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1. US consumer confidence slides once again
After a brief rebound in May, U.S. consumer confidence dipped in June, driven largely by tariff concerns, the Associated Press reports. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell 5.4 points to 93, which defied economists' projections for a slight uptick.
"A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market fell 4.6 points to 69," the news agency reported. "That’s well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. Consumers’ assessments of the present economic situation declined by 6.4 points to 129.1."
2. Why Middle East war might not mean higher oil prices
While conflict in the Middle East is assumed to be tied to higher oil prices, NPR reports the current war between Israel and Iran has not seen that happen, at least not consistently. Today, prices are actually lower than before the war started, despite a short-term spike at the start of the conflict.
One big reason is Iran has chosen not to close the Strait of Hormuz or otherwise disrupt the oil trade.
Another reason is traders are seemingly acting more cautious than they would have in the past.
"Throughout all the other geopolitical events that have happened over the last several years, we get these spikes and then supply is not impacted and they revert very quickly," said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth.
3. One hotelier looks to create unique properties in rural Colorado
TCB Hospitality's Clay Bales is looking to turn Montrose, Colorado, into more of a tourist destination with the creation of The Rathbone Hotel, CoStar News' Natalie Harms reports. The property is an adaptive reuse of 116-year-old building in the small town.
"In the hotel world, we're always trying to kind of find that next thing or next market that's going to be really popular. And when I got to Montrose, I saw all these incredible things," Bales said.
He said he sees unique potential in the market.
"I saw an airport that can get you anywhere in the country," he said. "I can live in a town of 20,000 people and fly all over the country direct."
4. Concern grows for summer travel to Hawaii
So far in June, daily passenger counts to Hawaii have been lower than 2024, sparking concerns among many in the Hawaiian tourism industry, SFGate reports.
“We’re definitely seeing a softer summer for Hawaii travel compared to last year,” Bruce Fisher, Hawaii travel adviser and owner of Hawaii Aloha Travel, told the news outlet. “June has been the slowest we’ve seen in quite some time — significantly down in terms of bookings and overall interest. July and August are currently trending about even with last year, but not showing the kind of growth we were hoping for.”
5. Israel-Iran conflict continues to disrupt air travel
While oil has avoided disruption from the Israel-Iran war, air travel has not, and the Associated Press reports that the conflict continues to gum up international travel.
"After a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Iran, some of those disruptions eased," the news outlet reports. "But the truce appeared to be on shaky ground Tuesday, with [U.S. President Donald] Trump accusing both countries of violating the deal — the terms of which remain unknown. Many airlines have halted select routes through the middle of the week, citing safety concerns."