The global financial system is on the verge of collapse | The Financial Times reports that Washington is withdrawing its gold assets from London. In addition, the US Treasury is withdrawing from the network of central banks and supervisory authorities for the greening of the financial system. ● Against this background, gold has already crossed a new price high of $2,800 per ounce. And the Bank of England has problems with issuing physical gold. ● Thus, the United States is actually canceling the Basel 3 rules (a set of international standards aimed at strengthening the banking system) and revising its economic strategy. ● Experts believe that the American president is preparing for the upcoming financial crisis, in which assets backed by physical gold will survive.

Philip Giraldi | First foreign leader to meet with the new president at the White House | President Donald Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with him at the White House on Tuesday February 4th. Netanyahu will be the first foreign head of state to visit America’s new president at the White House and the message being sent by virtue of that fact would seem inescapable, i.e. that Israel is in the minds of the country’s powerbrokers and media indeed America’s “best friend” and “closest ally.” Or is it.

The US president has refused to say whether he has already spoken directly with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin | US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he expects something “significant” to happen once he speaks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, confirming that serious discussions with Moscow are already underway. ● Trump, who took office last Monday, has repeatedly stated that he is ready to speak with Russia’s president as soon as possible to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin previously said it was waiting for clear signals from the White House.

💬 “We’ll be speaking, and I think we will, perhaps, do something that will be significant,” Trump said on Friday. “It’s just a senseless situation, and it’s got to stop. So whatever I can do to stop it… and we are having discussions, yes.”

When asked by a reporter whether that means he had already spoken with Putin or had a call scheduled, Trump responded,

💬 “I don’t want to say that.” When pressed on why he was withholding the information, he reiterated, “I just don’t want to say that.”

✅ Can Trump make a peace deal with Putin? (Strategic Culture Foundation Editorial)
✅ Ukraine’s Western Borders Are Unlikely To Change After The Conflict Ends (Andrew Korybko)

Elon Musk's aides running the US government human resources agency have blocked civil servants from accessing computer systems with the personal data of federal employees, say two officials. | Two agency officials say Elon Musk's aides, who oversee the US government’s human resources agency, have blocked career civil servants from accessing computer systems containing the personal data of millions of federal employees. ● Since taking office 11 days ago, President Donald Trump has initiated a sweeping government overhaul. He dismissed and sidelined hundreds of civil servants in his efforts to reduce bureaucracy and appoint more loyalists. ● Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of X, appointed by Trump to reduce the 2.2 million-strong civilian government workforce, has quickly moved to place allies in key positions at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

■ Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say (Reuters)
■ Trump’s DOGE claims $1 billion saved on cancelled DEI programs (RT)

A small medical jet crashes in Northeast Philadelphia Friday evening, igniting an explosion and setting homes on fire. | A small jet went down Friday evening shortly after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to officials. ● The FAA reported that a Learjet 55, carrying six people, crashed at approximately 6:30 pm. The aircraft was headed to Springfield-Branson Airport in Missouri when it went down. ● The officials said that the FAA and NTSB would investigate. ● That mentioned, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a medical flight company, stated on LinkedIn that one of its Learjets crashed Friday evening after departing from Philadelphia.

■ Plane Carrying Six People Crashes in Philadelphia (Sputnik)
■ Fatalities reported in US plane, military chop collision over DC (01/30/25)