-It’s still early, but something certainly seems like this is an entirely new “game.” The GOP senators who postured and fake news articles claiming that Trump’s cabinet members wouldn’t get approved seem to be also falling flat quickly. I’m sure Elon offering to fund primaries and @mrddmia with his @Article3Project promising not to let RINOs get away with it unscathed has something to do with it.
-I’ve been saying for several months that the EU is cooked, and they seem to be doubling down on stupid lately. While I certainly wouldn’t mind French Riviera real estate becoming affordable, I’d rather not see the Old World fall back into total chaos on account of virtue signalling midwits.
Implications:
The entire world (sans the EU autocrats) seem to be breathing a sigh of relief that Trump was not only elected, but has officially been sworn in - and got right to work.
Some of these EOs and appointments are doing things that people don’t even know the full effects of, but are moving things in very good directions for the nation and world as a whole.
And that, my friends, is a very good sign of things to come.
The Weekly Read (Monday):
One of the interesting things about casting a wide net for information is when you begin to see the same macro currents, theses, and insights begin to show up in multiple, disparate places.
The idea of an incoming “apocalypse” recently emerged via Peter Theil in an op-ed he penned in the Financial Times, a few Substack posts by Pippa Malmgren (daughter of Harald Malmgren, advisor to Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, and Ford), and an interview with Izabella Kaminska (financial writer for Politico Europe and the Financial Times).
In the original Greek form of the word (Apokalypsis), apocalypse isn’t the fire & brimstone that we equate with in modern day - it’s an “unveiling” of hidden information.
Of the three noted above - each of whom is a brilliant follow if you’re interested in keeping up with the world - Pippa’s explanations in her last two Substack posts are probably the best.
If you understand the people that Trump has put in his cabinet positions, the EOs that he’s already signed, and the overall current of where things are heading, it most certainly seems that many things that have been hidden will be forced out into the open in the very near future.
While that may be terrifying for those who have built their entire legacies on lies…
Ugly truth > beautiful lies
open.substack.com/pub/drpippa/p/…
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & Outro music: Blind by Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
-I’ve been saying for several months that the EU is cooked, and they seem to be doubling down on stupid lately. While I certainly wouldn’t mind French Riviera real estate becoming affordable, I’d rather not see the Old World fall back into total chaos on account of virtue signalling midwits.
Implications:
The entire world (sans the EU autocrats) seem to be breathing a sigh of relief that Trump was not only elected, but has officially been sworn in - and got right to work.
Some of these EOs and appointments are doing things that people don’t even know the full effects of, but are moving things in very good directions for the nation and world as a whole.
And that, my friends, is a very good sign of things to come.
The Weekly Read (Monday):
One of the interesting things about casting a wide net for information is when you begin to see the same macro currents, theses, and insights begin to show up in multiple, disparate places.
The idea of an incoming “apocalypse” recently emerged via Peter Theil in an op-ed he penned in the Financial Times, a few Substack posts by Pippa Malmgren (daughter of Harald Malmgren, advisor to Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, and Ford), and an interview with Izabella Kaminska (financial writer for Politico Europe and the Financial Times).
In the original Greek form of the word (Apokalypsis), apocalypse isn’t the fire & brimstone that we equate with in modern day - it’s an “unveiling” of hidden information.
Of the three noted above - each of whom is a brilliant follow if you’re interested in keeping up with the world - Pippa’s explanations in her last two Substack posts are probably the best.
If you understand the people that Trump has put in his cabinet positions, the EOs that he’s already signed, and the overall current of where things are heading, it most certainly seems that many things that have been hidden will be forced out into the open in the very near future.
While that may be terrifying for those who have built their entire legacies on lies…
Ugly truth > beautiful lies
open.substack.com/pub/drpippa/p/…
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & Outro music: Blind by Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
The Shitshow Macro Weekly Wrapup Podcast for Friday, January 24, 2025 is out:
Domestic:
-Border crossings are already 35% down in Trump’s first week from where they were in Biden’s final 2 days in office:
foxnews.com/politics/borde…
--This could have something to do with Marines arriving via Osprey rotary wing aircraft today (video clip taken from @Mrgunsngear ) :
x.com/Mrgunsngear/st…
--Some are complaining this is “overkill,” but IMO it’s a wise “show of force.”
