GOLD PRICE DOWN $8.40 TO $2638.00

SILVER PRICE DOWN $0.19 TO $30.27

Gold ACCESS CLOSED $2594.30

Silver ACCESS CLOSED: $29.44

Bitcoin morning price:$105,030 DOWN 1640 DOLLARS.

Bitcoin: afternoon price: $101,490 down 5180 DOLLARS

Platinum price closing DOWN $7.75 TO $932.80

Palladium price; DOWN $8.15 TO $929.80

END

*CANADIAN GOLD: $3746.77 DOWN 42.50 CDN dollars per oz( * NEW ALL TIME HIGH 3,872.51 CDN DOLLARS PER OZ//OCT 30 2024)

*BRITISH GOLD: 2061.12 DOWN 21.56 Pounds per oz// *(NEW ALL TIME HIGH//CLOSING///2161.00 BRITISH POUNDS/OZ) NOV 22/2024

*EURO GOLD: 2,500.20 DOWN 21.08 Euros per oz //* (ALL TIME CLOSING HIGH: 2600.25 EUROS PER OZ//NOV 22 //.2024)

DONATE

Click here if you wish to send a donation. I sincerely appreciate it as this site takes a lot of preparation

END

EXCHANGE;

EXCHANGE: COMEX
CONTRACT: DECEMBER 2024 COMEX 100 GOLD FUTURES
SETTLEMENT: 2,644.400000000 USD
INTENT DATE: 12/17/2024 DELIVERY DATE: 12/19/2024
FIRM ORG FIRM NAME ISSUED STOPPED

072 H GOLDMAN 466
152 C DORMAN TRADING 1
190 H BMO CAPITAL 66
323 C HSBC 64
363 H WELLS FARGO SEC 471
435 H SCOTIA CAPITAL 27
624 H BOFA SECURITIES 12
661 C JP MORGAN 95 45
686 C STONEX FINANCIA 38
737 C ADVANTAGE 3
905 C ADM 20

TOTAL: 654 654
MONTH TO DATE: 23,815

JPMorgan stopped 95/654

GOLD: NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR DEC/2024. CONTRACT: 654 NOTICES FOR 65,400 OZ  2.0372 TONNES

total notices so far: 23,815 contracts for 2,381,500 Oz (74.074 tonnes)

FOR  DEC

SILVER NOTICES: 252 NOTICE(S) FILED FOR 2.760 MILLION OZ/

total number of notices filed so far this month : 8774 for 43.870 million oz

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Click here if you wish to send a donation. I sincerely appreciate it as this site takes a lot of preparation

END

GLD/

BOTH GLD AND SLV ARE FRAUDULENT VEHICLES//THEY ARE NOW RAIDING GLD AND SLV FOR PHYSICAL

THE CROOKS ARE STEALING GOLD AND SILVER FROM THE GLD/SLV AND REPLACING THE PHYSICAL WITH PAPER DOLLARS.

WITH GOLD DOWN $8.40 INVESTORS SWITCHING TO SPROTT PHYSICAL  (PHYS) INSTEAD OF THE FRAUDULENT GLD:

NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD:

INVENTORY RESTS AT 864.19 TONNES

SLV/

WITH NO SILVER AROUND AND SILVER DOWN $0.19 AT THE SLV

HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.094 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV/.

INVESTORS ARE SWITCHING SLV TO SPROTT’S PSLV.

CLOSING INVENTORY: 457.414 MILLION OZ

Let us have a look at the data for today

SILVER//OUTLINE

SILVER COMEX OI FELL BY A HUGE SIZED 812 CONTRACTS TO 146,938 AND STALLING ON ITS MARCH TO THE RECORD HIGH OI OF 244,710, SET FEB 25/2020, AND THIS HUGE SIZED LOSS IN COMEX OI WAS ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE OUR SMALL LOSS OF $0,12 IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY’S TRADING. WE HAD A TINY LOSS OF 87 TOTAL CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR LOSS  IN PRICE//TUESDAY’S TRADING.. WE HAD CONSIDERABLE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS ON TUESDAY COMEX TRADING AS THEY DESPERATELY TRIED TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS. THE RAID WAS CALLED UPON AGAIN TO QUELL MASSIVE DERIVATIVE LOSSES BY OUR BULLION BANKS. THEY SUCCEEDED A BIT //TUESDAY PRICING.

WE HAD A  HUGE 725 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE ACCOMPANIED BY A GOOD 331 CONTRACT T.A.S ISSUANCE WHICH WILL BE USED IN WEDNESDAY;S TRADING AS THEY PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN OUR COMEX TRADING TRYING TO CONTAIN ANY SILVER PRICE RISE. IN ESSENCE WE LOST A TINY SIZED 87 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR SMALL LOSS IN PRICE. WE HAD A CONSIDERABLE TAS LIQUIDATION THROUGHOUT TUESDAY’S COMEX SESSION. LAST MONDAY MORNING WE RECEIVED NOTICE OF .5000 MILLION OZ ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK/ THIS WILL BE ADDED TO THE PREVIOUS EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF .66 MILLION OZ/NEW EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTALS FOR THE MONTH: 1.16 MILLION OZ.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CROOKS NEED A HIGHER SILVER/GOLD T.A.S. TO CARRY ON THEIR CROOKED MANIPULATION ON A DAILY BASIS BUT DEMAND IS JUST TOO HIGH FOR THEM. THE HIGHER ISSUANCE OF T.A.S. IS NOW USED TO TEMPER OUR SILVER/GOLD PRICE RISE OR RAID AS WHAT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LAST MONTH AND AGAIN YESTERDAY.

CRAIG HEMKE HAS POINTED OUT THAT THE CROOKS USE THE MID MONTH FOR MANIPULATION AS THEY SELL THEIR BUY SIDE OF THE CALENDAR SPREAD FIRST AND THEN KEEP THE SELL SIDE TO LIQUIDATE AT A LATER DATE.  THUS WE HAVE TWO VEHICLES THE CROOKS USE FOR MANIPULATION AND BOTH ARE SPREADERS:  1) AT MONTH’S END/SPREADERS COMEX AND 2/ TAS SPREADERS, MID MONTH. TOTAL TAS ISSUED ON TUESDAY NIGHT: A GOOD 331 CONTRACTS. DESPITE MANY COMPLAINTS THAT THE CROOKS HAVE VIOLATED POSITION LIMITS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TAS ISSUED HAVE A VALUE  OF ZERO (AS TO POSITION LIMITS FOR OUR CROOKED BANKERS). THE PROBLEM OF COURSE IS THAT THE CROOKS DO NOT LIQUIDATE THE TAS TOGETHER BUT SELL THE BUY SIDE FIRST AND THEN LIQUIDATE THE SELL SIDE TWO MONTHS HENCE. IT IS OBVIOUS MANIPULATION TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE BUT IT NATURALLY FELL ON DEAF EARS WITH OUR REGULATORS (OCC) WHEN THEY RECEIVED OUR COMPLAINTS. IT NOW SEEMS THAT THE OCC HAS ORDERED THE BANKS TO REDUCE ITS NEW LEVEL OF 1 TRILLION DOLLARS IN GOLD/SILVER DERIVATIVES AND THUS THE REASON FOR CONSTANT RAIDS BUT TO NO AVAIL TODAY. IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE THE FED (GOV’T) IS BEHIND EVERY DAY TRADING.

WE HAVE IN THE PAST YEAR SET ANOTHER RECORD LOW AT 114,102 CONTRACTS ///JULY 3.2023//  OUR BANKERS WITH THE HELP OF SPECULATORS AND HIGH FREQUENCY TRADERS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING THE PRICE OF SILVER FLAT (IT FELL BY $0.12) BUT WERE BASICALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY APPRECIABLE NET SILVER LONGS FROM THEIR PERCH AS WE HAD A JUST A TINY LOSS IN OI ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 7 OI. CONTRACTS.

WE HAD A HUGE 725 CONTRACT ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS) iiii) AN  INITIAL SILVER STANDING FOR COMEX SILVER MEASURING AT 40.435 MILLION OZ (FIRST DAY NOTICE) TO WHICH WE MUST ADD THOSE STUPID “DELIVERIES” CALLED EXCHANGE FOR RISK , TOTALLING 1.16 MILLION OZ. WE ALSO HAD A HUGE 98 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP FOR 0.490 MILLION OZ AS THESE BOYS WILL TRY THEIR LUCK IN TAKING DELIVERY OVER ON THIS SIDE OF THE PLANET.

// STANDING FOR SILVER//DEC INCREASES TO 44.240 MILLION OZ + .1.16 MILLION OZ EX FOR RISK = 45.40 MILLION OZ

WE HAD:

/ HUMONGOUS SIZED COMEX OI LOSS +// HUGE SIZED EFP ISSUANCE/ VI)MEGA  GOOD SIZED NUMBER OF  T.A.S. CONTRACT ISSUANCE 331 CONTRACTS)/ TO WHICH WE ADD 1.16 MILLION OZ EX. FOR RISK //

 I AM NOW RECORDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN OI FROM PRELIMINARY TO FINAL: REMOVED 80 CONTRACTS.

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

TOTAL CONTRACTS for 13 DAYS, total 24,100 contracts:   OR 120.500 MILLION OZ  (1853 CONTRACTS PER DAY)

TOTAL EFP’S FOR THE MONTH SO FAR:  120.500 MILLION OZ

LAST 24 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

DEC: 100.615 MILLION OZ

YEAR 2022:

 JAN 2022-DEC 2022

JAN 2022//  90.460 MILLION OZ

FEB 2022:  72.39 MILLION OZ//

MARCH 2022: 207.140  MILLION OZ//A NEW RECORD FOR EFP ISSUANCE

APRIL: 114.52 MILLION OZ FINAL//LOW ISSUANCE

MAY: 105.635 MILLION OZ//

JUNE: 94.470 MILLION OZ

JULY : 87.110 MILLION OZ

AUGUST: 65.025 MILLION OZ

SEPT. 74.025 MILLION OZ///FINAL

OCT.  29.017 MILLION OZ FINAL

NOV: 134.290 MILLION OZ//FINAL

DEC, 61.395 MILLION OZ FINAL

TOTALS YR 2022: 1135.767 MILLION OZ (1.1356 BILLION OZ)

JAN 2023///   53.070 MILLION OZ //FINAL

FEB: 2023:       100.105 MILLION OZ/FINAL//MUCH STRONGER ISSUANCE VS THE LATTER TWO MONTHS.

MARCH 2023:  112.58 MILLION OZ//FINAL//STRONG ISSUANCE

APRIL  111.035 MILLION OZ(SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAN LAST MONTH)

MAY 66.120 MILLION OZ/INITIAL (MUCH SMALLER THIS MONTH)  

JUNE: 110.395 MILLION OZ//MUCH LARGER THAN LAST MONTH

JULY 85.745 MILLION OZ (SMALLER THAN LAST MONTH)

AUGUST: 171.43 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH IS GOING TO BE HUGE //2ND HIGHEST ON RECORD

SEPT: 72.705 MILLION OZ (SMALLER THIS MONTH)

OCT: 97.455 MILLION OZ

NOV.  50.050 MILLION OZ 

DEC. 66.140 MILLION OZ//

TOTAL 2023: 1,104.10 MILLION OZ/

JAN ’24 : 78.655 MILLION OZ//

FEB /2024 : 66.135 MILLION OZ./FINAL

MARCH: 143.750 MILLION OZ// 4TH HIGHEST ON RECORD.

APRIL: 161.770 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH WILL BE A WHOPPER OF ISSUANCE OF EFPS//3RD HIGHEST EVER RECORDED FOR A MONTH)

MAY: 135.995 MILLION OZ  //WILL BE A STRONG MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE

JUNE 110.575 MILLION OZ ( WILL BE ANOTHER STRONG MONTH ISSUANCE)

JULY: 108.870 MILLION OZ (WILL BE A STRONG ISSUANCE MONTH/ A TOUCH OVER 100 MILLION OZ/)

AUGUST; 99.740 MILLION OZ//THIS MONTH WILL BE STRONG FOR ISSUANCE BUT LESS THAN JULY.

SEPT: 112.415 MILLION OZ//WILL BE A HUGE MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE

OCT; 97.485 MILLION OZ (WILL BE SMALLER ISSUANCE THIS MONTH )

NOV. 115.970 MILLION OZ ( HUGE THIS MONTH)

DEC: 120.500 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH WILL BE A HUMDINGER FOR ISSUANCE/ WILL NOT EXCEED MARCH 2022 RECORD OF 209 MILLION OZ)

RESULT: WE HAD AN HUGE SIZED DECREASE IN COMEX OI SILVER COMEX CONTRACTS OF 812  CONTRACTS DESPITE OUR SMALL LOSS IN PRICE OF SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX//TUESDAY.,.  THE CME NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD A HUGE EFP ISSUANCE  CONTRACTS: 725 ISSUED FOR DEC AND 0 CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS) WHICH  EXITED OUT OF THE SILVER COMEX TO LONDON  AS FORWARDS.  WE HAVE A GOOD INITIAL SILVER OZ STANDING FOR DEC OF  40.435 MILLION  OZ ON FIRST DAY NOTICE, FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.490 MILLION OZ QUEUE JUMP TO WHICH WE ADD 1.16 MILLION OZ OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK/PRIOR EQUALS 45.40 MILLION OZ

//NEW TOTAL STANDING FOR DEC AT 45.40 MILLION OZ 

WE HAVE A TINY SIZED LOSS OF 87 OI CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR LOSS IN  PRICE…..THE TOTAL OF TAS INITIATED CONTRACTS TODAY: A GOOD 331 CONTRACTS TRYING DESPERATELY TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE,//HUGE FRONT END OF THE TAS CONTRACTS WERE LIQUIDATED DURING THE TUESDAY COMEX SESSION. BUT THEY STILL NEED THESE ISSUANCE FOR REPLENISHMENT FOR FUTURE TRADING /THE STRONG TA.S. ISSUANCE//LIQUIDATION DISTORTS THE TOTAL OI CONTRACTS STANDING AT THE COMEX. NO NET LONG SPECULATORS WERE BURNED ON TUESDAY

/ SOME NET SHORT COVERING FROM OUR SPEC SHORTS WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE TUESDAY/ . ALSO SOME OF OUR LONGS EXERCISED THEIR RIGHT AND TENDERED FOR PHYSICAL SILVER MUCH TO THE ANGER OF OUR BANKERS. SILVER IS NOT BASEL III COMPLIANT SO THE BANKERS CAN TAKE THEIR TIME WITH THE DELIVERY OF SILVER.

THE NEW TAS ISSUANCE TUESDAY NIGHT   (331) WILL BE PUT INTO “THE BANK” TO BE COLLUSIVELY USED AT A LATER DATE, AND CERTAINLY TODAY.

WE HAD 252 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR 2.760 MILLION OZ

THE SILVER COMEX IS NOW BEING ATTACKED FOR METAL BY LONDONERS ET AL.

GOLD//OUTLINE

IN GOLD, THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST FELL BY A GOOD SIZED 4527 OI CONTRACTS  TO 466,571 AND FURTHER FROM THE RECORD (SET JAN 24/2020) AT 799,733  AND  PREVIOUS TO THAT: (SET JAN 6/2020) AT 797,110, BUT WE ARE NOW MUCH FURTHER FROM OUR ALL TIME LOW OF 390,000 CONTRACTS.

THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI IN GOLD TODAY:  REMOVED A SMALL SIZED 381 CONTRACTS//

WE HAD A GOOD SIZED DECREASE  IN COMEX OI (4527 CONTRACTS) OCCURRED WITH OUR  LOSS OF $6.85 IN PRICE TUESDAY. THE FRBNY SUPPLIED THE NECESSARY SHORT PAPER.. WE ALSO HAD A GOOD INITIAL STANDING IN GOLD TONNAGE FOR DEC AT 57.284 TONNES ON FIRST DAY NOTICE. FOLLOWED BY A HUGE 615 CONTRACT QUE JUMP FOR 61,500 OZ ( 1.9129 TONNES). WE MUST NOW ADD 10.6406 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUED ON 5 OCCASIONS IN THIS ACTIVE DECEMBER CONTRACT MONTH.

/NEW STANDING 87.0446 TONNES

/ ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITH OUR SMALL  $6.85 LOSS IN PRICE  WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY’S COMEX ///. WE HAD A FAIR GAIN OF 3301 OI CONTRACTS (10.267 PAPER TONNES) ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES, WITH MANY LONGS, REMAINING AT THE END OF THE DAY, TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL GOLD VIA THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ROUTE, MUCH TO THE ANGER AND HORROR EXHIBITED BY OUR MAJOR BANKER, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK. THE HORROR INTENSIFIED ONCE LONDON STARTED TO TRADE LAST WEEK, AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WITH MAJOR TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL VIA THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ROUTE! YOU CAN VISUALIZE THIS WITH THE VIOLENT ACTION AT THE COMEX WITH RESPECT TO 615 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP TODAY (61,500 OZ)  ALONG WITH THE 10.6406 EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE THIS MONTH //NEW TOTAL TONNES OF DELIVERY: 87.0446

E.F.P. ISSUANCE

THE CME RELEASED THE DATA FOR EFP ISSUANCE AND IT TOTALED A HUGE SIZED 7828 CONTRACTS:

The NEW COMEX OI FOR THE GOLD COMPLEX RESTS AT 466,571

IN ESSENCE WE HAVE A FAIR SIZED INCREASE IN TOTAL CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 3301 CONTRACTS  WITH 4527 CONTRACTS DECREASED AT THE COMEX// AND A HUGE SIZED 7828 EFP OI CONTRACT ISSUANCE WHICH NAVIGATED OVER TO LONDON. THUS TOTAL OI GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 3301 CONTRACTS.. WE HAD THE FOLLOWING TAS CONTRACTS INITIATED (ISSUED): A SMALL SIZED BUT CRIMINAL 836 CONTRACTS ISSUED. WE HAD A STRONG LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S CONTRACTS WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE TUESSDAY AS THE NEED FOR REPLENISHMENT WAS STILL IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT ITS PRICE CONTAINMENT STRATEGY IN FUTURE TRADING.

CALCULATIONS ON GAIN/LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES

WE HAD A HUGE SIZED ISSUANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS (7828 CONTRACTS) ACCOMPANYING THE GOOD SIZED DECREASE IN COMEX OI OF 4527 CONTRACTS/TOTAL GAIN FOR OUR THE TWO EXCHANGES: 3301 CONTRACTS..WE HAVE 1) NOW RETURNED TO OUR FORMER FORMAT OF BANKERS GOING LONG AND SPECULATORS GOING SHORT  ,2.) STRONG INITIAL STANDING AT THE GOLD COMEX FOR DEC 55.117 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY.S HJUGE 61,500 OZ QUEUE JUMP TO WHICH WE ADD THOSE CRAZY EXCHANGE FOR RISK ON 5 PRIOR OCCASIONS OF 10.6406 TONNES//NEW STANDING 87.0446 TONNES

//NEW STANDING DECEMBER: 87.0446 TONNES

 / 3) STRONG T.A.S. LIQUIDATION TRYING TO LOWER GOLD’S PRICE  TUESDAY WITH SOME SUCCESS AS WE HAD A $6.85 PRICE LOSS. WE HAD ZERO NET LONG SPECS BEING CLIPPED AS WE HAD A FAIR GAIN IN OI ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES. HOWEVER, STICKY GOLD’S LONGS ARE NOT FOOLED BY THE RAID IN PRICE AS THEY WERE REWARDED TUESDAY EVENING AS THEY EXERCISED EFP’S FROM LONDON TO TAKE DELIVERY OF BADLY NEEDED PHYSICAL.

  4)  GOOD SIZED COMEX OPEN INTEREST DECREASE 5)  HUGE ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL PAPER///SMALL T.A.S.  ISSUANCE: 836 T.A.S.CONTRACTS///615 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP OR AN ADDITIONAL 61,500 OZ WILL STAND FOR DELIVERY AT THE COMEX.

HISTORICAL ACCUMULATION OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS IN 2023-2024 INCLUDING TODAY

DEC

ACCUMULATION OF EFP’S GOLD AT J.P. MORGAN’S HOUSE OF BRIBES: (EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL) FOR THE MONTH OF DEC :

TOTAL EFP CONTRACTS ISSUED: 91,293 CONTRACTS OF 9,129,300 OZ OR 283.96 TONNES IN 13 TRADING DAY(S) AND THUS AVERAGING: 7023 EFP CONTRACTS PER TRADING DAY

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS TO THE  SIZE OF THESE EFP TRANSFERS :  THIS MONTH IN 13 TRADING DAY(S) IN  TONNES  283.96 TONNES

TOTAL ANNUAL GOLD PRODUCTION, 2023, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD EX CHINA EX RUSSIA: 3555 TONNES

THUS EFP TRANSFERS REPRESENTS  283.96 DIVIDED BY 3550 x 100% TONNES = 7.99% OF GLOBAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION

ACCUMULATION OF GOLD EFP’S YEAR 2021 TO 2023

JANUARY/2021: 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.           175.62 TONNES//FINAL ISSUANCE//

TOTALS: 2,578.08 TONNES/2021

JAN:2022   247.25 TONNES //FINAL

FEB:           196.04 TONNES//FINAL

MARCH/2022:  409.30 TONNES //FINAL( THIS IS NOW A RECORD EFP ISSUANCE FOR MARCH AND FOR ANY MONTH.

APRIL:  169.55 TONNES (FINAL VERY  LOW ISSUANCE MONTH)

MAY:  247.44 TONNES FINAL//

JUNE: 238.13 TONNES  FINAL

JULY: 378.43 TONNES FINAL/SECOND HIGHEST ON RECORD

AUGUST: 180.81 TONNES FINAL

SEPT. 193.16 TONNES FINAL

OCT:  177.57  TONNES FINAL ( MUCH SMALLER THAN LAST MONTH)

NOV.  223.98 TONNES//FINAL ( MUCH LARGER THAN PREVIOUS MONTHS//comex running out of physical)

DEC:  185.59 tonnes // FINAL

TOTAL: 2,847,25 TONNES/2022

JAN 2023:    228.49 TONNES FINAL//HUGE AMOUNT OF EFP’S ISSUED THIS MONTH!!

