WATCH POLITICS

“The US Central Command says it will begin a blockade on all Iranian ports beginning in seven hours. The action is in response to the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan this weekend. The blockade is an effort to force Iran to reopen the Strait Of Hormuz to shipping.”

“Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops in Lebanon Sunday as Israeli and Lebanese diplomats prepare to hold their first direct meeting between government officials in decades on Tuesday. Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors to The US are set to meet in Washington to discuss a ceasefire.”

“Hungarian voters rejected the reelection bid of prime minister Viktor Orban on Sunday. Officials say voters turned out in the largest number since the fall of communism. The vote is seen as critical for Europe and Ukraine.”

“The federal government has awarded $50,000,000 for EMS agencies around the country to expand prehospital blood transfusion programs. NHTSA says roughly 2% of the nation's 15,000 EMS agencies have prehospital blood programs now, but they're hoping to grow that number rapidly.”

“Rory McIlroy has become only the fourth golfer to have back to back wins at the Masters. McIlroy pulled away Sunday with a pair of birdies around Amen Corner and finished the day with a one under 71. That was good enough to give him a one stroke win over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley.”

“The US military is blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports absent a peace agreement. The blockade was due to take effect two hours ago. US central command says the action will not, quote, impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait Of Hormuz to and from non Iranian ports.”

“The Hungarian government under Orban has not been using the veto to protect Hungarian interest. It was using the veto to protect Russian interest. So that very clearly will need to stop.”

“Within hours of those reports, nearly all of his major endorsers abandoned him. On x, Swalwell apologized for mistakes in judgment but denies the allegations. He's now facing calls from fellow Democrats in California to resign his house seat.”

“So far, the average refund is about 11% higher than this time last year, about $350 more according to data from the IRS. Michael Pierce with Oxford Economics expects that average will go up. That's because higher income filers typically procrastinate on filing and seem to be benefiting more from the new tax changes.”

“World Cup tickets are getting even pricier. FIFA, the international governing body for professional soccer, is adding a more expensive tier. A ticket for a front category one seat at the US opener against Argentina in Los Angeles will cost as much as $5,470 according to the Associated Press.”

“They're recovering from the trauma that they experienced living in captivity. And for them to open up and trust you while you are there with them, helping them work through it, it's indescribable.”

“The dominant political story of the year has been the 270-day-long speakership of Representative Kevin McCarthy, whose slim majority in the House of Representatives has enabled a far-right rebellion to exert more weight over the lower chamber. The battle between the rebellious Freedom Caucus and McCarthy has been at the heart of an averted debt ceiling crisis and the annual budget debate nearly devolving into a government shutdown.”

“2023 also saw the roots of a global banking crisis arise out of four American regional banks, the two largest being Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank. 2021's inflation surge moderated in 2023, while the Federal Reserve continued to raise its interest rates in the first half of the year.”

“The rise of artificial intelligence and large language models dominated not only the economy but has also been at the root of a Hollywood double strike conducted by Writers Guild of America and a SAG APTRA strike. These were part of a larger phenomenon of labor strikes across the country, in which such large diverse groups, such as Teamsters and Auto Workers won new contracts.”

“Additionally, the latter half of the year saw many large mergers and acquisitions, some of the largest announcements being in oil and gas with ExxonMobil's purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources for nearly $60 billion and Chevron's acquisition of Hess Corporation for $50 billion, both in October and pending regulatory approval prior to closure.”

“President Trump said today in a post on social media that the US Navy will begin to blockade any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait Of Hormuz. He also said any ship that paid a fee to Iran to pass through the waterway will not have safe passage through the Strait. Trump said the US Navy will begin destroying all mines that Iran has put in the Strait, and he called the mining of the Strait extortion.”

“Israel's military says this weekend, it struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets, and Hezbollah said it continued rocket, drone, and artillery attacks on Israel and Israeli troops inside Lebanon. Lebanon says the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington will hold their first direct meeting Tuesday at the state department to discuss a ceasefire and a date for starting negotiations.”

“Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the cease fire from 4PM Saturday through end of Easter Sunday, a proposal to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky agreed. Yet the Russian side accused Ukraine of launching overnight drone attacks on several border regions injuring civilians, and Ukraine blamed Russia for waves of drones and shelling that killed several people and injured scores more.”

