GOLD CLOSED UP $40.95 TO $2794.70

SILVER CLOSED UP $.76 TO $31.53

 GOLD ACCESS CLOSED 2795.50

Silver ACCESS CLOSED: $31.53

Bitcoin morning price:$105,490 UP 2230 DOLLARS.

Bitcoin: afternoon price: $105,100 up 2340 DOLLARS

Platinum price closing UP $22.05 TO $971.80

Palladium price; UP $23.90 TO $989.55

END

*CANADIAN GOLD: $4050.00 UP 76.33 CDN dollars per oz( * NEW ALL TIME HIGH 4050.00 CDN DOLLARS PER OZ//JAN 30 2025)

*BRITISH GOLD: 2248.06 UP 31.51 Pounds per oz// *(NEW ALL TIME HIGH//CLOSING///2,248.06 BRITISH POUNDS/OZ) JAN 30/2025

*EURO GOLD: 2,685.57 UP 37.80 Euros per oz //* (ALL TIME CLOSING HIGH: 2,685.57 EUROS PER OZ/JAN 30 //2025)

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END

EXCHANGE

EXCHANGE: COMEX
CONTRACT: JANUARY 2025 COMEX 100 GOLD FUTURES
SETTLEMENT: 2,769.100000000 USD
INTENT DATE: 01/29/2025 DELIVERY DATE: 01/31/2025
FIRM ORG FIRM NAME ISSUED STOPPED

---

323 C HSBC 300
363 H WELLS FARGO SEC 407
435 H SCOTIA CAPITAL 200
624 H BOFA SECURITIES 7
686 C STONEX FINANCIA 4
732 H RBC CAP MARKETS 300
737 C ADVANTAGE 5
905 C ADM 5

---

TOTAL: 614 614

JPMorgan stopped (received) 0/614 contracts

GOLD: NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR JANUARY/2024. CONTRACT: 614 NOTICES FOR 61400 OZ  1.909 TONNES

total notices so far: 22,538 contracts for 2,253,800 Oz (70.102 tonnes)

FOR  JANUARY

SILVER NOTICES:70 NOTICE(S) FILED FOR 350,000 OZ/

total number of notices filed so far this month : 2,238 for 11.190 million oz

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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 $40.95 INVESTORS SWITCHING TO SPROTT PHYSICAL  (PHYS) INSTEAD OF THE FRAUDULENT GLD:

MEGA HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD: A DEPOSIT OF 4.30 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD./

INVENTORY RESTS AT 865.34 TONNES

SLV/

WITH NO SILVER AROUND AND SILVER UP $0.76 AT THE SLV: HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 2.003 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV///

INVESTORS ARE SWITCHING SLV TO SPROTT’S PSLV.

CLOSING INVENTORY: 451.249 MILLION OZ

Let us have a look at the data for today

SILVER//OUTLINE

SILVER COMEX OI ROSE BY A HUGE SIZED 924 CONTRACTS TO 166,059 AND CONTINUING ON ITS MARCH TO THE RECORD HIGH OI OF 244,710, SET FEB 25/2020, AND THIS GOOD SIZED GAIN IN COMEX OI WAS ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE OUR STRONG GAIN OF $0,34  IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX WITH RESPECT TO WEDNESDAY’S TRADING. WE HAD A HUMONGOUS GAIN OF 1204 TOTAL CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE//WEDNESDAY’S TRADING.. WE HAD HUGE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS ON TUESDAY COMEX TRADING ALONG WITH MONTH END SPREADERS AS THEY DESPERATELY TRIED TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE FOR THE PAST 4 WEEKS WHERE RAIDS ARE CALLED UPON AGAIN AND AGAIN TRYING TO STOP THE RISE IN SILVER’S PRICE AND TO QUELL ADDITIONAL DERIVATIVE LOSSES TO OUR BANKERS’ MASSIVE TOTALS. THEY SUCCEEDED A BIT WITH MONDAY’S PRICING LOSS BUT WE HAD ZERO LONGS BEING KNOCKED OFF WITH OUR HUGE GAIN IN OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES WIT TODAY’S TOTALS.. DERIVATIVE LOSSES CONTINUE TO MOUNT. WE HAD CONSIDERABLE T.A.S. LIQUIDATION WEDNESDAY COUPLED WITH ANOTHER NEW HUGE T.A.S. ISSUANCE OF 553 CONTRACTS ISSUED BY THE CME AND THAT SIGNALS RED THAT THE CROOKS ARE DESPERATE TO STOP SILVER BREAKING OVER THE 34.00 DOLLAR MARK. THE FRONT MONTH OF FEB STILL HAS A HUGE CONTANGO TO SPOT AS THE CROOKS NEED TO CASH SETTLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR CONTRACTS. THEY ARE PAYING A HUGE PRICE AS THEY ARE SHORT (AND THUS SUPPLIER TO OUR PATIENT- WAITING LONGS).

WE HAD A FAIR 280 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE ACCOMPANIED BY OUR 553 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 HUMONGOUS SIZED 1204 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE. WE HAD HUGE TAS LIQUIDATION THROUGHOUT WEDNESDAY’S COMEX SESSION COUPLED WITH MONTH END SPREADER LIQUIDATION.

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 INITIATE A RAID AS WHAT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LAST MONTH AND AGAIN WITH YESTERDAY’S TRADING ON SILVER.

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 WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING: A HUGE 553 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 OUR RAID ON JANUARY 13, JAN 23 AND JAN 24…. 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  $0.34 AND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY NET SILVER LONGS FROM THEIR PERCH AS WE HAD A HUMONGOUS GAIN IN OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 1231 CONTRACTS.

WE HAD A 280 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 0 OZ QUEUE JUMP//NEW STANDING REMAINS AT 11.850 MILLION OZ

// STANDING FOR SILVER//JAN  11.850 MILLION OZ 

WE HAD:

/HUGE SIZED COMEX OI GAIN +// A FAIR SIZED  EFP ISSUANCE/ VI)  HUGE SIZED NUMBER OF  T.A.S. CONTRACT ISSUANCE 558 CONTRACTS)/

 I AM NOW RECORDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN OI FROM PRELIMINARY TO FINAL: REMOVED 27 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 20  DAYS, total 11,906 contracts:   OR 59.530 MILLION OZ  (593 CONTRACTS PER DAY)

TOTAL EFP’S FOR THE MONTH SO FAR:  58.130 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: 59.53 MILLION OZ///(THIS MONTH’S ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL WILL BE SMALL)

RESULT: WE HAD A HUGE SIZED INCREASE IN COMEX OI SILVER COMEX CONTRACTS OF 924  CONTRACTS WITH OUR STRONG GAIN IN PRICE OF SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX/WEDNESDAY.,.  THE CME NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD A FAIR EFP ISSUANCE  CONTRACTS: 280 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 0 OZ

//NEW TOTAL STANDING FOR JAN REMAINS AT 11.850 MILLION OZ 

WE HAVE 1. A HUMONGOUS SIZED GAIN OF 1204 OI CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES WITH OUR GAIN IN  PRICE// 2.THE TOTAL OF TAS INITIATED CONTRACTS TODAY: A HUGE 553, CONTRACTS TRYING DESPERATELY TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE,//HUGE FRONT END OF THE TAS CONTRACTS WERE LIQUIDATED DURING THE WEDNESDAY COMEX SESSION ALONG WITH MONTH END SPREADERS. HOWEVER THEY STILL NEED THESE ISSUANCES FOR REPLENISHMENT FOR FUTURE TRADING //3. ZERO NET LONG SPECULATORS WERE BURNED ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE GAIN IN PRICE. ALSO 4. SOME OF OUR LONGS EXERCISED THEIR CONTRACTS 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 WEDNESDAY NIGHT   (558) WILL BE PUT INTO “THE BANK” TO BE COLLUSIVELY USED AT A LATER DATE

WE HAD 0 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR nil OZ

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

GOLD//OUTLINE

IN GOLD, THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST FELL BY A STRONG SIZED 11,046 OI CONTRACTS  TO 566,459 AND FURTHER FROM THE RECORD (SET JAN 24/2020) AT 799,105  AND  PREVIOUS TO THAT: (SET JAN 6/2020) AT 797,110. (ALL TIME LOW OF 390,000 CONTRACTS.)

THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI IN GOLD TODAY:  REMOVED A SIZED 107 CONTRACTS//

WE HAD A STRONG SIZED DECREASE  IN COMEX OI (11,046 CONTRACTS) OCCURRED WITH OUR LOSS OF $6.25 IN PRICE WEDNESDAY. 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 614 CONTRACTS OR 61400 OZ (1,909 TONNES) 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 THEN LAST WEEK’S ISSUANCE OF 85 CONTRACTS//8500 OZ OR .2644 TONNES. THEN FINALLY THIS WEEK’S (JAN 22) ISSUANCE OF 5000 CONTRACTS FOR 5 MILLION OZ AND THURSDAY NIGHT”S (JAN 23) 500 CONTRACT ISSUANCE AND THEN FINALLY WITH FRIDAY NIGHT’S ISSUANCE OF A MONSTER 6454 CONTRACTS //20.074 TONNES FOR A TOTAL EX FOR RISK OF 43.208 TONNES//NEW STANDING FOR JAN ADVANCES TO 70.102 TONNES (NORMAL DELIVERY) +43.208 TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE = 113,31 TONNES

/NEW STANDING 113.31 TONNES

/ ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITH OUR  $6.25 GAIN IN PRICE  WITH RESPECT TO  WEDNESDAY’S COMEX ///. WE HAD A FAIR SIZED LOSS OF 8686 OI CONTRACTS (27.017 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 MASSIVE QUEUE JUMPING AND EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCES ON 6 OCCASIONS THIS MONTH

E.F.P. ISSUANCE

THE CME RELEASED THE DATA FOR EFP ISSUANCE AND IT TOTALED A STRONG SIZED 3398 CONTRACTS:

The NEW COMEX OI FOR THE GOLD COMPLEX RESTS AT 566,459

IN ESSENCE WE HAVE A FAIR SIZED DECREASE IN TOTAL CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 8686 CONTRACTS  WITH 11,046 CONTRACTS DECREASED AT THE COMEX// AND A STRONG SIZED 2360 EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL OI CONTRACT ISSUANCE WHICH NAVIGATED OVER TO LONDON. THUS TOTAL OI LOSS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 8688 CONTRACTS.. WE HAD THE FOLLOWING TAS CONTRACTS INITIATED (ISSUED): A STRONG SIZED AND CRIMINAL 1455 CONTRACTS ISSUED.

CALCULATIONS ON GAIN/LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES

WE HAD A STRONG SIZED ISSUANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS (2360 CONTRACTS) ACCOMPANYING THE STRONG SIZED DECREASE IN COMEX OI OF 11,046 CONTRACTS/TOTAL LOSS FOR OUR THE TWO EXCHANGES: 1883 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 HUMONGOUS QUEUE JUMP OF 614 CONTRACTS OR 64100 OZ (3,01 TONNES) TO WHICH WE ADD THAT CRAZY “DELIVERY” CALLED EXCHANGE FOR RISK ON 6 OCCASIONS THIS MONTH TOTALLING 43.208 TONNES OF GOLD.

NEW STANDING FOR JAN ADVANCES TO:

70.102 TONNES NORMAL DELIVERY +

43.208 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ON OUR SIX OCCASIONS IN JANUARY (6TH 8TH,17TH, 22ND 24TH AND JAN 25)

EQUALS: 113.31 TONNES

//NEW STANDING JAN: 113.31 TONNES WHICH IS THE HIGHEST EVER GOLD STANDING FOR A JANUARY DELIVERY MONTH.

 / 3) HUGE T.A.S. LIQUIDATION PLUS MONTH END SPREADER LIQUIDATION TRYING TO LOWER GOLD’S PRICE TUESDAY WITH ZERO SUCCESS IN REMOVING SOME NET SPECULATOR LONGS, AS WITH OUR1)  $6.25 PRICE LOSS , WE HAD 2) ZERO NET LONG SPECS BEING CLIPPED AS WE HAD A STRONG TOTAL LOSS OF CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES (8579 OI CONTRACTS), ALL DUE TO OUR TWO SPREADER LIQUIDATIONS.. ALSO, 3)STICKY GOLD’S LONGS WERE REWARDED WEDNESDAY EVENING AS THEY EXERCISED EFP’S FROM LONDON TO TAKE DELIVERY OF BADLY NEEDED PHYSICAL.

  4)  STRONG SIZED COMEX OPEN INTEREST DECREASE 5)  STRONG ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL PAPER///STRONG T.A.S.  ISSUANCE: 1478 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: 78,761 CONTRACTS OF 7,876,100 OZ OR 244.98 TONNES IN 20 TRADING DAY(S) AND THUS AVERAGING: 3938 EFP CONTRACTS PER TRADING DAY

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS TO THE  SIZE OF THESE EFP TRANSFERS :  THIS MONTH IN 20  TRADING DAY(S) IN  TONNES  244.98 TONNES

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

THUS EFP TRANSFERS REPRESENTS  244.87 DIVIDED BY 3550 x 100% TONNES = 6.90% 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 TONNES

JAN. 2025: 244.98 TONNES (ISSUANCE WILL BE PRETTY GOOD THIS MONTH BUT MUCH LOWER THAN LAST MONTH)

SPREADING OPERATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.TODAY WE HAD THE OPEN INTEREST AT THE COMEX IN SILVER ROSE BY A HUGE SIZED 924 CONTRACTS OI  TO 166,059 AND CLOSER TO THE COMEX HIGH RECORD //244,710( SET FEB 25/2020).  THE LAST RECORDS WERE SET  IN AUG.2018 AT 244,196 WITH A SILVER PRICE OF $14.78/(AUGUST 22/2018)..THE PREVIOUS RECORD TO THAT WAS SET ON APRIL 9/2018 AT 243,411 OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS WITH THE SILVER PRICE AT THAT DAY: $16.53). AND PREVIOUS TO THAT, THE RECORD  WAS ESTABLISHED AT: 234,787 CONTRACTS, SET ON APRIL 21.2017 OVER  7 YEARS AGO.  HOWEVER WE HAVE NOW SET A NEW RECORD LOW OF 114,102 CONTRACTS JULY 3.2023

EFP ISSUANCE 280 CONTRACTS

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

MAR 280 and ALL OTHER MONTHS: ZERO. TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 280 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 924  CONTRACTS AND ADD TO THE 280 E.FP. ISSUED

WE OBTAIN A HUGE SIZED GAIN OF OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 1231 CONTRACTS

THUS IN OUNCES, THE GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES  TOTALS A  HUGE 6.020 MILLION OZ OCCURRED WITH OUR $0.34 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  WEDNESDAY MORNING TUESDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED

//Hang Seng CLOSED

// Nikkei CLOSED UP 99.19 OR 1.02%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED UP 0.52%

//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED XXXX CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED UP TO 7.2659// Oil DOWN TO 72.16dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN AT 76.09 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN

ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING XXXX LEVEL OF OFFSHORE YUAN/ONSHORE YUAN  TRADING

STRONGER AGAINST US DOLLAR/OFFSHORE YUAN STRONGER

ASIA TRADING THURSDAY MORNING/WEDNESDAY  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 FELL BY A STRONG SIZED 11,046 CONTRACTS TO 566,459 DESPITE OUR LOSS  IN PRICE OF $6.25 WITH RESPECT TO WEDNESDAY’S TRADING. WE LOST ZERO NET LONGS WITH OUR PRICE GAIN FOR GOLD AS WE HAD ALSO, AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, A STRONG NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUED (2360) . THE CME ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MUCH TO MY RELIEF 0 EXCHANGE FOR RISK CONTRACTS FOR NIL OZ. OR 0 TONNES OF GOLD. SO FAR THIS MONTH WE HAVE BEEN ISSUED THE HIGHEST NUMBER EVER RECORDED EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE AT 6 FOR 43.208 TONNES.

THUS IN TOTAL WE HAD A STRONG LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 8686 CONTRACTS DESPITE OUR LOSS IN PRICE. OUR FRIENDLY PHYSICAL LONDON BOYS HAD ANOTHER FIELD DAY AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THEY WERE READY FOR THE FRBNY.S CONTINUED ORCHESTRATED RAID AS THEY TRIED TO ABSORB 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. LONDON ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY NIGHT THAT THEY WERE OUT OF GOLD. WRONGLY IT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR SHIPPING PHYSICAL GOLD TO COMEX FOR STORAGE DUE TO TRUMP’S INITIATION OF TARIFFS. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THIS GOLD LEFT LONDON TO CENTRAL BANKS AND COMEX BANKS HAVE BEEN PAPERING THEIR LOSSES WITH KILOBARS.

THE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS THROUGHOUT THIS MONTH CONTINUES TO DISTORT OPEN INTEREST NUMBERS GREATLY AND IT SURELY WAS ON DISPLAY THIS ENTIRE WEEK INCLUDING YESTERDAY AND TODAY WITH OUR STRONG T.A.S. ISSUANCES AND STRONG T.A.S. LIQUIDATION DURING THE PAST FEW DAYS OF COMEX SESSIONS. TODAY THEY ISSUED A STRONG 1478 CONTRACT ANNOUNCEMENT (WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING). THE COMEX WAS ALSO JOINED WITH MONTH END SPREADERS WHICH AMPLIFIED THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST NUMBERS.

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 FRIDAY’S 197 , 199, 2001,   202, 203 , 204 ,205  206 AND 207 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 CAME INTO OFFICE LAST MONDAY NOON JAN 20. TRUMP WILL PROBABLY BE FURIOUS WITH THE FED IF IT FINDS 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 MONTH END SPREADERS AND T.A.S DURING THIS WEEK IS SURELY DISTORTING COMEX OPEN INTEREST BUT THAT DOES NOT STOP LONDON’S ACCUMULATION OF PHYSICAL! YOU CAN ALSO VISUALIZE THAT PERFECTLY WITH THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF QUEUE JUMPING ORCHESTRATED BY CENTRAL BANKERS BOLTING AHEAD OF ORDINARY LONGS AS THEIR NEED FOR PHYSICAL IS GREAT AS THEY SCOUR THE PLANET LOOKING FOR GOLD. 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 2360 EFP CONTRACTS WERE ISSUED: :  /FEB  2360 & ZERO FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS:

TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 2360 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 LOST THE FOLLOWING TODAY ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES: A STRONG SIZED TOTAL OF 8579 CONTRACTS IN THAT 2390 CONTRACT LONGS WERE TRANSFERRED AS EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS TO LONDON AND WE HAD A STRONG SIZED LOSS OF 11,046 COMEX  CONTRACTS..AND THIS STRONG LOSS  ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES HAPPENED WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE OF $6.25 WEDNESDAY// 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 WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING WAS A STRONG SIZED SIZED 1478 CONTRACTS, AS AGAIN, ALL OF THE TRADING AND SUPPLY OF CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN ORCHESTRATED BY GOVERNMENT (FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK). AS PER THEIR MEGA 5 DAY ISSUANCE OF T.A.S OVER A WEEK AGO, THE FED WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH EINSTEIN’S DEFINITION OF INSANITY….TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN HOPING FOR A DIFFERENT RESULT. HIS DEFINITION STILL STANDS.. THE CROOKS ACCOMPLISHED LITTLE AS FEW LEFT OUR GOLD METAL ARENA. OUR HUGE RAID WAS ORDERED BY THE FED WITH THIS MONDAY’S TRADING (JAN 27) AS THE GOLD PRICE GOT HAMMERED A BIT WITH COMEX OPTIONS EXPIRY. AS YOU SAW WITH TUESDAY’S TRADING IT HAS NO EFFECT ON GOLD AS IT SHOT UP AGAIN IN PRICE AND IT CONTINUED TO RISE IN YESTERDAY AND THEN AGAIN TODAY ESPECIALLY DUE TO LONDON’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY WERE OUT OF PHYSICAL GOLD.

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 AND AGAIN WITH JANUARY OPTION EXPIRY MONTH. HALF WAY THROUGH THE JANUARY COMEX MONTH, THE CROOKS ISSUED FIVE CONSECUTIVE 30,000+ CONTRACT ISSUANCE. ALL OF THESE T.A.S. ISSUANCES WERE USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO THWART GOLD TRADING ESPECIALLY BEFORE TRUMP’S INAUGURATION AS THE FED MUST REDUCE ITS MASSIVE PHYSICAL GOLD SHORT OF 82 TONNES. THEY FAILED MISERABLY AS GOLD SKYROCKETED IN PRICE THIS WEEK AND NOW TO ALL TIME RECORD HIGHS IN USA DOLLAR TERMS AND OTHER CURRENCIES.

STANDING FOR GOLD FOR THE PAST 4 PLUS YEARS:

// WE HAVE A STRONG AMOUNT OF GOLD TONNAGE STANDING:   JAN (113.310 TONNES) WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR  NON ACTIVE JAN DELIVERY MONTH AND THE HIGHEST STANDING FOR GOLD EVER RECORDED FOR ANY JANUARY.

JANUARY: 65.85 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: 70.102 TONNES + 43.208 EXCHANGE FOR RISK= 113.310 TONNES

COMEX GOLD TRADING

THE SPECS/HFT WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LOWERING GOLD’S PRICE( IT FELL BY $6.25)//BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OFF ANY APPRECIABLE NET SPECULATOR LONGS AS WE DID HAVE A STRONG LOSS IN OUR TWO EXCHANGES. BUT AS EXPLAINED ABOVE WE HAD CONSIDERABLE T.A.S. SPREADER LIQUIDATION WEDNESDAY PLUS MONTH END SPREADER LIQUIDATION AS THEY WERE TRYING TO QUELL GOLD’S RISE AND HUGE COMEX/OTC DERIVATIVE LOSSES. THE BANKERS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN SLOWING THEIR DERIVATIVE LOSSES IN PRECIOUS METAL BETS WITH OPTIONS EXPIRY MONDAY NIGHT AT THE COMEX. OUR TWO SPREADER LIQUIDATIONS THIS WEEK IS DISTORTING OPEN INTEREST AS I EXPLAINED ABOVE AND IS HAVING NO EFFECT ON GOLD’S METEORIC RISE IN PRICE. WE AWAIT THE BANKER CROOK’S NEXT MOVE ON OTC//LONDON LBMA OPTIONS EXPIRY TOMORROW.

