(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Biden White House is in a state of panic after the Wall Street Journalpublished a bombshell 3,000-word exposé suggesting that President Joe Biden is showing “signs of slipping” during meetings with congressional leaders.
The report will likely intensify widespread voter concerns that Biden, aged 81, is too old to govern the country effectively and that his once-eloquent speech, heralded during his time on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has deteriorated.
The Journal interviewed over 45 individuals “over several months” who provided alarming details about Biden’s mental acuity. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was the only source to offer on-the-record comments to the Journal.
“I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house,” McCarthy told the newspaper. “He’s not the same person.”
According to Biden’s allies, he has faced “good moments and bad ones.” The Journal reported, “Most of those who said Biden performed poorly were Republicans, but some Democrats said that he showed his age in several of the exchanges.”
Biden’s cognitive decline was reportedly most visible during negotiations over the debt ceiling. “His demeanor and command of the details seemed to shift from one day to the next,” the Journal wrote, citing lawmakers’ accounts of the meetings.
During a January meeting with congressional leaders regarding funding for Ukraine, Biden often closed his eyes “long that some in the room wondered whether he had tuned out.”
Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, attended the meeting and told the Journal, “These people who keep talking about what a dynamo he is behind closed doors — they need to get him out from behind closed doors, because I didn’t see it.”
The White House reportedly monitored some of the Journal’s interviews with Democrats.
“After the offices of several Democrats shared with the White House either a recording of an interview or details about what was asked, some of those lawmakers spoke to the Journal a second time and once again emphasized Biden’s strengths,” the newspaper wrote.
(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) An uneasy feeling of déjà vu undoubtedly rolled over everyone born before March 2020 as the World Health Organization tentatively insinuated itselves into people’s lives with the announcement that the H5N2 virus—colloquially known as bird flu—had claimed its first human fatality in Mexico.
The 59-year-old patient developed symptoms on April 17 and was hospitalized in Mexico City on April 24 after experiencing fever, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath and general malaise, ABC News reported.
Although the person died the same day, it took several weeks of testing to confirm that the disease was bird flu.
The patient had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals, but had underlying conditions and had been bedridden for three weeks for other reasons.
Concern has been steadily spreading as the disease felled livestock in several states and a handful of nonfatal human cases were reported in the U.S.
For many, however, that concern was less for the virus itself and more for how it might be exploited in an election year, just as the COVID-19 panic provided Democrats the conduit necessary to enact a massive ballot-harvesting operation by changing the rules—in some cases illegally—regarding deadlines, chain of custody and even signature requirements for absentee and mail-in ballots.
On X, the phrase “do not comply” began to trend as a hopeful resistance movement formed to tackle the latest panic before it cascaded into a full-fledged mass formation psychosis.
Meanwhile, a familiar face, former Trump Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx resurfaced to spread more alarmism and hype an overreaction to the illness that would include testing cows and dairy workers as potential asymptomatic carriers.
HOLY SHYT, they’re going to try it again!
Deborah Birx wants to Test Millions of Cows Weekly and Dairy Workers for Asymptomatic Symptoms using PCR Testing
The greatest trick the CDC ever pulled was convince people they were sick, without showing any symptoms.… pic.twitter.com/Za82E6R4bk
Luckily enough, the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 seemed preventable due to the fact that Finland had announced it already had a bird-flu vaccine and was making it available to “select groups” of people.
It comes just days after the Food and Drug Administration announced that it had approved a new Moderna vaccine for those ages 60 and up using its now well-known mRNA technique to alter the recipient’s genetic code and instruct cells to produce more spike proteins.
Some have continued to question whether the uptick in mortality rates and disease incidence since the pandemic—particularly of certain cancers and heart conditions in younger vaccine recipients—could be related to the experimental serum.
The WHO, which was slammed during COVID-19 for carrying China’s water and being complicit in the cover-up surrounding the disease’s origin and spread, conveniently held its annual assembly last week, during which it urged pandemic preparedness despite the failure of a global “treaty” that would have empowered it to oversee all of the health regulations during an emergency pandemic.
