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The global energy crisis has entered an alarming new stage.  In recent months, natural gas prices have risen to absurd heights and supplies have been getting tighter and tighter all over the planet.  But I did not expect that we would see any rationing yet.  It had been my opinion that we could possibly see some limited rationing once we reached the worst moments of the winter, but apparently things are worse than I thought.  In fact, when I heard about what is going on in Pakistan right now I was absolutely horrified…

Pakistan has no other option but to ration natural gas supply this winter, with gas provided three times a day for cooking to households, amid acute shortages and a forex crisis in the world’s fifth most populous country, an official from the petroleum ministry told a Parliament panel this week.

The energy crisis in Pakistan has deepened this year, and now, natural gas supplies will be very limited for households, according to officials.

How would you feel if your natural gas was turned off throughout the winter except for meal times?

It is being reported that Pakistani households will only have their natural gas turned on “for three hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and three hours in the evening”…

“There would be no gas supply (to household consumers) for 16 hours” a day, Muhammad Mahmood told the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Petroleum, as carried by the local outlet Dawn.

Pakistani households will have gas available for three hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and three hours in the evening, Mahmood added.

I had no idea that conditions were already so bad in Pakistan.

And there are some in the business community that would like to make natural gas rationing for Pakistani households “a permanent feature throughout the year”…

Appreciating the judicious decision of natural gas rationing for domestic consumers, the business community has urged the government to make this prudent decision a permanent feature throughout the year as 50 percent of total gas in Pakistan is consumed by households, which is one of major hindrances in economic growth of the country.

With prices for imported natural gas being so high, it is probably inevitable that other poor countries will be forced to implement similar measures.

Needless to say, that is really, really bad news.

Thanks to relentless stockpiling ahead of time, things will not be quite as bad for Europe this winter as many had originally anticipated.

But Europeans could still be facing occasional blackouts, and they will definitely have to deal with “sky-high energy bills”…

In 1972, natural gas exports from the Soviet Union accounted for around 4% of European gas consumption. By 2021, Russia was providing almost 40% of Europe’s gas. As Moscow’s market share has gradually increased, so has its ability to manipulate prices and trigger crises. Most Europeans now acknowledge that this reliance on Russia represents a major strategic blunder. Too late. Europe’s “green energy transition” features one major flaw: it relies on Russian gas imports.

Back to the future. This will be an extremely difficult winter for all Europeans, whether they face blackouts or heating issues and sky-high energy bills.

The good news, if you want to call it that, is that European fertilizer production is starting to bounce back a bit.

At one point, European fertilizer output had been cut by nearly two-thirds, but now it is back up to 63 percent…

Norway’s Yara International one of the world’s largest fertilizer companies, said that it was now operating at 65% of its European ammonia capacity—having slashed output to just over a third of its total capacity for much of the second half of this year. Commodity research firm CRU International Ltd. said Yara’s moves are in line with other producers. Overall, European fertilizer output is now at about 63% of total capacity, having previously stood at around 37% at the start of October, CRU said.

Let us hope that number continues to rise, because fertilizer prices are already insanely high.

As those prices continue to rise, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that the global food crisis that we are now witnessing could get substantially worse…

“Higher costs for imported energy and fertilizer are behind the foreseen increase. Both are particularly relevant in import bills, posing strains for the current accounts of low-income and lower middle-income countries,” the report said, adding that “As a result, some countries may be forced to reduce input applications, almost inevitably resulting in lower agricultural productivity and lower domestic food availability.”

Here in the United States, those that rely on natural gas for heating are likely to see much higher bills this winter.

At this point, things are looking particularly grim in New England…

With the global natural gas supply stretching thin, Eversource and other utility companies have been sounding the alarm.

Bills have already been going up for some.

Eyewitness News ran into someone in Berlin who described how one of her bills increased to over $200.

Even though bills will be going up quite a bit, ISO New England is assuring everyone that there won’t be any shortages as long as winter conditions are “mild” or “moderate”…

While Eversource has sounded the alarm, ISO New England, the region’s electricity grid operator, is still saying we should be ok for the season.

ISO New England said there’s enough supply for mild and moderate winter conditions.

Unfortunately, Eversource is not as confident.

In fact, Eversource is actually asking Joe Biden to waive the Jones Act so that it can secure more natural gas supplies for the upcoming winter season…

The CEO for New England’s largest utility, Eversource Energy, called on President Biden in a letter last week to enact federal emergency orders to “swiftly address the growing concerns” of New England’s access, or lack thereof, to natural gas this winter heating season.

New England, which lacks the natural gas pipeline infrastructure to fill out its demand, relies on LNG shipments to its three liquefied natural gas import facilities on “foreign flagged vessels,” CEO Joseph Nolan said. “However, because of the war in Ukraine, LNG imports are not available…in the volumes necessary to meet this winter’s needs without causing further stress on European markets and the American economy.”

We are still over a month away from the official start of winter.

If authorities are scrambling this much already, what will things be like once we get to January and February?

Without a doubt, this will be a winter like no other.

But I actually expect the following winters to be even worse.

So enjoy this winter while you can, because the years ahead are going to be exceedingly challenging.

The global elite desperately want to move us away from traditional forms of energy, and they promised us that the “green revolution” would change everything.

