IJR News

Starbucks Plans 250 North American Store Closures — 5dSeveral beloved coffee destinations are closing: Starbucks in Hove, UK will cease trading on October 4 after a long-running location, with staff offered roles at nearby stores; Williamsburg’s Partners Coffee flagship in New York City is also shutting as lease ends amid financial pressures, though a new Bedford Avenue cafe will continue the brand’s presence in the area. In Kent, The CakeShed on The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells is closing with its last day on September 27, marking the end of a well-loved cafe and restaurant staple in the town.

Widespread roadworks hit four regions across Bermuda, Canada, UK, New YorkWeather — Aug 26, 2026Roadworks across Bermuda, Lethbridge and Brighton & Hove will constrain traffic this week and autumn: in Hamilton Parish, North Shore Road lane closures will continue until the end of next month for fuel-line inspections; in Lethbridge, northbound 13 Street South closures on Aug. 27-28 and guard-rail work on Whoop-Up Drive will affect travel; in Brighton & Hove, Western Road is slated for a major autumn reconstruction starting Sept. 28 with an expected 45 days of disruption.

Are You Kidding? Army Investigating Helicopter Hovering By Kid Rock’s House — Mar 31, 2026The U.S. Army is investigating WH two AH-64 Apache helicopters on a training run hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock. The incident happened Saturday and includes the singer — and ardent supporter of President…

Nashville Heat Reportedly Melts Players’ Cleats — 6dExtreme heat in Nashville caused cleats to melt for Titans players in back-to-back games against the Jets and Eagles, with footage showing water spraying to cool footwear as temperatures hovered around mid-90s to above 100 degrees. The incidents, including Amani Hooker’s account of midsoles melting in the season opener and Cam Jurgens’ two melted pairs, sparked discussions about turf conditions and potential moves away from artificial surfaces, as the Eagles beat the Titans 24-20 in a late-Nashville showdown.

China’s Oil Stockpile Cushions Prices Amid Iran Conflict — 6dChina’s ~1.4 billion-barrel oil reserve has kept prices below worst-case levels six months into Trump’s Iran war; Brent hovers near $100 after a $126 peak.

Tom Gallagher Six months in and Brent at 100 instead of higher shows how much Trump's approach depends on other countries having big stockpiles ready.

Polls Show Trump Approval at 35 to 39 Percent — Sep 18, 2026Across recent polls, President Trump’s approval hovers in the mid-30s while disapproval dominates, with YouGov showing a net -25 and Fox News/Reuters-Ipsos readings around 39% approval and 61% disapproval, a pattern linked to concerns over inflation and the Iran war. Polls also reveal demographic gaps, with women and younger voters more negative and broad doubt about the administration’s handling of Iran and domestic economic issues.

Oil Tops $100 Amid Middle East Supply Risks — Sep 7, 2026Global oil markets remain under pressure from Middle East disruptions, with Brent hovering around $100 as Hormuz and Saudi facility issues tighten supply, fueling inflation risks and prompting cautious policy stances. Analysts warn equities could correct as energy risks mount and think tanks highlight the volatile transition and potential macro-financial spillovers from producer fragility.

U.S. wholesale inventories post strongest gain since March — Sep 10, 2026U.S. wholesale inventories rose 1.3% in July to about $958.9 billion, marking the sixth straight month of gains and the strongest rise since March, with durable and nondurable goods both contributing and petroleum stocks up sharply. The inventory-to-sales ratio hovered around roughly 1.2, and the year-over-year rise reached about 5.7%, a signal that the restocking pace could support GDP growth in the third quarter.

Chris Dalton The petroleum stock jump stands out and could point to softer demand than the overall numbers suggest.

OPEC Cuts Oil-Demand Growth Forecast to 380,000 Bpd — Sep 10, 2026OPEC again cut this year's global oil-demand growth to 380,000 barrels per day from 580,000, while lifting next year’s forecast to about 2.36 million bpd as demand rebounds. The cuts come amid Gulf shipping disruption and Brent hovering above $100 a barrel, signaling ongoing volatility in oil markets.

Maya Lindstrom The Gulf shipping issues are clearly forcing these forecast cuts and that kind of disruption always leads to more price swings.

Gold Recovers, Silver Slips Before US Inflation DataFinance — Sep 8, 2026Gold and silver prices fluctuated as investors awaited US inflation data and the Fed’s September decision, with gold hovering near key levels around $4,400 per ounce and on the MCX around Rs 1,54,000, while silver showed volatility and experienced multiple intraday pivots. Oil trades near $100 a barrel, reinforcing inflation concerns and keeping a hawkish tilt on policy expectations, as traders assess resistance and support levels and the likelihood of a rate hike based on the upcoming data releases.

Dollar slips, yen nears 160 as traders weigh Fed and BOJ rate moves — Aug 31, 2026The dollar weakened while the yen hovered near the 160-per-dollar mark as markets priced in likely rate hikes from both the Fed and the Bank of Japan, driven by hawkish comments from Fed Chair Warsh and renewed policy pressure from U.S. officials. Investors also weighed Gulf tensions and upcoming U.S. data on jobs and inflation to gauge the trajectory of policy moves.

Dollar climbs to multi-week high as Iran tensions push oil higher — Sep 1, 2026The U.S. dollar strengthened to multi-week highs as renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities lift oil prices and inflation concerns, with the dollar index hovering in the high 99s as markets price in potential Fed rate hikes amid rising yields. This dollar strength is shaping global markets by widening rate differentials, pressuring commodity currencies and economies like India’s rupee, while oil and energy-related tensions keep investors on edge.

Derek Foss Oil spikes, dollar strengthens, everyone else's currency eats the difference. Same pattern every time tensions flare up in the Middle East.

Gold falls to three-week low as Mideast tensions fuel rate-hike bets — Sep 1, 2026Gold prices hovered near multi-week lows as US-Iran tensions push oil higher and fuel inflation fears, with spot gold around $4,320 and US futures also lower. Investors priced in a sizable chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike this month, as higher crude prices and rising yields tempered gold’s appeal as an inflation hedge.

Priya Raman Rate hike bets on top of Mideast tensions seems like a weird combo to be betting on honestly. Would've thought safe haven demand wins out here.

Global PMIs Mixed in August Readings — Aug 28, 2026China’s manufacturing activity remains in contraction as the PMI hovers around the 50 threshold, with August readings signaling a second consecutive month of weakness even as exports support growth. The economy faces sluggish domestic demand and a protracted property slump, keeping policymakers’ room for easing but with limited scale and uncertain impact on momentum.