Global Brief: US & Seattle

• Population boom: Record residents downtown — 1 in 8 Seattleites — but visitors softer outside summer.
• Stalled jobs: No growth in 4 years vs....

• Commodity chaos: Strait of Hormuz closure surges oil past $120/bbl, fertilizer 50%; disrupts soy oil, planting in India/Bangladesh.
• India's...

Major gains under Chief Barnes: Seattle cleared 86% of homicides (32/37 cases), up from 57% and above national 61.4% avg.

• Citywide crime down 18%,...

Key highlights from Katie Wilson's first 100 days:

• Optimistic foundation: Laid groundwork to end cycle of sweeps, feeling great about progress.
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Trump's Iran Threats Ignite 25th Amendment Calls

• 🔥 Expletive-Laden Easter Post: President Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to bomb...

Polarized fallout from Trump's expletive ultimatum to bomb Iranian power plants/bridges or "live in Hell" unless Strait opens by Tuesday:

• Critics...

• Dollar index fell 0.3% to 102.40 as traders react to reports of mediators brokering Iran-Israel ceasefire.
• Euro jumped 0.4% to $1.0952, with...

Rising geopolitical risks loom over lithium for EVs:

• Conflicts disrupt availability, pricing, production amid surging EV demand
• Heavy reliance on...

Liberal international order under Trump 2.0 is at risk, as global arms conflict, mercantilism, populist nationalism, and imperial geopolitics rise while multilateralism declines.

Seattle faces hurdles in Mayor Katie Wilson's 500 shelter units push by June 1st:

• City memo doubts full achievement; tiny homes earliest July 14th,...

Arab Americans in Michigan warn centrist Democrats attacking Hasan Piker, a critic of US foreign policy: 'They haven't learned from 2024' – highlighting post-election backlash tied to Middle East stances.

President Trump jokingly boasts of topping Venezuelan polls like never before and vows to quickly learn Spanish to run for president there after his U.S. term.

BBVA Research launches an interactive platform in its new Big Data & AI section—updated weekly—to track daily evolutions in geopolitical and economic risks. Essential tool for global pros.

Middle East Escalation

• 🔥 Iran Ballistic Missile Strike: Iran launched a ballistic missile targeting Tel Aviv, with northern Israel on alert and...

Crude oil prices rise in the global market, marking breaking news amid tags like #BrentCrude, #WTI, and #EnergyCrisis.

Key insights from today's FP Live on energy geopolitics:

• US tops global crude oil & natural gas production, strengthening White House foreign policy...

• Carjacking bust: Two men, 29 and 43, arrested after gunpoint theft of 65-year-old woman's Nissan in 3400 Rainier Ave S, plus armed robbery nearby...

King County's entrepreneur scene buzzes with exec openings at FutureSight and nonprofits:

• Co-Founder/CEOs for AI in compliance, WealthTech, AEC...

Border policies and sanctuary laws fuel violent crimes in cities like Seattle, Chicago, and New York.

Key takeaways from Tudor Dixon's podcast:
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Iran-Israel tensions spike with direct strikes:

• US defensive action: Military footage shows downing Iranian drones targeting Americans and...