I'll start with what happened over the past 24 hours: The China Xi - USA Trump summit in Beijing was not a disaster.   Not much was agreed to, but no huge problems resulted. Xi admonished Trump about Taiwan, and his response was muted.  China could play a role in settling the Iran War.  It appears that Xi Jinping will return a visit to the U.S. in September. In a Star Advertiser poll: What should the U.S. do in the war against Iran? May 14, 2026   D. Just “finish the job” with military action (235 Votes) A. Current ceasefire/diplomacy is working (126 Votes) B. Call on NATO for active role (105 Votes) C. Call on China for active role (54 Votes) Oil prices went up: Brent crude futures gained $3.35, or 3.17%, to $109.07 a barrel by 12:34 p.m. CDT (7:34 a.m. Hawaii time). West Texas Intermediate futures were up $3.85, or 3.81%, at $105.02. So on to my topic of the day.  May 15 is the135th day of 2026, so there are 230 days left this year.  Thus far, ...