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Here’s a quick rundown of what I discussed in the video:
The first official week of summer is brining the heat. Yesterday was pretty brutal, and while some parts of the country will cool down a little bit today (into the 80’s), expect it to be hot here “down South” through the rest of the week.
Next week isn’t looking much different for us, either.
While temperatures are literally rising here, they’re figuratively at a boiling point in the Middle East. This weekend’s strategic attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons production operations by US forces did escalate the existing engagement between Iran and Israel. Yesterday’s announcement of a ceasefire proved to be wishful thinking (as most ceasefires are) when Iran continued its missile attacks on Israel earlier this morning.
I’m not surprised with the rebukes and opposition levied against the President for his decision to attack Iran, especially from those here who simply do not trust or like the man. Everyone has a right to say what they believe. My biggest caution is that all of need to be mindful of what we are saying (which we should do all of the time, anyway) and avoid falling under the influence of dangerous ideologies, especially the constantly present dangers of moral relativism and Antisemitism.
Yes, I agree with the President’s decision, in large part because I believe any President, based on our stated opposition to Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons and the clear danger of the recent advances in their weapons development, would have done the exact same thing.
An immediate concern, further advanced by Iran’s decision on Sunday to close the Strait of Hormuz, is the impact of this escalating conflict on the price of oil and fuel. Interestingly enough, immediate forecasts for significant increases in crude prices have not come to fruition yet, likely because the market already anticipated this (i.e., baked it in).
Gasoline prices are picking up, but this is more likely the result of increased seasonal demand and refinery issues.
When it comes to energy, the bigger concern right now is electricity. Just about every electric provider is calling on customers to conserve this week due to the heat. Given what we are seeing with significant increases in forecasted demand as a result of growth and the impact of data centers, policy action to find some semblance of balance is going to be necessary. In all honesty, energy policy may be the most effective tool we have to properly evaluate the costs and benefits to the continued rise of generative AI.
For now, amidst the rising temperatures, we all need to do our best to keep our minds and thoughts stable.
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