Sally Hemings is a name unknown to many, yet, her legacy during the time of our founding fathers is quite intriguing. Historians believe Ms. Hemings, an enslaved woman to Thomas Jefferson in his Monticello home, gave birth to six of his children. Recently, "historians studied a description provided long ago by a grandson of Jefferson who placed Hemings’ room in the home’s South Wing." As archaeologists began digging, they uncovered a 14x13' room adjacent to the Jefferson's bedroom with no windows and a dirt floor along with multiple artifacts; although it is still believed she lived a higher life than other enslaved people on the grounds. This discovery is part of a $35 million restoration of the grounds in an effort to retell the stories, both good and bad, that are still alive within the walls today.
A Father's Day Like No Other
A little over a week ago, Bill Conner completed his 2,600 mile bike ride to listen to a stranger's heartbeat. However, the beat itself was one that was oh so close to home. Bill lost his daughter Abigail, also a registered organ donor, suddenly this past January. Upon her death at only 20 years old, four of her organs were quickly matched with those in need. Her heart in particular went to a young man who had just learned his own heart was failing and likely wouldn't survive without a transplant. Almost six months later and he's now well past recovery, thankful for another chance at life. Although the loss to Mr. Conner carries a burden of inexplicable pain, Abigail's heart carries on her legend, "This isn’t about me. This is about Abbey and helping other people in need. It’s unfortunate she didn’t have a choice on how she was gonna leave this earth but at the same time, just like Abbey, [she's] making an impact even though she left."
Amazon's Black Friday
Power up your laptops, ladies and gentlemen. The Black Friday of Amazon kicks off the evening of July 10th. Amazon Prime Day features a myriad of deals for prime members from a wide variety of products, including electronics. For the first time, this service will be launching in China, India, and Mexico, where prime membership just recently began service. Amazon's prime service offers many benefits including free expedited shipping, unlimited video/music/photos, and much more. This expansion further accentuates the company's market share and presence globally. In addition to the newer members, US, UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium and Austria are other countries on the list. Amazon will begin "exclusive promos" starting today for all prime members until the mega shopping on July 10th.
Syrian Chemical Warfare
As many have seen over the past few days, chemical warfare is becoming an increasing threat from the Assad regime in Syria. "The United States said Tuesday that it has observed Syrian chemical warfare personnel visiting known production facilities, suggesting that President Bashar al-Assad’s government is preparing fresh strikes on the rebel-held north of the country. The White House warned late Monday that the Assad government would pay a 'heavy price' for any such strikes, indicating publicly for the first time that it believes the Assad government is capable of launching new chemical attacks." Yesterday U.S. military struck a Syrian airbase after their use of sarin in the northern rebel-held portion of the country, killing many civilians and hospitalizing even more. Sarin is a colorless, odorless gas that acts a nerve agent and is extremely potent. The large amount of remaining inventory of this chemical was considered by a European official to be "one of the worst-kept secrets in international diplomacy." Governments worldwide continue to monitor the Assad and many are forming synergistic strategies for the road ahead.
The Unknown Drug Dealers
Many of us rely on both private & commercial postal companies on a daily basis from work activities to the latest Amazon purchase; however, some are using mail carriers for something entirely different - drug dealing. "Seizures of fentanyl arriving by both international mail and express carriers reached nearly 37 kilograms in the U.S. overall in fiscal 2016, compared with 0.09 kilogram five years earlier, according to Customs and Border Protection data." This exponential increase is of great concern throughout the country. Most of this transport is coming from international locations and, with 621.4 million packages arriving via USPS in 2016, the chances of catching the majority of these deals are slim. Additionally, "The chemicals are so lethal, drug-sniffing dogs aren't trained to identify them for fear of death." The saddest part? Young adults and teenagers are dying from this epidemic by receiving synthetic narcotics through their unknowing mailman right under their parents' watch. Mr. Holman, the father of one overdose victim, stated, "Your drug dealer today is your mailman. If your kids are getting any packages in the mail whatsoever, you need to know what that is."
Mars is Becoming Closer
SpaceX is amidst a busy weekend starting yesterday and running through tomorrow as they launch two planned satellites on either side of the coast. With only 48 hours in between, this will be a key indicator of the company's future. By increasing launch rates, SpaceX becomes much more attractive to customers by not having to wait on an incredibly long wait list and potentially turn to a competitor. This will be SpaceX's ninth launch this year and the second time utilizing a used rocket booster. "A rapid pace of launches, together with a reusable rocket system, are integral to SpaceX’s eventual Mars colonization plans." Reusing these boosters allows for the quicker turnaround as well as a reduction in costs; as of last year, the company had 70 planned launches totaling a worth of $10 billion.
