Move...

Move over, Saudi Arabia. America is about to steal the kingdom's energy exporting crown.

The United States will surpass Saudi Arabia later this year in exports of oil, natural gas liquids and petroleum products, like gasoline, according to energy research firm Rystad Energy. 

That milestone, driven by the transformative shale boom, would make the United States the world's leading exporter of oil and liquids. That has never happened since Saudi Arabia began selling oil overseas in the 1950s.

Drilling innovations have opened up huge swaths of oil and natural gas resources that had been trapped in shale oilfields in Texas, North Dakota and elsewhere. 

With ample supply at home, Congress in 2015 lifted the 40-year oil export ban. Overseas oil sales have exploded since then. And the US Gulf Coast is racing to build facilities that can handle surging foreign demand for US crude.

Ruled...

Germany has ruled out designating Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, as a terrorist organization, a move likely to cause friction with the U.S. government after the Trump administration urged European countries to put pressure on the Iranian regime.

The decision came in the wake of the United Kingdom’s declaration last month that all wings of Hezbollah are banned in the country and are designated as part of the terror group responsible for destabilizing the Middle East.

“Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilize the fragile situation in the Middle East, and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party,” Britain’s home secretary Sajid Javid said.

 So who is destabilizing the Middle East?

Over...

Agree...

India has called on the United States to investigate Pakistan's alleged use of American-made F-16 jets during an aerial engagement last month that brought the two nuclear armed neighbors to the brink of conflict.

"We have asked the United States to also examine whether the use of F-16 against India is in accordance with the terms and conditions of sale," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists.

The Indian Air Force said Pakistan used F-16 fighter jets in the raid that brought down an Indian MIG 21 jet, in a possible violation of the terms of use by the US.

As part of the purchasing agreement, the US puts certain restrictions on how its military equipment can be used. It is unclear what restrictions were placed on the use of Pakistan's F-16 jets.

Fare Beating...

A linebacker on the Detroit Lions is facing up to seven years in prison having assaulted a police officer in Queens, authorities said.

Sources tell CBS2 that the 25-year-old was cooperating with police until officers needed to fingerprint the linebacker. That’s when Bates refused to comply with police and a sergeant at the 115th Precinct was brought in to calm the suspect down.

“The defendant then allegedly attacked an NYPD sergeant during the issuance of a desk appearance ticket for the fare beating charge,” District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Sergeant James O’Brien was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and treated for lacerations to his head that needed three stitches and a slight concussion.

Officials said that the Lions backup had to be tased by officers after he attacked O’Brien.

“The defendant is being held pending...

Isgur...

Sarah Isgur, the Justice Department’s lead spokeswoman under former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, will now serve as a "political analyst" at CNN, following the uproar after the network hired her as a political editor to help coordinate 2020 coverage.

Isgur's initial hire as a political editor drew immediate backlash when it was revealed last month: Isgur has no journalism experience and often battled with reporters as she defended Sessions and other Justice Department officials.

CNN executives said at the time they were "excited" about the hire and that she "brings a wealth of government, political, communications, and legal experience to our team."  Yes, the team lacks all these aspects and more.

But they made multiple changes to her position, reportedly offering assurances that she would not be involved in the 2020 debates and then that she would not be overseeing campaign coverage.

Isgur previously served as deputy campaign manager for former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina and has worked with the Republican National Committee and the Mitt Romney campaign.

Does CNN hire experience?  Just a thought.

Sugary...

Drinking a sugar-sweetened drink with a high-protein meal primes your body to store more fat, according to a new study.

Researchers found that sugary drinks decrease fat oxidation, the process that begins the breakdown of fat molecules. The more protein in the meal, the more fat oxidation decreases.

About a third of the additional calories provided by the sugar-sweetened drinks were not expended, fat metabolism was reduced, and it took less energy to metabolize the meals, according to the study author. "This decreased metabolic efficiency may 'prime' the body to store more fat.”

To put this in context, a decent-size hamburger may weigh around 130 grams, about 30 of which are protein. If you slam it down with a glass of sugar-sweetened soda, this study predicts that your fat metabolism will decrease somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 grams.

And that’s not all that happens. “This combination [of a sugar-sweetened drink with a high-protein meal] also increased study subjects' desire to eat savory and salty foods for four hours after eating.
  Bon Appetit.

Near...

Jeremy Grantham, an investor credited with predicting the 2000 and 2008 downturns, told CNBC that investors should get inured to lackluster returns in the stock market for the next two decades, after a century of handsome gains.

Grantham, who has been predicting a meltdown in stocks since last year, said that not even the recent go-slow reversal by the Federal Reserve on rate increases and the European Central Bank’s decision to roll out a fresh batch of bank stimulus will push stocks significantly higher. “You can’t get blood out of a stone,” he told the network.

“In the last 100 years, we’re used to delivering perhaps 6%,” but the U.S. market will be delivering real returns of about 2% or 3% on average over next 20 years, the value investor and co-founder of Boston-based asset manager GMO told CNBC in a rare interview.

Sigh...

Not going anywhere!

Say it ain't so...

As if R. Kelly didn't have enough legal woes, now his ex-lawyer, who saw him through child porn charges more than a decade ago, told a Chicago newspaper columnist that the R&B star was "guilty as hell."

No doubt Kelly and his current lawyer would not be thrilled that his ex-defense lawyer is commenting on his guilt. 

Meanwhile, Genson's comments sent shock waves through the Cook County legal community for seemingly betraying his former client, who now faces 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four women, including three who were allegedly underage at the time.

Ed Genson, a famous Chicago defense attorney who says he's dying of cancer, might be in trouble for violating legal ethics rules, which say attorney-client privilege is sacrosanct and permanent unless the client lifts it. 

Say it ain't so or just.  Just a thought.