“Of course, we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and cross the finish line,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the pandemic treaty might yet be revived.
“But I remain confident that you still will—because where there is a will, there is a way,” he added.
(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Donald Trump officially embraced early voting, mail-in ballots and absentee voting on June 4, 2024, to defeat cheating Democrats, reversing course from his previous criticism and questioning the legitimacy of those methods that became popularized during 2020.
The Swamp The Vote USA initiative encompassed non-traditional voting methods and the Republican National Committee-sponsored Trump Force 47, the grassroots organizing program, promoted them, the New York Postreported.
“Republicans must win and we will use every appropriate tool to beat the Democrats because they are destroying our country. Whether you vote absentee, by mail, early in-person or on election day, we are going to protect the vote. We make sure your ballot is secure and your voice is heard,” Trump said.
He then said that conservatives need to “swamp” Democrats with votes so that they would not be able to cheat.
“We must swamp the radical Democrats with a massive turnout. The way to win is to swamp them, if we swamp them with votes they can’t cheat. You need to make a plan, register, and vote in any way possible. We have got to get your vote,” Trump added.
The Trump campaign stated that Trump Force 47 will use “personalized voter contacts to generate new absentee or mail ballot registrations and early in-person voting commitments.”
Despite current support, Trump used to oppose mal-in-voting throughout the 2020 election by saying that the practice is “totally corrupt.”
However, he changed his mind in April of this year in one of his Truth Social posts.
“ABSENTEE VOTING, EARLY VOTING, AND ELECTION DAY VOTING ARE ALL GOOD OPTIONS. REPUBLICANS MUST MAKE A PLAN, REGISTER, AND VOTE!” he wrote.
The initial reason why Trump didn’t like the non-in-person voting methods was because Joe Biden suddenly came on top in the last moments of the 2020 election in the swing states because of mail-in voting.
It was also reported that Democrats outnumbered Republicans using absentee or mail-in ballots in that election by 58% to 32%.
(Headline USA) Manhattan prosecutors on Wednesday continued to collued with leftist Judge Juan Merchan in a massive election interference campaign, even after a biased jury’s stunning conviction of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, in what has been widely condemned as a miscarriage of justice to the utmost degree.
Leftist lawyers with ties to the Biden Justice Department asked Merchan, a Biden donor, to keep Trump’s controversial gag order in place at least until the former president is sentenced in July, opposing a defense request that the restrictions be lifted following last week’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
The crime, normally a state-level misdemeanor, was upgraded to a federal felony after the statute of limitations for the former expired.
Several high level public figures have faced slaps on the wrist for similar offenses, most notably Trump’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, who paid a small fine for claiming the phony Steele dossier that she commissioned as a smear campaign against him and later used to launch an FBI investigation under false pretenses was a “legal expense.”
Clinton also avoided charges on far more serious matters involving her mishandling of classified material and destruction of evidence—crimes that the Left is also attempting to charge Trump with under similarly bogus circumstances.
Nonetheless, the verdict against Trump appeared to have backfired, fueling widespread public support for him and a massive fundraising effort that pulled in more than $200 million in the weekend following his conviction. It likewise appears to have little negative impact in polling although it may have led some reluctant Trump voters to support him as a rebuke to the blatantly corrupt justice system.
Consequently, leftist operatives are eager to tamp down as much as possible on the fallout, including doing everything they can to censor Trump himself as he finds himself at the peak of his influence ahead of the Republican National Convention.
On Tuesday, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove had asked Merchan to end the gag order, arguing there was nothing to justify “continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump” now that the trial is over.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo countered that the Manhattan DA’s office opposed any immediate termination of the gag order, which bars Trump from commenting about witnesses, jurors and others tied to the case.
The court “has an obligation to protect the integrity of these proceedings and the fair administration of justice at least through the sentencing hearing and the resolution of any post-trial motions,” the partisan Colangelo claimed disingenuously in his rebuttal to Trump’s lawyers.
While the gag order does not prevent the GOP leader from criticizing the judge himself, Merchan did specially amend the order to prevent Trump from criticizing his family after it came to light that the judge’s daughter, Loren, was receiving millions of dollars to run a digital marketing business that profited from running negative ads against Trump, including those related to the case.
