Oil prices continued to surge overnight, despite a bigger than expected crude inventory build reported by API. Up 7 days in a row, WTI has topped $54 on signs of tighter global supply and hopes that Chinese economic stimulus will cushion fuel demand from the impact of the coronavirus. “The recent bounce-back in oil prices […]

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk, The January Cass Freight Shipping Index is more bad news for the global economy. The Cass Freight Shipping Index is down 9.4% year-over-year, the largest decline since 2009. And this is for January, before the Coronavirus disruption. The turn of the calendar didn’t leave the bad news in 2019, as the […]

Chipmaker SK Hynix, a key Apple supplier, reported Thursday that a trainee tested positive for Covid-19 at its Icheon, South Korea, facility, reported Reuters. Hynix told 800 employees on Thursday not to return to work and conduct self-quarantining at their homes as a prevention measure to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Hynix is one […]

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.com, Once you understand the globalist mindset, almost everything they do becomes rather robotic and predictable.  It should not be surprising that the World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the United Nations, has been so aggressive in cheerleading for the Chinese government and its response to the coronavirus outbreak. After all, […]

Now that Apple has opened the floodgates and made it entirely clear that China’s economic collapse will slash revenue guidance on the year and lead to production woes through April, an onslaughter of earnings downgrades from other top technology companies with significant operations in China could be imminent.  Evidence grows by the day of supply chains grinding […]

Authored by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff  via The Gatestone Institute, We recently witnessed two events that indicated the possible demise of liberal democracy. The implications should frighten supporters of democratic forms of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law. […]

Back in the summer of 2018, when the IMF handed Argentina an unprecedented $56 billion bailout loan, the largest in IMF history, some warned that this is a case of deja vu similar to the 2001/2002 precedent when Argentina eventually defaulted on its foreign creditors, while humiliating the IMF which had signed off on Argentina’s […]

Submitted by Micro Hive; authored by Dominique Dwor-Frecaut is a macro strategist based in Southern California. She has worked on EM and DMs at hedge funds, on the sell side, the NY Fed , the IMF and the World Bank. She publishes the blog Macro Sis that discusses the drivers of macro returns. US credit scoring […]

New threats related to Idlib this week could see the Russian and Turkish armies on a direct collision course.  Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday threatened a full-scale military invasion of the war torn province after the Syrian Army and its Russian ally refused to halt their ongoing offensive.  “An operation in Idlib is imminent,” Erdogan […]

As Japanese health officials begin the second day of offloading passengers and crew from the ‘Diamond Princess’ cruise ship that has been under quarantine in Yokohama for the last two weeks, the Japanese press is reporting that two passengers from the ship have died. The report cites unidentified government officials. Two passengers from the Japanese […]

Authored by James Rickards via The Daily Reckoning, One event is taking center stage in the world that affects not only basic survival for millions of people, but the health of the global economy overall. Of course, I’m talking about the coronavirus outbreak currently playing out before our eyes in China. China’s economy was slowing […]

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has marked the latest national event commemorating the death of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani by tweeting a deeply provocative statement asserting that “wealthy Zionists” control America. The United States has reached the “peak of arrogance,” and is controlled by “wealthy Zionists and their corporate owners,” which makes it a “manifestation of oppression, […]

Authored by Simon Watkins via OilPrice.com, Historically, Russia goes to great lengths to hide or disguise its strategic intentions but it clearly feels empowered enough in the Middle East to very obviously stake its claim in the region – excluding, for the time being only, Saudi Arabia – by stating that a slew of Russian […]

Authored by Cyril Widdershoven via OilPrice.com, Global LNG markets are struggling with a glut of unprecedented levels… International expansion in Australia, Qatar, Mozambique and Egypt, combined with a continuously strong US shale gas export drive, is pushing down prices further. Analysts have warned before that a possible LNG glut could end in tears, but nobody […]

With every passing day that its economic disintegration is not reversed, China inches closer to what may be a very violent tipping point, one which sets billions of angry, starving, broke and quarantined citizens against the communist party oligarchy. As China’s economic output remains literally frozen, a new report suggests that many Chinese companies – […]

Authored by Mitch Nemeth via The Mises Institute, Socialist ideas have taken a hold on some of the more progressive members of the Democratic Party, namely Senator Bernie Sanders. The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, however, may provide Senator Sanders with a reason for concern. Although 40 percent of Democratic primary voters express positive views of […]

Meal kit delivery startup Blue Apron was Wall Street’s most promising IPO in 2017. Now it is “evaluating a broad range of strategic options” that could result in an additional money raise, sale, and or even bankruptcy. “There can be no assurance that the review of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction on a […]

