The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most critical oil chokepoint. Roughly 15–17 million barrels of crude pass through the narrow waterway each day, with the largest flows heading to Asia. China, India, Japan, and South Korea together account for the bulk of imports, underscoring how any disruption in the Persian Gulf would reverberate most strongly across Asian energy markets.
According to Labor Department data, prices for food consumed at home rose 2.9% from a year earlier, the highest annual increase since August 2023. Restaurant and prepared meal prices also climbed, pushing overall food inflation to 3.2%.
On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., heard the testimony of subpoenaed CIA whistleblower James Erdman III, who alleged the federal government suppressed inquiries into the origin of COVID-19.
Critics have said Hamas has engaged in a propaganda war intended to “provoke outrage, shift public opinion, and pressure Israel through foreign governments and media.”
Protests have dogged Cities Church, an evangelical Reformed congregation affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, since Immigration and Customs Enforcement surged to the Twin Cities.
