GOLD: 1810.55 UP $9.15

SILVER: $22.92 UP 12 CENTS

ACCESS MARKET:

GOLD $1808.40

SILVER: $22.91

Bitcoin: morning price: 47,670 down $1325

Bitcoin: afternoon price: 50,701 up $381

Platinum price: closing up $8.65 to $976.90

Palladium price; closing up $66.65 at 1951.75

END

end

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EXCHANGE: COMEX

CONTRACT: DECEMBER 2021 COMEX 100 GOLD FUTURES
SETTLEMENT: 1,801.600000000 USD
INTENT DATE: 12/22/2021 DELIVERY DATE: 12/27/2021
FIRM ORG FIRM NAME ISSUED STOPPED

365 H ED&F MAN CAPITA 4
435 H SCOTIA CAPITAL 10
624 H BOFA SECURITIES 852
657 C MORGAN STANLEY 9
661 C JP MORGAN 161
661 H JP MORGAN 449
709 C BARCLAYS 500
732 C RBC CAP MARKETS 20
905 C ADM 21

TOTAL: 1,013 1,013
MONTH TO DATE: 35,589

Goldman Sachs stopped: 0

NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED TODAY FOR DEC. CONTRACT: 1013 NOTICE(S) FOR 101300 OZ (3.1508 TONNES)

total notices so far: 35,589 contracts for 3,558,900 oz

SILVER//DEC CONTRACT

121 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR 605,000 OZ/

total number of notices filed so far this month 8847 : for 44,235,000 oz

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

GLD

WITH GOLD UP $9.15

A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.94 TONNES FROM THE GLD

WITH RESPECT TO GLD WITHDRAWALS: (OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS)

GOLD IS “RETURNED” TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND WHEN CALLING IN THEIR LEASES: THE GOLD NEVER LEAVES THE BANK OF ENGLAND IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE BANK IS PROTECTING ITSELF IN CASE OF COMMERCIAL FAILURE

ALSO INVESTORS SWITCHING TO SPROTT PHYSICAL (phys) INSTEAD OF THE FRAUDULENT GLD//

THIS IS A MASSIVE FRAUD!!

GLD 973,63 TONNES OF GOLD//

Silver//SLV

WITH NO SILVER AROUND AND SILVER UP 12 CENTS:

With silver up 12 cents today: a huge deposit into the SLV of 2.728 million oz/

A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.202 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/

INVESTORS ARE SWITCHING SLV TO SPROTT’S PSLV

CLOSING INVENTORY SLV/ TONIGHT: 537.681 MILLION OZ

Let us have a look at the data for today

SILVER//OUTLINE

SILVER COMEX OI FELL BY A TINY 131 CONTRACTS TO 140,988 AND FURTHER FROM THE NEW RECORD OF 244,710, SET FEB 25/2020.. DESPITE THE $0.29 GAIN IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX ON WEDNESDAY. OUR BANKERS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING THE PRICE OF SILVER DOWN (IT ROSE BY $0.29) AND WERE QUITE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OUT ANY SILVER LONGS AS WE HAD A SMALL GAIN OF 119 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES .

WE MUST HAVE HAD:
I) HUGE BANKER SHORT COVERING AS THEY ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO GET OUT OF DODGE!!/. II)WE ALSO HAD SOME REDDIT RAPTOR BUYING//. iii) A FAIR ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS iiii) A HUGE INITIAL SILVER STANDING FOR COMEX SILVER MEASURING AT 47.535 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 315,000 OZ QUEUE. JUMP V) FAIR SIZED COMEX OI GAIN.

I AM NOW RECORDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN OI FROM PRELIMINARY TO FINAL:

THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI SILVER TODAY: CONTRACTS -45

HISTORICAL ACCUMULATION OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS DEC 16 ACCUMULATION FOR EFP’S SILVER/JPMORGAN’S HOUSE OF BRIBES/STARTING FROM FIRST DAY/MONTH OF DEC:

TOTAL CONTACTS for 18 days, total contracts: 15,614 or …average per day: 867 contracts or 4.337 million oz per day.

TOTAL NO OF OZ UNDERGOING EFP TO LONDON 15,614 CONTRACTS X 5,000 PER CONTRACT:

EQUATES TO: 78.070 MILLION OZ

LAST 7 MONTHS TOTAL EFP CONTRACTS ISSUED IN MILLIONS OF OZ:

MAY 137.83 MILLION

JUNE 149.91 MILLION OZ

JULY 129.445 MILLION OZ

AUGUST: MILLION OZ 140.120

SEPT. 28.230 MILLION OZ//

OCT: 94.595 MILLION OZ

NOV: 131.925 MILLION OZ

RESULT: WE HAD A TINY SIZED DECREASE IN COMEX OI SILVER COMEX CONTRACTS OF 131 DESPITE OUR 29 CENT GAIN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX// WEDNESDAY THE CME NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD A SMALL SIZED EFP ISSUANCE OF 250 CONTRACTS( 250 CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR MAR AND 0 CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS) WHICH EXITED OUT OF THE SILVER COMEX TO LONDON AS FORWARDS THE DOMINANT FEATURE TODAY:/ AS WELL AS TODAY /HUGE BANKER SHORT COVERING AS THEY GET OUT OF DODGE//// WE HAVE A GOOD INITIAL SILVER OZ STANDING FOR DEC OF 47.535 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 315,000 QUEUE JUMP .. WE HAD SMALL SIZED GAIN OF 119 OI CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES FOR 0.595 MILLION OZ//

WE HAD 121 NOTICES FILED TODAY FOR 605.000 OZ

GOLD//OUTLINE

IN GOLD, THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST ROSE BY A SMALL SIZED 1758 CONTRACTS TO 502,604, AND CLOSER TO OUR NEW RECORD (SET JAN 24/2020) AT 799,541 AND PREVIOUS TO THAT: (SET JAN 6/2020) AT 797,110.

THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI IN GOLD TODAY. 886 CONTRACTS

THE SMALL SIZED INCREASE IN COMEX OI CAME WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE OF $12.85//COMEX GOLD TRADING/WEDNESDAY/.AS IN SILVER WE MUST HAVE HAD HUGE BANKER/ALGO SHORT COVERING ACCOMPANYING OUR FAIR SIZED EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE. WE HAD ZERO LIQUIDATION AS THE TOTAL GAIN ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES TOTALLED A SMALL SIZED 2808 CONTRACTS…

WE ALSO HAD A HUGE INITIAL STANDING IN GOLD TONNAGE FOR DEC AT 98.000 TONNES, FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S STRONG QUEUE JUMP OF 50,500 OZ//, NEW STANDING 111.067 TONNES

YET ALL OF..THIS HAPPENED WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE OF $12.85 WITH RESPECT TO WEDNESDAY’S TRADING

WE HAD A SMALL SIZED GAIN OF 2808 OI CONTRACTS (8.784 PAPER TONNES) ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES

E.F.P. ISSUANCE

THE CME RELEASED THE DATA FOR EFP ISSUANCE AND IT TOTALLED A SMALL SIZED 1050 CONTRACTS:

FOR FEB 1050 ALL OTHER MONTHS ZERO//TOTAL: 1050

The NEW COMEX OI FOR THE GOLD COMPLEX RESTS AT 503,490.

IN ESSENCE WE HAVE A FAIR SIZED INCREASE IN TOTAL CONTRACTS ON THE TWO CONTRACTS OF 3694, WITH 2694 CONTRACTS INCREASED AT THE COMEX AND 1050 EFP OI CONTRACTS WHICH NAVIGATED OVER TO LONDON. THUS TOTAL OI GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 3694 CONTRACTS OR 11.489 TONNES.

CALCULATIONS ON GAIN/LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES

WE HAD A SMALL SIZED ISSUANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS (1050) ACCOMPANYING THE SMALL SIZED GAIN IN COMEX OI (1758): TOTAL GAIN IN THE TWO EXCHANGES 2808 CONTRACTS. WE NO DOUBT HAD 1) HUGE BANKER SHORT COVERING ,2.) HUGE INITIAL STANDING AT THE GOLD COMEX FOR DEC. AT 98.000 TONNES/FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 50,500 OZ TO LONDON////NEW STANDING OF 111.067TONNES//. 3)ZERO LONG LIQUIDATION,4) SMALL SIZED COMEX OI GAIN 5) SMALL ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL

SPREADING OPERATIONS(/NOW SWITCHING TO GOLD) FOR NEWCOMERS, HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

SPREADING LIQUIDATION HAS NOW COMMENCED AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE NEW ACTIVE FRONT MONTH OF NOV.WE ARE NOW INTO THE SPREADING OPERATION OF GOLD

HERE IS A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF HOW THE CROOKS FLEECE UNSUSPECTING LONGS IN THE SPREADING ENDEAVOUR ;MODUS OPERANDI OF THE CORRUPT BANKERS AS TO HOW THEY HANDLE THEIR SPREAD OPEN INTERESTS:HERE IS HOW THE CROOKS USED SPREADING AS WE ARE NOW INTO THE NON ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF OCT HEADING TOWARDS THE ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF NOV, FOR GOLD:

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST STARTS TO RISE BUT SO IS THE OPEN INTEREST OF SPREADERS. THE OPEN INTEREST IN WILL CONTINUE TO RISE UNTIL ONE WEEK BEFORE FIRST DAY NOTICE OF AN UPCOMING ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH (DEC), AND THAT IS WHEN THE CROOKS SELL THEIR SPREAD POSITIONS BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME OF THE DAY. THEY WILL USE THE SELL SIDE OF THE EQUATION TO CREATE THE CASCADE (ALONG WITH THEIR COLLUSIVE FRIENDS) AND THEN COVER ON THE BUY SIDE OF THE SPREAD SITUATION AT THE END OF THE DAY. THEY DO THIS TO AVOID POSITION LIMIT DETECTION. THE LIQUIDATION OF THE SPREADING FORMATION CONTINUES FOR EXACTLY ONE WEEK AND ENDS ON FIRST DAY NOTICE.”

HISTORICAL ACCUMULATION OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS IN 2021 INCLUDING TODAY

DEC

ACCUMULATION OF EFP’S GOLD AT J.P. MORGAN’S HOUSE OF BRIBES: (EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL) FOR THE MONTH OF DEC : 40,024 CONTRACTS OR 4,002,400 oz OR 124.49 TONNES (18 TRADING DAY(S) AND THUS AVERAGING: 2223 EFP CONTRACTS PER TRADING DAY

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS TO THE SIZE OF THESE EFP TRANSFERS : THIS MONTH IN 18 TRADING DAY(S) IN TONNES: 124.49 TONNES

TOTAL ANNUAL GOLD PRODUCTION, 2020, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD EX CHINA EX RUSSIA: 3555 TONNES

THUS EFP TRANSFERS REPRESENTS 124.49/3550 x 100% TONNES 3.50% OF GLOBAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION

ACCUMULATION OF GOLD EFP’S YEAR 2021 TO DATE

JANUARY: 265.26 TONNES (RAPIDLY INCREASING AGAIN)

FEB : 171.24 TONNES ( DEFINITELY SLOWING DOWN AGAIN)..

MARCH:. 276.50 TONNES (STRONG AGAIN/

APRIL: 189..44 TONNES ( DRAMATICALLY SLOWING DOWN AGAIN//GOLD IN BACKWARDATION)

MAY: 250.15 TONNES (NOW DRAMATICALLY INCREASING AGAIN)

JUNE: 247.54 TONNES (FINAL)

JULY: 188.73 TONNES FINAL

AUGUST: 217.89 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE.

SEPT 142.12 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE ( LOW ISSUANCE)_

OCT: 141.13 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE (LOW ISSUANCE)

NOV: 312.46 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE//NEW RECORD!! (INCREASING DRAMATICALLY)//SIGN OF REAL STRESS//SURPASSING THE MARCH 2021 RECORD OF 276.50 TONNES OF EFP

DEC. 124.49 TONNES//INITIAL ISSUANCE

WHAT IS ALARMING TO ME, ACCORDING TO OUR LONDON EXPERT ANDREW MAGUIRE IS THAT THESE EFP’S ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TO WHAT ARE CALLED SERIAL FORWARD CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS AND THESE CONTRACTS ARE LESS THAN 14 DAYS. ANYTHING GREATER THAN 14 DAYS, THESE MUST BE RECORDED AND SENT TO THE COMPTROLLER, GREAT BRITAIN TO MONITOR RISK TO THE BANKING SYSTEM. IF THIS IS INDEED TRUE, THEN THIS IS A MASSIVE CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD AS WE NOW WITNESS A MONSTROUS TOTAL EFP’S ISSUANCE AS IT HEADS INTO THE STRATOSPHERE.

First, here is an outline of what will be discussed tonight:

1.Today, we had the open interest at the comex, in SILVER, FELL BY A TINY SIZED 131 CONTRACTS TO 140,988 AND FURTHER FROM OUR COMEX RECORD //244,710(SET FEB 25/2020). THE LAST RECORDS WERE SET IN AUG.2018 AT 244,196 WITH A SILVER PRICE OF $14.78/(AUGUST 22/2018)..THE PREVIOUS RECORD TO THAT WAS SET ON APRIL 9/2018 AT 243,411 OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS WITH THE SILVER PRICE AT THAT DAY: $16.53). AND PREVIOUS TO THAT, THE RECORD WAS ESTABLISHED AT: 234,787 CONTRACTS, SET ON APRIL 21.2017 OVER 4 1/2 YEARS AGO.

EFP ISSUANCE 250 CONTRACTS

OUR CUSTOMARY MIGRATION OF COMEX LONGS CONTINUE TO MORPH INTO LONDON FORWARDS AS OUR BANKERS USED THEIR EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TO ISSUE:

MAR 250 ALL OTHER MONTHS: ZERO. TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 250 CONTRACTS. EFP’S GIVE OUR COMEX LONGS A FIAT BONUS PLUS A DELIVERABLE PRODUCT OVER IN LONDON. IF WE TAKE THE COMEX OI LOSS OF 131 CONTRACTS AND ADD TO THE 250 OI TRANSFERRED TO LONDON THROUGH EFP’S,

WE OBTAIN A SMALL SIZED GAIN OF 119 OPEN INTEREST CONTRACT FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES.

THUS IN OUNCES, THE GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES 0.595 MILLION OZ,

OCCURRED WITH OUR $0.29 GAIN IN PRICE.

1/COMEX GOLD AND SILVER REPORT

(report Harvey)

2 ) Gold/silver trading overnight Europe, Gold

(Peter Schiff, Egon von Greyerz///Matthew Piepenburg via GoldSwitzerland.com,

3. ASIAN AFFAIRS

i)THURSDAY MORNING/WEDNESDAY NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.57% //Hang Sang CLOSED UP 91.31 PTS OR 0.40% /The Nikkei closed UP 236.16 PTS OR 0.83% //Australia’s all ordinaires CLOSED UP 0.32%/Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) closed UP 6.3709 /Oil UP TO 73.88 dollars per barrel for WTI and UP TO 75.48 for Brent. Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN // ONSHORE YUAN CLOSED UP AT 6.3709 AGAINST THE DOLLAR. OFFSHORE YUAN CLOSED UP ON THE DOLLAR AT 6.3760: /ONSHORE YUAN TRADING ABOVE LEVEL OF OFFSHORE YUAN/ONSHORE YUAN TRADING STRONGER AGAINST USA DOLLAR/OFFSHORE YUAN TRADING STRONGER AGAINST THE DOLLAR /TRADE DEAL NOW DEAD..TRUMP RAISED RATES TO 25%

A)NORTH KOREA//USA/OUTLINE

b) REPORT ON JAPAN

OUTLINE

3 C CHINA

OUTLINE

4/EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

OUTLINE

5. RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

OUTLINE

6.Global Issues

OUTLINE

7. OIL ISSUES

OUTLINE

8 EMERGING MARKET ISSUES

OUTLINE

COMEX DATA//AMOUNTS STANDING//VOLUME OF TRADING/INVENTORY MOVEMENTS

GOLD

LET US BEGIN:

THE TOTAL COMEX GOLD OPEN INTEREST ROSE BY A SMALL SIZED 1758 CONTRACTS AND CLOSER TO THE RECORD THAT WAS SET IN JANUARY/2020: {799,541 OI(SET JAN 16/2020)} AND PREVIOUS TO THAT: 797,110 (SET JAN 7/2020). AND THIS COMEX INCREASE OCCURRED WITH OUR GAIN OF $12.85 IN GOLD PRICING WEDNESDAY’S COMEX TRADING. WE ALSO HAD A SMALL EFP ISSUANCE (1051 CONTRACTS). . THEY WERE PAID HANDSOMELY NOT TO TAKE DELIVERY AT THE COMEX AND SETTLE FOR CASH. LOOKS LIKE OUR BANKERS ARE FINALLY BAILING OUT

WE NORMALLY HAVE WITNESSED EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS ISSUED BEING SMALL AS IT JUST TOO COSTLY FOR THEM TO CONTINUE SERVICING THE COSTS OF SERIAL FORWARDS CIRCULATING IN LONDON. HOWEVER, MUCH TO THE ANNOYANCE OF OUR BANKERS, THE COMEX IS THE SCENE OF AN ASSAULT ON GOLD AS LONDONERS, NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND ANY PHYSICAL ON THAT SIDE OF THE POND, EXERCISE THESE CIRCULATING EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS IN LONDON AND FORCING DELIVERY OF REAL METAL OVER HERE AS THE OBLIGATION STILL RESTS WITH NEW YORK BANKERS. IT SEEMS THAT ARE BANKERS FRIENDS ARE EXERCISING EFP’S FROM LONDON AND NOW THEY ARE LOATHE TO ISSUE NEW ONES.

EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE

WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF DEC.. THE CME REPORTS THAT THE BANKERS ISSUED A SMALL SIZED TRANSFER THROUGH THE EFP ROUTE AS THESE LONGS RECEIVED A DELIVERABLE LONDON FORWARD TOGETHER WITH A FIAT BONUS.,

THAT IS 1050 EFP CONTRACTS WERE ISSUED: ;: , DEC : 0 & FEB. 1050 & ZERO FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS:

TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 1050 CONTRACTS

WHEN WE HAVE BACKWARDATION, EFP ISSUANCE IS VERY COSTLY BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE SCARCITY OF METAL AND IT IS FAR BETTER FOR OUR BANKERS TO PAY OFF INDIVIDUALS THAN RISK INVESTORS ESPECIALLY FROM LONDON STANDING FOR DELIVERY. THE LOWER PRICES IN THE FUTURES MARKET IS A MAGNET FOR OUR LONDONERS SEEKING PHYSICAL METAL. BACKWARDATION ALWAYS EQUAL SCARCITY OF METAL!

ON A NET BASIS IN OPEN INTEREST WE GAINED THE FOLLOWING TODAY ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES: A SMALL SIZED 2808 TOTAL CONTRACTS IN THAT 1050 LONGS WERE TRANSFERRED AS FORWARDS TO LONDON AND WE HAD A SMALL GAIN COMEX OI OF 1758 CONTRACTS..

// WE HAVE A STRONG AMOUNT OF GOLD TONNAGE STANDING FOR DEC (111.067),

HERE ARE THE AMOUNTS THAT STOOD FOR DELIVERY IN THE PRECEDING 9 MONTHS OF 2021:

NOV. 8.074 TONNES

OCT. 57.707 TONNES

SEPT: 11.9160 TONNES

AUGUST: 80.489 TONNES

JULY: 7.2814 TONNES

JUNE: 72.289 TONNES

MAY 5.77 TONNES

APRIL 95.331 TONNES

MARCH 30.205 TONNES

FEB. 113.424 TONNES

JAN: 6.500 TONNES.

TOTAL SO FAR THIS YEAR (JAN- NOV): 488.996 TONNES

THE BANKERS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOWERING GOLD’S PRICE //// (IT ROSE $12.85)

AND THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN FLEECING ANY LONGS AS THE TOTAL GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES REGISTERED 8.734 TONNES,ACCOMPANYING OUR HUGE GOLD TONNAGE STANDING FOR DEC (111.067 TONNES)…

WE HAD – 886 CONTRACTS REMOVED FROM COMEX TRADES. THESE WERE REMOVED AFTER TRADING ENDED LAST NIGHT

NET GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES 2808 CONTRACTS OR 280,800 OZ OR 8.784 TONNES

COMMODITY LAW SUGGESTS THAT COMMODITY FUTURES OPEN INTEREST SHOULD APPROXIMATE 3% OF TOTAL PRODUCTION. IN GOLD THE WORLD PRODUCES AROUND 3500 TONNES PER YEAR BUT ONLY 2200 TONNES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE WEST (THUS EXCLUDING RUSSIA, CHINA ETC..WHO KEEP 100% OF THEIR PRODUCT.THUS IN GOLD WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING: 506,187 TOTAL OI CONTRACTS X 100 OZ PER CONTRACT = 50.61 MILLION OZ/32,150 OZ PER TONNE = 15.74 TONNES

Estimated gold volume today: 103,664 extremely poor

Confirmed volume on Friday: 142,141 contracts extremely poor

INITIAL STANDINGS FOR DEC COMEX GOLD

Gold

Gold	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers* Inventory in oz*	nil oz
Withdrawals from Customer* Inventory in oz*	NIL oz
Deposit to the Dealer* Inventory in oz*	nilOZ
Deposits to the Customer* Inventory, in oz*	nil
No of oz served (contracts) today	1013 notice(s)101300 OZ3.1508 TONNES
No of oz to be served (notices)	119 contracts 11,900 oz 0.3701 TONNES
Total monthly oz gold served (contracts) so far this month	35,589 notices 3,558,900 OZ110.069 TONNES
Total accumulative withdrawals of gold from the Dealers* inventory this month*	NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of gold from the Customer* inventory this month*	xxx oz

DEC 23 COMEX INVENTORY MOVEMENTS//AMOUNTS STANDING

For today:

No dealer deposit 0

No dealer withdrawal 0

No customer deposit 0

zero customer withdrawal

ADJUSTMENTS 0

CALCULATIONS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DECEMBER.

For the front month of DECEMBER we have an oi 1132 stand for December. for a GAIN of 383 contracts. We had 122 notices filed on WEDNESDAY so we GAINED A HUGE 505 contracts or an additional 50500 oz will stand for delivery in this very active delivery month of December as our bankers search out for badly needed physical gold over on this side of the pond.

JANUARY LOST 558 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 1851

FEBRUARY GAINED 2134 CONTRACTS TO 378,408

We had 1013 notice(s) filed today for 12,200 oz FOR THE DEC 2021 CONTRACT MONTH

Today, 0 notice(s) were issued from J.P.Morgan dealer account and 0 notices were issued from their client or customer account. The total of all issuance by all participants equates to 1013 contract(s) of which 0 notices were stopped (received) by j.P. Morgan dealer and 161 notice(s) was (were) stopped/ Received) by J.P.Morgan//customer account and 0 notice(s) received (stopped) by the squid (Goldman Sachs)

To calculate the INITIAL total number of gold ounces standing for the DEC /2021. contract month,

we take the total number of notices filed so far for the month (35,589) x 100 oz , to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of (DEC: 1132 CONTRACTS ) minus the number of notices served upon today 1013 x 100 oz per contract equals 3,520,300, OZ OR 109.496 TONNES the number of TONNES standing in this active month of DEC.

thus the INITIAL standings for gold for the DEC contract month:

No of notices filed so far (35.589) x 100 oz+ (1132) OI for the front month minus the number of notices served upon today (1013} x 100 oz} which equals 3,570,800 oz standing OR 111.067 TONNES in this active delivery month of DEC.

This is a huge delivery for December.

We GAINED 505 contracts or an additional 50500 oz WILL STAND FOR GOLD OVER HERE

TOTAL COMEX GOLD STANDING: 111.067 TONNES

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

COMEX GOLD INVENTORIES/CLASSIFICATION

NEW PLEDGED GOLD:

206,468.649, oz NOW PLEDGED /HSBC 6.42 TONNES

174,041.813 PLEDGED MANFRA 5.41 TONNES

54,339.114oz PLEDGED JPMorgan no 1 1.690

288,481,604, oz JPM No 2 8.97 TONNES

698,821.330 oz pledged June 12/2020 Brinks/27,96 TONNES

12,244.444 oz International Delaware: 0..3808 tonne

Loomis: 18,615.429 oz

total pledged gold: 1,653,017.372oz 51.42 tonnes

TOTAL REGISTERED AND ELIZ GOLD AT THE COMEX: 33,644.673.974 OZ (1046.458 TONNES)

TOTAL ELIGIBLE GOLD: 16,045,346.758 OZ

TOTAL OF ALL REGISTERED GOLD: 17,744,327.216 OZ

REGISTERED GOLD THAT CAN BE SERVED UPON: 16,091,319 OZ (REG GOLD- PLEDGED GOLD)

I have compiled data with respect to registered (or dealer) gold taken on first day notice for each of the past 24 months

The data begins on first day notice for the May month taken on the last day of July 2018. and it continues to present day.

I then took, how many deliveries were recorded by the CME for each and every month. I also included for reference the price of gold on first day notice.

The first graph is a logarithmic graph and the second graph, linear.

You can see the huge explosion of registered gold at the comex along with deliveries. THE DATA AND GRAPHS:

END

SILVER COMEX DEC 22/2021

And now for the wild silver comex results

INITIAL STANDING FOR SILVER//DEC

Silver	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers* Inventory*	NIL oz
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory	738,564.200 oz BrinksCNTManfrahsbcJPMORGAN
Deposits to the Dealer* Inventory*	nilOZ
Deposits to the Customer Inventory	612,989.148 ozCNT
No of oz served today (contracts)	121 CONTRACT(S)605,000 OZ)
No of oz to be served (notices)	330 contracts (1,650,000 oz)
Total monthly oz silver served (contracts)	8841 contracts 44,235,000 oz)
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Dealers* inventory this month*	NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Customer* inventory this month*

we had 0 deposits into the dealer

total dealer deposits: nil oz

i) We had 0 dealer withdrawal

total dealer withdrawals: nil oz

We had 1 deposit to the customer account:

i) Into CNT: 612,989.148 oz

JPMorgan has a total silver weight: 184.663 million oz/356.804 million =51.75% of comex

ii) Comex withdrawals:

a) Brinks 5718.03 oz

b) CNT 20,370.430 oz

c) HSBC 202,936.520 oz

d) JPMorgan: 5052.500

e) Manfra: 503,500.320 oz Manfra

TOTAL REGISTERED SILVER: 93.136 MILLION OZ

TOTAL REG + ELIG. 356.455 MILLION OZ

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

silver open interest data:

Total oi for the silver complex: 141,054 contracts LOSING 86 contracts on the day

FRONT MONTH OF DEC OI: 451 CONTRACTS LOSING 103 contracts on the day.

TOTAL NO OF CONTRACTS SERVED UPON THIS MONTH: 8841 CONTRACTS FOR 44,235,000 OZ

CALCULATION OF SILVER OZ STANDING FOR DECEMBER

For the front month of DECEMBER we have an amount of silver standing AT 451 CONTRACTS for a LOSS of 103 contracts. We had 191 notices filed on WEDNESDAY, so we GAINED 88 contracts or an additional 440,000 oz will stand for delivery in this very active delivery month of December. There is surely no silver on either side of the pond.

JANUARY LOST 4 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 2285

FEBRUARY GAINED 8 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 60

NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED TODAY: 121 NOTICES OR 605,000 OZ

Comex volumes: 33,055 poor (est. today)

Comex volume: confirmed Monday: 49,182 contracts (poor)

To calculate the number of silver ounces that will stand for delivery in DEC. we take the total number of notices filed for the month so far at 8847 x 5,000 oz =. 44,235,000 oz

to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of DEC (451) and the number of notices served upon today 121 x (5000 oz) equals the number of ounces standing.

Thus the standings for silver for the DEC./2021 contract month: 8847 (notices served so far) x 5000 oz + OI for front month of DEC (451) – number of notices served upon today (121) x 5000 oz of silver standing for the DEC contract month equates 45,855,000 oz. .

WE GAINED 88 CONTRACTS OR AN ADDITIONAL 440,000 OZ WILL STAND FOR DELIVERY

the record level of silver open interest is 234,787 contracts set on April 21./2017 with the price at that day at $18.42. The previous record was 224,540 contracts with the price at that time of $20.44

END

GLD AND SLV INVENTORY LEVELS:

GLD

DEC 23/WITH GOLD UP $9.85 TODAY//A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.94 TONNES FROM THE GLD/// INVENTORY RESTS AT 973.63 TONNES

DEC 22/WITH GOLD UP $12.85 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 978.57 TONNES

DEC 21/WITH GOLD DOWN $7.05 TODAY, NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 978.57 TONNES

DEC 20/WITH GOLD DOWN $9.65 TODAY; A BIG CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 1.37 TONNES INTO THE GLD///INVENTORY RESTS AT 977.20 TONNES

DEC 17/WITH GOLD UP $7.05 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD/INVENTORY RESTS AT 977.20 TONNES

DEC 16/WITH GOLD UP $33.05TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.4 TONNES FROM THE GLD////INVENTORY REST AT: 977.20 TONNES

DEC15/WITH GOLD DOWN $7.80 TODAY/ A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.04 TONNES FROM THE GLD////INVENTORY RESTS AT 980.60 TONNES.

DEC 14/WITH GOLD DOWN $18.00 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 982.64 TONNES

DEC 13/WITH GOLD UP $3.20 TODAY/NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD/INVENTORY RESTS AT 982.64 TONNES

DEC 10.WITH GOLD UP $7.30 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 982.64 TONNES

DEC 9/WITH GOLD DOWN $9.10 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 982.64.

DEC 8/WITH GOLD UP $5.50 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD/INVENTORY RESTS AT 984.38 TONNES

DEC 7/WITH GOLD UP $5.15 TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.74 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD////INVENTORY RESTS AT 984.38 TONNES

DEC 6/WITH GOLD DOWN $3.90 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 986.17 TONNES//

DEC 3/WITH GOLD UP $20.35 TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.85 TONNES FROM THE GLD///INVENTORY RESTS AT 986.17 TONNES

DEC 2/WITH GOLD DOWN $19.80 TODAY; A HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.83 TONNES FROM THE GLD///INVENTORY RESTS AT 990.82 TONNES

DEC 1/WITH GOLD UP $7.05 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD/INVENTORY RESTS AT 992.85 TONNES

NOV 30/WITH GOLD DOWN $8.70 TODAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESS AT 992.85 TONNES.

NOV 29/WITH GOLD DOWN $3.40 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD/INVENTORY RESTS AT 992.85 TONNES/

NOV 26/WITH GOLD UP $2.70 TODAY/A HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 1.76 TONES INTO THE GLD////INVENTORY RESTS AT 992.85 TONNES

NOV 24/WITH GOLD UP $.40 TODAY//NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD..INVENTORY RESTS AT 991.11 TONNES

NOV 23/WITH GOLD DOWN $21.85 TODAY: A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 6.11 TONNES INTO THE GLD////INVENTORY RESTS AT 991.11 TONNES.

NOV 22/WITH GOLD DOWN 54.10 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 985.00 TONNES

NOV 19/WITH GOLD DOWN $9.40 TODAY: A HUGE CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 8.13 TONNES INTO THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 985.00 TONNES.

NOV 18/WITH GOLD DOWN $8.40 TODAY:A SMALL CHANGE IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF .88 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD///INVENTORY RESTS AT 976.87 TONNES

NOV 17/WITH GOLD UP $14.10 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 975.99 TONNES

NOV 16/WITH GOLD DOWN $10.30 TODAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY RESTS AT 975.99 TONNES

NOV 15/WITH GOLD DOWN $1.55 TODAY: NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD//INVENTORY AT 975.99 TONNES//

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inventory rests tonight at:

DEC 23/ GLD INVENTORY 973.63 tonnes

SLV

Now the SLV Inventory/( vehicle is a fraud as there is no physical metal behind them

DEC 23/WITH SILVER UP 19 CENTS TODAY:A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.202 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 537.681 MILLION OZ//

DEC 22/WITH SILVER UP 29 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.202 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV////INVENTORY RESTS AT 538.883 MILLION OZ/

DEC 21/WITH SILVER UP 19 CENTS: A BIG CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 2.728 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 540.085 MILLION OZ

DEC 20/WITH SILVER DOWN 22 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 538.282 MILLION OZ

DEC 17/WITH SILVER UP 9 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/INVENTORY RESTS AT 538.282 MILLION OZ//

DEC 16/WITH SILVER UP 91 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.33 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV//INVENTORY REST AT 538.282 MILLION OZ

DEC 15WITH SILVER DOWN 38 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/: A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.48 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 541.612 MILLION OZ

DEC 14/WITH SILVER DOWN 38 CENTS TODAY; NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 543.092 MILLION OZ

DEC 13/WITH SILVER UP 11 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.561 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 543.092 MILLION OZ//

DEC 10.WITH SILVER UP 19 CENTS TODAY; NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 546.653 MILLION OZ..