At least one of her clients, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., confessed to having inserted himself into the case by coaching star witness Michael Cohen, fueling suggestions that there may be other unseemly and illicit ties between Loren Merchan’s political operation and her father’s courtroom.
In issuing the gag order in March, Merchan noted that prosecutors had sought it “for the duration of the trial.”
Colangelo argued, however, that the order was “based not only on the need to avoid threats to the fairness of the trial itself” but also the judge’s “obligation to prevent actual harm to the integrity” of the case.
Colangelo said prosecutors favor having both sides submit written arguments to the court on the gag order issue in the next few weeks—a step that, if Merchan agrees, would keep the restrictions in place at least until nearly the end of the month.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced July 11. His conviction is punishable by up to four years behind bars, but prosecutors have not said if they would seek incarceration, and it’s not clear if Merchan would impose such a sentence. Other options include a fine or probation.
Blanche and Bove argued in their letter Tuesday that Trump is entitled to “unrestrained campaign advocacy” in light of President Joe Biden’s public comments about the verdict last Friday, and continued public criticism of Trump by Cohen, his ex-lawyer, as well as porn star Stormy Daniels, a key prosecution witnesses whose alleged 2006 fling with Trump was at the heart of the trial.
Trump’s lawyers also contend the gag order must go away so he’s free to fully address the case and his conviction with the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27.
Trump has continued to operate somewhat under the idea that he’s still muzzled, telling reporters Friday at Trump Tower: “I’m under a gag order, nasty gag order.”
Referring to Cohen, Trump said, “I’m not allowed to use his name because of the gag order” before slamming his lawyer-turned-courtroom foe as “a sleazebag.”
During the trial, Merchan held Trump in contempt of court, fined him $10,000 for violating the gag order and threatened to put him in jail if he did it again.
Trump’s use of the term “sleazebag” to describe Cohen just before the trial rankled prosecutors, but was not considered a gag-order violation by the judge. Merchan declined to sanction Trump for an April 10 social-media post that referred to Cohen and Daniels by that insult.
The judge said at the time that Trump’s contention that he was responding to previous posts by Cohen that were critical of him “is sufficient to give” him pause on whether prosecutors met their burden in demonstrating that the post was out of bounds.
(Christian Wade, The Center Square) The shooting of two NYPD officers, allegedly by a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally, has rekindled a push to scrap the city’s “sanctuary” policy—even as Mayor Eric Adams already was reported to have been in backroom discussions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement about a de-facto workaround to the controversial measure.
On Monday, NYPD officers Richard Yarusso, 26, and Christopher Abreu, 26, were allegedly shot and injured by Bernardo Castro Mata, 19, who was suspected of being involved in violent “snatch and grab” robberies targeting women by suspects on motorbikes.
“Senseless act of violence, a total disregard for life,” Adams told reporters at a briefing, where he held up Yarusso’s bullet-proof vest, saying it saved his life. “Our officers responded with a level of discipline, focus professionalism and today we thank God.”
Authorities said the officers pulled over Mata, who was allegedly driving a scooter without a license plate, but he dropped the vehicle and ran away on foot. The officers caught up with him, but he allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot both of them. The officers returned fire and shot him in the ankle, the NYPD said.
Both officers, as well as the suspect, are expected to recover from the gunshot wounds, authorities said.
Mata reportedly entered the country illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July 2023, and was released pending immigration proceedings on May 6, according to published news reports, which cited U.S. immigration officials.
His last known address was a taxpayer-funded immigrant shelter in the former Courtyard Marriott Hotel near LaGuardia Airport in Queens, authorities said.
The incident has rekindled calls on the White House to secure the U.S.–Mexico border amid the ongoing surge of so-called “newcomers,” and to end New York City’s “sanctuary” policy that restricts local law enforcement from cooperating with immigration crackdowns.
“President Biden could take executive action today to secure our southern border, but instead we have cops getting shot by teenagers who illegally crossed the border,” U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., posted on social media in response to the shooting. “This is insanity.”
