During the extent of the coronavirus pandemic, president has slipped in the polls versus Joe Biden. Polls , as proven by trump in 2016, can be wrong but they’re still all we have to go on at this point. By the same logic, the President’s individual approval ratings look better. The president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic is still supported by more Americans then those who don’t support it by a margin of 43% to 41% according to a recent poll. The media doesn’t mention often that Trump was accused by Joe Biden of “hysteria and xenophobia” when he stopped direct flights from China on January 31. Only weeks before, China was not acknowledging the extent of the epidemic spreading from Wuhan and was claiming that this virus was not transmissible between humans! Early on at least, the World Health Organization was not directly disputing China’s conclusions.
There are signs that the numbers are turning down in Italy, Spain, and New York. If the American trend is positive in the last half of April, the president will be able to slowly re-start the economy. This is make or break for him politically. If he can pull it off, Joe Biden will have to go up against a Trump presiding over a rebounding economy, who just beat a killer virus. The Democrats might struggle in that scenario.
The President has kept or attempted to keep many key campaign promises which endears him to many people who otherwise would be skeptical of politicians in general. If the virus is a memory by election time and most people are going back to work or optimistic about their prospects, he will be tough to beat.
Natural Gas production to Fall in 2021 by Most Ever
(Bloomberg) — Natural gas production in the U.S. is expected to drop in 2021 by the most we’ve ever seen. Nat Gas drillers are cutting spending because of the coronavirus pandemic that’s sending energy prices to historicly low levels.
Tuesday, the EIA (Energy Information Administration) came out with it’s Short-Term Energy Outlook Tuesday and in it they predicted nat gas production falling by 4.4% to an average of 94.49 billion cubic feet a day next year. If that happened, it would be the biggest annual fall in output since 1998. 2020 was supposed to be a flat to slightly up production year, but with the coronavirus it’s now expected to be down.
The virus is the main reason we are getting this massive prediction of lower production as the EIA noted in it’s report, “the unprecedented effects of COVID-19 on the level of drilling activity is obvious, as many producers have already announced plans to reduce capital spending and drilling levels”
Nat gas prices have already been strengthening in anticipation of production cuts based on weaker demand and lower prices. . Natural gas as a byproduct of shale oil drilling in places like the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, and those drillers were already pulling back after the crash in crude prices. Natural gas stocks like Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG), which is at the lowest levels since 2016 could have more downside and the price of nat gas won’t be the only factor.
New Mercedes Concept Could be Trouble For Tesla
After years of bragging by German car companies about how fast an electric car they could make if they WANTED to, Mercedes-Benz is proving it.
A top-performance version of the upcoming Mercedes EQS might boast better performance than their gas engine models. Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW have boasted about electric car track performance for years. But niether of them brought out a fully electric model that—like the Porsche Taycan—represents the performance side of electric vehicles to compete with the Model 3’s performance or, perhaps, the upcoming Tesla Model S Plaid. (NASDAQ: TSLA)
With the EQS concept car shown last fall, Mercedes-Benz aimed to show “a new dimension in sustainable luxury” and create a flagship for the EQ sub-brand. The design is loud, creative and flamboyant. Almost the opposite in styling to the S-Class and that was done deliberately.
An AMG version of that car, reportedly under development, would push power far beyond the 469 horsepower and 560 pound-feet—and 4.5-second 0-60 mph time—teased in the concept car. To compete with the Model S Plaid, it would likely have outputs in the vicinity of 800 hp and 1000 lb-ft, according to reports.
The key will now become its range. To compete with Tesla in the high-end market you will not only have to go faster, you will have to go farther.
Weight Watchers May Benefit from the Lockdowns
Weight Watchers International Inc (NASDAQ:WW) stock could be due for a pop. A jump in price, not a soda.
Investment analysts at Morgan Stanley published a note to their clients on March 27, 2020 where they upgraded WW to Overweight. Their price target on the stock stands at $24. On Tuesday it close at $18.82, so if they are right, that’s a 27.5% gain.
That’s a respectable gain, but the great thing about analysts is they don’t have to put a time on their price prediction. Just think about it. People continue to overeat comfort foods as a coping mechanism to deal with the stress of shelter-in-place orders. That’s a ton (no pun intended) of new body fat sitting inside right now. Some will head back to the gym, but some won’t want to take the germ risk. Plus, we all know that abs are built in the kitchen
Enter WW, which is about as idiot proof a weight loos method as there is. You can’t be a body builder on it, but you can lose weight. Just ask Oprah, who is a major shareholder and is on the board. WW offers a range of nutritional, activity, behavioral, and lifestyle tools for weight loss. The company also provides various digital subscription products online and via mobile apps. In addition, they have their own foods and snacks sold at major retailers.
Oprah can’t be wrong, and many of us will be coming out of hibernation with our additional COVID-19lbs looking like we need WW International.
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Nostradamus and Trump
NOSTRADAMUS’ 16th-century prophecies are said to have predicted the rise of Adolf Hitler, the threat of global war and even the end of the world. Nostradamus penned his supposed predictions of the future in his magnum opus, the 1555 book Les Propheties.
And if Nostradamus’ followers are to be believed this time around, the world could be headed for a rough year marked by political unrest, war and the threat of climate change.
Nostradamus devotees claim he predicted the outbreak of World War 3 and 2020 could be the year it finally happens. The Middle East got a little tense when US President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike on Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani on January 3.
Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khamenei vowed retaliation and “forceful revenge”. They carried out their retaliation days later with a series of missile attacks on US army bases in Iraq.
One Nostradamus passage, in particular, could forewarn of a global conflict unfolding next year.
The Nostradamus prophecy reads: “Twice put up and twice cast down, the East will also weaken the West. “Its adversary after several battles chased by sea will fail at time of need.”
“The great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt. An evil deed, foretold by the bearer of a petition.” I have no idea what any of this means.