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

EXCHANGE FOR RISK EXPLANATION/DECEMBER AND JANUARYTRADING

DECEMBER MONTH EXCHANGE FOR RISK!

51 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 6 FOR 14.6836 TONNES A NEW RECORD. THE COMEX IS TOTALLY SHATTERED TO PIECES.

EXCHANGE FOR RISK THIS JANUARY MONTH!!

WE NOW BEGIN OUR NEW MONTH OF JANUARY AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE CROOKS ISSUED THEIR FIRST ISSUANCE A 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 OUR TWO EARLY JANUARY EX FOR RISK: 5.7533 TONNES. THEN MERCILESSLY THEY CONSUMMATED FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS MONTH 85 EXCHANGE FOR RISK LAST THURSDAY NIGHT (JAN 17) FOR 8500 OZ OR .2649 TONNES OF GOLD. THEN TO MY HORROR THEY ISSUED THEIR 4TH EXCHANGE FOR RISK THIS MONTH (JAN 22) FOR A MONSTER 5000 CONTRACTS OR 5,000,000 OZ.(15.562 TONNES).NOT TO BE UNDONE, THE CROOKS ISSUED THEIR FIFTH EXCHANGE FOR RISK LAST NIGHT FOR 500 CONTRACTS REPRESENTING 50,,000 OZ OR 1.555 TONNES OF GOLD. REMEMBER THAT THE BUYER ASSUMES THE RISK THAT HE WILL BE DELIVERED UPON WHICH IS TOTALLY ASININE!! THUS FOR THE 5 EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUED THIS MONTH TOTALS 23.134 TONNES OF GOLD. THIS BRINGS US TO , JAN 25 WHERE THE CME ANNOUNCED ITS SIXTH MAJOR EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF 6454 CONTRACTS FOR 645,400 OZ OR 20.074 TONNES OF GOLD. THIS IS THE HIGHEST EVER RECORDED ISSUANCE IN NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK, AT 6, AND FOR NEW TOTALS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY: 43.208 TONNES!!! AND A NEW RECORD FOR ISSUANCE

TOTAL DELIVERIES JANUARY TRADING

WE HAVE LOST A SMALL TOTAL OF 24.684 PAPER TONNES FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES, ACCOMPANYING OUR INITIAL  GOLD TONNAGE STANDING FOR JAN (10.133TONNES) ON FIRST DAY NOTICE FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S  QUEUE JUMP OF 614 CONTRACTS OR 61,400 OZ (1,909TONNES). YESTERDAY’S 7.016 TONNES WAS THE HIGHEST EVER RECORDED QUEUE JUMP IN COMEX HISTORY. WE MUST THEN ADD THIS MONTH’S 43.208 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE. THESE EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCES ARE TOTALLY INSANE AS THE BUYER ASSUMES RISK FOR THAT DELIVERY.

NEW STANDING FOR JAN: 70.102TONNES + 43.206 TONNES EX FOR RISK = 113.310 TONNES (WHICH IS HUGE FOR OUR VERY NON ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH) A NORMAL AMOUNT STANDING FOR A JANUARY IN EARLIER TIMES HAS BEEN GENERALLY AROUND 1/4 TONNE OF GOLD. HOWEVER THESE PAST 4 YEARS QUEUE JUMPING HAS BEEN VERY PRONOUNCED AND THUS STANDING INCREASES DRAMATICALLY.

ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE OUR LOSS IN PRICE  TO THE TUNE OF $6.25

WE HAD 107 CONTRACTS REMOVED FROM THE  COMEX TRADES TO OPEN INTEREST (CROOKS)//PRELIMINARY TO FINAL. AND THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE AS WELL

NET LOSS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES 8686 CONTRACTS OR 868,600 OZ (27.017 TONNES)

confirmed volume WEDNESDAY 313,491 contracts: strong ///

//speculators have left the gold arena

END

I/ /// THE JAN 2025 GOLD CONTRACT

JAN 30

FINAL?

Gold	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers Inventory in oz	nil
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory in oz	ONE WITHDRAWAL 1. Brinks 2411.355 oz (75 kilobars)           .
Deposit to the Dealer Inventory in oz	i) Into Brinks dealer: 62,234.392 oz 1.935 tonnes
Deposits to the Customer Inventory, in oz	i)Into brinks customer account 211,665.390 oz ii) Into Brinks enhanced: 148,452.375 oz (371 (London Good delivery bars) iii) JPMorgan 60,283.125 oz (1875 kilobars) iv) Malca: 32,151.000 oz (1000 kilobars) v) Manfra: 29,835.086 oz total weight: 482,386.976 oz or 15.00 tonnes total deposit dealer and customer: 16.935 tonnes
No of oz served (contracts) today	614 notice(s) 61,400 OZ 1.909 TONNES
No of oz to be served (notices)	000 contracts    00 OZ 0 TONNES
Total monthly oz gold served (contracts) so far this month	22,538 notices 2,253,800 oz 70.102 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: 1

i) Into Brinks dealer: 62,234.392 oz

1.935 tonnes

we have 5 customer deposits

i)Into brinks customer account 211,665.390 oz
ii) Into Brinks enhanced: 148,452.375 oz (371 (London Good delivery bars)
iii) JPMorgan 60,283.125 oz (1875 kilobars)
iv) Malca: 32,151.000 oz (1000 kilobars)
v) Manfra: 29,835.086 oz
total weight: 482,386.976 oz or 15.00 tonnes

total deposit dealer and customer:
16.935 tonnes

withdrawals: 1

ONE WITHDRAWAL

ONE WITHDRAWAL
1. Brinks 2411.355 oz
(75 kilobars)

adjustments:3/customer to dealer

i) out of Brinks 353,886.05 oz

ii) out of Malca: 91,457.444 oz

iii) Out of Manfra: 29,236.873 oz

total adjusted customer to dealer 474,560..314 oz (14.760 tonnes

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

Inventory Pledged gold: 2.063 million oz opr 6.6% of total inventory.

Inventory Enhanced gold: 5.661 million oz or 18.27% of total inventory

total gold inventory 30.980 million oz/

CALCULATIONS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR JAN.

For the front month of JAN: we have an oi of 614 contracts having LOST 2309 contracts. We had a strong 1837 contract issuance on WEDNESDAY. We have a strong 3.0 tonnes queue jump. (300 CONTRACTS)

FEBRUARY LOST 50,547 CONTRACTS TO 77,745 AS IT BEGINS ITS COUNTDOWN BEFORE FIRST DAY NOTICE (JAN 31.2025) EXPECT A MEGA WOPPER OF A FEB DELIVERY MONTH AS THE FRONT MONTH HAS NOT BEEN DECLINING AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD. WE HAVE ONLY 1 MORE DAY BEFORE FIRST DAY NOTICE THIS FRIDAY, JAN 31. EXPECT GREATER THAN 100 TONNES+++ OF GOLD STANDING.

MARCH HAD A GAIN OF 752 CONTRACTS UP TO 10,232

APRIL HAD A GAIN OF 34,330 CONTRACTS UP TO 380,475 CONTRACTS

We had 614 contracts filed for today representing 61,400 oz  

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

Today, 0 notice(s) were issued from J.P.Morgan dealer and 0 notices issued from their client or customer account. The total of all issuance by all participants equate to 614 contract(s) of which 0  notices were stopped (received) by  j.P. Morgan dealer and 0 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 (22,538x 100 oz ) to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of  JAN(614 CONTRACTS)  minus the number of notices served upon today  (614 x 100 oz per contract) equals  2,253,800 OZ  OR 70.102 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 TO JAN 17’S ISSUANCE OF .2644 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD THIS WEEK’S MONSTER 15.562 TONNES ISSUANCE (JAN 22)/TO (JAN 24) 500 EX FOR RISK ISSUANCE = 23.134 TONNES AND THEN FINALLY TODAY’S ISSUANCE OF 20074 TONNES FOR A NEW TOTAL OF 43.208 TONNES EX FOR RISK. THUS NEW STANDING FOR GOLD AT THE COMEX FOR JAN IS 70.102 TONNES PLUS 43.208 TONNES EX FOR RISK = 113.310 TONNES

thus the INITIAL standings for gold for the JAN contract month:  No of notices filed so far (22,538 x 100 oz +we add the difference for front month of JAN (614 OI} minus the number of notices served upon today (614 x 100 oz) which equals  2,253800 oz (70.102 TONNES) + 43.208 TONNES = 113.310 TONNES

TOTAL COMEX GOLD STANDING FOR JAN.: 113.310 TONNES WHICH IS HUGE FOR THIS  NON ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH IN THE CALENDAR AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST EVER RECORDED FOR ANY JANUARY.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

COMEX GOLD INVENTORIES/CLASSIFICATION

NEW PLEDGED GOLD:

241,794.285 oz NOW PLEDGED /HSBC  5.94 TONNES

204,937.290 OZ PLEDGED  MANFRA 3.08 TONNES

83,657.582 PLEDGED JPMorgan no 1  1.690 tonnes

265,999.054, oz  JPM No 2 

1,152,376.639 oz pledged  Brinks/

Manfra:  33,758.550 oz

Delaware: 193.721 oz

International Delaware::  11,188.542 oz

total pledged gold: 2,063,584.394 oz 64.186 tonnes

TOTAL OF ALL GOLD ELIGIBLE AND REGISTERED GOLD: 30,980.465.955 oz  

TOTAL REGISTERED GOLD 13,465,745.569 or 418.84 tonnes

TOTAL OF ALL ELIGIBLE GOLD: 17,514,720.386 OZ  

REGISTERED GOLD THAT CAN BE SERVED UPON: 11,402,161 oz (REG GOLD- PLEDGED GOLD)= 354.65 tonnes //

JPMorgan enhanced inventory is now down to 676,159 oz or 32.77% of entire enhanced inventory

total enhanced inventory; down to 2.063 million oz

END

SILVER/COMEX

JAN 30. 2025

FINAL?

// THE JAN 2025  SILVER CONTRACT//INITIAL

Silver	Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers Inventory	NIL oz
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory	nil
Deposits to the Dealer Inventory	nil
Deposits to the Customer Inventory	5.   i) Into Brinks 246,598.500 oz ii) Into CNT 1022.23 ooz iii) Into Delaware 5245.300 oz iv) Into JPMorgan 580,733.400 oz v) Into Manfra: 579,355.600 oz total deposit 1,412,955.030 oz
No of oz served today (contracts)	0 CONTRACT(S)    (NIL OZ)
No of oz to be served (notices)	0 contracts  (0.000 MILLION oz)
Total monthly oz silver served (contracts)	2370 Contracts  (11.850 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:5//customer acct

i) Into Brinks 246,598.500 oz
ii) Into CNT 1022.23 ooz
iii) Into Delaware 5245.300 oz
iv) Into JPMorgan 580,733.400 oz
v) Into Manfra: 579,355.600 oz

total deposit 1,412,955.030 oz

WITHDRAWALS 0

ADJUSTMENT

nil

JPMorgan has a total silver weight: 143.732million oz/353.726million  or 40.62%

TOTAL REGISTERED SILVER: 74.131 MILLION OZ//.TOTAL REG + ELIGIBLE. 353.726 million oz

CALCULATIONS FOR THE NEW STANDING FOR SILVER FOR JANUARY

silver open interest data:

FRONT MONTH OF JAN /2024 OI: 0 OPEN INTEREST FOR A LOSS OF 132 CONTRACT(S).

WE HAD A 132 CONTRACT ISSUANCE ON WEDNESDAY. THUS WE GAINED 0 CONTRACTS, THAT IS WE HAD A 0 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP FOR NIL OZ

FEBRUARY SAW A GAIN 0F 82 CONTRACTS TO STAND AT 1864

MARCH SAW A LOSS OF 326 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 119,231. THE FRONT ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF MARCH ALSO IS NOT DECLINGING MUCH AND WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A HUMDINGER OF A DELIVERY MONTH FOR MARCH.

TOTAL NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR TODAY: 0 for NIL oz

CONFIRMED volume; ON WEDNESDAY 68,331 fair//

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 2370x 5,000 oz = 11.850 MILLION oz 

to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of JAN (0) and the number of notices served upon today (0)x (5000 oz)

Thus the  standings for silver for the JAN 2025 contract month:  2370 Notices served so far) x 5000 oz + OI for the front month of JAN(0)minus number of notices served upon today (0)x 5000 oz equals silver standing for the JAN contract month equating to 11.850 MILLION OZ. 

 New total standing: 11.850 million oz.

There are 74.131 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 30  WITH GOLD UP $40.95 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF 4.30 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 865.34 TONNES

 JAN 29  WITH GOLD DOWN $6.25 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF 4.02 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 861.04 TONNES

JAN 28  WITH GOLD UP $23.05 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 3.16 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD //

JAN 27  WITH GOLD DOWN $36.05 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 5.17 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD ///

JAN 24  WITH GOLD UP $16.00 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 5.17 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 864.19 TONNES

 JAN 23  WITH GOLD DOWN $1.00 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 2.30 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 869.36 TONNES

 JAN 22  WITH GOLD UP $15.15 ON THE DAY; MEGA HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 7.46 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 871.66 TONNES

 JAN 20  WITH GOLD UP $35.30 ON THE DAY; MEGA HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF 10.34 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 879.12 TONNES

/JAN 17  WITH GOLD DOWN $9.50 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.74 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 868.78 TONNES

JAN 16  WITH GOLD UP $24.10 ON THE DAY; NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

JAN 15  WITH GOLD UP $24.35 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.01 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 872.52 TONNES

JAN 14  WITH GOLD UP $9.40 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.29 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 874.53 TONNES

 JAN 13  WITH GOLD DOWN $27.75 ON THE DAY; HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD::A DEPOSIT OF 5.74 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 876.82 TONNES

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

GLD INVENTORY: 865.34 TONNES, TONIGHTS TOTAL

SILVER

jAN 30  WITH SILVER UP $0.76 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 2.003 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 451.249 MILLION OZ

jAN 29  WITH SILVER UP $0.34 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.639 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 453.252 MILLION OZ

jAN 28  WITH SILVER UP $0.34 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.821 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. /

OZ

jAN 27  WITH SILVER DOWN $.61 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.64 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 457.395 MILLION OZ

JAN 24  WITH SILVER DOWN $.21 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.64 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 457.395 MILLION OZ

JAN 23  WITH SILVER DOWN $.41 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF 4.738 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 459.035 MILLION OZ

JAN 22  WITH SILVER UP $.08 //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A DEPOSIT OF 0.721 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 464.043 MILLION OZ

JAN 20  WITH SILVER DOWN $.09 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.568 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.315 MILLION OZ

JAN 17  WITH SILVER DOWN $.49 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV : A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.568 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV./. //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 463.315 MILLION OZ

JAN 16  WITH SILVER UP $0.23 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: //INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 464.863 MILLION OZ

JAN 15 WITH SILVER UP $0.79 //HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 4.745 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 464.863 MILLION OZ

JAN 14 WITH SILVER UP $0.15 //SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 0.228 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 460.218 MILLION OZ

JAN 13 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.69 //NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV: A DEPOSIT OF 0.637 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//INVENTORY AT SLV RESTS AT 459.990 MILLION OZ

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

CLOSING INVENTORY 451.249 MILLION OZ//

PHYSICAL GOLD/SILVER COMMENTARIES

1/ PETER SCHIFF/SCHIFF GOLD/MIKE MAHARRY

Peter Schiff: The Fed Is Ignoring Key Data

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 01:25 PM

Via SchiffGold.com,

Shortly after yesterday’s FOMC announcement, Peter went live to unpack its aftermath. He criticizes the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady, offers insight into Jerome Powell’s press conference remarks, and skewers the notion that the Fed remains “apolitical.” Peter also addresses President Trump’s evolving commentary on oil prices and interest rate cuts as 2025’s economic challenges continue to mount.

Starting with rumors surrounding a potential Trump-driven interest rate cut, Peter clarifies what the president actually said regarding oil prices:

Because to be honest, what Trump said was that he expects the price of oil to drop sharply. And as a result of that big drop in oil prices, he would demand that the Fed cut rates immediately. So, that hasn’t happened yet. I mean, oil prices have come down from the high they hit a week or two ago. But they’re still what, $72, $73 a barrel? That’s not the type of price drop that Trump spoke about, which would result in demanding that Powell cut interest rates.

In the Fed press conference, when pressed on policy stances and tariffs, Jerome Powell claimed the Fed wanted to stay neutral. Peter, however, challenges that logic:

Another question he was asked was to comment on the tariffs and the policy that is being considered and what impact that might have on their mandate on inflation. And he says, well, we’re not going to talk about it. We’re not going to comment on that. … That’s not any of our business, which of course is nonsense. … Being apolitical, and I’ve said this many times on this podcast, it doesn’t mean not having an opinion. It means being above the fray. It means being free to express your opinion without fear of political consequences.

He reiterates that the Fed’s role includes pushing back against policies that may harm the economy, regardless of public opinion:

The point about having an independent Fed is that these guys don’t have to care what the voters want because they don’t need their votes. They’re supposed to be able to do the right thing even if the voters don’t know what that is. Even if the voters want to do the wrong thing, they’re supposed to be the adults in the room to say, ‘No, no, no, what you want is wrong, and here’s why.’

He underscores that, despite the dominant narrative, monetary policy is still far from genuinely tight:

Monetary policy has remained loose. Interest rates are still too low. You can tell by the record amounts of debt and borrowing that have not been deterred at all by the increase in rates because it’s been too little. Rates have not moved up enough to be restrictive. That’s why you still have all this borrowing, because it’s still cheap to borrow. In fact, the money supply growth continues. 

During the Q&A, Powell reaffirmed that waiting for 2% inflation is not required before cutting rates again:

He is not waiting for 2% before cutting rates, that he will cut rates before 2% as long as it looks like inflation is headed back down there. So in other words, they could cut it two and a half or wherever. They’re not going to wait for 2%, which is in contrast to what the Fed did when inflation was below 2%. … He had that attitude when we were below 2%, but he’s not equally as vigilant when it’s above 2%.

Powell’s noncommittal response to a question on Bitcoin betrays the Fed’s strong concern with propping up asset prices, even if it requires inflation:

He was asked about asset bubbles in general, and he acknowledged that stock prices remain elevated, but he didn’t mention that he was in any way concerned about bubbles or falling asset prices or in any way tailoring his monetary policy to asset price, which I think is just not true. Of course, the Fed is very much concerned about asset prices. The last thing they want is asset prices to crash. The reason that they pumped up the money supply so much specifically was to get asset prices to go up.

Peter wraps by addressing some of President Trump’s other comments, including sustained talk about reforming or abolishing income taxes. Trump’s proposals are not radical enough:

He talked again about eliminating the income tax, which of course is music to my ears. I would love to see the income tax eliminated and not just the normal income tax, right, that we all consider an income tax. But the Social Security tax, that’s an income tax too. You’re paying a tax on your wages, right? That’s your income, right? … So if we’re going to eliminate income taxes, let’s eliminate all the income taxes, including the Social Security income tax, which is a highly regressive tax.

In other news, the CME Comex is having an unprecedented month. Check out the details here.

END

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

ALASDAIR MACLEOD….

A developing bullion crisis…

Apparently, the Bank of England is delivering bullion to be shipped to satisfy Comex demand. This is highly unusual and probably a sign of a very serious crisis developing.

Alasdair MacleodJan 30∙Paid

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The story coming from the media and analysts is that the enormous premiums for gold and silver on Comex futures are the consequence of rumours that President Trump will introduce tariffs, if not across the board, on Mexico (silver) and Canada (gold).

A moment’s thought allows us to dismiss targeted tariffs against Mexican silver and Canadian gold. They lose their identity when refined. As for general tariffs, that is almost certainly nonsense as well, because Trump has always said tariffs would be imposed on manufacturing, not commodities.

If tariff stories are just a smokescreen hiding the truth, then why are futures being priced significantly higher than spot, pushing effective gold lease rates through the roof?

We cannot know for certain, because bullion markets operate with high levels of public secrecy. But we do know that stands-for-delivery, which is when owners long of futures decide to demand bullion on expiry, have been running at extraordinary levels for some time. They began accelerating while gold moved up towards its highs last October, and have been accelerating ever since. Note that these stands-for-delivery may or may not leave Comex warehouses: it’s ownership that changes.

Obviously, a bullion bank’s leveraged short positions require some bullion cover, and it’s the stand-for-deliveries which erode it. This problem is faced by almost the entire bullion bank cohort, which is why the premiums on Comex contracts are not just an aberration.

So serious has the situation become, that according to the Financial Times there is now a queue of bullion banks at the Bank of England attempting to withdraw bullion, leading to a waiting time of between four and eight weeks.

Now, I have never been aware that commercial entities store significant amounts of bullion at the BoE. The Threadneedle Street vault is where the bank stores gold earmarked for other central banks and national treasury ministries. Commercially owned gold is stored almost entirely in LBMA approved vaults. There is some cross-over between vaulting systems, such as Bank for International Settlements dealings, and deliveries between vaulting systems. But primarily, on instructions from foreign central banks the bank leases their gold to commercial bullion banks, the gold remaining in the bank’s vaults. It is a book-entry transaction and the lessee is given documentary confirmation that it is entitled to the gold being leased. The lessee can then use that gold as if it was in possession over the duration of the lease, but the gold does not normally leave the bank.

However, the lessee is entitled to possession and therefore delivery. That is now happening in substantial quantities, according to the FT article. It also tells us that while spot prices in London are merely being dragged higher by the developing crisis on Comex, liquidity in LBMA vaults has been tapped out. We now have a run on central bank gold reserves held at the Bank of England.

Talk about breaking the bank. It looks like the gold bugs’ dream is finally happening. It is a panic which could drive gold and silver prices significantly higher, possibly leading to counterparty failures in London and New York. The consequences for the entire derivatives system don’t bear thinking about.