DEC 9/WITH SILVER DOWN 43 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 2.96 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 546.653 MILLION OZ/

DEC 8/WITH SILVER DOWN 7 CENTS TODAY; NO CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 543.693 MILLION OZ///

DEC 7/WITH SILVER UP 24 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 543.693 MILLION OZ..

DEC 6/WITH SILVER DOWN 25 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.110 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 543.693 MILLION OZ//

DEC 3/WITH SILVER UP 21 CENTS TODAY; A BIG CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.199 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV////INVENTORY RESTS AT 544.803 MILLION OZ//

DEC 2/WITH SILVER DOWN 6 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.002 MILLION OZ.

DECM 1/WITH SILVER DOWN 44 CENTS TODAY: A SMALL CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 740,000 OZ FROM THE SLV////INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.002 MILLION OZ//

NOV 30/WITH SILVER DOWN 3 CENTS TODAY; A SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF .555 MILLION OZ FORM THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.742 MILLION OZ///

NOV 29/WITH SILVER DOWN 25 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 549.297 MILLION OZ//

NOV 26/WITH SILVER DOWN 36 CENTS TODAY; A HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 2.038 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV.//INVENTORY RESTS AT 549.297 MILLION OZ///

NOV 24/WITH SILVER UP 5 CENTS //NO CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV..INVENTORY RESTS AT 547.261 MILLION OZ

NOV 23.WITH SILVER DOWN 81 CENTS TODAY: A HUGE CHANGE IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/: A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.128 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 547.261 MILLION OZ//

NOV 22/ WITH SILVER DOWN 47 CENTS TODAY; A BIG CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A SURPRISE DEPOSIT OF 1.156 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV///INVENTORY RESTS AT 549.389 MILLION OZ/

NOV 19/WITH SILVER DOWN 14 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.233 MILLION OZ..

NOV 18/WITH SILVER DOWN 27 CENTS TODAY/ NO CHANGES IN SILVER STANDING AT THE SLV.//INVENTORY REST AT 548.233 MILLION OZ//

NOV 17/WITH SILVER UP 24 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER STANDING AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.233 MILLION OZ//

NOV 16/WITH SILVER DOWN 17 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER STANDING AT THE SLV//INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.233 MILLION OZ//

NOV 15/WITH SILVER DOWN 25 CENTS TODAY: NO CHANGES IN SILVER AT THE SLV/ INVENTORY RESTS AT 548.233 MILLION OZ

CLOSING SILVER INVENTORY //SLV//537.681 MILLION OZ//

PHYSICAL GOLD/SILVER STORIES

PETER SCHIFF

‘Real’ Interest Rates: The Missing Puzzle Piece The Mainstream Is Ignoring

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 05:00 PM

Via SchiffGold.com,

Inflation is sizzling hot. Gold has historically served as an inflation hedge. So, why hasn’t gold caught a bid?

In a word, confusion.

Taper tantrums and fear of Fed rate hikes have generated massive confusion in the markets. People are selling gold when they should be heavily buying gold in the dips.

And at the root of this confusion is the failure to account for real interest rates.

For the last year, the markets have kept a laser-like focus on the Federal Reserve, anticipating the central banks would push interest rates up to fight inflation. Every time inflation came in hotter than expected, gold sold off in anticipation of Fed tightening. More recently, gold caught headwinds when the central bank finally announced its quantitative easing taper. And after the CPI hit the highest level in 1982 in November, the Fed said it would speed up the taper, thus pushing the timetable for rate hikes forward.

Currently, the Fed projects three rates hikes of 25 basis points next year, three in 2023, and two more in 2024. That would push rates to around 2%. Many in the mainstream dubbed this a “war on inflation.”

As I’ve explained, a 2% interest rate in the face of 7% inflation is like taking a pea shooter to a bazooka fight. In order to truly tame inflation, the Federal Reserve needs to push interest rates above the level of inflation. Nobody is talking about rate hikes up to 7%. And remember, the government uses a cooked CPI formula that understates inflation. When measured honestly, inflation is closer to 15%. The Fed is picking a fight it cannot win. Paul Volker had to take rates to 20% to finally tame the inflation of the 1970s. That’s certainly not in the cards. It would crush a US economy build on easy money and debt.

Nevertheless, any rate hike is seen as a negative for gold. Whenever interest rates tick up slightly, the mainstream is quick to inform us that “rising interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding gold.”

So, what exactly is the mainstream thinking here?

Holding gold does not generate interest income like a bond or a bank account. If interest rates rise and you’re holding gold, you’re forgoing the interest income you could earn if you instead owned a bond or put dollars in a money market account. That’s why rising interest rates tend to create headwinds for gold. And it’s why we’ve seen gold sell off on high inflation news. The markets expect the Fed to fight inflation with rate hikes, thus raising the opportunity cost of holding gold.

This makes sense on the surface, but there is a problem with this mainstream analysis. They are not considering real interest rates.

Real interest rates equal the nominal rate (the numbers quoted on the news) minus inflation. Today, the nominal rate is 0%. Inflation is running at around 7.3% (using the cooked government numbers). So, the real interest rate is -7.3%.

Or consider the 10-year Treasury. Currently, the yield is around 1.48%. With a 7.3% inflation rate, the real interest rate on the 10-year is -5.82%.

To state the obvious, there is no “opportunity cost” in holding gold when real rates are deeply negative. You are losing real money holding bonds that aren’t yielding enough interest income to keep up with inflation.

Note that the 10-year Treasury yield isn’t even at the Fed’s 2% inflation target. So, even if the central bank managed to rein in inflation to a “normal” level, the real rate on the 10-year would still be negative.

In fact, negative interest rates tend to persist for long periods of time.

On the chart below, the black line is the nominal interest rate. The red line is CPI and the blue line is the real interest rate.

As you can see from the chart, real interest rates are lower today than they were during the depths of stagflation in the 1970s.

There is no reason to think real rates will turn positive any time soon.

And people are selling gold?

They shouldn’t be.

Factoring in real interest rates is vital to making wise investment decisions. The real rate is a vital puzzle piece. You can’t see the full picture without it.

But nobody is paying any attention to real rates. Instead, they’re obsessing over the Fed’s feckless “war” on inflation and nominal interest rates hikes that will be negligible — if they happen at all.

END

Peter Schiff: “Powell Is Still Way Behind The Inflation Curve”

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 12:26 PM

Via SchiffGold.com,

Peter Schiff appeared on Judging Freedom with Judge Napolitano to talk about inflation.

Why are we suffering from it? Who’s to blame? And where is this leading?

There’s only one reason that anybody suffers from inflation and that’s because of the government.”

As Peter put it, inflation is a creature of government.

It’s simply a stealth way that the government taxes us.”

More Highlights from the Interview

“The government doesn’t want the public to know that inflation is created by government because then they might oppose it, obviously, because it’s a tax. They want to blame inflation on the public — on greedy corporations gouging their customers, on OPEC for raising the price of oil, speculators for trading in commodities, sometimes maybe even greedy unions demanding higher wages. The government wants to point their finger at everybody but itself.”

“Inflation, sometimes, instead of causing prices to go up, it prevents them from falling. And so we don’t see the harmful effects of inflation because you don’t realize how much lower your cost of living otherwise would have been.”

“When the government takes my money, I know who to blame. You raised my taxes. But when they steal my money through inflation, I’m confused. Especially when the government is lying to the public about why prices are going up. Or, they’re pretending they’re not going up by using the CPI which doesn’t even capture the real extent that prices are going up.”

“If they steal their purchasing power through inflation, the voters don’t know they’re getting robbed and they may still continue to reelect the people who are robbing them.”

“How are you going to do anything about 7% inflation when your interest rates are lower than 2%? You’ve got negative real interest rates greater than 5%. You’re not going to make any headway fighting inflation unless you have a positive real interest rate.”

“Powell is still way behind the inflation curve.”

“Unfortunately, the Fed does Congress’s bidding and whatever deficits Congress runs, the Fed is happy to monetize them.”

“The government can only succeed in artificially suppressing interest rates for so long.”

“If interest rates go to 5%, given the current size of the national debt, we would be spending more in interest payments than we would do on any other line-item in the budget, which would include Social Security.”end

LAWRIE WILLIAM//,//Egon von Greyerz///Matthew Piepenburg via GoldSwitzerland.com,James RICKARDS

END

Important gold commentaries courtesy of GATA/Chris Powell

An excellent talk from Stefan Gleason on sound moneyy and which states advocate this

(Stefan Gleason/Palisades Radio)

Sound Money Defense League’s Stefan Gleason interviewed by Palisades Gold Radio

Submitted by admin on Wed, 2021-12-22 20:48 Section: Daily Dispatches

From Palisades Gold Radio, Vancouver
Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Tom Bodrovics welcomes back Stefan Gleason. Stefan is president of Money Metals Exchange and director of the Sound Money Defense League.

They rank the U.S. states based on their sound money policies. The biggest factor is sales or income taxes on gold and silver. The Sound Money Defense League has recently gotten two new exemptions passed in Ohio and Arkansas. The league has aSome states like Arizona place heavy burdens on the retail gold dealer and the customer. They require a lot of information on sellers to solve crimes. Much of it is a waste of time as coins are only occasionally trackable. In some cases the dealers are required to photograph items and submit them to the government. …

… For the remainder of the report and the interview:

https://palisadesradio.ca/stefan-gleason-taxing-away-your-savings/dditional legislation it hopes will be passed next year.

END

James Turk, the founder of Gold-Money shows in his book how central banks steal time

(James Turk/Lars Schall)

In ‘Money and Liberty,’ Turk shows how central banks steal time itself

Submitted by admin on Wed, 2021-12-22 20:31 Section: Daily Dispatches

8:31p ET Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

“Money and Liberty” is the title of GoldMoney founder and GATA consultant James Turk’s new book, and in an interview today with financial journalist Lars Schall he explains the connection.

Turk accuses central banks of stealing everyone’s most precious asset — his very time on Earth — by debasing the currencies everyone is forced to use.

Schall’s interview with Turk is headlined “Money Creation Ex-Nihilo by Brivate Banks ‘Is Theft” and it’s posted at Schall’s internet site here:

https://www.larsschall.com/2021/12/22/money-creation-ex-nihilo-by-private-banks-is-theft/

“Money and Liberty” is available at Amazon here:

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.
CPowell@GATA.org

OTHER GOLD COMMENTARIES:

OTHER COMMODITIES/LUMBER

END

CRYPTOCURRENCIES/

END

Your early currency/gold and silver pricing/Asian and European bourse movements/ and interest rate settings THURSDAY morning 7:30 AM

ONSHORE YUAN: 6.3709

OFFSHORE YUAN: 6.3760

HANG SANG CLOSED UP 91.31 PTS OR 0.40%

2. Nikkei closed UP 236.16 PTS OR 0.83%

3. Europe stocks ALL GREEN

USA dollar INDEX UP TO 96;18/Euro FALLS TO 1.13071-

3b Japan 10 YR bond yield: RISES TO. +.067/ !!!!(Japan buying 100% of bond issuance)/Japanese yen vs usa cross now at 114.36/ THIS IS TROUBLESOME AS BANK OF JAPAN IS RUNNING OUT OF BONDS TO BUY./JAPAN 10 YR YIELD IS NOW TARGETED AT .11%/JAPAN LOSING CONTROL OF THEIR BOND MARKET//

3c Nikkei now JUST ABOVE 17,000

3d USA/Yen rate now well below the important 120 barrier this morning

3e WTI:: 72.88 and Brent: 75.48-

3f Gold UP/JAPANESE Yen UP CHINESE YUAN: ON -SHORE CLOSED UP// OFF- SHORE UP

3g Japan is to buy the equivalent of 108 billion uSA dollars worth of bond per month or $1.3 trillion. Japan’s GDP equals 5 trillion usa./“HELICOPTER MONEY” OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW /REVERSE OPERATION TWIST ON THE BONDS: PURCHASE OF LONG BONDS AND SELLING THE SHORT END

Japan to buy 100% of all new Japanese debt and by 2018 they will have 25% of all Japanese debt. Fifty percent of Japanese budget financed with debt.

3h Oil UP for WTI and UP FOR Brent this morning

3i European bond buying continues to push yields lower on all fronts in the EMU. German 10yr bund RISES TO -.0.254%/Italian 10 Yr bond yield RISES to 1.14% /SPAIN 10 YR BOND YIELD RISES TO 0.51%…ITALIAN 10 YR BOND YIELD/GERMAN BUND: 1.39: DANGEROUS FOR THE ITALIAN BANKING SYSTEM

3j Greek 10 year bond yield RISES TO : 1.35

3k Gold at $1804.82 silver at: 22.80 7 am est) SILVER NEXT RESISTANCE LEVEL AT $30.00

3l USA vs Russian rouble; (Russian rouble UP 0/100 in roubles/dollar) 73.84

3m oil into the 72 dollar handle for WTI and 75 handle for Brent/

3n Higher foreign deposits out of China sees huge risk of outflows and a currency depreciation. This can spell financial disaster for the rest of the world/

JAPAN ON JAN 29.2016 INITIATES NIRP. THIS MORNING THEY SIGNAL THEY MAY END NIRP. TODAY THE USA/YEN TRADES TO 114.36 DESTROYING JAPANESE CITIZENS WITH HIGHER FOOD INFLATION

30 SNB (Swiss National Bank) still intervening again in the markets driving down the FRANC. It is not working: USA/SF this morning .9208 as the Swiss Franc is still rising against most currencies. Euro vs SF 1.0411 well above the floor set by the Swiss Finance Minister. Thomas Jordan, chief of the Swiss National Bank continues to purchase euros trying to lower value of the Swiss Franc.

USA 10 YR BOND YIELD: 1.472 UP 2 BASIS PTS

USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 1.868 UP 2 BASIS PTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 11.47

Futures Ramp Above 4,700 On Growing Omicron Optimism

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 08:06 AM

If you had gone to bed on Thanksgiving after eating a little too much tryptophan and only woken up today, roughly one month later, you would have completely avoided a rollercoaster move in global markets, and much of the omicron panic, with the S&P now trading precisely where it was the night before scattered reports of Omicron in South Africa sparked a global selloff. As of 730am, e-mini S&P futures were trading at exactly 4,700, up 14 points or 0.3% – and once again less than 1% from all time highs – on rising hopes the omicron variant won’t impact global growth even as officials remain cautious about its spread, after studies showed it’s less severe than other strains; Dow Jones futures also rose 0.3% while Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.2% higher. US Treasury yields rose, the 10Y trading at 1.475%, while the USD index traded flat. The pound rose as traders stepped up bets on a Bank of England rate hike. Soaraing European natural gas prices plunged more than 20% as this year’s rally attracted a flotilla of U.S. cargoes, helping offset lower flows from Russia.

U.S. stocks reversed a sharp drop earlier in the week, advancing over the past two days amid signs the omicron variant won’t thwart growth, with consumer confidence rising by more than expected in December. Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 pill gained clearance for emergency use in the U.S. on Wednesday and three studies showed omicron appears less likely to land patients in the hospital than the delta strain, fueling optimism. Adding to the positive newsflow on omicron, lab results indicated a third dose of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine significantly boosted antibodies against the strain, and Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 pill gained clearance for emergency use in the U.S.

“Markets hate uncertainty and not knowing, and when omicron hit the markets, we didn’t know,” Carol Schleif, BMO Family Office deputy chief investment officer, said on Bloomberg Television. “But it seems like it’s edging toward something more positive.”

A gauge of global stocks is up more than 2% so far this month, leaving the index 15% higher for the year and on course to surpass 2020’s gain.

