Clashes between Bedouin tribes, government forces, and Druze militias have left nearly 250 people dead, once again raising fears of a breakdown in Syria’s fragile postwar order.
Violence erupted over the weekend when fighting broke out between Druze militias and Bedouin armed groups in the Suweida region, a heartland of the Druze minority. Syrian government troops were deployed on Monday to restore order but ended up engaging in clashes with the Druze militias themselves, further escalating tensions.
The Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own distinct identity and beliefs, have long been wary of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government despite his repeated pledges to protect minority communities.
Meanwhile, Israel announced it had struck Syria’s defence ministry in Damascus, saying the attack was aimed at pressuring the Islamist-led authorities and protecting the Druze population from government aggression.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), nearly 250 people have been killed since the outbreak of violence. Observers warn that the renewed conflict risks unraveling months of fragile stability in the war-torn nation.
Related:
Rubio Says U.S. 'Very Concerned' Over Israeli Strikes In Syria—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
Israel Strikes Damascus Hard In Support Of The Druze—Dalal Saoud, UPI
French PM May Scrap Two Public Holidays To Alleviate Debt Crisis
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou would like to cut two national holidays from the country’s annual allowance in a bid to increase productivity and reduce its crippling debt.
France has the largest deficit in the Euro area, running at -5.8% of GDP, well under the -3% rule required by the European Union.
Its debt increases by €5,000 a second and, if left unchecked, is on target to cost France €100 billion a year in interest costs alone by 2029.
Bayrou also wants a new tax on the highest earners, a freeze in pension and welfare payments and possibly a sell-off of France’s stakes in companies.
However, the premier’s plans may never see the light of day as he has no majority in parliament and could succumb to the same fate as his predecessor, Michel Barnier, and be forced out of office.
TIPP Picks
Selected articles from tippinsights.com and more
1. Why The Left Is Going Crazy—Victor Davis Hanson, The Daily Signal
2. The Indictment Of Vladimir Putin Is Coming—Gordon Brown, Project Syndicate
3. Oh-No Cuomo Turns The Big Apple Red?—Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
4. Demystifying China’s Manufacturing Success—Zhang Jun, Project Syndicate
5. US Hubris-Driven Blunders Transform The Entire Complexion Of The Wider War—Alastair Crooke, The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity
6. IDF Soldiers Say Grenade-Drones Being Used On Civilians: ‘None Of ThemWere Armed’—Tyler Durden, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity
7. The Split Over Epstein Tells Us Something Important About The MAGA Movement—Connor O'Keeffe, Mises Wire
8. CNN’s Elie Honig Says Pam Bondi Has ‘Mishandled’ Epstein Files ‘Egregiously’—Nicole Silverio, DCNF
9. Autopen Scandal? Trump Administration Launches Investigation—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
10. AOC Hosts Strategy Session With Mamdani For The Future Of Dems—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
11. Obamas Shut Down Divorce Rumors—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
12. Mamdani Walks Back Use Of ‘Globalize The Intifada’ Amid Pressure—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
13. Vance Breaks Tie Again as Senate Advances DOGE Spending Cuts—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
14. New Polling Finds Strong Bipartisan Support For Trump’s Immigration Policies—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal
15. 3 Perverse Ways Your Tax Dollars Fund The Left’s Dark Money Network—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
16. House Panel Probes Taxpayer Dollars Sent To Left-Wing Groups—Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal
17. The Failure Of The Department Of Education—Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal
18. Trump Admin Agrees To Exempt Global AIDS Relief From Cuts, Urges Allies To Pull Weight—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
19. Congress Keeps Pushing Colleges To Discriminate — But The Fight Back Has Finally Begun—GianCarlo Canaparo & Campbell Collins, The Daily Signal
20. Defend The Taxpayer. Pass The Rescissions.—Andy Ogles, The Daily Signal
21. ‘Mob Violence’ And ‘Repression’: House Panel Hears About Persecution Of Religion In Pakistan—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal
22. Stricter Immigration Enforcement Could Be Coming To Ohio—Rebecca Downs, The Daily Signal
23. Muslim Scholars Deem Trump ‘Enemy Against God’—Caily Shriver, The Daily Signal
24. Powell’s Job On The Line? Trump Denies Reports Claiming He's About To Fire Fed Chair—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
25. Trump Tells Epstein Truthers: “I Don’t Want Your Support”—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
TIPP Market Brief – July 17, 2025
Your Morning Snapshot
📊 Market Snapshot
- S&P 500: ▲ 6263.70 (0.32% )
- 10-Year Yield: ▼ 4.455%, (3.4 basis points)
- Crude Oil (WTI): ▲ $66.64 (0.18%)
- Bitcoin (BTC): ▲ $118,724.09
- US Dollar Index (USD): ▲ 98.49 (0.20%)
- Gold: ▲ $3,349.70 (0.74%)
Bigger Charts: $SPX | $TNX | $WTIC | $BTCUSD | $USD | $GOLD
📈 Featured Stock
Our pick for today’s featured stock
📰 News & Headlines
Why Unity Software Stock Soared on Wednesday—Rich Smith, The Motley Fool
Unity (U) Shares Skyrocket, What You Need To Know—Jabin Bastian, StockStory
⭐Recent Featured Stocks
TTM Technologies (TTMI) (7/16)
Tapestry, Inc (TPR) (7/15)
Pagaya Technologies Ltd (PGY) (7/14)
Sofi Technologies Inc (SOFI) (7/11)
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) (7/10)
Tencent Music Entertainment ADR (TME) (7/9)
Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) (7/8)
Blacksky Technology Inc (BKSY) (7/7)
Dave Inc (DAVE) (7/3)
Seagate Technology (STX) (7/2)
More here
🧠 Macro Insight
🟩 Futures Steady After Powell Drama and Beige Book Release
Markets hold flat following a volatile session sparked by reports Trump planned to fire Fed Chair Powell, later denied by the president.
🟨 Trump Says No Plans to Fire Powell—For Now
Trump rejects reports of Powell’s ouster but leaves the door open, while reiterating frustration over the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates amid tariff uncertainty.
🟦 Fed Beige Book Shows Activity Up, Outlook Clouded
Business activity improved in June and July, but firms remain cautious as tariffs drive cost pressures. Many expect consumer prices to accelerate later this summer.
🟥 Netflix Earnings on Deck, Big Names Reporting
Netflix headlines after-market earnings, with GE Aerospace, PepsiCo, and Cintas set to report earlier. Analysts expect strong streaming results but warn of high expectations.
🟧 TSMC Profit Surges on AI Boom
TSMC posts record Q2 earnings, with net income up 60.7% on robust AI-driven demand for advanced chips, though trade-related uncertainty clouds the outlook.
📅 Key Events Today
🟦 Thursday, July 17
08:30 – Core Retail Sales (MoM) (Jun)
Excludes autos; reflects underlying consumer spending trends.
08:30 – Initial Jobless Claims
Weekly read on new unemployment claims; tracks labor market strength.
08:30 – Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Jul)
Regional snapshot of factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic.
08:30 – Retail Sales (MoM) (Jun)
Headline retail spending figure; key gauge of consumer demand.
