Powell, Bad Data, and a Fractured Fed in the Shadow of the Trump Admin

Kitco News:   8-15-2025

The Federal Reserve stands at a critical juncture, navigating a complex landscape of economic data inconsistencies, growing internal dissent, and vocal political pressure regarding its leadership and monetary policy direction.

This intricate scenario was expertly dissected by Danielle DiMartino Booth, a respected voice in monetary policy, during a recent discussion with Jeremy Szafron on Kitco News.

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Tishwash:  Trump's developments with Baghdad: A "rapid" withdrawal from Iraq before an imminent Israeli strike on Iran

After the US troop withdrawal from Iraq was scheduled to be suspended after the October 11 elections, Iraqi executive and parliamentary sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that a decision was made in Washington to “accelerate” the withdrawal of hundreds of troops from the large Ain al-Assad base in Anbar.

This comes against the backdrop of escalating controversy between the Donald Trump administration and the Iraqi government over the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) law, which is no longer a secret. This is in addition to the successive explosion of numerous files, from the dollar to the smuggling of Iranian oil in Basra, as well as security agreements that Baghdad has recently been confused about.

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Tishwash:  Rafidain Bank signs an agreement with an American company in the field of financial consulting and oversight.

Rafidain Bank announced today, Friday, the signing of a professional partnership agreement with an American company in the field of financial consulting and oversight.

Rafidain Bank Director General Ali Karim Hussein Zahir Al-Fatlawi said in a statement published by the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, "In a new strategic step that reflects Iraq's growing financial standing on the international stage, the Iraqi Embassy in Washington witnessed the signing of a professional partnership agreement between Rafidain Bank and K2 Integrity, a global leader in financial and regulatory consulting."

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Tishwash:  The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq meets with the International Finance Corporation's representative in Iraq.

His Excellency the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mr. Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, met with Mr. Bilal Al-Saghir, the Resident Representative of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Iraq.

During the meeting, they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the Central Bank of Iraq and the IFC and the importance of cooperation between the two parties, particularly in the field of training banking personnel in Iraq. The two parties intend to sign a memorandum of understanding in this regard in the coming period.

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Tishwash:  The Central Bank to Al-Maalouma: Our measures for banks are necessary, but not strict.

A member of the Central Bank's Board of Directors, Ahmed Brihi, confirmed today, Saturday, that the standards set by the bank to reform the banking sector are not strict or prohibitive, but rather aim to protect banks from collapse and ensure the safety of depositors' funds, in addition to preserving Iraq's international financial relations.

Brihi said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “The banking reform standards approved by the Central Bank related to private banks are not strict measures as promoted, but rather are necessary steps aimed at ensuring financial stability and preventing banks from collapsing.”

Shrinkflation is here and the Economy is Broken

Liberty and Finance:   8-8-2025

A pivotal moment is unfolding in the precious metals space, according to John Rubino, as outlined in a recent video from Liberty and Finance. Rubino asserts that the long-awaited bull market for mining stocks is finally underway, driven by gold’s dramatic price surge and the strategic actions of key industry players.

Rubino explains that royalty and streaming companies, benefiting immensely from gold’s robust performance, are now flush with cash. This financial windfall is not sitting idle; these powerful entities are aggressively deploying capital into high-leverage deals across the mining sector.

Not 1971, it was 1604, the Birth of Fiat Currency

Miles Harris:   8-6-2025

Forget what you think you know about the most significant shifts in the history of money. Popular narratives often point to the dramatic severing of the dollar from gold by Nixon in 1971, the rise of powerful central banks, or the recent advent of digital currencies.

While these moments are undoubtedly pivotal, they may well be downstream effects of a foundational change that occurred centuries earlier, far from the bustling financial centers, in a quiet courtroom in Ireland.

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Tishwash:  Oil Minister from Kirkuk: Today or tomorrow we will resume oil exports via Ceyhan, Turkey.

Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani inaugurated on Wednesday a number of development and rehabilitation projects for oil stations in Kirkuk Governorate, while stressing that today or tomorrow we will resume oil exports via Ceyhan, Turkey.

The minister told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "A number of development and rehabilitation projects for oil stations in Kirkuk Governorate have been inaugurated," noting that "today or tomorrow we will resume oil exports via Ceyhan, Turkey, as we will export 80,000 barrels per day as a first phase after the agreement with the region."