GOLD CLOSED UP $17.80 TO $2687.90

SILVER CLOSED UP 17 CENTS TO $30.35

Gold ACCESS CLOSED $2692.75

Silver ACCESS CLOSED: $30.40

Bitcoin morning price:$94971 UP 2963 DOLLARS.

Bitcoin: afternoon price: $94,872 UP 3062 DOLLARS

Platinum price closing UP $1.85 TO $962.15

Palladium price; UP 17.35 TO $948.35

END

*CANADIAN GOLD: $3884.98 UP 39.90 CDN dollars per oz( * NEW ALL TIME HIGH 3,884.98 CDN DOLLARS PER OZ//JAN 10 2025)

*BRITISH GOLD: 2204.84 UP 34.14 Pounds per oz// *(NEW ALL TIME HIGH//CLOSING///2202.84 BRITISH POUNDS/OZ) JAN 10/2025

*EURO GOLD: 2,628 UP 35.22 Euros per oz //* (ALL TIME CLOSING HIGH: 2628.05 EUROS PER OZ/JAN 10 //.2025)

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END

EXCHANGE;

EXCHANGE: COMEX
CONTRACT: JANUARY 2025 COMEX 100 GOLD FUTURES
SETTLEMENT: 2,683.800000000 USD
INTENT DATE: 01/09/2025 DELIVERY DATE: 01/13/2025
FIRM ORG FIRM NAME ISSUED STOPPED

---

072 H GOLDMAN 3
118 C MACQUARIE FUT 454
118 H MACQUARIE FUT 39
190 H BMO CAPITAL 116
323 C HSBC 25
363 C WELLS FARGO SEC 1
435 H SCOTIA CAPITAL 25
624 H BOFA SECURITIES 292
657 C MORGAN STANLEY 1
661 C JP MORGAN 84 113
686 C STONEX FINANCIA 6 7
730 C PTG DIVISION SG 1
737 C ADVANTAGE 11 10

---

TOTAL: 594 594

JPMorgan stopped 113/574

GOLD: NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR JANUARY/2024. CONTRACT: 594 NOTICES FOR 59400 OZ  1.847 TONNES

total notices so far: 7232 contracts for 723200 Oz (22.494 tonnes)

FOR  JANUARY

SILVER NOTICES: 164 NOTICE(S) FILED FOR 820,000 OZ/

total number of notices filed so far this month : 1743 for 8.715 million oz

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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 UP $17.80 INVESTORS SWITCHING TO SPROTT PHYSICAL  (PHYS) INSTEAD OF THE FRAUDULENT GLD:

NO CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD:

INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.08 TONNES

SLV/

WITH NO SILVER AROUND AND SILVER UP $0.19 AT THE SLV: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV:

INVESTORS ARE SWITCHING SLV TO SPROTT’S PSLV.

CLOSING INVENTORY: 459.353 MILLION OZ

Let us have a look at the data for today

SILVER//OUTLINE

SILVER COMEX OI FELL BY A HUGE SIZED 917 CONTRACTS TO 150,926 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 TINY GAIN OF $0,08  IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX WITH RESPECT TO THURSDAY’S TRADING. WE HAD A HUGE GAIN OF 738 TOTAL CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES EVEN WITH OUR SMALL GAIN IN PRICE//THURSDAY’S TRADING.. WE HAD ZERO LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS ON THURSDAY COMEX TRADING AS THEY DESPERATELY TRIED TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS WHERE RAIDS ARE CALLED UPON AGAIN AND AGAIN TO QUELL MASSIVE DERIVATIVE LOSSES BY OUR BULLION BANKS AND TO STOP THE RISE IN SILVER’S PRICE. THEY FAILED WITH //THURSDAY PRICING WITH ZERO LONGS BEING KNOCKED OFF. DERIVATIVE LOSSES CONTINUE TO MOUNT. WE HAD ZERO T.A.S. LIQUIDATION THURSDAY BUT ANOTHER NEW MASSIVE T.A.S. ISSUANCE OF 1212 CONTRACTS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE CME AND THAT SIGNALS RED THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER RAID SHORTLY. WE HAD A MONSTER 1655 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE ACCOMPANIED BY OUR ILLUSTRIOUS HUMONGOUS 1212 CONTRACT T.A.S ISSUANCE WHICH WILL BE USED IN FUTURE TRADING AS THEY PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN OUR COMEX TRADING TRYING TO CONTAIN ANY SILVER PRICE RISE. IN ESSENCE WE GAINED A HUGE SIZED 738 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES DESPITE OUR TINY GAIN IN PRICE. WE HAD ZERO TAS LIQUIDATION THROUGHOUT THURSDAY’S COMEX SESSION

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 THURSDAY NIGHT: A HUMONGOUS 1212 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 ESPECIALLY WITH LAST MONDAY’S TRADING. 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 UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING THE PRICE OF SILVER DOWN (IT ROSE BY  $0.08) AND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY APPRECIABLE NET SILVER LONGS FROM THEIR PERCH AS DESPITE OUR TINY GAIN IN PRICE WE HAD A HUGE GAIN IN OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 738 CONTRACTS.

WE HAD A 1655 CONTRACT ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS) iiii) AN  INITIAL SILVER STANDING FOR COMEX SILVER MEASURING AT 8.110 MILLION OZ (FIRST DAY NOTICE) FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 540,000 OZ QUEUE JUMP//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 9.270 MILLION OZ

// STANDING FOR SILVER//JAN RISES TO 9.270 MILLION OZ 

WE HAD:

/ HUGE SIZED COMEX OI LOSS +// A MONSTER 1655 SIZED EFP ISSUANCE/ VI)  HUMONGOUS SIZED NUMBER OF  T.A.S. CONTRACT ISSUANCE 1212 CONTRACTS)/

 I AM NOW RECORDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN OI FROM PRELIMINARY TO FINAL: REMOVED 41 CONTRACTS.

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

TOTAL CONTRACTS for 6  DAYS, total 4965 contracts:   OR 24.825 MILLION OZ  (827 CONTRACTS PER DAY)

TOTAL EFP’S FOR THE MONTH SO FAR:  24.825 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: 132.54 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH WILL BE A HUMDINGER FOR ISSUANCE BUT ISSUANCE SLOWED DRAMATICALLY THESE PAST FIVE DAYS/// WILL NOT EXCEED MARCH 2022 RECORD OF 209 MILLION OZ

YEAR 2024 TOTAL: 1363.84 MILLION OR 1.363 BILLION OZ

JANUARY 2025: 24.825 MILLION OZ///

RESULT: WE HAD A HUGE SIZED DECREASE IN COMEX OI SILVER COMEX CONTRACTS OF 917  CONTRACTS DESPITE OUR TINY GAIN IN PRICE OF SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX//THURSDAY.,.  THE CME NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD A 1655 EFP ISSUANCE  CONTRACTS: 1655 ISSUED FOR MARCH 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  8.110 MILLION  OZ ON FIRST DAY NOTICE, FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 540,000 OZ

//NEW TOTAL STANDING FOR JAN ADVANCES TO 9.270 MILLION OZ 

WE HAVE A HUGE SIZED GAIN OF 738 OI CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES DESPITE OUR TINY  GAIN IN  PRICE…..THE TOTAL OF TAS INITIATED CONTRACTS TODAY: A HUMONGOUS 1212 CONTRACTS TRYING DESPERATELY TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE,//ZERO FRONT END OF THE TAS CONTRACTS WERE LIQUIDATED DURING THE THURSDAY COMEX SESSION BUT THEY STILL NEED THESE ISSUANCE FOR REPLENISHMENT FOR FUTURE TRADING /ANOTHER MONSTER TA.S. ISSUANCE//. NO NET LONG SPECULATORS WERE BURNED ON THURSDAY WITH THE TINY GAIN IN PRICE. 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 THURSDAY NIGHT   (1212) WILL BE PUT INTO “THE BANK” TO BE COLLUSIVELY USED AT A LATER DATE, NO DOUBT PRIOR TO TRUMP’S INAUGURATION.

WE HAD 164 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR 820,000 OZ

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

GOLD//OUTLINE

IN GOLD, THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST ROSE BY A STRONG SIZED 7887 OI CONTRACTS  TO 489,745 AND CLOSER TO THE RECORD (SET JAN 24/2020) AT 799,733  AND  PREVIOUS TO THAT: (SET JAN 6/2020) AT 797,110, BUT WE ARE NOW GETTING CLOSER TO OUR ALL TIME LOW OF 390,000 CONTRACTS.

THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI IN GOLD TODAY:  ADDED A HUGE SIZED 222 CONTRACTS//

WE HAD A STRONG SIZED INCREASE  IN COMEX OI (7887 CONTRACTS) OCCURRED WITH OUR  GAIN OF $13.85 IN PRICE THURSDAY. THE FRBNY SUPPLIED THE NECESSARY SHORT PAPER.. WE ALSO HAD A GOOD INITIAL STANDING IN GOLD TONNAGE FOR JAN AT 10.1331 TONNES  FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S MONSTER QUEUE JUMP OF 995 CONTRACTS OR 99,500 OZ TO WHICH WE ADD THE FIRST ISSUANCE FOR EXCHANGE FOR RISK CONTRACTS TOTALLING 1700 CONTRACTS OR 170,000 OZ (5.28775 TONNES) ISSUED JAN 6/2025 TO WHICH WE ADD JAN 8 EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF 150 CONTRACTS OR 15,000 OZ OR .4665 TONNES . NEW STANDING FOR JAN ADVANCES TO 25.866 TONNES (NORMAL DELIVERY) + 5.28775 TONNES EX FOR RISK/PRIOR + .4665 EX FOR RISK JAN 8 = 31.6193 TONNES

/NEW STANDING 31.6193 TONNES

/ ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITH OUR  $5.35 GAIN IN PRICE  WITH RESPECT TO THURSDAY’S COMEX ///. WE HAD A VERY STRONG GAIN OF 13,842 OI CONTRACTS (43.05 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 QUEUE JUMPING AND EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE.

E.F.P. ISSUANCE

THE CME RELEASED THE DATA FOR EFP ISSUANCE AND IT TOTALED A STRONG SIZED 5955 CONTRACTS:

The NEW COMEX OI FOR THE GOLD COMPLEX RESTS AT 489,745

IN ESSENCE WE HAVE A VERY STRONG SIZED INCREASE IN TOTAL CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 13,842 CONTRACTS  WITH 7887 CONTRACTS INCREASED AT THE COMEX// AND A STRONG SIZED 5955 EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL OI CONTRACT ISSUANCE WHICH NAVIGATED OVER TO LONDON. THUS TOTAL OI GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 13,842 CONTRACTS.. WE HAD THE FOLLOWING TAS CONTRACTS INITIATED (ISSUED): A MEGA HUMONGOUS SIZED AND CRIMINAL 31,585 CONTRACTS ISSUED.(THIS IS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE POST 30,000 T.A.S CONTRACT ISSUED BY THE CME.) WE HAD A ZERO LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S CONTRACTS WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE WEDNESDAY. MORE MONSTER ISSUANCE OF T.A.S IS NEEDED FOR REPLENISHMENT TO CARRY OUT ITS PRICE CONTAINMENT STRATEGY IN FUTURE TRADING (FUTURE RAIDS)

CALCULATIONS ON GAIN/LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES

WE HAD A STRONG SIZED ISSUANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS (5955 CONTRACTS) ACCOMPANYING THE STRONG SIZED INCREASE IN COMEX OI OF 7887 CONTRACTS/TOTAL GAIN FOR OUR THE TWO EXCHANGES: 13,620 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 JAN 10.1331 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 995 CONTRACTS OR 99,500 OZ (3.095 TONNES) TO WHICH WE ADD THAT CRAZY “DELIVERY” CALLED EXCHANGE FOR RISK JAN 8 OF .4665 TONNES TOGETHER WITH OUR EARLIER EX FOR RISK OF 5.2867 TONNES//// NEW STANDING FOR JAN ADVANCES TO:

25.866 TONNES NORMAL DELIVERY +

5.753 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ON OUR TWO OCCASIONS IN JANUARY (6TH AND 8TH )

EQUALS: 31.6193 TONNES

//NEW STANDING JAN: 31.6193 TONNES

 / 3) ZERO T.A.S. LIQUIDATION TRYING TO LOWER GOLD’S PRICE THURSDAY WITH ZERO SUCCESS IN REMOVING SPECULATOR LONGS, AS WE HAD A 1)  $13.85 PRICE GAIN, AND 2) ZERO NET LONG SPECS BEING CLIPPED AS WE HAD A TOTAL GAIN OF 13,842 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES. ALSO, 3)STICKY GOLD’S LONGS WERE REWARDED THURSDAY EVENING AS THEY EXERCISED EFP’S FROM LONDON TO TAKE DELIVERY OF BADLY NEEDED PHYSICAL.

  4)  STRONG SIZED COMEX OPEN INTEREST INCREASE 5)  STRONG ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL PAPER///MEGA HUMONGOUS T.A.S.  ISSUANCE: 31,585 T.A.S.CONTRACTS//

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

JAN

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

TOTAL EFP CONTRACTS ISSUED: 25,811 CONTRACTS OF 2,581,100 OZ OR 80.28 TONNES IN 6 TRADING DAY(S) AND THUS AVERAGING: 4301 EFP CONTRACTS PER TRADING DAY

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS TO THE  SIZE OF THESE EFP TRANSFERS :  THIS MONTH IN 6  TRADING DAY(S) IN  TONNES  80.28 TONNES

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

THUS EFP TRANSFERS REPRESENTS  80.28 DIVIDED BY 3550 x 100% TONNES = 2.26% 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 360.03 TONNES THIRD HIGHEST EVER RECORDED FOR EFP ISSUANCE

TOTAL 2024 YEAR.3,597.846

JAN. 80.28 TONNES

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 917 CONTRACTS OI  TO 150,967 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 3.20233EFP ISSUANCE 200 CONTRACTS

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

MAR 1655 and ALL OTHER MONTHS: ZERO. TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 1655 CONTRACTS. EFP’S GIVE OUR COMEX LONGS A FIAT BONUS PLUS A DELIVERABLE PRODUCT OVER IN LONDON.  IF WE TAKE THE COMEX OI GAIN OF 287  CONTRACTS AND ADD TO THE 1655 E.FP. ISSUED

WE OBTAIN A HUGE SIZED GAIN OF OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 738 CONTRACTS

THUS IN OUNCES, THE GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES  TOTALS A  HUGE 3.690 MILLION OZ OCCURRED DESPITE OUR TINY $0.08 GAIN  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/FRIDAY MORNING THURSDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED DOWN 42.87 PTS OR 1.33%

//Hang Seng CLOSED DOWN 176.60 PTS OR 0.90%

// Nikkei CLOSED DOWN 414.69 OR 1.05%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED DOWN 0.40%

//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED UP TO 7.3424 CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED UP TO 7.3424// Oil DOWN TO 76.62 dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN AT 79.63 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN EXCEPT GERMAN DAX

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

ASIA TRADING FRIDAY MORNING/THURSDAY  NIGHT

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 ROSE BY A STRONG SIZED 7887 CONTRACTS TO 489,745 WITH OUR GAIN  IN PRICE OF $13.85 WITH RESPECT TO THURSDAY’S TRADING. WE LOST ZERO NET LONGS WITH OUR PRICE GAIN FOR GOLD AS WE HAD ALSO, AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, A VERY STRONG NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUED (5955) . THE CME ISSUED ZERO EXCHANGE FOR RISK THIS EARLY FRIDAYMORNING

THUS IN TOTAL WE HAD A VERY STRONG GAIN ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 13,842 CONTRACTS WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE. OUR FRIENDLY PHYSICAL LONDON BOYS HAD ANOTHER FIELD DAY AGAIN ON THURSDAY NIGHT AS THEY WERE READY FOR THE FRBNY.S CONTINUED ORCHESTRATED TRADING AS THEY ABSORBED EVERYTHING IN SIGHT FROM THE DAILY ATTACKS WITH THE CONTINUAL LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS. LONDONERS EXERCISED THEIR BOUGHT CONTRACTS FOR PHYSICAL GOLD VIA THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ROUTE AND THANKED THE FRBNY FOR THE THOUGHTFULNESS.

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 ZERO T.A.S. LIQUIDATION DURING THE THURSDAY COMEX SESSION. WE HAD A HUMONGOUS 31,585 T.A.S. ISSUANCE THURSDAY NIGHT.THIS IS THE 2ND CONSECUTIVE 30,000 PLUS ISSUANCE

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 WAS 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, 203 AND 204 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!IT SURE LOOKS LIKE THE BIS HAS GIVEN THE FED ITS MARCHING ORDERS TO COVER ITS PHYSICAL GOLD SHORT AS TRUMP IS COMING INTO OFFICE IN 6 TRADING DAYS. TRUMP WOULD PROBABLY BE FURIOUS WITH THE FED IF IT FOUND OUT THAT THEY (FRBNY) HAS BEEN MANIPULATING THE GOLD MARKET FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.

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.

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 THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER 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. AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, WE HAD ANOTHER HUGE QUEUE JUMPING SESSION TODAY.

EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE

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

THAT IS A STRONG SIZED 5955 EFP CONTRACTS WERE ISSUED: :  /FEB  5955 & ZERO FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS:

TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 5955 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 VERY STRONG SIZED TOTAL OF 13,842 CONTRACTS IN THAT 5955 CONTRACT LONGS WERE TRANSFERRED AS EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS TO LONDON AND WE HAD A VERY STRONG SIZED GAIN OF 7887 COMEX  CONTRACTS..AND THIS STRONG GAIN  ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES HAPPENED WITH OUR HUGE GAIN IN PRICE OF $13.85 THURSDAY// COMEX. THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS WILL BE USED BY CENTRAL BANKS, TO EXERCISE FOR PHYSICAL GOLD AT THE COMEX AS MENTIONED  ABOVE.

T.A.S. ISSUANCE

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 THURSDAY NIGHT WAS A MEGA HUMONGOUS SIZED SIZED 31,585 CONTRACTS, AS THE FED(FRBNY) CALLED FOR THE FED-MOBILE AS THESE WILL BE USED TO ORCHESTRATE A MASSIVE RAID BEFORE THE TRUMP-MOBILE TAKES OFFICE.. ALMOST ALL OF THE TRADING AND SUPPLY OF CONTRACTS  HAVE BEEN ORCHESTRATED BY GOVERNMENT (FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK).

MECHANICS OF T.A.S CONTRACTS

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 DEC. 27, 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. THIS WAS COUPLED WITH THE LIQUIDATION OF CALENDAR SPREADERS . THE USE OF OUR TWO SPREADER MECHANISMS WERE OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO OUR CROOKS IN LATE DECEMBER’S OPTIONS EXPIRY TRADING. T.A.S. LIQUIDATION WAS EVIDENT IN LAST MONDAY’S COMEX TRADING//RAID. HOWEVER NOT TO BE UNDONE, THE CROOKS ISSUED ANOTHER MONSTER 31,585 T.A.S CONTRACTS. THIS IS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE POST 30,000 CONTRACT ISSUANCE. THIS T.A.S. ISSUANCE WILL BE USED IN OUR NEXT RAID IN GOLD TRADING NO DOUBT BEFORE TRUMP’S INAUGURATION AS THE FED MUST REDUCE ITS MASSIVE PHYSICAL GOLD SHORT OF 82 TONNES. WE HAD ZERO T.A.S. LIQUIDATION WITH RESPECT TO THURSDAY’S COMEX TRADING.

STANDING FOR GOLD FOR THE PAST 4 PLUS YEARS:

// WE HAVE A STRONG AMOUNT OF GOLD TONNAGE STANDING:   JAN (31.6193 TONNES) WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR  NON ACTIVE JAN DELIVERY MONTH.

JANUARY: 10.1331 TONNES

HERE ARE THE AMOUNTS THAT STOOD FOR DELIVERY IN THE PRECEDING 50 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: 80.4230 TONNES PLUS DEC MONTH EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTAL 14.6836 TONNES  EQUALS 95.1066 TONNES

total year 2024: 540.30 tonnes

January 2025: 25.866 TONNES + 5.753 EX FOR RISK/PRIOR = 31.6193 TONNES

COMEX GOLD TRADING

THE SPECS/HFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOWERING GOLD’S PRICE( IT ROSE BY $13.85/)//AND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY NET SPECULATOR LONGS AS WE DID HAVE A VERY STRONG GAIN IN OUR TWO EXCHANGES. AS EXPLAINED ABOVE WE HAD ZERO T.A.S. SPREADER LIQUIDATION THURSDAY BUT DID HAVE A MONSTER ISSUANCE OF T.A.S. OF 31,585 CONTRACTS.

THE CROOKS COULD NOT STOP CENTRAL BANK LONGS, SEIZING THE MOMENT, THEY EXERCISED AGAIN FOR PHYSICAL IN A BIG WAY TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL THURSDAY EVENING.

EXCHANGE FOR RISK EXPLANATION/DECEMBER TRADING AND NOW JANUARY!!

38 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 (DEC 13) 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”. THIS BRINGS US TO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING DEC 21 WHERE TO MY SHOCK AGAIN WE HAD OUR 6TH ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTALLING 1300 CONTRACTS FOR AN ASTOUNDING 4.043 TONNES. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL ISSUANCE FOR THE MONTH OF DEC TO 14.6836 TONNES. THE COMEX IS TOTALLY SHATTERED TO PIECES.

WE NOW BEGIN OUR NEW MONTH OF JANUARY AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE CROOKS ISSUED ANOTHER MONSTER 1700 CONTRACTS FOR EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTALLING 170,000 OZ OR 5.28775 TONNES ON MONDAY JAN 6/2025. THEN TO MY HORROR, THEY ISSUED THEIR SECOND EXCHANGE FOR RISK ON JAN 8, TOTALLING 150 CONTRACTS FOR 15000 OZ OR .4665 TONNES. THIS TONNAGE WILL BE ADDED TO THE FIRST ISSUANCE. THUS TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE FOR JANUARY: 5.7533 TONNES

TOTAL DELIVERIES JANUARY TRADING

WE HAVE GAINED A TOTAL OF 42.363 PAPER TONNES FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES, ACCOMPANYING OUR INITIAL  GOLD TONNAGE STANDING FOR JAN (10.133TONNES) ON FIRST DAY NOTICE FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S MONSTER QUEUE JUMP OF 995 CONTRACTS OR 99500 OZ (3.095 TONNES) TO WHICH WE MUST ADD OUR 5.7533 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE WHERE THE BUYERS ASSUMES THE RISK FOR DELIVERY.(ISSUED JAN 6/2025 AND JAN 8).. THIS IS ,OF COURSE, AGAINST ALL RULES OF THE COMEX AS IT IS MEANT TO DECEIVE US. IT IS TOTALLY INSANE FOR A BUYER TO ASSUME RISK OF DELIVERY.

NEW STANDING FOR JAN: 25.866 TONNES + 5.753 TONNES EX FOR RISK/PRIOR = 31.6193 TONNES (WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR VERY ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH)

ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE OUR STRONG GAIN IN PRICE  TO THE TUNE OF $13.85

WE HAD 222 CONTRACTS ADDED TO THE  COMEX TRADES TO OPEN INTEREST (CROOKS)//PRELIMINARY TO FINAL. AND THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE AS WELL

NET GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES 13,842 CONTRACTS OR 1,384,200 OZ (43.050 TONNES)

confirmed volume THURSDAY 220,269 contracts: FAIR ////nobody wishes to play with the crooks

//speculators have left the gold arena

END

/ /// THE JAN 2025 GOLD CONTRACT

JAN 10

INITIAL

Gold	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers Inventory in oz	nil
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory in oz	.     4828.293 OZ Brinks enhanced 12 London Good Delivery bars.
Deposit to the Dealer Inventory in oz	NIL
Deposits to the Customer Inventory, in oz	32,151.000 Brinks 1000 kilobars ii) Into HSBC 96,453.000 oz 3,000 kilobars) iii) Into Loomis; 32,151.000 oz 1000 kilobars total deposit 160,755.000oz 5000 kilobars or 5.0 tonnes
No of oz served (contracts) today	594 notice(s) 59,400 OZ 1.847 TONNES
No of oz to be served (notices)	1084 contracts    108400 OZ 3.371 TONNES
Total monthly oz gold served (contracts) so far this month	7232 notices 723,200 oz 22.494 TONNES
Total accumulative withdrawals of gold from the Dealers inventory this month	NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of gold from the Customer inventory this month	x

dealer deposits: 0

total dealer deposits: 

we have 3 customer deposit

i) Into Brinks: 32,151.000 oz
(1000 kilobars)

ii) Into HSBC 96,453.000 oz
3,000 kilobars)

iii) Into Loomis; 32,151.000 oz
1000 kilobars


total deposit 160,755.000oz
5000 kilobars or 5.0 tonnes

withdrawals: 1

Out of Brinks enhanced

i) 4828.293 OZ Brinks enhanced
(12 London Good Delivery bars.)

adjustments:2

a) dealer to customer Brinks 32,118.849 oz 999 kilobars

b) adjustment customer to dealer JPM 160,690.699 oz

4998 KILOBARS

total transfer: 5997 kilobars or approx 6.0 tonnes.

thus basically what comes into eligible is transferred to dealer accounts and then out.

