The AI Economy, Part 1: Looking Beyond The Facade

Why Hasn't Oil Hit $150 (Yet)? Authored by Robert Rapier via OilPrice.com, Global oil inventories and floating storage have acted as temporary shock absorbers against the Hormuz disruption. OPEC spare capacity has stabilized markets, but it cannot fully replace lost Persian Gulf exports indefinitely. Prolonged disruption could eventually exhaust market buffers and trigger a much sharper oil price surge. I think most energy analysts would have been shocked to learn that roughly three months into a total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil would be trading at just over $100 a barrel. I...

France Plans €10 Billion Push To Cut Reliance On Gas and Oil France is shifting its response to rising fuel costs away from short-term relief and toward long-term electrification, according to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Instead of expanding fuel subsidies after oil prices spiked due to the Iran conflict, the government plans to redirect funding into helping households and businesses transition to electric energy, according to Bloomberg. Under the plan, annual support for electrification will nearly double to €10 billion by 2030, up from €5.5 billion today. The increase will come...

Where Does Eastern Europe Begin And End? Key Takeaways There is no single definition of Eastern Europe. Its borders vary depending on historical, political, and cultural context. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are almost always included, forming the region’s “core.” The eastern boundary is widely agreed upon, but the western edge shifts significantly across definitions. The maps below use data from various organizations to highlight interpretations of Eastern Europe’s geographical extent. At a glance, the visualizations - via Visual Capitalist - show a tight core centered on Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, with boundaries stretching eastward into...