Notes today:

• Just in case you haven’t noticed - the pandemic is not over. Continue to wear your fing mask indoors. 

• Yang Zhang: What we just saw was the making of an All Xi's Men team, the breaking of decade-long rules, and the birth of an unlimited supreme leader. These are not entirely surprising, but Xi's grab of power is still beyond our expectation. He is now a truly modern emperor. (And no women anywhere)

• At the moment only Democrats appear to be upset at the Saudis. Republicans are upset at Joe Biden

• Russia can end this war today by withdrawing all its forces. Simple!

• Stocks rallied in a good way to close out last week in positive fashion. 

• Upcoming quarterly earnings next week for Apple, Meta, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft etc.

• Plus, there are several economic reports due out this week, including housing numbers and the latest updated GDP figure. 

• Bloomberg: The largest US banks are warning of trouble ahead in auto loans with prices for used cars falling leaving borrowers at risk of owing more than their cars are worth. 

• Looking at the water levels in the major rivers of the world this year, Mississippi, Rhine, Yangtze and not conclude that there is something serious happening to the climate? (Today: according to the NWS observed water levels, the Miss at Memphis broke its recent new record low and hit -10.80 feet at 3AM. Then at 5AM, it broke its new record, hitting -10.81 feet.) (wheat,corn,beans etc ??)

• Trump was ordered to testify under oath and provide documents to the House of Representatives.

•  US life expectancy falls to lowest since 1996..

• Change in rates

• A survey taken in June has the public confidence in the Supreme Court  at 25%, its lowest level in Gallup’s 50 years of polling.