All in all, a stellar auction—if by stellar you mean lousy—since it seems the “smart money” has finally caught on that the so-called risk-free rate now comes with a side of, well… risk.

Western media dusts off the Russian bogeyman on cue whenever it needs to cover up the economic wreckage left by its Keynesian Davos puppets. Meanwhile, AI isn’t just writing emails—it’s moonlighting as a bioweapons intern. In 2022, one model spat out 40,000 toxins in six hours, and by 2023 it was offering DIY recipes for poisonous gas under the cutesy label “Aromatic Water Mix.” But hey, nothing to worry about—it’s just a “productivity tool.” Maybe, just maybe, giving every lunatic a virtual pathogen factory isn’t the wisest move. Between espionage, anthrax-in-the-mail, and sloppy lab leaks, do we really need AI fast-tracking the next plague?

https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/17/22983197/ai-new-possible-chemical-weapons-generative-models-vx

So, in this framing, the sales pitch is that AI plus the flashy Stargate initiative will usher in a new golden era of “personalized medicine”—bespoke mRNA shots tailored to your DNA like a custom suit. The reality? It looks more like a rerun of the same old playbook. The same MAHA-aligned technocrats now drawing paychecks from Washington are busy laying the groundwork for the next ‘plandemic’ narrative—this time wrapped in the shiny packaging of an AI-driven virus scare. Instead of curing disease, the fusion of AI and biotech seems poised to deliver the perfect pretext for more control, more mandates, and another round of fear-based policy.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43118941/oracles-larry-ellison-says-cancer-vaccine-tailored-in-48-hours-could-soon-be-a-reality-as-trump-announces-500-billion-ai-investment

It’s no longer a question of if but when. The next outbreak won’t be organic—it’ll be an AI-engineered virus, tailor-made to guarantee one thing: another bonanza for the vaccine plutocrats. The only real uncertainty is timing. Judging by the UK government’s latest procurement orders, the clock isn’t ticking years—it’s ticking months.

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/08/24/what-is-britain-preparing-for-mobile-morgues-and-refrigerators-for-ps-7-5-million-were-secretly-ordered

As the PayPal mafia tightens its grip on Washington, the language of “innovation” and “convenience” becomes the mask for something far darker.

Tokenization, CBDCs in Europe, and stablecoins in the US are not tools of progress—they are the scaffolding of total surveillance.

Behind the curtain, governments prepare to unleash their Cyber Praetorians, enforcers of a digital order where every transaction, every movement, every choice is tracked and judged. A must-listen glimpse into the machinery of control from @gregreesevideoreports .

https://t.me/gregreesevideoreports/592

The Macro Butler popped into A-News Türkiye’s Diplomacy with Umar Tasleem to politely explain the obvious: Ukraine and Gaza are the latest seasons of the endless war franchise, and—as always—the real winners aren’t soldiers or civilians, but the usual suspects cashing dividend checks from the business of bloodshed.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/interview-with-a-news-turkiyes-diplomacy-9fc

As reliable as a Swiss clock that’s been drinking too much espresso, the Fed’s pet inflation gauge ticked in right on cue: headline PCE steady at +2.6% YoY, Core PCE nudging from +2.8% to +2.9%—basically the same sleepy range they have been stuck in for two years. Durable goods prices slipped, services strutted higher, and the Super Core (a.k.a. Services Ex-Shelter) proudly landed at +3.32% YoY—exactly where it was last July.

While prices keep inching up in their “new normal” range, incomes and spending did the polite thing and rose exactly as expected—0.4% and 0.5% MoM, respectively. The plot twist? For the first time since December 2022, private sector pay checks (+5.1% YoY) are finally outrunning government salaries (+4.8%). Meanwhile, real personal spending—once you strip out inflation—managed a +2.1% YoY gain. Slower than the recent pace, but hey, at least people are still buying things instead of just doomscrolling about them.

In a nutshell, the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge stayed stuck on repeat, but at least private paychecks finally outran government ones and consumers kept spending instead of just whining

University of Michigan Consumer sentiment final prints confirmed the gloomy vibes: consumer sentiment weakened in August, inflation fears crept back, and buying conditions for big-ticket items hit their lowest in a year. Inflation expectations added insult to injury—short-term ticking up to 4.8% and long-term edging higher too—basically reminding everyone that the “inflation is dead” narrative was a little premature. In short, consumers aren’t exactly panicking, but they’re definitely not lining up to celebrate either.

The political split in consumer sentiment just hit its widest level since records began in 2017: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can’t even agree on the state of their own wallets—so if the “United” States can’t find common ground on money, what hope is there for everything else?

In a nutshell, consumer sentiment soured in August as inflation fears resurfaced, big-ticket purchases stalled, and political divides over wallets hit record highs—so much for a “United” America.

🤵 The Macro Butler Weekly Digest 🤵

🌐 Inside the digital fortress of the Department of War, cyber-sentries don’t just guard empires—they decide who conquers, who kneels, and who gets deleted. 🌐

Read more here: https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/the-cyber-praetorians-dawn-of-the

Listen to a summary of The Macro Butler weekly newsletter via podcast on Substack; YouTube; Rumble & TikTok.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/the-cyber-praetorians-dawn-of-the-dac

China’s August PMIs confirm the economy is still stuck in July’s rut — and no, you can’t just blame the rain. Manufacturing barely crawled up, construction face-planted to its worst level since Covid lockdowns, and demand looks like it’s on vacation. Services gave a little lift, but mostly thanks to tourists and a stock market sugar high — hardly the stuff of sustainable growth. Ironically, the hotter stocks run, the less likely the PBoC is to serve up another stimulus cocktail anytime soon.

China’s stock market is partying while the real economy is nursing a hangover. Weak PMIs argue for more PBOC easing, but with equities frothy, Beijing is in no rush to pour more drinks. Stimulus should now be expected to be later — and lighter — than hoped, with odds slipping on the year-end rate and RRR cuts. Fiscal room is also tight. With the 2024 budget already loaded, any slowdown would see spending pulled forward from 2025, not deficit expansion. Subsidies for kids and pre-school waivers show Beijing prefers targeted relief over broad stimulus.

In a nutshell: it’s not yet time to “Make China Great Again,” and with the stock market partying, the PBoC is hesitant to spike the punch with fresh stimulus.

Dear Investors,

Please find below the August 2025 factsheet for The Macro Butler IG Portfolio.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/the-macro-butler-ig-portfolio-august-031

Dear Investors,

Please find below the August 2025 factsheet for The Macro Butler Strategic Portfolio.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/the-macro-butler-strategic-portfolio-c48

Dear Investors,

Please find below the August 2025 factsheet for The Macro Butler Long/Short Portfolio.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/the-macro-butler-longshort-portfolio-600