CALCULATIONS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR JAN.

For the front month of JAN: we have an oi of 1678 contracts having LOST ONLY 7 contracts. We had a strong 1002 contract issuance on THURSDAY. Thus ANOTHER MONSTER QUEUE JUMP (GAIN) of 995 contracts on our two exchanges. (99,500 oz or 3.095 tonnes). THIS IS CENTRAL BANKERS STANDING FOR PHYSICAL GOLD.

FEBRUARY LOST 4753 CONTRACTS TO 312,769 AS IT BEGINS ITS COUNTDOWN BEFORE FIRST DAY NOTICE.

MARCH HAD A GAIN OF 1675 CONTRACTS UP TO 2244

APRIL HAD A GAIN OF 10,943 CONTRACTS UP TO 107,027 CONTRACTS

We had 594 contracts filed for today representing 59400 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 84 notices issued from their client or customer account. The total of all issuance by all participants equate to 594 contract(s) of which 0  notices were stopped (received) by  j.P. Morgan dealer and 113 notice(s) was (were) stopped  (received) by J.P.Morgan//customer account   

To calculate the INITIAL total number of gold ounces standing for JAN /2025. contract month, we take the total number of notices filed so far for the month (7232 x 100 oz ) to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of  JAN(1678 CONTRACTS)  minus the number of notices served upon today  (594 x 100 oz per contract) equals  831,600 OZ  OR 25.866 TONNES. to which we add those criminal exchange for risk issuance of .4665 TONNES (JAN 8) AND 5.28775 tonnes/JAN 6//TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK = 5.753 TONNES. THUS NEW STANDING FOR GOLD AT THE COMEX FOR JAN IS 25.866 TONNES PLUS 5.753 TONNES EX FOR RISK = 31.6193 TONNES

thus the INITIAL standings for gold for the JAN contract month:  No of notices filed so far (7232 x 100 oz +we add the difference for front month of JAN (1678 OI} minus the number of notices served upon today (594 x 100 oz which equals  831,600 oz (25.866 TONNES) + 5.753 tonnes ex for risk ( JAN 6 AND 8TH) = 31.6193 tonnes

TOTAL COMEX GOLD STANDING FOR JAN.: 31.6193 TONNES WHICH IS HUGE FOR THIS  NON ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH IN THE CALENDAR. 

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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: 2,149,310.301  oz 66.85 tonnes

TOTAL OF ALL GOLD ELIGIBLE AND REGISTERED GOLD: 22,404,287.715 OZ  

TOTAL REGISTERED GOLD 9,444,332.747 oz or 293.758 tonnes

TOTAL OF ALL ELIGIBLE GOLD: 12,959,954.968 OZ  

REGISTERED GOLD THAT CAN BE SERVED UPON: 7,295,022 oz (REG GOLD- PLEDGED GOLD)= 226.905 tonnes //

JPMorgan enhanced inventory is 3.511 million oz

END

SILVER/COMEX

JAN 10. 2025

INITIAL

//2025// THE JAN 2025  SILVER CONTRACT//INITIAL

Silver	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers Inventory	NIL oz
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory	0 .
Deposits to the Dealer Inventory	NIL
Deposits to the Customer Inventory	i) Into CNT 599,318.480. oz ii) Into Loomis: 949,244.000 oz total deposit 1,548,562.480 oz
No of oz served today (contracts)	164 CONTRACT(S)    (820,000 OZ)
No of oz to be served (notices)	97 contracts  (0.485 MILLION oz)
Total monthly oz silver served (contracts)	1743 Contracts  (8.715 million oz)
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Dealers inventory this month	NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Customer inventory this month

i)  0 dealer  deposit/

total dealer deposit : nil oz

i) We had  0 dealer withdrawal

total dealer withdrawals: 0 oz

deposits:2

i) Into CNT 599,318.480. oz
ii) Into Loomis: 949,244.000 oz

total deposit 1,548,562.480 oz

WITHDRAWALS

nil

total withdrawal: nil oz

ADJUSTMENT nil

CUSTOMER ACCOUNT TO DEALER CNT: 161,674.020 OZ

JPMorgan has a total silver weight: 135.532million oz/324,448million  or 41.76%

TOTAL REGISTERED SILVER: 73.611 MILLION OZ//.TOTAL REG + ELIGIBLE. 324.448 million oz

CALCULATIONS FOR THE NEW STANDING FOR SILVER FOR JANUARY

silver open interest data:

FRONT MONTH OF JAN /2024 OI: 275 OPEN INTEREST FOR A MONSTER GAIN OF 143 CONTRACT(S).

WE HAD 35 CONTRACT ISSUANCE ON THURSDAY. THUS WE GAINED A HUGE 108 CONTRACTS, THAT IS WE HAD A 108 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP FOR 540,000 OZ AS THESE BOYS WILL TRY THEIR LUCK FINDING SILVER OVER ON THIS SIDE OF THE POND.

FEBRUARY SAW A GAIN 0F 160 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 905

MARCH SAW A LOSS OF 1218 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 117,999

TOTAL NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR TODAY: 164 for 820,000 oz

CONFIRMED volume; ON THURSDAY 44,347 awful//

To calculate the number of silver ounces that will stand for delivery in JAN we take the total number of notices filed for the month so far at 1743x 5,000 oz = 8.715 MILLION oz 

to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of JAN (275) and the number of notices served upon today (164)x (5000 oz)

Thus the  standings for silver for the JAN 2025 contract month:  1743 Notices served so far) x 5000 oz + OI for the front month of JAN(275) minus number of notices served upon today (164)x 5000 oz equals silver standing for the JAN contract month equating to 9.270 MILLION OZ. 

 New total standing: 9.270 million oz.

There are 73.242 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//

JAN 10  WITH GOLD UP $17.80 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.44 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.08 TONNES

 JAN 9  WITH GOLD UP $13.85 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.44 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.08 TONNES

JAN 8  WITH GOLD UP $5.35 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.44 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.08 TONNES

JAN 7  WITH GOLD DOWN $14.50 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

JAN 6  WITH GOLD DOWN $4.90 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

JAN 3  WITH GOLD DOWN $14.00 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

JAN 2  WITH GOLD UP $29.40 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

 DEC  31  WITH GOLD UP $20.60 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

DEC  30  WITH GOLD DOWN $11.95 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 0.28 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD : ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

DEC  27  WITH GOLD DOWN $17.10 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.15 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD : ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.80 TONNES

DEC  26  WITH GOLD UP $17.55 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: : ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 873.95 TONNES

DEC  24  WITH GOLD UP $6.10 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.45 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD. / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 873.95 TONNES

 DEC  23  WITH GOLD DOWN $13,75 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A DEPOSIT OF 16.66 TONNES OF GOLD VAPOUR GOLD INTO THE GLD. / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 877.40 TONNES

DEC  20  WITH GOLD UP $29,75 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.16 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD. / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 860.74 TONNES

 DEC  19  WITH GOLD DOWN $45.00 ON THE DAY; SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF .29 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD. / // : .///INVENTORY RESTS AT 863.90 TONNES

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

GLD INVENTORY: 871.08 TONNES, TONIGHTS TOTAL

SILVER

JAN 10 WITH SILVER UP $0.19 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.484 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 459,353 MILLION OZ

JAN 9 WITH SILVER UP $0.08 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.484 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 459,353 MILLION OZ

 JAN 8 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.01 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.484 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.837 MILLION OZ

 JAN 7 WITH SILVER UP 48 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 1.709 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.837 MILLION OZ

JAN 6 WITH SILVER UP 38 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 1.709 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.837 MILLION OZ

JAN 3 WITH SILVER UP 17 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 1.709 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.837 MILLION OZ

JAN 2 WITH SILVER UP 45 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 1.616 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 462.128 MILLION OZ

DEC 31 WITH SILVER DOWN 14 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 460.512 MILLION OZ

DEC 30 WITH SILVER DOWN 39 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: // A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.13 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 460.512 MILLION OZ

 DEC 27 WITH SILVER DOWN 24 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: // //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 461.651 MILLION OZ

 DEC 24 WITH SILVER UP 2 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.747 MILLION OZ

DEC 23 WITH SILVER UP 19 CENTS //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/////A DEPOSIT OF 6.15 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.747 MILLION OZ

DEC 20 WITH SILVER UP 43 CENTS //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/////A DEPOSIT OF 183,000 OZ INTO THE SLV //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 457.597 MILLION OZ

DEC 19 WITH SILVER DOWN 25 CENTS //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV///// //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 457.414 MILLION OZ

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

CLOSING INVENTORY 459.353 MILLION OZ//

PHYSICAL GOLD/SILVER COMMENTARIES

1/ PETER SCHIFF/SCHIFF GOLD/MIKE MAHARRY

END

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

ALASDAIR MACLEOD…

Gold and silver firm on futures’ demand

In a shortened trading week, and against a global background of rising bond yields gold and silver have continued to edge higher. This is an important change in investment thinking.

Alasdair MacleodJan 9∙Paid

READ IN APP

Gold rose by $32 on the week to $2670, while silver rose by 21 cents to $30.12 on futures buying. Gold’s Open Interest rose by about 15,000 contracts while silver’s OI was marginally higher. Gold’s performance is remarkable in that it has been rising while global bond yields have also risen. Clearly, there is a shift in thinking taking place.

We are at an interesting juncture in credit markets, with a growing realisation that dollar interest rates are unlikely to fall much, if at all, and that they might even rise instead by the end of 2025. This logic comes with an appreciation that inflation under Trump’s avowed policies will continue to rise, or more accurately described, the purchasing power of the dollar will continue to decline.

The interest rate cat has been let out of the bag with dire consequences.

Whether the Fed will accept the need for higher interest rates is a good question. We can be sure that officials understand this problem more than they are generally given credit for. They will be aware that higher interest rates will lead to a bear market in equities, increasing bankruptcies in over-indebted businesses, mortgage difficulties in residential property, and increasing unemployment. This is not a good start to the second Trump presidency. While bond yields continue rising, the Fed is likely to sit on the fence which will underwrite a trend of higher gold prices, much to the displeasure of the new president.

However, markets are now likely to begin discounting higher rather than lower rates after Trump’s inauguration. As well as the obvious difficulties faced by the Fed, this change in expectations is killing the other major currencies. To illustrate the point, the chart below shows how gold priced in these currencies is rising, despite everyone thinking that it is still consolidating — which it is in dollars, having so far failed to challenge the late-October high.

While gold has risen by 28% since 1 January 2024, in sterling it has risen 33%, euros by 38%, and in yen by 44%. And currently, it is at new highs in euros and pounds, and not far off it in yen.

Remarkably, the investing public is simply not buying it!

The next chart is of global gold ETF holdings, reported by the World Gold Council in December to total 3,219 tonnes, nearly 700 tonnes below the October 2020 high point when gold was $650 lower.

The pickup since the low point last May has been only 131 tonnes, of which 77 tonnes has been North American demand. Asians have increased their holdings by 44.26 tonnes, and Australia and South Africa by 6.41 tonnes. Europe has increased its holdings by a paltry 2.8 tonnes to 1,288 representing 40% of the total. But the euro and sterling are particularly vulnerable, with potentially much further to fall against the dollar. Surely, it is a matter of not much time before Europeans realise that they should be buying gold.

It is important in the context of credit flows likely to move away from conventional and tech stocks due to the developing reassessment of interest rates. Led by some of the more prescient US investors who are already beginning to buy ETFs (reflected in the numbers above), there is nowhere else for investors to go other than cash on deposit, gold, or the mining stocks.

Keep in mind that out of total global bond and equity investments, somewhere between only 1/2%—3/4% is hedged into gold, telling us that when equities start declining the switch into gold for protection should be substantial in a market of extremely limited supply.

A further bullish development is China’s policy of easing rates, presumably due to an increase in savings at the expense of consumption. This makes gold even more attractive for Chinese household savers, faced by a weakening yuan.

END

JOHN RUBINO….

The UK’s Strange Collapse

A domino capable of knocking down others

John RubinoJan 10

In theory, the UK dodged a bullet by withdrawing from the EU back in 2020. Once again in control of its borders and budgets, it had the chance to slow immigration to a manageable rate, rationalize its tax, spending, and regulatory regimes, and chart its own course as a free, wealthy financial center and mid-tier geopolitical power.

Instead, it behaved as if Brexit had never happened, nearly doubling immigration from 2019 levels:

Political chaos has ensued. The current government — installed only six months ago — has seen its disapproval rating spike to 63%.

Meanwhile, the UK continued to borrow unsustainable amounts of money, with public sector debt now approaching 100% of GDP:

Most baffling of all, it went full-frontal authoritarian, imposing draconian controls over speech both online and at the dinner table. Thousands of Britons are now in jail for memes and tweets.

Capital is Fleeing

Britain’s governance breakdown is causing a financial earthquake.

Millionaires (and presumably billionaires) are leaving for greener pastures …

Interest rates are spiking even faster than in the US …

And the pound is in freefall:

How Dangerous Is a Collapsing UK?

The UK’s financial and cultural suicide is not a global threat on the level of, say, Germany’s de-industrialization or Japan’s financial death spiral. But it is a $3 trillion economy. London remains a global financial center, and British culture, while less influential than in decades past, is still pervasive.

So yes, the UK’s financial/political crisis will matter to the rest of the world. It is, in short, a domino capable of knocking down others. And it’s falling hard as this post is written.

3. CHRIS POWELL AND GATA DISPATCHES

END

ANDREW MAGUIRE A MUST MUST VIEW…YOUTUBE/KINESIS LIVE FROM THE VAULT 205

/LIVE FROM THE VAULT 205

end

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

END 

end

6 CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS

END

ASIA TRADING FRIDAY MORNING  THURSDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED DOWN 42.87 PTS OR 1.33%

//Hang Seng CLOSED DOWN 176.60 PTS OR 0.90%

// Nikkei CLOSED DOWN 414.69 OR 1.05%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED DOWN 0.40%

//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED UP TO 7.3424 CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED UP TO 7.3424// Oil DOWN TO 76.62 dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN AT 79.63 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN EXCEPT GERMAN DAX

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

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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

ONSHORE YUAN:   CLOSED UP AT 7.3424

OFFSHORE YUAN: UP TO 7.3424

SHANGHAI CLOSED CLOSED DOWN 42.87 PTS OR 1.33%

HANG SENG CLOSED CLOSED DOWN 176.60 PTS OR 0.92%

2. Nikkei closed DOWN 414.69 PTS OR 1.05%

3. Europe stocks   SO FAR:  MOSTLY ALL MIXED

USA dollar INDEX UP TO  108.95 EURO RISES TO 1.0307 UP 10 BASIS PTS

3b Japan 10 YR bond yield: RISES TO. +1.204 Japan buying 100% of bond issuance)/Japanese YEN vs USA cross now at 157.98…… 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 UP /JAPANESE Yen UP CHINESE ONSHORE YUAN: UP OFFSHORE: UP

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 UP this morning

3h European bond buying continues to push yields lower on all fronts in the EMU. German 10yr bund YIELD UP TO +2.5615 Italian 10 Yr bond yield UP to 3.741 //SPAIN 10 YR BOND YIELD UP TO 3.249

3i Greek 10 year bond yield UP TO 3.366

3j Gold at $2681.95/Silver at: 30.61  1 am est) SILVER NEXT RESISTANCE LEVEL AT $50.00//AFTER 28.40

3k USA vs Russian rouble;// Russian rouble UP 0 AND 50/100  roubles/dollar; ROUBLE AT 101.75

3m oil into the 76 dollar handle for WTI and  79 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 157.98  10 YEAR YIELD AFTER FIRST BREAKING .54% LAST YEAR NOW EXCEEDS THAT LEVEL TO 1.204% 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 0.9133 as the Swiss Franc is still rising against most currencies. Euro vs SF:   0.9414 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: 4.697 UP 2 BASIS PTS…

USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 4.932 UP 2 BASIS PTS/

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD:  4.293 UP 3 BASIS PTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 35.41…

10 YR UK BOND YIELD: 4.8720 UP 7 PTS

10 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 3.388 UP 4 BASIS PTS

5 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 3.075 UP 3 PTS.

2a New York OPENING REPORT

Futures Fall As Jittery Traders Take Cover Ahead Of Payrolls

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 07:48 AM

US equity futures are lower as traders took a cautious stance ahead of US jobs data that will offer fresh insight on the state of the economy. As of 8:00am, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.2%, while in China stocks pushed toward a fresh bear market. Europe’s Stoxx 600 was little changed. Bond yields are largely unchanged, with the 10Y trading at 4.69%; while the week’s broad pullback in European government bonds persisted, pushing the yield on 10-year gilts remaining stuck near the highest level since 2008. Commodities are higher led by 2.3% gain in oil and 1.6% gain in aluminum. All eyes on NFP release today as equities continue to weigh on bond markets reaction. Consensus expects 165k jobs being added, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.2% (average hourly earnings are expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +4.0% YoY). In addition, Q4 earnings will begin today with DAL, STZ and WBA all reporting today. We will also receive the decision on TikTok’s SCOTUS hearing. Power utility Edison International and major US insurers slid in premarket trading as estimates of wildfire-related damages in Los Angeles soared.

In premarket trading, magnificent seven are trading modestly lower: Apple (AAPL) -0.2%, Nvidia (NVDA) -1%, Microsoft (MSFT) -0.1%, Alphabet (GOOGL) -0.3%, Amazon (AMZN) -0.3%, Meta Platforms (META) -0.4% and Tesla (TSLA) +0.1%. Allstate (ALL) falls 5%, down with insurance stocks, as analyst estimates of potential damages tied to the LA wild fires soar. Travelers (TRV) -4%, AIG (AIG) -3%. Southern California utility firm Edison International (EIX) slips 2% as the company is asked to preserve evidence in connection with the fires. Constellation Energy (CEG) climbs 6% after agreeing to acquire closely held Calpine Corp. for $16.4 billion to add scores of power generation assets across the US as the nation’s electricity demand is forecast to surge. Here are some more premarket movers:

• Delta Air Lines (DAL) rises 6% after beating Wall Street’s profit estimates for the final months of 2024, buoyed by gains in international and corporate travel.
• IGM Biosciences (IGMS) slumps 67% after the biotech halted the development of its Imvotamab and IGM-2644 treatments for autoimmune diseases.
• Joby Aviation (JOBY) slips 6% and Archer Aviation (ACHR) falls 3% as JPMorgan cut its rating on the pair, saying eVTOL stocks have been vastly outperforming the broader market.
• Microvast (MVST) rises 34% after announcing a milestone in the development of its true all-solid-state battery.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) rises 11% after posting quarterly results that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, easing pressure on the pharmacy chain as it mulls strategic options, including a sale.

Friday’s US nonfarm payrolls data is expected to show a slowdown in hiring (full preview here). Median estimates for the figures forecast that 165,000 jobs were added to the economy in December, which would mark a step down from November’s 227,000 advance, although the whisper number is at 183,000 while economists see a gain of 165,000. The unemployment rate is forecast to hold steady at 4.2% and average hourly earnings growth is seen cooling a touch from a month earlier.

“Given how quickly the Fed hawks have gained ground in recent weeks — and how much more investors are excited by dovish signals — the market’s reaction to soft data could outweigh its response to strong figures,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

Several Fed officials confirmed Thursday that the central bank will likely hold rates at current levels for an extended period and only cut when inflation meaningfully cools.

“The Fed is worried about the incoming administration,” Skyler Weinand, chief investment officer for Regan Capital, said on Bloomberg Television. The combination of the growing US fiscal deficit and a strong consumer could result in “higher interest rates for the next five to ten years,” he said.

A hectic week for UK assets is coming to an end with the pound close to its weakest since late 2023, falling 0.1% to $1.2291. UK 10- and 30-year bond yields jumped more than 20 basis points over the past five sessions, the most in a year. Concerns over the state of the UK’s stretched public finances combined with persistent inflation have fueled the week’s selloff and drew comparisons with a market meltdown two years ago that toppled Liz Truss’ administration.

European stocks are little changed, with utilities and retail stocks dropping the most while energy and auto stocks outperform. Here are the biggest movers Friday:

• Novo Nordisk shares climb as much as 1.1% after Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank analysts reaffirm their buy ratings on the stock — though trim their price targets following last month’s disappointing trial results
• Ambu shares rise as much as 18%, the most since February 2023, after the Danish medical equipment company reported better-than-expected preliminary revenue for the first quarter and boosted its outlook for the year
• Deutsche Telekom rises as much as 2.1% as UBS upgrades the stock to buy in a sector review  on account of its defensive qualities related to US expsure, calls recent pull-back a “buying opportunity”
• Clarkson shares rise as much as 9.3%, the most since November, after the shipping company said its annual results for 2024 will be slightly ahead of current market expectations
• Alliance Pharma shares rise as much as 39% after the consumer health care firm agrees to be bought by its largest shareholder in a deal valuing it at about £349.7 million
• E.ON falls as much as 3.6%, to the lowest level since October 2023, after BofA cut the stock to neutral from buy, saying December’s adverse court ruling in Germany undermined the potential for growth upgrades
• Traton shares fall as much as 6.4% in Frankfurt. Jefferies and BNP Paribas Exane analysts write that the German truckmaker hosted a pre-close call on Thursday
• Sainsbury shares drop as much as 2.8% after the supermarket chain reported third-quarter results. While analysts viewed the company’s grocery performance as solid, Citi noted that general merchandise was disappointing
• Ubisoft shares slide as much as 11% to the lowest levels since October, after the French video-game maker reduced guidance for fiscal 3Q net bookings, citing lower-than-expected sales from Star Wars Outlaws
• Serco shares drop as much as 3.1% after Jefferies downgrades the outsourcing services firm that is facing headwinds from immigration contracts and UK national insurance, with earnings momentum muted

Earlier in the session, Asian stocks headed for a weekly loss as cautious sentiment took hold with traders mulling the prospect of slower interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Chinese shares were set for a bear market. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped as much as 0.9%, with Fast Retailing among the biggest drags after results from the Japanese fashion retailer raised concern over a slowdown in its China business. Benchmarks in China and Japan led declines in the region. The MSCI China Index fell more than 1%, extending its decline from an October high to around 20%, as investors continued to stay on alert for the nation’s mounting deflationary pressure as well as external risks. “This year will actually be a pivotal year for stress testing China’s policy commitments,” Christy Tan, an investment strategist at Franklin Templeton said in a Bloomberg TV interview. At the same time, there are external headwinds ranging from potential risks of tariffs and sanctions on tech firms, which “set the stage for a lot more volatility.” Elsewhere, sentiment was cautious as Treasury yields rose further amid a dialing back of bets on the Fed’s monetary easing this year. A slowdown in Chinese growth and rising geopolitical risks are also keeping a lid on sentiment. The regional stock benchmark was set for an almost 2% drop this week.

In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index hovered near the highest level in over two years, while the broader FX market traded in a tight range. The yen is the best performing G-10 currency, rising 0.2% against the greenback after a report that said the Bank of Japan is likely to discuss raising their inflation outlook. The kiwi dollar is the weakest, falling 0.4%.  “Given the persistent strength of the USD lately, and heavy long positioning, I think the NFP’s impact will be asymmetric,” said Alvin T Tan, head of Asia FX strategy at RBC Capital Markets. “We will likely get a bigger downside reaction to weak US employment data than an upside reaction to strong data.”

In rates, treasuries held small losses in early US trading, trailing steeper declines in most European bond markets as crude oil holds a weather-related surge to three-month highs. US yields remain inside weekly ranges ahead of US December jobs report release at 8:30am New York time.  Front-end Treasury yields are higher by ~2bp with longer maturities little changed on the day, flattening the yield curve; 2s10s spread reached widest level since 2022 this week; 10-year is little changed around 4.695% with bunds and gilts in the sector cheaper by 1bp and 2bp.  UK government bond yields rose although not with the same velocity observed earlier this week and are still some distance below Thursday’s extremes –  30-year borrowing costs climb 2 bps to 5.40% having topped 5.47% at yesterday’s open. The pound also steadies around $1.23.

In commodities, oil rose to a three-month high after another contraction in US crude stockpiles, driven by frigid winter weather, reflected a tighter global market and helped push WTI crude oil as much as 3.8% higher.

On today’s economic calendar we get the December jobs report (8:30am) and January preliminary University of Michigan sentiment (10am). The Fed speaker slate includes Goolsbee at 10:04am, appearing on CNBC.

