When the subject of tariffs came up with a Trump-supporting friend the other day, she didn’t have the faintest idea of how it is decimating the European wine trade in the U.S.

Wow, she said, it never occurred to her that it would affect an industry that she otherwise took for granted.

Trump supporters are among my best friends and I get it: they voted for that outer-borough bastard crook out of their interest and not mine.

Yesterday, Trump and the EU entered into a nominal agreement that would set the tariff rate to 15 percent (before Trump it was 2.5). But as with all things having to do with the great American dealmaker (ha!), the devil is in the details.

As of today, it’s still possible that wine could be exempt. Steel, cars, and hi-tech are where what Trump cares about, after all. It’s also not clear whether or not the new tax will be applied to importers who “have their wine on the water.” Hopefully, these sticking points will be ironed out soon (excuse the mixed metaphors).

The bottomline, we may be closer to clarity and certainty but the future still remains cloudy and impossible to predict. This continues to be a huge issue for importers for whom long-term planning is key to their success.

The other hopeful news to arrive from Europe (although not reported by U.S. media) is that Italy has promised a billion Euros worth of subsidies to farmers there, including wine growers. The move was a necessary step to help keep the struggling wine industry alive (the U.S. is Italian wine’s biggest foreign market).

The best news comes from Houston: my good friend Stephanie Franklin launched her wine brand yesterday in our city. She has planted vines on her family’s land in Shankleville in Southeast Texas (about an hour north of where Tracie grew up).

Her story is as compelling as it is exciting and her first release, a fantastic Tannat (made from sourced fruit), was delicious last night.

Check out her story and how you can get involved here. Stephanie is a wonderful friend and a leader in our community. I am so excited for her and can’t wait to taste more!

Monday, Bastille Day, was my 58th birthday.

Tracie, the girls, and I spent the last two weeks in San Diego at my mom’s. She’s 91 going on 92 and is in good health, especially given her age. But we are all making extra time to be with her.

We spent most of the last 14 days filling her home with the girls’ music, laughter, and sweetness. More than one photo album was dusted off as she shared faded images of the past with her granddaughters.

The biggest news back in Houston is that Tracie’s success as a realtor continues to grow. She’s been working full-time now for nearly five years and her blood, sweat, and tears — and believe me, in real estate, it’s blood, sweat, and tears! — have paid off in ways that we couldn’t have imagined. Poo, poo, poo…

With the ongoing tariff war, my work is, well, to borrow an expression from Mel Brooks, “in the toilet.” (“I’m not going to the toilet! I’m getting into the wine business!”)

A handful of my most faithful clients have stuck with me. (Thank you!) But others have just stopped calling. Tracie’s so busy these days that I’ve taken over all household duties and kid care.

Before we left for California, the girls completed two weeks of music camp. Their final chamber performances were great but nothing could top the symphony performance they did on the final day in the gorgeous auditorium at the high school for the performing arts (where they both want to attend).

Tracie and I are saddened by the ongoing wars and suffering in the world.

We are sickened by the U.S. government’s ongoing cruelty, myopia, and incompetence.

The flooding in central Texas was tragic and I can’t imagine the catastrophe hasn’t touched every corner of our state. I know it’s touched our community. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims’ families.

Workwise, I’m planning to expand our activist footprint. More on that later.

In the meantime, Tracie and I are praying for the vulnerable. And we haven’t lost hope that our kids can grow up in a better world than this.

G-d bless America, G-d bless us all, everywhere.