by Michael Snyder, End Of The American Dream:
We are facing an unprecedented retirement crisis in this nation. Millions upon millions of Baby Boomers are retiring, and most of them are struggling. In fact, it has been estimated that 80 percent of our retirees are either struggling right now or are in serious danger of falling into financial insecurity. We are supposed to be the economic powerhouse of the world. How could we have allowed this to happen?
by Mike Maharrey, Gold Seek:
China announced an increase in its official gold reserves in November. It was the first reported increase after a 6-month pause, and it appears it wasn’t a one-off event.
And by the way, the Chinese have a lot more gold than they admit.
The People’s Bank of China reported another increase in official gold reserves in December with a nearly 10-tonne purchase.
You’ll notice I keep emphasizing the word “official.” That’s because the Chinese are accumulating gold much faster than officially indicated, as data parsed by Money Metals investigative reporter Jan Nieuwenhuijs proved.
from ZeroHedge:
Italy’s biggest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, has made history by becoming the first Italian financial institution to buy 11 bitcoins for a “test” purchase worth $1 million.
Initially a widespread rumor, Bloomberg has confirmed that Italy’s largest banking giant has indeed dipped its toes in Bitcoin. According to an internal memo, the financial institution completed its first proprietary Bitcoin trade, investing the funds into the world’s largest digital currency.
“It’s very small amounts, considering we have 100 billion euros in our securities portfolio,” Intesa CEO Carlo Messina told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Milan on Tuesday. “It’s an experiment, a test.”
by Martin Armstrong, Armstrong Economics:
Gavin Newsom is unfit to run the state of California. The fire that has consumed tens of thousands of acres at the time of this writing could have been controlled had he not ignored warnings. The devastation of these fires will be felt for years to come as the death toll rises and over 100,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes.
The fires began in the Pacific Palisades on the morning of January 7. All three 1-million-gallon water tanks were completely empty by the evening. In 2019, then-President Trump demanded that Newsom turn his attention to forest management.
by Mish Shedlock, Mish Talk:
No, this isn’t a Babylon Bee Headline. It’s from a Newsom post on X. Grok created the image.
New Executive Order
“NEW: Just issued an Executive Order that will allow victims of the SoCal fires to not get caught up in bureaucratic red tape and quickly rebuild their homes. We are also extending key price gouging protections to help make rebuilding more affordable.”
by Craig Hemke, Sprott Money:
2024 was a tremendous year for gold as the price rose by over 25%. More gains look to be coming in 2025, which leads many to ask if the price is too high for new purchases.
With any investment, buying low and selling high is the key to success. However, timing your purchases to coincide with price lows is always a difficult proposition. This is especially true with precious metals, where it always seems that your best opportunity to buy is at a time when investors are bearish and it seems that even lower prices are coming.
by David Russell, Silver Seek:
It’s only the 9th of January, but looking at the headlines, it feels like we’re already deep into the year. From devastating environmental crises to a President-elect already reshaping US foreign relations, and a bond market sell-off, the world is off to a tumultuous start.
Today, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) will release the 2025 edition of its World Economic Situation and Prospects report. As has become a recurring theme, the authors highlight a significant gap between the story the numbers tell and the underlying realities. This year’s report focuses on critical minerals, a crucial topic as the world undergoes a major energy transition. Regular readers and investors will recognise the pivotal role of silver in green energy technologies, and we’re keen to see how this precious metal features in this year’s findings.
from Your News:
California legislators prioritize funding for legal battles and immigration advocacy as the state grapples with catastrophic wildfires.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
California Democratic lawmakers have unveiled a controversial $50 million budget proposal aimed at countering the incoming Trump administration’s policies, even as the state faces one of its most devastating wildfire disasters. The plan, revealed during Governor Gavin Newsom’s special legislative session, allocates funds for litigation and grants to protect illegal migrants from deportation.
from Sputnik News:
by Ava Grace, Natural News:
by Greg Hunter, USA Watchdog:
Financial writer, market analyst and precious metals expert Craig Hemke predicted at the beginning of 2024 that the US National Debt would tack on another $2 trillion to the $34 trillion that was already there. The federal debt now stands at $36.3 trillion. Hemke was correct, and now he’s back with his 2025 predictions. Let’s start with where interest rates, they have already gone up dramatically in the last year. Hemke says, “If the economy really is sliding into recession, and they can’t get the budget under control, because of the liquidity that is going to be needed to control interest rates, the fed will be talking openly about yield curve control.”
by Donald Jeffries, “I Protest”:
I was raised by much older, chronically sick parents. I saw far too much of hospitals as a youngster. My father was a hospital patient as often as he was at home with his family. For instance, as a seven year old rock and roll fanatic, I had to watch the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on a television in the hospital lobby.
by David Haggith, Gold Seek:
Janet Yellen figured out that Covid stimulus may have contributed “a little bit” to inflation. What a chipmunk! With dim-bulb illumination like that, it’s no wonder she finds it “hard to see how the math [of DOGE] works.” Is it hard to see how government efficiency helps reduce the budget deficit, Dear Yanet?
Yanet thinks that it was almost exclusively shortages of goods due to the supply-line crisis that caused inflation after the Covid lockdowns. Apparently, as Treasurer, she doesn’t know the most elementary formula for inflation: too much money chasing too few goods. She gets the last part because none of that can be blamed on her as Treasurer. She conveniently forgets—or was just never well educated in the fundamentals of economics—that it is when you have an over-supply of money confronting an undersupply of goods and services that inflation really catches fire because people will deploy the surplus money to chase after the goods they need or want.
from RAIR Foundation:
In a chilling move that reads like a page from Orwell’s 1984, the European Union is formalizing its role as a gatekeeper of information with the creation of an “Information Sharing and Analysis Center” under the European External Action Service (EEAS). The declared purpose? To combat so-called “disinformation” campaigns from foreign actors like Russia and China. But make no mistake—this is not about protecting truth or democracy. It is a brazen attempt by the EU’s globalist elite to control opposition to narratives, silence dissent, and reshape public opinion to align with their own agenda.
by Peter Schiff, Schiff Gold:
For all of economic history, gold has served as the preeminent money. Individuals holding gold could rest easy knowing they had a hedge against economic uncertainty, at least until President Franklin Roosevelt made it illegal to own the yellow metal. 50 years after this tyrannical edict was repealed, sound money advocates should thank Gerald Ford for restoring gold to its rightful monetary role.
