Live from the Last Ditch · News without the panic

Indicators

Public data from each publisher · checked Oct 6, 9:24 AM CDT

About

Each number comes straight from its publisher, and each value links to its source. Hover a box (or a row) for a plain-language note. "Unavailable" means the source didn't answer, and we never fill in a guess. "Stale" means the latest reading is older than usual.

Financial health
- Gold$4,183 (source: Yahoo Finance (COMEX))$25.70 Up +$25.70 vs Oct 5Oct 6
- 30-yr mortgage7.28% (source: Freddie Mac)0.25 Up +0.25 pt vs Sep 24Oct 1
- Jobless claims197K (source: DOL via FRED)1K Down −1,000 vs Sep 19Sep 26
Three everyday money signals: the price of gold, the cost of a home loan, and new jobless claims.
Energy
- Crude oil (WTI)$96.16 (source: EIA)$3.21 Down −$3.21 vs Sep 28Sep 29
- Gasoline$4.354 (source: EIA)11.1¢ Down −$0.111 vs Sep 28Oct 5
- Diesel$6.199 (source: EIA)18.3¢ Down −$0.183 vs Sep 28Oct 5
Crude oil and the national average prices of regular gasoline and diesel.
Policy uncertainty422 (source: Baker, Bloom & Davis — policyuncertainty.com)index173.5 Up +173.5 vs Oct 4Oct 57-day avg 261 srcNews coverage of US policy uncertainty rose this week compared with last week. Daily readings swing a lot, so the weekly average is the better guide.
Geopolitical risk141 (source: Caldara & Iacoviello (Federal Reserve Board))index4.1 Down −4.1 vs Oct 4Oct 57-day avg 178 · acts 166 · threats 166 srcNews coverage of war, threats and terrorism is lighter than a week earlier (weekly average).
Weather alerts (US)308 (source: National Weather Service)alerts4 Down −4 vs previous reading Oct 6, 8:51 AM CDT9:24 AM CDTland 88 · marine 220 src308 weather alerts are active across the country, from routine advisories to local storms. Check weather.gov for your own county.

Still developing

Stories with the most headlines over the past few days · All stories

War & Conflict

Israel saved British lives. London rewarded them with sanctions

The Pentagon flew all 12 of its B-1B bombers out of RAF Fairford over the weekend and sent them home. Those are the aircraft that flew America’s strikes on Iran, and they left a week after British police arrested five men near the base on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Andy Burnham, the…

Washington Examiner · 9:00 AM CDT

Economy

Energy Shock Wipes $264 Billion Off the World's Top Mining Stocks

OilPrice.com · 9:00 AM CDT Treasury yields

Policy & Unrest

Judge to weigh effort to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia

CBS News – U.S. · 8:34 AM CDT

Economy

Cost of living, energy and fuel prices, and markets when they reach households

What is red-dyed diesel and how can it lower fuel costs?

Red-dyed diesel this week became the subject of President Donald Trump’s rally in Nebraska, as Washington battles to relieve surging energy prices in the United States ahead of the midterm elections. Trump signed an executive order at the Monday evening rally, telling attendees it would allow…