Market Snapshot

• S&P 500 futures down 0.3% to 5,940.25
• STOXX Europe 600 down 0.1% to 515.15
• MXAP down 0.8% to 177.97
• MXAPJ down 0.8% to 560.31
• Nikkei down 1.0% to 39,190.40
• Topix down 0.8% to 2,714.12
• Hang Seng Index down 0.9% to 19,064.29
• Shanghai Composite down 1.3% to 3,168.52
• Sensex down 0.4% to 77,291.45
• Australia S&P/ASX 200 down 0.4% to 8,294.07
• Kospi down 0.2% to 2,515.78
• German 10Y yield little changed at 2.59%
• Euro little changed at $1.0301
• Brent Futures up 2.1% to $78.56/bbl
• Gold spot up 0.5% to $2,680.31
• US Dollar Index little changed at 109.14

Top Overnight News

• US President Biden said the federal government will cover 100% of the disaster response costs for 180 days for California and noted that three major fires are still burning, while he added Congress will have to step up when they ask for more help on LA fires and that they will go back to Congress for more help on this.
• President-elect Donald Trump has pushed back his campaign pledge to end the war in Ukraine “24 hours” to several months, in a shift European partners have interpreted as a sign that his administration will not immediately abandon support for Kyiv. FT
• Kremlin says a meeting with Russian President Putin and US President-Elect Trump is being set up; no details yet.
• The PBOC will suspend buying government bonds, its latest attempt to temper investor bets on weak economic growth that have undermined the currency and sapped confidence among businesses and consumers. BBG
• China will adopt a proactive fiscal policy and speed up the implementation of pro-growth measures, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said. BBG
• BOJ policymakers will probably discuss raising their inflation outlook at their meeting later this month, people familiar said. That’s mainly due to surging rice prices and the depreciation of the yen since the last outlook report in October. BBG
• The ECB is considering pushing banks to use loan data from the region’s historic banking crisis when predicting future credit defaults, which may result in lower capital strength for some lenders. BBG
• Fed’s Bowman said the December rate cut should be the final one for the cycle as policy is near neutral while the disinflationary process seems to have stalled. NBC. Fed’s Schmid said the current policy rate is “near” neutral, signaling a reluctance to ease further. RTRS
• Scott Bessent’s confirmation hearing (scheduled for Thurs 1/16) will be a critical event for Treasuries as Trump’s Treasury Sec nominee is asked on the spending, tax, and tariff plans of the incoming administration. Politico
• December Payrolls Preview: Goldman estimates nonfarm payrolls rose by 125k in December, below consensus of +165k and the three-month average of +173k. Alternative measures of employment growth generally indicated a sequentially slower pace of job creation, and seasonal headwinds amount to roughly 50k. Goldman
• Apollo may take a $9.5 billion stake in the planned management buyout of Seven & i, people familiar said. The firm would join the Ito family and Itochu as key investors in what would be one of the largest buyouts on record, with total equity of ¥4 trillion ($25 billion). Seven & i shares rose. BBG

A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk

APAC stocks were mostly subdued in the absence of a lead from Wall St owing to the National Day of Mourning and as participants braced for US jobs data. ASX 200 was dragged lower by weakness in financials and consumer stocks, while Australian Household Spending data disappointed. Nikkei 225 retreated with heavy losses seen in index heavyweight Fast Retailing, despite a jump in Q1 profit, as its China operations suffered a decline in revenue and a sharp contraction in profits, while the better-than-expected Household Spending from Japan did little to spur risk appetite. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp conformed to the downbeat mood but with further downside stemmed after the announcement that the PBoC and China’s FX regulator will hold a briefing on financial support for the economy on January 14th, while heavy losses were seen in property developer Sunac China after it received a liquidation petition in Hong Kong.

Top Asian News

• BoJ said to be mulling the rate decision for January, according to Bloomberg sources; mulls upgrading core-core inflation forecasts for FY24 and FY25; said to be mulling raising inflation forecast amid JPY; no decision made on raising rates. Intends to wait until the very last moment before deciding on increasing rates.
• Chinese Finance Ministry official says will firmly ban new hidden debt and speed up the reform and transformation of LGFVs. Will extend policies of reducing social insurance rates and one-off employment subsidies for some people in 2025. Will roll out new measures to boost employment in sectors including culture, tourism and foreign trade.
• PBoC is to temporarily suspend purchases of government bonds in the market during January and may resume government bond trading depending on supply and demand, while the decision was made due to short supply of treasury bonds.
• China’s Vice Finance Minister says can expect more proactive fiscal policy in 2025, in terms of its strength, efficiency, and timing. Adds, fiscal policy has abundant policy room and tools. Will speed up fiscal spending in a bid to formulate actual spending and drive up more social investment. In front of new conditions and problems both domestically and externally, fiscal policy has abundant policy room and tools. Has relatively big room for the raising of debt and the deficit. To step up coordinated efforts between fiscal and monetary policy in 2025.
• Chinese economist warned against aggressive easing bets and said should avoid over-interpretation of moderately loose monetary policy in China, according to PBoC-backed Financial News.

European bourses opened with a slight negative bias, continuing the mostly subdued mood in APAC trade overnight. Since, trade has been choppy, briefly climbing into positive territory before once again dipping lower. European sectors hold a slight negative bias, and with the breadth of the market fairly narrow. Basic Resources tops the pile, propped by the continued strength in metals prices. Telecoms follows behind, with Media completing the top 3. Retail is underperforming today, hampered by post-earning losses in Sainsbury’s.

Top European News

• UK Chancellor Reeves is, according to The Times, planning a significant speech on growth in January and has asked ministers to draft concrete measures to bolster activity and to “cease anti-growth measures”.

FX

• USD is broadly steady vs. peers after advances in the JPY dragged DXY lower (see JPY section for details). Attention today is on the December US jobs report which is expected to see a slowdown in jobs growth to 160k from 227k and the unemployment rate hold steady at 4.2%. For now, DXY is tucked within yesterday’s 108.94-109.37 range with focus to the upside on the current YTD peak at 109.57.
• EUR is flat vs. the USD with fresh EZ-specific drivers on the light side and a 25bps rate cut by the ECB later this month near-enough fully priced by the market. EUR/USD has pivoted around the 1.03 mark in early trade in a 1.0282-1.0311 range.
• JPY the best performer across the majors following source reporting via Bloomberg suggesting that the BoJ is still mulling its rate decision for January and is mulling raising its inflation forecasts on account of JPY softening. As it stands, odds of a 25bps hike for the 24th January meeting are seen as a near coin-flip. The source reporting knocked USD/JPY back below the 158 mark with a current session trough at 157.63 which is just a touch above yesterday’s 157.57 base.
• GBP is unable to launch much of a recovery vs. the USD as traders remain wary over the UK’s fiscal position and recent rise in yields. On which, reporting via The Times suggests that UK Chancellor Reeves is planning a significant speech on growth in January and has asked ministers to draft concrete measures to bolster activity and to “cease anti-growth measures”; details remain light at this stage. For now, Cable has stabilised above yesterday’s 1.2239 low.
• Antipodeans are both at the foot of the G10 leaderboard. AUD/USD failed to capitalise on the upside overnight triggered by news that the PBoC is to temporarily halt bond purchases and has returned to a 0.61 handle but is thus far managing to hold above yesterday’s 0.6171 base which was the lowest level since October 2022.
• CAD is a touch softer vs. the Greenback in the run up to the Canadian and US labour market reports. For now, USD/CAD sits just above the 1.44 mark with focus on the 2024, multi-year peak at 1.4467.
• PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1891 vs exp. 7.3138 (prev. 7.1886).

Fixed Income

• USTs are softer, but lifting back towards the unchanged mark as the European risk tone deteriorates a touch. The benchmark came under modest pressure on the BoJ sources (see JGB section) this morning but otherwise action has been relatively minimal thus far as participants return from the Federal Holiday; in a slim 108-02+ to 108-09 band. The main event today is December’s jobs report, where the pace of payroll growth is seen easing for the month.
• JGBs are softer, hit by a Bloomberg sources piece that the BoJ is said to be considering increasing the inflation forecast for FY25 and intends to wait until the very last moment before deciding on increasing rates. An article which weighed on fixed generally and pushed JGBs below the 141.00 handle to a 140.84 session trough.
• Gilts gapped lower by 28 ticks and then slipped a touch further to an 89.53 base and has remained in proximity to the trough since. While pressured, the benchmark is comfortably above Thursday’s 89.00 contract low but significantly shy of the 92.02 open from Monday.
• Bunds are in the red, with general fixed price action. Though, as the European risk tone deteriorates, EGBs have lifted off lows with Bunds attempting to return to the upper-end of a 131.07-131.37 band.
• OATs are the relative EGBs outperformer after a Politico piece on Thursday around potential pension reforms as a way of getting support from left-wing parties.

Commodities

• Overall, an upbeat Friday thus far for the crude oil complex on the back of some jawboning from China in early hours coupled with geopolitical updates. Significant upside was seen following reports that Israeli Defence Minister Katz said he has ordered the IDF to present him with a plan “for the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza,”. Brent Mar sits at the upper end of a USD 77.03-78.65/bbl.
• Firm trade across precious metals but to varying degrees. Palladium outperforms alongside a strong performance in the Auto stocks, whilst gold and silver are underpinned by the softer Dollar and recent geopolitical updates.
• The base metal complex hold an upward bias amid broader strength in industrial commodities following commentary from China ahead of next week’s GDP release. 3M LME copper found resistance at USD 9,150.00/t to trade in a current USD 9,098.50-9,150.00/t parameter.
• Shanghai Warehouse Stocks: Aluminium -11.07k/T (prev. -7.9k/T), via the exchange.
• India’s Gas Exchange exec. says they intend to launch 3-6month gas contracts.
• Slovakian PM Fico says Russian President Putin guaranteed Russia will meet its gas supply commitments. Says he spoke to Russian President Putin about the gas contract which Gazprom must deliver gas to Slovakia; says some Russian gas can be delivered through the southern corridor.

Geopolitics: Middle East

• Israeli Defence Minister Katz says he has ordered the IDF to present him with a plan “for the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza,” if there is no hostage deal by the time incoming US president Trump takes office (Jan 20th), according to ToI journalist.
• US President Biden said they are making progress on a Gaza deal and he is still hopeful there will be a prisoner exchange.

Geopolitics: Russia-Ukraine

• US President-elect Trump said Russian President Putin wants to meet and ‘we’ are setting it up.
• Japan is to impose additional sanctions against Russia-related individuals and entities.
• French President Macron said he and UK PM Starmer reaffirmed commitment to supporting Ukraine, while they also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the UK-EU relationship.

Geopolitics: Other

• Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested after leaving a march in her first public appearance in months but was later freed after a brief detention, while a White House spokesperson said the US calls for the right of Venezuela’s Machado to speak freely and for President Maduro and representatives to cease harassment of the opposition.

US Event Calendar

• 08:30: Dec. Change in Nonfarm Payrolls, est. 165,000, prior 227,000
  • Dec. Change in Manufact. Payrolls, est. 5,000, prior 22,000
  • Dec. Change in Private Payrolls, est. 140,000, prior 194,000
  • Dec. Unemployment Rate, est. 4.2%, prior 4.2%
  • Dec. Labor Force Participation Rate, est. 62.5%, prior 62.5%
  • Dec. Underemployment Rate, prior 7.8%
  • Dec. Average Weekly Hours All Emplo, est. 34.3, prior 34.3
  • Dec. Average Hourly Earnings YoY, est. 4.0%, prior 4.0%
  • Dec. Average Hourly Earnings MoM, est. 0.3%, prior 0.4%
• 10:00: Jan. U. of Mich. Sentiment, est. 74.0, prior 74.0
  • Jan. U. of Mich. 1 Yr Inflation, est. 2.8%, prior 2.8%
  • Jan. U. of Mich. 5-10 Yr Inflation, est. 3.0%, prior 3.0%
  • Jan. U. of Mich. Current Conditions, est. 75.1, prior 75.1
  • Jan. U. of Mich. Expectations, est. 72.7, prior 73.3

DB’s Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap

The global bond selloff showed few signs of letting up over the last 24 hours, with long-term borrowing costs continuing to move higher across the board. The UK was particularly in the spotlight, as its 10yr gilt yield (+1.5bps) hit another post-2008 high of 4.81%, whilst the 30yr yield (+2.2bps) hit a post-1998 high of 5.37%. But even though the UK might appear the most striking in terms of when yields last traded at these levels, other countries have experienced a similar pattern too. For instance, the French 10yr yield hit its highest since October 2023, whilst the German 10yr bund yield hit its highest since July. In the meantime, US Treasuries showed some signs of stabilising, but even there the 10yr yield is still at 4.69% this morning, on track to close at its highest level since April, and Japan’s 10yr yield is at its highest since 2011.

That focus on the UK was clear from several angles, as the pound sterling fell to its weakest level against the US Dollar since November 2023, at $1.2308. That made it the worst-performing G10 currency for a second day running, and that closing value was actually a recovery from the morning, when it fell as low as $1.2239. What makes the current situation particularly noteworthy is that higher interest rates normally help strengthen the currency, so the fact we’re seeing the pound weaken even as gilt yields rise goes to demonstrate how nervous investors are right now.

There’s been some debate as to why the UK has found itself the centre of attention in global markets. But a key point is that its twin deficits are the second-largest in the G7, only behind the US, who have the benefit of the world’s reserve currency. So the UK is reliant on overseas investors, with around 30% of gilts held abroad. On top of that, the combination of sluggish growth and above-target inflation are adding to investors’ nerves, and the current pattern of market moves (with yields up and sterling down) is reminiscent of previous episodes of turmoil. So that’s drawn parallels to periods like the 2022 LDI crisis when Liz Truss was PM, along with the sterling crisis of 1976 that culminated in an IMF bailout. Nevertheless, the size of the moves are nowhere near the scale of what happened in 2022, when the 10yr gilt yield moved up by more than 100bps in the three sessions after the mini-budget took place.

Elsewhere in Europe, the bond losses continued, albeit without the sharp currency declines seen in the UK, with the Euro only down -0.17% against the US Dollar. For instance, yields on 10yr bunds (+1.9bps) were up to 2.56%, their highest level since July. In fact, barring a sharp decline in yields today, the 10yr bund yield is on track to post its 6th consecutive weekly increase for the first time since 2022, back when inflation was raging and the ECB were hiking by 75bps per meeting. Meanwhile in France, the 10yr yield was up +3.9bps to 3.39%, the highest since October 2023.

Whilst bonds were selling off, European equities actually put in a much stronger performance, with the STOXX 600 paring back its opening losses to close up +0.42%. The advances were fairly broad, with other indices including the FTSE 100 (+0.83%), the CAC 40 (+0.51%) and the FTSE MIB (+0.59%) all moving higher, although German equities struggled with the DAX (-0.06%) posting a marginal loss.

The next test for markets will now be the US jobs report for December, which is out at 13:30 London time. Indeed, it’s worth noting that one of the catalysts for this week’s selloff was the upside surprise in the “prices paid” component of the ISM services index on Tuesday. So another upside surprise in payrolls would give further momentum to the idea that the Fed should be cautious about cutting rates from here.

In terms of what to expect, our US economists are looking for nonfarm payrolls to come in at +150k in December. That would be beneath the +227k print in November, but that gain was boosted by a bounce back from previous weather disruption and the end of strikes. So a +150k gain would actually be almost in line with the 6-month average, which is currently running at +143k. Otherwise, they see the unemployment rate ticking up a tenth to 4.3%, and if you look to more decimal places, last month it was very close to rounding up already, with a 4.246% reading in November. Click here for our US economists’ full preview and how to subscribe to their subsequent webinar.

Ahead of the jobs report, there wasn’t much to report from US markets yesterday, as the stock market was closed for the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. Elsewhere, bond markets were open but with an early close, and Treasury yields saw muted moves across the curve. 10yr yields held steady, but the 2yr yield (-1.9bps) fell to 4.26%, leading the 2s10s slope to its steepest since May 2022 at 42bps. In terms of Fed speakers yesterday, a tone of caution on further rate cuts continued to dominate. Philadelphia Fed President Harker did say that “I still see us on a downward policy rate path”. But Kansas City Fed President Schmid noted that rates may already be “very close” to the neutral level, and Fed Governor Bowman said that she continued to “prefer a cautious and gradual approach”, also mentioning that she could’ve supported keeping rates on hold in December.

Overnight in Asia, both equities and bonds are struggling ahead of the US jobs report today. For equities, that’s been led by the Nikkei (-0.90%), but other indices including the Hang Seng (-0.51%), the CSI 300 (-0.52%) and the Shanghai Comp (-0.52%) are also lower. The main exception is South Korea’s KOSPI, which has held steady with a +0.04% gain. Looking forward, US equity futures are negative as well, with those on the S&P 500 pointing to a -0.24% loss as they reopen after Thursday’s closure.

Elsewhere overnight, the People’s Bank of China said they would suspend purchases of government bonds, which has prompted a rise in yields this morning, with China’s 10yr yield up +1.0bps to 1.64%, whilst the 2yr yield is up +6.6bps to 1.19%. Bond yields have risen elsewhere too, with Japan’s 10yr yield trading at its highest level since 2011 this morning.

To the day ahead now, and the main data highlight will be the US jobs report for December. Otherwise, we’ll get the University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment index for January, along with French industrial production and Italian retail sales for November.

2B) EUROPEAN REPORT

USTs and futures subdued ahead of US NFP; JPY boosted by BoJ source report – Newsquawk US Market Open

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 05:43 AM

• European bourses trade choppy, US futures edge lower ahead of the US NFP report.
• USD eyes NFP, JPY boosted by BoJ source report, GBP unable to recoup lost ground.
• Fixed income a touch lower ahead of US jobs data, Gilts continue to underperform.
• Crude soars on geopolitical updates, Industrial commodities bolstered by Chinese commentary.
• Looking ahead, US & Canadian Jobs, US UoM Survey, Chinese M2 Money Supply, FDI, Loan Growth, Earnings from Tilray, Delta Air, Walgreens Boots Alliance & Constellation Brands.

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EUROPEAN TRADE

EQUITIES

• European bourses opened with a slight negative bias, continuing the mostly subdued mood in APAC trade overnight. Since, trade has been choppy, briefly climbing into positive territory before once again dipping lower.
• European sectors hold a slight negative bias, and with the breadth of the market fairly narrow. Basic Resources tops the pile, propped by the continued strength in metals prices. Telecoms follows behind, with Media completing the top 3. Retail is underperforming today, hampered by post-earning losses in Sainsbury’s.
• US equity futures are modestly in the red, as cash trade returns from holiday on account of the US Day of Mourning for President Carter. The highlight of the day is the US jobs data for December. The pace of payroll growth is expected to ease, in keeping with the Fed’s view that it is “cooling gradually”.
• Click for the sessions European pre-market equity newsflow
• Click for the additional news
• Click for a detailed summary

FX

• USD is broadly steady vs. peers after advances in the JPY dragged DXY lower (see JPY section for details). Attention today is on the December US jobs report which is expected to see a slowdown in jobs growth to 160k from 227k and the unemployment rate hold steady at 4.2%. For now, DXY is tucked within yesterday’s 108.94-109.37 range with focus to the upside on the current YTD peak at 109.57.
• EUR is flat vs. the USD with fresh EZ-specific drivers on the light side and a 25bps rate cut by the ECB later this month near-enough fully priced by the market. EUR/USD has pivoted around the 1.03 mark in early trade in a 1.0282-1.0311 range.
• JPY the best performer across the majors following source reporting via Bloomberg suggesting that the BoJ is still mulling its rate decision for January and is mulling raising its inflation forecasts on account of JPY softening. As it stands, odds of a 25bps hike for the 24th January meeting are seen as a near coin-flip. The source reporting knocked USD/JPY back below the 158 mark with a current session trough at 157.63 which is just a touch above yesterday’s 157.57 base.
• GBP is unable to launch much of a recovery vs. the USD as traders remain wary over the UK’s fiscal position and recent rise in yields. On which, reporting via The Times suggests that UK Chancellor Reeves is planning a significant speech on growth in January and has asked ministers to draft concrete measures to bolster activity and to “cease anti-growth measures”; details remain light at this stage. For now, Cable has stabilised above yesterday’s 1.2239 low.
• Antipodeans are both at the foot of the G10 leaderboard. AUD/USD failed to capitalise on the upside overnight triggered by news that the PBoC is to temporarily halt bond purchases and has returned to a 0.61 handle but is thus far managing to hold above yesterday’s 0.6171 base which was the lowest level since October 2022.
• CAD is a touch softer vs. the Greenback in the run up to the Canadian and US labour market reports. For now, USD/CAD sits just above the 1.44 mark with focus on the 2024, multi-year peak at 1.4467.
• PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1891 vs exp. 7.3138 (prev. 7.1886).
• Click for a detailed summary
• Click for NY OpEx Details

FIXED INCOME

• USTs are softer, but lifting back towards the unchanged mark as the European risk tone deteriorates a touch. The benchmark came under modest pressure on the BoJ sources (see JGB section) this morning but otherwise action has been relatively minimal thus far as participants return from the Federal Holiday; in a slim 108-02+ to 108-09 band. The main event today is December’s jobs report, where the pace of payroll growth is seen easing for the month.
• JGBs are softer, hit by a Bloomberg sources piece that the BoJ is said to be considering increasing the inflation forecast for FY25 and intends to wait until the very last moment before deciding on increasing rates. An article which weighed on fixed generally and pushed JGBs below the 141.00 handle to a 140.84 session trough.
• Gilts gapped lower by 28 ticks and then slipped a touch further to an 89.53 base and has remained in proximity to the trough since. While pressured, the benchmark is comfortably above Thursday’s 89.00 contract low but significantly shy of the 92.02 open from Monday.
• Bunds are in the red, with general fixed price action. Though, as the European risk tone deteriorates, EGBs have lifted off lows with Bunds attempting to return to the upper-end of a 131.07-131.37 band.
• OATs are the relative EGBs outperformer after a Politico piece on Thursday around potential pension reforms as a way of getting support from left-wing parties.
• Click for a detailed summary

COMMODITIES

• Overall, an upbeat Friday thus far for the crude oil complex on the back of some jawboning from China in early hours coupled with geopolitical updates. Significant upside was seen following reports that Israeli Defence Minister Katz said he has ordered the IDF to present him with a plan “for the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza,”. Brent Mar sits at the upper end of a USD 77.03-78.65/bbl.
• Firm trade across precious metals but to varying degrees. Palladium outperforms alongside a strong performance in the Auto stocks, whilst gold and silver are underpinned by the softer Dollar and recent geopolitical updates.
• The base metal complex hold an upward bias amid broader strength in industrial commodities following commentary from China ahead of next week’s GDP release. 3M LME copper found resistance at USD 9,150.00/t to trade in a current USD 9,098.50-9,150.00/t parameter.
• Shanghai Warehouse Stocks: Aluminium -11.07k/T (prev. -7.9k/T), via the exchange.
• India’s Gas Exchange exec. says they intend to launch 3-6month gas contracts.
• Slovakian PM Fico says Russian President Putin guaranteed Russia will meet its gas supply commitments. Says he spoke to Russian President Putin about the gas contract which Gazprom must deliver gas to Slovakia; says some Russian gas can be delivered through the southern corridor.
• Click for a detailed summary

NOTABLE DATA RECAP

• Norwegian Core Inflation YY (Dec) 2.7% vs. Exp. 2.8% (Prev. 3.0%); Consumer Price Index YY 2.2% vs. Exp. 2.5% (Prev. 2.4%)
• Swiss Unemployment Rate Adj (Dec) 2.6% vs. Exp. 2.6% (Prev. 2.6%)
• French Consumer Spending MM (Nov) 0.3% vs. Exp. 0.2% (Prev. -0.4%, Rev. -0.3%)
• Italian Retail Sales NSA YY (Nov) 1.1% (Prev. 2.6%); Retail Sales SA MM (Nov) -0.4% (Prev. -0.5%)

NOTABLE EUROPEAN HEADLINES

• UK Chancellor Reeves is, according to The Times, planning a significant speech on growth in January and has asked ministers to draft concrete measures to bolster activity and to “cease anti-growth measures”.

NOTABLE US HEADLINES

• US President Biden said the federal government will cover 100% of the disaster response costs for 180 days for California and noted that three major fires are still burning, while he added Congress will have to step up when they ask for more help on LA fires and that they will go back to Congress for more help on this.
• Russian Kremlin says a meeting with Russian President Putin and US President-Elect Trump is being set up; no details yet.

GEOPOLITICS

MIDDLE EAST

• Israeli Defence Minister Katz says he has ordered the IDF to present him with a plan “for the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza,” if there is no hostage deal by the time incoming US president Trump takes office (Jan 20th), according to ToI journalist.
• US President Biden said they are making progress on a Gaza deal and he is still hopeful there will be a prisoner exchange.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

• US President-elect Trump said Russian President Putin wants to meet and ‘we’ are setting it up.
• Japan is to impose additional sanctions against Russia-related individuals and entities.
• French President Macron said he and UK PM Starmer reaffirmed commitment to supporting Ukraine, while they also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the UK-EU relationship.

