the DON JONES INDEX…
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||
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GAINS POSTED in GREEN LOSSES
POSTED in RED 5/8/26… 15,609.03 5/1/26…
15,601.90 6/27/13... 15,000.00 |
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(THE DOW JONES INDEX: 5/8/26...
49,596.97; 5/1/26...
49,652.14; 6/27/13… 15,000.00) |
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LESSON for FRIDAY, MAY
8, 2026 – “HE SMELLS SEA SHELLS; SPELLING DEATH FOREVERMORE!”
Amidst
the grim and grievous circumstances for most of the world... mixed
blessings/curses for the Russians (bad political, good economic) and Chinese
(good political, bad economic), curses for everybody else, whether being bombed
to death like Ukrainians or squeezed in the wallet, like Americans... the
doughy, doughty Donald J. Trump, President of the U.S.A. and henchmen Pete
Hegseth (Secretary of Defense/War), Kash Patel of the
FBI, Mister Nobody (a Warsh awaiting confirmation at
DHS or maybe someone else) and designated hitter, Todd Blanche – desperate to
prove that he can deliver for the Man Upstairs – have conjoined and compounded
a Hail Mary indictment of former Trump 1.0 Febbie
James Comey as has MAGAprincipalists hootin’ and hollerin’, other
pundits and politicos scratching their heads in wonder and astonishment and the
much assailed print, mass and social media comedians thanking Jesus (or the
ghost of Jack Benny) for a welcome (if not unexpected) windfall.
The
gist, grist and gristle of the gift: after a pro-MAGA judiciary decided not to
prosecute the former Febbie for malfeasance and
disloyalty, Blanche has endeavored to triump where
Pam Bondi failed... indicting and convicted Comey 2.0 on a witches’ cauldron of
charges including attempted murder and terroristic threats.
And
the cause... as we all know by now... Jimmy either designed or happened by a beachly arrangement of seashells as spelled out the numbers
8647 (destined to recline in history for at least a while, along with dates
like 420... for stoners... or 54... for the Star Wars fanatics).
His Wikibio (ATTACHMENT “A”)
informs us that James Brien Comey Jr. (/ˈkoʊmi/; born December 14, 1960) in Yonkers, New York, is an
American lawyer who was the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until his termination in
May 2017.
Graduating
from the College of William and Mary in 1982, majoring in chemistry
and religion and the University of Chicago Law School in 1985, joined
the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
in 1987 and was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, where he
helped prosecute the Gambino crime family.
In 1996,
Comey acted as deputy special counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee
and, under George H. W. Bush, prosecuted bank and identity fraudsters
(including Martha Stewart), but concluded that Clinton's controversial
pardon of Marc Rich involved no illegality.
Appointed
Director by Barack Obama after private sector gigs at Lockheed Martin,
Bridgewater investing (which made him a millionaire), and Columbia University,
Comey oversaw the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a
private email server for official communications while serving as Secretary
of State, some of which contained information later determined to be
classified. “His handling of the investigation, particularly his public
statements and decision to reopen the investigation shortly before
the 2016 U.S. presidential election, became a major source of controversy.”
With
Obama replaced by Trump 1.0, Comey was duly
fired “fewer than 4 years into his 10-year term” after prosecuting Russiagate and not prosecuting Obama – after which his own
version of revenge and retaliation included leaking various memos “detailing
meetings with Trump,” interpreted by some commentators as evidence of obstruction of
justice on Trump's part, becoming part of the Mueller
investigation.
An
angry Trump called for prosecution, conviction and incarceration of the former Febbie, but, while Inspector General Michael Horowitz called Comey
"insubordinate" and found that Comey “violated FBI policy” with the
leaked memos, he saw no evidence Comey or his lawyers shared classified
information, “so the Department of Justice declined to prosecute him.”
Back
in the private sector, Comey... like J. D. Vance... eschewed working for the
Biden administration and turned to writing fiction and nonfiction books,
garnering praise from thriller writers for his debut novel: “Central Park
West”. He gave speeches, taught classes
and became a Fellow at think tanks, switched political party registration from
Republican to Democrat and supported Kamala Harris in 2024, switched religious
affiliation from Catholic to Methodist, beat colon cancer and fathered five
children – his oldest graduating from Harvard Law and hiring on at his old New
York U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On September 25, 2025, Comey
was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on two
counts: one charge of making a false statement to Congress, and one charge of
obstructing a congressional proceeding in the Russiagate controversy,
but the case was dismissed on November 24, because prosecuting attorney Lindsey
Halligan, “a political loyalist with no prosecutorial experience,” had been
illegally appointed.
“On April 28, 2026, Comey was indicted again on
two counts, knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of and to
inflict bodily harm on the President of the United States, and knowingly and
willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to kill the President of
the United States. The charges stemmed
from a picture he posted on Instagram in May 2025,” depicting
seashells spelling "86 47", and his captioning the post: "Cool
shell formation on my beach walk."
THE
CHARGES
Expounding
and expostulating on Sunday’s “Meet the Press”, Acting AyGee
Todd Blanche... replacing Pam Bondi...
insisted that the indictment of Comey goes beyond the Instagram post
central to his case.
“This is not just about a single
Instagram post,” Blanche said. “This is about a body of evidence that
[prosecutors] collected over the series of about 11 months.” (NBC, May 3, ATTACHMENT ONE)
Comey was indicted on
charges alleging he threatened the life of the president after he posted a photo
on Instagram of seashells forming the numbers “86 47.”
