When discussing or reviewing trade deals, particularly NAFTA, it is important to remember two baselines: (1) The trade reset is President Trump’s personal legacy initiative; it’s personal – ignore media banter – it’s personal; like, the most important thing he ever thinks about. Always. 24/7. (2) President Trump has no multinational corporations or financial interests with leverage/influence over his decision-making.

There are trillions at stake.

We begin:

“We are already looking at all the issues. We might close this, not in a matter of hours, but these days. We still have next week,” Jesus Seade, designated chief negotiator of Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, told reporters.

Here’s where it becomes important to note that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has twice asked Jesus Seade to remain AFTER hours when all other trade officials have concluded discussions. Closed-door conversations between Lighthizer and Seade; and no-one else. [Refer back to the two Trump baselines again]
Next, before reviewing the comments and presentations of the media regarding the U.S. Mexico NAFTA status; again reference the team approach, and the division of responsibility. Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is meeting with the twitchy Chinese delegation – again, their arrival is not a matter of scheduling happenstance; it is directly related to the ongoing 301 hearings that began two-days-ago, Monday.
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The Michael Cohen plea agreement (full pdf here) is a total of eight counts claimed by the SDNY as unlawful activity.  However, one count is entirely political and not supported by the Federal Election Commission.  Guess which one the media focus on?
Yeah, let’s review.
Within the plea agreement the first five charges relate to tax avoidance, or tax evasion.  Each count relates to a specific tax year: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  The sixth charge, a bank fraud charge, relates to lying on a credit application.  These six charges appear valid, documented and agreed in the plea. The seventh charge, relates to structuring financial transactions through the use of a corporation. This charge is tenuous, but arguable.
However, the eighth charge is the one the media are focused on.  The charge of an illegal campaign contribution:

This Count Eight transaction surrounds a payment to Stephanie Clifford (Stormy Daniels) of $130,000 for a nuisance claim.  Who says it is a campaign contribution?  The SDNY does, no-one else.  Not even the FEC considers this a campaign contribution.
Count eight is a political charge/plea specifically included for the purpose of pulling Donald Trump into the SDNY Cohen case. There is no FEC violation here.  *Note it is not the Federal Election Commission making the claim, only the SDNY prosecutors.
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Tonight President Donald Trump heads to the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, WV, for a business round table and MAGA campaign rally.  Pre-rally speakers begin at approximately 6:00pm and President Trump is scheduled to speak at 7:00pm.
UPDATE: Video Added

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According to breaking news in the Manafort Trial, after four days of deliberations the jury has informed Judge Ellis they can only reach a verdict on eight out of eighteen counts.
The jury cannot come to a consensus on 10 counts.
A guilty verdict on five counts of fraudulent tax filings. One count for each tax filing year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.
Three guilty verdicts on bank fraud charges: ¹False information on a $3.4 million dollar loan application in March 2016 from Citizens Bank, Rhode Island. ²False information on a $5.5 million loan application for a building in Brooklyn. ³Hiding foreign bank accounts.
Judge Ellis declared a mistrial on the remaining 10 charges.
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According to multiple media outlets (ABC here) and CNN here, the former attorney for President Trump, Michael Cohen, is anticipated to take a plea deal with New York prosecutors at 4:00pm today:

(Via CNN) […] As part of the plea deal under discussion earlier Tuesday, Cohen was not expected to cooperate with the government, one source told CNN. However, by pleading guilty both Cohen and prosecutors would avoid the spectacle and uncertainty of a trial.
[…] Prosecutors said in court their investigation is into Cohen’s personal financial dealings. The search warrant authorizing the FBI raid referenced Cohen’s taxi medallion business and the identity of banks that loaned him money. (more)

BREAKING: AP sources: Michael Cohen to plead guilty in New York to charges including campaign finance and bank fraud, tax evasion.

