Dow Futures Skid; Oil, Gold Prices Rally — Live Updates

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Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Skid; Oil, Gold Prices Rally — Live Updates

Oil prices surged and global stocks skidded after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked fears of a wider conflict across the Middle East.

Oil traders scrambled to assess the extent of the disruption, including whether any traffic could still pass through the vital Strait of Hormuz. Futures for Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped nearly 10%, heading toward $80 a barrel. Natural-gas futures also rallied.

The conflict threatens to upend the global oil market and send shock waves through the world economy. Brent crude has risen in recent weeks amid concerns about a potential strike on Iran

NPR

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‘One year of failure.’ The Lancet slams RFK Jr.’s first year as health chief : NPR

A quote from the piece marks an otherwise blank front cover: "The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might take generations to repair, and there is little hope for US health and science while he remains at the helm."

The journal's editorial board catalogues many of the controversial actions taken under Kennedy's watch, including the dismissal of agency employees, "revisions of guidelines and recommendations contradicting decades of established science," cuts to cutting-edge scientific research, the undermining of vaccine policy and promotion of "junk science and fringe beliefs."

Data Centers Unplugging at Once – WSJ

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Exclusive | A New Threat to Power Grids: Data Centers Unplugging at Once – WSJ

The roughly 40 data centers, which had been using enough electricity to supply more than one million homes, simultaneously switched to backup power sources in February 2025, when a high-voltage power line malfunctioned. The sudden plunge in electricity demand forced the grid operator to take quick action to avoid potentially serious damage.

The incident, details of which haven’t been reported, was the second such problem in Virginia within a span of months. In July 2024, about 70 data centers withdrew from the grid when another high-voltage line failed, requiring a similar scramble to keep power supply and demand in line.?

Balancing the two is critical in maintaining the health of the grid: Both undersupply and oversupply of electricity demand can cause power plants to fail, resulting in blackouts and repair challenges. The issue is especially pressing in Virginia, where data centers are projected to use as much as 57% of the state’s electricity by 2030.