The Phoenix Challenge Foundation announces that flexographic printing has officially been added to the Scouts of America’s Graphic Arts Merit Badge requirements — a milestone that will introduce thousands of youth to one of the most innovative and essential printing technologies in the world. Flexographic printing, the prominent process used for packaging, labels, medical and countless everyday products, is a vital part of the global consumer-products supply chain. By incorporating this process into the merit badge curriculum, Scouts across the nation will gain hands-on experience and exposure to career paths that blends creativity, evolving technology, and precision manufacturing. The Graphic Arts Merit Badge has long covered processes such as offset, screen, and lithographic printing. Adding flexography modernizes the program, ensuring it reflects industry advancements and prepares youth for future opportunities.

Strong buying emerged in oil markets Tuesday as focus shifted to an expected decline in Iranian crude exports after a senior U.S. State Department official said countries must stop purchasing crude by the start of November or face sanctions. Companies that buy Iranian crude oil must completely halt those exports by Nov. 4 or else they will face powerful U.S. sanctions, a senior State Department official told reporters on Tuesday. Oil prices moved sharply higher as investor focus shifted to the prospect of a void in global supplies as Iran – OPEC's third largest producer – exports more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd). Click Read More below for additional information.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.7% in May after falling 0.6% in April. In May, the index equaled 113.7 (2015=100) compared with 114.5 in April. “Tonnage, despite falling slightly over the last two months, remains well above the lows of last year,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “This is no small deal considering that truck tonnage fell significantly less than many other indicators during the depths of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. “One freight segment that is helping tonnage is gasoline as demand for travel, both commuting and vacation related, picks up,” he said. “I’m also expecting retail freight to remain robust as inventories are at historic lows. As retail stocks are rebuilt, it will boost freight. As has been the case for some time, trucking’s biggest challenges are not on the demand side, but on the supply side, including difficulty finding qualified drivers.”