Beltway Insider: Trump’s Troubled Presidency; Mid-Terms; Greece/CA Wild Fires; Julian Assange; Orca Whale

President Trump announced the recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics with gleeful jubilance as the stabilizing economy and low unemployment numbers appear to be the only bright spot in what is best defined as a troubled presidency.

According to Gallup, President Trump job approval, over the past week, remained constant at 42% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President increased by one percentage point to 54%.

100 Days from Mid-Terms

Over the next 100 days the American public can expect frenzied campaigning as the mid-term elections gear up and with it the public with weigh in on the state of the Presidency, endorsing or rejecting the current administration.

If the election were held this Tuesday, the economic news would certainly boost Republican chances to retain the house and senate. With the election slated for November, the chances of the June economic numbers assisting the GOP are slim.


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The State of The Presidency will be continuing to be the guide for the majority of Americans. Traditionally, mid-term elections voter numbers are down which allows for the party who campaigns with tenacity to have the most influence over the voters. Democrats, in the case, are geared up. The recent successes in highly contested elections have fueled the party.

Securing the necessary 23 seats in the house and two in the senate is the primary goal and one that will see heavy hitters campaign in what will oft be compared to a 2020 preview.

Revelations of President Trump's relationships with Russian President Putin and knowledge of pre-election meetings, and if information on Manafort becomes public by the one can expect Democratic to perform well. It's doubtful Republicans will hold onto both Houses.

Economy The Only Bright Spot in Trump's Troubled Presidency

President Trump continued to tout the recent economic indicators as confirmation that his leadership and administration is delivering his promises made to the people during his pre-election campaign.

"I am thrilled to announce that, in the second quarter of this year, the United States economy grew at the amazing rate of 4.1 percent.  We're on track to hit the highest annual average growth rate in over 13 years.  And I will say this right now, and I'll say it strongly: As the trade deals come in one by one, we're going to go a lot higher than these numbers.  And these are great numbers," the President said.

At face value the numbers do appear to be a testament to the economic commitment the current admiration made to his constituency.

Fact checking both his statements and the June 2018 BLS statistics offer a different and as in the past the Bureau of Labor Statistics are deceptive, often serving as a simple indicator of the number of Americans out of work.

Statistically, the numbers skim the surface failing to inform on the actualities behind the statistics where Americans work and make personal decisions.

After the Great Recession of 2009, which lingered through 2012, when the economy tanked and unemployment numbers soared to dizzying heights any reasonable job offer would be considered miraculous to the millions who were out of work.

In the six years following 2012, when the economy had begun to move again, each month on average 200,000 (+/-) Americans returned to the work force. Many Americans settled for employment that would be considered "under-employed", workers accepting employment on the belief that it is better to be employed than unemployed.

Under-employed cannot measured by the BLS as employed is employed.

So when President Trump boosts of economic growth, on average, he is speaking of individuals who are in the work force, including those who are under-employed. Not calculating those who live in areas where a living minimum wage is not legislation or under consideration by state goverments.

"During the two previous administrations, we averaged just over 1.8 percent GDP growth.  By contrast, we are now on track to hit an average GDP annual growth of over 3 percent.  Each point, means approximately $3 trillion and 10 million jobs.  Think of that.  Each point, you go up one point, that doesn't sound like much; it's a lot.  It's $3 trillion and it's 10 million jobs. If economic growth continues at this pace, the United States economy will double in size more than 10 years faster than it would have under either President Bush or President Obama," Trump said.

Trump has continued to boosts of new jobs, manufacturing jobs, and an economy that is the envy of the world when in fact we are the only nation that lags behind in technology jobs, in competitive global employment, in jobs that can not be outsourced to tech strong nations, in high net employment.

Prime age employees, which is a discriminatory label and frequently used by this administration to describe an age demographic that is ideally suited for particular employment, in this case Manufacturing jobs.

Having the rust belt moving along again revives towns and cities that are on the brink of financial bankruptcy. The idea of resuscitating the manufacturing heyday, when cities in the mid-west were growing as automobiles, appliances, auto parts, and steel were made creating small town USA, idealism of the past as General Motors and other Auto plants have closed factories throughout the mid-west and torn down any remnants of the glory days.

Moving the American worker into the 21st century with global competitive employment, with tech jobs, luring the world's tech companies who are leaving high costs regions to the Rust Belt to cities where the cost of living doesn't prohibit families from enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Trump Considers Second Russian Summit

President Trump is so enamored with Russian President Vladimir Putin that when the beleaguered kleptocratic leader extended a second invite Trump didn't play coy and within two days agreed, well at least, to consider the request.

With so many topics on the table and the expectation that Mueller's long game will produce additional evidence linking high ranking members of the Kremlin to high ranking members of Donald Trump's entourage including Donald Trump, Jr., who was present at the Trump Tower pre-election meeting where the Hillary Clinton email request was made, the two world leaders have plenty to talk about.

