A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE WAR WITH IRAN

Well, the big deal today is that Iran and the USA agreed to talk about ending the now 108-day long war, and open up the Strait of Hormuz.

• There will be a signing of this document in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday, on Day 112.

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  Note that this agreement is not quite to end the war.  Only another 60-day ceasefire to negotiate ending the war.
• But neither President Donald Trump, nor Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, nor President Masoud Pezeshkian will participate. 
• Israel is not part of this signing, so no President Benjamin Netanyahu either.

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  The key signers will be Veep JD Vance and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
• And, incidentally, SL Khamenei remains in hiding, and has not made even one public appearance since succeeding his father.  Why?  Pretty obvious that Israel will try to assassinate him, too.

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  This is not a peace agreement.  Only a 60-day ceasefire.
• What about that nuclear matter?  Up for discussion.
• Around $25 billion of blocked Iran assets to be released?  Same.
• Position of Israel?  Tenuous
• Relationship now between Trump and Netanyahu.  Tenuous.
• Exactly when will the Strait of Hormuz be open for petroleum tankers?

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  Trump said they are already beginning to move.
• Shipping associations and insurers warn that normal traffic will await mine sweeping operations and legal hurdles, which will take weeks to do and settle.

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  The sense is that it will likely take months for the global energy crisis to ease.
• The price of petroleum has already dropped by around $10/barrel from last week, and now sits near $74/barrel.
• As usual, gasoline prices are kept as high as possible by oil companies for as long as the public can tolerate.  Nationwide, regular gasoline has dropped 10 cents, from $4.16/gallon to $4.10, over the past week.
• Many challenges remain.

Of course, the stock market is up, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting an all-time high of 51,816, and closing at 51,671.  After that great IPO on Friday, SpaceX jumped another 20% today to 192.5, and should increase further tomorrow. solidifying Elon Musk's trillionaire status.

A long time ago, the National Park Service announced plans for a spectacular Mall celebration for America's 250th birthday on July 4.   A grand parade with floats from across the country and fireworks. Well, President Trump is on a roll, and today indicated he would make this also a political rally, A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA.  He will pick the music, and certainly, YMCA will be prominent.

And, oh yes, I ended up watching the entire UFC Freedom 250 matches on Paramount+.

• Dana White called it the biggest event in the history of mixed martial arts.  The sold merchandise exceeded all-time metrics, numbers on Paramount+ monstrous, estimated that 200,000 people (well, maybe in and out all day, for the count was closer to 80,000 at the time of the fights) were on the Ellipse, even though the weather was threatening, and called American Justin Gaethje upset over Germany-born Georgian (country of Georgia in Europe) Ilia Topuria to win the lightweight title, one of the greatest fights you'll ever see.
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  After winning the biggest fight of his career, heavyweight Josh Hokit gave Trump a chain and praised him.  Then he remarked, Michelle Obama is a man, am I right, America?
• Some cheers, but mostly quizzical looks.
• Maybe he saw a digitally altered photo of Michelle.
• But Hokit has a history of making derogatory remarks about Black women, for earlier this year he called WNBA star Brittney a man.

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  My sense of this whole extravaganza at the White House is that the event was misplaced.  Certainly resembled those gladiator spectacles in ancient Roman times.  This one was too bloody and unseemly for the time and location.  That's Ilia Topuria.

About the FIFA World Cup:

• The only surprise on Sunday was Japan tying the Netherlands, 2-2.
• Two games today.
• Spain vs Cape Verde at noon EDT in Atlanta.
• Belgium vs Egypt at 3PM EDT in Seattle.
• Australia beating the favored Turkiye team 2-0 was unexpected

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  USA plays Australia at 3PM EDT on Friday in Seattle.
• Get-in resale price is now around $1800/seat.
• Prime lower-level range from $3000 to $6000/ticket.
• Jump caused by more optimism for Team America, versus a now more fearsome Australia.

In the NHL Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas last night for the championship.  A score of 3-0 and the series 4-2.

I ask Google AI these types of questions.  Despite music censorship and banning of Western media in Iran, what are the most popular American songs in that country today?

• Hotel California (1977) by the Eagles.
• Another Brick in the Wall (1979) by Pink Floyd.
• Billie Jean (1983) by Michael Jackson.

Why?  All really old, for the Islamic Revolution occurred in 1979, making more current songs largely unknown.  These are also all very long songs.

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