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CHANGE: The Hormuz Squeeze Is Redrawing the Oil Map for Good.

Across the Gulf, governments are pouring billions into new oil pipelines, rail corridors and energy storage hubs to bypass the waterway in what is set to become one of the most durable outcomes of the conflict. The new energy links are part of a broader redrawing of the region’s logistics map, shifting trade toward trucking, rail and new ports.

“The legacy of the crisis will result in the construction of infrastructure to bypass the Strait of Hormuz,” said Hamad Hussain, commodities economist at London-based research firm Capital Economics. “The genie is out of the bottle given that the longstanding threat of Iran effectively closing the strait has now materialized.”

Even if Washington and Tehran reach a deal to reopen the strait and maritime exports resume, the shift toward an export network with multiple exits will endure because the conflict has proved that robust contingency plans are essential, officials and analysts say. Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil via a previously underused fallback pipeline demonstrated the strategic value of a backup, while in recent weeks the United Arab Emirates and Iraq have launched plans to expand pipelines of their own.

The stakes extend far beyond the Gulf. Bypassing a waterway that once moved a fifth of the world’s oil will reshape how securely energy reaches all corners of the globe.

If we can’t get a Free Iran, this is the next best thing.

MY LATEST SUBSTACK ESSAY: Scott Pelley Is Out. So What? The demise of the news anchor as someone who matters.

THE NEW SPACE RACE: James Pethokoukis: SpaceX and the economics of space: Cheaper rockets are only the beginning of the story.

THEY WANT YOU TO FEAR THAT IT IS, THOUGH: It’s Not Racist to Notice Reality. “It is an especially galling dodge to hear that from the same people who will look you in the eye and talk about how whites are inherently racist. They have no problem making sweeping generalizations about white people; they are, as you saw with Senator Antonio, speaking over the question by calling it racist.”

Related:

Black Americans should be deeply ashamed for racializing this case and demanding Karmelo Anthony’s release.

If a White boy had stabbed a Black boy in the heart at a school track meet, there would be nonstop marches in the streets, riots, viral outrage, and endless calls to ‘end… pic.twitter.com/sfLpbHYeUi

— Reverend Jordan Wells (@WellsJorda89710) June 4, 2026

THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM:

Now you can buy an anti-aircraft weapon on eBay for $7,000 — and because this Chinese kinetic interceptor drone does not use rocket propellant or explosive, you don't even need a gun licence. A potential terror threat emerges — Story below. pic.twitter.com/g5ZcJhp9Ep

— David Hambling (@David_Hambling) June 4, 2026

IF THEY JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO USE MASS TRANSIT, THEY’D MAKE IT APPEALING. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE MORE AFTER MAKING IT HUMILIATING:

I love how they want to force us out of our cars and also refuse to ensure that public transportation is safe. https://t.co/DXseoKJm5K

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) June 4, 2026

FROM MARY CATELLI:  Writing And Reflection Volume 2: Essays on the writing process from world-building to words (Writing And Reflections.

#CommissionEarned

Reflections on the many and far-flung fields that writing can touch upon, from original inspiration to the final work.

Wizards. Metaphysics. Good, evil, virtues, and morality meters. Fairy tales in all their varied glory. Desert, forest, and other settings. Dragons and industry. Guilds of magic, quacks, and superstitions. Love and courtship. Portals. And more.

DISPATCHES FROM THE BLUE ZONES: ‘Jews Eat Children’: Deranged Outburst or Growing Threat? “The latest example of accusations against Jews becoming even more unhinged than the blood libels of the Middle Ages occurred on Sunday when a passenger on a New York City subway assaulted a Jewish woman. According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, a black woman wearing a military-style camouflage coat with a patch depicting the German flag choked the 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman, threw her to the ground, and beat her. She managed to pull a patch of hair from the victim’s head. The victim said she suffered a concussion.”

I KNOW THAT ENGLAND’S EMPIRE HAS RETURNED INTO SAND:

You are an Air Marshal. The U.S. equivalent of a 3 star general.

Your predecessors fought the Battle of Britain. Men of iron resolve and impeccable skill.

And we get…. you. https://t.co/P9Phv17kTU

— InfantryDort (@infantrydort) June 4, 2026

Along with the manhood of its leadership, which is probably no coincidence.

AND WE ALL KNOW DEMS DON’T LIKE COMPETITION:  James Talarico Compares Unborn Children to Parasites.

AS GOVERNOR SHE WOULD HAVE STAFF TO HELP LOOT THE BUDGET:  Francesca Hong Wants to Control Wisconsin’s Budget, but Can’t Seem to Manage Her Own Finances.

AFRICA:  Burial Team Attacked and 11 Infected Patients Flee Isolation Facility as Ebola Spreads in Africa.

HARDER, I’D THINK:  DEI discrimination: “trying to get it out is like trying to get soap out of a sponge”.

THE…. WHAT EVEN?  Mamdani guru reportedly working with Graham Platner wanted to put his penis in creepy ‘puberty guide’ for 10-year-olds.

GO READ:  What Is There to Be Afraid Of? A Look At the Anti-Gun Boogieman and Cold, Hard Facts.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE REACTIONS TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD:  The Martyrdom of Henry Nowak. And the parallels with St George of Fentanyl.

MEANWHILE IN FORMERLY GREAT BRITAIN: The Hampshire police have bravely decided to hide their entire website for foreigners. This includes the “Race Action PLan 2024-2026” which seems to have some bearing on the Henry Nowak case.

Fortunately A FRIEND saved a copy yesterday that lost all the formatting but otherwise contains everything relevant. Click here to read the PDF and shine a light on these “brave” people.

WE KNOW. THAT HAS BEEN OBVIOUS FOR A WHILE NOW:  I’m Ohio’s state auditor — Medicaid fraud is not just a Washington problem. Audits found payments to dead people, prison inmates and residents enrolled in multiple states.

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING MORE DISTURBING:  Hundreds flee as South Africa anti-migrant mobs go door-to-door. Hundreds of foreigners fearing for their lives have taken shelter in community halls along South Africa’s coast.

I’m all for countries defending their sovereignty but “mobs” and “South Africa” are a dangerous combination. To be fair, something for the left (and illegals in the US) to consider is that if they succeed in stopping the deportations and re-opening the borders, this is how it ends. Or worse.

I PREFER REASON OVER FEELINGS, BUT SOMETIMES FEELINGS MAKE THEMSELVES HEARD:  A Lump of Feelings.

#JOURNALISM:

NEW from @dailycaller on the NYT's catch and kill operation:

– A source tells @wupton that the NYT had two women prepared to make sexual assault allegations against Platner.
– Those details were revealed to Fifield, presumably to make her feel more comfortable coming forward… pic.twitter.com/buC8wN5u0i

— Amber Duke (@ambermarieduke) June 4, 2026

OPEN THREAD: Be here now.

SCHUTZSTAFFEL SCHWANZSTÜCKER SOON TO BE SEEN?

Democratic strategist, to NY Mag: "Are we going to see pictures of Graham Platner’s penis before this is all over? I think we almost certainly will."https://t.co/4WJA1T412q

— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) June 4, 2026

PROF. CARRINGTON, CALL YOUR OFFICE: Sun erupts with 3 colossal solar flares in less than 24 hours, boosting chances for northern lights.