US Bombs More Iran Targets, Growing Fed Inflation Fears

<p>Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.<br />On today's podcast:<br />1) The US struck Iranian military targets for the second time this week and Kuwait said it responded to missile and drone threats, highlighting the fragility of the ceasefire. US forces shot down Iranian drones fired at a commercial ship and hit a launch unit near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official, who said the attacks were defensive and the ceasefire remains intact. President Trump asserted that no one nation would control Hormuz, which has emerged as one of the key obstacles in resolving the conflict, and said the strait's going to be open to everybody.<br />2) Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said he expects inflation to cool later this year as the effects of tariffs and higher energy costs wear off, though he warned inflationary risks remain tilted to the upside. In the text of a speech he&rsquo;s scheduled to deliver Thursday morning in Tokyo at a conference hosted by the Bank of Japan, Jefferson said he is watching for signs that higher energy costs stemming from the Iran war are dragging on consumer spending. He also cautioned that he continues to see signs of labor market weakness. Jefferson repeated his view that the central bank&rsquo;s current policy setting is well positioned to respond to any developments.<br />3) Salesforce gave a revenue outlook for the current period that just fell short of analysts' estimates, with revenue expected to be about $11.3 billion in the fiscal second quarter. The company reported fiscal first-quarter remaining performance obligations of $67.9 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $68.9 billion, and its stock has declined about 33% this year.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>