Geopolitical instability in the Middle East dominated the hour as the U.S. military faces a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz, with CENTCOM reportedly advising that continued strikes are ineffective and President Trump pausing operations amid Iranian threats to target any nations providing support to U.S. forces. This regional volatility, compounded by the ongoing closure of the vital shipping chokepoint and Houthi activity, has pushed oil prices to two-week highs, while Russia concurrently finalized a memorandum to reorganize its military presence in a post-Assad Syria into joint training and logistics hubs. Domestically, the administration is focusing on both health and industrial policy, with President Trump signing an executive order to force a 90-day report from a newly revived HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, even as he faces friction with the press over the undisclosed use of journalists as decoys during recent travel security maneuvers. Strategic competition remains a priority, evidenced by the U.S. Department of War’s $400 million commitment to Australian scandium mining to counter Chinese supply dominance, while public health officials are contending with a widespread Salmonella outbreak linked to Taylor Farms that has impacted 26 states. Markets remain largely rangebound as investors await impending U.S. inflation data, while technical and corporate news includes a critical 'Zoomsday' vulnerability identified in Zoom and a mix of earnings reports from firms like Dexus Industria and Suncorp.