ADVISORIES
“‘Unrealized losses’ on securities – mostly Treasury securities and government-guaranteed MBS – at FDIC-insured commercial banks at the end of Q3 jumped by $126 billion (or by 22%) from the prior quarter, to $684 billion, according to the FDIC’s quarterly bank data release on Wednesday.”
Analyst Comment: The regional banking apocalypse is not over.. just delayed. The fed will have to print faster than ever before to prevent a complete meltdown in banking.
Home sales volume down 14.6% from last year even as prices dropped 5.1% from June 2022 peak.
Analyst Comment: It looks like the housing market is breaking, which will be great news for buyers. Gov intervention can certainly interrupt a major correction though. For example, the VA recently reinstated forbearance on delinquent VA mortgages. More efforts like this could keep the bubble inflated.
The former head of Hamas called for a “Day of Jihad” today, October 13th.
Oregon Travel Advisory
Recommendations: Avoid if possible. Use caution, especially in major cities. Avoid confrontations if possible due to poor self-defense laws that favor criminals.
Analyst Comment:Unpermissive self-defense laws, biased judges and juries, high levels of crime, drug-use and homelessness and volatile civil situations: Oregon, especially Portland, are not friendly places to live in or visit.
Increased Domestic Military Activity
Recommendations: Observe and be aware of military activity in your area.
Analyst Comment: There are increased reports of US military activity around the United States. During the summer, National Guard and Reserve Units conduct their annual training so it is not uncommon to see large convoys, movements, gatherings and military operations as part of this training.
New York City Travel Advisory
Recommendations: Avoid if possible. Be aware of elevated crime risks and unpermissive self-defense laws. Be extra cautious not to provide a pretext for a traffic stop or law enforcement encounter. Practice good situational awareness at all times. Keep values well hidden and secured..
Analyst Comment: While New York City has not experienced the rise in crime of other cities, the trend is negative. Additionally, law enforcement and the justice system is heavily restrictive and will punish those trying to exercise constitutional rights; severely. Recently, there have been several attempted prosecutions of citizens legally defending themselves. Charges were ultimately dropped after mass public outcry.
Parking Attendant Charges Dropped
Washington DC Travel Advisory
Recommendations: Avoid if possible. If you are in the DC, avoid engaging in political protests or actions. Be aware of elevated crime risks and unpermissive self-defense laws. Be extra cautious not to provide a pretext for a traffic stop or law enforcement encounter. Practice good situational awareness at all times. Keep values well hidden and secured.
Analyst Comment:Crime has risen rapidly in the DC area. Additionally, law enforcement and the judicial system has become extremely politicized to the extent where people engaging in political speech or self-defense actions are targeted with harsh prosecution. Judges and the jury pool are largely aligned with this sentiment, so receiving a fair trial in DC is unlikely.
Political Persecution of January 6th Protestors
Temu – Shop Like a Billionaire
Recommendations: Do not install the Temu app. Do not purchase anything from their store. If you have installed Temu, uninstall it immediately and consider performing a factory reset of your phone. .
Analyst Comment: Temu claims to offer incredible discounts on a wide range of products from shoes to electronics and everything in between, by selling products directly from Chinese manufacturers. Temu also gives away free products to users to entice them to use their platform.
In reality most of the products sold are very low-quality junk. Many of the product descriptions and pictures do not match the products received.Additionally, Temu collects your personal information, payment details, IP address, website visit history (through cookies), and even GPS location. Not only are likely to get ripped off on substandard products, but you expose a lot of personal information to a large Chinese company who works in partnership with the Chinese government.
Better Business Bureau Profile