When asked Wednesday
whether he actually felt that his life was threatened by Comey’s post,
President Donald Trump said, “Probably.”
“Well, if anybody
knows anything about crime, they know 86 — you know what 86 — it’s a mob term
for kill him,” Trump added.
Blanche on Sunday said the
Justice Department has “evidence of all sorts” against Comey and that the
indictment goes beyond just the number “86 47,” which appears frequently on
social media and online shops.
“That’s posted constantly. That
phrase is used constantly. There are constantly men and women who choose to
make threatening statements against President Trump,” Blanche told “Meet the
Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “Every one of those statements do not
result in indictments. Of course there are facts, there are circumstances,
there are investigations that have to take place, and we have charged dozens
and dozens of men and women this this year with threatening President Trump and
others.”
Appearing later on
“Meet the Press,” Sen.
Adam Schiff, D-Calif., criticized Blanche’s defense of the indictment,
citing the widespread presence of “86 47” merchandise online.
“The only facts that distinguish
this case from those people buying things on Amazon or posting things on Amazon
is not any particular facts that are not visible to public,” the senator said.
“It’s the fact that James Comey is a political opponent of the president’s.
It’s the fact the president has called upon him for prosecution. It’s the fact
that Todd Blanche wants to keep this job.”
The seashell squabble,
which actually began almost a year ago (Newsweek, May 16, 2025: ATTACHMENT TWO)
has united most, but not all, MAGAheads – who claim that the post is a call for his
"assassination." This follows two previous attempts to harm the
president ahead of the November presidential election.
Trump faced an assassination
attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, during a July rally, and a second attempt in
South Florida just two months later.
(Subsequently, a gunman was intercepted at the Press Correspondents’ Dinner
last week, which has also engendered other strange developments (below).
The President then
stated that he didn’t want to take a position on it
because "that's going to be up to Pam [Bondi] and all of the great people.
But I will say this, I think it's a terrible thing," the president added.
“Homeland
Security Secretary Kristi Noem also reacted
to the X post on Thursday,” calling out Comey: "Disgraced
former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination
of (Trump); DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will
respond appropriately."
The article concluded with the question: “What Happens
Next?”, an answer: “The next steps in the investigation were unclear at the
time of publication,” and, while the
investigation and prosecution continue a year later, Noem
and Bondi are no longer involved.
As to the origins of
“86”, another NBC squibblet (April 29, ATTACHMENT
THREE) opted for the culinary connotations, seeking out “hospitality” sources
who claimed responsibility for the term.
"Any time you're
out of anything, it's 86-ed" — meaning it's unavailable and needs to be
replenished or replaced — said Mike Reyes, 45, who has worked in the
hospitality industry for years, adding that he first heard the term when he
started his first restaurant job at age 14.
“Nicole Holliday, a
professor of linguistics at the University of California-Berkeley, said it has
been around since at least the 1930s, when it was used to note when an
item was
sold out at a soda fountain.”
And another origin
story “credited the term to a restaurant called Delmonico's, where a popular steak that was the 86th item
on the menu would quickly sell out. Yet another claims it originated at a
speakeasy called Chumley's, which had multiple entrances, including one
at 86
Bedford St. When police would raid it during Prohibition, customers were
told to “86” it — leave through the Bedford Street side. Chumley's closed in
2007, and the space later reopened as a steakhouse called The Eighty Six.
“Holliday said the
term was also used in the 1930s and the ’50s to describe bar customers who’d
been cut off from drinking more or kicked out of an establishment, and it is
still used that way, as well. Merriam-Webster defines the term as slang meaning “to throw out,” “to
get rid of” or “to refuse service to.”
Trump offered
reporters in the Oval Office another definition. "Well, if anybody knows anything about
crime, they know 86 — you know what 86 — it’s a mob term for kill him. You
know? You ever see the movies? ‘86 him,’ the mobster says to one of his
wonderful associates, ‘86 him.’ That means 'kill him.' It’s, I think of it as a
mob term," he said.
Zach Jensen, content
development manager for the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said he's not aware of the
term's being used in mob movies, but there's a line in the film
"Casino" in which Joe Pesci's character talks about bodies being
buried in the desert on the outskirts of the city.
"There's this
rumor that 86 means driving 80 miles out and burying a body 6 feet under.
Another is 8 miles out and 6 feet under," he said, but "it's, like, a
modern urban legend."
The Mob... as is to
say, Old Time Mafia like depicted in Comey’s “Central Park West” novel, often
prefers intimidation to execution, especially where civilians (witnesses,
jurors, debtors) are concerned. After
all, dead men may tell no tales but, unless 86’s in the course of another
crime, provide no income – or, in the present case, no political benefit.
It’s likely that Tony
Soprano or Don Corleone would not prefer to be associated with Don Trump, due
to his wayward ways, loose tongue and appetite for revenge, so perhaps some of
the more sober MAGA wiseguys are hoping that
The
liberal Slate ventured that the President… not only regarding Comey, but as in
other cases against the Southern Christian Leadership folks or astronaut Mark Kelly…
may not himself believe that he can convict, incarcerate (or, in the case of the
treason cases against six Democratic officials) execute his enemies but,
rather, is seeking to use intimidation to clear the path for his agenda.
The
fault, as they see it, is in the federal grand jury process itself – which needs
broader reform. “Grand juries are controlled by prosecutors. They can demand
documents and can compel witnesses to testify under oath without counsel
present while offering a one-sided version of the case to jurors. Without
oversight, the grand jury becomes less a shield for citizens and more a tool of
intimidation for a partisan prosecutor.”
