The United States says dozens of countries helped China dodge President Trump's tariffs by rerouting goods through lower-tariff nations. The new report is rippling through Asian capitals tonight as officials highlight complex supply chain shifts that kept Chinese exports flowing. Bitcoin has moved to $63,275. The Nikkei finished near 68,829 while the Hang Seng is trading near 25,164. Gold is up slightly at $4,381 an ounce and oil stood at $81.34 a barrel. And finally, investigators have traced the six-thousand-mile journey of giant inflatable migrant boats used in the English Channel back to manufacturing hubs in China. A monster dinghy that carried two hundred thirty people this week was rolled up like a farmer's hay bale and is now stored in a government warehouse on Britain's south coast.

Condor Studio News · 11:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pushing back against reports of a crisis aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after one sailor was rescued from the sea. The carrier has now been at sea for more than 260 days with its deployment extended indefinitely because of tensions with Iran. Officials say the sailor was wearing a life vest in what they described as a mental health incident and was brought back aboard safely. Family members however have raised alarms about food shortages, contaminated water, mildew-filled showers, expired prescription contacts and multiple suicide attempts where shipmates had to intervene. More than 200 relatives attended an emotional town hall last week pleading for the crew to be brought home. Hegseth called the coverage completely misrepresented and said commanders understand the urgent need to rotate the ship with the USS George Washington expected to relieve it soon. And in Asian markets the Nikkei finished near 68,889 while the Hang Seng is trading near 25,217. Oil is up 0.3% at $81.24. Gold remains flat at $4,377. And finally, family members of the crew say the sailor's rescue has only deepened their fears for loved ones still aboard the troubled carrier.

Condor Studio News · 10:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

The U.S. will deploy economic tactics on Iran that the world has never seen before as the Navy works to relieve the troubled carrier Abraham Lincoln still operating in the region. The Nikkei finished near 68,816 after sliding more than one percent as traders braced for fresh American pressure on Iran. And in Asian markets the Hang Seng is trading near 25,185 with similar caution rippling through Hong Kong listings. Oil is down 0.2% at $80.98 a barrel. Gold is down 0.5% at $4,376 an ounce. Bitcoin remains flat at $63,480. And finally Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hit back at reports of distressing conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln amid claims sailors tried to jump overboard as it emerges one was rescued from the water.

Condor Studio News · 9:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

Iran's attack on two ADNOC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz is raising fresh fears for shipping routes and oil transit through one of the world's most critical chokepoints. The UAE says the strikes caused no injuries, but the incident is adding to supply chain pressure across the Middle East as broader tensions continue to disrupt logistics. The developments come as Chinese electric trucks are seeing a surge in exports, helping Beijing offset Western tariffs through growing real-economy ties. The Nikkei finished up 1.9 percent trading near 69,601. Hang Seng is trading near 25,397. And finally, despite rolling back EV tax credits and subsidies via the July 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump administration is directing billions into domestic critical minerals projects to reduce reliance on China. Last week it announced a $3 billion package including a $1.4 billion Pentagon loan to Sila Nanotechnologies to expand silicon anode production fivefold in Washington state, the first $435 million draw from a $2.23 billion DOE loan for Lithium Americas Thacker Pass project in Nevada, a $25 million EXIM investment in Westwater Resources Alabama graphite deposit, and up to $150 million for Niron Magnetics rare-earth-free magnet plant in Minnesota.

Condor Studio News · 8:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

The United States is considering an indefinite naval blockade of Iran as the oil supply shortfall from the six-month U.S.-Iran conflict grows more severe. Reuters says the step would further isolate Tehran while easing pressure on already strained global energy markets. Questions are now mounting over whether worldwide oil inventories can hold out for another six months of this standoff. Oil is a touch higher at $81.32. Gold remains flat at $4,416. Bitcoin has moved to $63,335. The Nikkei finished near 68,309. And finally, pupils across the UK are celebrating the best A-level results in years outside the Covid period, with more than one in four securing at least an A and boys extending their lead over girls in the top grades.

Condor Studio News · 7:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Goolsbee is set to speak this evening as investors seek any signal on the likely path for interest rates under Chair Kevin Warsh. Reddit shares are rallying after hours after the social media platform finally won inclusion in the S&P 500 following months of speculation, though analysts continue to voice concerns over its valuation and volatility. Oil is down on the session at $81.08. Gold remains flat at $4,416. Bitcoin has moved to $63,469. And finally, pupils in the UK are celebrating the best ever A-level results outside of the Covid years with more than one in four securing at least an A and boys extending their lead over girls in the top grades.

