Category: News
Niña de 6 años sobrevive al accidente de tren en España que mató a su familia
Por JOSEPH WILSON
BARCELONA, España (AP) — El rugido era ensordecedor dentro del vagón del tren mientras se salía de las vías y luego deslizaba por una pendiente pronunciada. Y luego, en medio del metal retorcido de los escombros, los gritos de los heridos y el silencio de los muertos.
Rodeada de cuerpos tras el accidente de tren en el sur de España, una niña pequeña de alguna manera emergió prácticamente ilesa.
El periódico La Vanguardia informó que un agente de la Guardia Civil la encontró descalza en las vías después de que escapara por una ventana rota.
El familiar Juan Barroso dijo a los periodistas que la niña de 6 años está en buen estado de salud después de recibir tres puntos en la cabeza en un hospital. El alcalde del pueblo de su familia, ubicado cerca de la línea ferroviaria, declaró que encontraba un poco de consuelo en el hecho de que esta niña estaba fuera de peligro.
El alcalde de Punta Umbría, José Carlos Hernández, observó un minuto de silencio por las víctimas el martes y luego indicó que, en medio de la tristeza por las víctimas, fue un milagro que la niña sobrevivió.
Entre ellas estaban los padres, el hermano y un primo de la niña. Al menos 41 personas murieron en el accidente que ha sacudido a la nación y ha dejado huérfana a la niña.
Los apellidos de su familia son Zamorano Álvarez, según informó el ayuntamiento, pero The Associated Press no está revelando su nombre de pila.
Punta Umbría ha declarado tres días de luto por las víctimas, incluida la familia Zamorano Álvarez. Estaban sentados en los vagones delanteros que soportaron el mayor impacto cuando un tren que venía en dirección opuesta de repente se salió de las vías por razones aún desconocidas.
El alcalde Hernández señaló que la niña está ahora con sus abuelos en un hotel en Córdoba, la ciudad más cercana al accidente.
Sostuvo que la niña cuenta con una familia tremenda que hará lo necesario para que tenga una vida feliz. ___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Ben Kristopher overcomes doubts to become indispensable for Libertyville: ‘A matter of believing in myself’
Ben Kristopher’s first three years in Libertyville’s boys basketball program may have shaken his confidence at times.
But the 6-foot senior guard is reaping the rewards for his perseverance.
“There were always doubts creeping in, but my dad was always there for me, pushing me and telling me I was capable of being the player I wanted to be,” Kristopher said. “My teammates also pushed me because they always knew I had the skill.
“Ultimately, it was a matter of believing in myself.”
Kristopher’s high school career began on Libertyville’s freshman B team. Then he was sidelined for almost his entire sophomore season after he suffered a fractured hip in soccer. Falling behind, Kristopher didn’t quit, and he returned for the final two games of that season.
“As long as I could remember, I always had a ball in my hands,” he said. “I just love the sport so much. I just couldn’t give it up.”
So even after playing time was virtually nonexistent for him last season, Kristopher entered last summer on a mission to prove he belonged in Libertyville’s plans, and he succeeded. The second-leading scorer for the Wildcats (9-7, 4-2), who are tied for third place in the North Suburban Conference, Kristopher is averaging 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-high 2.0 steals.
“He made a huge leap in his skills this summer, he committed to the weight room and got bigger and stronger,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. “You could tell that his confidence level had gone to another level and he was so much more comfortable with the ball in his hands.”
Kristopher, who recorded a career-high 18 points against Lake Forest on Dec. 3, also leads the Wildcats in deflections and is often tasked with checking the opponent’s top scorer.
“Defense takes a certain level of aggression that my teammates know I’m capable of,” he said. “I’ve always had pretty good instincts, and I enjoy putting pressure on the ball and getting after guys and taking a few charges to give the team momentum.”
Libertyville’s Ben Kristopher, right, tries to deflect a pass by Grayslake Central’s Shane Mussay during a nonconference game in Grayslake on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
Kristopher’s height is another significant factor in his rise. He said he has grown about 7 inches in the past year.
“That has really helped a lot,” he said. “Growing up, I was always the shortest player on the team, so I always had to play with more moxie to show everything I’m capable of. Now I can rebound a lot better, I can get into the lane a little bit, and the extra wingspan is useful in getting deflections.”
Kristopher is inspiring teammates like junior guard Brandon Leyva.
“He’s definitely taken things personally, like he wants to prove people wrong,” Leyva said. “He’ll show you rather than tell you as a leader. He’s constantly texting the guys to see if they want to get shots up. He just lives in the gym. That’s the biggest thing I’ve taken away from him.”
Libertyville’s Ben Kristopher (3) puts up a shot against Grayslake Central’s Aidan Bechard during a nonconference game in Grayslake on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
Zyrkowski certainly appreciates what Kristopher has accomplished.
“He was always the shortest, smallest guy on the court, and he’s completely changed the script, which is a credit to him,” Zyrkowski said. “He’s proven that positive things can happen if you go about them the right way.
“It’s a remarkable story, but I’m not surprised he’s taken the leap he has, mostly because of his character.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/basketball-libertyville-ben-kristopher/
Carney’s Beijing Gambit Triggers Trump Warning In The Form Of A Big Beautiful Map
Carney’s Beijing Gambit Triggers Trump Warning In The Form Of A Big Beautiful Map
After over the weekend warning that he would impose a 10% tariff on imports from several European countries in response to their opposition to his Greenland takeover plan, later threatening the tariff could be raised to 25% within weeks if those governments fail to fall in line – President Trump has once again escalated, this time with an overnight Truth Social post of a map showing not just Greenland as part of the US but Canada too.
The image features President Trump addressing European leaders in the Oval Office. In the background is a map with Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba shown them as part of the United States, draped over by American flag colors.
The image is actually an edited version of a real photograph from when various leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – were in Washington, DC in August 2025, for talks focused on Ukraine peace.
A separate AI-generated image Trump put out overnight depicts the president alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Greenland. They are driving an American flag into the ground beside a sign reading, “Greenland-US Territory. Est. 2026.”
Trump is now also clearly putting Canada on notice as the next to potentially feel his wrath and repercussions for joining European countries in resisting his Greenland policy.
Among the latest Greenland Truth Social Posts by President Trump below. He also asserted separately “There can be no going back”…
An unnamed US official told NBC, “Trump is really worried about the U.S. continuing to drift in the Western Hemisphere and is focused on this.” This means America’s longtime northern neighbor is about to feel the pressure to cooperate:
As Trump’s advisers work toward his goal of acquiring Greenland, the president has privately grown more exercised about what he sees as Canada’s similar inability to defend its borders against any encroachment from Russia or China, specifically arguing Canada needs to spend more on defense, the officials said. They said his push has accelerated internal discussions about a broader Arctic strategy and potentially reaching an agreement with Canada this year to fortify its northern border.
NBC observes further, “The current U.S. officials said there is not discussion of stationing American troops on the ground along Canada’s northern border. And unlike with Greenland, Trump is not seeking to purchase Canada or saying he might take it by U.S. military force, the senior administration official and current and former U.S. officials said.”
Canada is actually weighing joining the Europeans with a small troop deployment to Greenland. But as we previewed earlier, while no final decision has been made on a Canadian deployment, such an act would remain largely symbolic in nature – but Canadian leadership under the Carney government is likely very worried about needlessly provoking Trump’s wrath. But too late, it seems.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that Canada is “concerned” about what he has called US “escalation” – but again this is a bad moment for Canada to get ‘noticed’ by Trump for joining European ‘defiance’ of this future plans for Greenland. Domestic pressure in Canada is rising for the Carney government to ‘stand up’ to Trump:
As NATO allies send small deployments to Greenland for joint exercises, Prime Minister Mark Carney is mulling sending Canadian troops to join them. Retired Royal Canadian Air Force general and former chief of the defense staff Thomas Lawson says the deployments signal that NATO countries — apart from the U.S. — are unified behind Denmark and Greenland.
