News & Insights
- InsightsGeopolitical risk & diplomacy
China warns of vicious cycle if Middle East war escalates
Reuters from Beijing: Chinese officials warn that further escalation of the Iran war could feed a self-reinforcing cycle of retaliation—deepening Gulf and energy risk, straining sea lanes and diplomacy, as Beijing pushes restraint and a political settlement.
03.23.2026Read Article - InsightsCommodities & energy markets
Trump’s Iran war oil shield is cracking
Reuters: Four weeks into the conflict, U.S. oil’s relative insulation is fraying—record crude and product exports, surging pump and diesel prices, and a widening Brent–WTI gap show that domestic abundance does not buy immunity in a connected market.
03.23.2026Read Article - InsightsConsumer & industrial policy
Food Companies Expect More Consumers to Worry About Toxins
The Wall Street Journal: Food and restaurant giants brace for mainstream “toxin” anxiety—PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, and packaging—while citing Pew-style survey data, MAHA-era politics, state laws, and investor risk language from firms including Mondelez, Hershey, Cheesecake Factory, and Texas Roadhouse.
03.18.2026Read Article - InsightsEnvironment & health
People in North Yorkshire town found to have ‘alarming’ levels of toxic PFAS in blood
The Guardian (Martha Elwell and Pippa Neill): Blood testing in Bentham, North Yorkshire—near the UK’s highest recorded groundwater PFAS—finds very high levels of forever chemicals; residents, experts, Angus Fire, and regulators respond on exposure pathways, screening, and the ITV documentary In Our Blood.
03.20.2026Read Article - InsightsGeopolitical risk & markets
Iran conflict and the war’s global economic impact
The Washington Post examines how escalation involving Iran can ripple through energy prices, shipping and insurance, currencies, and broader macro conditions—with second-round effects on inflation, supply chains, and policy responses worldwide.
03.19.2026Read Article - InsightsMacro policy & markets
Central banks stand ready to tackle war-led inflation
Reuters: As the Fed, BoC, BoJ, BoE, ECB and others hold rates but sound hawkish, policymakers flag energy-driven inflation risks from the Middle East conflict—ECB scenarios, market pricing of hikes, and stagflation worries as Brent whipsaws.
03.19.2026Read Article