--While media and BlueAnon midwits who don’t understand MIL strategy will often lie to people and call a “show of force” an offensive tactic, it’s quite the opposite: it's an age old tactic in which a force shows its size and/or abilities in order to stave off an adversary (cartels and coyotes, in this situation) from choosing to even enter a confrontation.
--See: Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Sun Tzu, Von Clausewitz, and many others throughout the long history of strategic maneuvers
-President Trump visited those affected by Hurricane Helene in NC today, something that Biden and his handlers were apparently unable (see: unwilling) to do.
-Two Politico reporters are publicly saying their bosses at the outlet directly told them not to write, tweet, or mention the Hunter Biden laptop in the runup to the 2020 election.
--To reiterate, public polling post-election showed that as many as 10% of Biden’s actual voters said they would not have voted for him had they known Hunter’s laptop was real.
--Biden’s “margin” was far lower than 10%, which makes this a pretty clear cut example of election interference, in my personal opinion.
dailycaller.com/2025/01/23/for…
-I’m really not a fan of the new tweet thread format that starts with a “tease” and has “BREAKING” and all kinds of other stuff littered through it, as it’s usually an indicator of a bullshitter or engagement farming.
--This thread, however, seems to have broken that mold. While I didn’t believe it at first pass due to the things noted above, I’ve seen many of the points made about shakeups at DOJ, FBI, EDNY, and SDNY verified in other places.
--This is important because it shows a potential backup strategy being implemented by the Trump admin; while the Senate delays & drags their feet on his cabinet confirmations, the acting leadership at DOJ and FBI are cleaning house in their stead anyway:
x.com/RodDMartin/sta…
nydailynews.com/2025/01/21/tru…
-We mentioned briefly yesterday that a Federal judge had ruled the usage of FISA to spy on Americans as unconstitutional.
--While the case itself still ended up finding the defendant guilty, the judge had a look at the way the FBI currently uses the NSA’s database warehouse for warrantless “backdoor” searches, and determined that they were violating their own rules for FISA use, and that the current procedures violate the 4th amendment:
theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/2…
-As more fires break out in California (San Diego and Castaic), things just keep getting worse for (Governor) Newsom and (Mayor) Bass.
--The LA Times reviewed a list of about 3 dozen “highest priority” projects to improve fire fighting capabilities in the areas that the Palisades Fire ravaged that had been identified yet stymied with red tape and regulations for years.
--The kicker: the total budget estimate was $57mm for the projects. Despite not being done with “lack of budget” cited as a major excuse, Gavin Newsom just approved $50mm to “Trump proof California.”
latimes.com/california/sto…
-We have not even come close to understanding the total amount of f-ery that was at play regarding the real story of J6 versus that the narrative the media, committee, and DC wanted to sell you.
--A new story by @NationalFile highlights just one of the many severe oddities that sticks out in a massive way once one looks at it closely.
Domestic:
-Border crossings are already 35% down in Trump’s first week from where they were in Biden’s final 2 days in office:
foxnews.com/politics/borde…
--This could have something to do with Marines arriving via Osprey rotary wing aircraft today (video clip taken from @Mrgunsngear ) :
x.com/Mrgunsngear/st…
--Some are complaining this is “overkill,” but IMO it’s a wise “show of force.”
--While media and BlueAnon midwits who don’t understand MIL strategy will often lie to people and call a “show of force” an offensive tactic, it’s quite the opposite: it's an age old tactic in which a force shows its size and/or abilities in order to stave off an adversary (cartels and coyotes, in this situation) from choosing to even enter a confrontation.
--See: Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Sun Tzu, Von Clausewitz, and many others throughout the long history of strategic maneuvers
-President Trump visited those affected by Hurricane Helene in NC today, something that Biden and his handlers were apparently unable (see: unwilling) to do.
-Two Politico reporters are publicly saying their bosses at the outlet directly told them not to write, tweet, or mention the Hunter Biden laptop in the runup to the 2020 election.