“The Manhattan District Attorney's Office says it has opened a sexual assault investigation against California congressman and Democratic candidate for governor Eric Sawell. He is facing allegations of sexual abuse, one involving a reported incident in September 2024 at a New York City hotel involving a former staff member. Other women have come forward to accuse Sawell of sexual misconduct.”

“For nearly a week, slow moving convoys of tractors and trucks have blocked major highways and roads across the country, including some of the busiest streets in Ireland's capital, Dublin. Protestors are demanding more support from the government as fuel prices continue to rise because of The US and Israel's war against Iran. The Irish government has been meeting with farmers and truckers over the weekend and say more support is coming.”

“The US Central Command says it will begin a blockade on all Iranian ports beginning in seven hours. The action is in response to the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan this weekend. The blockade is an effort to force Iran to reopen the Strait Of Hormuz to shipping.”

“Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops in Lebanon Sunday as Israeli and Lebanese diplomats prepare to hold their first direct meeting between government officials in decades on Tuesday. Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors to The US are set to meet in Washington to discuss a ceasefire.”

“Hungarian voters rejected the reelection bid of prime minister Viktor Orban on Sunday. Officials say voters turned out in the largest number since the fall of communism. The vote is seen as critical for Europe and Ukraine.”

“The federal government has awarded $50,000,000 for EMS agencies around the country to expand prehospital blood transfusion programs. NHTSA says roughly 2% of the nation's 15,000 EMS agencies have prehospital blood programs now, but they're hoping to grow that number rapidly.”

“Rory McIlroy has become only the fourth golfer to have back to back wins at the Masters. McIlroy pulled away Sunday with a pair of birdies around Amen Corner and finished the day with a one under 71. That was good enough to give him a one stroke win over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley.”

“The US military is blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports absent a peace agreement. The blockade was due to take effect two hours ago. US central command says the action will not, quote, impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait Of Hormuz to and from non Iranian ports.”

“The Hungarian government under Orban has not been using the veto to protect Hungarian interest. It was using the veto to protect Russian interest. So that very clearly will need to stop.”

“Within hours of those reports, nearly all of his major endorsers abandoned him. On x, Swalwell apologized for mistakes in judgment but denies the allegations. He's now facing calls from fellow Democrats in California to resign his house seat.”

“So far, the average refund is about 11% higher than this time last year, about $350 more according to data from the IRS. Michael Pierce with Oxford Economics expects that average will go up. That's because higher income filers typically procrastinate on filing and seem to be benefiting more from the new tax changes.”

“World Cup tickets are getting even pricier. FIFA, the international governing body for professional soccer, is adding a more expensive tier. A ticket for a front category one seat at the US opener against Argentina in Los Angeles will cost as much as $5,470 according to the Associated Press.”

“Bitcoin keeps running into a wall of selling above $70K — roughly $20M/hour in profit-taking — and now that wall has geopolitical weight behind it after the Islamabad peace talks collapsed, Iran's Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed, and Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iranian ports starting this morning. That's pushing oil toward $100/barrel and forcing tanker traffic into a full reroute away from the Gulf.”

“If those December contracts move over 100, the world is a very different place than it is right now. And that will cause revaluation of various assets. And that will cause, certainly in our administration, doing everything they can to print money. The truth is with AI and with everything going on in the economy and with oil prices going up, it actually cuts economic growth. It cuts the aggregate demand.”

“Our political system in the United States is broken. I mean, it's not just that people think Congress are a bunch of parasitic jackals, which is true, by the way... But it's actually worse than that. It's just completely dysfunctional. That is a large part of this. I mean, if we knew we were going to have a new Federal Reserve Chair in May, which you would think would be known, I think markets would be very different.”

“The dollar's long-term slide continues — now just 46% of global FX and gold reserves, a 26-year low — even as M2 keeps expanding at 4.8% YoY, and central bank gold holdings have officially eclipsed US Treasury holdings for the first time since '96. That's pushing oil toward $100/barrel and forcing tanker traffic into a full reroute away from the Gulf, which benefits US energy exports but hammers Japan, South Korea, and India hardest.”

“The WLFI vs. Justin Sun feud is turning into a full legal brawl over a $75M loan dispute, backdoor token blacklisting, and accusations flying both ways — exactly the kind of circus that undermines crypto's push for institutional credibility. This adds to the geopolitical weight already slowing markets after the Islamabad peace talks collapsed, and Iran's Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed following the new naval blockade.”