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3. CHRIS POWELL AND GATA DISPATCHES

4. ANDREW MAGUIRE A MUST MUST VIEW…YOUTUBE/KINESIS LIVE FROM THE VAULT 207

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

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6 CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS

END

ASIA TRADING THURSDAY MORNING WEDNESDAY  NIGHT

SHANGHAI CLOSED

//Hang Seng CLOSED

// Nikkei CLOSED UP 99.19 OR 1.02%//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED UP 0.52%

//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED XXXX CHINESE YUAN OFFSHORE CLOSED UP TO 7.2659// Oil DOWN TO 72.16dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN AT 76.09 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL GREEN

ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING XXXX LEVEL OF OFFSHORE YUAN/ONSHORE YUAN  TRADING

STRONGER AGAINST US DOLLAR/OFFSHORE YUAN STRONGER

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

ONSHORE YUAN:   CLOSED

OFFSHORE YUAN: UP TO 7.2659

SHANGHAI CLOSED CLOSED

HANG SENG CLOSED CLOSED

2. Nikkei closed UP 99.19 OR 0.25%

3. Europe stocks   SO FAR:  ALL GREEN

USA dollar INDEX UP TO  107.82 EURO FALLS TO 1.0406 DOWN 18 BASIS PT HEADING TO PARITY WITH USA

3b Japan 10 YR bond yield: RISES TO. +1.2130 Japan buying 100% of bond issuance)/Japanese YEN vs USA cross now at 154.47…… 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: XXX 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 DOWN for WTI and DOWN FOR DOWN this morning

3h European bond buying continues to push yields lower on all fronts in the EMU. German 10yr bund YIELD DOWN TO +2.5290 Italian 10 Yr bond yield DOWN to 3.6155 //SPAIN 10 YR BOND YIELD DOWN TO 3.137

3i Greek 10 year bond yield DOWN TO 3.384

3j Gold at $2774.50 /Silver at: 31.02  1 am est) SILVER NEXT RESISTANCE LEVEL AT $50.00//AFTER 28.40

3k USA vs Russian rouble;// Russian rouble UP 1 AND 30/100  roubles/dollar; ROUBLE AT 97.83

3m oil into the 72 dollar handle for WTI and  76 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 154.47  10 YEAR YIELD AFTER FIRST BREAKING .54% LAST YEAR NOW EXCEEDS THAT LEVEL TO 1.215% 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 0.9074 as the Swiss Franc is still rising against most currencies. Euro vs SF:   0.9443 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: 4.507 DOWN 5 BASIS PTS…

USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 4.749.DOWN 4 BASIS PTS/

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD:  4.207 DOWN 2 BASIS PTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 35.78…

10 YR UK BOND YIELD: 4.6310 DOWN 1 PTS

10 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 3.173 DOWN 3 BASIS PTS

5 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 2.862 DOWN 3 PTS.

2a New York OPENING REPORT

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2B) EUROPEAN REPORT

USTs bid and RTY outperforms post-FOMC, Big Tech results mixed; TSLA +2.5%, META +1.3%, MSFT -3.7% – Newsquawk US Market Open

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 06:53 AM

• European bourses hold an upward bias into the ECB; RTY outperforms post-FOMC.
• Big-Tech results were mixed; META +2.4%, MSFT -3.5%, TSLA +1.7%
• USD steady post-FOMC, EUR eyes ECB 25bps rate cut; USD/JPY below 154.50.
• Powell props up bonds, weaker-than-expected EZ GDP spurred little reaction in Bunds ahead of the ECB.
• Crude slips on tariffs and growth fears, base metals edge a little higher despite China being on holiday.
• Looking ahead, US GDP Advance (Q4), PCE Prices Advance (Q4), Jobless Claims, Japanese Tokyo CPI & Retail Sales, ECB & SARB Policy Announcements, Comments from ECB President Lagarde.
• Earnings: Apple, Intel, Visa, US Steel, UPS, Mastercard, Blackstone, Caterpillar, Cigna & Mobileye.

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EUROPEAN TRADE

EQUITIES

• European bourses (Stoxx 600 +0.5%) are generally modestly firmer across the board, as sentiment improves from a mostly mixed APAC session; the AEX/IBEX 35 are the European outperformers.
• European sectors hold a strong positive bias; aside from the top performer, the breadth of the market is fairly narrow. Real Estate leads, whilst Telecoms is pressured by BT (-3.5%) post-earnings. For Banking names, BBVA (+3.5%) gains after it beat estimates and announced a near EUR 1bln share buyback. Caixabank (-1%) slips a little lower after lending income came under pressure. Deutsche Bank (-4.5%) sinks after its results (details below).
• US equity futures are entirely in the green, in the aftermath of the FOMC meeting and then the dovishly-viewed Powell press conference thereafter – as such, the economy-linked RTY (+1%) outperforms; NQ +0.4%.
• Big Tech earnings after-hours were varied; Microsoft (-3.5%, strong Q4 but disappointing cloud outlook), Meta (+2.4%, earnings beat), Tesla (+1.7%, Q4 results missed but Musk promises autonomous robotaxi).
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EUROPEAN EARNINGS SUMMARY

• BBVA (BBVA SM) +4%: FY beat. Buyback approved.
• Caixabank CABK SM) -0.3%: Q4 beat. Sees NII down mid-single-digit in 2025.
• Deutsche Bank (DBK GY) -2.4%: Q4 metrics mostly beat, PBT posted a notable miss.
• Evolution (EVO SS) -5.8%: Q4 beat. 2025 priority is growth and increasing market share, intends to repurchase EUR 500mln of shares.
• H&M (HMB SS) -5.4%: Q4 mixed, dividend increased.
• Hapag Lloyd (HLAG GY) +0.4%: FY beats.
• Roche (ROG SW) +0.6%: FY metrics exceeded guidance, Core EPS beat upgraded Co. forecast. FY25 sales increase guided in the mid-single-digit range.
• Sanofi (SAN FP) +1.4%: Q4 miss, plans a 2025 buyback.
• Shell (SHEL LN) +0.9%: Q4 miss. Announces a 3.5bln buyback. Q4 metrics incl. net impairment charges and reversals of 2.2bln, and net losses from asset sales.
• STMicroelectronics (STM FP) -7.9%: Q4 metrics post modest beats. Q1 revenue guidance missed. Commenced a programme to resize the global cost base.
• Swatch (UHR SW) -4.7%: FY metrics missed. Expects demand in China to be “rather restrained” Note, also hit by a drop in Swiss watch exports in December
• Wizz Air (WIZZ LN) -7.3%: Q4 miss and cut guidance.

US EARNINGS SUMMARY

• IBM (IBM) +8% pre-market: Q4 earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. Software revenue grew 10%, driven by AI and Red Hat, while consulting revenue fell 2%, and it sees +5% annual growth in FY25
• Meta (META) +2.4% pre-market: Q4 sales up 21% and net income rising 49%; its AI’s userbase reached 700mln monthly users. CEO Zuckerberg said it will be a “really big year” for AI, expects Meta AI to be the leading AI assistant.
• Microsoft (MSFT) -3.5% pre-market: Reported disappointing Azure growth forecasts, higher-than-expected capex, and concerns over competition from cheaper Chinese AI models, raising investor fears of a price war and delayed returns on substantial AI investments.
• Tesla (TSLA) +1.7% pre-market: Q4 earnings and revenue missed expectations, and its vehicle sales profit margin narrowed; while shares initially slipped on the release, they rebounded as investors focussed on the automaker’s plans to launch cheaper EVs in early 2025 and test autonomous vehicles in June, as well as cost-cutting measures and future self-driving prospects.

FX

• DXY is trivially higher as the dust settles on yesterday’s FOMC policy announcement. Price action yesterday saw the USD spike higher as the FOMC removed language over progress on inflation before fading the move as Powell downplayed the change in language. For today’s docket, focus is on the advance release of Q4 GDP and PCE data with the former expected to print at 2.6% vs. prev. 3.1%. Greater attention will likely fall on tomorrow’s monthly PCE metrics. DXY is currently steady within yesterday’s 107.74-108.29 range.
• EUR is marginally softer vs. the USD. This morning has seen disappointing GDP outturns for France and Germany which culminated in the EZ-wide figure printing at 0.0% Q/Q vs. Exp. 0.1%; EUR was unreactive. Looking forward, focus is very much on today’s ECB policy announcement. A 25bps cut is nailed on and the policy statement will likely reiterate the bank’s meeting-by-meeting and data dependent approach. Clues will be on any negative emphasis on the growth outlook which some could see as a signal to price the terminal Deposit Rate closer to 1.5/1.75% vs. the current 2% level. EUR/USD is currently tucked within yesterday’s 1.0381-1.0443 range and below its 50DMA at 1.0426.
• JPY is firmer vs. the USD with not much in the way of fresh macro drivers out of Japan. USD/JPY is ultimately lower on the week on account of the risk-aversion triggered on Monday by the sell-off in US large cap tech stocks. USD/JPY is back below its 50DMA at 154.86.
• GBP is steady vs. the USD and EUR with fresh drivers for the UK lacking as yesterday’s speech by Chancellor Reeves failed to have any follow-through into the GBP. Cable currently sits towards the top end of yesterday’s 1.2393-1.2463 range.
• Antipodeans are both lacking firm conviction and failed to sustain overnight gains in the absence of pertinent drivers and tier-1 data releases. AUD/USD is steady after three consecutive sessions of losses which dragged the pair to a 0.6209 low yesterday.
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FIXED INCOME

• USTs are bid and eclipsed Wednesday’s 109-09 pre-FOMC peak by half a tick. In brief, the FOMC statement sparked a hawkish move given the removal of the line around inflation progress, causing USTs to hit a 108-22 session low; thereafter, the move pared as Powell clarified this was just a tightening of the statements language, not a signal. As such, if we surpass the 109-09 top more convincingly then we look to 109-12 from Monday after which there is a bit of a gap until 110-00. Ahead, a slew of earnings and then US GDP/PCE (Q4) prints.
• Bunds are firmer, in-fitting with USTs directionally and have just eclipsed Wednesday’s best to a 131.85 peak. As it stands, action is seemingly a continuation of the post-Powell bullish move from Wednesday. For the bloc, specifics this morning include Flash GDP data which came in softer-than-expected but spurred no real reaction, following weaker than forecast German and Italian numbers; the German metrics were weighed on by export activity, which printed “significantly lower” Q/Q in the GDP series. Ahead, the ECB; a 25bps is widely expected so more focus will lie on President Lagarde’s press conference on any clue on where the terminal rate could be.
• Gilts are bid in tandem with peers. Chancellor Reeves continues to do the media rounds taking up her growth plan from Wednesday’s session. The most pertinent line being she expects the economy to feel the benefit within the current Parliament, while this is a positive for Gilts and her fiscal position, it remains to be seen if it is realised. Gilts find themselves at a 92.50 peak. Stopping just shy of Wednesday’s 92.54 best.
• UK sells GBP 1.5bln 0.125% 2026 Gilt via Tender: average yield 3.88% (prev. 3.97%).
• Italy sells EUR 6.25bln vs exp. EUR 5.0-6.25bln 3.00% 2029, 3.85% 2035, 3.35% 2035 BTP & EUR 2.75bln vs Exp. 2.25-2.75bln 2.105% 2033 CCTeu.
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COMMODITIES

• Subdued trade across crude oil following a rangebound overnight session after yesterday’s slide in prices. Recent losses have been attributed to tariff fears after US President Trump’s recent rhetoric and ahead of the looming Mexico, Canada, and China tariffs on February 1st. On the EZ growth front, this morning’s metrics showed that the German economy shrank more than expected in Q4 (-0.2% vs. Exp. -0.1% (Prev. 0.1%), not boding well on demand. Brent Apr in a USD 74.98-75.81/bbl parameter.
• Precious metals trade higher across the board with upside seen ahead of the European open despite a lack of macro drivers at the time. That being said, it’s worth noting that Chinese markets are away and thus potential European flows could’ve helped. Spot gold resides in a USD 2,758.39-2,776.64/oz range with the next upside level the 24th Jan peak (USD 2,786.06/oz).
• Base metals are firmer in what is seemingly broad-based metals upside following an uneventful APAC session with Chinese markets also away on holiday. 3M LME copper trades in a USD 9,042.10-9,119.15/t after briefly dipping under USD 9,000/t yesterday.
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NOTABLE DATA RECAP

• EU GDP Flash Prelim YY (Q4) 0.9% vs. Exp. 1.0% (Prev. 0.9%); GDP Flash Prelim QQ (Q4) 0.0% vs. Exp. 0.1% (Prev. 0.4%)
• EU Unemployment Rate (Dec) 6.3% vs. Exp. 6.3% (Prev. 6.3%, Rev. 6.2%)
• EU Services Sentiment (Jan) 6.6 vs. Exp. 6.0 (Prev. 5.9, Rev. 5.7); Selling Price Expec (Jan) 8.7 (Prev. 7.6, Rev. 7.5); Economic Sentiment Jan) 95.2 vs. Exp. 94.1 (Prev. 93.7); Consumer Confid. Final (Jan) -14.2 vs. Exp. -14.2 (Prev. -14.2); Cons Infl Expec (Jan) 20.2 (Prev. 21.0, Rev. 21.2); Industrial Sentiment (Jan) -12.9 vs. Exp. -13.8 (Prev. -14.1)
• German GDP Flash YY SA (Q4) -0.2% vs. Exp. 0.00% (Prev. -0.30%); GDP Flash YY NSA (Q4) -0.4% vs. Exp. -0.3% (Prev. 0.1%); GDP Flash QQ SA (Q4) -0.2% vs. Exp. -0.1% (Prev. 0.1%)
• Italian Unemployment Rate (Dec) 6.2% vs. Exp. 5.7% (Prev. 5.7%, Rev. 5.9%)
• Italian GDP Prelim QQ (Q4) 0.0% vs. Exp. 0.1%; GDP Prelim YY (Q4) 0.5% vs. Exp. 0.6% (Prev. 0.4%)
• French GDP Preliminary QQ (Q4) -0.1% (Prev. 0.4%)
• German Import Prices MM (Dec) 0.4% vs. Exp. 0.3% (Prev. 0.9%); YY 2.0% vs. Exp. 1.9% (Prev. 0.6%)
• Swiss KOF Indicator (Jan) 101.6 vs. Exp. 100.2 (Prev. 99.5, Rev. 99.6)
• Spanish CPI YY Flash NSA (Jan) 3.0% vs. Exp. 2.90% (Prev. 2.80%); Core 2.4% (prev. 2.6%)
• UK Mortgage Approvals(Dec) 66.526k vs. Exp. 65.4k (Prev. 65.72k, Rev. 66.061k); Mortgage Lending (Dec) 3.568B GB vs. Exp. 2.6B GB (Prev. 2.474B GB, Rev. 2.547B GB); BOE Consumer Credit (Dec) 1.045B GB vs. Exp. 0.95B GB (Prev. 0.878B GB, Rev. 0.905B GB); M4 Money Supply (Dec) 0.1% (Prev. 0.0%)

NOTABLE EUROPEAN HEADLINES

• UK Government is mulling proposals to relax rules on pension protection fund, reducing the levy it collects from pension scheme.

NOTABLE US HEADLINES

• US President Trump said because the Fed and Chair Powell failed to stop problem they created with inflation, he will do it by unleashing American energy production slashing regulation, rebalancing international trade, and reigniting American manufacturing, while he will make the US financially, and otherwise, powerful again.
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport announced all take-offs and landings were halted and emergency personnel were responding to an aircraft incident. Furthermore, the FAA announced that a PSA Airlines Bombardier regional jet collided in mid-air with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it was approaching the runway at Reagan Washington National Airport, while PSA Airlines was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines (AAL) which took off from Kansas.
• BoC Governor Macklem said the Bank of Canada can ease tariff pain but can’t fix the damage and a big increase in tariffs is a big disruption to the Canadian economy, while he added that if a trade battle comes to pass, it would mean the economy will work less efficiently. Macklem also commented that inflation has come down, inflation is low, and it is thought to stay around the target.

GEOPOLITICS

MIDDLE EAST

• Israeli army says it has recently intercepted a reconnaissance drone launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
• Israeli tank fire was reported in the western area of Rafah in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, according to Al Arabiya.
• Palestinian Authority PM Mustafa said he has every reason to believe the Trump administration will help them all do a right and balanced deal that could hopefully end the conflict in the region, while he added the goal for Gaza is no Hamas or Israel and that the PA rejects the Trump idea of relocating Gazans

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

• European officials are reportedly considering whether Russian gas pipeline sales to the EU should recommence as part of any potential settlement to end the war against Ukraine, via FT citing sources.

LATAM

• Brazilian Central Bank hiked rates 100bps to 13.25%, as expected in a unanimous decision, while it expects a further adjustment of the same magnitude in the next meeting if the scenario evolves as expected. BCB said that beyond the next meeting, the committee reinforces that the total magnitude of the tightening cycle will be determined by the firm commitment to reaching the inflation target and it stated the current scenario requires an even more contractionary monetary policy.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin is on a firmer footing, and climbs just above USD 105k; Ethereum is just above USD 3.2k.
• NBP says it has not invested and is not considering investing in crypto as they constitute an asset class with very high risk

APAC TRADE

• APAC stocks were ultimately mixed amid the ongoing mass closures in the region and after the choppy performance stateside in reaction to the FOMC, while the first earnings results from the magnificent 7 stocks were also varied.
• ASX 200 climbed to a fresh record high amid broad strength across sectors and further calls for a February RBA rate cut with NAB joining the rest of Australia’s big 4 banks in forecasting a cut next month.
• Nikkei 225 swung between gains and losses amid earnings releases and as the index largely shrugged off a firmer currency.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• HKMA said interest rates in Hong Kong might still remain at relatively high levels for some time and that the extent and pace of future US interest rate cuts are subject to considerable uncertainty, in response to the Fed keeping rates unchanged.

DATA RECAP

• Australian Export Prices (Q4) 3.6% (Prev. -4.3%); Import Prices 0.2% (Prev. -1.4%)
• New Zealand ANZ Business Outlook (Jan) 54.4% (Prev. 62.3%)
• New Zealand ANZ Own Activity (Jan) 45.8% (Prev. 50.3%)

2C ASIAN REPORT

Fed holds rates, Mag7 earnings mixed, ECB ahead – Newsquawk Europe Market Open

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 01:30 AM

• APAC stocks were ultimately mixed amid the ongoing mass closures in the region and after the choppy performance stateside in reaction to the FOMC, while the first earnings results from the magnificent 7 stocks were also varied – Meta +2.3%, Microsoft -4.6%, and Tesla +4.1%.
• An immediate hawkish reaction was seen as the Fed held rates at 4.25-4.50%, as expected, while it removed the reference that “inflation has made progress toward the Committee’s 2 percent objective” in the accompanying statement.
• However, Fed Chair Powell later noted in the Q&A that it was a language clean-up, as opposed to anything fundamental, which saw a dovish reversal to the initial moves.
• US President Trump said because the Fed and Chair Powell failed to stop problem they created with inflation, he will do it by unleashing American energy production slashing regulation, rebalancing international trade, and reigniting American manufacturing.
• Looking ahead, highlights include Swiss KOF, Spanish CPI (Flash), EZ GDP (Q4), US GDP Advance (Q4), PCE Prices Advance (Q4), Jobless Claims, Japanese Tokyo CPI & Retail Sales, ECB & SARB Policy Announcements, Comments from ECB President Lagarde, Supply from Italy
• Earnings from Nokia, Roche, ABB, H&M, BT, Shell, Sage, STMicroelectronics, Sanofi, Deutsche Bank, Apple, Intel, Visa, US Steel, UPS, Mastercard, Blackstone, Caterpillar, Cigna & Mobileye.

SNAPSHOT

• Holiday: Chinese Spring Festival (Jan 28 – Feb 4 2025)
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FOMC

STATEMENT

• Federal Reserve kept rates on hold at 4.25-4.50% as expected, while the decision was unanimous and the statement did not include language that inflation had made progress toward the 2% goal as it had in the December statement.
• Fed said the unemployment rate has stabilised at a low level in recent months and labour market conditions remain solid, while inflation remains somewhat elevated (prev. labour market conditions have generally eased, and the unemployment rate has moved up but remains low, while inflation has made progress toward the Committee’s 2% objective but remains somewhat elevated).
• Fed maintained that it judges that risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are “roughly in balance” and that “the economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate.” Furthermore, it maintains language that “In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks”.

PRESS CONFERENCE

• Fed Chair Powell said in the press conference that they do not need to be in a hurry to adjust the policy stance and are not on a preset course, while he added that reducing policy restraint too fast could hinder progress but too slowly could unduly weaken employment and it will adjust the policy stance to promote goals. Powell also stated that policy is well positioned to deal with risks and uncertainties, and noted that policy framework discussions began at this meeting with the review of the framework to wrap up by late summer and they will retain the 2% inflation goal which will not be a focus of the review.
• Fed Chair Powell said during the Q&A that he is not going to comment on what US President Trump said about lowering rates and the public should be confident that the Fed are keeping heads down and doing their work, while he had not had contact with Trump. Powell also noted the assessment of the policy stance has not changed but policy is meaningfully less restrictive than when they started cuts, while he responded it is a language clean up and just used to shorten the sentence when asked about removing reference to inflation progress and noted the Fed got two good readings in a row on inflation.
• Powell stated the Fed is in the mode of waiting to see what policies are enacted and does not know what will happen with fiscal, regulatory, tariffs and immigration policy, and stated that forecasts are highly uncertain and there is currently some elevated uncertainty because of significant policy shifts, but should be passing. Powell added that the Fed is looking at data to guide them and they are in a very good place right now with the economy in quite a good place as well and he expects to see further progress on inflation.
• Furthermore, when asked about ending QT, he said that the most recent data suggests reserves are still abundant and the Fed intends to reduce the balance sheet size and are closely monitoring signals on reserves, while he stated policy stance is meaningfully restrictive and they do not need to wait for 2% inflation to cut rates but want to see further inflation progress.

