Thursday Watch

Around X:

• @Business  

• Even as Trump pushes for talks to end the war against Iran, the US has ordered thousands of troops to the region, fueling fears that the president is gearing up for exactly the sort of risky ground invasion that he once campaigned against. 
• The Iran war is rapidly reshaping the outlook for millions of China's small and medium sized firms. But Beijing seems determined to project calm ahead of an anticipated summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.
• Japan’s two-year government bond yield climbed to its highest level since 1996, as expectations build for a near-term Bank of Japan rate hike.
• BlackRock’s President Rob Kapito said investors may be underestimating the risks stemming from the Iran war, which are likely to weigh on growth and drive inflation higher even if the conflict ends soon.
• Trump administration officials are examining what a potential spike in oil prices would mean for the economy, according to sources, a sign senior officials are studying the possible fallout from extreme scenarios for the Iran war.
• Here’s the latest news and analysis on the oil market. 
• Get up to speed on what's moving global markets.
• Here’s what you need to know to start your day.     

• @ZeroHedge

• "I'm Done": Robert Malone Exits CDC Vaccine Advisory Role. “I’m tired of thousands of hours of free labor for just chronic disrespect for all of us,” Malone said. The Epoch Times has requested a comment from HHS, the CDC’s parent agency, which Kennedy heads.
• using Middle Out to explain what happened to memory stocks today.
• The Frozen Market For Homes.
• Trump Drops Hammer on Census Fraud Illegals Will No Longer Be Counted. New testing begins for citizenship verification as Democrats face losing congressional seats they never earned.  
• Fetterman Blasts Democrats After Illegal Immigrant Murders College Freshman.
• The world's biggest LNG plant in Qatar wont be able to quickly restart even after the Iran war ends. Two of the plant's trains were damaged, and need new gas turbines to power LNG refrigeration compressors. Delivery will take 2-4 years due to a massive backlog, Rystad says.
• Vince Vaughn Blasts Late-Night TV: "They All Became The Same Agenda-Based Show".
• Iranian soldiers in underground trenches on Kharg Island are posting photos and stating that they are ready to repel a possible US landing- Judging by the photo, the Iranians have already received FPV kamikaze drones produced by the Chinese company Shenzhen Beizao Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. This model is equipped with a 5.8 GHz frequency video transmission antenna. 
• More Than 450 TSA Agents Have Quit During DHS Shutdown.
• Blackstone Nears Deal to Buy Data Center Firm Rowan: BBG. The company would likely be valued at more than $10 billion, including its debt.
• Reports of explosions at Amir Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia following drone attacks.
• Report Alleges Trump's Daily Military Briefing Scrubs Out Iran War Setbacks.
• BREAKING: Kuwait dismantles and arrests a large Hezbollah terror cell that was planning to carry out assassination operations targeting state symbols and leaders.
• Total US debt: $38.9999 trillion.
• Walgreens Gives Bodycams To Employees After Rise In Retail Assaults.
• BREAKING: Russia evacuates 163 more staff from Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, 300 remain.
• Reports of heavy bombardment in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.
• Iran Says "No Talks With US... Which Has Failed In War Goals" - Warns Of "Relentless" Response To Any Island Campaign. 
• Stocks & Bonds Shrug Off Oil Angst About Peace Talks; Bitcoin & Bullion Bid.

• @CNBC

• Asia markets set to fall as Iran rules out direct U.S. talks despite reviewing proposal.
• Thursday's big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market in the next trading session.
• Stock futures are little changed as traders monitor U.S.-Iran war developments: Live updates.
• Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Worthington Steel, Karman, MillerKnoll and more.
• U.S. Postal Service seeks 8% fuel surcharge for package deliveries as Iran war raises oil prices. 

• @EmeraldRobinson

• Here's @GenFlynn confirming (back in December!) that people inside the Trump Admin don't want the 2020 election fraud investigated or fixed. Just look at all the people attacking @DNIGabbard right now.

• @MarioNawful

• BREAKING: Iran is rapidly building up defenses on Kharg Island. They're laying mines, traps, and moving in more air defenses and troops, in case the U.S. tries a ground invasion to seize the island. Kharg handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports, so Trump has been weighing using American troops to take it as leverage. This would be extremely risky... and bloody.
• Another strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor has raised serious concerns about a potential radiological release into the Persian Gulf. According to an internal Russian-prepared emergency planning exercise for the plant, a major accident could send a radioactive plume drifting across the Gulf, reaching the UAE in as little as 24 hours.

