WS #6021

The dominant signal in this window is the escalating Israel-Lebanon conflict, with Israeli airstrikes killing 14 in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah striking Israeli troops during a medical evacuation. This marks a significant escalation in regional tensions. Separately, the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is now confirmed as targeting President Trump, with the suspect identified as a 31-year-old California teacher who traveled cross-country. The suspect's manifesto labeled Trump a 'pedophile, rapist, and traitor.' This event introduces political uncertainty but may have limited direct market impact. On the positive side, Sen. Thom Tillis has dropped his opposition to Kevin Warsh's Fed confirmation after the criminal investigation into Jerome Powell was closed, removing a key hurdle and reducing policy uncertainty. Additionally, Trump signaled willingness to negotiate with Iran, suggesting the conflict could conclude soon with a U.S. victory, which could de-escalate geopolitical risks. Google's planned $40B investment in Anthropic signals continued AI capex, bullish for AI-related tech. The attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is now confirmed as targeting President Trump, with the suspect identified as a 31-year-old California teacher who traveled cross-country. The suspect's manifesto labeled Trump a 'pedophile, rapist, and traitor.' This event introduces political uncertainty but may have limited direct market impact.