The Iran War has benefited top energy companies in the West because of the surge in prices due to Iran’s ability to essentially close the Strait of Hormuz and threaten energy production in the Middle East region.
ECONOMIC UPDATE
What a difference a day makes. Last week, as he has said scores of times, President Trump threatened that if Iran did not agree to a ceasefire deal, it would be bombs away saying, “We were going to hit them very hard.”
U.S. GROCERY PRICES UP 33 PERCENT SINCE 2018
U.S. grocery prices have risen by a third in the past seven years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported.
SPOTLIGHT: CHINA’S ECONOMY ADVANCES AROUND THE WORLD
China’s world domination in electric vehicles technology and AI production has grabbed headlines, but China also has far outpaced competing nations in clean energy.
The U.S. Treasury Goes NUCLEAR With MASSIVE Debt Expansion. (As The U.S. Economy Flatlines)
The US Treasury now expects to borrow $739 billion more debt during July–September.
IRAN DEFEATED THE U.S. FOR A THIRD TIME, TOP IRANIAN SAYS
Moshen Rezaei, an advisor to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said in an interview on Monday that Iran managed to defeat the United States for a third time, counting the 12-day war from June 2025, the 40-day war that was paused after the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU), and the current round that was sparked because Washington violated the MOU.
COVID WAR CASUALTY: GEN Z WOULD RATHER STAY HOME THAN HAVE FUN WITH FRIENDS
A newly released Harris Poll found that Gen Z Americans would rather stay home than go out and party with friends, based on finances and loneliness, according to The New York Post.
Global Economy
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS TRENDS
The economic slowdown continues to leave its mark on Main Street and corporate America alike.
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
U.S. private equity giant Blackstone is buying HSBC bank’s Australian portfolio of home and personal loans.
HERMÈS SHARE PRICE DROPS DESPITE POSITIVE SECOND QUARTER
The share price of luxury firm Hermès plopped down 10 percent on 28 July even though the company reported a modest rebound in sales during this year’s second quarter.
U.S. Economy
MARKET OVERVIEW
The three major U.S. stock indexes rallied Thursday and Friday to overcome Wednesday’s rout that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 1,000 points to mark its worst day in 15 months.
U.S. REGULATORS SEE DANGERS IN PRIVATE EQUITY’S CIRCULAR DEALS
U.S. regulators are alarmed by what they call “circular ownership” and a lack of transparency in financial structures increasingly used by private equity firms such as Apollo Global Management and KKR.
DIVIDED FED COMMITTEE LEAVES INTEREST RATES UNTOUCHED
On 29 July, the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting Open Market Committee decided by a vote of 9 to 3 not to raise interest rates although inflation pressures from the Iran War persist.
The Iran War
RUBIO SAYS THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS IN TALKS WITH IRAN, SENDING OIL PRICES LOWER
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, told reporters on Tuesday that there has been progress in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but said the deal has not been finalized.
U.S. LOSING CREDIBILITY AFTER IRAN WAR: REPORT
President Donald Trump’s inability to achieve a decisive victory against Iran has resulted in the U.S. military losing credibility with adversaries, including Russia and China, who see new limits on the Pentagon’s ability to project strength, according to a report in The New York Times.
TRUMP SAYS NEW OFFER IS IRAN’S LAST CHANCE TO SIGN A GOOD DEAL
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the offer in front of Tehran is the last, best deal that the administration will entertain, shortly after saying the attacks that he called off would have been the biggest since “World War II.”
The Israel War
ISRAEL CARRIES OUT NEW ATTACKS ON LEBANON, SYRIA…NOT “NEWS” FOR PRESSTITUTE MEDIA
The IDF has escalated attacks on southern Lebanon and Syria over the weekend, drawing criticism from these countries, as Israel’s latest aggression has been widely ignored by the Western media.
LEBANON/GAZA DEATH TOLL
Israel killed at least 73,356 Palestinians in strikes across Gaza since the genocidal war began in October 2023.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH DEAD: DOZENS ARRESTED AT LONDON RALLY SUPPORTING PALESTINE ACTION
Authorities in London arrested dozens of people who came out in support last week of Palestine Action, a protest group that has been designated a terrorist organization in the country, which is seen by many as an effort to crush any criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.