Yemen’s ambassador to Washington warned that Houthi attacks on commercial shipping are jeopardizing the security of international waterways and maritime trade.
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Yemen’s ambassador to Washington: Houthi threats demand a unified and robust international deterrent response.
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SpaceX launched its huge rocket on another test flight, the first since the Elon Musk-led company’s history-making initial public offering - Wsj
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US lawmakers accuse Leon Black of acting in ‘bad faith’ in Epstein probe - FT
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Anthropic CEO: Supply agreements signed with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
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Elon Musk’s Boring Company seeks funding at a $20 billion valuation as investors continue betting on his growing business empire -wsj
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said authorities have been directed to expedite preparations to resume livestock exports to the United States.
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Mexico’s President Sheinbaum orders authorities to speed up preparations for livestock exports to the U.S.
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CHINESE AI MODELS OVERTAKE U.S. IN OPENROUTER USAGE
Summary: Chinese AI models now account for approximately 58% of AI token usage by U.S. firms on OpenRouter, surpassing U.S. models for the first time. The shift underscores the rapid adoption of low-cost, high-performance Chinese models such as DeepSeek and Qwen, intensifying competitive pressure on U.S. AI leaders. The data reflects usage on OpenRouter and not the overall global AI market.
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Summary: Chinese AI models now account for approximately 58% of AI token usage by U.S. firms on OpenRouter, surpassing U.S. models for the first time. The shift underscores the rapid adoption of low-cost, high-performance Chinese models such as DeepSeek and Qwen, intensifying competitive pressure on U.S. AI leaders. The data reflects usage on OpenRouter and not the overall global AI market.
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PRIVATE CREDIT FACES LIQUIDITY STRESS AS REDEMPTIONS SURGE
Redemption requests spiked across major private credit funds in Q2 2026, exposing liquidity risks in the sector.
Blackstone’s $45 billion BCRED hit its 5% quarterly redemption cap for the first time after investors sought to withdraw around 10% of assets. Similar pressure was seen at Apollo, Cliffwater, HPS, and Monroe, driven by concerns over potential losses on loans to highly leveraged technology companies.
The episode has dented investor confidence, with BCRED’s new fundraising falling nearly 70% year-on-year in Q2, highlighting growing concerns over the liquidity of private credit investments.
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Redemption requests spiked across major private credit funds in Q2 2026, exposing liquidity risks in the sector.
Blackstone’s $45 billion BCRED hit its 5% quarterly redemption cap for the first time after investors sought to withdraw around 10% of assets. Similar pressure was seen at Apollo, Cliffwater, HPS, and Monroe, driven by concerns over potential losses on loans to highly leveraged technology companies.
The episode has dented investor confidence, with BCRED’s new fundraising falling nearly 70% year-on-year in Q2, highlighting growing concerns over the liquidity of private credit investments.
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U.S. CORPORATE INSIDERS RAMP UP STOCK SELLING
Summary: U.S. corporate executives sold $77.6 billion worth of company shares in the first half of 2026, up 20% year-over-year and marking the highest first-half total since 2021. The surge in insider selling comes amid elevated equity valuations, fueling investor scrutiny over whether corporate leaders see limited near-term upside or are simply capitalizing on strong stock prices.
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Summary: U.S. corporate executives sold $77.6 billion worth of company shares in the first half of 2026, up 20% year-over-year and marking the highest first-half total since 2021. The surge in insider selling comes amid elevated equity valuations, fueling investor scrutiny over whether corporate leaders see limited near-term upside or are simply capitalizing on strong stock prices.
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JAPAN SLASHES U.S. TREASURY HOLDINGS BY $96 BILLION IN 3 MONTHS
Japan’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries have fallen by $96 billion over the past three months to $1.14 trillion, the lowest level since April 2025. The sharp reduction highlights continued selling by one of America’s largest foreign creditors, adding to broader concerns over waning overseas demand for U.S. government debt amid elevated Treasury yields and rising fiscal deficits.