US TRADE

EQUITIES

• US stocks finished lower with price action choppy amid the Federal Reserve meeting in which there was an immediate hawkish reaction to the Fed holding rates at 4.25-4.50%, as expected, while it removed the reference that “inflation has made progress toward the Committee’s 2 percent objective” in the accompanying statement. However, Fed Chair Powell later noted in the Q&A that it was a language clean-up, as opposed to anything fundamental, which saw a dovish reversal to the initial moves. Furthermore, Powell reiterated the Fed does not need to be in a hurry to adjust the policy stance and stated the assessment of the policy stance has not changed but policy is meaningfully less restrictive than when they started cuts.
• SPX -0.47% at 6,039, NDX -0.24% at 21,411, DJIA -0.31% at 44,714, RUT -0.25% at 2,283.
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NOTABLE HEADLINES

• US President Trump said because the Fed and Chair Powell failed to stop problem they created with inflation, he will do it by unleashing American energy production slashing regulation, rebalancing international trade, and reigniting American manufacturing, while he will make the US financially, and otherwise, powerful again.
• White House Budget Office officially rescinded the order authorising a federal freeze on grants, according to The Washington Post. However, the White House Press Secretary later said this is not a recission of the Federal funding freeze and it simply a recission of the OMB memo.
• US Government Worker Union sued to block US President Trump from reclassifying and firing thousands of federal employees.
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport announced all take-offs and landings were halted and emergency personnel were responding to an aircraft incident. Furthermore, the FAA announced that a PSA Airlines Bombardier regional jet collided in mid-air with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it was approaching the runway at Reagan Washington National Airport, while PSA Airlines was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines (AAL) which took off from Kansas.
• US Commerce Secretary Nominee Lutnick said tariffs on Canada are to address fentanyl that enters the US and if Canada addresses the flow of fentanyl into the US, there will be no tariffs. In relevant news, Canadian Foreign Minister Joly said she discussed the flow of fentanyl and precursors with US Secretary of State Rubio, while she is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the talks related to tariffs.
• BoC Governor Macklem said the Bank of Canada can ease tariff pain but can’t fix the damage and a big increase in tariffs is a big disruption to the Canadian economy, while he added that if a trade battle comes to pass, it would mean the economy will work less efficiently. Macklem also commented that inflation has come down, inflation is low, and it is thought to stay around the target.

KEY AFTER-MARKET EARNINGS

• Meta Platforms Inc (META) Q4 2024 (USD): EPS 8.02 (exp. 6.77), Revenue 48.39bln (exp. 47.03bln) Shares +2.3% after market
• Microsoft Corp (MSFT) Q2 2025 (USD): EPS 3.23 (exp. 3.11), Revenue 69.6bln (exp. 68.78bln). Shares -4.6% after market
• Tesla Inc (TSLA) Q4 2024 (USD): Adj. EPS 0.73 (exp. 0.75), Revenue 25.71bln (exp. 27.21bln) Shares +4.1% after market

APAC TRADE

EQUITIES

• APAC stocks were ultimately mixed amid the ongoing mass closures in the region and after the choppy performance stateside in reaction to the FOMC, while the first earnings results from the magnificent 7 stocks were also varied.
• ASX 200 climbed to a fresh record high amid broad strength across sectors and further calls for a February RBA rate cut with NAB joining the rest of Australia’s big 4 banks in forecasting a cut next month.
• Nikkei 225 swung between gains and losses amid earnings releases and as the index largely shrugged off a firmer currency.
• US equity futures gradually edged higher following the somewhat mixed results from the first batch of the magnificent 7 earnings.
• European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.3% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.7% on Wednesday.

FX

• DXY mildly softened in Asia-Pac hours and was choppy in the aftermath of the FOMC with an initial hawkish reaction seen as the Fed kept rates unchanged but made some changes to its statement whereby it noted that labour market conditions remain solid and removed language that inflation has made progress to the 2% goal. However, the initial hawkish reaction was then reversed during the press conference as Powell stated the reason behind why the progress of inflation had been removed was purely a language clean-up to shorten the sentence, while he also noted how they had two good readings in a row on inflation and reiterated the Fed is not in a hurry to cut rates when asked about a March cut.
• EUR/USD was rangebound after recent fluctuations and as participants now await EU GDP data and an expected ECB rate cut.
• GBP/USD traded little changed after yesterday’s intraday rebound with support seen around the 1.2400 handle.
• USD/JPY retreated after breaching through support at 155.00 with the move also facilitated by a mild upside in Japanese yields.
• Antipodeans lacked firm conviction and failed to sustain early gains in the absence of pertinent drivers and tier-1 data releases.

FIXED INCOME

• 10yr UST futures eked mild gains as price action quietened down from the post-FOMC whipsawing through the 109.00 level.
• Bund futures were contained after recent losses and as participants awaited GDP data and the ECB policy decision.
• 10yr JGB futures declined in choppy trade amid mild gains in Japanese yields and with very little in the way of fresh catalysts overnight.

COMMODITIES

• Crude futures traded rangebound following the prior day’s mild weakness with headwinds from recent tariff remarks.
• Spot gold lacked conviction after the choppy reaction to the FOMC and Powell’s press conference.
• Copper futures faded some of yesterday’s gains amid the mixed risk appetite and absence of its largest buyer.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin steadily gained throughout the session with prices back above the USD 105k level.

NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES

• HKMA said interest rates in Hong Kong might still remain at relatively high levels for some time and that the extent and pace of future US interest rate cuts are subject to considerable uncertainty, in response to the Fed keeping rates unchanged.

DATA RECAP

• Australian Export Prices (Q4) 3.6% (Prev. -4.3%)
• Australian Import Prices (Q4) 0.2% (Prev. -1.4%)
• New Zealand ANZ Business Outlook (Jan) 54.4% (Prev. 62.3%)
• New Zealand ANZ Own Activity (Jan) 45.8% (Prev. 50.3%)

GEOPOLITICS

MIDDLE EAST

• Israeli tank fire was reported in the western area of Rafah in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, according to Al Arabiya.
• Palestinian Authority PM Mustafa said he has every reason to believe the Trump administration will help them all do a right and balanced deal that could hopefully end the conflict in the region, while he added the goal for Gaza is no Hamas or Israel and that the PA rejects the Trump idea of relocating Gazans

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

• European officials are reportedly considering whether Russian gas pipeline sales to the EU should recommence as part of any potential settlement to end the war against Ukraine, via FT citing sources.

US-CHINA

• US President Trump’s officials reportedly discuss tightening curbs on Nvidia’s (NVDA) China sales although any curbs would likely be a long way off as the new team sets goals, while officials held early talks about restricting Nvidia’s H20 chip.
• US Commerce Secretary Nominee Lutnick said China’s DeepSeek was able to create AI “dirt cheap” by leveraging what it had taken from the US and that DeepSeek AI misused US technology, while he noted “They stole things, they broke in, they’ve taken our IP”. Lutnick also commented that export controls without tariffs are a “whack-a-mole” model on China and that Chinese tariffs should be the highest, but added the US may also need to impose new tariffs on allies.

LATAM

• Brazilian Central Bank hiked rates 100bps to 13.25%, as expected in a unanimous decision, while it expects a further adjustment of the same magnitude in the next meeting if the scenario evolves as expected. BCB said that beyond the next meeting, the committee reinforces that the total magnitude of the tightening cycle will be determined by the firm commitment to reaching the inflation target and it stated the current scenario requires an even more contractionary monetary policy.

3B NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA

end

3C JAPAN

end

3D. CHINA/

4.EUROPEAN AFFAIRS//UK /SCANDINAVIAN AFFAIRS

ECB

The ECB cuts rates by .25% for the fifth time as expected joining Canada. Only the uSA does not lower its rates

(zerohedge)

ECB Cuts Rates For The Fifth Time By 25bps As Expected, Signals More Rate Cuts

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 08:24 AM

As we noted in our preview, and as widely expected, the ECB cut rates by 25bps as expected, its 5th consecutive rate cut since the central bank launched its easing cycle in June 2024. Specifically, the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility will be decreased to 2.75%, 2.90% and 3.15% respectively, with effect from 5 February 2025.

In the accompanying policy statement the ECB said it was not pre-committing to any particular rate path. It said it was determined to ensure that inflation stabilises at 2%. The ECB said the disinflationary process is on track, and said that inflation should be back to 2% this year.

Some more highlights from the report:

POLICY STANCE:

• Financing conditions continue to be tight, also because monetary policy remains restrictive and past interest rate hikes are still transmitting to the stock of credit, with some maturing loans being rolled over at higher rates.

ECONOMY:

• Economy is still facing headwinds but rising real incomes and the gradually fading effects of restrictive monetary policy should support a pick-up in demand over time.

INFLATION:

• The disinflation process is well on track. Inflation has continued to develop broadly in line with the staff projections and is set to return to the Governing Council’s 2% medium-term target in the course of this year
• Domestic inflation remains high, mostly because wages and prices in certain sectors are still adjusting to the past inflation surge with a substantial delay.
• But wage growth is moderating as expected, and profits are partially buffering the impact on inflation.

GUIDANCE:

• The Governing Council is not pre-committing to a particular rate path.
• Monetary policy remains restrictive and past interest rate hikes are still transmitting to the stock of credit, with some maturing loans being rolled over at higher rates.
• It will follow a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach to determining the appropriate monetary policy stance.

As Bloomberg summarizes, in its statement, the ECB still describes monetary policy as “restrictive” even after today’s cut. That’s signaling more easing is in the pipeline, because almost all officials have said that now the aim is to bring rates to a neutral level that no longer restricts activity. But the extent and pace of further moves remains open, with the guidance unchanged.

Commenting on the ECB decision, here is DB’s Chief European Economist Mark Wall:

“The January Governing Council meeting falls into the ‘nothing to see here, move along’ category. The economic recovery is still facing headwinds. Disinflation remains on track. Interest rates are restrictive. As such, the ECB has cut policy rates again. This is the fifth cut in total and the fourth in quick succession. There is really no reason to think the ECB won’t continue to cut rates, at least to a neutral level, and we think quite probably below neutral by year-end.”

The euro stays lower after the European Central Bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points as widely expected. Watch the press conference live here (due to start at 0845ET):

Now it’s up to Lagarde to say more – or not. Watch the press conference live here (due to start at 0845ET)

5 RUSSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS

ISRAEL/HAMAS/USA

Chaotic scenes as Arbel Yehoud and, after a delay, Gadi Mozes walked to Red Cross vehicle amid seething mob in Gaza’s Khan Younis

Large crowds, Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen at protracted, anarchic handover near ruins of Yahya Sinwar’s house * 5 Thai hostages also to be freed * Freed hostage Agam Berger reunites with parents

• 3min agoBen Gvir says chaotic scenes in Gaza represent failure of deal with Hamas
• 10min agoRed Cross tells IDF it also has Gadi Mozes, five Thai hostages amid handover mayhem
• 12min agoIsrael said to send protest to mediators over scenes of chaos in Gaza hostage transfer
• 14min agoTrump envoy Steve Witkoff arrives at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square

• Crowds surround a Red Cross vehicle carrying released hostage Gadi Mozes in the south Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, January 30, 2025 (Screen grab/YouTube)
• Arbel Yehoud is walked by armed gunmen to a Red Cross vehicle amid a mob of Gazans in Khan Younis, January 30, 2025 (Youtube screenshot)
• Crowds surround a Red Cross vehicle apparently released hostage Arbel Yehoud in the south Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, January 30, 2025 (Screen grab/YouTube)
• Freed hostage Agam Berger (right) reunites with her parents Shlomi and Merav at an IDF facility next to the Gaza border on January 30, 2025. (IDF)
• Hostage soldier Agam Berger is seen on a stage in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, surrounded by Hamas gunmen, before she is handed over to the Red Cross on January 30, 2025 (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
• Freed hostages (L-R) Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev watch at the Rabin Medical Center as their IDF surveillance soldier colleague Agam Berger is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza on January 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)
• Family and friends of IDF surveillance soldier Agam Berger, freed by Hamas on January 30, 2025, after 482 days in captivity, celebrate her release. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group issues a propaganda video showing civilian hostages Gadi Mozes and Arbel Yehoud embracing ahead of their release on January 30, 2025 (screencapture/X)
• Left to right: Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 19, and Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80, are the hostages set for release on January 30, 2025 (Courtesy)

Hostages Arbel Yehoud, Agam Berger, Gadi Mozes to go free Thursday, along with 5 Thais

Thais are among 10 foreigners still held in Gaza; 3 more captives to be released Saturday; after criticism over Hamas spectacle, Red Cross says it doesn’t control how releases run

By Emanuel Fabian Follow
and Amy Spiro Follow
29 January 2025, 9:18 pm

Three Israeli hostages slated for release by Hamas on Thursday were named Wednesday as IDF soldier Agam Berger, 20, and civilians Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80. Five Thai hostages are also to be freed by the Gaza terror group.

The names of the three Israelis were given to Israel by Hamas via mediators Egypt and Qatar, and their families were notified of their loved ones’ imminent release, Israeli officials said.

Israel also confirmed that five Thai hostages are to be freed, without naming them. There are eight Thai hostages still in Gaza, along with one Nepalese and a Tanzanian. However, two of the Thai citizens have been declared dead by Israel, as has the Tanzanian.

It is believed that Thursday’s hostages may not all be released at the same time and place, since Berger is held by Hamas, while Yehoud and Mozes are held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The extra batch of hostages to be released Thursday — in addition to three others who are set to go free on Saturday — was added to the schedule after a dispute over Hamas’s failure to release Yehoud in the previous group was resolved early Monday.

Seven female hostages — three civilians and four IDF soldiers — have been released so far under the ceasefire and hostage release deal that began on January 19. Mozes will be the first man to be freed under the deal.

Israel on Wednesday also reportedly demanded that Hamas clarify the condition of hostages Shiri Bibas and her two small boys, Ariel and Kfir. Under the terms of the hostage-ceasefire deal, Hamas is supposed to have released living children and female civilians first, then living female soldiers, the elderly and infirm men, and the IDF on Saturday expressed “grave concerns” for Shira and her sons.

Related: The Bibas family remains captive in Gaza. A nation hopes against hope for their return

The hostages were among 251 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, amid rampant acts of brutality and overt targeting of civilians.

In exchange for the three hostages to be freed on Thursday, Israel will free 110 Palestinian security prisoners — 30 for each civilian, and 50 for Berger including 30 terrorists serving life sentences. The 30 inmates released in exchange for Mozes include three who are also serving life sentences.

A man places a photo of Arbel Yehoud, next to a banner in Hebrew demanding the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza Strip, at the entrance of a tent set up in Jerusalem, January 27, 2025. (AP Photo/ Mahmoud Illean)

Arbel Yehoud

Yehoud was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7, along with her partner Ariel Cunio, who is also still held hostage in Gaza.

Yehoud grew up in Nir Oz, where her family has been living for three generations. Before her abduction, she worked at the Center for Technology, Science and Space at the Eshkol Regional Council.

She is known in her community as a devoted aunt, often seen spending time with her nephews around the kibbutz.

She was initially supposed to be released in last weekend’s exchange, as she is a civilian, but Hamas instead released four IDF surveillance soldiers: Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Liri Albag.

Arbel Yehoud was taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz. (Courtesy)

The fate of Yehoud was briefly a major sticking point in the deal’s implementation, with Israel blocking the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza on Sunday. Under the ceasefire and hostage release deal, the terror group was required to prioritize the release of civilian women.

Yehoud is being held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which had reportedly been falsely describing her as a soldier and demanding more prisoners be released in return for her. The Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday evening that PIJ agreed to classify her as a civilian, helping resolve the crisis.

Earlier this week, PIJ released a propaganda video showing a sign of life from Yehoud, who stated that she is “okay” and said she hopes to return home soon “like the other girls.” In the video, Yehoud says the date is January 25, meaning it was apparently filmed on Saturday.

The family asked that the media not broadcast the clip or images from it.

Agam Berger

Agam Berger, 20, from Holon, was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz IDF base on October 7, where she served as a surveillance soldier.

Agam Berger (Courtesy)

Berger is known as a talented violinist who has been playing since fourth grade.

Berger had arrived at the Nahal Oz base just two days before the October 7 onslaught. She is one of seven female soldiers who were abducted from the base.

She only had time that morning to call her father, Shlomi, and tell him she was under fire.

Berger was identified later that day in a Hamas Telegram video, in which she was seen being led to a car, still dressed in her pajamas.

Agam Berger, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the IDF surveillance unit at the Nahal Oz army base, on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)

One of the abducted surveillance soldiers, Ori Megidish, was later rescued alive, and the body of a second one, Noa Marciano, was recovered after she was murdered in captivity.

The other four surveillance soldiers, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Liri Albag were released by Hamas on Saturday. The four reportedly told friends and relatives that it was very hard to leave Berger behind in captivity and at least one of them asked to be allowed to remain with Berger rather than be released.

Gadi Mozes

Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80, was kidnapped on October 7, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he was a resident. His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed during the attack, apparently by IDF fire. Katz’s daughter Doron Katz-Asher was kidnapped along with the latter’s daughters Raz, then aged 5, and Aviv, then 2. The latter three were released in a hostage deal in November 2023.

Gadi Mozes, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)

According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Mozes established himself as an expert agronomist who frequently lectured on agriculture, and was a founding member of the kibbutz’s vineyard and helped maintain its community vegetable garden.

His family describes him as a devoted family man and a loving grandfather, known for his sociable nature and his belief in human goodness and coexistence.

Mozes is also being held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and was filmed in a propaganda clip alongside fellow hostage Elad Katzir that was released in December 2023.

Hostages Gadi Mozes (L) and Elad Katzir in a video published by Palestinian Islamic Jihad on December 19, 2023. (Screen capture/X)

Katzir, also from Nir Oz, was killed in captivity, and his body was returned to Israel by the IDF in April 2024.

Thai hostages

Israeli officials confirmed Wednesday that five Thai hostages will be released on Thursday in addition to the releases of Yehoud, Berger, and Mozes.

At least 31 Thai nationals were among the 251 people kidnapped from southern Israel on October 7. Nearly 16 months later, eight of them remain in captivity.

The eight Thai nationals still held in Gaza are Surasak Lamnau, Pingsa Nattapong, Bannawat Seathao, Sathian Suwankam, Sriaoun Watchara, and Pongsak Tanna, as well as Sudthisak Rinthalak and Sonthaya Oakkharasr, both of whom have been confirmed dead.

It was unclear which five of the eight Thai hostages would be released Thursday.

The Thais are not part of the 33 Israeli hostages included in the current first phase of the ongoing deal, and are being released separately.

Tens of thousands of laborers from Southeast Asia were working in Israel when the Hamas attack unfolded, many of them as farmhands in Israel’s agricultural heartland near the Gaza border.

In this photo provided by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, 10 of the freed Thai hostages and an officer, fourth from left, pose for a photo at the Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) in Israel, on November 24, 2023. (Thailand’s Foreign Ministry via AP )

Thai nationals were by far the largest group and the most heavily affected, with at least 32 killed in the massacre, according to Bangkok.

During the November 2023 ceasefire-hostage deal, 23 Thai hostages were released.

Eighty-seven of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF. The bodies of 40 others have been recovered throughout the course of the war.

So far, seven hostages have been freed as part of the current deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip.

As those hostages — women, children, elderly people, and sick people — are gradually released, Israel is to release some 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners, including more than a hundred serving life sentences for deadly terror attacks.

The three-phase deal’s later stages are subject to negotiations with the stated goal of reaching a “sustainable calm” in the enclave, alongside the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the release of more Palestinian security prisoners, and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

Red Cross says it does not control hostage release

Ahead of the slated release of eight hostages from Gaza Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it does not have any control over how Hamas conducts itself during the handover process, in light of Hamas’s questionable conduct during previous releases.

Freed hostages have noted handovers while surrounded by hostile mobs as being particularly frightening and traumatic.

“The ICRC is in contact with all sides regarding the terms of the release of hostages and detainees,” organization spokesman Gilad Grossman said in response to a query from the Times of Israel. “While we bring up our concerns, we are not the ones who determine these terms.”

Operatives of the Hamas terror group’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades hand over Israeli hostages Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Daniella Gilboa to the Red Cross in Palestine Square, in Gaza City. (Ayman Alhesi/Flash90)

During the release on January 19, of Doron Steinbrecher, Romi Gonen and Emily Damari, the hostages were surrounded by an unruly crowd. When IDF soldiers Levy, Albag, Gilboa and Ariev were freed on Saturday, they were paraded on a stage in fake military uniforms while holding Hamas documentation. A Red Cross official also signed documents while sitting on the Hamas stage.

“Our mission is to ensure that we carry out what the sides have requested from us,” Grossman added. “So far, we have successfully helped with the return of seven hostages, and are ready to carry out any further agreed-upon release operations.”

The organization declined to comment on whether it expects any changes during the releases scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.

end

Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses transferred to Israeli security forces

Earlier, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group published a video showing hostage Gadi Moses and Arbel Yehoud.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFFJANUARY 30, 2025 09:24Updated: JANUARY 30, 2025 13:40

https://player.jpost.com/public/player.html?player=jpost&media=3841684&url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-839877Arbel Yehoud gets escorted to ICRC custody surround by PIJ, Hamas terrorists and hundreds of Gazans. (SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT.)

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-839877&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250127_ed42a914c8e7054390cf48903248a9f58e79599d&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses, and the five Thai civilians who were released from captivity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday were transferred to Israeli security forces and were making their way to Israeli territory, the military and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said. 

They were transferred to the Red Cross vehicles in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, surrounded by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists along with masses of Gazan civilians during their release. 

The seven were making their way to IDF troops and Shin Bet forces within Gaza. 

Earlier, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group published a video showing hostage Moses and Yehoud ahead of the scheduled release. 

The video appears to show the two hostages being reunited. According to an Al Jazeera report, this was the first time Yehoud encountered an Israeli since October 7.

https://player.jpost.com/public/player.html?player=jpost&media=3841435&url=www.jpost.comPIJ publishes video of hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses meeting up in the Gaza Strip ahead of the scheduled release. (TELEGRAM)

Gadi Moses was taken captive from outside his home on October 7 when Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived, was invaded by Hamas terrorists. Moses marked his 80th birthday in Hamas captivity in Gaza in March.

German-Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, 29, was also abducted from Nir Oz.

Five Thai citizens to be released

Earlier, IDF observer Agam Berger was released from Hamas captivity.  

