Doubling Down.

The Poseidon Adventure, 2023.

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News Items will be off for the remainder of this week. There will be pieces posted at both News Items and Political Items over the course of the next five days, but the morning newsletter will not be distributed again until Sunday, 23 July.

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1. The Ukraine grain-export deal is ending almost a year into its run, heightening uncertainty over global food supplies and escalating tensions in the region. Russia said the pact ceases to be effective as of Monday, the date of its latest expiration. The move jeopardizes a key trade route from Ukraine, one of the world’s top grain and vegetable oil shippers, just as its next harvest kicks off. It comes after Russia on Monday said Ukrainian drones damaged its flagship bridge to Crimea. (Source: bloomberg.com)

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