Gary Savage, president of the Smart Money Tracker newsletter, breaks down gold and silver’s recent price activity, saying that while the precious metals have reached the parabolic phase of the bull market, it’s typical to see a correction midway through.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Senate Democrats aren’t budging on their Homeland Security demands, and appear ready to again thrust the government into a partial shutdown as Republicans scramble to keep the lights on.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he and Senate Democrats were prepared to reject a short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just days ahead of the funding deadline.
‘We’re 3 days away from a DHS shutdown, and Republicans have not gotten serious about negotiating a solution that reins in [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and stops the violence,’ Schumer said on X. ‘Democrats will not support a CR to extend the status quo.’
Congress has until Friday at midnight to fund the agency, and as the days go by, the odds of doing so are becoming increasingly slim.
Schumer’s edict comes as both sides of the aisle continue negotiations behind the scenes on a compromise bill to fund the agency.
Senate Democrats unveiled the legislative text of their 10-point proposal over the weekend, and for a time, Republicans were optimistic that talks were moving in a positive direction.
Now, Schumer and his caucus are at an impasse with Republicans and the White House. While President Donald Trump and his administration presented a counteroffer earlier this week, Democrats say it’s not enough.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teed up the original DHS funding bill for another vote on Tuesday. That bill could be modified to be a CR, and Republicans are leaning toward a four-week extension to keep the agency open.
And he noted that the legislative text from the White House could be coming on Wednesday.
‘There’s going to be the legislative text coming over from the White House today,’ Thune told reporters. ‘But I think it’s, like I said, the White House is operating in good faith.’
Still, Democrats have dubbed the GOP’s counter, which has been kept under strict lock and key, ‘sophomoric talking points.’ However, several items from their proposal, like requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to obtain judicial warrants, demask, and have identification, are red lines for the White House and Republicans.
Whether the GOP can siphon off enough votes to avert a partial shutdown remains an open question, given the unified front Schumer and his caucus are presenting. And they will have a math problem of their own to contend with in trying to break the 60-vote filibuster.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, ‘will be working from home this week,’ his office said in a statement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she received a criminal referral from the House Judiciary Committee alleging former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress, confirming the receipt during a hearing before the panel on Wednesday.
Bondi’s was responding to committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who directly asked the attorney general if Brennan would be indicted. The DOJ has for months been investigating Brennan and several others over the origins of the 2016 Trump-Russia probe.
‘What I can confirm is that we have received a referral from you, Chairman Jordan, to investigate John Brennan,’ Bondi said.
‘His attorneys have made some public statements, but the department is still bound, of course, by our longstanding policy of not discussing matters,’ Bondi said. ‘What I will say today I can’t confirm nor deny whether there’s a pending investigation, but what I will say [is] that no one is above the law. Weaponization has ended.
Jordan’s referral to the DOJ, sent in October, centered on Brennan’s testimony about the Steele dossier, a salacious document containing unverified, negative claims about Trump, and its role in an Obama-era Intelligence Community Assessment on Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.
The referral followed CIA Director John Ratcliffe also asking the DOJ to prosecute Brennan over broader conspiracy allegations.
A grand jury subpoenaed Brennan and former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, among others, as part of the DOJ’s investigation, Fox News Digital reported in November. The subpoenas originated from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, leading Brennan’s lawyers to accuse the DOJ of forum shopping for Republican-friendly judges.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., chimed in after Bondi answered, alluding to comments Trump has made about targeting his pollical enemies.
‘If we want to know whether Mr. Brennan will be indicted, you should just ask the president,’ Goldman said.
Fox News asked Trump last summer about Brennan after reports first surfaced that the FBI was investigating him and several others involved in what Republicans have widely viewed as a politically motivated effort to undermine Trump’s 2016 election campaign and victory. Trump said at the time that ‘whatever happens, happens.’
‘I think they’re very dishonest people. I think they’re crooked as hell. And, maybe they have to pay a price for that,’ Trump said at the time.
