We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
💢As of early 2025, the US is facing concerns over several emerging viruses. Notably, Norovirus cases have risen to 91 by late December 2024, up from 69 in November. Additionally, a new strain of COVID-19, named XEC, is spreading and may become dominant soon, although vaccines remain effective against severe illness. Furthermore, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has raised alarms due to increased human infections linked to contact with infected animals, with 61 cases reported this year. Finally, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is also on the rise, particularly among children
🔥 Top Stories
• U.S.-Iran escalation widens — Fresh U.S. strikes hit Iranian military, ports, bridges and air defenses; Iran says it will retaliate, raising war-risk headlines and pushing oil higher
• Hormuz disruption risk spikes — Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz nearly halted; Gulf states issued alerts/sirens as maritime insurance costs jumped
• Oil, gold and bonds react — Brent neared $79, WTI jumped above $75, and gold held above $4,100 as inflation and supply-shock fears returned
⛽ Oil & Energy
• Hormuz/Red Sea flows under pressure — Maersk rerouted one service via the Red Sea while ship traffic in Hormuz slowed sharply
• Global energy supply jitters — Norway flagged rising output losses; Kazakhstan’s Atyrau refinery resumed early; Colombia oil output also slipped
• OPEC+ geopolitics — Iraq said it will stay in OPEC but wants a fairer quota amid broader regional tension
📊 Markets & Macro
• Risk-off then selective rebound — Asia traded mixed as tech shares helped...
We are burning our strategic reserves to manage paper markets while China quietly builds a 900-million-barrel energy fortress. ​The exact math shows the US hits a critical 150-million-barrel military floor in just 41 days at maximum draw. By artificially suppressing wartime energy prices, the administration effectively handed a generational strategic advantage to our primary global rival. ​Here is the data-driven teardown of how short-term market optics just sold our physical energy future.👇https://triggledger.substack.com/p/shorting-america-how-trump-sold-our?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8gc1qf
