Oil Shock 2026: Strait of Hormuz Shutdown Sends Crude Soaring Past $100 and Markets Reeling
The Morning Sixpack - 03/09/2026 Trump’s drone push, $100+ oil panic, ISIS probe in NYC, Fox apology, Epstein twist, 157 dead in cartel war
The Pentagon says six more suspected traffickers are dead in a Pacific boat strike, pushing the toll to 157 while the evidence remains classified—trust us, they insist.
Trump’s ‘Narcoterror’ War Hits 157 Dead After Latest Pacific Boat Strike
The U.S. military says it killed six men in a weekend strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific, bringing the death toll from the campaign to at least 157 since September. The Pentagon offered no public evidence the vessel was carrying drugs, only video of a small craft obliterated at sea.
That’s 157 bodies in a war the administration insists exists—even as proof stays under wraps.
According to U.S. Southern Command, the strike is one of more than 40 carried out in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean since the White House began targeting what it calls “narcoterrorists” in small vessels. President Donald Trump has declared the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, framing the maritime attacks as a necessary escalation to stop drugs from reaching American shores.
At a weekend meeting with regional leaders, Trump urged Latin American governments to join the fight, calling cartels and transnational gangs an “unacceptable threat” to national security. Ecuador has already teamed up with U.S. forces for operations against organized crime, signaling the administration wants this campaign to look multinational—and permanent.
Critics aren’t buying it. Legal scholars and Democratic lawmakers have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, especially given that much of the fentanyl driving U.S. overdoses is smuggled over land from Mexico, not by small boats in open water. The controversy deepened after it was revealed that survivors of the first boat strike were killed in a follow-up attack—an act supporters called lawful and opponents labeled murder, if not a war crime.
Source: NPR
Editor: If this is what “armed conflict” looks like, Congress might want to check whether anyone ever voted for it.
Oil just ripped past $100 as war in the Middle East effectively shuts the Strait of Hormuz—because nothing calms markets like the world’s busiest oil chokepoint going dark.
Oil Blows Past $100 as Hormuz Chokehold Sparks Fears of Historic Energy Crisis
Oil prices surged into triple digits Monday as the U.S.-Iran war choked off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, sending traders scrambling and analysts warning there may be no ceiling in sight. Brent briefly flirted with $120 a barrel before pulling back—still one of the most violent moves energy markets have ever seen.
“There is no precedent for this. The sky is the limit.”
That was Neil Atkinson, former head of oil at the International Energy Agency, summing up the mood on CNBC as Brent crude leapt more than 11% to $103.47, with West Texas Intermediate topping $101. The spike followed a fresh wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes across Iran, including energy infrastructure, deepening fears that crude-rich nations could keep production offline for weeks.
The real flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor that typically handles about 20% of the world’s oil and gas. Shipping has all but halted. Iraq and Kuwait have already begun shutting in output, and analysts warn the UAE and even Saudi Arabia could be next if the closure drags on. As Atkinson put it, “we are going to be in a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before.”
There’s talk of a coordinated release of strategic reserves, with G7 finance ministers holding an emergency call to discuss tapping stockpiles through the IEA. But even that may only buy time. ExxonMobil’s chief economist Tyler Goodspeed said he’s skeptical that “abundant oil on the water” will be enough if the strait stays closed “harder for longer.”
Markets felt it immediately. The Dow plunged 800 points as stagflation fears crept back into the conversation—soaring energy costs plus slowing growth is a nasty cocktail. If oil keeps climbing, the ripple effects will hit everything from airline tickets to grocery bills, and central banks will have one more fire to fight.
Source: CNBC
Editor: Triple-digit oil is back—and just like that, every politician who promised cheap gas is suddenly very busy.
Fox News says it accidentally aired old hatless footage of Trump at a Dover transfer ceremony—fueling outrage in a media moment that was entirely avoidable.
Fox News Apologizes After Airing Hatless Trump Video During Dover Transfer Coverage
Fox News apologized after mistakenly airing archival footage of President Donald Trump without a hat during coverage of a solemn transfer ceremony for six fallen U.S. service members. The network insists it was a production error—but in today’s media climate, even a wardrobe detail can ignite a firestorm.
In a polarized America, a baseball cap became a battleground.
The footage ran Sunday as the network covered Trump’s attendance at the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies of six troops killed in the Middle East war were returned. Online critics quickly alleged—without evidence—that the network was trying to make Trump look more respectful by avoiding images of him wearing a cap during what is considered one of the most somber duties of a commander in chief.
Fox said a staffer inadvertently pulled archival video from an earlier ceremony and used it on two Sunday morning broadcasts. The correct footage, the network noted, aired at other times, including Saturday. “We regret the error and apologize for the incorrect footage,” Fox said in a statement. Anchor Griff Jenkins offered an on-air correction, adding, “we extend our respect and condolences” to the families.
Not everyone accepted the explanation. Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo, blasted the mistake, saying, “If any other network did this it would be a huge scandal, Fox would lead the chorus of criticisms and faux-outrage, and people would lose their jobs.” Even within Fox’s orbit, there was discomfort. Co-host Johnny “Joey” Jones wrote he was “embarrassed and ashamed,” adding, “My belief was that this was an honest mistake, but that doesn’t make it an acceptable one. Few things are more sacred than our heroes who give their lives in the line of duty.”