Israel formally joined the Board of Peace on Wednesday ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Netanyahu signed the document in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly before his scheduled talk with Trump, marking a diplomatic step as the two leaders prepare to discuss regional security and ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The prime minister said on X that while the talks would cover several issues, including Gaza, they would ‘first and foremost’ center on negotiations with Iran.
Leaders from 17 countries participated in the initial Gaza Board of Peace charter signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia.
Netanyahu was not present at the ceremony, where world leaders signed the founding charter alongside Trump, who was seated at the center of the stage.
His office, however, said he would accept Trump’s invitation to join the Peace Board, following earlier concerns he had raised about the makeup of the Gaza executive board, particularly the roles of Qatar and Turkey.
A handful of other countries were also invited by the White House to join, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China, among others. Poland and Italy on Wednesday said they would not join.
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes as the U.S. expands its military presence in the Middle East while talks with Iran remain ongoing.
Trump has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Michael Murphy, a guided-missile destroyer, as his envoys meet with Iranian officials in Oman.
Other U.S. naval assets, including the USS Bulkeley, USS Roosevelt, USS Delbert D. Black, USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., are positioned across key waterways surrounding Iran, from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea.
Russia has reportedly agreed to abide by the limits of a nuclear arms pact it reached with the U.S. years ago after the agreement expired last week — as long as Washington does the same.
The New START Treaty’s expiration, which occurred on Feb. 5, leaves the nations with the two largest atomic arsenals with no restrictions for the first time in more than a half-century, The Associated Press reported. The expiration has fueled fears of a possible unconstrained nuclear arms race.
In September, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would abide by the nuclear arms deal for another year after its expiration date as long as the U.S. followed suit, the AP reported. However, President Donald Trump has said he wanted China to be part of a new pact, something that Beijing has rejected, according to the AP.
‘Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social upon the treaty’s expiration.
In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the now-expired treaty, the White House pointed to the president’s Truth Social post.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke to lawmakers about the treaty, saying Moscow would ‘act in a responsible and balanced way on the basis of analysis of the U.S. military policies,’ the AP reported.
Lavrov added that ‘we have reason to believe that the United States is in no hurry to abandon these limits and that they will be observed for the foreseeable future.’
‘We will closely monitor how things are actually unfolding,’ Lavrov said. ‘If our American colleagues’ intention to maintain some kind of cooperation on this is confirmed, we will work actively on a new agreement and consider the issues that have remained outside strategic stability agreements.’
The New START Treaty was signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, and was entered into force on Feb. 5, 2011.
The treaty gave the U.S. and Russia until Feb. 5, 2018, to meet the central limits on strategic offensive arms. The treaty caps each side at 700 deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and nuclear-capable heavy bombers; 1,550 deployed warheads; and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers and bombers. The parties were then obligated to maintain the limits as long as the treaty remained in force, which it did until last week.
The expiration of the treaty comes just after a meeting involving U.S. and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi. Axios previously reported that the two nations were closing in on a deal to observe the treaty for at least six months after its expiration. The outlet added that during the six-month period there would be negotiations for a new deal.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
President Donald Trump is hosting an event at the White House Wednesday to tout how ‘Clean Beautiful Coal,’ he says, is America’s most reliable and affordable energy source.
The president will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum for Wednesday’s event, which is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the White House’s East Room.
The White House told Fox News Digital Tuesday that a number of governors and members of Congress were also invited to attend the event.
‘Beautiful, clean coal is critical to ensuring American families and businesses have the energy they need, while simultaneously driving down electricity costs across the country,’ White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. ‘President Trump’s commonsense approach is unleashing America’s most reliable and affordable energy source, saving thousands of good-paying jobs, and turning the page on Joe Biden’s energy crisis.’
The event is set to highlight how coal is a ‘reliable and affordable energy source that keeps the lights on during times of peak demand,’ the White House said.
The president is set to sign the ‘Strengthen the United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet’ executive order Wednesday during the event — a new initiative for the Department of War to purchase electricity from coal-powered plants.
