But first: Dow hits new closing record as tech stocks drag Nasdaq This has been a great week for the DOW and the S&P 500, for they set record highs on Tuesday. The Dow rose 263.18 yesterday to 54,349.06. However both the S&P and Nasdaq dropped. Volume of 17.85 million share volume was slightly higher than the average of the past trading days. Regarding the Iran war, there seems to be a truce,  and therefore some relief, without any clear resolution.    Iran is close to reaching an agreement  with Oman to open the Strait of Hormuz .  The U.S. could approve this, or not.  There is that matter of fees. Oil prices, though, are edging down today, $79.24 for the Brent. There remain two blockades. U.S. over Iranian ports. Houthis on Saudi Arabia. The new Iranian Supreme Leader, the younger Khamenei, was wounded in the strike that killed his father, and has not since then appeared in public.  Did not go to the funeral. We just returned from our t...

 Latest news: Peace talks with Iran? Israel continues to express concern about the Hamas. Looks like Todd Blanche's confirmation vote on the floor will occur, at the end of the week, just before the Senate goes into recess.   But will he pass? Seems like I haven't been on a trip for awhile.  Actually, we returned less than three months ago after our cruises down the Mississippi and from Manhattan to Toronto, then a train ride from Toronto to Vancouver.   On our return, I looked ahead at our next adventure and said : We fly to Iceland to see some geo-cold sites, then board the Azamara Journey for 18-nights from Rekjavik to Greenland, ending up in Montreal.  Of course, there is one primary reason we will be on this cruise.  The next total solar eclipse.  Sun will stay dark for 2 minutes and 18 seconds on August 12. So, anyway, we leave today on our eclipse trip. The Azamara Journey cruise is hopefully where we will experience that total eclipse....

But first: President   Donald Trump   escalated his threat to target   Iran’s infrastructure , warning a "whole civilization" will die, "never to be brought back again," if Iranian officials miss his deadline to make a deal to end the war. Emphasizing the Tuesday night deadline, Trump referred to the upcoming crossroads as “one of most important moments in the long and complex history of the world.” Speaking of the Iranian regime, he added that “47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end.” Vice President J.D. Vance, during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, with whom he is currently visiting,   said   the U.S. is confident it will get a response from Iran before the 8 p.m. E.T. deadline passes . However: Iran rejected a   cease-fire   draft on Monday and submitted its own counterproposal. "They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough," ...