text: FOOD & AG: In the latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Crop Progress and Condition report (which covers updates since the end of May), corn has deteriorated in quality and progress by nearly 5% compared to 2021, 7% since 2020, and 12% since 2018. Cotton assessed at “good” or “excellent” has decreased by 30% in the last year, with sorghum declining more than 35% in the same timeframe. Wheat has fared far better, increasing harvest quality by over 50% since last year, however, declining in harvest volume by nearly 20%. Barley shows similar results, with quality improving over 30% since last year and harvest declining by approximately 20%. – T.W.ENERGY: U.S. refineries are overproducing gasoline so alternative product stockpiles, such as diesel and heating oil, can be rebuilt from their low levels. Inventories for non-gasoline products are at their lowest level in more than 10 years. Wholesale gasoline prices are expected to fall over the next several months as demand for the fuel begins falling off out of peak season. – T.W.HAZARDS: No major changes to Danielle or Earl over the past 24 hours. Neither is expected to make U.S. landfall. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center upgraded a low-pressure system in the central Atlantic to a 70% chance of tropical storm formation over the next two days.ATF DIRECTOR TO CRACK DOWN ON GUN SALES: Newly confirmed ATF Director Steve Dettelbach said he’s going to crack down on illegal gun sales, specifically targeting gun sales used in hate crimes. “We are not going to sit back and let this become somehow something that is normalized in our country,” Dettelbech told reporters. Dettelbech also said that he’ll pursue the same strategy to target extremists that federal law enforcement used to target terrorists and drug cartels. A key part of ATF’s plan is to target gun dealers who have a history of selling guns that are later used in crimes. (AC: Dettelbech, Biden, and others say they want to bring down the rate of gun violence. Targeting hate crimes is a politically popular move, but it will do little to bring down the country’s gun violence epidemic. – M.S.)GEOSTRATEGIC INTSUMIAEA: IRAN POSSESSES ENOUGH URANIUM TO MAKE A BOMB: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported the Iranian government increased its uranium stockpiles and could produce 25kg of weapons-grade (90%+) uranium in as little as three weeks. The Iranian government denounced the IAEA claims saying its stockpile of 60% uranium is for medical purposes and has no intention of producing nuclear weaponry. (AC: Iran’s position is “technically credible” as 60% uranium can be converted into technetium-99m utilized in cardiac stress tests and cancer treatment, making the stockpile legal under international non-proliferation treaties. Iran’s storage of a material called UF6 gas is suspect, given the form has no credible use other than enabling rapid nuclear weaponization, allowing Iran to skirt international law while maintaining stockpiles needed to build nuclear devices. – R.P.)