FEB: 151.61 TONNES/FINAL

MARCH: 280.09 TONNES/INITIAL (ANOTHER STRONG MONTH FOR EFP ISSUANCE)

APRIL: 197.42 TONNES

MAY: 236.67 TONNES (A VERY STRONG ISSUANCE FOR THIS MONTH)

JUNE: 172.667 TONNES (WEAKER ISSUANCE THIS MONTH)

JULY:  151.69 TONNES (WEAKER THAN LAST MONTH)

AUGUST:  195.28 TONNES (A STRONGER MONTH)//FINAL

SEPT: 254.709 TONNES (WILL BE LARGER THAN LAST MONTH AND A STRONG MONTH)

OCT. 248.09 TONNES. LIKE SILVER, THIS MONTH IS GOING TO BE A STRONG E.F.P. ISSUANCE.

NOV.   239.16 TONNES//WILL BE STRONG THIS MONTH,

DEC. 213.704 TONNES. A STRONG MONTH//

TOTAL FOR YEAR 2023: 2,569.57 TONNES VS  2578 TONNES LAST YEAR

JAN ’24:     291.76 TONNES (WILL BE MUCH GREATER THAN LAST MONTH.//3RD HIGHEST EVER RECORDED EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL)

FEB’24: 201.947 TONNES

MARCH 2024: 352.21 TONNES//2ND HIGHEST EVER RECORDED EFP ISSUANCE.

APRIL: 267.05TONNES (WILL BE AN EXTREMELY STRONG MONTH BUT LESS THAN MARCH 2024)

MAY; 316.606 TONNES (WILL BE ANOTHER STRONG MONTH// 3RD HIGHEST RECORDED EFP ISSUANCE )// NOTICE THE HUGE INCREASES IN EX FOR PHYSICAL THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. THESE CONTRACTS ARE CIRCLED BACK FROM LONDON WHEREBY METAL IS REMOVED FROM THE COMEX.

JUNE 175.11 tonnes HEADING FOR A WEAKER MONTH AND MUCH LESS THAN THE THREE PREVIOUS MONTHS

JULY: 351. 65 TONNES (3RD HIGHEST EVER RECORDED EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL AND THE HIGHEST EVER RECORDED POST BASEL III) 

AUGUST: 274.79 TONNES//THIS MONTH WILL NO DOUBT BE A STRONG ISSUANCE OF EFP’S BUT MUCH LESS THAN LAST MONTH.

SEPT: 335 .104 TONNES//IF THIS CONTINUES WE WILL HAVE A HUMDINGER OF AN EFP ISSUANCE. WE WILL PROBABLY END JUST SHORT OF THE 3RD HIGHEST ISSUANCE EVER RECORDED.

OCT. 277.71 TONNES (THIS WILL BE A GOOD ISSUANCE THIS MONTH)

NOV: 393.875 TONNES ( A HUGE MONTH////NOW SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS 3RD AND 2ND HIGHEST EVER RECORDED EX FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE TO BECOME THE 2ND HIGHEST EVER RECORDED

DEC 283.96 TONNES (we will also have a humdinger of an exchange for physical issuance for this month/maybe this time we will surpass March 2022 record of 409 tonnes for the month)

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 FEB. 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 NOV HEADING TOWARDS THE  ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF FEB., FOR  GOLD: AND MARCH FOR SILVER

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 (OCT), 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.”

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.

The crooks also use the spread in the TAS  account  (trade at settlement).  They buy the spot TAS (e.g. June) and sell the future TAS two months out (e.g. August). Then they unload the front month (i.e. unload the buy side first so the price of gold/silver falls. This occurs in the middle  of the  front delivery month cycle. They unload the sell side of the equation, two months down the road.  The crooks violate position limits as the OCC refuse to hear our complaints.

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 HUGE SIZED 812 CONTRACTS OI  TO 147,018 AND FURTHER FROM THE COMEX HIGH 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  7 YEARS AGO.  HOWEVER WE HAVE NOW SET A NEW RECORD LOW OF 114,102 CONTRACTS JULY 3.2023

EFP ISSUANCE 725 CONTRACTS

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

DEC 725 and ALL OTHER MONTHS: ZERO. TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 725 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 812   CONTRACTS AND ADD TO THE 725 E.FP. ISSUED

WE OBTAIN A TINY SIZED LOSS OF OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 87 CONTRACTS

THUS IN OUNCES, THE LOSS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES  TOTALS A HUGE 0.435 MILLION OZ OCCURRED WITH OUR $0.12 LOSS  IN PRICE  

OUTLINE FOR TODAY’S COMMENTARY

1a/COMEX GOLD AND SILVER REPORT

(report Harvey)

b, ) Gold/silver trading overnight Europe,//GOLD COMMENTARIES

(Peter Schiff)

c) Commentaries from: Egon von Greyerz///Matthew Piepenburg via GoldSwitzerland.com, Pam and Russ Martens

ii a) Chris Powell of GATA provides to us very important physical commentaries

b. Other gold/silver commentaries

c. Commodity commentaries//

d)/CRYPTOCURRENCIES/BITCOIN ETC

2.ASIAN AFFAIRS/WEDNESDAY MORNING TUESDAY  NIGHT

ASIA TRADING WEDNESDAY MORNING/TUESDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.62%

//Hang Seng CLOSED UP 164.07 PTS OR 0.83%

// Nikkei CLOSED DOWN 282.97 OR 0.72%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED DOWN .01%///Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED DOWN TO 7.2944 CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED DOWN TO 7.2943// Oil UP TO 70.58 dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT UP AT 73.61 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN

ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING AT LEVEL OF OFFSHORE YUAN/ONSHORE YUAN  TRADING WEAKER AGAINST US DOLLAR/OFFSHORE YUAN WEAKER

A)NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA

outline

b) REPORT ON JAPAN/
OUTLINE

3  CHINA
OUTLINE

4/EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
OUTLINE

5. RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS
OUTLINE

6.Global Issues//COVID ISSUES/VACCINE ISSUES
OUTLINE

7. OIL ISSUES
OUTLINE

8 EMERGING MARKET ISSUES
9. USA

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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

GOLD

 LET US BEGIN:

THE TOTAL COMEX GOLD OPEN INTEREST FELL BY A GOOD SIZED 4527 CONTRACTS TO 466,571 WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE OF $6.85 WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY’S TRADING. , WE LOST ZERO NET LONGS WITH OUR PRICE LOSS FOR GOLD AS WE HAD, AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, A HJUGE NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUED (7828). THUS WE HAD A FAIR GAIN ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 3301 CONTRACTS DESPITE OUR  LOSS IN PRICE. OUR FRIENDLY PHYSICAL LONDON BOYS HAD ANOTHER FIELD DAY AGAIN ON TUESDAY NIGHT AS THEY WERE READY FOR THE FRBNY.S CONTINUED ORCHESTRATED RAIDS AS THEY ABSORBED FULLY THE TUESDAY ATTACK AND OFFERED A THANK YOU NOTE TO THE FED FOR THEIR WONDERFUL LARGESSE. THE LONDONERS EXERCISED THEIR BOUGHT CONTRACTS FOR PHYSICAL GOLD VIA THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ROUTE.

THE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS THROUGHOUT LAST MONTH CONTINUES TO DISTORT OPEN INTEREST NUMBERS GREATLY AND IT SURELY WAS ON DISPLAY THIS ENTIRE PAST WEEK. WE HAD A HUGE T.A.S. LIQUIDATION ON TUESDAY.

THE FED IS THE MAJOR SHORT OF AROUND 82+ TONNES OF GOLD OWING TO THE B.I.S. THE FED NEEDS TO COVER AS THEY ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO GOLD PRICES ONCE THE BRICS BEGIN THEIR INITIATIVE AND ABANDON THE US DOLLAR. THIS IS SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN LATE OCT 2024/(AS OUTLINED IN OUR GOLD PHYSICAL COMMENTARIES//VIEW ANDREW MAGUIRE LATEST LIVE FROM VAULT PODCAST 197 , 199, 2001,AND FRIDAY NIGHTS  202, AND 203 AS HE TACKLES THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC). THE FOUR OR FIVE BANKS ARE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HUGE PRECIOUS METAL DERIVATIVE EXPOSURE (NORTH OF ONE TRILLION DOLLARS) AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE MAJOR REASON FOR GOLD/SILVER’S RISE THESE PAST TWO MONTHS. THEY ARE TOTALLY TRAPPED., AND THEIR FAILURE TO STOP CENTRAL BANK PURCHASES OF PHYSICAL GOLD IS THE MAJOR ISSUE OF THE DAY! ACTUALLY THE FED HAS COAXED THE SPECULATORS TO GO MASSIVELY SHORT WHILE THEY TAKE THE LONG SIDE AFTER THEY COMMENCE THE AVALANCHE IN LOWERING THE PRICE OF GOLD LIKE THESE PAST THREE DAYS OF RAIDS.

OUR PHYSICAL LONDONERS BOUGHT NEW MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF LONGS AT ANY PRICE AND THIS GOLD BOUGHT WILL BE TENDERED FOR PHYSICAL ON A T + 1 BASIS. BECAUSE GOLD IS BASEL III COMPLIANT, GOLD MUST BE DELIVERED IN A VERY TIMELY ONE DAY. CENTRAL BANKS AROUND THE WORLD, BEING REPRESENTED BY OUR LONDONERS, ARE THE REAL PURCHASERS OF THIS GOLD.

WE HAD CONSIDERABLE T.A.S. LIQUIDATION THROUGHOUT LAST WEEK’S TRADING CONTINUING ON THIS WEEK.

THE PROBLEM FOR THOSE PROVIDING THE SHORT PAPER IS THE SHOCK TO THEM ON RECEIVING NOTICE THAT THE LONGS WANT THE PHYSICAL GOLD AS THEY TENDER FOR THAT SHINY YELLOW METAL. THE HIGH LIQUIDATION OF THE SPREADERS // T.A.S DURING LAST WEEK IS SURELY DISTORTING COMEX OPEN INTEREST BUT THAT DOES NOT STOP LONDON’S ACCUMULATION OF PHYSICAL! YOU CAN ALSO VISUALIZE THAT PERFECTLY WITH THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF QUEUE JUMPING ORCHESTRATED BY CENTRAL BANKERS BOLTING AHEAD OF ORDINARY LONGS AS THEIR NEED FOR PHYSICAL IS GREAT AS THEY SCOUR THE PLANET LOOKING FOR GOLD

EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE

WE ARE NOW DEEP INTO THE ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF DECEMBER.…  THE CME REPORTS THAT THE BANKERS ISSUED A HUGE SIZED TRANSFER THROUGH THE EFP ROUTE AS THESE LONGS RECEIVED A DELIVERABLE LONDON FORWARD TOGETHER WITH A FIAT BONUS.,

THAT IS A HUGE SIZED 7828 EFP CONTRACTS WERE ISSUED: :  /DEC  7828 & ZERO FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS:

TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 7828 CONTRACTS. THESE EFP;S CIRCLE AROUND LONDON ON A 13 DAY BASIS AND ARE NOW USED BY GLOBAL CENTRAL BANKS TO EXERCISE FOR PHYSICAL GOLD WITH THE OBLIGATION TO DELIVER BEING FORCED ONTO COMEX BANKS. THE GOLD DELIVERED COMES FROM LONDON.

ON A NET BASIS IN OPEN INTEREST WE GAINED THE FOLLOWING TODAY ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES: A FAIR SIZED TOTAL OF 3301 CONTRACTS IN THAT 7828 CONTRACT LONGS WERE TRANSFERRED AS EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS TO LONDON AND WE HAD A GOOD LOSS OF 4527 COMEX  CONTRACTS..AND THIS FAIR GAIN  ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES HAPPENED DESPITE OUR   LOSS IN PRICE OF $6.85 TUESDAY// COMEX. THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS WILL BE USED BY CENTRAL BANKS, TO EXERCISE FOR PHYSICAL GOLD AT THE COMEX AS MENTIONED  ABOVE.

AS PER OUR NEWBIE TRADE AT SETTLEMENT (TAS) MANIPULATION OPERATION (WHICH CRAIG HEMKE HAS POINTED OUT HAPPENS USUALLY DURING MID MONTH IN THE DELIVERY CYCLE), BUT NOW ON A DAILY BASIS, THE CME REPORTS THAT THE TOTAL T.A.S. ISSUANCE FOR TUESDAY NIGHT WAS A SMALL SIZED SIZED 836 CONTRACTS, AND THESE WILL BE USED TO REPLENISH SUPPLIES.. ALMOST ALL OF THE TRADING AND SUPPLY OF CONTRACTS  WAS ORCHESTRATED BY GOVERNMENT (FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK).

THROUGHOUT THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THE BANKERS CONTINUE TO SELL OFF THE LONG SIDE OF THE SPREAD (T.A.S.) WHICH  OF COURSE CONTINUES TO MANIPULATE THE PRICE OF GOLD SOUTHBOUND. (THEY KEEP THE SHORT SIDE OF THE CALENDAR/T.A.S. SPREAD WHICH WILL BE LIQUIDATED IN DAYS HENCE//. IT SEEMS THAT OUR CROOKS ORCHESTRATED, ON MONDAY NOV 25, THEIR HUGE RAID TO LOWER THE PRICE OF GOLD TO MAKE THEIR COMEX BETS WHOLE ON OPTIONS EXPIRY WEEK AND THUS THE NEED FOR CONTINUAL STRONG T.A.S. ISSUANCE AND THEN LIQUIDATION (COUPLED WITH THE LIQUIDATION OF CALENDAR SPREADERS ). THE USE OF OUR TWO SPREADER MECHANISMS WERE OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO OUR CROOKS IN LATE NOVEMBER’S OPTIONS EXPIRY TRADING. WE HAD CONTINUAL T.A.S. AND FINAL MONTH END SPREADER LIQUIDATION ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY NOV 29 .THE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. SUBSIDED QUITE DRAMATICALLY DURING THE FIRST WEEK AND A HALF OF DECEMBER BUT THAT DRAMATICALLY CHANGED WITH CONSIDERABLE LIQUIDATION YESTERDAY WITH TUESDAY’S COMEX RAID AND IT CONTINUED ON WITH TODAY’S (WEDNESDAY) TRADING AS WELL.

// WE HAVE A STRONG AMOUNT OF GOLD TONNAGE STANDING:   DEC (87.0446 TONNES) WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR  ACTIVE DEC DELIVERY MONTH.

HERE ARE THE AMOUNTS THAT STOOD FOR DELIVERY IN THE PRECEDING 48 MONTHS OF 2021-2024:

DEC 2021: 112.217 TONNES

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 ’21. 113.424 TONNES

JAN ’21: 6.500 TONNES.

TOTAL  YEAR  2021 (JAN- DEC): 601.213 TONNES

YEAR 2022:

JANUARY 2022  17.79 TONNES

FEB 2022: 59.023 TONNES

MARCH: 36.678 TONNES

APRIL: 85.340 TONNES FINAL.

MAY: 20.11 TONNES FINAL

JUNE: 74.933 TONNES FINAL

JULY 29.987 TONNES FINAL

AUGUST:104.979 TONNES//FINAL

SEPT.  38.1158 TONNES

OCT:  77.390 TONNES/ FINAL

NOV 27.110 TONNES/FINAL

Dec. 64.000 tonnes

(TOTAL  YEAR 656.076 TONNES)

2023:

JAN/2023:    20.559 tonnes

FEB 2023: 47.744 tonnes

MAR:  19.0637 TONNES

APRIL: 75.676  tonnes

MAY: 19.094 TONNES + 1.244 tonnes of exchange for risk =  20.338

JUNE: 64.354 TONNES

JULY: 10.2861 TONNES

AUGUST: 38.855 TONNES(INCLUDING .6842 EXCHANGE FOR RISK)

SEPT: 15.281 TONNES FINAL

OCT.    35.869 TONNES + 1.665 EXCHANGE FOR RISK =37.0355 tonnes

NOV: 18.7122 TONNES + 16.2505 EX. FOR RISK   = 34.9627 TONNES

DEC. 47.073 + 4.634 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK =  51.707 TONNES

TOTAL 2023 YEAR : 436.546 TONNES

2024

JAN ’24.      22.706 TONNES

FEB. ’24:  66.276 TONNES (INCLUDES 1.723 TONNES EX. FOR RISK)

MARCH: 18.8398 TONNES + 1.1695 EX FOR RISK = 20.093 TONNES

APRIL: 2024: 53.673TONNES FINAL

MAY/ 2024 8.5536 TONNES + 3.3716 TONNES EX FOR RISK/= 11.9325

JUNE; 95.578 TONNES. + 1.045 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK =96.623 THIS IS THE HIGHEST RECORDED GOLD STANDING SINCE AUGUST 2022

JULY: 11.692 TONNES

AUGUST 69.602 TONNES//FINAL STANDING

SEPT. 13.164 TONNES.

OCT 39.474 TONNES + + 20.917 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK =60.391 TONNES

NOV . 11.265 TONNES +4.665 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK/TUESDAY + 3.11 TONNES OF EX. FOR RISK/PRIOR = 19.0425 TONNES

DEC: 76.404 TONNES PLUS DEC MONTH EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTAL 10.6406 TONNES EQUALS 87.0446 TONNES

THE SPECS/HFT WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LOWERING GOLD’S PRICE( IT FELL BY $6.85/)//BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY NET SPECULATOR LONGS AS WE DID HAVE A GAIN IN OUR TWO EXCHANGES. AS EXPLAINED ABOVE WE HAD CONSIDERABLE T.A.S. SPREADER LIQUIDATION TUESDAY. WE ALSO HAD A SMALL T.A.S. ISSUANCE TUESDAY NIGHT (WEDNESDAY MORNING), AS THE NEED FOR REPLENISHMENT WAS STILL EVER PRESENT. THIS COULD NOT STOP CENTRAL BANK LONGS, SEIZING THE MOMENT, EXERCISED AGAIN FOR PHYSICAL IN A BIG WAY TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL MONDAY EVENING.

18 DAYS AGO, FRIDAY NIGHT (EARLY SATURDAY MORNING NOV 30) THE CME ANNOUNCED ANOTHER OF THOSE CRAZY DELIVERIES: THE ISSUANCE OF 250 EXCHANGE FOR RISK CONTRACTS WHICH TOTAL 25000 OZ (.7776 TONNES. HERE THE BUYER ASSUMES THE RISK THAT HE WILL BE DELIVERED UPON IN PHYSICAL METAL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE AND A HUGE VIOLATION OF THE TRUE DISCOVERY PRICE MECHANISM WHICH IS THE COMEX MANTRA!. AND THEN GUESS WHAT? THE CME ANNOUNCED ANOTHER EXCHANGE FOR RISK, LATE TUESDAY EVENING/ EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING, (DEC 5) OF 617 CONTRACTS FOR 61,700 OZ OR GOLD (1.919 TONNES). THEN MUCH TO MY ANGER, THE CME ANNOUNCED A THIRD ISSUANCE FRIDAY NIGHT DEC 7 FOR A MONSTROUS 2254 EXCHANGE FOR RISK CONTRACTS OR 225,400 OZ OR 7.0108 TONNES. NOT TO BE UNDONE, THE CROOKS CONTINUED WITH THEIR NONSENSE WITH ANOTHER 50 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR RISK THE MORNING OF DEC 12 FOR 5000 OZ OR .1555 TONNES. AND THIS BRINGS US TO THIS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WHERE I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE FOR THE FIFTH TIME THIS MONTH AN ENTRY FOR 250 CONTRACTS OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR 25000 OZ OR .7776 TONNES.THUS ALL FIVE OF THESE ISSUANCES WILL BE ADDED TO THE TOTAL GOLD BEING “DELIVERED UPON”. TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCES FOR THE MONTH NOW TOTALS 10.6406 TONNES. NO EXCHANGE FOR RISK WAS ISSUED EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

WE HAVE GAINED A TOTAL OF 10.267 PAPER TONNES FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES, ACCOMPANYING OUR INITIAL  GOLD TONNAGE STANDING FOR DEC (55.167TONNES) ON FIRST DAY NOTICE FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S HUGE QUEUE JUMP OF 68900 OZ OR 2.1430 TONNES, TO WHICH WE MUST ADD OUR 5 ISSUANCES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR A TOTAL OF 10.6406 TONNES. THUS TAKEN TOGETHER,, THE TOTAL GOLD STANDING FOR THIS VERY ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF DECEMBER IS:

76.404 TONNES (NORMAL DELIVERY) +

10.6406 TONNES (EX FOR RISK)

EQUALS: 87.0446 TONNES

/ STANDING FOR DEC INCREASES TO 87.0446 TONNES

NEW STANDING FOR DECEMBER: 87.0446 TONNES (WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR VERY ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH)

ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH OUR  LOSS IN PRICE  TO THE TUNE OF $6.85

WE HAD 381 CONTRACTS REMOVED FROM THE  COMEX TRADES TO OPEN INTEREST (CROOKS)//PRELIMINARY TO FINAL.

NET GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES 3301 CONTRACTS OR 330,100 (10;267 TONNES)

confirmed volume TUESDAY 159,149 contracts: very weak //// T.A.S. ENHANCED TO A LITTLE LESSER EXTENT.

//speculators have left the gold arena

END

/ /// THE DEC 2024 GOLD CONTRACT

DEC 18

dealer deposits: 0

total dealer deposits: nil oz

we have 3 customer deposit

i) Into BRINKS 192,906.000 oz (6000 kilobars)

ii) Into JPM: 160,755.000 oz (5,000 kilobars)

iii) Into HSBC 32,151.000 oz (1,000 kilobars)

total deposits 385,812.000 oz  12,000 kilobars

strictly a paper gold entry.

withdrawals: 0

TOTAL WITHDRAWALS: oz

adjustments: 1

a) out of Brinks: dealer to customer: 10,048.800 oz

CALCULATIONS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DEC.

