Odds and Ends — 31 July 2026

@preparedwombat 79

about 7 hours ago

oddsandends

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

BOJ intervenes to defend yen near 160, holds rates steady

https://x.com/henkvaness/status/2082912544394498228

AI Company Sues Town for Trying to Block Data Center Near National Park

Coronavirus and Public Health:

https://x.com/rothschildmd/status/2082627311388721394

https://x.com/TaurusWitch2010/status/2082779973295976701

https://x.com/MeidasTouch/status/2082465117644652563

Iran:

Leon Panetta Warns of ‘Unwinnable’ Fight with Iran

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned that the U.S. is ‘locked into an unwinnable war’ with Iran, arguing the conflict risks becoming another prolonged military engagement with no clear end.

Drone Strike Hits FSRU at Egypt's Damietta LNG Terminal

https://x.com/YourAnonCentral/status/2082846220444401892

Iran Is in No Rush to Return to Talks With United States

Iran’s skies have been free of the sound of explosions and airstrikes for the past several days, after a bout of renewed fighting with the United States. But Iranian officials say they have not agreed to a cease-fire and are in no hurry to hold direct talks with American negotiators.
Instead, Iranian officials insist that they are in a position of strength, military leaders boast of battlefield successes, and diplomats dismiss U.S. claims that they are eager to return to negotiations.

https://x.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/2082190686481264778

https://x.com/emeriticus/status/2081791876370252239

FAFO: Trump Is ‘Exasperated’ on Iran

As President Donald Trump weighs his next move on Iran, his top aides and allies can’t agree on a path forward.
Said one U.S. official: “After all this time, there is no unity.”
Two others familiar with the White House discussions on the war also described the president as increasingly frustrated over Iran. Despite public displays of confidence, neither he nor his top aides are pleased with the status quo.
Said a person close to Trump: “The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal… There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint.”

Politics:

https://x.com/shannonrwatts/status/2082919928219267094

Venezuela’s Darcy Rodríguez Now Serves as Trump Proxy

A socialist stalwart who rose through Chávez’s inner circle before serving for years as Nicolás Maduro’s second-in-command, Rodríguez, 57, was among the most recognizable faces of a movement largely defined for decades by its hostility toward the U.S.
Today, she is the steward of a remarkable rapprochement with Washington. In exchange for U.S. support, she has allowed Trump and Rubio to turn Venezuela into a de facto vassal state, giving them an unprecedented degree of influence over her country.

Yeah, good luck with that: Trump Says He Wants Supreme Court to Revive Suit Against Hillary Clinton

President Donald Trump said he will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his failed lawsuit accusing Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and others of conspiring to tarnish his 2016 campaign with … claims of collusion with Russia.

https://x.com/farhip/status/2083053440150728752