In U.S. premarket trading, Tesla Inc. shares rose after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk sold down more of his stake. Nikola gained after the electric-vehicle startup said that more deliveries were to come. Here are some other notable premarket movers today:

Novavax (NVAX US) shares jump 5% in U.S. premarket after the biotech firm said that both a vaccine booster dose as well as an omicron-specific shot may be beneficial in helping to protect against the Covid-19 variant.
Nikola (NKLA US) rises 3.5% in U.S. premarket trading after the electric-vehicle startup said on Twitter that more deliveries were to come, posting photos of a previous event.
Tesla (TSLA US) shares gain 1.1% in U.S. premarket trading after CEO Elon Musk sells down more of his stake, drawing nearer to his pledge of cutting his stake in the EV maker by 10%.
JD.com’s (JD US) ADRs slump 9.2% in U.S. premarket trading after Tencent said it plans to hand out more than $16 billion of JD.com shares to its investors as a one-time dividend.
SciPlay (SCPL US) the maker of mobile and web games such as Jackpot Party Casino, falls 17% in premarket after ending talks to sell out to majority owner Scientific Games.
Shares in tiny biotech stocks soar in U.S. premarket trading in strong volume, amid broad risk-on appetite thanks to positive omicron variant studies, ahead of the holiday period.

“Our outlook for the global economy remains positive, but we have preference on developed markets,” Janet Mui, director of investment at Brewin Dolphin Limited, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “The economic recovery will continue in the major economies like the U.S., U.K. and the Euro area, thanks to the very high vaccination rates and ongoing rollout of the booster jabs.”

Elsewhere, European shares advanced for a third day, with travel shares leading gains. The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.6%; travel is the strongest sector with recent studies showing omicron appears less likely to land patients in the hospital than the delta strain. IBEX leads with a 1% gain. Travel and leisure was the top-performing sector in Europe on Thursday amid optimism of fewer hospitalizations linked to the omicron variant of Covid-19. Airlines shruged off a profit warning from Ryanair (+1.1%) that was first reported late in the trading session on Wednesday. British Airways-owner IAG adds 3.7%, Wizz +3.3%, hotelier Whitbread +2.6%, Deutsche Lufthansa +2%, caterer Sodexo +0.8%. Stoxx travel and leisure index also helped by Flutter (+3%) which gains following M&A news

Earlier in the session, Asian stocks were on track to gain for a third straight day, bolstered by signs the omicron strain is less severe than previous variants. Tech and communication services sectors led the advance. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed as much as 0.9%, with Tencent as the biggest contributor to gains after a 4.2% rally in Hong Kong. The Chinese internet giant declared a one-time dividend in the form of JD.com’s shares worth more than $16 billion, causing the latter’s stock to plunge intraday by the most on record. Sentiment in Asia improved as a trio of studies found that the omicron variant led to lower hospitalization risk than the delta strain, and Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 pill gained clearance for emergency use in the U.S. Separately, lab results indicated a third dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine significantly boosted antibodies against the strain though another study released late in the Asia day found that three doses of Sinovac’s vaccine weren’t enough to protect against it. “We expect Asian equities to improve their relative performance in 2022 given less demanding valuations and prospects for solid earnings growth,” said Tai Hui, Asia chief market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management. “Reflation and economic reopening could help to boost earnings expectations for cyclical sectors, especially those focusing on domestic demand.” The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is down almost 4% for the year compared with a 25% gain in the S&P 500 Index, which is trading close to a record high. Equity benchmarks in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand were among the top gainers amid a broad advance in the region Thursday even as trading volumes were thin ahead of the Christmas holidays. Japan stocks also rose as the country looks set to unveil another record annual budget this week. Shares in China also rose even as the country locked down the western city of Xi’an to stamp out a persistent virus outbreak. Equities slumped in Vietnam as Covid-19 cases continued to rise.

In rates, fixed income is thin with only ~100k bund futures contracts trading as of 10:50am London. Cash space is under small pressure: bunds and USTs bear steepen, gilts bear flatten with short dates ~5bps cheaper. 10-year TSY yields were around 1.47%, with gilts notably underperforming and are cheaper by around 3bp in the sector vs. Treasuries; curves are steady with U.S. cash spreads broadly within a basis point of Wednesday close. Treasuries drifted lower into early U.S. session as S&P futures grind higher. 10-year futures remained inside Wednesday session lows with yields cheaper by up to 2bp across long-end of the curve. Thursday’s highlights include a packed data slate, and cash markets are due for an early 2pm ET close ahead of Friday’s full closure.

In FX, tge Bloomberg dollar index chopped either side of flat. The pound was the stand out mover in London hours, topping the G-10 leaderboard with cable regaining a 1.34 handle. USD/JPY was little changed as it holds above 114. Aussie dollar drifts back towards 0.72 against the greenback. Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is steady after falling for three days.

In commodities, crude futures are little changed; WTI trades near $72.70. Spot gold is rangebound, holding just above $1,800/oz. Most base metals are in the green, drifting higher in quiet trade. LME copper and tin lag. European natural gas prices plunged more than 20% as this year’s rally attracted a flotilla of U.S. cargoes, helping offset lower flows from Russia.

Looking at today’s calendar, we get personal spending and income as well as a new look at inflation data, including the Fed’s preferred price measure — the change in the core personal consumption expenditures price index — and jobless claims. We also get the latest Durable goods orders, UMichigan sentiment and new home sales prints.

Market Snapshot

S&P 500 futures up 0.1% to 4,692.00
STOXX Europe 600 up 0.4% to 480.16
German 10Y yield little changed at -0.28%
Euro little changed at $1.1317
MXAP up 0.9% to 192.23
MXAPJ up 0.8% to 623.33
Nikkei up 0.8% to 28,798.37
Topix up 0.9% to 1,989.43
Hang Seng Index up 0.4% to 23,193.64
Shanghai Composite up 0.6% to 3,643.34
Sensex up 0.7% to 57,350.50
Australia S&P/ASX 200 up 0.3% to 7,387.57
Kospi up 0.5% to 2,998.17
Brent Futures down 0.4% to $74.99/bbl
Gold spot up 0.2% to $1,807.61
U.S. Dollar Index little changed at 96.16

Top Overnight News from Bloomberg

The highly-mutated omicron variant appears less likely to land patients in the hospital with Covid-19 than the delta strain, according to preliminary data from a trio of studies
France reported a jump in Covid-19 infections as the fast-spreading omicron variant tightens its grip on Europe
The Chinese yuan is having a greater impact on its emerging-market counterparts than ever before and may play a crucial role in determining their performance in the coming year
New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s rhetoric of distributing wealth more equally appears to signal a change of priorities for post-pandemic Japan that may run counter to plans to improve the country’s presence as an international financial hub
Oil settled at the highest level in nearly a month after U.S. crude stockpiles decreased and economic data pushed equities higher

A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk

Asia-Pac equities traded modestly higher amid some tailwinds from Wall Street in holiday-thinned trade and the absence of fresh catalysts. The US majors closed in the green across the board, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq propelled higher by Tesla shares which jumped 7.5% to regain USD 1tln market cap. US equity futures resumed trade relatively flat with an upside bias. In APAC, the ASX 200 (+0.3%) was supported by its gold miners following the recent gains in the yellow metal. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (+0.6%) was underpinned by its mining names, while South Korea’s KOSPI (+0.2%) saw gains in Tech mostly offset by losses in Autos. The Hang Seng (+0.3%) and Shanghai Comp (+0.2%) quickly dipped at the open into modest negative territory but later recovered. The overnight focus was on Tencent declaring an interim dividend payable in JD.com shares – which would reduce Tencent’s holding of JD to about 2.3% vs prev. nearly 17% reported earlier this month. JD.com shares extended downside in early trade to losses of over 10%, whilst Tencent rose over 3%. US 10yr Treasury futures traded with no firm direction overnight despite the mild positivity seen across APAC stocks, with the debt now looking ahead to the November PCE report.

Top Asian News

Asian Stocks Head for Third Day of Gains as Tencent Shares Rally
Alibaba-Backed RoboSense Said to Pick JPMorgan for Hong Kong IPO
Foreigners Haven’t Finished Selling India Stocks: Street Wrap
Asia Traders Are Most Bullish Stocks, Europe Least: Markets Live

European bourses are firmer in very thin trading conditions, with a distinct holiday-feel setting in. News flow has been minimal, and remains focused on the familiar themes of Omicron and geopolitics. The Euro Stoxx 50 trades around +0.5%, after a constructive handover from Asia, although there are some very modest regional discrepancies. Sectors are predominantly in the green, with the likes of Travel & Leisure, Oil & Gas, and Autos benefitting from the generally constructive tone of news flow around Omicron. US futures are firmer, though the magnitude is limited, and benchmarks have essentially been in a holding pattern since the US cash close on Wednesday.

Top European News

Spain Revises GDP Growth Sharply Higher After Data Doubts
Traders Ramp Up BOE Bets to See Key Rate at 1.25% Next Year
U.K. PM Not Expected to Announce Post-Xmas Curbs This Week: Sky
Pound Reaches One-Month High After BOE Rate Hike Bets Increase

In FX, in stark contrast to this time yesterday, the Dollar index is trying to grind higher from a fractionally firmer base between 96.018-199 parameters, though well below Tuesday’s range amidst an ongoing improvement in overall risk sentiment based on the latest Omicron analysis. In short, studies continue to find lower hospital admissions and generally less acute symptoms even though the mutation is more virulent, while the current batch of vaccines provide varying degrees of protection and new drugs designed specifically for the new strain are in the pipeline. On the fundamental front, the final full trading day before the Xmas break contains some potential market-moving US data, including the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, core PCE, plus jobless claims, new home sales and the often volatile durable goods.

NZD/GBP/AUD – The Kiwi, Pound and Aussie have all picked up where they left off on Wednesday, with impetus from the aforementioned positive market tone allied to increasingly bullish technical impulses. Indeed, Nzd/Usd didn’t encounter much in the way of psychological resistance at 0.6800, while Sterling has breached 1.3350 more emphatically to expose/probe 1.3400 and Aud/Usd overcame any sentimentality that might have hampered its progress beyond 0.7200. Cable has also advanced with the aid of Eur/Gbp tailwinds as the cross approaches 0.8450 following sell orders above, and an element of relief after reports suggesting that UK PM Johnson is now likely to hold off from making any further decisions on pandemic measures until after Xmas. Back down under, some good news for the Aussie via a pickup in private sector credit and loans for housing.
CAD/EUR – Both narrowly mixed vs their US counterpart, but the Loonie has extended its rebound towards 1.2800 in advance of Canadian monthly GDP and average weekly earnings, while the Euro is forming a firmer base on the 1.1300 handle as EGBs continue to underperform/outperform in futures and cash terms respectively. However, Eur/Usd topped out around 1.1341/2 again and may be wary of decent option expiry interest between 1.1330-40 in 1.3 bn as much as 1.6 bn rolling off at 1.1300-05.
CHF/JPY – The Franc and Yen are still lagging on risk factors and their carry characteristics, with the former unable to sustain advances through 0.9200 against the Buck and the latter failing to overcome offers/resistance into 114.00. Hence, Usd/Jpy remains poised for more attempts to scale the next Fib retracement at 114.38 in the run up to Japanese inflation data and post-remarks from BoJ Kuroda who adhered to pretty standard lines on currency matters. To recap, he repeated that FX rates must move in a stable fashion and reflect economic fundamentals, while the negative impact of a weak Jpy on Japanese household income may be increasing, though the benefits outweigh the demerits.

In commodities, crude benchmarks continue to see modest pressure that crept in during APAC trade; Brent is pivoting USD 75.00/bbl, with losses of circa USD 0.30/bbl. News flow has been minimal. Russia’s President Putin is making some geopolitical noises, although he is largely reiterating familiar themes. Elsewhere, Exxon’s (XOM) Baytown complex (560k BPD capacity) in Texas reported a fire at a gasoline component processing unit; reports thus far indicate no facility impact from this incident. Moving to metals, spot gold and silver remain contained as the yellow metal holds onto the USD 1800/oz mark it reclaimed amid USD weakness in APAC hours. While base metals are firmer but again within familiar ranges.

Russian President Putin says Russia meets gas supply obligations under long-term deals, prior to providing gas to spot markets; adds that Gazprom has not booked gas via the Yamal-Europe line due to a lack of requests, pipeline in reverse mode. Europe has created its own gas problems, should resolve this themselves; are prepared to assist.Germany is selling Russian gas to Poland, think it ends up in Ukraine.

Exxon (XOM) Baytown complex (560k BPD capacity) in Texas has reported a fire at the facility, according to the community alert system; Some injuries have been reported following a ‘major industrial accident’ at the Exxon (XOM) Baytown complex (560k BPD capacity) in Texas, via the Harris County Sheriff – No reports to evacuate/shelter in place after the fire. Based on current information, no adverse impact.

US Event Calendar

8:30am: Dec. Initial Jobless Claims, est. 205,000, prior 206,000; Continuing Claims, est. 1.84m, prior 1.85m
8:30am: Nov. Personal Income, est. 0.4%, prior 0.5%
- Personal Spending, est. 0.6%, prior 1.3%
8:30am: Nov. PCE Deflator MoM, est. 0.6%, prior 0.6%; YoY, est. 5.7%, prior 5.0%
- PCE Core Deflator MoM, est. 0.4%, prior 0.4%; YoY, est. 4.5%, prior 4.1%
8:30am: Nov. Durable Goods Orders, est. 1.8%, prior -0.4%
- Durables-Less Transportation, est. 0.6%, prior 0.5%
- Cap Goods Orders Nondef Ex Air, est. 0.7%, prior 0.7%
- Cap Goods Ship Nondef Ex Air, est. 0.6%, prior 0.4%
10am: Nov. New Home Sales MoM, est. 3.3%, prior 0.4%
10am: Dec. U. of Mich. Sentiment, est. 70.4, prior 70.4
- Current Conditions, prior 74.6
- Expectations, prior 67.8
- 1 Yr Inflation, est. 4.9%, prior 4.9%; 5-10 Yr Inflation, prior 3.0%;
10am: Nov. New Home Sales, est. 770,000, prior 745,000

3. ASIAN AFFAIRS

i)THURSDAY MORNING/WEDNESDAY NIGHT

3 a./NORTH KOREA/ SOUTH KOREA

///NORTH KOREA

3B JAPAN

Good deal for the USA: Japan agrees to pay $9.2 billion to support the USA presence in Japan. The money will be used to pay Japanese staff members and upgrades. With China next door this is vital

(Dave DeCamp/Antiwar.com)

Japan Agrees To Pay $9.2BN To Host US Troops Over Next 5 Years

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 05:40 PM

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

The US and Japan reached an agreement on a new cost-sharing deal for Tokyo to continue hosting around 50,000 US troops.

Under the deal, Japan will pay $9.2 billion to support the US presence over the next five years, an increase of about $650 million from what Tokyo has been paying. Negotiations for Japan to increase cost-sharing started under the Trump administration.Via Reuters

The Japanese funds will cover the cost to pay Japanese staff working at the US military facilities, upgrades to the many US bases in the country, and to develop a system so Japan’s military can virtually join drills conducted in the United States.

A Tuesday statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the following:

“Bilateral defense cooperation under Host Nation Support will contribute to the enhancement of readiness and resiliency of the Alliance, including by improving the interoperability of U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan.”

With the US military now focused on China, the US presence in Japan is a vital part of the Pentagon’s strategy.

The US is encouraging Japan to boost its own military, and Japan’s new prime minister is exploring options to give Tokyo the ability to launch attacks on other countries, which would require changing the country’s pacifist constitution.

The US is also pushing Japan to increase military cooperation with other countries. Japan is a member of the Quad, an informal group that is viewed by hawks in Washington as a potential foundation for a NATO-style alliance in Asia. The other Quad members are the US, India, and Australia.

end

3B CHINA

end

4/EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

EUROPE/ GERMANY/COVID/MASK MANDATE

Germany confirms first Omicron death of which I highly doubt. Probably the Delta strain. Italy revives outdoor mask mandate

Germany Confirms First Omicron Death While Italy Revives Outdoor Mask Mandate

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 09:45 AM

Wasn’t it Stalin who said ‘the death of one person is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic’, or something close to that?

Whoever said it, it’s too bad they aren’t around to witness the world’s reaction to the latest COVID wave.

Few would contest the claim that the media, in the US and around the world, have been spreading panic about the omicron wave, amplifying FUD that has (mildly) impacted equity markets, and terrified millions during a second consecutive holiday season.

But every once in a while, we think, it’s helpful to give the people a break from the madness, and offer instead a glimpse at the reality.

And the reality is that, as numbers of confirmed COVID cases skyrocket (a phenomenon that has, coincidentally enough, occurred alongside a surge in testing), Germany has only just today confirmed its first death of a person infected with omicron.

