Saturday, April 12, 2025

More regarding Turning the Wheel of the Dharma

Especially in 1983 to 1986 when I returned to San Francisco from India, Nepal, Thailand and Japan after being in Asia for 4 months with my family traveling a lot through India and Nepal and visiting Bangkok and Koi Samed Island also near Bangkok, Thailand I began starting in 1983 to experience what "Turning the Dharma Wheel" Actually means.

I think this is because Vajrasattva actually came to me at the Fire Lookout where I was working about 10 to 15 miles from the nearest person in Fall of 1985 and told me I was going to India around December 10th 1985. I went home from work that week and my wife who was running our businesses said, "Where is the money going to come for that?" I said: "I don't know but when I get things like this they usually happen." And they did.

So, my wife and I and our older children got open ended round trip tickets for up to 6 months time to Japan, Thailand, and Kathmandu Nepal and if we wanted to we could also go to Hong Kong with this type of open ended ticket too for the 5 of us.

However, Starting with Lama Gonpo who initiatated us into Dorje Drollo and Hayagriva at UC Berkeley along with at least 100 others in a church there I began to experience the "Turning of the Dharma" which makes sense because our visit to Asia was actually created by Vajrasattva and likely Nyema (his consort) too.

So, I began to experience the alteration of time and space and for a clairvoyant like me this is sort of overwhelming when you actually see how time and space is changing.

So, Why does Turning the Dharma wheel change time and Space.

My best explanation is that Life and the Dharma and God (all of this) realize that you are important to the ongoing survival and prospering of the entire human race. So, time and space alters to keep you alive so you might "Do your Dharma" to help all life on earth move away from Suffering towards enlightenment and Bliss.

May all Beings Be Happy!

By God's Grace

Turning the Wheel of Dharma

 
Begin quote Google AI: Three Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma - Mandala Publications
"Turning the wheel of Dharma" in Buddhism symbolizes the Buddha's first sermon, where he taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, marking the beginning of the Buddhist path to enlightenment. 
Here's a more detailed explanation:
  • Symbolism:
    The phrase "turning the wheel of Dharma" (also known as the "Dharmachakra") is a metaphor for the Buddha's teachings and the process of spreading and practicing them. 


  • First Sermon:
    It specifically refers to the Buddha's first sermon, delivered at Sarnath, India, after his enlightenment. 

  • Four Noble Truths:
    In this sermon, the Buddha explained the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. 

  • Eightfold Path:
    He also outlined the Eightfold Path, a practical guide for achieving enlightenment through right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. 

  • Continuous Cycle:
    The wheel symbolizes a continuous cycle of teaching, learning, and practicing the Dharma, leading towards enlightenment. 

  • Three Turnings:
    Some Buddhist traditions also discuss "three turnings of the wheel of Dharma" or "three rounds of transmission of the Dharma," which represent different stages or aspects of the Buddha's teachings. 

  • Prayer Wheels:
    The concept of the prayer wheel, which is a physical manifestation of the phrase “turning the wheel of Dharma,” is used to accumulate wisdom and merit (good karma) and to purify negativities (bad karma). 

I used to worry about the Earth being nuked out of existence:

Then I realized that there are some really evolved people here on earth all the time and what could happen is that "Let's say the Earth nuked out of existence" for one reason or another. Because of the very evolved people here on Earth (some of them) they would create a mental Earth in which the people of earth could inhabit where they might not even know that Earth nuked out because it would be so momentary and this new Dream World or "Heaven World" would look and feel exactly like the physical Earth we live on now.

Since I have met some of these Extremely evolved people in places like India and Nepal I realize that this is one of a million different possibilities for the people and other lifeforms living here on earth at this time. 

By God's Grace

Violet Sacred Flame installed in Moksha's forehead as he becomes The Oneness of the Planet New Deva

Sunday, September 26, 2021

The Alien War: Chapter 15: Summoned by Arcane and His Oneness to Earth

 Moksha and Purple dismissed Plebant now that he wore the robes of the Regent of the Marauders and took on his new role in life.

At the moment the door closed Purple looked at Moksha and said, "We are being summoned by His Oneness to meet at Arcane's office on Maui in Lahaina."

Moksha looked at Purple and said, "You all are timing this aren't you?"

