$100 Oil Is Solving Russia's Budget Problem

Trump Downplays Iran's Attacks Targeting US Bases In Kuwait & Bahrain: 'They Were Slightly Provoked' Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, President Trump on Wednesday downplayed Iranian attacks that targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, saying they may have been "slightly provoked" since the US launched strikes against Iran beforehand. "There's a reason for everything, and we hit them pretty hard last night," the president told reporters in the Oval Office. "Some people would say they were slightly provoked because we took a strong action for a different reason, so they were reciprocating." Source:...

"Answering The Call": Ford Motor Eyes WWII-Style Production Push For Trump's War Economy One month after we reported that the Trump administration was in talks with U.S. manufacturers about converting idle civilian industrial capacity into weapons production, as conflicts across Eurasia deplete critical weapons stockpiles, Ford Motor signaled Monday morning that it is prepared to support a Western defense-industrial mobilization. Much like during World War II, Ford said it is exploring how its commercial vehicles and related technologies could help governments in North America and Europe quickly build up their defense...

Chinese Refiners Pay Record Premiums For Russian ESPO Crude Authored by Irina Slav via OilPrice.com, Chinese refiners are paying a hefty premium for Russia's ESPO crude to replace Iranian crude that independent refiners were importing before the U.S. installed its naval blockade on the country. East Siberia-Pacific Ocean crude, or ESPO, for delivery in November is trading at a premium of over $7 per barrel, with offers reaching as high as $10 per barrel over Brent crude, Bloomberg reported today, citing traders. The blend is loaded from Russia's Far East coast and...