END

IDF reveals it killed Hamas terrorist seen dragging Naama Levy to captivity on Oct. 7

Drone strike targeted Muhammad Abu Aseed four months ago; development was kept secret until last of seven female soldier hostages returned to Israel

By Emanuel Fabian FollowToday, 12:28 pm

Screen capture from video of Hamas terrorist Muhammad Abu Aseed celebrates as he abducts IDF soldier Naama Levy on October 7, 2023. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Hamas terrorist Muhammad Abu Aseed, who was filmed kidnapping Israeli surveillance soldier Naama Levy on October 7, 2023, was eliminated in a drone strike some four months ago, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday.

News of Abu Aseed’s targeting was not permitted for publication until the return of all seven surveillance soldiers kidnapped by the terror group during the October 7 onslaught.

Video footage of the abduction showed Aseed dragging a bound and bleeding Levy by her hair from the back of a jeep in Gaza minutes after she was taken from Israel, waving a gun as he howled in celebration before pulling her back into the vehicle.

The image of Levy being pushed into a jeep was one of the most horrific images from October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terror group Hamas led thousands of terrorists to invade Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251 to Gaza.

In December 2023, her mother published a heartfelt plea for her daughter’s release, referencing the infamous video.

“You have seen the video of my daughter Naama Levy,” Ayelet Levy Shachar wrote on the Free Press website. “Everyone has. You have seen her dragged by her long brown hair from the back of a Jeep at gunpoint, somewhere in Gaza, her gray sweatpants covered in blood.

“You may have perhaps noticed that her ankles are cut, that she’s barefoot and limping. She is seriously injured. She is frightened. And I, her mother, am helpless in these moments of horror.”

Levy was released by Hamas last week, along with Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Liri Albag. Agam Berger was released Thursday morning as well, as part of a complex, three-phase ceasefire deal that halted 15 months of fighting as Israel responded to the Hamas attack.

Levy, Albag, Ariev, and Gilboa, gathered to watch a live video of Berger being set free.

https://x.com/i/status/1882891401857286342

Freed hostages (L-R) Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev watch at the Rabin Medical Center as their IDF surveillance soldier colleague Agam Berger is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza on January 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

Berger was slated to be brought to the same hospital where they are being treated, to be reunited after they were separated a week ago.

One of the abducted surveillance soldiers, Ori Megidish, was rescued alive in October 2023, and the body of a second one, Noa Marciano, was recovered after she was murdered in captivity in November 2023.

In her first message to the public since her release, Levy said Wednesday “After 477 days, I’m at home at last.”

“I am safe and protected, surrounded by family and friends, and feeling better by the day,” she wrote on Instagram.

Naama Levy is seen with her mother after being freed from Hamas captivity on January 25, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

Speaking about her time in captivity, Levy said that for the first 50 days after being kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023, she was mostly kept alone.

“After that, I stayed with my friends” — four fellow IDF lookout soldiers abducted with her, three of whom were released with her, as well as other female hostages — “who gave me strength and hope,” she added. “We gave strength to each other until the release day and also after it.”

end

ISRAEL/HAMAS

Report: Israel has halted release of Palestinian security prisoners to protest Gaza release chaos

Today, 2:27 p

Arbel Yahoud is escorted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen as they are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israel has halted the release of Palestinian security prisoners set to be freed after the return on Israeli hostages in protests against the scenes of chaos surrounding the release of Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Mozes, and five Thai nationals Channel 12 reports.

The report says the prisoners were on the buses ready to be released when they ordered off.

end

HAMAS/ISRAEL//

Only Marwan Barghouti, in return for all the Israeli hostages,’ terror victims’ lawyer tells TML

Amid Israel-Hamas hostage talks, speculation grows over freeing Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti. Praised as a unifier, his potential release faces backlash over past deadly attacks.

By GIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE  JANUARY 29, 2025 21:51Updated: JANUARY 29, 2025 21:53

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fisrael-news%2Farticle-839849&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250127_ed42a914c8e7054390cf48903248a9f58e79599d&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

As negotiations for the second phase of the Israel-Hamas hostage swap continue, speculation is mounting over whether veteran Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti could be among those released.

For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org

While Hamas has reportedly reassured his family that he will be freed, Egypt and Qatar—both key mediators in the talks—are also pressuring Israel to agree to this. However, Israeli officials remain staunchly opposed to the idea, citing his past involvement in deadly attacks and concerns over his influence.

Hamas, Egypt, and Qatar demand Barghouti’s release

Barghouti, often referred to as the “Palestinian Mandela,” has long been considered a unifying figure among Palestinians, and Hamas’ recent assurances to his family have raised hopes that his freedom could be imminent. Arab Barghouti, his son, remains optimistic:

“We really trust that he will be released at the end of this because he belongs amongst the Palestinian people, and his influence is very positive for the Palestinian unity,” Barghouti said to The Media Line. 

Meanwhile, Egyptian and Qatari officials have continued to pressure Israel, arguing that releasing Barghouti could help stabilize the Palestinian political landscape. His name has surfaced repeatedly in past prisoner exchange discussions, but Israel has consistently refused to consider his release.

Who Is Marwan Barghouti?

A prominent Palestinian political figure, Barghouti was a key player during the First and Second Intifadas, advocating for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution. He joined Fatah in his youth and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of its most influential figures.

In the 1980s, he helped establish Tanzim, the military faction of Fatah, which played a significant role in organizing “resistance activities.” Despite his later imprisonment, he remains a symbol of Palestinian resistance and is seen by many as a potential future leader. He was sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences for his role in orchestrating attacks that killed Israelis. However, his supporters argue that he has always championed a political resolution to the conflict.

“My father is someone who believes in the two-state solution. He worked very hard in the 90s for it,” his son, Arab Barghouti, explained. “This is exactly why you will hear not only international or Palestinian leaders calling for his release but also Israeli leaders who understand his influence,” he added.

His influence extends beyond Palestine. Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, among others, have called for his release and viewed him as a potential peacemaker.

Barghouti is also widely respected for authoring the Prisoners’ Document, a pivotal agreement that united all major Palestinian factions—including Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad—under a shared political vision. Drafted while he was in prison, this document was considered a groundbreaking effort toward Palestinian unity and strategic cooperation.

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Criticism and concerns over his potential release

While many Palestinians see Barghouti as a leader who can unite factions and guide them toward political stability, his release remains deeply contentious in Israel. Critics highlight his conviction for attacks during the Intifadas, raising concerns about the precedent his release would set.

“It’s painful. It’s outrageous. Victims are outraged,” said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin to The Media Line. “How can it be that someone responsible for so many deaths could walk free? This is not just about Barghouti—it’s about justice for all victims.”

Darshan-Leitner, a prominent Israeli attorney and activist, has spent decades leading the legal battle against Palestinian and Islamic terrorist organizations through Shurat HaDin, an independent civil rights group based in Tel Aviv. Under her leadership, the organization has represented hundreds of terror victims in lawsuits against entities including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian Authority, Iran, Syria, and major financial institutions accused of funding terrorism. Shurat HaDin has secured over $1 billion in judgments, frozen more than $600 million in terrorist assets, and collected $120 million in payments for victims and their families.

“Barghouti is not just any prisoner,” the lawyer pointed out. “His release would send a message that acts of terror can be forgiven, which is a dangerous precedent. The pain of the victims’ families cannot simply be ignored in political negotiations,” Darshan-Leitner added. 

A father and a symbol

To his family, Barghouti is not just a political leader but a father and husband who has missed decades with his children. His youngest son, Arab, reminisced about his father’s warmth and guidance before his arrest:

“As a father, he’s always positive, always joking around, always smiling. He’s very demanding in terms of education and always talked about its importance,” he said. 

“I remember visiting him in prison as a child, and those visits were difficult. We were only allowed short moments together, separated by thick glass, speaking through a telephone. But despite the distance, he always encouraged me to stay strong, to focus on education, and to never lose hope for a better future,” he added. 

His wife, Fadwa Barghouti, has been instrumental in keeping his legacy alive. She led the international campaign for his release. Through her advocacy, Barghouti has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and has received honorary citizenship in several countries.

“Rather than complain or give up when he was arrested, my mother built a movement. She made sure his name would not be forgotten,” Barghouti noted. 

His possible return to Palestinian politics raises questions about his future role, as many in the West Bank view him as a viable leader.

“He’s very well respected. And I think this is the key reason why people love him,” his son said. “It’s because he has worked tirelessly for unity also from his prison cell,” he added. 

Uncertainty over his release

Despite Hamas’ reassurances and the involvement of mediators, Barghouti’s release is far from certain. Israeli officials remain adamant that they will not free him, and the second stage of the hostage deal negotiations remains fraught with complexities.

“I don’t see how the second phase is going to work,” Darshan-Leitner noted. “The agreement states that it must end with Hamas no longer armed and no longer in power. That’s not realistic,” she added. 

However, she suggested that Barghouti’s release could be considered if it guaranteed the return of all hostages.

“If Israel offers Marwan Barghouti, only Marwan Barghouti, in return for all the Israeli hostages, they should release him,” she said. “But if he is part of a broader deal with hundreds of convicted Palestinian prisoners, then no,” she added. 

A future of hope and uncertainty

The potential release of Barghouti remains a deeply divisive issue. While his supporters see him as a future leader capable of guiding Palestinians toward unity and peace, his critics view him as a dangerous figure whose freedom could reignite violence.

Arab Barghouti, however, remains hopeful: “I trust that one day we will all wake up to a free Palestine, where Palestinians will all live in dignity, just as my father has always believed. Like any other nation.”

The Media Line contacted Barghouti’s lawyer, but he declined to comment

end

ISRAEL/LEBANON/TURKEY

Israeli strike kills three Turks attempting to cross from Lebanon to Israel, Turkey says – report

Procedures are underway to repatriate their bodies to Turkey, Turkey’s foreign ministry said.

By REUTERSJANUARY 29, 2025 20:41Updated: JANUARY 29, 2025 21:06

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-839838&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250127_ed42a914c8e7054390cf48903248a9f58e79599d&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

An Israeli airstrike killed three Turkish citizens who attempted to cross illegally from Lebanon to Israel, Turkey‘s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this unlawful attack that resulted in the death of our citizens,” the ministry said in a statement, without mentioning when the incident took place.

The Turkish citizens

The ministry said that procedures are being developed to repatriate their bodies to Turkey.

“As we have emphasized on every occasion, Israel must immediately end its aggressive policies that disregard human life and escalate tensions in our region,” the ministry said.

The Jerusalem Post has reached out to the IDF for comment on the alleged incident and is awaiting a response.

END

WEST BANK/ ISRAEL

IDF soldier killed in Jenin gunbattle amid West Bank crackdown

Staff Sgt. Liam Hazi fatally hurt, five other troops wounded in exchange of fire with gunmen in building; police kill wanted Palestinian in Nablus

By Emanuel Fabian FollowToday, 8:30 pm

Staff Sgt. Liam Hazi, killed in the Jenin camp in the West Bank, on January 30, 2025. (Courtesy)

An Israeli soldier was killed and five were wounded during an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Thursday, the military announced.

Staff Sgt. Liam Hazi, 20, of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, from Rosh Haayin, was killed amid a major Israeli anti-terror operation in the northern West Bank launched last week.

Among the five wounded troops, one was listed in serious condition, three were moderately hurt and one was in good condition, the army added.

According to an initial IDF probe, the Haruv troops exchanged fire with at least two gunmen after entering a building in the Jenin camp.

During the extraction of the wounded troops, an Israeli Air Force attack helicopter launched an airstrike in the area.

The two gunmen apparently managed to flee the scene.

IDF troops operate in the West Bank city of Jenin, in a handout photo published on January 27, 2025

Separately on Thursday, police said members of its Yamam anti-terror unit killed a wanted Palestinian in the West Bank city of Nablus.

The IDF, Israel Police and Shin Bet in a joint statement said that Qasim Aklik, 42, was involved in “planning and advancing terror attacks against Israeli targets.”

Aklik, who was armed with a handgun, attempted to flee when the Yamam officers tried to arrest him, police said. The officers then opened fire, killing him.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad said Aklik was a senior commander in the terror group’s Nablus Battalion.

The Palestinian Authority health ministry said it was informed of Aklik’s death, meaning his body is being held by Israeli authorities.

A night earlier, 10 terror operatives, including five Hamas members, were killed in a drone strike in the West Bank town of Tamun, close to Tubas.

The ongoing IDF offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, has primarily focused on the city and refugee camp of Jenin but has also expanded to Tulkarem and the Tubas area.

At least 29 Palestinian terror operatives have been killed so far in the offensive, the IDF has said.

https://x.com/bla_blu_ble/status/1885001999491514741

An IDF soldier gestures during a raid in Jenin in the West Bank on January 27, 2025. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. The Palestinian Authority says over 800 Palestinians have been killed. Most appear to have been gunmen killed in battle during Israeli arrest raids, but the dead also include people killed during violent protests, as well as civilian bystanders.

During the same period, 46 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

There has also been an uptick in settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis since the start of the war.

ISRAEL/SYRIA

Syria’s Julani names himself transitional president, dissolves Baath institutions

The announcements emerged during a meeting attended by commanders of armed groups that fought to oust Bashar al-Assad from power.

By DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD, REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFFJANUARY 29, 2025 20:48Updated: JANUARY 30, 2025 04:42

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle-839840&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250127_ed42a914c8e7054390cf48903248a9f58e79599d&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

Syria‘s de facto leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani was named president for a transitional period, the Syrian state news agency (SANA) reported on Wednesday, citing commander Hassan Abdel Ghani.

Syria’s constitution was also suspended and the existing parliament dissolved, according to the announcement by the spokesperson for the Military Operations Command.

Julani was also authorised to form a temporary legislative council for the transitional phase which will carry out its task until a new constitution is adopted, SANA reported, citing Abdel Ghani.

The announcements emerged during a meeting in Damascus attended by commanders of armed groups that fought alongside Julani’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to oust Bashar al-Assad from power.

Ghani further clarified “The Arab Socialist Baath Party, the National Progressive Front parties, and all their affiliated organizations, institutions, and committees were dissolved,” adding that all civil bodies would also be dissolved and reformed into state institutions, according to Sky News Arabia.

Plans for Syria

Julani, the head of Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said that Syria will not be used to destabilize any other Arab nation in an interview with Arab-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat in December.

“Syria is tired of wars and being used for others’ agendas,” Julani told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We want to restore trust and rebuild our country as part of the Arab world.”

“We are now focused on state-building,” Julani said. “The revolution ended with the regime’s fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere. Syria will not be a platform to threaten or unsettle any Arab or Gulf country.”

Julani became the de-facto leader of Syria after a lightning offensive by HTS rebels pushed former Syrian president Bashar Assad out of the country. Western countries are cautiously opening channels with the HTS-backed interim caretaker government, fearing the rise of the Islamic State in Syria.

Yet, Julani claims that he has different plans for Syria, pointing to other neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia, as examples of what a new Syria could look like. 

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After the announcement that Julani would take the presidency, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Sheibani declared, “We succeeded in drawing a decent Syrian identity that expresses the aspirations of our people, and establishes a country based on freedom, justice and dignity, in which everyone feels love for the homeland, belonging, giving and sacrifice.”

“Syria attaches special importance to its Arab ties, continues to strengthen its relations with neighboring countries, continues its path with determination and resolve, and paints a strong image that is increasingly effective in foreign policy through new partnerships,” he added.

END

SYRIA/USA

Trump Plans To Finally Withdraw US Troops From Syria, Israelis Say

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 08:30 PM

Israel and Turkish media reports say that President Donald Trump is planning to finally pull American occupying forces out of Syria. The statements began with a report this week by Israel’s official public broadcasting Kan. However, the Trump White House itself has yet to confirm this, but is likely in talks with regional states, particularly Turkey and close Washington ally Israel, about such a potential move.

Kan reported Tuesday that “senior White House officials conveyed a message to their Israeli counterparts indicating that President Trump intends to pull thousands of US troops from Syria.”

The Israeli reported added that “the withdrawal of American forces from Syria will raise significant concerns in Tel Aviv.” Israeli leaders see the US presence in northeast Syria as a stabilizing factor. Special forces, among some 2000 total troops have been advising and supporting the Syrian Kurds (SDF/YPG) for several years.

Just prior to Trump taking office, Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin defended the US presence there as part of the ‘counter ISIS’ mission. US defense leaders have constantly argued over the years that the Islamic State could be resurgent if the Pentagon leaves.

But others would argue that Washington was among the biggest facilitators in the rise of ISIS, given that John Kerry once admitted that the US was trying to ‘manage’ ISIS in order to pressure Assad out.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said in the wake of Assad’s shock ouster in early December, “We will not allow hostile forces to establish a foothold in the security zone south of Syria, from here to the Sweida-Damascus axis. We will act against any threat.”

Trump stretching back to his first administration had been more brutally honest about what American forces are really doing there, to the embarrassment of US intelligence and defense leaders, and deep state insiders. For example here’s what Trump told FOX years ago:

“I left troops [in Syria] to take the oil. I took the oil. The only troops I have are taking the oil. They’re protecting the oil. I took over the oil“. -Trump on Fox News

This in turn was used as an economic noose against Assad, but in reality it has been strangling the common populace of Syria, who might see one hour of electricity a day during winter conditions.

During Trump’s first term he signaled the we wanted the US out of Syria, but many reports said at the time he was stymied by more hawkish officials within his administration.

Russian military equipment has been removed from Syria, as satellite images show an empty Tartus port following visits by logistics ships Sparta and Sparta II days ago.

Previously, dozens of military vehicles were concentrated at Tartus after most Russian military sites in… pic.twitter.com/b9GZFSKBE9

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 27, 2025

Time will tell whether he finally pulls American forces, also given the supposed ‘Iran threat’ is no longer a reality in HTS-ruled Syria. Even Russia is fast pulling its forces from military bases on the coast, with much gear being reportedly relocated to eastern Libya.

END

RUSSIA/UKRAINE/

Is Trump Positioning For A “No-Deal” With Russia?

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 11:25 PM

Authored by Alastair Crooke,

Trump’s rhetoric about Russia having lost 1 million men in the Ukraine conflict is not just nonsense (the real number not even reaching 100,000), but his resort to it underlines that the usual meme of Trump being just woefully misinformed is looking less and less plausible.

After touting the 1 million Russian deaths, Trump then suggests that Putin is destroying Russia by not making a deal. Adding (seemingly as an aside), that Putin may have already made up his mind ‘not to make a deal’.

Instead, in a curiously disinterested way, Trump remarks that negotiations would depend entirely on whether Putin is interested or not. He further claims that Russia’s economy is in ruins, and most notably says that he would consider sanctioning or tariffing Russia, if Putin does not make a deal. In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump writes, “I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR”.

This – plainly said – is a narrative of an entirely different order: No longer is it his Envoy Kellogg or another team member saying it; it is Trump’s own words as President. Trump answers a journalist’s question ‘Would [he] sanction Russia’ should Putin not come to the negotiating table? To which he responds, “that sounds likely”.

What, we might ask, is Trump’s strategy? It seems more as though it is Trump that is preparing for a ‘no deal’. He must be aware that Putin repeatedly has made plain that he is both interested and open to talks with Trump. There is no doubt about that.

Yet Trump subsequently contradicts the ‘loser discourse’ in yet another apparent after-thought: “I mean … it’s a big machine so, eventually things will happen …”.

Here he appears to be saying that the Russian ‘big machine’ ultimately will win. Russia will be a winner – and not a loser.

Maybe Trump is thinking simply to let the dynamics of the military ‘trial of strength’ play out. (If that is his thinking, he cannot utter such sentiment out loud – explicitly – as the Euro-élites would sink even further into a pathological tailspin).

Alternatively, were Trump to be seriously seeking productive negotiations with Putin, it is certainly not a good way to start by being deeply disrespectful towards the Russian people – depicting them and President Putin as ‘losers’ who desperately need a deal; whereas the reality was that it was Trump who earlier had touted getting a deal within 24 hours. His disrespect will rankle – not just with Putin – but for most Russians.

The ‘loser narrative’ simply will stiffen Russian opposition to a Ukraine compromise.

The backdrop is that Russia in any case collectively eschews the idea of any compromise that “boils down to freezing the conflict along the line of engagement: that will give time to rearm the remnants of the Ukrainian army, and then start a new round of hostilities. So, that we have to fight again, but this time from less advantageous political positions”, as Professor Sergei Karaganov has noted.

Moreover, “the Trump administration has no reason to negotiate with us on the terms we [Russia] have set. The war is economically beneficial to the U.S. … and [possibly] also to removing Russia as the powerful strategic support of America’s main competitor ? China”.

Professor Dmitri Trenin similarly predicts that,

“Trump’s bid to secure a ceasefire along Ukraine’s battle lines will fail. The American plan ignores Russia’s security concerns and disregards the root causes of the conflict. Meanwhile, Moscow’s conditions will remain unacceptable to Washington, as they would effectively mean Kiev’s capitulation and the West’s strategic defeat. In response Trump will impose additional sanctions on Moscow. Despite strong anti-Russian rhetoric, U.S. aid to Ukraine will decrease, shifting much of the burden onto Western European nations”.

So why cast Russia as contemptible ‘losers’, unless this forms Trump’s strategy for walking away from the Ukraine issue? If a clear-cut U.S. ‘victory narrative’ seems beyond reach, then why not invert the narrative?‘Mission accomplished’ being obstructed solely by Russia’s ‘loser streak’.

This inevitably leads to the question of what is the meaning – exactly – of the return of America’s “most famous criminal defendant to the White House”, and his promise of a “revolution of common sense”?

“There is no doubt that it is revolutionary”, Matt Taibbi argues:

“Trump galvanized [income mal-distribution] resentment, creating a political Sherman’s march that left institutional America smouldering. The corporate press is dead. The Democratic Party is in schism. Academia is about to swallow a giant bottle of bitter pills, and after the executive orders signed Monday: a lot of DEI instructors will have to learn to code” [i.e., will be unemployed].

Yes, Taibbi observes,

“it makes me nervous to see a murderer’s row of censorious CEOs (particularly Bezos, Pinchai, and the repulsive Cook) sitting in front of Trump, together with other Wall Street luminaries … nonetheless, if the deal was support for Trump in exchange for platforms going back to being merely self-interested profit-gobblers, I’ll take it over the previous cabal. The Wall Street Journal was probably closest to capturing the essence of that idea of the event with yesterday’s header, “The New Oligarchy is a Vast Improvement on the Old””.

