At the end of the liturgy on Holy Thursday evening, in every Catholic Church around the world, the Blessed Sacrament is removed to the altar of repose, the altar is stripped, the church is bare, empty. Tomb-like. It is a striking and heartbreaking tradition, and I make sure to attend each year, to allow my heart to break, my tears to fall, my spirit to be clouded in gloom and dread, preparing for Good Friday, and Christ’s passion.

My purpose in sharing this video is to encourage those of you who let Easter sneak up on you, without much thought beforehand, to find your own ways to open your heart and experience the pain of Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Perhaps dedicate an hour to prayer and scripture. Go to a church and wait with Jesus during the hours of 12 to 3. Give alms. Go to a Good Friday service. Fast. Cut off the phones, televisions, computers.

Observing these two solemn days of the Christian calendar will make your Easter more meaningful, and enrich your faith.

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Chairman Devin Nunes appears on Fox News to discuss the ongoing investigations into the FBI and DOJ along with the numerous tentacles that have surfaced in the last several months.

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Remember, less than 10% of the American public have any idea the scale and scope of the Obama administration using the intelligence community to conduct surveillance of the Trump campaign… including the FISA(702) abuse and the manipulations within the FISA Title-1 surveillance application(s).

Additionally, to add a little context to the latest IG announcement of an investigation into FISA Court abuse by the DOJ and FBI, remember it was only a few short months ago when the institutional media were labeling any discussion therein as “conspiracy theory.”

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United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer releases the final report into Chinese trade practices including intellectual theft:

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Ambassador Lighthizer also appeared on CNBC for a discussion of content:

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The final quantification of the Bureau of Economic Analysis fourth quarter GDP growth rate was released today, reflecting an anticipated increase from the prior two estimations. The last revised estimation of GDP growth (February) was +2.5%, the final revised estimate is +2.9% growth.

A massive increase in consumer spending (+4%) around the October through December 31st time-frame (Q4) was offset by those dollars purchasing a large portion of imported products.  The GDP growth deduction from import purchases was 1.99%. [See table #2, line 50 pdf here]

In short, American consumers spent significantly more than usual in the holiday season; however, many of those purchases were foreign goods.

From the BEA Report – Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 (table 1), according to the “third” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 3.2 percent.

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When President Trump took office the VA was undergoing an effort to reform how healthcare was provided to the veterans served. In an effort to provide as much room possible for the reform effort to show improvement President Trump retained Obama’s selected VA change-agent David Shulkin. However, a year later with little progress, and a VA Secretary embroiled in personal spending controversies, and President Trump’s had enough.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Wednesday in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the agency.

[…] Trump is nominating Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson to succeed Shulkin, a former Obama administration official and the first non-veteran ever to head the VA. Jackson has served since 2013 as the Physician to the President, and gained a national profile earlier this year for holding a sweeping press conference on the president’s health.

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DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz has released a public statement stating the OIG intention to investigate the fraudulent FBI FISA Title-1 surveillance application submitted to the court against U.S. person Carter Page; and the surrounding issues of the FBI using Christopher Steele to underwrite their evidence therein:

(OIG link)

There are likely to be voices wondering why this OIG investigative avenue is only just now being announced and/or explored.  However, a careful review and reminder of the process explains what is happening.

Inspector General Horowitz initial investigation focused on the politicization of the FBI and DOJ surrounding the Clinton investigation.  However, that original announcement also included the disclaimer that he would follow “other issues that may arise”.   To say there were “other issues”, that indeed did “arise”, would be the understatement of the decade.

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White House Director of Trade and Manufacturing policy Peter Navarro discusses the revamp of the KORUS trade deal with South Korea.  In addition Navarro discusses the ongoing Trump administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as plans to impose tariffs on Chinese products surrounding violations of intellectual-property rights.

[NOTE: Final USTR 301 Report on China was released last night]

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JOINT STATEMENT – Today, Ambassador Lighthizer and Minister Kim are pleased to announce that the United States and the Republic of Korea have reached an agreement in principle on the general terms of amendments and modifications to the United States-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). The nations have also agreed on terms for a country exemption for the Republic of Korea from tariffs imposed on steel imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 9705, as amended.  The arrangement with respect to steel imports is expected to take effect on May 1, 2018.  (link)

Ever since the original 2012 US-Korea free trade agreement (KORUS) went into effect, the U.S. trade deficit in goods with Korea increased by over 73 percent from $13.2 billion to $22.9 billion (2017), while the overall deficit increased by 70 percent from $6.3 billion to $10.7 billion (2017).  President Trump committed his administration to changing this immediately and renegotiating a deal that benefited the United States.

“The improved KORUS agreement reflects the President’s leadership in delivering more reciprocal trade outcomes benefiting U.S. workers, exporters, and businesses. The United States and Korea have strengthened an important economic relationship by agreeing to substantial improvements to KORUS that will help rebalance our trade, reduce our trade deficit, and expand U.S. export opportunities.”  ~ U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer

Here’s the historic details:

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