• @BennyJohnson

• I have never seen James O’Keefe get this emotional... James just SNAPPED on the livestream. He's PISSED at the DOJ for not making a SINGLE ARREST after he exposed blatant voter fraud ON CAMERA in California. “I’m not going to put my life in harm’s way for NOTHING! I saw what happened to Charlie Kirk. So, I can go on vacation — when y’all are going to arrest somebody, I’ll come back!” Hundreds of Americans have called for MORE ARRESTS, will we get them? (video)

• @RenzTom

• Wow! @DataRepublican does it again. Here's the controversial part. I am not claiming I have evidence that there was a conspiracy by another country to kill Charlie Kirk... BUT... I also do NOT believe the story we are being told. You can search online and in my timeline for dozens of legitimate problems with the "official story." Some are shakey but some are rock solid. Now add what DataRepublican found. We are supposed to believe that in 4 days, 1400 people and 20+ organization had 3 professionally moderated panels ready to go? With no preplanning or knowledge?

• @WallStreetApes

• American shows how it of hand the cloud seeding is getting in his town. An obvious grid pattern is seen. Both Head of the EPA Lee Zeldin and RFK Jr said they would stop our skies being sprayed with chemicals. The World Economic Forum confirmed it was BlackRock to James O'Keefe. (video)

• @Ric_RTP

• Trump just gave 13 tech billionaires the keys to America's AI policy. But there's a HUGE conflict of interest... The White House just announced the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sounds boring. But wait until you understand what this is actually about. Here's who's on it:

• @nicksortor

• BREAKING: Senate Democrats have ONCE AGAIN blocked the re-opening of DHS, 54-46 TSA agents will likely miss yet ANOTHER paycheck on Friday. And even MORE Americans will suffer with airport chaos. Again: Democrats hate you.

• @FinanceLancelot

• Meanwhile, Ukraine has attacked Russia's largest oil terminal. The port of Ust-Luga is burning. Are they purposely trying to make the energy / fertilizer crisis worse? (video)

• @austin_fit76995

• I've never witnessed anything quite like these Epstein files in all my years tracking the machinations of the invisible money empire. Raped. Cannibalized. Trafficked. Filmed. Terrorized. Tortured. Murdered. Children, 13, 14, 15 years old. And zero arrests. Not one. How is it that we're not seeing a global revolution right now? The central bankers and their black budget overlords must be laughing all the way to their off-ledger accounts.

• @NicHulscher

• Trump signed a directive to accelerate 6G deployment to operate IMPLANTABLE TECH, which will include AI brain chips known as the Biological Interface System to Cortex (BISC). This paper-thin brain chip with 65,000 electrodes merges humans with AI. It receives power and transfers data wirelessly via a "wearable relay station" sitting outside the skull. I will NOT take the 6G AI brain implant. (video)

• @SusanCrabtree

• UPDATE: Secret Service Director Sean Curran announced ANOTHER big promotion last week for Nick Olszeweski, one of two supervisory agents at the Butler rally where Trump was nearly assassinated. The two supervisors were supposed to be providing senior oversight for far more junior agents who were assigned to the big outdoor Trump event even though most of them had ZERO experience handling an event of that size at a location that the Secret Service had never used before.

• @irishpatriot91

• Why is the Former Rothschild Director being named the new head of Vatican Bank?

• @TmBreckWorsham

• So Trump just announced that he's appointing Mark Zuckerberg, the same guy who censored, banned and shut down our Facebook accounts if we dared speak out on the jab or election fraud, to his "Science and Technology Advisory Board." What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

• @P_McCulloughMD

• BREAKING: Senate Investigation Finds Federal Officials Buried COVID-19 Vaccine Stroke Risk. Health officials detected a significant ischemic stroke signal in seniors—then pushed booster uptake anyway, downplayed the risk internally, and told the public “no change” was needed. By Nicolas Hulscher, MPH. (pic)

Night Trading 

• Asian equity indices are -.75% to +.25% on average. 
• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 85.5 unch.
• China Sovereign CDS 48.75 +.5 basis point.
• China Iron Ore Spot 107.4 USD/Metric Tonne +2.0%. 
• Crude Oil 91.60/bbl. +1.4% 
• Gold 4,554.0 USD/t oz. -.7%. 
• Swiss Franc/Offshore Chinese Renminbi Cross 8.72 -.03%.
• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 35.42 -.06%.
• Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 101. -.4%
• US 10-Year Yield 4.35% +2.0 basis points.
• Japan 30-Year Yield 3.52% -1.0 basis point. 
• Volatility Index(VIX) futures 24.7 +1.5%.
• Euro Stoxx 50 futures -.29%. 
• S&P 500 futures -.24%.
• NASDAQ 100 futures -.26%.

Morning Preview Links

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly lower, weighed down by technology and financial shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to weaken into the afternoon, finishing modestly lower.  The Portfolio is 25% net long heading into the day.