Oil Prices Jump as Trump Vows ‘Extreme’ Strikes on Iran and Footwear Company Allbirds Sells Its Assets
From Headlines From The Times by LA Times Studios
April 3, 2026 · 7 min
About this episode
The episode discusses rising oil prices amid tensions with Iran, California's AI infrastructure debate, and business developments including Allbirds' asset sale.
President Trump said the Iran war is “nearing completion” while warning the U.S. will strike Iran extremely hard over the coming weeks. Oil prices jumped as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained shut down, with global benchmarks climbing above $100 a barrel. In California, a fight over AI infrastructure is growing, with a proposed $40 million data center in Monterey Park facing backlash over cost, noise, and pollution. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom is drawing criticism for a more aggressive social media strategy that pokes fun at conservatives. In business, the eco-friendly footwear company Allbirds has agreed to sell its assets to American Exchange Group for a fraction of its previous $4 billion valuation, and Trader Joe’s continues its steady growth with new locations in Paso Robles and Anaheim Hills. Read more at https://LATimes.com.
Topics covered
- oil prices
- Iran conflict
- AI infrastructure
- social media strategy
- business news
- Allbirds
- Trader Joe's
Keywords
- oil prices
- Trump
- Iran
- Allbirds
- AI infrastructure
- Trader Joe's
- California
- social media
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: American Exchange Group, Allbirds
Places: Iran, California, Monterey Park, Paso Robles, Anaheim Hills
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