—NATO exercises in Greenland a ‘rebuke’ to Trump that Canada should join: retired general
Meanwhile some big, unexpected things are happening between Canada and China, along the lines of a ‘reset’…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is pitching Canada as a pillar of a reshaped global trade order, leaning into closer ties with China and a patchwork of smaller trade agreements, even as the northern neighbor remains deeply tethered to the US economy – and despite years of bad relations with Beijing triggered largely by the Huawei affair.
This is the perhaps best illustration that Trump’s new “Monroe doctrine” is objectively achieving the exact opposite of what it intends. pic.twitter.com/M5WJBkoj1M
Carney is currently in Beijing describing a “new era of relations between Canada and China” and explicitly talking…
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) January 16, 2026
Last week, Carney went further than many of his European counterparts by striking a deal with Beijing, signaling an effort for Canada to get ahead in a post-American-centric trade system after President Donald Trump’s tariffs have deeply strained long-standing commercial relationships nearly to breaking point.
Fresh commentary from Rabobank unpacks this theme further in the following…
* * *
Canada offers an example of an alternative approach? Mark Carney just made the first visit to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in almost a decade. Canada’s name has been mud in Beijing for years after the former Trudeau government complied with a US warrant for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2019. Trudeau then placed substantial tariffs on imports of Chinese steel, aluminium and electric vehicles – where duties were set at 100% for the latter.
Carney has now signed a deal with China to lower EV tariffs to 6.1% up to an annual quota of 49,000 vehicles. In return China will drop tariffs on Canadian canola to 15%. Having previously described China as the greatest threat to Canada’s national security, Carney is now saying that the relations with the Middle Kingdom are more predictable than relations with the United States, and is making a show of cozying up to Beijing. As one observer puts it on X, Carney’s pivot is a “vintage Gaullist move.”
Carney is attempting to leverage Trump by signing deals with Beijing and even flirting with the idea of sending Canadian troops to Greenland. With Chinese influence having been ejected unceremoniously from Venezuela, and under pressure in the Panama Canal, the last thing the Trump administration would want is for Canada to offer China another geopolitical toehold in the Western hemisphere. Carney offering that toehold in the Arctic, directly adjacent to Greenland, must be particularly ‘de-Gaulling’ for Trump, who is so far calling the bluff by shrugging his shoulders. However, this strategy is incredibly high risk.
Not only does Carney’s backdown on Chinese EVs threaten Canada’s own auto industry (see criticism from Ontario Premier Doug Ford here), but there is always the chance that poking the (US) bear might actually elicit a response from the bear. Canada sends ~75% of its goods exports to the United States while the United States is by far the largest supplier of armaments to Canada. Consequently, Carney will be hoping that Trump’s response is to offer him a better deal than Xi Jinping is willing to give. However, with the USMCA trade agreement up for renegotiation and the US back in a Great Power frame of mind, Carney runs the risk that Donald Trump might instead decide that Canada is also very nice..
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/20/2026 – 08:45
Curt Cignetti finishes his coaching masterpiece in guiding unbeaten Indiana to a title in his 2nd season
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Curt Cignetti came to Indiana to win championships.
The old-school, blunt-spoken coach who began his Hoosiers tenure with a promise to bring swift success to the losingest program in college football completed his masterpiece on Monday night, guiding Indiana to a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff final and the first national championship in school history.
Cignetti accomplished what few imagined could be done — at least not this quickly. But after taking advantage of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness money to build a championship roster, Cignetti coached the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking, and they finished off an undefeated campaign in front of 67,227 fans at Hard Rock Stadium, concluding one of the most surprising turnarounds in college football history.
Cignetti — who began his head coaching career at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2011 — became the first head coach to win a national title in his first or second season with a team since Gene Chizik led Auburn to the championship in 2010.
“What’s this moment like for me?” Cignetti said. “Back when I was waxing the staff table at IUP Thanksgiving weekend and the school was shut down for the playoffs … Did I ever think something like this was possible? Probably not. If you keep your nose down in life and keep working, anything is possible.”
Cignetti kept working and kept winning through stints at Elon and James Madison before he made the leap to the Big Ten and dismissed skeptics by saying, “I win. Google me.”
On Monday night, Cignetti described his team’s performance as gutsy. He certainly called the game that way with a pair of fourth-down gambles on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter that ended with a bruising touchdown run by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Cignetti went for it on fourth-and-5 at Miami’s 37, and the result was a first-down catch by Charlie Becker, who whipped around to snag a back-shoulder pass for a 19-yard gain.
The next was a call from fourth-and-4 at the 12 that was by far the biggest of the game.
Cignetti initially sent his kicker out but then called a timeout. The team huddled on the field, and the coach drew up a quarterback draw. Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
“We put it in for this game,” Cignetti said. “It was a quarterback draw, but it was blocked differently. And we rolled the dice and said they’re going to be in (the same defense) again. We blocked it well. He broke a tackle or two and got into the end zone.”
The bold call was fitting, considering how improbable it was that Indiana was playing for the title.
Indiana had never won more than nine games in a season before Cignetti’s arrival two years ago, and in 2022 became the first Bowl Subdivision program to reach 700 losses.
Now the Hoosiers have double-digit wins in two straight years.
Cignetti brought 13 players from JMU to Indiana and saw the potential in Mendoza, who transferred from California.
“Coach Cig changed my life,” said standout linebacker Aiden Fisher, who followed Cignetti from JMU. “From a kid that felt like I was under-recruited, that I deserved more attention than I got. … The amount of confidence he built in me, the trust and belief he had in me — I mean, why would you leave that? When a coach cares that much about you and sees so much for your future. He’s talked about development and growth for me all the time. It was a no-brainer. I owe a lot to him. He’s an unbelievable coach, but he’s an unbelievable person.”
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A Pittsburgh native and the son of College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti Sr., Cignetti graduated from West Virginia in 1982 and began coaching as an assistant at Pitt. He spent the next 24 years working his way up the college football ranks before landing with Nick Saban in Alabama as a recruiting coordinator and receivers coach.
That was Cignetti’s last stop before making the jump to head coach at IUP in 2011.
“I never really thought this was possible,” he said. “But I just kept working, and things happened. And here we are.”
As expected, Cignetti barely smiled during the game. He didn’t show much emotion when Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara blocked a punt by Dylan Joyce, leading to a touchdown.
The 64-year-old threw his hands up briefly in triumph after Mendoza scored. Even as Indiana players began celebrating victory after Miami native Jamari Sharpe intercepted the Hurricanes’ Carson Beck in the final minute, Cignetti’s eyes remained on the field, waiting for the final seconds to tick off the clock.
Once it was final, as confetti began to hit the ground, Cignetti sprinted onto the field and pointed toward the sky.
“We won the national championship at Indiana University,” he said. “It can be done.”
After that, he cracked a smile.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/indiana-curt-cignetti-masterpiece/
Ley de presupuesto republicana está permitiendo masivas redadas migratorias de Trump
Por LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — Un enorme presupuesto para el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas. Bonos de contratación de 50.000 dólares. Filas crecientes de agentes de ICE en una fuerza nacional en expansión más grande que la mayoría de los departamentos de policía en Estados Unidos.
El presidente Donald Trump prometió la operación de deportación masiva más grande en la historia nacional, pero lograr su objetivo no habría sido posible sin la financiación del gran proyecto de ley de recortes de impuestos y gastos aprobado por los republicanos en el Congreso, que está impulsando redadas migratorias sin precedentes en ciudades como Minneapolis.
El gran proyecto de ley del Partido Republicano está “supercargando a ICE”, dijo un experto en presupuestos, de maneras que la ciudadanía quizás no percibe completamente y que apenas han comenzado.
“No creo que la gente tenga una idea de la magnitud”, declaró Bobby Kogan, director senior de política presupuestaria federal en el Centro para el Progreso Americano y exasesor de la Oficina de Administración y Presupuesto de la administración de Biden.
“Estamos viendo a ICE de una manera que nunca antes habíamos visto”, afirmó.
