Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles and drones toward Riyadh over the weekend, marking the first targeting of Saudi Arabia’s capital since fighting between the two began in July.

The Associated Press reported no confirmed casualties or damage from the Riyadh missile attack, though footage showed flames and smoke rising near what appeared to be fuel storage tanks by the airport (watch here).

Outside of the obvious dangers to civilians, the largest concern is how the Houthis are extending their reach. Previously, the rebel group’s attacks have largely been concentrated in the Red Sea, in an attempt to steal Saudi oil shipments.

Now, as they’ve gained territory, the group has increasingly targeted Saudi cities, oil facilities, and commercial shipping:

The kingdom is doing its best to compensate: Saudi Arabia has been moving nearly 3 million barrels of oil per day through alternative routes this month to help make up for the oil lost to the attacks. However, continued strikes on Saudi pipelines could remove some of that replacement supply just when global oil markets need it most.

Meanwhile, Trump weighs options on Iran: Trump said Sunday that he is in “deciding mode” on Iran, describing his options as “wiping Iran out,” “letting them rot economically,” or making a deal to end the war. Despite the rather intense options, he said he would “probably” be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York this week.

/ Why is this important? At a time when the world is already facing high inflation, more attacks could push US fuel prices even higher, and any disruption to Saudi oil exports or Red Sea shipping could ripple further into airfare, delivery costs, groceries, and other everyday expenses.

See what's changed, recent data, what we're watching next, and every other major story that affects you on our Watchlist.

Diesel prices just hit yet another record high, averaging about $6.29 per gallon just as farmers head into the fuel-intensive fall harvest season.

Those higher fuel costs will soon hit supermarket shelves.

Diesel prices have now risen for seven straight months and are roughly 68% higher than a year ago, largely driven by disruptions in global fuel supplies stemming from the war in Iran (see our coverage).

That has sharply increased the cost of operating tractors, combines, and other farm equipment, as well as transporting crops after harvest:

That puts farmers in a pickle: Diesel is essential for getting crops out of the field on time, and some farmers say their daily fuel bills have grown exponentially. At the same time, they can’t simply charge more for their crops to make up the difference, since prices for corn, soybeans, and other commodities are largely set by national and global markets.

There is a silver lining: Fuel is only one contributor to a rise in food prices. USDA data shows that processing, packaging, transportation, wholesale, and retail costs generally make up a larger share of what consumers end up paying at the supermarket. However, diesel still touches each one of those steps.

/ What does that mean for your grocery bill? Experts predict that the immediate price increase could be mostly limited to fresh and refrigerated foods, since they have to move quickly and usually require temperature-controlled trucking.

But if fuel prices stay elevated, economists warn the current price spike could affect not only this year's harvest but next year’s as well… and have a much bigger impact across the grocery aisle.

Click below for new developments and live data on energy costs, financial stress, the war in Iran, and more.

🛢 America’s emergency oil reserve is at its lowest point since 1982. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 284.6 million barrels last week, its lowest level in 44 years, as the US continues to try to calm oil markets. Years of drawdowns mean there’s now less oil available for the next major supply shock, which could make it harder to contain another price spike and leave Americans more exposed to higher gas, diesel, airfare, and shipping costs. Track this topic ->

📲 Your telehealth data isn’t as private as you might think it is. Telehealth makes getting a prescription easier than ever, but that convenience can come with some big privacy and care tradeoffs. The FTC has accused several online health companies of improperly sharing sensitive customer data, and regulators have previously accused services like BetterHelp and GoodRx of improperly sharing health information. Track this topic ->

📫 USPS intentionally made some mail delivery slower. A new government report found that USPS added 1–2 days to delivery times since 2021 and lowered its own performance targets… yet still failed to meet most of those targets. Changes hit rural communities particularly hard, with more than 24,000 post offices seeing reduced mail collection.

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As Big Tech increasingly warns that AI can escape human control, many are still racing to convince consumers that the same technology can be trusted to manage more of their everyday lives.

Tech companies have spent years promising personal AI assistants capable of handling everyday tasks like buying groceries, booking trips, and scheduling appointments.

Now, advances in AI agents suggest that vision may be moving from an idea to reality:

While AI assistants offer unprecedented convenience, handing an AI the keys to your digital life comes with some obvious risks. So…

To be genuinely useful, most AI assistants need access to sensitive information (like health records and credit cards), which is a big ask when researchers are still documenting cases of AI agents going rogue:

What’s the solution? Cybersecurity experts say giving AI agents less access by default, with tighter permissions, stronger security safeguards, and more control over what personal data they can use.

/ How does this affect you? The rise of AI assistants will soon be able to save people time by booking appointments, ordering groceries, paying bills, managing schedules, and more. However, as AI agents gain more access to personal data, the recent uptick in privacy and security incidents could make those conveniences come with greater risks.

Track the latest updates on cybersecurity, AI adoption, digital privacy, and more with our Technology index.

After the Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time in three years, some economists are saying the ultra-low interest rates Americans got used to after the Great Recession may not be coming back anytime soon.

Outside of last week’s rate hike, experts interviewed by the Associated Press say other underlying forces have an even bigger longer-term impact on borrowing costs Americans actually feel.

It mainly boils down to two main things:

That has forced borrowers to offer higher interest rates, which helped push Treasury yields above 5%, raising borrowing costs for mortgages, businesses, and everyday Americans.

Consumers are still spending, and businesses are continuing to invest. The AI boom is adding even more fuel to the fire by driving up demand for chips, equipment, construction, and skilled workers, all of which can add to inflation.

The economy is growing, but not everyone is feeling it: The AP notes that inflation has outpaced average wage growth for five straight months, meaning many are losing purchasing power even while the overall economy grows.

See how much inflation has damaged your purchasing power with our interactive chart here.

/ Why should you care? If higher rates become the new normal, buying a home, financing a car, or carrying debt will be permanently more expensive than many households became accustomed to during the ultra-low-rate era.

On the Watchlist: Interest Rates — Inflation · ↗ Escalating

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> Fat Bear Week is finally back, with 16 of Alaska’s fattest brown bears competing to convince the internet they’re the fattest bear in the state as they bulk up for the winter. Cast your vote on the official roster here.

> The Pentagon released its sixth batch of UFO files this week, with documents detailing a secret military program that studied warp drives, wormholes, antigravity, invisibility, and reported injuries linked to anomalous aerospace systems.

> Astronomers found a new “baby” planet this week, a Jupiter-sized world that’s still actively growing inside the disk of material surrounding its star and is less than 1 million years old, the youngest planet on record.

> Stanford researchers found two brain regions evolve separately from one another, with the areas responsible for higher thought and basic survival tracing back to different developmental origins.

> NASA’s new $4 billion Roman Space Telescope has officially seen its first starlight, capturing a blurry sea of stars that confirmed its massive 300-megapixel camera survived launch and works in space.