Slate
recommended several straightforward reforms that might… admittedly they are not
silver bullets… curb these abuses. “Among them, we should require prosecutors
to present exculpatory evidence in a case and to exclude evidence already ruled
unconstitutional, which they currently do not have to. We should also give any
person whom prosecutors intend to seek an indictment against, to the extent
possible given any dangers to public safety, advance written notice of that
status, Miranda‑style warnings, and a genuine opportunity to testify
beforehand if they choose.”
THE
INDICTMENT
A5 X01 NY TIMES
The New York Times
(April 28, ATTACHMENT FIVE) reported that the Justice
Department has secured a new indictment of James Comey, the former F.B.I.
director, over a photograph of seashells
on a North Carolina beach. It comes after a past indictment effort spurred by
President Trump last year ended in failure.
The Indictment includes two counts,
first in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 871, alleging that James Comey, 65, knowingly
and willfully made a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm
upon the President of the United States. This charge alleges that on May 15,
2025, by publicly posting an image over the internet via Instagram depicting
“86 47”, which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances
would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the
President of the United States.
(Department of Justice Press Release, ATTACHMENT SIX) The Indictment also charges Comey in
violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), that James Comey consciously disregarded a
substantial risk that his communication would be viewed as threatening
violence.
Team Trump piled the rhetoric
on. “Threatening the life of the
President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” said
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The grand jury returned an indictment
alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed
violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other
elected officials. The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who
dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable.”
“James Comey disgracefully
encouraged a threat on President Trump’s life and posted it on Instagram for
the world to see,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As
the former Director of the FBI, he knew full well the attention and consequences
of making such a post.”
If convicted, he faces a
maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Newsweek’s Anna Commander
(Attachment Three, above) found Team Trump in unusually high spirits, cracking
jokes and fracking on social media. Donald Trump Jr. posted a meme on X,
formerly Twitter, on Friday that said "Trump Won B****" in
shells. The caption of the post said, "I was walking along the beach and
these rocks and shells suddenly appeared. I assumed it was a political
message."
Republican
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado also posted one to X on
Thursday after the incident that read, "FAFO" spelled out in shells.
This abbreviation is commonly used to mean "F*** Around and Find
Out."
And Mike Collins, Georgia
Republican congressman, on Friday posted a meme to
X depicting "86
MS-13" with the caption "Cool shell formation on my beach walk."
MS-13 is an El Salvadoran gang that has been labeled a foreign terrorist
organization by the Trump administration.
Trump, in a preview clip from an interview with
Fox News on Friday, stated: "He knew exactly what that meant, a child
knows what that meant. If you're the FBI director and you don't know what that
meant? That meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear," Trump
said.
Before
his firing, during his days as a Republican, “Comey maxxed out
his contributions to Mitt Romney in 2012 in an effort to unseat his new boss,
and also gave to Obama's 2008 opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)” (CBS, ATTACHMENT EIGHT), but pivoted to support Kamala Harris in
’24.
The case has drawn attention beyond the American borders. Last week, the BBC reported (ATTACHMENT NINE)
that Comey surrendered to authorities, refusing to enter
a plea or speak during his brief appearance at a Virginia court on Wednesday
afternoon.
His attorney,
Patrick Fitzgerald, said the former director would seek dismissal on grounds of
selective and vindictive prosecution - arguing he was targeted for speaking out
against Trump.
Judge William
Fitzpatrick read the charges against Comey. He nodded as he was read his rights
and later smiled back at his family when he was leaving, the BBC's US partner
CBS News reported.
“Fitzpatrick denied the
justice department's efforts to set conditions of release for Comey, saying
they were not necessary, according to CBS.”
In a video
statement the night before his arrest, Comey said he was determined to fight
the charges.
"This
won't be the end of it - but I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid and I
still believe in the independent federal judiciary."
And
Al Jazeera of Qatar took notice even as the bombs were flying over the MidEast – explaining that, while the number 47 is
commonly understood to refer to Trump, who became the 47th US president after
returning to office in January 2025, the dispute focuses on the meaning of
“86”.
In US slang, “86” can
mean to remove, reject or throw something out. It has long been used in
restaurants when an item is unavailable or taken off the menu.
Some critics of
Comey’s post claim the number can also imply getting rid of something or
someone violently, though that interpretation is disputed. Comey said at the
time that he did not intend the post as a threat.
He later deleted it,
writing that he had not realised some people
associated the numbers with violence and that he opposed violence “of any
kind”.
WHY IS THIS CASE POLITICALLY SIGNIFICANT?
“Comey has been one of
Trump’s most prominent adversaries for years,” the Jazzies
contend (ATTACHMENT TEN)
“As director of the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 to 2017, Comey oversaw
investigations that angered both Democrats and Republicans during the 2016
election cycle. Trump later fired him in 2017, a move that triggered major
political fallout and scrutiny over whether the dismissal was linked to the
FBI’s investigation into whether Russia had interfered with the 2016
presidential election, which Comey was overseeing.
After Comey was
dismissed, Special Counsel Robert Mueller took over the Russia investigation.
The investigation
lasted nearly two years and found that Russia had made major efforts to sway
the 2016 election. Ultimately, it did not prove there was any criminal
conspiracy involving Trump or his team, but the case hung over Trump for years,
and he condemned it as a “witch-hunt”.
