California Extends Its Key Climate Programs, Condemning the State to High Energy Prices

On Friday, May 29, 2026, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved sweeping updates to the state’s Cap-and-Invest program (formerly Cap-and-Trade), extending California’s signature climate initiative through 2045. State regulators framed the changes as a balanced move to meet aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets while supporting affordability and preventing industry “leakage”—the exodus of major polluters […]

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The Endless Deal in Iran: Roller-Coaster Diplomacy, Iraq Spillover, and Oil Market Whiplash

As global energy markets swing wildly on every headline from the Middle East, historian Niall Ferguson aptly dubs the latest chapter “The Endless Almost-Deal in Iran.” Since the dramatic escalation on February 28, 2026—when U.S. and Israeli strikes (part of what some reports call Operation Epic Fury) targeted Iranian leadership and facilities, reportedly killing Supreme […]

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ExxonMobil and Chevron Executives Warn of $140 to $160 Oil Within Weeks

In a stark alert to markets, top executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron have highlighted an impending physical oil supply crunch that could drive Dated Brent crude prices sharply higher—potentially to $150–$160 per barrel—within the coming weeks. The warnings center on critically low global inventories of crude and refined products, exacerbated by the ongoing closure of […]

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We are about to price the oil and gas markets for absence rather than scarcity

In a recent appearance on Squawk Box Asia, veteran commodities strategist Jeff Currie (Co-Chairman of Abaxx Markets) delivered a stark warning that resonates deeply with current market dynamics. He described an emerging “rare earth moment” — a qualitative shift where markets have been neglecting the physical world (“atoms”) in favor of financial narratives and tech […]

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