Purple looked sheepish but smiled and said, "Everything is on a really tight time table even though we are able to bend time whenever we need to. If things get too separated in your mind, as events, it will be harder for you to put all the pieces together. So, it might seem overwhelming at times but it is designed so your mind can most easily cope and integrate all these events into a workable whole that will work not only for you but for everyone who depends upon you now including the Galactic Sentience."

Moksha: "So, it is sort of a custom designed series of events that wind up with me becoming the Oneness of New Deva while also orchestrating how the humans of earth will survive their ecological overpopulation mess on earth?"

Purple: "Yes. That's exactly right."

So, Purple took his hand and said to Moksha: "I'll bring you back the next second if you wish."

Moksha nodded his head as Purple took his hand and they reappeared on Maui in Arcane's office there. One second after Purple and Moksha arrived Arcane and His Oneness of Earth arrived too.

They all greeted each other then His Oneness said, "I'm to begin your Oneness training for New Deva so that's why we are all here. Arcane and Purple are here as witnesses to this event. But, to be realistic your training began on New Deva when we shook hands at Young Arcane's wedding."

Moksha nodded but was overwhelmed by all the fast changes once again.

So, HIs Oneness before Moksha could say anything took Moksha's hand. This time a flame appeared on Moksha's forehead and Moksha said: "What's happening?"

His Oneness: "This is going to take a little time to get used to Moksha."

Once again Moksha said, "What's happening?"

His Oneness: "You have just been given the forehead flame of a Oneness that starts between your eyes above your nose and goes up your forehead. In your case the color of a Oneness on New Deva is violet or Purple so the flame up your forehead is Violet Sacred Fire."

Moksha knew a little of the violet Flame from growing up with Arcane on New Deva and said, "But won't it consume my mind?"

His Oneness: "No. It will only burn away bad karma of yourself and those around you in any given moment. However, you will have clarity of thought always. And if anyone lies to you they will pass out on the ground before you. This way you will know that they are lying. You might see the violet flame snap out of your forehead and hit them right between the eyes before they go down."

Moksha: "Wow! I can see how that could be really useful. You mean no one can lie to me without passing out around me now?"

His Oneness: "Yes. But this is only true if they are on New Deva with you at the time. This power is limited to while you are on New Deva. If you are other places they won't pass out. Instead they will throw up instead. So, if you suspect someone is going to lie and throw up I suggest you step back a few steps before you question them so you don't get vomit  Splashed on you."

Moksha sort of laughed at this.

Moksha: "I'm going to have to be careful around the Marauders because many of them lie all the time even to their king."

His Oneness: "Well. Now you will know for sure anywhere when someone tries to lie to you."

Moksha smiled. This was going to be very interesting.

Purple was amazed at all this. She hadn't been allowed to witness something like this before. She realized that the Galactic Sentience was honoring her in a completely new way making her the consort of Moksha the King of the Marauders who was now being made "The Oneness of the Planet New Deva".

She was beginning to realize that she might not be allowed to marry Moksha as she had wished though because as she read the rules of a Oneness was that normally they didn't marry but often had Consorts. This was a way for the Galactic Sentience to have more control over the actions of a Oneness in emergency situations so that they would ask the Galactic Sentience directly what to do when it wasn't obvious what to do next.

Purple realized she was okay with all this. She looked forward through time and saw Moksha and her getting closer and closer so getting married might not be necessary even to have a child or children with Moksha. He was a very noble character like Arcane and both had been trained this way from birth.

Purple smiled at all this because she realized her future would be a good one and many people would likely think she was a noble human too. Because who was going to tell them otherwise? Not many would dare do this! And if they did she could always alter time a little since she was allowed Carte Blanche in this by the Galactic Sentience Galaxy wide.

Arcane finally said something: "Moksha. I'm really honored to be here for this. Installing your violet flame on your forehead is a really great honor and it is an honor for me to witness it. You do understand here that having a flame installed means immortality?"

Moksha: "You know. I never thought about it. So, you are telling me I'm no longer mortal?"

Arcane:"Moksha: Even I am not immortal fully yet even if I live 10,000 years!"

Moksha: "I sense all this will change and at some point you will be immortal, Saint Germain!"

Arcane: "I see it too but it hasn't happened yet. However, Meridian told me when I first came to earth I would eventually be an Immortal Galactic Saint!"

Purple said, "I see it too Saint Germain!"

