U.S. financial markets are facing headwinds today following reports of a DOJ investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell—raising fresh concerns about central bank independence at a critical economic moment.

The fallout is immediate: U.S. assets are sliding across the board, while traditional safe havens are catching bids. Gold has surged 2% to touch fresh all-time highs near $4,600 an ounce, signaling investor risk-off sentiment and renewed appetite for hard assets.

This convergence—policy uncertainty, asset repricing, and flight-to-safety flows—reflects broader questions about fiscal-monetary coordination heading into a volatile period. Markets are watching closely for clarity on institutional independence and its implications for future rate decisions.