OTHER

• Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested after leaving a march in her first public appearance in months but was later freed after a brief detention, while a White House spokesperson said the US calls for the right of Venezuela’s Machado to speak freely and for President Maduro and representatives to cease harassment of the opposition.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin is a little firmer today and has climbed back above USD 94k; Ethereum resides just shy of USD 3.3k.
• US Senate eyes crypto subcommittee as Trump considers pro-crypto Summer Mersinger as CFTC chair ahead of inauguration, according to Cointelegraph.

APAC TRADE

• APAC stocks were mostly subdued in the absence of a lead from Wall St owing to the National Day of Mourning and as participants braced for US jobs data.
• ASX 200 was dragged lower by weakness in financials and consumer stocks, while Australian Household Spending data disappointed.
• Nikkei 225 retreated with heavy losses seen in index heavyweight Fast Retailing, despite a jump in Q1 profit, as its China operations suffered a decline in revenue and a sharp contraction in profits, while the better-than-expected Household Spending from Japan did little to spur risk appetite.
• Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp conformed to the downbeat mood but with further downside stemmed after the announcement that the PBoC and China’s FX regulator will hold a briefing on financial support for the economy on January 14th, while heavy losses were seen in property developer Sunac China after it received a liquidation petition in Hong Kong.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• BoJ said to be mulling the rate decision for January, according to Bloomberg sources; mulls upgrading core-core inflation forecasts for FY24 and FY25; said to be mulling raising inflation forecast amid JPY; no decision made on raising rates. Intends to wait until the very last moment before deciding on increasing rates.
• Chinese Finance Ministry official says will firmly ban new hidden debt and speed up the reform and transformation of LGFVs. Will extend policies of reducing social insurance rates and one-off employment subsidies for some people in 2025. Will roll out new measures to boost employment in sectors including culture, tourism and foreign trade.
• PBoC is to temporarily suspend purchases of government bonds in the market during January and may resume government bond trading depending on supply and demand, while the decision was made due to short supply of treasury bonds.
• China’s Vice Finance Minister says can expect more proactive fiscal policy in 2025, in terms of its strength, efficiency, and timing. Adds, fiscal policy has abundant policy room and tools. Will speed up fiscal spending in a bid to formulate actual spending and drive up more social investment. In front of new conditions and problems both domestically and externally, fiscal policy has abundant policy room and tools. Has relatively big room for the raising of debt and the deficit. To step up coordinated efforts between fiscal and monetary policy in 2025.
• Chinese economist warned against aggressive easing bets and said should avoid over-interpretation of moderately loose monetary policy in China, according to PBoC-backed Financial News.

DATA RECAP

• Japanese All Household Spending MM (Nov) 0.4% vs. Exp. -0.9% (Prev. 2.9%)
• Japanese All Household Spending YY (Nov) -0.4% vs. Exp. -0.6% (Prev. -1.3%)
• Australian Household Spending MM (Nov) 0.4% vs Exp. 0.7% (Prev. 0.8%)
• Australian Household Spending YY (Nov) 2.4% vs Exp. 2.5% (Prev. 2.8%)

2C ASIAN REPORT

APAC stocks pressured but downside capped by a PBoC briefing, US NFP ahead – Newsquawk Europe Market Open

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 01:45 AM

• APAC stocks were mostly subdued in the absence of a lead from Wall St owing to the National Day of Mourning.
• US President-elect Trump said Russian President Putin wants to meet and ‘we’ are setting it up.
• Fed’s Bowman (voter) said she supported the December rate cut as a final step in policy calibration.
• European equity futures indicate an uneventful cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 future -0.1% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.4% on Thursday.
• USD is broadly firmer vs. peers, EUR/USD continued to pivot around 1.03, Cable remains sub-1.23.
• Looking ahead, highlights include US & Canadian Jobs, US UoM Survey, Chinese M2 Money Supply, FDI, Loan Growth, earnings from Sainsbury’s, Tilray, Delta Air, Walgreens Boots Alliance & Constellation Brands.

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 stock markets were closed for a National Day of Mourning.
• Click here for a detailed summary.

NOTABLE HEADLINES

• Fed’s Bowman (voter) said they should be cautious in considering changes to the policy rate and she supported the December rate cut as a final step in policy calibration, while she could have supported taking no action in December given the lack of progress on inflation and strength of the economy. Bowman said she prefers a cautious, gradual approach to adjusting policy and noted the current stance of policy may not be as restrictive as others may see it.
• Fed’s Schmid (2025 voter) said interest rate policy may be near where it needs to be for the longer run and any further rate cuts should be gradual and data-driven. Schmid said the Fed is ‘pretty close’ to meeting both of its mandates and he wants the Fed to shrink its balance sheet further, while he added the Fed should work towards treasuries-only holdings, as well as noted that inflation is moving towards the target and growth is showing momentum. Furthermore, Schmid said the Fed won’t likely get to 2% inflation until 2026% and that the last stage to 2% could be the most challenging for monetary policy, while he added that the Fed’s quantitative tightening is somewhat at odds with rate cuts and he would oppose a move to stop a Fed balance sheet drawdown right now.
• US President Biden said the federal government will cover 100% of the disaster response costs for 180 days for California and noted that three major fires are still burning, while he added Congress will have to step up when they ask for more help on LA fires and that they will go back to Congress for more help on this.
• US Supreme Court declined to halt President-elect Trump’s sentencing in the New York hush money case and the US Appeals Court declined to block the release of the Special Counsel Report on Donald Trump.
• Scott Bessent’s Senate Nomination hearing for US Treasury Secretary is expected on 16th January 2025, according to Politico

APAC TRADE

EQUITIES

• APAC stocks were mostly subdued in the absence of a lead from Wall St owing to the National Day of Mourning and as participants braced for US jobs data.
• ASX 200 was dragged lower by weakness in financials and consumer stocks, while Australian Household Spending data disappointed.
• Nikkei 225 retreated with heavy losses seen in index heavyweight Fast Retailing, despite a jump in Q1 profit, as its China operations suffered a decline in revenue and a sharp contraction in profits, while the better-than-expected Household Spending from Japan did little to spur risk appetite.
• Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp conformed to the downbeat mood but with further downside stemmed after the announcement that the PBoC and China’s FX regulator will hold a briefing on financial support for the economy on January 14th, while heavy losses were seen in property developer Sunac China after it received a liquidation petition in Hong Kong.
• US equity futures (ES -0.3%) were slightly pressured heading into the key US jobs data and after Fed speakers signalled a pause.
• European equity futures indicate an uneventful cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 future -0.1% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.4% on Thursday.

FX

• DXY is steady with FX markets lacking conviction ahead of the looming NFP data although the dollar had gained yesterday in quiet conditions during the US national mourning day. Nonetheless, there were several recent comments from Fed officials including Harker and Collins who noted stickier inflation than previously expected, while Collins also stated that the December Fed cut was a close call, but provided insurance for the labour market. Furthermore, Bowman said they should be cautious in considering changes to the policy rate and that she supported the December rate cut as a final step in policy calibration, while Schmid said interest rate policy may be near where it needs to be for the longer run and any further rate cuts should be gradual and data-driven.
• EUR/USD traded sideways around the 1.0300 focal point with the single currency not helped by the recent miss on Retail Sales.
• GBP/USD is softer beneath the 1.2300 level following yesterday’s underperformance amid gilt market jitters.
• USD/JPY was initially subdued amid the downbeat risk sentiment across Asia but then rebounded from support near the 158.00 level.
• Antipodeans mirrored the uneventful performance seen in major peers but with early tailwinds in AUD as CNH strengthened after the PBoC announced a temporary halt of government bond purchases. However, the moves were then faded owing to the cautious risk tone and with ANZ forecasting a February RBA rate cut.
• PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1891 vs exp. 7.3138 (prev. 7.1886).

FIXED INCOME

• 10yr UST futures lacked direction after the prior day’s shortened bond trading session in the US owing to the National Day of Mourning and after Fed rhetoric suggested a gradual, patient and cautious approach to future rate cuts, while money markets only fully price in one rate cut this year in June.
• 10yr Bund futures remained pressured after yesterday’s price swings and recent supply from the bloc.
• 10yr JGB futures followed suit to the subdued mood in global peers and with prices not helped by the better-than-expected Japanese Household Spending.

COMMODITIES

• Crude futures kept afloat and held on to most of the prior day’s gains with cold weather seen boosting winter fuel demand.
• Spot gold eked mild gains but with demand contained as participants await the latest US jobs data.
• Copper futures extended on this week’s advances with prices unfazed by the cautious risk tone.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin mildly rebounded overnight and steadily climbed above the USD 93,000 level.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• PBoC is to temporarily suspend purchases of government bonds in the market during January and may resume government bond trading depending on supply and demand, while the decision was made due to short supply of treasury bonds.
• PBoC and China’s SAFE will hold a briefing on financial support for the economy on January 14th at 15:00 local time (07:00GMT/02:00EST) with the PBoC’s Deputy Governors and SAFE’s Deputy Head to speak.
• Chinese economist warned against aggressive easing bets and said should avoid over-interpretation of moderately loose monetary policy in China, according to PBoC-backed Financial News.
• US Commerce Secretary Raimondo said the Biden administration is to finalise Chinese connected vehicle crackdown rules next week.

DATA RECAP

• Japanese All Household Spending MM (Nov) 0.4% vs. Exp. -0.9% (Prev. 2.9%)
• Japanese All Household Spending YY (Nov) -0.4% vs. Exp. -0.6% (Prev. -1.3%)
• Australian Household Spending MM (Nov) 0.4% vs Exp. 0.7% (Prev. 0.8%)
• Australian Household Spending YY (Nov) 2.4% vs Exp. 2.5% (Prev. 2.8%)

GEOPOLITICS

MIDDLE EAST

• US President Biden said they are making progress on a Gaza deal and he is still hopeful there will be a prisoner exchange.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

• US President-elect Trump said Russian President Putin wants to meet and ‘we’ are setting it up.
• Japan is to impose additional sanctions against Russia-related individuals and entities.
• French President Macron said he and UK PM Starmer reaffirmed commitment to supporting Ukraine, while they also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the UK-EU relationship.

OTHER

• Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested after leaving a march in her first public appearance in months but was later freed after a brief detention, while a White House spokesperson said the US calls for the right of Venezuela’s Machado to speak freely and for President Maduro and representatives to cease harassment of the opposition.

EU/UK

NOTABLE HEADLINES

• BoE’s Breeden said they are monitoring what happens in the gilt market and noted a lot of gilt price moves reflect global factors, while she added that gilt market moves have been orderly, so far so good. Breeden also said she doesn’t have a particular path for the Bank Rate in her mind now.
• UK debt market sell-off threatens mortgage pain for households as around 700k borrowers face a jump in repayments when fixed-rate deals end this year, according to FT.

3B NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA

end

3C JAPAN

end

3D. CHINA/

China suspends QE due to lack of bonds. Stocks falter but bond prices rise. China has a debt to GDP: of 350%. It needs to devalue but how. It’s only solution is a devaluation against gold. i.e. a revaluation of gold. It owns around 50,000 tonnes of gold and will be a big winner.

(zerohedge)

China Suspends QE To Reverse Crashing Yields, As Stocks Enter Bear Market

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 02:00 PM

One is free to call the bond purchases by the Chinese central bank “QE” or “not QE” (similar to the charade the Fed tried to pass back in 2019 in the US), but the end result is the same: the central bank is buying bonds, injecting liquidity in the system and depressing the currency in the process while effectively deflating the economy. Or, as the case may be, it no longer is now that China’s roving gangs of momentum-cashing marauders have frontran the central bank so hard, bond yields plunged to record lows and forced the PBOC to “temporarily” suspend treasury bond purchases on Friday, briefly lifting yields and spurring speculation it is stepping up defense of the yuan currency which has been sliding since late September, or before the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. The move breaks with five months of buying and coincides with a brutal selloff in global bond markets, suggesting the People’s Bank of China is also trying to ensure yields at home rise in tandem, or at least stop falling, analysts quoted by Reuters said.

Yields jumped following the announcement, though benchmark 10-year rates were slightly lower by evening. China’s 10-year treasury yield initially rose four basis points but was last down by just over half a basis point to 1.619%. The yuan rose slightly though it was last trading flat at 7.3326 per dollar, around a 16-month low.

The PBOC cited a shortage of bonds in the market as the reason it was halting the purchases, which were part of its operations to ease monetary settings and boost economic activity.

The policy shift and the market’s caurious response points to the juggling act PBOC is attempting as it seeks to revive economic growth by keeping cash conditions easy, while also trying to douse a runaway bond rally reinforcing the country’s deflationary collapse while simultaneously also stabilizing the currency amid political and economic uncertainty.

“It has indicated a willingness to loosen policy further … however, (yuan) weakness due to the strong dollar and widening differential with U.S. rates will complicate the PBOC’s position,” analysts at Commerzbank said in a note.

The central bank said in a statement it would resume bond buying via open market operations “at a proper time depending on supply and demand in the government bond market”.

“One of the key reasons for the depreciation of the yuan is the widened yield gap between China and the U.S., so the central bank is sending a signal to the market that the yield rate is unlikely to fall further,” Ken Cheung, chief Asian FX strategist at Mizuho Bank, although the yield rate is falling not so much because the PBOC is desperately trying to control it, but because China is now caught in a vicious deflationary debt trap, the same kind that pulled Japan’s yields to 0 for decades.

And speaking of the ZIRPing bond yield black hole that is Japan, its 30Y bond yields are now about 50bps above those of China!

While its stock markets have imploded, bond prices in China have been on a decade-long rally – one that kicked into a higher gear two years ago as property sector woes and weakness in the stock market triggered a flood of funds flowing into bank deposits and the debt market, while starting a period of unprecedented deflation.

This week the market defied a global selloff, rallying on irresistible demand for safe assets and investors’ bets on further rate cuts in the world’s second-biggest economy.

Meanwhile, the PBOC had warned for months about bubble risks as long-dated yields hit successive record lows, though at the same time authorities have foreshadowed further easing.

Not surprisingly, amid this massive monetary stimulus (just don’t call it QE”) the Chinese yuan has fallen nearly 5% since September, both due to worries that Trump’s threats of fresh trade tariffs will heap more pressure on the struggling Chinese economy, but mostly because the realization that even the PBOC is now rapidly replacing its currency with physical gold, as reported here.

Huang Xuefeng, research director at Shanghai Anfang Private Fund Co in Shanghai, said he expects the downtrend in bond yields to persist as “the market continues to grapple with an asset famine situation” where there’s a shortage of good investment opportunities.

Of course, this being China, the paradoxes never end, and on Friday, Financial News, a PBOC publication, quoted an economist as saying that the market should avoid excessive expectations on monetary policy easing. Which is ridiculous since absent further monetary easing, China’s deflationary job will become an all out sprint.

And while the PBOC is scrambling to contain the buying frenzy in China’s bonds, the country’s stocks have no such problem and China’s shares fell overnight, pushing the MSCI China Index down as much as 1.1% on Friday, taking its decline from an Oct. 7 close to around 20%. The CSI 300 Index of onshore Chinese shares was down 0.9% and has lost nearly 5% in the new year.

China’s stocks have started 2025 on a weak note – more than 4,500 stocks listed in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing fell on Friday, a far cry from the brief stimulus-driven euphoria from last September – as investors brace for higher tariffs that may prolong China’s economic slowdown. The US blacklisted Tencent Holdings and CATL (or Contemporary Amperex Technology Co) this week for alleged links to the Chinese military, while the Biden administration is mulling another round of curbs on the export of artificial intelligence chips. The moves have rekindled fears that tensions will only worsen under incoming President Trump.

“It reflects the numerous uncertainties going on with weakening macro numbers, Trump inauguration, currency pressure due to US dollar strength, and a lull in stimulus until Two-Sessions,” said Xin-Yao Ng, a Singapore-based investment director at abrdn Plc. “I think fast money might stay away in the first quarter and wait for things to be clearer, especially Trump’s tariffs.”

A stunning rally in Chinese shares late last year lost steam as investors’ hopes of a more forceful fiscal stimulus didn’t bear fruit. While authorities have continued to roll out fresh support measures, they have been piecemeal in nature and far short of market expectations.

Pessimism about an economy mired in a housing crisis and deflationary pressures has continued. China’s consumer inflation weakened further toward zero in December, decelerating for a fourth straight month in a setback for the government’s bid to drive up demand. In their latest efforts, authorities unveiled plans to subsidize more consumer products and boost funding for industrial equipment upgrades. The central bank also reiterated a pledge to lower interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio for banks “at an appropriate time” to promote growth.  

There’s a lack of positive catalysts for the market given a likely lull in major policy announcements until China’s so-called Two Sessions annual legislative meeting in March.

Finally, while the market is desperate for Beijing to unleash a torrent of trillions in fiscal stimulus – similar to what China did in the 2008 crisis – the problem is that the country is so overlevered (its debt/GDP ratio was north of 350% at last check) that it has been forced to resort to such laughable “stimulus programs” as subsidizing consumers who trade in old appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines as policymakers strive to counter weak consumption in the world’s second-largest economy.

The policy initiative, taken right out of Biden’s “cash for clunkers” playbook, which was launched last year to encourage purchases of cars and home appliances, will now also include microwaves, rice cookers, dishwashers and water purifiers as well as smartphones and tablets costing less than Rmb6,000.

Needless to say, pulling demand from the future to today with a “20% off” deal will not reverse the country’s deflationary vortex.

4.EUROPEAN AFFAIRS//UK /SCANDINAVIAN AFFAIRS

end

UK

Let it go? unbelievable!!!

(Watson)

UK Father Whose Daughter Was Gang-Raped: “Police Told Me To Let It Go”

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 05:00 AM

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

As the pedophile Muslim gang scandal has exploded into the mainstream this week in the UK, horrible accounts are being shared by fathers of some of the victims, with one relating how the police did nothing when he told them his daughter had been raped and advised him to “let it go” or he would “get arrested for being racist.”

The following account was shared on X by Elon Musk, who continues to blast the left wing Labour government and Prime Minister Kier Starmer as complicit.

The man tells Talk TV anchor Jeremy Kyle that Pakistani Muslims from the Oldham area travelled 18 miles to get to his daughter after grooming her online, and then gang raped her.

The man notes that police told him that his then 13-year-old daughter could choose whatever boyfriend she liked, despite the main suspect being 20.

He then recalls how police did nothing even when “four guys came up in a van to look for me, to do me.”

He states that this occurred many years ago, a reminder of how deep and systemic this issue is.

John in Lancashire says his daughter was gang raped by Pakistani groomers in Oldham when only 13-years-old.

"I phoned the police, a police constable told me to let it go, otherwise I'll get arrested for being racist."

"This goes higher and deeper than any of us can imagine." pic.twitter.com/CNR1A2bLgZ

— Talk (@TalkTV) January 8, 2025

In another account, a father of a Rotherham grooming gang victim recounts how he was arrested twice when trying to rescue his daughter from a gang of rapists.

'I was put in a police car and taken away.'

The father of a Rotherham grooming gang victim tells GB News how he was arrested twice when trying to rescue his daughter from an abuse den. pic.twitter.com/x3hIU4HvX0

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 8, 2025

Just these two accounts alone are appalling, but sadly only the tip of the iceberg.

When a system arrests fathers for protecting their daughters, it’s not just broken, it’s corrupt.

Justice has been flipped on its head, and those who should protect the innocent have betrayed them.

How did we let it get this far?

— Chris Fernandez (@FernOnX) January 8, 2025

On Wednesday evening, MPs voted 364-111 against an effort to to set up a national inquiry into the situation, after The Labour Party ordered ministers to vote it down.

Starmer himself abstained from the vote, but only after imposing a three-line whip against it.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch earlier accused Starmer of blocking a national inquiry to prevent Labour politicians “who may be complicit” being implicated.

*  *  *

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

end

UK

Unbelievable!

UK Government Investigating Elon Musk’s Tweets About Muslim Pedophile Gangs

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 10:20 AM

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Elon Musk’s tweets about Muslim pedophile gangs are being assessed by the UK Government’s counter-extremism unit, as a potential threat to the security of the country, it has emerged.

The Daily Mirror reports that The Home Office unit has stepped up social media monitoring of accounts with large followings, including Musk’s, as pertains to the grooming gangs issue.

Musk has posted hundreds of tweets in the past week related to the scandal, including openly calling Prime Minister Kier Starmer “evil,” accusing him of facilitating a cover up, and labelling Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Philips as complicit in the “rape” of Britain.

The Mirror report states that the UK government’s counterterrorism unit has “been involved in content analysis and wider risk assessment.”

A government source told the Mirror “We keep a close eye on how disinformation and hate can proliferate, including online.”

John Woodcock, the government’s adviser on political violence and disruption, asserted that “Britain’s democracy isn’t a play thing for foreign billionaires – Elon Musk needs to back off and concentrate on his rockets and his cars or whatever he wants to obsess about next. Our electoral laws rightly forbid foreign donations and my recent review warns against our information channels being deliberately manipulated from abroad. We should be watching closely to ensure that doesn’t happen here.”

The government’s website states that the counter-extremism unit “focuses on the highest harm risks to the homeland, whether from terrorists, state actors, or cyber and economic criminals,”

While the tweets are being investigated, the government has rejected calls for a new national inquiry into the pedophile gangs scandal, with ministers voting down a move to legislate for an inquiry.

They’re investigating Elon talking about the horrific systemic gang raping of kids but not the actual horrific systemic gang raping of kids itself. Why do you think that is? https://t.co/JuN8GPM8md

— m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) January 10, 2025

Ironically, the current head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK is an officer who served as Borough Commander in Rotherham, one of the areas most notorious for child sexual abuse at the hands of Muslim pedophile gangs, from 2006-2010.

UK’s Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing AC Matt Jukes is currently probing Elon Musk over his posts on 𝕏 pertaining to the grooming gang scandal.

Matt Jukes served as Borough Commander in Rotherham from 2006-2010, which coincided with a peak in child sexual exploitation by… pic.twitter.com/AS3rKQGZIO

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 10, 2025

In comments to GB News, former Head of the Counter Terrorist Unit at Ministry of Defence, Major General Chip Chapman suggested that Musk’s tweets could influence others to take violent action, and that there is a history of ‘conspiracy theorists’ doing that in the UK.

'Do you believe there is a threat to national security from these tweets?'

Chip Chapman discusses the counter-extremism probe that has been launched into Elon Musk's tweets after he attacked the government over its response to the grooming gangs scandal. pic.twitter.com/knMdVj0vly

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 10, 2025

* * *

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

END

5 RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

ISRAEL/HAMAS

This guy was a key figure in central Gaza. They also knocked off his deputy

(JerusalemPost)

IDF kills Hamas Sabra Battalion head Osama Abu Namos, other commanders

Namos served as a significant source for providing knowledge to the Hamas terror group.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFFJANUARY 9, 2025 20:48Updated: JANUARY 9, 2025 20:49

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fisrael-news%2Farticle-836893&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250109_825c968703ee92332e4d9f4599fa9b486453e767&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed the commander of Hamas’s “Sabra Battalion,” Osama Abu Namos, during a strike last week, the military announced on Thursday evening.

Other significant terrorists from the battalion were also eliminated.

According to the IDF, Namos directed Hamas‘s terror activity against Israeli citizens and military troops in the area of the Netzarim Corridor. 

It also added that Namos played a significant role in providing intelligence to Hamas. He was killed in an airstrike conducted by the Israel Air Force.

Additionally, the IDF said that other terrorists, including Mahmoud Al Tarq, the deputy commander of the Sabra Batallion, were killed in strikes. 

IDF strikes additional Hamas terrorists

The IDF also said that Tarq also served as a Nukhba Forces company commander in the battalion. He planned and executed terror attacks against Israeli civilians and was responsible for overseeing terrorist operatives and terror compounds in the area.

The IDF also named Sabra Battalion Nukba Forces company commanders Mahmoud Shaheen and Hamada Diri as other terrorists killed by Israeli military action.

Diri and Shaheen were responsible for supplying weapons to Hamas terrorists in the battalion. The two executed attacks on IDF troops in the area, the IDF stated. 

END

ISRAEL HAMAS

Hamas claims that most of the Israeli’s hostages in north Gaza are missing

(JerusalemPost)

Due to the Zionist aggression,’ most Israeli hostages in north Gaza missing, Hamas says

“Most of the enemy’s prisoners in the northern Gaza Brigade are now missing due to the Zionist aggression,” the source told Al Jazeera.

By SAM HALPERNJANUARY 10, 2025 19:07Updated: JANUARY 10, 2025 19:40

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Hamas has lost track of the majority of the hostages held in captivity in northern Gaza due to Israel’s military activities in the area, a source in the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, told Qatari state-run media giant Al Jazeera on Friday.

