Rescuers are racing against time in Indonesia where at least 68 people are dead after a powerful earthquake. Repeated aftershocks are hampering efforts and thousands of survivors remain too afraid to return home, sheltering instead in tents and government buildings as fears of more tremors persist. Oil prices are little changed after Iran ruled out any extension of a 60-day interim understanding with the United States and threatened to shift to an offensive posture if diplomacy fails. The Supreme Court has again rejected President Trump's bid to overturn the E Jean Carroll sex abuse and defamation verdict. And finally in a human turn, the death toll from the Indonesia earthquake is still rising with rescue teams battling on against the aftershocks.

Condor Studio News · 12:00 PM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

President Trump has threatened military action against Oman as the escalating Middle East conflict involving Iran drives investor anxiety. Government borrowing costs in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan have surged to levels last seen during or before the 2008 financial crisis, fueled by fears that sustained higher oil prices will keep inflation elevated and force central banks to hold or raise interest rates. The 30-year US Treasury yield climbed to its highest since 2007. In US markets the S&P is holding a modest gain at 7,774.26 while the VIX is quiet near 15.03. Oil is at $82.64. Bitcoin has moved higher to $64,157. Micron, Sandisk and other chip stocks are climbing as investors grow more confident about sustained artificial intelligence spending. Nvidia is also advancing after its financing initiative aligned with new SEC guidance on data center investments. And finally at least 68 people have been killed in Indonesia after a powerful earthquake triggered multiple aftershocks. Thousands of displaced residents are now sheltering in tents and government buildings, too afraid to return home as rescuers race against time.

Condor Studio News · 11:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

U.S. home-builder sentiment ticked higher in August but remains muted overall as affordability concerns continue to weigh on the sector. The reading comes as developers grapple with high borrowing costs and buyer hesitation even after recent policy signals from Washington. President Trump’s threat to bomb Oman if it interferes with Iran ceasefire efforts is adding fresh uncertainty to Middle East energy routes and shipping logistics. Wall Street is watching whether any escalation could disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil is at $82.34. Gold hit $4,475 an ounce. The S&P is at 7,770.32 while the VIX sits at 14.99. Bitcoin traded near $63,688. And finally at least 68 people have been killed in Indonesia after a strong earthquake with aftershocks continuing to hamper rescue efforts. Thousands of displaced residents are sheltering in tents and government buildings too afraid to return home.

Condor Studio News · 10:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

Government borrowing costs have climbed to multi-year highs as markets fear sticky inflation and rising oil and gas prices. UK gilt yields are sending a clear signal of higher-for-longer rates while investor unease grows over America's debt approaching $40 tn. President Trump faces fresh global pressure after threatening to bomb the s*** out of a key US ally if it continues talks with Iran as a fragile ceasefire deadline expires. The wealth effect from higher share prices continues to support US consumer spending even as traditional income measures flash warning signs. Evercore ISI analysts say the rally has further to run and the S&P could still push toward 9,000. The S&P is at 7,779.20 while the VIX sits at 15.05. Oil trades at $82.77 with renewed geopolitical supply risks in focus. Gold hit $4,442 an ounce. Bitcoin traded near $63,577. And finally at least 68 people have been killed in Indonesia after a powerful earthquake with aftershocks continuing to hamper rescue efforts. Thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents and government buildings afraid to return home.

Condor Studio News · 9:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

Good morning from Nashville... eight fifty a m central time on Monday August seventeenth twenty twenty six. Picture the options surface like a weather map over the S P five hundred... and right now the radar is showing thick call side moisture building before the first full sweep even settles. That sets the tone for the week ahead. If you've been listening you know we track this surface the way a pilot checks the storm cells before filing a flight plan. Today the picture is clear enough to name it. Heavy Weather. Storm Warning. Full red cards. We stayed on the ground. Cash is a position. That is the premise of this show. The tape is open but the real risk pricing still sits on the call side and institutions are not pushing through it yet. We watch the surface first because price alone is just looking out the windshield in the rain. The radar tells us whether the wings are safe. This morning the three early looks after the cash open confirm the same front we saw into the weekend. Thin air above the market and heavy call side water. No decisive break higher is priced in yet. That keeps the S P five hundred near seven thousand seven hundred eighty respecting the range it has held. Vix sitting at fifteen point zero nine tells the same story in a different voice. Volatility is not spiking but the surface is not clearing either. The thesis for today is simple. Without a shift in that call side pressure the market opens inside the same narrow band and any early move higher will likely stall before lunch. Policy is the quiet driver here. Persistent federal deficits keep real borrowing costs from falling even when softer jobs data roll in. That pressure shows up first on the options surface rather than in headline levels. We said it last week and the tape is confirming it again. Deficits act like a weight on risk assets while gold holds its level as the cleaner hedge. Gold trading near four thousand four hundred forty five fits that picture without needing a breakout. The same logic applies to the broader tape. Bitcoin around sixty three thousand six hundred remains sentiment driven while the S P stays boxed in. Institutions are not yet willing to step through the call side storm front so range bound action continues. That is why we file no trades today. Conservative Balanced and Aggressive tiers all hold. One forward watch for the session is any fresh Washington spending talk or inflation print that adds more water to the radar. If the surface stays Heavy Weather into midday the range holds and we wait for a clearer sweep. If you've been listening you remember how we handled similar setups earlier this month when the same call side moisture kept the three tier stance sidelined until the radar cleared. The lesson is the same. We do not force the iron condor when the weather says stay on the ground. That is the setup. The week opens with caution baked into the surface and that caution starts with deficits keeping capital costs elevated. The scoreboard at seven thousand seven hundred eighty on the S P reflects that reality more than any single headline. We will watch how the first sweeps evolve but the initial read is Storm Warning. Full red cards. Cash is a position

