the DON JONES INDEX…
		GAINS POSTED in GREEN LOSSES POSTED in RED 7/23/22... 14,921.35 7/16/22... 14,914.48
	6/27/13… 15,000.00
(THE DOW JONES INDEX: 7/23/22… 31,899,29; 7/16/22… 31,288.26; 6/27/13… 15,000.00)

LESSON for July 23, 2022 – “THE ONE EIGHTY-SEVEN!”

If one believes Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Ms), chair of the House Select Committee inquiring into the origin, proceedings and implications of the Capitol... call it Riot, Insurrection, Tourist stroll, whatever... the Inquisition, which met again on Thursday evening (See NPR’s transcript as Attachment One), is concluded (at least until the fall – perhaps nearer the midterm elections?). Prime Inquisitors... Jamie Schiff (D-NY/Ca) and, furthering the illusion of bipartisanship, Liz Cheney (R- Wy) would concur, as would the rest of the panel, its staff, most witnesses, most of the media and Don Jones.

Time and again, Inquisitors, witnesses and outside commentators obsessed on “the 187” (being the 187 minutes between President Trump’s appeal to treason and his capitulation, sort of, to the reality of defeat. According to Dictionary.com,slang use of 187 is a reference to Penal Code 187 in the law code of the state of California.  (See Attachment Two) Penal Code 187 defines and outlaws the act of murder.  Thrown about as frequently as spears in “The Three Hundred” (Spartans who held off invading Persians in the movie of the same name); the term may not have been intended to refer to murder, but to the dead Capitol policemen and to gunned-down protester Ashlii Barrett who has not yet become an icon of gangsta rap, nor is she likely to, but the sentiment endures even as President Joe and the nation go about their business.

But is it really over?

The panel and the pundits and the pardon-seekers promised fireworks... perhaps the testimony of former Presidential advisor Steve Bannon, whose claim to Executive Privilege, viewed with suspicion by the Inquisitors, had already been discarded by anxious state prosecutors in Georgia and New York.

Might he have a story to tell... if he would open up.

And if Steve-O, who suddenly waived that E.P. last week (at least at the Federal Level) did so with the blessings of the former President, might Djonald Unquiet actually consent to taking the floor himself?

Instead of fireworks, Bannon and Ol’ 45, however, the Panel got a fistful of sparklers – pretty to look at but far from explosive. Thursday’s summer finale co-featured Matthew Pottinger, the former deputy national security adviser under Mr. Trump, and Sarah Matthews, a former White House deputy press secretary. Also on the bill was a Blockbuster dumpster of video featuring the likes of old Inquisitory troopers and tropers like Rudy Gee, Patrick (Cip Cip) Cipollone and the new leftish poster girl, Cassidy Hutchinson as well as, of course, The Panel.

BEFORE the DELUGE

Prior to Thursday, the panel had promised “an account of activities inside the White House during a 187-minute period following former President Donald Trump’s speech to his supporters that day at the Ellipse,” according to the Wall Street Journal which kicked off the usual round of timelines, takeaways and previews.

The panel planned to portray Mr. Trump as failing to respond to the attack, a decision that committee member Rep. Elaine Luria (D., Va.), who will help lead Thursday’s 8 p.m. ET hearing, called a “dereliction of duty.”

“He literally watched the ship burn and didn’t try to put out the fire,” Ms. Luria, a former nuclear-trained officer in the Navy, dropped the spoiler. She said Mr. Trump’s inaction raises questions about his intentions that day and whether he was in some way in favor of the assault on the Capitol by his supporters.

The broadcast networks were all present in their fluffery and finery.

NBC brought to the attention of Don Jones the fact that Homeland Security has launched criminal probe into destruction of Jan. 6 Secret Service text messages.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General has launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the destruction of Secret Service text messages that may have been relevant to inquiries about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot,” asserted the Peacock.

Noting that the proceedings were the finale in a series of eight televised public hearings, they also predicted that the primetime show of July 21^st would “hardly be the last of the year.” (See Attachment Four).

CBS, during the antediluvian week between Inquisitions Seven and Eight seconded rumours and assertions of deleted Secret Service texts and proffered numerous predictions about how the testimony would proceed (many of which were on the mark, a few of which were not). “The Secret Service claimed some phone data had been erased unintentionally as a part of a pre-planned system migration,” the Eye declared, and said that any texts that were deleted "are presumed to be permanently deleted."

