Author: Elon Mark

Mid-July in the ARA barge freight market brought a mix of declining rates, logistical hesitation, and a bifurcation in product momentum. The market was shaped by falling middle distillate rates, stabilizing light ends, and persistent terminal-related planning issues—setting the stage for a summer period marked by uncertainty rather than opportunity. 1. Freight Rates: Middle Distillates Slide, Light Ends Hold Freight rates throughout the week revealed a diverging trend between product groups: Middle distillate rates declined across nearly all routes early in the week, driven by limited spot demand and soft operational fundamentals. Cross Harbor and Flushing routes showed the steepest…

Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough! April 17I don’t know why it would be so bad, but I’m not going to fire him. June 12I talked about the concept of firing him. July 16 President Trump’s relationship with Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, has almost always been rocky.Mr. Trump nominated Mr. Powell to his post in 2017. But throughout the president’s first term, he made a habit of heckling Mr. Powell and his colleagues at the Fed.The pace and intensity of the attacks have escalated during Mr. Trump’s second term. He has moved from name-calling to…

At first glance, the relationship between brands and consumers may appear transactional—a product for a price, with loyalty driven through perceived value. However, today’s consumers expect much more. In fact, 73 percent expect brands to understand their unique needs and expectations. This shift has redefined marketing. Traditional tactics no longer suffice; brands must foster human-centered connections with their audiences. This guide helps you elevate your brand strategy by exploring the emotional drivers of brand loyalty, identifying the relationship types your audience seeks, decoding the unspoken rules of consumer behavior, and using customer relationship management (CRM) not just to collect data…

Lauren Goode: Yeah, I think it’s going to be really good.Michael Calore: Yeah.Lauren Goode: And also that means Katie still has time to run WIRED, which is another thing that she does on the side.Michael Calore: I thought you were going to say run nine miles a day.Lauren Goode: That too. She also runs, runs, runs. But yeah, no, here we are, just you and I in the San Francisco office dealing with the fog. It’s very foggy this time of year. People don’t think that when they think of California, but it is. And is it just me and…

In its Annual Energy Outlook 2025 (AEO2025), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that U.S. production growth of crude oil and natural gas will remain relatively high through 2030 due to increasing U.S. exports of petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as U.S. energy exports continue to be economical for international consumers. AEO2025, which the EIA released in April, only considers market and policy inputs as of December 2024 in most cases. Legislation, regulations, executive actions and court rulings after that date are not considered in this analysis. Crude oil. Crude oil production increases to about 14.0 MMbpd in 2027 or…

I’ve been told by multiple people that the set of a short drama doesn’t necessarily look that different from an indie movie or commercial shoot, except everything is churned out much faster to save on costs. Whereas a traditional shoot would last weeks or months, the entire season of a vertical show is typically filmed within two weeks.Nicole Mattox, one of the vertical stars working with ReelShort in Los Angeles, told me she usually books two to three shoots in one month, with only two days in between. A professionally trained actress originally from Texas, she had only been in…

 CB&I has been awarded a contract by VMOS S.A. to build storage tanks for Argentina’s Vaca Muerta Sur oil export terminal in Punta Colorada, Río Negro Province. The contract covers engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction (EPC) of storage capacity totaling 630,000 cubic meters (4 million barrels). The storage tanks will support the planned Vaca Muerta crude oil pipeline system, aimed at boosting Argentina’s oil exports to global markets. The 437-kilometer (272-mile) Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline will transport oil from Argentina’s shale formation to the coastal export terminal. The project is led by VMOS, a midstream joint venture backed by state-owned YPF along with Pan…

Thane is no longer the sleepy, low-rise neighbour of Mumbai. With a population of 13 million, it’s the largest district in India—and it’s transforming fast. The city has seen a wave of modern housing, new business parks, and major infrastructure projects in the works. Home prices in Thane have risen 4% year-on-year to an average ₹ 13,078 / sq ft, while long-run total returns (capital appreciation plus rent) average 8% per annum. Like what you’re reading? Get our latest, straight to your inbox. But there are also challenges. Unsold inventory is growing, many projects are facing delays, and performance varies…

“Thiel’s an interesting one,” a third GOP strategist tells me. “He’s spread his bets. Some have paid off, and some haven’t.”Maybe most important to these strategists: “Most voters don’t have a fucking clue who Peter Thiel is.” He’s behind the scenes, but very much still present in Republican politics.Thiel, like the Adelsons, “didn’t just write checks,” the first strategist explains. “They were involved, and they were present. And that’s the bigger thing I can tell ya: The tech people that had the most influence were the ones that were present.”Present, in this sense, means meeting privately with lawmakers and their…

China refined the most crude oil in nearly two years in June, as plants returned from seasonal maintenance to seize on better margins for fuels like diesel. Refining output rose to more than 15.2 million barrels a day, the strongest pace since September 2023, according to Bloomberg calculations based on figures released by the statistics bureau on Tuesday. Compared to June last year, volumes surged by 8.5%, reversing the declines seen in April and May. Improved margins and fewer idled units supported robust refining activity, with further strength expected this month as new plants come online, said Amy Sun, an analyst with GL Consulting, a think…