As a reminder, Germany, Ireland, and The Netherlands have reimposed partial or full lockdowns and measures in recent days, citing the surging winter caseload and warnings from the scientific community about the threat posed by omicron (a strain that, although it appears to spread more quickly, is clearly causing fewer hospitalizations and deaths, according to research published by several different sources yesterday). Germany’s health minister said Wednesday he had not ruled out a full lockdown to suppress Omircon’s spread.

Meanwhile, in Italy, a country that was unfortunately traumatized by COVID during the first wave, the federal government has decided to reduce the duration of the country’s “green pass” for vaccinated Italians to six months from 9.

In addition, the Italian government has mandated wearing masks outdoors again, for all who dare stray from their homes during the holiday season. Local governments, like Rome, have been imposing outdoor mask mandates of their own in recent weeks.

Now, here are the two charts readers need to put this all in context: cases and deaths tallies from Germany and Italy.

It makes us wonder: has the scientific community really learned nothing from the COVID pandemic?

END

EUROPE//ENERGY CRISIS

Europe is correct: unbearably high energy costs could spark a wave of production shutdowns: costs will be unbearable to produce goods.

(zerohedge)

European Firms Warn “Unbearably High Energy Costs” May Spark Wave Of Production Shutdowns

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 07:35 AM

Years of mindless green energy policies across the European continent are about to unleash an economic crisis. Energy-intensive companies are paying “unbearably high energy prices” that may force them to shutter operations.

Eleven European associations (from steel to fertilizers to cement to paper mills) published a press release Wednesday that warned the energy crisis that plagues the continent has worsened over the few months and accelerated in the last several days as European natural gas hit a record high on Tuesday.

“The main reasons for this situation are the financial market speculation from financial players including hedge funds and commodity trading houses, the imbalances in the gas market, seasonally decreased renewable energy production, reduced nuclear energy production, coal mine closures, and increased carbon costs passed on in electricity prices,” the eleven associations said in a press release.

Europe’s energy crisis has snowballed into what could be an economic downturn. The groups warned, “numerous industrial energy consumers” have “to curtail and/or temporarily close plants” because “energy prices have increased 4 to 5 times” and made the cost of operating uneconomical.

“The ongoing situation has severely impacted the competitiveness and profitability of energy-intensive sectors’ European operations as they are most exposed to dramatic price spikes,” the groups continued.

They said, “a prolonged period of unbearably high energy prices could lead to severe losses, relocation of European companies and an increase of carbon leakage.”

The groups called on European leaders to combat the energy crisis and “quickly exploit the full potential of the toolbox presented by the European Commission in October. Furthermore, urgent actions are necessary at EU level to enable affected companies to overcome this situation.”

To sum up, the failure of political leaders to even remotely allow energy supplies to reach such low levels is stunning. Also, soaring natural gas prices is not a failure of the fossil fuel industry, but the total failure of politicians who crushed oil, gas, and coal power plants to guarantee the green transition would be easy.

Things are going from bad to worse as the winter in the Northern Hemisphere gets underway.

Thanks, Greta, for gaslighting Europeans..

END

EUROPE/USA/LNG GAS

USA ships on its way to Europe with expensive LNG (liquified natural gas)

(zerohedge)

US Sends Fleet Of LNG Ships To Fuel-Starved Europe

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 05:45 AM

Europe’s consumption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. is about to significantly increase as a fleet of LNG carriers are en route to the fuel-starved continent.

A record rally in European natural gas has put a hefty premium at the benchmark Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) hub over the Japan-Korea- Marker (JKM). We noted earlier that commodity traders with uncommitted LNG cargo from the US Atlantic basin headed to Asia via LNG carriers are changing routes to supply Europe to take advantage of massive arbitrage opportunities. Below is the spread between European and U.S. natgas prices, well above its 15-year range.

New shipping data shows what Bloomberg calls a “flotilla of U.S. LNG cargos” headed to Europe.

Out of 76 U.S. LNG cargoes in transit, 10 tankers carrying a combined 1.6 million cubic meters of the heating and power plant fuel have declared destinations in Europe, shipping data compiled by Bloomberg shows.

Another 20 tankers carrying an estimated 3.3 million cubic meters appear to be crossing the Atlantic Ocean and are on a path to the continent. Nearly one- third of the cargoes come from Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana, the shipping data shows.

U.S. LNG export terminals are operating at or above capacity after reaching record flows on Sunday. Asia is typically the top destination for U.S. LNG cargoes, but that has changed this winter with the significant premium for gas in Europe. –Bloomberg

There’s been a sizeable shift in U.S. LNG headed to Europe versus elsewhere in the world. Goldman Sachs commodity analyst Samantha Dart also confirmed in a note to clients that U.S. LNG shipments to Europe have accelerated versus Asia.

… and now we have a visual of U.S. LNG headed to Europe to collect a massive payday as energy crisis-stricken Europe may no longer have to be at the mercy of Russia or Mother Nature.

end

5. RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

end

TURKEY

Is Turkey a canary in a coal mine? An excellent paper from Aden Tate on the criminalization of preppers in Turkey. And it will head to all countries.

(Tate OrganicPrepper Blog)

The Criminalization Of Preppers In Turkey: Will Your Country Be Next?

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 03:30 AM

Authored by Aden Tate via The Organic Prepper blog,

History has shown us that collectivism detests the individual. The man who can exist independent of the system, who thinks for himself, who is not easily swayed, and who has values rooted in absolute truth which he refuses to give up – this is the enemy of collectivism.

But if we take a closer look at one aspect of the individual – his ability to exist independent of the system – is it not clear this is an end goal of prepping?

Is that not what a prepper strives for – the ability to exist independent of the world around them so that disaster does not affect them in the way that it affects others?

It is, and this is why collectivism criminalizes preppers over and over again.

We’ve seen it before and we’re seeing it right now, most notably in Turkey.

Turkey is cooked, and we all know it.

For those who keep a fairly accurate pulse of world events, you know that the fiat currency of Turkey – the lira – is collapsing.

As of this year the lira has lost approximately 40% of its value, and from all appearances, it shows no signs of stopping its downward spiral anytime soon.

Inflation is rapidly leading to hyperinflation within Turkey and the Turkish citizens have recognized this. People began attempting to step away from the lira and delving into cryptocurrency in an attempt to protect themselves.

And then the Turkish government made crypto illegal as a form of payment on April 30, 2021. This was done to prevent “irreparable damage.” What’s ironic about this is that the Turks said this was because cryptocurrencies were “neither subject to any regulation and supervision mechanisms nor a central regulatory authority.” [source]

That’s a fun train of logic from the people that are in the process of destroying their own currency.

Crypto – long argued to be the libertarian response to centralized currency – is kind of scary to delve into if landing in a Turkish prison happens to those caught with it. And attempting to dump their personal lira savings into US dollars, euros, or any other fiat currency is practically impossible for Turks as well. Their hands are tied. What then is the natural response?

Your country is being rocked by hyperinflation. Your fiat money is worthless. Forex is regulated to the point of being impossible. Crypto is banned. The price of food has shot up 27.1%.

What do you do?

You don’t want to just watch your life savings be vaporized. You aren’t going to watch your family starve.

And so, you may think it’s a wise idea to put your money into something that will retain its value. This is the reason people invest in gold and silver after all, isn’t it? This is the reason James Wesley Rawles pushes guns, tools, and gear for investment, right?

And that’s exactly what people in Turkey started to do.

Then the criminalization of Turkish preppers began.

People there have started turning to tangibles. They saw what was coming – how things were taking a turn for the worse – and so they attempted to prepare for it.

Then, the ironically named Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted a bill to the Turkish Parliament asking for fines of anywhere between what would be $7000 – $144,000 USD for those “hoarding….food and other goods”.

That was Step 1 in the criminalization of preppers.

Step 2 took place this past week as 51 various Turks were arrested by police for “panic hoarding” new cars. Turkish media widely reported people were investing in new vehicles as a means of inflation protection.

But this was deemed to be a threat.

These 51 individuals were accused of “lowering dealership inventories,” which allegedly led to higher prices. The AKP fiddling around with their centralized banking system most certainly couldn’t be the cause. It must be the citizens’ fault that inflation is rocking the country.

And so, anybody who attempts to protect themselves from totalitarians must be stopped.

The criminalization of preppers coincides with inflation and war.

Look at what we’ve witnessed in Venezuela – yet another collectivist society that has been rocked by hyperinflation. It was there, after communist policies caused a 20% shortage of basic goods, that Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz called for prosecutors to target those who were “hoarders” of staples of daily life.

In other words, if you had a supply of rice stowed away in your basement, you were no longer safe. Now, you were a target.

We’ve seen this vilification even within the United States.

Consider that it was in early 2020 that the mainstream media criticized those they deemed to be “hoarders” in unison. Have too many cans of soup in your cart? According to the media, you are now worthy of public shame.

It was during this same time that we saw a Brooklyn man have his home raided by agents who confiscated his supply of N95 masks for “hoarding” them. Keep in mind he had purchased all of these masks. They were not stolen. They were legally his possessions.

“Something needs to be done about those people!” is what the TV indoctrinated were being led to say, in the hopes that public support could be used to “justify” whatever policies were going to come down the road in the near future.

Despite public opinion, building up our personal stockpiles is exactly what we need to be doing. And now, before it’s too late. Check out this FREE quickstart guide to help you create your own food supply quickly and affordably.

What are we going to see next?

Is Turkey the canary in the coal mine? Is what is happening there – massive inflation bordering on hyperinflation (all caused by government policy), nobody producing anything, massive shortages of goods, and the criminalization of preppers to the point of outlawing any degree of independence from politicians whatsoever – simply the first case of this noxious policy?

Within the US we’re already seeing widespread shortages of goods. We’re already seeing massive inflation to the point that this is the highest levels of it the US has ever seen.

Does the complete criminalization of preppers within America come next?

end

RUSSIA/USA/NATO/UKRAINE/USA

This is what Biden is mulling over if Russia invades the Ukraine

(zerohedge)

White House Mulling Strict Export Controls On Russia Which Resemble Iran Sanctions

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 10:00 PM

The Biden administration has prepared a punitive package of potential sanctions which would be ready to go in the instance of Russia invading Ukraine, which would involve tightening export controls in order to hurt Russia’s economy.

Reuters on Tuesday cited an unnamed administration official who said the measures are under intense discussion, namely possible “extraordinary” export controls that could block Russia from importing smartphones, crucial aircraft and automobile parts, and other materials.Russian auto industry file image

It would be a significant step of escalation given such sanctions would begin to resemble aspects of the all-encompassing US sanctions long in place against Iran. Existing US sanctions related to Russia have merely targeted individual Kremlin officials and entities, for example, that resulted in the aftermath of the Navalny poisoning affair and his subsequent imprisonment, or also companies involved in work on Nord Stream 2.

At this point their implementation is unlikely, assuming Moscow’s insistence that there is no planned Ukraine invasion in the works is true. Leaders in Kiev, as well as some of their Washington counterparts, have loudly claimed an offensive into Eastern Ukraine will happen by January.

Meanwhile Ukraine and some other Eastern European countries are actually demanding that the US impose sanctions on Russia now, rather than waiting. This was the message issued by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda – who both met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in western Ukraine on Monday. The three leaders in the joint statement:

“…called upon the international community to step up sanctions on the Russian Federation over its ongoing aggression against Ukraine and once again urged the Kremlin to de-escalate the situation by withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian borders and temporarily occupied territories.”

That’s when Zelenskyy urged “powerful preventative actions, powerful serious sanctions to exclude any thought about escalation.”

Yet if US export controls were imposed immediately this would only ensure the total break in all dialogue between the US and Russia. Such sanctions would heighten the likelihood of actual military clashes. This at a time Moscow is still awaiting a Biden administration response to its list of security proposals centered on NATO agreeing to halt eastward expansion.

On this front, there’s some hopeful signs that the two sides are moving toward deconfliction, as The Hill reports:

Bilateral talks between the United States and Russia on Moscow’s recently-proposed security demands are expected to begin in January, a State Department official said Tuesday.
Karen Donfried, assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters on Tuesday that the US will “decide on a date” together with Russia to begin discussions.

For now, the US administration is likely to continue with its threats and talk of “red lines” – and warnings against Russian aggression toward Ukraine, also as a method to continue building leverage ahead of these possible January talks.

end

Russia & US Agree To Security Talks On NATO Expansion, Set For January

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 02:45 AM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Wednesday that negotiations between Moscow and the US and NATO are expected to begin in January, days following Russia’s submission of a draft ‘security guarantees’ document to each, which is aimed at jumpstarting negotiations toward a permanent de-escalation of tensions.

The Kremlin is seeking legally binding guarantees that NATO would halt all eastward expansion. “It is agreed that at the very start of next year bilateral contact between American negotiators and ours will become the first round [of talks],” Lavrov said, according to Reuters.NATO tank drills, via FT

The Biden administration seems have given credence to Lavrov’s statement, with on Tuesday the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried describing that officials from both governments were in communication to “decide on a date”… “likely” for January.

“There are some things that we’re prepared to work on and that we do believe that there’s merit in having a discussion,” said Donfried, while also being among the earliest Washington officials to weigh in on Russia’s written proposals: “There are other things in those documents that the Russians know will be unacceptable.”

The US and Russian militaries also continued their deconfliction talks Wednesday by phone, following a series of calls sparked by the fresh diplomatic standoff over Ukraine, which involves the West accusing Russia of readying a military offensive…

“The phone call is a continuation of communication between both leaders to ensure risk reduction and operational de-confliction. In accordance with past practice, both have agreed to keep the specific details of their conversation private,” the U.S. military said of that exchange.

NATO HQ in Brussels has also reportedly signaled that negotiations are set to begin next year.

General war-footing rhetoric has only grown in the past days as both sides look for a way the climb down the escalation ladder…

Early this week Kremlin officials urged NATO and US officials that time is of the essence in terms of a quick response to Russia’s request for immediate dialogue over the security concerns – this also coming off the recent Biden-Putin virtual summit wherein the US president appeared to be open to such a dialogue.

But Moscow has since warned that should the West shut the door on Moscow’s overtures in the form of this security document, Russia must resort toescalation to protect its sovereignty and interests. This includes Russia holding out the threat of deployment of new weapons systems near Ukraine. But Washington has countered with its own threat of mulling imposing strict export controls on Russia targeting key items like auto parts and smartphones.

end

TALIBAN/UN

We just cannot make up this story! It is true: the UN is willing to hire Taliban guards to protect facilities

(zerohedge)

UN Willing To Hire Taliban Guards To Protect Facilities To Tune Of $6 Million

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 04:15 AM

From a two-decade long ‘war on terror’ to now providing salaries to the terrorists—you cannot make this up…

The United Nations is proposing to pay nearly $6 million for protection in Afghanistan to Taliban-run Interior Ministry personnel, whose chief is under U.N. and U.S. sanctions and wanted by the FBI, according to a U.N. document and a source familiar with the matter.

Taliban “guards”, via NDTV

The proposal would see Taliban militants receive their monthly wages, and even a food allowance, to provide security protection to sensitive international facilities. It springs from UN concern that its own buildings in Kabul and elsewhere could lack protection amid the continuing economic collapse of the country in the wake of the chaotic US exit in August.

The Interior Ministry, under the Taliban, is responsible for guarding diplomatic and other international institutions and facilities in the country. But UN officials are alarmed at the prospect that the Taliban may soon not be able to pay its own guards.

Taliban leaders have for months urged the US and international community to unfreeze Afghan funds held in Western banks. For example, Kabul is demanding the US release some $10 billion in seized assets, while touting “reforms” made including greater rights and education opportunities for women, and respect for ethno-religious minorities.

The solution to the lack of security crisis will apparently now involve “Taliban guards for hire” employed by the UN, according to a document seen by Reuters:

“The United Nations has a duty as an employer to reinforce and, where necessary, supplement the capacity of host states in circumstances where U.N. personnel work in areas of insecurity,” deputy U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq wrote in an email in response to Reuters’ questions about the proposed payments. He did not dispute the contents of the document.

But then this raises the question (and deeply awkward, ironic situation) of the proposed payments constituting a violation of existing US and UN sanctions.

Of course, the UN is claiming it would not, while without doubt now trying to find legal loopholes around the situation, such as ensuring the funds do not flow through official Taliban leadership and departments, but are payed out directly to the guards stationed at UN facilities.