Token Republican Inquisitor Adam Kinzinger told the networks "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the hearing will "open people's eyes in a big way" about Trump's behavior. (See Attachment Five)

ABC hitchhiked on Kinzinger’s FTN appearance, adding that he’d stated that: "The reality is, and I'll give you this preview, the president didn't do very much but gleefully watch television during this time frame." (See Attachment Six)

Mr. Kinzinger called the possibility of Mr Trump testifying a "big question" the committee is still dealing with, but it's not a must-have at this stage.

"Donald Trump has made it clear that he doesn't mind not telling the truth, let's just put that mildly," he said.

"He lies all the time, I wouldn't  put it past him to even lie under oath, so I'm not sure what the value is there.”

Fox News chose not to attend.

But the tabloids (and pompous, presumptious publications that pretend they do not cultivate the tabloid market) also did.

THURSDAY’S INQUISITION: TRANSCRIPTS, TIMELINES and TAKEAWAYS

Our moderator hurriedly transcribed (well, noted) statement by the Inquisatatory witnesses and panelists but, this morning, NPR released its certainly more detailed and accurate version, which served as the foundation for Attachment One.

Inserted into the transcript are assorted details and commentary from a few of the usual suspects... the Washington Post, NPR, CNN and the broadcast networks, to name a few. These insertions are inserted at the end of a particular statement or, in the case of lengthy explanations by a panelist or witness, between paragraphs most appropriate to the commentary.

We note, without attaching, other versions of the proceedings:

The Ninth Inquisition began with a surprise – probably disconcerting to most good liberals, perhaps a source of amusement and schadenfreude to MAGAland. Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Ms) announced that, in the interim following Session Eight, he had contracted the plague and would, therefore, be unable to attend the proceedings in person.

“Earlier this week,” Thompson declared, via remote devices and from a remote location, “I received a positive COVID diagnosis. Per CDC guidelines, I've received the initial two shots and all of the boosters. Thus far, I have been blessed to experience very minimal symptoms. Because I'm still quarantined, I cannot participate in person with my colleagues. I've asked our vice chair, Ms. Cheney, to preside over this evening's hearing, including maintaining order in the room and swearing in our witnesses.”

Rep. Cheney (R-Wy and the daughter of former Vice President Dick) took up the reins of responsibility and, after reading through the rigamarole of Inquisatory process, began by explaining the background and justifications for Number Nine. “In the course of these hearings,” she said, “we have received new evidence, and new witnesses have bravely stepped forward. Efforts to litigate and overcome immunity and executive privilege claims have been successful, and those continue. Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break.”

And then, through testimony live and videotaped... Cheney’s first presentation was that of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who, at the time of the recording, vehemently argued that the mob, the criminals would listen to one man alone (“...only President Trump could end this...”) and through the assortment of statements (many of which were either self-serving paens to the punitive panelists or distractions by former Trump intimates uttered forth to deflect potential criminal prosecutions) a clearer portrait of the one eighty seven emerged.

In a nuthouse, the story was that President Trump, after inviting thousands of armed militia boys, lone wolf malcontents, dedicated MAGAslaves and just plain curious citizens to march with him to the Capitol, slipped away to go back to the White House and watch the riot on TV. (He blamed the Secret Service for his defection.)

There, he sat for 187 minutes while rage raged hot and wildness raged unchecked... for a while before the insurrection petered out. Unhung hero, Vice President Pence, returned to the Capitol and finished the vote counting which, to no rational Jones’ surprise, confirmed the election of Joseph R. Biden. One Capitol policeman and one protester were murdered at the scene, several other lawmen subsequently suicide.

America snarled with shame, laughed at the comical Q-Anon Shaman and Barney Fifelike Rep. Josh Hawley and the world had second thoughts about the U.S.A. and democracy itself. An Inquisitory Panel was decreed by the slim Democratic majority in the White House, House and Senate; witnesses were summoned, subpoenas issued. Eight or nine hundred protestors were arrested and their trials continue.

At the same time that the testifiers were testifying, media moguls, trolls and First Amendment patriots could not help interjecting their own input into the prime time spotlight, according to their bias

In addition to the NPR transcript, commentary as Thursday’s hearing proceeded was published by the usual suspects, some of which can be found here as Attachments Ten through Seventeen.