Yet to many Russians, however, the impression left by Trump’s ‘loser’ discourse is that ‘nothing changes’ – the idea of inflicting ‘strategic defeats’ on Russia has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy for so long a time that it transcends party lines and is implemented regardless of which administration occupies the White House.

And today, a new impetus is apparent – as Nikolai Patrushev warns, Moscow expects Washington artificially to foment friction between Russia and China.

Steve Bannon however, in his usual florid language, goes some way to explain the conundrum of a revolutionary Trump and his disappointing ‘loser discourse’.

Bannon warns that Ukraine risks becoming ‘Trump’s Vietnam’, should Trump fail to make a ‘clean break’, and allow himself to be sucked deeper into the Ukraine war.

“That’s what happened to Richard Nixon. He ended up owning the war and it went down as his war – not Lyndon Johnson’s”, Bannon noted.

Bannon “advocates ending America’s all-important military aid to Kyiv, but fears his old boss is going to fall into a trap being set by an unlikely alliance of the U.S. defence industry, the Europeans and even some of Bannon’s own friends, whom he argues are now misguided”.

Bannon’s underpinning premise was made clear during his Zoom call with Alex Krainer. He confirmed that Trump and his team will go on the offensive from day one in office: “The days of thunder begin on Monday”. Bannon wasn’t talking about Trump going on the offensive against the Chinese, Iranians or the Russians, however. Trump and his team are preparing to take on the “they””.

“They”, in Bannon’s words, “are the people who control the world’s most powerful empire and, elections or no elections, democracy or no democracy, they will not voluntarily relinquish their privileges and the control: there will be a fight”.

Yes, the ‘real war’ is the domestic one — not that against Russia, China or Iran, which could become diversions from the main battle.

For comparative purposes, were Trump’s aim truly to agree a negotiated Ukraine ‘compromise’, we need to contrast his rhetorical blatant ‘loser’ jibe with that of John F. Kennedy’s attempt, 59 years ago, to break the cycle of mutual antipathy that had frozen relations between East and West since 1945. Stung by the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Kennedy wanted to break an ossified paradigm. Kennedy – like Trump – sought to ‘End Wars’; to be recorded in history as a ‘peace-maker’.

In a speech at the American University in Washington on 10 June, 1963, JFK praised the Russians. He spoke of their achievements in science, the arts and industry; he saluted their sacrifices in the Second World War where they lost 25 million people, one-third of their territory and two-thirds of their economy.

It was no exercise in empty rhetoric.

Kennedy proposed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty – the first of the arms-control agreements of the 1960s and 1970s.

Well, there may be inklings of a Bannon-inspired tentative ‘clean break’ beginning – as Larry Johnson notes:

“The Pentagon reportedly has fired or suspended all personnel directly responsible for managing military assistance to Ukraine. They will all face an investigation into the use of U.S. budget money.

“Laura Cooper, the Pentagon’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, has already resigned, marking the beginning of what some see as a strategic pivot. Cooper was a key figure in overseeing $126 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Her departure, coupled with what appears to be a housecleaning of Pentagon staff tied to Kiev’s war effort, casts doubt on whether Ukraine will continue to enjoy the open spigot of U.S. weapons and funding it received under Biden.

“The restructuring also casts a shadow over the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which under Lloyd Austin had expanded into a 50-nation coalition supporting Kiev”.

The U.S. has reportedly withdrawn all applications to contractors for logistics through Rzeszow, Constanta and Varna. At NATO bases in Europe, all shipments to Ukraine have been suspended and closed. This falls under Trump’s Executive Order halting global U.S. assistance for 90 days – pending an audit and cost-benefit analysis.

Meanwhile, Moscow and China are duly preparing against the prospect of diplomatic re-engagement with the now President Trump. Xi and Putin held a 95 minute video call a few hours after Trump’s impromptu news conference in the Oval Office – Xi gave Putin the details of his conversation with Trump (which was not timed to coincide with Trump’s inauguration, but rather had been scheduled in December).

Both leaders appear to be sending a common message to Trump — i.e., the alliance between China and Russia is not ephemeral. They are united in common cause to work jointly to assert their respective national interests. They are willing to talk to Trump and engage in serious negotiations. Yet, they refuse to be bullied or threatened.

Nikolai Patrushev, Adviser to Putin and member of Russia’s Security Council, gave the Russian context to this video call between the two leaders:

“For the Biden administration, Ukraine was an unconditional priority. It is clear, [Patrushev says], that the relationship between Trump and Biden is antagonistic. Therefore, Ukraine will not be among Trump’s priorities. He cares more about China”.

Pointedly, Patrushev warned:

“It is possible that in the coming year Ukraine will cease to exist altogether”.

“I think Washington’s disagreements with Beijing will worsen, and the Americans will inflate them, including artificially. For us, China has been and remains the most important partner with whom we are connected by relations of privileged strategic cooperation”.

“As for the Russian line in relation to Ukraine, it remains unchanged. It is important for us that the tasks of the Special Operation are solved. They are known and have not changed. I believe that negotiations on Ukraine should be conducted between Russia and the United States without the participation of other Western countries”.

“I want to emphasize once again that the Ukrainian people remain close to us: brotherly and bound by centuries-old ties with Russia, no matter how much Kiev propagandists obsess with ‘Ukrainianness’ claim to the contrary. We care about what is happening in Ukraine. It is especially disturbing [therefore] that violent coercion to neo-Nazi ideology and ardent Russophobia destroy the once prosperous cities of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Odessa, Nikolaev, Dnipropetrovsk”.

END

RUSSIA VS THE WEST AND THE USA

Robert H”

Comedy and tragedy not seen

Around 20,000 American troops stationed in Europe are set to return to America  after new orders from the commander-in-chief. Trump plans to reduce the American military’s overall presence in Europe by 20% and insist on “financial contribution” for any American troops stationed in Europe. And yes Europe will feel the exodus of spending. 
Trump is looking after America first. And not paying attention to Neocons who want war. Europe needs war more than America because EU debts cannot be repaid. When the EU was formed I told my friends, it can only work with one debt and one currency. Each country cannot have independent debt with one common currency. At the time the Germans would have never gone for this. 
 If France and England want a war with Russia so be it. It is not an American fight or in American interests. And if war does come Europe will lose and America will be forced to rebuilt Europe. Does no one understand this? This is crazy business at best and insanity of political hyena like Starmer and Macron with little concern for public interest. 
Now it should be clear why America is speaking to individual nations in the EU and not the EU and it is clear where this is headed. Because America has just made it clear. You want American troops then you will pay. This is why the call to increase spending to 5% because America will no longer fund its troops in NATO for the benefit of Europe at American expense. 
It is the best thing for peace in Europe for a long time. And if there peace then nation states will have to deal with individual debts not repayable in the one common currency called a Euro. And that will be demise of the Euro and the EU and a return to national currencies. 

end

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

GLOBAL ISSUES//

MARK CRISPIN MILLER

DR PAUL ALEXANDER

BREAKING! Fetterman, democrat, now saying RFK Jr.’s confirmation is MOOT, not sure will even come out of committee! Call your senators people, NOW! Forces aligning against RFK Jr., I have said many

times, RFK Jr. needs to be unchained and left to speak his mind, he will win, both sides, for in the end its the court of public opinion & even if PHARMA leans on senators, the PUBLIC will MATTER!

Dr. Paul AlexanderJan 30

READ IN APP

FETTERMAN: RFK Jr. in trouble after rocky hearing…

I think Fetterman was watching the wrong hearing.

Alexander News Network (ANN): Trump’s War 2.0 for America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

END

 

END

SLAY NEWS

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Bill Gates Warns ‘Next Pandemic’ Is Looming, Demands ‘Preparedness’Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is warning that the “next pandemic” will soon strike and is calling for “preparedness.”READ MORE

Trump to Defund Schools That Teach Radical Leftist IdeologyPresident Donald Trump is preparing to cut off taxpayer funding to public schools that teach radical gender ideology and Marxism-rooted Critical Race Theory (CRT).READ MORE

Supreme Court Declines Appeal of Mississippi Law Banning Certain Convicted Felons from VotingThe United States Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to Mississippi’s law that permanently strips voting rights from citizens convicted of certain felonies.READ MORE

Jan 6 Judge Lifts Ban on Oath Keepers Traveling to DC After Trump’s PardonThe Washington D.C. judge who oversaw high-profile Jan. 6 cases has lifted restrictions barring members of the Oath Keepers from entering the nation’s capital.READ MORE

Teenage TikTok Star Shot Dead Outside LA Shopping MallA popular 17-year-old TikTok star was brutally murdered in a shooting outside a shopping mall in Los Angeles, California.READ MORE

Michigan Democrat Calls for Trump Supporters to Be ‘Hanged by the Neck Until Dead’A Democrat official in Michigan has provoked outrage with a shocking statement about supporters of President Donald Trump.READ MORE

Sen Lisa Murkowski: Greenland ‘Not for Sale’Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) spoke out against President Donald Trump’s announced interest in the United States purchasing Greenland from Denmark.READ MORE

Chicago Mayor Accuses Trump’s ICE of ‘Attempting to Get Us to Surrender Our Humanity’Chicago’s far-left Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson has accused President Donald Trump and his administration of “attempting to get us to surrender our humanity.”READ MORE

DOJ Fires Officials Who ‘Played a Significant Role’ in Anti-Trump ProsecutionsThe Department of Justice (DOJ) has just fired several officials who “played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump” under the last administration.READ MORE

Trump Reveals Mysterious Drones Over New Jersey Were ‘Authorized’ to Conduct ‘Research’President Donald Trump has finally revealed the truth behind the mysterious drones that appeared in the skies above New Jersey late last year.READ MORE

MSNBC Hosts Compare Trump’s Crackdown on Illegal Alien Criminals to Nazi Germany, HolocaustAs the American people increasingly lose trust in the liberal corporate media, MSNBC’s anchors are continuing to trot our tired comparisons between President Donald Trump and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.READ MORE

NEWS ADDICTS

Liz Cheney Can Be Forced to Testify Despite PardonLiz Cheney, a name that has become synonymous with resistance to President Donald Trump within Republican circles, could soon find herself in a new political and legal spotlight.The former Wyoming congresswoman, who served as vice chair of the original House Select Committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021, may be compelled to testify before a new subcommittee established by …READ THE FULL REPORT

Trump Announces 30,000 Criminal Illegal Immigrants Will Be Sent to Guantanamo BayPresident Donald Trump announced Wednesday he would instruct the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”“Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”It was later learned that Trump signed …READ THE FULL REPORT

“This is NOT the camps!” – SecDef Pete Hegseth explains how and why Guantanamo Bay will be used for illegalsSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came on Fox News today to explain President Trump’s directive to use Guantanamo Bay to hold illegals that are being deported. In a nutshell, Hegseth explained that it is taking time to deport some criminal illegals because certain countries don’t want them back and they need at bit more convincing. In the interim, they need …READ THE FULL REPORT

USDA Inspector General Escorted from Office After Refusing to Comply with Trump’s OrderSecurity personnel reportedly removed the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from her office Monday after she refused to acknowledge that she had been fired by the Trump administration.Reuters reported that Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had told colleagues of her plans to stay on despite being terminated on Friday, arguing that the new administration …READ THE FULL REPORT

Reporters Caught Pre-Writing Anti-RFK Headlines Before His Confirmation HearingEagle-eyed attendees at Wednesday’s U.S. Senate committee hearing for Robert F. Kennedy caught reporters pre-writing negative headlines about President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services before he even stepped up to the microphone to answer a single question.Kennedy, who has repeatedly drawn controversy for his past statements about vaccines as well as outlandish stories about …READ THE FULL REPORT

EVOL NEWS

Trump Scores Win as Colombia Agrees to Accept Migrant Flights in Face of Tariff Threats – EVOLRead more…Doctors’ ‘Committee’ Opposing RFK Is Bill Gates-Backed Astroturf with Fake Names – EVOLRead more…New CIA Chief Releases Biden-Era Report Agency Kept Hidden from Americans – EVOLRead more…

NEWS ADDICTS

LATEST NEWS

DC judge temporarily blocks Trump’s Federal spending freeze EOA federal judge has issued a temporary block on former President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to freeze federal funding for public loans and grants. Judge Loren AliKhan, a Biden appointee, granted an administrative stay on Tuesday, pausing the Trump administration’s plan for a week and scheduling a hearing for further arguments next Monday. On Monday, Trump’s Office of Management …READ MORE

Man arrested at Capitol with Molotov cocktails intended to kill Treasury Sec Scott BessentA Massachusetts man was arrested Monday at the U.S. Capitol after being found with Molotov cocktails and knives, reportedly telling authorities he intended to kill Scott Bessent, who had been confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury earlier that day, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Ryan Michael “Reily” English approached a Capitol Police officer near the South Door of the …READ MORE

DOJ building evacuated due to ‘unknown threat’ – emergency crews on scenePotentially concerning developments have emerged just over a week into the Trump administration, as employees at the Department of Justice (DOJ) were evacuated from their Washington, D.C., headquarters on Tuesday due to an unspecified threat. Emergency response teams, including law enforcement and specialized units, swiftly arrived on the scene to assess the situation. Authorities have not yet disclosed the nature …READ MORE

Tren de Aragua ringleader behind Aurora apartment raids arrested by ICE in NYCIn a dramatic early morning operation on Tuesday, heavily armed officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the NYPD Special Operations unit raided a Bronx apartment, apprehending a notorious Tren de Aragua ringleader. The SuspectAnderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 25, was taken into custody in an Ogden Avenue apartment. The New York Post reports that Zambrano-Pacheco faces multiple …READ MORE

Trump signs executive order to deliver more water & power to CaliforniaPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday titled “Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas,” aimed at supporting firefighters battling devastating wildfires in Southern California. The fires, which have raged since the beginning of the year, have claimed at least 28 lives and destroyed thousands of structures. The executive order …READ MORE

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

end

7.OIL AND NATURAL GAS ISSUES/GLOBAL/ENERGY/COAL

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

CANADA/MEXICO

Dollar Spikes After Trump Reiterates Threat To Tariff Canada, Mexico Over Fenatnyl

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 04:00 PM

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will decide tonight on whether to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico related to their failure to regulate the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

Trump reiterated the pledge while speaking with reporters Thursday in the Oval Office as he signed executive actions related to Wednesday’s deadly airplane collision.

Trump had threatened to levy those tariffs if the nations did not do more to help secure US borders from the inflow of undocumented migrants and illegal drugs. Markets, business and political leaders had been watching closely to see if Trump would follow through on a tariff threat. –Bloomberg

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico are still coming February 1. pic.twitter.com/F9t8SjoSlS

— 𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕋𝕐 𝔾𝕀ℝ𝕃 (@SaltyGirl09) January 30, 2025

The news sent both the Mexican peso and Canadian Dollar reeling, while the US Dollar spiked in response.

That said, the moves have faded somewhat after initial reports that Trump had decided, turned into ‘deciding tonight…’

https://twitter.com/crobmatthews/status/1885069485851185318

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

EURO VS USA DOLLAR:  1.0406 DOWN 18 BASIS PTS

USA/ YEN 154.47 DOWN .706 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 1.2439 DOWN .0015 OR 15 PTS

USA/CAN DOLLAR:  1.4410 UP 0.0014 (CDN DOLLAR DOWN 14 BASIS PTS)

 Last night Shanghai COMPOSITE CLOSED GOLDEN WEEK

 Hang Seng CLOSED GOLDEN WEEK

AUSTRALIA CLOSED UP 0.52%

 // EUROPEAN BOURSE:     ALL GREEN

Trading from Europe and ASIA

I) EUROPEAN BOURSES:  ALL GREEN

2/ CHINESE BOURSES / :Hang SENG CLOSED

/SHANGHAI CLOSED

AUSTRALIA BOURSE CLOSED UP 0.52%

(Nikkei (Japan) CLOSED UP 99.19 PTS OR 0.25%

INDIA’S SENSEX  IN THE GREEN

Gold very early morning trading: 2774

silver:$31.02

USA dollar index early THURSDAY  morning: 107.82 UP 2 BASIS POINTS FROM  WEDNESDAY’s CLOSE.

THURSDAY  MORNING NUMBERS ENDS

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And now your closing THURSDAY NUMBERS 1: 30 AM

Portuguese 10 year bond yield: 2.896% DOWN 7 in basis point(s) yield

JAPANESE BOND YIELD: +1.210% up 2 AND 0/ 10   BASIS POINTS /JAPAN losing control of its yield curve/

SPANISH 10 YR BOND YIELD: 3.104 DOWN 7 in basis points yield

ITALIAN 10 YR BOND YIELD 3.585 DOWN 5 points in basis points yield ./ THE ECB IS QE’ ING ITALIAN BONDS (BUYING ITALIAN BONDS/SELLING GERMAN BUNDS)

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD: 2.5000 DOWN 5 BASIS PTS

IMPORTANT CURRENCY CLOSES :  MID DAY THURSDAY

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

Euro/USA 1.0431 UP .0006 OR 6 basis points

USA/Japan: 154.13 DOWN 1.04 OR YEN IS UP 104 BASIS PTS//

Great Britain 10 YR RATE 4.6000 DOWN 4 BASIS POINTS //

Canadian dollar DOWN .0013 OR 13 BASIS pts  to 1.4410

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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

THE USA/YUAN OFFSHORE:    (YUAN CLOSED (UP)…. (7.2676)

TURKISH LIRA:  35.77 EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LEVEL/DEATH WATCH/HYPERINFLATION TO BEGIN.//

the 10 yr Japanese bond yield  at +1.210

Your closing 10 yr US bond yield DOWN 2 in basis points from WEDNESDAY at  4.512% //trading well ABOVE the resistance level of 2.27-2.32%)

 USA 30 yr bond yield  4.764 DOWN 2 in basis points  /11:00 AM

USA 2 YR BOND YIELD: 4.211 DOWN 2  BASIS PTS.

GOLD AT 11;00 AM 2784.75

SILVER AT 11;00: 31.50

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

London: CLOSED UP 89.07 pts or 1.04%

German Dax : UP 89.67 pts or 0.41% 

Paris CAC CLOSED DOWN 69.16 pts or 0.88%

Spain IBEX CLOSED UP 132.10 PTS OR 1.08%

Italian MIB: CLOSED UP 58.05 PTS OR 0.16%

WTI Oil price  72.97 11 EST/

Brent Oil:  76.89 11:00 EST

USA /RUSSIAN ROUBLE ///   AT:  98.35 ROUBLE UP 1 AND  90/100      

GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD; +2.000 DOWN 7 BASIS PTS.

UK 10 YR YIELD: 4.6000 DOWN 3 BASIS POINTS

CDN 10 YEAR RATE: 3.172 DOWN 3 BASIS PTS.

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 2.859 DOWN 3 BASIS PTS

CLOSING NUMBERS: 4 PM

Euro vs USA 1.0400 DOWN 0.0026 OR 26 BASIS POINTS//HEADING TO PARITY WITH THE DOLLAR

British Pound: 1.2414 DOWN 0.0039 OR 39 basis pts/HEADING FOR PARITY /USA

BRITISH 10 YR GILT BOND YIELD:  4.5533 DOWN 10 BASIS PTS//

JAPAN 10 YR YIELD: 1.210

USA dollar vs Japanese Yen: 154.37 DOWN .798 OR 80 BASIS PTS// HEADING FOR 160 TO THE DOLLAR

USA dollar vs Canadian dollar: 1.4533 UP .01383 BASIS PTS CDN DOLLAR DOWN 138 BASIS PTS

West Texas intermediate oil: 72.86

Brent OIL:  77.42

USA 10 yr bond yield DOWN 3 BASIS pts to 4.525

USA 30 yr bond yield DOWN 3 BASIS PTS to 4.769%

USA 2 YR BOND: DOWN 2 PTS AT  4.211

CDN 10 YR RATE 3.135 DOWN 7 BASIS PTS

CDN 5 YEAR RATE: 2.808 DOWN 8 BASIS PTS

USA dollar index: 108.03 UP 21 BASIS POINTS

USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 35.77 GETTING QUITE CLOSE TO BLOWING UP/

USA DOLLAR VS RUSSIA//// ROUBLE:  98.50 UP 0 AND  75/100 roubles

GOLD  2,794.30 (3:30 PM)

SILVER: 31.46 (3:30 PM)

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE: UP 168.42 PTS OR 0.38%

NASDAQ 100 UP 88.76 PTS OR 0.41%

VOLATILITY INDEX: 16.33 DOWN 0.19 PTS OR 1.15%

GLD: $ 258.05 OR UP 3.85 PTS OR 1,51%

SLV/ $28.72 PTS OR UP 0.72 OR 2.57%

TORONTO STOCK INDEX// TSX INDEX: CLOSED UP 288.89 PTS OR 1.14%

end

TRADING today ZEROHEDGE

Gold Hits Record High; Bonds, Stocks, & Bitcoin Bid; Trump Trounces Loonie

END

USA DATA

Q4 GDP Growth Comes In Unexpectedly Light Despite Red Hot Personal Spending Beating Estimates By A Reco

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 09:18 AM

US growth in the last quarter of 2024 slowed down more than expected, with the BEA reporting that Real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2024, below the 2.6% estimate and down from 3.1% in Q3. This left the 2024 Q4/Q4 growth rate at 2.5%, as step down from the 3.2% rate seen in 2023.

Compositionally, the headline was held back by volatile components with inventories dragging 0.9pp off overall growth. Consumer spending was extremely, almost unbelievably, strong again up 4.2% (saar) in the quarter but business fixed investment was weaker down 2.2%(saar).

Here is the full breakdown:

• Personal Spending contributed more than 100% of the bottom line GDP print, or a whopping 2.82% of the 2.25% print
• Fixed Investment subtracted -0.1% from the bottom line GDP print
• The change in private inventories subtracted 0.93% from the bottom line GDP print
• Net trade, or exports less imports, was virtually flat at -0.04%, an improvement from the -0.43% net trade detraction in Q3
• Government, as usual, “added” to growth boosting the bottom line GDP by 0.42%, this was the 10th consecutive quarter when government – i.e., federal debt – directly boosted US growth.