Concerning this emerging impasse, the report cites the following:

The U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) budget is “currently under review,” but the mission “maintains full compliance with all U.N. sanctions regimes,” Haq said.
He did not respond to a question about whether the proposed payments would breach U.S. sanctions.
A U.S. Treasury Department official said the Taliban and the Haqqani network remain designated under the U.S. government’s counterterrorism sanctions program and that unauthorized people supporting them “risk exposure to U.S. sanctions.”

But perhaps UN officials will simply tell Washington some form of “you broke it, and you left without fixing it”… meaning there are now no ‘good options’ for dealing with the remaining security vacuum.

end

6.Global Issues

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE//

FDA releases more data on the adverse reactions to Pfizer vaccine. Why have they not stopped these vaccines?

(zerohedge)

FDA Releases More Data On “Adverse Reactions” To Pfizer Vaccine

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 06:00 PM

As the FDA prepares to approve Pfizer’s new pill for treating high-risk patients infected with COVID, more information about dangerous side effects tied to its vaccine are coming to light.

Just yesterday, we reported another death tied to the vaccine in New Zealand. Now, documents released by the FDA reveal that drugmaker Pfizer recorded nearly 160K adverse reactions to its COVID vaccine in the initial months of its rollout.

The data were obtained by a group of doctors, professors, and journalists calling themselves Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency. They filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FDA asking for their release. And the first tranche of documents revealed that, as of February 2021, when Pfizer’s shot was being rolled out worldwide on an emergency basis, the drugmaker had compiled more than 42K case reports detailing nearly 160K individual adverse reactions to the vaccine.

The data show the bulk of the adverse event cases, both serious and non-serious, were classified as “general disorders”.

Among the more common conditions reported were fevers (pyrexia), fatigue, and diarrhea, among others.

But perhaps the most surprising number in the entire report is that more than 1K of these cases were fatal in the US. All told, more than 3K deaths have been linked to the vaccine, something that’s in line with the company’s own data. Critics have argued that some of the deaths can’t be conclusively linked to the vaccine, but others have instead insisted that the number of deaths might still be underreported.

Keep in mind, these data were used by the FDA to declare the Pfizer jab safe, which it did for Americans aged 16 and older in August. It has since been approved for children as young as five, along with booster doses for people aged 16 and up as of last week.

Readers can find the complete breakdown of data from Public Health and Medical Professionals For Transparency below:

5.3.6 Postmarketing Experience on Scribd

end

This would be even more hilarious if it was not so tragic

Inbox

Merry Christmas

END

From the Jerusalem Post: another drug discovered to prevent 100% of COVID 19 patients from deteriorating. Actually 18 hospitalized individuals

administered Amor 18 recovered in a few days and then were sent home

(JerusalemPost) and special thanks to Chris Powell for sending this to us

Israeli drug prevents 100% of COVID patients from deteriorating in trial

All 18 hospitalized individuals administered the treatment developed by Israeli biotech company Amorphical in a phase II trial recovered and were discharged in a few days.

By ROSSELLA TERCATIN Published: DECEMBER 22, 2021 21:55
Updated: DECEMBER 23, 2021 09:58

Medical personnel work at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for COVID-19 patients at the Emile Muller GHRMSA hospital in Mulhouse, France, December 16, 2021(photo credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN/FILE PHOTO)All 18 COVID-19 patients hospitalized with moderate or severe symptoms who were administered the drug Amor-18 developed by Israeli biotech company Amorphical in a phase II clinical trial recovered and were discharged in a few days, the company announced Wednesday. Of the 19 individuals who were given a placebo, six had to be transferred to intensive care, and two died.The trial was conducted at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed and led by the directors of the coronavirus department, Dr. Kamal Abu Jabal and Dr. Nashat Abu Saleh. As part of compassionate care, two other patients in a very serious condition were given the drug and they both recovered and were discharged.The Health & Wellness portal is presented in collaboration withSamson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital >>“Since the patients treated with the drug recovered within a few days and were released to their home, this was 100% successful,” Abu Saleh said.Amor-18, which uses Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC) as the main ingredient, was administered orally or by inhalation. As explained by the company, ACC has the ability to modulate acidic pH changes around each cell. These changes affect the capability of the coronavirus to penetrate the cells and replicate. This allows the drug to prevent the virus from spreading and therefore the patients from deteriorating.“We are excited about the results of the clinical trial, which bring real hope to corona patients in Israel and around the world, and are especially encouraging these days with the start of the fifth wave and the Omicron variant,” said Amorphical CEO Yossi Ben.Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (purple) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. (credit: NIH/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)“The drug we have developed is anti-inflammatory, safe and effective and it is easy to use,” he also said, adding that Amor-18 will work against the entire SARS virus family, including all COVID variants.A larger trial is already being conducted at the Ziv, Shamir, Kaplan and Maayan Hayeshua medical centers in Israel. In the near future, the drug is also going to be tested in other countries. Seven hospitals in Brazil have already announced they will participate, and other centers in Europe and the United States are expected to join soon.

end

We have another Royal Caribbean Cruise ship suffering a COVID outbreak despite the fact that 100% of the ship is double vaccinated at least.

(zerohedge)

Second Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Suffers COVID Outbreak, Denied Entry To Aruba And Curacao

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 02:47 PM

This month, the second Royal Caribbean cruise ship to leave South Florida and the third to leave the US has reported COVID-19 infections among crew members and passengers.

According to Miami Herald, at least 55 fully vaccinated crew members and passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas tested positive for COVID on Wednesday. Last Saturday, the cruise ship departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has since been denied entry to Curacao and Aruba.

An alleged guest on the cruise ship tweeted, “I’m stuck on a Covid ridden cruise ship….hearing about it on the news rather than from the captain.

“https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-

In a separate incident, 48 people aboard a Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, tested positive last Saturday after returning from a week-long cruise.

Royal Caribbean’s health policy requires all adults to be vaxxed with at least two shots of Pfizer or Moderna or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Cruise ships have been lauded as one of the safest vacations due to their strict health policies of only allowing fully vaxxed adults — but as the vaccine efficacy wanes and the omicron variant is spreading rapidly around the world, cruise ships appear to be floating COVID infested traps.

Earlier this month, Norwegian Breakaway, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, detected an outbreak of COVID despite a fully vaxxed ship.

Cruise Industry News reported that cruise ship operators had tightened their mask measures amid surging virus cases in the US. Still, that’s not going to help prevent infections as more and more Caribbean nations will deny US cruise ships as the variant’s spread causes alarm.

So what’s the point of even going on a cruise when you can’t visit the islands? It’s only a matter of time before people start canceling their cruises…

Vaccine Impact

Michael Every with today’s most important topics

Michael Every.//Jane Foley

GLOBAL ISSUES

end

7. OIL ISSUES

Gas prices rise due to a major industrial accident at the Texas Exxon refinery(zerohedge)

“Major Industrial Accident” Reported At Exxon Refinery In Texas

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 06:55 AM

Gasoline futures rose more than a percent early Thursday morning after an explosion was reported at an Exxon/Mobile refinery in Baytown, Texas.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office tweeted, “deputies are on the scene of a major industrial accident at 3525 Decker Dr. in Baytown. The Exxon/Mobile plant. Some injuries have been reported.”

A follow-up tweet said, “there have been 4 confirmed injuries, 3 of which were life flighted and 1 was taken to the hospital via ambulance. No fatalities have been reported. There is currently no shelter in place.”

ExxonMobil Baytown Area released a statement that said the “fire” occurred around 0100 local time.

Images of the refinery that produces more than 584,000 barrels of crude oil per day show part of the facility was on fire early Thursday morning.

As a result, gasoline futures in New York surged more than 1.5%.

“Our Industrial Hygiene staff continues air quality monitoring at the site and fence line. Available information shows no adverse impact at this time,” ExxonMobil continued, adding that it was “coordinating with authorities as appropriate.”

8 EMERGING MARKET& AUSTRALIA ISSUES

Australia//// NEW ZEALAND/ SOUTH AFRICA/BRAZIL//COVID/VACCINES/LOCKDOWNS

SOUTH AFRICA

end

Your early currency/gold and silver pricing/Asian and European bourse movements/ and interest rate settings THURSDAY morning 7:30 AM

Euro/USA 1.1304 DOWN .0019 /EUROPE BOURSES //ALL GREEN

USA/ YEN 114.36 UP 0.236 /NOW TARGETS INTEREST RATE AT .11% AS IT WILL BUY UNLIMITED BONDS TO GETS TO THAT LEVEL…

GBP/USA 1.3425 UP 0.0045

Last night Shanghai COMPOSITE CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.57%

//Hang Sang CLOSED UP 91.31 PTS OR 0.40%

/AUSTRALIA CLOSED UP 0.32% // EUROPEAN BOURSES OPENED ALL GREEN

Trading from Europe and ASIA

EUROPEAN BOURSES ALL GREEN

2/ CHINESE BOURSES / :Hang SANG CLOSED UP 91.31 PTS OR 0.40%

/SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.57%

Australia BOURSE CLOSED UP 0.32%

Nikkei (Japan) CLOSED UP 236.16 PTS OR 0.83 %

INDIA’S SENSEX IN THE GREEN

Gold very early morning trading: 1804,45

silver:$22.77-

USA dollar index early THURSDAY morning: 96.18 UP 10 CENT(S) from WEDNESDAY’s close.

This ends early morning numbers THURSDAY MORNING

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And now your closing THURSDAY NUMBERS 1: 00 PM

Portuguese 10 year bond yield: 0.41% UP 4 in basis point(s) yield from YESTERDAY/

JAPANESE BOND YIELD: +0.067% UP 0 AND 4/10 BASIS POINTS from YESTERDAY/JAPAN losing control of its yield curve/

SPANISH 10 YR BOND YIELD: 0.52%// UP 6 in basis points yield from yesterday.

ITALIAN 10 YR BOND YIELD 1.10 UP 5 points in basis points yield from yesterday./

the Italian 10 yr bond yield is trading 58 points higher than Spain.

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD: RISES TO -..25% IN BASIS POINTS ON THE DAY//

THE IMPORTANT SPREAD BETWEEN ITALIAN 10 YR BOND AND GERMAN 10 YEAR BOND IS 1.36% AND NOW ABOVE THE 3.00% LEVEL WHICH WILL IMPLODE THE ENTIRE ITALIAN BANKING SYSTEM. AT 4% SPREAD THERE WILL BE A HUGE BANK RUN…

END

IMPORTANT CURRENCY CLOSES FOR THURSDAY

Closing currency crosses for THURSDAY night/USA DOLLAR INDEX/USA 10 YR BOND YIELD/1:00 PM

Euro/USA 1.1311 DOWN .0016 or 16 basis points

USA/Japan: 114.38 UP 0.248 OR YEN DOWN 25 basis points/

Great Britain/USA 1.3405 UP 54 BASIS POINTS)

Canadian dollar UP 35 pts to 1.2817

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The USA/Yuan, CNY: closed ON SHORE (CLOSED DOWN)..6.3703

THE USA/YUAN OFFSHORE: (YUAN CLOSED (DOWN)..6.3760

TURKISH LIRA: 11.27 EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LEVEL/DEATH WISH/HYPERINFLATION TO BEGIN.

the 10 yr Japanese bond yield at +0.067

Your closing 10 yr US bond yield UP 4 IN basis points from WEDNESDAY at 1.491% //trading well ABOVE the resistance level of 2.27-2.32%) very problematic

USA 30 yr bond yield: 1.899 UP 5 in basis points

Your closing USA dollar index, 96.11 UP 3 CENT(S) ON THE DAY/1.00 PM/

Your closing bourses for Europe and the Dow along with the USA dollar index closing and interest rates for THURSDAY: 12:00 PM

London: CLOSED UP 41.85 PTS OR 0.57%

German Dax : CLOSED UP 170.37 PTS OR 1.09%

Paris CAC CLOSED UP 66.10 PTS OR 0.95%

Spain IBEX CLOSED UP 178.40 PTS OR 1.52%

Italian MIB: CLOSED UP 189.39 PTS OR 0.71%

WTI Oil price 73.48 12: EST

Brent Oil: 76.12 12:00 EST

USA /RUSSIAN / RUBLE RISES: 73.43 THE CROSS LOWER BY .24 RUBLES/DOLLAR (RUBLE HIGHER BY 24 BASIS PTS)

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD; -.250

CLOSING NUMBERS: 4 PM

EURO VS USA: 1.1329 UP .0003

BRITISH POUND 1.3413 UP .0063

USA DOLLAR VS JAPANESE YEN: 114.40 UP .273

USA DOLLAR VS CAN DOLLAR: 1.2808 DOWN .0043 (Cdn dollar up 43 basis pts)

WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE OIL: 73.76

BRENT: 76.79

USA 10 YR BOND YIELD: 1.495 UP 4 BASIS POINTS

USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 1.908 UP 6 BASIS PTS

USA DOLLAR INDEX: 96.06 DOWN 2 CENTS.

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE: UP 196.67 PTS OR 0.55%

NASDAQ 100 UP 128.07 OR 0.49%

VOLATILITY INDEX: 17.96 DOWN 0.67PTS

GLD/NYSE CLOSING PRICE $168.97 UP $0.38 OR .23%

SLV/NYSE CLOSINGPRICE: $21.16/ UP 6 CENTS OR 0.28%

USA trading day in Graph Form

Stocks & Crypto Soar In Shortened Week As Rate-Hike Odds Surge

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 04:00 PM

After Sen. Manchin stole the jam out of the progressives’ donut over the weekend, sending stocks slumping, it appears investors have BTFD ahead of the Santa Claus rally…

Let’s hope they are not disappointed…

Because, as Tom McClellan points out, it’s not a lock…

Recovery stocks have soared this week as details on Omicron have become clearer….

Source: Bloomberg

After an ugly Manchin-Monday, everything ripped. Utes ended the week in the red with Tech and Discretionary leading…

Source: Bloomberg

As Goldman’s Chris Hussey noted today, figuring out just what ‘live with the virus’ means for reopening stocks is likely to be a key alpha generator in the year ahead. How will an evolving approach to seasonal virus waves impact school, return to work, urban living, live events, and travel? Markets have been struggling with answers to these questions for almost two years now, and we still do not have the answers.

TSLA soared again today and is up over 20% from Tuesday’s lows after Elon Musk said he was done selling… but not really…

VIX was clubbed like a baby seal all week after the Manhcin kneejerk…

Treasury yields were higher on the week

Source: Bloomberg

While stocks are ahead of the pre-Omicron levels, long-bond yields remain lower for now…

Source: Bloomberg

But we note that STIRs continue to hawkishly push higher, now fully pricing-in a rate-hike by May 2022…

Source: Bloomberg

The dollar closed at its lowest since 11/18 after rejecting the pre-Omicron highs…

Source: Bloomberg

Cryptos had a decent week, rallying hard today…

Source: Bloomberg

Bitcoin surged back up to $51k, breaking out of its down-channel and off its 200DMA…

Source: Bloomberg

Commodities were all higher on the week, led by a surge in oil…

Source: Bloomberg

WTI is back at its highest since pre-Omicron…

Gold topped $1800…

Finally, as The Market Ear notes, “Risky” factor drawdowns often coincide with market drawdown, but not this time…

JPM: “In the near term (1-3 months), the recent factor drawdown seems overdone and there could be a modest rebound if risk appetite improves. However, in the medium term (i.e. 3-12 months), will it take a “risk reset” to get these factors to sustainably rebound, and thus HF longs could remain choppy for a while longer? Put another way, can these factors snap back without a larger S&P drawdown or is this a sign that the market is breaking down and we need a larger S&P decline (i.e. “risk reset”) to get these factors to recover?”

II)USA DATA

Fed’s Favorite Inflation Indicator Spikes To Almost 40-Year-Highs, Real Spending Flat

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 08:39 AM

The growth is Americans’ personal spending was expected to decelerate in November, as income growth also slowed. Analysts narrated October’s surprise spending gain as being driven by pull-forward on supply-chain availability fears. Analysts nailed it for once with both income and spending coming in as expected (+0.4% MoM and +0.6% MoM respectively)

Source: Bloomberg

Wage growth for private and government workers slowed dramatically last month…

This is the 9th straight month of spending increases, and notably far higher than the income growth. Obviously that means the savings rate is tumbling… and it just plunged to its lowest since Dec 2017!