Presupuesto de Trump creó una descomunal fuerza policial
Mientras el presidente republicano marca el primer año de su segundo mandato, la deportación de inmigrantes ha sido un pilar de su agenda de política interna y exterior, y se está transformando rápidamente en otra cosa: una presencia policial en todas partes del país, con miles de millones de dólares de los contribuyentes.
La muerte a tiros de Renee Good en Minneapolis mostró el alarmante alcance de la nueva fuerza federalizada, provocando protestas incesantes contra los agentes, apertrechados con uniformes militares, que han sido vistos yendo de puerta en puerta para encontrar y detener a inmigrantes. En medio de las crecientes protestas, Trump revivió las amenazas de invocar la Ley de Insurrección para sofocar las manifestaciones y el ejército tiene 1.500 soldados listos para desplegar.
Sin embargo, la aprobación pública de Trump sobre inmigración, uno de sus temas emblemáticos, ha disminuido desde que asumió el cargo, según una encuesta de AP-NORC.
“El sentimiento público lo es todo”, indicó la representante demócrata por Nueva York Nydia M. Velázquez en una conferencia de prensa en el Capitolio con legisladores que apoyan la legislación para destituir a la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional Kristi Noem.
Los estadounidenses, dijo, están molestos por lo que están viendo. “No votaron para esto”, expresó.
Cruces fronterizos disminuyen, pero los estadounidenses enfrentan nuevas medidas de ICE
Sin duda, los cruces ilegales hacia Estados Unidos en la frontera con México han caído a mínimos históricos bajo Trump, un cambio notable respecto a hace solo unos años cuando la administración demócrata del presidente Joe Biden permitió que millones de personas ingresaran temporalmente mientras se adjudicaban sus solicitudes para quedarse.
Sin embargo, las medidas ahora se alejan de la frontera: el ejército recién contratado de policías de inmigración que inunda calles con tácticas agresivas en Los Ángeles, Chicago y otros lugares, es algo que normalmente no se ve en Estados Unidos.
Policías, armados y enmascarados, han sido vistos rompiendo ventanas de automóviles, sacando a personas de vehículos y persiguiendo y empujando otros al suelo y llevándolos, imágenes transmitidas sin cesar en televisores y otras pantallas.
Y no es solo ICE. Una larga lista de agencias de apoyo, incluidas policías federales, estatales y locales, están entrando en asociaciones contractuales con Seguridad Nacional para llevar a cabo operaciones de control de inmigración en comunidades de todo el país.
El presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, el republicano Mike Johnson, ha advertido a los demócratas que este “no es momento para jugar” ni agitar la oposición a las redadas migratorias.
“Necesitan apartarse y permitir que las fuerzas del orden federales cumplan con su deber”, dijo Johnson en el Capitolio.
Noem insiste que los elementos policiales están actuando legalmente. El departamento insiste en que está apuntando a criminales en las acciones, lo que los funcionarios llaman los peores de los peores inmigrantes.
Sin embargo, hay reportes de que personas inocentes y ciudadanos estadounidenses también están siendo detenidas. El año pasado, la Corte Suprema levantó una prohibición sobre el uso de la raza como único criterio en las paradas de inmigración.
El mes pasado, Trump llamó “basura” a los inmigrantes somalíes, comentarios que resonaron con sus objeciones pasadas a inmigrantes de ciertos países.
La administración Trump se ha fijado una meta de 100.000 detenciones al día, aproximadamente tres veces lo habitual, con un millón de deportaciones al año.
El dinero fluye con pocas restricciones
Con el control republicano del Congreso, la destitución de Noem o cualquier otro funcionario de Trump no es una opción viable para los demócratas, quienes no parecen tener los votos necesarios incluso entre sus propias filas.
De hecho, incluso si el Congreso quisiera frenar las operaciones de inmigración de Trump, amenazando con cerrar el gobierno, por ejemplo, sería difícil detener el gasto.
Lo que Trump llamó el “gran y hermoso proyecto de ley” está esencialmente en piloto automático hasta 2029, el año en que Trump debe terminar su mandato y dejar el cargo.
La legislación esencialmente duplicó la financiación anual de Seguridad Nacional, agregando 170.000 millones de dólares para ser utilizados durante cuatro años. De eso, ICE, que típicamente recibe alrededor de 10.000 millones de dólares al año, recibió 30.000 millones de dólares para operaciones y 45.000 millones de dólares para instalaciones de detención.
“Lo primero que viene a la mente es que el gasto a este nivel típicamente se hace en el ámbito militar”, observó Kathleen Bush-Joseph, analista de políticas en el Instituto de Políticas de Migración. “Trump está militarizando el control de inmigración”.
En el futuro, el Congreso necesitará considerar la financiación rutinaria para Seguridad Nacional antes del 30 de enero o arriesgarse a un cierre parcial en algunas operaciones. La versión republicana del proyecto de ley anual proporcionaría alrededor de 92.000 millones de dólares para la agencia, incluidos 10.000 millones de dólares para ICE. Pero un grupo creciente de senadores demócratas y el Caucus Progresista del Congreso dicen que ya basta, que no apoyarán fondos adicionales sin cambios significativos.
Los legisladores están considerando varias restricciones a las operaciones de ICE, incluidas la limitación de arrestos alrededor de hospitales, tribunales, iglesias y otros lugares sensibles y asegurarse de que los policías muestren la identificación adecuada y se abstengan de usar máscaras faciales.
“Creo que ICE necesita ser completamente desmantelado”, señaló el senador demócrata por Arizona Ruben Gallego en CNN durante el fin de semana.
“La gente quiere una policía que persiga a los criminales”, dijo, no “este escuadrón de matones”.
Gran gasto en marcha, pero Trump no alcanza sus objetivos
Mientras tanto, Seguridad Nacional ha comenzado a utilizar el nuevo dinero a su disposición. El departamento informó al Congreso que ha comprometido aproximadamente 58.000 millones de dólares y la mayor parte de eso, unos 37.000 millones de dólares, para la construcción del muro fronterizo, según una persona familiarizada con la evaluación privada pero no autorizada para discutirlo.
El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional sostiene que su masiva campaña de reclutamiento superó su objetivo de 10.000 personas para traer 12.000 nuevas contrataciones, más que duplicando la fuerza a 22.000 elementos en cuestión de meses.
“La buena noticia es que gracias al Gran Hermoso Proyecto de Ley que el presidente Trump firmó, tenemos 12.000 efectivos más de ICE en el terreno en todo el país”, apuntó la subsecretaria Tricia McLaughlin en un comunicado de diciembre.
El departamento también anunció que había arrestado y deportado a unas 600.000 personas. También dijo que otras 1,9 millones se habían “autodeportado voluntariamente” desde enero de 2025, cuando Trump asumió el cargo.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
TACO Tuesday? Everything Crashing As Trump Arrives In Davos Amid Japan Bond Meltdown
TACO Tuesday? Everything Crashing As Trump Arrives In Davos Amid Japan Bond Meltdown
US equity futures are sharply lower, on pace for their biggest drop of the year, with Beta underperforming. And while geopolitics are the catalyst – as attention remains glued to see what Trump will say next on his Truth Social feed ahead of this week’s Davos meetings – after Trump reignited his trade war with Europe, the moves are exacerbated by a meltdown in JGBs (in a historic move, 30Y JGB are +27bp, a 6-sigma move) which has triggered a global bond selloff. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are down 1.4%, but off their worst levels of the morning; Nasdaq futures slide 1.7%. Pre-market, all of Mag7 are lower alongside higher beta plays. Energy, Materials, Staples, and Utils are outperforming on the move lower. In the latest geopolitical news, the EU suggests a proportional response to Trump’s Greenland demands but that the previous trade deal still holds as Trump threatens additional tariffs on France; at the same time, Bessent says that EU is not looking to exit their Treasury holdings after a report from Deutsche suggested Europe – which holds a record $8 trillion in US assets – could do just that. The yield curve is twisting steeper with belly to backend of the yield curve +3 – 9bp as DXY falls the most since late Aug. Commodities are today’s safe haven led by nat gas (ahead of freezing polar blasts in both Europe and the US) and precious metals (gold and silver both at new record highs, gold rising above $4700 and silver fast approaching $100). Today’s macro focus is the weekly ADP print and any updates from Davos as the market wants to see if today will be another TACO Tuesday.
