Kevin Warsh's path to becoming Federal Reserve chair faces a major obstacle: soaring oil prices driven by the Iran conflict. The nominee, expected to push for rapid rate cuts, now confronts a central bank that may delay easing due to inflation risks. Brent crude has surged over 35% since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began, complicating the Fed's policy trajectory.

Futures markets now price in only a 41% chance of any rate cut this year, down from two cuts expected pre-war. Warsh's confirmation hearing could become contentious as lawmakers scrutinize his stance on inflation and the Fed's independence. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) is reportedly blocking the nomination, creating a political bottleneck for Trump's preferred candidate. The Fed's June rate decision, if Warsh were confirmed, would now face heightened skepticism from policymakers wary of war-driven inflation. Meta's AI strategy also faces turbulence, with the company delaying its Avocado model launch until May due to performance gaps compared to rivals like Google's Gemini.

As a potential workaround, Meta is exploring licensing Google's model for its platforms, a move that could significantly benefit Google while intensifying competition in the AI landscape. Meanwhile, the protein bar maker David Protein faces a lawsuit challenging its calorie claims, adding regulatory risk to its rapid market ascent.