SURPRISE
and WONDER
Beyond
the reef of MAGAnitude, Joes and Moes
(and a David – former DOJ Counterintelligence prosecutor David Laufman), told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the case had
“zero merit” and added that it “makes no sense,” being
something “that brings stain and dishonor on the department, on its leadership,
on the line prosecutors and their supervisory officials.” (The Hill, 4/30, ATTACHMENT ELEVEN)
Several media orifices,
including ABC and the HuffPost added that the legal experts they’d interviewed
on the matter said they were “shellshocked” (nyuk, nyuk) over the indictment.
“President Donald Trump posted yet another late-night rant on Wednesday about
the criminal
case against
Comey, claiming his “86 47” post had violent implications.” (Huffington Post, ATTACHMENT TWELVE)
″’86′
is a mob term for ‘kill him.’ They say 86 him! 86 47 means ’kill President Trump.’James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst,
knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn’t he also lie to the
FBI about this??? I think so! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Comey’s
defense attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said during the hearing that attorneys
would argue the prosecution is vindictive and selective and Comey responded to
Tuesday’s indictment in a video posted to his Substack
account.
“Well,
they’re back. This time, about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina Beach
a year ago, and this won’t be the end of it. But nothing has changed with me.
I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the
independent federal judiciary. So let’s go,” Comey said in the video.
But,
amidst media reports, most of the usual suspects voiced, wrote or posted their
usual echolabia – although with a few caveats that
the North Carolina indictment “could go South.”
(Fox News, May 4th, ATTACHMENT THIRTEEN)
The
latest indictment against Comey has faced widespread criticism as Democrats
and some Republicans argue the charges present a free speech problem and do not
rise to the "true threat" standard established by the Supreme Court.
Comey's attorney said in court that he plans to ask the judge to toss out the
charges because they were selective and vindictive. Still, the DOJ and Trump
allies are standing firmly behind the charges as they warn critics to wait to
hear evidence before jumping to conclusions.
Comey's
arraignment is slated for May 11 in Greenville.
But,
after the May Day protests three days earlier, Foxy Greg Norman-Diamond grilled
'Saturday in America' host Kayleigh McEnany about her
contention that the May Day protests proved that left-wing activists (now
including Comey) were pushing “a pro-socialist agenda.”
Both
charges against the former Febbie carry “up to 10
years in prison.” The (indictments)
follow “a wave of criticism from Republicans and Trump administration officials
who viewed Comey's post as a “veiled threat”.
Fox described May Day Strong, which was the main organizer of
Friday's demonstrations, described them as "workers, students, and families"
rallying, marching
and taking action "across the country to demand a nation that puts
workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No
School. No Work. No Shopping." (May 2nd, ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN)
May
Day’s roots “trace back to the 19th century, when Marxists, socialists and
labor unions called for a day of strikes in Paris and later became a national
holiday in the Soviet Union after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
“While
May Day began as an effort to protect worker rights, the big-money political
operations of labor unions today give the protest a partisan bias that is
focused very much today on anti-Trump rhetoric, critics say.”
Without
specifically specifying 86-47 as Bolshevik rhetoric, Fox reminded its readers
and believers that Comey’s May 2025 Instagram post showed the numbers "86
47" arranged in shells on a beach.
"Cool
shell formation on my beach walk…," Comey captioned the post - which was
later deleted.
The President, himself, held
a press conference in the Oval Office where he told that "86" is a
"mob term" that means "kill him."
"When
they want to kill somebody, they say '86' the son of a gun," Trump
said.
Past and present prosecutions
came “amid a broad pressure campaign on law enforcement pushed by Trump to
target his political enemies, including through criminal prosecution,” wrote
USA Today (ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN)
Acting Attorney General Todd
Blanche, however, denied Trump directed the DOJ to bring the charges against
Comey.
"Of
course not, absolutely, positively not," Blanche said on "CBS
Mornings" on April 29.
"EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX
FEET DOWN! Didn’t he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!" Trump
said a week ago, Wednesday night, describing his apparent interpretation of
what the eight and six represent. (ABC,
April 30, ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN)
"You ever see the
movies? '86 ’em' -- the mobster says to one of his wonderful associates, '86
'em.' That means kill 'em. It’s -- I think of it as a mob term," the
President added.
But Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
said he’d done some of his own research on the term.
"I searched to the end
of the internet last night; I can't find one example where the number 86 had
anything to do with any violent threat. So hopefully there's more to it than
just the picture in the sand," Tillis told reporters on Wednesday.
"Otherwise, I just think it's another example of where we're going to
regret this because we're setting a fairly low bar and political physics, like
I've said around here for years, is what it is. For every action, there's an
equal and opposite reaction."
Tillis later added,
"maybe there's deep history in the use of this word and communicating
threats. I just can't find it anywhere."
And while the president has
repeated his claim that Comey's post was a call for him to be killed, “Trump
appeared to hedge when asked directly Wednesday whether he believed his life
was in danger.”
"Probably, I don’t
know," he said. "You know, based on -- based on what I’m seeing out
there, yeah."
The left wing
New Republic added that NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen
Welker had asked Blanche
what he made of the dozens
of products now being sold on Amazon that use the slogan “86 47,” the same
slogan that landed former FBI Director James Comey with his second indictment
for allegedly threatening the president.
“Should
individuals selling or buying ‘86 47’ merchandise be concerned that they’re
going to be prosecuted by the DOJ?” Welker asked the day after Trump’s appearance. (ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN)
“This isn’t
about a single incident,” Blanche said.
