Welcome to Markets Desk, here's what's moving the needle right now.
Ukraine is warning that new speed restrictions on Starlink terminals are directly disrupting military drone operations, even as Russia struck energy infrastructure that was supposed to be protected under the ceasefire framework announced by President Trump just days ago. Zelenskyy confirmed a ballistic missile hit a covered energy site, raising serious questions about the durability of that agreement.
Shifting to housing, mortgage rates holding above seven percent still aren't breaking home prices the way many economists expected, and the reason is surprisingly simple — sellers won't sell. With owners locked into low fixed rates from prior years, inventory remains thin, and that scarcity is doing more to support valuations than demand fundamentals alone ever could.
And on the immigration front, the Trump administration's proposed changes to the H-one-B visa program and optional practical training work authorization are beginning to sort the market into clear winners and losers. Large tech employers with legal firepower to navigate new compliance rules are pulling ahead, while smaller firms and foreign graduates face mounting uncertainty about their workforce pipelines.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
