Economics & Markets: * July 27, 2026: The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act), which defines regulatory jurisdiction by giving the CFTC authority over digital commodity spot markets while keeping SEC oversight of investment contracts and setting clear rules for crypto trading platforms, has passed the House and cleared the
Trending: * Yesterday, U.S. oil prices (WTI crude) crashed more than 8% as markets reacted to the halt in U.S. and Iranian military strikes and emerging reports of new negotiations. The sharp drop reflects reduced fears of further disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, with prices
Trending: * July 24, 2026: Anthropic introduced Claude Opus 5, a new AI model that comes close to the frontier intelligence of its flagship Fable 5 while costing roughly half as much. * The model is positioned for strong performance in coding, agentic workflows, and professional knowledge work, giving developers a more
Trending: * July 22, 2026: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stop Insider Trading Act, banning members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing individual stocks in publicly traded companies while requiring a 7-day public notice before any sales and increasing penalties for violations. * The bill
Trending: * July 21, 2026: France’s National Assembly approved a landmark law banning social media access for children under the age of 15, making it the first EU country to impose a nationwide age restriction on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. * The bill requires age verification through ID,
Trending: * Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that the country will no longer hold elections, effectively ending any democratic challenge to his long-standing rule and that of his wife, Rosario Murillo, who serves as co-president. * The move, which follows years of disputed votes, opposition crackdowns, and international criticism, solidifies
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