The MiddleGround Mic

Xi’s Washington Visit, Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain & the Risk of $7 Gas Ron bee

September 21, 2026·25 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What do China, Greenland, Iran, artificial intelligence and the price of gasoline have to do with each other?Potentially quite a lot.Ron Bee returns to The MiddleGround Mic to connect several of the biggest geopolitical stories happening right now — and explain how international decisions can eventually reach American consumers and businesses.Joseph and Ron discuss:• The new U.S.-Denmark-Greenland security agreement• Greenland, the Arctic and strategic competition• Rare earth minerals and China’s leverage in global supply chains• Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington• U.S.-China tariffs and trade negotiations• Artificial intelligence as a geopolitical battleground• Iran and the mysterious Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz• Satellite intelligence and nuclear uncertainty• Oil markets and global energy disruption• Whether another major shock could push gasoline toward $6–$7 per gallonInstead of treating each headline as an isolated story, Ron connects the pieces and explains how geopolitical decisions thousands of miles away can eventually affect prices, businesses and households at home.00:00 How China, Iran & Energy Prices Connect02:10 Greenland, the Arctic & Rare Earth Minerals08:30 Xi Jinping’s Washington Visit & U.S.-China Trade15:45 Iran, Pickaxe Mountain & Nuclear Concerns22:30 The Global AI Trade War28:15 Could Global Conflict Push Gas to $7?

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The MiddleGround Mic and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.