--To reiterate, public polling post-election showed that as many as 10% of Biden’s actual voters said they would not have voted for him had they known Hunter’s laptop was real.
--Biden’s “margin” was far lower than 10%, which makes this a pretty clear cut example of election interference, in my personal opinion.
dailycaller.com/2025/01/23/for…
-I’m really not a fan of the new tweet thread format that starts with a “tease” and has “BREAKING” and all kinds of other stuff littered through it, as it’s usually an indicator of a bullshitter or engagement farming.
--This thread, however, seems to have broken that mold. While I didn’t believe it at first pass due to the things noted above, I’ve seen many of the points made about shakeups at DOJ, FBI, EDNY, and SDNY verified in other places.
--This is important because it shows a potential backup strategy being implemented by the Trump admin; while the Senate delays & drags their feet on his cabinet confirmations, the acting leadership at DOJ and FBI are cleaning house in their stead anyway:
x.com/RodDMartin/sta…
nydailynews.com/2025/01/21/tru…
-We mentioned briefly yesterday that a Federal judge had ruled the usage of FISA to spy on Americans as unconstitutional.
--While the case itself still ended up finding the defendant guilty, the judge had a look at the way the FBI currently uses the NSA’s database warehouse for warrantless “backdoor” searches, and determined that they were violating their own rules for FISA use, and that the current procedures violate the 4th amendment:
theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/2…
-As more fires break out in California (San Diego and Castaic), things just keep getting worse for (Governor) Newsom and (Mayor) Bass.
--The LA Times reviewed a list of about 3 dozen “highest priority” projects to improve fire fighting capabilities in the areas that the Palisades Fire ravaged that had been identified yet stymied with red tape and regulations for years.
--The kicker: the total budget estimate was $57mm for the projects. Despite not being done with “lack of budget” cited as a major excuse, Gavin Newsom just approved $50mm to “Trump proof California.”
latimes.com/california/sto…
-We have not even come close to understanding the total amount of f-ery that was at play regarding the real story of J6 versus that the narrative the media, committee, and DC wanted to sell you.
--A new story by @NationalFile highlights just one of the many severe oddities that sticks out in a massive way once one looks at it closely.
--One of the main logic bombs for Americans was that the demographics who were present and largely charged with the “insurrection” claims from that day were unarmed, despite being a demographic that is well known to probably own firearms.
--To be fair, Biden’s DOJ did bring weapons charges against many J6ers, but the actual “weapons” in question were often bike racks, flagpoles, and other things that no rational human being outside of DC prosecutors would consider as such.
--There was one person who brought and discharged a firearm in the scaffolding that day; when one looks into that person, who had killed someone in Utah, been rolled up for it, then released without charges, it starts to look like there may be a “there there.”
--There’s a lot to this story that can’t quite be covered here, so read the thread:
x.com/NationalFile/s…
-The nationwide arrests of criminal immigrants by ICE surpassed 500 today.
War/Military:
-There are a lot of stories going around that Rubio, at the order of Trump, has halted UKR aid and paused nearly all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt.
--From what I can gather, the UKR bit isn’t exactly true; while some development aid was cut, not all funding was.
--People are wondering why Israel and Egypt would continue receiving aid. If you remember, the Houthis stopping traffic through the Suez pretty much destroyed Egypt’s economy.
--They were also recently amassing troops near their border (we discussed this a week or so ago), so this could be a hope of staving off another conflict in the region.
-This story about UKR, however, seems to be true: the UKR MIL Chief Army Psychiatrist was arrested in a $1mm corruption charge:
bbc.com/news/articles/…
-On another note, Zelensky is demanding 200k “peacekeepers” to enforce any ceasefire agreement with RUS.
--As NATO could only provide around 40k, he’s essentially saying that the US needs to send +150k troops to UKR.
Hard no.
sofx.com/zelensky-calls…
-Taliban POW American Ryan Corbett has now been released after being held in Afghanistan since 2022.
-Multiple hostages held by Hamas have now been released and sent home, some to their homes in the US (they were holding US citizens hostage) and some to their homes in Israel.