Washington Examiner · 9:22 AM CDT Diesel prices

The stock market is lying: Wall Street booms, your bank account drownsWashington Examiner · 9:00 AM CDT
Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, overall inflationStateline (States Newsroom) · 8:31 AM CDT
Trade deficit hits $105.6 billion, widest since just before Trump tariffs enacted last yearCNBC – Economy · 8:07 AM CDT
Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market TuesdayCNBC – Top News · 7:47 AM CDT
America’s renters are emerging as a political movementMarketWatch – Top Stories · 7:37 AM CDT
America’s favorite index is misleading investors about the state of the stock marketMarketWatch – Top Stories · 7:05 AM CDT
Spanberger is already making Virginia unaffordableWashington Examiner · 4:00 AM CDT
Poll: Democrats hold major advantage on health care costsThe Hill – News · 4:00 AM CDT
Treasury yields are broadly flat as investors anticipate FOMC minutesCNBC – Top News · 2:05 AM CDT Treasury yields
House China committee chair urges Fed to review Hong Kong’s access to dollar lifelineCNBC – Top News · 2:00 AM CDT
What the latest rate hike means for youHousingWire · 2:00 AM CDT Treasury yields
Trump Defers Federal Fuel Tax on Dyed Diesel as Prices Hit $6.32OilPrice.com · 12:15 AM CDT Diesel prices
The Five-Year Fuel Crisis Why The World Economy Is Paying For A War It Thinks Is EndingZeroHedge · Oct 5, 10:25 PM CDT
An Uncomfortable Reality: China's Rare Earth Chokehold May Outlast This DecadeZeroHedge · Oct 5, 10:00 PM CDT
Trump signs executive order mid-rally allowing drivers to use ‘tax-free red-dye diesel’ to lower fuel costsNew York Post – News · Oct 5, 9:46 PM CDT Diesel prices
Aiming at fuel costs, Trump opens tax-exempt ‘red dye’ diesel to all driversNBC News – Top Stories · Oct 5, 8:48 PM CDT Diesel prices
California home prices have soared since 1984, tripling in some marketsNew York Post – News · Oct 5, 8:00 PM CDT

War & Conflict

Conflict involving the US, and wars abroad when they reach home

Trump Approves Firing Squad for Radical Islamic Terrorist

President Donald Trump has approved execution by firing squad for convicted mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan, the Islamic terrorist who opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recommended—and President Donald J. Trump has approved—death by…

The Daily Signal · 9:05 AM CDT

Report to Congress on U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic FuryUSNI News · 8:45 AM CDT
Cold War memories stir Rubio in Iceland as he champions diplomacy and downplays differencesPBS NewsHour – Headlines · 8:38 AM CDT
Anduril lands $2.9 billion Navy submarine shipyard contract days after CEO joins Pentagon weapons groupCNBC – Top News · 8:18 AM CDT
Newsom blasts ‘deranged and dangerous’ Trump for joking that Iran could ‘take out’ LA and San DiegoNew York Post – News · 8:12 AM CDT
Anduril and the Navy announce $6.6 billion investment in new facility to build critical components for submarinesWashington Examiner · 8:05 AM CDT
Rebounding oil exports through Strait of Hormuz are vulnerable to stepped-up Iranian tanker attacksCNBC – Top News · 7:53 AM CDT Iran and Hormuz talks
Mapping where US bombers are based around the worldAl Jazeera English · 7:22 AM CDT
Kim Jong Un isn’t afraid of Trump. He’s terrified of his own militaryWashington Examiner · 7:00 AM CDT
America needs an AI NATO — with Israel on the front lineWashington Examiner · 7:00 AM CDT
Lt. Col. Daniel Davis interviews Dave DeCamp: Will the US Join the Yemen War?Antiwar.com – Blog · 6:35 AM CDT
Victor Davis Hanson: Tucker Carlson Is Wrong About World War IIThe Daily Signal · 6:00 AM CDT
The Media Must Correct the Record on Terrorist-JournalistsNational Review · 5:30 AM CDT
Hegseth's get-out-the-vote effort draws praise and skepticismThe Hill – News · 5:00 AM CDT
Iran Seeking To Increase Range Of Missiles: 'Keep Enemy At Greater Distance'ZeroHedge · 4:45 AM CDT

Accountability

Agency failures, inspector general and GAO findings, disaster response gaps and infrastructure breakdowns

Wisconsin town still waiting for FEMA help after tornado in July

A Wisconsin community that was ravaged by a tornado in July is still waiting for FEMA aid from the Trump administration. Dr. Jon LaPook reports.

