Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/daily-digest/feds-40b-treasury-buys-fuel-20-inflation-fears-us-proposes-collecting-dna-from-visitors/
Economy
The Federal Reserve plans to purchase $9 trillion in maturing federal debt through quantitative easing at a rate of $40 billion monthly, as markets have reportedly declined to absorb it. Peter St. Onge compares this approach to 1940s wartime financing, which they say contributed to 20% inflation, and to the path of hyperinflation in Weimar Germany. He describes this as a shift toward fiscal dominance, prioritizing government funding over inflation control, amid potential escalating deficits and a financial sector five times the size of GDP. Federal officials have described the measures as reserve management to prevent market stress rather than inflationary expansion.
In a development that could impact silver supply, Samsung SDI has announced a solid-state battery breakthrough using silver-carbon anodes, enabling a 900-mile range and 9-minute charging, which some experts say positions silver as a strategic energy metal. This comes amid a reported 1.1 billion ounce silver deficit, as electric vehicles require grams per vehicle—far exceeding current usage of 30-50 grams. Mainstream coverage has emphasized broader battery developments without focusing on silver-specific impacts.
Also potentially impacting supply, a report indicates China has banned exports of silver slag, although the report has not been confirmed in mainstream news sources. According to the report, silver slag accounts for 70% of industrial silver feedstock used in solar panels, electronics, and data centers. A Chinese export ban could disrupt Western refineries and challenge mechanisms for silver pricing through COMEX shorts.
In corporate news, iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following the EU’s block on Amazon’s acquisition, in line with U.S. FTC concerns. This has led to asset sales to Chinese supplier Shenzhen PICEA Robotics, which plans to maintain operations but has prompted questions about intellectual property security and supply chains potentially linked to forced labor risks; shares fell 68% in premarket trading. Regulators had reportedly aimed to prevent monopolistic control by Amazon in the smart home sector.
Lastly, a Charles Schwab survey of 2,200 adults found that Americans now consider a $2.3 million net worth as the threshold for wealth, a 21% increase since 2021, attributed to inflation and taxes. Generational differences include Gen Z viewing $1.7 million as sufficient and baby boomers at $2.8 million, reflecting varying priorities on security versus experiences. Median household net worth has seen modest increases amid overall wealth gains.
Privacy & Surveillance
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed expanding data collection under the Visa Waiver Program’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization to include DNA from the 14.5 million annual applicants, in addition to fingerprints, facial images, iris scans, mandatory five-year social media histories, and detailed family biographics. Linked to national security executive orders, the changes aim to improve vetting and reduce fraud but would introduce deeper biometric requirements, potentially allowing inferences about genetic relationships and health traits. This has raised concerns about data storage, sharing, and compliance with allies’ data protection laws; public comments are open for 60 days. Discussions have highlighted privacy risks, including potential genetic surveillance and violations of international data norms.
Health
Former Pfizer Vice President Dr. Michael Yeadon has alleged that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were designed as bioweapons intended to cause injury, death, and sterilization. He claims the encoded spike protein acts as a foreign toxin that triggers immune self-attack, similar to organ rejection or autoimmune diseases. Yeadon further stated that lipid nanoparticles concentrate in the ovaries and liver to promote payload uptake for targeted reproductive harm, with intentionally varied effects to reduce population over time without immediate widespread lethality. These assertions are based on his toxicological analysis of formulations from Pfizer, Moderna, and other manufacturers. The claims have been described as unfounded by fact-checkers and scientific consensus, with no evidence supporting links to sterilization or bioweapon intent.
Energy & Geopolitics
At least five supertankers, including a Russian vessel, have reversed course from Venezuelan ports due to reported fears of U.S. naval interdiction, following a recent tanker seizure. This has paralyzed most exports except for Chevron’s authorized shipments, leaving an estimated 11 million barrels of oil and fuel stranded in Caribbean waters. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil described the U.S. actions as piracy, amid a military buildup officially aimed at drug trafficking but viewed by some analysts as a means to access oil reserves. Adding to the disruptions, state oil company PDVSA reported a cyberattack attributed to foreign and domestic actors, which has suspended cargo deliveries and systems despite official claims of unaffected operations; sources suggest ongoing downtime could reduce output by 300,000-500,000 barrels per day from November’s level of 860,000 barrels per day. U.S. officials have framed the interdictions as efforts to dismantle narcoterrorism networks linked to the Venezuelan regime.
Meanwhile, Britain’s new MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli, has described Russia as an “aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist” power that exports chaos through hybrid operations such as cyber attacks and sabotage, posing ongoing threats to the UK and its allies amid the Ukraine conflict. She affirmed continued support for Ukraine and pressure on Moscow until President Putin’s strategic calculations change, while noting a global “age of uncertainty” with front lines everywhere. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that allies could be Russia’s next target and urged increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 to prevent widespread war. Recent UK sanctions have targeted Russian information warfare entities and Chinese cyber firms, while the EU has imposed measures on Russia’s shadow oil fleet. Concurrently, Berlin talks involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have advanced a 20-point peace plan. Russian officials have insisted on security guarantees and retention of occupied territories as non-negotiable in negotiations.