-It was largely drowned out with everything going on, but US forces began withdrawing from Conoco Gas Field in Syria on 1/19.
-US PMCs have arrived in Israel and will be managing checkpoints in Gaza in line with the new ceasefire agreement.
--On a personal note, I saw this contract when it was sent out; based on the caliber of people it’s hiring and what they are paying, I would highly suggest that anyone considering f-ery in that specific region consider otherwise.
--It would not go well for you.
sofx.com/us-security-co…
-Over 200 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the Eastern Congo as the M23 rebel group pushes forward and has been clashing with the DRC military.
sofx.com/m23-rebel-adva…
Markets/economics:
-DOGE has apparently identified between $1-2 trillion worth of GOV spending that can be cut, with approximately $420mm of direct DEI contracts that have been canceled and 2 leases that have been canceled.
--I know a lot of very intelligent macro financial people who were worried that DOGE cutting GOV spending would actually be harmful for growth.
--As with most Americans, I’m certain they don’t really understand just how much taxpayer money is spent on $0 value-add vanity projects, especially abroad (how are transgender programs in Pakistan supposed to add to US GDP?).
-Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating of Argentina by one notch to Caa3, citing Milei’s efforts to stabilize the government’s finances as lowering the likelihood it will renege on debt obligations.
-The major US indices ended Friday trading in the red after a pretty good week.
-Gold ended at $2,777.40, in reach of the $2,800 high.
-European markets didn’t have a great trading day, either, with the French CAC 40 being the only major one to stay in the green all day Friday.
--To be fair, Biden’s DOJ did bring weapons charges against many J6ers, but the actual “weapons” in question were often bike racks, flagpoles, and other things that no rational human being outside of DC prosecutors would consider as such.
--There was one person who brought and discharged a firearm in the scaffolding that day; when one looks into that person, who had killed someone in Utah, been rolled up for it, then released without charges, it starts to look like there may be a “there there.”
--There’s a lot to this story that can’t quite be covered here, so read the thread:
x.com/NationalFile/s…
-The nationwide arrests of criminal immigrants by ICE surpassed 500 today.
War/Military:
-There are a lot of stories going around that Rubio, at the order of Trump, has halted UKR aid and paused nearly all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt.
--From what I can gather, the UKR bit isn’t exactly true; while some development aid was cut, not all funding was.
--People are wondering why Israel and Egypt would continue receiving aid. If you remember, the Houthis stopping traffic through the Suez pretty much destroyed Egypt’s economy.
--They were also recently amassing troops near their border (we discussed this a week or so ago), so this could be a hope of staving off another conflict in the region.
-This story about UKR, however, seems to be true: the UKR MIL Chief Army Psychiatrist was arrested in a $1mm corruption charge:
bbc.com/news/articles/…
-On another note, Zelensky is demanding 200k “peacekeepers” to enforce any ceasefire agreement with RUS.
--As NATO could only provide around 40k, he’s essentially saying that the US needs to send +150k troops to UKR.
Hard no.
sofx.com/zelensky-calls…
-Taliban POW American Ryan Corbett has now been released after being held in Afghanistan since 2022.
-Multiple hostages held by Hamas have now been released and sent home, some to their homes in the US (they were holding US citizens hostage) and some to their homes in Israel.
-It was largely drowned out with everything going on, but US forces began withdrawing from Conoco Gas Field in Syria on 1/19.
-US PMCs have arrived in Israel and will be managing checkpoints in Gaza in line with the new ceasefire agreement.
--On a personal note, I saw this contract when it was sent out; based on the caliber of people it’s hiring and what they are paying, I would highly suggest that anyone considering f-ery in that specific region consider otherwise.
--It would not go well for you.
sofx.com/us-security-co…
-Over 200 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the Eastern Congo as the M23 rebel group pushes forward and has been clashing with the DRC military.
sofx.com/m23-rebel-adva…
Markets/economics:
-DOGE has apparently identified between $1-2 trillion worth of GOV spending that can be cut, with approximately $420mm of direct DEI contracts that have been canceled and 2 leases that have been canceled.