“They're recovering from the trauma that they experienced living in captivity. And for them to open up and trust you while you are there with them, helping them work through it, it's indescribable.”

“The dominant political story of the year has been the 270-day-long speakership of Representative Kevin McCarthy, whose slim majority in the House of Representatives has enabled a far-right rebellion to exert more weight over the lower chamber. The battle between the rebellious Freedom Caucus and McCarthy has been at the heart of an averted debt ceiling crisis and the annual budget debate nearly devolving into a government shutdown.”

“2023 also saw the roots of a global banking crisis arise out of four American regional banks, the two largest being Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank. 2021's inflation surge moderated in 2023, while the Federal Reserve continued to raise its interest rates in the first half of the year.”

“The rise of artificial intelligence and large language models dominated not only the economy but has also been at the root of a Hollywood double strike conducted by Writers Guild of America and a SAG APTRA strike. These were part of a larger phenomenon of labor strikes across the country, in which such large diverse groups, such as Teamsters and Auto Workers won new contracts.”

“Additionally, the latter half of the year saw many large mergers and acquisitions, some of the largest announcements being in oil and gas with ExxonMobil's purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources for nearly $60 billion and Chevron's acquisition of Hess Corporation for $50 billion, both in October and pending regulatory approval prior to closure.”

“The resilience of the American consumer continues to surprise analysts, even as borrowing costs remain at decade highs.”

“The resilience of the American consumer continues to surprise analysts, even as borrowing costs remain at decade highs.”

“I think prices are permanently higher. I mean, when I say permanent, nothing's permanent, but at least in the foreseeable future, this year, next year, the year after. You know, we're not there's no going back to the $60, $65 bucks a barrel we were paying before all this mess. You're still left with a fee that's not inconsequential, and then, of course, insurance companies are gonna demand a higher insurance premium for insuring the traffic that moves through this strait because, you know, who knows what will happen in the future.”

“Feels pretty close to script, more or less. You know, the president has gone down this path in other ways. And when push comes to shove, when markets start to react, when stock prices are down, when interest rates are up, and in this case, when oil prices are up, he figures out a way to pivot, to stand down, and to declare victory and hopefully move on.”

“Iran is charging $2,000,000 for every ship that passes through the Strait Of Hormuz. And they have said in the agreement that they have full sovereignty over the Strait, and now they're gonna charge people for moving goods through it. So I guess the question is, one, do you think that that holds? And two, how significant is it from an inflation perspective? Because it seems like that is, yes, ships can pass through, but now there's a toll.”

“I view this as a part of a broader, a very corrosive trend, and that that's the deglobalization of the economy that The US is pulling away from the rest of the world very quickly. I mean, you know, tariffs, immigration policy, what we're doing geopolitically. And then, of course, now the rest of the world is pulling away from us very quickly. If we are deglobalizing and this is just one more thing that will cause that process to continue and potentially even accelerate, it has all kinds of corrosive effects.”

“The US is a big economy—it's the largest on the planet—so, you know, it's still gonna play a very central role, but increasingly less of one as we move forward. We have benefited enormously from the globalization process and the fact that The US is central and the US dollar is central to everything that goes on in the world. And that is now gonna be under pressure; it was under pressure before all this, and it will be under even more pressure going forward.”

“Now, Tony Severino predicted that the 2026 would bring a price bottom to a 72 percent drawdown. So, correct, 72 percent is what we're going to see, $34,000 Bitcoin. And if you look here, as Cointelegraph reports consensus favors, you check the prediction markets, we are going to visit that area between 40K and 50K.”

“We got to talk about the recent escalation. We just had a jet get shot down very, very recently. This is breaking news, and the markets are having a major correction here. We're going to talk about Bitcoin, which has started pumping in the little bit of a counter rally here, but I think there's going to be a huge, huge fallout from this jet falling.”

“The 85, 95 percent collapses associated with a very new technology. That's done. This is a proven technology. It's a proven monetary system and it's a new asset class. Believe it or not, in the Bitcoin community, down 50 percent, if that's as far as it goes, they'll consider that a real victory because you're right.”

