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, ...

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," ...