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Jul 20, 2026 - World

Conservative commentator and journalist Saagar Enjeti sounded the alarm Monday over the United States’ dwindling supply of crude oil reserves, which, should the U.S. war against Iran continue, could bring about “literal shortages” in a matter of weeks, he warned.The U.S.-Iran ceasefire collapsed earlier this month, and both sides have exchanged fire over the past week, with analysts increasingly doubtful a diplomatic resolution is still possible. As a result, the cost of oil surged this past week by more than 15%, and, according to the financial data company Barchart, the U.S. supply of crude oil has reached a 45-year low with just “43 days” of supply remaining.“You need that slack to have confidence in the market that it'll be there when you order what you have – when all that gets taken away, and if it runs to zero, that's when stuff gets absolutely bonkers,” Enjeti said Monday on his political video podcast “Breaking Points.” “It would be basically no confidence in the market – that's when export bans might come into play, literal shortages. This is the reason the Strategic Petroleum Reserve exists in the first place, and to now be at the lowest level since 1983, you just have no runway!”Exacerbating fears of economic turmoil further, the Yemeni military organization the Houthis announced a new maritime blockade Monday on Saudi Arabia, putting at risk “the flow of millions of barrels” of oil. And China, which significantly reduced its oil imports after the United States first attacked Iran in February, is expected to “resume buying soon as it draws down its stockpiles.”“There are two main reasons why gas is still not at catastrophic levels, although as of this morning, gas is right back to $4 a gallon nationally. One was Saudi Arabia: approximately 4.5 million barrels per day were coming out of the Bab Al Mandeb strait. That's roughly 3-4% of the world's oil supply, which the Houthis now say they will blockade,” Enjeti said.“And then secondary is China: Chinese imports are beginning to rebound sharply. China was importing roughly 12 million barrels per day right before the war began. That plummeted below 6 million barrels per day after the outbreak of the war. A resumption means it will put significant pressure on the global oil market.”Enjeti continued, “So, if you have two primary shocks that are already coming into a shocked system – the five-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz – things can get catastrophic very quickly.”

Jul 20, 2026 - World

The consequences of President Donald Trump’s deeply unpopular war against Iran took a dire turn Monday after the Houthis, a Yemeni political and military organization, announced a new maritime blockade on the U.S. ally Saudi Arabia — a move that could put “at risk the flow of millions of barrels” of oil, according to Bloomberg.“The literal nightmare scenario,” warned conservative journalist and commentator Saagar Enjeti Monday in a social media post on X to his more than 517,000 followers.The maritime blockade was instituted, the Houthis said in a statement, in response to Saudi Arabian attacks on Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, and will be implemented immediately.According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has diverted close to three-quarters of its oil exports through the port of Yanbu, which rests in the Red Sea, since the disruption to trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Both Saudi Arabia and Yemen share coastlines along the Red Sea, with the Houthis well positioned to enforce the embargo and disrupt Saudi Arabia’s energy exports.“The announcement adds to a slew of risks facing global oil supplies. Maritime traffic through the Hormuz Strait, where about a fifth of the world’s oil flowed, remains near standstill amid tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran,” Bloomberg’s report reads.“Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Houthis have been on the rise since last week when Riyadh attacked the airport in Sana’a. Houthis then attacked a southern Saudi airport, the worst flare-up between them since a ceasefire in 2022.”Amid the recent attacks in the U.S. war against Iran, oil prices have resurged, with the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States reaching $4 again after it rose more than 15% in a single week, the first time the national cost for a gallon of gasoline eclipsed $4 since June 17.The literal nightmare scenario https://t.co/oVMd4IMKvU— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) July 20, 2026

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Youth-led group calls on education minister to quit in one of India’s largest anti-government rallies in yearsTens of thousands of protesters have defied police orders and descended on Delhi to demand the resignation of India’s education minister in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.A huge crowd, largely made up of students and gen Z-ers, filled the streets in the heart of India’s capital from early Monday morning shouting anti-government slogans. Hundreds had already camped out overnight. Continue reading...

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Despite her high-profile role as the head of CBS News, Bari Weiss is entering into a new dalliance with a conservative billionaire — leaving no doubt where her sympathies lie, according to a new report.Media watchdog Status has uncovered an expanding professional relationship between Weiss and Mathias Döpfner, the chief executive of Axel Springer, the German publishing conglomerate that owns outlets including Politico and Business Insider.Döpfner had previously attempted to recruit Weiss more than a year ago, an effort that failed, Natalie Korach of Status reported. Now Döpfner has invited Weiss to speak at the 2026 Axel Springer Award ceremony in Berlin, where she will share the stage honoring Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech investor and prominent Trump ally.Weiss has accepted the invitation and plans to attend the late September event, delivering remarks to both in-person attendees and livestream viewers. Neither Axel Springer nor CBS News representatives would comment on the arrangement.According to the report, the appointment signals a deepening professional alliance between Weiss and Döpfner that has persisted even after Axel Springer's failed attempt to acquire Weiss's outlet, The Free Press. Korach wrote, "In the year since, Döpfner and Weiss have continued to cross paths across the media circuit, including at the POLITICO-CBS News gathering ahead of White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April, where they were seen mingling alongside other media executives and Donald Trump administration officials."Thiel's selection as honoree reflects Döpfner's broader "ideological repositioning," with Status reporting that, over the past year, the executive has steered Axel Springer decisively rightward, completing acquisitions of conservative outlets like The Telegraph and exploring deals for right-leaning publications including The Dispatch. Döpfner has simultaneously "cultivated" stronger relationships with the Trump White House, including direct meetings with chief of staff Susie Wiles.The decision to celebrate Thiel—whose track record includes backing ventures many in the journalism community view as hostile to press independence—sends a particular message at a moment when the Trump administration is intensifying attacks on media institutions, Status reported.The award ceremony represents yet another signal that Weiss continues aligning herself with an increasingly influential network of conservative billionaires reshaping the media landscape, Korach observed.

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Many of the more than 100 people awaiting processing on the tiny Pacific island are skipping meals to make ends meet, a new survey has foundFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMost refugees and asylum seekers held in Nauru’s detention centres say they cannot afford to buy enough food or access clean drinking water, despite the Australian government spending the equivalent of more than $9m per person last financial year.The group of more than 100 people have been sent indefinitely to the tiny Pacific island while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed. Many of the cohort say they are skipping meals to make ends meet, according to a new survey by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) advocacy group. Continue reading...