For the front month of DEC: we have an oi of 1403 contracts having LOST 387 contracts. We had A HUGE 1002 contracts served on TUESDAY, so we GAINED a HUGE 615 contracts or 61,500 oz (1.9129 TONNES) underwent a MASSIVE queue jump bolting ahead of others to take delivery of gold over on this side of the planet.

JANUARY LOST 51 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 4021

FEBRUARY LOST 3701 CONTRACTS TO 346,980 .

We had 654 contracts filed for today representing 65,400 oz  

This is a huge major assault on the comex for gold and this time it is physical that will be requested.

Today, 0 notice(s) were issued from J.P.Morgan dealer and 95 notices issued from their client or customer account. The total of all issuance by all participants equate to 654 contract(s) of which 0  notices were stopped (received) by  j.P. Morgan dealer and 95 notice(s) was (were) stopped  (received) by J.P.Morgan//customer account   

To calculate the INITIAL total number of gold ounces standing for DEC /2024. contract month, we take the total number of notices filed so far for the month (23,815 x 100 oz ) to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of  DEC(1403 CONTRACTS)  minus the number of notices served upon today  (654 x 100 oz per contract( equals  2,456,400 OZ  OR 76.404 TONNES. to which we add 10.6406 tonnes of exchange for risk WHICH EQUALS 87.0446 TONNES

thus the INITIAL standings for gold for the DEC contract month:  No of notices filed so far (23,815 x 100 oz +we add the difference for front month of DEC  (1403 OI} minus the number of notices served upon today (654 x 100 oz which equals  2,456,400 oz (74.4914 TONNES)  + 10.6406 tonnes of ex. for risk MONTH OF DEC //new total GOLD STANDING 87.0446 TONNES

TOTAL COMEX GOLD STANDING FOR DEC.: 87.0446 TONNES WHICH IS HUGE FOR THIS  ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH IN THE CALENDAR. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

COMEX GOLD INVENTORIES/CLASSIFICATION

NEW PLEDGED GOLD:

241,794.285 oz NOW PLEDGED /HSBC  5.94 TONNES

204,937.290 OZ PLEDGED  MANFRA 3.08 TONNES

83,657.582 PLEDGED JPMorgan no 1  1.690 tonnes

265,999.054, oz  JPM No 2 

1,152,376.639 oz pledged  Brinks/

Manfra:  33,758.550 oz

Delaware: 193.721 oz

International Delaware::  11,188.542 oz

total pledged gold: 2282,572.329  oz 70.99 tonnes

TOTAL OF ALL GOLD ELIGIBLE AND REGISTERED GOLD: 19,259.947.968 OZ  

TOTAL REGISTERED GOLD 8,535,302.134/// 265.48 tonnes). 

TOTAL OF ALL ELIGIBLE GOLD: 10,724,645.834 OZ  

REGISTERED GOLD THAT CAN BE SERVED UPON: 6,252,730 oz (REG GOLD- PLEDGED GOLD)= 194.48 tonnes //

JPMorgan enhanced inventory is 3.592 million oz/1,877,000 oz = 19.15% of entire inventory..

END

SILVER/COMEX

DEC 18. 2024

INITIAL

//2024// THE DEC 2024  SILVER CONTRACT//INITIAL

i)  1 dealer  deposit/

i) Into ASAHI 608,865.900 oz

total dealer deposit : 608,865.900 oz

i) We had  0 dealer withdrawal

total dealer withdrawals: 0 oz

We had  1 customer deposits

a) Into Loomis: 598,418.740 oz

total customer deposits 598,418.740 oz

We had 1 withdrawals

i) Out of HSBC 615,070.800 oz

total withdrawal 615,070.800 oz

JPMorgan has a total silver weight: 135.000million oz/310.617million  or 43.46%

adjustments

3 customer to dealer

a) Ashai: 1,203,566.600 oz

b) Brinks 4983.74 oz

c) CNT 126,351.057 oz

and dealer to customer

d) Manfra: 602,312.209 oz

TOTAL REGISTERED SILVER: 78.078MILLION OZ//.TOTAL REG + ELIGIBLE. 310.617 million oz

CALCULATIONS FOR THE NEW STANDING FOR SILVER FOR DEC

silver open interest data:

FRONT MONTH OF DEC /2024 OI: 326 OPEN INTEREST FOR A GAIN OF 89 CONTRACTS. WE HAD

9 CONTRACTS ISSUED ON TUESDAY SO WE HAD A HUGE 98 CONTRACT OR 490,000 OZ QUEUE JUMP WHERE THESE BOYS WILL TRY THEIR LUCK AND TAKE DELIVERY OF PHYSICAL SILVER OVER HERE.

JANUARY SAW A LOSS OF 66 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 2186

FEBRUARY SAW A LOSS 0F 3 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 181

MARCH SAW A LOSS OF 728 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 118,241

TOTAL NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR TODAY: 252 for 2,760,000 oz

CONFIRMED volume; ON TUESDAY 42,674 weak// considerable t.a.s. enhanced

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 8774x 5,000 oz = 43.870 MILLION oz 

to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of DEC (326) and the number of notices served upon today (252)x (5000 oz)

Thus the  standings for silver for the DEC 2024 contract month:  8774 Notices served so far) x 5000 oz + OI for the front month of DEC(326) minus number of notices served upon today (252)x 5000 oz equals silver standing for the DEC contract month equating to 44/240 MILLION OZ. + to which we add 1.16 million oz of exchange for risk PRIOR////new total 45.40 MILLION OIOZ

 New total standing: 45.40 million oz.

There are 78.078 million oz of registered silver.

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

Now that we have surpassed $28.40 the next big line in the sand for silver is $34.76. After that the moon

END

BOTH GLD AND SLV ARE MASSIVE FRAUDS!

GLD AND SLV INVENTORY LEVELS//

DEC  18  WITH GOLD DOWN $8.40 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 864.19 TONNES

DEC  17  WITH GOLD DOWN $6.85 ON THE DAY; SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 0.23 TONNES INTO THE GLD / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 864.19 TONNES

DEC  16  WITH GOLD DOWN $2.80 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.70 TONNES INTO THE GLD / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 863.90 TONNES

 DEC  13  WITH GOLD DOWN $24.55 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.78 TONNES INTO THE GLD / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 868.60 TONNES

DEC  12  WITH GOLD DOWN $34.00 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 2.59 TONNES INTO THE GLD / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 873.38 TONNES

 DEC  11  WITH GOLD UP $29.75 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 870.79 TONNES

 DEC  9  WITH GOLD UP $31.10 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD. // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.94 TONNES

DEC 6 WITH GOLD UP $6.60 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD. A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.71 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD// : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.94 TONNES

DEC 5 WITH GOLD DOWN $26.80 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD./ : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 873.65 TONNES

DEC 4 WITH GOLD UP $6.15 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.31 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD./ : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 873.65 TONNES

DEC 3 WITH GOLD UP $10.30 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.59 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD./ : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 875.96 TONNES

DEC 2 WITH GOLD DOWN $20.20 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 878.55 TONNES

NOV 29 WITH GOLD UP $16.00 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD : Z WITHDRAWAL OF .86 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD . .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 878.55 TONNES

 NOV 27 WITH GOLD UP $18.05 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD : . .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 879.41 TONNE

 NOV 26 WITH GOLD UP $3.80 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD : A DEPOSIT OF 1.44 TONNES OF GOLDINTO THE GLD. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 879.41 TONNES

NOV 25 WITH GOLD DOWN $91.60 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD :. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 877.97 TONNES

NOV 21 WITH GOLD UP $23.85 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A DEPOSIT OF 3.16 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 875,39 TONNES

NOV 20 WITH GOLD UP $22.10 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A DEPOSIT OF 0.58 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.23 TONNES

NOV 19 WITH GOLD UP $13.00 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A DEPOSIT OF 1.72 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.65 TONNES

NOV 18 WITH GOLD UP $44.20 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A DEPOSIT OF 2.56 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 869.93 TONNES

NOV 15 WITH GOLD DOWN $1.90 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.25 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 867.37 TONNES

NOV 14 WITH GOLD DOWN $12.90 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.91 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 868.62 TONNES

NOV 13 WITH GOLD DOWN $19.30 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.44 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 870.63 TONNES

NOV 12 WITH GOLD DOWN $11.40 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.88 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871,97 TONNE

NOV 11 WITH GOLD DOWN $75.35 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.74 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 876.85 TONNES

NOV 8 WITH GOLD DOWN $11.85 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.87 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 883.46 TONNES

NOV 7 WITH GOLD UP $30.50 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.45 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 883.46 TONNES

NOV 6 WITH GOLD DOWN $72.80 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.72 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/:. .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 886.91 TONNES

NOV 5 WITH GOLD UP $4.05 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:.// . // .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 888.63 TONNES

GLD INVENTORY: 864.19 TONNES, TONIGHTS TOTAL

SILVER

DEC 18 WITH SILVER DOWN 19 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.094 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 457.414 MILLION OZ

DEC 17 WITH SILVER DOWN 12 CENTS //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A DEPOSIT OF 0.456 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 458.052 MILLION OZ

DEC 16 WITH SILVER DOWN 0 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.84 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 458.052 MILLION OZ

DEC 13 WITH SILVER DOWN 46 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A WITHDRAWAL OF .536 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 462.892 MILLION OZ

DEC 12 WITH SILVER DOWN 94 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 5.787 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.428 MILLION OZ

DEC 11 WITH SILVER UP 10 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 2.597 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 469.215 MILLION OZ

DEC 10 WITH SILVER DOWN 8 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.868 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 471.812 MILLION OZ

DEC 9 WITH SILVER UP $0.91 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.367 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 473.680 MILLION OZ

DEC 6 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.00 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF 4.329 MILLION OZ/// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.047 MILLION OZ

DEC 5 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.23 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV” /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 470.718 MILLION OZ

DEC 4 WITH SILVER UP 26 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV”: A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.206 MILLION OZ FORM THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 470.718 MILLION OZ

DEC 3 WITH SILVER UP 59 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 472.924 MILLION OZ

DEC 2 WITH SILVER DOWN 19 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV. A WITHDRAWAL OF 1,458,000 OZ FROM THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 472.924 MILLION OZ

NOV 29 WITH SILVER UP 51 CENTS //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV. A WITHDRAWAL OF 365,000 OZ FROM THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 474.382 MILLION OZ

NOV 27 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.25 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV.. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 474.747 MILLION OZ

NOV 26 WITH SILVER UP $0.10 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:.A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.094 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV./.. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 474.747 MILLION OZ

NOV 25 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.96 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:. . /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.841 MILLION OZ

NOV 22 WITH SILVER UP $0.40 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:. . /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.841 MILLION OZ

NOV 21 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.06 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.729 MILLION OZ FORM THE SLV. . /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.841 MILLION OZ

NOV 20 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.22 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: . /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 477.572 MILLION OZ

NOV 19 WITH SILVER UP $0.10 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A DEPOSIT OF 5,742,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 477..572 MILLION OZ

NOV 18 WITH SILVER UP $0.68 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A DEPOSIT OF 1,277,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 471,830 MILLION OZ

NOV 15 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.09 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3,100,000 OZ OUT OF THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 471,830 MILLION OZ 

NOV 14 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.07 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 1,504,000 OZ OUT OF THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 473.653 MILLION OZ

NOV 13 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.16 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 1,274,000 OZ OUT OF THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.157 MILLION OZ

NOV 12 WITH SILVER UP $0.16 //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 576,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 476.000 MILLION OZ

NOV 11 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.79 //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A WITHDRAWAL OF 374,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 477.527 MILLION OZ

NOV 8 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.43 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:A DEPOSIT OF 2.005 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV. /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 477.846 MILLION OZ

NOV 7 WITH SILVER UP $0.11 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: /// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.841 MILLION OZ

NOV 6 WITH SILVER DOWN $1.41 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.692 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/.//// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 475.841 MILLION OZ

NOV 5 WITH SILVER UP 0.18 :SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.109 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/.//// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 479,533 MILLION OZ

CLOSING INVENTORY 457.414 MILLION OZ//

PHYSICAL GOLD/SILVER COMMENTARIES

1/ PETER SCHIFF/SCHIFF GOLD/MIKE MAHARRY

2/ Commentaries from: Egon von Greyerz///Matthew Piepenburg via GoldSwitzerland.com, Pam and Russ Martens

Alasdair Macleod

Broken Britain

For evidence of modern governments being unfit to govern, look no further than the United Kingdom. Britain is about to reap the whirlwind of a credit collapse.

Broken Britain

Just look at the chart below, of the yield on an ultra-long gilt, Treasury 1 5/8 % 2071.

Technical analysts will confirm that this chart tells us that the period of consolidation in the yield of this representative long gilt is over, and that it is now heading higher — much higher. It will break the economy.

In this brief alert, I explain the consequences.

The recent budget was not intended to improve the UK’s economic outlook, but an attempt to destroy the bourgeoisie (or the gentry epitomised by farming communities), by bankrupting private education and taxing the inheritance of farms. Together with the advancement of the state (nationalisation of railways, and significantly higher pay for state employees) the Labour government’s ideology ignores the failures of communism and heavily socialist administrations which it seeks to emulate.

Its environmental policies are economically destructive, yet so ideological is the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change that his mind is completely closed to reason.

In short, under this government the UK economy is rapidly descending into crisis. The Treasury forecasts of tax revenues are as unrealistic as Santa Claus’s existence. Unemployment will soar as the economy tanks, raising welfare costs while income and corporation taxes implode.

The last time a Labour Chancellor tried these policies was in the mid-1970s. It was Denis Healey who proudly proclaimed that he would tax the rich “until the pips squeak”. His socialism led to the IMF bailing out the UK Government following a collapse in sterling, forcing unpalatable cuts in public spending.

As foreign holders and those of us in financial services with long memories have this feeling of déjà vu, it is hardly surprising that there is a reluctantance to buy gilts which explains the frightening chart above. It is doubly scary because in 1975 we saw gilt yields soaring to over 16% in December 1974, and again in 1981. But in those days government debt to GDP was about 50%. Today it is about 100% and rising.

Soaring bond yields will collapse the economy. With private sector indebtedness, malinvestment, and the corporate walking dead there is no doubt about that. And who is going to rescue the Brits this time? The IMF? With US debt to GDP at 135% and likely to rise and the EU also in a debt crisis the UK is not going to have the IMF’s undivided attention.

Sterling has had a sorry history. It looks set to test the low seen in September 2002, and then the low seen in February 1985.

If I was a foreign holder, I’d get out of UK financial assets and sterling immediately. And I would suggest my fellow citizens should get out of sterling credit and into real money, which is gold.

3. CHRIS POWELL AND GATA DISPATCHES

4. OTHER GOLD COMMENTARIES/

END

LIVE FROM THE VAULT/ANDREW MAGUIRE KINESIS 203

youtube.com/watch?v=5hHeh2mnvXg&list=PLE1y8hGSqr8ar1gKUdfqFDK5ygLIlrdmz&index=1

end

special thanks to G. for sending this to us:

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is covertly buying very large amounts of gold. Next to that they are also buying from gold producers directly !!!

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is covertly buying very large amounts of gold, adding upward pressure to a tense gold market.

An explosive cocktail of Western institutional investors and central banks in the East buying gold this year is making the gold price rise sharply. Interest rate cuts and geopolitical strain will sustain this bull market. 

U.K. Gold Exports to China Are a Proxy for PBoC Buying 

Last July, I published an analysis proving how the Chinese central bank covertly buys gold in the London Bullion Market through bullion banks.

All “non-monetary” gold (privately owned metal) in China is traded over the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE)¹. However, since the war in Ukraine began, there has been more supply in the Chinese market than sold through the SGE; the “surplus” reflects what the PBoC buys.

Gold exports from the U.K. are virtually all in the form of 400-ounce bars from the London Bullion Market. The retail market in the U.K. pales in comparison to the wholesale market that deals in “large bars” (400-ounce bars).

On the SGE, very few large bars are traded—the Chinese private sector prefers 1 Kg bars. My research shows that direct exports from the U.K. to China are, in fact, purchases by the PBoC. These purchases show up in cross-border trade statistics because the PBoC buys the gold from bullion banks that take care of shipping and insurance and thus have to deal with customs.

The above matches other evidence of the PBoC acquiring gold surreptitiously. By now, most gold investors are aware that the massive difference between what the World Gold Council (WGC) estimates central banks purchase in aggregate (based on field research) and what central banks in total report to the IMF is mainly attributable to the central bank of China.

Chart 1. Since mid-2022, actual central bank gold purchases have been dramatically higher than the IMF was willing to report.

This secret buying by central banks has exploded since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine early 2022 because, at that point, the West froze Russia’s dollar assets. Next to the PBoC, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) is known to be buying gold under the radar, albeit in smaller sizes.

More Proof the PBoC Buys Gold in London 

Elaborating on the above, the PBoC has made it overtly clear what they did in September: buy 60 tonnes of gold from bullion banks operating in the London Bullion Market.

As we saw private gold demand move from East to West halfway through 2024, driving the price up, the premium at the SGE took a nose dive into negative territory. But, surprisingly, Chinese customs data from September shows gross gold import accounted for 95 tonnes².

According to the rules in the Chinese gold market, all bullion imports into the domestic markets must be sold through the SGE first. But if the SGE trades at a discount, why would any bank import gold to sell at a loss? Of course, they do not. When the SGE trades at a steep discount, gold imports into the domestic market are not bought by the private sector. 

Chart 2. In green, large imports while private demand on the SGE is weak, indicated by a discount relative to the gold price in London. Imports shown are destined for the PBoC, not the private sector³.

What has happened is that 60 tonnes imported from the U.K. in September² were swiftly handed over to the PBoC (exempt from rules) when they arrived in Beijing and carried to central bank vaults⁴.

Chart 3. Direct gold exports from the U.K. to China (PBoC purchases) are correlated to gold additions disclosed by the Chinese central bank. Although, the PBoC usually takes up to a year to publicly report its acquisitions and keeps about 65% of it hidden.

An Explosive Gold Market

So, in September 2024, the PBoC covertly bought at least 60 tonnes in London—it could have bought gold in other places as well. Western investors were also driving up the gold price, as evidenced by swelling ETF holdings and net gold imports into London.

Chart 4. Gold imports to the U.K. rose sharply in 2024 for the first time in several years.

Early 2024, I wrote on the Chinese central bank driving gold up: “As the gold price will be making new all-time highs, I expect more Western investors to join buying gold, through ETFs and outright, as they will fear currency debasement just as the Chinese central bank. It will be a perfect storm for gold.”

This has become a reality as the price of gold is up 30% year-to-date. Meanwhile, the PBoC keeps the “pedal to the metal” (pun intended). In chart 2, we can see that in October, the SGE was trading at a discount while imports reached 95 tonnes, which was the same as in the prior month. I strongly suspect the PBoC was secretly buying gold in London again.

Large investors on both hemispheres are buying gold hand over fist. Ongoing wars and fiscal deficits aren’t waning, and the safe haven of choice for institutional money is gold.

We are in the midst of a perfect storm for gold that is to continue for years to come until debt levels and the global power distribution have rebalanced. 

I will provide a computation of how much gold the PBoC truly owns in a forthcoming article. You may be surprised.

5 B GLOBAL COMMODITY ISSUES/FOOD IN GENERAL//FREIGHT/COMMODITIES: COMMODITY; cattle

6 CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS

END

ASIA TRADING WEDNESDAY MORNING/TUESDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.62%

//Hang Seng CLOSED UP 164.07 PTS OR 0.83%

// Nikkei CLOSED DOWN 282.97 OR 0.72%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED DOWN .01%///Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED DOWN TO 7.2944 CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED DOWN TO 7.2943// Oil UP TO 70.58 dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT UP AT 73.61 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN

ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING AT LEVEL OF OFFSHORE YUAN/ONSHORE YUAN  TRADING WEAKER AGAINST US DOLLAR/OFFSHORE YUAN WEAKER

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

1.YOUR EARLY CURRENCY VALUES/GOLD AND SILVER PRICING/ASIAN AND EUROPEAN BOURSE MOVEMENTS/AND INTEREST RATE SETTINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING.7:30 AM

ONSHORE YUAN:   CLOSED DOWN AT 7.2944

OFFSHORE YUAN: UP TO 7.2943

SHANGHAI CLOSED CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.62%

HANG SENG CLOSED CLOSED UP 164.07 PTS OR 0.83%

2. Nikkei closed DOWN 282.97 PTS OR 0.72%

3. Europe stocks   SO FAR:  ALL GREEN

USA dollar INDEX UP TO  106.67 EURO RISES TO 1.0495 UP 8 BASIS PTS

3b Japan 10 YR bond yield: FALLS TO. +1.059 Japan buying 100% of bond issuance)/Japanese YEN vs USA cross now at 153.72…… JAPANESE YEN NOW FALLING AS WE HAVE NOW REACHED THE RE EMERGING OF THE YEN CARRY TRADE AGAIN AFTER DISASTROUS POLICY ISSUED BY UEDA

3c Nikkei now  ABOVE 17,000

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

3e Gold DOWN /JAPANESE Yen UP CHINESE ONSHORE YUAN: DOWN OFFSHORE: DOWN

3f Japan is to buy INFINITE  TRILLION YEN worth of BONDS. Japan’s GDP equals 5 trillion USA

Japan to buy 100% of all new Japanese debt and NOW they will have OVER 50% of all Japanese debt.

3g Oil UP for WTI and UP FOR BRENT this morning

3h European bond buying continues to push yields lower on all fronts in the EMU. German 10yr bund YIELD UP TO +2.2495 Italian 10 Yr bond yield DOWN to 3.406 //SPAIN 10 YR BOND YIELD DOWN TO 2.942

3i Greek 10 year bond yield DOWN TO 3.085

3j Gold at $2646.60/Silver at: 30.40  1 am est) SILVER NEXT RESISTANCE LEVEL AT $50.00//AFTER 28.40

3k USA vs Russian rouble;// Russian rouble UP 1 AND 39/100  roubles/dollar; ROUBLE AT 103.21

3m oil into the 70 dollar handle for WTI and  73 handle for Brent/

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

JAPAN ON JAN 29.2016 CONTINUES NIRP. THIS MORNING RAISES AMOUNT OF BONDS THAT THEY WILL PURCHASE UP TO .5% ON THE 10 YR BOND///YEN TRADES TO 153.72  10 YEAR YIELD AFTER FIRST BREAKING .54% LAST YEAR NOW EXCEEDS THAT LEVEL TO 1.059% STILL ON CENTRAL BANK (JAPAN) INTERVENTION//YEN CARRY TRADE IS NOW UNWINDING.