In premarket trading, Magnificent Seven stocks decline alongside other growth names (Amazon -2.4%, Alphabet -2.3%, Tesla -2.1%, Nvidia -2%, Meta Platforms -2.1%, Microsoft -1.5%, Apple -1.3%)
Gold and silver miners, including Newmont (NEM) and Agnico Eagle (AEM), rise as investors to look for safe-haven assets after US President Donald Trump announced a new 10% levy on eight European countries opposed to his plans to seize Greenland. Newmont +3%, Agnico Eagle +3.6%
And as traders flee risk, decliners include crypto-linked stocks such as Coinbase (COIN), which is down 4%.
3M Co. (MMM) declines 4% after providing a 2026 adjusted earnings forecast range with a midpoint that fell slightly short of estimates. Adjusted earnings will be $8.50 to $8.70 a share in 2026, the maker of Post-it notes said. Analysts had expected $8.64 on average, according to the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
AppLovin (APP) falls 7% after a negative research report by CapitalWatch. The stock was also weighed down by a broader tech selloff amid rising geopolitical tension.
Ciena Corp. (CIEN) drops 6% after BofA Global Research cut its recommendation to neutral from buy, citing valuation and future backlog.
ImmunityBio (IBRX) rises 23% after the drug developer said it held a Type B End-of-Phase meeting with the US FDA regarding its supplemental application for its drug to treat bladder cancer.
Netflix Inc. (NFLX) inches about 1% higher after reaching an amended, all-cash agreement to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s studio and streaming business as it battles Paramount Skydance Corp. to acquire one of Hollywood’s most iconic entertainment companies.
In corporate news, Apple retook the top spot in China after iPhone shipments jumped 28% during the holiday quarter, according to Counterpoint Research. Bain Capital is said to be working with Citigroup and JPMorgan on a review of Singapore-based Bridge Data Centres that may lead to a stake sale.
While traders have been able to get past a whirlwind of other unexpected developments this year, the standoff over Greenland is giving even the biggest bulls a jolt, with no off-ramp yet and forcing the biggest overnight selloff in US futures this year. Trump’s push to take control of Greenland, and renewed trade war with Europe, has injected fresh volatility into markets, reviving fears of a trade confrontation between traditional allies with little sign of compromise. Adding to tensions, Trump overnight threatened to impose steep tariffs on champagne after French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out joining a US-led peace initiative.
The VIX broke above 20 points for the first time since November. Trump’s threat to impose tariffs unless a deal is reached for the purchase of Greenland has sparked speculation that European countries could dump US assets (easier said than done), while a spat with France’s Macron left Trump considering a 200% tariff on wine and champagne.
“The only hope really is that Republican senators and congressmen put a stop to this,” said Laurent Lamagnere, deputy chief executive officer at AlphaValue in Paris. “Investors have taken advantage of these volatility moments to buy the dip but for myself, I am not comfortable. There is no guarantee it will work this time.”
Adding to the pain, long-term treasury yields spiked after a meltdown in Japanese bonds, sending the 30-year US rate up nine basis points to 4.93%. Investors balked at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election pitch to cut taxes on food, pushing Japan’s 40-year rate to a fresh high.
8 hours later, 6-sigma collapse https://t.co/taZruAyYX8 pic.twitter.com/pbUB3QpMh3
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 20, 2026
The latest market drama comes in a backdrop of extreme bullishness. Investors are the most bullish in nearly five years, while protection against an equity correction is at the lowest since 2018, according to Bank of America’s latest fund manager survey. With BofA’s indicator showing the market at a “hyper-bull level,” it’s time to increase risk hedges and havens, strategist Michael Hartnett said. Still, investors caught between FOMO and growing geopolitical risks can take a cue from derivatives strategists: Hot trades for 2026 range from vanilla tail hedges to bespoke dispersion baskets.
Adding to the deluge of headlines, the annual World Economic Forum in Davos is on this week. Bessent urged calm over Greenland at a press conference, while Trump said he will use the event to meet with various parties over his ambition to take control of Greenland. Bessent also said in his remarks that the next Fed chair could be announced next week.
Barclays’ strategist Emmanuel Cau said “erratic” US policies may reinforce “sell America” bias among global allocators. Allianz Global Investors sees the risk of an escalating trade war between the world’s largest economies as “significantly higher” compared to the aftermath of Liberation Day, and expects precious metals to benefit.
Stocks in Europe have extended yesterday’s declines, Stoxx 600 is lower by 1.3% with industrial good and construction stocks leading declines, while media and food beverage shares outperformed. Here are the biggest movers Tuesday:
Wise shares jump as much as 14.3%, marking their best day since mid-2023, after the financial technology company surpassed results expectations and raised its margin goal for the full year
Renault shares rise as much as 3.2% as the French carmaker’s brand vehicle sales increased 3.2% last year and the firm said it will work with Turgis Gaillard on a drone project
Inficon shares rise as much as 6.6% to the highest in nearly a year, after Deutsche Bank upgrades the Swiss vacuum instruments maker to buy from hold and raises the price target by almost 50%
LVMH falls as much as 2.4% in Paris, on track for a seventh straight session of losses, the longest streak since March, after US President Donald Trump signaled he could impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagne
BKW shares fall as much as 12%, the most since June 2023, after the Swiss energy firm cut its Ebit guidance for the full year following a value adjustment of its Wilhelmshaven coal power plant
Acciona Energias Renovables declines as much as 5.5% as RBC double-downgrades to underperform, saying the renewables firm’s weak balance sheet is a key driver of earnings risk. Parent company Acciona SA drops 5%
Fresenius Medical Care shares slip as much as 3.5% after Goldman Sachs downgraded its recommendation on the stock to neutral from buy, citing several headwinds for 2026
Carl Zeiss Meditec shares drop as much as 6.3%, to the lowest since February 2017, after Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the German medical optics company to neutral from buy, citing further challenges this fiscal year
Valneva shares drop as much as 14%, after the French vaccine maker said it had decided to voluntarily withdraw the biologics license application and investigational new drug application for its chikungunya shot, Ixchiq, in the US
Asian stocks fell, as equities in Japan extended their decline amid growing political uncertainty. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.5%, and earlier dropped as much as 0.8%, the most in more than a week. Tech names including Samsung Electronics, Tencent and SK Hynix were among the biggest drags on the gauge. Along with Japan’s shares, gauges in China and South Korea fell, and Indian stocks touched a two-month low. Japan’s Topix index fell the most in a month as political uncertainty grew following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s snap election announcement. Simmering geopolitical tensions around US President Donald Trump’s threats to Greenland’s sovereignty also hurt risk appetite. Chinese equities fell following a raft of measures by Beijing to cool a market rally. Regulators have tightened requirements for margin financing and clamped down on high-speed traders to rein in potential froth.
“Asia markets are largely shrugging off the US-Europe drama,” said Derek Tay, head of investments at Kamet Capital Partners. “Trump seems to like to dramatize everything and talk big before walking back his threats.”
As earnings season kicks into gear, the bar is high for companies to deliver. Analysts predict fourth-quarter S&P 500 earnings growth of 8%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. Key themes include AI spending, oil and tariff jitters and the defense boom. Morgan Stanley strategists, meanwhile, expect an above-average EPS beat rate as the bar was low coming into the quarter.
In FX, the dollar is weaker versus all major peers, with the Bloomberg Dollar Index down 0.3%. The Swiss franc remains the haven of choice with CHF/JPY hitting the 200 level for the first time on record. Gains in the yen are limited by fiscal angst in the run-up to the Feb. 8 election.