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Japan’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries have fallen by $96 billion over the past three months to $1.14 trillion, the lowest level since April 2025. The sharp reduction highlights continued selling by one of America’s largest foreign creditors, adding to broader concerns over waning overseas demand for U.S. government debt amid elevated Treasury yields and rising fiscal deficits.
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U.S. MARGIN DEBT HITS RECORD AS LEVERAGE SURGES
U.S. margin debt climbed to a record $1.5 trillion in June, rising 49% YoY after a $86.5 billion monthly jump. Since Q4 2023, margin debt has surged 136%, pushing leverage relative to U.S. nominal GDP to an all-time high, above the peaks seen during the Dot-Com bubble and the 2021 market boom. The rapid increase has been fueled by expectations of Fed rate cuts and aggressive risk-taking. Historically, such sharp leverage expansion has often preceded periods of heightened market volatility and major market corrections, making the sustainability of the current rally a key concern for investors.
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U.S. margin debt climbed to a record $1.5 trillion in June, rising 49% YoY after a $86.5 billion monthly jump. Since Q4 2023, margin debt has surged 136%, pushing leverage relative to U.S. nominal GDP to an all-time high, above the peaks seen during the Dot-Com bubble and the 2021 market boom. The rapid increase has been fueled by expectations of Fed rate cuts and aggressive risk-taking. Historically, such sharp leverage expansion has often preceded periods of heightened market volatility and major market corrections, making the sustainability of the current rally a key concern for investors.
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STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHIPPING DISRUPTION COULD LAST OVER A YEAR
Prediction markets indicate that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz may not return to normal for 12 months or longer, reflecting expectations of prolonged geopolitical tensions and elevated security risks. A sustained disruption could keep oil prices, freight rates, and marine insurance costs elevated, with potential implications for global energy markets and inflation.
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Prediction markets indicate that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz may not return to normal for 12 months or longer, reflecting expectations of prolonged geopolitical tensions and elevated security risks. A sustained disruption could keep oil prices, freight rates, and marine insurance costs elevated, with potential implications for global energy markets and inflation.
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Japanese bond investors remain primed to react to any changes at the Government Pension Investment Fund as the country shifts to an expansionary fiscal policy - NA
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Nvidia, Palantir, Meta warn about ‘premature restrictions’ of open-weight models -SCMP
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Only 27% of Americans, on average, expressed high confidence in the 14 institutions Gallup has monitored since 1993.
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U.S. TO CUT FEDERAL LOANS FOR LOW-RETURN COLLEGE PROGRAMS
Under a new U.S. rule, students enrolled in college degree and certificate programs that consistently lead to low-paying jobs will no longer qualify for federal student loans. The policy is designed to improve accountability in higher education by restricting taxpayer-backed funding for programs that fail to deliver adequate earnings outcomes, potentially reshaping enrollment and funding across affected institutions.
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Under a new U.S. rule, students enrolled in college degree and certificate programs that consistently lead to low-paying jobs will no longer qualify for federal student loans. The policy is designed to improve accountability in higher education by restricting taxpayer-backed funding for programs that fail to deliver adequate earnings outcomes, potentially reshaping enrollment and funding across affected institutions.
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MEDITERRANEAN YACHT CHARTER DEMAND SLUMPS AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
Luxury yacht charter demand in the Mediterranean has fallen 20–30% year-over-year this summer as geopolitical conflicts deter travelers. The slowdown has prompted many yacht operators to offer discounts and special deals for the remainder of July and August, while an increase in last-minute bookings reflects travelers waiting for lower prices before confirming vacations.
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Luxury yacht charter demand in the Mediterranean has fallen 20–30% year-over-year this summer as geopolitical conflicts deter travelers. The slowdown has prompted many yacht operators to offer discounts and special deals for the remainder of July and August, while an increase in last-minute bookings reflects travelers waiting for lower prices before confirming vacations.
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U.S. home prices have skyrocketed 551% since 1980, far outpacing wage growth and inflation over the same period. The long-term surge reflects decades of limited housing supply, lower interest rates, population growth, and rising construction costs, contributing to a worsening affordability crisis and making homeownership increasingly difficult for first-time buyers.
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