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"Planet's Strongest Heat Dome" To Bake America's Heartland

Zero Hedge -

"Planet's Strongest Heat Dome" To Bake America's Heartland

What some meteorologists are calling the "planet's strongest heat dome" is set to build over America's heartland next week. Triple-digit temperatures are expected across the northern Plains, with dangerous heat pushing eastward into parts of the Mid-Atlantic.

"The planet's strongest heat dome will develop over the Intermountain West and Plains into next week," meteorologists Ben Noll wrote on X, adding, "This will produce rare levels of heat up to around 110 degrees in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. On Sunday, Billings, Montana, could be hotter than Phoenix!"

Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli also sounded the alarm, saying, "Whopper of a heat dome coming, and that's no exaggeration! In all aspects: size, longevity, and especially intensity this will be extreme. The heat dome should shatter all-time records for upper level pressure in the Northern Plain States." 

Bloomberg data for the Lower 48 show that forecast high temperatures will be comparable to those recorded during the last heat wave from late June into early July.

High temperatures in Washington are expected to reach 100F by midweek.

Temperatures in New York City are expected to reach the high 90s by Wednesday.

It is likely that the PJM Interconnection grid will withstand the second round of heat, as the Trump administration has made it a priority to ensure maximum power generation during hot days when cooling demand surges.

Beyond grid stability concerns during peak-load hours, attention will likely turn to agricultural markets as critical growing regions bake under extreme heat. Wheat futures in Chicago surged 3% on Friday. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 09:55

"What Makes It Even Stranger...": Trump Describes Saturday Night Phone Call With Lindsey Graham Hours Before Senator's Death

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"What Makes It Even Stranger...": Trump Describes Saturday Night Phone Call With Lindsey Graham Hours Before Senator's Death

Update (1815ET):

Officially, Graham died of an aortic dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, according to preliminary findings by the DC Medical Examiner - so who knows. An aortic dissection is characterized as a tearing of the aortic wall. 

Update (1135ET): President Trump has weighed in on Graham's death, telling Meet the Press that Graham called him in the 'early evening,' to tell Trump he was 'all set for the Save America Act,' and that it may have been the last call Graham made. 

"what makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night sometimes in, you know, the early evening, maybe in the 7:00's. And he called and he said, "We're all set for the Save America Act,"" Trump told host Kristen Walker. "He was pushing the Save America Act like crazy. He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine. I said, "That's a long trip to make.""

Graham notably toured a top secret Ukrainian 'Skyfall' drone factory (see more below) days before his death, where the country's deadly 'Baba Yaga' Vampire bomber drones are manufactured. He also announced an upcoming Russian sanctions package, and said that the US can learn a lot from Ukraine's UAV advancements.

"I believe that it would be a huge mistake for America not to cooperate with Ukraine in the field of drones. They are ready to help us, because we were ready to support Ukraine in the most difficult times," Graham said. 

When asked about a replacement for Graham, Trump said "I have somebody that I think would be great. But I don't want to say it now because, you know, it's too soon with Lindsey. I don't want to even talk about anybody. But I do have somebody that I think is really good."

International Response

In reaction to Graham's death, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute, describing Graham as “a true defender of freedom and of the values that make our world safer.” He highlighted that Graham had visited Ukraine ten times during the war, noting they were in constant dialogue. Zelenskyy added that Graham had been working on key initiatives in recent weeks to advance peace, including stronger sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Graham a “true friend” and “one of the strongest voices” supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. He praised Graham for pushing to bolster sanctions on Russia and for helping provide Ukraine with the means to defend itself.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described Graham as “a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance” and noted that he was actively working to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

* * *

Lindsey Graham, the Republican foreign-policy hawk from South Carolina, died abruptly on Saturday following what his office described as "a brief and sudden illness," according to a statement posted on X.

"On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness. Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period," Graham's office said.

Graham had served in the Senate since 2003 and was seeking a fifth term. He was in Kyiv on Friday touring a major drone factory before returning to Washington, where he was scheduled to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning.

Emergency personnel responded to his home in Washington on a reported cardiac arrest on Saturday evening, according to NBC News.

President Trump commented early Sunday on Truth Social about the passing of the senator, calling him a "true American Patriot."

Trump said, "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!"

To note, Graham was on an Iranian kill list. Just days ago, Trump said if he was assassinated, then "bomb them at levels never seen before." 

Graham was once a fierce Trump critic, denouncing him during the 2016 presidential campaign before transforming into one of his most loyal supporters. He also advocated a hard line against Iran and consistently backed a strong US military posture overseas.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 09:35

Tehran Declares Hormuz Closed, But Ships Are Still Transiting

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Tehran Declares Hormuz Closed, But Ships Are Still Transiting

The Strait of Hormuz’s southern shipping channel remained open Sunday morning despite a sharp escalation in tit-for-tat attacks, with the US launching a third round of airstrikes on Iran and Tehran retaliating against US-linked targets across Arab Gulf states.

"Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued at reduced levels, with vessels transiting via both the southern Omani corridor and the northern Iranian-controlled route," the Joint Maritime Information Center wrote in a note early Sunday.

JMIC added, "Traffic patterns continued to reflect operator caution following recent attacks."

US Central Command said the overnight strikes on Iran were to neuter its ability to attack commercial ships in the Hormuz chokepoint after a Cyprus-flagged container vessel was heavily damaged near the critical waterway. Iranian media reported explosions across key coastal and energy facilities, including Bushehr, Asalouyeh, and Bandar Abbas.

Our overnight US-Iran wrap detailed that Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US-linked military facilities in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Qatar said it intercepted incoming missiles, while air-defense sirens were reported across several Gulf states. Read the report here.

Despite Tehran declaring the Hormuz chokepoint "closed until further notice," JMIC's update on the southern Omani shipping corridor and Bloomberg data show a trickle of activity, which may only suggest Tehran's total control of the strait is waning.

As for the normalization of tanker flows in the Hormuz chokepoint, the timeline now appears to be slipping. Many institutional desks had already priced in a gradual reopening and lowered their Brent and WTI forecasts (Citi was the latest), but that outlook now looks on hold.

 

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 09:20

US Population Growth Prospects Corrected Downwards

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US Population Growth Prospects Corrected Downwards

The population of the United States is projected to keep on climbing beyond 2100. However, the rate of increase that can be expected until 2050 has been significantly corrected downwards over the last couple of years.

As Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports, according to the Congressional Budget Office, 349 million people live in the United States in 2026. In 2050, this is expected to have risen to 364 million. In 2019, previous to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2050 forecast had still shown a U.S. population of 389 million.

U.S. Population Growth Prospects Corrected Downwards | Statista

You will find more infographics at Statista

As seen in the data, U.S. population projections were substantially impacted by Covid-19, as the country experienced high excess mortality and projections kept being corrected downwards due to this fact. In the years when the pandemic subsided, forecasts showed higher expected population numbers again, while 2025 and 2026 projections trended lower once more. The latest 2026 forecast reached a new low compared to the previous years' ups-and-downs as U.S. net immigration fell majorly in 2025.

As a reversal of low birth rates seem more and more unlikely, immigration continues to keep U.S. population growth afloat. Immigrants have contributed more to it than net births have since the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. At this point, net births (births minus deaths) took a major hit from which they never fully recovered. The Congressional Budget Office expects U.S. net births to turn negative around 2030, at which point only immigration will be contributing to U.S. population growth.

But the U.S. population is not just growing slower, it is also aging in the process. While in 2026, there are 2.7 working-age Americans (25 to 64 years old) per one American aged 65 or over, this will have changed to 2.2 to 1 in 2056 as the big cohort of baby boomers continues to cross this age threshold. As a result, more strain is expected on safety net system like Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 08:45

EU Eyes 2040 Electrification Target To Slash Oil and Gas Dependence

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EU Eyes 2040 Electrification Target To Slash Oil and Gas Dependence

Authored by Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com,

The European Commission is set to unveil next week an electrification target for 2040 in a bid to reduce the need for fossil fuels and strengthen the renewable energy sector in the EU, according to a draft proposal seen by Bloomberg News.

The Commission, the EU’s legislative arm, is expected to propose on July 17 a target for the share of electrification, still unspecified, as part of the energy consumption in the bloc by 2040.

“With decisive action at all levels, Europe can become the first electro-continent,” the European Commission said in the document seen by Bloomberg News.

“This profound transformation will require investments and lead to savings and benefits well beyond the energy system, from clean tech manufacturers to the installation sector, from more modern and competitive industries to emissions and pollution reduction in European cities.”

Higher electrification rates could help the EU replace two-thirds of its gas consumption and halve its oil consumption, according to provisional EC estimates in the draft proposal.

The expected decline in fossil fuel consumption could reduce the bloc’s energy import bill by a total of $228 billion (200 billion euros), the EC reckons.

The EU’s current electrification rate is about 23% and has been stagnant at around this number for nearly a decade. At the same time, countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have exceeded a 30% electrification rate.

The EU currently has an implicit electrification rate target of 32.5% by 2030, according to estimates by clean energy think tank Ember based on the individual National Energy and Climate Plans.

The EU Electrification Action Plan, expected next week, would contain an “ambitious electrification target,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this year.

The electrification target is expected to be expressed as a yet-to-be-defined percentage share of energy consumption by 2040, according to the draft document seen by Bloomberg News.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 07:50

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