Summary: Diamond Princess confirms another 79 cases as quarantine ends CDC questions Japan’s handling of ‘DP’ quarantine UK tells passengers to stay aboard ship until it finishes planning an official evacuation Video shows group who broke quarantine in Wuhan being taken to ‘reeducation center’ Russia “clarifies” ban on all Chinese: Says will allow some visas. […]

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk, Here’s a heart wrenching video of a Wuhan mother who cannot take the lies anymore. Wuhan Mother Speaks Out [embedded content] Select Transcript Quotes Only normal citizens are suffering. The government does not care about us. We can’t buy medicine with money. We can’t go to the hospital with […]

While stocks are hitting fresh all time highs, bringing joy and spreading the “wealth effect” across America, clients of the Fidelity brokerage are having a rather shitty day because due to a glitch, or perhaps a hack, countless accounts are currently showing a zero balance, or simply removing accounts altogether. While we assume this pesky […]

2020 Democratic presidential candidates will take the stage tonight for what will be their last opportunity to impress Nevada voters before Saturday’s statewide caucuses – the third nominating contest in the race. Getty Images via The Hill And while Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders will try to continue the momentum which has recently propelled him to […]

Authored by Michael Lebowitz and Jack Scott via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, There is an old story about a little boy who was such an extreme optimist that his worried parents took him to a psychiatrist. The doctor decided to try to temper the young boy’s optimism by ushering him into a room full of horse manure. Promptly […]

Update (0720ET): CNBC’s Eunice Yoon, who has also been a reliable source of information out of Beijing since the outbreak began, has published a statement from Beijing about the expulsions: “Chinese people do not welcome media that publish racially discriminatory and malicious slander on China. In light of this, China has decided to revoke the […]

Authored by Paul Adams via The Epoch Times, In an important new book, political scientist Yuval Levin argues that we have lost faith in our institutions—public, private, civic, and political. We need institutions, including families, associations, churches, corporations, trade unions, political parties, professions such as law and medicine, as well as the formal institutions of government such […]

Just after the EU’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell urged Europe to “develop an appetite for power” to better chart its own independent course in solving various international crises impacting Europe, the EU has agreed to deploy warships in order to enforce a United Nations arms embargo on the war-torn country.  The EU has stressed, however, that this is not an […]

Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog, “Happy 18th Birthday! Meet your new Daddy,” read one website advertisement. “Do you have strong oral skills? We’ve got a job for you!” cooed another. A message on another billboard directed at the “daddies” was more blunt: “The alternative to escorts. Desperate women will do anything”… SeekingArrangement […]

As nearly the entire country of China remains on lockdown – and the country’s auto industry, which was already mired in recession prior to the coronavirus fiasco, gets thrashed even further – some Chinese cities are doing what governments do best: inefficiently throwing money they don’t have at their problems. The Chinese city of Foshan […]

Authored by Pat Buchanan via Buchanan.org, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has just given us notice he will be terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement that governs U.S. military personnel in the islands. His notification starts the clock running on a six-month deadline. If no new agreement is negotiated, the VFA is dissolved. What triggered the decision? […]

It was just days ago that we reported about Disney’s new dystopian flying robotic acrobats that were taking the place of stunt actors and were capable of performing flips and changing body positioning in mid-flight. Today, we move a step closer to human superheroes. Pilot Vince Reffe, who is referred to as Jetman Dubai, was […]

Authored by Jake Johnson via CommonDreams.org, The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday urged U.S. officials to focus on fixing their own country’s “nontransparent” and undemocratic system before calling into question the legitimacy of elections in other nations. Abbas Mousavi, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters that the U.S. system “ignores the vote of the […]

When we last checked in on the Boy Scouts of America, the organization was reeling from a deluge of sex-abuse lawsuits that was soaking up all of its financial resources and attention, raising the possibility of a bankruptcy filing to help the organization escape the hefty penalties and allow the 110-year-old nonprofit to survive. This […]

Western mainstream media is once again putting Idlib at the center of their coverage, with emotive and hugely exaggerated headlines like “Bombed as they flee: A million Syrians try to escape Assad’s onslaught” — however with no mention that a US designated terrorist organization, al-Qaeda’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has for years brutally held Idlib territory, suppressing the civilian population. […]

With airline after airline pushing back their ‘return-to-service’ dates based on Boeing’s total lack of clarity on the path forward for the 737 MAX, the troubled aircraft maker (and the troubled aircraft) now faces more problems. According to an internal memo, seen by Reuters, Boeing found debris that could pose potential safety risks in the […]

Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News, President Trump responded Monday night, calling Barack Obama’s claim that his prior administration is responsible for the booming US economy a “Con job”. “Did you hear the latest con job?” Trump tweeted, explaining that “Obama is now trying to take credit for the Economic Boom taking place under […]

