Reading List 04/25/26
This week’s reading list spotlights several industrial and infrastructure trends: mines in the Strait of Hormuz could block shipping for up to six months, while California’s SB 79 forces taller housing near transit and fines cities that block permits. The piece also delves into the complex metallurgy of grain‑oriented electrical steel for transformers and highlights a divergence in US manufacturing where output rose 2.3% but employment fell 0.6% since January 2025. Additional notes cover BYD’s plan for 20 Canadian dealerships and TSMC’s delay in adopting costly High‑NA EUV tools.
Reading List 04/11/2026
A two‑week US‑Iran ceasefire was announced to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, yet Iran has kept the waterway closed, sustaining uncertainty for global oil flows. Iranian state‑linked hackers have been exploiting Rockwell Automation PLCs across U.S. critical infrastructure, while threats...
Reading List 04/04/2026
The Iran‑Israel‑U.S. conflict has crippled Gulf aluminum production after an Iranian drone disabled the world’s largest smelter in Bahrain, forcing major EV manufacturers to trim output. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed roughly 20 million barrels of crude...