settlement requiring Paramount to establish an independent editorial board for both CBS News and CNN, with a trustee monitoring compliance. The deal also mandates that Paramount maintain a free streaming service akin to Pluto TV. This comes after four opposing states dropped their challenges over the weekend, clearing the path for David Ellison to close the deal in approximately two weeks. Critics argue the editorial board is a PR gesture that Ellison will inevitably circumvent, much like Rupert Murdoch did after acquiring the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, the real economy is sending sharper signals. Diesel prices in the U.S. have surged past $6.50 a gallon as ongoing conflicts worsen a global fuels crunch, while Europe faces a jet fuel supply deficit heading into Q4. Canada is selling more oil and gas to China as relations with Washington sour, and China's imports of Russian energy are also climbing. These shifts underscore a fracturing of traditional energy trade routes, with the White House's mercantilist posture accelerating the pivot. South Korea confirmed its first U.S. investment project, a Texas power plant, as it seeks a stake in Westinghouse, but the broader picture is one of rising costs and geopolitical realignment. The administration's relationship with the press hit a new low. The White House launched "Trump TV," a 24/7 YouTube livestream of past administration moments, after the TV pool chair announced the pool would not cover the president's events. In a rare joint statement, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC News said no administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting. The practical effect: President Trump was inaudible during a press conference because the White House-provided video had no usable audio. This is a deliberate end-run around independent journalism, and it's happening in plain sight.