“That’s posted
constantly, that phrase is used constantly, there are constantly men and women who
choose to make threatening statements against President Trump. Every one of
those statements do not result in indictments, of course,” he added –
explaining what usually happens whern the public sees
sea shells.
“Just to be very clear, you are suggesting the seashells
themselves are not at the root of
this indictment?” Welker pressed.
“No, I am suggesting that every single case depends on
the investigation that’s done. And of course, the seashells are part of that
case, I mean, that’s what the public sees,” Blanche said.
The
New Republic’s take on the actual
indictment suggests that it really is just about the seashells. The
indictment alleges that the shells were a “serious
expression of intent to do harm” against the president. The document makes
no mention of additional materials that supposedly contributed to the
legitimacy of that threat. And as Blanche readily admitted Sunday, “86 47” is
widely used by Trump’s critics and is not considered to be a serious threat in
every case.
“So,
what made this case different?” asked the NR?
“Blanche didn’t bother to explain, simply pointing to the 11 months it
took the DOJ to investigate a highly publicized Instagram post. It seems the
only difference is who posted it: someone who Trump has decided is his enemy.”
The
New York Times agreed with this interpretation, holding off on the frivolity –
calling the President’s jihad against Comey and some comedians “as ludicrous as it is
bone-chillingly dangerous,” (ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN) reiterating the dining room
argument that anyone who’s worked in an American restaurant or bar
“knows that when a chef or headwaiter uses the term 86’d, it means that the
item is no longer available.” Discussion might
ensue had Comey actually used the term in
reference to the President, but he didn’t – he just posted the picture of
seashells on a seashore.
And even some of Trump’s usual suspects experience
befuddlement... or worse. “That is Nuts” said one of the most faithful fans in
Trump’s gallery, podcaster Joe Rogan.
(Forbes, May 2nd, ATTACHMENT NINETEEN)
Rogan, whom Forbes called “the country’s most
popular podcaster and a one-time strong supporter of Trump”, said prosecuting
someone for a social media post could errode First
Amendment protections and said it's "just silly."
@begin
A19
X15 Forbes – rogan
A20
X18 Cato
A21 X25 Hill
@a22 The aforementioned comedians
X22a USA TODAY – dupe from a3
or url
Comey indictment an attack on my right to arrange
seashells! | Opinion
@ Foreign reaction
A24 X09 BBC
A25 Other (Al Jazz, dw or ???
IMPLICATIONS
@ Vengefulness
A26 X21 maureen comey
@ The law
A27 X10 legal takeaways
A28 X05 Fox
A29 X35 Reason on “true threats”
A30 X36 Hill on state v. fed law
@ midterms
A31 X34 hurts repubs
@ PROSPECTS
A32
A33
|
IN the NEWS:
MAY 1st, 2026 to MAY 7th, 2026 |
|
|
|
Friday, May 1, 2026 Dow:
49,499.27 |
It’s May
Day, the beginning of Asian-American month and there’s the first of May’s two
full moons. Prada’s Devil Two opens with devils in labor,
politics and business seething. The lates polls show a 62-37 negative on POTUS, but voters
don’t like asses either. The Met Gala tonight is called a “cultural
phenomenon” and gas is up another 12¢/gallon... 40¢ for the week as the
per-gallon average reaches $4.45.
Upper Midwest joins California for worst states. “Gas prices will come crashing down,”
President Trump says, “once the war is over.”
Oily experts, however, disagree. The Senate reject Democrats’ 60 day Iran
War Powers regulations; DefSec Pete says the
deadline doesn’t apply during cease-fires, even when the firing hasn’t
ceased. “Any further decisions must be
made by Me,” says President Trump – who also says he’ll sanction ships that
pay tolls to Iran, perhaps invade Cuba and put 94 year old Commie Raul Castro
out of his misety and lifts tariffs on Scotch
whiskey at the behest of King Charles while raising tariffs on the unhelpful
EU from 15% to 25% and swapping out Surgeon Generals while Charles and Cam
leave for Bermuda before heading back home – where Prince Billy and Princess
Kate have a new dog. Jimmy Kimmel says Trump has three wars
going on – against Iranians, Ukrainians and comedians. |
|
|
Saturday, May 2, 2026 Dow:
Closed |
Spirit
closes immediately, even ordering planes in flight to turn around (risking
crashes) and land at miscellaneous airports – stranding fliers, ticketholders
and 1,700 employees with no money and no way to get home. Ticketholders stiffed for advance pay with
only promises of restitution, other airlines say they will cut prices for the
stranded... maybe. TranSec
Duffy blames the war... waffling on Trump, plus the Plague but, especially, Goneaway Joe Biden for bungling the Spirit/Jet Blue
merger. Djonald InConsistant says a deal with Iran is about to happen
but, if it doesn’t, civilians will be obliterated because “I’m not happy,”
also because “we can’t let lunatics have nuclear weapons”. What does make him happy is SCOTUS banning mifeprestone (the abortion pill) and overturning the 1984
voting rights act. Gas prices further
escalating, impacting grocery deliveries and, now, garbage pickups. Golden Tempo wins Kentucky Derby for
pioneer female trainer @ as NBA and NHL playoffs thin the field. Devil Two defeats Jackson Biopic in US
opening: 77 to 54M with projected 200M worldwide. Also taking off is the merching:
Starbucks introduces four new flavors of coffee, each names for one of the
stars. |
|
|
Sunday, May 3, 2026 Dow:
Closed |
Pope Leo
gives his first Papal sermon, praising the free press on Talkshow
Sunday. ABC’s “The Week” features EnSec Duffy, who says that prices will drop because we
have already won the war and President Trump says that Iran “has not yet paid
a high enough price.” Penelists Karen Young from Columbia U and Dinana Swank of R@ reply that oil prices “go up like a
rocket and come down like a feather,” while other oilies
predict high prices will last for a year after the war ends, if and when. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) says that the world
is “shuddering” under economic blows, Iran’s present regime is even more
hostile than the former because it considers the war “existential”. On the 60 day sundown, he says there are no
“time outs” and, while the law says a 30 day extension can be approved by
Congress, Trump ignores the law and is driving off all our (European) allies. On the Roundtable, Sara Isgur of “Scotus blog” says the Voting Rights repeal will
gut black political representation, Donna Brazile
calls it a betrayal and the resultant gerrymandering rush is immoral and
unjustified. Chris Christie says that
the matter can be fixed by Congress – not this
Congress, but maybe the one in 2028 or 2030.