And visually:

What is notable about the GDP print is that while virtually every other aspect of the US economy shrank, with the exception of government but that is about to hit a sharp U-turn under Trump/DOGE – it was all about consumer spending, which not only comprises about 70% of US GDP growth on average, but which advanced at a 4.2% pace — the first time since late 2021 that outlays have exceeded 3% in consecutive quarters. The acceleration was led by a pickup in motor vehicle sales, something one wouldn’t know by looking at the stock price of various car makers.

As shown in the chart below, the 4.2% personal consumption print was the biggest beat to consensus expectations (of 3.2%) on record!

Elsewhere, nonresidential fixed investment declined an annualized 2.2%, the first decline in more than three years. Business spending on equipment decreased an annualized 7.8%, reflecting the impact of a machine workers’ strike at aircraft maker Boeing. Outlays for structures declined for a second straight quarter.

Government spending rose an annualized 2.5% following a strong third- quarter advance that was led by defense expenditures. Growth in federal spending is at risk as President Donald Trump’s agenda takes aim at programs he’s pledged to eliminate.

Other parts of the economy’s fourth-quarter report card didn’t score as well. Inventories were the largest drag, subtracting nearly a full percentage point from growth — the most since early 2023.

The outlook for the economy this year is one of more moderate growth. The latest Bloomberg month survey shows GDP growth will cool to 2.2% on average, with economists anticipating only a few Fed interest-rate cuts. At the same time, the roll-out of Trump policies add an element of uncertainty.

At the same time, released alongside today’s GDP, headline PCE prices rose 2.3% (saar) over the fourth quarter, relative to 1.5% in Q3. The core PCE price index was up 2.5% (saar) in Q4, marking only the second quarterly acceleration since late 2022. The monthly December release of personal income and spending including PCE prices will be released tomorrow.

Bottom line: the US economy is now all about credit at either the individual level or the federal level – that’s the only place growth can be found.

The GDP figures capped another solid year for the world’s largest economy driven entirely by record debt, which helped defy expectations for a marked slowdown as consumers hung tough in the face of persistent inflation and high borrowing costs. That helps explain why the Federal Reserve is taking a more measured approach to future interest-rate cuts.

US stock index futures remained higher while Treasuries pared gains and the dollar was little changed.

end

Pay no attention to this contrived data points

(zerohedge)

Initial Jobless Claims Tumble Back Near Multi-Decade Lows

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 08:39 AM

Initial jobless claims continue to show no signs of labor market weakness whatsoever, tumbling from 225k to 207k last week. Unadjusted claims have reversed all of the holiday season surge…

Source: Bloomberg

California was the source of the largest decline in initial claims once again…

Initial claims continue to hover near multi-decade lows…

Source: Bloomberg

Continuing claims fell last week but remain in a tight range around 1.9 million Americans…

Source: Bloomberg

This data just confirms Powell’s comments yesterday on the strength of the labor market and offers doves nothing in the way of hope for rate cuts being pulled forward.

end

US Pending Home Sales Plunged In December

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 10:12 AM

Following unexpected surges in new- and existing-home-sales, pending home sales in the US plunged 5.5% MoM in December (vs 0.0% exp and below all estimates), dragging the total sales down 2.9% YoY (vs +4.2% exp)…

Source: Bloomberg

That was the first MoM decline since July.

This pushed the total pending home sales index back down near record lows…

Source: Bloomberg

This is the lowest December print since records began (in 2000)…

Source: Bloomberg

It’s not the economy, it’s affordability, stupid!

“Contract activity fell more sharply in the high-priced regions of the Northeast and West, where elevated mortgage rates have appreciably cut affordability,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement.

“It is unclear if heavier-than-usual winter precipitation impacted the timing of purchases.”

In fact, sales fell across all regions:

• Northeast fell 8.1% m/m; Nov. fell 1.3%
• Midwest fell 4.9% m/m; Nov. rose 0.4%
• South fell 2.7% m/m; Nov. rose 3.7%
• West fell 10.3% m/m; Nov. rose 0.5%

Last month’s signings figures don’t bode well for the new year after 2024 marked the worst year in the home resale market since 1995 as pending-homes sales tend to be a leading indicator for previously owned homes, as houses typically go under contract a month or two before they’re sold.

III USA ECONOMIC NEWS

Trump angry!! He wants lower interest rates

(zerohedge)

Trump Slams Hawkish Fed For ‘Failing To Stop The Problem They Created’

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 06:35 PM

Update (1620ET): Quite frankly we are surprised it took this long for President Trump to respond to The Fed’s inaction today.

In a statement on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote:

“Because Jay Powell and the Fed failed to stop the problem they created with Inflation, I will do it by unleashing American Energy production, slashing Regulation, rebalancing International Trade, and reigniting American Manufacturing…

…but I will do much more than stopping Inflation, I will make our Country financially, and otherwise, powerful again!

The Fed has done a terrible job on Bank Regulation.

Treasury is going to lead the effort to cut unnecessary Regulation, and will unleash lending for all American people and businesses.

If the Fed had spent less time on DEI, gender ideology, “green” energy, and fake climate change. Inflation would never have been a problem.

Instead, we suffered from the worst Inflation in the History of our Country!”

And cue the outrage at Trump daring to question the oracles in The Eccles Building.

*  *  *

Tl;dr: The Fed removed a portion of the statement that said inflation has made progress toward the central bank’s 2% goal.

That aligns with the more cautious tone officials have been taking on the inflation outlook.

Rate-cut expectations for 2025 are sliding lower (hawkish)…

“The Fed’s statement was somewhat hawkish relative to last month, so it isn’t surprising that the knee-jerk reaction was for some modest bear flattening,” Bloomberg Intelligence US interest rate strategists Ira Jersey and Will Hoffman say.

“As we also noted, the press conference may cause even more volatility than these modest shifts in the statement.”

*  *  *

Since the last FOMC meeting, on December 18th, The White House has changed hands with oil & gold outperforming as bond yields soar (prices drop)…

Source: Bloomberg

US macro surprise data is basically unchanged – soft and hard – since the last FOMC, but not before dropping before and recovering after Trump’s inauguration…

Source: Bloomberg

But, digging into the details, we see a rather notable rise in growth data surprises and downside inflation surprises…

Source: Bloomberg

The market has fully priced-in ZERO rate cuts today so there should be little to no surprise at all, and the market has recently shifted (dovishly) up to match The Fed’s dot-plot expectations of 2 x 25bp cuts this year……

Source: Bloomberg

…with the only potential shift being from Powell’s press conference leaving this as we noted previously, the “least anticipated Fed meeting in recent history.”

The Fed held rates flat (no cut) as expected:

• *FED HOLDS BENCHMARK RATE IN 4.25%-4.5% TARGET RANGE

But offered some more hawkish shifts:

• *FED: UNEMPLOYMENT ‘STABILIZED,’ LABOR MARKET REMAINS ‘SOLID’
• *FED REMOVES REFERENCE TO INFLATION MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL

That last point is by far the most noteworthy from the statement.

A strong labor market and no progress on inflation is not the recipe for rate-cuts any time soon.

Now, we all look for any hawkish or dovish tells from Powell during the press conference.

Read the full redlined statement below:

END

LOS ANGELES FIRES/PROBLEMS

Lithium-Ion Batteries, Melted EVs Create New Hazards In SoCal Fire Zones

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 10:35 PM

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

This month’s deadly and destructive Los Angeles fires that claimed 28 lives burned with such intensity that electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries melted to the ground, creating hazardous conditions as residents began returning to their communities Jan. 28.

Specialists with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were leading the large-scale cleanup of the batteries Tuesday.

The Palisades Fire burned more than 36 square miles and tore through neighborhoods full of electric vehicles and solar panels after years of state-sponsored green-energy policies.

The size of the Palisades fire and number of lithium-ion batteries left behind make it one of the largest hazardous-materials cleanups that local first responders have seen, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Adam VanGerpen.

“We’ve never seen it on this scale,” VanGerpen told The Epoch Times. “We are talking a very large scale.”

Lithium-ion batteries are used in cellphones, tablets, laptops, wireless headphones, electric cars, and solar panel storage.

Many of the batteries and electric vehicles melted after they were abandoned by fleeing residents starting Jan. 7, VanGerpen said.

“We have to remove the entire vehicle,” he added.

Actor and Pacific Palisades homeowner James Woods said in a post on social media platform X Monday that the melted electric cars were “creating a real problem for safe debris removal.”

“While I am grateful to have President Trump in charge of the federal assistance so desperately needed, we can’t ignore that the electric cars have literally melted into the earth where they stood,” Woods wrote.

LAFD hazmat crews have surveyed the fire zone, searching through 6,837 destroyed homes and buildings, and 12,317 others that were damaged, according to numbers issued Tuesday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The teams used software to locate and flag the zone’s lithium-ion batteries, according to VanGerpen.

Some batteries appear intact and untouched but could still produce toxic gases, reignite, or explode, making them the first priority for cleanup crews, he said.

All new homes built in California since Jan. 1, 2020, are required to have solar panels, which also require the installation of lithium-ion batteries.

Pacific Palisades Charter High School, which was destroyed in the fire, was in the process of adding solar panels to its buildings before the disaster.

Local officials lifted the last of the evacuation orders Monday, allowing residents back into the Palisades and Eaton fire zones. Most areas are open only for residents, who are allowed to return during non-curfew hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. after getting an entry pass.

On Jan. 12, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to direct fast debris removal in the fire zones. He reiterated his push to speed up the recovery during a news conference Tuesday.

California joined with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send a letter Monday to the EPA telling the agency they needed debris removed within the next 30 days, according to Newsom.

Nearly 2,000 California National Guard troops were still assigned to the fire zones to help with removing debris. “We will do whatever it takes to provide that support for the EPA,” Newsom said.

The EPA received Newsom’s letter and started cleaning hazardous debris Monday, according to spokeswoman Anna Drabek.

The agency has set up a hazardous debris collection site in each of the Palisades and Eaton fire zones.

“We’ve been preparing [the sites] to start receiving the materials, which started yesterday in both locations,” Drabek told The Epoch Times.

Many homes have damaged or destroyed lithium-ion batteries, battery energy storage systems, and electric or hybrid vehicles, she said.

The batteries should be considered “extremely dangerous, even if they look intact,” according the agency’s news release Tuesday.

The agency can’t tell residents not to return to their property, even if toxic or hazardous debris still exists, but is encouraging residents to be cautious about the danger, she added.

“We just want folks to be aware of the risks they may be taking,” Drabek said.

The EPA encouraged residents to exercise extreme caution when returning to their properties and call their hotline at 1-833-798-7372 if they encounter a lithium-ion battery.

The agency was given $175 million for debris removal and a 60-day timeline to remove toxic and hazardous waste, according to Newsom.

The EPA plans to create a lithium-ion battery de-energizing and staging area, similar to what was created after the 2023 Maui wildfire.

“As part of the hazardous material removal work, U.S. EPA has also been tasked to safely remove batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles and home backup power supplies,” the agency wrote on a page dedicated to the L.A. fires.

The EPA is working with California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop a full inventory of properties that need hazardous material removal.

Other hazardous materials burned in the blaze include paints, cleaners, solvents, oils, herbicides, and pesticides, according to the EPA. Pressurized fuel cylinders, like propane tanks, could also pose a threat and will be removed by cleanup crews, the agency said.

Once these materials have been cleared on a property, the EPA will place a sign on the site indicating it is safe to enter.

END

PLANE CRASH

Black Hawk Helicopter Collides With Commercial Jet Near Reagan National Airport, Explosion Caught On Camera

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 10:11 PM

A mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional jet near Reagan International Airport in DC was caught on camera from the Kennedy Center Wednesday night, prompting a massive response from fire, EMS, and police.

According to Fox‘s Chad Pergram, the jet was a PSA Airlines Bombadier CRJ700 regional jet which was on approach to runway 33 at Reagan Airport. It was reportedly carrying 64 individuals, including four crew members. There is no information at this time on casualties, however four individuals have reportedly been rescued and have been transported to the North Boathouse Fire Station at the airport.

There were three individuals on the Black Hawk, none of whom were senior Army officials, according to the NYT.

FAA: A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita,…

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 30, 2025

According to local police, “DC Fire and EMS, the Metropolitan Police Department and multiple partner agencies are currently coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River.”

DCA scanner: a guy just asked for the “morgue to be started up.” Another guy responded “it’s already started and running in the boat house.”

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 30, 2025

Any survivors in the water could be at risk, according to the NY Times, as temperatures are expected to drop below freezing in the Washington area tonight. According to the National Weather Service, hypothermia can kick in within 20-30 minutes in cold water.

According to Flightradar24, the Black Hawk helicopter was not broadcasting its ADS-B data at the time of the crash.

The FAA confirms tonight’s collision near DCA involved #AA5342 and a US military H60. The helicopter was not broadcasting ADS-B data. The last received ADS-B position from the CRJ was at 01:48 UTC.

AA5342 was en route from Wichita to Washington (DCA) and was on final approach… pic.twitter.com/2NT3LGCAlq

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 30, 2025

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that President Trump is aware of the situation, adding that it “tragically appears a military helicopter collided with a regional jet.”

Webcam at the Kennedy Center caught an explosion mid-air across the Potomac. https://t.co/v75sxitpH6 pic.twitter.com/HInYdhBYs5

— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) January 30, 2025

In response to the incident, nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport halted all takeoffs and landings as emergency personnel responded do an “aircraft incident on the airfield.”

DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services posted to X shortly after 9 p.m. that a small aircraft was down in the Potomac River near the airport, and that boats managed by the fire department were on the scene.

According to an account from someone who claims to have listened to air traffic control audio (so very unconfirmed):

Just listened thru 20 mins of ATC recording Helo called out to ATC that he could see a jet on approach ATC asked for heading and altitude Helo called back with heading and altitude ATC called out >maintain visual separation ATC called out to American Jet and confirmed they were on final American jet said yes on final at xxx altitude xxx knots ATC called out maintain final Helo called out he could see airliner, confirm maintain ATC called out >maintain heading Then literally 5 seconds later ATC calls out >American 472 cancel landing clearance for runway 1c it was at that moment…. ATC realized he fuck’t up the call out “maintain visual separation” basically tells the pilots to watch out for themselves and make sure you dont run into each other, its a way to release liability from the ATC for separation distance. It leaves it up to the pilots. However ATC then told them both to maintain heading

In a post to X, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said he had seen reports of a collision with a DC helicopter and a flight that was inbound from Wichita, Kansas.

“We are in contact with authorities working to get answers,” Marshall wrote. “We ask you to join us in prayer for every single passenger and their families.”

Developing…

UPDATE

At Least 30 Dead After American Eagle Jet & Army Black Hawk Helicopter Collide Near DC

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 07:01 AM

What has been reported so far:

• American Eagle Flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, collided with a US Army Black Hawk Helicopter with three soldiers near Reagan National Airport.
• At least 12 bodies have been recovered per NBC Washington report. American Eagle Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was inbound to Reagan.
• NBC Washington: 30 bodies recovered
• A temporary morgue has been set up at the DC Fire Helipad at South Capitol Street SW in DC.
• Reagan National Airport will remain closed for flights until 1100 ET.

Map: Accident Area 

*   *   * 

Update (0701ET):

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirmed that American Eagle Flight 5342 (operated by PSA Airlines), carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on approach to Reagan National Airport. The Black Hawk was carrying three soldiers on board at the time of the incident. 

A massive rescue operation has been underway since the accident occurred late Wednesday night. NBC Washington reported that at least 30 bodies had been pulled out of the water. 

NBC Washington said a “temporary morgue” has been set up at the DC Fire Helipad at South Capitol Street SW in DC, adding the DC Medical Examiner called this the largest recovery operation undertaken in DC in decades. 

New images of the wreckage were posted online by NBC Washington:

On early Thursday morning, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social:

“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” 

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom released a video statement about the mid-air accident:

END

Charlie Kirk….

Stop The Nonsense And Confirm Tulsi Gabbard

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 07:20 AM

Authored by Charlie Kirk via RealClearPolitics,

Conservatives of all stripes have enjoyed the first week of Donald Trump’s presidency. The events of the past week have made it very clear that President Trump has come in well-prepared and is laser-focused on fulfilling the many promises that won him the election. Whether it’s securing the border, breaking the DEI cartel, or ending DOJ lawfare, the president is executing his agenda with unprecedented energy and aggression.

In the long term, though, securing the president’s promises can’t be done with executive orders alone. Success will come down to the president picking appointees who can carry out his will. 

President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard as his director of national intelligence for a very clear reason. Ever since he entered the political scene 10 years ago, Trump has faced not just opposition but outright sabotage and deceit from the so-called “intelligence community” of Washington, D.C. They spied on his campaign and gave life to the ridiculous smear that he was a Russian agent. Analysts deliberately withheld information from the president, then leaked about what they were doing to the press. And of course, during the 2020 election, the intelligence apparatus pressured America’s tech companies to engage in widespread censorship while a network of “former intelligence officials” lied through their teeth to denounce the Hunter Biden laptop story as “Russian disinformation.”

The American intelligence world is arrogant, wayward, and in dire need of reform. That is precisely why President Trump chose former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a longtime critic of these agencies, to be his director of national intelligence.

Gabbard is indisputably qualified. She is a veteran of the Iraq War, the worst of the wars that the intel agencies blundered us into. She spent eight years in Congress and served stints on the homeland security, armed services, and foreign affairs committees, all of them relevant to the job. She has authentic bipartisan credentials: She represented the Democrats in Congress, is the choice of a MAGA president, and has the personal endorsement of Meghan McCain (a Republican with whom I have no shortage of differences).

So what do her opponents bring against her? It’s simple: They lie. Every attack on Tulsi Gabbard is a smear concocted by those desperate to prevent the change voters demanded in November. 

Some bad actors in D.C., and even within the Republican Party, think they can rerun the game plan of 2017 when people thought the Donald Trump moment was a fluke that would soon be over. And I mean “rerun” literally because one of the top smears against Gabbard is the same one brought against Trump eight years ago: the wild claim that Tulsi Gabbard is a “Russian asset.” Just like the attack on Trump, this smear was popularized by Hillary Clinton, and just like the attack on Trump, it’s based wholly on Gabbard’s refusal to endorse the failed groupthink consensus of Washington. Gabbard supported military aid to Ukraine prior to the country’s invasion in 2022. She called Putin a U.S. adversary. But none of that matters because this attack was never about the truth. It’s about smearing Gabbard for opposing regime change, forever wars, and a blank check for the D.C. cabal.

The same rules apply to the wild claim that Gabbard is an “Assad sympathizer” in league with the fallen dictator of Syria. The allegation is utterly ridiculous. Gabbard’s 2017 trip was cleared by House Ethics beforehand, and she did a debriefing with America’s ambassador to Lebanon afterward. Members of Congress are free to meet with foreign leaders, especially if those leaders are the ones Americans are supposed to spend billions of dollars fighting, directly or indirectly. This is why President Trump has sought direct diplomacy with Vladimir Putin and even North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un.

With nothing else to argue, Gabbard’s critics have to fall back on the complaint that she didn’t believe Assad actually used chemical weapons during his fight to hold onto power. It’s another lie – Gabbard has been saying she believes Assad used chemical weapons for more than five years. But truthfully, it wouldn’t even matter if she thought otherwise. Unlike nearly all of Washington’s war hawks, Gabbard has direct experience fighting in a misbegotten war sold with bad intelligence. Unlike most of Washington, Gabbard learned the lesson that spectacular claims about weapons of mass destruction should be backed with proof, not ridiculous threats against anyone showing skepticism.

Other attacks are even more pathetic. There’s the Hail Mary that she is “soft on Iran” when her track record makes it clear she simply shares the president’s goal of avoiding another fruitless war in the Gulf. Attacks on Gabbard’s Hindu religious beliefs are so puerile they don’t even merit a reply.

Gabbard brings to the table exactly what President Trump needs in a DNI: an independent thinker who isn’t shackled to decades of Beltway consensus and who has learned to be skeptical. This isn’t just what President Trump wants, though. It’s what the American public voted for in 2024 – and the election was not a squeaker. 

Republicans who hold office right now hold it thanks to voters who expect them to help Trump keep his promises. If those same Republicans instead scuttle one of the president’s essential appointments on the basis of establishment smears, then I have a simple promise: They will face a primary challenge. I, and many others, will do whatever it takes to see them replaced. Republicans can either participate in the president’s reform agenda or they can be trampled by it. 

It’s up to them. Any questions?

Charlie Kirk is founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, Turning Point Action, and host of the top-ranked podcast and nationally syndicated radio program, “The Charlie Kirk Show.”

END

EV BUSES

EV School Busses Paralyzed With “Error Codes” In Maine Winter 

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 – 02:25 PM

It’s hardly surprising that the top producer of all-electric school buses, now bankrupted, faces multiple school districts where its “green” buses have broken down.

The Yarmouth Schools district in Portland, Maine, told local media outlet CBS 13 News that its two Lion Electric buses are severely “underperforming” 1.5 years into service. 

“We are trying to work with Lion to have those buses replaced, or to receive compensation for those buses, but really not making much progress at this point and time,” Superintendent Dr. Andrew Dolloff told the media outlet, adding the move to switch out the busses could be a costly one. 

Dolloff said, “We run them for a day or so, and then we get error messages about engine failures or battery failures.” 

The all-electric school buses were purchased through the EPA Clean School Bus Program under the Biden-Harris regime—yet another brilliant way to destroy taxpayer monies.

The local media noted that Yarmouth Schools is one of “six districts facing significant troubles with Lion Electric school buses.” 

Several Maine school districts are still dealing with underperforming electric school buses provided by Lion Electric. Yarmouth is 1 of the 6 districts dealing with unusable buses and it could end up being costly.

DETAILS: https://t.co/Z2kSNXXgG1 pic.twitter.com/RzQ0iJfyQQ

— CBS 13 News (@WGME) January 28, 2025

Lion Electric was awarded $38 million by the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program to produce 97 electric school buses and charging infrastructure. It’s not immediately known how many of these buses are operating nationwide. 

