Swiss America: Gold Standard News Daily

7.10.25 - Visualizing The State Of Freedom Around The World

Gold last traded at $3,324 an ounce. Silver at $37.07 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The deterioration of personal freedom in our country has been a very common discussion for years. This graphic, and the accompanying list, shows where we land amongst the nations of the globe. Do you agree with this assessment?

Visualizing The State Of Freedom Around The World -ZeroHedge

by Tyler Durden

In 2024, 60 countries saw their freedom decline in a historic election year.

Strikingly, 40% of countries and territories that held elections experienced targeted attacks on candidates amid heightened instability.

Yet bright spots were seen in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Syria, driven by political reform.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows the state of freedom by country, based on data from Freedom House.

For the 19th year in a row, the state of freedom declined globally.

In particular, freedom declined the most in 2024 for El Salvador, Haiti, and Kuwait. In absolute terms, the Gaza Strip and the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine have among the lowest scores of freedom amid ongoing, violent conflict. READ MORE

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7.9.25 - Economic Crisis Ahead? 64% of CEOs Say Yes

Gold last traded at $3,320 an ounce. Silver at $36.39 an ounce.

Copper now costs way more in the U.S. than elsewhere. This could hit its economy hard -CNBC

The trade wars have delivered a huge blow to those who buy copper in the US, with a 50% tariff now imposed on the metal. With copper's many industrial and manufacturing uses, this could trickle down to the consumer quickly.

by Jenni Reid

The cost of copper for U.S. buyers has rocketed after President Donald Trump said he would impose a 50% tariff on imports of the metal.

It means that already elevated prices are now even higher in the U.S. than elsewhere — and analysts warned of a hit to businesses and the wider U.S. economy as a result.

The U.S. imports just under half of its copper, which is used in products ranging from machinery, electronics and household goods to housing and infrastructure projects. Trump’s stated ambition is to increase domestic production, but experts say this will take years to ramp up and decades to fully meet demand — at a massive up-front investment cost.

Traders have been poised for a presidential announcement on copper duties since February, leading to major shifts in inventories away from Europe and Asia and into the U.S.

However, the rate and timing was unclear — and market participants say they remain so, given the ambiguity in official messaging this week, potential room for exemptions to be negotiated, and recent examples of swift policy changes from the White House. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC Tuesday the duties would likely be implemented at “the end of July, maybe August 1.” READ MORE

Economic Crisis Ahead? 64% of CEOs Say Yes -Watcher.Guru

The CEO confidence index on the future of the economy is not looking so confident. 64% of CEOs believe that the next six months will see a deterioration of current economic conditions.

by Juhi Mirza

The US economy is currently battling troubled waters as the nation continues to combat rising US debt tensions and inflation. At the same time, rising fears of recession are also gnawing at the US, making things harder for the nation to comply with and deal with. Moreover, Trump’s “renewed” tariff regimes have once again sparked fears of a possible trade spat with global economies, making things worse for the dollar and America’s economic future. In addition to this, the CEO sentiment is now also confirming this change, with the majority of CEOs predicting a bleak economic future for the US economy. Is the US brewing a new economic crisis ahead?

CEO sentiment, or a CEO confidence index, primarily measures the perceptions of CEOs and business entrepreneurs towards their respective economies. The index also measures the expectations that the CEOs have about the future economic conditions of a nation. This index has now started to show a wobbly stance, with nearly 64% of the CEOs projecting a weak economic future for America.

The CEO confidence index is now displaying a striking detail, adding how the majority of the CEOs believe that the US economy may worsen in the next 6 months. READ MORE

Wall Street Bets On 3 Currencies To Topple The US Dollar -Watcher.Guru

It looks like Wall Street is the latest to start betting against the dollar. Forex traders are opening long positions on what they believe to be the three most eligible currencies to replace the dollar. A couple may surprise you.

by Juhi Mirza

Forex traders have now started to short US dollars, playing on expectations underlining the prolonged weakness of the USD. This development has now led traders to bet big on new currency competitors, the ones that have remained underground for long but have now started to lead the economic world as the US dollar continues to weaken. If the aforementioned trend continues, these three currencies may very well end up toppling the US dollar.

The Wall Street traders are getting lucrative, busy shorting the US dollar. At the same time, these traders have now opened long positions on the euro, all while exploring new currency competitors that can help them secure stable profits. The US dollar’s plunge in recent times has shaken investor sentiment, leading them to explore alternatives in its wake. Per the recent SCMP report, traders are now betting big on the Australian dollar, Chinese yuan, and South Korean won to emerge as top competitors able to challenge the USD dominance. The investors are expecting this trifecta to gain confidence in the future as the US dollar continues to weaken due to Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. READ MORE

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7.8.25 - US Targets 50+ Nations in BRICS Tariff Threat

Gold last traded at $3,301 an ounce. Silver at $36.75 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Trump continues his fight to protect the US dollar; as BRICS-aligned nations continue to push back equally hard. If there's any truth to the notion of there being strength in numbers, President Trump definitely has his hands full as the list of BRICS nations continue to grow. It also doesn't help that BRICS was already full steam ahead well before the president took office.