In rates, an overnight surge in long-dated Japanese yields, which soared by much as 27bps, has set the tone for fixed income markets. US 10- and 30-year yields are up 7bps and 9bps respectively, with the curve bear-steepening. The German 10-year yield is up 5bps and its UK counterpart higher by 7bps.
In commodities, it’s been another day of record highs for spot gold and silver, which are posting respective gains of 1.2% and 1.0%. Crude futures are showing marginal gains with little follow-through from Libya’s oil crescent halting operations amid adverse weather conditions. Bitcoin is down 1.9%.
The US economic calendar includes weekly ADP employment change (8:15am) and January Philadelphia Fed non-manufacturing activity (8:30am). Fed officials are in a self-imposed communications blackout ahead of the Jan. 28 policy decision, with no action on rates priced into short-term interest-rate products
Market Wrap
S&P 500 mini -1.7%
Nasdaq 100 mini -2%
Russell 2000 mini -2% (*)
Stoxx Europe 600 -1.2%
DAX -1.4%
CAC 40 -1.2%
10-year Treasury yield +7 basis points at 4.29%
VIX +1.4 points at 20.25
Bloomberg Dollar Index -0.3% at 1204.7
euro +0.6% at $1.1718
WTI crude +0.3% at $59.6/barrel
Top Overnight News
Japan’s bond rout intensified as investors gave a thumbs down to Sanae Takaichi’s election pitch to cut taxes on food. The 40-year yield rocketed past 4%, a first for any maturity of the nation’s sovereign debt in more than three decades. BBG
Trump’s big Davos speech tomorrow is set to focus on affordability. He’s expected to outline a proposal to allow 401(k) savings to fund home down-payments and elaborate on plans to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes, cap credit card rates and intervene in the market for MBS. BBG
Scott Bessent urged calm over Greenland, calling for Europe to honor trade agreements and telling the World Economic Forum in Davos that the idea that Europeans might dump US assets “defies any logic.” BBG
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell plans to attend Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing over the attempted dismissal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook by President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the situation. BBG
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump could announce his pick for the next Federal Reserve chair as soon as next week. BBG
Trump: “I know who I want to be Fed Chair, will announce sometime”.
Senior state planners in China are formulating a five-year plan to lift domestic demand, acknowledging that the world’s second-largest economy currently faces an imbalance between “strong supply and weak demand.” WSJ
China bought about 12 million tons of US soybeans over the past three months, traders said, meeting a key pledge in its trade talks with the US. BBG
President Donald Trump threatened to hit French wines and champagnes with 200% tariffs in an apparent effort to cajole French President Emmanuel Macron into joining his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts. RTRS
Netflix reached an amended, all-cash agreement to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc’s studio and streaming business as it battles Paramount Skydance Corp. to acquire one of Hollywood’s most iconic entertainment companies. BBG
Trade/Tariffs
US President Trump: “I will impose 200% tariff on French wines and champagne, and President Macron will join the Board of Peace”.
China said they hit its US soy purchase target of 12mln tonnes, Bloomberg reported citing traders.
Taiwan’s Vice President said we will balance the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US.
South Korea is reportedly to hold off on USD 20bln worth of US trade investment, due to KRW impact.
A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk
APAC stocks traded mostly in the red, except the KOSPI, as the tech sector led the declines. ASX 200 continued to fall away from its 2026 peak of 8915, despite the positivity seen in the metals space as BHP upgraded its FY26 copper production guidance. Nikkei 225 neared 53,000, falling from its ATH of 54,522, as traders assess the policies put forward by the LDP and Centrist Reform Alliance going into the February 8th elections. KOSPI was set to snap its 5-day winning streak, falling from its ATH at 4924, as the tech sector weighs on sentiment. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix briefly led losses, with shares down as much as 3% each before price gradually rebounded but remained in the red. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp traded with modest losses, and little follow-through from the PBoC unsurprisingly holding LPRs steady. Global equities continue to price in the re-escalation of tariffs between the US and EU.
Top Asian News
Citi sees the potential of 3 rate hikes in 2026 by the BoJ if JPY weakness continues.
European equities (STOXX 600 -1.3%) are trading on the back foot, with sentiment remaining under pressure as trade tensions between the US and Europe continue to escalate. The latest development came overnight, when US President Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne. However, Treasury Secretary Bessent spoke on EU-US relations, saying that he is confident that leaders will not escalate and things will work out. European sectors are largely trading in the red; Media leads whilst Industrials and Utilities underperform.
Top European News
US Treasury Secretary Bessent said the US is experiencing a capex boom, which always leads to an employment boom. The narrative of EU nations discussing selling USTs is false; there is no talk of this, it is mis-reporting. On trade:. said the worst thing countries can do is heighten trade tension with the US. The narrative of EU nations discussing selling USTs is false. There is no talk of this, it is mis-reporting. Swiss-US agreement is well along the road. On EU-US relations, said there is no need to jump to the worst case scenario at this point. Reminds that trade ties have been strained before, and it worked out. Is confident that leaders will not escalate and that it will work out. On Economy:. Expects economic growth to be strong this year, at around 4-5% real GDP growth. They will see substantial refunds of up to USD 1000 per worker in Q1.
Citi downgrades Continental Europe to Neutral from Overweight; rising tensions and tariff uncertainties undermine the short-term outlook for European equities.
FX
DXY is on a weak footing this morning, and currently trades at the bottom end of a 98.46-99.13 range. To recap, overnight, President Trump threatened a 200% tariff on French wines/champagne after French President Macron rejected his invitation to join his latest peace initiative. Thereafter, Trump said the UK is acting with “great stupidity”, following the Chagos deal.
The largest bout of pressure for the Dollar was after Treasury Secretary Bessent called for calm and reminded markets that US-EU relations have been strained before, but eventually worked out. This seemingly poured some cooler water on the situation, and the index fell from around 98.85 to a current session low of 98.46.
The recent pressure in the USD has helped to push G10s higher across the board; CHF tops the leaderboard, the EUR resides near highs beyond the 1.1700 mark, whilst USD/JPY has slipped below the 158.00 mark to make a trough at 157.58. Overnight, the JPY was shunned, alongside aggressive selling in JGBs, spurred by increased bets of unsustainable fiscal policy after PM Takaichi called snap elections and the fiscal commentary from parties since.
Elsewhere, Cable sits towards session highs and within a 1.3410-1.3491 range. Earlier, the November jobs report showed a tick higher in the unemployment rate, whilst the wage components remained elevated. A knee-jerk lower was seen in the Pound, but this pared almost immediately, given the narrative around a summer-cut has not really shifted for the BoE.
Fixed Income
Fixed on the backfoot as yields climb in catch-up to Monday’s US holiday and with Japan at record levels.
JGBs down to a 130.66 base, c. 80 ticks below the close on Monday. Pressure driven by the Takaichi trade being in force into the formal election announcement on Friday, and then the polls on 8th February. Pressure that appears to be driven by scrutiny of the fiscal plans of both the government and the combined opposition, as they outline plans to postpone/remove various tax measures.
Action that has driven Japanese yields to highs. The 40yr above 4.23% (+40bps), the 30yr above 3.90% (+41bps), 20y to 3.48% (+32bps), 10yr to 2.38% (+20bps). With the curve markedly steeper.
Macquarie’s Berry wrote, “if the selloff continues, and especially if it spreads globally, then we should see the BoJ dust it [bond buying tool] off and put it to work – maybe as early as tomorrow morning’s daily operations”.
Evidently, we have seen the selloff spread globally. USTs are pressured down by around 9 ticks, and currently resides at the bottom end of the day’s range; Gilts (-70 ticks) and Bunds (-45 ticks) also follow suit. The latter took a leg lower on the region’s ZEW metrics, whereby the Expectations figure topped expectations and improved from the prior.
Japan sold JPY 800bln 20-year JGBs; b/c 3.19x (prev. 4.10x, 12-month avg. 3.44x), average yield 3.2510% (prev. 2.916%). Tail 25bps (prev. 3bps).