His Oneness: "Everyone in this room knows you will be immortal one day! It's coming Arcane for you too."

Tears came to Arcane's eyes at this because he foresaw that Celeste was going to choose to die at some point too. She wouldn't choose immortality in her lifetimes (at least just yet). So, he would basically be immortal alone------ Unless he remarried someone like Prophetess or something like that. This way he might still be with Ah Ray In's soul who actually was Ah Ray In, Prophetess and Celeste Weaver.

As Arcane thought about it he realized that Prophetess would choose to become immortal with him so he wouldn't be alone. He felt deep peace at this realization. God was with him today!

HIs Oneness turned to Moksha and said: "Moksha! I want to share with you something about the flame on each of our foreheads. "

Moksha looked interested.

His Oneness continued: "When I was first given my flame it was green, a light colored Green which was also the color of Lemuria which was the civilization on earth then that I was the ruler of on behalf of the same Galactic Sentience as now 40 to 50 thousand years ago."

"However, your flame is violet in color like the Violet Sacred Flame that burns up bad karma here on earth."

Moksha: "I'm not sure I'm following what you are trying to say, your Holiness!" Moksha was surprised that he had said this too. But, it also was a mark of respect used for Onenesses and the Galactic Sentience throughout the Galaxy because the Onenesses were regents of the Galactic Sentience on whatever planet they were Onenesses of throughout the Galaxy.

His Oneness: "It's okay Moksha. We all call Onenesses, Your Holiness. I likely will call you that now before long too."

Moksha turned sort of red because he wasn't sure he wanted to be called "Your Holiness" sort of like how people address the Pope or the Dalai Lama on earth.

His Oneness: "You just have to get used to people calling you that from now on. Anyone with a flame on his or her forehead is after all very holy or they would die when the flame went into their forehead to begin with."

Moksha said, "Oh! So, if I wasn't holy enough I would have died just now?"

His Oneness: "Yes! But, we all knew you were ready for this or we wouldn't have done this including the Galactic Sentience."

Moksha: "Okay." But, he still felt like he could have died somehow." And this feeling didn't entirely go away either.

His Oneness: "Now I want to go into why the flames are different on each planet and on each Oneness."

Moksha: "Yes. I would like to know that too."

His Oneness: "The color of the flame is the identity of the planet that you are the Oneness of."

Moksha: "So, the awareness of the planet is what this flame actually is?"

His Oneness: "Yes."

His Oneness: "The Galactic Sentience is a full Creator and as the head creator he is naturally in tune with all stars and planets and nebula and other things in his galaxy. This is true of the head Creator of every Galaxy. It's sort of like when you are driving a car you might experience being the car itself so you are safe wherever you drive to. The same is true if you are piloting the plane that it's better if you experience the plane being your body so you know how much space it takes up so you don't hit other objects with it in the air or on the ground.

Arcane had his jet pilots license and so he said, "Yes. That's very true both of cars and trucks but also planes all over earth."

Moksha: "So you are saying what the planet you are Oneness for will let you know what it wants to happen?"

His Oneness: "Exactly. And sometimes the planet will snap out your flame and kill someone in some circumstances. And I can tell you from personal experience that isn't something you will ever get used to because it happens at odd moments."

Moksha: "Does this happen to only people near you?"

His Oneness: "No. It can happen to anyone anywhere on the planet. That's why you never get used to the planet doing this through the flame on  your forehead."

Moksha: "And there is nothing you can do about it?"

His Oneness: "The planet gets to decide who lives and who dies in the end always. So, even if it's someone you like there's nothing you can do."

Moksha: "Why does this happen?"

His Oneness: "Ours is not to reason why ours is but to do or die."

Moksha; "Charge of the Light Brigade?"

His Oneness: "Yes. I think so. But it seemed appropriate right now so I quoted it."

Moksha: "Interesting. Everything is much different than I thought in regard to being a Oneness of a planet for the Galactic Sentience."

His Oneness: "Yes. The Galactic Sentience contains the consciousness of all lifeforms including planets and stars in the whole galaxy 24 hours a day."

Moksha: "That must be difficult!"

His Oneness:"Apparently it isn't difficult for him because he's used to it."

Moksha: "So, in some ways it is the planet we answer to more than the Galactic Sentience in being a Oneness?

His Oneness: "Exactly."