“Most of the enemy’s prisoners in the northern Gaza Brigade are now missing due to the Zionist aggression,” the source told Al Jazeera.

Hamas has previously repeatedly stated that in order to compile a list of hostages it has been holding, it would need several days to at least a week a week, in order to locate them.

The Hamas official said that the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades had warned a number of times of the potentiality of hostages going missing in areas where the IDF was operating.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF are “fully responsible for the lives and fate of their prisoners,” the source added.

A message to the hostage families

Also on Friday, the terror organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a propaganda video directed at the hostages’ families.

“To the families of the enemy prisoners,” PIJ captioned the video in Hebrew and Arabic. The video featured clips of Netanyahu speaking to the hostages’ families.

“Your leadership is killing your children with persistence and insistence,” PIJ wrote in Hebrew and Arabic at the end of the video.

ISRAEL/SYRIA

Biden to allow Trump on terror designation for rebels controlling Syria

(zerohedge)

Biden To Defer To Trump On Terror Designation For ‘Rebels’ Controlling Syria

Thursday, Jan 09, 2025 – 05:00 PM

President Biden plans to punt the decision on whether to lift the official terror designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to President-elect Donald Trump.

Senior US officials speaking to The Washington Post on Thursday said HTS “must demonstrate they have made a clean break with extremist groups, in particular Al-Qaeda before the label can be lifted.” An unnamed official noted that “Actions will speak louder than words.” The report reads:

The Biden administration has decided to maintain the terrorist designation of Syria’s new Islamist rulers for the remainder of President Joe Biden’s tenure, leaving a critical decision about Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to the incoming Trump administration, said three U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

While Washington had already quickly lifted the $10 million bounty which had long been on HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s head (or Ahmed al- Sharaa), the terror designation will remain.

The jihadist group which replaced the Assad government after the longtime leader’s fall on December 8 (after which Assad showed up in Moscow) has been lobbying Western capitals to drop US-led sanctions.

Sanctions have decimated the economy, resulted in runaway inflation, and currently major cities have merely an hour of electricity a day amid winter conditions.

But the terror designation is likely to ensure that the bulk of sanctions remain on Syria, which chiefly hurts the already suffering and impoverished common population.

Ironically, the United States had covertly supported radical groups like HTS from the start of the war, which was ultimately a regime change operation imposed from outside.

One regional source reviews the following background:

Days after the fall of the Syrian government and the rise of HTS, Sharaa called on foreigners who joined HTS to receive Syrian citizenship, saying they are “part of the movement that led to the downfall of Assad and should be celebrated.”

As part of the US-backed covert war on the former Syrian government, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dispatched his deputy Abu Mohammad al-Julani – Sharaa’s nom de guerre – and a group of extremist fighters from Iraq to Syria in August 2011 to establish the Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria.

Sharaa’s group, which he would later rebrand as HTS, carried out suicide bombing attacks in Damascus in December 2011 and January 2012 before announcing their existence. Thousands of Salafist religious extremists from dozens of countries, including Britain, Belgium, France, China, Chechnya, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Saudi Arabia, joined Sharaa in the fight against Damascus.

A big question for Syria is: what’s next? It could be headed toward being a failed state, with no infrastructure, reconstruction, or resources… or there is also likelihood of more civil wars and infighting. There’s a chance, even if remote, of the country being revived, with future elections. However HTS has declared there won’t be elections for at least four years. 

Also, Israel occupies territory in the south, the US occupies oil and gas areas in the northeast, and Turkey controls much of the north near Aleppo. The situation isn’t look good for the time being.

end

ISRAEL/LEBANON

Hezbollah may stupidly resume fighting after the ceasefire expires next month

(JerusalemPost)

Hezbollah may resume fighting after ceasefire expires, Israeli officials fear

Officials fear that the Hezbollah might pick up arms again if the IDF doesn’t withdraw to the agreed-upon points in southern Lebanon.

By AMICHAI STEINJANUARY 9, 2025 21:26

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Israeli officials are worried Hezbollah might resume fighting once the first phase of the ceasefire ends on January 27, an official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

They fear that the terrorist group might pick up arms again if the IDF doesn’t withdraw to the agreed-upon points in southern Lebanon.

Since the ceasefire was signed on November 27, there have not been any reports of direct confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah fighters, though each accused the other of violating parts of the deal.

Officials now fear that once the 60-day ceasefire expires – seven days after US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be sworn into office – that might change.

Lebanese Army preparing to withdraw

Sources told the Post that the Lebanese Army is preparing to withdraw from the western area of southern Lebanon.

Although the Biden administration has maintained that deployment is going as planned, Israeli officials say it is slow and will result in Israel needing to stay in southern Lebanon beyond the agreed-upon 60 days.

Authorities noted that the Lebanese Army is failing in its mission to dismantle Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, including the terrorist group’s weapons.

END 

ISRAEL LEBANON

Israel will probably stay another 30 days to clear out the huge amount of weapons hidden in the mountains

(JerusalemPost)

IDF strikes Hezbollah target in Lebanon as ceasefire deadline looms

As the ceasefire deadline looms, Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah and hints at extended presence raise questions about commitment to the withdrawal agreement.

By YONAH JEREMY BOBJANUARY 9, 2025 21:19Updated: JANUARY 9, 2025 21:28

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The IDF announced that it struck weapons that were being loaded onto a vehicle inside a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.

“The IDF is committed to the ceasefire understanding between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will operate against any threat,” said the military.

There remains a lack of clarity about whether Israel will fully withdraw from Lebanon by the end of the 60-day ceasefire on January 26.

The Lebanese army has been slow in removing Hezbollah

On the one hand, the IDF has criticized the Lebanese army for being too slow in taking up positions in southern Lebanon and confiscating Hezbollah weapons it fines there.

As such, Israeli officials have hinted that the IDF might stay an additional 30 days or more to guarantee that the Lebanese army carries out its mandate and to guarantee that Hezbollah does not start slipping back into southern Lebanon.  

On the other hand, the US and other international parties involved have criticized Israel for some of its aggressive enforcement actions against Hezbollah at a time when Hezbollah has not fired rockets into Israel, as well as for Israel’s statements about extending its stay in Lebanon beyond the agreed to 60 days.

end

ISRAEL/LEBANON/FRIDAY AFTERNOON

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Five killed in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon, health ministry says

By Reuters

The Lebanese health ministry raises the death toll from an IDF strike on the town of Tayr Debba in southern Lebanon from two to five.

The Israeli military said it had conducted an airstrike on vehicles loaded with weapons used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon.

ISRAEL/WEST BANK

Here is how the IDF is handling the West Bank

(JerusalemPost)

Inside IDF’s West Bank operations: Nablus, Huwara and the new security reality

MILITARY AFFAIRS | From bypass roads to PA cooperation, a ground-level look at how Israeli forces are managing terrorism threats in Samaria amid ongoing regional tensions.

By YONAH JEREMY BOBJANUARY 10, 2025 11:37

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The Palestinian terrorist attack that occurred on Monday, killing three Israelis and wounding eight, was on Highway 55, almost on the line between the IDF’s Efraim region and its Samaria region of the northern West Bank, though slightly inside the Efraim side.

When much of the public hears of such attacks, it struggles to understand where they occurred and is rarely on top of which IDF regional brigade is handling the chase after the terrorists.

Given how close the terrorist attack was to the IDF regional lines, IDF forces in both the Efraim and Samaria regions were activated to scour their areas on the chance that the Palestinian terrorists might be hiding nearby.

The Jerusalem Post took a tour through the Samaria region on Tuesday, only one day after the attack and as IDF and other security forces were still engaged in a high-stakes manhunt for the terrorists, and felt some additional tension in the air at various guard booths and key intersections, where there was some increased security forces buildup.

The terrorists have not yet been caught, and there have been no hints of an imminent arrest, but the Post understands that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has made locating the perpetrators its highest priority.

Besides the Monday attack, which was reported on by the media across-the-board, almost none of the media reported on the wounding of an IDF soldier from Battalion 7037 during a raid on Monday night to arrest suspected terrorists in the Talluza area near Nablus.

Similarly, few media outlets reported on the three Palestinian terrorist suspects who were killed and 18 arrested across the West Bank on Monday night, including a bunch near Nablus.

Much of the time that the Post spent in the West Bank was in the Nablus area of the Samaria region, whose main city has a population of around 150,000 people.

Although these IDF raids often get overlooked due to developments in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and even Yemen, the fact that they occur regularly are a major reason the West Bank Palestinian terrorist situation has not blown up to much greater levels, which could have distracted the military from the fights in Gaza and Lebanon.

One thing that the Post learned was that while the IDF deployed in heavy numbers after Monday’s attack to set up dozens of temporary roadblocks in Efraim and Samaria to try to catch the terrorists and put a lid on any wide escalating terrorist wave, this was a regular move for the military.

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There are countless instances of warnings of potential terrorist attacks which turn out to be minor altercations or false alarms, and IDF and other security forces are frequently called on to rush to certain areas on an emergency basis since the rule is to err on the side of caution.

So when the IDF has to make complex force deployment decisions about how many forces to send to a target area to try to catch terrorists on the run in real time versus how many forces to leave in their regular spots and to maintain a general stable level of protection in all areas of the West Bank, it has tons of practice.

There is no need, then, for IDF commanders to suddenly reinvent the wheel, as they have a vast volume of recent deployments and operations to draw from to make the best possible judgment call about balancing frontline as opposed to further back defense line forces.

A surprising fact which the Post saw up close was that there seemed to be very little immediate Palestinian terrorist threats emanating from the town of Huwara near Nablus.

Especially in 2023, Huwara was a major fault line of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with around half a dozen terrorist incidents in around only six months, from February to August.

Palestinian terrorists killed four Israelis, including the brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, and the father and son Shay Silas and Aviad Nir Nigrekar, while various Israeli soldiers were wounded, and a number of other Israeli civilians were shot at or stoned, even as they escaped without being physically wounded.

Following one of the Palestinian terrorist incidents, came one of the worst Jewish terrorist incidents against Palestinians. At least dozens of extremist Israelis rampaged through Huwara in February 2023 – with no information about which Palestinians were involved in violence and which not – arbitrarily burning a large number of residences and cars, and physically harming many Palestinians.

At another point, there was a follow-up Jewish attack on Huwara, though smaller.

During this period in 2023, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians were driving through Huwara in parallel every day, being one of the only access roads to many other parts of the West Bank and Israel.

After some of the major incidents, the IDF started to work on a new bypass road in cooperation with the government. The idea was that Israeli Jews would then not need to go through Huwara for travel between Jewish villages and between Green Line Israel and the West Bank.

Expectations were that such a road would take 18 months to two years, leaving Israelis potentially exposed in Huwara well into 2025.

Yet, by November 2023, the bypass road was completed. This allowed a reduction of forces in the area and has heavily reduced both tensions and the number of easy opportunities for Palestinians from Huwara to attack Jews.

During the Post’s visit to the area, the bypass road seemed like a set fact of life, bypassing also the recent history of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians close to and in Huwara.

The Huwara quiet, however, did not bring quiet to the whole area

In August 2024, around nine months after the Huwara conflict was being bypassed, dozens of extremist Israeli Jews perpetrated a terrorist attack on the Palestinian town of Jit, not too far west from Huwara and Nablus.

They fired bullets and tear gas and torched cars and homes, killing a Palestinian and injuring several others.

While there are plenty of excuses and finger-pointing between the IDF and other security services, the bottom line is that the Central Command, which runs the West Bank, has not been given sufficient troops or drones in the area dedicated to stopping convoys of Jewish extremists, though such events have happened more frequently over the last two years.

Still, there have been no mass Jewish attacks on Palestinians since the Jit episode.

The Post understands from a number of sources that Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to cancel administrative detention against extremist Israeli Jews has not prevented Israel’s security services from keeping tabs on them.

IDF sources have said that issuing restraining orders keeping certain individuals out of the West Bank is still an option that the IDF can use.

REGARDING NABLUS itself, looking down from “Joseph’s Lookout Point” on Mount Gerizim, one sees that the city wraps around multiple mountains and sprawls in a number of different directions, reflecting both the geography and different historical eras of the city’s development. The two largest mountains that look down on it from either side are the famous biblical mountains of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Archaeologists have found on Mount Ebal the remains of an altar for bringing animal sacrifices which is believed to date to the time of the biblical Joshua.

From the lookout point one can see, on the far side of the city, another range of mountains, one of which hosts the Jewish settlement of Elon Moreh at its top. The Jewish settlement of Itamar and the Palestinian town of Beit Furik can also be seen clearly nearby, before the ascent to the mountains.

These mountains are the near edge of the Jordan Valley, with IDF Unit 417 holding responsibility beyond those mountains and all the way to the Jordan border.

On the opposite side of Nablus, one can see Mount Ebal with an IDF position, and two large radar positions.

Getting to the lookout point is an interesting exercise, as you travel through the highly unique Samaritan town of Kiryat Luza.

The town boasts a small population of only around 400, but is known for carrying out biblical-style paschal sacrifices due to the sect’s commitment to its version of earlier biblical Judaism divorced from later, post-Assyrian conquest and Rabbinic Judaism developments.

Speaking both Hebrew and Arabic, the town’s people have much in common culturally with the Palestinian population in the area, but have Israeli identity numbers and benefits.

The town is also known for Har Bracha Tahini, where the Post got to briefly visit to speak to some of the workers, view the factory floor, and be given a presentation on how the company’s magic tehina taste is made.

Another quirk of Nablus is its small Christian-Palestinian community, something that Bethlehem is better known for. In any case, Nablus has a red-topped church near its center, serving that Christian group.

Returning to Nablus’s layout, there is more than one “old city,” a more ancient, biblical-period area, and a Roman-period area.

There are four different refugee camps, including the largest single refugee camp in the West Bank, with a population of around 30,000.

Smack in the middle of Nablus are the famous Joseph’s Tomb and the lesser known Jacob’s Well.

Joseph’s Tomb jumped back into the news twice in recent months with multiple incidents of Jews sneaking into the tomb area at night without coordinating with, or getting permission from, the IDF.

The IDF coordinates monthly visits of 30-40 busloads of Jewish visitors, but some sects, especially certain Breslov Hassidim, seem to believe that they will have divine or saintly rabbinic protection when entering Palestinian areas without any actual physical IDF protection.

On December 18, Palestinians from Nablus fired at an Israeli bus exiting the West Bank city after it had carried Israelis to Joseph’s Tomb without coordination.

The bus driver sustained light wounds, and the IDF was compelled to evacuate all of the Israelis from the city.

On October 22, another bus of Israelis entered Joseph’s Tomb without coordination, and the IDF also had to evacuate those Israelis, though none were injured in that incident.

Besides those incidents, most visits to Joseph’s Tomb coordinated with the IDF go on without any disruption, but there have been instances where Nablus Palestinians got into gunfights even with caravans of Israeli visitors being guarded by the IDF.

A recent plus for the IDF in the West Bank has been the switchover during the war from a primarily younger mandatory service force to a primarily more experienced reservist force.

Many in the IDF view the more experienced reservists as having a better handle on both when to jump into action to confront danger, as well as when to dial down tensions without the need for a full altercation.

This can come out when the IDF does one of its regular entrances into Nablus from different directions, either to arrest terrorist suspects, or merely to remind terrorist groups that it is watching out for any security threats.

A HOT issue of debate in the defense establishment right now is how much slack to give the Palestinian Authority to deal with terrorism in the West Bank, including its roughly monthlong push to bring order to the Jenin refugee camp after years where its forces were afraid to enter there.

Some on Monday started to call for greater IDF intervention and once again sidelining the PA, after the terrorist attack which originated from Jenin residents.

But most IDF sources have told the Post that they continue to support having the PA handle as much Palestinian terrorism as possible.

They explain that whatever percentage of terrorism the PA stops saves the IDF and Israel both money and resources, and avoids unnecessarily endangering Israeli troops.

Moreover, they believe that when Israel has sidelined the PA, as has occurred for large portions of the current war, terrorism did not disappear.

Whether it is Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or local, less centralized terrorist cells, as long as there is greater instability in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is always easier to recruit new terrorists.

In any case, no one believes that Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank is going to evaporate anytime soon.

In fact, many IDF sources believe that Palestinian West Bank terrorism may continue at similar levels, which have been heightened since March 2022, even if there is a hostage deal that ends the war in Gaza.

In that case, many IDF sources have told the Post, what is important is to try to have the PA get a broader handle on terrorism, while maintaining as many nightly IDF raids as necessary in any areas where the PA fails to act fast enough.

This would not completely end Palestinian terrorism emanating from Nablus, Huwara, Balata, Kusra, Beit Furik, other places in the Samaria region, and other Palestinian parts of the West Bank, but IDF sources said that it would be the best available hybrid solution under the current circumstances.

END

WEST BANK/PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

(JERUSALEMPOST)

Palestinian Authority’s Jenin crackdown raises concerns over its potential collapse – opinion

As the PA intensifies its military operation against Islamist fighters in Jenin, experts warn that its weakening authority could create a dangerous power vacuum in Judea and Samaria.

By AMINE AYOUBJANUARY 10, 2025 17:29

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY head Mahmoud Abbas meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome last month. With Abbas’s leadership in decline and the PA losing its legitimacy among its people, Israel must prepare for the aftermath of Abbas’s era, says the writer.(photo credit: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

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As the Palestinian Authority escalates its crackdown on Islamist fighters in Jenin, there are growing warnings about the imminent collapse of the PA and the instability this could bring to the region. This marks a critical turning point not only for Palestinian politics but also for Israel’s security.

With Mahmoud Abbas’s leadership in decline and the PA losing its legitimacy among its people, Israel must prepare for the aftermath of Abbas’s era. In a post-Abbas world, the fragile balance of power in Judea and Samaria could collapse, creating a dangerous power vacuum with far-reaching implications for Israel and the broader region.

The PA’s military operation in Jenin, which began in December 2024, aims to suppress the growing influence of Islamist militants in the area. This crackdown has intensified resentment among the Palestinian population, further undermining the PA’s authority. The authority is now facing increasing pressure to balance its cooperation with Israel’s security needs and maintain its standing among its own people.

The PA’s failure to secure lasting peace or stability in the region has contributed to growing dissatisfaction among Palestinians, making it more difficult for them to view the PA as a legitimate governing body.

For Israel, the implications of this situation are profound. While the Israeli government has supported the PA’s operations to curb rising violence and contain Islamist militancy, there are significant concerns about the PA’s ability to continue functioning as a reliable security partner.

The fact that the PA’s efforts in Jenin have been unable to decisively dismantle armed groups in the region highlights the fragile nature of its governance. This growing weakness opens the door for more radical groups, including Hamas, to exploit the situation and fill the void left by a weakening PA.

Should the PA’s power continue to fade, Israel could face a situation where radical groups such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad gain strength and influence in Judea and Samaria. This would create a direct security threat to Israel, as these groups are committed to the destruction of the Jewish state.

Should the PA collapse entirely, the created power vacuum would be ripe for exploitation by Hamas or other militant factions, threatening to further destabilize the region and pose a direct challenge to Israel’s security.

Some analysts argue that Abbas’s crackdown in Jenin is an attempt to demonstrate the PA’s continued relevance, especially in the eyes of the international community, particularly the United States.

However, this strategy is a dangerous gamble for the PA. By using force against Palestinian fighters, the PA is attempting to prove its capacity for governance, but this is unlikely to result in long-term stability.

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Resistance movements in Jenin and across Judea and Samaria are deeply entrenched, and the PA’s efforts to quell these groups have been largely ineffective. This points to a broader issue: The PA’s ability to maintain control in the face of mounting opposition is increasingly in doubt.

Israel has a vested interest in supporting the PA’s security efforts, but it is clear that this will not be enough to ensure long-term stability in the region. The failure to decisively dismantle the armed groups suggests that the PA’s governance is faltering.

Should the PA be unable to maintain control, the resulting instability will create fertile ground for radical groups to flourish. Israel must be prepared for the worst-case scenario, where a complete collapse of the PA could lead to the rise of more dangerous political forces that could directly threaten Israeli security.

To safeguard its interests, Israel must develop a proactive strategy in the face of a possible PA collapse. This should include reinforcing Israel’s security measures to ensure that any attempt by Hamas or other militant groups to seize control of Judea and Samaria is swiftly countered.

Additionally, Israel must engage diplomatically to prevent international recognition of any extremist factions that might try to replace the PA. By working with moderate Palestinian voices and strengthening regional alliances, Israel can help mitigate the destabilizing effects of the PA’s potential collapse.

Israel’s concern about the potential collapse of the PA is not just hypothetical; the PA’s inability to quell the violence in Jenin and elsewhere suggests that its days as a stabilizing force in the region may be numbered.

The PA’s failure to maintain control could lead to greater instability in Judea and Samaria, with radical factions poised to take advantage of the power vacuum. The prospect of extremist groups filling this void presents a significant security risk to Israel, one that cannot be ignored.

The writer, a Middle East Forum fellow, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco.

ISRAEL/ICC/ HAGUE/USA

USA sanctions the judges of the ICC

(JerusalemPost)

In vote of 243-140, ICC sanctions bill passes House, heads to Senate

The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” reintroduced this week by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), received overwhelming Republican support.

By HANNAH SARISOHNJANUARY 9, 2025 21:48

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The bill seeking sanctions against members of the International Criminal Court over its issuing of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant passed 243-140 in the Republican-led House of Representatives on Thursday, marking the body’s second vote in favor of the legislation.

The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” reintroduced this week by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), received overwhelming Republican support.

Roy attacked the International Criminal Court’s “unprecedented action of issuing arrest warrants” for the sitting prime minister and former defense minister of Israel.

“Let that sit in,” he said. “This is an entity, the International Criminal Court, that has no jurisdiction over the people of the United States. [The ICC] should have no authority over our people, no authority over the prime minister of Israel.”

Mast invokes ‘America first’

Mast invoked the “America first” agenda and continually offered his tagline about the legislation, saying the US needs to “get in the way of those that are getting in our way.”

He said the bill sends an incredibly important message across the globe, that “when we make this law, do not get in the way of America or our allies trying to bring our people home. Don’t get in our way.

“You will be given no quarter, and again, you will certainly not be welcomed to American soil,” Mast said.

According to Mast, the ICC had time to “abandon the shameful effort” of issuing Netanyahu and Gallant’s arrest warrants but instead the court attempted to obstruct Israel’s right to defend itself, prolonging the war and preventing the release of American hostages.

“If you’re boosting the morale of Hamas, you are on the other team. And in November, the ICC’s Trial Chamber approved the arrest warrants,” Mast added. “We have to pass this bill today to prevent this travesty from moving any further and to deter any more illegitimate actions by this kangaroo court to halt or stall the military success of our allies trying to bring hostages home, both American and Israeli and others.”

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), ranking member of the House Committee on Rules, was the only Democrat who spoke during the vote, criticizing the Republican leadership for scheduling the vote during former president Jimmy Carter’s state funeral, saying it was incredibly disappointing given Carter’s stature in the US and his commitment to human rights.

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In his opening statement, McGovern said calling a vote on this legislation “takes the cake” in showing the country how backwards Republicans’ priorities are.

“We have a natural disaster unfolding in California right this second as 100,000 people are fleeing a climate change-driven fire that’s burning up entire neighborhoods. We have a gun violence epidemic, as we see massacres in our school nearly every single day, and families are unable to make ends meet because they’re being ripped off by billionaire corporations who don’t care about anything,” McGovern said. “All those challenges, and this is what the out-of-touch, elitist, billionaire Republican Party wants to waste time on, sanctioning the ICC.”

McGovern continued, saying the attacks of October 7 were unconscionable and that Netanyahu has an “absolute right” to defend his people but that there’s “no international right to vengeance.”

“And what we are seeing in Gaza is vengeance,” he said. “I mean, where is our humanity? Have we just given up on the idea of human rights? At least 45,000 people have been killed in the war in Gaza, and I fear that number is much higher.”

McGovern slammed the closed process in which Republicans wrote the bill and brought it to the floor, as the bill never went before the Rules Committee or received any amendments.

McGovern then directly criticized Mast for implying that his opposition to the legislation was anti-American.

“If I thought for one second that this bill that we’re debating today would help get the release of the hostages and the American hostages, I’d be with you, but it won’t,” McGovern said. “It complicates things even further, and it isolates us to the world community at a time, quite frankly, when we need allies and we need everybody working to try to resolve the conflict in the Middle East and to get all the hostages released, and to ensure that Israel has its security and to ensure that the Palestinians have a future as well.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) used his time on the floor to criticize President Joe Biden in addition to voicing his support for sanctions against the ICC, saying it’s shameful the way Biden’s administration has “allowed these hostages to languish.”

He said the ICC has continually abused its authority and demonstrated blatant hostility toward US allies and American values as Israel has “continued to defend itself against terrorists in the Middle East over the injections of this administration.”

Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) took the floor wearing an Israeli flag tie, and called the ICC a disgrace.

“It’s a sham, and its officials need to find real jobs. They have no authority to target Americans or our allies, especially Israel, and we won’t stand for it, Mr. Speaker,” he said. “I look forward to passing this bill, and encouraging the Senate to pass it in time for President[-elect Donald] Trump to sign it on day one.”

END

/WEST BANK/ISRAEL

IDF prepares for potential Hamas and PIJ attacks in the West Bank

(JerusalemPost)

IDF prepares for potential Hamas, PIJ attacks funded by Iran in West Bank

The IDF is preparing for scenarios such as breaches of the border between Israel and the West Bank and potential infiltrations aimed at taking over settlements.

By AVI ASHKENAZI, ALON HACHMONJANUARY 10, 2025 00:24Updated: JANUARY 10, 2025 03:07

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fisrael-news%2Farticle-836916&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250109_825c968703ee92332e4d9f4599fa9b486453e767&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

IDF troops have been carrying out a large-scale operation in West Bank villages in recent days, targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) battalions funded by Iran.

Iran’s goal is to establish a terror front in the northern West Bank and disrupt Israel with attacks from that region.

Over the past year, the IDF and Shin Bet have countered these battalions, particularly in Tulkarm, where there have been shootings and other assaults.

The IDF’s assessments indicate that most of the attackers involved were motivated by financial incentives rather than ideology.

Through use of intelligence, ambushes, and surveillance, the IDF has been able to neutralize terrorists and reduced the overall threat level.

Preparing for potential infiltration scenarios

The IDF is preparing for scenarios such as breaches of the barrier between Israel and the West Bank and potential infiltrations aimed at taking over settlements.

In response, the reserve brigades, known as the “David Brigades,” has been deployed to carry out defensive missions along various borders.

In recent months, significant resources have been allocated to fortify the barrier along the West Bank border.

These efforts include reinforcing sections of the physical fence and deploying military forces to secure the area. The IDF has also set up a security zone with radar systems and observation units to enhance surveillance.

Amid rising concerns, residents near the West Bank border have been increasingly anxious following the October 7 attacks and recent statements made by Rafi Saar, mayor of Kfar Saba. 

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“The border communities have faced daily threats over the past year, and this cannot be ignored,” Saar said, emphasizing the continued threats faced by border communities.

He cited the recent seizure of an RPG launcher in Jenin as an example of the severity of the threat, and called for immediate government action to ensure the safety of residents.

According to Saar, local authorities have had to independently manage a significant increase in security expenses. 

“The Kfar Saba municipality increased its security budget by NIS 8 million this year and allocated an additional NIS 30 million for response team staffing, emergency training, and reinforcing security in schools,” Saar said.  He warned that without substantial government aid, maintaining these measures long-term would be unsustainable.

Reinforcements deployed but concerns remain

Following pressure from local authorities, the IDF reinforced its presence in the area, deploying units from the Home Front Command and the Lions of Jordan Battalion to bolster community security.

However, local leaders insist that these reinforcements are only a temporary fix.

“These measures are important, but they must not remain temporary,” Saar said. “We need a long-term plan that provides lasting security for the residents.”

END

/HOUTHIS/USA/ISRAEL

Brazil/Israel

Bolsonaro explains how he closed war crimes case against IDF reservist in Brazil – interview

A joint online campaign spearheaded by the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry and Bolsonaro led Brazilian authorities to announce they would not pursue the case.

By ANNA BARSKYJANUARY 10, 2025 12:22

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Finternational%2Farticle-836966&unitId=2900003088&userId=0825748c-83eb-4fa6-9d99-5d5781551d74&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250109_825c968703ee92332e4d9f4599fa9b486453e767&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro played a pivotal role in securing the dismissal of war crimes allegations against Israeli soldier Yuval Vagdani, who returned to Israel on Wednesday after Brazilian authorities officially closed the investigation.

Bolsonaro, a congressman and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, discussed the case’s dismissal in an interview with Maariv, published on Friday.

The 500-page complaint accused Vagdani of demolishing residential buildings with explosives last November. The pro-Palestinian Hind Rajab Foundation, known for pursuing legal action against IDF soldiers abroad, claimed the demolitions occurred outside active combat and targeted shelters for displaced Palestinians.

A joint online campaign spearheaded by the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry and Bolsonaro led Brazilian authorities to announce they would not pursue the case.

“January is our parliamentary recess, a time I usually spend with my wife and two children. That’s why I recorded the first video defending the Israeli soldier at home,” Bolsonaro explained.

“Launching a defense campaign online was a spontaneous decision, but I’m familiar with the Hind Rajab Foundation. I recorded a video in both Portuguese and English, sharing it across my social media accounts. On Instagram and X, I’m @BolsonaroSP, with 13 million followers,” he noted.

Bolsonaro revealed that the effort to cancel the investigation began with an unexpected call. “A few minutes after I posted the video, my phone rang. The caller ID showed an Israeli flag, so I assumed it was the Israeli Embassy and answered in Portuguese. But it wasn’t the embassy—it was Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who handles the fight against antisemitism,” Bolsonaro recounted.

“I thought, ‘Wow, Israeli intelligence is impressive—just a minute after I posted, and they’re already calling me,’” Bolsonaro joked. “Minister Chikli explained that the Hind Rajab Foundation isn’t just another NGO—it’s tied to terror groups.”

It goes much deeper 

Bolsonaro added that the conversation changed his perspective. “I realized that Israel’s current conflict involves more than military operations—it also includes ‘soft power’ as part of a broader strategy. Initially, I thought these NGOs in Brazil were just led by extremists—not something connected to terrorism.”

He continued: “The foundation’s headquarters is in Belgium, and it operates in Brazil through Lebanese affiliates, primarily linked to Hezbollah.”

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Bolsonaro said he wasn’t deterred by threats. “On the contrary, it convinced me that we needed to act decisively. We launched a counteroffensive online, focusing on Instagram and X, and managed to shift the narrative. Eventually, federal police requested the judge to reconsider the complaint. The case was dismissed.”

“The dismissal meant the soldier was no longer at risk of arrest,” Bolsonaro emphasized. “I learned of the case’s closure while I was with my father, Jair Bolsonaro, who was just as pleased. We even recorded a celebratory video together.”

When asked if the incident led to warnings for IDF veterans about traveling to Brazil, Bolsonaro replied, “I believe Israelis who served in the IDF can visit Brazil.” He added: “Thanks to our efforts with Minister Chikli, this case of persecution gained widespread media attention across Latin America.”

“The decision not to investigate set a precedent,” Bolsonaro concluded. “In the future, judges will think twice before accepting such complaints, whether from the Hind Rajab Foundation or similar organizations. No one wants their name associated with something linked to terrorism.”

END

HOUTHIS,GR BRITAIN/USA//ISRAEL

huge strikes against the Houthis

(JERUSALEMPOST)

Israeli, American, British coalition strikes Houthi stronghold in Yemen

The attacks were the largest coordinated Israeli-US-British attack on the Houthis since the start of the war.

By AMICHAI STEIN, YONAH JEREMY BOB, DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD, GADI ZAIG, REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFFJANUARY 10, 2025 13:40Updated: JANUARY 10, 2025 16:46

Israel’s air force, in coordination with the United States and Britain, conducted airstrikes targeting a Houthi power station and two ports used by the Iran-backed terror group, the military confirmed on Friday.

The targets included military infrastructure sites at Hezyaz power station, and military infrastructure in the Hodeidah and Ras Issa ports on the Western coast.

An informed source told The Jerusalem Post, that during US Central Command (CENTCOM) deputy commander Brad Cooper’s most recent visit to Israel, it was discussed that Jerusalem and Washington would coordinate efforts in handling the Houthi threat.

 Another source confirmed the strike was coordinated with the American-British coalition, which attacked certain targets – and at the same time, Israel attacked other targets. There was no cooperation in the attack on the targets themselves, but each party struck different targets. The attacks were the largest coordinated Israeli-US-British attack on the Houthis since the start of the war. More than 20 Israeli aircraft partook in the strikes, with around 50 munitions being dropped on terror targets in Yemen, Israeli media reported.

Airstrikes on Yemen’s port of Ras Issa on Friday targeted oil storage facilities in the vicinity of the shipping berths, and no merchant vessels were reported to have been damaged, British security firm Ambrey said.

According to the source, the “work” will be “split” between Israel and the coalition is relatively clear. The coalition will allegedly attack weapons facilities, control and command bases, and underground places, while Israel strikes the Houthi’s economic facilities – which have military and civilian use such as ports, airports, power plants, etc.

According to the reports, the 12 strikes north of the capital were conducted by the US and UK on underground infrastructure belonging to the Houthis. 

A strike also reportedly hit Sana’a’s main square during the weekly Friday protests in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.  

Some six strikes also reportedly targeted the port of Hodeidah.

Officials comment on the strikes

After the military publicly confirmed responsibility for the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X/Twitter, “the Houthis are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us.”

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“They pose a danger to Israel and the entire region, including a threat to global freedom of navigation,” Netanyahu wrote. “I repeat: We will not tolerate harm to our citizens and our country.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “The port of Hodeidah is paralyzed and the port of Ras Issa is burning – there will be no immunity for anyone. We will also hunt down the leaders of the Houthi terrorist organization. Israel’s long hand reaches and will reach anywhere that harms us – including Yemen.”

Previous strikes 

Earlier this week, CENTCOM said it had carried out precise attacks on Houthi underground advanced conventional weapons storage facilities.

“The strikes are part of CENTCOM’s effort to degrade Iranian-backed Houthi attempts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region,” it said.

Israel last struck Houthi targets in December, attacking ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’a.

On Thursday, the IDF said that since the beginning of the war, the Houthis had launched some 40 surface-to-surface missiles and 320 drones towards the Jewish state.  

Shir Perets contributed to this report.

RUSSIA/UKRAINE

Bird brain Biden does it again

(zerohedge)

End Of An Era: Biden Announces His Final $500M Ukraine Package

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 02:45 AM

It’s the end of an era. After nearly three years of war in Ukraine, and with the Biden administration having handed Kiev well over $100 billion in economic and military aid throughout that time, the White House has just announced its very last package.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday that Washington is providing a $500 million military aid package which is the last of the Biden administration, to include air defense missiles, air-to-ground munitions and support equipment for F-16 fighter jets.

And Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the same day announced in the presence of Zelensky at the 25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany:

“I am announcing today another Presidential Drawdown Authority package, valued at approximately $500 million. It includes additional missiles for Ukrainian air defense, more ammunition, more air-to-ground munitions, and other equipment to support Ukraine’s F-16s.”

So despite the Biden weapons ‘surge’ and spending spree, billions in authorized funds have still been left on the table.

Newsweek has pointed out, “That leaves about $3.8 billion in PDA funds unused, despite the White House’s promise to spend the entire amount by the end of Biden’s term. The funds will become available to Donald Trump after his inauguration on January 20, the Pentagon said.”

Interestingly Trump has not indicated he immediately plans to cut aid, but is expected to use it as leverage for near-future negotiations with Moscow.

President-elect Trump stirred controversy when back in September he mocked Zelensky as the world’s “greatest salesman”.

“Every time Zelensky comes to the United States he walks away with $100 billion, I think he’s the greatest salesman on Earth,” Trump had said at a campaign event.

And just last month…

AMERICA LAST: During his last days in office Biden ensured that Ukraine's government pension fund is fully funded sending Zelensky $3.5 billion in direct budget assistance in addition to a $2.5 billion military aid package yesterday. Only 20 days until our national nightmare… pic.twitter.com/5MZWcT4kk3

— @amuse (@amuse) December 31, 2024

Trump has also repeatedly voiced serious doubts as to whether Ukraine can win the war. At the same time he’s said of Russia, “They beat Hitler, they beat Napoleon—that’s what they do, they fight.”

Even if Trump initially finds use for the remnant $3.8 in authorized funds for Ukraine, the tap is not expected to flow for very long, or instead could be geared toward reconstruction and civil services.

end

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

A must read.

Special thanks to Robert H for sending this to us;

Liz Churchill on X: “WOW. “I have 3 friends. All 3 of them had stage 4 cancer…and all 3 of them…don’t have cancer right now at all…” “What did they take…?” “Ivermectin and Fenbendazole…”https://t.co/WlnWdjsFFz” / X

Reality?

https://x.com/liz_churchill10/status/1877532070362137052

END

GLOBAL ISSUES//

MARK CRISPIN MILLER

Ursula von der Leyden cancels travel for 2 weeks (pneumonia); Sweden: Mikkey Dee in hospital, DJ Alesso cancels Malaysia show; Japan: martial artist Igor Tanabe quits competition

Australia: TV star halts live show for “breaking news” as co-star Sarah Abo, “left in agony by appendicitis,” rushed to surgery at last minute

Mark Crispin MillerJan 10

READ IN APP

GERMANY

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cancels travel due to pneumonia

January 3, 2025

The President has cancelled her external appointments for the first two weeks of January, a Commission spokesman said. She was struggling with severe pneumonia. The 66-year-old von der Leyen has been at the head of the EU Commission since December 1, 2019.

Link

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Upgrade to paid

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President van der Leyden may—like the Windsors, and Jacob and Victor Rothschild—be so true a believer in “vaccination” as to get a jab, or jabs, herself.

‘Time to think about mandatory vaccination’ across the ENTIRE EU, Ursula von der Leyen warns after Austria and Germany announced plans to force jabs on all adults

December 1, 2021

It is time for the European Union ‘to think about’ making Covid vaccines mandatory across the entire bloc, Ursula von der Leyen has said as the continent battles a winter wave of virus amid fears about the Omicron variant. The EU Commission President, speaking in Brussels, said it will ultimately be up to member states to decide their own vaccine rules – but it is her ‘personal opinion’ that the time is right to discuss forcing people to get jabs. ‘We have one third of the population which is not vaccinated. This is 150million people – that is a lot. Not each and every one could be vaccinated… but the vast majority could,’ she said. Ms Von der Leyen’s comments come after Austria announced plans to make vaccines mandatory for all eligible citizens by February, with an aide to incoming German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying yesterday that he wants to follow suit.

Link

SWEDEN

Scorpions and former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee was hospitalised with sepsis last month

January 2, 2025

Scorpions and ex-Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee was hospitalised with an infection in December. The 61-year-old admits in a new interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he developed sepsis after spraining his foot in December 2024. He endured three surgeries for the infection and admits he came close to death, joking he was almost playing drums “in Heaven” with late Motörhead leader Lemmy Kilmister. “The ankle swelled up like hell, then it took on a weird shape and appearance and looked like an overcooked ham,” he says, as translated into English by Metal Injection. “I became very ill so I had to go by ambulance to Sahlgrenska and there they found that I had sky-high values, so I became priority one there. It was surgery right away, the first of three. They cut away what was dead and infected and badly infested. It was not a good journey I was on… Another day and I’d be playing drums with Lemmy in Heaven. I can say that.” Dee offers further detail in a social media post published today (January 2), where he adds that he’s been in hospital for three weeks in his hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. However, he hopes to return to the stage with Scorpions as planned for a Las Vegas residency beginning next month.

Link

Swedish DJ / music producer Alesso cancels concert in Malaysia:

Alesso Cancels His Only Southeast Asian Show In Malaysia Due To Health Concerns

January 9, 2025

Alesso has cancelled his highly anticipated one-night-only concert in Kuala Lumpur this January 2025, citing health concerns. The show, which was set to take place on January 17 at The Landing, KL Base, would have marked his long-awaited return to Malaysia after over 12 years and was his only standalone performance in Southeast Asia.

Known for chart-topping hits like Heroes (We Could Be), Calling (Losing My Mind), and Remedy, Alesso has captivated audiences worldwide with his signature fusion of euphoric melodies and electrifying beats. With over 5.5 billion streams, two Platinum-certified singles, and collaborations with global icons such as Katy Perry, Calvin Harris, and Tove Lo, he has solidified his status as a powerhouse in modern music. The Kuala Lumpur concert was poised to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans across the region, offering the rare opportunity to witness one of the most influential DJs of our generation perform live.

Link

JAPAN

Rizin Prospect Igor Tanabe to Step Away from MMA After Rare Disease Diagnosis

December 29, 2024

Rizin Fighting Federation prospect Igor Tanabe will be stepping away from mixed martial arts indefinitely after being diagnosed with moyamoya disease.

The Japanese promotion recently revealed that Tanabe received an MRI in early December and was diagnosed with the condition. It is unclear when — or if — the 24-year-old Tanabe will return to fighting.

“Due to the diagnosis that MMA, any sport involving blows to the head, and the extreme dehydration that comes with weight loss are extremely dangerous, Igor has had to step back from competitive martial arts for a while,” read a statement from Rizin in a release.

Link

AUSTRALIA

TV star halts show for ‘breaking news’ as co-star rushed to surgery at last minute

December 24, 2024

A TV presenter was forced to pull out of a show moments before going live as she was rushed to surgery due to a life-threatening emergency.

Television presenter Sarah Abo pulled out of a live show at the last minute when she was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. The Australian star, 39, was scheduled to co-host Channel 9’s Carols by Candlelight on Tuesday before being left in agony by appendicitis.

The serious condition is a painful inflammation of the appendix and could result in death unless it is treated immediately.

Link

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If you like “News from Underground” (or hate it, but get something out of it), please read this post.

END

DR PAUL ALEXANDER

there was zero COVID pandemic, nothing, a PCR created fraud, no public health crisis, nothing. we created a fake pandemic out of nothing. and killed people by the medical actions against nothing.

and by bringing a deadly ineffective vaccine against nothing that did not work and could not work. It is a fascinating thing what happened 5 years ago and the greatest hoax all at once. and a POTUS

Dr. Paul AlexanderJan 10

READ IN APP

that will not admit it…that I hold out hope for and trust that he will come around…I trust. I do trust him. still. am I insane? are you insane? are we all insane? Is it over? or are the evil beasts brining more under Trump 2.0? is he the chosen one? to deliver us? do you have confidence like I do? or have you seen enough?

100% of the over-cycled PCR created fraud fake lie of ‘asymptomatic transmission’ and ‘equal risk of severe outcome despite baseline differentials in age and risk’ COVID non pandemic was false…the reality is there was NOTHING, we reacted to NOTHING and mass vaccinated a population against nothing. using a vaccine that did not work and in turn killed people needlessly.

100% false. 2 of the greatest lies occurred under POTUS Trump, OWS lockdowns and the mRNA vaccine and continued and expanded under POTUS Biden.

EVOLS NEWS

TEST NEWS:

JUST IN: Capitol Police Stop Potential Trump Attacker Hours Before Senate Visit – EVOLRead more…DeSantis Provides Update on Marco Rubio’s Senate Replacement – EVOLRead more…‘The View’ Host’s Husband Caught Up in RICO Lawsuit Alleging Medical Insurance Fraud – EVOLRead more…LA Mayor Karen Bass slashed fire department funding by $17.6 million, months before wildfires – EVOLRead more…Heartbroken Actor James Woods Tells of Devastation After His House Was Burnt Down – EVOLRead more…Los Angeles Mayor In Africa As Fires Ravage City – EVOLRead more…President Trump Arrives at Capitol Hill to Pay Respects to Jimmy Carter, Meet with GOP Senators – EVOLRead more…House GOP Congressman Introduces Bill to Authorize President to Negotiate Return of Panama Canal – EVOL

SLAY NEWS

The latest reports from Slay News

Top Doctor: Covid ‘Vaccines’ Are Weapons of Mass DestructionA celebrated doctor has warned that Covid mRNA “vaccines” are weapons of mass destruction that have been reducing the Earth’s population by destroying immune systems and killing off young and healthy people early and often.READ MORE

Experts Send ‘Notice of Extreme Concern’ to World Leaders Calling for Ban of Covid ‘Vaccines’World leaders in ten countries have received a “notice of extreme concern” from a team of experts who are calling for Covid mRNA “vaccines” to be banned from public use.READ MORE

Elderly Canadians Pressured into Euthanasia to Avoid Cost of TreatmentsElderly Canadian citizens are being pressured into signing up for the government’s euthanasia program in order to reduce the financial burden on the nation’s socialized healthcare system.READ MORE

Chronic Diseases Now Cause 75% of All Global DeathsAround the world, deadly chronic diseases have been surging and now account for 75 percent of all global deaths.READ MORE

Fake ‘Meat’ Products Cause Heart Attacks and Strokes, Study FindsFake “meat” products such as Bill Gates’s lab-grown “beef” are linked to cardiovascular diseases and heart failure-related deaths, a new study has found.READ MORE

MMA Fighter Hakaraia Wilson Dies ‘Suddenly’ at 26Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Hakaraia Wilson has tragically died suddenly, authorities have revealed.READ MORE

NEWS ADDICTS

LATEST NEWS

New fire explodes ‘out of nowhere’ in the Hollywood HillsA new wildfire erupted in the Hollywood Hills near the iconic “Hollywood” sign late Wednesday evening, prompting mandatory evacuations for Runyon Canyon and surrounding neighborhoods. Aerial footage captured the blaze, now named the “Sunset Fire,” rapidly spreading through the hills, engulfing thick brush and threatening dozens of homes. Local reports described the fire as appearing “out of nowhere” and exploding …READ MORE

LA sheriff CALLS OUT looters exploiting California wildfires, at least 2 arrestedLos Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has issued a firm warning to looters exploiting the chaos caused by the unprecedented wildfires sweeping across California. During a Wednesday press briefing, Luna condemned the actions of those taking advantage of abandoned homes and properties, promising swift arrests and prosecutions. “It’s always sad when I have to say this, but part of our …READ MORE

LA Mayor Karen Bass slashed fire department funding by $17.6 million, months before wildfiresLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under fire after revelations surfaced that she slashed $17.6 million from the city’s fire department budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. This significant reduction, originally proposed as a $23 million cut, is the second-largest budget decrease for the city, according to a report by the New York Post. The cuts were first noted in …READ MORE

U.S. announces another $500 million military aid to UkraineOn Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced an additional $500 million in military aid for Ukraine as devastating wildfires ravage Los Angeles, leaving thousands displaced and homes destroyed. The Associated Press reports that the Biden administration is rushing to provide Ukraine with $500 million worth of weapons drawn from existing U.S. stockpiles. According to U.S. officials, this move aims to bolster …READ MORE

Man arrested after attempting to enter Capitol with machete, knivesOn Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man attempting to enter the Capitol Visitor Center while carrying a machete and three knives. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. when security personnel spotted a machete inside the man’s bag as it passed through the X-ray machine at the north doors of the visitor center. Capitol Police immediately stopped the screening …READ MORE

end

LATEST REPORTS FOR NEWS JUNKIESSupreme Court Issues Ruling on Trump’s Attempt to Delay SentencingThe U.S. Supreme Court has denied President-elect Trump’s petition to block his Friday sentencing in the dubious “hush money” case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal Justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, in denying the motion.President-elect Trump filed an emergency petition to the U.S. …READ THE FULL REPORTLip Reader Reveals What Trump and Obama Discussed at Jimmy Carter’s FuneralFormer President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump had what appeared to be a warm conversation Thursday ahead of former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, but a professional lip reader told The Post their smiles and laughter belied more serious substance.Trump, 78, possibly wary of cameras facing the pair as they sat shoulder to shoulder, cautioned Obama, 63, that they would …READ THE FULL REPORTWATCH: Woman confronts Gavin Newsom over burned down school and NO waterA woman in Los Angeles so Governor Gavin Newsom and confronted him about her daughter’s school being burned to the ground and the fact that there was no water in the hydrants. Newsom said he was trying to call the president to get resources but was having trouble getting cell service. The woman persisted in asking him about what he’s …READ THE FULL REPORT‘PizzaGate’ Gunman Fatally Shot by North Carolina Police During Traffic StopThe Kannapolis Police Department issued a news release on Thursday announcing that Edgar Maddison Welch was shot to death by police during a traffic stop on Saturday evening.According to the release on the Kannapolis Fire and Police Facebook page, sometime around 10pm on January 4th, a Kannapolis Police Officer saw a 2001 GMC Yukon and recognized the vehicle “as one …READ THE FULL REPORTOverpaid Bureaucrat Responsible for Filling Up Fire Hydrants Rakes in $750K Per YearAs the Pacific Palisades neighborhood grapples with one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County’s history, firefighters are confronting an unexpected challenge: dry fire hydrants.The blaze, which has scorched approximately 16,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 structures, has been exacerbated by powerful Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching up to 100 mph.The Palisades Fire, which has scorched over …READ THE FULL REPORTVIEW MORE NEWS

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

7.OIL AND NATURAL GAS ISSUES/GLOBAL

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

Canada

END

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

EURO VS USA DOLLAR:  1.0307 UP 10 BASIS PTS

USA/ YEN 157.98 DOWN 0.055 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 1.2313 UP .0015 OR 15 PTS

USA/CAN DOLLAR:  1.4409 UP 0.0007 (CDN DOLLAR DOWN 7 BASIS PTS)

 Last night Shanghai COMPOSITE CLOSED DOWN 42.87 PTS OR 1.33%

 Hang Seng CLOSED DOWN 176.60 PTS OR 0.92%

AUSTRALIA CLOSED DOWN 0.40%

 // EUROPEAN BOURSE:     ALL MIXED

Trading from Europe and ASIA

I) EUROPEAN BOURSES:  ALL MIXED

2/ CHINESE BOURSES / :Hang SENG CLOSED DOWN 176.60 PTS OR 0.92%

/SHANGHAI CLOSED DOWN 42;87 PTS OR 1.33%

AUSTRALIA BOURSE CLOSED DOWN 0.40%

(Nikkei (Japan) CLOSED DOWN 414.69 OR 1.05%

INDIA’S SENSEX  IN THE RED

Gold very early morning trading: 2679.75

silver:$30.34

USA dollar index early FRIDAY  morning: 108.95 DOWN 5 BASIS POINTS FROM  THURSDAY’s CLOSE.