Former Congessman Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
says that the VRA was exploited by black racists. Isgur, again,
says the Comey prosecution “is not a real case” and Christie calls him “one
of the stupidest smart guys” in Washington. On “Face the Nation” David Sedaris
discourses on the legality of dog abortions, Ken Hardfelt@
of the Natl. Economic Council says America “is on the precipice of extreme
calamity” while Minnesota’s Fed Chair # says no rate cuts “are in the cards”
and a raise is possible. “Sixty
Minutes” exposes neo-Nazi plot to show up at national disasters and recruit
victims. “Hill” host Chris Stirewalt
says that while Trump “is waving his shillelagh around”, the National Dabt now exceeds the yearly GDP due to Democratic
spending and Republican tax cuts because “everybody loves free stuff” with
interest being the economy’s greatest liability and profiles an
intellectual... Thomas Chatterton Williams who calls the glorification of
political violence (Mangione, Correspondents’ Dinner) a descent into
“nihilism and anarchy” and cites Camus and Kant... gumments must be the only
dealer of political violence. |
|
|
Monday, May 4, 2026 Dow:
49,349.39 |
It’s “Star
Wars” day. “May the Fourth be with
you!” President Trump creates “Project Freedom” to
escort tankers through the Straits of Hormuz and combat Iranian drones,
missiles, combat watercraft and minelayers, blowing up seven speedboats – but
also says negotiations are going “very well”.
Oil prices fall with the hope of war’s end. Few tankers accept, however, due to the
warnings of insurance agents and IPSOS poll says 62% oppose his
administration. Part of the problem has to be inflation,
which is rising slowly and steadily as more supply chain issues appear out of
the oil shortage. Particularly
impacted are transport and packaging – farmers hit not only with transport
costs but a shortage of fertilizer for spring planting. @ Hot on the heels of the opening weekend
for “The Devil Wears Prada Two” (which outsells the Michael Jackson biopic 72
– 54M domestically, with over 233M worldwide), Jeff Bezos sponsors a
celebrity party to kick off the Met Gala.
Fashionistas go with the theme “Fashion is Art” to dressup
like people in famous paintings. Next
up for moviegoers: Star Wars What – 83? – with Grogu
and the Mandalorian (another Yoda) but not, yet, Darth Vader in Prada. |
|
|
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 Dow:
49,288.25 |
Trump says
the cease fire is holding as the war continues... SecState
Marco say any contradiction is a Dem. plot because Project Freedom is a
defensive operation. Epic Fury
declared over because, Trump says, we won the war. “I always win.” Iran disagrees and bombs the United Arab
Emirates as gas buddies say prices at the hump will hit $5/gal. by Memorial
Day, more by July 4th... but
Wall Street swallows it whole. More Met Gala musings: New Yorkers divided
between those who follow fashion and those who go to the Knicks’ game. There are protess
and boycotts... Zorro and Zendaya... and Meryl Streep says the Met is “not my
thing” but woke fashionistas approve of the inclusion of catwalk amputees,
wheelchair user and trannies, with $42M raised for charity. A zillion miles away, unemployed Americans
search for work while workers struggle to balance rent, food and rising
utility bills. Things are still worse
for migrants – now fake attorneys are scamming undocumented seekers of legitimach while eighteen have died in ICE custody in
four months, which administrators blame on the Democratic budget cuts, with
the help of treacherous Republicans. As Darkness Falls over America, President
Trump pivots and says that, even although we won the war, Operation Freedom
will be cancelled. He says the
prospect of longer and higher gas prices are the price we have to pay for
preventing nuclear bombs from “falling ino the
hands of people who are deranged.” |
|
|
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Dow:
49,910.59 |
True
believers on Wall Street refuse to recognize the TACO and the markets keep
soaring, almost passing the Dow 50,000 ceiling last reached @date while the
Administration say it had a “symbolic effect.” Joneses of a certain age, including
veterans, recall the last shootouts in Hormuz during President Reagan’s 1987
where a deal took a year and a half to conclude. Iran says now that America has surrendered,
ships will be allowed to pass, but insurance men say no way. As both sides lobby China for support, the
diplomats produce a one page treaty... stop the blockade in Hormuz and no
nukes for Iran who, surprise!, rejects it. Couting down the
days to unemployment, ABC latenighter Steven
Colbert hosts Barack Obama, floats a Presidential run of his own and Hussein
allows as how the bar to Presidencies has “changed”. CBS says that he will be replaced by
innocuous Byron Allen. Fortunately, the old folks will be waking
up and making waves. The Rolling
Stones will release a new album “Foreign Tongues” featuring a busy Sir Paul,
who also guests on Ringo’s new album.