Moksha: "Is New Deva a future state of Earth?"

His Oneness; "I'm not allowed to answer that directly but I can say it might be."

Moksha; "Then theoretically incredible winds and earth quakes could have blown down all the mountains and lands and blew them into the sea?"

His Oneness: "That's possible. However, I cannot confirm or deny any of this. because it's a secret, Moksha that the Galactic government wants kept."

"For example, in that time or near it Arcane first comes to Earth and the flames are green and blue with a little yellow or gold too. But, what I'm saying to you is that anything is possible through time."

Moksha: "This is especially true because we have the Galactic Time guard that can to ANYTHING with time on multiple time lines.

His Oneness: "Yes. Exactly!"

Meanwhile Purple was thinking about having children with Moksha and what that would or could be like.

She began designing a body that she had just thought of that was a synthetic sentient (plastic, metal and liquid metal from the top of her head down to her shoulders. Then she realized if from the shoulders down to her hips was entirely human dna this would be best while being pregnant by Moksha and then her legs would be synthetic sentient so she could run 100 mph or jump 1000 feet into the air in an emergency.

However, she was also realizing she wouldn't stay pregnant if she did that. So, what she might do instead was to have 2 or 3 of her bodies around as bodyguards scanning the past, present and future for danger and dealing with the danger so she was always okay carrying the infant in her womb with the part of her body (from shoulders to hips that would be a full DNA human woman). Yes. This was going to be great!



 

Friday, April 11, 2025

People (Trump) who live in Glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

 Especially if these stones are at China. Why?

Because China through U.S. Bonds owns a great deal of U.S. government debt. And if it chose to it could completely destroy the way the U.S. economy works.

and Trump just threw the first Stone at China in this "Trade War?"

And will China now throw an even bigger Stone back at us by destroying our Bond system which finances our Government now and keeps our economy afloat?

ON one level I don't think it is in China's interests to do this? Why?

Because in regard to Trade at least, America has been the goose that lays the Golden Eggs regarding Trade since Nixon and Kissinger.

In fact, it could be said that this trade deal with Nixon and Kissinger prevented a war between China and the U.S. then in the 1970s. And it could be said that millions of Chinese people who would have starved to death otherwise are alive and happy because of this trade with the U.S. too.

So, mostly people don't kill the goose that lays golden eggs simply because it has maybe an infinite amount of Golden Eggs to give still in the future.

But, this is ONLY true if Trump wises up and stops throwing anymore stones at China!

China and the U.S. both live in Glass houses. Throwing stones by either of them at each other destroys both.

March 12th 2025 in and on Mt. Shasta

 We woke up to about 4 inches of snow outside our hotel room

I'm sort of referring to the above article because these things all happened at the same time basically. I was staying with my oldest daughter and her baby in Mt. Shasta and woke up to snow pretty deep to the point where I moved my all wheel drive Car so it wouldn't be a problem. There was already about a foot of snow or more on top of the hood of my car and roof. I took a plastic ice scraper and removed enough off the windshield and side windows so I could safely move the car to a better location so I wouldn't get stuck in the Hotel parking lot where I was. Luckily, a truck with a snow plow on it had just driven behind my parking place which made it much easier to move my all wheel drive SUV to a safer location to be able to get out of there if there was any need at any time.

Later that Day a friend of mine who lives in Mt. Shasta and my oldest daughter and her daughter decided to try to drive up to Bunny Flat on March 12th 2025. As we were driving up Everitt Memorial highway up the mountain (which is the highest paved mountain except for the Mt. Shasta Ski Park which also goes pretty high on the mountain and both are paved. But I think if you drove all the way up to the old Ski lift location (it has been torn down since the 1970s because an avalanche destroyed this ski park up near Panther Meadows then).

So, as we were driving up a huge snow blower with 7 foot high blades or more (2 of them) were coming down from plowing the snow as far as Bunny Flat where the road was closed with a Gate (panther Meadows is higher way beyond the gate and usually during heavy snow times this gate is closed until the snow melts away enough in the summers (if it does that year).

So, after we passed those two huge yellow snow blowers coming down the mountain on Everitt Memorial Highway the snow blizzard kept getting worse and worse until I couldn't see the road anymore in the white out. There were no tracks because about 4 to 6 inches of snow had already fallen since the snow blowers had plowed it. So, there were no reference points at all. 