Thus far, yesterday's launch of a Bulgarian communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center was a success, which leaves roughly 24 hours before all eyes will turn to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
A $1 Billion Tequila
What George Clooney considered a simple drink made for him & his friends has now paid off exponentially. His tequila line, Casamigos, began with friend Rande Gerber (husband to Cindy Crwaford) and translates to "House of Friends". In 2013, Clooney and Gerber took the private label public and have been one of the fastest growing tequila lines on the market since. Just a short four years later, Diageo (parent company to Smirnoff and others) plans to initally pay $700 million for the company in the fourth quarter with the potential to pay out an additional "$300 million based on the tequila's performance over the next 10 years". Clooney and his partners are expected to stay on with the company after the acquisition.
iPhone 8: Like No Other
No surprise - Apple is at again with their constant technological innovations. This time, the iPhone 8 design, leaked by "consistently accurate retailer MobileFun", is all-new with: 5.8" elongated display, no home button (potentially leaning towards interactive TouchID), vertically aligned rear view camera, and a cut out at the top for the front camera as well as additional sensors. This 10th anniversary of the product is sure to have unique features, but will have to be proven out to support the rumored higher price tag.
Oil Futures Fall into Bear Market
Stubborn inventory both at home and abroad are giving analysts reason to believe that this could just be another "summer of cratering" for the oil and gas industry. Reports of increased Libyan production to 900,000 bbls/day, "it's highest level in four years", along with increased US production and high inventory levels have caused prices to return to the low $40's. This price is critical for many E&P companies here at home - as this is the breakeven for many regions throughout the states. Another telling sign? Oil futures have declined by 20% from January's high and entered into a bearish market. This may not cause an immediate reaction by oil & gas operators, but could create a significant impact for 2018 drilling schedules.
Vitality of Texas Oil & Gas Industry
Oil and gas has long been a key industry promoting economic growth nationwide - even globally. However, here in Texas, the industry has a significant impact on multiple factors from city/state revenue to overall employment. The uptick and seeming stability above $40/boe from last August has increased the nation's rig count and, in turn, production, employment, and growth. Nationwide, the Permian Basin out in the west of the state accounts for 40% of the total rig count and 55% of the industry's jobs nationwide. Over the past few months, the steady increase in rig count has increased jobs by 3,300 in the region with 72% of that being in the service sector. This growth, layered with higher priced production hedges and increased nation exports will allow the price of oil to continue to rise, at least through year end.
Amazon & Whole Foods: The $13.8 Billion Deal
Things are about to get interesting in the online marketplace. Today Amazon announced the intended purchase of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. Whole Foods, who has been struggling over the past few years to maintain profits, growth, and market share, has been actively searching for avenues to appease their shareholders and rise out of their rut. This acquisition could be just the path they've needed. Granted, there were discussions of other chains looking to take in the organic grocery store (including Wal-Mart), Amazon ultimately outbid contenders with an offer of 28% premium on their closing share price Thursday. Amazon has been looking to expand their fresh food offering; however, it'll be intriguing to see just how the giant plans to incorporate Whole Foods' products. As Juda Engelmayer, crisis communication and reputation management expert at HeraldPR, told CNBC in an email, "Amazon is known for its competitive pricing, and if it had bought a chain like Shoprite or Acme, it would have made more sense, but Whole Foods is a store with generally very expensive real estate, and high prices, which is the opposite of what Amazon is all about, so it'll be interesting to see how Amazon brings Whole Foods into the fold and adapts to a completely different model."
Islamic State Leader Possibly Taken Down
Russia believes airstrikes may have taken down the Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, when striking a meeting of Islamic State leaders on May 28th. Now two weeks later, this news has officially been released with no explanation to the delay thus far. The reasoning behind the uncertainty is if Mr. Baghdadi, one of the world's most wanted terrorists, was actually in attendance to this meeting. Russian intelligence is still working to investigate if the airstrikes did indeed take down the leader; yet, they've cautioned that the Islamic State could still survive - “Examples of such actions to destroy or ‘behead’ a terrorist group have always been presented with great enthusiasm...However, history shows that the fighting capacity of these structures was restored.”