SIFTING THROUGH the DEBRIS

· Back at the Capitol after its MAGA-fumigation, as the electoral count continued. “Gen. Milley said Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, called him to say they needed a “narrative” that Trump was still in charge and making decisions. (WashPost, Attachment Ten)

· Trump “did not want to include any sort of mention of peace” in a tweet aides urged him to send to quell the violence, Matthews testified. The former president also hesitated to vilify the rioters and refused to say “the election’s over” while taping remarks the day after the attack.

· Promising additional hearings in September, committee members warned that a failure to hold Trump accountable would critically damage American democracy. “There was no ambiguity, no nuance: Donald Trump made a purposeful choice to violate his oath of office, to ignore the ongoing violence against law enforcement, to threaten our constitutional order,” committee vice chair Cheney said. “There is no way to excuse that behavior. It was indefensible.”

· The hearing also featured taped testimony from the committee’s interviews with other witnesses, including an unnamed White House security official who said members of Pence’s security detail started to fear for their own lives during the attack. “There were calls to say goodbye to family members and so forth,” said the official, whose voice was disguised. Gen. Milley said Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, called him to say they needed the “narrative” that Trump was still in charge and making decisions.

· “But Trump wasn’t giving any orders. Pence was.”

Over the pond in London, where temperatures hit a record 104° over the weekend, the liberal firestarter Guardian U.K. vented its usual spleen in a trio of missives – one ridiculing America’s new contender for the upcoming “Who Wants to be a Clown” series, Rep. Josh Hawley (R-Mo), lampooning Trump as the new Nero (well, if he bounces back in 2024) and shaking its heat at Americans in general. (Attachments Seventeen, A, B and C.) on Thursday night and Friday.

The cooler heads at BBC attempted to remain cool and collected, simply reiterating the charge of diseased Bennie Thompson, chairman of the committee, who zoomed in from his sickbed to the Inquisitors: "For 187 minutes on Jan 6, this man of unbridled destructive energy could not be moved. They provided only two jeremiads (See Attachments Eighteen A and B) but also supplied eight “key factors”.

"Not by his aides, not by his allies, not by the violent chants of rioters, or the desperate pleas of those facing down the mob. He could not be moved."

Any potential prosecution of Mr Trump would be led by the Department of Justice, the BBC acknowledged. But some commentators have suggested that advice issued by Attorney General Merrick Garland requiring prosecutors to obtain approval before embarking on politically sensitive investigations means it is unlikely Mr Trump will ever face trial.

Those eight “key factors” were...

1. Allies repeatedly told Trump he had lost

2. A drunk Rudy Giuliani pushed Trump to declare victory

3. Ex-election officials paid a high price fighting back

4. White House officials knew demonstrators were armed

5. Trump intended to lead the mob to the Capitol

6. Justice officials were ordered to seize voting machines

7. Trump sought to contact witnesses

8. Leading allies sought pardons

The BBC also noted that polling in the US has suggested that the hearings are having little impact on Mr Trump's personal popularity among Republican voters.

A recent survey by the PBS broadcaster found that just one in five party members think the 76-year-old should face prosecution for his actions on 6 January, while more than half would like to see him as the Republican candidate for president in 2024.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's personal approval has fallen to just 37% among voters, lower than Mr Trump's ratings were at any point during his term in office.

Reuters was the most austere of the britpack... they supplied only one recapitulation with six, as opposed to eight “takeaways”.

The MAGAmob remained (and remains) defiant; the liberal Guardian U.K. could not help piling on today (well Saturday... we’re a bit late this week for reasons below). This time, they attempted to present the other side of the argument, a rather doomed, but interesting effort. Venturing out into the colonies to converse with true believers, the wokesters found plenty of them in “flyover country” between the woke enclaves of New York and California.

“The hearing was a one-sided attack on the former president rather than an attempt to get at the truth,” asserted a true believer in Cheeseland.

“There was an annoying and troubling Hollywood movie look to these theatrical hearings, as if they’re acting in a badly done B-list movie,” she said.

“I haven’t watched it,” said Kathleen Silbernagel, the Oneida county (Wi) Republican party secretary and a retired programme manager for a Pepsi subsidiary, referring to the televised inquisitions. “It’s a joke. Most conservatives feel that it is a kangaroo court. Liberals already hate him so it’s not going to affect them. But how it will affect independent people, who are always in the middle, is hard to tell.”