Lula Defies Trump as US Targets 50+ Nations in BRICS Tariff Threat -Watcher.Guru

by Loredana Harsana

{Source: EAI}

The latest BRICS tariff from Trump controversy erupted when the US president threatened that retaliatory tariffs against nations would face consequences if they align with BRICS policies. This announcement came after the bloc’s leaders condemned recent military actions against Iran and also expressed concerns about rising global trade tensions.

At the time of writing, Trump’s administration has been preparing to finalize dozens of trade deals with various countries. According to sources familiar with the matter, the administration won’t immediately impose the additional 10% tariff but will proceed if individual countries adopt policies deemed “anti-American.”

Trump wrote in a post:

“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” READ MORE

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7.7.25 - US Dollar Witnesses Worst Performance in 52 Years

Gold last traded at $3,343 an ounce. Silver at $36.78 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The dollar has been getting a lot of negative attention this year given the tariff wars, de-dollarization efforts by BRICS nations, and central banks unloading dollars and replacing them with assets such as gold. If you find yourself wondering just how bad it's been going for the dollar, read on.

US Dollar Witnesses Worst First-Half Performance in 52 Years As Money Supply Explodes To $21,942,000,000,000 -The Daily Hodl

by Henry Kanapi

The US dollar index (DXY) has suffered its steepest first-half decline in over half a century amid new all-time high levels for the country’s money supply.

The DXY witnessed a 10.8% drop in the first six months of 2025, the worst since its 14.8% decline in the first half of 1973, back when Richard Nixon was the country’s president, reports Bloomberg.

The dollar dumping comes as the US money supply has exploded to a new record high.

The latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) shows that M2, which tracks the total amount of readily available money circulating in the US financial system, stood at $21.942 trillion as of May 2025, shattering its previous peak of $21.749 trillion recorded in April 2022.

As the amount of money surges in the country, JPMorgan’s co-head of global FX strategy, Meera Chandan, says that the second half of the year will likely not be better for the American currency. READ MORE

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7.3.25 - The US Government's Incoming 'Debt Bomb'

Gold last traded at $3,326 an ounce. Silver at $36.85 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: It is no mystery how the US debt problem came to be. What is a mystery is what form of magic the government will use in an attempt to stop it. Here are a few things we might see happening in the immediate future.

Billionaire Ray Dalio Says US Government Will Be Forced To Deal With Incoming 'Debt Bomb' – Here's How -The Daily Hodl

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio says that America is going to be forced to deal with its soaring debt problem.

The billionaire tells his 1.7 million followers on the social media platform X that the US will likely lower interest rates and print money to address the nation’s ballooning debt obligations.

However, he warns that such measures are not very effective.

“When countries have too much debt, lowering interest rates and devaluing the currency that the debt is denominated in is the preferred path government policy makers are most likely to take, so it pays to bet on it happening. At the moment of my writing, we know that the projections are for big deficits and big increases in government debt and debt service expenses ahead…

I also shared last week why I believe the political system in the US won’t be able to get its debt problems under control. We know how debt service costs (paying back interest and principal) will grow rapidly to squeeze out spending, and we also know that, at best, it is highly doubtful that there will be an increase in demand for the debt commensurate with the supply that needs to be sold. I laid out in detail what I think the implications of all this are in ‘How Countries Go Broke,’ where I offer a description of the mechanics behind my thinking. Others have stress tested it, and thus far there has been almost total agreement that the picture I am painting is accurate.”

Dalio believes the US will eventually have to both cut spending and raise taxes to save itself from the looming fiscal crisis. READ MORE

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7.2.25 - Too Late To Buy Gold? Not Even Close

Gold last traded at $3,357 an ounce. Silver at $36.56 an ounce.

Historic US Dollar Downfall: Worst H1 Drop in 40 Years -Watcher.Guru

The dollar continues to get hammered in the global markets on volatility. Some experts feel this is a temporary blip, while others see this as the end of the greenback as we know it. Whichever outlook proves to be true, a portfolio hedged with gold will be better equipped to weather any storm to come.

by Loredana Harsana

The US dollar downfall has reached historic proportions, and it’s posting its worst first-half performance in nearly 40 years. Right now, the Dollar Index has plummeted over 10% year-to-date, creating massive foreign exchange volatility and triggering widespread USD devaluation effects across global markets. This unprecedented US dollar downfall represents the steepest decline since 1973, also causing severe market volatility risks and extensive global trade disruption that’s reshaping international finance as we know it.