30 SNB (Swiss National Bank) still intervening again in the markets driving down the FRANC. It is not working: USA/SF this 0.8941 as the Swiss Franc is still rising against most currencies. Euro vs SF:   0.9384  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: 4.409 UP 2 BASIS PTS…

USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 4.595 UP 2 BASIS PTS/

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD:  4.249 UP 1 BASIS PTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 35.01…

10 YR UK BOND YIELD: 4.6005 UP 4 PTS

10 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 3.185 UP 2 BASIS PTS

5 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 2.982 UP 1 PTS.

2a New York OPENING REPORT

2B) EUROPEAN REPORT

USD broadly firmer vs peers ahead of the FOMC; US futures edge higher – Newsquawk US Market Open

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 05:30 AM

• European bourses are modestly on the front foot; US futures follow suit ahead of the FOMC decision.
• USD broadly firmer vs. peers ahead of FOMC, GBP lower post-inflation.
• USTs are contained, Bunds dip lower and reside at session lows.
• Crude recovers from Tuesday’s pressure, metals contained.
• Looking ahead, US Building Permits, FOMC Announcement and Chair Powell’s Press Conference, Earnings from General Mills, Jabil, Micron, and Lennar.

More Newsquawk in 3 steps:

1. Subscribe to the free premarket movers reports

2. Listen to this report in the market open podcast (available on Apple and Spotify)

3. Trial Newsquawk’s premium real-time audio news squawk box for 7 day

EUROPEAN TRADE

EQUITIES

• European bourses began the European session on either side of the unchanged mark to display a mixed open; since, sentiment has improved a touch with most indices managing to climb incrementally into the green.
• European sectors are mixed, in-fitting with the indecisive price action seen in the complex thus far. Energy takes the top spot, lifted by strength in underlying oil prices. In the banking sector, UniCredit (+0.5%) upped its stake in Commerzbank (+2.9%) to 28% (prev. 21%). Basic Resources is found at the foot of the sector list, with metals prices continuing to extend the losses seen in the prior session.
• US equity futures are very modestly in the green in-fitting with the price action seen in Europe, but also as traders eye the looming FOMC Policy Announcement.
• Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOB DC) Ozempic faces EU review for potential eye disease connection.
• Click for the sessions European pre-market equity newsflow
• Click for the additional news
• Click for a detailed summary

FX

• DXY is essentially flat and trading within a 106.82-107.03 range ahead of today’s FOMC rate decision and Fed Chair Powell thereafter. The Fed is widely expected to cut rates by 25bps to 4.25-4.50%. Attention will be on any clues for future decisions given concerns on rising inflation risks, with inflationary pressures potentially set to rise due to President-elect Trump’s proposed tariffs and tax cuts. The 2025 dot plot is expected to show 3 cuts vs. prev. 4 cuts.
• EUR/USD continues to linger around the 1.05 mark and is currently within yesterday’s 1.0479-1.0534 range. ING is of the view that there is a good chance the pair will continue to hover around 1.05 for the rest of the year.
• JPY is softer vs. the USD and in-fitting with global peers. Markets await tomorrow’s BoJ policy announcement. Expectations and recent source reports have been increasingly leaning towards the BoJ holding rates at 0.25% at the upcoming meeting. USD/JPY is currently caged within yesterday’s 153.16-154.34 range.
• Cable is back below the 1.27 mark after the latest UK inflation data printed largely in-line / slightly cooler-than-expected. The release had little sway on pricing for tomorrow’s announcement (currently around 2bps), however, around 57bps of easing is currently priced in vs. around 53bps pre-release as some of the readings were a touch below consensus.
• Antipodeans are both at the foot of the G10 leaderboard vs. the USD with both pairs hitting fresh YTD lows amid the broader cautious sentiment, weakness in base metals, and potential headwinds as Australia expects its budget deficit to increase in 2025/26.
• PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1880 vs exp. 7.2838 (prev. 7.1891)
• Click for a detailed summary
• Click for NY OpEx Details

FIXED INCOME

• USTs are relatively contained ahead of the FOMC. USTs are marginally in the red within a slim 109-25 to 109-30 band, which is entirely within Tuesday’s 109-17 to 109-31+ parameters. The FOMC is expected to deliver a 25bps cut; focus will be on the 2025 dot plots and forward guidance (FOMC Preview can be found at the top of the sheet).
• Bunds are in the red but off lows. Down to a 134.65 trough in the European morning, with catalysts driving it slim at the time. Since, lifted off this and back towards but yet to breach the 134.82 overnight peak. A slide and text release from ECB’s Chief Economist Lane spurred no sustained reaction, with the Chief Economist keeping his options open around the 2025 policy path.
• Gilts gapped higher by just over 10 ticks as markets digested the largely in-line to slightly cooler-than-expected release for some metrics. While a slight dovish reaction was seen at the open, this has pared with markets ascribing essentially no probability to a December BoE cut. Gilts currently trading around 93.10.
• Click for a detailed summary

COMMODITIES

• WTI and Brent are in the green recouping almost all of the downside seen on Tuesday though action is fairly modest thus far as the risk tone remains tentative into the FOMC. Upside which has been helped by a larger than expected draw in the Private Inventory release. Brent’Feb 25 currently near session highs around USD 73.75/bbl.
• Spot gold is incrementally firmer but yet to deviate significantly from the unchanged mark with XAU posting a very narrow USD 2642-2651/oz band for the session.
• 3M LME Copper is contained, echoing the risk tone into the aforementioned risk events. Holding at the USD 9k mark but did briefly dip to an incremental fresh WTD low at USD 8.95k overnight.
• UBS retains its bullish view on Gold for the next 12-months, forecasts XAU hitting USD 2.9k/oz by end-2025
• Private inventory data (bbls): Crude -4.7mln (exp. -1.6mln), Distillate +0.7mln (exp. +0.7mln), Gasoline +2.4mln (exp. +2.1mln), Cushing +0.8mln (prev. -1.5mln).
• Qatar set Feb Al-Shaheen crude term price at USD 1.05/bbl (vs USD 0.73/bbl in Jan) above Dubai quotes.
• OPEC+ is reportedly wary of a renewed rise in US oil output when Trump returns as US President as more US oil would further erode OPEC+ market share, according to Reuters sources.
• Germany’s BDEW says domestic NatGas usage +3.3% Y/Y.
• Click for a detailed summary

NOTABLE DATA RECAP

• UK CPI YY (Nov) 2.6% vs. Exp. 2.6% (Prev. 2.3%); MM 0.1% vs. Exp. 0.1% (Prev. 0.6%)
• UK Core CPI YY (Nov) 3.5% vs. Exp. 3.6% (Prev. 3.3%); MM 0.0% (Prev. 0.4%)
  • UK CPI Services YY (Nov) 5.0% vs. Exp. 5.1% (Prev. 5.0%); MM -0.1% (Prev. 0.4%)
  • UK House Price Index (Oct) 3.4% Y/Y (prev. 2.8%)
  • EU HICP Final YY (Nov) 2.2% vs. Exp. 2.3% (Prev. 2.3%); HICP Final MM (Nov) -0.3% vs. Exp. -0.3% (Prev. 0.3%)
  • EU HICP-X F&E Final YY (Nov) 2.7% vs. Exp. 2.8% (Prev. 2.8%)
  • EU HICP-X F, E, A, T Final MM (Nov) -0.6% vs. Exp. -0.6% (Prev. -0.6%); HICP-X F,E,A&T Final YY (Nov) 2.7% vs. Exp. 2.7% (Prev. 2.7%); HICP-X F&E MM (Nov) -0.4% (Prev. 0.3%)

NOTABLE EUROPEAN HEADLINES

• ECB’s Wunsch says tariff impact is dependent on FX moves. With EUR at parity, would not lose much competitiveness. Guess rates will land somewhere around 2%. Four cuts is a meaningful scenario that he feels relatively comfortable with. No longer consensus on QE working so well when economy is doing okay.
• ECB’s Lane says incoming information and the latest staff projections indicate that the disinflation process remains well on track. While domestic inflation is still high, it should come down as services inflation dynamics moderate and labour cost pressures ease. Looking to the future, in the current environment of elevated uncertainty, it is prudent to maintain agility on a meeting-by-meeting basis and not pre-commit to any particular rate path. Monetary easing can proceed more slowly compared to the interest rate path embedded in the December projections in the event of upside shocks to the inflation outlook and/or to economic momentum. Equally, in the event of downside shocks to the inflation outlook and/or to economic momentum, monetary easing can proceed more quickly. Says argument for lowering rates by 50bps was to show that the ECB is no longer restrictive

NOTABLE US HEADLINES

• Mastercard (MA) announced a USD 12bln buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to USD 0.76/shr (prev. 0.66).
• NVIDIA (NVDA) GB200 server mass production & peak shipments face delays to Q2/Q3-2025, via TrendForce; as the supply chain is working towards fulfilling the higher design specification.
• Microsoft (MSFT) purchased 485k NVIDIA (NVDA) Hopper chips in 2024, over twice as many as the its largest rivals, via FT citing Amdia research.
• US graphite firms are reportedly seeking a 920% duty to thwart China on EV material, according to Bloomberg.
• US is reportedly considering a ban on Chinese router-manufacturer TP-Link in millions of American homes, according to the WSJ citing sources; Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have reportedly opened their own probes into TP-Link.
• Punchbowl reports, on the US fiscal situation, that the general consensus is the US House will take up the CR on Thursday, leaving just Friday for the Senate to clear it before the midnight funding deadline

GEOPOLITICS

• “The IDF has approved plans for major strikes in Yemen and is prepared to act pending government approval”, via Open Source Intel citing N12 News.
• IRGC has reportedly tightened its control over Iran’s oil industry, they now control as much as half of the exports, via Reuters citing sources.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin is on the backfoot and paring some of the upside seen in the prior session; the digital-gold currently sits just above USD 104k, ETH slips below USD 3.9k.

APAC TRADE

• APAC stocks eventually traded mixed after the earlier upward bias somewhat abated, with sentiment cautious following the negative lead from Wall Street with eyes turning to the FOMC announcement and Chair Powell’s presser.
• ASX 200 is currently flat as the upside in Real Estate, Tech, and Healthcare offset losses in Financials.
• Nikkei 225 was subdued but with ranges narrow in the run-up to Thursday’s BoJ as expectations lean towards a hold. Meanwhile, Nissan shares surged 22% amid several source reports suggesting a potential merger with Honda, whose shares fell 3%.
• Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp saw positive trade with Chinese markets outperforming despite quiet newsflow but sentiment buoyed ahead of the PBoC’s LPR setting on Friday.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• Australia sees 2024/25 budget deficit at AUD 26.9bln (vs AUD 28.3bln projected in May); 2025/26 expected at AUD 46.9bln and 2026/27 at AUD 38.4bln.
• Honda Motor (7267 JT/HMC) and Nissan (7201 JT/NSANY) to begin merger talks amid EV competition, according to Nikkei. Honda and Nissan are considering operating under a holding company and soon will sign a memorandum of understanding. Their respective stakes in the new entity, as well as other details, will be decided later. “They also look to eventually bring Mitsubishi Motors, in which Nissan is the top shareholder with a 24% stake, under the holding company. This would create one of the world’s largest auto groups, with combined sales among the three Japanese players topping 8 million vehicles.” Bloomberg, Reuters, and the FT subsequently released similar reports.
• South Korean Finance Minister Choi said will utilise all available resources to manage the economy as stably as possible, according to Reuters.
• Indian Stock Exchanges to reportedly talk about keeping the market open on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Union Budget, according to CNBC-TV18 citing sources.

DATA RECAP

• New Zealand Westpac Consumer Confidence (Q4): 97.5 (prev. 90.8)
• New Zealand Current Account- Annual (Q3) -26.994B vs. Exp. -26.918B (Prev. -27.762B)
• New Zealand Current Account/GDP (Q3) -6.4% vs. Exp. -6.5% (Prev. -6.7%)
• New Zealand Current Account – Qtrly (Q3) -10.581B vs. Exp. -10.399B (Prev. -4.826B)
• Japanese Trade Balance Total Yen (Nov) -117.6B vs. Exp. -688.9B (Prev. -461.2B, Rev. -462.1B)
• Japanese Imports YY (Nov) -3.8% vs. Exp. 1.0% (Prev. 0.4%)
• Japanese Exports YY (Nov) 3.8% vs. Exp. 2.8% (Prev. 3.1%)

2C ASIAN REPORT

APAC stocks mixed ahead of FOMC meeting; Honda and Nissan to begin merger talks – Newsquawk Europe Market Open

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 01:47 AM

• APAC stocks eventually traded mixed with sentiment somewhat cautious following the negative lead from Wall Street.
• US assets traded sideways overnight as the focus turns to the FOMC announcement and Chair Powell’s press conference.
• Bitcoin saw hefty losses overnight as prices retreated to under USD 104,000 despite a lack of newsflow.
• Honda Motor (7267 JT/HMC) and Nissan (7201 JT/NSANY) to begin merger talks amid EV competition, according to Nikkei.
• European equity futures are indicative of a flat/subdued open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future -0.1% after cash closed -0.1% on Tuesday.
• Looking ahead, highlights include UK CPI, EZ CPI (Final), US Building Permits, FOMC Announcement and Chair Powell’s Press Conference, ECB’s Lane, Earnings from General Mills, Jabil, Micron, and Lennar.

SNAPSHOT

More Newsquawk in 3 steps:

1. Subscribe to the free premarket movers reports

2. Listen to this report in the market open podcast (available on Apple and Spotify)

3. Trial Newsquawk’s premium real-time audio news squawk box for 7 days

US TRADE

EQUITIES

• US stocks experienced risk aversion on Tuesday with underperformance in the Russell and Dow vs S&P and Nasdaq.
• Sectors were predominantly lower, led by losses in Industrials, Energy and Financials while Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples and Healthcare were the relative outperformers.
• SPX -0.39% at 6,051, NDX -0.43% at 22,001, DJI -0.61% at 43,450, RUT -1.18% at 2,334.
• Click here for a detailed summary.

NOTABLE HEADLINES

• US DoJ antitrust head Jonathan Kanter to step down on Friday, according to Reuters.
• Mastercard (MA) announced a USD 12bln buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to USD 0.76/shr (prev. 0.66).

DATA RECAP

• Atlanta Fed GDPnow (Q4): 3.1% (prev. 3.3%).

APAC TRADE

EQUITIES

• APAC stocks eventually traded mixed after the earlier upward bias somewhat abated, with sentiment cautious following the negative lead from Wall Street with eyes turning to the FOMC announcement and Chair Powell’s presser.
• ASX 200 is currently flat as the upside in Real Estate, Tech, and Healthcare offset losses in Financials.
• Nikkei 225 was subdued but with ranges narrow in the run-up to Thursday’s BoJ as expectations lean towards a hold. Meanwhile, Nissan shares surged 22% amid several source reports suggesting a potential merger with Honda, whose shares fell 3%.
• Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp saw positive trade with Chinese markets outperforming despite quiet newsflow but sentiment buoyed ahead of the PBoC’s LPR setting on Friday.
• US equity futures held a mild positive bias after Tuesday’s risk aversion, with traders cautious ahead of the Fed announcement, which is widely expected to see the lowering of the Federal Funds Rate target by 25bps to 4.25-4.50%.
• European equity futures are indicative of a flat/subdued open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future +0.1% after cash closed -0.1% on Tuesday.

FX

• DXY was flat in a narrow 106.88-106.96 range ahead of the FOMC announcement and press conference, with price action likely to be cautious heading into the event.
• EUR/USD printed on either side of 1.05 and well within yesterday’s 1.0477-1.0534 range awaiting the next catalyst.
• GBP/USD drifted marginally lower and briefly dipped under 1.2700 in the run-up to UK inflation data, with the overnight range between 1.2696-1.2720.
• USD/JPY saw choppy trade in a 153.40-78 APAC range as participants await the fallout from the FOMC before gearing up for the BoJ.
• Antipodeans were subdued with both pairs hitting fresh YTD lows amid the broader cautious sentiment, weakness in base metals, and potential headwinds as Australia expects its budget deficit to increase in 2025/26.
• PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1880 vs exp. 7.2838 (prev. 7.1891)

FIXED INCOME

• 10yr UST futures traded sideways after the prior day’s choppy price action which ultimately resulted in the March 10yr settling only a tick higher, with eyes turning to the FOMC. Tuesday’s 20yr bond auction was ultimately weaker than averages but not as weak as the prior.
• Bund futures were treading water under 135.00 in a 134.70-79 APAC range awaiting the next catalyst.
• 10yr JGB futures were choppy but bucked the trend as expectations for the BoJ’s upcoming meeting increasingly lean towards a hold instead of a hike.
• US sold USD 13bln 20yr Bond; High Yield: 4.686% (prev. 4.68%, six-auction average 4.398%). WI: 4.671%.. Tail: 1.5bps (prev. 3.0bps, six-auction avg. 0.6bps). Bid-to-Cover: 2.50x (prev. 2.34x, six-auction avg. 2.57x). Dealers: 17.9% (prev. 22.6%, six-auction avg. 13.3%). Directs: 20.1% (prev. 7.9%, six-auction avg. 15.3%). Indirects: 62% (prev. 69.5%, six-auction avg. 71.4%).

COMMODITIES

• Crude futures held an upward bias despite a lack of macro newsflow or geopolitics, but with prices underpinned by a larger-than-expected draw in Private Inventories, with traders looking ahead for confirmation from the DoEs ahead of the main risk event
• Spot gold was flat on either side of USD 2,650/oz as participants kept their powder dry ahead of the FOMC and Fed Chair Powell’s press conference.
• Copper futures eventually slipped amid the cautious risk tone with 3M LME copper relinquishing its USD 9,000/t status.
• Private inventory data (bbls): Crude -4.7mln (exp. -1.6mln), Distillate +0.7mln (exp. +0.7mln), Gasoline +2.4mln (exp. +2.1mln), Cushing +0.8mln (prev. -1.5mln).
• Qatar set Feb Al-Shaheen crude term price at USD 1.05/bbl (vs USD 0.73/bbl in Jan) above Dubai quotes.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin saw hefty losses overnight as prices retreated to under USD 104,000 despite a lack of newsflow.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• Australia sees 2024/25 budget deficit at AUD 26.9bln (vs AUD 28.3bln projected in May); 2025/26 expected at AUD 46.9bln and 2026/27 at AUD 38.4bln.
• Honda Motor (7267 JT/HMC) and Nissan (7201 JT/NSANY) to begin merger talks amid EV competition, according to Nikkei. Honda and Nissan are considering operating under a holding company and soon will sign a memorandum of understanding. Their respective stakes in the new entity, as well as other details, will be decided later. “They also look to eventually bring Mitsubishi Motors, in which Nissan is the top shareholder with a 24% stake, under the holding company. This would create one of the world’s largest auto groups, with combined sales among the three Japanese players topping 8 million vehicles.” Bloomberg, Reuters, and the FT subsequently released similar reports.
• South Korean Finance Minister Choi said will utilise all available resources to manage the economy as stably as possible, according to Reuters.
• Indian Stock Exchanges to reportedly talk about keeping the market open on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Union Budget, according to CNBC-TV18 citing sources.

DATA RECAP

• New Zealand Westpac Consumer Confidence (Q4): 97.5 (prev. 90.8)
• New Zealand Current Account- Annual (Q3) -26.994B vs. Exp. -26.918B (Prev. -27.762B)
• New Zealand Current Account/GDP (Q3) -6.4% vs. Exp. -6.5% (Prev. -6.7%)
• New Zealand Current Account – Qtrly (Q3) -10.581B vs. Exp. -10.399B (Prev. -4.826B)
• Japanese Trade Balance Total Yen (Nov) -117.6B vs. Exp. -688.9B (Prev. -461.2B, Rev. -462.1B)
• Japanese Imports YY (Nov) -3.8% vs. Exp. 1.0% (Prev. 0.4%)
• Japanese Exports YY (Nov) 3.8% vs. Exp. 2.8% (Prev. 3.1%)

GEOPOLITICS

MIDDLE EAST

• “The IDF has approved plans for major strikes in Yemen and is prepared to act pending government approval”, via Open Source Intel citing N12 News
• Gaza ceasefire deal is expected to be signed in coming days; Israeli PM Netanyahu is on his way to Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks, via Reuters citing sources.
• Big gaps remain between Israel and Hamas and a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal isn’t imminent, via Axios citing Israeli officials.
• A Saudi official told Axios that no “breakthrough” has been achieved between Saudi Arabia and Israel regarding the “normalization” of relations.

OTHER

• US President-elect Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg plans a fact-finding trip to Kyiv and other European capitals in early January; Kellogg is not planning to visit Moscow during his first overseas trip, via Reuters citing sources.

LATAM

• Brazil’s Lower House Speaker Lira said tax reform and part of the fiscal package will be voted on Tuesday, and the other two proposals from the spending cut package will be voted on Wednesday, via Estadao

3B NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA

end

3C JAPAN

end

3D. CHINA/TAIWAN/

CHINA

Watch: China Shows Off Mach 7 Hypersonic Drone, Launched From Near-Space Balloon

by Tyler Durden

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 10:10 PM

China has released a military propaganda video boasting its hypersonic weapon capabilities as the military arms race between global superpowers kicks into high gear and the world splits into a dangerous multi-polar state, prompting some global observers to ask the daunting question: “Is World War III already here?“

According to the Shanghai Morning Post, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released a new video this week showcasing how China continues pushing the boundaries of hypersonic technology.