That order directs Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to enter into power purchasing agreements with coal-fired power plants to ensure that the Department of War has reliable power to strengthen the U.S. grid.
Also during the event, the president will announce that the Department of Energy will award funds to five coal plants to recommission and upgrade facilities in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky.
A White House official told Fox News Digital that will be the first of ‘many more announcements’ related to awarding funds to coal plants across the nation.
‘Since the President has returned to office his relentless support for the coal industry has been felt,’ a White House official told Fox News Digital. ‘Coal production is up, new mines have been (opened), existing mines are being expanded, coal plants are continuing to run, and NEDC is working with a few companies to help build new coal generation units — which hasn’t happened since 2013.’
The official pointed to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which logged that during the first two quarters of 2025, an additional 12.2 million tons of coal were produced than in the first two quarters of 2024, representing a 5% increase year-over-year.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed the event, saying the president ‘will discuss how Clean Beautiful Coal is not only keeping the lights on but also driving down the cost of electricity across our country.’
Also during the event, the Washington Coal Club is set to name Trump the ‘Undisputed Champion of Coal.’
The event comes after the Trump administration, in January, reinstated the National Coal Council, comprised of dozens of stakeholders from energy firms, utilities, governmental and tribal interests, saying that no industry affects Americans’ lives more.
The council is now chaired by Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech and Core Natural Resources Chairman Jimmy Brock. The council cut its was reinstated four years after then-President Joe Biden dissolved the decades-old consortium.
It also comes after the Energy Department announced $625 million would be put toward reinvigorating the U.S. coal industry in response to Trump’s executive order calling for such, and another directive to ‘strengthen the reliability and security of the U.S. energy grid.’
Wright’s office said in a release that the administration has saved more than 15GW of coal-powered electricity, in part through relaunching the council.
In July 2025, a DOE analysis found that the loss of coal-fired power plants would make grid reliability unsustainable, while also finding that 100GW more peak-hour supply is needed by 2030.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
At Super Bowl LX, companies behind blockbuster GLP-1 medications spent tens of millions of dollars to court a mass audience.
But as brand-name makers and telehealth platforms race to normalize and expand access, regulators on both sides are warning of a parallel surge in counterfeit, compounded, and black-market versions.
A s much as 12 percent of American adults are now using GLP-1 medications, with US patients spending US$40 billion on appetite-suppressing drugs in 2024. That figure is projected to triple by 2030, according to recent data by Grand View Research.
This year’s Super Bowl advertising lineup reflected that demand. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro, ran a pre-game spot. Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), which produces Wegovy and Ozempic, aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial during the game itself, featuring DJ Khaled, John C. Reilly, and other celebrities.
Telehealth provider Ro enlisted Serena Williams for an in-game campaign, while Hims & Hers returned for a second consecutive year with a provocative message focused on healthcare inequality.
The ads signal that GLP-1 drugs—originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes—have become household names. These medications mimic a hormone that regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. Beyond weight loss, they are increasingly studied for potential benefits in heart disease and other conditions.
But as demand accelerates, so too has the gray and black market.
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that some patients are turning to unapproved versions of GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, for weight loss.
These versions may be compounded by pharmacies when approved drugs are unavailable, but compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before being marketed.
The agency has also raised concerns about improper storage during shipping, particularly for injectable versions that require refrigeration. It has also flagged fraudulent compounded products bearing false labels or the names of pharmacies that did not produce them.
The FDA has established an import alert to help block GLP-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients with potential quality concerns from entering the US supply chain, while emphasizing that compounded drugs should only be used when a patient’s medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved alternative.
Researchers found that one in seven users were taking drugs not licensed for weight loss, often purchased privately.
The situation is also similar in the UK. More than 6,500 counterfeit or unlicensed weight-loss injections have been seized over the past three years, according to new data from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as reported by The Independent.