The current US dollar downfall isn’t just another correction—it’s engineered a complete structural breakdown. At the time of writing, the US Dollar Index has crashed to 97 points, implementing an 11% collapse that represents the worst first-semester performance in decades. This foreign exchange volatility has established traders scrambling to understand market dynamics.

Barry Eichengreen, professor of economics at UC Berkeley, told CNN:

“The dynamics observed in the foreign exchange market are a direct reflection of a crisis of confidence in US fundamentals and the stability of its economic governance.”

Trump’s strategies have enacted the opposite effect, restructuring increased market volatility risks and regulating uncertainty around trade policies. Right now, it’s clear these expectations were completely wrong. READ MORE

Too Late To Buy Gold? Not Even Close... -ZeroHedge

Mr. Piepenburg believes gold's recent all-time high at $3500 was not peak gold, it was simply an early indicator of its trajectory. As he sees it, "gold’s role, price direction and days are only just beginning." Read on for his clear-headed reasoning.

Authored by Matthew Piepenburg via VonGreyerz.gold

Many are wondering if it’s too late to buy gold, that gold has peaked and they have missed their opportunity.

We hope the below series of facts, figures and common-sense reality-checks will put such fears squarely to rest, as gold’s role, price direction and days are only just beginning.

In a world of geopolitical tensions, can-kicking monetary fantasies, falling bombs, rising debt, discredited leadership, impotent summits, weaponized trade and a comically discredited media narrative, it’s hard to find a lighthouse in such fog.

Even with the world closest to the brink of nuclear war since the Cuban missile crisis, the markets, forever certain that a life-boat of mega liquidity is just one crisis away, churned Titanically forward with no ice berg fears.

VON GREYERZ advisor, Ronnie Stoeferle, sarcastically described the recent S&P, NASDAQ and NIVIDIA behavior as being almost like that of a Zen monk.

But there’s nothing “Zen” about these markets, times, currencies or financial systems. And there’s certainly nothing “Zen” about the once-sacred 10Y UST…

How do we know this? How have we always known this?

In short, what has been our lighthouse?

The answer is as simple as it timeless, indestructible, and honest: Gold. READ MORE

Records of 166,953 Americans Now at Risk – Health Care Firm Says Attacker May Have Exposed Names, Addresses, Social Security Numbers and More -The Daily Hodl

It seems as though nobody's personal data is safe these days. Private data is constantly exposed and now scammers are posing as bank employees in order to steal from Americans. A reminder to keep your wits about you and to monitor your credit and financial statements regularly.

by Mehron Rokhy

A Kentucky-based health care firm says a major cybersecurity incident may have exposed the personal information of more than a hundred thousand Americans.

The latest records from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that Central Kentucky Radiology (CKR) suffered a hacking/IT incident affecting 166,953 Americans.

In a notice, CKR says that an unknown attacker breached the firm’s systems, stealing patient data that may include names, Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, dates of medical service and medical services charges.

“On October 18, 2024, CKR became aware of a network disruption in its environment. CKR immediately took steps to secure our systems and launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the event. The investigation determined that from October 16 to October 18, 2024, an unauthorized actor accessed and copied files from certain systems in its environment.

In response, CKR conducted a detailed review of the potentially impacted files to understand their content and to whom they relate. On May 7, 2025, CKR completed this review and determined that information related to you was contained in the potentially impacted files.” READ MORE

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7.1.25 - Bank Suddenly Shut Down by US Regulators

Gold last traded at $3,339 an ounce. Silver at $36.04 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We now have the second bank failure of 2025, this one due to suspected fraud by the lender. Regulators have stepped in to sort out the details, as some depositors wait to see whether or not they will receive protection from the FDIC.

Bank Suddenly Shut Down by US Regulators in Second Bank Failure of 2025 -The Daily Hodl

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) just announced the second bank failure of 2025.

Regulators say The Santa Anna National Bank has been shut down – and foul play at the small Texas lender is suspected.

The FDIC has not disclosed the nature of the suspected fraud, and the agency is not sure whether customers with uninsured deposits will be reimbursed.

“Once further information is available, the FDIC will consider whether to provide uninsured depositors an advance dividend (i.e. access to a portion of their uninsured funds) and will provide more information at that time…

Suspected fraud contributed to the failure of the bank and estimated cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF).”

The bank has reported $53.8 million in total deposits, and the FDIC says about $2.8 million of those deposits exceed its insurance limits at time of publishing.

The first bank failure of 2025 happened in January, when regulators shuttered Pulaski Savings Bank in Chicago, Illinois.

The FDIC Office of Inspector General later said the lender collapsed because it had $20.7 million in deposit liabilities that were unaccounted for, which left the bank critically undercapitalized. READ MORE

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6.30.25 - Abbott Signs Gold & Silver Legal Tender Law

Gold last traded at $3,304 an ounce. Silver at $36.13 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: While this move may prove more symbolic than substantive, it's an important part of the discussion regarding the future of American currency. As the dollar further declines, businesses may be more apt to adopt tried and true alternatives.