Commodities
Crude on the backfoot but only marginally so. Spent the APAC session in a narrow range with complex-specific newsflow somewhat light as the market focus remains on Greenland and the tariffs stemming from it. Early morning trade saw some mild selling in the complex, but this has since reversed to trade towards highs of USD 59.59/bbl and USD 64.27/bbl.
Spot gold at highs, printed another ATH of USD 4737/oz given the risk tone and despite the morning’s significant yield strength.
Base peers in the red. 3M LME Copper down to USD 12.8k/T, within reach of Friday’s USD 12.7k/T base and back towards opening levels from early-January.
China announces plans to expand high-level opening of nonferrous metals future markets by steadily including eligible futures and options in foreign access.
China raises both gas and diesel prices by CNY 85 per tonne from the 21st January.
Venezuela’s Acting President said plans to boost gold and iron output in 2026, and attract metals investment for FX.
China’s Shanghai Futures Exchange to adjust margin requirements and daily price limits for selected copper, aluminium, gold and silver futures contracts from the 22nd of January settlements.
Geopolitics: Ukraine
Ukrainian President Zelensky might go to Davos if he has a bilateral meeting with Trump to sign “prosperity deal”.
Russia’s Lavrov said they yet to receive documents following recent US and European talks on Ukraine.
Russia’s Lavrov said they are ready for contact with the US on Balkans.
Geopolitics: Others
European Commission President von der Leyen says the bloc’s response will be united, proportional and unflinching. The territorial integrity of Greenland is non-negotiable and they will be working on wider Arctic security measures.
UK Government, in response to Trump’s remarks on Diegeo Garcia, said “the deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia…” and “It has been publicly welcomed by the US…”.
US President Trump posted “Thank you to Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO!”.
US President Trump posted “the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia…” adds that this “is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.”.
US President Trump, on Truth Social, said he had a good phone call with NATO Secretary General Rutte about Greenland, and have agreed to meet various parties in Davos.
US President Trump said he will talk about Greenland in Davos, does not think the EU will push back too much on Greenland.
US President Trump conceded in a weekend phone call with UK PM Starmer that he was given bad information regarding troop deployments from European countries to Greenland, CNN reported citing senior UK official.
US Event Calendar
8:15am ADP Weekly Employment Change
8:30am Philadelphiaa Fed Non-mfg Survey
DB’s Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap
I watched the new Game of Thrones prequel last night. When I first watched the original series 15 years ago the geopolitics of Westeros and beyond were that of pure fantasy. A decade and a half on and it sometimes feel like we’re now in our own episode with all that’s going on in the world.
With the US off yesterday the implications of the tariff threats over Greenland had yet to fully percolate through financial markets. This morning US cash bond trading have reopened in Asia and 10yr USTs are +3.8bps higher trading at 4.26% and 30yrs +4.8bps at 4.885%. 2yr yields are flat. The sharp sell-off in long-end bonds ultimately reversed the full effects of Liberation Day so it’s worth keeping an eye on the demand for US assets as a barometer for how aggressive the US might be on this policy.
S&P 500 (-1.01%) and NASDAQ 100 (-1.14%) futures are at similar levels to where they were when Europe went home last night with European equity futures flat to slightly lower. Asia equity markets are selling off a touch more with the Nikkei (-0.98%) being the largest underperformer, followed by the ASX (-0.66%). All other main Asian markets are within a tenth or two of being flat on both sides of zero. JGBs continue to see a very large sell-off, ahead of the upcoming election on February 8th, this time not helped by a soft 20yr auction. 10 and 30yr yields are +8.1bps and +21.7bps higher this morning with 40yr yields crossing 4%. Pretty dramatic moves especially as 10yr yields had already moved +7.7bps yesterday.
This morning the Euro has edged up another tenth of a percent and is now +0.55% above the pre-weekend levels with the Dollar yesterday weakening against every other G10 currency, just as long-end Treasury futures were also losing ground. Interestingly Polymarket suggest the probability of all Trump’s Greenland tariffs going into effect by February 1st is currently 18%, rising to 39% for some of these being imposed. Denmark and Norway are those seen with the highest likelihood of sticking. So Polymarket participants expect compromise but not with high certainty.
So markets have reacted but there’s clearly room for bigger moves if the rhetoric increases further. Trump will likely continue to be active beforehand but remember he speaks at Davos tomorrow and this would be an ideal location for him to get his full views of the world across. Yesterday he declined to rule out the use of force to take Greenland, saying “No comment” when asked by NBC News in an interview. That’s driven growing fears about some kind of retaliatory trade escalation from Europe, with increasingly strong comments from several officials. For instance, German finance minister Lars Klingbeil said that “We are constantly experiencing new provocations, we are constantly experiencing new antagonism, which President Trump is seeking, and here we Europeans must make it clear that the limit has been reached”. Nevertheless, US Treasury Secretary Bessent warned the EU against retaliatory tariffs, saying they’d be “very unwise”.
At around 530am London time just before we go to print Trump posted on social media that “I had a very good telephone call with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, concerning Greenland. I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland. As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security. There can be no going back — On that, everyone agrees.” So some elements of conciliation but without changing his demands.
In terms of what it meant for equities yesterday, trade-exposed sectors were particularly affected. So the STOXX 600 (-1.19%) posted its worst performance in two months, with auto companies like BMW (-3.43%) and Porsche (-3.73%) falling back, whilst a decline in luxury stocks pushed France’s CAC 40 (-1.78%) back into negative territory for 2026. Defence stocks were the main exception however, with Rheinmetall (+0.95%) one of the few to advance on expectations this could galvanise a fresh push towards higher European defence spending. S&P 500 futures were down around -1% at the time of the European close, whilst the VIX index of volatility (+2.98pts) has jumped to 18.8pts as I type, its highest level in nearly 2 months. Elsewhere, Gold prices have risen +1.84% since the weekend.
The situation is complicated by the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on the IEEPA tariffs, which might end up further constraining Trump’s room for manoeuvre on tariffs. However, no-one knows when this will come through (apart from maybe the judges). The bid offer is somewhere between today and June. The market has been burnt before by overreacting to tariff threats. Obviously, there was Liberation Day but more recently Trump’s escalation with China in October prompted a -2.71% decline for the S&P 500 on that day, before he then met with Xi and the trade truce was extended by a year.
For sovereign bonds, the latest developments brought about a clear curve steepening, echoing what happened in previous moments of trade escalations. At the front end, the rally was driven by more dovish central bank pricing, as investors grappled with the prospect of more rate cuts to soften any trade war. So 2yr German yields (-3.1bps) saw a clear decline yesterday, but with 10yr bund yields up +0.5bps.
Otherwise yesterday, there was little data of note, although the Euro Area CPI reading for December was revised down very slightly to +1.9%, having been at +2.0% on the flash print. Elsewhere, Canada’s CPI print was higher than expected yesterday, with headline inflation picking up to +2.4% (vs. +2.2% expected). However, the two measures of core inflation tracked by the Bank of Canada both fell back, with the median core measure down to +2.5% (vs. +2.7% expected), whilst the trim core measure fell to +2.7% as expected. Finally, the IMF also released their latest growth forecasts, upgrading global growth in 2026 by two-tenths to +3.3%, with 2027 unchanged at +3.2%.
Looking at the day ahead, data releases include UK unemployment for November, along with the German ZEW survey for January. Central bank speakers include the ECB’s Nagel, along with BoE Governor Bailey and Deputy Governor Ramsden. Finally, earnings releases include Netflix and United Airlines.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/20/2026 – 08:32
Trump Threatens 200% Champagne Tariff After Macron Rejects ‘Board Of Peace’
Trump Threatens 200% Champagne Tariff After Macron Rejects ‘Board Of Peace’
President Trump told reporters that French leader Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to back the proposed “Board of Peace” for the Gaza Strip could result in a 200% tariff on French champagne and wine. Trump mocked Macron’s political future and suggested the tariff threat would force France to join.