More music from Mary J. Blige with a new album and Vegas residency,
but Dolly Parton cancels her Vegas trip due to those awful solling kidney stones. And friends and foes alike pay tribute to
sports and media mogul Ted Turner, who dies of dementia at 83. Ex-wife Jane Fonda calls him a
“swashbuckling pirate,” but in a good way. |
|
|
Thursday, May 7, 2026 Dow:
49,652.14 |
It’s the
first anniversary of Pope Leo’s promotion |
|
|
|
||
|
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) Gains in indices as improved are noted in GREEN. Negative/harmful
indices in RED as are their designation. (Note – some of the indices where the total
went up created a realm where their value went down... and vice versa.) See a
further explanation of categories HERE |
|
ECONOMIC INDICES
|
(60%) |
|
|||||||
|
CATEGORY |
VALUE |
BASE |
RESULTS by PERCENTAGE |
SCORE |
OUR SOURCES and COMMENTS |
||||
|
INCOME |
(24%) |
6/17/13 revised 1/1/22 |
LAST |
CHANGE |
NEXT |
LAST WEEK |
THIS WEEK |
THE WEEK’S CLOSING STATS... |
|
|
Wages (hrly. Per cap) |
9% |
1350 points |
4/17/26 |
+0.161% |
5/26 |
1,896.65 |
1,896.65 |
|
|
|
Median Inc. (yearly) |
4% |
600 |
4/17/26 |
+0.058% |
5/8/26 |
1,129.24 |
1,129.89 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 51,944 977 52,000 030 |
|
|
Unempl. (BLS – in mi) |
4% |
600 |
4/17/26 |
-2.33% |
5/26 |
542.60 |
542.60 |
||
|
Official (DC – in mi) |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+5.90% |
5/8/26 |
204.13 |
216.17 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 7,670 680 687 259 |
|
|
Unofficl. (DC – in mi) |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+4.79% |
5/8/26 |
238.57 |
250.01 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 14,331 350 363 3,706 |
|
|
Workforce Participation Number Percent |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.068% +0.10% |
5/8/26 |
295.65 |
295.95 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ In
162,716 706 670 781 Out 105,148 189 218
013 Total: 267,864 888 794 60.746 .723 .786 |
|
|
WP % (ycharts)* |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
+0.162% |
5/26 |
150.22 |
150.22 |
https://ycharts.com/indicators/labor_force_participation_rate 61.90 |
|
|
OUTGO |
(15%) |
||||||||
|
Total Inflation |
7% |
1050 |
4/24/26 |
+0.9% |
4/26 |
911.77 |
911.77 |
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.9 |
|
|
Food |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.0% |
4/26 |
259.19 |
259.19 |
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.0 |
|
|
Gasoline |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+21.2% |
4/26 |
206.83 |
206.83 |
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +21.2 |
|
|
Medical Costs |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.3% |
4/26 |
270.10 |
270.10 |
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm
+0.3 |
|
|
Shelter |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.0% |
4/26 |
239.10 |
239.10 |
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm
+0.0 |
|
|
WEALTH |
|||||||||
|
Dow Jones Index |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
-0.11% |
5/8/26 |
382.57 |
382.15 |
https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/index/ 48,578.92 49,652.14 596.97 |
|
|
Home (Sales) (Valuation) |
1% 1% |
150 150 |
4/24/26 |
-2.69% +2.71% |
5/8/26 |
129.54 267.74 |
129.54 267.74 |
https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics Sales (M): 3.98
Valuations (K): 408.8 |
|
|
Millionaires
(New Category) |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
+0.058% |
5/8/26 |
136.96 |
137.04 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 24,164 180 191 205 |
|
|
Paupers (New Category) |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
+0.033% |
5/8/26 |
135.11 |
135.07 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 36,829 842 851 863 |
|
|
GOVERNMENT |
(10%) |
||||||||
|
Revenue (trilns.) |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.31% |
5/8/26 |
474.22 |
475.70 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 5,432 440 445 462 |
|
|
Expenditures (tr.) |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
+0.077% |
5/8/26 |
291.81 |
291.65 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
7,111 115 118 122 |
|
|
National Debt tr.) |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
+0.077% |
5/8/26 |
346.49 |
346.22 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 39,128 161 185 215 |
|
|
Aggregate Debt (tr.) |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
+0.091% |
5/8/26 |
370.16 |
369.81 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 107,477 589 667 768 |
|
|
TRADE |
(5%) |
||||||||
|
Foreign Debt (tr.) |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
-1.17% |
5/8/26 |
253.76 |
250.80 |
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
9,462 477 487 599 |
|
|
Exports (in billions) |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
+1.94% |
5/26 |
195.91 |
199.71 |
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 314.8 320.9 |
|
|
Imports (in billions)) |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
-2.39% |
5/26 |
138.64 |
135.33 |
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 372.1 381.2 |
|
|
Trade Surplus/Deficit (blns.) |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
+4.98% |
5/26 |
247.48 |
234.98 |
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 57.3 60.3 |
|
|
ACTS of MAN |
(12%) |
|
|||||||
|
World Affairs |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
-0.2% |
5/8/26 |
470.55 |
469.61 |
Whether motivated
by politics or economics, fewer foreign tourists are visiting the United
States. Hantavirus cruise ship
passengers quarantined and then de-quarantined and allowed to disembark in
the Canary Islands. |
|
|
War and terrorism |
2% |
300 |
4/24/26 |
-0.2% |
5/8/26 |
283.45 |
282.88 |
Acting AyGee Todd Blanche calls James Comey a domestic terrorist
for arranging seashells to threaten the President (above). Hamas hostages from Israeli festival tell
tales of rape, torture and sadism.