"Dollars & Sense" Behind Mayweather-McGregor Match Up
The historic top grossing fight, Mayweather-Pacquiao, will be given a run for its money come this August when Mayweather-McGregor have agreed to meet up. The two boxers are known for their loyalty to cash and given their prior earnings - McGregor himself just $40M in 2016 - this matchup has major bucks on the line. Between ticket sales, pay-per-view revenue, betting, sponsorships, and merchandise sales, the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight grossed a total of $623.5M. However, projections for this fight are about $17M lower mostly due to a disappointing finish in the historic matchup and this isn't a title fight (meaning the $/ticket won't be as high, although more seats may be available for purchase). Coming in at a forecasted $606.1M, the Mayweather-McGregor fight surely isn't just a kick of the bucket, but will be interesting to watch how the final totals up.
Putting North Korea in "Full Court Press"
Dennis Rodman, former NBA player, is at it once again with another trip to North Korea; this one being the first during the new presidency. When questioned about any discussions with President Trump prior to his travel, Rodman stated, "Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need." However, Rodman didn't enlist specifics on his goals of his trip and government officials have said he's traveling as a private citizen. "Rodman tweeted that his trip was being sponsored by Potcoin, one of a growing number of cybercurrencies used to buy and sell marijuana in state-regulated markets." Despite discussions of North Korea ousting Amsterdam in pot tourism, the country still considers it a controlled substance to the likes of heroine and cocaine and "likely could not expect leniency if the country's drug laws were violated". Rodman has been criticized in the past for not using his influence in a country like this and only time will tell if this round will be any different.
Only 1 in 2 Million
Blue lobsters occur about 1 in 2 million so the chance of a fisherman pulling one up is quite rare. Yet, in August of 2016, a man just off of Massachusetts brought one up and immediately found national attention. This blue color is "caused by a genetic defect, which creates an abundance of protein that causes the blue hue" according to the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine. The lucky fisherman chose to donate "Bleu" to the New England Aquarium in Boston, where he can still be seen today.
Largest Computer Monitor Yet
Samsung has released the likes of half of a television as their most recent computer monitor. Measuring in at 49 inches wide, the screen can view up to six pages at a time in multiple configurations - talk about productivity...or lack thereof. The monitor has multiple perks for gamers and analysts alike with high resolution and major real estate space. These screens come in various sizes and range in price from $500 and up.
Automating on Water
In an era of automation, moving out to water seems like the next logical step. Last year, Rolls-Royce announced their research and build-out of remote controlled, unmanned cargo ships to be operational by 2020. Now, "Japanese shipping companies are working with shipbuilders to develop self-piloting cargo ships...to be in service by 2025."
Extreme Entrepreneurship
DFW doesn't know what is about to hit them - an amusement park without any rollercoasters, rather an assortment of adrenaline-pumping, adventure craze with the likes of backhoes, Ferrari engine jet boats, ATVs, 200 acre bike park, and more. Texplex is set to open this upcoming weekend in Midloathian, Texas, about 30 minutes south of Dallas. This venture goes to show that entrepreneurship is still alive in many forms. What may seem a compilation of simple ideas on the surface, it's the know-how to put all the pieces together at the right place and right time. There's even mention of an onsite event hall to host everything from corporate events to bachelor parties - anyone in need of an extra groomsman?
Solar Energy Gaining Colossal Momentum
Renewable energy opportunities have historically fallen as the "little brother" to mainstream energy sources such as coal and natural gas. Although some advancements have been made in the storage arena, the cost to supply the same power needs all-in just weren't comparable. However, Tucson Electric signed a deal this past week to supply solar and storage at 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour over the next 20 years. "That's less than half the price of retail electricity power and a price low enough to compete with natural gas, coal, and nuclear power head to head in wholesale markets for what some might call 'baseload' power." The economics of this deal have the potential of exponential growth for solar energy around the world so long as the cost to produce & store it stays below other energy sources.
Mr. Down to Business
President Trump has been the center of the media's attention for quite some time now; however, there's one thing he has yet to do - back down on hardly any of his promises made on his road to election. As widely-known, the President comes from a deeply rooted business background without any formal political education (he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania). His business-driven acumen has largely served as the foundation in developing his agenda and guiding his decisions both here at home and abroad.
Most recently, President Trump made the decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, a consolidated effort across member countries to reduce the impact on global warming. Granted, this was a bold political move (which aligns with much of his days in presidency), this also stays true to his goal of bringing jobs back to America, in particular for the manufacturing industry. Additionally, the most recent unemployment data released today, shows numbers are at an all-time low (4.3%) over the past 16 years. This has sparked conversations of raising interest rates due to higher employment as well as discussions of reaching labor capacity.
Whether President Trump was a personal choice or not, the man should be applauded for getting things done and gaining momentum towards an improved economy overall.