U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin talks to FOX Business’ Lou Dobbs about the current status of U.S-China trade negotiations.  Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer have been working together on the overall China issues.
Mnuchin delivers a deliberate explanation of the current status.

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Earlier today President Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (the Asian Obama) to discuss issues of mutual interests.  The relationship between Trump and Moon is one of the more interesting geopolitical dynamics.  President Moon is consistently flummoxed by the effectiveness of Trump and has learned to respect a strategy he doesn’t understand. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. We’re pleased to be with President Moon of South Korea. We have a long-term friendship, and we are making a lot of progress. We are working on tremendous trade deals. We — as you know, we’ve completed a trade deal, and that’s working out very well for both countries. That deal is completed now, and it’s been in existence for — solidly in existence for six months. And it’s been very good.
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Earlier this morning First Lady Melania Trump opened the New York Stock Exchange with a group of 4th grade students to celebrate the “Be Best” campaign.

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President Trump meets with Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong of the Republic of Singapore at the United Nations General Assembly. The two leaders celebrated the longstanding and expanding U.S.-Singapore bilateral security partnership, and formally renewed 1990 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries on Defense Cooperation.
The leaders also discussed the extensive economic relations between the United States and Singapore, and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting free, fair, and reciprocal trade and investment among the world’s economies. The President thanked Prime Minister Lee for hosting the first U.S-DPRK summit, and the two leaders agreed to sustain efforts to bring about the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. As we just said, we signed a very important agreement having to do with defense and mutual defense, and I guess you could say mutual offense, also.
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For the second bilateral meeting President Trump meets with President Andrzej Duda of Poland at the 2019 United Nations General Assembly.  The two leaders discussed partnerships on defense, security, and energy.  Specifically, President Trump highlighted the great progress on the joint basing arrangement with Poland, and signed the Joint Declaration on Advancing Defense Cooperation. Both Presidents acknowledged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a threat to Europe’s energy security, and discussed how best to stop the project. Finally, President Trump informed President Duda that he expects to announce Poland’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program in the coming weeks.
[Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. It’s a great honor to be with President Duda of Poland. And we’ve become friends over the last fairly short period of time. But it’s been — it was quite a day in Poland, when we made the speech. You said some nice remarks, I said some nice remarks, and a lot of people remembered what we said. And that was a big — that was a big afternoon, a big weekend, and it’s something we — that I will never forget, frankly. And I know the United States was very well received.
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President Trump tours a new cardboard manufacturing plant in Ohio with plant owner Anthony Pratt and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.   During the tour President Trump stopped to make remarks to the traveling press pool:

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Earlier today President Trump was introduced to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an enthusiastic crowed at a historic Houston event.   The introduction is the culmination of two-years of strategic geopolitical alignment within Trump’s new “Indo-Pacfic” strategy.
The introduction by Prime Minister Modi was effusive in praise for the partnership that has been developing ever since the 2017 global economic alignment began.  WATCH:

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Long before the term “Indo-Pacific” was used by the administration, the trade reset strategy within the ASEAN nations became clear. President Trump positioned the fulcrum of the strategy around a trilateral alliance consisting of Japan, India and the United States.
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Today President Trump will be traveling to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, to join Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a celebratory event. India is a key geopolitical ally in President Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy. [Economics, Trade and Security]
Update: Video Added

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Last week U.S. economic data included the Labor Department’s report on initial filings for unemployment benefits, at historically low levels. Also last week, the Commerce Department reported the U.S. housing market (new homes and permits) was the strongest since 2007. Then came the Philadelphia Fed’s index of manufacturing business activity in September, more than doubling estimates as factories continue to expand.  And if that wasn’t too much winning, the Commerce Department then announced August retail sales growth was double expectations.  Main Street USA is very strong.

None of the economic data supports the almost month-long ‘recession narrative’ pushed by financial pundits and media narrative engineers; and next week the second estimate of Q2 GDP growth will be released. Attempting to retain the smallest remaining whiff of credibility, the Bloomberg economists now announce they’re cancelling the recession.
Yes, in a piece titled “Hold That Recession – U.S. Indicators are Trouncing Forecasts“, Bloomberg admits the economy doesn’t match their gloomy narrative:

(Bloomberg) — The U.S. economy is outperforming expectations by the most this year, offering a fresh rebuttal to last month’s resurgent recession fears fueled by the trade war and a manufacturing slump.
The Bloomberg Economic Surprise Index has reached an 11-month high after four indicators released Thursday, including existing home sales and jobless claims, each surpassed expectations.

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A highlight video of the state visit by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mrs. Jennifer Morrison.   Following video, the delayed transcript of the joint press conference.

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[Transcript of Joint Press Conference] PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. Please. We had a spectacular morning and it’s an honor being with the Prime Minister and Mrs. Morrison. Thank you very much. Australia is a fantastic country and a brilliant ally.
We just spent a lot of time together with our representatives, and they get along very well and we’re doing a lot of deals. And we talked military. We talked trade. We talked about everything you can talk about. And we came to the same conclusion, I think, in every case.
But I just want to say it’s an honor having both of you here. Thank you very much. You have a truly great country and I don’t think we’ve ever had a better relationship than we have right now.
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