Apparently a company that makes fancy coffee urns, Keurig, has made a business decision to enter the corporate graveyard filled with carcasses of the inherently stupid.  Starbucks, Macy’s and the NFL examples not withstanding, you just gotta laugh.
When you focus on the economics of enterprise, and see yet another company choosing to enter the foray of social justice virtue signaling as part of their “brand image”, you have to wonder if business schools are no longer teaching common sense.
I cannot imagine sitting down with a T-Chart, brainstorming promotional ideas, and coming to a decision that isolating a massive part of the electorate from your product is anything but abject stupidity.  Alas:

Dear Keurig Team Members,
You are likely aware that Keurig became the focus of some media attention over the weekend related to a tweet issued from our official Twitter account on Friday. The tweet announced the withdrawal of advertising from “Hannity” in response to comments made on his program last week that were viewed as controversial by many of our consumers. This is to provide you with full transparency on the situation, our lessons learned and our path forward.

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On Tuesday (local), Monday Night (U.S. EST) President Donald J. Trump will participate in the 12th Annual East Asia Summit Head of State and Government Luncheon, followed by an official photograph. The President will then participate in the 12th East Asia Summit plenary session.

Later in the afternoon, President Trump will depart the Philippine International Convention Center for the Philippine International Convention Landing Zone via motorcade en route to Ninoy-Aquino International Airport. The President will then depart Ninoy-Aquino International Airport for Hickam, HI en route to Washington D.C.
SCHEDULE:
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CTH has a strong sense that when the final analysis on Venezuela’s ongoing socialist struggle is written, some years from now, the geopolitical strategy used by the Trump administration will be taught in political science classes. [Backstory Here]
As a result of horrific socialist policies, primarily driven by using oil production to maintain it’s socialist governance, Venezuela is under massive debt and desperate for cash.  The United States was one of the few remaining cash purchasers of Venezuela oil before U.S. Secretary of Treasury  Mnuchin imposed sanctions.
Previously China and Russia purchased Maduro’s oil, however their current purchases are/were all made as offsets, repayments, for prior loans.  China and Russia already own 49% of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. Venezuela repays China and Russia with oil, but Venezuela needs cash revenue. It doesn’t generate additional revenue for Maduro if China and Russia purchase more oil, it only pays down the Venezuelan debt.
Venezuela needs money.  However, if anyone engages in restructured debt or further loans or bond holdings to Maduro they run the risk of running afoul of Secretary Mnuchin’s sanctions which could have a downstream effect of freezing their own banks and international financial systems from engagement with U.S. banks.
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[White House] President Donald J. Trump met today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Manila, Philippines. The two leaders discussed the comprehensive strategic partnership between the United States and India and their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
They pledged to enhance their cooperation as Major Defense Partners, resolving that two of the worlds great democracies should also have the worlds greatest militaries. President Trump expressed appreciation that Indian purchases of oil from the United States have surpassed 10 million barrels in recent months, and expressed confidence that stronger energy cooperation will be a geopolitical and economic game changer for both countries.
Prime Minister Modi noted that he looks forward to hosting the United States delegation to the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Summit, showcasing innovation and collaboration between India and the United States.

[TRANSCRIPT] PRESIDENT TRUMP: It’s great to have Prime Minister Modi here. We’ve had him at the White House, and he’s become a friend of ours and a great gentleman doing a fantastic job in bringing around lots of factions in India — bringing them all together. That’s what I hear, and that’s good news. And it really is. It’s a lot of good reports coming out of India. So I want to congratulate you.
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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 †

President Donald J. Trump will begin to wrap up his extended 11-day visit to Asia with a speech during the ASEAN Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center, Manila, Philippines.
UPDATE – Video Added:

[TRANSCRIPT] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: President Duterte, distinguished leaders, friends and partners: I’m honored to represent the United States of America at this U.S.-ASEAN Commemorative Summit. We gather today at a time of great promise and great challenge.
I speak to you on behalf of 350 million Americans with a message of friendship and partnership. I’m here to advance peace, to promote security, and to work with you to achieve a truly free and open Indo-Pacific, where we are proud and we have sovereign nations, and we thrive, and everybody wants to prosper.
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Some last minute modifications to President Trump’s schedule appear to have ended up adding Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to a previously scheduled bilateral meeting with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull (suspicious cat’s nemesis down under).
I think President Trump wanted to include PM Abe because there was no bilateral meeting with Abe scheduled.  Regardless, the trio conducted a trilateral meeting immediately following the video below:

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s great to be with Prime Minister Turnbull and Prime Minister Abe of Australia and of Japan. You know them well; I know them well.
We’ve had many meetings. We’re having another one right now, primarily focused on trade, North Korea, other subjects. But we’re very far along. The dialogue has been very good, I think, for all countries. And we look forward to the continuation of that dialogue.
Mr. Prime Minister, would you like to say something?
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The opening ceremony of the ASEAN summit is always a little goofy with the cross-handed handshake and group photograph:

The bilateral one-on-one meetings between the leaders, and upper tier delegations, of nations are where the consequential stuff happens.  Most of the rest of the summits are relationship building, networking and information for public broadcast.
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When Senator Blunt rises from the darkest and deepest part of the swamp to talk about senate Tax legislation (always written by the biggest K-St donors) you know the sausage is rotten.  Decepticon Blunt is only visible when the little people are conscripted to wash the cigar residue from the Senate’s Corinthian leather.
Senators: Blunt, Cornyn, McConnell, Hatch, Portman, Thune, McCain, Cochran, Murkowski, Graham and Corker will NEVER allow the income tax position of common-folk to supersede their corporate porkulous-minded financial interests.
CTH needed to be patient to see the architecture, and see if they retained their traditional approach at swamp constructs,… Now it’s visible, I can guarantee you this bill is destined to fail.  Maria Bartiromo knows it… she knows, and she’s playing the game; but you can see it behind her eyes… she knows.

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Accepting that Donald Trump has exceptionally keen instincts, he had to know -in advance- where this was headed. The only purpose this bill serves is ammunition within the ‘big ugly’ to showcase, yet again, the corruption and ineptitude of the GOPe wing of the UniParty and how they are mere salespeople for their financiers on Wall Street/K-Street.
Forget tax reform; like the budget and O-care, it’s a moot point to discuss now.
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