Trump waives Russian fuel sanctions as price relief lags

Energy (3)

• The host says attacks on oil-related vessels have spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz, including an oil tanker hit by an RPG and a tugboat struck by two projectiles. Brett Erickson estimates 3 to 7 vessels are being hit daily despite a 96-hour gap in UKMTO reports of normal vessels struck.
• Brent crude reached $110 per barrel and remained around $108 to $109; U.S. gasoline was about $4.30 per gallon and diesel $6.31. The host says diesel was roughly $0.20 below its record high.
• Vance defended rising gas prices by blaming lost refining capacity under Biden, but acknowledged prices would not fall once the Iran conflict ends. The co-host argues voters will connect the increase to the war, while the hosts say Vance cannot easily separate himself from an administration he serves.

War (3)

• The co-host argues that U.S. officials and shipping interests have incentives to suppress strike reports, limiting market reaction and insurance costs. The host links the missing reports to a broader effort to conceal damage to U.S. bases and manage the war’s economic fallout.
• The State Department warned Americans in the Middle East about flight disruptions, airspace closures, and possible attacks on U.S.-linked sites worldwide. The warning cited Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian airports and the risk that hostilities could escalate beyond the immediate area.
• At a CBS town hall, Joey, whose wife Master Sergeant Nicole Amer died in an Iranian drone strike, asked Vance about leadership failures. Vance said he had not heard of the allegations; an AP investigation had reported warnings about the site’s vulnerability and delayed or inadequate care for wounded soldiers.

Diplomacy (2)

• Egyptian defense officials pledged support for Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks, while Egypt’s lawmakers must authorize any troop deployment. The host says Egypt may provide defensive or missile support rather than strike Yemen directly; the co-host argues U.S. and Saudi aid helped draw Egypt in.
• The co-host connects the proposed U.S.-Russia-China summit on Ukraine to a wider web of proxy conflicts and weakening alliances, while arguing that “sleepwalking” understates deliberate policy choices. The host says nuclear deterrence makes future great-power conflict more likely to take proxy and economic forms than direct invasions.

Middle East (3)

• The co-host says Saudi Arabia’s security crisis threatens its investment and sports-washing plans, including its upcoming “Davos in the Desert” event. The host says financial-district workers have shifted home as the Saudi wealth fund, stock exchange, and financial institutions face potential asymmetric attacks.
• Ghalibaf announced a Persian Gulf Data Authority and warned against financing companies that support attacks on Iran. The host read the move as a possible restriction on regional business; the co-host understood it as a threat to strike data centers and communications infrastructure.
• A Wall Street Journal report says Iranian support helped the Houthis improve targeting, missiles, drones, intelligence, and training; the Houthis now control coastline near Bab al-Mandeb. The host argues the campaign lets Iran disrupt Gulf rivals and raise oil prices without direct U.S. attacks.

Corruption (1)

• Vance said he had seen no evidence Trump enriched himself in office, despite questions about crypto, tax scrutiny, and alleged White House access-selling. The hosts point to Trump’s rising wealth, family business interests, and pardons, and argue Vance’s loyalty to Trump prevents a credible response.

AI Infrastructure (1)

• A resident told Vance that a data center’s constant noise made outdoor space and open windows unusable; Vance acknowledged that data centers can harm nearby communities. The host argues Vance’s ties to AI and technology donors create pressure to support the industry despite its local costs.

Israel (4)

• Trump endorsed Netanyahu for reelection and warned that the United States would have to handle Iran if Israel chose another leader. The co-host reads the endorsement as leverage, but says Israel’s coalition system could still block a clear result and that Netanyahu’s defeat would not end the country’s broader policies.
• The co-host argues Israel’s hard-line security posture extends beyond Netanyahu, citing rival Gadi Eisenkot’s Dahiya Doctrine and the absence of major candidates committed to a two-state solution. Israel Katz said strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure could set Iran back decades, reinforcing fears of escalation.
• Israeli settlers severely injured Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine in the West Bank; the co-host cited broken fingers, a rib, vertebrae, and lacerations. Israeli officials initially questioned the account, while Huckabee and Rubio called for investigation; Israeli authorities later reported arrests.
• European diplomats were also beaten by settlers in the West Bank, prompting arrests under an Israeli operation called Olive Leaf. The co-host argues that attacks on foreign officials and journalists show settlers expect impunity, and that Palestinians face still less scrutiny when violence is not filmed.