Earlier, a reporter asked President Trump about Macron’s refusal to back the proposed Board of Peace.
Trump responded:
Oh, did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon. So you know, that’s alright. What I’ll do is if they feel hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join. If he said that, you’re probably giving it to me a little bit differently. But if he actually did say that, but as you know, he’s gonna be out of office in a few months.
🇺🇸🇫🇷TRUMP: IF FRANCE WON’T JOIN BOARD OF PEACE, I’LL PUT A 200% TARIFF ON THEIR WINE
“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon.
That’s all right.
What I’ll do is if they feel hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll… pic.twitter.com/07wQZoeoNs
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 20, 2026
Details about the proposed Board of Peace surfaced over the weekend, with a Bloomberg report describing it as a concept that U.S. allies and regional partners have already been briefed on as part of broader diplomatic efforts to influence and reshape Gaza’s future after the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Trump’s comments about Macron came as he heads to the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss Greenland.
Trump posted what appears to be a private message from Macron on Truth Social, in which the French president wrote, “We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran. I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.”
Europeans talk a big game but will likely bend the knee in the Trump era, as the U.S. is highly motivated to secure the Western Hemisphere, and in doing so, will acquire Greenland.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/20/2026 – 08:05
Daywatch: Trial over alleged gang bounty on Bovino to offer litmus test
Good morning, Chicago.
Operation Midway Blitz was in high gear in early October when authorities made a sensational announcement: An alleged ranking member of Chicago’s Latin Kings street gang had been arrested in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino.
The news quickly thrust Juan Espinoza Martinez, a 37-year-old Mexican-born carpenter, into the national spectacle of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation push, with the U.S. attorney’s office calling him “a ruthless and violent” gang member and senior officials holding the case up as an example of the threats immigration officials were facing from international drug cartels.
But as Espinoza Martinez heads to trial today, the rhetoric is about to meet the road.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the CPS honorary student board member on her tenure, Caleb Williams’ season in a nutshell after the Chicago Bears’ playoff loss and a new Aurora art exhibit focusing on the struggles of immigrants.
Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Denied Nobel Peace Prize, Donald Trump tells Norway he’ll push for Greenland
President Donald Trump is now claiming that one reason he is pushing to acquire Greenland is that he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a message he sent to Norway’s prime minister over the weekend.
Pro-Greenland protesters mock Trump’s MAGA slogan with ‘Make America Go Away’ caps
Contractor Pablo Payan, of Merrillville, seen here on Jan. 14, 2026, working on a house he’s renovating, has come to regret his vote for Trump. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
They voted for Trump. But one year into his second term, they have grave concerns. ‘Just wrong.’
Frustrated with the way the country was headed, Pablo Payan cast a ballot for Donald Trump in 2024, mainly drawn to the Republican presidential candidate’s pledge to bring economic strength to the nation as well as an America First mindset.
The father of four from Merrillville usually favored Democrats in the past but was hoping for a nationwide change of direction. Less foreign aid. More border security. Lower inflation. Greater economic growth. Yet roughly a year into Trump’s second presidency, Payan has buyer’s remorse.
A group of drummers keep the beat to chants during a rally at Jane M. Byrne Plaza Park to protest federal immigration operations and U.S. military actions abroad, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
In freezing conditions, hundreds gather downtown to protest ICE
Even on one of the coldest days of the winter, hundreds of protesters took to Chicago’s streets against ICE.
People rallied at the Chicago Water Tower on Michigan Avenue and marched to Trump Tower primarily to oppose the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the war in Gaza, aligning with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and adding onto a long list of demonstrations against the administration that ramped up in Chicago this fall with the federal immigration enforcement crackdown.
Mayor Brandon Johnson walks to the podium to deliver his speech at the annual Rainbow PUSH Coalition Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Don Lemon speak out against Trump at annual MLK breakfast
Mayor Brandon Johnson revived his crusade to tax the rich during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast hosted by the civil rights group Rainbow PUSH.
Speaking downtown yesterday morning, Johnson reflected on the “evil that is manifesting” under President Donald Trump, whose second term in office began a year ago. The freshman mayor sought to tap into the discontent by telling the room of politicians as well as faith and community leaders to “understand what our collective assignment is” as he paid tribute to King.
Destiny Singleton, a senior at Ogden International High School, is an honorary student member of the Chicago Board of Education and will attend Stanford University in the fall, Jan. 15, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
CPS honorary student board member on her tenure: ‘Speak when you’re scared’
Destiny Singleton, a senior at Ogden International High School, is used to speaking up. As the honorary student member of the Chicago Board of Education, she represents 316,000 students across the district.
Taraji P. Henson, a cast member in “The Color Purple,” accepts the award for best supporting actress in a movie during the 55th NAACP Image Awards on March 16, 2024, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/AP)
Actress Taraji P. Henson, who starred in ‘Empire,’ sells condo in Streeterville high-rise for $1.7M
Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson on Friday sold a three-bedroom, 2,540-square-foot condominium on the 36th floor of a Streeterville high-rise for $1.7 million, completing her nearly $3 million sale of condos in the building.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks on the field in between plays in the first quarter against the Rams at Soldier Field on Jan. 18, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Caleb Williams’ season in a nutshell: Another miraculous TD and an overtime INT in Chicago Bears’ playoff loss
Two plays during Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game not only defined whether Caleb Williams could pull off another miracle performance for the Bears, but also illustrated the hot-and-cold nature of his season.
Remarkable season ends for Bears: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the playoff loss in overtime
3 things we learned from the Bears, including establishing a ‘gritty’ identity in 2025
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas answers questions at a press conference during media day at the United Center on Sept. 29, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Column: The Chicago Bulls are trapped in a ‘Groundhog Day’ time loop of mediocrity. Is there any escape?
This is more than stagnation, writes Julia Poe. The Bulls are stuck. Nothing is changing. The team isn’t getting better or worse. This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game. And getting out of this cycle will take a little bit more than carving an ice sculpture of Andie MacDowell (as fun as that would be).
Chicago-based artist Carlos Barberena talks about one of his three works on display at Aurora University’s Schingoethe Center during the opening of a new exhibition at the facility on Jan. 13, 2026. (David Sharos/for The Beacon-News)
New Aurora art exhibit puts focus on struggles of immigrants
Aurora University’s Schingoethe Center is offering visitors a chance to artistically experience one of Chicago’s iconic neighborhoods forged by immigrants with a new exhibit, “Mapping Territories: The Art of Exile in Pilsen-Chicago.”
Chef and owner Kristen Ashley in her recently opened restaurant, Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Restaurant news: Cleo’s opens in Lakeview with Southern cuisine on the North Side of Chicago
Cleo’s, the American Southern cuisine restaurant in Chicago, perhaps best known for its Creole-spiced fried fish and honey buttered 24-Karat Gold muffins, just opened on the North Side.
The business went viral when influential TikTok food critic Keith Lee stopped by, rating his order a perfect 10 out of 10 — twice.
Why Illinois basketball? Neuqua Valley’s Mason Martin jumps on offer, confident ‘it’s where I want to go.’
Neuqua Valley junior Mason Martin has long been a fan of Illinois men’s basketball.
The 6-foot-5 guard visited the campus in the fall and attended the Illini’s game against Alabama at the United Center on Nov. 19.
“It’s a dream school,” Martin said. “I had my eyes set on them for a long time.”
But the Illini didn’t have eyes on Martin until his breakout performance during the most recent AAU season, after which Martin picked up a few offers.
Illinois became the first big-name program to extend an offer to Martin in mid-December. Many recruits choose to wait and see what other offers come and don’t commit until after their junior year.
Not Martin. It took him barely a month to commit to Illinois.
“I gave it a little bit of thought,” he said. “They have some of the best facilities and the best coaching staff, and I think it was just everything I wanted as a program, like the culture on and off the court.
“It was just my favorite spot. I know it’s where I want to go.”