“We're going to cover Algorand. Algorand is pumping. It's riding the tailwinds of a quantum computing threat to crypto that, you know, everyone's worried about right now. I show it probably once a week to explain token inflation to people, but I'm excited to check out that chart.”

“Massive amount of liquidations of 67.8 sit right above our head. And then, I am watching for that potential flush down to the mid-65 region in case I want to enter in any juicy longs. It's been a great week. I think I did about six grand in Tether this week so far.”

“I wanted to feed Mundy and Tara close together. And so I fed Tara over here. She picked up her food and brought it right over to the fence line here so she could be eating with Mundy. So you tell me what that means. I think that is really good.”

“The dominant political story of the year has been the 270-day-long speakership of Representative Kevin McCarthy, whose slim majority in the House of Representatives has enabled a far-right rebellion to exert more weight over the lower chamber. The battle between the rebellious Freedom Caucus and McCarthy has been at the heart of an averted debt ceiling crisis and the annual budget debate nearly devolving into a government shutdown.”

“Additionally, the latter half of the year saw many large mergers and acquisitions, some of the largest announcements being in oil and gas with ExxonMobil's purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources for nearly $60 billion and Chevron's acquisition of Hess Corporation for $50 billion, both in October and pending regulatory approval prior to closure.”

“The rise of artificial intelligence and large language models dominated not only the economy but has also been at the root of a Hollywood double strike conducted by Writers Guild of America and a SAG APTRA strike, these were part of a larger phenomenon of labor strikes across the country, in which such large diverse groups, such as Teamsters and Auto Workers won new contracts.”

“A 2023 FAA system outage, for the first time since 9-11, the Federal Aviation Administration issues a nationwide ground stop following the failure of the FAA's NOTAM system. Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Herr to investigate mishandling of classified documents by President Biden.”

“Pam Bondi just got fired yesterday. Reports of Tulsi may be next. Todd Blanche was on Fox yesterday talking about, was there, the reason for it is because of how maybe Pam Bondi and Swalwell back in the days, was something tipped off, and he said, no, I think Jesse asked the question. Elon's got some thoughts on that.”

“And then a bridge in Iran on its way to Karaj got hit. And I know this bridge because my dad and I would drive on this bridge to the place he worked at, at a factory in Karaj, in his Gion car that he had, which we'll play the clip and we'll talk about that. That eight people were killed and many, many injured. I think the number is 95 wounded.”

“And then oil prices, if you look at it right now, it went all the way up to 112, 113, 114 yesterday. And then got back down to 101. It is back up to 112 again today. I know Tom's got some thoughts to say about that.”

“The only reason we get upset at the boat is why? The person that's in the boat to say, It's your fault. Why did you do this? But sometimes we have to just kind of be like, we don't know the story of whatever this individual has gone through in their life. We don't have a clue what this person's doing. Sometimes a lot of commentary will come in.”

“Canada, we have to talk about the story today that Canada believes, talking about the Bible where maybe some of the stories in there that are against LGBTQ Bible may be considered hate speech, and they're at the final stages of what's gonna be happening with that.”

“I wanted to feed Mundy and Tara close together. And so I fed Tara over here. She picked up her food and brought it right over to the fence line here so she could be eating with Mundy. So you tell me what that means. I think that is really good.”

“The dominant political story of the year has been the 270-day-long speakership of Representative Kevin McCarthy, whose slim majority in the House of Representatives has enabled a far-right rebellion to exert more weight over the lower chamber. The battle between the rebellious Freedom Caucus and McCarthy has been at the heart of an averted debt ceiling crisis and the annual budget debate nearly devolving into a government shutdown.”

“Additionally, the latter half of the year saw many large mergers and acquisitions, some of the largest announcements being in oil and gas with ExxonMobil's purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources for nearly $60 billion and Chevron's acquisition of Hess Corporation for $50 billion, both in October and pending regulatory approval prior to closure.”

“The rise of artificial intelligence and large language models dominated not only the economy but has also been at the root of a Hollywood double strike conducted by Writers Guild of America and a SAG APTRA strike, these were part of a larger phenomenon of labor strikes across the country, in which such large diverse groups, such as Teamsters and Auto Workers won new contracts.”

“A 2023 FAA system outage, for the first time since 9-11, the Federal Aviation Administration issues a nationwide ground stop following the failure of the FAA's NOTAM system. Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Herr to investigate mishandling of classified documents by President Biden.”