Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The Sept. 11 attacks and the ongoing war in Iran have nothing to do with each other, and any suggestions to the contrary are wrong: “At a solemn 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered speeches marking the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks — while defending their deeply unpopular war with Iran.”
* Gulf tankers are running out of options: “The world’s most valuable energy corridors are pinching shut. On Friday, Houthi militants backed by Iran expanded their control of the Red Sea, threatening a critical route for Persian Gulf crude. That left the region with few alternatives, since shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — once the world’s primary oil transit point — remains significantly constrained and far below what it was before the war.”
* In related news: “Mounting fears that widening clashes in the Middle East could further disrupt energy supplies briefly pushed the price of oil to about $110 a barrel on Friday, while U.S. diesel prices climbed above $6 a gallon. On Friday, the Saudi Arabian Energy Ministry said a critical pipeline that carries oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea had been ‘targeted multiple times’ the day before and was shut down as a precaution.”
* Why do diesel prices matter so much? I’m glad you asked: “The workhorse fuel of the global economy, diesel is used in everything from power generation and home heating to farm equipment and tractor-trailers. While few Americans are exposed directly to diesel in their day-to-day purchases, it’s a key input in food prices, the cost of shipping and construction — meaning the impact of record-high prices will trickle down to consumers. Demand also picks up heading into the fall as heating and agricultural consumption rise.”
* The D.C. Circuit makes the right call: “A federal appeals court on Friday struck down an order from the Trump administration that forced a coal plant in Michigan to stay open past its scheduled retirement date — dealing a blow to President Trump’s efforts to promote the coal industry.”
* Following up on a story I’ve been covering: “Joe diGenova, the Trump ally who spent the past five months leading a Justice Department investigation into whether federal officials conspired to target the president, said Friday that a clash with department leadership prompted his abrupt resignation this week. ‘Everybody was in their lane, and then some lanes got crossed, and then I decided to leave,’ diGenova told NBC News.”
* I have no idea why he did this: “President Donald Trump inexplicably reposted his infamous ‘go home in peace’ video from Jan. 6, 2021 to Truth Social — on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.”
* The images included in this Reuters piece are quite odd: “Coffee bars. Waterparks. Retail therapy. North Korea — a country few would associate with leisure or pleasure — is experiencing an unlikely outbreak of fun. Leader Kim Jong Un, himself no stranger to indulgence, is orchestrating new ways for his citizens to spend their wealth.”
* Keep a close eye on this one: “The Justice Department is demanding testimony before a Florida grand jury in an investigation aiming to establish an intelligence community conspiracy against President Donald Trump, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.”
Have a safe weekend.
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