Tidbits
Argentina's ruling coalition did much better than expected to lead the country's general election and set the stage for a vote next month between Socialist Sergio Massa (36% of the vote) and far-right libertarian radical Javier Milei (30% of the vote) with 80% of the votes counted. A conservative candidate had 23.7% of the vote.
The war in Eastern Europe continues to escalate, but as rapidly as it did in the warmer months. The fighting in the Middle-East is rapidly escalating as demonstrated by attacks on Hezbollah terror cells in Lebanon to Israel’s north. The fear continues to be that other countries will join the war against Israel. Israel threatened Sunday to cut off “the head of the snake” and launch an attack against Iran if Hezbollah joins the war.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Ukraine’s agriculture accounts for 20% of Ukraine’s gross domestic product, 40% of Ukraine’s exports, and jobs for 17% of Ukraine’s workforce.
Ukraine’s port closures have led to a sharp rise in the price of imported fuel, seeds, fertilizers, and parts for all machinery. The increased costs are killing the farming profit margins and will further reduce planted areas in coming years.