President Biden could take executive action today to secure our southern border, but instead we have cops getting shot by teenagers who illegally crossed the border. This is insanity. If this doesn’t get Senator Schumer to finally take up HR2, the Secure the Border Act, or pass…
On Tuesday, Biden did, in fact, take executive action, effectively neutralizing one point of Republican attack in the months leading up to the election by appearing superficially to reinstate some of the Trump policies that he rolled back at the start of his presidency.
However, experts note that the order itself—like the failed Senate bill it supplanted—was in fact toothless and was intended to augment rather than reverse Biden deliberate open-border policies while continuing to allow some 2 million illegals per year to enter into the country.
NEW: In an internal memo to ICE— The ERO Executive Associate Director says that CBP and ERO will not question illegal immigrants who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal while the limitation is in effect regarding their fear of return… “If a…
The political theater has allowed Democrats to deflect the blame—however unconvincingly—back onto their GOP counterparts, claiming that Republican inaction in Congress is to blame for any ongoing border crisis
But Lawler said the New York attack should prompt Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to take up the House Republicans’ border security bill, which the lower chamber approved last year.
GOP lawmakers in the state Assembly, which is heavily dominated by Democrats in both chambers, echoed Lawler’s outrage, as did those at the municipal level in the Big Apple.
“The gunman who shot 2 NYPD officers is an illegal immigrant who was in New York under Democrat’s taxpayer funded sanctuary status,” state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, a Republican, said in a statement posted on social media. “We are now in the last week of session. Republicans are ready to end sanctuary NOW.”
The gunman who shot 2 NYPD officers is an illegal immigrant who was in New York under Democrat’s taxpayer funded sanctuary status.
The co-chairmen of the New York City Council’s Common Sense Caucus, Councilors Joe Borelli and Robert Holden, said they plan to introduce a proposal this week to repeal the city’s sanctuary policy.
“Those not supporting it are only protecting violent criminals like this,” Borelli said in a social media post.
Saved by a vest, shot by a migrant living at a shelter on our dime…@BobHoldenNYC & I are introducing a bill to repeal our Sanctuary City policy barring NYPD from Cooperating w/ ICE. Those not supporting it are only protecting violent criminals like thishttps://t.co/M0ZwfxQ2Of
New York City has seen an influx of more than 160,000 illegals over the past two years amid a historic surge of immigration along the U.S.–Mexico border. The city spent $1.45 billion in fiscal year 2023 and expects to spend $10 billion on immigrants over the next two fiscal years, according to the Adams administration.
Adams has said the city’s sanctuary status should be changed to allow those charged with crimes to be turned over to federal immigration officials for deportation to help weed out the “small numbers” of illegals who commit major crimes.
NYPD has cited shootings, shoplifting rings and violent assaults on NYPD officers as examples of alleged crimes being committed by immigrants, sparking public criticism that the influx of new arrivals is bringing a spike in violent crime with them.
(Ken Silva, Headline USA) One of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network filed a bombshell lawsuit over the matter on Monday, claiming Epstein sent her to famed psychiatrist Dr. Henry Jarecki, who then brainwashed and molested her.
According to the anonymous Epstein victim’s lawsuit, she came to the U.S. in 2010 through a well-known modeling agency based in New York City, and was in the process of obtaining a work visa. She said another model told her about Epstein, and she ended up working for him—and being sexually abused as a result.
After Epstein abused her, he sent her to Dr. Jarecki, she said. Things became even worse for her, she said.
During her first consultation, she said Jarecki presented her with an expensive wristwatch instead of medication or other therapy.
“JARECKI then insisted that he give Jane Doe 11 a tour of his home. Despite her initial refusal, Jane Doe 11 followed JARECKI. Things took a horrible turn when JARECKI was showing Jane Doe 11 his room, as JARECKI pushed her hard onto a bed and forcibly raped her against her will,” the lawsuit said.
“Jane Doe 11 found herself in an impossible situation. Jeffrey Epstein had absolute power and control over her life and freedom in this country, and now he sent her to his older doctor friend for medical treatment who then raped her.”
