Maybe. In a day, President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to see if there's a deal to be made on ending the conflict in Ukraine. Best of luck, Mr. Trump, since you're dealing from a position of weakness. Russia is winning, big time, advancing on all fronts, the Ukraine forces showing less and less resistance. Also, Zelensky, the self-appointed king of Ukraine, and most of the Eu nations don't want the war to end because it will make their leaders look bad and expose the lies and kickbacks and corruption that have endured over three-and-a-half years of conflict.
Trump should take whatever offer Putin puts forward, tell Europe they're on their own, withdraw all support for Ukraine. The president doesn't need to make a "deal" with Russia. All he has to do is defy the deep state, MIC, Europe, and the Nazi militants in Ukraine. Easier said than done, but wish him luck, anyway.
What befalls America, Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of the world after Friday's outcome will hopefully be better than what has come before. Trump needs to get America out of this situation, lest it continues to its natural conclusions, which are more dead Ukrainians, Russia taking all of Ukraine, and lots of animosity and whining from America's "friends" in Europe.
Most people with brains (PWBs) - a declining population - want the U.S. out of Ukraine. Those who do not have vested interests, like their positions of power (EU leaders), jobs (NATO), graft and kickbacks from military contractors (congress), and the cumulative intelligence of a flea circus (not to demean fleas, but they are pests).
The world waits and watches.
This morning the BLS - ever vigilant at delivering cooked statistics for the Wall Street horde and political wonks - released their findings with the July Producer Price Index, showing:
The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.9 percent in July, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices were unchanged in June and moved up 0.4 percent in May. On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand advanced 3.3 percent for the 12 months ended in July, the largest 12-month increase since rising 3.4 percent in February 2025.Within final demand, more than three-quarters of the broad-based advance in July can be traced to the index for final demand services, which rose 1.1 percent. Prices for final demand goods increased 0.7 percent.
The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services moved up 0.6 percent in July, the largest increase since rising 0.9 percent in March 2022. For the 12 months ended in July, prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services advanced 2.8 percent.
So, was that good news? Bad news which will be interpreted as good news so the Fed can lower interest rates? Utter baloney wrapped in cat detritus? All three?
Apparently, door number two: bad news. Really bad news. Inflation is kicking up, picking up steam. Those tariffs aren't going to cause inflation, none. No siree.
Stock futures dropped like rocks dropped from an overpass. Nearing 9:00 am ET, Dow futures are down 165 points; NASDAQ futures off 105; S&P futures off 25.
The index for final demand services roared up 1.1 percent in July, the largest move higher since rising 1.3 percent in March 2022. Oops. Prices for final demand goods moved up 0.7 percent in July, the largest gain since rising 0.7 percent in January. Double oops. Fruit loops.
It's not all bad, though. These price increases at the producer level will be passed along to consumers who cannot afford them, which has been predicted all along by those snarky PWBs.
Things are going so well that John Deere Co. (DE), makers of farm and lawn and garden equipment reported earnings Thursday morning, sending the stock down seven percent in the pre-market.
The company reported for its three months ended July 27, a profit of $1.29 billion, compared with $1.73 billion a year earlier. Quarterly earnings of $4.75 a share came in ahead of the $4.58 a share that analysts polled by FactSet expected.
That revenue shortfall is a killer. The company says it is due to the large amount of used equipment on the market. Maybe it has something to do with people not capable of shelling out $4,500 for a lawn tractor. The company also lowered guidance and mentioned that they would have to deal with about $500 in tariff-related costs. So, in addition to not selling enough merchandise, the company will be cutting its margins, or passing along those extra costs to consumers, otherwise known as cutting one's own throat.
Peachy ain't the word for it. Something else. Rhymes with "buck."
WTI crude dropped below $63 a barrel this week and was as low as $61.37, due to inventory builds. No surprise that crude oil is at 2 1/2-month lows. God and silver are still down. Meh. Keep stacking.
At the Close, Wednesday, August 13, 2025:
Dow: 44,922.27, +463.66 (+1.04%)
NASDAQ: 21,713.14, +31.24 (+0.14%)
S&P 500: 6,466.58, +20.82 (+0.32%)
NYSE Composite: 20,867.67, +157.95 (+0.76%)
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