Politics

The oil headline scanning algos have completely lost it. While in the past it used to be just oil "production freeze" headlines that sent crude surging, now any old headline will do. Case in point, the price action since noon today.

Just around 12:37pm Eastern, Bloomberg blasted the following machine-readable headlines:

• IRAQ DEP. MIN. SEES CRUDE PRICE RISING ON INCREASE IN DEMAND
• IRAQ SEES RENEWED TALKS ABOUT OUTPUT FREEZE AT OPEC MEETING

Which as we promptly noted, pushed oil instantly from $46 some 20 cents higher.

Following today's Brazilian Senate vote, which as reported earlier was expected to vote overwhelmingly to endorse Dilma Rousseff's impeachment and did just that in a 55-22 vote, Rousseff appealed to the public in a televized broadcast and condemned the move to impeach her as a "coup" and a "farce", denying she has committed any crimes.

Ross Douthat revisits his assumptions about Trump and the GOP:

As with any other time Trump makes a public appearance, scores of protesters, media and gawkers - including a bagpiper - gathered outside the Republican National Committee on Thursday morning hoping to catch a glimpse of Donald Trump, some protesting, some adoring, and some just curious. As the Hill puts it simply: a "wild scene."

Following today's eagerly anticipated summit between Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, don’t expect a joint press conference or photo op. As the Hill notes, Ryan is showing no signs that he’s prepared to swiftly endorse Trump when they emerge from their huddle at Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on Thursday morning.