CBS News – U.S. · 8:53 AM CDT

Investigative Summary: Findings of Misconduct by a Then Senior Official of the United States Marshals Service for Engaging in an Intimate Relationship with a Subordinate and Related MisconductDOJ Office of the Inspector General · 9:00 AM CDT
Former NY prosecutor claims AG Letitia James is threatening him — as he refuses to delete evidence of anti-Trump political corruptionNew York Post – News · 7:51 AM CDT
As Walmart Denies Accusations of Predatory Tactics, Watchdog Reveals Patents for Price-Gouging TechCommon Dreams · 7:12 AM CDT
Jack Smith’s Twisting Of Justice Makes The Case For Anti-Weaponization FundThe Federalist · 6:40 AM CDT
Rural Health Transformation Program: Early Implementation Actions and Monitoring PlansGAO – Reports · 6:34 AM CDT
Mortgage Lending: Newly Enacted Restrictions May Help Curb Unwanted Solicitations While Preserving Comparison ShoppingGAO – Reports · 6:29 AM CDT
Quantum Computing: Federal Actions Needed to Prepare for Emerging Cyber ThreatGAO – Reports · 6:20 AM CDT
Newark school bosses spent $566K on gym with personal trainer — and only 7 people use it: auditNew York Post – News · 6:00 AM CDT
FBI whistleblower says White House pushed unconstitutional probe of protestersNBC News – Top Stories · 5:00 AM CDT
Texas counties work through DPS voter registration backlog on deadline dayBorder Report · 1:46 AM CDT
Trump says taxpayers will no longer fund TV ads that praise himAl Jazeera English · Oct 5, 8:51 PM CDT
West Virginia Wants Nuclear's Benefits, Somebody Else Can Handle The WasteZeroHedge · Oct 5, 8:20 PM CDT

Policy & Unrest

ICE and detention, court rulings on policy and civil liberties, protests, and policy changes that divide us

Trump remarks that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles, San Diego draw backlash

California leaders blasted President Trump after he said during a Monday rally about Iran, "Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego." The big picture: The backlash — and the White House's insistence that Trump was misunderstood — underscored the ambiguity of his meandering…

Axios · 9:11 AM CDT

Luke Daley, briefly detained in Nancy Guthrie disappearance probe, arrested againFox News – U.S. · 8:57 AM CDT
Cornell protesters swarm campus to support Jane Doe, call for university president's resignationFox News – U.S. · 8:42 AM CDT
Live updates: California officials fume as Trump says Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles, San DiegoThe Hill – News · 8:20 AM CDT
Bill Gates wants a government list of who gets to keep their job. Don’t let himWashington Examiner · 8:00 AM CDT
Remote employees need better management, not more surveillanceThe Hill – News · 8:00 AM CDT
Cornell faculty, students protest on campus over alleged frat gang rapeCBS News – U.S. · 7:55 AM CDT
Quebec could see another independence referendum after separatist party’s victoryWashington Examiner · 7:48 AM CDT
'Halt the Out-of-Control Tech Oligarchs': Advocates Demand Data Center Moratorium in Washington StateCommon Dreams · 7:20 AM CDT
Amicus Brief Asking Court to Consider Lawyers' Free Speech Rights, in Eastman v. State BarReason · 7:01 AM CDT
SCOTUS Tackles Colorado’s Climate Lawfare In Kickoff To 2026 TermThe Federalist · 6:35 AM CDT
Provide time, order and mercy for Salvadoran TPS holdersThe Hill – News · 6:30 AM CDT
Fallout From a Failed ExecutionThe Dispatch · 5:53 AM CDT
Swapping One Illegal Scheme With Another, Trump Says Super PAC Cash Will Now Fund His Propaganda AdsCommon Dreams · 5:01 AM CDT
Flock camera fight goes national as Democrats intensify scrutinyWashington Examiner · 5:00 AM CDT

Latest episode

Video coming soon

You Were Born for Such a Time as This: Esther 4:14

Planned for October 15, 2026 (date to be confirmed)

You weren't handed this moment by accident: Esther 4:14, Isaiah 6:8, and three questions to answer this week.

Read the companion page · All episodes

How this page works

We gather headlines from 55 outlets across the political spectrum and keep the ones that affect American households. That means prices and jobs, conflict that reaches the US, gaps in government, and policies that divide us. Each headline links to its original publisher.

The front page keeps a steady mix: about 30% economy, 25% war and conflict, 20% accountability and 25% policy and unrest. Today it shows 64 headlines (Economy 19 · War & Conflict 16 · Accountability 13 · Policy & Unrest 16). Every kept headline stays in the archive and the JSON feed, and all of it is searchable.

The filter rules are public and plain: keyword lists in config/editorial.json.