Well, everything is definitely about to change, but not in a good way.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Sometimes I think that we truly are living in Bizarro World.  We just witnessed one of the most horrible financial disasters in years, and economic activity is dramatically slowing down all around us, but Wall Street is celebrating.  In fact, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 1,200 points on Thursday.  Despite everything else that is going wrong, investors were absolutely giddy because the inflation number that was just released was slightly lower than what most experts were anticipating.  A lot of people seem to think that this could mean that the Federal Reserve will soon stop hiking interest rates, but that isn’t going to happen.  Jerome Powell continues to insist that rates will keep going higher until the official inflation rate is back down to about 2 percent, and we are a long, long way from there.

So I really don’t understand why there was such a buying frenzy on Wall Street on Thursday.

It just doesn’t make any sense.

Just 24 hours earlier, the collapse of FTX was freaking everyone out.  Right now, Zero Hedge has an article up that does a really good job of breaking down exactly what precipitated this crisis…

Alameda Research – Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) FTX-affiliated crypto hedge fund – “owed” FTX $10 billion after the exchange “lent” billions of dollars of sacrosanct customer assets to fund risky bets, just as we suspected… only even more!

That, as The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a person familiar with the matter, is what set the stage for the carnage and chaos across the crypto space that has happened in the past few days as the reality of FTX’s alleged commingling of funds and massive shortfall became public thanks to Binance’s CZ’s due diligence and CoinDesk’s reporting.

FTX extended loans to Alameda using money that customers had deposited on the exchange for trading purposes, a decision that Bankman-Fried described as a “poor judgment call.”

All in all, FTX had $16 billion in customer assets, according to the person, so FTX lent more than half of its customer funds to its sister company Alameda.

As long as the crypto bubble was expanding, nobody got hurt.

But once crypto values crashed, it was inevitable that the whole scam would come crashing down really hard.

Yesterday, I stated that FTX would be going to zero.  Well, less than 24 hours later Sequoia actually “marked its own investment down to $0”…

FTX now faces bankruptcy and one of its early backers, Sequoia, has essentially declared the firm worthless after it marked its own investment down to $0.

Heavy hitters all over Wall Street are facing billions upon billions of dollars in losses.

You would think that would be enough to set off a wave of panic on Wall Street, but what we got was a mindless buying frenzy instead.

Meanwhile, we continue to get more numbers about our new housing crash that are absolutely jaw-dropping.

For example, we just learned that U.S. homeowners lost a whopping 1.3 trillion dollars in home equity last quarter…

U.S. homeowners lost $1.3 trillion, or 7.6 percent, in home equity in the third quarter, the largest quarterly decline on record, according to the mortgage software and analytics company Black Knight.

Following the unprecedented real estate boom of the past two years, signs of a slowing housing market are beginning to emerge.

We haven’t seen anything like this since 2008, and it is because the Federal Reserve has been dramatically raising interest rates.

If you can believe it, mortgage rates have now been above 7 percent for three weeks in a row…

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($647,200 or less) increased to 7.14% from 7.06%, with points increasing to 0.77 from 0.73 (including the origination fee) for loans with a 20% down payment.

“Mortgage rates edged higher last week following news that the Federal Reserve will continue raising short-term rates to combat high inflation. The 30-year fixed rate remained above 7 percent for the third consecutive week, with increases for most loan types,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s deputy chief economist.

The auto industry is also being hit really hard.

At this point, auto loan delinquencies are already the highest that they have been “in more than a decade”, and it is probably inevitable that they will continue to go much higher…

Auto loan delinquencies have risen to the highest level in over 10 years, according to TransUnion.

TransUnion tracks more than 81 million auto loans in the United States. According to the consumer credit reporting agency, 1.65% of auto loans were at least 60 days delinquent in the third quarter. That is the highest rate for 60-day-plus delinquencies in more than a decade.

For even more numbers that show that the U.S. economy is rapidly heading in the wrong direction, please see my previous article entitled “11 Signs That Economic Activity Is Plunging Off A Cliff”.

But all of the troubling figures that I just shared with you didn’t really matter on Thursday.

Instead, what mattered was the fact that the new inflation number was just slightly lower than anticipated…

The consumer price index rose less than expected in October, an indication that while inflation is still a threat to the U.S. economy, pressures could be starting to cool.

The index, a broad-based measure of goods and services costs, increased 0.4% for the month and 7.7% from a year ago, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics release Thursday. Respective estimates from Dow Jones were for rises of 0.6% and 7.9%.

Ironically, nothing has really changed.

Inflation is still wildly out of control, and the overall economy is still plunging into a major downturn.

We are potentially facing a “stagflation” crisis that will be far worse than anything that we experienced back in the 1970s, but Wall Street doesn’t seem to care.

On Thursday, everyone was buying, and stock prices shot through the roof…

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,201.43 points, or 3.7%, to 33,715.37 for its biggest one-day gain since stocks were emerging from the depths of the pandemic bear market. The S&P 500 jumped 5.54% to 3,956.37 in its biggest rally since April 2020. The Nasdaq Composite surged 7.35%, its best since March 2020, closing at 11,114.15.

So what is it going to take to finally end this absolutely absurd bubble?

A major war in the Middle East?

A war with China?

Sadly, both of those wars are definitely coming.

But when more war does break out, investors may interpret it as really good news since it might mean that the Fed will soon start reducing interest rates.

That is how crazy things have become.

