Despite the media protestations to the contrary, the importance within the G20 meeting in Hamburg German centered around trade and economics.  The assembled nations are trying to position, navigate and cope with the reality of the worlds largest economic market, the U.S., no longer participating in multinational trade deals (TPP and TTIP) and focusing on direct trade relationships with individual countries.

The new economic approach by President Trump deconstructs decades of advanced collectivism and wealth-spreading globalism.  The European Union preferred approach was constructed by multinational backs  and multinational corporations; and pushed on the collective societies by purchased left-wing politicians using administrative and political policy.

In Hamburg, U.S. President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chairman of Economic Policy Gary Cohn, are advancing bilateral trade deals within one-on-one discussions; including discussions with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May now that brexit has freed the U.K. from the collective European Union.

President Trump speaking trade with Prime Minister May is making the EU collective furious because, Germany’s Angela Markel is attempting to leverage/blackmail their own protectionist EU trade deal before allowing the United Kingdom to exit the union.

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French President Emmanuel Macron left his position during the G20 group picture in an effort to place himself next to US President Donald Trump and make himself more important on the international stage.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel watches as Emmanuel Macron abandons his position in the rear right and weasels his way down to the front row so that he can be pictured next to U.S. President Donald Trump.  Leaving a hole in the picture where he should have been standing.   Too funny…. weasel boy.

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Sharing only because CTH readers have a more thorough understanding than most; and we are entering a phase of extreme consequence.

Donald Trump doesn’t bluff.

Bluffing is for those who accept they may or may not win.  The outcome is based on an unpredictable response from the opponent.

In business or in life, go review the decades of available information and you will see that Donald Trump, now President Trump, doesn’t bluff.  It’s one of the reasons he so openly owns the downsides.  It’s also the reason he has never engaged in the stock market.

President Trump controls outcomes.

Donald Trump the person, doesn’t wait for an entity, ally or opponent to enter his orbit. He greets them at the perimeter.   Trump doesn’t sit with his back to the door, he positions to see all upon entrance.   Donald Trump doesn’t try to hide his interest, he’s quite open about any engagement he is focused upon.

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U.S. Officials are now confirming the North Korean missile test was an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The ICBM, which is believed to be “two-stage,” officials said, would have a range of at least 3,500 miles, and thus be capable of reaching Alaska. (NBC link)

This launch represents another escalation by Kim Jung-Un in his ongoing quest for long-range intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles.  The ICBM test is another in a series of violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the launches, and is simultaneously a slap in the face to Chinese President Xi Jinping who is presumably trying to get North Korea to back down.

China’s support of North Korea will become even more of an issue with the increased escalations.  Understanding the perspective of President Donald Trump toward these events, we would/should anticipate a series of economic actions by the U.S. administration against China.

The U.S. cannot focus exclusively on North Korea, their enablers must be targeted for corrective leverage. Economic sanctions can increase internal regional pressure.

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It’s challenging to see the sunlight at the end of this complex tunnel, but it’s there. More visible today than a week ago.

White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss the ongoing efforts to reform ObamaCare.  In a very positive shift amid the overall discussion, for the first time the point of the cost on the individual insurance market is brought to the forefront.

CTH readers will note our continuing frustration that 99% of the entire healthcare discussion has centered around medicaid spending, or the state funded subsidy of low-income healthcare coverage.

The vast majority of the most severely impacted people within the discussion, middle-class workers/taxpayers who do not qualify for medicaid, have been essentially locked out of the legislative consideration. It is refreshing to see middle America finally being part of the equation.  Within the Senate bill, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have finally advanced something of value.

The “Consumer Choice Amendment” would allow insurance companies to sell plans that do not follow regulations created under Obamacare, with the caveat that those insurers have to sell at least one plan that adheres to Obamacare’s mandates. The proposal would allow insurers to sell plans with tailored benefits.

(Video Below)

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Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price interviewed by Chuck Toad on NBC’s Meet The Prose.

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Utilizing some Bloomerberg and Zerohedge reporting – treeper SeekerofTruth provides a nice recap of Illinois financial self-flagellation.  Charging head-first into the abyss:

SeekerOfTruth – June 30 came and went and the Illinois legislature did nothing. So the courts have stepped in now.  Bloodbath coming. Fun to watch if any news outlets would report on the story. The bloodbath of decades of liberal policies and corruption.

“From Horrific To Catastrophic”: Court Ruling Sends Illinois Into Financial Abyss.

By the end of Friday – the last day of the fiscal year – Illinois legislators failed to enact a budget, and while negotiations continued amid some glimmers of hope and lawmakers planned to meet over the weekend, the failure marked a continuation of the historic impasse that’s left Illinois without a full-year budget since mid-2015, and which, recall, S&P warned one month ago will likely result in a humiliating and unprecedented downgrade of the 5th most populous US state to junk status.

Then came the begging. (more…)

An interesting New York Times “correction“ appears today providing yet further evidence of a convenient retreat from six months of media propaganda.

The correction references a Russian Election Interference Joint Analysis Report, widely called the “Russian Intelligence Report”, which has been falsely used by most media to frame a narrative that 17 agencies within the U.S. intelligence community agreed that Russia attempted to interfere with the U.S. election:

(Link)

The Times Correction somewhat opaquely clarifies that only the CIA (Brennan), FBI (Comey) and NSA (Rogers) participated in the December Intelligence Analysis that underwrites the overall report.  ODNI (Clapper) is a hub for gathering and sharing information and does not generate intelligence as an entity in/unto itself.

It is not coincidental the two most politicized intelligence operatives, John Brennan (CIA) and James Comey (FBI), presented the information along with like-minded political traveler ODNI James Clapper. While Admiral Mike Rogers (NSA) is also included in the report authorship, it is largely overlooked that Rogers only held a “moderate confidence” in the overall report finding. It was only Brennan and Comey who claimed “high confidence” in the overall report content.

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President Trump is scheduled to visit Poland on July 6th prior to the upcoming G20 Summit in Germany.   According to a new Reuters report several top-level EU politicians are concerned Polish leadership and President Trump might just get along swimmingly.

2016: “I pledge to you a Trump Administration will be a true friend to Poland and to all Polish Americans.”  ~ Donald Trump

Poland is one of the few EU countries that actually spends the agreed upon amount of 2% GDP for NATO defense.  One of the concerns amid the non-compliant EU nations, is that the visit will present another opportunity for vulgarian President Trump to embarrass the superior EU intellectuals over their ongoing lack of financial support; while simultaneously engaging in fellowship with like-minded vulgarian poles.

(Reuters) […] Brussels diplomats view the July 6 gathering, dubbed the Three Seas summit because the countries involved border the Baltic, Black and Adriatic seas, as a Polish bid to carve out influence outside the European Union with which the nationalist government has repeatedly clashed.

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Tucker Carlson interviews political humorist Mark Steyn on the current state of the ‘Muh Russia’ CNN planetary conspiracy theorem.

Mark Steyn accurately provides numerous metaphors to encapsulate the latest Russian meme du jour; from empty potato chip bags to Sean Spicer’s interpretive dance routine while CNN’s Jim Acosta interviews Comrade Elmo.  Good Stuff. The best. Bigly:

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