AI & Capital Markets: Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman said the firm is “mindful” of “excessive exuberance” in AI while reporting Q2 distributable earnings of $2B, highlighting data centers, power and AI investments as key drivers. Wealth & Housing Demand: Goldman Sachs noted U.S. equity holdings have overtaken real estate as a share of net financial wealth for the first time since WWII, reinforcing how stock gains can shape consumer spending and indirectly housing affordability. Rates & Homebuying: South Africa’s SARB held the repo rate at 7%, offering short-term relief for homeowners and buyers by keeping borrowing costs steady. Public Housing Pressure: South Africa’s ActionSA launched an online portal to report alleged illegal occupation of RDP homes, aiming to expose corruption in housing allocations. Local Governance & Encampments: Winnipeg ordered a property manager to clean up debris tied to a homeless encampment on his land, sparking a dispute over who should bear the cost. Disaster Costs: The World Bank estimated Venezuela’s 24 June earthquakes could cause about $19.6B in direct damage, with nearly half hitting residential buildings. Insurance & Risk: AM Best revised outlooks to stable for Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance and affirmed TIAA’s top ratings, signaling steadier credit fundamentals. Adaptive Reuse: An architect argued adaptive reuse can unlock value and add usable area without expanding a building’s footprint as new construction costs rise.