--I know a lot of very intelligent macro financial people who were worried that DOGE cutting GOV spending would actually be harmful for growth.
--As with most Americans, I’m certain they don’t really understand just how much taxpayer money is spent on $0 value-add vanity projects, especially abroad (how are transgender programs in Pakistan supposed to add to US GDP?).
-Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating of Argentina by one notch to Caa3, citing Milei’s efforts to stabilize the government’s finances as lowering the likelihood it will renege on debt obligations.
-The major US indices ended Friday trading in the red after a pretty good week.
-Gold ended at $2,777.40, in reach of the $2,800 high.
-European markets didn’t have a great trading day, either, with the French CAC 40 being the only major one to stay in the green all day Friday.
-Conversely, Asian markets were largely in the green all day, save for the Nikkei 225 which ended just barely in the red.
-Current bond yields:
--13-week: 4.2050
--5-year: 4.4280
--10-year: 4.6260
--30-year: 4.8480
-Most currency pairs versus the USD are moving in the thousandths, save for the USDJPY.
-BOJ decided to raise their rates from 0.25 to 0.5; the USDJPY is moving away from the “danger zone,” now at 155.92 (still not safe, but moving lower)
-As of this writing, BTC is at $104,839.47
Business:
-Pfizer will pay $59.7mm to resolve charges that a company it acquired paid “kickbacks” to doctors for them to prescribe the migraine drug Nurtec ODT.
finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-pa…
-Blackstone Energy Partners is buying a $1bn Virginia power plant (natural gas) near data centers, as reported by Reuters and shared by @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
-Luxury brand Chanel is reportedly laying off 3% of its workforce to better adapt to economic challenges, per @MacroEdgeRes
-Bridgestone Americas will close a plant it has in Tennessee at the end of July, affecting 700 employees, per Macro Edge Research
-Santander (Bank) is considering exiting from Britain.
-Banks in Chicago (Pulaski) and Ohio (Butler Heritage Federal Credit Union) were taken over by regulators last week.
Health:
-I don’t think I mentioned this yesterday, but one of Trump’s Day 1 action items was to withdraw the USA from the WHO.
--Winning!
-Nearly 20 years after a medical study was published in journals (it has been cited 144 times) about phytoestrogens in postmenopausal women, one of the study’s authors has admitted that the study never actually took place:
retractionwatch.com/2025/01/24/pap…
Geopolitics:
-Electricity prices have surged again in Germany, now reaching over €200 per megawatt hour.
-Nigeria - the largest oil producer in Africa - joined BRICs last week.
Societal/legal/culture war
One of the more egregious of the political persecutions that took place under the Biden admin (and that’s a pretty high bar) has been dropped by the Trump admin DOJ.
Dr. Eithan Haim (@EithanHaim ) was a whistleblower at Texas Children’s Hospital, who sounded the alarm that the facility was breaking Texas law by performing gender transition surgeries on minors.
notthebee.com/article/breaki…
x.com/EithanHaim/sta…
Crazy Conspiracy:
People often think that I’m just pulling their leg or being hyperbolic when I tell them that US taxpayers are the ones funding the most radical leftwing groups, both here (domestic) and abroad.
I assure you, this is not the case. If you’ve ever actually looked into where the funding comes from for the many Soros NGOs, you’ll understand why I say this. Things that people claim Soros pays for are largely paid for by the US taxpayer via grants and some pretty complex funding mechanisms.
Don’t take my word for it; here are some examples (but there are many, many more) outlined by @pepesgrandma and @Breeauna9 :
x.com/pepesgrandma/s…
Macro takeaways/lessons from the week:
-Despite everything that we heard out of the media and DC over the past 4 years, it looks like Trump was able to get control over the border extremely quickly. As it turns out, you can just do things when you don’t ask Pat Cippilone for permission.
-Less than a week into the Trump admin and hostages are being returned by the Taliban, Hamas, and the Houthis seem to have dropped off the map. Walk softly and carry a big stick - it’s a thing.
-4 years of unrepentant activism by the Biden DOJ is being unwound across the board. From pro-life protestors to J6ers and whistleblowers, the unjust persecutions are being unwound.