Apparently, nothing really matters except for the Fed, and every piece of bad news is going to be interpreted as a sign that the Fed may change course on raising rates.

So for now we are stuck in Bizarro World, and for the moment ignorance is bliss.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Another domino has fallen.  We are being told that the failure of FTX “would be kind of like a Lehman Brothers event”, and at this hour FTX is on the verge of collapse.  There was a chance that FTX could survive when Binance announced a shocking rescue plan, but after looking at the books Binance has reportedly backed out of the deal.  As a result, investors that have poured billions into FTX are likely to lose everything.  And many believe that FTX’s heavily promoted token, FTT, is going to zero.  If you have been waiting for a financial disaster to happen, this certainly qualifies.  A lot of people that were “crypto millionaires” not too long ago are going to be totally wiped out.

Of course the collapse of FTX is going to be felt very widely, because a lot of really big “heavy hitters” were very heavily invested in FTX…

Some of the prominent investors in the crypto exchange include – BlackRock, Ontario Pension Fund, Sequoia, Paradigm, SoftBank, Circle, Ribbit, Alan Howard, Multicoin, VanEck, and Temasek.

Sequoia invested in a $420 million round in the company at a $25 billion valuation in October 2021. Additionally, some of the heavy hitters in the capital market, namely Temasek, Paradigm, NEA, SoftBank, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tiger Global, Insight Partners, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and others, poured in capital worth $400 million at $32 billion in January 2022.

Even celebrities such as Tom Brady and Steph Curry had poured enormous sums of money into FTX.

Now all of that money could be gone.

One anonymous industry executive actually told CNN that the collapse of FTX “would be kind of like a Lehman Brothers event for the space”…

“I’m actually shocked by this,” an industry executive told CNN Business. “FTX failing … would be kind of like a Lehman Brothers event for the space. But if they have been successfully bailed out, then that would probably head things off at the pass.”

Sadly, that industry executive is quite right.

This is a major catastrophe.

When the deal between Binance and FTX was originally announced, FTT immediately lost over 2 billion dollars in value…

FTT, the token native to crypto exchange FTX, lost most of its value after rival Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency firm, announced plans to acquire the company.

The coin traded at around $22 on Monday and sank below $5 Tuesday afternoon in New York. The sell-off wiped out more than $2 billion in value in the space of 24 hours.

But now Binance has completely pulled out of the deal.

After looking at the books, Binance decided that the problems at FTX are “beyond our control or ability to help”…

A day after announcing a plan to buy its embattled rival, cryptocurrency exchange Binance pulled out of the deal, saying FTX’s problems were “beyond our control or ability to help.”

“As a result of corporate due diligence, as well as the latest news reports regarding mishandled customer funds and alleged US agency investigations, we have decided that we will not pursue the potential acquisition of http://FTX.com,” Binance said in a statement.

So now there is no hope for FTX.

And there is no hope for FTT.

These developments definitely played a major role in the tremendous turmoil that we witnessed on Wall Street on Wednesday…

Stocks were lower on Wednesday — following recent market gains — as results of the midterm elections provided no clear answers about who would control Congress yet. A crypto selloff also weighed on markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 646.89 points, or about 1.95%, to 32,513.94. The decline was led by Disney, which fell 13.2% after the entertainment giant missed analysts’ estimates on the top and bottom lines. The S&P 500 shed 2.08% to 3,748.57, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 2.48% to 10,353.17.

Meanwhile, the rapidly growing tech industry crisis that has recently erupted just continues to get even worse.

We just learned that Facebook will be laying off more than 11,000 workers.  This is the very first time the company has done anything like this…

Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said the company will cut more than 11,000 jobs, calling himself responsible for the first major round of layoffs in the social media giant’s history.

In a letter to his employees, Mark Zuckerberg took full accountability for the decisions to let people go…

Today I’m sharing some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history. I’ve decided to reduce the size of our team by about 13% and let more than 11,000 of our talented employees go. We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1.

I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry to those impacted.

Of course it is easy for him to say such things because he still has a job and he is still one of the wealthiest individuals on the entire planet.

In recent weeks, other major tech companies have been conducting large scale layoffs as well…

1. Twitter: 50%

2. Cameo: 25%

3. Robinhood: 23%

4. Intel: 20%

5. Snapchat: 20%

6. Coinbase: 18%

7. Opendoor: 18%

8. Stripe: 14%

9. Lyft: 13%

10. Shopify: 10%

We have never seen layoffs of this magnitude in the entire history of the tech industry.

Even in 2008 and 2009 we didn’t see anything like this.

At this same time, we are seeing some very alarming real estate layoffs as that industry also plunges into a crisis.

For example, Redfin just announced that they will be letting 13 percent of their employees go…

Redfin is set to shutter its home-flipping business and reduce its workforce by 13%, laying off 862 employees.

About 264 of the job cuts will be directly related to the shutdown of RedfinNow, the company’s instant buying, or iBuying, business in which it purchases a home as-is, completes minor improvements and resells the home on the open market.

This is exactly what we would expect to see during the early stages of a major economic slowdown.

Unfortunately, much worse is ahead.  In fact, the times that we are moving into will greatly challenge all of us.

During the “Great Recession”, the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to the floor, and that really helped stabilize the economy.

But the Federal Reserve can’t do that this time around because inflation is totally out of control.

