Politics

U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump has confirmed with reporters that he will visit Israel after the Republican convention in July and before November’s general election. Israel National News reports: His confirmation came after the Trump campaign on Monday denied an Ma’ariv report last Friday, according to which he will visit Israel, Russia and Germany after the convention. A close adviser to Trump was cited in the report as saying the trip was meant to improve his image and to keep him more abreast of foreign affairs.

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."