Futures Rise, Nasdaq Up 10 Days In A Row, On Iran De-escalation Optimism

Here's Why Trump's Hormuz Blockade Should Stoke 'Strait Chaos' For China The currently closed Strait of Hormuz, situated between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and has emerged as a major flashpoint in the US-Iran war. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off Yemen's coast, has also remained a focal point among critical maritime chokepoints, given ongoing threats from Iran-linked Houthi rebels. While both critical chokepoints have been in sharp focus in the news cycle and among US officials, institutional research desks, intelligence...

Tillis Gives Warsh Green Light After DOJ Drops Powell Inquiry The last roadblock to Kevin Warsh's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve is getting out of the way, as North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) said on Sunday that he's ready to lend his support towards Warsh's confirmation.  Tillis had refused to advance Warsh or any other Fed nominee until the DOJ dropped its investigation into current chair, Jerome Powell over cost overruns in a renovation of the Fed's headquarters. After DC US attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Friday that the matter...

Massive Lithium Lode In Appalachia Could Power 130 Million EVs: USGS America's worrisome dependency on foreign sources of lithium could become a thing of the past: About 328 years' worth of last year's lithium imports is buried in Appalachia, according to a new analysis published by the US Geological Survey (USGS). That's about 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered but economically recoverable lithium -- aka "white gold."   “This research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation’s growing needs – a major contribution to U.S. mineral security,...