So instead of reducing rates, the Fed is just going to keep raising them.

The economic outlook for 2023 is so bleak, and at this point almost everyone can see that really tough times are ahead.

Up until just recently, however, the financial markets were still doing relatively well.

But now a new “Lehman Brothers moment” has arrived, and it is likely that we will see quite a bit of panic on Wall Street as the implications of the collapse of FTX reverberate throughout the financial community.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

This holiday season is certainly going to be far less jolly for millions of Americans.  Yesterday, I detailed 11 signs that economic activity in the U.S. is rapidly declining.  Well, today we have gotten even more bad news.  Thanks to deteriorating economic conditions, Americans plan to buy a lot less stuff this holiday season.  In fact, one survey that was just released has discovered that approximately half the country plans to “buy fewer things” this year…

Inflation is weighing heavily on the holidays this year.

Roughly half of shoppers will buy fewer things due to higher prices, and more than one-third said they will rely on coupons to cut down on the cost, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 adults by RetailMeNot.

Normally, if cash is tight Americans will just load up their credit cards during the holiday season.

But for many people that simply won’t be possible this year.

Millions upon millions of us are already completely tapped out, and credit card balances have surged to a brand new record high…

Credit card and personal loan balances have reached record highs in recent months as an increasing number of consumers lean on such means to combat growing financial pressures caused by sky-high inflation.

According to TransUnion’s Quarterly Credit Industry Insights Report (CIIR), bankcard balances rose 19% during the third quarter from a year ago, reaching a record $866 billion. This was driven heavily by a growth in Gen Z and Millennial borrowers whose balances increased 72% and 32%, respectively, according to the report.

A lot of Americans have already been heavily leaning on their credit cards just to survive from month to month in this harsh economic environment.

Now that balances are so high, there simply is not a lot of room for additional spending.

Women usually do a great deal of the holiday shopping, and another recent survey discovered that they are even more concerned about inflation than men are…

Rising prices are taking a toll on everyone right now, but a new study shows women are feeling the pain more than men – and it is the primary money woe keeping ladies up at night.

Research from Fidelity Investments found that inflation is currently the top financial concern for U.S. women, with upwards of 70% citing it as their main worry. Respondents listed the costs of essentials as the second-biggest stressor (65%), and another 58% expressed worries about not having enough saved for emergencies.

The cost of living has become extremely oppressive, and this has greatly reduced the amount of money that Americans have available for discretionary spending.

As a result, businesses all over the nation are struggling.

The NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index just dropped again, and inflation continues to rank as the number one concern…

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, 33% of small business owners cited inflation as their most important problem in October. That number is three points higher than was reported in September.

The NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index dropped 0.8% to 91.3 in October, marking 10 consecutive months it has remained under the 49-year average of 98.

As I discussed yesterday, 37 percent of all small business owners in the entire country were not able to pay rent last month.

That is a disastrous number.

Of course many large businesses are experiencing major problems as well.

Just look at Carvana.  Just a couple of years ago Carvana was really flying high, but now it is literally on the verge of collapse…

In total, Carvana’s shares have plummeted 96% this year after hitting an all-time intraday high of $376.83 per share in August 2021. According to CNBC, the stock’s all-time low of $8.14 per share occurred less than a week after it started trading publicly on April 28, 2017. The company’s previous worst day of trading was a 26.4% decline on March 18, 2020.

As a result, Morgan Stanley pulled its rating on Carvana, saying its stock could be worth as little as $1 to $40. Analyst Adam Jonas blamed the decrease in used car sales and an uncertain funding environment for the change. “While the company is continuing to pursue cost-cutting actions, we believe a deterioration in the used car market combined with a volatile interest rate adds material risk to the outlook,” he said via CNBC. These factors contribute to a wide range of positive and negative outcomes.

One of the biggest factors that is depressing sales for the auto industry right now is rapidly rising interest rates…

The average interest rate for a new-vehicle loan climbed to 5.2% in the third quarter, while the average rate for a used vehicle loan hit 9.7%, according to TransUnion. Both are up more than one percentage point compared with the year-earlier period.

The Federal Reserve should not be aggressively hiking rates just as we are entering a major economic slowdown.

It is an incredibly foolish thing to do.

The Fed’s policies have been absolutely eviscerating the housing industry, and now it has become clear that the same thing is starting to happen to the auto industry.

But they are going to keep raising rates anyway.

As Americans went to the polls on Tuesday, the economy was the number one issue on their minds, and that does not appear to be good news for the Democrats…

A report released Friday outlined the problem for Washington’s current ruling party. The University of Michigan, which releases a closely watched sentiment survey each month, asked respondents who they trusted more when it came to the economy and which would better for personal finances.

The result: overwhelmingly Republican.

The survey of 1,201 respondents saw Republicans with a 37%-21% edge on the question of which party is better for the economy. While that left a wide swath — 37% — of consumers who don’t think it makes a difference, the disparity of those with a preference is huge.

At this moment, Joe Biden’s approval rating with independents is the lowest that it has ever been.

All of the numbers seem to indicate that the election results will go a certain way.

But will that be what the “final results” actually show?