Texas Governor Abbott Signs Gold & Silver Legal Tender Law -Watcher.Guru

by Loredana Harsana

Texas has made gold and silver legal tender through new legislation signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 29, 2025. The groundbreaking law allows residents to use precious metals for everyday purchases, and it’s creating quite a buzz in financial circles right now. This makes Texas one of the few states where gold and silver transactions are officially recognized for daily commerce.

What’s particularly interesting is that the legislation has structured merchant participation as completely voluntary, which means we’ll likely see a patchwork of adoption spearheaded across different businesses and regions throughout Texas. Some businesses might embrace silver as legal tender in Texas through certain critical operational changes, while others may stick with traditional payment methods across numerous significant transaction areas.

The legislation has revolutionized Abbott‘s conservative fiscal policies and his long-standing support for integrating precious metals into various major financial frameworks. Right now, the law doesn’t impose any immediate funding requirements across several key implementation areas, and the specifics of how it will actually function in practice remain somewhat uncertain. READ MORE

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6.27.25 - Has the Dollar become 'Toxic'?

Gold last traded at $3,270 an ounce. Silver at $35.94 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Is the de-dollarization movement forever changing the global marketplace? A Russian economist is calling the dollar "toxic". Others have referred to it as politically weaponized. Now matter what one labels it, there is no denying the scramble for alternate currencies—for trade and for reserve assets—is fast making the dollar a relic in the worldwide economy.

De-Dollarization Accelerates As US Dollar Becomes 'Toxic', Expert Warns

by Loredana Harsana

The US dollar has become increasingly toxic in global markets, and this reality is forcing countries around the world to seriously rethink their financial strategies right now. One of the most prominent economists in Russia has said that the dollar is now weaponized to the extent that global countries are scurrying around to seek alternative options and that this is already transforming foreign exchange reserves and currency diversification policies as well as global trade patterns in a manner and extent never experienced in the past.

Sergey Glazyev, commissioner at the Eurasian Economic Union and a commissioner of integration and macroeconomics is not beating around the bush in voicing his opinion about how bad Western currencies are doing at the present time. His evaluation has led to main discussions and also one that is an eye opener to anyone following money power in the world.

The only IMF reserve currency that is finally not politically toxic is the yuan. Quite the contrary, mistrust is the main issue of Western currencies like the US dollar, the euro, the pound, and the yen.

These are the weapons of a political war, Glazyev told an interview at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies. Many economists have been quietly discussing this profiling of the US dollar as a poison – that the dollar myth of being a neutral global currency has been tarnished and that nations are starting to reward major strategic measures. READ MORE

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6.26.25 - Central banks turn to gold over the dollar

Gold last traded at $3,324 an ounce. Silver at $36.66 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article points out how, 'a year must feel like a decade' to the investing public, given the volatility in today's markets. I think that assessment is spot on. It also takes a good look at what central banks are doing, which is accumulating more gold.

Central banks turn to gold over the dollar -OMFIF.org

by Nikhil Sanghani

A year must feel like a decade for public investors. Last year, our annual Global Public Investor survey showed the dollar was the most in-demand currency for reserve managers. Having recouped earlier losses, many were also willing to add risk to their portfolios. Fast forward 12 months and the script has flipped. Now there are growing questions over the dollar’s dominance in portfolios and public investors are seeking safe-haven assets.

OMFIF’s Global Public Investor has tracked central bank reserve managers’ investment strategies since its inception in 2014. In the first edition of the report, we wrote that ‘diversification into different sectoral and geographical categories is increasing’ owing to ‘sub-optimal returns from traditional currencies and instruments’ in a low interest rate environment.

For central banks, particularly those with growing reserves, there was appetite to move into higher-yielding currencies and riskier asset classes such as corporate bonds or equities. ‘Some official managers have reduced gold holdings to generate more balanced portfolios,’ we noted, adding that others were increasing gold weightings for the same reason.

Over a decade later, this year’s GPI report, based on a survey of 75 central banks, shows the appetite for diversification continues. But for very different reasons. The foundations of the global economic order, underpinned by globalisation and the dollar, are shaking.

Protectionism, geopolitical tensions and volatile policy-making are becoming norms. In this environment, close to 60% of surveyed central banks are seeking to diversify their portfolios within the next two years (Figure 1). This is primarily for risk management and resilience purposes, beyond bolstering returns.

Conducted from March to May this year, the survey revealed that 96% of reserve managers view US tariffs as a major geopolitical concern. This is not a temporary consideration: over 80% of reserve managers have geopolitics in their top three factors shaping longer-term investment decisions, ahead of inflation, real interest rates and technological change. READ MORE

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