Wednesday's News Links

[CNBC] S&P 500 is flat as oil rises, traders brace for Fed decision and Big Tech earnings: Live updates

[CNBC] Oil prices extend multi-day rally as Trump issues new threat to Iran; Brent tops $114 per barrel

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Crop Prices Hit Highest Since 2023 as War and Bad Weather Bite

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Trump Tells Aides to Prep for Lengthy Hormuz Blockade, Report Says

[CNBC] Trump threatens Iran with AI picture of himself with a gun: ‘No more Mr. Nice guy!’

[AP] Live updates: Hegseth to face Congress for first time since Iran war began

[AP] Fed likely to leave rates unchanged at what may be Powell’s last meeting, as Warsh to advance

[Yahoo/Reuters] Powell's tenure as Fed chief, bookended by Trump, draws to a close

[Reuters] US goods trade deficit widens in March as imports rise sharply

[CNBC] Mortgage rates are rising again, but homebuyers are trickling back

[CNBC] U.S. warns banks of sanctions risk over China ‘teapot’ refineries handling Iranian oil

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Trump's $1.5 Trillion Defense Plan Draws Rare Republican Pushback

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] US Has More Natural Gas Than It Can Use as War Chokes Global Supply

[Axios] Behind the Curtain: We've been warned

[Reuters] German inflation accelerates to 2.9% in April as energy costs soar

[Yahoo/WSJ] Spanish Inflation Rises Further as Iran War Drives Energy Prices Higher

[AP] Rare earth mining is poisoning Mekong River tributaries, threatening ‘the world’s kitchen’

[Bloomberg] US Core Capital Goods Orders Surge by Most Since 2020

[Bloomberg] US Housing Starts Surge to Highest Level Since December 2024

[Bloomberg] America’s Bond-Market Privilege Is Disappearing as US Debt Soars

[Bloomberg] Blue Owl Scrutiny to Ramp Up With Shares Near ‘Doomsday’ Levels

[MSN/WSJ] Natural Disasters Are Rewriting Home-Insurance Costs. See How It Impacts You.

[MSN/WP] Pentagon Detailed $1.5 Trillion Budget Request Last Week

[Bloomberg] Xi Has $1.2 Trillion Rare Earths Leverage Ahead of Trump Visit

[Bloomberg] America’s Broken Politics Are Dragging It Down a Fiscal Black Hole

[NYT] What to Watch at the Federal Reserve’s April Meeting

[WSJ] Trump Tells Aides to Prepare for Extended Blockade of Iran

[WSJ] The Global Energy Order Is Breaking Down

[WSJ] Australia’s Consumer Inflation Jumps on Oil Shock

[FT] How Jay Powell repelled Donald Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve

[FT] Ken Griffin suggests wealthy individuals do not understand private credit risks

[FT] How OpenAI’s $500bn data centre venture Stargate has shifted shape

[FT] Greenland ice sheet and Europe’s glaciers shrink further, scientists say

Tuesday Evening Links

[CNBC] S&P 500 futures are flat as Wall Street looks ahead to ‘Mag 7’ earnings and Fed decision: Live updates

[Reuters] US pump prices near 4-year high on Iran war disruption, refinery outages

[CNBC] Here’s everything to expect when the Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday

[Reuters] Trump, unhappy with latest peace proposal, says Iran 'figuring out its leadership'

[Reuters] Iran’s Guards seize wartime power, blunting Supreme Leader's role

[Axios] James Comey indicted again, this time over "86 47" photo

[Reuters] US FCC reviewing Disney's ABC station licenses after Jimmy Kimmel joke

[Politico] King Charles: The hidden messages in his speech to Congress

[Politico] Trump slams German Chancellor Merz over Iran

[Bloomberg] Bond Traders Ramp Up Wagers Hedging for 5% Yields as Oil Surges

[Bloomberg] California Jet Fuel Woes Deepen as Asia Flows Hit Decade Low

[Bloomberg] UAE Exit Blindsides OPEC and Threatens to Shake Its Grip on Oil

[Bloomberg] US Warns of Sanctions Risks for Chinese Refiners of Iranian Oil

[Bloomberg] AI Power-Gear Spending in US Surging Up to $65 Billion

[Bloomberg] Toyota Suppliers Start to See Shortages Due to Iran Conflict

[NYT] Despite Trade Turmoil, Canada’s Economy Is Expected to Grow and Deficit to Fall

[WSJ] AI Worries Have Returned to Wall Street. Now Come Earnings.

[FT] Trump administration launches Disney probe after Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania joke

Tuesday Afternoon Links

[AP] Sinking AI stocks and rising oil prices weigh on Wall Street

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Oil Back Above $110 as World Awaits US Response to Iran Proposal

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] OpenAI-Linked Stocks Slump on Report It Missed Key Targets

[AP] Live updates: United Arab Emirates says it will exit OPEC, while US-Iran negotiations stall

[Axios] Trump claims Iran told U.S. it wants Strait of Hormuz open ASAP

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Trump Says Iran Wants Hormuz Open in Tussle Over War’s End

[AP] US consumer confidence inches higher in April despite Iran war, soaring gasoline prices

[Bloomberg] Data Center-Tied Debt Slides as OpenAI Report Fuels Angst

[Bloomberg] BofA Sees Record May for High-Grade Sales, Topping $190 Billion

[Bloomberg] JPMorgan’s Dimon Warns Again on Risks of Credit Downturn

[Bloomberg] Wheat Highest Since 2024 as Drought, Fertilizer Costs Hit Supply