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, The Fed’s favorite inflation indicator – the core PCE deflator – soared in the last month. The headline PCE deflator hit 5.7% YoY, the highest since June 1982…

Source: Bloomberg

Which left real personal spending unchanged MoM, worse than the +0.2% MoM expected and well down from the +0.7% MoM in October…

Source: Bloomberg

Get back to work Mr.Powell

end

Initial Jobless Claims Hover At Pre-COVID-Lockdown Levels

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 08:43 AM

With seasonal adjustments having major effects on the headline data, the reported number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the first time was 205k (exactly as expected and exactly the same the prior week’s revised number)…

Source: Bloomberg

California and Michigan saw the biggest increases in jobless claims while Missouri and Pennsylvania saw claims tumble…

The total number of Americans on some form of government dole fell back near 2.1 million…

…flat at pre-COVID levels…

Source: Bloomberg

Time for the emergency stimulus to end.

end

‘Business Investment’ Proxy Weakens In November, Durable Goods Orders Buoyed By Big Boeing Buy

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 09:14 AM

A dark cloud hid over today’s durable goods data. While the headline print was solid, the value of core capital goods orders, a proxy for business investment in equipment that excludes aircraft and military hardware, dropped 0.1% in preliminary November data (following an upwardly revised 0.9% increase in October). This is only the second MoM drop since the COVID lockdown crisis…

Source: Bloomberg

The silver lining, as we noted above, was that orders for all durable goods (items meant to last at least three years) surged 2.5% from the prior month, reflecting a sharp rise in aircraft orders. That is the biggest jump since May.

Source: Bloomberg

The durables data showed bookings for commercial aircraft increased 34.1%. Boeing Co. reported 109 orders in November, up from 10 a month earlier. The government data on aircraft orders don’t always align exactly with the corporate figures. And also ‘war is good’ as Defense orders jumped 16.0% MoM…

Source: Bloomberg

Orders for motor vehicles rose 1%. Durable goods orders excluding transportation equipment increased 0.8%.

Outside of the more volatile transportation categories, the report was mixed. Bookings for metals and communications equipment increased, while those for machinery, electrical equipment and computers eased.

Finally, we note that unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods, a measure of backlogs, rose 0.7% to the highest since Feb 2020…

Source: Bloomberg

So the supply chain crisis is not over then?

end

With the dollar losing value due to inflation this is not a surprise:

New home sales jump to 7 month highs.

(zerohedge)

New Home Sales Jump To 7-Month-High, Despite Massive Downward Revisions

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 10:09 AM

Having rebounded from the mid-year bloodbath, analysts expected new home sales to accelerate further in November. They were right but there were huge historical revisions that left the final SAAR a big miss. New home sales rose 12.4% MoM (smashing the +3.4% MoM expected) BUT that was because October was revised from +0.4% MoM to -8.4%!!!

Source: Bloomberg

The series saw huge downward revisions over the past 3 months…

New home sales remain down 14.0% year-over-year. This left the SAAR at 744k, well below the 770k expected, but, thanks to the huge revisions, still the highest since April 2021…

Source: Bloomberg

Median and average home prices soared to a new record high…

For context, home prices are rising 3x to 4x faster than during the prior housing bubble.

Time to double-turbo that taper, Mr.Powell!

IIb) USA COVID/VACCINE MANDATE STORIES

The ignorant Lori Lightfoot now threatens the unvaccinated with draconian measures

(zerohedge)

“Your Time Is Up”: Chicago Mayor Threatens Unvaccinated With Draconian Measures

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 05:20 PM

Unvaccinated residents of the Democratic stronghold of Chicago have been put on notice by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said in a Tuesday tweet:

“To put it simply, if you have been living vaccine-free, your time is up. If you wish to live life as w/the ease to do the things you love, you must be vax’d.”

The tweet accompanies a new order which states that beginning January 3rd, people must show proof of full vaccination to enter ‘bars, restaurants, fitness centers, and intertainment/recreational venues where food/drink are served.’

Lightfoot appeared to backpedal in a speech, saying “If you’re going into that coffee shop to pick up and go, you don’t need to show proof,” adding “But if you’re gonna linger, you’re gonna eat that muffin, you’re gonna sit down with your laptop, you gotta show proof of vaccination.”

As the Daily Wire notes,”Lightfoot’s announcement came after President Joe Biden coughed his way through several federal announcements regarding new COVID-19 efforts in the battle against the strain of coronavirus known as the Omicron variant. The Daily Wire reported on the president’s hack job this afternoon”:

“There are some parts of this country where people are very eager to get their booster where it’s harder to get an appointment,” he continued pausing briefly to cough into his hand. “Excuse me. Starting this week I’ll be deploying hundreds more vaccinators and more sites to help get the booster shots in people’s arms.”
“I’ve ordered FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to stand up new pop-up vaccination clinics all across the country, where you can get that booster shot. We’ve opened –” Biden coughed into his hand again before continuing, “Excuse me. We’ve opened FEMA vaccination sites in Washington state and New Mexico recently as cases have increased.”

Meanwhile…

END

Alex Berenson Sues Twitter, Says Company Acted ‘On Behalf’ Of Biden Administration

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 07:20 PM

Former NY Times reporter and author (check out those five-star reviews), Alex Berenson has taken Twitter to court, after the social media giant banned him from their platform after he suggested that the Covid-19 vaccine was ‘at best – a therapeutic with a limited window of efficacy and terrible side effect profile…”

In a 70-page complaint filed on Monday in the Northern District of California, Berenson accused Twitter of violating his First Amendment rights, and claims that a Twitter executive assured him on multiple occasions that he would be free to express his opinions on the platform without fear of punishment.

“Despite the controversy around his statements, a senior Twitter executive repeatedly assured Mr. Berenson that the company backed his right to free expression and that he would continue to enjoy access to the platform,” reads the complaint.

Berenson also argues that Twitter was acting on behalf of the Biden administration by censoring his content, specifically that he has a “a uniquely viable claim that Twitter acted on behalf of the federal government in censoring and barring him from to its platform.”

The ban came just days after Biden administration officials – as well as Biden himself – called for a crackdown on Covid-19 misinformation on social media.

According to the complaint, Twitter is subject to a California law which applies to “common carriers,” a provision which dates back to 1872 and regulates companies that “offer to the public to carry persons, property, or messages.”

His lawyers argue that the “courts have repeatedly applied the 1872 law to telephone companies and other technologies that did not exist at the time it was enacted.”

Responding to Twitter lawyers, Berenson laid out why his suit has legs in a Tuesday blog post:

* * *

So over on Twitter, one of America’s Finest Legal Scholars (TM) is taking time out from his busy practice to rebut the complaint pro malo.

He must have a lot to do because he’s spent most of the last day on this; I wonder which client he’s billing, or if he’s “between clients” at the moment. Anyway, you can tell he’s a serious guy because he throws up memes with every tweet! Just like Brandeis.

What’s fascinating is that despite his endless tweets, he somehow has not managed to grasp one of the core arguments – simple in theory, though complex in its details – that the complaint raises.

For those of you who have neither the time nor the inclination to wade through the argument, it goes like this:

Twitter is indisputably a messenger service. A longstanding California law regulates messenger services as “common carriers.” This means that they must accept all messages they receive. Twitter thus must accept all tweets it receives. It has no First Amendment rights to refuse them on the basis that it does not agree with them.

A federal law commonly called Section 230 “preempts” the California law, giving Twitter the right to reject tweets or ban users. (Whether that right is universal or whether Twitter must act in “good faith” in restricting service is a separate question; whether Twitter acted in “good faith” in this case is still another question. But put those issues aside for the moment.)
Section 230 is what enables Twitter to claim a First Amendment privilege that supersedes the California law and restrict my own First Amendment right to speak; thus federal courts have the right to review 230 on First Amendment grounds. Eugene Volokh, who is a top constitutional scholar, was among the first people to raise this possibility. If you want to know more about about the argument, you can find it here: https://reason.com/volokh/2021/01/23/might-federal-preemption-of-speech…
Defenders of Twitter and other social media behemoths have successfully confused courts and lawmakers about the distinction between Twitter the company and Twitter the platform. Under the First Amendment, Twitter the company is of course free to say whatever it likes – on its platform, in ads, through lobbyists, or anywhere else.
But Twitter the platform should be open to all under California law; and even if the courts find that Section 230’s preemption of California law is consistent with the First Amendment and allows Twitter the company to set rules on who can use the platform, those rules cannot be completely arbitrary or discriminatory.
Twitter itself acknowledges this fact in explaining its rules, and acknowledged it further in creating its “five-strike” policy around Covid-19 “misinformation.” Twitter is legally liable for failing to follow its own rules and contractual obligations in my case.
The complaint has many other factual and legal arguments; I’m not going to go into them here. I am also not going to pull back even further and walk through exactly why the Section 230 as it has been interpreted is so dangerous – that’s an broader argument that belongs in an op-ed for a major newspaper (in the unlikely event they’ll have me). But I hope this helps everyone understand the complaint a little better.

END

Now 24 states are suing the Biden Administration over COVID 19 mandates for children including masks

and over the unlawful treatment of the educational “Head start” program.

(Van Brugen/EpochTimes)

24 States Sue Biden Admin Over COVID-19 Mandates For Children, Staff In ‘Head Start’ Education Program

WEDNESDAY, DEC 22, 2021 – 07:40 PM

Authored by Isabel van Brugen via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Attorneys general (AG) from 24 states have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates for early education staff, and mask mandates for young children.Children wear masks on the playground of a primary school in Helecine, Belgium, on Dec. 6, 2021. (Eric Lalmand/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)

Led by Louisiana AG Jeff Landry, the lawsuit (pdf) argues that the mandates involving Head Start, the country’s largest early education program, are unlawful, and exceed President Joe Biden’s statutory authority.

Biden’s mandate, issued last month, applies to all preschool programs funded by the federal Head Start program, and affects hundreds of thousands of staff, volunteers, and preschool students across the country. It mandates vaccinations for staff, volunteers, and others in contact with students by the end of January, and masks for all adults and children aged two and above.

The mandate offers no alternative to vaccinations, and for those granted exemptions, funds are not provided for regular testing. It applies to staff regardless of whether they work in-person or remotely.

The Department of Health and Human Services provides funding to low-income families of preschool-age children under the federal Head Start program.

The lawsuit argues that the president’s mandate is projected to lead to tens of thousands of Head Start agency staff losing their jobs and will cause programs to close or reduce capacity.

“Like all of his other unlawful attempts to impose medical decisions on Americans, Biden’s overreaching orders to mask two-year-olds and force vaccinate teachers in our underserved communities will cost jobs and impede child development,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement on Tuesday. “If enacted, Biden’s authoritarianism will cut funding, programs, and childcare that working families, single mothers, and elderly raising grandchildren rely on desperately.”

The 24 states are seeking to block the Biden administration’s mandate, arguing that it is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates the Congressional Review Act and the Tenth Amendment.

The requirements also violate the Administrative Procedure Act’s Notice-and-Comment Requirement, the Nondelegation Doctrine, the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine, the Spending Clause, and the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 1999, according to the lawsuit.

“Our Nation’s children have faced enough setbacks and difficulties during the last two years; they cannot afford another government attack on their development,” Landry said. “My office has had great success in blocking Biden’s mandates on many hard-working Americans, and we will work tirelessly to achieve the same victories for toddlers and teachers.”

The lawsuit was filed by the AGs of Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, and West Virginia.

It argues that staff and volunteers will likely leave the Head Start program as a result of the mandate.

“As a natural and foreseeable result, certain providers will close and children from low-income families in affected areas will be denied access to the preschool education that Congress guaranteed them, and children who are denied access to preschool education will miss out on crucial years of development,” it states.

It also cites recommendations from the the World Health Organization that “based on the safety and overall interest of the child and the capacity to appropriately use a mask,” “children aged 5 years and under should not be required to wear masks.”

The complaint cites pediatric nurse Anthony Luczak, who says a toddler mask mandate may cause psychological and health problems.

The “reinforcement of wearing masks because of the threat of the pandemic is a reinforcement of fear that directly is triggering a toxic stress in children’s lives,” she said.

It argues that because the federal program does not clearly authorize the mandate, the Biden administration “has acted ‘in excess’ of its constitutional and statutory authority.”

“As a mother, I am very concerned about the latest federal mandates being forced on Head Start staff and students—children as young as two-years old will be required to wear masks and teachers will be forced to receive a vaccination against their will,” Florida AG Ashley Mood said in a statement. “I am fighting to stop this federal overreach, just as I have fought to protect Floridians against the previous unlawful mandates forced on us by the federal government.”

Texas AG Ken Paxton said earlier this month that he will “not allow Texans to be coerced into getting a vaccine because the federal government is giving them an ultimatum to choose between their health or their child’s preschool education.”

“These unconstitutional mandates have no place in our country, and they are not welcomed here in Texas,” he said.

end

The Epoch Times has contacted the Biden administration for comment.END
Very sad storyHanneman//EpochTimes)

University Of California Fires Director Of Ethics Program for Defying COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Authored by Joseph M. Hanneman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, the longtime professor of psychiatry at the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine who sued the university over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate because it made no exceptions for natural immunity, has been fired by the institution for refusing the vaccine.Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, a professor of psychiatry at UC Irvine’s School of Medicine, is seen in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2021. (Zhen Wang/The Epoch Times)

In a blog post titled “Farewell, University of California,” Dr. Kheriaty said he received notice of what he called his “arbitrary and capricious” firing on Dec. 16. It was effective the same day. The termination ends his UCI medical teaching career and his longtime role as director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health.

Kheriaty said he worked unpaid nights helping the UCI president’s office draft triage guidelines for scarce resources and vaccines during the pandemic. When N-95 masks were so scarce that hospitals kept them under lock and key, Kheriaty said he found a supply at a local construction company and provided them to doctors and nurses.

“Everyone at the university seemed to be a fan of my work, until suddenly they were not,” Kheriaty wrote. “Once I challenged one of their policies, I immediately became a ‘threat to the health and safety of the community.’ No amount of empirical evidence about natural immunity or vaccine safety and efficacy mattered at all.

“The University’s leadership was not interested in scientific debate or ethical deliberation,” Kheriaty wrote. “When I was placed on unpaid suspension, I was not permitted to use my paid time off—that is to say, I was ordered to stay off campus because I was not vaccinated, but I also could not take vacation at home because… I was not vaccinated.”

Kheriaty said the university tried to prevent him from doing any professional work while he was on unpaid suspension, in an effort to pressure him to resign from a job he held for 15 years. He said he was not allowed on campus except to move out of his office. Kheriaty was also restricted from making money off-campus. “It was dizzying and, at times, surreal,” he wrote.

The firing decision, he said, was not made by the psychiatry department but by the UCI president’s office. Asked by The Epoch Times for more information about Dr. Kheriaty’s firing, UCI spokesman Tom Vasich wrote, “UCI does not comment on personnel issues.” Kheriaty was on unpaid suspension after initially being placed on “investigatory leave.”

“Now it’s officially over,” Kheriaty wrote on his blog. “I do not regret my time at the university. Indeed, I will miss my colleagues, the residents, and the medical students. I will miss teaching and supervising and doing ethics consults on some of the most challenging cases in the hospital.”

Kheriaty sued the University of California Board of Regents in federal court on Aug. 18, alleging the university’s vaccine mandate violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In July 2020, Kheriaty contracted COVID-19, so he now has natural immunity that he argues is likely superior to protection from a vaccine. His lawsuit is working its way through U.S. District Court.Dr. Aaron Kheriaty (left) in a family portrait posted on his “Human Flourishing” blog. (Aaron Kheriaty/Substack)

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California refused Kheriaty’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the vaccine mandate. In his lawsuit, he highlighted the failure of vaccine mandates to account for the likely superior immunity possessed by COVID-19 survivors. His faculty colleagues at the University of California filed a 187-page declaration supporting the efficacy of natural immunity.

As a COVID-19 survivor, Kheriaty said, his immunity to the disease is between 95 and 99 percent effective. There is not one case on record of someone who recovered from COVID-19 and then was re-infected and transmitted the virus to someone else, he said in October. This sterilizing immunity is an advantage the human immune system has over any COVID-19 vaccine, he argued, noting the declining efficacy of the mRNA vaccines over time.

Reflecting on the pandemic, Kheriaty recalled how pregnant medical residents were concerned about doing consults on COVID-19 patients. “The administration reassured these residents that they had no elevated risks from COVID—a claim without any evidential basis at the time, and which we now know to be false. I saw the COVID consults for these worried residents, even when I was not covering the consult service.”

