ELIZA BLEU AND THE PERPETUAL TRAUMA MACHINE—PART 2

Chokepoint Madness: Iran Refuses Hormuz Talks As Houthis Threaten Red Sea Strait Summary Oil rises on news of a second massive Marine deployment toward Gulf in a week, as Trump calls NATO a 'paper tiger'. IRGC contradicts Bibi: says missile production is ongoing, is of "no concern" - even as IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naeini is reported killed. Energy war ongoing: Major sites damaged across the region - Haifa refinery hit, Qatar LNG output cut 17%, Kuwait facilities ablaze. Kharg Island escalation looms: Trump admin weighing seizure of Kharg Island to reopen Hormuz; Thousands...

US Industrial Production Rises For 4th Straight Month In February After a strong gain in January, US Industrial Production continued to expand in February, rising 0.2% MoM (better than expected +0.1%) - the fourth straight month of gains with Production up 1.44% YoY... Source: Bloomberg Manufacturing output also beat expectations, rising 0.2% MoM in February. Durable manufacturing output edged up 0.1 percent, with mixed results across categories; the index for motor vehicles and parts posted the largest gain, and the index for machinery posted the largest loss. Nondurable manufacturing output rose 0.2 percent, with...

EU and Australia Seal Trade Deal Amid Strategic Resource Concerns Submitted by Thomas Kolbe It took an astonishing eight years before the European Union and Australia were able, at the beginning of the week, to agree on a joint trade agreement. What EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented in Australia’s capital Canberra represented a far-reaching reduction of direct tariffs over a medium-term period. Over 90 percent of goods will be able to circulate freely between the two continents, of course always under the application of...