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 21, 2018

UPDATE: Since initially posting the set-up for the July, 2017, FBI sting operation against George Papadopoulos a few more important research details have surfaced.  Charles Tawil, the guy who reached out to Papadopoulos in Greece; and who ultimately gave Papadopoulos $10,000 in cash; was a previous intelligence asset of the CIA and FBI.  SEE WIKILEAKS Cables (circa 2006): Paragraph #8, note:

“These undisclosed sources told Zuma that American citizens (not connected with the U.S. Government) were involved. This in part, coincides with another Embassy contact, Charles Tawil (protect), who told our Economic Counselor on November 29 that Zuma had received information from the mother of the King of Swaziland about CIA attempts to kill Zuma using poisoned clothes from the FBI” (link)

Who was the FBI Director in 2006?  Why, Robert Mueller of course.
On page #9 of the recent Sentencing Memo from Special Counsel Robert Mueller there’s an interesting paragraph about a $10,000 payment made to George Papadopoulos.

(pdf link)

The Daily Caller, via Chuck Ross, dug into that payment and outlined the specifics today:

[…] The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned that a man named Charles Tawil gave Papadopoulos $10,000 during a meeting in an Israeli hotel room in July 2017.
Sources familiar with the matter told TheDCNF Tawil flew to the Greek island of Mykonos to meet Papadopoulos and his now-wife, Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos. Tawil invited the pair to Israel, but Mangiante Papadopoulos stayed behind.

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While the moonbats demand ICE is abolished, President Trump participates in a Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Border Protection (CBP) event at the White House.  Anticipated start time 3:00pm EST.
UPDATE: Video Added

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Under the auspices of making moves to block election interference from outside interests the government of Justin from Canada is moving to block internet content critical of Trudeau and his policies.
Simultaneously and ironically, the same Canadian government is spending millions lobbying U.S. politicians in Washington DC to retain their one-sided NAFTA trade benefits.  Funny that, eh?

CANADA […] Among other things, the government wants to do more to ensure foreign actors or money aren’t involved in elections, require more transparency for political messaging on social media and prevent political parties from setting up ostensible advocacy groups to support them and help skirt spending limits.

[…] Among the options:

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In a rather interesting part of last Friday’s interview between former CIA Director John Brennan and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, Mr. Brennan outlined what makes a criminal conspiracy.
When you consider the issues surrounding Russian influence agent Oleg Deripaska and his centrality to many of the events, well, Brennan is actually -and ironically- outlining the criminal conspiracy of the DOJ and FBI.  [Watch the part at 15:14 prompted]

Transcript – @15:14 Maddow: What would amount, in your mind, in intelligence terms, to an American being a part of that conspiracy; the one that’s been defined by Robert Mueller already?
Brennan: “I will leave it to the lawyers and to the courts to decide if something is criminal or not.    In my mind, it requires someone to knowingly support the efforts of a foreign government to interfere in U.S. domestic politics and especially an election.” – “And so, any American who was working with the Russians, or working with an intermediaries who were working with Russians; and those Americans who knowingly tried to collude, conspire, and to work with them in order to advance their political objectives here in the states, I think that rises to the level of conspiracy.”

So let’s look at this – while keeping in mind that Oleg Deripaska is a Russian political influence agent, the source of some unknown amount of Chris Steele’s information, and a Russian operative the FBI specifically engaged with in their political investigative efforts.
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I know, I know…. no-one wants to watch the insufferable Chuck Toad. However, the value in this interview is recognizing how desperate the Resistance Media are to keep up morale… and yet they simultaneously know the two-year narrative is collapsing around them.
It is increasingly obvious the media have run out of ammunition to keep defending the “Muh Russia” nonsense.  Ex. where’s Stormy Daniels?…. Anyone?  Anyone?

Additionally, Ristvan emphasizes key points many are noticing. The New York Times article about Don McGahn cooperating with Robert Mueller was a big (Trump Derangement Syndrome) mistake for at least three reasons.

1. Shows Mueller team is leaking. How else would NYT ‘know’ McGahn ‘gave 30 hours’ of testimony? Leak or made up, there is not a third possibility.
2. Trump could have asserted client attorney privilege, but as McGahn’s own attorney pointed out, did not—-because nothing to hide. The badly damages the collusion/obstruction theory, more evidence is just a witch hunt. Both points help Trump.
3. Allows Trump to counterattack directly both NYT fake news and Mueller witch hunt. Which he did immediately.

The New York Times did not think the consequences through. Big blunder.
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