EPM Morning Briefing — July 05, 2026

🌅 EPM MORNING BRIEFING — July 05, 2026 The 5 stories you need to know today. 1. 🔴 [ESTADOS UNIDOS] SHIPPING COSTS SURGE AS HORMUZ DEAL LEAVES CRITICAL GAP A fragile Strait of Hormuz agreement is failing to cover the full cost burden on shipping operators, with workers now absorbing unexpected financial hits. This matters because global supply chains remain one geopolitical miscalculation away from another inflationary spiral. 2. 🔴 [ESTADOS UNIDOS] IRANIANS MOURN KHAMENEI AS WAR GRINDS ON Public mourning for Supreme Leader Khamenei is spreading across Iranian communities in the U.S. as the conflict shows no sign of resolution. The scenes signal deepening fractures in Iranian society — and raise urgent questions about who fills the power vacuum next. 3. 🟠 [ESTADOS UNIDOS] SIX BLUE STATES BOYCOTT TRUMP'S AMERICA 250 FAIR Six Democratic-led states have formally rejected participation in the Trump-aligned America 250 celebration, turning a national anniversary into a political fault line. What should have been a moment of unity is now a vivid snapshot of how fractured American identity has become. 4. 🟠 [FRANCIA] LYHANNA'S DEATH SPARKS NATIONAL PUSH FOR VICTIMS' PROTECTION LAW Massive street demonstrations are sweeping France following the death of Lyhanna, with crowds demanding legislators enact stronger protections for crime victims. The movement is gaining momentum fast — and French lawmakers are running out of room to look away. 5. 🟡 [CHINA] WALL STREET FLIES TO BEIJING — WITHOUT WORKERS IN THE ROOM Top Wall Street executives made a high-profile trip to Beijing for closed-door talks, with no labor representation at the table. As U.S.-China economic tensions simmer, the optics of finance's elite cutting deals far from public scrutiny couldn't be worse — or more predictable. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📌 Editor's Note From mourning in Tehran to boycotts in Boston, today's stories share one thread: the institutions meant to hold things together are visibly straining under the weight of decisions made without the people they affect.