Australian Politics
Following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah event that killed 15 people and injured more than two dozen, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged stricter gun laws, including restrictions on ownership to citizens and the use of criminal intelligence for licensing. The perpetrators, Sajid and Naveed Akram, reportedly legally owned multiple firearms. New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns proposed limiting access to non-agricultural weapons, building on 1996 reforms after the Port Arthur massacre that led to the destruction of over a million guns and required genuine reasons for ownership excluding self-defense. Albanese cited ASIO warnings about threats including antisemitism and right-wing extremism, and affirmed close collaboration with security agencies. Some critics have argued that the emphasis on gun control pivots away from the attackers’ reported Islamist motivations. Others argue that taking even more guns away from law-abiding citizens is not the right solution.
Technology
A recent MIT study found that 95% of corporate AI initiatives fail. Reports from personal experiments with full reliance on AI tools like Claude for product development indicate skill degradation and reduced ownership over generated code. Developers using AI exclusively reportedly faced difficulties in debugging or modifying outputs, leading to frequent issues and repeated errors, with initial productivity gains diminishing after three months. Experts have stressed the importance of human intelligence leading AI applications, using AI to augment rather than replace human efforts, in order to preserve architectural understanding and strategic control. They caution that without human oversight, future generations may lack the necessary depth for mentorship, as AI dependency could erode foundational skills developed through experience, though some analyses highlight successes in targeted implementations where AI augments human roles, yielding efficiency gains in sectors like healthcare and finance.
US Politics
President Donald Trump attributed the stabbing deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” referencing Reiner’s vocal criticism in a social media post, even as police continue investigating custody issues involving their son Nick. Trump reiterated in White House remarks that he was not a fan of Reiner. The comments drew bipartisan criticism, including from Republicans such as Rep. Thomas Massie, who called them inappropriate, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who accused Trump of politicizing a family tragedy. The post contrasted with Trump’s earlier condemnation of violence against critics like Charlie Kirk, prompting accusations of double standards from figures including former lawyer Jenna Ellis. Some conservative perspectives have contextualized Trump’s rhetoric as a response to Reiner’s past criticisms, though major defenses have been limited.
Sources
I Went All-In on AI: Why the MIT Study’s 95% Failure Rate Rings True
The pattern is consistent: abdication fails, augmentation succeeds.
Source | Submitted by waterhawk7
Fed to Print $9 Trillion Debt as Markets Refuse: Inflation Echoes of 1940s and Weimar
The Fed just admitted markets won’t buy $9 trillion of federal debt coming due.
So the Fed will.
Trump Blames Rob Reiner’s Murder on ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’
“reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Source | Submitted by Walberga
China’s Silver Slag Ban: Wall Street’s Short Squeeze Nightmare Begins
And that, dear reader, is how a ban on exporting what is essentially metallic crumbly rubbish becomes the silk-covered crowbar that pries open the dollar’s seventy-year grip on the world.
Source | Submitted by westcoastjan
Samsung’s Silver Revolution: The Battery Breakthrough That Could Crush Global Supply
The secret ingredient in Samsung’s new battery isn’t lithium. It isn’t cobalt. It isn’t nickel. It is silver.
Source | Submitted by Barry Silverthorn
Britain’s New MI6 Chief Warns of Russia’s Aggressive, Expansionist Threat
“The front line is everywhere”
Supertankers U-Turn from Venezuela on US Seizure Fears as PDVSA Suffers Cyberattack
Supertankers Bound For Venezuela Make U-Turns, Fearing US Interdiction, As PDVSA Hit By Cyberattack
America’s Wealth Bar Rises: $2.3 Million Now the Ticket to ‘Rich’ Status
Americans now place the threshold for being considered wealthy at an average of $2.3 million
After Islamic Terror Attack, Aussie PM Vows Gun Crackdown While Warning of Right-Wing Extremism
So, more gun control and they’re on the lookout for ‘antisemitism’ and ‘right wing extremist groups’ after the Islamic terrorist attack. Right.
iRobot’s Demise: Bankruptcy and Chinese Takeover After EU Blocks Amazon Deal
How did iRobot implode, only for a Chinese company to end up cleaning American homes?
Ex-Pfizer VP Alleges COVID mRNA Vaccines Engineered for Mass Sterilization and Depopulation
the COVID-19 mRNA Jab Is A Deliberate/Pre-meditated Sterilization/De-Population Weapon System
US Proposes DNA Collection from Visa Waiver Tourists in Sweeping Data Grab
The Trump administration is considering a dramatic expansion of data collection on foreign tourists, including a proposal that would allow authorities to collect DNA from people entering the country under the Visa Waiver Program
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: Netguru, Fortune, American Action Forum, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Breitbart, The Independent, NPR, ABC News, Snopes, and Reclaim The Net.
X setting the table for age verification?!? This notice just appeared when I logged onto X.
