U.S. consumer sentiment perked up slightly—apparently buoyed by holiday cheer and fading tariff fears—with the Michigan index inching up to 54, just enough to let economists declare victory. Inflation expectations, however, remain stubbornly festive at 4.2% for the year ahead and even higher over the long run, while worries about jobs and wages refuse to take the hint. Nearly two-thirds of consumers still expect unemployment to rise, especially the well-educated and well-paid, suggesting anxiety trickles down from the top. Spending holds up, confidence limps along just above record lows, and the Fed—having already cut rates three times—now watches patiently as inflation stays above target and optimism remains more seasonal than structural.

In a nutshell, holiday cheer nudged consumer sentiment higher, but with inflation expectations stuck high and job worries spreading, optimism looks more seasonal than structural.

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After unveiling his very own “Presidential QE,” Donald Copperfield—now clearly battling an advanced case of Chronic Interventionist Syndrome—announced his latest magic trick. To celebrate the first anniversary of his return to the Oval Office and apparently inspired by the Bolivarian playbook he once mocked, he has decided to channel his inner Caracas: cue the price controls. Starting January 20, credit-card interest rates will be capped at a saintly 10%, proving once again that when reality gets inconvenient, Copperfield prefers sleight of hand—ideology included.

Known more for confidence than curiosity, the Manipulator-in-Chief might pause before adding yet another layer of price controls to his résumé. History’s quiet but consistent lesson is that price controls never fix problems created by reckless politicians—they simply rebrand them as shortages, distortions, and, eventually, popular misery. And when misery compounds long enough, it tends to end not in policy success but in revolution—those inconvenient, grassroots regime changes driven by public sentiment, which history shows are far more effective than the export-grade regime changes that have been a staple of imperial American policy since World War II.

Putting corporate diplomacy into refreshingly plain English, Exxon’s Darren Woods politely translated the obvious: Venezuela remains “uninvestable,” which in CEO dialect means “we’ve already been robbed twice and aren’t lining up for a third round.” Yes, the oil is abundant, but so are asset seizures, legal uncertainty, and political roulette—small inconveniences investors tend to dislike. Unsurprisingly, Exxon and ConocoPhillips are staying on the sidelines, Chevron is cautiously tiptoeing without opening its wallet, and smaller players are waving around checkbooks measured in millions, not the $100 billion daydream floated by Donald Copperfield. In short, Venezuela has plenty of oil—just not enough rule of law to go with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLl2umofu9Y

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https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/wall-street-sophism-preserving-narratives-3de

In the latest episode of Progress Is Freedom, OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Health—a “secure” space where you can generously connect your medical records, smartwatch data, diet apps, workouts, and presumably your pulse of existential dread. Apple Health, Peloton, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers—because nothing says wellness like centralizing your biology in one convenient place.

We’re told this is about empowerment: understanding test results, preparing for doctor visits, optimizing diet and exercise. History, however, gently clears its throat and reminds us that every centralized database eventually finds a second career—as leverage. Political, financial, legal—pick your dystopia.

Of course, we’re reassured the data won’t be used for training. Privacy will be respected. Safeguards are in place.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpqy29d0yjgo

Governments and institutions always say this at the beginning of the movie, never at the end. The real question isn’t what the system promises today—it’s what it will quietly require tomorrow.

Health data isn’t just personal; it’s power. Once digitized and centralized, it becomes subpoena-ready, hackable, and irresistibly interesting to regulators with “good intentions.” HIPAA won’t save you from the state, and no database in history has remained untouched forever.

But don’t worry—this is all for your own good.

After all, Big Brother doesn’t want to control you. He just wants you healthy.

The Macro Butler sat down with Christian White of Marbella Media to make sense of the latest tremors rattling the planet, as geopolitics once again opened Pandora’s box and promptly lost the lid.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/interview-with-christian-white-08012026

In today’s episode of Freedom Is Rate Cuts, Donald Copperfield—never shy of exporting the Don-Roe Doctrine even domestically—has reportedly invited the ‘Department of Just-Us’ to consider a criminal investigation into Fed Chair. Weaponizing justice to block political rivals was yesterday’s outrage; weaponizing it to bully interest rates lower is the bold new innovation. Powell, committing the ultimate thoughtcrime, replied that these were mere “pretexts” and reminded the Party that the Fed sets rates based on what serves the public—not presidential preference. In Orwellian terms: independence is obstruction, pressure is policy, and coercion is now monetary easing.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/powell20260111a.htm

Seventy-five years ago, President Truman tried to strong-arm the Fed into capping rates so he could fund the Korean War. It didn’t work then, and history suggests it won’t work now. If Donald Copperfield believes he can swap the “Central Banker-in-Chief” for a compliant chimpanzee with a rate-cut button, the United Socialist America may be in for a spectacular post-2027 hangover.

https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/treasury-fed-accord

A sharp surge in volatility is forming on the horizon, and the Manipulator-in-Chief is about to collide with the one force he cannot bully: the free market. As confidence erodes, investors will increasingly treat the U.S. like a Banana Republic—ditching promises and paper contracts in favour of stocks and gold, the few assets that tend to thrive when chaos becomes policy.

While still angling for a Nobel Peace Prize, the Warmonger-in-Chief has unveiled plans for a $1.5 trillion “Dream Military” by 2027—a tidy 50% jump from today—sold as prudence in “dangerous times” and conveniently funded by magical tariff revenues that also, somehow, reduce debt. Washington’s sudden enthusiasm for defence spending is less about peace and more about preparation, with the timing lining up neatly with reality: a U.S. increasingly on its own, footing the bill, while allies hesitate and enthusiasm for new adventures quietly evaporates.

An extra $500 billion is meant to preserve America’s “most advanced military” status—just as China accelerates its war footing and Russia tests doomsday weapons designed to erase cities by radioactive tide. As confidence slips, capital flees to private assets and politicians rediscover the timeless cure for fiscal failure: foreign enemies. The 2026 panic cycle fits the pattern perfectly—debt stress meets geopolitics, distraction replaces discipline, and what’s coming isn’t the start of war, but its predictable escalation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifiGDrsO14I