Following East Peoria’s Quinton Kitt, Martin became the Illini’s second commitment in the class of 2027 when he made his decision public last week, continuing a remarkable rise from a first-year varsity player last season to a Big Ten recruit.
“It was a super surreal moment when I called coach Brad Underwood and he said he was super excited,” Martin said. “It was after the Iowa win. He said it made his day a lot better.”
Martin, who is averaging 18.5 points this season, is the first player in the 28-year history of Neuqua Valley’s program to commit to a team in a Power Four conference.
“It’s a super big accomplishment,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going to have another one pretty soon, but it’s a super surreal moment.”
Indeed, Martin’s teammate Cole Kelly, a sophomore forward, received an offer from Illinois in July 2024. The pair have transformed the Wildcats (18-1, 4-0), who lead the DuPage Valley Conference, into one of the top teams in the state this season. They were ranked No. 8 in Class 4A in the most recent poll by The Associated Press.
Will they both end up in Champaign?
“Even before they offered him, I was like, ‘Illinois commit, here we come,’” Kelly said. “I was just joking with him.
“Obviously, he’s worked super hard for it, and I’m so proud of him for it. That’s a school he’s dreamed of going to.”
Neuqua Valley’s Mason Martin (30) drives against Oswego East’s Damien Brooks II during a game in the Hoops for Healing Tournament in Oswego on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (Sean King / Naperville Sun)
Kelly said Illinois coaches, primarily assistant Zach Hamer, have attended five of the Wildcats games this season and several open gyms before that. So he and Martin have developed a bond with the coaching staff.
Neuqua Valley’s coaching staff is happy too.
“We’re thrilled,” Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton said. “You’re proud of anyone who gets to go play in college, so we’re not any more proud of any one guy.
“We follow them. We go to games. We watch them. It’s so fun to follow these guys wherever they go. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”
Like everyone else, Sutton had no idea a year ago that Martin would one day have the chance to play at Illinois.
“It’s great that he’s there and it’s our home state, of course,” Sutton said. “More than anything, you’re proud of how much he’s improved because he wasn’t very good last year. He couldn’t dribble last year, and now if he’s open, he’s unbelievable.
“So his improvement, how can you not credit that? That’s what we’re all about is work, and he has put in the work.”
The Wildcats’ work has resulted in 16 consecutive wins through Monday.
“We’re playing really well as a team,” Martin said. “We’re holding it down really good defensively too.
“Offensively, no matter what defense they throw at us, we’re just playing well. Everybody is contributing, so we’re making a really good run at it.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/illinois-basketball-mason-martin-commits-neuqua-valley/
JGBs Implode, Gold Soars: The Trade CNBC Ridiculed Is Crushing Everything
JGBs Implode, Gold Soars: The Trade CNBC Ridiculed Is Crushing Everything
Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance
As I first noted back in 2023, my disdain, distrust and general disgust for financial media reached a peak in 2016 when CNBC’s Fast Money invited Bill Fleckenstein on the air to offer up his take on the economy and why the Fed-fueled market was “un-shortable”.
Bill is a well-known advocate for the Austrian school of economics and has been highly critical of the Fed and central banking policies for decades.
In this interview, he made two key points: 1) he thought Japan would probably be the first bond market to blow up and 2) he was buying gold and miners and thought the broader market was “un-shortable”. Fleckenstein told the hosts:
“Probably the first bond market to crack up will be in Japan but maybe it won’t. Maybe it’ll be here. I don’t really care if I miss the first break because they’re gonna come with QE4. The trade I want to catch is when people wake up to the fact that these Central Bank strategies are failures. They are the arsonists that create the fire, they’re not the firemen that put it out, even though they claim to be the latter.”
Seymour responded:
“But Bill, it sounds like you missed a lot. I mean, you’ve been on the show a number of times where you’ve been licking your chops and saying it’s about to happen, and it’s two, three years going on doing this, and a lot of this sounds kind of pathetic.”
Fleckenstein responded that’s he’s long gold and miners, prompting Seymour to take sarcastic shots at him, stating:
“Is gold going to $2,000 an ounce? Is it? I bet you bought gold at the bottom.”
To which Fleckenstein, rightfully pissed off, responds:
“I happened to catch the lows, but that does not mean anything. I’m not here to brag. I don’t ask to come on this show — you guys ask me. So don’t get in my face because I’m not joining the party you want me to.”
You can watch the full interview free here.
As I wrote back in 2023, “timing these assholes is everything” and today, here we are, about 9 years since that interview on an evening where it looks damn close to exactly what Bill Fleckenstein was ridiculed for on national television is happening. Japanese bonds are in a “full blown melt-down”, as Zero Hedge described it tonight:
It’s a move that Peter Schiff predicts “could force the Japanese government to sell Treasuries to service its debt.”
“It’s the Takaichi trade in motion. The combination of rising JGB yields in Japan and concerns over renewed US-European tariffs could lead to further rises in global bond yields, ” Mansoor Mohi-Uddin, chief macro strategist at Bank of Singapore told Bloomberg overnight.
Other strategists like Tadashi Matsukawa, head of bond investments at PineBridge Investments Japan are predicting MOF bond buying: “With interest rates rising this much, calls for the BOJ to conduct emergency operations and the Ministry of Finance to implement buybacks are likely to intensify.”
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And while the Japanese bond market is imploding, gold is exploding even further to the upside, as it has been doing basically non-stop since dickhead Tim Seymour decided to make a snide comment about it in 2016.
Gold spot broke over $4,700/oz. tonight, extending what can only be described as a biblical move higher since the Seymour 10 Year Bottom™.
In the same vein, CNBC staple Josh Brown made a post in 2019 stating that “Permabears Are Ridiculous People” for celebrating small drawdowns in an otherwise rising nominal price stock market. I agree with Brown’s point on markets, but not that permabears are ridiculous — in fact, I find them to be the only people who see the market clearly.
And while both the Japanese bond and gold markets continue to make Tim Seymour look like even more of a turbo-douche than he made himself look back in 2016, gold has also humilated the above “yeah but the market hasn’t crashed, bro” argument that many perma-bulls use to try and disarm perma-bears (read: skeptics with common sense).
Because since Seymour’s shit fit, the price of gold has also beaten the holiest of holies, the S&P 500 average, rising about 300% versus the S&P’s 267% over the last 10 years.
And in the last year, the contrast is even more stark and the trade has accelerated, with gold beating the S&P by about 54%.
So what did we learn? That being early is indistinguishable from being wrong if your referee is a CNBC talking head whose entire job depends on never admitting structural failure. Financial media doesn’t analyze risk: it mocks it, belittles it, and shames it until it goes away or blows up. And when it finally blows up, they pretend it was unforeseeable and complex instead of the obvious consequence of policies they cheered for a decade straight.
Tim Seymour didn’t just miss the trade — he missed the point. The point was never timing the top tick or calling the crash date like a carnival psychic. The point was recognizing that a system built on permanent intervention, debt monetization, and asset inflation eventually eats itself.
Gold wasn’t a “pathetic” trade; it was an insurance policy against institutional dishonesty. Japanese bonds weren’t a fringe worry; they were the logical pressure point in a world where yield suppression became national policy. Bill Fleckenstein didn’t “miss a lot” — he refused to play musical chairs with a blindfold on.
And that’s why this matters. Because the people who were mocked, sidelined, and shouted down weren’t permabears — they were adults. They understood cycles, incentives, and consequences in a market that hasn’t allowed consequences for far too long. Today, as Japanese bonds convulse and gold rips faces off, the only thing more inflated than asset prices over the last decade was the confidence of the people paid to sneer at those warning you it couldn’t last forever.
The Seymour interview is what inspired me to start a podcast and, eventually, a Substack. I knew then Bill was on to something that mainstream financial newsmedia would never understand. Today, the price of the market, gold and Japanese bond yields confirm both Bill and I were dead on balls accurate.
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Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/20/2026 – 07:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trade-cnbc-ridiculed-crushing-everything