The full video, released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), showcases the trials of the MD series and the drone developers behind the aircraft. The team from the Institute of Mechanics (IMECH) at CAS, known as the “Qian Xuesen Young Scientist Task Force,” were the same specialists who achieved the first horizontal landing of a hypersonic drone in 2020.

…

The MD-22 – the latest known model in the series – was first unveiled at the 2022 Zhuhai air show. The aircraft boasts a maximum range of 8,000km (4,971 miles) and can carry payloads of up to 600kg (1,323 pounds), delivering substantial strategic capabilities.

A video of the test shows the unmanned Chinese MD series drone launched from a high-altitude balloon, reaching speeds of as much as Mach 7 before landing safely. 

“From a tactical perspective, the MD-19 could serve as a stepping stone to operational hypersonic platforms. Its current role as a technology demonstrator likely focuses on testing high-speed flight dynamics, thermal management, and recovery procedures,” news website BulgarianMilitary wrote in a note. 

.com/WenJian0922/status/1868489522041991290

The new website continued, “China is making it clear it has no intention of falling behind in the race for hypersonic supremacy. The MD-19 is further proof that the country isn’t just testing technologies but integrating innovations with real-world battlefield potential.” 

Meanwhile, hypersonic missiles, kamikaze drones, and stealth fighters have become cornerstones for militaries around the world as the modern battlefields in Eastern Europe and the Middle East show no limited signs of peace in the near term.

The Free Press’ Jay Solomon recently asked: “Is World War III Already Here?”  

4.EUROPEAN AFFAIRS//UK /SCANDINAVIAN AFFAIRS

GERMANY

How Germany Destroyed Its Economy And How To Fix It

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 03:30 AM

Authored by Daniel Lacalle,

The German economy was once a global industrial powerhouse, showing a strong resilience in times of crisis as well as significant productive growth in periods of expansion.

Germany displayed robust industrial activity, solid productivity, and enviably low unemployment levels, which added to real high wages. However, in the past five years the economy has stagnated, and its GDP is 5% smaller than the pre-pandemic growth trend suggested, according to Bloomberg Economics. Even more worryingly, they estimate that four percentage points of that loss may be permanent.

Most analyses blame the weakness of the German economy on higher energy costs and the Chinese slowdown affecting its exports. However, the reality is more complex.

Germany’s stagnation is self-inflicted.

Germany made its first big mistake in 2012, when its leaders accepted the left-wing diagnosis of the European debt crisis, which blamed all problems on inexistent austerity. Germany embraced inflationism and, in 2014, agreed to the same monetary and interventionist policies that have always destroyed Europe. The German government and the Bundesbank reluctantly agreed to massive ECB monetary expansion and negative nominal rates while allowing the European Commission to abandon its oversight of excessive indebtedness and signing off on back-to-back “stimulus” packages like the Juncker Plan or the Next Generation EU disasters, all of which have left the euro area in stagnation, with more debt and now, inflation. Germans suffer a cumulative inflation of more than 20% in the past five years. Politicians blame it on Ukraine and Putin, but we all know it is a ludicrous excuse. Money supply growth and constant increases in government spending have obliterated the purchasing power of the euro and fueled inflation. “An upsurge in money growth preceded the inflation flare-up, and countries with stronger money growth saw markedly higher inflation” (Borio et al., 2023).

Keynesians believed that a weaker euro would boost Germany’s exports, but this is a myth. Export leaders rise thanks to high added value, not low cost. In any case, all the interventionist policies adopted by the European Union would leave a weak currency and an even weaker economy.

The second lethal mistake was its energy policy. High energy costs are not a fatality. They come from the misguided energy policy that drove German politicians to shut down their nuclear fleet and spend more than 200 billion euros subsidizing volatile and intermittent technologies only to perpetuate the use of coal and lignite, which accounts for 25% of its power production, according to AGEB 2024. In fact, 77% of its energy consumption and 40% of its power production come from fossil fuels. German politicians also embraced the EU agenda that banned the development of domestic natural gas but multiplied the imports of US liquefied natural gas produced from fracking. Fascinating. Furthermore, the enormous subsidies and regulated costs added to consumer bills have made it so that more than 60% of the electricity price paid by consumers comes from regulated costs and taxes, including the CO2 cost, which is a hidden tax. Germans pay more for energy and still depend on fossil fuels because the government destroyed its access to cheap Russian natural gas and replaced it with expensive and unreliable options. Only a group of politicians can decide to enter an energy war and ban the alternatives.

The third fatal mistake was to swallow the increasingly damaging policies coming from the EU Commission and the EU Parliament. A slowdown of the Chinese economy does not take a global export leader to stagnation, especially when the Asian giant is growing at 5% per year. A global export leader like Germany was rightly proud of a productive network that allowed its industry to grow thanks to high added-value products, technology, and a global reach that made German companies sell all over the world and navigate any macroeconomic environment. What made the once-mighty German industry stagnate and decline despite robust global growth was the combination of excessive regulation, disincentives to innovation, elevated taxes, and embracing the disastrous 2030 agenda that bans combustion engine vehicles. Politicians demolished the sales potential of the entire industrial complex with a misguided environmental and regulatory policy. Activists used the seemingly innocent 2030 agenda to impose an interventionist and unproductive model, obliterating all of Germany’s industries and farming and agriculture sectors. The wrongly named Nature Restoration Law, which makes it nearly impossible to conduct primary sector activities, further compounded this damage.

The European Union’s gradual imposition of excessive regulation and disincentives has also resulted in Germany losing a significant portion of its technological leadership. Germany’s engineering and technology dominance was based on an open, highly competitive, and rewarding system that has been destroyed by bureaucracy and regulation. Germany is a global leader in patent applications but lags the United States, and the translation of patents to businesses is exceedingly poor.

German politicians say that all the above challenges will become strengths in the future. I doubt it, because their track record of prediction failures is spectacular. What Germany needs is to abandon inflationism, interventionism, and comic-book activism. If Germany adopts these changes, its economy will experience significant growth.

Germany does not have a competitiveness or human capital problem; it has a political problem. Abandon socialist interventionism, and Germany will be back to its trend of growth and leadership.

END

5 RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

SYRIA/ISRAEL/USA

Interesting read!! His beliefs are a far cry from iSIS

(ConsortiumNews)

How The West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 08:55 PM

Authored by Alan Macleod via ConsortiumNews.com,

Corporate media is heralding the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the emergence of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani as the new leader of Syria, despite his deep ties to both Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“How Syria’s ‘diversity-friendly’ jihadists plan on building a state,” runs the headline from an article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph that suggests that Jolani will construct a new Syria, respectful of minority rights. The same newspaper also labeled him a “moderate Jihadist.” The Washington Post described him as a pragmatic and charismatic leader, while CNN portrayed him as a “blazer-wearing revolutionary.”

Meanwhile, an in-depth portrait from Rolling Stone describes him as a “ruthlessly pragmatic, astute politician who has renounced ‘global jihad’” and intends to “unite Syria.” His “strategic acumen is apparent,” writes Rolling Stone, between paragraphs praising Jolani for leading a successful movement against a dictator.

CNN even scored an exclusive, sit-down interview with Jolani, even as his movement was storming Damascus. When asked by host Jomana Karadsheh about his past actions, he responded by saying, “I believe that everyone in life goes through phases and experiences … As you grow, you learn, and you continue to learn until the very last day of your life,” as if he were discussing embarrassing teenage mistakes, not establishing and leading the Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s franchise in Syria.

This is a far cry from the first time CNN covered Jolani. In 2013, the network labeled him one of “the world’s 10 most dangerous terrorists,” known for abducting, torturing and slaughtering racial and religious minorities.

Still on the U.S. terrorist list today, the F.B.I. is offering a $10 million reward for information about his whereabouts. Washington and other Western governments consider Jolani’s new organization, Hay?at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as one and the same as Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra.

This poses a serious public relations dilemma for Western nations, who supported the HTS-led overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. And thus, Politico and others report there is a “huge scramble” in Washington to remove HTS and Jolani from the terrorist list as quickly as possible.

The Making of a Radical

Jolani has sought to distance himself from his past and present himself as a moderating force that can attempt to unite an intensely divided Syria. While he has, in recent years, displayed a willingness to compromise with other forces and factions, it is far from clear whether the tens of thousands of soldiers he commands — units made up primarily of former fighters from al-Qaeda/al-Nusra and ISIS — will be in a charitable mood once they cement their power.

“Syria is being purified,” he told a crowd in Damascus on Dec. 8. “This victory is born from the people who have languished in prison, and the fighters broke their chains,” he added.

Jolani — whose real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a — was born in 1982 in Saudi Arabia to parents who fled the Golan Heights area of Syria after the 1967 Israeli invasion. In 2003, he went to Iraq to fight against American forces. After three years of war, he was captured by the U.S. military and spent over five years in prison, including a stint at the notorious Abu Ghraib torture center.

Mugshot of al-Julani in 2006, after his capture by U.S. forces in Iraq. (DoD, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

While in Iraq, Jolani fought with ISIS and was even a deputy to its founder. Immediately upon release in 2011, ISIS sent him to Syria with a rumored $1 billion to found the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and participate in the armed protest movement against Assad that arose out of the Arab Spring.

Realizing the extremely poor reputation al-Qaeda had in the region and across the world, Jolani attempted to rebrand his forces, officially shuttering the al-Nusra Front in January 2017 and, on the same day, founding HTS. He claimed that HTS preaches a very different ideology and that it will respect Syrian diversity. Not everyone is convinced of this, least of all the British government, who immediately proscribed HTS, describing it as merely an alias of Al-Qaeda.

“Al-Qaeda/ISIS man didn’t ‘reinvent himself.’ He had the whole propaganda and intelligence apparatus of the ‘West,’ including the BBC, doing it for him,” remarked co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah.

New Government Likes Israel, Hates Hezbollah

The name “al-Jolani” translates to “From the Golan Heights.” And yet, the leader appears distinctly unconcerned with the Israeli invasion of his homeland. The IDF has taken much of southern Syria, including the strategic Mount Hermon, overlooking Damascus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that this is part of a permanent operation. “The Golan Heights…will forever be an inseparable part of the State of Israel,” he proclaimed.

Jolani has already said that he has no intention of confronting Israel. “Syria is not ready for war and does not intend to go into another war. The source of concern was the Iranian militias, and Hezbollah, and the danger has passed,” he said — a strange thing to say while Israel is carrying out the largest Air Force operation in its history, pounding military targets all over Syria. Other HTS spokespersons have also categorically refused to comment on Israel’s attack on the country, even when pressed by incredulous Western journalists.

Jolani’s comments, singling out two Shia forces rather than Israel as enemies of the state, will have many concerned that this could signal a return to the process of Shia slaughter ISIS waged over much of Syria and Iraq. In 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 383-0 to classify this process as a genocide.

Fortunately, the new government will likely be a coalition of disparate and moderating forces. However, these groups seem to share a common thread: they all appear to be pro-Israel. A commander of the secular Free Syrian Army, for example, recently gave an interview to The Times of Israel, where he looked forward to a new era of “friendship” and “harmony” with its neighbor to the south. “We will go for full peace with Israel… Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, we have never made any critical comments against Israel, unlike Hezbollah, who stated they aim to liberate Jerusalem and the Golan Heights,” he said.

The commander added that “Israel will plant a rose in the Syrian garden” and asked for the country’s financial support in forming a new government.

Israeli soldiers from the Shaldag Unit on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon earlier this month. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Other anti-Assad forces have gone even further, with one individual stating that Israel

“Isn’t hostile to those who are not hostile toward it. We don’t hate you, we love you very much…we were quite happy when you attacked Hezbollah, really happy, and we’re glad that you won.”

Statements like these might surprise a casual observer. But the reality is that Israel has been funding, training and arming much of the Syrian opposition since its inception. This includes Al-Qaeda, whose wounded fighters are treated by Israel.

And while radical Islamist forces appeared to be enemies with everyone, the one group they fastidiously avoided any confrontation with was Israel. Indeed, in 2016, ISIS fighters accidentally fired upon an Israeli position in the Golan Heights, thinking they were Syrian government forces, then quickly issued an apology for doing so.

From the Golan Heights, the year-long Israeli campaign against Hezbollah and Syrian Army positions also seriously weakened both forces, aiding the opposition in their victory.

Al-Qaeda & US — Complicated Relationship

While both journalists and politicians in the U.S. are scrambling to change their opinions on Jolani and HTS, the reality is that, for much of its existence, Washington has enjoyed a very close relationship with al-Qaeda.

Mujahideen in Kunar, Afghanistan, Jan. 1, 1987. (erwinlux, Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)

The organization was born in Afghanistan in the 1980s, thanks in no small part to the C.I.A. Between 1979 and 1992, the C.I.A. spent billions of dollars funding, arming, and training Afghan Mujahideen militiamen (like Osama bin Laden) in an attempt to bleed the Soviet occupation dry. It was from the ranks of the Mujahideen that bin Laden built his organization.

During the 1990s, bin Laden’s relationship with the U.S. soured, and it eventually became a principal target for al-Qaeda, culminating in the infamous Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

The Bush administration would use these attacks as a pretext to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq, claiming that America could never be safe if al-Qaeda were not thoroughly destroyed. Bin Laden became perhaps the most notorious individual in the world, and American society was turned upside down in a self-described effort to rout Islamic extremism.

And yet, by the 2010s, even as the U.S. was ostensibly at war with al-Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was secretly working with it in Syria on a plan to overthrow Assad. The C.I.A. spent around $1 billion per year training and arming a wide network of rebel groups to this end. As Jake Sullivan, now the U.S. national security adviser, told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a leaked 2012 email, “AQ [al-Qaeda] is on our side in Syria.”

Jake Sullivan, second from left, as deputy chief of staff to the secretary of state, with his boss Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, November 2012. (White House, Pete Souza)

Thus, while many casual observers may be shocked to see the media and political class embrace the leader of al-Qaeda in Syria as a modern, progressive champion, the reality is that the U.S. relationship with the group is merely reverting to a position it has previously held. Consequently, it appears that the War on Terror will come to an end with the “terrorists” being redesignated as “moderate rebels” and “freedom fighters.”

Who Gets to Define ‘Terrorist?’

Of course, many have argued that the U.S. Terrorist List is entirely arbitrary to begin with and is merely a barometer of who is in Washington’s good books at any given time. In 2020, the Trump administration removed Sudan from its state sponsors of terror list in exchange for the country normalizing relations with Israel, proving how transactional the list was.

A few months later, it removed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (a Uyghur militia currently active in Syria) from its list because of its hardening attitude towards China, seeing ETIM as a useful pawn to play against Beijing.

Washington also continues to keep Cuba on its terror list despite there being no evidence of the island supporting terror groups.

And the U.S. refused to remove Nelson Mandela from its list of the world’s most notorious terrorists until 2008 — 14 years after he became President of South Africa. In comparison, Jolani’s redesignation might take fewer than 14 days.

A giant rebranding operation is taking place. Both corporate media and the U.S. government have attempted to transform the founder and head of an al-Qaeda affiliate organization into a woke, progressive actor. It remains to be seen how exactly Jolani will govern and whether he can maintain support from a wide range of Syrian groups. Given what we have seen so far, however, he can be confident of enjoying strong support from the Western press.

END

SYRIA///USA/YEMEN

USA conducts new strikes in North-East Syria as well as Yemen

(JerusalemPost)

US Conducts New Strikes In Syria & Yemen, Still With No Congressional Authorization

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 05:40 PM

Congress has not authorized war, and yet the United States on Monday bombed two countries: Yemen and Syria. US Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier confirmed an airstrike on a military facility of the Houthis in northern Yemen.

A Houthi defense ministry building in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa was reportedly among those targets which came under attack by US warplanes. “On Dec. 16 Yemen time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision airstrike against a key command and control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen,” CENTCOM said in a fresh statement.

Separately, CENTCOM said Monday that American forces bombed ISIS camps in Syria, killing at least 12 Islamic State fighters. 

The Pentagon said further that the strikes “were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, preventing the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek opportunities to reconstitute in central Syria.”

So now it appears the Pentagon is in a renewed fight against both the ‘Iran axis’ in Yemen and hardline Sunni terrorists in the heart of Syria. 

Interestingly the Syria strikes were in areas previously understood as the Russian military’s area of responsibility, as well as the now defunct Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. 

The US designated terror organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in its prior iteration was as an al-Qaeda offshoot, was once an open ally of ISIS, and is now in control of Damascus and major Syrian cities. 

Turkey and Israel have also been involved in bombing Syria, but Israel has focused its literally hundreds of strikes on degrading and destroying leftover Syrian Army missiles, planes, equipment, and bunkers.

At this moment, the Pentagon also has at least 900 troops occupying the northeast Syrian oil and gas fields, but the Syrian Kurds it supports have increasingly been clashing with Turkish-aligned forces, and directly with the Turkish army, which is still mustering forces along the northern Syrian border. 

AntiWar.com’s Dave DeCamp approached Biden administration officials to ask about the pesky question of Congressional authorization to bomb foreign militants in no less than two conflict theatres. 

The response was as follows: “Biden and Harris told me the US wasn’t at war but today they bombed Syria and Yemen,” DeCamp wrote on X.

END

TURKEY/SYRIA

Turkey Masses Troops On Syria Border For Bigger, ‘Imminent’ Invasion

This will probably pit the USA against the Turks. The USA sides with the Kurds in the North-East Syria

(the cradle)

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 02:00 AM

Via The Cradle

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) announced the start of an operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern Syrian town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) on December 17.

The announcement came in the midst of a build-up of Turkish troops on the Syrian border in preparation for a possible invasion alongside its proxies in the SNA.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent stated that “Turkiye wants a security belt 30 kilometers wide on the border with Syria,” stressing that it “is close to achieving its goal.”

The Turkish military has built a concrete barrier between Kobani and the Turkey border, while Turkish warplanes can be seen flying above the city.

US media has also reported that Turkey is building up its forces along the border in preparation for a possible invasion. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that according to one US official, “A Turkish cross-border operation could be imminent.”

The WSJ adds that SNA fighters and Turkish uniformed commandos and artillery in large numbers are now concentrated near Kobani, a Kurdish-majority city in Syria on the northern border with Turkey.

Turkey began building up its forces near the border two weeks ago as militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a UN-designated terror group, toppled the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and occupied the capital, Damascus.

Kurdish forces under the People’s Protection Units (YPG) began taking control of Kurdish-majority areas in Syria in 2012, with the outbreak of war in 2011. Turkey has sought to prevent Kurds from forming contiguous regions in areas of Syria on its southern border, stretching from Afrin in the northwest to Kobani in the north center and to Hasaka in the northeast.

Turkey first supported ISIS and then sent its own forces to invade northern Syria multiple times to prevent such a Kurdish region from being established.

The US military partnered with the YPG to create the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2015. The US and SDF occupied land outside of traditional Kurdish control, including Sunni Arab areas containing Syria’s oil fields and wheat-producing regions. The US has been trying to keep Syria partitioned, under sanctions, and unable to rebuild since the war ended in 2019.

Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed urged President-elect Donald Trump to prevent a new Turkish invasion. Turkey’s goal is to “establish de facto control over [Kurdish] land before [Donald Trump] take[s] office, forcing [the US] to engage with them as rulers of [Kurdish] territory,” Ahmed wrote to Trump in a letter viewed by the WSJ. “If Turkey proceeds with its invasion, the consequences will be catastrophic.”

A spokesman for Turkiye’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to the WSJ’s requests for comment.

END

ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY/HAMAS

Seems that the Palestinian Authority has come to life as they are cracking down on Hamas. They want to rule post Hamas

(JerusalemPost)

PA crackdown adds to Hamas woes that are bringing hostage deal closer – analysis

Any hopes Hamas may have had that Iran would quickly be able to rebuild Hezbollah were dashed with the rebel takeover of Syria. Simply put, no one is coming to Hamas’ rescue.

By HERB KEINONDECEMBER 17, 2024 20:03Updated: DECEMBER 17, 2024 21:37

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fmiddle-east%2Farticle-833865&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20241217_aa84504b51132e177071b3b0f984430fcda56c53&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

Following the rebels’ lightning takeover of Syria, here’s another entirely unexpected development: the Palestinian Authority security forces are trying to reassert control in parts of the West Bank under its jurisdiction.

For the last eight days, PA security forces have battled Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters in Jenin, determined to regain control over the refugee camp that had fallen under the sway of terrorists unaffiliated with the PA.These terrorists, aligned with Iran’s “axis of evil,” were a cornerstone of the Islamic Republic’s strategy to ignite an explosion in Judea and Samaria.To fuel this upheaval, Iran has been smuggling sophisticated weapons and explosives into the area. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, from which Iranian-supplied arms were smuggled into Jordan and then across the Jordan River into Judea and Samaria, this has just become that much more difficult.While an AP report on Monday said “it was not immediately clear why the Palestinian Authority decided to launch the crackdown now,” the reason seems obvious: to prove that they can take control of territory in the hope and expectation that they will ultimately regain control of Gaza.

Hamas ousted Fatah and the PA in a bloody coup in 2007. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to letting the PA govern Gaza on the proverbial “day after,” noting that it has proven unable to control the territories already under its control.Nevertheless, the PA’s sudden effort to prove its mettle has now added to Hamas’s growing list of problems. The pressure on Hamas has become so severe that the group issued a fiery statement Tuesday morning, denouncing the PA’s actions as a “full-scale crime” and calling for “public mobilization to break the siege and support the resistance fighters.”It is this growing list of problems that has forced Hamas to finally show some flexibility in its demands, bringing it closer than ever – according to numerous reports – to reaching a hostage deal with Israel.The PA’s clampdown on “resistance fighters” in Jenin and Tulkarm is only one piece of the puzzle. Inside Gaza, dissatisfaction with Hamas’s dead-end strategy is growing, as underscored by a Washington Post headline from Monday: “Faced with mounting public anger, a weakened Hamas starts to compromise.”“With its military power depleted and its political influence on the wane, Hamas is under growing public pressure to help bring the war in Gaza to an end,” reads the piece.

That public pressure, as well as losing its grip in Jenin, are just a few of the many factors behind Hamas dropping its demands that a complete halt to the war and full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza are preconditions to a deal.