The anonymous victim said she told Epstein what Jarecki did to her, but that Epstein forced her to see the doctor again.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN VICTIM SUES WEALTHY JEWISH PSYCHIATRIST, WHO FLED NAZI GERMANY, FOR SEXUAL ABUSE; CLAIMS THE DOCTOR WORKED WITH EPSTEIN!
An anonymous Jeffrey Epstein victim is suing a licensed psychiatrist who worked for the prolific pedophile and allegedly “treated” his… pic.twitter.com/qI3OIhXUYD
Jarecki later told her that she was to have a “commercial relationship” with him and that she was no longer to see Epstein, according to the lawsuit.
“Without feeling she had a choice, Jane Doe 11 then transitioned from being sexually trafficked by Epstein to sexually abused and trafficked by JARECKI,” her lawsuit said. Both of her traffickers had enormous power compared to her and given her immigration status, she was powerless against their demands.”
At one point, Jarecki allegedly took the victim to his private island in the British Virgin Islands—miles away from Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands—where he sexually abused her there, too. Jarecki owns both Guana Island and Norman Island, but the lawsuit was probably referring to Guana, as the latter island only has a restaurant.
Eventually, Jane Doe 11 said she moved into Jarecki’s NYC apartment, where the doctor took total control over her.
Jane Doe 11 said that anytime she would appear depressed or put up any level of resistance, Jarecki would remind her of the high rent that he could be charging and aggressively threaten punishment if she did not follow his sexual commands.
“When Jane Doe 11 expressed how much she hated what JARECKI was making her do, JARECKI took her to his computer and asked her to help him choose the next guy he was going to make her have sex with in front of him. Jane Doe 11 was crying and repeating that she did not want to do this, but JARECKI seemed to get aroused by Jane Doe 11’s emotional suffering,” she said.
Jarecki also allegedly threatened to send her back to Epstein, and to have her visa revoked.
Additionally, “JARECKI told her that he doesn’t trust her mental state and wants to make sure there are no surprises over there – a clear indication that JARECKI was only doing this to exert a level of control over Jane Doe 11 and instill in her that she had literally no privacy in her life anymore.”
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has announced he will run for re-election as an Independent, following calls for his resignation due to a federal indictment for taking bribes, acting as a foreign agent and obstructing justice.
By running as an Independent, Menendez becomes the third Senate Democrat to leave the party before the 2024 election. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have also left the Democratic Party, citing its shift to the far left.
Menendez’s decision was first reported on Monday by the New Jersey Globe, which noted he had gathered the 2,000 signatures required to qualify for the Senate race.
“Today, I submitted well above the threshold of signatures required to run for re-election,” Menendez wrote in a campaign press release. “The people of this great state deserve a leader in Washington with a proven track record of fighting tooth and nail to deliver results, and I intend to keep doing so as an independent Democrat.”
Menendez expressed regret over leaving the Democratic Party, saying, “It displeases me to have to go this route, thanks to overzealous prosecutors, but I will do what must be done to continue to uphold my oath of office for my constituents.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., has secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 general election.
First elected as senator in 2006, Menendez is seeking a fourth term but faces significant challenges due to mounting legal issues.
Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes from the Egyptian government.
Specifically, the DOJ claims Menendez served as a foreign agent for Egypt, and a superseding indictment later accused him of working for the Qatari government. He also faces charges of obstructing justice.
Despite calls from at least 30 Senate Democrats for his resignation, Menendez has only stepped down from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
(Money Metals News Service) Welcome to the Money Metals Midweek Memo, hosted by Mike Maharrey, where we discuss news and commentary related to sound money, precious metals markets, and the economy.
Today’s focus is on silver, often overshadowed by gold but currently experiencing significant gains and attracting investor interest.
Silver’s Recent Performance
Silver recently broke a key resistance level of $30 per ounce, marking the first time in over a decade it has reached this price. The last time silver surpassed $30, it quickly rose to nearly $50 per ounce in 2011. Despite a recent selloff bringing silver below $30, its performance is reminiscent of past bull runs.
