employees amid a shortage of skilled labor. Businesses are struggling to find workers to fill positions, particularly in manufacturing and construction, as cited in some anecdotes for the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book released Wednesday.

The figures suggest the unemployment rate of 4.1 percent, already the lowest since 2000, could be poised to decline further. The latest week for claims includes the 12th of the month, which is the reference period for the Labor Department’s monthly employment surveys.

COMMENT:   What's more, manufacturing is returning to the United States.  What will the Democrats say in response to this incredible progress?  Whatever they say, the major news organizations will back them up.  And that is part of the Republican challenge for this fall.

January 18, 2018       Permalink

NO MOVEMENT, AND THAT'S GOOD – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  We keep watching every day for movement in the president's poll numbers.  Surely his bad language, and the effects of "that" book will doom him, say the pundits, or dumbnits, whichever you prefer.   The man will soon be at ten percent.  All his supporters will be real-estate agents. 

Uh, just a sec.  Ain't happenin'.  Once again we turn to Rasmussen, which runs the only daily poll these days: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-four percent (54%) disapprove.
The latest figures include 28% who Strongly Approve of the way the president is performing and 44% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -16.

COMMENT:  Virtually unchanged for a week.  The president is solid.  Of course, he can do something to mess it up, and he has done that before. But the recent onslaught against him has not dented his numbers, at least not in the Rasmussen poll.

The tax cut will show up in paychecks starting early in February.  I'm curious to know how that affects the numbers.  You may be sure that the Dems plan a February offensive to take voters' minds off their increase in take-home pay.

January 18,  2018     Permalink

JANUARY 17,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

THE APPLE BITES – FROM ABC NEWS:   Apple announced today that it will be investing $350 billion in the U.S. economy over the next five years, creating more than 20,000 jobs.  In a news release, the company also said it would make a $38 billion tax payment to the U.S. as required by recent changes to the tax law. Apple said this would be the largest tax payment of its kind.  "We believe deeply in the power of American ingenuity, and we are focusing our investments in areas where we can have a direct impact on job creation and job preparedness. We have a deep sense of responsibility to give back to our country and the people who help make our success possible," CEO Tim Cook said in the release.  Apple said it would focus on three areas: direct employment by Apple; spending and investment with its domestic suppliers and manufacturers; and fueling the fast-growing app economy that it's created with the iPhone and its App Store.
Amid today's news, the company also broke ground on a new site in Reno, Nevada.  Ah, another Trump failure.  What are we going to do with all that industry?  All those revenues?  Poverty is so much easier.

THE CNN CLOWN CLUB DOES IT AGAIN – FROM FOX:   CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta was ridiculed across social media on Wednesday for declaring that President Trump has heart disease.  White House physician Ronny Jackson said on Tuesday that Trump was in "excellent health" after conducting the president’s physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week. Jackson answered a variety of questions from skeptical reporters during a press briefing and repeatedly stated that Trump was perfectly fine, with the exception of needing cholesterol medicine and being slightly overweight.  But on Wednesday morning Gupta, who did not examine Trump, took Jackson’s data and declared that Trump has heart disease, prompting instant ridicule from people on both sides of the political aisle.  “This is math. This is based on the numbers that Dr. Jackson provided,” Gupta said. “The president has heart disease.”  White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders reminded everyone during Wednesday’s press briefing that Jackson is the only doctor who has actually examined the president, calling him the “only credible source” when it comes to Trump’s health.  Gupta should be censured by the appropriate medical society.  What he did was grossly unethical.  He simply was following the CNN anti-Trump line.  The hatred is deep.  The journalism is thin.

NO CLASS, NO TASTE, NO STANDARDS – FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:   Michael Wolff's controversial "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is coming to television.   Endeavor Content — the financing and sales arm formed in October between sister companies William Morris Endeavor and IMG — has purchased film and television rights to the No. 1 best-selling book. The massive deal is said to be in the seven-figure range. Endeavor Content plans to adapt the book as a TV series. A network is not yet attached, as Endeavor will now begin shopping the project.  Wolff will executive produce the series, with veteran Channel 4 and BBC executive Michael Jackson — now CEO of indie producer Two Cities Television — also on board to produce.  This is a terrible idea – a series based on a poorly reported book, which will lose half the audience before even going on the air.  It's typical of Hollywood.  They think this is great stuff.  Remember that CBS tried the same thing with a Reagan movie, portraying Mr. Reagan as a goofball.  It was so bad that CBS pulled it before it went on the air. 

January 17,  2018     Permalink

NOPERAH – AT 12:51 P.M. ET:  The wanting of Oprah is wanting some wanting.   Polls show her potential presidential candidacy lacks the voters to go with the hype.  From The Politico: 

Americans love Oprah Winfrey. But they aren’t exactly clamoring for the media mogul and former talk-show host to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020.

A majority of voters across several polls don’t think Winfrey should run for the White House, according to polls conducted since Winfrey’s much-heralded speech at a Hollywood awards show launched a round of presidential speculation. Even among Democratic voters, more say she shouldn’t run for president than should.

Still, there’s enough evidence to continue fueling speculation about her political prospects. Winfrey performs well on polling ballot tests, tying or leading Trump in a number of surveys. The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows Democratic voters prefer her to a host of other potential candidates — except former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

And despite the persistent disapproval of Trump’s job performance thus far, voters are still open to political neophytes as presidential candidates — though Democratic voters are more likely to say they want candidates with experience in elected office.

