Or "no shit" moment of clarity from morons.
- Oil prices dropped sharply after the ceasefire, but supply chains remain constrained and slow to recover.
- A widening gap between futures and physical markets reflects ongoing operational and logistical risks.
- Asian buyers face continued shortages as Gulf supply routes remain unreliable and alternatives uneconomic.
Leo had already criticized Trump's actions on Venezuela and his threats against Greenland and Canada in a speech on January 9th stating, "a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force." In response, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre—the Vatican ambassador to the U.S.—to a meeting. In diplomatic parlance, an ambassador being summoned to meet with government officials for a lecture is the first stage in disciplinary action that can lead to a break off of diplomatic ties. It is being reported by The Free Press that in the meeting Colby told Pierre, "The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side." Someone in the meeting then reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy to Pierre. This refers to a 14th century attack on the Vatican by the French king, in which Pope Boniface VIII was murdered by assassins and the Vatican was forced to relocate to Avignon where it could be controlled by the French crown for the next 67 years.