“They’re painting Trump as though he incited this riot,” said the county Republican vice chair, Peter Biolo, who has also avoided watching the hearings. “They got to the Capitol and the Capitol police let them in. They didn’t storm the Capitol as is being reported. And the one person that was shot, that female veteran, was shot by a Capitol police officer.”

The hearings are instead viewed as part of a broader witch-hunt against the former president, alongside official investigations into whether his company fiddled taxes and fraudulently inflated property values to obtain cheaper loans.

“The bad news for those who want to see Trump run again is that a key part of the electorate does not see it that way. Two-thirds of those independent voters who are following the hearings closely say Trump bears “a lot of responsibility” for the storming of the Capitol, according to the Marquette law school poll. Even among independents not paying close attention, a majority say he bears some responsibility.”

“(L)oyalty to Trump continues to be a litmus test for most Republican voters in who they vote for,” the Brits deduced, and that includes buying into the claims that the 2020 election was stolen and that the January 6 hearings are part of the plot.

“If you want to be a good Republican in the current party, you have to signal to the voters who have bought into the election fraud story,” one of their cheeseheads said. (See Attachment Twenty)

With Fox scowling on the sidelines, it up to the New York Post (Attachment Twenty One) to report on the former President’s Twitterstorm, wherein he derided former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell... a disloyal sleaze bag “who was losing big in Kentucky, and came to the White House to BEG me for an Endorsement and help?” and committee vice chair Cheney, whom he called “a sanctimonious loser,” Speaker Pelosi (“maybe looking for her husband!”... or out on the town with Rudy G.? – DJI and concluded:

“I had an election Rigged and Stolen from me, and our Country. The USA is going to Hell. Am I supposed to be happy?”

The Daily Beast reported that the House Republicans’ official Twitterers were decidedly unhappy, posting a direct attack on former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews that labeled her a “liar” and “pawn” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Attachment Twenty Two) Cooler heads eventually prevailed, and the elephant boys then “walked it back.” 

Finally (we thought) Time (Attachment Twenty Three) played up the bon voyage aspect of Inquisition Number Nine, Number Nine... committee members had billed Number Eight as a kind of season finale to the first tranche of public hearings, leaving open the possibility of more to come as the investigation yields additional information. The committee is also preparing to hold one or two hearings in September when it releases its preliminary report with recommendations for how to avoid a similar coup attempt in the future.

Thompson and Cheney both made clear that the committee’s investigation was not over, and that more hearings would be scheduled. “Our committee will spend August pursuing emerging information on multiple fronts,” Cheney said in her opening statement.

At the end of the nearly three-hour hearing, she added, “See you in September.”

CONTEMPTING the CONTEMPTIBLE

Left on the table were a couple more hole cards in the Inquisitory deck... the (still) missing Secret Service tweets and letters and smoke signals and the peregrinations of Steve Bannon, who was duly indicted, arrested, convicted and sentenced to two whole months for Contempt of Congress. He has, of course, appealed – and probably hopes to stay out of jail until The Man is restored in 2024/5 and Steve-O gets another pardon to add t his collection. We’ll take them on next Lesson...

But wait! as the television pitchmen say... we delayed issuance of this Lesson because sources (probably including Cheney herself) have just raised the possibility of trooping back to the Inquisitory Chamber to deal with two more red (or dead) herrings over and above the above two: a subpoena to and testimony by (or another contemptible citation for) Mrs. Clarence Thomas, who apparently loosed her animal instincts to graze upon Mark’s meadow; and the newly exhumed prospect of an appearance by Donald Himself himself!

So maybe we’ll see each other in August.

Again, we remind you that the United Nations predicts world population will reach 8,000,000,000 on November 15^th this year.