War (2)

• Constant Méheut said the war’s geography has shifted: Ukrainian forces have halted Russian advances in some areas and counterattacked, while cities far behind the front, including Kyiv and Odesa, face increasingly dangerous bombardments.
• Constant Méheut described Kyiv residents living with air-raid alerts that can last much of the day, hearing drones overhead and sheltering in subway stations. He said the attacks have made civilian life feel dangerous even far from the front.

Europe (1)

• Anti-government protests in France escalated into major riots, damaging public buildings including a 19th-century city hall in Limoges that was largely destroyed by fire. Macron called for order and calm and promised to seek lower gas prices without offering concrete concessions.

Elections (1)

• Trump press secretary Katie Zachariah left the job after five days, following a scripted first briefing and scrutiny over whether she had presented herself as a lawyer despite never passing the bar exam. Trump said she might continue working for him in another role.

Energy (2)

• The initial 300,000 tons would add less than a day of U.S. diesel consumption, and AAA prices showed diesel at $6.28 per gallon on Tuesday, down from $6.32 a week earlier.
• A potential sale of Lukoil’s international assets could involve billions of dollars in refineries, oil fields, and gas stations; Anton reports an investor group led by Todd Boehly and including Middle Eastern partners with ties to Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

Corruption (1)

• Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece after the White House asked her to step down; a Republican donor alleged she requested $100,000 for a credit-card bill before her Senate confirmation hearing.

Health (1)

• Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed; the Vatican said the surgery succeeded without complications but did not say whether further treatment was planned.

Education (1)

• Cornell banned fraternity-house parties for the rest of the academic year after a student alleged gang rape in October 2024; the university also plans to add experienced sexual-assault investigators to work with campus police.

Education (1)

• Kira Huyu says the Cockroach Janta Party grew from a viral satirical response to the chief justice calling unemployed young people “cockroaches.” Its July protest targeted exam-paper leaks, education corruption and poor job prospects, and helped prompt the education minister to resign.

Elections (1)

• Kira Huyu reports that protesters want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, alleging he is helping rig votes through voter-list revisions. A 2023 law lets the prime minister effectively choose the commissioner; the government, BJP and election commission deny the allegations.

Censorship (1)

• Kira Huyu describes Delhi’s crackdown as a sweeping effort to prevent and break up protests: borders were sealed, central areas lost internet for 24 hours, and police detained organizers. After the Supreme Court urged restraint, tens of thousands rallied with opposition parties; young protesters vowed to return.

Society (1)

• Joel Budd says singing carries history and shared values, from ancient epics to Protestant hymns and pro-democracy folk songs. Sasha Langton-Gilks argues that nearly everyone can sing and that group singing can build closeness; Budd also cites benefits for babies and parents.

Psychology (1)

• Joel Budd says singing is difficult because technique takes practice, voices are vulnerable to illness, hormones and ageing, and many people find solo singing in public frightening. He notes that group singing can also discourage beginners when choirs respond harshly to wrong notes.

Labor (1)

• Deel’s advertisement says Revolut manages more than 450 employment contracts across 26 countries without creating local entities, while KLM pays 189 employees across 12 countries through one system.

Banking (1)

• The Barclays advertisement promotes The Flip Side as debates between two research analysts on business and economic issues, offering listeners competing perspectives.

Agents (1)

• Superhuman’s advertisement says its AI assistant works inside tools such as Gmail and Slack to help draft messages and interpret email threads, rather than requiring users to open a separate tool.

Coding (1)

• IONOS’s advertisement says users can create a business website, including an online menu, by describing what they need, with the site going live the same day and no developer or code required. It advertises .com domains starting at $1 and says it has operated for 23 years.