Catholic nun attacked in Jerusalem by @. |
|
|
Politics |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
-0.2% |
5/8/26 |
454.72 |
454.21 |
Primary
season finds Indiana voting MAGA but @.
As Spirit fails, US flights to Venezuela resume. Amazon preparing an “Apprentice” remake
with Don Trump Junior. Epstein suicide
note allegedly found. |
|
|
Economics |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
nc |
5/8/26 |
427.91 |
427.91 |
@ @The Murdochs make move to buy Vox and New York Magazine while
Bed, Bath and Beyond reincarnated from beyond as a subsidiary of the The Container Store.
SAG settles labor dispute with producers. |
|
|
Crime |
1% |
150 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
203.56 |
203.36 |
Bank
robber who kills two in Kentucky accused of “causing death with a firearm”,
not murder. Domino’s driver runs over
pizza rat who stiffed him on tip.
Sixteen arrested in NYC car theft ring. Eight stabbed at Tacoma school, ten shot at
Oklahoma campground. Chik-Fil-A worker arrested in $80K mac and cheese
fraud. Tabloid terror at Britney
Spears’ drunk driving. |
|
|
ACTS of GOD |
(6%) |
|
|||||||
|
Environment/Weather |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
279.42 |
279.14 |
“Out of
control” mussel endangers California water supply. Weekend rain and heat records in Florida,
Miami reaches 96°. Tornadoes strike Mississippi. |
|
|
Disasters |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
464.92 |
464.46 |
Death and
Texas finds fatal flash flooding in San Antonio, five killed in Austin plane
crash, multiple drowning in Florida rip currents. Insurance policy in the news for Hormuz –
also State Farm accused of cheating wildfire victins
but United liberalizes payouts (perhaps mindful of Mangione). |
|
|
LIFESTYLE/JUSTICE INDEX |
(15%) |
|
|||||||
|
Science, Tech, Education |
4% |
600 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
621.69 |
621.07 |
Many schools
transiting to four day weeks, but results are mixed and a few are going back
to M – F. DoEdu.
Disagrees on degrees: saying college is not worth the cost for many. |
|
|
Equality (econ/social) |
4% |
600 |
4/24/26 |
+0.1% |
5/8/26 |
669.69 |
670.36 |
Cherie Devane@ becomes first woman to train Derby winner Golden
Tempo (but he’ll skip Preakness). META
will boycott New Mexico for imposing “impractical” child protections. |
|
|
Health |
4% |
600 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
414.63 |
414.22 |
Nebraska first
state with work requirement for Medicaid.
TVdocs order Americans: replace meat with
beans! Plush Build A Bears recalled as
kids eat and choke on zippers; faulty Sportsman Thermos lids pop up and blind
three; salmonellic frozen pizza from Aldi’s and WalMart; potato chips from Utz; GLP-1 weight loss drugs
like Ozempic can treat endrometriosis@. FDA greenlights fruit flavored cigarettes
for the kiddies but vetoes vaxxing research into
Covid and Shingles. |
|
|
Freedom and Justice |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
-0.1% |
5/8/26 |
479.68 |
479.20 |
In the
courts – Civil: “Info Wars” takeover by “Onion”, $800M settlement by NYC
archdiocese for raping papists, Baldoni/Lively settle (then both go to the
Met). Criminal: mother arrested after
son, 14, kills 81 year old pedestrian on his e-bike; “Superdry” CEO James Holden convicted of drunken rape but
NFL’s Stefon Diggs acquitted of same.
Texas Fed Ex driver sentenced to death for murder of seven year old. Both: Open AI Sam Altman says he fears Elon
Musk will beat him up. Cold: Kash Patel in feud
with Arizona police on who bungled Nancy Guthrie kidnapping. |
|
|
CULTURAL and MISCELLANEOUS
INCIDENTS |
(6%) |
|
|
||||||
|
Cultural incidents |
3% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
+0.1% |
5/8/26 |
590.76 |
591.19 |
FIFA allows
Iran to play in World Cup. Many tennis
stars boycott the Four Majors for cheap payots
(players get 15% as opposed to 50% in other sports). NBA and NHL playoffs down to Elite
Eight. Prada Two beats Jacko at
B.O. New music from Stones and Sir
Paul (above), Oprah’s May book is “John of John” by gay Scotsman Douglas
Stuart. RIP: Ted Turner (above); David Alan Coe
(“Take This Job & Shove It”); Oklahoma Senate candidate @; Yankees
broadcaster John Sterling; |
|
|
Miscellaneous incidents |
4% |
450 |
4/24/26 |
+0.1% |
5/8/26 |
551.75 |
552.30 |
Children
vote names for eagle chicks: @ and @.
1,500 beagles rescued from animal research lab now looking for their
Charlie Browns. Homeless man arrested for
squatting in basement, but homeowners forgive him. Epstein cellmate displays alleged suicide
note where he calls prison “No Fun!” |
|