Condor Studio News · 6:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

Gold is flat at $4,407 an ounce. Oil is unchanged at $81.21 a barrel. Bitcoin has edged higher to $63,392. Polls have closed in the Clacton by-election where Nigel Farage faces the longest ballot in UK history with a chaotic field of fringe candidates including Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope. In corporate news Reddit shares are jumping after its inclusion in the S&P 500 while Cisco shares slid 8% despite beating earnings and offering stronger guidance. Workday stock is seeing a record surge on buyout speculation that could spark a broader software revival. Anthony Albanese and President Trump held a phone call overnight with little detail released. And finally pupils across the UK are celebrating their best ever A-level results outside the Covid years with more than one in four achieving at least an A and boys extending their lead over girls in the top grades.

Condor Studio News · 5:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

The Federal Reserve's latest economic readings are in focus this afternoon after core producer prices and unemployment claims data crossed the wires. With FOMC member Goolsbee scheduled to speak this evening traders are dialing back expectations for an aggressive rate cut path. The S&P finished the session at 7,798.99 while the VIX sits at 14.63. Oil settled at $81.22 a barrel. Gold hit $4,406 an ounce. Bitcoin trades at $63,317. In after-hours action several big tech names are extending gains on record profit margins that continue to support the broader rally. And finally voting is in its final hours in a by-election in Britain's Clacton constituency after the Reform UK leader resigned amid scrutiny of a $9 million donation from a crypto billionaire.

Condor Studio News · 4:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.

You could almost hear the sigh of relief on the floor when the final print came across at seven thousand seven hundred ninety-eight. After a week that started with plenty of noise out of Washington and overseas, the tape settled into a quiet finish. Folks who've been around these markets know that quiet can be the most expensive sound of all. Today the S&P closed right where the market thought it would land tomorrow, and that tells us something about the surface underneath. VIX printed fourteen point five five, so the fear meter stayed low, but the real story sits in the options book, not the headline number. That's where we always start on a Thursday close show. The premise today is simple. We got a range-bound session that matched what the radar showed at the open, and the decision we made this morning held all the way through. That matters because Friday is always a different animal when you roll into the weekend. If you've been listening since Monday, you remember we flagged how federal deficits keep real borrowing costs from falling even when the jobs numbers soften. That thread is still alive. The spending talk out of both parties keeps the cost of capital elevated, which shows up first in how institutions price protection on the call side. It doesn't always move the S&P print itself, but it keeps the range tight and makes gold the cleaner hedge compared to Bitcoin, which is still riding sentiment more than fundamentals. That continuity from the start of the week played out again today. Now let's lay out the Fear Wave picture for anyone joining us for the first time. Most people watch the S&P price the way you watch rain on your windshield. You see the drops hit, but you don't know if a bigger cell is building just ahead. Fear Wave is the radar that scans the full options surface, puts and calls together, to see how risk is being priced before the price board catches up. Institutions move size through those contracts first, so the storm shows on our screen before it shows in the index level. We take three looks across the day and compare them. This morning the surface stayed orderly enough that we stayed in Yellow Watch, not full Storm Warning. That meant we could file all three risk tiers under our normal rules instead of widening only the Conservative flight or grounding everything. We took the Conservative, Balanced, and Aggressive iron condors at standard wing widths because the call-side water wasn't building into anything that forced us to sit on cash. The tape confirmed it by the close. The S&P respected the band we expected, and VIX stayed low enough that the premium we collected didn't get crushed by a surprise move. That decision protected the book because we didn't chase thin air above the market when the surface still carried a little extra weight from the deficit pressure. Looking ahead to tomorrow, the faith level is low for adding new size right at the open. Friday often brings last-minute positioning, and with the weekend ahead we want to see how the surface behaves after the first sweep before we decide whether to hold or adjust. Ms Vixxy mentioned the Workday move earlier, and that kind of single-stock volatility is exactly why we keep the overall stance cautious even when the broad index looks calm. The macro thread on deficits isn't going away, and it continues to support gold as the steadier hedge while risk assets stay range-bound. That's the setup we carry into Friday

That's the read from Nashville for Thursday, August 13, 2026. I'm Russell Clark, and we'll see you at the next session. Trade the plan, not the noise.

Workday shares have skyrocketed 19% before trading was halted multiple times on a report that private equity giant Silver Lake is pursuing a takeover of the enterprise software company. IBM is partnering with OpenAI to bolster its enterprise artificial intelligence push, with plans to train and certify tens of thousands of consultants on the startup's technologies. The S&P is down 0.1% at 7,797.33 while the VIX is steady near 14.65. Oil is higher by 0.4% at $81.30. Gold is down 0.2% at $4,408 an ounce. Bitcoin is up 0.1% at $63,338. And finally, the family of an Irish plane crash victim has been awarded $29 m in damages after a Chicago jury ruled in their favor in a civil suit against Boeing.

Condor Studio News · 3:00 PM Central · Aug 13, 2026.