That's the read from Nashville for Monday, August 17, 2026. I'm Russell Clark, and we'll see you at the next session. Trade the plan, not the noise.

Goldman Sachs says a September Fed rate hike is very unlikely as inflation continues to slow. The bank's chief economist cited softer jobs, retail sales and inflation data, arguing that market pricing remains too hawkish. Wall Street is watching retail earnings this week, with futures drifting modestly ahead of the bell as investors gauge consumer health in the back-to-school season. The S&P closed at 7,785.76 while the VIX sits near 15.06. Oil has climbed to $82.95. Gold hit $4,435 an ounce. Bitcoin trades near $63,478. And finally, at least 68 people have been killed in Indonesia's 7.7 magnitude earthquake with thousands now sleeping in tents and government buildings as aftershocks continue to hamper rescue efforts.

Condor Studio News · 8:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

Gold remains flat at $4,456 an ounce as investors weigh the growing likelihood the Federal Reserve will hold rates steady in September. Goldman Sachs now sees little chance of a rate hike this month, reinforcing the calm that has settled over markets in what some are calling a Zen state ahead of this week's key economic readings. Europe's main bourses are little changed with the DAX trading near 26,451 and the FTSE trading near 10,772. Oil has slipped to $82.49. Bitcoin is steady at $63,587. And finally, in a human turn, thousands are still sleeping in tents as rescue teams battle on after Indonesia's devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

Condor Studio News · 7:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

With key U.S. data releases on the calendar this week investors are watching for any fresh signals ahead of next week's FOMC meeting minutes. The Empire State Manufacturing Index crossed the wires this morning while ADP employment figures, housing starts and industrial production are all due in the next forty-eight hours. And in European markets the DAX is trading near 26,461 while the FTSE is trading near 10,767. Oil is at $82.86. Gold hit $4,455 an ounce. Bitcoin has moved to $63,557. And finally an earthquake measuring 7.7 has left thousands homeless in Indonesia. The quake struck last week killing dozens, injuring hundreds and damaging more than 900 buildings. Nearly 13,000 people remain displaced many still living in tents as rescue efforts continue and hospitals treat the wounded.

Condor Studio News · 6:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

Salesforce has borrowed $25 billion to buy back its own shares while slashing its cash flow growth guidance in half. The software giant executed the largest accelerated share repurchase in its history, borrowing the funds through new debt as part of a $50 billion authorization that immediately retired more than 100 million shares. Revenue still rose 13% in its latest quarter, but the move highlights a pivot toward aggressive capital returns even as free cash flow growth expectations are now halved. Oil is up 0.7% at $82.78 a barrel as Asian refiners seek alternative pickup points for Saudi crude, rerouting away from Red Sea ports amid heightened Houthi threats. In Europe the DAX is trading near 26,416 and the FTSE is trading near 10,757. And finally, a British widow whose partner was killed by a hit-and-run driver who fled to Pakistan has given birth to their miracle baby twelve months after his death and is now campaigning for changes to the law so others do not suffer the same loss.

Condor Studio News · 5:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.

And in European and Asian news, wildfires continue to rage across parts of France and Greece as Belgian firefighters battle what is believed to be the largest wildfire in the country's modern history. The blaze in the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve has already burned more than 3,000 hectares, creeping toward the German border and prompting precautionary evacuations. Light rain has slowed its spread but the fire continues growing. In Asia, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt ahead of the expiry of a US-Iran ceasefire with no deal in sight. Oil has moved to $82.20. Gold is down slightly at $4,452 an ounce. Bitcoin has moved to $63,319. The DAX is trading near 26,440. And finally, Liz Austin has spoken movingly about how her partner Jack Ryan was killed by a speeding driver who then fled to Pakistan. She is now calling for changes in the law so no one else suffers what she did, while revealing how she was able to have Jack's miracle baby twelve months after he died.

Condor Studio News · 4:00 AM Central · Aug 17, 2026.