A dramatic shift in dynamics

Over the last three months, regional and international dynamics have shifted dramatically, leaving Hamas in its weakest position since the war began.First, the IDF is continuing to operate in Gaza, further degrading the terrorist organization’s military capabilities.Second – and this has to do with international dynamics – the election of Donald Trump as US president has infused new energy into Washington’s push for a deal.The transition between US administrations has created a unique urgency, with outgoing President Joe Biden eager to conclude a deal after investing a lot of time and energy into it, and with Trump wanting to enter office without this issue hanging over his administration.Trump has made it clear that failure to reach a deal by his January 20 inauguration will have consequences, warning, “There will be hell to pay.”While it is questionable how much those threats move Hamas leaders in Gaza, they seem to have resonated loudly with Hamas’s state sponsors, particularly Qatar.Keen to get on Trump’s good side, Qatar is reportedly pressuring Hamas in ways it hadn’t before. This pressure is being felt by Hamas leaders living abroad – in Qatar and Turkey – who, as a result, are reportedly keener on reaching a deal and showing flexibility than Hamas leaders inside Gaza, who are less impacted by this pressure.The third game-changing factor is the neutralization of Hezbollah in Lebanon. For nearly a year, Hezbollah bombarded Israel with rockets and missiles in solidarity with Hamas. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, explicitly linked the two fronts, declaring that there would be no quiet in the North until there was a ceasefire in Gaza.But Nasrallah is gone, and Hezbollah has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. Hamas leaders, both those in Gaza and those abroad, now know that salvation from the North is no longer an option – now or in the foreseeable future.Any hopes Hamas may have had that Iran would quickly be able to rebuild Hezbollah were dashed with the rebel takeover of Syria. Simply put, no one is coming to Hamas’s rescue.These developments have culminated in considerable motion over the last few days regarding a deal. And this time – because of the significant regional changes and a new president poised to take charge in Washington – that motion might actually lead to real movement and tangible results

END

HAMAS/ISRAEL

‘Imminent’: Hostage deal could be signed by end of week, Hamas official says – report

Asharq Al-Awsat cited a Hamas official as stating that a deal was “imminent,” with the main points having already been agreed upon. 

By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDECEMBER 18, 2024 08:47Updated: DECEMBER 18, 2024 09:28

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-833925%3Futm_source%3DActiveCampaign%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_content%3DNetanyahu%253A%2520IDF%2520may%2520remain%2520on%2520Mount%2520Hermon%2520until%25202025%26utm_campaign%3DDecember%252018%252C%25202024&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20241217_aa84504b51132e177071b3b0f984430fcda56c53&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

If no issues arise, a hostage deal could be signed by the end of this week, a Hamas official told the Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Wednesday report cited the official as stating that a deal was “imminent,” with the main points having already been agreed upon. 

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, in the first stage of the agreement, which is supposed to last some 45-60 days, Hamas would release some 30 hostages, both alive and deceased, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. 

In addition, IDF troops would withdraw from cities within the Gaza Strip.

However, they would remain in the Philadelphi and Netazrim corridors. These corridors run parallel to the border with Egypt and cut across central Gaza, respectively. 

Palestinian women and children would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. 

On Tuesday, officials with knowledge of the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post that a hostage deal could be achieved within a month, with significant advances being made. 

Hostage deal reportedly ‘closer than ever’

This follows a Tuesday Washington Post report, citing a Hamas official, which claimed the terror group had ceded its demands that the war ends and that Israeli troops withdraw from the Gaza Strip in the framework of a hostage deal.

“There is a noticeable shift in public opinion,” a Hamas member was quoted as saying by the publication, adding, “There is now a strong desire to end the war at any cost.”

On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said a hostage deal was closer than ever. 

Such a remark was reiterated by a senior Hamas official, cited in the Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat.

“We are closer than ever to reaching a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire, provided that Netanyahu does not obstruct the agreement,” he reportedly said.

Amichai Stein, Sam Halpern and Raquel Guertzenstein Frohlich contributed to this report. 

end

ISRAEL/SYRIA

This is interesting: actually Jolani came from Saudi parents who lived in the Syrian Golan

(JerusalemPost)

‘Jewlani the Jew’: Conspiracies on HTS leader run rampant on social media

Even before his announcement that Syria is not looking for a confrontation with Israel, the leader of HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, faced harsh campaigns from Iran sympathizers and anti-Islamist actors.

By OHAD MERLINDECEMBER 18, 2024 10:00Updated: DECEMBER 18, 2024 12:36

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fmiddle-east%2Farticle-833931%3Futm_source%3DActiveCampaign%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_content%3DNetanyahu%253A%2520IDF%2520may%2520remain%2520on%2520Mount%2520Hermon%2520until%25202025%26utm_campaign%3DDecember%252018%252C%25202024&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20241217_aa84504b51132e177071b3b0f984430fcda56c53&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

‘Jewlani confirmed!’

Conspiracy theories regarding the origins of Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of triumphant Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, have been going rampant on social and traditional media across the Middle East and beyond, propagated mainly by Islamic Republic sympathizers and Assad regime loyalists.

Sharaa, who took the nickname Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has been facing staunch criticism for his role in the fall of the Assad regime, considered an important crossroads of the Iranian axis, originating in media personalities, politicians, and even academics. Julani also faces attacks from anti-Islamist actors who reject Salafi ideologies and base their disdain on his roles in several al-Qaeda offshoots.

Conspiracy theories varied, with many attempting to claim that nothing is known of Julani’s past and origins, despite official claims that his family hails from Syria – while others relied on Julani’s quote from earlier this week that he is not looking for a conflict with Israel, deeming him “a Jew.”

An Iranian user named Dr. Shahla surfed on the trend, tweeting, “Why is there no knowledge of Abu Muhammad al-Julani’s family? Look it up and make sure. It is very likely that he will turn out to be like Abu Hafs, the preacher of the Libyan mosque, who turned out to be a Jewish officer in the Israeli Mossad.”

A user named “Roaring of the Syrian Revolution” claimed to his tens of thousands of followers on X/Twitter and Telegram that al-Jolani is a “creation of the Mossad,” also alleging that he is the son of Iraqi Shi’i cleric Musa al-Sader, referring to some physical similarities between the two.

Another leader claimed by conspiracists to be Julani’s doppelganger was no other than Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Hossam al-Ghamry, an anchor at the Cairo-based Tahrir Egyptian Network (TeN), pointed at the similarity between the two, adding, “The terrorist Julani kept dressing, talking and taking pictures like the Jew Zelensky…  And the media applauds him… Netanyahu is so happy with you.”

In a different post, he added, ironically, “This tells us that Mossad and CIA have a shortage of stylist jobs.”

In this same context, an Egyptian account opined that Julani, in fact, looks like famous Israeli spy Eli Cohen. Another claimed that he resembles Zionism’s visionary Theodore Hertzel.

A Houthi newspaper from Yemen published a caricature showing Julani being controlled as a puppet by Erdogan, which in turn was controlled by Israel and the US.

Salwa al-Soubi, an Egyptian law scholar and lawyer, posted on X, “Israeli Mossad: This is a spy we prepared well…” also pointing at what she deemed the USA’s “double game” of both regarding Julani as a wanted terrorist and leading interviews with him on CNN.

Mossad-Julani conspiracies abroad

The Mossad theories went beyond the Middle Eastern sphere.

Danish politician and former economic analyst Mads Palsvig uploaded an exceptionally viral post that accused al-Sharaa of being a Mossad mole. Palsvig insinuated that Julani was a Jew named Yonatan Zvi David, who graduated from a non-existing institute named the “School of Islamic Jurisprudence in Tel Aviv.” 

The post was viewed over two million views, received 14,000 likes, and was reposted 6,600 times on X.

Another strikingly eccentric conspiracy theory had to do with al-Sharaa’s tactical attire, which was depicted as being made by Israeli footwear firm Source (‘Shoresh’).

Viral posts circulated showing a pixelated screenshot of al-Sharaa with a logo on his back alleging that it was made by the Israeli company, even though, upon close inspection, it was the logo of a different Chinese clothing company named Emersongear.

Some, however, well understood that these were mere conspiracy theories, making fun of the extent of their ridiculousness.

A user named Mostafa Abdel Lateef wrote, ironically, “Confirmed news about Julani from reliable sources: of Jewish origin, a graduate of Tel Aviv University, an extremist Islamist who maintains prayers in mosques, and a ISIS / Taliban / Muslim Brotherhood member. These are our reliable sources. Do you understand now why our people are suffering?”

To this, a user named Ammar commented, “And he will also turn out to be Iranian at the same time. Just like [the theories that] ‘Sisi’s mother is Jewish’ and ‘Bashar is of Jewish origin,’ and the list goes on.” 

END

IRAN/

Khamenei: After Syria developments, Israel ‘gravely mistaken’ thinking uprising over

“The young Syrians will liberate the territories occupied by the Zionist entity,” Khamenei previously wrote in a Hebrew post.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDECEMBER 18, 2024 05:07Updated: DECEMBER 18, 2024 09:28

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-833910%3Futm_source%3DActiveCampaign%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_content%3DNetanyahu%253A%2520IDF%2520may%2520remain%2520on%2520Mount%2520Hermon%2520until%25202025%26utm_campaign%3DDecember%252018%252C%25202024&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20241217_aa84504b51132e177071b3b0f984430fcda56c53&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote that Israel was “gravely mistaken” about developments in Syria in a Tuesday message posted to his Hebrew language X/Twitter account. 

“The enemies imagine that after the developments in Syria, the uprising is already over. They are greatly mistaken,” he wrote.

Last week, Khamenei addressed the situation in Syria in a Hebrew post, noting, “The young Syrians will liberate the territories occupied by the Zionist entity.”

Blaming Israel for the developments in Syria 

Following the toppling of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime by Syrian rebel factions earlier in December, Iran lost much of its influence in the region. It has indicated its interest in working with the new government in Damascus. 

The Islamic Republic has blamed both Israel and the US for the fall of the Syrian regime. 

In October, Khamenei launched his Hebrew X account, which was subsequently suspended temporarily, with the social media platform citing a violation of rules. 

Mathilda Heller and Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.  

end

ISRAEL/HOUTHIS/HAMAS/WEST BANK

end

ISRAEL //WEST BANK

end

ISRAEL/HAMAS

END

SYRIA/

END

SYRIA

END

SYRIA/TURKEY

RUSSIA/UKRAINE/NORTH KOREA

North Korea suffers hundreds of casualties in Russia’s Kursk fighting Ukraine

(JerusalemPost)

North Korean forces suffer several hundred casualties in Russia’s Kursk, US official says

This comes amidst war blogger reports that the DPRK troops are drastically underprepared for official comabt.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDECEMBER 18, 2024 00:19Updated: DECEMBER 18, 2024 06:35

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-833889&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20241217_aa84504b51132e177071b3b0f984430fcda56c53&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

North Korea has suffered several hundred casualties while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, a US military official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the working estimate is that DPRK troops suffered “several hundred casualties,” according to reporting by the Moscow Times.

The casualties reportedly included everything from “light wounds up to being KIA [killed in action],” the military official said, according to the the Moscow Times report.

When asked about what ranks the North Korean casualties included, the anonymous official said it was from lower-level troops to “very near to the top.”

Not battle-tested

“These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven’t been in combat before,” the official said. The report contributed this factor as to why DPRK troops “have been suffering the casualties that they have at the hands of the Ukrainians.”

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian military Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that North Korean soldiers were being heavily used in recent Russian operations in the Kursk region, and that Russia was trying to conceal their losses.

North Korea has sent nearly 12,000 troops to aid Russia in its assault on Ukraine. There have been multiple reports that the DPRK troops are woefully unprepared to face frontline combat. 

end

RUSSIA/UKRAINE

ROBERT H

What is Hazel?

What is Orsehnik or hazel ? 

Here is what has been publicly announced:

Warhead temperature: 4000ºC

Speed: Mach 10 (2.5–3 km/s)

Mass of warhead: ~1.5 tonnes

Perusing Dmitry Mendeleev’s Periodic Table of Elements we find just one candidate for warhead metal: tungsten. It melts at 3422ºC and boils at 5555ºC. Taking the mass of the warhead (assume for the sake of simplicity, consists entirely of a single shaped piece of tungsten) at 1,500 kg, it produces the equivalent of 1,500,000 kg of TNT or 1,5 kilotons — a respectable amount for a small tactical nuke.

Now, here is a more interesting question. What if the same metal is used in Avangard which has a speed of Mach 25 ( 25x the speed of sound) ? 

Why this is relevant is twofold because the new Sarmat missile ( SatanII) carries up to 12 such war heads. This implies up to 12 targets hit with more force. That is up to 12 tactical nukes with one missile with multiple range targets no all in one place. And you can count on one hand the countries who have enough raw materials and knowledge to make this a reality. 

This kind of makes the use of nukes passé when such conventional weapons can do an equal or better job without  radiation. While we wait to see what other new missiles may be tested upon Ukraine, it is clear that the West is many years behind in the technology race of such weapon systems. 

END

6.GLOBAL ISSUES//COVID ISSUES/VACCINE ISSUES/HEALTH ISSUES

MARK CRISPIN MILLER

In memory of those who “died suddenly” in the United States and worldwide, December 9-16, 2024

Actress Diane Delano (Northern Exposure); casting director Carol Goldwasser; Disney animator Daniel Ridgers; tabla master Zakir Hussain; author M.J. Rose; golf writer Jeff Babineau; 39 infants; & more

Northern Exposure and The Wicker Man actress Diane Delano dead at 67 after brief illness

December 17, 2024

American actress Diane Delano has died at the age of 67 from an unknown illness. A representative for Delano confirmed to Variety that the actress died on Friday night after a “battle with a brief illness”. Delano was perhaps best known for her role as Officer Barbara Semanski in 12 episodes of the 1990s sitcom Northern Exposure and for playing Sister Beech in the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man alongside Nicolas Cage.

Link

Upgrade to paid

Carol Goldwasser Dies: Trailblazing Casting Director Was 67

December 12, 2024

Carol Goldwasser, whose expertise in casting helped to shape TV series like Hannah Montana and Dog with a Blog, died unexpectedly December 5 at her home after minor surgery. She was 67. For over two decades, Goldwasser worked in casting in Los Angeles and New York while transforming the television landscape with her keen eye for new and emerging talent.

No cause of death reported.

Link

Disney Animation Producer Daniel Ridgers Dies at 52

December 13, 2024

We are saddened by the recent passing of beloved artist and animation producer Daniel Ridgers, who died suddenly on Dec. 2 at age 52. Born in the UK, he and his family moved to California in 1986. Ridgers was a senior producer on the animated Disney channel show Future-Worm! And had been a senior producer at Walt Disney Imagineering for the past few years. He coached baseball and soccer, the latter for years.

Researcher’s note - Disney makes vaccination [sic] mandatory for on-site U.S. employees: Link

No cause of death reported.

Link

Reported on December 7:

‘3rd Rock from the Sun’ Star John Lithgow, 79, Who Fought Melanoma & Underwent a Prostatectomy, On Coping With The Loss of a ‘Dear Friend’

December 7, 2024

Actor John Lithgow, known for his role as Dick Solomon in the NBC sitcom “3rd Rock From the Sun,” has described losing his “dear friend” and colleague Doug McGrath to a sudden heart attack two years ago as “such a traumatic thing to experience.” Lithgow, a three-time cancer survivor who beat skin cancer and previously underwent a prostatectomy, spoke about how he’s coped with his friend’s November 2022 death in a recent interview on NPR journalist Rachel Martin’s podcast “Wild Card.” ” … Two years ago, I directed that wonderful New Yorker, Doug McGrath, in his one-man show that he’d written for himself. He had a wonderful little off-Broadway success with it and was in his third week of a run. He was going to do it as long as he wanted in a tiny theater downtown. And he didn’t show up at the theater one night because in his office by himself at about 4 in the afternoon, he’d lain down, had a heart attack and died at age 64.”

Link

Zakir Hussain, Tabla maestro, dies in US at 73 after diagnosed with heart ailments

December 15, 2024

Zakir Hussain, Tabla maestro, passed away in the United States after being diagnosed with serious heart issues on December 15 (Sunday). He was earlier admitted to the ICU of a San Francisco [CA] hospital, his friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia confirmed. The 73-year-old US-based musician, who has taken the tabla to the global stage, had been having blood pressure issues, Hussain’s manager Nirmala Bachani added earlier. Hussain has received five Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66^th Grammy Awards earlier in 2024

Link

M.J. Rose, Author and Self-Publishing Advocate, Dies at 71

December 11, 2024

Melisse Shapiro, also known as M.J. Rose, an early self-publishing advocate as well as bestselling author, died unexpectedly on December 10 while in Florida visiting her father. She was 71. In a Soapbox column she wrote for PW in 2012, Rose recounted how after her first novel, the racy Lip Service, was turned down by traditional publishers in 1998, she used her background in advertising and marketing to release the title as an e-book and print book on Amazon. Within six months, Lip Service had sold more than 75,000 copies and would later be published by Pocket Books. Her subsequent books regularly reached national bestseller lists. Rose lived in Connecticut with her husband, the composer Doug Scofield, to whom she was married for 30 years.

No cause of death reported.

Link

Jeff Babineau — longtime golf writer, former Golfweek editor — dies at 62

December 10, 2024

Jeff Babineau, longtime golf writer and former editor of Golfweek, died Tuesday at his home in Oviedo, Florida. He was 62. The Golf Writers Association of America reported that he passed away from natural causes. Babineau was president of that organization from 2015-2017 and still served as its secretary.

No cause of death reported.

Link

Colleagues pay tribute to news anchor Ana Orsini who has died suddenly

December 16, 2024

13 News in Tuscon, Arizona said: “The 13 News Family is saddened to report the passing of our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini [28].” 12 News also said that “we are devastated by her unexpected passing.” Tyler Butler, morning anchor with KOLD News 13 in Tuscon, Arizona, paid tribute to Ana Orsini on Facebook and wrote: “We have some truly sad news to share this morning. Our beloved Ana Orsini TV passed away suddenly last week.”

Researcher’s note - Orsini “died suddenly” from a brain aneurysm: Link

Link

Renowned courtroom and congressional sketch artist William J. Hennessy, Jr. Has passed away.

December 12, 2024

WASHINGTON, DC — For decades, William Hennessy Jr., who many people called Bill, took us where cameras were not allowed. As a sketch artist, he captured all the big court cases that WUSA9 and other media outlets then brought to the public on TV and the web. Hennessy passed away on Monday which was also his 67^th birthday. A family member tells WUSA9 he died of a heart attack.

Researcher’s note - DC Will Require Vaccination at Restaurants, Gyms, Theaters, and Other Indoor Venues: Link

Link

Rob Menschel Dies: Veteran Sports Camera Operator Was 59

December 15, 2024

Calabasas, California – Rob Menschel, a veteran director, camera operator and lighting director in sports broadcasts, has died. He was 59. “Rob has been a fixture in the sports broadcasting industry across the nation for over 30 years,” said court reporter Lauren Rosen in a broadcast.

Researcher’s Note – Fox News Requires Employees to Report Vaccination Status:  Link ESPN and CBS are both mandating that workers covering games and events get a vaccine booster shot by Jan. 24: Link NFL to Restrict Access to Team Employees Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine Without Reason: Link MLB To Require COVID Vaccinations For Non-Player Team Personnel To Gain Access To Field In Postseason: Link

No cause of death reported.

Link

Los Angeles Blade founder dead at 63

December 12, 2024

Los Angeles, CA – The publisher of a prominent LGBTQ media outlet has died, the outlet announced. Troy Masters, publisher of the Los Angeles Blade, died Wednesday at the age of 63. While the Blade noted Masters “died unexpectedly,” the “cause of death was not immediately released.” Masters founded the L.A. Blade in 2017 as a sister publication to the Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper. Masters’ family also released a statement mourning him. “We are shocked and devastated by the loss of Troy,” the statement said.

No cause of death reported.

Link

Track & Field Community Loses NCAA Star As She Loses Long-Time Cancer Battle

December 15, 2024

A mother of two, an award-winning singer, a track and field athlete, and a songwriter. Chloe Jarvis lost her life after a brave battle. California Track and Field is heartbroken to share the passing of alumna Chloe Jarvis, a three-time conference champion! Chloe passed away on Thursday, December 12^th, at the age of 42, after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Jarvis, who competed at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials and finished 27^th in the 800m quarterfinals with a time of 2:10.97, leaves behind a legacy of achievements.

Researcher’s Note – Jarvis’ cancer was diagnosed in April 2021: Link

Link

Former Kansas City Chiefs draft pick, Oklahoma Sooners legend Jimmy Wilkerson dies at 43

December 14, 2024

A former 2003 NFL draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs has died. As confirmed by CBS Sports Texas reporter and Cowboys play-by-play guy Bill Jones, former Chiefs DE Jimmy Wilkerson passed away on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, from a reported heart attack. He was just 43 years old and leaves behind a wife and four children. Wilkerson played with the Chiefs for five seasons (2003-2007), mostly as a rotational defensive lineman. After his NFL career had ended, Wilkerson became a certified personal trainer with his own business, Level Up Fitness. He most recently coached for Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma City, where his son, Maddox Wilkerson, plays defensive end and tight end.

Researcher’s Note – Oklahoma City Public Schools to vaccinate employees eligible for COVID-19 vaccine [sic]: Link

Link

DR PAUL ALEXANDER

Why? Simple question, why would HHS Secretary Becerra (Under Biden-Harris) extend the Emergency Declaration, LIABITY PROTECTION shield under PREP Act to 2029, exactly when Trump leaves office? RFK Jr.

must act, hour one of being confirmed, to REVERSE this extension & to make LIABILITY PROTECTION gone & retroactive so we can go back & SUE them all! Bobby Kennedy Jr. has his Thermopylae BATTLE

URGENT, present HHS Secretary Becerra who will be replaced by Robert Kennedy Jr. just moved to EXTEND the PREP Declaration Countermeasures Against COVID–19 to 2029! What? Will Trump/RFK Jr. at HHS

Is this extension to allow bringing of the ‘minor adjustments’ and ‘new and improved’ mRNA technology gene-based transfection shots, transitioning away from all vaccines to the mRNA shots? Is this to prepare for a fake fraud PCR manufactured avian bird flu fake non-pandemic? Would they create a chimera in the lab more virulent and lethal and release to the nation and which will kill elderly high-risk persons so that the majority low-risk healthier population can be scared into taking the deadly mRNA shots?