We will just have to wait and see…

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Have you noticed it too?  There has been a dramatic shift in the economy in recent days.  It has been sudden and it has been severe.  All over the country, sales are falling like a rock, inventories are piling up to alarming levels, and large companies are beginning to conduct mass layoffs.  Perhaps it was inevitable that such a downturn would arrive, but the Federal Reserve has made things far worse by rapidly hiking interest rates.  Every other time the Fed has engaged in such a rate hiking binge it has resulted in a recession, and there is no way that we are going to escape unscathed this time around.  The following are 11 signs that economic activity is plunging off a cliff…

#1 This year, only 74 percent of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving because so many people are skipping the holiday in order to save money…

In 2021, researchers note that an IPSOS survey found that nine in 10 Americans planned to celebrate Thanksgiving. This year, the new poll of 1,000 people found that number has fallen to just 74 percent. In fact, 47 percent say they’re celebrating “Friendsgiving” because of its more budget-friendly menu. Specifically, just 24 percent of Friendsgiving celebrations will even have a turkey on the table, with 33 percent opting for a pizza instead!

#2 Used vehicle prices have just plunged at the fastest pace that we have seen since 2008.

#3 A Dollar General assistant manager named Travis Bennett recently posted a video on TikTok that showed unsold inventory at his store literally piling up to the roof…

In a video with over 380,000 views addressed to “anyone inside this company that actually cares,” TikTok user Travis Bennett shows the conditions of his Dollar General. This includes boxes filling the aisles and numerous crates that have not been unpacked. Bennett says this is typical for “most Dollar General stores across the country.”

#4 Consumer confidence in the housing market just hit an all-time record low.

#5 All over America, companies are seeing depressingly low sales numbers.  In fact, it is being reported that the Net Rising Index “is getting close to a level which corresponds to several past recessions”…

A closely watched survey from the National Association for Business Economics has shown a decline in sales for companies that hasn’t been this sharp since the mid-2020 Covid crash and is getting close to a level which corresponds to several past recessions. The Net Rising Index (NRI) for sales — the percentage of survey respondents reporting rising sales minus the percentage reporting falling sales — peaked at 74% of firms in April 2021. As of October, it’s down to 36%.

#6 CNN is reporting that Facebook could start laying off thousands of workers “as early as this week”.

#7 Other large tech companies are also conducting mass layoffs, and many believe that what we have experienced so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

#8 Credit card debt growth has fallen to the lowest level in 4 months.

#9 20 million U.S. households are behind on paying their power bills.

#10 37 percent of all small business owners were not able to pay their rent on time during the month of October.

#11 A poll that was just released found that a whopping 73 percent of Americans will be “thinking a lot about the economy” when they vote.

The fact that voters are so focused on the economy right now appears to be really bad news for Democrats.

The guy in the White House always gets most of the credit or most of the blame for how the economy is performing, and right now Joe Biden’s approval rating is downright dismal…

Voters’ approval of President Joe Biden remains deep in negative territory and 70 percent of voters say the country is on the wrong track — both results that bode ill for Democrats as Election Day approaches.

Fifty-five percent of registered voters said they disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president, and just 42 percent said they approve in the last POLITICO-Morning Consult poll conducted in advance of Tuesday’s election.

Of course Joe Biden is still going to be in the White House no matter what happens during the midterm elections.

In fact, either he or Kamala Harris will be residing there until at least January 2025.

So there won’t be any major policy changes for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, economic conditions are just going to continue to deteriorate.

As this new downturn accelerates, a lot of Americans are going to lose their jobs.

In fact, Bank of America is projecting that job losses in this country will soon hit 175,000 a month…

As pressure from the Fed’s war on inflation builds, nonfarm payrolls will begin shrinking early next year, translating to a loss of about 175,000 jobs a month during the first quarter, the bank said. Charts published by Bank of America suggest job losses will continue through much of 2023.

“The premise is a harder landing rather than a softer one,” Michael Gapen, head of US economics at Bank of America, told CNN in a phone interview Monday.

Sadly, that is a wildly optimistic projection.

During times like these, you will want to be carrying as little debt as possible, and you will want to have a sizable emergency fund so that you can continue paying the bills if something happens.

In 2008 and 2009, millions of Americans ended up losing their homes because they couldn’t continue paying the bills once they lost their jobs.

Don’t let that happen to you.

The times that we are moving into won’t be pleasant.  Eventually, they will be far worse than anything that we experienced in 2008 and 2009.

But that doesn’t mean that we have to be depressed about what is coming.

When I was growing up, I was often told that “when times get tough, the tough get going”.

Those that choose to be bold and tough are going to have a much better chance of making it through what is ahead.

Unfortunately, boldness and toughness are in short supply in our society today, and the coming economic slowdown is likely to cause a massive national emotional breakdown.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The level of anger that we are witnessing all over the United States right now is extremely alarming.  Millions of voters on both the left and the right are filled with rage, and I have never seen this country more bitterly divided than it is at this moment.  Interestingly, survey after survey has found that the economy is the number one issue that voters are concerned about.  Our once great economic machine is coming apart at the seams, and the cost of living has become extremely oppressive.  But to be honest, for now the economy is still relatively stable.  So how angry will Americans be once the wheels start coming off and economic conditions really start deteriorating very rapidly?

As I write this article, we are a nation that is teetering on the brink of widespread civil unrest.  As NBC News has noted, candidates from both major political parties “have been physically attacked” in recent weeks…

Armed men in masks and tactical gear have shown up at secure ballot drop boxes. Candidates of both parties have been physically attacked, election workers intimidated. And threats against members of Congress are up tenfold.

For many voters, a vicious spiral of violence and fear is creating angst, paranoia and an overwhelming sense of dread that the nation is on the eve of destruction, according to a growing body of public opinion research.

I found it very interesting that NBC News acknowledged that there is “an overwhelming sense of dread that the nation is on the eve of destruction”.

It is not often that we get such a truthful admission from the mainstream media.

Nobody can claim that the mood in this country is “good” right now.  In fact, one recent survey found that two-thirds of all Americans believe that the U.S. “is at its lowest point in their memory”…

Two-thirds of Americans say the country is at its lowest point in their memory, and more than a quarter report being so stressed they can’t function most days, according to a recent survey commissioned by the American Psychological Association in which more than three-quarters said the future of the country was a significant source of stress in their lives.

For millions of Americans, the struggle for survival from month to month is the biggest reason why they are so stressed.

One 31-year-old woman named Cashe Lewis often works “16 hours a day”, she is now looking for a third job, and she is literally selling her blood so that she can afford to buy food…

Cashe Lewis, 31, of Denver, Colorado works two jobs and is currently trying to find a third job to cover the recent $200 monthly rent increase to her apartment. She works days as a barista at Starbucks, but claims it’s been difficult to get enough hours even with taking extra shifts whenever she can due to scheduling cuts as part of the crackdown on union organizing by management.

At night she works at a convenience store because the hours are reliable, and works six days a week, often 16 hours a day.

“I’m exhausted all the time,” said Lewis. “On the one day I have off a week, I donate plasma for extra money. I’m literally selling my blood to eat because I have no choice.”

These days, a lot of Americans are “exhausted all the time”, but just about everything that our leaders do to fix our problems ends up making them even worse.

Yet another major survey has just discovered that the economy is the most important issue to U.S. voters, and I think that the election results will clearly reflect that sentiment.

It is likely that the Republicans will control at least one house of Congress after these midterm elections, and that means that there will be gridlock in Washington for at least the next two years.

And it is also likely that both sides of the political spectrum will only get even angrier as we approach 2024.

Interestingly, at this precise moment we are going to see a blood moon on an election day in the United States for the very first time in our history.  The total lunar eclipse that is about to happen will be visible on four different continents…

Skywatchers on four continents will have the chance next week to catch the last total lunar eclipse for three years.

The eclipse will occur Tuesday, with the moon set to turn blood red as it slips into Earth’s shadow. The celestial show will be visible to viewers in North and Central America, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and parts of South America.

Many consider a “blood moon” to be a very bad omen.

Could it be possible that this is a sign that we really are “on the eve of destruction” as NBC News has suggested?

And it should be noted that this “blood moon” also comes as the Taurid meteor shower is sending “brilliant fireballs” down on our planet…

During the next week or so, keep a sharp eye on the night sky for the possibility of catching sight of an outstandingly bright meteor, for there’s a chance that Earth will encounter a swarm of unusually large particles capable of generating some eye-catching really brilliant fireballs, the kind that make the unsuspecting public call the police.

Every year about this time, the Earth passes through a broad stream of debris left by the periodic comet Encke. The dusty material associated with this comet hits the Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 19 miles (30 km) per second and burns up, creating the Taurid meteor shower.

In the end, these “signs in the heavens” may not mean anything at all.

But without a doubt we are a country that is teetering on the edge.  Earlier today, I came across a story about a 21-year-old man that literally threatened to skin one Republican politician while he was still alive…

A Chicago man has been arrested and charged after authorities say he left threatening voicemails for a Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Scott Lennox, 21, said in one message that he was going “to skin Darren Bailey alive” after killing the candidate’s family, according to a filing from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office that was obtained by The Epoch Times.

“He better kill himself and if he doesn’t, I am going to kill him,” Lennox said.

It is definitely a very dangerous time to be a politician in America.

On Sunday alone, there was a bomb scare that stopped voting in New York City, and police in Arizona were investigating “envelopes containing white powder” that showed up at Kari Lake’s campaign office…

Amid the campaigning, two incidents added to the tension on Sunday, one in Manhattan and one in Phoenix.

A bomb scare at an early voting site in East Harlem temporarily stopped voting, though NYPD said the threat was not related to the election. Voting resumed after a brief delay.

In Phoenix, law enforcement on was investigating after envelopes containing white powder arrived at the campaign office of GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

We truly are a nation that is descending into chaos.

But if you think that things are bad now, just wait until you see what is ahead.

No matter what the results of this election are, the divisions that are plaguing this country are only going to get deeper and deeper.

A house divided against itself will surely fall, and we appear to be headed into times that will literally rip our national unity to shreds.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

This is starting to look like 2008 all over again.  For years, the tech industry was the strongest part of the U.S. economy by a wide margin.  The largest tech firms were raking in billions upon billions of dollars in revenue and their stock prices soared to unprecedented levels.  But now the tech industry has suddenly fallen on difficult times.  Many large tech companies are laying off huge numbers of workers, and we are being warned that even more layoffs are ahead.  If the most prosperous sector of our economy is experiencing this much trouble already, what is the outlook for the rest of the economy as we head into 2023?

As I write this article, the layoffs that Elon Musk is conducting at Twitter are making headlines all over the planet.  It is being reported that approximately half of all Twitter workers could lose their jobs, and the widespread layoffs are apparently happening “in departments across the company”…

Twitter on Friday laid off employees in departments across the company, in a severe round of cost cutting that could potentially upend how one of the world’s most influential platforms operates one week after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk.

Numerous Twitter employees began posting on the platform Thursday night and Friday morning that they had already been locked out of their company email accounts ahead of the planned layoff notification. Some also shared blue hearts and salute emojis indicating they were out at the company.

Needless to say, a lot of these former employees do not plan to go quietly.

In fact, some of them have already slapped Twitter with a federal lawsuit…

Twitter has been sued by multiple staff members over an alleged violation of federal law, with workers claiming they were not given enough notice regarding planned layoffs.

Employees who had worked at Twitter’s offices in San Francisco, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco) on Thursday.

Sadly, Twitter is not alone.

Lots of other large tech companies are conducting mass layoffs, and in each case the current economic climate is being blamed.

For example, Lyft has announced that it will be laying off 13 percent of its workforce…

Lyft Inc. said it is cutting 13% of staff, or nearly 700 jobs, the latest technology company to say it needed to reduce costs ahead of choppy economic conditions.

Confirming an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal, Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green announced the cuts to staff Thursday. “There are several challenges playing out across the economy. We’re facing a probable recession sometime in the next year and ride-share insurance costs are going up,” they wrote in the memo viewed by the Journal.

And it is being reported that Chime will be letting 12 percent of their workers go…

Chime is one of the latest private tech firms to announce layoffs amid a worsening economic outlook and a recent wave of cuts from both public and private companies.

A company spokesperson told CNBC that the so-called challenger bank – a fintech firm that exclusively offers banking services through websites and smartphone apps – is cutting 12% of its 1,300-person workforce, adding that while they are eliminating approximately 160 employees, they are still hiring for select positions and “remain very well capitalized.”

Not to be outdone, 18 percent of Opendoor’s workforce is about to get the axe…

Opendoor Technologies Inc. is laying off about 550 employees after higher mortgage rates cratered US housing demand.

The layoffs will reduce Opendoor’s headcount by about 18%, according to a company blog post. The cuts come after an abrupt shift in prices forced the company to sell homes for less than it paid for them.

In other cases, we are seeing companies that seemed to be doing really well let workers go.  As I discussed yesterday, Stripe has decided to “let go of 14% of its staff”…

Silicon Valley payments giant Stripe announced that it has let go of 14% of its staff. Citing global economic challenges including inflation, higher interest rates and “sparse startup funding,” cofounder and CEO Patrick Collison said in an email to employees that Stripe needs to cut costs.

I guess Stripe isn’t doing quite as well as we all thought.

Meanwhile, we have also just learned that Dapper Labs will be reducing the size of their workforce by 22 percent…

One of the biggest names in the non-fungible token (NFT) industry is dramatically reducing headcount as the crypto bear market continues to take a toll on Web3 companies.

Dapper Labs, which created the NFT marketplace NBA Top Shot, is laying off 22% of its staff, citing the “macroeconomic environment.”

But the economy is doing just fine, right?

Isn’t that what the federal government keeps telling us?

Well, if the economy is in such good shape, why does the tech industry keep laying off so many workers?

Even before this latest round of layoff announcements, the tech industry had already laid off over 52,000 workers so far this year…

After a banner year for tech, layoffs are here. In fact, as of late October, more than 52,000 workers in the U.S. tech sector have been laid off in mass job cuts so far in 2022, according to a Crunchbase News tally.

Tech companies as big as Netflix have slashed jobs this year, with some citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and others pointing to overhiring during periods of rapid growth. Robinhood, Glossier and Better are just a few of the tech companies that have notably trimmed their headcount in 2022.

Of course it isn’t just the tech industry that is letting people go.

According to Reuters, Morgan Stanley is gearing up for “a fresh round of layoffs”…

Wall Street major Morgan Stanley is expected to start a fresh round of layoffs globally in the coming weeks, three people with knowledge of the plan said, as dealmaking business takes a hit due to rising inflation and an economic downturn.

So please don’t listen to any politician that tries to tell you that everything is going to be okay.

Everything is definitely not okay.  According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the number of layoff announcements in the United States is far higher than it was last year at this time…

The job placement agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas released a report on Nov. 3, which revealed that American-based firms announced 33,843 job cuts last month, up from 29,989 in September.

This is higher than the same month last year, when 22,822 employees were laid off.

Hopefully your job is safe, because I believe that we will eventually see millions of Americans lose their jobs during this new economic downturn.

We are truly moving into unprecedented territory, but unfortunately most Americans simply do not understand what is ahead.

A lot of people seem to think that we will have some sort of a mild recession and then things will get back to normal.

I wish that was true.

Unfortunately, a day of reckoning is now upon us, and countless numbers of our fellow Americans are about to have their lives completely turned upside down.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

If you live in a major urban area, you may have noticed that “tent cities” are starting to pop up all around you.  The worst inflation crisis in decades has combined with the worst drug crisis that we have ever seen to create an unprecedented homelessness crisis.  Every night, even more Americans join the rapidly growing “unsanctioned encampments” that are taking up more and more real estate in our largest cities.  If things are this bad now, how many of our fellow citizens will be sleeping in the streets when economic conditions are much worse a year or two from today?  We are supposed to be the greatest nation on the planet, but with each passing day even more tent cities are established.  Our system is failing, and the widespread economic suffering that we are witnessing right now is truly difficult to comprehend.