Jones urged critics to aim their anger at him instead of colleagues, warning against turning the moment into a partisan food fight. Good luck with that.
Source: Associated Press
Editor: In cable news, even B-roll can become breaking news—and once trust frays, every frame gets scrutinized.
The president’s sons are backing a new drone maker going public to cash in on Pentagon demand—because nothing says family business like defense contracts.
Trump Sons Back Drone Startup Racing for Pentagon Contracts
Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are backing a new drone company aiming to go public and capture a surge in Pentagon spending on small unmanned systems. The move plants the Trump family squarely inside one of the fastest-growing—and most politically charged—sectors in defense.
When Washington bans Chinese drones and dangles $1.1 billion in contracts, someone is going to build them—and the Trump orbit wants in.
The company, Powerus, is merging with publicly traded Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Florida golf-course holding company whose shareholders include Trump-backed American Ventures and Dominari Securities. The reverse merger would put Powerus on the Nasdaq in the coming months, giving it access to public capital to ramp up production.
Powerus says it wants to build more than 10,000 drones a month—far beyond what most U.S. manufacturers currently produce. The bet is that the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance initiative, which plans to spend $1.1 billion to procure hundreds of thousands of U.S. systems by 2027, will supercharge domestic demand after the administration barred new Chinese drone models from the U.S. market.
There’s also a Ukraine angle. Co-founder Brett Velicovich said the company is pursuing deals to acquire or license Ukrainian drone technology and manufacture it stateside. “There does need to be an American face in front of it or behind it,” he said—an acknowledgment that Pentagon procurement rules favor U.S.-made systems even as battlefield innovation increasingly comes from abroad.
The drone market “is certainly going to grow faster than, say, golf courses are,” CEO Andrew Fox quipped. That may be the understatement of the week.
Source: The Wall Street Journal (free)
Editor: From crypto to combat drones, the family portfolio is starting to look less like a holding company and more like a Cabinet meeting.
Two men allegedly hurled improvised explosive devices at a protest near Gracie Mansion, and NYPD now says the case is being probed as ISIS-inspired terrorism.
NYPD Probes ‘ISIS-Inspired’ Explosives Thrown at Protest Near NYC Mayor’s Home
New York police are investigating whether men who tossed improvised explosive devices into a crowd near Gracie Mansion were inspired by ISIS. The devices didn’t detonate—but officials say the outcome could have been far worse.
“I can confirm this morning that this is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the explosives, thrown during chaotic counterprotests Saturday, contained nuts, bolts, screws and a “hobby fuse.” One device extinguished itself steps from officers. A second failed to ignite. Tisch said both could have caused serious injury or death.
The confrontation unfolded outside the mayoral residence during a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” event led by far-right activist Jake Lang. The protest itself drew a small crowd—but counterdemonstrators showed up in force. Two people are in custody but have not yet been charged, and the NYPD is working alongside federal prosecutors and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Authorities stressed there’s no known connection to Iran or the broader Middle East war. “At this time, we do not have any information that connects this investigation to what’s going on overseas in Iran,” Tisch said. Police also cleared a suspicious vehicle nearby Saturday evening, towing away a Honda Civic after closing surrounding streets and evacuating buildings.
Lang, who was previously charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and later granted clemency by President Donald Trump, has recently reemerged on the political stage with rallies backing Trump’s immigration crackdown and a new U.S. Senate bid in Florida. Now his latest event is part of a terrorism probe in New York City.
Source: Associated Press
Editor: In 2026, even a fringe protest outside a mansion can turn into a federal terrorism case—because America apparently can’t do anything halfway anymore.
An inmate told the FBI he heard a guard suggest covering up Jeffrey Epstein’s death—years after officials ruled it a suicide and closed the case.
Inmate Claims Guard Talked of ‘Cover-Up’ After Jeffrey Epstein’s Death
A newly released FBI report says an inmate claimed he overheard a prison guard suggesting a cover-up the morning Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell. The account, unconfirmed but explosive, is already reigniting questions about one of the most scrutinized deaths in recent history.
“If he’s dead, we’re going to cover it up and he’s going to have an alibi - my officers.”
According to the five-page handwritten FBI interview, the inmate said he awoke to shouts of “Breathe! Breathe!” echoing through the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019. He then allegedly heard someone say, “Dudes, you killed that dude,” followed by a woman’s voice making the cover-up remark. The inmate identified the voice as Tova Noel, one of the guards assigned to Epstein’s unit that night.
Noel and fellow guard Michael Thomas were later charged with falsifying records for failing to conduct required rounds—but the charges were dropped. Noel has denied wrongdoing and was never charged in connection with Epstein’s death. She also denied searching for Epstein online shortly before he was found unresponsive, despite records showing a Google query for “latest on epstein in jail (sic)” about 40 minutes before his discovery.
Officials ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging. The New York City medical examiner and a Department of Justice probe found no evidence of homicide. But Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein’s estate, argued that fractures in Epstein’s larynx were “extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation.”
The FBI report doesn’t prove a cover-up. It documents what one inmate says he heard amid chaos that morning. Still, between missed rounds, broken cameras, odd cash deposits, disputed medical findings and now alleged overheard comments, the case refuses to fade quietly into the archives.
Source: Daily Mail
Editor: When the official story says “case closed” but the footnotes keep growing, don’t be surprised that Americans still have questions.