END

PAXLOVID & criminal Pfizer & FDA! How could a drug FAIL the study & even cause you to get COVID, then be granted FDA approval? How much kickback $ did Bourla of Pfizer give FDA regulatory officials?

same for Molnupiravir that failed in its study yet also got FDA approval, researchers and doctors knowing it causes mutations; so 2 drugs that failed clinical trials yet FDA granted approval? Makary?

___

You must not wait for another catastrophic crisis (at times manufactured but we are prevented from making our own basic personal decisions or accessing needed drugs and response tools) to catch you off-guard. We must take charge!

EVOLS NEWS

SLAY NEWS

NEWS ADDICTS

MICHAEL EVERY/PHIL MAREY/OR OTHER EXECS //RABOBANK/

The Tone Regarding Ukraine’s Future Has Shifted Significantly And Fast

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 11:25 AM

By Teeuwe Mevissen, Senior Macro Strategist at Rabobank

While Trump still has to be officially inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States of America, it almost seems he already entered the White House. This has already been demonstrated by Trumps attendance of the formal reopening of one of the pinnacles  of French gothic architecture. Indeed, the Notre Dame. In the limelight of this event, Trump, Macron and Zelensky had a meeting where they discussed the future of Ukraine. While no clear deal(s) seem to have been made yet, some would argue that it boiled down to going from a celebrative event organized in a holy place to a meeting that could lead to an unholy deal. While it is unsure yet what has been exactly discussed during the meeting between the three leaders, the tone regarding the future of Ukraine has definitely shifted significantly and fast!

Since February 2022, the Western mantra was that Ukraine would be supported for as long as it takes and that it was up to Ukraine to decide whether it wanted to engage in negotiations with Russia. A logical argument for those who also continued to emphasize Ukraine’s sovereignty and, directly related to it, the right of self-determination. Both are crucial pillars of the concept of the nation state that has it roots in the Treaty of Westphalia. If the West would be as serious about upholding the international rules-based order as has been voiced so often, then Ukraine should be considered the litmus test.  Not continuing or even stepping up support would in effect boil down to the alternative scenario in which the West would signal that they are unreliable guarantors of security alliances or partnerships (remember that Ukraine received those guarantees from the US and the UK in exchange for giving up its nuclear deterrent), that might makes right and that the West can be impressed and coerced by rattling the nuclear sabre, amongst others. The negative consequences should be clear to anybody with even a basic understanding of security studies or international affairs. 

History also provides us with clues of what might be the result of such an approach. During the 1930’s, Germany felt humiliated because of the treaty of Versailles and the Nazis came with a fascist concept of a civilization state claiming territory based on both historic and ethnic grounds. After it could seize some territories without putting up a real fight, it eventually decided to test France and the UK by invading Poland. Back in the late 1930’s, the United Kingdom was still recovering from the impact of the Great War and the gradual loss of control over its empire and its hegemonic status. From Chamberlains point of view, another large war was to be avoided at all cost. But as all of us know by now, this attitude soon proved to be even more costly in a such a way that nobody could ever have imagined. The parallels with the current situation should be clear and as such have often been drawn by international relations observers. 

Making a leap in time, Putin has been very clear all along about his views of the collapse of the Soviet Union which he calls the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. So to be clear, apparently from the Kremlin’s point of view it is not the more than 25 million Russians that died during World War II fighting Nazi Germany but the nonviolent collapse of a communist block that subjugated many previously independent and sovereign states, that was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the (last) century. 

Eager to reverse what the Kremlin seems to consider as an unpalatable humiliation, Russia embarked on several ‘adventures’ in Georgia, Chechnya, and now clearly Ukraine. This is relevant because this point of view makes it less likely that a deal between Russia, Ukraine and the West will turn out to be a stable and durable one. 

Taking all of the above into account it is the West that now seems to position itself as deal takers instead of deal makers when dealing with rule breakers. The majority of blame should go to Europe. While the war has already been dragging on for almost three years, many European member states continue to talk the talk instead of walk the walk. At the cost of precious lives and Europe’s own security. It is again a demonstration of Europe’s infamous lack of true leadership. We have plenty of Chamberlains and government officials dragging their feet but there is no Churchill in sight, except perhaps for some countries in the east that have been ignored in the past but have been warning the rest of us in Europe for many years. 

Now what does this all mean for the economy the curious and impatient reader might rightfully ask by now. While the government is primarily responsible for offering security to its inhabitants, It also means that businesses – and especially strategic sectors) should be mobilized to support efforts to enhance security in the broadest way. This means efforts to secure the physical (supply chains, industry and logistics) the digital (cyber security, AI and quantum computing) and increasingly space. It should be clear that part of such a mobilization includes much needed funding.

It is here that the financial sector comes into play. Until recently, many politicians and governments were highly critical on financial sector involvement related to the defense industry, making the banking sector wary of providing funding. The pendulum has swung. At least amongst politicians. In the Netherlands  former Minister of Defence Kaisa Ollongren called for pension funds and other players in the financial sector to increase investments in this specific sector. But this also applies on a European level.  And that means that financial markets will also have to play an important role. 

On a European level we have seen initiatives for EU funding for the defence industry financed via the issuance of Eurobonds. While common debt is still a thorny issue for the more frugal European member states, alternative ways to coordinate funding and effectively channel this to relevant industries or new industrial initiatives should be taken into consideration. The previous Recovery and Resilience Fund could (partly) serve as a blue print. This means that there could also be a role for the ECB. While the possibilities are plentifully it becomes increasingly urgent to act.

end

7.OIL AND NATURAL GAS ISSUES/GLOBAL

Red Sea Oil Flows Surge As Trump’s ‘Strongman’ Image Signals De-escalation In Maritime Chokepoint Crisis

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 04:15 AM

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have sparked turmoil across the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for over a year, targeting Western-linked container ships, tankers, and military vessels. The resulting supply chain snarls have had major implications on global trade, causing a surge in container rate prices and shipping diversions around the Cape of Good Hope. However, early indications suggest that President-elect Trump’s strongman image could help de-escalate tensions and alleviate bottlenecks across this critical maritime chokepoint. 

The incoming Trump administration urgently needs a fresh strategy to de-escalate tensions in the critical Bab-el-Mandeb maritime chokepoint that caught the Biden-Harris team entirely off guard. The admin’s Yemen policies were marked by inconsistency, leading to dozens of commercial vessels being struck by kamikaze drones and missiles, with several ships sunk as a result of the chaos. 

Houthi ballistic missiles impact #Israel-linked Anadolu S Ship in #RedSea | ‘Accurate & direct hit’

Watch pic.twitter.com/FCs2JVAwSS— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) November 20, 2024

Footage has been released of a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile striking the MT ZOGRAFIA in the Red Sea on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/SRAK1azuIa— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) January 19, 2024

Trump’s second administration needs a strategy to address the deeper foundation for US interests in the Middle East. This likely means pushing forward with his hardline counter-Houthi policies. 

A recent Wall Street Journal report cited officials on Trump’s transition team who say they intend to enforce current sanctions and impose new ones on the group, including redesignating the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization and banning countries from buying Iranian oil. 

The mere prospect of Trump returning to the White House next month appears to have already eased tensions in the critical maritime chokepoint.

New data from Goldman Sachs, citing global trade intelligence firm Kpler, shows a significant surge in oil flows via tankers over the past few weeks.

“Despite the market’s renewed focus on geopolitical supply risks, actual oil flows through the Red Sea have recovered over the last two weeks amidst continued setbacks to Iran and its proxies,” Goldman’s Ephraim Sutherland and Daan Struyven wrote in a note. 

The analysts noted, “We see significant downside to oil tanker freight rates and up to $3/bbl of downside to our refined product margin forecasts from a potential full unwind of the oil tanker Red Sea and Russia redirections.”

“The Houthis may have wound down their Red Sea disruptions for now, but let’s see how long it takes them to come up with more reasons to start back up again – renewed clashes in Gaza, a new “maximum pressure” campaign that targets the Houthis and what’s left of Iran’s stable of proxies, etc. We don’t rule out more targeted attacks against the US and Israeli assets in the region,” said Scott Modell, CEO of Rapidan Energy Advisors, about the Kpler data. 

So the question remains: Will de-escalation in the critical maritime chokepoint persist after Jan. 20? 

8. EMERGING MARKETS//AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND ISSUES//

INDIA

(Korybko)

The Indian Model Of Financial Multipolarity Is The Most Relevant For The Global South

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 11:25 PM

Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

Few can afford to be massively tariffed by the US, let alone sanctioned, and most aren’t willing to burn their bridges with the US for ideological reasons at the expense of their immediate economic interests…

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar clarified earlier this month that “India has never been for de-dollarization. Right now there is no proposal to have a BRICS currency. BRICS do discuss financial transactions, [but] the United States is our largest trade partner and we have no interest in weakening the dollar at all.” This was in response to Trump threatening to impose 100% tariffs on any country that de-dollarizes.

Here are three background briefings for those who haven’t followed this:

* 6 September 2024: “BRICS Membership Or Lack Thereof Isn’t Actually That Big Of A Deal”

* 1 November 2024: “Did The Latest BRICS Summit Achieve Anything Of Tangible Significance At All?”

* 2 December 2024: “Trump’s Threats Against BRICS Are Based On False Premises”

As the first explained, “BRICS can be compared to a Zoom conference: members actively participate in talks on financial multipolarity, partners observe their discussions in real time, and everyone else with an interest in them hears about the outcome afterwards.” The second one confirmed the veracity of this assessment after the last BRICS Summit had no tangible outcome other than a joint statement. And finally, the last reaffirms the preceding two’s insight, which corrects false perceptions about BRICS.

India is on pace to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, which requires continued flows of American investment and maintaining access to its enormous market. At the same time, however, it also wants to internationalize the rupee. That last-mentioned policy isn’t de-dollarization per se, but pragmatic and a form of hedging, so Trump shouldn’t be too perturbed. He’s also expected to have the most Indophilic administration in history that’ll be reluctant to sanction India anyhow.

The Indian way represents the model for other Global South countries to follow. Few can afford to be massively tariffed by the US, let alone sanctioned, and most aren’t willing to burn their bridges with the US for ideological reasons at the expense of their immediate economic interests. Furthermore, those that take this chance are making themselves dependent on someone else, namely China. Therefore, this policy comes at the expense of sovereignty, though it’s ironically supposed to strengthen such.

The middle ground between remaining trapped in the dollar system and experiencing its wrath after trying to liberate oneself is to gradually increase the use of one’s national currencies. In parallel with this, having access to alternative non-Western platforms like Chinese ones and whatever BRICS may or may not unveil can help, but they mustn’t become replacements. The goal is to diversify currencies and platforms, not replace one dependency with another, and it’ll take time implement.

Barring a black swan that completely revolutionizes the global financial system, the dollar will likely remain the world’s reserve currency, and Trump will take drastic action against China if it dares to unveil the so-called “petroyuan”. Those suppliers and clients who also decide to use it will face his fury as well. The “petroyuan” might therefore only remain a euphemism for China’s potential use of this currency in some of its bilateral energy deals while probably falling fall short of expectations in the medium-term.

The long term is too far out to forecast, but if the US keeps de-dollarization trends in check under Trump and institutionalizes the means that he’s expected to employ, then that’ll naturally have an adverse effect on internationalizing the yuan. At most, it might begin to be used more in bilateral trade deals too, but the US’ grand strategic goal is for the dollar to remain the currency of choice in energy deals. Internationalizing the ruble like Russia has done with its energy deals isn’t a threat to the dollar at all.

The only reason it even happened was because the US prohibited the use of dollars by others when purchasing Russian energy products, but curtailing and eventually even lifting these sanctions (as well as the associated one banning Russia’s use of SWIFT) could likely reverse this trend to a large degree. After all, it’s much more convenient for everyone to go back to the old order of business, though the US’ weaponization of the financial system since 2022 left an impression that’ll lead to continued hedging.

As “politically incorrect” as it may sound, China already complies with some of these same Western sanctions against Russia despite still officially criticizing them as hegemonic. This is proven by the Chinese-based BRICS New Development Bank and the SCO Bank suspending projects in Russia and not allowing the transfer of Russia’s dues respectively as proven here and here. RT also drew attention to Russia’s payment problems with China in early September, which were analyzed at length here.

It might therefore be unwise for any country to make itself dependent on China by promulgating radical de-dollarization policies since there’s no guarantee that the People’s Republic will have its back. The fact of the matter is that China’s complex interdependencies with the West are too deep, and this places major limits on its financial policymaking capabilities, thus explaining why it hasn’t fully supported Russia. This observation could lead to self-imposed restraints among aspiring de-dollarizing states.

No responsible country like India would feel comfortable fully returning to the former system so the increased use of national currencies and utilization of alternative platforms will persist into the future. So long as these trends remain manageable, and Trump is expected to do his utmost to this end, then no radical changes are expected anytime soon. Everything will continue moving more or less in the same direction, but at a gradual pace, and that’s best for the West and the Global South at this point in time.

END

CANADA

Trump Effect: Canada Bends The Knee, Puts $1.3 Billion Into Border Security After Tariff Threat

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 12:25 PM

While Canada’s government continues to implode, America’s apologetic neighbors have committed to spend $1.3 billion (US$913 million) over six years to beef up their border security, after President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports for allowing migrants and fentanyl to flow into America.

The funds will go towards Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Communications Security Establishment, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” according to a statement.

While not much is known about how the funds will be spent, around $81 million will go towards various border security measures before the end of March, before that amount triples annually by 2027, according to Global News.

The government provided no specifics of the plan today but has previously promised to expand the number of people, helicopters and drones assigned to monitor the border.

Over 23,000 migrants were apprehended by US Border Patrol in the 12-month period ending in October, more than double the previous year.

Canadian police say they have installed additional cameras and sensors in the same section of the border over the last four years, while Ottawa has previously promised to deploy more officers and technology to combat southbound border crossers.

That said, Canadian law enforcement officials say they are limited in what they can do – for now.

Meanwhile, the province of Alberta announced their own border patrol last week, though few migrants have crossed there.

YOUR EARLY CURRENCY/GOLD AND SILVER PRICING/ASIAN CLOSING MARKETS AND EUROPEAN BOURSE OPENING AND CLOSING/ INTEREST RATE SETTINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING 6;30AM//OPENING AND CLOSING

EURO VS USA DOLLAR:  1.0495 UP 8 BASIS PTS

USA/ YEN 153.72 UP 0.152 NOW TARGETS INTEREST RATE AT 1.00% AS IT WILL BUY UNLIMITED BONDS TO GETS TO THAT LEVEL…//YEN  STILL FALLS//END OF YEN CARRY TRADE BEGINS AGAIN OCT 2024/Bank of Japan raises rates by .15% to 1.15..UEDA ENDS HIKING RATES AND NOW CARRY TRADES RE INVENTS ITSELF//

GBP/USA 1.2707 DOWN .0004

USA/CAN DOLLAR:  1.4325 UP 0.015 (CDN DOLLAR DOWN 15 BASIS PTS)

 Last night Shanghai COMPOSITE CLOSED UP 2O.72 PTS OR 0.62%

 Hang Seng CLOSED UP 164.07 OR 0.83%

AUSTRALIA CLOSED DOWN 0.01%

 // EUROPEAN BOURSE:     ALL GREEN

Trading from Europe and ASIA

I) EUROPEAN BOURSES:  ALL GREEN

2/ CHINESE BOURSES / :Hang SENG CLOSED UP 164.07 PTS OR 0.83%

/SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 20.72 PTS OR 0.62%

AUSTRALIA BOURSE CLOSED DOWN 0.01%

(Nikkei (Japan) CLOSED DOWN 282.97 PTS OR 0.72%

INDIA’S SENSEX  IN THE RED

Gold very early morning trading: 2644.90

silver:$30.37

USA dollar index early WEDNESDAY  morning: 106.67 UP 2 BASIS POINTS FROM  TUESDAY’s CLOSE.

WEDNESDAY  MORNING NUMBERS ENDS

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And now your closing  WEDNESDAY NUMBERS 1: 30 AM

Portuguese 10 year bond yield: 2.713% DOWN 1 in basis point(s) yield

JAPANESE BOND YIELD: +1.059% DOWN 1 AND 6/ 10   BASIS POINTS /JAPAN losing control of its yield curve/

SPANISH 10 YR BOND YIELD: 2.931 UP 1 in basis points yield

ITALIAN 10 YR BOND YIELD 3.394 UP 1 points in basis points yield ./ THE ECB IS QE’ ING ITALIAN BONDS (BUYING ITALIAN BONDS/SELLING GERMAN BUNDS)

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD: 2.2395 UP 1 BASIS PTS

END

IMPORTANT CURRENCY CLOSES :  WEDNESDAY  

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

Euro/USA 1.0499 UP .0004 OR 4 basis points

USA/Japan: 153.80 UP 0.216 OR YEN IS DOWN 21 BASIS PTS//

Great Britain 10 YR RATE 4.6044UP 1 BASIS POINTS //

Canadian dollar UP .0005 OR 5 BASIS pts  to 1.4306

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The USA/Yuan,  CNY ON SHORE CLOSED DOWN 7.2959 (ON SHORE)  

THE USA/YUAN OFFSHORE:    (YUAN CLOSED (DOWN)…. (7.2962)

TURKISH LIRA:  35.01 EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LEVEL/DEATH WATCH/HYPERINFLATION TO BEGIN.//

the 10 yr Japanese bond yield  at +1.049

Your closing 10 yr US bond yield DOWN 2 in basis points from FRIDAY at  4.387% //trading well ABOVE the resistance level of 2.27-2.32%)

 USA 30 yr bond yield  4.5954 DOWN 0 in basis points  /11:00 AM

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD: 4.215 DOWN 2  BASIS PTS.

GOLD AT 11;00 AM 2638.80

SILVER AT 11;00: 30.24

Your  11:00 AM bourses for Europe and the Dow along with the USA dollar index closing and interest rates: WEDNESDAY CLOSING TIME 11:00 AM//

London: CLOSED UP 3.91 PTS OR 0.05%

German Dax :  CLOSED DOWN 3.80 OR 0.02%

Paris CAC CLOSED UP 18.92 PTS OR 0.26%

Spain IBEX CLOSED UP 29.80 OR 0.26%

Italian MIB: CLOSED UP 85.75 OR 0..25%

WTI Oil price  70.75 12 EST/

Brent Oil:  73.77 12:00 EST

USA /RUSSIAN ROUBLE ///   AT:  104.43 ROUBLE DOWN 0 AND  17/100      

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD; +2.2395 UP 1 BASIS PTS.

UK 10 YR YIELD: 4.604 UP 4 BASIS POINTS

CDN 10 YEAR RATE: 3.178 DOWN 7 BASIS PTS.

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 2.970 DOWN 2 BASIS PTS

CLOSING NUMBERS: 4 PM

Euro vs USA 1.0359 DOWN 0.0136 OR 136 BASIS POINTS

British Pound: 1.2575 DOWN 0.0135 OR 135 basis pts

BRITISH 10 YR GILT BOND YIELD:  4.5575 UP 0 BASIS PTS//

JAPAN 10 YR YIELD: 1.057

USA dollar vs Japanese Yen: 154.54 UP 0.961 BASIS PTS// HEADING FOR 160 TO THE DOLLAR

USA dollar vs Canadian dollar: 1.4426 UP 0.01161 CDN DOLLAR DOWN 76 BASIS PTS

West Texas intermediate oil: 70.22

Brent OIL:  72.93

USA 10 yr bond yield UP 12 BASIS pts to 4.502

USA 30 yr bond yield UP 7 BASIS PTS to 4.6490%

USA 2 YR BOND: UP 11 PTS AT  4.354

CDN 10 YR RATE 3.247 UP 7 BASIS PTS

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 3.066 UP 8 BASIS PTS

USA dollar index: 107.86 UP 120 BASIS POINTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 3.504 GETTING QUITE CLOSE TO BLOWING UP/

USA DOLLAR VS RUSSIA//// ROUBLE:  104.68 DOWN 0 AND  8/100 roubles

GOLD  2,598.00 3:30 PM

SILVER: 29.61 3:30 PM

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE: DOWN 1,123.03 PTS OR 2.58%

NASDAQ DOWN 781.77 PTS OR 3.60%

VOLATILITY INDEX: 23.31 UP 7.44 PTS OR 46.80%

GLD: $239.26 DOWN 4.68 OR .192%

SLV/ $26.85 DOWN 0.96 OR 3.45%

TORONTO STOCK INDEX// TSX INDEX: DOWN 542.77 PTS OR 2.16%

end

USA AFFAIRS

Trump-Dump: Markets Plunge As Post-Election Powell “Unexpectedly” Turns Ultra Hawkish

Watch Live: Fed Chair Powell Explains Why He Cut Rates Again As Inflation Data Surges

by Tyler Durden

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 02:25 PM

This should be good…

How is Fed Chair Powell going to explain why The Fed just cut rates AGAIN, despite inflation and growth (hard data) surprising dramatically to the upside? (with one dissent seeing sense and urging no cuts).

…and if they claim that “rates are still restrictive” – show them this… financial conditions are at their loosest since before The Fed started hiking rates…

Still we are sure that Powell will find a way to navigate the ‘tough’ questions from various economics reporters, leveraging the hawkish adjustments to the dots and inflation forecasts…

With Trump at the helm again, we wonder just how committed to the rate-cutting cycle Powell and his pals really are now – especially since they appear to have decided that Trump’s policies will be inflationary.

…so rate-cuts were transitory too?