Finally, out of desperation because I didn't want to hit a snow bank on either side I opened my driver's window so at least I could keep away from the left snow bank. But, the problem with this is if anyone at all was driving down we likely couldn't see them at all until it would be too late or not at all before they hit us head on.

But, there also were no tracks at all so it was possible no one was up there which turned out to be the case.

Then we arrived at Bunny Flat and there was about 6 inches of snow on the road. But, we realized it was coming down so hard and fast and wind was blowing that it would be dangerous to stay there very long  because we would get snowed in alone up there if we stayed much longer.

So, I took some pictures of my daughter and her daughter and my friend and everyone got back in my all wheel drive SUV. 

However, since I'm almost 77 I let my daughter drive down because she has younger eyes than I do so we all felt it likely would be safer to let her drive. This worked out okay too. Before I got into my all wheel drive SUV I was hit with a blast of snow in my eyes from the roof of my car. At this point I realized it was definitely time to go because the blizzard was just getting worse and worse and with the 20 plus mile an hour gusts this also can cause drifting of snow which you don't want to have to deal with on the road at least.

However, what is interesting about this is that the 12th was the ONLY day while I was in Mt. Shasta that the MacBride Gate was open to even drive up this far because they had had problems with one or more of the snow blowers so the rest of the week I was there you couldn't drive up on Mt. Shasta at least on that side up Everitt Memorial highway at all. Not only that the Castle Lake Road up from Lake Siskiyou on the other side of the Valley where Mt. Shasta city is and where interstate 5 goes up that valley towards Yreka and Ashland Oregon eventually was also closed.

However, it was really nice to visit in a blizzard Bunny Flat because it had been a year or more since I did that last.

Mt. Shasta can be so many things to so many people.

For example, even in August I have been walking down from Horse Camp Sierra Club Lodge at Tree Line and gotten into a Hailstorm to the point where they were finger size hail and they hurt and we had to go under trees so the branches of the trees protected us from the hail.

So, unusual things can happen in Alpine Settings like above 4000 or 5000 feet on Mt. Shasta or across the Valley where Castle Lake often freezes over in the winters there too.

Amazing Experiences!

If you study the real history of Russia and China their histories are much more violent with many less human rights than America

 If you study the history of America you see that without snipers with Muskets the Revolutionary war wouldn't have been successful.

Also, because we were separated from larger areas like Europe and China and other large nations if someone wanted to fight Americans they might all drown trying to get to us in a storm with their ships crossing the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

So, generally speaking America was created with a minimum of Violence (except for the Revolutionary war and the Civil War) and you could also say Americans were somewhat violent against Native Americans and that 90% of the native Americans basically died of Smallpox and other diseases brought over through settlers from mostly Europe.

So, generally speaking Americans are a less violent group of people than other nations like Russia and China have been.

The real difference is that people generally have had more human rights without a king or emperor ruling them in the United States. So, in this environment our people prospered with less violence and repression than in other countries around the world like Russia and China and also Europe.

But, when Europe saw how wonderful our system of government was they tried in their own ways to emulate our Democracy in a Republic as much as possible.

Question for PI AI: When was China Founded as a nation?

When was china founded as a nation?
 
PI AI:
The history of China as a nation is a long and complex one, with roots that go back thousands of years. However, the establishment of a unified Chinese state is generally traced back to the Qin Dynasty, which was founded in 221 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Qin Shi Huang succeeded in uniting the various warring states that had dominated China for centuries, establishing a centralized government and a common currency, and constructing a network of roads and canals that helped to unify the country. He is also known for his ambitious projects, including the construction of the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army. While the Qin Dynasty only lasted for 15 years, it laid the foundation for the subsequent Han Dynasty, which would go on to rule China for over 400 years and establish many of the cultural and political traditions that continue to shape China to this day.

 

question for AI PI: "When was Russia Founded as a nation?"

 

When was russia founded as a nation?
 