New evidence from Bloomberg reveals cracking global supply chains are fast emerging at major Chinese ports with thousands of containers of frozen meat piling up with nowhere to go.  The Covid19 outbreak will remain a dominant issue for 1Q as supply chain shocks are being felt by multinationals on either side of the hemisphere.  Sources told Bloomberg that containers […]

Authored by William Suberg via CoinTelegraph.com, Bitcoin can hit $26,000 in just two months thanks to a bullish event that previously triggered 170% price gains. image courtesy of CoinTelegraph As noted by Cointelegraph Markets analyst, Keith Wareing, on Feb. 18, this week saw Bitcoin’s ascending 50-day moving average cross over its 200-day moving average. Bitcoin 1-year price chart […]

What a shocker – Apple cut guidance on a market holiday in the US. The company issued a press release on Monday evening, admitting it does “not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter” due to Covid-19 related issues. Apple shares slid on pre-market Tuesday after the guidance cut, along with many […]

Authored by Tom Luongo via Gold, Goats, ‘n Guns blog, It’s been obvious to me since he declared that Mike Bloomberg is not a serious candidate for the Democratic nomination. He is everything the Democratic base doesn’t want — white, billionaire, oligarch, Wall St. 0.000001%’er. Oh, and until just a couple of years ago, he […]

At the end of January, Indian scientists sparked a heated debate within virologist circles when they published a pre-print paper claiming they had discovered insertions in the coronavirus which bore an “uncanny similarity” to fragments such as gp120 and Gag found in the HIV virus, which they then said was “unlikely to be fortuitous in […]

The Trump administration announced significant new sanctions on Tuesday targeting Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company, for helping Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro circumvent U.S. sanctions. Specifically, the sanction targets Rosneft Trading SA, a unit of Russia’s state-owned oil giant Rosneft, as well as company’s executive Didier Casimiro, over the company’s actions in Venezuela, senior administration official […]

Gold futures have just surged back above $1600 as investors worldwide charge into safe-havens this morning (bonds are also bid, as is the USDollar) as it becomes clearer and clearer that China is lying and no one really knows the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Gold is back near Iran-Missile-Strike highs, breaking back above $1600… […]

Authored by Richard Breslow via Bloomberg, This has been what looks like an awfully cheap lesson. And few have any interest in learning from it. Scan down the day’s headlines and there is no shortage of items about the ill-effects on businesses from disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Turn on the TV or radio […]

The FBI raided the home of a CEO of a bankrupt hospital chain last month along with one of its Pennsylvania hospitals central to influence-peddling accusations against Joe Biden’s brother, James, according to RealClearInvestigations. The CEO, Grant White, was accused in a Kentucky bankruptcy court filing by the trustee of having “grossly mismanaged” Florida-based Americore […]

Authored by Deborah Franklin via AmericanThinker.com, We’re living in dramatic times that are difficult to understand. One way to try to interpret them is through the cryptic clues provided by Q, which appear on an anonymous online forum and imply top-secret knowledge of upcoming events. As I wrote in my article “An Introduction to Q,” “Q’s followers […]

Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton took his former boss’s foreign policy to task during comments made at Duke University Monday night — in his first public speech since the impeachment inquiry wrapped up, and at a sensitive moment his lawyers are still wrangling over the contents of his soon to published book. On this latter point, he briefly […]

The supply chain shock emanating from China to other Asia Pacific countries and Europe, could become a major headache for India. Bloomberg focuses on how an industrial shutdown of China’s economy has already had a profound effect on India’s economy and could get worse. Pankaj R. Patel, chairman of Zydus Cadila, said prices of medicine […]

Authored by Jason Ditz via AntiWar.com, New data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has shown a roughly 4% increase in military spending for 2019, the single largest rate of growth seen in the past 10 years. The increase is being driven in large part by the two largest military spenders in the world, the United States […]

Update (1830ET): Nasdaq Futures have re-opened and are trading down around 80 points… *  *  * Surprise! Apple has issued a press released, admitting it does “not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter” due to coronavirus related issues. In other words, the guidance we issued 19 days ago – […]

It looks like Beijing has finally grown tired of journalists like Epoch Times’ Jennifer Zeng circulating shocking videos depicting the true depth of the crisis on the ground in China – and the government’s almost unbelievably heavy handed response. For an example, see this video which Zeng tweeted yesterday: It’s relatively mild by outbreak standards. […]

Submitted by Keith Dicker of IceCap Asset Management “I’ll show you who I am” And with that one line – the world of invisibility was born. The 1933 blockbuster film, “The Invisible Man” launched a genre that would span decades, producing many enjoyable and many unenjoyable movies of things and people we can’t see. Next […]