Trump TV, Rent vs. Buy, & 7% Mortgages

Grab your Strong coffee. It's been a week.

Before we dive in, let's clear something up. Every so often, someone accuses us of being in the pocket of one political party. We're not. We back common sense, wherever it shows up.

When the Democrats deserve credit, we'll give it. Gladly. It's just been tough to find examples lately.

Same goes for our fearless commander in chief. We don't agree with plenty of what he does, and we'll happily talk about it. Like adults. With facts, not feelings, and none of the "Patrick said" nonsense.

If you agree with every single word your party says, that's not politics. That's a cult.

Alright. Let's get into it.

Trump took the mic at the UN General Assembly and let world leaders have it for leaving America to fight Iran alone. His pitch: while others talked, he acted. While others spoke of peace, he made it. While others ignored threats, he confronted them. Tough crowd. Tougher speech.

Back home, the major TV networks pulled pool coverage of the White House in protest of Trump's ban on some news outlets. Trump's response? Start his own channel. Trump TV is now streaming the administration "unfiltered," 24/7. One president, one network, nonstop greatest hits. Pyongyang called. They want their state programming schedule back.

Trump also says Russia has "lost control" of its diesel industry after a Ukrainian strike blitz on its refineries. Meanwhile, the Iran war has US diesel at its highest price ever.

And Iran isn't backing down. Tehran warned Monday it could roll out new weapons and widen the war if the US launches another offensive. Trump is weighing his next move.

The bond market had a rough week. The 30-year Treasury yield hit its highest level since 2004 as the selloff kept rolling.

Your mortgage felt it. The average 30-year rate jumped to 7.45% on Thursday, per Mortgage News Daily. That's the highest in over two years, and rates could keep climbing as yields push higher.

Crypto, meanwhile, is having a much better time. Bitcoin topped $86,000 on Monday, its highest level since January, up 8% on the week and 34% over three months. The whole crypto market is climbing back toward $3 trillion. Some are already calling the end of crypto winter. Bitcoin's still well short of its $126,000 record, so don't sell the house just yet.

Warren Buffett's warning is making the rounds again as he exits the Berkshire chairman's seat. His take on the US dollar: it's "going to hell." What scares him most? "Fiscal policy is what scares me in the United States."

And the Fed has a message for anyone with a savings account: "There will be a reckoning." Higher rates could mean better returns for savers. But banks set their own deposit rates. If your account earns less than prices rise, your balance grows while your buying power shrinks.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang isn't buying the AI apocalypse. He told CBS News there's a "0% chance" 2030 is the end of the world, and called the extinction warnings overblown "doomsday narratives." His verdict: "Scaring people is unnecessary. It is irresponsible."

Starbucks is closing 250 stores and calling it a "difficult decision." COO Mike Grams says that's about 1% of its 18,000-plus North American locations.

In-N-Out store managers make more than $200,000 a year on average. The chain says that's what investing in your workforce looks like.

Toys R Us is back. The brand is opening 120 new standalone stores across the US in time for the holidays, its biggest expansion in years.

And Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed next-gen Roadster. The price of admission: $50,000. That's a $5,000 refundable card payment, then a $45,000 wire transfer within 10 days. All this weeks before Tesla even unveils the redesigned car.

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