The topline result from the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll: Winfrey would lead Trump by 2 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup, 40 percent to 38 percent. More than one-in-five voters, 22 percent, are undecided.

Two points?  That's nothing.  If she can't lead him by 15 right now, she's probably toast.

Among Democrats, Winfrey would lead Trump, 73 percent to 9 percent. Trump has a similar advantage among Republicans, 76 percent to 11 percent. Independents tilt slightly toward Winfrey, 35 percent to 30 percent, with another 35 percent undecided.

COMMENT:  Not a great showing for one of the most famous celebrities in the country.  Maybe she should stick to talk shows and awards ceremonies.

The fact is that 2020 is many political lifetimes away.  Nothing said now is of much meaning.  The immediate issue is the 2018 midterms, and the Republicans have reason for concern.  There's a good chance they will lose control of at least the House, and possibly the Senate as well.  Then we will almost certainly see an attempt to impeach the president, and political blood will flow.

January 17, 2018       Permalink

THE DISGRACE – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:  Rarely have I seen any press behavior worse than that displayed at yesterday's White House news conference, after a distinguished Navy doctor announced the excellent results of President Trump's physical examination.  From Newsbusters, via Fox: 

For almost an hour on Tuesday, the White House press corps stooped to a new low of embarrassment and clownishly liberal behavior, lobbing over a dozen questions at Navy Rear Admiral Dr. Ronny Jackson to insinuate that President Trump must be mentally ill to the point of Alzheimer’s Disease.

This was all despite Jackson’s insistence that he’s in great health.

Whether it was Bloomberg, CBS News Radio, CNN, or The Washington Post, the long knives were out as the liberal media engaged in their own Pickett’s Charge to save their narrative that Trump’s mentally ill and thus must be removed via Congress or the 25th Amendment.

NBC’s Hallie Jackson started the crazy train with the second question, asking Dr. Jackson to repeat the results about “the president’s mental fitness” and alluded to Trump’s tweet about him being “a stable genius.”

Bloomberg’s Shannon Pettypiece brought up the media-obsession over Trump supposedly slurring his words, but ABC’s Cecilia Vega spoke moments later with this bewildering question:

"Could you just elaborate in layman's terms, if possible, and you’ve done a great job at that, what you ruled out in these cognitive tests? You know, there have been reports the president has forgotten names, that he’s repeating himself. Are you ruling out things like early onset Alzheimer's? Are you looking at dementia-like symptoms?"

Dr. Jackson hit back, noting that Trump’s cognitive test was the same one that’s often used at Walter Reed (the Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and since “the president got 30 out of 30 on that exam, I think that, you know, there's no indication that he has any kind of cognitive issues.”

COMMENT:  Dr, Jackson has been presidential physician since 2012.  Today, even former Obama staff members have rushed to his defense, apparently embarrassed by the press treatment of him.

The profession of journalism is crashing, and the nation will pay the price.

January 17, 2018       Permalink

BREAKTHROUGH, OR FRAUD? – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  North and South Korea will march under a single flag at next month's Olympics in South Korea.  Is it a true diplomatic breakthrough, or a fake?  Do you have any doubts?  From CNN:

Seoul (CNN) North and South Korean athletes will march together at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony under a unified flag, the South said Wednesday, in a diplomatic breakthrough following days of talks between the two countries.

They will also field a joint North and South Korean women's ice hockey team for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which begin early next month, South Korea's Unification Ministry said.
North and South Korean skiers will train together at a resort in North Korea before the Olympics start, and performers from the two countries will also hold a joint cultural event there.
North Korea will also send around 230 supporters to cheer on its athletes. A smaller delegation of North Korean athletes and supporters will attend the Paralympics, the unification ministry said.

The developments were announced following North-South talks on Wednesday at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two countries.

And...

While the two sides have earned praise for ratcheting down military tensions in recent weeks, some of Seoul's allies voiced concern Wednesday that Pyongyang may be using the talks to buy time to pursue its weapons program.

The US military has moved more firepower to the region and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of complacency at a Tuesday summit in Vancouver where the top diplomats from the United States, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom were in town to discuss North Korea.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called on the international community to be clear-eyed about North Korea's motivations for participating in the talks, which have been hailed by some as the most significant thaw in ties in years.

"I believe that North Korea wants to buy some time to continue their nuclear and missile programs," Kono said at the meeting. "It's not the time to ease pressure towards North Korea."

China denounced the Vancouver talks, and the United Nations Command, under whose framework they are being held, as demonstrating "Cold War mentality."

"(Such thinking) will only lead to split in the international community and harm the joint efforts that could properly solve the nuclear issue on Korea peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday.

COMMENT:  Of course this is a tactic, one often pursued by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.  It's called a "charm offensive."  The North will speak of peace, and hold talks, while all the while pursuing its nuclear and missile programs.  They will have plenty of help from left-wing and anti-Trump groups in the West.

This is a time when the media will be tested.  Honest reporting or anti-Trump reporting?  When outlets like CNN give up their credibility in order to bring down President Trump, it's a very serious question.

January 17,  2018     Permalink