FRIDAY  MORNING NUMBERS ENDS

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And now your closing FRIDAY NUMBERS 1: 30 AM

Portuguese 10 year bond yield: 3.013% UP 2 in basis point(s) yield

JAPANESE BOND YIELD: +1.209% up 3 AND 6/ 10   BASIS POINTS /JAPAN losing control of its yield curve/

SPANISH 10 YR BOND YIELD: 3.253 UP 5 in basis points yield

ITALIAN 10 YR BOND YIELD 3.745 UP 6 points in basis points yield ./ THE ECB IS QE’ ING ITALIAN BONDS (BUYING ITALIAN BONDS/SELLING GERMAN BUNDS)

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD: 2.5505 UP 4 BASIS PTS

IMPORTANT CURRENCY CLOSES :  FRIDAY 

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

Euro/USA 1.0244 DOWN .0052 OR 52 basis points

USA/Japan: 157.73 DOWN 0.308 OR YEN IS UP 38 BASIS PTS//

Great Britain 10 YR RATE 4.8925 UP 8 BASIS POINTS //

Canadian dollar DOWN .0009 OR 9 BASIS pts  to 1.4410

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The USA/Yuan,  CNY ON SHORE CLOSED UP 7.3537 (ON SHORE)..CHINA MUST DEVALUE TO GOLD  

THE USA/YUAN OFFSHORE:    (YUAN CLOSED (UP)…. (7.3539)

TURKISH LIRA:  35.41 EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LEVEL/DEATH WATCH/HYPERINFLATION TO BEGIN.//

the 10 yr Japanese bond yield  at +1.209

Your closing 10 yr US bond yield UP 7 in basis points from THURSDAY at  4.755% //trading well ABOVE the resistance level of 2.27-2.32%)

 USA 30 yr bond yield  4.962 UP 4 in basis points  /11:00 AM

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD: 4.350 UP 9  BASIS PTS.

GOLD AT 11;00 AM 2690,15

SILVER AT 11;00: 30.38

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

London: CLOSED DOWN 71.20 pts or 0.83%

German Dax : DOWN 102.31 pts or 0.50% 

Paris CAC CLOSED DOWN 59.24 pts or 0.79%

Spain IBEX CLOSED DOWN 178.40 PTS OR 1.50%

Italian MIB: CLOSED DOWN 225.28 PTS OR 0.64%

WTI Oil price  77,01 11 EST/

Brent Oil:  79.98 11:00 EST

USA /RUSSIAN ROUBLE ///   AT:  102.25 ROUBLE UP 0 AND  00/100      

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD; +2.5505 UP 4 BASIS PTS.

UK 10 YR YIELD: 4.8925 UP 0 BASIS POINTS

CDN 10 YEAR RATE: 3.456 UP 10 BASIS PTS.

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 3.165 UP 12 BASIS PTS

CLOSING NUMBERS: 4 PM

Euro vs USA 1.0241 DOWN 0.0056 OR 56 BASIS POINTS//HEADING TO PARITY WITH THE DOLLAR

British Pound: 1.2206 DOWN 0.0092 OR 92 basis pts

BRITISH 10 YR GILT BOND YIELD:  4.835 UP 3 BASIS PTS//

JAPAN 10 YR YIELD: 1.209

USA dollar vs Japanese Yen: 157.83 DOWN 0.212 OR 21 BASIS PTS// HEADING FOR 160 TO THE DOLLAR

USA dollar vs Canadian dollar: 1.4433 UP 0032 BASIS PTS CDN DOLLAR DOWN 32 BASIS PTS

West Texas intermediate oil: 76.57

Brent OIL:  79.58

USA 10 yr bond yield UP 10 BASIS pts to 4.770

USA 30 yr bond yield UP 5 BASIS PTS to 4.966%

USA 2 YR BOND: UP 13 PTS AT  4.392

CDN 10 YR RATE 3.478 UP 13 BASIS PTS

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 3.202 UP 14 BASIS PTS

USA dollar index: 109.52 UP 52 BASIS POINTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 35.42 GETTING QUITE CLOSE TO BLOWING UP/

USA DOLLAR VS RUSSIA//// ROUBLE:  101.74 UP 0 AND  50/100 roubles

GOLD  2,689.90 (3:30 PM)

SILVER: 30.33 (3:30 PM)

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE: DOWN 696.75 PTS OR 1.63%

NASDAQ 100 DOWN 333.39 PTS OR 1.57%

VOLATILITY INDEX: 19.64 PTS OR UP 1.57 PTS OR 8.69%

GLD: $ 248.21 OR UP 2.35 PTS OR .96%

SLV/ $27.61 PTS OR UP .21% OR .77%

TORONTO STOCK INDEX// TSX INDEX: CLOSED DOWN 313.14 PTS OR 1.25%

end

USA AFFAIRS//JOBS REPORT

Scorching Hot Payrolls Smash Estimates As US Unexpectedly Adds Massive 256K Jobs In December As Unemployment Rate Drops

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 08:43 AM

With consensus expecting a 165K print today, and the whisper number coming in about 20K higher at 187K, traders were expecting a cooler than last month’s 227K – but not too cool – and certainly not hot, jobs number this morning. Instead they got a red hot print at 256K…

…. nearly 100K higher – or a 4 sigma beat – above the median estimate of 165K…

… with just one forecaster (Bloomberg’s econ team) expecting a higher number at 268k.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised up by 7,000, from +36,000 to +43,000, but the change for November was revised down more, by 15,000, from +227,000 to +212,000. With these revisions, employment in October and November combined is 8,000 lower than previously reported.

The number of employed workers surged from 161.183 million to 161.661 million, up 478K, while the number of unemployed workers dipped by almost 250K, from 7.121 million to 6.886 million, a drop of 235K, leading to both a convergence in the spread between the number of payrolls and Americans employed, and a decline in the unemployment rate. In other words, the household survey showed a sizable jump in employment, at 478,000, and comes after two big monthly losses.

Indeed, just in case the smoking hot payrolls print wasn’t enough, the unemployment rate should have ended any hope of a rate cut in the coming quarters, as it printed down to 4.1% from 4.2%, below estimates of a 4.2% print. The unemployment rate for Whites (3.6 percent) edged down in December. The jobless rates for adult men (3.7 percent), adult women (3.8 percent), teenagers (12.4 percent), Blacks (6.1 percent), Asians (3.5 percent), and Hispanics (5.1 percent) changed little over the month.

The underemployment rate, tumbling to 7.5% from 7.8%, and a 6 month low, was even hotter.

In fact the only aspect of today’s report that was not red hot, was average hourly earnings, which at 0.3% MoM came in line, and in fact missed fractionally on the YoY, printing at 3.9%, down from 4.0% and below estimates of an unchanged print.

Looking closer at the report, we find the following:

• Among the unemployed, the number of permanent job losers declined by 164,000 to 1.7 million in December but is little different from a year earlier. The number of people on temporary layoff, at 862,000, changed little over the month and over the year.
• In December, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) changed little at 1.6 million but is up by 278,000 from a year earlier. The long-term unemployed accounted for 22.4 percent of all unemployed people in December.
• The labor force participation rate, at 62.5 percent, was unchanged over the month and has remained in a narrow range of 62.5 percent to 62.7 percent since December 2023. The employment-population ratio, at 60.0 percent, changed little over the month and over the year.
• The number of people employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.4 million, changed little in December and is little different from a year earlier. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
• The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job, at 5.5 million, was essentially unchanged in December. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.

Turning to the Establishment survey, the BLS reported that the breakdown of jobs among major industries, we find that total employment trended up in health care, government, and social assistance. Retail trade added jobs in December, following a job loss in November. Here are the details:

• Health care added 46,000 jobs in December, with gains in home health care services (+15,000), nursing and residential care facilities (+14,000), and hospitals (+12,000). Health care added an average of 57,000 jobs per month in 2024, the same as the average monthly gain in 2023.
• Retail trade added 43,000 jobs in December, following a loss of 29,000 jobs in November. In December, employment increased in clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers (+23,000); general merchandise retailers (+13,000); and health and personal care retailers (+7,000). Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers lost jobs (-11,000). Overall, employment in retail trade changed little in 2024, following an average monthly increase of 10,000 in 2023.
• Government employment continued to trend up in December (+33,000). Government added an average of 37,000 jobs per month in 2024, below the average monthly gain of 59,000 in 2023. Over the month, employment continued to trend up in state government (+10,000).
• Employment in social assistance increased by 23,000 in December, mostly in individual and family services (+17,000). Social assistance added an average of 18,000 jobs per month in 2024, below the average increase of 23,000 per month in 2023.
• Employment in leisure and hospitality changed little in December (+43,000). Leisure and hospitality added an average of 24,000 jobs per month in 2024, about half the average monthly gain of 47,000 in 2023.
• Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services.

And visually:

Finally, in case it wasn’t clear, absent a major shock, the Fed’s easing cycle is now over as we said a month ago. Here are some on Wall Street who agree:

Bloomberg Economics (which was the only team predicting a higher job print than reported by the BLS):

“December’s jobs report was solid across the board. While we expected the strong showing in the establishment survey, the significant employment gains in the household survey – including a drop in the unemployment rate — surprised us. We take that as an encouraging sign that the job market may be stabilizing after it deteriorated steadily over the second half of 2024…. The Fed will likely conclude the report supports their view that the economy is solid and can withstand a pause in rate cuts for a few months. We expect the FOMC to keep rates steady at the Jan. 28-29 meeting.”

Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management:

“The Fed can be very comfortable staying put in January and will need some meaningful downside inflation surprises or reversals in upcoming jobs reports to wake them from rate slumber in March.”

Bret Kenwell, investment analyst at eToro:

“The market may not love this jobs number, but there are a lot worse things than a strong labor market. Remember, the consumer is the lifeblood of the US economy and being employed is critical for consumer spending and confidence. Without a strong foundation in the labor market, the whole thing falls apart. Investors need to keep that in mind — even if that means rate-cut expectations take a step back.”

Brian Coulton, Fitch Ratings:

“The Fed will take some comfort from the decline in monthly wage gains to 0.28% m/m from 0.37% in November. It doesn’t look like we are seeing a renewed acceleration in job demand or tightening in labor market conditions – the picture looks broadly stable.”

George Goncalves, head of US macro at MUFG, says:

“The only saving grace for the bond market at this point will be if risk markets really start to unravel, otherwise there is no magical number that will be a line in the sand, especially with all of the uncertainty ahead around the fiscal and government policies which may prove to be inflationary.”

And now we turn to the Fed to set the stage for the coming rate hikes…

ZEROHEDGE HEADLINE: NYSE CLOSING

Oil & Gold Surge, Bonds & Stocks Purged As ‘Good News’ Wrecks Rate-Cut Hopes

III USA ECONOMIC NEWS

LOS ANGELES FIRE UPDATE/THIS MORNING:

10 Dead, 10,000 Structures Burned In Los Angeles Area Inferno As Fire Damage Could Exceed $150 Billion

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 07:20 AM

Fires raging across the Los Angeles area entered their fourth day, killing at least ten people, forcing the evacuation of 180,000 residents, and destroying more than ten thousand structures. Preliminary estimates place damages and economic losses up to $150 billion.

As of Friday morning, five fires are burning across the LA County area. The largest, the Palisades Fire, has scorched 20,000 acres and is considered “one of the most destructive fires in the history of Los Angeles,” according to the LA fire chief on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,000 acres. The newest fires are Kenneth and Hidden Hills, which expanded in the overnight hours.

Summary of the five fires (courtesy of CBS News):

• The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles has killed two people and grown to cover over 31 square miles, likely destroying thousands of structures, according to fire officials. It was 6% contained as of late Thursday night.
• The Eaton Fire, in the hills above Altadena in northern Los Angeles County, has killed three people and burned more than 21 square miles. Between 4,000 and 5,000 structures were believed to have been destroyed or damaged. Cal Fire reported zero percent containment as of Thursday night.
• The Kenneth Fire ignited in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday and covered 960 acres with zero percent containment as of Thursday night, according to Cal Fire.
• The Sunset Fire, which erupted Wednesday in Hollywood Hills, prompted a new round of mandatory evacuations and threatened iconic landmarks. By Thursday, all evacuation orders for the fire were lifted and the blaze had been fully contained, according to officials.
• The Hurst and Lidia fires scorched at least 771 acres and 394 acres, respectively, Cal Fire said. The Hurst Fire was 37% contained and the Lidia Fire was 75% contained as of Thursday night.

Fire Map 

About 180,000 LA County residents were under evacuation orders, and nearly 200,000 residents were under evacuation warnings, the county’s Office of Emergency Management stated. In the mandatory evacuation areas, 60,120 structures were at high fire risk, while 61,288 structures were at moderate risk in areas affected by evacuation warnings.

Over 10,000 structures, including homes, businesses, and smaller buildings such as RVs and sheds, have been destroyed this week in the out-of-control blazes. 

Before-and-after satellite images from Maxar Technologies show the devastating impacts of the fires. Entire neighborhoods were burned to the ground. 

Before/After 

Other apocalyptic scenes:

LOS ANGELES FIRE UPDATE/LAST NIGHT

LA Fire Summary:

• Palisades Fire burned 20,000 acres (0% contained), while Eaton Fire has expanded to 10,000 acres (0% contained)
• Newest fire: Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills area; Another new fire in Woodland Hills
• Five dead, 180,000 people under evacuation orders 
• Most destructive fire in LA history: Ten of billions of dollars in damage (early estimates) 
• AccuWeather Estimates $135 billion to $150 billion in preliminary damage and economic losses
• Over 5,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed
• Musk Says SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to areas hit by LA wildfires
• Arson fears 

Fire Map 

Evacuation areas

 *   *   * 

Update (1942ET):

Where’s the National Guard? 

🚨#BREAKING: HUNDREDS OF LOOTERS INVADE NEIGHBORHOOD

"Cars pull up, doors open, and groups of men running up our street going up to the doors of these houses."

“There were 100 people came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses.”

REPORTER: "Did you… pic.twitter.com/0ckGivHbpy

— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) January 9, 2025

 *   *   * 

Update (1915ET):

At this point the city of Los Angeles needs to fire everyone and start over. https://t.co/JaXHHM8enW

— drefanzor memes (@drefanzor) January 10, 2025

Appears an evacuation warning was just accidentally sent out to all of Los Angeles County. @FOXLA colleague @Elex_Michaelson saying he’s hearing the same.

Not helpful.

A ton of people, including me, just got this alert. pic.twitter.com/Ue48dmObkC

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 10, 2025

Update (1900ET):

The latest AccuWeather estimate for the total damage and economic loss in LA County has surged to a staggering $135 billion to $150 billion, a massive increase from Wednesday’s estimate of $52 billion to $57 billion.

Appears an evacuation warning was just accidentally sent out to all of Los Angeles County. @FOXLA colleague @Elex_Michaelson saying he’s hearing the same.

Not helpful.

A ton of people, including me, just got this alert. pic.twitter.com/Ue48dmObkC

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 10, 2025

Update (1845ET):

An aerial survey conducted by CalFire has determined that 5,316 structures, including homes, businesses, and smaller buildings such as RVs and sheds, have been destroyed by the fire, making this one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history.

JPMorgan’s Jimmy Bhullar told clients that potential cost for insurers could easily exceed $20 billion.

 AccuWeather estimated $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic losses earlier. 

🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/jlhBpCZdoW

— Adam Carolla (@adamcarolla) January 9, 2025

It’s time for Californians to hold the leftist LA Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom accountable.

🚨BREAKING🚨 The City of Los Angeles cut funding for its fire department and allocated thousands of dollars to various progressive programs, including a “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe” and a Gay Men’s Chorus. pic.twitter.com/5ik8inY3sA

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 9, 2025

DEI = DIE 

 end

“Do Not Panic Buy”: Officials Urge Calm As LA Fire Crisis Disrupts Main Fuel Pipeline To Las Vegas

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 10:40 AM

“In an abundance of caution, due to the fires in California, the main pipeline that brings gasoline and other fuels to the Las Vegas Valley looks to face temporary disruptions in service,” the City of Las Vegas announced on X late Thursday. 

The pipeline shutdown involves Kinder Morgan’s SFPP West and 566-mile CalNev pipeline system, which ships gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. 

In an abundance of caution, due to the fires in California, the main pipeline that brings gasoline and other fuels to the Las Vegas Valley looks to face temporary disruptions in service.

The CalNev Pipeline is the key line that brings gasoline and other types of fuels from…

— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) January 10, 2025

According to local media outlet KLAS 8 News Now, the CalNev pipeline system is responsible for 90% of Clark County fuel supplies.

“We want to reassure you that there is no emergency or immediate cause for concern. These measures are purely precautionary,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department wrote on X, adding, “We encourage everyone to stay informed through reliable sources and avoid unnecessary panic or misinformation. Together, we can ensure our community remains calm and prepared.”

Now Vegas residents know there’s the possibility of an impending fuel:

LA fires threaten gas supply
Las Vegas citizens are in full buy now mode!

Video: Me pic.twitter.com/VVe8nOuYxN

— Rob (Jspec) Nakamura🤙🏼 (@JspecTheHost) January 10, 2025

🚨🇺🇸 CALIFORNIA PIPELINE SHUTDOWN SPARKS GAS PANIC IN LAS VEGAS

A wildfire-related shutdown of a crucial California-to-Vegas fuel pipeline has led to massive lines at Las Vegas gas stations.

Officials urge calm, saying measures are in place, but some residents are panic-buying.… pic.twitter.com/j6yYlVi6W0

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 10, 2025

UPDATE: Motorists are flocking to Las Vegas Valley gas stations after a fuel pipeline between Southern California and Las Vegas shut down due to power outages.
STORY: https://t.co/t5Xtr6XfBH pic.twitter.com/RQWzOz1b95

— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) January 10, 2025

Clark County announced Thursday night that fuel from the pipeline will start flowing to Vegas “in the next 12-24 hours,” adding, “The public is encouraged to not panic buy at the pump.”

What a shitshow unfolding across the Pacific Southwest—somewhat attributed to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom prioritizing a radical progressive agenda instead of actually doing their jobs. 

