Trending: * During Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington in mid-July 2026, Iraq signed 48 deals worth over $60 billion with U.S. energy firms, led by Chevron on major pipeline work along with ExxonMobil, Shell, and others. * The flagship project is the revival of the long-
Trending: * July 16, 2026: The U.S. Mint has begun striking a new commemorative $1 coin featuring President Trump to mark America’s 250th anniversary of independence, with production starting as announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. * The obverse shows Trump in a suit with a stern expression alongside “LIBERTY”
Trending: * The United States plans to completely withdraw American troops from Iraq by the end of September, handing over all bases to Iraqi forces as part of the drawdown of military presence in the country. * This move marks the end of a long-term US military footprint in Iraq that
Trending: * The US House has passed legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide by a 308-117 vote, ending the twice-yearly clock changes, with the bill now moving to the Senate and backed by President Trump. * If approved and signed into law, Americans would no longer spring forward
Trending: * On July 14 at 4 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command will resume blockading maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports at the direction of the Commander in Chief. * The blockade targets violating vessels while allowing compliant commercial and humanitarian traffic to continue, following the earlier one from
Trending: * Yesterday, U.S. Central Command launched additional strikes against Iranian targets at 5 p.m. ET yesterday to degrade their ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as directed by the Commander in Chief to hold Iranian forces accountable. * Iran continues to claim
Trending: * President Trump has officially removed Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that had been in place for decades due to the country’s support for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. * This move eases certain sanctions and export restrictions on Syria, signals a shift
Trending: * Over the past 48 hours, Iranian forces attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US Treasury to revoke Iran’s temporary authorization to sell oil internationally and US Central Command to launch strikes on Iranian military targets in retaliation. * The escalation has heightened tensions, disrupted
Trending: * Ten Japan-linked oil tankers have departed the Strait of Hormuz after months of being stranded in the Gulf due to security disruptions and restrictions during the US-Iran tensions. * The movement signals a gradual normalization of shipping in the vital waterway, though traffic remains below pre-crisis levels
Economics & Markets: * The Federal Reserve will conduct two Treasury bill purchase operations this week, injecting a total of $10 billion into the economy with $3.3 billion on Tuesday and $6.6 billion on Thursday. * This liquidity provision is part of routine monetary operations to manage short-term funding
Trending: * Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz held steady but subdued from late June through July 3, 2026, with roughly 30–40 verified crossings per day according to Kpler data—well below pre-war levels and the recent peak of about 70 on June 24—following the late-June US-
Trending: * At least 18 people were killed and 85 injured, including two children, in Russia’s large-scale overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv on July 1–2, 2026, with the death toll rising as rescuers recovered bodies from rubble at around 30 damaged sites, including collapsed residential buildings,