Economy
China has agreed to engage in economic talks with the U.S., influenced by global expectations and business interests. This follows the Shanghai Gold Exchange surpassing the COMEX in transaction volume, indicating a shift in gold pricing power from West to East. While the SGE’s volume is increasing, the COMEX’s established futures market and the trust in its pricing mechanism still make it a dominant force in gold pricing.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Bessent disclosed that one-third of the 1.5 billion Treasury payments in 2024 were untraceable due to missing Treasury Account Symbols (TAS), highlighting issues with government spending accountability. The Treasury Department has reportedly been working on improving its systems, and the problem is being addressed proactively.
Energy
The White House is preparing to issue executive orders to expedite nuclear reactor deployment in the U.S. to meet increasing energy demands from sectors like AI and advanced manufacturing. These orders aim to simplify licensing for advanced nuclear technologies and promote next-generation reactors. Companies like Oklo, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, are expected to play a significant role. The initiative supports the administration’s goal to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050. However, there are concerns about the high initial investment, long construction times, and public opposition due to safety concerns.
Health
In Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has reported an increase in death rates among individuals who received mRNA booster shots for Covid-19 between June and August 2022. The data shows higher death rates among those who had received two, three, and four doses compared to the unvaccinated, prompting further investigation into vaccine effectiveness and safety. Health Canada has emphasized that while there was an increase in deaths among the boosted, the overall vaccination campaign has saved countless lives, and the data should be interpreted with caution due to various confounding factors.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved gene-edited pigs for human consumption, developed by PIC. These pigs are resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), a disease reportedly causing economic losses. Using CRISPR technology, PIC has edited the pigs’ genes to knock out a receptor that the PRRS virus uses to infect cells. This development aims to improve animal welfare, reduce antibiotic use, and lower the carbon footprint. Despite the approval, PIC anticipates that these PRRS-resistant pigs won’t be available for purchase in the US until at least 2026 due to regulatory and market establishment hurdles. Consumer groups have raised concerns about the long-term health effects of consuming gene-edited meat, questioning the thoroughness of the FDA’s safety assessments.
Meanwhile, the FDA’s appointment of Vinay Prasad as the new director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research has led to a drop in stocks like Moderna and Sarepta Therapeutics. Prasad is known for his critical views on Covid-19 vaccines and the drug approval process.
US Politics
Josh Steinman, a former Trump National Security Council official, has expressed concerns that OpenAI might be “completely penetrated” by multiple spy agencies, raising national security issues regarding AI technology. OpenAI has implemented new security measures following the breach, including enhanced encryption and stricter access controls.
The government’s decision to drop charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude in a land dispute case has been viewed as a victory for the agriculture community. The case involved accusations of land theft, emphasizing the importance of due process in land disputes. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) celebrated the dropping of charges, emphasizing the need for the government to work with, not against, agricultural producers.
Geopolitics
India has conducted airstrikes on nine sites inside Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to a terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists. The operation, named “Operation Sindoor,” targeted terrorist infrastructure while avoiding Pakistani military facilities to prevent escalation. Pakistani security officials reported that a child was killed and two others were injured in the strikes.
Sources
Gene-Edited Pigs Approved for Human Consumption: A New Era for Pork Production
“Today marks a major milestone for consumers, farmers and the entire pork industry who have desperately hoped for a solution to PRRS,” Culbertson added.
Source | Submitted by Barbara
Canadian Government Reveals Alarming Death Rate Increase Among mRNA Booster Recipients
The Canadian government has admitted in a report that deaths have been surging among the nation’s citizens who received Covid mRNA “booster” shots.
Source | Submitted by PhilH
Government Drops Charges Against South Dakota Ranchers in Land Dispute
Agriculture received a win this week as the government dropped all charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Ma.
Source | Submitted by BonnieB2A
Ex-Trump NSC Official Warns OpenAI Likely ‘Completely Penetrated’ by Spy Agencies
“I would be willing to bet a large amount of information that OpenAI is completely penetrated by multiple intelligence agencies—and has been for a while.”
FDA’s New Biologics Head Vinay Prasad Sparks Market Turmoil for Vaccine and Gene Therapy Stocks
“The Street is reacting negatively to the news given some of the color around Prasad and his stance on covid-19 vaccines, the broader drug approval process including accelerated approvals and other comments that on the surface appear to be more anti-industry versus amicable,”
India Strikes Pakistan in Retaliation for Kashmir Terror Attack
“India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
Treasury Secretary Reveals Shocking Oversight: One-Third of Payments Untraceable in 2024
We discovered that more than one-third of those payments did not have a TAS number.
Epstein Files Reveal More High-Profile Names and Details of Global Trafficking Network
Hillary & Bill Clinton’s names appear again, along with Harvey Weinstein, Prince Andrew, and Alan Dershowitz.
China Agrees to Economic Talks with U.S. Amid Global Expectations
China has decided to agree to engage with the #US side.
Nuclear Stocks Soar as White House Plans Executive Orders to Boost Reactor Deployment
The White House actions are expected to leverage the Departments of Defense and Energy to expedite reactor deployment, potentially circumventing delays from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Source | Submitted by bcoop
Shanghai Gold Exchange Surpasses COMEX: Gold Pricing Power Shifts to the East
The day that the number of transactions on the Shanghai Gold Exchange supersede the COMEX, that day the pricing for gold is going to be done in the East and no longer in the West.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: @FoodSafetyNews, @GoldTelegraph_, @HealthCanada, Gizmodo, Kitco News, NCBA, Reuters, The Fiscal Times.
by poor_guy 