PI AI:
The history of Russia is a long and complex one, with roots that go back to the 9th century. However, the modern Russian state is generally considered to have been founded in the year 862, when Rurik, a Varangian chieftain, established a dynasty in the region of Novgorod. Rurik and his descendants gradually expanded their territory and consolidated their power, eventually uniting the various Slavic tribes into a single state known as Kievan Rus’. This state, which was centered around the city of Kiev, is considered the forerunner of modern Russia. Over the centuries, Russia evolved and changed, with the Mongols invading in the 13th century, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow becoming the dominant power in the region in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Russian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1721, and the modern Russian Federation was established in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Cast of 'The Breakfast Club' set to reunite for first time in 40 years

 begin quote:

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/breakfast-club-reunion-chicago-rcna200968

Cast of 'The Breakfast Club' set to reunite for first time in 40 years

Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Emilio Estevez — the five stars of the John Hughes coming-of-age classic — will meet back up in Chicago.
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The brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess and the criminal are reuniting.

The last time they were together they were serving high school detention — this time they'll be giving "Breakfast Club" fans what they've been waiting 40 years for.

Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Emilio Estevez — the five stars of the John Hughes coming-of-age classic — are meeting in Chicago, where the film was shot.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB 1985 Universal Pictures film with from left: Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Hall
From left: Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Hall in The Breakfast Club, 1985.Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy file

Their appearances are part of C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, which kicked off Friday and featured signings with some of the cast.

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The long-awaited reunion comes decades after a fateful Saturday detention created an unlikely brat pack bond in a film that continues to resonate with fans long after its 1985 premiere.

"It's a real culture unto itself," said Hall, who played nerd Brian Johnson in the film.

One fan said the movie defined his generation. Another said she had "Breakfast Club birthday parties," including one that featured an Estevez cake.

Could the reunion mean that something more is in store for the cast?

Hall said he doesn't know whether a sequel might be in the cards, but it's not off the table, he said.

Going to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport)

 I could be wrong but it seems to me that in the past you weren't allowed to park at LAX (Los Angeles International airport at all when there were various terrorist types of things going on in the past. However, when we dropped relatives off yesterday because of my past memories of LAX I was surprised that we could park so close to where our relatives needed to go to board their plane. So, things are much more accessible than they used to be when terrorist things were going on there more in the past. Because we were coming from Orange County up the 405 we didn't really have any traffic the other day too (even though it took us about 2 or 2 1/2 hours to get back to my cousins in Orange County after we dropped our relatives off at the airport.

So, LAX is now I guess as convenient as it was again like in the 1960s and 1970s once again. Good News!

BlackRock's Larry Fink says U.S. is very close to a recession and may be in one now

 begin quote:

BlackRock's Larry Fink says U.S. is very close to a recession and may be in one now

Fears of an economic slowdown have risen sharply since President Donald Trump announced widespread tariffs last week, sparking a sell-off in the stock market.
 
/ Source: CNBC

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told CNBC on Friday that he thinks the U.S. economy has weakened to the point of growth possibly turning negative.

“I think we’re very close, if not in, a recession now,” Fink said on “Squawk on the Street.

Fears of an economic slowdown have risen sharply since President Donald Trump unveiled widespread tariffs last week, sparking a sell-off in the stock market. Trump on Wednesday announced that he was pausing some of those import levies for 90 days, but that move is not enough to restore confidence in the economy, Fink said.

“I think you’re going to see, across the board, just a slowdown until there’s more certainty. And we now have a 90-day on the reciprocal tariffs — that means longer, more elevated uncertainty,” Fink said Friday.

Surveys of consumers and business leaders have shown weakening sentiment in recent months. However, other pieces of economic data like job growth and retail sales have held up better. Fink said consumers may have been stock up on goods ahead of the threatened tariffs, which could be masking some underlying economic weakness.

Fink’s comments come after BlackRock released its first-quarter financial results. In that release, the CEO commented that “uncertainty and anxiety about the future of markets and the economy are dominating client conversations.”

The asset management giant’s financial results were mixed. BlackRock reported $11.30 in adjusted earnings per share for the first quarter, above the $10.14 expected by Wall Street analysts, according to LSEG. However, $5.28 billion in revenue was short of the $5.34 billion consensus expectations.

On the assets front, BlackRock reported $84 billion in net inflows during the quarter and ended March with nearly $11.6 trillion under management.

Shares of the firm were up less than 1% in morning trading.

A wild week of tariff swings leaves consumers and Wall Street on edge

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A wild week of tariff swings leaves consumers and Wall Street on edge

Stocks closed higher after the White House voiced optimism in striking a trade deal with China, but stiff economic headwinds remain.
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  • Tariffs were on, then they were off. At least temporarily, and only some of them — but not for China, which got hit with steeper duties and promptly hit back. Wall Street reeled, then rebounded to its strongest weekly gain in well over a year.

