Economy
Robert Kiyosaki issued a warning that a major market crash has begun due to AI speculation, the Iran conflict, debt levels, and retiring Baby Boomers. He recommended gold, silver, Bitcoin, productive real estate, and oil. Click here for Chris’s guide on buying gold and silver.
Separately, President Trump said he would consider Chinese automakers building vehicles in the US with American workers but opposed their actual operation. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged a permanent ban on Chinese-connected vehicles over data-security concerns.
Energy
President Trump attributed the increase in diesel prices to the Russia-Ukraine war in a social media post. The diesel crack spread exceeded $100 per barrel in August and $107 in September, above the typical $20-$40 range. US distillate inventories reached their lowest end-of-month level since 1951, with refiners operating above 97 percent utilization. The spread rose after US and Israeli strikes on Iran reduced Hormuz throughput, with Brent crude moving from $67 in January to $117 in April. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries added further pressure.
Relatedly, Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. Dmitry Peskov welcomed limits on attacks on civilian infrastructure but offered no details on broader talks and noted the disabled Saudi East-West pipeline. Diesel futures fell to roughly $5.04 a gallon. However, Ukrainian drones later struck Russia’s Syzran refinery, which processes about 170,000 barrels per day.
Meanwhile, NASA satellites detected fires at Aramco’s Yanbu refinery consistent with a reported Houthi strike. The refinery sits at the Red Sea terminal where the East-West pipeline ends.
Separately, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth stated that the fuel crisis following a prolonged Hormuz closure has arrived and that prior buffers have been exhausted.
Geopolitics
An analysis compared US sanctions on Iran to Britain’s 19th-century blockade of Napoleonic Europe, noting that Iran is exporting more oil than at most points since 2018 via a shadow fleet and Chinese buyers. The piece argued that sanctions raise prices for Western consumers while encouraging alternative payment systems.
Meanwhile, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated that the Space Force operates on-orbit space control weapons. He highlighted the Space-Based Interceptor program, which could reach initial capability by 2028, and a $4.2 billion SpaceX contract for a targeting constellation. China urged the United States to halt space militarization in response to the announcement.
In geopolitical news missed by the mainstream media, US Africa Command reported an airstrike on al-Shabaab in Somalia on September 8, the 81st such strike this year by its count. Al-Shabaab has continued mortar attacks on regional and Somali government forces.
US Politics
The Supreme Court declined to lift an injunction blocking a USPS rule requiring unique barcodes on mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterms. Justice Kavanaugh, joined by Justice Jackson, concurred that the rule’s timing would be arbitrary. Justices Alito and Thomas dissented.
Representatives Mark DeSaulnier and Jimmy Patronis introduced a bill to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Act in two years without a replacement framework. Section 230 is the legislation that protects online platforms from being held liable for their users’ posts. Critics argue that removing Section 230 protections would infringe upon free speech.
In other news, Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, returned by wheelchair to the Senate after his lengthy absence.
Environment
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to rescind carbon pollution standards for power plants. The agency estimated annual savings of $1.2 billion for the sector plus $120 million from related mercury rule changes. Several state and city coalitions have filed lawsuits opposing the rollback.
Sources
Trump’s Iran War, Not Ukraine, Sparked the Diesel Crisis
The price is indexed to the Iran war, phase by phase. It is not indexed to Kyiv’s drones.
Source | Submitted by Rodster
The Sanctions Boomerang: Why Iran’s Oil Flows and America Pays the Toll
A chokepoint is not a wall. It is a tollbooth — expensive, annoying, survivable — and the traffic always finds another way around.
Source | Submitted by Rodster
US Confirms On-Orbit Space Weapons in Rare Pentagon Admission
“This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action.”
US Marks 81st Somalia Strike as Media Stays Silent
US Africa Command announced on Friday that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia as the Trump administration continues a record-breaking bombing campaign in the country, which receives virtually no coverage in US media.
SCOTUS Leaves USPS Ballot Barcode Rule Blocked for Midterms
The Supreme Court late on Sept. 14 declined to lift a nationwide injunction blocking a United States Postal Service (USPS) rule on federal ballot mail, leaving it on hold for the 2026 midterms.
Trump Open to Chinese Car Plants in US—if They Hire Americans
If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I’d be okay with that.
EPA Axes Costly Carbon Rules, Power Sector Saves $1.2B Yearly
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to formally rescind carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel power plants today, according to multiple media reports.
Trump’s Energy Ceasefire: Ukraine, Russia Vow to Spare Diesel Targets Amid Fuel Price Spike
Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian energy targets. Russia has agreed to do likewise!
McConnell Wheels Back to Senate After Three-Month Absence, Cites Polio Recovery
My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier.
Section 230 Repeal: Small Sites, Not Big Tech, Face the Real Risk
The bill targets Big Tech, but its first casualties could be the small sites that cannot afford a lawsuit.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery Hours After Trump’s Truce Claim
Ukrainian drones have just struck Russia’s Syzran oil refinery, with multiple fires burning across the complex, hours after Trump claimed on Truth Social that Ukraine had agreed not to hit Russian energy targets.
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
Houthi Strike Sparks Fires at Aramco’s Yanbu Refinery, NASA Data Shows
Two intense fires reportedly detected at the Aramco refinery in Yanbu, with reports pointing to a Houthi strike
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
Kiyosaki Warns Biggest Crash Has Begun as Debt and Fiat Printing Mount
Biggest crash in history has started.
Chevron CEO Warns Fuel Crisis Has Arrived as Hormuz Buffers Run Dry
The fuel crisis oil executives warned would follow a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz has now officially arrived
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: EuroPost Agency and Uubaale News.
by scarlberg