Seizures rose sharply from 407 in 2023 to 5,851 in 2025, with many discovered through inland investigations rather than at the border, suggesting a growing domestic black market.
Andy Morling, deputy director of enforcement at the MHRA, said the agency removed nearly 20 million illegally traded medicines from circulation last year. “Each and every one of those products was potentially dangerous to the public,” he said.
Online providers have warned that demand is outpacing regulated access. Sokratis Papafloratos, founder of Numan, told a London Assembly committee, “ In terms of illicit access, I think we really underestimate the problem and misunderstand it.”
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Meta and Google returned to Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday for the second day of a landmark trial over claims their platforms were designed to addict young users — a closely watched case that could carry major consequences for hundreds of similar lawsuits nationwide.
The outcome could put the social media giants on the hook for significant damages in this case and others, should a Los Angeles jury side with the plaintiffs. The lawsuit is widely viewed as a bellwether for roughly 1,600 related cases across the country, underscoring the potential legal and financial ripple effects.
Still, much remains uncertain. Attorneys told the court the trial could stretch six to eight weeks, offering little early indication of how jurors might ultimately rule.
As day two nears a close, here’s an overview of where things stand.
The lead attorney for the plaintiff, identified only as K.G.M, and for Meta presented dueling opening statements to jurors this week, offering an early preview of their most compelling arguments and points they are likely to revisit for the duration of the trial.
Mark Lanier, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told jurors that deciding in favor of his client, K.G.M. will be ‘as easy as ABC,’ which he told the court stands for ‘addicting the brains of children.’
Lanier’s opening statement was neither short nor lacking in props, including a toy Ferrari, a bicycle hand brake, and eggs —introduced to the jury, one-by-one, over the course of his two-hour remarks.
He argued the selective tactics used by tech giants were the same tactics embraced by casinos, ‘borrowing heavily’ from slot machines and tobacco companies in an attempt to ‘deliberately’ develop design features that maximize youth engagement, target younger users — and make it difficult for them to disengage from the platforms compared to older users and adults.
‘For a teenager, social validation is survival,’ Lanier said, noting that Meta, Google, and others ‘engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation.’
Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt, for his part, starkly contrasted Lanier’s tactics in his own remarks to the jury. His presentation was more formal and buttoned-up, as he ticked carefully through the points denoted in a PowerPoint presentation.
Schmidt argued that K.G.M.’s struggles existed largely independently of the platform, telling jurors that their responsibility is to determine only whether Meta played a ‘substantial factor’ in her mental health struggles.
He cited excerpts from the plaintiff’s medical history, therapy sessions, and childhood to argue that the struggles she encountered appear to stem from other issues, including family problems, bullying, and issues with body image.
Schmidt also cited a 2025 interview in which K.G.M. said she continues to use Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which he said undercut the claim of substantial harm.
The outcome of the case could have a profound impact on hundreds of other cases in the U.S., including some that are slated to begin as early as this year.
It comes as parents, school districts, and other regulators have cited concerns about phone use among young people, including social media use.
Plaintiffs in the cases have argued that the companies themselves should be held liable for knowingly embracing design features that they say aim to keep children online.
The majority of lawsuits filed to date against the companies have alleged similar harm, including addiction, depression, anxiety, or self-harm behaviors.
Because the case is being heard in civil court, it is unclear how much a jury might award to the plaintiff, should they find in favor of K.G.M.
But experts say these outcomes could have a far-reaching consequences beyond simply financial exposure, impacting the design and regulation standards for social media giants for years to come.
Mexican authorities have recovered 10 bodies as part of an investigation into the January abduction of workers from a mining site operated by Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver (TSXV:VZLA) in the northern state of Sinaloa.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said the bodies were located in the municipality of Concordia, near where the workers were taken in late January.
Five of the victims have so far been formally identified, while forensic teams continue work to establish the identities of the remaining bodies, according to Reuters.