Watch Fed Chair Powell live here (due to start at 1430ET):

USA TRADING TODAY CLOSING//FOMC

Hawkish Fed Cut Rates As Expected; Signals Dramatically Less Aggressive Rate-Cut Cycle

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 02:05 PM

Since the last FOMC meeting – on November 7th – the dollar and stocks have rallied while gold and oil have lagged as the dollar flatlined (amid significant volatility on the way from various macro data surprises)…

Source: Bloomberg

Most notable is the fact that inflation data has dramatically surprised to the upside and ‘hard’ data (excluding sentiment/surveys) has also soared since The Fed started its rate-cutting cycle…

Source: Bloomberg

Bear in mind that financial conditions are at around the same ‘looseness’ or ‘easiness’ as they were before the Fed started the rate-hiking cycle…

Source: Bloomberg

The market is fully priced for a cut today but as the chart below shows, expectations for 2025 cuts have collapsed…

Source: Bloomberg

…prompting many to expect a so-called ‘hawkish cut’ today.

Fed members will also release a new Dot Plot today – we assume they will, as always, adjust towards the market which is currently dramatically more hawkish than the dots…

Source: Bloomberg

So what did The Fed do?

As expected and fully priced in, The Fed cut its benchmark rate by 25bps to 4.25%-4.50% target range.

The Fed also cut its overnight reverse repo facility rate from 4.55% to 4.25%.

Key highlights suggest The Fed is anything but on an automatic easing path…

• *FED TO ASSESS DATA REGARDING EXTENT, TIMING OF FUTURE MOVES
• *FED SAYS CLEVELAND’S HAMMACK DISSENTED IN FAVOR OF NO RATE CUT

The Fed’s dots spiked significantly (as we warned), catching up to the market’s more hawkish views:

Breaking that down historically, 2025 expectations surged (catching up to the two cuts priced in by the market – from over 6 cuts earlier in the year)…

…and 2026 rate expectations are now at a record high…

The Fed also hiked its inflation forecast:

• *FOMC MEDIAN 2025 PCE INFLATION FORECAST RISES TO 2.5% VS 2.1%

The Fed has clearly decided that Trump’s policies will be inflationary.

To summarize – The Fed expects lower unemployment than it did in September (barely above where it is now), dramatically higher inflation than it expected, and significantly higher rates.

There was nothing in the statement about QT – suggesting the pace of unwind will continue.

Now the question is – how will Powell spin this?

Read the redline of the statement below:

END

SPECIAL REPORT: Reaction To Today’s Federal Reserve Rate Cut Decision | Axel Merk

My notes on today’ news + a live discussion (with audience Q&A) at 5pmET

An hour ago, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee released the outcome of its meeting this week, cutting its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% as expected.

Its “dot plot” somewhat surprised, showing that the pace of future rate cuts is expected to be slower than the market was expecting:

And just a few minutes ago, Fed Chair Jerome Powell just wrapped up his press conference related to this release — and the market did NOT like what it heard.

The S&P (so far) has fallen over 2.5%.

My bullet-point notes to Powell’s conference are below.

And I’m also happy to announce that Fed-watcher Axel Merk is joining us again to deliver his expert reaction to the Fed’s latest guidance as well as take your questions live.

This live event with Axel will take place today at 5pmET/2pmPT and can be accessed via this link or by clicking on the image below:

If you missed the event while it was happening, clicking on the above link/image should take you to a replay.

Here are the key points I captured from Jerome Powell’s press conference:

POWELL’S PREPARED REMARKS

• The Fed remains squarely focused on dual its mandate
• The economy is “strong” & has made good progress towards our goals
• The jobs market has cooled, but still remains “solid”
• Inflation continues to move towards our 2% target
• The FOMC lowered policy interest rate by 25bps, down 100bps from peak
• QT continuing
• Recent indicators suggest the economy is expanding at a solid pace: GDP rose at 2.8% in Q3, the same rate as Q2
• Growth in consumer spending ahs remained resilient and investment in equipment and intangibles has strengthened
• In contrast, housing sector is weak.
• Expects GDP to remain a solid 2% over the next few years
• The unemployment rate has risen, but still “low”
• Wages inflation has eased and jobs are more in balance. The labor market is not a source of inflationary pressure. The median unemployment rate is projected to be 4.2% by the end of 2024 and 4.3% over the next few years.
• Inflation has eased significantly but remains somewhat elevated compared to our 2% goal. Some key measures are rising.
• Surveys show inflation expectations are generally well-anchored. Total PCE is expected to be 2.4% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025, higher than expected in Sep. After that is should fall to our 2% objective.
• Sees dual mandate priorities as “in balance”
• Given our 100bps of cuts so far, we can be more cautious to further reducing our policy rate going forward
• We’re not on any pre-set course. We’ll be data dependent.
• 3.9% is median expected CPI at 2025 end and 3.4% at end of 2026. These are higher than before.
• We can react quickly to what future data tells us
• We lowered offering rate on RRP, but this is a technical move, don’t take this as a change in monetary policy
• We care about all Americans and everything we do is for their benefit

II USA DATA

III USA ECONOMIC NEWS

Trump Team Begins Back-Channel Talks With Mexico, El Salvador On Deportation Plans

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 06:00 PM

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has begun reaching out through back channels to the governments of Mexico and El Salvador to prepare for his mass deportation plan, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter. The conversations, which involve Trump advisers and informal intermediaries, are part of an effort to lay the groundwork for returning millions of undocumented immigrants as soon as Trump takes office.

While Trump has addressed migration broadly with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, his team has held more detailed discussions through intermediaries, including businesspeople, to ensure deportation plans can proceed swiftly, the people said on condition of anonymity.

“We’re already talking,” said Tom Homan, Trump’s designated “border czar,” during a November visit to Texas alongside Governor Greg Abbott. “We’re already planning. We’re going to put a plan in place and secure this nation at the highest levels ever seen.“

The Challenge of Deportations

Trump’s deportation push—aiming to target millions of undocumented immigrants, including over 1 million with final orders of removal—relies heavily on the cooperation of other countries. While Mexico and El Salvador have longstanding repatriation processes, Trump’s advisers acknowledge that reaching agreements with other governments, such as Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and China, will be far more challenging.

“Unless they can strike a deal with the governments of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua on deportations, it seems likely they will look for alternate destinations,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank. “That’s a really hard ask. If the Trump administration arrives just with a stick and no carrot, it’s going to be a tough negotiation.”

Trump addressed this difficulty Monday when asked about countries like Venezuela resisting deportation flights.

“They’ll take them back,” Trump said. “They’re all taking them back, yeah. And if they don’t, they’ll be met very harshly economically.”

Trump advisers involved in the outreach include incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, according to sources. Homan, while focused on domestic enforcement, has supported these efforts to build deportation infrastructure ahead of Trump’s January 20 inauguration.

Negotiations after Trump takes office are expected to be led by Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, and Christopher Landau, Trump’s former ambassador to Mexico who has been tapped as Rubio’s deputy.

The conversations with Mexico have included preparations for deporting Mexican nationals, but the Mexican government has been clear it won’t accept deportees from other countries. “Mexico’s Sheinbaum has said the nation is ready to welcome back its own citizens,” said a senior Mexican official, “but it won’t accept those from other countries.”

El Salvador presents a different dynamic. Trump’s family maintains a close relationship with President Nayib Bukele, whose administration has remained friendly with Trump allies. Donald Trump Jr. attended Bukele’s second inauguration in June, and Trump’s ambassador nominee for Mexico, Ronald Johnson, has kept in close contact with Bukele since serving as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador.

Focus on Immediate Enforcement

Trump’s deportation strategy will begin with targeting individuals already facing deportation orders. “The priority will be those with no legal basis to stay,” said a person familiar with the plans, pointing to undocumented immigrants who have either committed crimes or exhausted their appeals and asylum processes.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to requests for updated figures, but Migration Policy Institute data shows that Mexico has received more than 1.7 million deportees over the past decade—more than the next nine countries combined.

Homan and Trump’s advisers argue that aggressive early action will set the tone for enforcement. “The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s transition spokeswoman, said in a statement. “When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that.”

While Trump’s relationships with Mexico and El Salvador remain relatively stable, cooperation from other nations remains uncertain. Trump’s transition team recognizes that countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, which are often the origin points for migrants, have fraught diplomatic relations with the U.S. These nations rarely accept deportation flights, posing a major obstacle to Trump’s mass deportation plan.

IIIB USA COMMENTARIES RE ISRAEL/HAMAS WAR/ and  PERVASIVE ANTISEMITISM/WOKISM

end

iiiC USA COVID //VACCINE ISSUES/IMPORTANT MEDICAL ISSUES

END

FREIGHT ISSUES/USA/

END

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON OR NEWT GINGRICH/TUCKER CARLSON

END

TUCKER CARLSON INTERVIEWING

KING REPORT

SWAMP STORIES FOR YOU TONIGHT

(Turley)

The Danger Of White Knight Pardons: Biden Could Fundamentally Change Presidential Power

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 – 08:05 PM

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

Below is my column in the New York Post on the news reports that President Joe Biden is seriously considering preemptive pardons for political allies. In granting what I have called “White Knight pardons,” Biden would achieve more of a political than legal purpose. Democrats are worried about the collapsing narrative that President-elect Donald Trump will destroy democracy,  end future elections, and conduct sweeping arrests of everyone from journalists to homosexuals. That narrative, of course, ignores that we have a constitutional system of overlapping protections that has blocked such abuses for over two centuries. Ironically, preemptive pardons would do precisely what Biden suggests that he is deterring: create a dangerous immunity for presidents and their allies in committing criminal abuses.

Here is the column:

There are growing indications that President Joe Biden is about to fundamentally change the use of presidential pardons by granting “prospective” or “preemptive” pardons to political allies.

Despite repeated denials of President-elect Donald Trump that he is seeking retaliation against opponents and his statements that he wants “success [to be] my revenge,” Democratic politicians and pundits have called for up to thousands of such pardons.

While there is little threat of any viable prosecution of figures like the members of the January 6th Committee, the use of “White Knight pardons” offers obvious political benefits. After many liberals predicted the imminent collapse of democracy and that opponents would be rounded up in mass by the Trump Administration, they are now contemplating the nightmare that democracy might survive and that there will be no mass arrests.

The next best thing to a convenient collapse of democracy is a claim that Biden’s series of preemptive pardons averted it. It is enough to preserve the narrative in the face of a stable constitutional system . Indeed, Biden’s pardon list has replaced the usual Inauguration Ball lists as the “must-have” item this year. Pardon envy is sweeping over the Beltway as politicians and pundits push to be included on the list of presumptive Trump enemies.

The political stunt will come at a cost. Preemptive pardons could become the norm as presidents pardon whole categories of allies and even themselves to foreclose federal prosecutions. It can quickly become the norm in what I recently wrote about as our “age of rage.”

It will give presidents cover to wipe away any threat of prosecution for friends, donors, and associates. This can include self-pardons issued as implied condemnations of their political opponents. It could easily become the final act of every president to pardon himself and all of the members of his Administration. We would then have an effective immunity rule for outgoing parties in American politics.

Ironically, there is even less need for such preemptive pardons after the Supreme Court recognized that presidents are immune for many decisions made during their presidencies. Likewise, members have robust constitutional protections for their work under Article I, as do journalists and pundits under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

We have gone over two centuries without such blanket immunity. In my book The Indispensable Right, I discuss our periods of violent political strife and widespread arrests. Thomas Jefferson referred to John Adams’s Federalist government as “the reign of the witches.” Yet, even presidents in those poisonous times did not do what Joe Biden is now contemplating.

Moreover, presidential pardons have a checkered history, including presidents pardoning family members or political donors. Bill Clinton did both. Not surprisingly, Clinton last week attempted to add his own wife’s name to the sought-after Biden pardon list. He added, however, “I don’t think I should be giving public advice on the pardon power…It’s a very personal thing.”

That is precisely the point. The power was not created to be used for “very personal things,” like pardoning your half-brother and a fugitive Democratic donor on your last day in office.

Yet, despite that history, no president has seen fit to go as far as where Biden appears to be heading.

We have a constitutional system that allows for overlapping protections of individuals from abusive prosecutions and convictions. It does not always work as fast as we would want, but it has sustained the oldest and most stable constitutional system in history.

These figures would prefer to fundamentally change the use of the pardon power to maintain an apocalyptic narrative that was clearly rejected by the public in this election. If you cannot prove the existence of the widely touted Trump enemies list, a Biden pardon list is the next best thing.

After years of lying to the American people about the influence-peddling scandal and promising not to consider a pardon for his son, Biden would end his legacy with the ultimate dishonesty: converting pardons into virtual party favors.

In doing so, he has ironically lowered the standard and expectations for his successors. Joe Biden has become the president that Richard Nixon only imagined. He would establish with utter clarity that this power is not presidential, but personal and political . . . and many in the Beltway are waiting to give him a standing ovation.

*  *  *

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”

end

Pork City: Johnson Tries To Ram Through Insane Funding Package

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 10:10 AM

Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-LA), has unveiled a 1,547-page government funding bill that has Republicans seeing red – and not just because of the looming Friday midnight shutdown deadline. Packed with disaster relief, farmer aid, and a Christmas stocking full of legislative surprises, the short-term spending bill has set off a firestorm within Johnson’s own party.

The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), keeps the federal government funded through March 14, buying Congress a little breathing room. But in classic Capitol Hill fashion, the measure is loaded with provisions unrelated to basic spending – and House conservatives are furious, according to Punchbowl News.

For example, as X user @TexasLindsay_ notes:

The 1,547 page federal spending bill has so many outrageous things in it, it’s hard to know where to begin – but it without a doubt should NOT pass as-is. But a great example of why we need @doge  more than ever to reel in the governments insane spending & redundancies.

Highlights:

1. $8 BILLION—For Emergency Relief for damage caused by a cargo ship to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD and 20 surrounding counties, including reconstruction of the bridge.

2. A section regarding our health agencies – has a lot of red flags – and appears to aim to limit what the new HHS Secretary (@RobertKennedyJr) can and cannot do:

“The Secretary may not revise the Vaccine Injury Table to include a vaccine for which the Centers for Disease Control &!Prevention has issued a recommendation for routine use in children or pregnant women until at least one application for such vaccine has been approved… Upon such revision of the Vaccine Injury Table, all vaccines in a vaccine category on the Vaccine Injury Table, including vaccines authorized under emergency use… shall be considered included in the Vaceine Injury Table and they also added “CLARIFICATION—Notwithstanding… an injury or death related to a vaceine administered at a time when the vaccine was a covered countermeasure subject to a declaration under section 319F-3(b) SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION under the Program.”

3. Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk & Resilience  Budget simply struck through their previous budget amount and just doubled their budgets across the board and updated the year(s)—because why not just double it.

From the bill:
—in paragraph (4), by strike: “$5,000,000′ and inserting “$10,000,000′;
—in paragraph (5) strike “$10,000,000′ and insert “$20,000,000′;
—in paragraph (6)—strike “$25,000,000′ and insert “$50,000,000”; & strike “2020 and 2021” and inserting “2026 and 2027”.

4. $3.5 BILLION— For Capital Improvement & Maintenance [p. 81]

5. $2.5 BILLION—For Nat’l Forest Maintenance, which designates $75,000,000 “for the construction or maintenance of shaded fuel breaks in the Pacific Regions” —a cool $75 mil for shady gas breaks.

6.  The Department of Commerce added language that will make them exempt from the “Freedom of Information Act” [p. 269]

(A federally funded government agency—especially one overseeing Commerce should not be granted exemption from public transparency via FOIA. Unacceptable.)

7. $30.7 BILLION—Ag Research: Various research projects, including many viewed as low priority/redundant with a need for scrutiny to improve efficiency.

8. $1.5 BILLION—Economic Development Admin: criticized for funding projects with low economic return or favoritism. (Orwellian title FTW)

More via Punchbowl:

• $100 billion in disaster relief for hurricane-hit states.
• $30 billion in economic assistance for farmers.
• Restrictions on U.S. capital investment in China, a win for GOP hawks wary of Beijing’s influence.
• A delay in the implementation of a “beneficial ownership” database meant to curb money laundering until 2026.
• The transfer of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia, clearing the way for a shiny new Washington Commanders stadium.
• The relocation of an Air National Guard fighter squadron from D.C. to Maryland.
• Even the American Music Tourism Act of 2024 got squeezed in.

GOP Hardliners Demand Concessions

Johnson’s problems began Tuesday, when he sounded out hardliners on the House Rules Committee – Reps. Chip Roy (TX), Thomas Massie (KY), and Ralph Norman (SC) – to gauge their support for the bill. Unsurprisingly, the trio demanded a price for their cooperation:

1. Adherence to the 72-hour rule to review the bill before voting.
2. Spending offsets to counter the new funding.
3. Restrictions on selling off border wall materials.

Johnson hasn’t agreed to these conditions, leaving him with little choice but to bring the CR to the floor under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage. A floor vote is expected Thursday, giving the Senate barely 24 hours to clear the bill before the clock strikes midnight Friday.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said he had “hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine,” but “this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man.“

“It’s silly to pretend this is just a skinny CR,” one GOP staffer told Punchbowl News. “It’s a three-month spending bill with ornaments hanging all over it.”

Meanwhile, conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) are fuming at the bill’s scope and the speaker’s handling of the process. And GOP moderates are frustrated by the party’s inability to settle on a clean solution. Johnson, for his part, has no easy out – having opted for neither a clean CR nor a comprehensive omnibus spending package, and instead delivering a stopgap bill stuffed with unrelated provisions. Some hardliners are already withholding public support for Johnson ahead of his January 3 re-election bid for speaker, signaling that his light-handed leadership style may be backfiring.

Even Elon Musk has weighed in, voicing his displeasure online.

Johnson has also pissed off the Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), over two trade programs: the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and a program granting duty-free access to U.S. markets for Haitian apparel exports. While Smith was close to a deal to extend both programs for five years, Johnson allowed the Haiti trade program into the CR while leaving AGOA on the cutting-room floor.

With the shutdown deadline looming, Johnson has little time to spare. The House is expected to vote on the bill Thursday, but with opposition mounting from conservatives, passage under suspension of the rules is far from certain. If Johnson can’t corral enough votes, the federal government risks shutting down just as lawmakers prepare to leave town for the Christmas holiday.

THEN

Johnson May Scrap Spending Package, Push ‘Clean’ Bill After Pork City Exposed

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 – 03:33 PM

Update (1335ET): Now things are getting interesting – as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is reportedly discussing a ‘plan B’ to fund the government as a ‘clean’ Continuing Resolution (CR) without $100 billion disaster aid and the below shitshow of swampy handouts and government overreach, Politico reports.

Democrats will of course throw a mega-tantrum, which makes Friday’s government shutdown more likely – though as you can see (as of this writing), the odds are currently at 14%.

Update (1308ET): The new spending package isn’t just riddled with pork as detailed below, it’s packed full of weaponized pork.

For starters, it gives the Global Engagement Center – the government’s censorship juggernaut, additional funding. ETCV

GREG HUNTER INTERVIEWING STEVE QUAYLE

Will Nuke False Flag Keep Trump Out of Office – Steve Quayle

Will Nuke False Flag Keep Trump Out of Office – Steve Quayle

usawatchdog.com/will-nuke-false-flag-keep-trump-out-of-office-steve-quayle/

By Greg Hunter On December 17, 2024 In Political Analysis2 Comments

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com

Renowned radio host, filmmaker, book author and archeological dig expert Steve Quayle is telling the public to brace themselves for the evil deeds that will be done to try to keep President Elect Donald Trump from taking office.  This includes a false flag nuke that will be blamed on Russia.  One side of government is trying to nuke America, and another side of government is trying to stop it.  This is what some say all the drone traffic is about.  Quayle explains, “A false flag is when you initiate an illegal act.  In this case, we are talking about the detonation of not only ‘dirty bombs’ but also nuclear warheads.  The rumors are there are active nuclear warheads. . . .They that hate Trump and want to literally destroy this country to save the majority of the Democrats and Republicans that appear to have an affinity for China.  That came out in the Australian News about how many US politicians are on the China payroll.”

Lots of crime and treason have been going on in Washington D.C., and it only got worse in the Biden Administration.  The so-called Swamp is scared.  Quayle says, “They are scared because of the revelation that President Elect Trump is sending public signals that he’s going to clean house. . . . The bottom line answer is if you have sold out to the Chinese. . . . Our government was in collusion with the Chinese.  We funded (CV19) gain of function experiments that resulted in the deaths of people who were vaccinated . . . and participated in the knowing and willing destruction of American citizens. . . . A top Communist Chinese Party member said . . . with our bioweapon, we defeated the United States. . . .They are afraid because they know what they are guilty of. . . . President Trump has the goods on them — there is evidence.”

Quayle says there is another government group who is working to stop any false flag. Quayle contends, “They are going to use everything in their bag of evil tricks, including false flag nuclear detonations.  The Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST) are good guys, and they are working tirelessly.  I have been blessed to talk to them behind the scenes.  They really want to stop this nuclear false flag,”

These people who are against Trump are both desperate and evil.  Quayle says, “They will do anything, including detonation of nuclear warheads in the US to stop Donald Trump.  These are soulless creatures. . . . Their sole purpose is to destroy mankind. . . . There is only one reason to provoke a nuclear war with Russia, and that is they don’t want Trump in office.  They are Luciferian, and they want a mass sacrifice of 250 million Americans.”

In closing, Quayle says to be on the lookout for the big lie coming in the future.  Quayle says, “The big lie is aliens created us . . . and there is no God. . .”

There is more in the 50-minute interview.

Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes one-on-one with Steve Quayle who talks about evil demons that will try a nuclear false flag detonation to stop Donald Trump from taking office for 12.17.24.

Go to Darkbags.com or Sat123.com.  Place your order on or before Sunday, December 22, and your items will arrive before Christmas.

After the Interview: 

Faraday beanies, blankets, crossbody bags, women’s handbags and bullet proof backpacks are just a few of the items that can help protect you from EMF and radiation 24/7.

Go to Darkbags.com or Sat123.com or call 1-941-841-0844.  Place your order on or before Sunday, December 22, and your items will arrive before Christmas. 

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY