The Schaftlein Report

Topics: 1) No food, water or medicine in Mariupol as over 200K residents are at risk - Bodies in the streets - Russia shoots at unarmed civilians *International rules of law are being systematically disregarded - Even rules of war! 2) Russian airstrike kills 35 at military base in western Ukraine 3) 2.8M have left the country out of 45M people 4) Biden gives $200M of aid to Ukraine and congress passes $13B in additional aid *Bi-partisan members of Congress want airplanes delivered 5) So far the war has been a Strategic Disaster for Putin - He is escalating atrocities 6) Poll: 52% believe Biden's actions are not enough toward Russia, 36% say OK and 12% say too strong 7) Poll: 59% support No Fly Zone, while 41% Oppose 8) Poll: 65% want tougher Economic Sanctions, 61% more weapons but only 21% support direct military action against Russia 9) Poll: Summary 46% approve of Biden's handling of the war and 54% Do Not 10) Germans have doubled their defense budget 11) Commentary: a. Why are only 70% of Russian banks off the SWIFT system? It should be 100% b. Europe needs to rapidly reduce dependency on Russian gas c. More Oligarchs need to to have their assets frozen d. Recognize the fact that Putin is a murderous Dictator and potentially a psychopath 12) Retired General Barry McCaffery: "Russia would be squashed by an attack on a NATO country" 13) Spill over effect - China warns of consequences for military support for Taiwan 14) Tom Brady unretires and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Field is set

Topics: 1) Cease Fire discussions go nowhere 2) U.S. scraps sending MIG jets from Poland to Ukraine - Another weak effort by NATO and Biden *Fear of escalation - Get with the program! The Russians are escalating 3) VP Harris again is an embarrassment by laughing on the world stage with Polish President - She can't answer a simple refugee question 4) Russian Barbarians bomb a hospital and deny it 5) Kremlin accuses the U.S. of waging Economic war - Yes they are correct 6) Mariupol under siege with no power, no water or food 7) 6,000 Russian troops killed in action 8) Russian propaganda lies to their people intensify a. Blames Neo Nazis for war crimes they committed b. Says they are protecting nuclear facilities c. Says Ukraine shelled their own civilian neighborhoods d. Says civilian casualties are actors 9) U.S. Inflation raises to 7.9% highest in 40 years thanks to poor Biden policies 10) Average gas price is now $4.38 - In CA it is $5.75 11) 11.3M job openings in the country - Pay up 5% and inflation at 7.9%

Topics: 1) Russian airstrikes kill 21 civilians as war crimes continue 2) 4,600 protestors detained in Russia on continued crackdown 3) 20 years of progress in Russia has collapsed - Russia moves from an Authoritarian regime to a Totalitarian state 4) Congress approves $13.6B in aid to Ukraine 5) Cold snap expected to push wind chills to -20 causing 40 ton tanks to become freezers - What will Russian troops do? 6) $1.5T government spending bill appears headed to Biden's desk 7) Biden approval receives small bump to Average of 42% approve and 52% disapprove - A 3-4 point gain 8) What's the story with Polish Russian made MiG Jets going to Ukraine? 9) U.S. Intel suggests 4,000 dead Russian soldiers 10) Radical Green New Deal Democrats rally around $5-6 gas - They have always wanted higher prices *If the US expanded Natural Gas to export to Europe, they could gradually get away from Russian gas as Trump predicted 11) Trump leads Biden by 15 points in GA poll

Topics: 1) High Taxes 2) Job Creators leaving the state 3) Homeless Problem 4) Crime 5) Democratic Super Majority in Sacramento

Topics: 1) White House rejects boosting domestic oil production to lower gas prices *The world produces 95M barrels per day and Russia is the #2 producer accounting for 11% **Environmentalists in Biden administration holding this back - U.S. consumers are hostage to this insane policy - Bowing to an irrational climate change ideology 2) The average price of gas hits $4.00 in the U.S - In CA it's $5.25 as oil trades at $118 per barrel 3) The U.S. considers banning import of Russian oil 4) Americans want Biden to stand up to Russia, end the slaughter in Ukraine *80% approve banning Russian oil, 81% more penalties on Russia - 74% no fly zone **Ukraine backs away from no fly zone request shifting to request for planes 5) Russia continues shelling of residential ares bombing civilians, businesses and stores 6) Russia demands the following: a. Stop all Ukrainian military action b. Reject joining NATO and the EU c. Acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory d. Recognize the two breakaway territories so Donetsk and Lugansk as Independent states 7) Stagflation is upon us - Higher inflation and slower economic growth estimated to now be 1.5% in Q-1 *Wage price spiral is a risk **Oil spike risk 8) U.S., Iran and Russia continue working on the Iranian nuclear deal? Insane

Topics: 1) French President Macron speaks with Putin and the call goes nowhere - Putin's goal is to take control of the entire country of Ukraine - Putin lies to the Russian people in a televised speech in full propaganda onslaught 2) Russia takes the port city of Kherson choking off supply lines to the South 3) Refugees top 1.0M 4) Western Economic War takes hold - Americans will pay much higher prices for gas - A Fight for Freedom is well worth it 5) U.S. to send Stinger missiles to kill Russian choppers - Biden seeks $10B in aid *Will next steps include sanctions on oil and gas? Import taxes? **Fast Track LNG plants 6) Zelinsky says he wishes aid had come prior to the invasion - NATO and U.S. slow to react? 7) U.S. Experts: "Militarily, Russian invasion has not been effective - sub optimal at best" 8) Wesley Clark: "Putin is a War Criminal. We need a No Fly Zone" 9) France seizes Oligarch yacht

1) Biden State of the Union Condemns Russia but nothing new in the speech - Biden pushes Build Back Better but Manchin says NO again *While Inflation runs hot, liberal democrats continue to push MORE spending - It will go nowhere 2) NATO countries pour weapons into Ukraine - The invasion has brought European countries together more in the last 6 days than the previous two decades 3) Missiles rain on Ukraine cities as Russia steps up bombardment campaign 4) Oil surges past $110 per barrel and the Federal Reserve is poised to raise interest rates 25 basis points 5) Russian stocks crash 98% on London Indexes as sanctions bite wiping out $572B *European energy companies distance themselves from Russian energy giant Gazprom **Exxon pulls out of a major Russian project 6) U.S. expands sanctions by closing all airspace to all Russian flights 7) Ukraine Foreign Minister reaches out to China in an effort to mediate a diplomatic solution - Don't hold your breath 8) Abbott and O'rourke easily win primaries and will square of in Texas Governors race - 100K more Republicans voted in the primary 9) Border towns in Texas flip from Blue to Red as we have predicted for months as a result of Biden's failed border policy

Topics: 1) Should and will the U.S. and NATO supply more offensive and defensive weapons to Ukraine? Russia threatens retaliation *Are we willing to risk escalation? What are the dangers and unintended consequences of greater U.S. and NATO confrontation of Russia? **What is the risk of NOT addressing Russian aggression? 2) Why is NATO in this position? Was Ukraine joining NATO the core issue that lead to the invasion or was Russia planning this regardless? *Both Obama and Trump viewed Ukraine as NOT in the U.S. strategic interest 3) 40-mile convey headed to the capital Kiev - Shelling is escalating and significant more destruction is pending *500K refugees have fled Ukraine 4) There are reports of Vacuum bombs being used which is a war crime - Civilian buildings are being targeted 5) Ukraine calls for no-fly zone - Conventional wisdom says this leads to war with Russia over Ukraine 6) The effect of Economic Sanctions - The Ruble is down 30% and interest rates are now at 20% in Russia *What is the risk of Economic collapse in Russia? 7) There is a risk of global stagnation - Allies agree to 60M barrel release from strategic reserves *This is a very short-term effort that will not be effective in the long run - There is a risk of liquidity drying up globally 8) Russia is a 3rd world economy with a 1st rate nuclear arsenal - Financial markets across the globe are reeling 9) Turkey to restrict transit of Russian warships through the straights it controls *How much pressure should be turned up on the Russians by other NATO countries? Norway considers sending weapons 10) WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Topics: 1) Russia attacks airfields and fuel depots - 300K refugees flee *Germany shifts policy to deliver anti-tank weapons and increase defense spending to 2% of GDP 2) 3000 Russians arrested in demonstrations across Russia - Discontent grows at home 3) European skies are closed to Russian aircraft - Putin puts forces on Nuclear alert in an effort to intimidate the allies who call it reckless 4) Russian financial markets roiled as additional sanctions add to stress *SWIFT is partially utilized to hurt the Russian economy - Russian Central Bank cannot access foreign reserves ($600B frozen) **Russian central bank raised interest rates from 9.5 to 20% to halt the slide in the Ruble 5) Russia and Ukraine negotiators begin discussions at Ukraine/Belarus border while fighting continues 6) China calls for a halt to the violence as concern grows over global economic disruption 7) Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Biden at the lowest approval number ever at 37%, with 57% Disapproving *Harvard/Harris has similar numbers 38% Approval and 55% Disapproval 8) Control of Congress 50% Republican and 40% Democrat Economy 37% Approval and 58% Disapproval Pandemic 44% Approval and 50% Disapproval Border and Immigration 66% Disapproval and only 34% Approval from Biden's personnel polling company *62% believe Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump was President 9) Consumer Price Index up 7.5% year over year in January - No surprise here 10) Trump hints at 2024 run in CPAC speech - Trump (59%) and DeSantis (28%) run 1-2 in CPAC straw poll - Pompeo 3rd at 2% 11) Biden's energy policy disaster under the microscope at gas prices increase across the country

Topics: 1) Russia hits Airfields, takes control of Kyiv airport - Invasion from North, South and East 2) Ruble plunges to record low, Russian stock market crashes 40% - $70B in losses 3) Oil over $100 per barrel 4) 27% of Americans expect U.S. to play Major role in the conflict - 52% play a Minor role - 20% No role 5) Under Obama Russia annexed Crimea, Under Biden there is war in Ukraine - Peace under Trump 6) Former National Security Advisor to Trump Rick Grenell casts blame squarely on shoulders of President Biden, Secretary Blinken and Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman - Blame also goes to Angela Merkel of Germany for Russian dependence on energy by Germany 7) Trump, DeSantis, Pompeo and Cruz to headline CPAC 8) Desantis, Rubio and Abbott lead by wide margins in race for Governor and Senate 9) Jobless claims fall to 232K and Continuing claims at 1.48M are the lowest since 1970 - The labor market remains tight 10) Stock market rallies off a 3% down day