--A reminder from last week’s meditation: “He who spares the wicked injures the good.” Let’s see if those lawfare activists end up facing any legal accountability for what they’ve done.
White pill(s) for the week:
Ladies and gents, the USA has borders again. That’s a pretty good start.
Weekend Meditation:
“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”
-Miyamoto Musashi
-Current bond yields:
--13-week: 4.2050
--5-year: 4.4280
--10-year: 4.6260
--30-year: 4.8480
-Most currency pairs versus the USD are moving in the thousandths, save for the USDJPY.
-BOJ decided to raise their rates from 0.25 to 0.5; the USDJPY is moving away from the “danger zone,” now at 155.92 (still not safe, but moving lower)
-As of this writing, BTC is at $104,839.47
Business:
-Pfizer will pay $59.7mm to resolve charges that a company it acquired paid “kickbacks” to doctors for them to prescribe the migraine drug Nurtec ODT.
finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-pa…
-Blackstone Energy Partners is buying a $1bn Virginia power plant (natural gas) near data centers, as reported by Reuters and shared by @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
-Luxury brand Chanel is reportedly laying off 3% of its workforce to better adapt to economic challenges, per @MacroEdgeRes
-Bridgestone Americas will close a plant it has in Tennessee at the end of July, affecting 700 employees, per Macro Edge Research
-Santander (Bank) is considering exiting from Britain.
-Banks in Chicago (Pulaski) and Ohio (Butler Heritage Federal Credit Union) were taken over by regulators last week.
Health:
-I don’t think I mentioned this yesterday, but one of Trump’s Day 1 action items was to withdraw the USA from the WHO.
--Winning!
-Nearly 20 years after a medical study was published in journals (it has been cited 144 times) about phytoestrogens in postmenopausal women, one of the study’s authors has admitted that the study never actually took place:
retractionwatch.com/2025/01/24/pap…
Geopolitics:
-Electricity prices have surged again in Germany, now reaching over €200 per megawatt hour.
-Nigeria - the largest oil producer in Africa - joined BRICs last week.
Societal/legal/culture war
One of the more egregious of the political persecutions that took place under the Biden admin (and that’s a pretty high bar) has been dropped by the Trump admin DOJ.
Dr. Eithan Haim (@EithanHaim ) was a whistleblower at Texas Children’s Hospital, who sounded the alarm that the facility was breaking Texas law by performing gender transition surgeries on minors.
notthebee.com/article/breaki…
x.com/EithanHaim/sta…
Crazy Conspiracy:
People often think that I’m just pulling their leg or being hyperbolic when I tell them that US taxpayers are the ones funding the most radical leftwing groups, both here (domestic) and abroad.
I assure you, this is not the case. If you’ve ever actually looked into where the funding comes from for the many Soros NGOs, you’ll understand why I say this. Things that people claim Soros pays for are largely paid for by the US taxpayer via grants and some pretty complex funding mechanisms.
Don’t take my word for it; here are some examples (but there are many, many more) outlined by @pepesgrandma and @Breeauna9 :
x.com/pepesgrandma/s…
Macro takeaways/lessons from the week:
-Despite everything that we heard out of the media and DC over the past 4 years, it looks like Trump was able to get control over the border extremely quickly. As it turns out, you can just do things when you don’t ask Pat Cippilone for permission.
-Less than a week into the Trump admin and hostages are being returned by the Taliban, Hamas, and the Houthis seem to have dropped off the map. Walk softly and carry a big stick - it’s a thing.
-4 years of unrepentant activism by the Biden DOJ is being unwound across the board. From pro-life protestors to J6ers and whistleblowers, the unjust persecutions are being unwound.
--A reminder from last week’s meditation: “He who spares the wicked injures the good.” Let’s see if those lawfare activists end up facing any legal accountability for what they’ve done.
White pill(s) for the week:
Ladies and gents, the USA has borders again. That’s a pretty good start.
Weekend Meditation:
“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”
-Miyamoto Musashi
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & outro music: Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice “Blind”
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
Intro & outro music: Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice “Blind”
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…