First, some latest news: The war in Iran got a bit muddied yesterday, for there was a minor skirmish at Bandar Abbas, but the ceasefire is supposedly still holding.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the peace deal is only a few words away from settlement, and President Donald Trump continues to send mixed signals about a deal, so the world awaits. Apparently, there are 1,500 ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, now for three months, and before this war, only 130 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz/day.  Plus, there will be the matter of cleaning up the strait of mines, so you can expect high gasoline prices to the end of the summer. In the meantime, considering the drop in support from voters, rebuff from the Congress, worsening economy and gasoline prices, continuation of those two wars, and looming Epstein consequences, the troubled mind of Trump is worsening.  However, a "perfect" physical exam at Walter Reed yesterday is his personal diagnosis. Trump's e...

 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, ...