    The past week has seen a head-spinning series of U.S. trade policy changes that economists, investors and ordinary consumers increasingly worry will drive up inflation or even trigger a recession.

    “The economy is facing considerable turbulence,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Friday, when the bank reported strong earnings while warning of pitfalls ahead. Both JPMorgan — which sees 50-50 odds of a recession this year — and Morgan Stanley saw revenues jump from stock trading activity as investors raced to adjust their holdings in the face of growing uncertainty.

    The major U.S. stock indexes ended on a high Friday after a volatile week of massive losses and gains. The eleventh-hour rebound came after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled that President Donald Trump is “optimistic” for a trade deal with China.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 4.9% on the week, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite finished up 7.3%. The S&P 500 had its best week since November 2023, ending up 5.7%. That broad-based index was still down 5.5% since April 1, the day before Trump unveiled a sweeping slate of fresh tariffs.

    While much of those new import taxes have been reduced for a few months, market watchers and finance executives say major economic headwinds remain.

    “Timely resolution which benefits the U.S. would be good for businesses, consumers and the markets,” Wells Fargo told investors Friday about the global trade tensions. In the meantime, “we expect continued volatility and uncertainty and are prepared for a slower economic environment in 2025,” the bank said.

    Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, told CNBC on Friday that he thinks the U.S. economy is “very close, if not in, a recession now.” (An official determination on that front can only be made by a panel of experts at the National Bureau of Economic Research, usually months after the fact.)

    Consumer sentiment, meanwhile, plunged 11% since last month, according to a reading Friday by the University of Michigan, the measure’s fourth straight month of declines.

    “Consumers report multiple warning signs that raise the risk of recession: expectations for business conditions, personal finances, incomes, inflation, and labor markets all continued to deteriorate this month,” the researchers wrote.

    The survey was conducted before Trump changed his mind on the tariffs he’d unveiled just a week earlier, covering nearly 90 countries. He said he came to the decision because more than 75 of them didn’t retaliate and reached out to negotiate.

    The temporary policy rollback, however, doesn’t apply to China. After Trump announced he was hiking tariffs on the country to 145%, Beijing retaliated Friday with 125% duties on U.S. goods.

    Investors say they aren’t sure exactly how the global trade picture will shake out. Morgan Stanley said in a note Friday that Trump’s 90-day reprieve “merely extends policy uncertainty” and leaves effective tariff rates at century-long highs.

    “While any delay of tariffs is beneficial on the margin, it is not the same as their removal,” they wrote. “History suggests that elevated and prolonged uncertainty that weighs on business confidence can have detrimental effects on business spending and hiring.”

    Inflation eased more than anticipated in March, dipping to an annual rate of 2.4% in government figures published Thursday, and wholesale prices also cooled unexpectedly last month. But analysts were quick to discount the encouraging data.

    “That was nice, but don’t get used to it,” Greg McBride, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst, said in a statement Thursday, citing widespread signs of unease across the consumer economy.

    Experts are already warning that common purchases — from clothing and auto parts to grocery staples like coffee, nuts and seafood — remain on track to get pricier in the months ahead from tariffs. Price hikes are also in store for items extensively produced in China, including toys, video game consoles and electronics.

    Barclays analysts said Thursday that retail and import data suggests many consumers “have front-run these tariffs to some extent by making heavy purchases in February and March,” looking to snag Chinese-made gadgets and other items produced abroad before prices rise. Foot traffic at warehouse clubs jumped nearly 10% in the last week of March, days before Trump’s April 2 tariff rollout, according to Placer.ai tracking data, which the company said could indicate a race to stock up.

    The Barclays researchers said they expect price pressures to moderate over the course of the year “as firms trade less with China and source from the rest of the world, where we expect the average tariff to remain close to 10%.” But the bank still foresees inflation climbing to 4.1% overall by the end of this year.

    “The economic tariff Armageddon unleashed by Trump last week has been the dark black cloud over stocks since this fiasco began,” Wedbush Securities analysts wrote in a note to clients Friday. The impact has mainly been felt on Wall Street so far, they said, but “that is all about to change.”