Five Things That Mattered This Week | April 3, 2026

Artemis is out of this world. U.S. journalist abducted in Baghdad. NATO is taking it from all sides. Gold fell, dollar strong. Turkish mayors under pressure. It's a Good Friday with a bad jobs report.

Good morning! Friday came in like lightning on a spring day.

Artemis II launched to the moon taking humankind farther from earth than ever before. An American journalist was abducted in Baghdad by Kata’ib Hezbollah. Another missile was launched from Iran into Turkish air space. Millions of Syrians in Germany are to be deported. Russia and Turkey meet at the Black Sea’s redlines.

Mail-in voting is being scrutinized. Trump threatens to leave NATO and cans Pam Bondi. Trump’s approval ratings take another tumble. U.S. crude surged 11.4% on Thursday to $111.54 a barrel and Brent climbed 7.8% to $109.03. The dollar strengthened, gold fell. Mortgage rate up to 6.46%. The market may have finished green on paper, but underneath it is trading like a system preparing for costlier energy, stickier inflation, and a much nastier second quarter. OPEC+ meets Sunday. We’ve got an uninspiring U.S. jobs report.

Turkish mayors face investigations and detentions as a purge of opposition voices sweep across the country. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu remains imprisoned at Silivri Marmara Prison following his March 2025 arrest.

It’s Good Friday in Jerusalem. Trump compared himself to Jesus. The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations. Houthi’s are in the war game. Iran is readying its defenses, even reportedly recruiting children to the battlefield. Everyone has a hand on their weapon.

Monday is when the delayed reality check hits.

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Even fool’s gold glitters in the desert. Remain discerning.— Ali & Asli