🚀 Trump signs order to pay TSA agents during shutdown

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Market Overview
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Year To Date Performances:

1. President Donald Trump has signed an emergency executive order to bypass a deadlocked Congress and restore pay for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The move comes as national air travel reaches a "breaking point," with security officer callouts exceeding 11% and major airports facing severe delays; the administration plans to reroute existing agency funds to ensure checks arrive as early as Monday. While the Senate briefly reached a bipartisan compromise to fund most of the department, House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the deal over its failure to include funding for ICE and Border Patrol, leading to a fresh impasse as lawmakers depart for a two-week recess. With the House and Senate passing fundamentally incompatible bills, the broader DHS shutdown remains unresolved, leaving thousands of federal workers in financial limbo despite the temporary relief provided to airport security staff.

2. As the conflict with Iran enters its second month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signaled a swift conclusion to military operations, projecting a timeline of weeks rather than months despite a significant escalation in regional hostilities. The war has rapidly expanded to include missile exchanges across the Middle East—with new interventions from Yemen’s Houthi rebels and strikes hitting targets in Tehran and Damascus—triggering a global economic shock that has pushed Brent crude oil above $112 and sent California diesel prices to a record $7.17. While President Donald Trump maintains a ten-day deadline for Iran to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, the deployment of U.S. Marines and elite airborne troops has heightened fears of a prolonged ground engagement, even as the administration’s "America First" approach further strains the NATO alliance over a lack of direct support from traditional allies.

   1. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway have faced their longest period of decline in over seven years, marking eight consecutive sessions of losses as the market grapples with rising energy costs and the geopolitical instability of the Iran war. The conglomerate’s Class A and B shares have dropped nearly 5% since mid-March, a downturn that mirrors the broader S&P 500's recent struggle and reflects investor caution following Warren Buffett’s transition to Chairman of the Board. Despite the domestic slump, Berkshire’s international strategy is yielding immediate dividends; a new $1.8 billion USD investment in Tokio Marine Holdings surged 24% in value within a week, signalling a deepening commitment to the Japanese market. This strategic insurance partnership, overseen by insurance chief Ajit Jain and new CEO Greg Abel, aims to replicate the massive success of Berkshire’s $44 billion USD portfolio in Japanese trading houses, positioning the firm for long-term growth through global reinsurance collaboration even as its stock price tests recent lows.

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      2. Tiger Woods was arrested over the weekend for a DUI.