Just look at what is happening in Sacramento.  It is the capital of the California, and tent cities are being established all over the place.

In fact, it is being reported that the number of homeless people in Sacramento has risen by nearly 70 percent just since 2019…

During the pandemic, the unhoused population has soared all over California, but the increase in Sacramento has been particularly stunning.

The region has seen an almost 70% rise in homelessness since 2019, now counting more unhoused people than San Francisco.

Needless to say, absurd housing prices are one of the main reasons why so many people are being forced out into the cold streets…

The primary force behind the dramatic rise, according to the 2022 point-in-time count, is the high cost of housing. The median home price in the county has surpassed $500,000 and the median monthly rent is $2,774, up more than 5% from last year. Some studios downtown rent for $2,000 a month, said Crystal Sanchez, the president of the Sacramento Homeless Union, while thousands of people sleep outside.

Most middle class families can barely afford to pay $2,000 or more for housing each month.

And those that are poor don’t stand a chance.

Conditions are very similar up in Portland, Oregon.  Housing prices have soared to insane levels, and homelessness is spreading like wildfire.

At this point, Mayor Ted Wheeler says that there are “nearly 800 unsanctioned encampments” spread throughout the city…

“Nearly 800 unsanctioned encampments spread out over the 146 square miles of the City of Portland,” Wheeler said. “Something needs to change.”

But many Portlanders have lost faith in city leaders.

In a recent poll conducted by The Oregonian, nearly 75 percent of Portland voters said the city is “on the wrong track.”

At this stage, it has pretty much gotten to a point where you simply cannot avoid the tent cities.

Things are so bad right now that there is a possibility that the state of Oregon could actually elect a Republican governor in November…

The race for the governorship remains a tossup, with a new poll showing a narrow lead for the Republican candidate in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor since 1982.

Republican Christine Drazan leads Democrat Tina Kotek in the race, 44 to 41 per cent, according to a new Nelson Research poll, KOIN reported.

That gives Drazan a 2-point lead in the RealClearPolitics polling average, having narrowly led in every poll this fall.

I thought that we would never see another Republican governor in that state.

It looks like I might have been wrong about that.

Washington D.C. doesn’t have as many “unsanctioned encampments” as Portland does, but the New York Post is reporting that the number of tent cities in the capital of our nation has now grown to 120…

In the past two years, homeless encampments have exploded in Washington D.C., as both the city and federal governments lifted enforcement measures during the COVID-19 pandemic — and made it a no-brainer for itinerants to lay down roots by providing for their every need.

A tour by The Post of the district’s major tourist areas this week found at least 35 vagrants in residence at a National Park Service site two blocks from the White House; more than 20 in the green spaces surrounding the State Department complex; and five across the street from the infamous Watergate Hotel.

And these sites accounted for less than 5 percent of the estimated 120 tent cities in Washington D.C.

Over a decade ago, I worked in the heart of Washington.

And during my entire time there, I didn’t see a single homeless person living in a tent.

But now tent cities are all over the place.

Of course a rise in crime often comes along with an explosion in homelessness.

In New York City, the rape of a female jogger by a homeless man with 25 prior arrests is making a lot of headlines this week…

Police said the victim was out by Pier 45, near West and Christopher Streets in the West Village, at around 5:30am, when the man, Carl Phanor, 29, grabbed her from behind and choked her until she passed out, the New York Post reports.

Phanor, who has 25 priors and who is wanted for at least two other sex crimes, then removed her clothes, raped her, and then fled the scene on a Citi Bike with her headphones, cell phone and wallet.

The shaken victim was spotted by a fellow jogger, and first responders took her to a nearby hospital.

Sadly, the homeless population just continues to rise in New York City with each passing day.

In fact, the problem has gotten so severe that the National Guard has now been called in to deal with the crisis…

New York City has called in the National Guard to deal with the rising migrant crisis that is overwhelming homeless shelters and facilities as staff are unable to cope with the surge.

National Guard reservists are being deployed to help with day-to-day operations at many shelters, including managing the capacity, distributing food and helping out with staff shortages.

There are over 62,000 people currently living in New York City’s homeless shelters – close to 13,000 of which are migrants, according to the Department of Homeless Services.

But this is just the beginning.

Over the next few years, I expect millions of Americans to lose their jobs.

And the truth is that it is already starting to happen.  Just today, we learned that Stripe will be laying off approximately 14 percent of their entire workforce…

Online payments giant Stripe is laying off roughly 14% of its staff, CEO Patrick Collison wrote in a memo to staff Thursday.

In the memo, Collison said the cuts were necessary amid rising inflation, fears of a looming recession, higher interest rates, energy shocks, tighter investment budgets and sparser startup funding. Taken together, these factors signal “that 2022 represents the beginning of a different economic climate,” he said.

Yes, as I detail in my brand new book, a “different economic climate” is definitely ahead of us.

As economic conditions deteriorate, the number of tent cities will grow much larger.

So the cold, hard reality of the matter is that our homelessness crisis is only going to intensify from this point forward.

I know that may be difficult news to hear, but the truth is that these are difficult times.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.