Comparing Silver and Gold
While gold has been on a strong bull run, setting records over $2,400 an ounce twice this year, silver has outperformed gold in percentage terms. From its February low to its recent high, gold gained 21.7%, whereas silver surged 44.6%.
Mike Maharrey emphasizes this outperformance: “From its low point in February to its record high, gold gained about 21.7%. But in that same period, silver was up 44.6%.”
Historically, silver often outperforms gold in bull markets due to its greater volatility and industrial demand.
Maharrey adds, “Silver has historically outperformed gold in a gold bull market, so if you’re bullish on gold, you should be even more bullish on silver.”
Industrial Demand for Silver
Silver’s price swings are influenced by its significant industrial use, accounting for 50-60% of annual demand. This percentage is growing due to green energy applications, particularly in solar panels.
By 2027, solar manufacturers may require over 20% of the current annual silver supply, and by 2050, they could use 85-98% of global reserves.
Maharrey notes, “Solar manufacturers will likely require over 20% of the current annual silver supply by 2027, and by 2050, solar panel production is projected to use approximately 85 to 98% of the current global silver reserves.”
Silver’s Historical Role as Money
Silver has historically been used as a transactional currency due to its lower value by weight compared to gold. This makes it suitable for daily transactions, whereas gold is better for storing wealth.
Maharrey states, “Silver is money. It really is a daily natural form of money compared to gold, and it makes a perfect kind of money.”
The Gold-Silver Ratio
The gold-silver ratio (gold:silver ratio; gold-to-silver ratio), a tool to compare their prices, indicates that silver is historically underpriced. Currently hovering around 78:1, this ratio is above its 20-year average of 68:1, suggesting that silver has room to grow to close this gap.
“The current gold-silver ratio indicates that the price of silver still needs to increase by a pretty sizable amount to close that gap,” says Maharrey.
Maharrey also explains the significance of the gold-silver ratio in historical context:
“In the modern era, that ratio has averaged between 40:1 and 60:1, and if you go back over the last 20 years, it’s averaged 68:1. In other words, even with the recent rally in the silver price that has closed the gold-silver ratio up a bit, it’s still above the 20-year average and far above the average in the modern era.”
He further elaborates on how the ratio can signal investment opportunities:
“When the gold-silver ratio gets far above the high end of that historical average, it tends to snap back to the mean with a vengeance. For instance, in 2020, the gold-silver ratio climbed to a record of 123:1 as COVID hysteria gripped the world, and then it plunged to around 60:1 as central banks around the world cranked up the money creation machine.”
Supply and Demand Dynamics
Silver demand has outstripped supply for the third consecutive year in 2023. While total demand dropped 7% to 1.2 billion ounces from a record high in 2022, mine output also fell by 1% to 843.5 million ounces. This led to a significant structural deficit of 184.3 million ounces.
Industrial demand, particularly from green energy applications, continues to drive silver consumption.
Maharrey highlights, “Today, silver demand outstripped silver supply for the third straight year in 2023.”
Insights from Peter Krauth
Mike Maharrey also references insights from Peter Krauth, author of The Great Silver Bull.
Maharrey praises Krauth’s expertise:
“I interviewed Peter Krauth, he’s the author of The Great Silver Bull. This was a few weeks back, and that’s a great book by the way.”
“He pointed out that silver was probably used as money even before gold. Here’s how he explained why: ‘Because silver relative to gold has a lower value by weight, it is easier to use in daily transactions. I’ve heard before a few times that it’s estimated that throughout history there has been more business transacted through silver than gold because gold is a way that you store wealth rather than use it to transact.'”
Global Demand for Silver
Investment demand for silver is rising, especially in Asia. China’s silver stock at the Shanghai Futures Exchange has fallen to a 10-year low, with investment demand causing premiums to run about 10% over New York prices. Similarly, India’s silver imports in the first four months of 2024 exceeded the total for 2023, driven by solar panel production and investor interest.
Conclusion
Given the strong supply and demand dynamics, historical underpricing relative to gold, and rising industrial use, silver presents a compelling investment opportunity. The gold-silver ratio suggests silver is still significantly undervalued, making it an attractive option for diversifying investment portfolios.