The Quebec-based company attempted to carve out its place in North America’s school bus industry by swapping reliable diesel-powered buses for unreliable EVs. However, the company defaulted on its debt and, as of late 2024, was seeking bankruptcy protection under Canadian law. 

X users responded to the CBS 13 News story about the EV bus snafu, with many folks infuriated about misspent taxpayer funds…  

😝 except those that are brain dead, quite literally. Made their decisions on feelings 💩🎭🎬🤓😝😝😝😝 where are those individuals that push this through? Are they hiding in complete and utter embarrassment?😝😝😝 if not, they should be back charged on their paychecks.🤓😝😝 pic.twitter.com/9EW3UKTfwb

— Craig Demers (@CraigDemers4570) January 28, 2025

Huh…Imagine that.

Lemme guess, were they purchased is 2021, with Covid money!?#mepolitics pic.twitter.com/b4QnsUazkW

— Newer Mainer (@mjone1000) January 28, 2025

Another Mills mistake. Green energy cannot work year round in Maine.

— picturelady1959 (@picturelady1959) January 28, 2025

What a waste and bad decision by our elected representatives and governor. WE CA DO BETTER

— 🗽🇺🇸 America First 🇺🇸🦅 (@BDorr) January 28, 2025

I'd like to see that study that determined this was good use of tax payer money.

— 🇺🇸 FYYFF 🇺🇸 (@HighlyUnli777) January 28, 2025

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s first week in office led to a series of executive orders that dialed back the Biden-Harris regime’s reckless ‘green’ spending spree that did very little to save the planet from an alleged fiery death but instead sparked disastrous inflation that financially crushed low/mid-tier households. 

Yarmouth Schools’ broken EV buses, funded by taxpayers, are yet another example of government waste driven by radical leftist politicians who blindly push global warming policies. These activists have no business in managerial roles due to their lack of sound decision-making. 

The climate grift is coming to an end under Trump. 

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

Trump signs antisemitism executive order to prevent anti-Israel campus protests

“Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities,” Trump said.

By HANNAH SARISOHNJANUARY 30, 2025 01:52

https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?language=en&pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fdiaspora%2Fantisemitism%2Farticle-839861&unitId=2900003088&userId=1938e01a-2e38-4f76-9d42-6dd0304d8a0a&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20250127_ed42a914c8e7054390cf48903248a9f58e79599d&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=140&unitType=tts-player

The US will combat antisemitism “vigorously, using all available and appropriate legal tools” to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of “unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence,” according to an executive order President Donald Trump signed on Wednesday night. 

In the order, Trump said the attacks of October 7 unleashed an “unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses.”

“Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities, including libraries and classrooms; and intimidation, harassment, and physical threats and assault,” the order said.

The order calls for heads of each executive agency to submit a report within 60 days identifying all civil and criminal authorities or actions that might be used to combat antisemitism, as well as an analysis of all complaints against institutions of higher education post-October 7. 

According to the order, the Secretaries of State, education, and Homeland Security should include recommendations for “familiarizing institutions of higher education with the grounds for inadmissibility” under federal law so that institutions may monitor and report students and staff who are undocumented or on visas. 

If warranted, the order states institutions have grounds for “removing such aliens.”

Response to the executive order 

Ari Shrage, president of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, praised the executive order. 

“Columbia has been ground zero for the anti-Israel protests. Unfortunately, despite our pleas, the University’s administration and Trustees continue issuing empty statements and not addressing the problems,” Shrage told The Jerusalem Post. “Going to an Ivy League school is a privilege. Students who come here on visas and harass Jewish students should no longer have the right to stay in America. It’s not a surprise that this legislation is focused on Columbia.”

The Nexus Project, a Jewish organization countering antisemitism and fighting its weaponization in politics, strongly condemned President Trump’s order. 

Jonathan Jacoby, national director of the Nexus Project, said the executive order “cynically weaponizes legitimate concerns about Jewish safety to suppress constitutionally protected speech and threaten vulnerable student populations.”

---

---

Columbia/Barnard Hillel did not return the Post’s request for comment. 

The Post has also reached out to Columbia’s Task Force on Antisemitism. 

iiiC USA COVID //VACCINE ISSUES/IMPORTANT MEDICAL ISSUES

END

FREIGHT ISSUES/USA/

END

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON OR NEWT GINGRICH/TUCKER CARLSON

VDH

END

KING REPORT

The King Report January 30, 2025 Issue 7420

Independent View of the News

Nvidia Stock Drops 6% As Trump Reportedly Mulls China Chip Sale Restrictions https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/01/29/deepseek-panic-live-updates-nvidia-stock-pulls-back-again/   Fangs declined sharply during morning trading on Wednesday.  The NY Fang+ Index hit a low of 13502.464 (-285.677) at 13:04 ET.   EHS traded moderately lower but sideways from the Nikkei opening until they jumped to a daily high of 6111.50 on the 1:00 ET Nikkei close.  ESHs then traded sideways, in mostly positive territory, until they broke lower near 7:55 ET.  ESHs hit a low of 6046.24 at 13:02 ET.  The usual suspects then aggressively bought ESHs for an expected rally on an expected dovish Fed Communique.  ESHs hit 6076.29 at 13:30.   USHs rallied to a high of 114 22/32 (+19/32) at 9:55 ET.  They fell to 113 31/32 at 11:54 ET.  After a rebound to 114 6/32, USHs sank to a daily low of 113 21/32 (-14/32) at 14:00 ET on the more hawkish than expected Fed Communique.  The Fed was dovish until Trump won!   FOMC Communique Highlights     No change in rates     Removed reference about making progress toward inflation goal     Added: “unemployment has stabilized at low levels”     Repeats inflation ‘remains somewhat elevated’     Labor market remains ‘solid’     Rate changes depend on incoming data, the outlook is ‘evolving’ https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20250129a.htm   ESHs sank to a daily low of 6042.25 at 14:18 ET on the unexpectedly hawkish Fed Communique.   Powell Press Conference Highlights     Economy is strong overall and the Fed has made progress on our twin goals     Inflation remains elevated; Labor market has cooled from overheated state but remains solid     Activity in housing sector seems to have stabilized     Long-term inflation expectations appear ‘well anchored’     “We do not need to be in a hurry to change our policy stance.”  (The election is over.)   Powell Q&A Highlights     Don’t have comment on what Trump said (demand lower rates), not appropriate     Has NOT had any contact with Trump     Powell believes monetary policy is restrictive because of the housing market     Powell downplayed the removal of ‘progress toward our inflation goal’ in communique, said it was ‘just language clean up’, not intended to send a signal; ESHs soared.     Waiting to see what Trump policies are enacted and their effect     Withdrew from Climate Croup because it is not in our mandate (Why did it join then?)     We are meaningfully above neutral rate; Reserves are ‘abundant.’     Increase in long rates NOT related to our policies; it’s a term premia thing (liar, liar)     Asset prices are elevated by many metrics, mainly tech and AI, not concerned cuz banks are OK     “Financial conditions are somewhat accommodative but it’s a mixed bag.”     “Lower-income households are under pressure…”   Once again, PE Powell tried to walk back a hawkish FOMC Communique to aid & abet The Street.   ESHs rallied to 6062.75 at 14:33 ET (Powell began to speak at 14:30 ET).  They then slid to 6044.25 at 14:36 ET.  Powell then went dovish during his Q&A.  So, ESHs jumped to 60812.75 at 14:41 ET.  ESHs then vacillated in a 17-handle range until they fell to 6060.25 at 15:05 ET.   Powell ended speaking near 15:20 ET.  ESHs then soared on the standard late manipulation and buying for MSFT, Meta, and TSLA results that would appear after the NYSE close.   After hitting 6087.50 at 15:27 ET, ESHs slid to 6058.00 at 15:53 but gyrated wildly at 16:00 ET.   @KitcoNewsNOW: Powell on crypto: Our role with Crypto is really to look at the banks. We think banks are perfectly able to serve Crypto customers as long as they can understand and manage the risks, and it is safe to say a number of our banks we regulate and Supervisor do that. We are not against innovation, and we certainly don’t want to take actions that would cause banks to terminate customers that are perfectly legal, just because of excess risk aversion that may be related to relation and supervision.   Powell said greater regulation on cryptocurrencies would be helpful.   Most of the MSM reported that Trump bashed the Fed and Powell after the Fed did not cut rates.  This is deceptive and deceitful.  Trump bashed the Fed for failing on inflation and focusing on woke issues.   Trump: Because Jay Powell and the Fed failed to stop the problem they created with Inflation, I will do it by unleashing American Energy production, slashing Regulation, rebalancing International Trade, and reigniting American Manufacturing, but I will do much more than stopping Inflation, I will make our Country financially, and otherwise, powerful again! The Fed has done a terrible job on Bank Regulation. Treasury is going to lead the effort to cut unnecessary Regulation, and will unleash lending for all American people and businesses. If the Fed had spent less time on DEI, gender ideology, “green” energy, and fake climate change, Inflation would never have been a problem. Instead, we suffered from the worst Inflation in the History of our Country! https://trumpstruth.org/statuses/29361   Trump bashes Fed after bank doesn’t cut rates (Deceptive and deceitful headline!) https://thehill.com/business/5114268-trump-attacks-fed-interest-rates/   Marc Andreessen (@pmarca): $6,000 to run full Deepseek R1 LLM with reasoning at home.   Microsoft probes if DeepSeek-linked group improperly obtained OpenAI data https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-probing-if-deepseek-linked-group-improperly-obtained-openai-data-2025-01-29/   Trump attacks Fed after no change in interest rates – BBC In a social media post, he accused the Federal Reserve and its chairman Jerome Powell of mishandling the economy, saying they had “failed to stop the problem they created with Inflation“… https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78w1x7lwd1o?at_format=link   Positive aspects of previous session USHs were flat at the NYSE close.   Negative aspects of previous session Equity indices closed modestly lower.   Ambiguous aspects of previous session How big will Fangs rally this week for the heart of Mag 7 reporting season?   First Hour/Last Hour Action [S&P 500 Index]: 1st Hour from NYSE Open: Down; Last Hour: Down   Pivot Point for S&P 500 Index [above/below indicates daily trend to traders]: 6038.37 Previous session S&P 500 Index High/Low: 6062.83; 6012.96   @robbystarbuck: Still can’t get over the fact that Democrats had earmarked $50M to buy condoms for Gaza. There’s only like 2 million people there. The math is not mathing. Money laundering?  Think about how much they have to hate us to spend our money on this crap.  https://t.co/Fi4BrFRFAw   @AutismCapital: Trump says he will be signing an Executive Order to send the worst of the United States illegals to Guantanamo Bay in a 30,000 bed facility. https://x.com/AutismCapital/status/1884689125154185452   CNN guest says women won’t have berries for smoothies if illegal immigrants are deported https://trib.al/EWv5XiN   IBM soared 13% after the close.  EPS 3.92, 3.78 exp,; revenue $17.55Bm $17.54B consensus.   Microsoft tumbled 5.5% after the close after missing on Q2 cloud revenue ($40.9B vs $41.1B).  EPS 3.23, 3.11 exp.; revenue $69.63B, $68.982B expected.   Tesla sank 7.4% after the close.  EPS .73, ,75 consensus; Revenue $25.7B, $27.21B expected.  TSLA then soared from 365.00 to 408.00 (+4.0%) after Musk said he expects sales to rebound in 2025.   META sees Q1 revenue $39.5B to $41.B, $41.67B exp.  Q4 EPS 8.02, 6.78 exp.; revenue $48.39B, $47.03B expected. Meta sank to 636.80 (676.49 close) after the close but then rallied to a 5% gain after Zuck invoked ‘AI.’    Trump settled his lawsuit against Meta over the suspension of his accounts after Jan 6.  Meta will pay him ~$25 million. “$22 million will go towards a fund for Trump’s presidential library.” – WSJ   Today – The robust rallies in Meta and Tesla after large declines plus IBM’s 13% with only a tiny gain in revenue strongly suggests that the usual suspects obstinately want to be long techs and Mag 7 stocks, especially AI-related stuff, no matter what the fundamentals are.   Apple reports results after the close.  Usually, Apple is the last Mag 7/Fang to report results.  But Google reports on February 4; Amazon reports on February 6; and Nvidia reports on February 26.  Normally the usual suspects would be bullish for Apple’s results.  However, Apple is -21 points from its Dec. high.   Expected earnings: DOW .24, PHM 3.28, LUV .47, CAH 1.77, NOC 6.36, CMCSA .86, MA 3.69, UPS 2.53, MO 1.28, CI 7.83, CAT 4.98, WY .17, V 2.66, INTC .12, AAPL 2.35, BKR .62   Expected economic data: Q4 GDP 2.7%, Consumption 3.2%, GDP Price Index 2.5%, Core PCE 2.5%; Initial Jobless Claims 225k, Continuing Claims 1.9m; Dec Pending Home Sales 0.1% m/m & 4.2% y/y   ESHs are +12.25; NQHs are +58.00; and USHs are +5/32 at 20:05 ET.   S&P Index 50-day MA: 5984; 100-day MA: 5869; 150-day MA: 5748; 200-day MA: 5620 DJIA 50-day MA: 43,650; 100-day MA: 42,974; 150-day MA: 42,031; 200-day MA: 41,214 (Green is positive slope; Red is negative slope)   S&P 500 Index (6039.31 close) – BBG trading model Trender and MACD for key time frames Monthly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 5367.17 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 positive – a close below 5962.31 triggers a sell signal Hourly: Trender and MACD are negative – a close above 6086.13 triggers a buy signal   Trump signs an executive order to end racial and gender ‘indoctrination’ in schools https://trib.al/dBQlXgu @CollinRugg: Billionaire Nicole Shanahan vows to fund primary challengers of 13 specific U.S. Senators who don’t support RFK Jr’s confirmation, calls them out by name. Good. “I will make it my personal mission that you lose your seats in the Senate if you vote against the future health of America’s children.” “To senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Thom Tillis, James Lankford, Cory Booker, John Fetterman, Bernie Sanders, and Catherine Cortez Masto…” “This is a bipartisan message and it comes directly from me. While Bobby may be willing to play nice, I won’t if you vote against him.” “I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election, and I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me.” https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1884413672648265729   @bennyjohnson: Democrats who take millions of dollars from Big Pharma are viciously attacking RFK Jr. with blowhard, virtue signaling speeches. Every one of them supported COVID vaccine mandates, forced masking and remained silent when Dr. Fauci got a pardon.     These politicians are evil. They have no moral high-ground.  No proof of ever making a single day better for regular Americans. They have NO desire to protect the health of America’s children. Most politicians are freaks and degenerates who will do anything for money.  These Senators are unworthy of leading a serious, moral, healthy nation.   @DefiantWorld: RFK Jr. wouldn’t promise to keep his hands off Big Pharma, and Elizabeth Warren went off.  https://t.co/ZhXs8Uo1ex   GOP @RepNancyMace: Speaking of shills, Senator Warren raked in over $5.2 million from Big Pharma and the medical industrial complex. https://t.co/5ipprNWuco   @CollinRugg: Senator Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren has a meltdown after RFK Jr. refused to commit to not suing pharmaceutical companies. RFK: “You are asking me to not sue pharmaceutical companies.” Warren: *Shreiking meltdown*  https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1884649776236380388   @Manhattva: Senator Bernie Sanders, screaming: “Are you supportive of the onesies!”  We live in clown world. https://x.com/Manhattva/status/1884654448947192072   @EndWokeness: Bernie Sanders is having a meltdown over $26 onesies after he took $1.4+ MILLION pharma lobbying money.  https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1884679469329187217   RFK Jr. has the highest approval rating among all of DJT’s nominees, according to Fox News.   @TheBabylonBee: Senators Pause RFK Hearing to Announce This Next Round Of Questions Is Brought to You by Pfizer https://buff.ly/4aFgCWA   Trump border czar Tom Homan mocks Joy Reid’s claim that deportation raids are ‘performative’: ‘Dumber than a box of rocks’ https://trib.al/jb16MkD   @MilaLovesJoe: Biden gave Catholic Charities USA over $1.4 billion from government support in 2024 to fund the invasion.  And they happily took it…and lost 350,000 kids in the process. Catholic Charities must pay a price for contributing to Americas destruction.  Defund them completely.   HHS chief Noem announced a halt of grants to NGO’s that facilitate illegal aliens’ entry into the US.   USDA inspector general (Phyllis Fong) escorted OUT of her office after refusing to comply with her firing by the Trump administration – Reuters   Former US senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  He then pleaded for DJT to pardon him.  Menendez twice voted to impeach Trump.   Democrats’ unfavorability rating reaches new high (57%): poll https://trib.al/T35FZrq   Sen. Schumer turns off social media users after claiming ‘people are aroused’ by Trump’s federal loan freeze: ‘Calm down, Chuck – “Eww!” one disgusted poster remarked after seeing the snippet of Schumer’s press conference. “OMG! I just ate lunch!” another shocked person tweeted, including a vomiting emoji…  https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/us-news/senator-chuck-schumer-turns-off-social-media-users-after-claiming-people-are-aroused-by-trumps-federal-loan-freeze-calm-down-chuck/   @Austin__Berg: Chicago’s Inspector General just dropped a report exposing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s secret gift stash. Jewelry, whiskey, handbags, and shoes—all stored in a “Gift Room” hidden from investigators as well as Johnson’s personal office. Just as scandalous: The report reveals a system with no real checks on the power of the mayor’s office. (Time for the DoJ to investigate!) https://x.com/Austin__Berg/status/1884635819983372522   Forget the JFK files, this is the real Kennedy family bombshell: MAUREEN CALLAHAN (who knows more about their twisted secrets than anyone) presages the death of Camelot  When her beloved Uncle Ted was caught sexually assaulting a waitress in a DC restaurant, and decades before had left Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old campaign aide, to die a slow death at Chappaquiddick.   When her paternal grandfather Joe Sr. was known to rape his daughters’ overnight guests at the family compound on Cape Cod and lobotomized his own young, beautiful daughter Rosemary to conceal his terrible secret — that he had likely been molesting her, too. So spare us, Caroline. Spare us your faux moral outrage…    Remember, this was a woman hailed by the media as the Kennedy family intellectual — until, that is, she started giving interviews littered with ‘likes’ and ‘you knows’.  Caroline Kennedy makes Kamala Harris seem a jousting wordsmith by comparison… https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14339609/JFK-files-RFK-Kennedy-confirmation-bombshell-MAUREEN-CALLAHAN.html   Sick nurse arrested for twerking on heads of disabled patients in viral videos smirks in mug shot https://trib.al/8RHuoBx   NFL legend laments difficulty of beating Chiefs: ‘You gotta beat the refs, you gotta beat Taylor Swift’ – Andre Reed was a part of the Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nfl-legend-laments-difficulty-beating-chiefs-you-gotta-beat-refs-you-gotta-beat-taylor-swift   NFL announce Taylor Swift collaborator (Post Malone) will perform pre-Super Bowl concert https://trib.al/ZpfLiIY   Insane referee conspiracy theory shows why NFL must make this change NOW! “Line judge Patrick Holt, who made the awful spot decision for (Dalton) Kincaid & Josh Allen in the Bills-Chiefs game, is a certified Ravens fan who also has family ties in Kansas City,” the post read… https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/sports/insane-referee-conspiracy-theory-shows-why-nfl-must-make-this-change-now/   Wife of Chiefs owner dismisses ‘referee favoritism’ ahead of Super Bowl LIX https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wife-chiefs-owner-dismisses-referee-favoritism-ahead-super-bowl-lix

—

SWAMP STORIES FOR YOU TONIGHT

Trump has his work cut out for him with respect to some members of the FBI

(zerohedge0

Whistleblower: Multiple FBI Agents Called In Sick With ‘Blue Flu’ To Avoid Helping ICE Round-Up Criminal Illegals In Chicago

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 05:00 PM

Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

Multiple FBI agents assigned to assist ICE with illegal alien deportations in Chicago last weekend, called in sick with the “Blue Flu,” according to an FBI whistleblower.

On January 22, Acting Attorney General James McHenry ordered the FBI; U.S. Marshal’s Service; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);  and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to assist ICE with deportations.

Former FBI Special Agent Steve Friend said Tuesday that multiple agents assigned to assist in the deportation effort in Chicago called in sick to “protest” the mission.

“I’ve been told that agents are calling in sick—”blue flu” style—to protest the directive,”  Friend posted on X.

ICE ramped up it’s deportation effort over the weekend, making nearly 1,200 arrests Sunday and nearly 1,000 on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan was in Chicago on Sunday, along with US Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, to oversee Immigration enforcements in the city, Fox News’ Matt Finn reported.

A video posted by Finn on X shows Bove saying that the the Department of Homeland Security is running the operation in lockstep with the Department of Justice and urging agents to safely implement Trump policies.

Friend,  who is now a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America and an “American Radicals” podcaster, told American Greatness that other field offices have been asking for volunteers to help with the deportation effort, but many agents are afraid of retaliation from their superiors. 

“People know if they step forward, then leadership will identify them as MAGA,” he explained.

“The executive management at some field offices aren’t sending out any guidance for the ICE directive. Just ignoring,” he added.

The former G-man said it was important for the Senate to confirm former federal prosecutor Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, “to root this subterfuge out.”

“Everyone is scared of retaliation. Always. But people are coming forward with more for me recently because they think Kash [Patel] is getting in,” Friend told American Greatness.

In September 2022, the special agent/turned whistleblower was stripped of his gun and badge, and escorted out of the FBI field office in Daytona Beach, Florida for refusing to take part in the Bureau’s terroristic SWAT raids at the homes of Jan-6ers.

Friend said at the time he was punished after he complained to his superiors about having to be involved in J6 investigations that were “violating citizens’ Sixth Amendment rights due to overzealous charging by the DOJ and biased jury pools in Washington, DC.”

He said it shouldn’t be hard for the Trump administration to quash the insubordination. “Just suspend clearances like they did to me. SCOTUS says that is legal. Fire every probationary employee,” he told American Greatness.

“I recommend the Trump administration consider an all of the above strategy for handing employees who are unwilling to follow lawful, ethical, and constitutional orders from the chief executive. Suspend security clearances. Terminate probationary employees. End telework. Reassign individuals to work in hardship locations,” Friend advised.

GREG HUNTER

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