Ah, the War with Iran: For the ninth night in a row, the USA bombed Iran. Iran continues to essentially close the Strait of Hormuz, plus, Houthi allies again have indicated that they might block Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the other main oil route .  Combine, 27% of world petroleum passes through these straits. I asked Google AI:  Will the U.S. invade Kharg Island? As of July 2026, there is no official date or definitive plan announced for a U.S. invasion of Kharg Island . President Donald Trump has publicly floated the idea of seizing the island—which handles about 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports—but military planners and officials are still weighing the logistical risks and strategic fallout of such an operation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Current Status: Trump has hosted Situation Room meetings to discuss potential ground troop deployments and the possible seizure of energy infrastructure. While no timeline has been set, Trump stated in mid-June that the U.S. will be taking the isl...

  As the World Turns . Sure, there was a TV soap opera from 1956 to 2010 on CBS that had 54 seasons and 13,858 episodes. About a fictional town in Illinois on the tribulations of upper class families. Produced mostly female stars, like Meg Ryan, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei and Amanda Seyfried. Was not the longest running, for that title belongs to Guiding Light . In London, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ( on the right ) is expected to resign tomorrow. Andy Burnham ( on the left) will probably be the next PM.  Who is he?  Another day. Brexit has seriously hurt the economy,   Hate crimes have increased in England and Wales. But London remains very safe for visitors.   Just use common street sense, as you should anywhere you go. About homicide, London is 3 times safer than New York City, 5 times better than Los Angeles and 15 times lower than Philadelphia and Chicago. About that Memorandum of Understanding discussion between Iran and the USA: Has n...

While on the one hand, Veep JD Vance cancelled his trip to Geneva to sign that Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, it so turns out that there now seems to be some kind of ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah .  So what?  Well, chances are that Vance will now go to Europe as soon as this weekend, and, over the next 60 days or so, maybe re-negotiate a larger peace with Iran.  Israel, however, is still not on the list to sign.  I thought they were a key player in all of this. If the last time you were in Japan, say 2013, the dollar-yen exchange rate was 100.  In other words, instead of paying $500, today the cost would only be $313.  Unfortunately, hotel rates have zoomed up by 40% during this period, so you really haven't gained all that much in value.  Yet, Google AI says: For Americans, hotel rates in Japan are generally cheaper in USD today than they were 13 years ago . While the underlying Japanese Yen (JPY) prices have surged due to mas...