The Open Bell — Ep. 002 — 29 Jun 2026

Today on The Open Bell: Venezuela's earthquake death toll has passed 1,450, the country's worst in over a century, and the fact that U.S. Marines are now surveying its main port tells you something important about who actually has leverage in a disaster — even one involving a government Washington has spent years trying to isolate. The European Central Bank hiked rates just weeks ago for the first time since 2023, markets are now pricing another hike by December, and the North African conflict that's been driving energy costs across the continent is the reason your heating bill has a European accent right now. Alphabet joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average — that's the 30-company list most people mean when they say "the market is up today" — replacing a phone company, which is either a statement about how the economy has changed or the most obvious thing to happen in markets all year, depending on how much credit you give the people who run these things. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:18 Venezuela quake death toll hits 1,450; U.S. Marines begin La 03:13 ECB December hike now fully priced as eurozone flash CPI loo 05:47 Alphabet joins Dow Jones at Monday open, ending Verizon's 8- 07:49 Closing thoughtsSupport the show