Gold (XAU/USD) again comes under heavy liquidation pressure on Friday, following the previous day's volatile price swings and against the backdrop of a series of record highs set over the past two weeks or so. The US Dollar (USD) gains some positive traction amid the optimism over a Senate deal to fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. However, the risk of the Federal Reserve (Fed) losing its independence, along with prospects for lower US interest rates, might keep a lid on any meaningful USD appreciation and support the lower-yielding Gold. Hence, it will be prudent to wait for strong follow-through selling before confirming that the XAU/USD pair has topped out. Measured from the $4,261.33 low to the $5,594.20 high, the 38.2% retracement at $5,085.05 offers first support, with the 50% retracement at $4,927.77 below.