The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reports a much lower trade deficit than all economists predicted.  This is good news for the upcoming GDP growth report because the value of imported goods are deducted from GDP.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $49.4 billion in February, down $1.8 billion from $51.1 billion in January. (read more)

The smaller overall trade deficit was primarily driven by a decrease in the deficit with China. The deficit with China decreased $3.1 billion to $30.1 billion in February.  As noted by Reuters: ““It sounds like pencils are being sharpened in order to revise up first-quarter GDP forecasts,” said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.“
With little inflation in the U.S. economy it appears Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods are essentially invisible to the consumer; likely being absorbed overseas in an effort to keep their prices low upon delivery. As the Trump administration negotiates on the world’s first ever Free Trade Agreement with China, the willingness/ability to execute additional tariffs provides ongoing leverage.
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A massive defeat for the left-wing loons in Alberta Canada now means half the Canadian provinces are aligned against Justin’s rainbow-socks coalition and disastrous climate agenda.  Apparently having a common sense approach now means ‘right-of-center‘.

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – A right-of-center party swept to power in Canada’s main oil-producing province of Alberta on Tuesday and attacked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to fight climate change, raising tension just months ahead of a federal election.

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According to CBS and the AP President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, together with the legal team, is preparing a lengthy rebuttal report for distribution soon after the Mueller report is made available tomorrow.

The majority of the Mueller report is anticipated to be politically framed, using innuendo and appearances of impropriety in order to help President Trump’s political opposition inflict damage.  However, without any substantive evidence supporting the central purpose of the original investigation, the Russia conspiracy-collusion narrative will likely play a much smaller role.  The majority focus for media and political opposition will stem from the “obstruction investigation”.
The inherent bias of the Mueller Team is anticipated to come out in the framework of the report.  A report with a built-in resistance angle would also align with the larger strategy of Democrats and specifically House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Initial reports from media quoting Giuliani suggest the rebuttal from President Trump’s team will be dozens of pages, and will be released within hours of the Mueller release.

In 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which established ‘Opportunity Zones’ to incentivize long-term investments in low-income communities across the country.  Today President Trump attended a conference to support the Opportunity Zone initiative. The conference aims to coordinate economic and social resources to stimulate growth in those areas.

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In 2015 the DOJ-OIG (office of inspector general) requested oversight of the DOJ National Security Division.  It was Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates who responded with a lengthy 58 page legal explanation saying, essentially, ‘nope – not allowed.’ (PDF HERE) All of the DOJ is subject to oversight, except the DOJ-NSD.
When John Carlin resigned as Asst. Attorney General in charge of the DOJ National Security Division in October 2016 he was replaced by Principal Deputy Asst. Attorney General and Chief of Staff, Mary McCord.  After President Trump took office on January 20th, 2017, Sally Yates was Acting AG and Mary McCord was in charge of the DOJ-NSD.
Yates and McCord were the two Main Justice officials who then engaged with White House Counsel Don McGahn on January 26th, 2017, regarding the General Flynn FBI interview conducted on January 24th.  The Trump-Russia Collusion Conspiracy was the headline.

On January 30th, 2017, Sally Yates was fired for refusing to defend the Trump travel ban from extremist countries.  Yates was replaced on January 31st by the U.S. Attorney from the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), Dana Boente.
With his shift to Main Justice Dana Boente was Acting Attorney General, and Mary McCord was Asst. AG in charge of the DOJ-NSD.  Boente was in the Acting AG position from Jan 31st, 2017, until Jeff Sessions was confirmed on February 8th, 2017.
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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

In advance of the Mueller Report release, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, appears with Laura Ingraham to discuss three areas of the 2016 CIA/FBI intelligence operation that deserve answers:
(1) The targeting/framing of Michael Flynn and the positioning of a false narrative around innocuous Russia contacts. (2) The use of Joseph Mifsud as an asset by the CIA/FBI running a counterintelligence operation against the Trump campaign. (3) The Trump Tower meeting as organized by Fusion-GPS.

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Additionally, for the first time Devin Nunes confirms that it was Robert Mueller who blocked delivery of documents to the House investigative committees.  While this might be old news to CTH readers, this confirms our earlier research.  It was Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein who were protecting DOJ interests by using the Russia-probe as a shield.
That’s why Chicago U.S. Attorney John Lausch was essentially an exercise in futility (and he was never heard from).  With Nunes confirmation that Mueller used his probe to keep congress away from documents adverse to his interests…. that increases the likelihood Mueller deployed the same strategy with IG Michael Horowitz (as earlier reported); and only after Mueller was completed was the IG office allowed unfettered access to evidence…. hence, the delays.
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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 †

Andrew McCarthy called in to WMAL’s Mornings on the Mall for a conversation about the upcoming Mueller report as released by AG William Barr.  [McCarthy Article Here]

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Again, as with prior research on DC U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu, CTH has been deep in the weeds on the current Main Justice and FBI players, next outline coming on Dana Boente’s role…
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