Mexico’s national mining chamber, Camimex, confirmed that three of the deceased were miners: Ignacio Aurelio Salazar, José Ángel Hernández and José Manuel Castañeda Hernández. Castañeda Hernández, a geologist, was identified by his brother.
“In truth, this has been very painful to be here, in a place where we don’t want to be. There is no justice with what is happening,” he told CBC News in an interview.
Vizsla Silver said it is awaiting official verification from Mexican authorities and will provide further updates once more information becomes available.
The company has suspended operations at its Pánuco project since the abductions occurred and said it remains focused on locating any workers who may still be missing and supporting affected families.
“We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life,” Vizsla president and CEO Michael Konnert said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences are with our colleagues’ families, friends and co-workers, and the entire community of Concordia.”
The abductions took place on January 23, when 10 workers were taken from the mining site near Concordia.
Since then, the Mexican government has stepped up its security presence in Sinaloa, deploying more than 1,000 troops, including marines, over the past weekend as part of efforts to locate missing workers and stabilize the area.
Authorities have also arrested four people in connection with the case, officials said. Upon initial investigation, authorities are now linking the incident to an internal conflict within the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful organized crime groups.
The dispute, which escalated in 2024, pits factions loyal to the sons of imprisoned cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán against a rival group aligned with the family of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
Mexico’s Security and Civilian Protection Secretary Omar Harfuch has said authorities suspect a cell linked to the faction known as Los Chapitos was behind the kidnapping. Analysts say the attack may have been intended as a show of strength in a strategically important region.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (February 9) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$66,970.63, down 2.2 percent over the last 24 hours.
Bitcoin price performance, February 11, 2026.
Chart via TradingView
Ether (ETH) was priced at US$1,949.36, down by 2.7 percent over the last 24 hours.
US banks are hardening their position on stablecoin rules, escalating a policy clash that has left the long-awaited Clarity Act stuck in Congress.
During a White House–hosted meeting led by the administration’s crypto council, banking groups circulated a proposal calling for an outright ban on paying interest or other incentives to stablecoin holders.
The draft language states: “No person may provide any form of financial or non-financial consideration to a stablecoin holder” in connection with holding or using a payment stablecoin.
Banking groups warned that allowing yield on stablecoins could “drive deposit flight that would undercut Main Street lending,” while crypto advocates argued innovation should not be stifled. The dispute centers on whether stablecoin rewards resemble bank deposits, potentially siphoning funds from traditional lenders.
‘As we noted during the meeting, that framework can and must embrace financial innovation without undermining safety and soundness, and without putting the bank deposits that fuel local lending and drive economic activity at risk. We look forward to ongoing discussions to move market structure legislation forward,’ the American Bankers Association (ABA) said in a statement following the meeting.
The standoff has become the main obstacle preventing the Clarity Act from advancing, despite earlier passage of the GENIUS Act, which created a federal framework for dollar-backed stablecoins.
Franklin Templeton and Binance have launched an institutional collateral program that allows tokenized money market fund shares to be used for crypto trading margin.
Issued via Franklin’s blockchain-based Benji platform, the tokenized shares remain in regulated third-party custody while Binance mirrors their value for trading purposes. The structure is designed to reduce counterparty risk by keeping assets off the exchange, addressing a longstanding concern among institutional investors.
Because the collateral consists of yield-bearing money market fund shares, institutions can continue earning interest while deploying capital for crypto trades. T
Currently, participation is limited to qualified institutional clients meeting Binance’s risk and compliance standards.
Goldman Sachs disclosed in its latest SEC filing that it holds just over US$1 billion in exposure to Bitcoin through exchange-traded funds, even as the asset has fallen sharply from its October peak.
The exposure is split across products including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin ETF. Bitcoin has dropped roughly 47 percent from its high and is trading near US$67,000, part of a broader US$2 trillion drawdown across the crypto market.
ETF flows have been volatile, with more than US$6 billion exiting spot Bitcoin funds since November, according to industry data.
Despite the slump, Goldman has also expanded into Ethereum, XRP, and Solana ETFs.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.