Maharrey concludes, “Given all of this, the Silver Institute projects total silver demand will grow by a healthy 2% this year, which almost certainly means another big market deficit.”
For those interested in investing in silver, now may be a good time to consider purchasing.
(Ken Silva, Headline USA) FBI Director Chris Wray has declined to say whether his bureau still has an open investigation into the sex-trafficking network operated by deceased multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein and convicted pedophile Ghislaine Maxwell—who both catered to numerous high-profile politicians, businessmen, scientists and other power brokers.
Wray declined to speak on the status of a potential Epstein investigation Tuesday at a congressional hearing, in response to questions from Sen. John Kennedy.
“What’s the FBI doing to investigate the other people involved in these sex-trafficking rings?” Kennedy asked, to which Wray said, “I’m not sure I can confirm any specific investigation.”
Kennedy pressed more, referencing a lawsuit filed against an alleged Epstein associate this week.
“I want to know if these prominent people are above the law, or is the FBI investigating? … It will trigger your gag reflex,” he added, referencing the most recent lawsuit. “Is the FBI going to investigate that?”
Wray insisted that no one is above the law, but again declined to say whether the FBI is investigating Epstein’s clients or coconspirators.
Numerous unnamed survivors of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring are suing the FBI over its investigative failures. Their lawsuit criticizes Wray’s statements at a December congressional hearing, when he told Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., that he hasn’t looked at the Epstein case in years.
“While Senator Blackburn told Director Wray that he would ‘need to right that wrong,’ Director Wray and the FBI have done nothing to ‘right that wrong.’ The FBI has again turned its back on survivor-victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring,” said the lawsuit, filed in February in the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit also recounts the FBI’s long, sorry track record on the Epstein case, starting when the bureau ignored a complaint from Epstein victim Maria Farmer in 1996.
“The FBI was aware of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring between New York, Palm Beach, New Mexico, Paris and the U.S. Virgin Islands which continued after Epstein was a registered sex offender,” the lawsuit explains.
“It was not until 11 years later, Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. Epstein died in jail before the case could be prosecuted for these heinous crimes.”
(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The leader of the white nationalist activist group Patriot Front recently gave a rare interview on entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David’s popular podcast.
Much of Bet-David’s roughly 90-minute interview with Thomas Rousseau was spent discussing whether he and his followers are white nationalists. Rousseau quibbled with that term, saying that he prefers being called an American nationalist—though he believes only white people can be Americans.
Bet-David also asked Rousseau the question that’s been a hot topic online for years: Is the Patriot Front infiltrated by the FBI? The podcast host asked specifically about agents as opposed to undercover informants. Either way, Rousseau responded by denying that the Patriot Front is infiltrated.
Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau denies that his group is infiltrated by the FBI:
"The FBI, I don’t believe, engages in the type of undercover infiltration that a lot of people attribute to it as much as people think…" pic.twitter.com/mKl5FckejC
“The FBI, I don’t believe, engages in the type of undercover infiltration that a lot of people attribute to it as much as people think,” he answered.
Bet-David didn’t press him much farther. He didn’t ask, for example, whether the Patriot Front might be infiltrated by Homeland Security or another agency other than the FBI.
Nor did Bet-David ask about the documented instance of an FBI informant being in the Patriot Front. That informant, Michael Alan Jones—who also allegedly stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—was given “time served” last September for a recent felony gun charge.
Bet-David and Rousseau did discuss how the latter marched at Charlottesville. But the podcast host didn’t mention how the group Rousseau marched with, Vanguard America, was part of a coalition called the Nationalist Front, which included the National Socialist Movement, or NSM—what turned out to be an FBI front group. The Nationalist Front also included the League of the South, another group infiltrated by the FBI.
Rousseau, for his part, didn’t mention that he was recently arrested under extremely dubious charges for his participation in the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally—dropping the ball on the chance to expose a major civil rights violation taking place right now in Virginia.
Additionally, the two didn’t discuss how Rousseau has defaulted in two civil lawsuits against his group.
