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Daily Finance & Markets Brief · July 18th
storyflo · finance and markets
Jul 18, 2026 · 3 min listen · Last updated July 18, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief for July 18th. Hey, Mason here. July 18th. The opening read — five stories that explain today's tape. Let's get into it. First, from Bloomberg · Markets. Sheinbaum, Carney to Watch World Cup Final With Trump.
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Daily Finance & Markets Brief · July 18th
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Sheinbaum, Carney to Watch World Cup Final With Trump
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to the US to attend Sunday’s World Cup final on President Donald Trump’s invitation, creating the opportunity for a reset after a month filled with regional tensions.
$100 Billion & Climbing: Iran War Price Tag Believed Far Higher Than WH Estimates
While the Pentagon publicly clings to a $30 billion price tag for its war against Iran, internal Defense Department assessments (unsurprisingly) paint a far more staggering picture: the true cost is rapidly closing in on the $80 billion to $100 billion range, according to NBC News.
The Pentagon's Office of Management and Budget told Congress on June 30 that US military operations against Iran so far is $30 billion: "We’ve spent about $30 billion," OMB Director Russel Vought told the House Appropriations Committee.
NBC's new assessment bluntly states the following, however: "The cost of the war
Fake Records May Have Put Untrained Drivers On America's Roads
Authored by David Manney via PJMedia.com,
Fake training records can move an unprepared driver one step closer to a commercial license.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin are now investigating about 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of doing exactly that.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has identified approximately 75 entry-level driving training schools suspected of fraudulent activities, including using improper driver certifications, falsifying training records, and failing to properly train drivers applying
Russia Expresses Alarm Over Deepening NATO-South Korea Ties
Moscow and Pyongyang have quite obviously deepened their relations in unprecedented ways over the past years since the Ukraine war began, and this has been most on display with the transfer of thousands of North Korean troops in support of Russian forces, and DPRK soldiers even losing their lives while fighting Ukraine.
So it's only to be expected that Russia side with North Korea in the long-running conflict and standoff with South Korea.
Israel Advances Plan For Palestinian Prisons With Crocodile-Filled Moats
The Israeli government has stripped Nile crocodiles of their protected status, paving the way for a proposal to build a detention facility for Palestinians surrounded by the reptiles, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
Environment Minister Idit Silman signed a decree on Wednesday reclassifying Nile crocodiles as a "specially managed wild animal" - a new legal category that allows the state to keep the animals for security purposes, according to Israeli news site Ynet.
Chilly Temps Hurt Ice Cream Sales—Until This L.A. Shop Found a Cool Side Hustle
Bad weather is no longer bad for business at 28 Wishes Ice Cream Shop. The brothers behind the parlor in downtown Los Angeles hedge against slow sales on a prediction market, cashing in when temperatures drop.
Welcome Avatar! This is a bonus post on an unrelated topic to making money on the interwebz and investing. If you’re uninterested just move on and if you need it in the future, it’ll be right here!
From Part one on parenting (Source), we gave a quick high level on what to do.
Bitcoin’s bull and bear markets tend to look similar, though each cycle is unique in its own right. What repeats most consistently are the technical setups and the way markets react to certain macro events and narratives.
The mayor of SF has a message for AV companies: 'Prove it before you deploy it'
- SF mayor Daniel Lurie urges stricter AV regulations after major disruptions.
- Lurie cited the July 4 Waymo incidents and a power outage as reasons for tougher AV regulation.
- NHTSA is urging AV companies to address robotaxi interference to emergency responders.
The mayor of San Francisco is tired of his city serving as an autonomous vehicle test track.
In a letter sent to California transportation regulators on Wednesday, Daniel Lurie called for new statewide standards governing how autonomous vehicles respond during major disruptions, saying that stricter measures will strengthen the AV i
Salta, Argentina
July 17th, 2026
Dear Reader,
On Wednesday afternoon, we drove into Angastaco, a dusty mountain town about a thirty minute drive from the ranch. It was dustier than usual because of the winter winds, and the air blew hot and dry. Sort of like a hair drier filled with sand and dirt.
We hustled into the local café to watch the Argentina vs. England match. There were two TV’s in either of the corner of the small room. We snagged the only table left, a four top.
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