He said he worked every day during the pandemic, seeing regular patients and COVID patients in the emergency room, the clinic, psychiatric wards, and hospital wards.

“As our chief ethics consultant, I had countless conversations with families of patients dying of COVID, and tried my best to console and guide them in their grief,” he wrote.

END

Supreme Court will take up all of the challenges to Biden’s vaccine mandates.

(Van Brugen/EpochTimes)

Supreme Court To Take Up Challenges To Biden’s Vaccine Mandates

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 07:15 AM

Authored by Isabel van Brugen via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments on challenges to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

In an announcement on Wednesday (pdf), the nation’s highest federal court said it would on Jan. 7 take up two separate disputes challenging the Biden administration’s mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees, and for some 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative-leaning majority, delayed action on emergency requests in both cases that sought an immediate decision. The workplace mandate is currently in effect nationwide, while the health care worker mandate is blocked in half of the 50 U.S. states.

The mandate for health care workers was issued last month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and affects roughly 17 million workers. It requires facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding to require workers to get vaccinated, and has no testing opt-out.

The deadline for meeting the mandate is Jan. 4, 2022. However, OSHA said on Dec. 18 that it would not be issuing fines to businesses for noncompliance until Jan. 10.

The Biden administration’s private employer COVID-19 vaccine mandate, meanwhile, was promulgated by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If allowed to take effect next month, it will force every business with 100 or more employees to require proof of a negative COVID-19 test on at least a weekly basis or proof of vaccination from each worker. Companies that don’t comply would face escalating fines.

The White House on Wednesday said that it is “confident in the legal authority for both policies.”

“Especially as the U.S. faces the highly transmissible Omicron variant, it is critical to protect workers with vaccination requirements and testing protocols that are urgently needed,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
“At a critical moment for the nation’s health, the OSHA vaccination or testing rule ensures that employers are protecting their employees and the CMS health care vaccination requirement ensures that providers are protecting their patients,” Psaki said.

She added, “We are confident in the legal authority for both policies and DOJ will vigorously defend both at the Supreme Court.”

The announcement comes as the Biden administration ramps up its messaging for Americans to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots.

The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus on Monday became the dominant source of new infections in the United States, accounting for roughly 73 percent of new infections nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Federal officials cited CDC figures for the week ending Dec. 18 that showed a nearly six-fold increase in Omicron’s share of infections in only one week.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Dec. 17 floated the idea of redefining what it means to be fully vaccinated in the United States.

Currently, individuals are considered fully vaccinated after taking their second dose of a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, or after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

However, Fauci told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week that a redefinition of being fully vaccinated is “on the table.”

“There’s no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster,” he said.

“Whether or not the CDC is going to change that, it certainly is on the table and open for discussion. I’m not sure exactly when that will happen. But I think people should not lose sight of the message that there’s no doubt if you want to be optimally protected, you should get your booster.”

end

A MUST VIEW!!!

Steve Bannon: “War On The Unvaxx’d Is About To Commence”

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 12:54 PM

“Get Boosted or Die!” is the message from The White House that is repeated ad nauseum by every talking head virtue-signaler.

“This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated”… “it’s patriotic to get the jab”… and on and on…

And, despite the fact that breakthroughs are common, vaccine efficacy has collapsed, and Omicron is basically a common cold, don’t expect this ‘blame it on the unvaxx’d’ propaganda to stop anytime soon.

In fact, as former Trump White House Chef Strategist Steve Bannon said on his ‘War Room’ show this week, the ‘war on the unvaccinated’ is only just beginning:

“Herd immunity can be upon us if you don’t get in the way of it with a redonkulous, blunt force instrument, which is mass vaccinations,” Bannon said on Tuesday during his War Room Pandemic podcast.
“It’s really the war on the unvaccinated is about to commence and I mean war.”

Watch here:

And judging by the viral spread of mandates for triple, quadruple jabs and masking across blue states nationwide, Bannon is being proved right… and will likely be right up until the midterms (and the need for mail-in ballots for everyone, alive or dead).

iii) important USA economic stories for you tonight

A very important data point in the making of inflation numbers.

(zerohedge)

As Used Car Prices Hit Another Record High, Here’s What Goldman Thinks Happens Next

THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 – 10:45 AM

Another month, another record (see prior records: here & here). New data shows used car prices continued to soar in the first half of December, suggesting inflation has been anything but transitory.

The Manheim Index, the most recognized wholesale used-vehicle price index by financial and economic analysts, reported that the wholesale used car index rose 3.1% in the first 15 days of December compared to November. The overall index has jumped a mindboggling 48.9% from December 2020.

“On a year-over-year basis, all major market segments saw seasonally adjusted price gains through the first 15 days of December. Pickups had the smallest year-over-year gains, vans had the largest at 63.3%, and both non-luxury car segments outpaced the overall industry in seasonally adjusted price growth. Compared to November, SUVs and vans had the smallest growth in the first half of December, while compact cars had the largest gain,” the report said.

Heading into the new year, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius provided clients with an outlook on the automobile market. He expects “further increases in new and used car prices during the first quarter of 2022, but outlines “new car prices peak in Q2 (vs. Q1 previously) and used car prices peak in Q1 (vs. December 2021 previously).”

Hatzius said cooling down auto markets will be a challenging task. Port congestion remains a significant problem and has only marginally improved in recent months. He said new outbreaks of the Omicron variant is a major risk to foreign automotive and semiconductor factories could derail the rebound in car production.

KPMG global head of automotive Gary Silberg is in similar agreeance with Hatzius and believes a turning point in vehicle prices is nearing. He told Automotive News that vehicle supply and demand would achieve equilibrium sometime between October 2022 and 2023, but used-vehicle prices would begin to fall before that point.

“In every scenario, we expect the market to anticipate the turnaround in the new-car supply situation ahead of time and begin repricing used cars before new-car lots are full and used-car demand returns to normal.

“In other words, a 20 to 30 percent plunge in used-vehicle prices is in the cards,” KPMG wrote in a note.

Relief for car shoppers is coming, but it might be in the second half of 2022, and don’t expect prices to return to pre-2019 levels.

end

iii)b USA inflation commentaries//LOG JAMS//

King report/Courtesy of Chris Powell of GATA which includes the major swamp stories./ of the day

king report

The King Report December 23, 2021 Issue 6663

Independent View of the News

  Pfizer oral COVID-19 pill gets U.S. authorization for at-home use https://reut.rs/32jJBkb

US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say
Within weeks, Walter Reed researchers expect to announce that human trials show success against Omicron—and even future strains.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/12/us-army-creates-single-vaccine-effective-against-all-covid-sars-variants/360089/

Two Studies Show Much Lower Risk of Hospitalization with Omicron – After studies in Scotland and South Africa, scientists unsure whether higher transmissibility outweighs reduced disease severity
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-booster-offers-substantial-protection-against-symptomatic-infection-with-omicron-study-finds-11640191103
How Fauci and Collins Shut Down Covid Debate – WSJ Editorial Board
They worked with the media to trash the Great Barrington Declaration.
    “The emails suggest a feedback loop: The media cited Dr. Fauci as an unquestionable authority, and Dr. Fauci got his talking points from the media .. This is how groupthink works.”…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fauci-collins-emails-great-barrington-declaration-covid-pandemic-lockdown-11640129116

The Dangerous Push to Give Boosters to Teens – FDA and CDC experts said the plan was ill-advised, so the agencies cut them out of the decision process.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has fed the push for boosters. But a University of Hong Kong study found that Omicron is less than one-tenth as infective in lung cells compared with the Delta variant… Omicron patients report far fewer cough and fever symptoms. Instead they report common cold-symptoms, similar to the four known seasonal coronaviruses that have circulated for decades, causing many colds… At the same time, the FDA has been delinquent in authorizing Merck’s and Pfizer’s antiviral pills that are designed to work against all variants…
   Last week I testified before Congress that many Covid policies are no longer driven by science. Data is being cherry-picked to support predetermined agendas, while the roles of natural immunity and life-saving therapeutics are being sidelined…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/dangerous-push-to-give-boosters-to-teens-vacccine-covid-19-omicron-vaxx-requirement-mandate-11640107759

Harvard chemistry department head is found GUILTY of lying to US officials about his ties to Chinese research agencies after pocketing millions from Beijing including $50,000-a-month salary from Wuhan university
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10335425/Harvard-prof-faces-jail-lying-50-000-month-salary-Wuhan-university.html

@Jkylebass: Harvard’s former Chair of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dr. Charles Lieber was convicted of multiple felonies as he clandestinely worked for the Wuhan University of Technology and the Thousand Talents program for the Chinese Government. Chris Balding’s thread below must read.
https://twitter.com/BaldingsWorld/status/1473655330869551106

Secret Service: Nearly $100B stolen in pandemic relief funds
The Secret Service didn’t include COVID-19 fraud cases prosecuted by the Justice Department…
https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-us-secret-service-9d5c43814ef2c1ffb45c2a6f4e13faa9

“If You Could Die of Irony, She Would Be Dead”: Musk Slams Liz Warren and Woke Culture in Epic Babylon Bee Interview – “She struck first, obviously. She called me a freeloader and a grifter who doesn’t pay taxes, basically. And – I’m literally paying the most tax that any individual in history has ever paid, this year, ever. And she doesn’t pay tax… basically at all. And her salary is paid for by the taxpayer, like me.” “Could you even use the term irony, would that work?” asked one of the Bee guys. “If you could die of irony, she would be dead.”… Musk also opined on woke culture – calling it a “mind virus,”… At its heart, wokeness is divisive, exclusionary and hateful. It basically gives mean people a shield to be cruel, armored in false virtue.”…
    Elon Musk @elonmusk says he’s not perverted enough to be on CNN…
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/if-you-could-die-irony-she-would-be-dead-musk-savages-liz-warren-and-woke-culture-epic

Today – Once again, after the S&P 500 Index broke below two important technical metrics (4600 support and its 50-DMA), the equity rescue team sprang into action and drove ESHs aggressively higher. This induced a short-covering panic and momo (momentum and/or lemming) buying from the usual suspects.

Each time the above dynamic has occurred over the past few years, the S&P 500 Index has soared to a new high. The S&P 500 Index print high is 4743.83 on November 11, 2021. The usual suspects, barring news, will ‘shoot for that number’ in the coming days. The little fear of the downside that has existed for months has been reduced further by the equity rescue team, upward bias for the Santa Rally (Day after Christmas thru 2^nd session of New Year), and China’s attempt to start a new credit cycle.

ESHs are +2.00 at 20:15 ET in quiet trading.

Expected Economic Data: Initial Jobless Claims 205, Continuing Claims 1.835m; Nov Personal Income 0.4% m/m, Spending 0.6%, PCE Deflator 0.6%, PCE Core 0.4%; Nov Durable Goods 1.8% m/m, Ex-Trans 0.6%, Nondef Ex-Air 0.7%, Shipments 0.7%; Dec UM Sentiment 70.4; Nov New Home Sales 770k

S&P 500 Index 50-day MA: 4621; 100-day MA: 4529; 150-day MA: 4449; 200-day MA: 4258
DJIA 50-day MA: 35,596; 100-day MA: 35,242; 150-day MA: 35,002; 200-day MA: 34,658

S&P 500 Index – Trender trading model and MACD for key time frames
Monthly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 4155.11 triggers a sell signal
Weekly: Trender is positive; MACD is negative – a close below 4469.12 triggers a sell signal
Daily: Trender and MACD are negative – a close above 4762.42 triggers a buy signal
Hourly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 4644.35 triggers a sell signal

The TWENTY-THREE Democratic Reps who have already dropped out of the running in 2022: GOP leader Kevin McCarthy believes MORE could follow with Pelosi facing a midterm bloodbath
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10333423/The-TWENTY-THREE-Democratic-Reps-dropped-running-2022.html

@miles_commodore: In North Carolina you have to show ID to buy NyQuil, but you don’t need it to vote for the President of the United States of America.

(Dem) U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon carjacked and robbed in South Philly…
https://www.inquirer.com/crime/mary-gay-scanlon-carjacking-robbery-fdr-park-20211222.html

(Dem leader) State Sen. Kimberly Lightford carjacked in suburban Broadview (west of Chicago)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-state-senator-kimberly-lightford-carjacked-20211222-zoicqkpq2jc4jcze5e6uue3lla-story.html

SWAMP STORIES //

none

that is all for today

I WISH EVERYONE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

I will see you MONDAY

	2:32 PM (23 minutes ago)

DONATE

NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED TODAY FOR DEC. CONTRACT: 1013 NOTICE(S) FOR 101300 OZ (3.1508 TONNES)

total notices so far: 35,589 contracts for 3,558,900 oz

121 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR 605,000 OZ/

1/COMEX GOLD AND SILVER REPORT

3. ASIAN AFFAIRS

b) REPORT ON JAPAN

3 C CHINA

4/EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

5. RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

6.Global Issues

7. OIL ISSUES

8 EMERGING MARKET ISSUES

‘Real’ Interest Rates: The Missing Puzzle Piece The Mainstream Is Ignoring

Peter Schiff: “Powell Is Still Way Behind The Inflation Curve”

More Highlights from the Interview

Sound Money Defense League’s Stefan Gleason interviewed by Palisades Gold Radio

In ‘Money and Liberty,’ Turk shows how central banks steal time itself

Your early currency/gold and silver pricing/Asian and European bourse movements/ and interest rate settings THURSDAY morning 7:30 AM

Futures Ramp Above 4,700 On Growing Omicron Optimism

3 a./NORTH KOREA/ SOUTH KOREA

Japan Agrees To Pay $9.2BN To Host US Troops Over Next 5 Years

3B CHINA

4/EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

Germany Confirms First Omicron Death While Italy Revives Outdoor Mask Mandate

European Firms Warn “Unbearably High Energy Costs” May Spark Wave Of Production Shutdowns

US Sends Fleet Of LNG Ships To Fuel-Starved Europe

5. RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

The Criminalization Of Preppers In Turkey: Will Your Country Be Next?

Turkey is cooked, and we all know it.

Then the criminalization of Turkish preppers began.

The criminalization of preppers coincides with inflation and war.

We’ve seen this vilification even within the United States.

What are we going to see next?

White House Mulling Strict Export Controls On Russia Which Resemble Iran Sanctions

Russia & US Agree To Security Talks On NATO Expansion, Set For January

UN Willing To Hire Taliban Guards To Protect Facilities To Tune Of $6 Million

6.Global Issues

FDA Releases More Data On “Adverse Reactions” To Pfizer Vaccine

This would be even more hilarious if it was not so tragic

Israeli drug prevents 100% of COVID patients from deteriorating in trial

All 18 hospitalized individuals administered the treatment developed by Israeli biotech company Amorphical in a phase II trial recovered and were discharged in a few days.

Second Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Suffers COVID Outbreak, Denied Entry To Aruba And Curacao

Vaccine Impact

7. OIL ISSUES

“Major Industrial Accident” Reported At Exxon Refinery In Texas

8 EMERGING MARKET& AUSTRALIA ISSUES

Your early currency/gold and silver pricing/Asian and European bourse movements/ and interest rate settings THURSDAY morning 7:30 AM

Your closing bourses for Europe and the Dow along with the USA dollar index closing and interest rates for THURSDAY: 12:00 PM

USA trading day in Graph Form

Stocks & Crypto Soar In Shortened Week As Rate-Hike Odds Surge

Fed’s Favorite Inflation Indicator Spikes To Almost 40-Year-Highs, Real Spending Flat

Initial Jobless Claims Hover At Pre-COVID-Lockdown Levels

‘Business Investment’ Proxy Weakens In November, Durable Goods Orders Buoyed By Big Boeing Buy

New Home Sales Jump To 7-Month-High, Despite Massive Downward Revisions

“Your Time Is Up”: Chicago Mayor Threatens Unvaccinated With Draconian Measures

Alex Berenson Sues Twitter, Says Company Acted ‘On Behalf’ Of Biden Administration

24 States Sue Biden Admin Over COVID-19 Mandates For Children, Staff In ‘Head Start’ Education Program

University Of California Fires Director Of Ethics Program for Defying COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Supreme Court To Take Up Challenges To Biden’s Vaccine Mandates

Steve Bannon: “War On The Unvaxx’d Is About To Commence”

As Used Car Prices Hit Another Record High, Here’s What Goldman Thinks Happens Next

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