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

VDH

KING REPORT

The King Report January 10, 2025 Issue 7404

Independent View of the News

@Mayhem4Markets: US 20-year bond yields breached 5%, and 30-year yields appear to be next…. https://x.com/Mayhem4Markets/status/1877023019089957144   $22B 30-yr Auction results: 4.913% vs 2.92% WI; Indirect Bidders 66.6%, Direct 20.7%, Dealers 12.7%   @junogsp7: Bond market is not buying the inflation tiger has been tamed narrative. Neither is the commodities index which has soared 28% in past six months to new all-time high.   @biancoresearch: US TREASURY SECRETARY YELLEN: I HOPE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE THE DEFICIT SERIOUSLY. Like she did?   @judyshel: Watch this slide in exchange rate between yuan and dollar. China is waving a red cape in front of President Trump—who formally labeled China a currency manipulator on August 5, 2019, when Beijing deliberately broke through 7 yuan to the dollar as retaliation for expanded U.S. tariffs announced the week before. Puts into context Trump’s frustration with Fed—and Powell—for resisting interest rate cuts that would counter the exchange-rate maneuvering by China. The Fed would subsequently decide to lower interest rates two more times in 2019, while saying it was not due to pressure from Trump.   Former BOJ chief Kuroda predicts more rate hikes “There seems to be no change to (the BOJ’s) basic stance of gradually raising interest rates with an eye on economic and price developments… That’s because a positive wage-inflation cycle is continuing, which is likely to keep inflation sustainably and stably at its 2% target,” he said… https://t.co/9kjuO8FSVd   @Marlin_Capital: Bitcoin has been moving in sync with the global M2 money supply (on a 10-week lag).  The current negative divergence is pointing to $80k for Bitcoin. (Chart at link) https://x.com/Marlin_Capital/status/1872723798367343014   @SPGlobalPMI: Key Insights from December’s Manufacturing PMI Data:Europe & the US were increasingly drags on global manufacturing production at the end of 2024Mainland China continued to see output expand, but the rate of growth slowed from NovemberGoods trade worsened further, with producers in the eurozone, US, UK, Japan and mainland China all seeing new export orders declineUS producers reported a larger than average rise in input prices in December, with the rate of inflation climbing from NovemberGlobal business optimism waned in Dec, signaling lower confidence among manufacturers… https://x.com/SPGlobalPMI/status/1877022672975958328  Fed’s Waller Supports Further Cuts, Says Inflation Moving Lower – BBG 9:20 ET   Fed Governor Waller cautioned against rate cuts only a few months ago.  Now, Waller is calling for rate cuts – because he is sucking up to Trump for the Fed Chair.   Fed Governor Waller sees need for ‘more caution’ ahead when lowering interest rates  Oct 14, 2024 https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/14/fed-governor-waller-sees-need-for-more-caution-ahead-when-lowering-interest-rates.html   @StockSavvyShay: Quantum stocks are TANKING today (Huang said 15 years before beneficial): IONQ: -31%, QUBT: -37%, QBTS: -38%, RGTI: -38% (They rebounded sharply after morning plunges.)   ESHs traded modestly lower when the Nikkei opened but quickly commenced a moderate rally that ended at the 1:00 ET Nikkei close.  ESHs then retreated 15 handles by 2:20 ET.  ESHs then rallied to a daily high of 5975.00 at 5:52 ET.  ESHs then tumbled to 5926.50 at 7:22 ET.  The rally for the NYSE opening took ESHs to 5961.75 at 8:29 ET.  Selling then appeared; ESHs slid to 5925.50 at 10:21 ET.   Second Hour Reversal buying and the manipulation for the European close pushed ESHs to 5965.25 at 11:41 ET.  ESHs then tumbled to a daily low of 5917.00 at 12:31 ET.  A belated Noon Balloon and solid 30-year auction took ESHs to 5961.75 at 13:38 ET.   USHs declined to a daily low of 11 14/32 (-23/32) at 7:32 ET.  Then someone aided and abetted the US Treasury by forcing USHs to a daily high of 112 11/32 (+7/32) at 13:00 ET, the auction results release time.  After the results appeared, instead of jumping on the solid results, USHs sank to 111 22/32.   After a retreat to 5935.50 at 13:54 ET in accordance with the USHs drop, ESHs jumped to 5971.75 at 14:39 ET. After a retreat to 5945.00 at 15:14 ET, ESHs rebounded to 5959.00 at 15:29 ET and rolled over.  After settling at 5947.75 at 15:40 ET, the late manipulation pushed ESHs to 5964.75 at 16:00 ET.   Fed Minutes Show Officials Were Eager to Slow Interest-Rate Cuts – BBG   Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, December 17-18, 2024 The staff projection at the December meeting was for economic conditions to stay solid. Given the elevated uncertainty regarding specifics about the scope and timing of potential changes to trade, immigration, fiscal, and regulatory policies and their potential effects on the economy, the staff highlighted the difficulty of selecting and assessing the importance of such factors for the baseline projection and featured a number of alternative scenarios…Inflation in 2025 was expected to remain at about the same rate as in 2024… https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcminutes20241218.pdf   @WSJ: Fed officials saw risks of higher-than-expected inflation—due in part to potential tariffs by Trump—when they made a “finely balanced” decision last month to lower interest rates   BBG’s @AnnaEconomis: One sentence quick reaction to FOMC minutes: Fed is asking for it (trouble).   @zerohedge: Odd: why were Fed officials not worried about the inflation impacts of Biden’s $3 trillion fiscal stimulus?   @stlouisfed: U.S. consumer credit declined $7.5 billion in November, seasonally adjusted, following a $17.3 billion increase in October. Revolving credit (credit cards) decreased $13.7 billion and nonrevolving credit (auto and student loans) rose $6.2 billion https://t.co/F7IwNthVS7   @Barchart: Consumer Credit had its largest monthly decline since Covid  https://t.co/etc7P9PQCZ   @TheBondFreak: Consumer Revolving Credit just nosedived. Something you don’t see outside a GFC or Covid event. https://t.co/B2iL2pCKmM   Positive aspects of previous session The DJTA, Nasdaq, and Fangs rallied modestly; the DJIA advance 106.84 points.   Negative aspects of previous session USHs declined despite manipulation to aid & abet the Treasury Auction of 30-year bonds The S&P 500 Index despite a modest rally had a lower high and lower than on Tuesday.   Ambiguous aspects of previous session Gold rallied; Bitcoin declined.   First Hour/Last Hour Action [S&P 500 Index]: 1st Hour from NYSE Open: Down; Last Hour: Up   Pivot Point for S&P 500 Index [above/below indicates daily trend to traders]: 5906.97 Previous session S&P 500 Index High/Low: 5927.89; 5874.78   @SarahisCensored: Multiple intelligence and security sources at the highest levels of the U.S. and Israel confirm that authorities believe only about 20 of the 251 hostages taken alive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, remain alive. The figure of 20 is approximate and includes only civilians and female Israeli soldiers taken prisoner.  Source – NewsMax   Biden to Further Curb Nvidia, AMD AI Chip Exports in Final Push – BBG 16:34 ET Wednesday   China’s consumer prices weaken further, adding to deflation worries The consumer price index (CPI) edged up 0.1 per cent in that month from a year earlier, in line with the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Factory deflation extended into a 27th month, though the producer price index (PPI) recorded a slower drop of 2.3 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Jan 9… https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/chinas-inflation-weakens-near-zero-even-after-stimulus-efforts-in-sign-of-weak-economy   @JanJekielek: China’s $17.8 trillion economy is on the verge of collapse, says @Jkylebass. Its population is plummeting, and there are U.S. companies with billions of dollars in earnings sitting in Chinese banks, with no way to get them out. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. https://x.com/JanJekielek/status/1877112018689458630   @KobeissiLetter: The Chinese Yuan is causally nearing its weakest level against the US Dollar since January 2008.  https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1877140238247624746   Britain’s Bond Turmoil Invokes Memory of 1976 Debt Crisis A parallel with the debt crisis of the 1970s might be more apt… Weale said the events echo the 1976 debt crisis “nightmare” that forced the government to ask the International Monetary Fund for a bailout…     The UK’s escalating debt burden… is now at its highest level since the early 1960s… https://finance.yahoo.com/news/britain-bond-turmoil-invokes-memory-050000895.html   @MauiBoyMacro: US household equity exposure. Got greed? https://x.com/MauiBoyMacro/status/1877384803693302097 Markets on Thursday Nikkei -0.94%, Hang Seng -0.20%, CSI 300 -0.25%, Shanghai Comp -0.58%, Shenzhen Comp +0.30% Euro Stoxx 50 +0.42%, FTSE +0.78%, CAC 40 +0.54%, DAX -0.05%, MIB +0.67%, OMX +0.33%   Today – The Monday Rally and the Turnaround Tuesday to the upside operation failed.  Despite several attempts to push ESHs and stocks higher on Wednesday.  Stocks are now struggling; the bond bear market continues.  The December NFP, barring a big outlier, should have only a transitory effect.   ESHs are -32.25; NQHs -143.75 (on Biden’s AI chip curb); and USHs +1/32 at 20:05 ET.   Expected Economic Data: Dec NFP 165k (Whisper # 181k), Mfg. 5k, Rate 4.2%, Wages 0.3% m/m & 4.0% y/y, Workweek 34.3, Labor Force Participation Rate 62.5%; Jan UM Sentiment 74, Current Conditions 75.1, Expectations 72.7, 1-year Inflation 2.8%, 5-10-Year Inflation 3.0%   S&P Index 50-day MA: 5952; 100-day MA: 5818; 150-day MA: 5698; 200-day MA: 5570 DJIA 50-day MA: 43,453; 100-day MA: 42,629; 150-day MA: 41,613; 200-day MA: 40,915 (Green is positive slope; Red is negative slope)   S&P 500 Index (5918.33 close) – BBG trading model Trender and MACD for key time frames Monthly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 5329.29 triggers a sell signal Weekly: Trender is positive; MACD is negative – a close below 5735.66 triggers a sell signal Daily: Trender and MACD are negative – a close above 6089.00 triggers a buy signal Hourly: Trender and MACD are negative – a close above 5950.52 triggers a buy signal   Los Angeles fires seen in horrifying plane footage https://t.co/ZMhQsWqB32   LA Wildfire leaves giant path of destruction in the Pacific Palisades https://trib.al/w98jVTN   @Osint613: LA FIRES This is what’s left of the Pacific Palisades.  Homes and businesses completely gone.  https://x.com/Osint613/status/1877022932532068693   Biden reportedly was in LA on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fox 11 News reported that Biden’s No Fly Zone in California hindered air fire control operations.   Dangerously high winds force Biden to cancel event announcing two new national monuments The president was in his limousine ready to leave Los Angeles when the event was canceled. The White House initially said Biden would speak in Los Angeles but later announced the event would be rescheduled at the White House next week at a time when others could attend… https://abc7.com/post/biden-today-will-announce-creation-chuckwalla-stttla-national-monuments-joshua-tree-northern-california/15771034/   @BrittRooted: Biden during briefing on LA wildfires: “They got notifications yesterday that their homes probably burned to the ground… but, the good news is, I’m a great-grandfather as of today.” https://x.com/BrittRooted/status/1877097989941919807   On Wednesday night, fires broke out in the Hollywood Hills and in Studio City.  Arson is suspected.   @DC_Draino: We now have video evidence of criminal arsonists lighting fires all over LA. Why is Bernie Sanders still blaming “climate change” for these fires? It’s not the weather – it’s Democrat bail reform.   Actress @JustineBateman: A couple of years ago, insurance companies put in the necessary requests to the state of California to raise their rates. They were denied. So, most of them pulled out of CA. It has been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get house ins here since then.  Many of these now destroyed houses may be uninsured because CA wouldn’t let the companies raise rates to compensate for past fires, etc   Actor @RealJamesWoods: Actually, one of the major insurances companies canceled all the policies in our neighborhood about four months ago.   LA Mayor Karen Bass cut fire department funding by $17.6M — months before wildfires turned city into hellscape  https://nypost.com/2025/01/08/us-news/la-mayor-karen-bass-cut-fire-department-funding-by-17-6m/   @Geiger_Capital: Rick Caruso, billionaire real estate developer, called into LA local news: “This is like a third world country… there is no water coming out of the fire hydrants. LA Mayor Karen Bass is on a foreign trip to Ghana.” (For prez inauguration) https://x.com/Geiger_Capital/status/1876994486330421632   @elonmusk: Obama made sure that Rick Caruso, who is extremely competent, lost to utterly incompetent Mayor Karen (her real name).   @FoxNews: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) stood stone-faced and refused to answer reporter’s questions about being out of the country while deadly wildfires first tore through her city. https://t.co/lyOH9aePCh   LA Mayor Karen Bass blunders her way through fire warnings on ‘the big one’ — and directs people to get help ‘at URL’ (Did a Biden) https://trib.al/01eQCnQ   Vital LA Firefighting Equipment Was Handed to Ukraine, Reports Show, as Americans Now Caught in Raging Inferno https://t.co/xoS5Gj7tmB   @lsferguson: (Actor) James Woods Calls Out LA Fire Chief Prioritizing DEI: ‘She Had Too Much on Her Plate Promoting Diversity’ https://t.co/i8ycPqBzQa   Remember, Karen Bass was the runner up to be Biden’s VP!   @WesternLensman: Disgraced mayor of LA Karen Bass traveled to Cuba repeatedly, including with a radical leftist group that supported Castro’s communist regime and agenda. Biden considered Bass for his 2020 running mate, despite this: “The Biden campaign knows about Bass’s history with the [Venceremos] Brigade, which began as a joint venture of the Castro government and Students for a Democratic Society, the leftist, antiwar organization that gave birth to the Weather Underground t*rrorist group.”     “She told Biden’s vetting committee weeks ago that this was probably going to come up. So far, it hasn’t been a deal breaker—in fact, her potential to drive up African-American votes might help in Florida among voters who traditionally haven’t been paid as much attention in the state.” Biden and his handlers considered potentially putting this communist one heartbeat away from the presidency. Instead, she’s been busy destroying Los Angeles.  https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1877366818366529904   Celebrities turn on dems, blast LA mayor for Palisades Fire response: ‘ruined our state’ https://trib.al/lwIYS4U   Firefighters running out of water as fires tear through Los Angeles The Department of Water and Power confirmed reports of hydrants being empty, without giving numbers… https://nypost.com/2025/01/08/us-news/firefighters-run-out-of-water-as-fires-tear-through-los-angeles/   @realDonaldTrump: Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way. He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!) but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!   @EndWokeness: CA Governor Gavin Newsom brags about “the largest dam removal in U.S. history” because Native tribes said to save fish. https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1877042693311738309   @Cernovich: Los Angeles had two years of near-record rainfall. It all washed back into the ocean, no way to store it, now the fire hydrants don’t have water.   @libsoftiktok: In 2014, Californians overwhelmingly voted to spend billions on water storage and reservoirs. Gavin Newsom still hasn’t built it. Now no water is coming out of the fire hydrants. https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1877022460752674874   @JackPosobiec: Literally the entire plot of Chinatown (1974) is about the California Water Wars and how corrupt bureaucrats and predatory elites intentionally dumped water into the ocean to create an artificial drought to devalue land so they could buy it up.   @jenvanlaar: Interesting that all 3 of the fires that started in Ventura County btwn yesterday and today were almost immediately knocked down.  Viewline fire just now – in less than an hour it was stopped. We also immediately had 2 tankers and 2 helicopters on it. Why can’t LA City do that?   @tahrajirari: When the Forest Service identifies high-risk forests needing prescribed burns, it takes an average of 4.7 YEARS just to get through environmental reviews. For complex projects, it’s 7.2 years – longer than many fire cycles. https://x.com/tahrajirari/status/1877110097790312519   @DC_Draino: LA Media: “LGBT Fire Chief is proving lesbians get it done” You can’t make this up… https://x.com/DC_Draino/status/1877361220971299103   @EndWokeness: LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson: “Am I able to carry your husband out of a fire? He got himself in the wrong place.” (What?) https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1877458240050446339     @scarlson99: She apparently is unaware of how this sounds to normal people.   @BillAckman: Once a society concludes that meritocracy is unfair, it is on a rapid path to self-immolation.   @annvandersteel: JANISSE QUINONES is the New Head of L.A. Department of WATER and Power. She was recommended to the position by Mayor Karen Bass back in May 2024. She makes $750,000 a year — nearly TWICE as much as her MALE predecessor. And almost ONE year later, LA is OUT OF WATER FOR FIGHTING FIRES.   @Breaking911: Los Angeles woman says ‘hundreds’ of thieves are looting luxury homes that were evacuated due to fires.  She says the police are nowhere in sight. https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1877475781875528186   @johndurant: It may surprise you to learn that the state that took 38 days to count votes in the presidential election isn’t at all prepared for wildfires.   @MailOnline: ABC News star David Muir mocked for using clothespin to cinch his jacket during LA wildfire report. Internet lashes out at ‘narcissistic’ reporter… https://x.com/MailOnline/status/1877400633625481534   @CortesSteve: Watch Joe Biden joke about the California fires: “Madam Vice President, I know you’re directly affected. So you fire away. No pun intended.” *awkward laughter* https://x.com/CortesSteve/status/1877475413363974551   @JerryDunleavy: Joe Biden tells USA Today that he isn’t sure when the crimes that he pardoned Hunter Biden for even happened: “This was back in ’80, I mean excuse me, in 2000 and… What year was it? Anyway, long time ago.” Wow yeah definitely sounds like a very vigorous pardon process. https://x.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1877022671386337749   @WesternLensman: Dem Sen. John Fetterman says if Democrats can’t get 7 votes in the Senate to pass the Laken Riley Act, then “that’s the reason why we lost.” “If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes, I don’t know why anybody thinks that it’s controversial, that they all need to go.” https://t.co/e0tDEK72uO   ‘The View’ star Sunny Hostin’s surgeon husband accused of insurance fraud in sweeping federal lawsuit https://t.co/Mly1hTISUc   @NickFondacaro: Sunny Hostin’s husband has been named in a massive insurance fraud RICO case. WACTH: Hostin implicates her husband in such a scheme: “[He] operates on someone even though they don’t have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work…” https://t.co/P2ZvLdmhzt   @FoxNews: ‘IT’S ACTUALLY INSULTING’: Former NBC News anchor Brian Williams calls out fellow journalists for failing to cover Biden accurately, saying it was a “gross disservice” to Americans. His full remarks. https://trib.al/5rGEeob   @Breaking911: LOTS OF MATERIAL SO FAR AT JIMMY CARTER’S FUNERAL: – Trump shakes hands with Mike Pence. – Obama does not shake Trump or Melania’s hand – but shakes everyone else’s hands. – Bush walks right past the Trump’s, slaps Obama in the stomach and shakes hands with everyone else. – Obama and Trump having lots of laughs. – The Clinton’s walk in and ignore Bush, Obama and Trump. https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1877379195669782616   Jimmy Carter funeral: Even CNN can’t ignore the icy tension between Jill Biden and Kamala Harris https://trib.al/UEXUCj2   Kamala Harris appears to huff after spotting Trump, Obama having friendly chat at Jimmy Carter’s funeral service https://trib.al/38apiYc   @WendellHusebo: Michelle Obama Skips Jimmy Carter’s Funeral to Vacation in Hawaii, per CNN   @JackPosobiec: Hearing serious talk that the reason Michelle isn’t at the funeral isn’t that she wasn’t invited, but that she and Barack are on the outs.   Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sing ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon during Carter funeral https://trib.al/LjfVPGG   @CaseyMattox_: “Imagine no religion” at the funeral of a man whose religion was very important to him… But it’s singularly inappropriate here. And that’s true even if – as I assume – it was his choice.   @peterschweizer: Yes, it is worth remembering Jimmy Carter’s humanitarian work, especially Habitat for Humanity.   But also remember this:  In January 1984 he went to visit the Soviet Amb. as a private citizen and urged the Soviets to do what they could to ensure Reagan didn’t get reelected.  Appalling conduct by a former President. I wrote about this in my book “Reagan’s War.” The full account is in Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin’s memoirs.   Zuckerberg ended Facebook censorship after his post about MMA knee injury failed to go viral https://nypost.com/2025/01/09/business/mark-zuckerberg-ended-facebook-censorship-after-his-post-about-mma-knee-injury-failed-to-go-viral-report/   Roberts (A Bushie who hates DJT) and Coney Barret voted with the 3 liberal women to deny Trump’s attempt to halt his sentencing today.  Amy Coney Barret regularly votes with the 3 lib female justices.

—

SWAMP STORIES FOR YOU TONIGHT

Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Request To Stop Sentencing In Hush Money Case After Justice Barrett Sides With Liberals

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 01:13 AM

The Supreme Court on Jan. 9 rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s request to halt proceedings in his New York business records case, removing a potential barrier to sentencing scheduled for Jan. 10, The Epoch Times reports.

The brief order – which ensures Trump will be branded a “convicted felon” at his inauguration in 10 days – noted that Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh would have granted the application. In other words, Trump appointee Amy Coney Barrett sided with the liberals on the bench. In retrospect, CNN belief that Justice Barrett might be the “last best hope for Supreme Court liberals” proved to be accurate.

Thanks to Barrett’s defection, the Supreme Court will stand by as Judge Juan Merchan sentences Donald Trump over felony offenses that many legal analysts consider to be a sham.

The Supreme Court offered two reasons it said it refused to grant the application. “First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal. Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing,” a note on the Supreme Court’s docket read.

After the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump wrote on TruthSocial that he appreciated the “time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me.”

He went on to say that he was innocent and would appeal the case.

“For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s application for a stay was submitted on Jan. 8 and argued that “the prospect of imposing sentence on President Trump just before he assumes Office as the 47th President raises the specter of other possible restrictions on liberty, such as travel, reporting requirements, registration, probationary requirements, and others—all of which would be constitutionally intolerable under the doctrine of Presidential immunity.”

New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has indicated that he wouldn’t impose a punishment including incarceration. He denied Trump’s request to halt proceedings as did two state appeals courts this week.

Trump told the U.S. Supreme Court that Merchan had erroneously admitted certain evidence of his official acts as president and failed to acknowledge a form of immunity for presidents-elect. He asked the court to take up his case and consider those issues, as well as whether he was entitled to an automatic stay due to an appeal on presidential immunity.

Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying records in relation to an alleged payments to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford. Merchan is expected to enter a judgment of conviction on Jan. 10 and potentially offer a statement criticizing Trump’s behavior.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the indictment against Trump in 2023, told the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 9 that it should reject Trump’s application and allow the state courts to continue handling the issue. Bragg said Trump was asking for an extraordinary intervention by the justices and that Trump had not yet exhausted his state-court remedies.

“Any stay here risks delaying the sentencing until after January 20, when defendant is inaugurated and his status as the sitting President will pose much more severe and potentially insuperable obstacles to sentencing and finality,” Bragg’s brief read.

The president-elect said that the opinion written by Merchan “goes against our Constitution, and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the Presidency as we know it.”

END

Pay no attention to this totally ridiculous verdict. It will be overturned

(zerohedge)

“A Political Witch Hunt”: Trump Rages After Judge Rules No Jail, Fines For Hush Money Conviction

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 10:02 AM

Update (1002ET): President Trump will not see jail or pay any fines over his criminal conviction in his hush money trial, a judge ruled on Friday.

Days before his inauguration, a New York prosecutor recommended no jail time for US President-elect Donald Trump at his Friday sentencing in his ‘hush money’ trial.

As the session began, Trump, wearing a red tie with white stripes, sat silently and did not respond when Merchan greeted him, Reuters reports.

Merchan sentenced Trump, 78, to unconditional discharge, which places a judgement of guilt on Trump’s permanent record – without any other legal penalties.

“It is the legal protections afforded to the office of the president of the United States that are extraordinary, not the occupant,” said Merchan, as Trump listened during a virtual appearance. “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.“

As the Epoch Times notes further, Merchan asserted that “Donald Trump the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant” would not be entitled to the presidency’s protections. He said that office is the only one that shields Trump from the verdict’s seriousness.

He wished Trump “Godspeed” as he prepares for a second term in office before Merchan left the bench.

Trump also notably called the judge’s impartiality into question when he requested Merchan’s recusal, citing his daughter’s relationship with a Democratic group.

Trump had attempted to halt sentencing with multiple appeals to New York courts and the U.S. Supreme Court—each of which ultimately denied his requests. The case could nonetheless spawn future appeals and result in the conviction being overturned.

During Trump’s trial, he was held in contempt 10 times and faced multiple gag orders, before a jury found him guilty in May on 24 felony counts of falsifying business records.

“I’m totally innocent, I did nothing wrong,” said Trump before sentencing.

“It’s been a political witch hunt,” he continued. “It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election and obviously that didn’t work.”

Trump says he will appeal in a post to Truth Social:

The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED. The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History. As the American People have seen, this “case” had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference. Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

*end

Homeland Security Inspector General Confirms Audit Of FEMA Over Trump Sign Controversy

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 11:40 AM

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general this week confirmed it is auditing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over concerns that its employees avoided homes that displayed signs supporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in the aftermath of several hurricanes.

In a letter dated Jan. 6, the office told Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.) that an audit of the disaster relief agency was initiated on Dec. 17, 2024, to “determine how well FEMA followed its policies and procedures when addressing safety concerns and determining community trends that impact disaster survivor assistance in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”

Two months ago, a now-terminated FEMA employee, Marn’i Washington, allegedly told a FEMA team in Florida to bypass homes that display Trump signs. After reports surfaced that FEMA workers were told to avoid those homes, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell announced that the employee, Washington, was fired.

“I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct,” Criswell said in a statement at the time.

But Washington later said in several media interviews that the policy was systemic and that she was being scapegoated. FEMA officials “were already avoiding these homes, based on community trends, from hostile political encounters,” she told Fox News at the time, adding that the policy had “nothing to do with the campaign sign, it just so happened to be a part of the community trend.”

“Firstly, I’m being framed,” she told NewsNation in mid-November 2024.

“There’s no violation of the Hatch Act. I was simply following orders.”

On Dec. 3, 2024, Graves and Perry, two lawmakers who sit on the House Transportation Committee, called for an investigation into the claims made by Washington and other reports “of the deliberate avoidance of homes with Trump campaign or political signs” during FEMA’s response to the two hurricanes.

“The actions taken by FEMA supervisors in directing employees to avoid homes that displayed Trump campaign signs or flags are disturbing and raise serious questions about the culture and political bias that permeates FEMA leadership,” they wrote, adding that the committee is also concerned about whether the practice was “more widespread than reported” and could have harmed hurricane victims.

In November 2024, Criswell testified before a House subcommittee and said that not providing aid to people due to political beliefs is “completely at odds with FEMA’s mission,” stressing that the incident wasn’t part of a broader FEMA trend.

FEMA had faced criticism late last year after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Criswell suggested the relief agency would run out of funding needed to last the remainder of the 2024 hurricane season.

The announcement from Mayorkas did not sit well with certain Republicans. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and others highlighted two FEMA announcements last year allocating more than $1 billion to offset the costs of illegal immigrants who were flooding U.S. cities, which GOP officials said should instead have been provided to communities reeling from the hurricanes.

Helene hit the southeastern United States in late September 2024, causing widespread destruction, particularly in the Appalachian region of western North Carolina. Weeks later, Milton slammed into Florida’s west coast, causing devastation across the Tampa area.

END

Arson Eyed In LA’s Kenneth Fire – Suspect Gang-Tackled By Residents

Friday, Jan 10, 2025 – 11:20 AM

Police believe a fifth brush fire that broke out in the fiery Los Angeles hellscape on Thursday afternoon may have been set intentionally — and they’ve arrested a suspect who was captured by residents. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman indicated the suspect in the nearly-1,000-acre Kenneth fire could face murder charges, if a loss of life is linked to that blaze. “Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought,” he told NewsNation‘s Ashleigh Banfield. 

Potential swift justice was off to a strong start thanks to the initiative of local residents. Witnesses told LA’s KFI News radio that the suspect was seen riding a motorbike and holding an ignited torch, with three residents chasing him down and gang-tackling him in a front yard. We pause to note that portable torches have been observed in other California criminal endeavors:   

So much for the locks.

California thief just uses a blowtorch. pic.twitter.com/FF7dyJJkwT

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 21, 2023

“What we know right now is that the [fire] occurred, started here, and about 20 minutes, 30 minutes later, a suspect was detained over in Woodland Hills area by citizens,” LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinsel told NewsNation’s Brian Entin on the scene. Asked if the Kenneth fire was set intentionally, Dinsel said, “At this time, that’s what we believe.” He said the fire’s suspected starting point — at the Victory Trailhead that gives access to the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve — was being treated as a “crime scene.”  

Los Angeles Police says Kenneth Fire currently burning was intentionally set and suspect "was detained by citizens."
Burning now 800+ acres. pic.twitter.com/acJspnIJKF

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) January 10, 2025

Little is known about the suspect, and his name has yet to be released. LAPD issued a statement confirming the arrest, but noting “We CANNOT confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect at this time.” Meanwhile, KFI News and others have posted photos and videos said to show him being arrested: 

Full arrest footage of the suspect who lit the Kenneth Fire. Is that a blow torch? pic.twitter.com/0qVk80GuYl

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 10, 2025

The Kenneth fire began shortly after 2:30 pm in the the Woodland Hills area, near a neighborhood called Calabasas. Quickly spreading to more than 900 acres, it prompted mandatory evacuation orders in the immediate vicinity, along with evacuation warnings in adjacent Ventura county. The orders were subsequently downgraded to warnings, NBC News reports, after the fire’s progress.

An incredible water drop by this helicopter on the rapidly spreading Kenneth Fire near West Hills and Calabasas. True heroes. pic.twitter.com/0BbptlHZEo

— California Fire Tracker (@deb8rr) January 10, 2025

While that was a rare, encouraging development for firefighters engaged in a daunting multi-front war, it was well short of a victory: As of 8pm local time, the Kenneth fire was listed as 35% contained. Late Thursday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said 900 additional firefighters were being deployed against the blaze. 

Demonstrating an awareness that citizens are beyond fed up with California’s failure to provide safety and security, DA Hochman dished out tough-sounding rhetoric about the arrest of the arson suspect. “Our goal is to send this warning,” he told Banfield.” Whether it’s looting, these internet scams, robbery, or future arsons. … The day and age of a DA’s office standing on the sidelines is over. We want to bring justice, and we will.”

Let’s not forget what we noted on Thursday. 

Arson Threats A "Major Issue" In Wildfire-Ravaged Los Angeles County https://t.co/T1MhhHcEsF

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 9, 2025

. . .  

GREG HUNTER

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