	JULY 16th – JULY 2nd, 2022
Saturday, July 16th, 2022 Dow: 31,288.26	President Joe lands in Riyadh and Khashoggi-killer Prince Salman gives him a fist bump, resulting in a selfie from Hell that energizes and/or disgusts both his Democratic base and disloyal Republican opposition. His spin pretends to satisfy the former... but doesn’t... although there are real reasons for downplaying the Saudis’ abysmal human rights record: namely that their Number One regional foe, Iran: 1) is even worse, 2) is dickering with Russia for the sale of military drones to be used to kill more Ukrainian civilians, and 3) oil, OIL, OIL. Back in the U.S.A., air-conditioners are working overtime and gobbling electricity. Heat and drought-induced wildfires are scorching the Pacific and mountain states, and the “dome of terror”... a stubborn and, perhaps, climate-induced air mass is sitting over the West. Wandering slowly eastwards, the triple-digit temperatures are migrating from places accustomed to them (like Phoenix and Vegas and Death Valley) to places that are not (East Texas, Oklahoma north to Minnesota and the Dakotas). And don’t even think about a summer vacation – Europe is baking and blazing too. Flying under the radar in this season of record temperatures, the plague is back to killing 2,500 Americans per week while monkeypox panic settles over neighborhoods where homosexuals are trumpeting their “pride”. Even Dr. Fauci is calling it a “gay disease” (tho’ obliquely and without the finger pointing and prosecutions at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Police in gentrified communities demand, and get, a crackdown on homeless people... who are fighting back the only way they can: beating up a (black female) Olympian and stabbing race car driver Bobby East to death.
Sunday, July 17th, 2022	Active shooter copycats Akron, Uvalde, Buffalo, etc. etc. by blasting away at a comedy nightclub in NC but is either just sending a message or is under the variant of some chemical, as well as psychic influence. No casualties. Another bozo is tackled by police before shooting up a mall. Ordinary mayhem continues apace... people who kill other people for reasons, valid or not: bad romances, robberies, gang wars, u-name-it. The inevitable “boyfriend” kills his pregnant baby mama, her foetus and grandparents in Ellerslie, GA, Uvalde school shootings still galvanize media attention. Footage of angry parents and grieving relatives flood the airwaves, as well of accusations against incompetent and/or cowardly cops. An officer videotaped talking on a cellphone becomes a national disgrace until it is revealed that he was making a last call to his dying wife. “If it bleeds, it leads,” is joined by emotional depictions of dead children from Ukraine to Uvalde. Senators stalk the Sunday talkshows. Joe Manchin (D-WVa) says climate change is a hoax, and that he will not support President Joe’s appeal to tax the rich. The Bern (D-Vt) all but calls him a Republican.
Monday, July 18th, 2022 Dow: 31,072.61	It’s Nelson Mandela Day. On the other end of the legal/moral spectrum, Steve Bannon’s trial for contempt of Congress begins jury selection. (See above) Bennifer finally ties the knot at a midnight ceremony in the White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. No Elvis impersonator – he left early to go to bed and will be ridiculed forever for blowing his big chance at advancement. Nor is “Gigli Two” in the offing. Better, at least, than the Hawaiian matrimony washed out by a giant wave – again, no Elvis surfing in the chapel. Elsewhere in Vegas, a breaking window mistaken for gunshots, creating panic and trampled gamblers (who leave their winnings on the table to be swept up by cooler heads). Pro-gun activists celebrate Elisjsha Dicken, an armed civilian who ventilates an active shooter, who’d already shot up a mall in Indiana, killing three. Pacifists recoil, realos call Dicken a hero. Who needs cops? (Maybe the producers of “Law and Order” after their NYC street parking guard is killed by a disgruntled something.) Woman in a coma for two years wakes - fingers brother as assailant. Angry emu becomes social media star.
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 Dow: 31,827.05	How hot is it? People are dying in Kansas City and Minnesota. Thirsty and dying cattle are being rushed to market to create beef bargains now, shortages later. Moving east, Atlantic Ocean plankton are dying off, creating rust in the fish supply chain and a climate-confused giant shark is captured off New York City. Starvation rages in drought-plagued Africa and in Europe, temperatures hit an all time record 104° in London, 106° in Paris. Still, Don Jones is more worried about inflation than the heat. Food bank and free lunch charity outlets are overloaded, 93% of small businesses say they fear recession and Goldman-Sachs CEO assures Joneses: “We will get through this.” Hi: Macy’s will bring back Toys R’ Us for the 2022 holiday season, but no longer. Bye: Dr. Fauci says he’s tired of the drama and will retire before the November elections.
Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 Dow: 31,874.84	Climate change, under the auspices of its new hero, Sen. Joe Manchin, turns on West Virginia, the nation and the world with a vengeance. Of particular concern are the record high lows in the U.S. which enable daytime temperatures in Wichita Falls to hit 115°, the American West to bake and burn (Hoover Dam’s transformers blow out, endangering power and water) and Europe to broil and burn. Also severe storms – ten soldiers at Ft. Gordon, GA are injured by lightning. Olena (Mrs. Zelensky) comes to America, asks for more arms and shares videos of cute, pitiful children murdered by Russia. Putin sends ten thousand captured civilians of Mariupol to hastily constructed concentration camps. The entire Clan Trump attends Ivana’s funeral. Even Melania has nice words for the deceased. The widower (sort of) observes a break from the aggressive prosecutors in Georgia and New York who want to lock him up on a variety of charges, many concerning his fake electors. (See above)
Thursday, July 21st, 2022 Dow: 32,036.90	It’s “let’s kick Trump” day and that the Inquisitors do. (See above) Perhaps, as if malign angels are conspiring above, President Joe gets it. (The plague, remember?) Omicron 5 something also selects Select Chairperson Bennie Thompson. Popping rumors like birthday balloons, the CIA calls Mad Vlad Putin “too healthy”. Dr. Jha says that Biden is not in danger, and he is shown doing work with papers regarding something or other. Dr. Fauci remains sick, but alive – he’s one of the only five percenters who get paxlovid rebound atop the ordinary plague rebound now thriving. Elsewhere, people are standing in long lines under a hot sun hoping to get monkeypox vaccine. And now, add a third plague to the pot... polio is back after a ten year vacation. As for the heat, it’s drying up Lake Mead, principal water source for the southwest. It’s down 40 feet in three years and still evaporating, not only will Californians have to drink beer, agriculture will shut down. No more fresh fruits and vegetables for Don Jones, even though prices are already sky-high. (And, up in the sky, a “micrometeor” smaller than a grain of sand crashes into the Webb and scientists fear that the great experiment is over.) The baby formula crisis is getting worse, but at least the nursing mothers, thirsty Americans, doctors and Space Forces can find some liquid consolation... Velveeta is rolling out a processed cheese flavored martini.
Friday, July 22nd, 2022 Dow: 31,899.29	Americans of the liberal persuasion are still recoiling in shock and awe over the phone calls that Secret Service agents guarding Mike Pence made to family, expecting that they would probably not survive the one-six. And they have some comic relief in Sen. Josh Hawley, who’s filmed saluting the Capitol rioters with a raised fist, then seen scuttling like a scared lobster through the halls of the Capitol as those same rioters come after him. And, not to disparage our patriotic civil servants, the Inquisitors still haven’t found out anything more about all of the tweets and twits and texts that the S.S. deleted against protocol. There’s finally some good news on the Ukrainian front... Putin and Zelensky have agreed that Ukr grain can be transported on the Black Sea and exported to starving Africans. The bad news is that the war goes on. Russian foreign minister Lavrov boasts that their troops will not stop with just the Donbas, they will take all of Ukraine... then Poland, Berlin, Paris, sweltering London and, finally, the U.S.A. Mwahh hah haahhh!
The Dow, adjusting to the new, new normal of the week, bounced around and even climbed up over 32,000 before falling back in an economically quiet week (no new stats on inflation, unemployment etc.) full of political turmoil – partisans cheering for their side, America stagnant. So is the Russian invasion of Ukraine... there was a brief “beacon” when it seemed that Putin would allow ships of grain to feed starving Africans, but it was just a ploy so that he could bomb the relief ships and containers in the port of Odessa. He’s winning friends and influencing people, but doesn’t care. Nor do most Joneses, inflation is bad but not spiking and the heat is sweltering... just another excuse to stay indoors, do like Trump and watch the world on television and run up the air conditioning bills. But have cheer... or fear. The start of the school year and the football season are just around the corner.

THE DON JONES INDEX

CHART of CATEGORIES w/VALUE ADDED to EQUAL BASELINE of 15,000

(REFLECTING… approximately… DOW JONES INDEX of June 27, 2013)

See a further explanation of categories here…

ECONOMIC INDICES (60%)

CATEGORY	VALUE	BASE	RESULTS			SCORE		OUR SOURCES and COMMENTS
INCOME	(24%)	6/17/13 & 1/1/22	LAST	CHANGE	NEXT	7/16/22	7/23/22	SOURCE
Wages (hrly. per cap)	9%	1350 points	7/16/22	+0.44%	8/22	1,375.62	1,375.62	https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/wages   27.45
Median Inc. (yearly)	4%	600	7/16/22	+0.03%	7/30/22	602.79	602.96	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 35,941
Unempl. (BLS – in mi)	4%	600	4/22	+5.56%	8/22	633.36	633.36	http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000/  3.6% nc
Official (DC – in mi)	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.12%	7/30/22	301.96	302.32	http://www.usdebtclock.org/      5,897
Unofficl. (DC – in mi)	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.10%	7/30/22	309.54	309.85	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    10,929
Workforce Particip. Number Percent	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.029% -0.016%	7/30/22	300.19	300.67	In 158, 675 Out 99,332 Total: 258,007 http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 61.50
WP % (ycharts)*	1%	150	6/18/22	-0.16%	7/16/22	150.00	150.00	https://ycharts.com/indicators/labor_force_participation_rate 62.20
OUTGO	15%
Total Inflation	7%	1050	8/22	+1.3%	7/30/22	1010.64	1010.64	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +1.3
Food	2%	300	8/22	+1.0%	7/30/22	289.34	289.34	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +1.0
Gasoline	2%	300	8/22	+11.2%	7/30/22	221.46	221.46	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm    +11.2
Medical Costs	2%	300	8/22	+0.7%	7/30/22	293.45	293.45	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.7
Shelter	2%	300	8/22	+0.6%	7/30/22	293.46	293.46	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm     +0.6
WEALTH	6%
Dow Jones Index	2%	300	7/16/22	+1.95%	7/30/22	260.67	265.75	https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/index/ 31,899.29
Home (Sales) (Valuation)	1% 1%	150 150	7/16/22	-3.57% +2.06%	7/30/22	170.06 312.49	163.99 318.93	https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics Sales (M):  5.12 Valuations (K):  416.0
Debt (Personal)	2%	300	7/16/22	+0.12%	7/30/22	293.01	292.66	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    70,292
NATIONAL	(10%)
Revenue (trilns.)	2%	300	7/16/22	+0.18%	7/30/22	321.67	322.26	debtclock.org/       4,398
Expenditures (tr.)	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.76%	7/30/22	325.13	322.66	debtclock.org/       6,098
National Debt tr.)	3%	450	7/16/22	+0.05%	7/30/22	444.55	444.33	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    30,598
Aggregate Debt (tr.)	3%	450	7/16/22	-0.16%	7/30/22	441.55	440.86	http://www.usdebtclock.org/    91,563
GLOBAL	(5%)
Foreign Debt (tr.)	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.09%	7/30/22	320.12	319.82	http://www.usdebtclock.org/   7,541
Exports (in billions)	1%	150	7/16/22	+1.31%	8/22	158.81	160.88	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html 255.9
Imports (bl.)	1%	150	7/16/22	+0.59%	8/22	154.44	153.54	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html 341.4
Trade Deficit (bl.)	1%	150	7/16/22	-1.87%	8/22	192.63	196.23	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html   85.5
ACTS of MAN	12%
World Affairs	3%	450	7/16/22	-0.3%	7/30/22	473.18	471.76	London records record 104°, Paris beats them with 106° and the South... Spain and Portugal across to Greece, top 110°. Famine (potentiated by Uke grain cutoff) ravages East Africa which hopes that the end of the Black Sea blockade is reality. (It’s not.) Mrs. Zelenskyy travels to New York to meet with American and U.N. bigshots. She gets four new rockets.
Terrorism	2%	300	7/16/22	-0.2%	7/30/22	292.86	292.27	Terrorist Putin journeys to Iran to buy more military drones with which to kill more Uke civilians as he ships off 10,000 Mariupol civilians to concentration camps. Ukraine and Russia agree to lift Black Sea blockade and send grain to starving Africans, but the “beacon of hope” flames out when Putin bombs the port facilities in Odessa.
Politics	3%	450	7/16/22	+0.2%	7/30/22	461.36	462.28	Pundits call inflation an existential threat – to the Democratic Party. So Congress passes a Cheaper Baby Formula Act 421-2 (who were those two baby haters?) and reaffirms legality of gay marriage 267-157. Republican NY Gov. candidate Lee Zelder survives stabbing attack.
Economics	3%	450	7/16/22	-0.2%	7/30/22	438.84	437.96	Netflix membership down 70%, tries to make up by gouging its surviving subscribers with ads. Food banks and free lunch patrons multiply as inflation spikes.
Crime	1%	150	7/16/22	-0.4%	7/30/22	291.98	290.81	Tops Grocery in Buffalo reopens; sentimentalists who want it torn down and made a memorial lose to residents who choose not to lose their only place to buy food. Bountiful week for “active shooters”: Ga. (all together, now!) “boyfriend” kills baby mom, grandparents and her fetus, Tn “honeymoon killer” offs bride in Fiji, Montana road rager wipes out family, gunslingers shoot up a NC comedy club, and street raging thugs carjack and kill the leader of the United Methodist Church and murder the car park man on “Law and Order” set. But gun-totin’ American shoots killer at Indiana mall. Granny-tranny robs bank in Georgia. 150M in jewels robbed from armored truck in Cal. FCC cracking down (finally!) on fraudulent auto warranty telemarketers.
ACTS of GOD	(6%)
Environment/Weather	3%	450	7/16/22	-0.1%	7/30/22	444.17	443.73	Commuters and climate changers both watching and waiting for OPEC’s next meeting on 8/5. Men in Trump hats rally for Joe Manchin and for greenhouse gas as Atlantic Ocean plankton die-off imperils fish chain. ESPN honors Dick Vitale, Kate Ledecky, Vitali Klitscho and Brittany; Kennedy Center honors U2, George Clooney, Amy Grant and Gladys Knight (but not the Pips!).
Natural/Unnatural Disaster	3%	450	7/16/22	+0.1%	7/30/22	444.50	444.94	Drought-induced dust storms swirl; six killed in Montana highway crash. Tree falling on house during Birmingham storm kills 2 kids. Ten soldiers at Fort Fordon hit by lightning, one dies. But pizza guy saves 2 kids from burning house, 200 escape burning Boston train – some jumping into the river. Gators got a granny in Florida swamp (chomp! chomp!) another gets only a man’s arm. Hangry!
LIFESTYLE/JUSTICE INDEX			(15%)
Science, Tech, Education	4%	600	7/16/22	+0.1%	7/30/22	617.91	618.53	Privacyteers and corporations rassle over Big Databanks of the political views and health status of Mister Jones. Back to School sales and charities start operations early. Webb telescope keeps providing new photos of distant galaxies and nearby planets like Jupiter and Mars until socked by a “micrometeor”.
Equality (econ/social)	4%	600	7/16/22	+0.3%	7/30/22	589.83	591.60	Amanda Lee becomes first female pilot in the Blue Angels, Michael Langley becomes first black 4-star general. Lebron James calls Boston racist and parents also accuse costumed Sesame Place critters of disrespecting little black children.
Health	4%	600	7/16/22	-0.1%	7/30/22	490.92	490.43	988 suicide hotline opens. Titanium-polluted Skittles prompt lawsuit against Mars (the candy company). Plague new wave now killing 2,500/wk. tho’ Johns Hopkins no longer reporting cases; Dr. Jah calls it “immune evasive”. Monkeypox up too (vaxxes may soon be imported from Denmark) but TV docs lament that “the window (for containing it) has closed,” and Dr. Fauci calls it a (politically incorrect) gay disease (like early AIDS) but says he is retiring, so the wokesters can’t lynch him – then, as big cities like NY, L.A. and Seattle start reimposing mandates, warns that Joneses should re-mask up with “good” masks.
Freedom and Justice	3%	450	7/16/22	-0.1%	7/30/22	449.10	448.65	Vague state anti-abortion laws have still unknown collateral damage... like making the baby daddies pay child support to the foetii. Uvalde survivors and parents call for legal action against cowardly cops – target one caught talking on the phone to his dying wife. Parkland shooter’s death penalty trial begins.
MISCELLANEOUS and TRANSIENT INDEX					(7%)
Cultural incidents	3%	450	7/16/22	+0.1%	7/30/22	465.63	466.10	AL beats NL 3-2 in All Star game on back to back homers; Juan Soto wins home run derby. Daniel (“Harry Potter”) Radfcliff to play “Weird” Al Yankovich. RIP: “Elvis” actress Shonta Dukurah, MLB star Dwight Evans, singer William Hart (Delfonics), artist Claes Oldenburg
Misc. incidents	4%	450	7/16/22	nc	7/30/22	457.77	457.77	Abused Turpin children (Things 1-16) re-abused by foster parents with long history of cruelty. Nobody wins Tuesday’s, nor Friday’s Powerball – jackpot rises to 800 Mil.