Insiders are said to be location scouting for the next Russian-American Summit.

Trump Hollywood Star Vandalized Again

The Television Star for Donald Trump, awarded to the President while he hosted the successful television show, "The Apprentice" on NBC, has been vandalized for a second time.

This most recent time, the center of the star was gutted with a pickaxe while the five points remained intact. The suspect, Austin Clay, 24, turned himself in, and is currently being held on $20,000 bail.

Considered felony vandalism, the action has made the Trump Star one of the major attractions bringing larger than normal crowds to hover and engage with others. In a city as diverse as Los Angeles that can spell trouble, which it did as the discourse between the two competing groups spawned a brawl between supporters of the President who indicated they were "Russian Guards" and the diverse and vocal citizens of Los Angeles.

The melee, which was videotaped, lasted under five minutes with both sides swinging wildly. Each side took a few hits and both were dinged up a bit. The star remains open to the public, and no plans for its removal are being considered.

Stars generally run the artist or studio $30,000.00 including personalization and upkeep and maintenance.

Greece/CA Wild Fires

As the world watched in horror, a wall of fire moved from the mountains, with blinding speed, heat incinerating everything in its path, bright orange flames jumping higher, glowing inside abandoned homes in this seaside community of Mati, Greece.

Just outside Athens, the death toll to last week's deadly blaze stands at 91 with 25 still missing. If that weren't horrific enough officials are leaning toward arson as the cause.

The idea is that a person, within the radius of this community, intentionally caused this fire that drove citizens, and tourists alike in a frantic race against blinding and choking smoke and combustible flames into the oceans to hope for rescue is as hard to fathom as seeing the snarls of burned out vehicles, swaths of home, villages burned to the ground.

Huddled groups of adults, children, men and women were found near the century old steps leading from the mountain side to the Mediterranean Sea. The charred remains, just feet from the stairs, told a story to investigators of fear, panic and being overcome by the fierce fire and smoke.

With the fires barely 15miles outside Athens, residents of Mati and firefighters are publicly blaming the Greek government and the Hellenic Fire Service for filing to assist with the devastating blaze that so mercilessly killed so many.

Southern California Wild Fire Rages

Halfway around the world in Carr, California, a wildfire, which has quickly escalated in size, and intensity is devouring the dry, hot tinder.

Overnight the Carr Fire, in Shasta County near Redding, grew larger than the city of Philadelphia consuming nearly 89,000 acres, displacing 40,000 residents, destroying 500 structures and threatening 5000 more and killing at least six including two firefighters, a grandmother and her two grandchildren. The Carr fire is only 5% contained.

Shocking footage show buildings and homes engulfed, flames jumping the road, a major winds are picking up embers and scattering them like fireflies to fresh ground. The intensity of the wind is causing smoke, debris and flames tornadoes. The smoke is so dense that it can be seen from space.

A secondary fire, which is nearly 10% contained in Lake Mendocino, consuming nearly 24,000 acres.

President Trump declared a State of Emergency for Shasta County and have made funding immediately possible. FEMA has been authorized to coordinate all disaster relief efforts along with Department of Homeland security for the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency.

Julian Assange, Wikileaks Founder, Prepares for Expulsion from Ecuadorean Embassy

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent the last six years as a guest of the Ecuadorian people in the Embassy in London, has been rumored to have worn out his welcome with the South American nation.

Assange, first came to fame after leaking classified documents supplied to him by Chelsea Manning, which were intended to have the same impact as Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers had fifty years ago. They did not. Manning was court martialed and served seven years.

Over the last six years Assange has faced increasing attempts to ostracize him from the outside world, thus creating a solitary confinement experience including removing his internet privileges after intentionally violating Ecuadorian policy.


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By all account he is sickly, although not in dire need of medical assistance. His legal team is preparing plans to have him leave on a moment's notice. He is expected to be indicted by the United States and extradited.

Orca Whale Greives Over Calf Death

An Orca Whale, who has been tagged for research and study purposes, has been photographed grieving over the death of her calf, who died shortly after birth, as she has carried the infant whale on her nose for the last five days.

With her family nearby, J35, or Tahlequah, has been pushing her child around the waters off Salish Sea. Marine biologists have indicated this type of mourning has happened in the past. The whale eventually releases her offspring only in this instance the mother has refused the natural order and chosen to keep her baby with her.

Media reports have said the calf has slipped off and the Tahlequah dives and catches it and returns to the surface.

"Barbara King, an expert in animal grief at the College of William and Mary said Saturday she was amazed the whale has the strength to still cling to her calf. So determined was the mother not to let go that after breaching three times Saturday afternoon she dived deep to retrieve the calf and clasp it once more. Many don't understand animals grieve, but she has no doubt of the mother's sadness. "I am very worried for her." As evening fell, Shedd turned from the whale, heading back to the dock for the night. Tahlequah was still carrying the calf," reported the Lynda V. Mapes of the Seattletimes.com.

For more information on President Donald Trump: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com

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