Law due to expire at midnight tonight following unhappiness over Trump’s pick for intelligence chief A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) is due to expire on Friday night amid a backlash to Trump’s announcement that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a major Republican donor, would be acting DNI. While Trump has moved to contain the furor – an...
Law due to expire at midnight tonight following unhappiness over Trump’s pick for intelligence chief A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) is due to expire on Friday night amid a backlash to Trump’s announcement that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a major Republican donor, would be acting DNI. While Trump has moved to contain the furor – announcing his nomination of another top official, Jay Carney, to take the role on a permanent basis – US Congress has so far failed to extend section 702 of Fisa in time for Friday’s deadline. Pulte has to go. He cannot be in the DNI role. It’s too important. Donald Trump declared “a great settlement” with Iran, which could be signed soon “maybe in Europe, over the weekend”. Trump’s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday. The board voted on Thursday to seek a stay of US district judge Christopher Cooper’s 29 May ruling that said Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. Congressman Robert Garcia , who is in line to chair the House oversight committee next year if Democrats win back the majority in November, called for testimony from vice-president JD Vance and other senior officials over what he called “the White House cover-up” of the Epstein files revealed by the New York Times. US federal authorities are investigating what appears to be a massive etching of “8647” into the grass of the National Mall . Live webcam footage from atop the Washington Monument as of Thursday afternoon shows the markings, with a highly visible “8,” along with less visible “6”, “4” and “7”. Continue reading...
Credit investors have given up their wartime hedges on European companies. They’ve unwound a short position on the Markit iTraxx Europe index of investment-grade credit default swaps that had swelled to more than $20 billion in recent months, and are now outright long, based on DTCC data compiled by Barclays Plc. The reversal points to a marked improvement in sentiment given the prospects for an e...
Credit investors have given up their wartime hedges on European companies. They’ve unwound a short position on the Markit iTraxx Europe index of investment-grade credit default swaps that had swelled to more than $20 billion in recent months, and are now outright long, based on DTCC data compiled by Barclays Plc. The reversal points to a marked improvement in sentiment given the prospects for an end to the war in the Middle East, with investors no longer positioning for wider spreads. Demand for protection in the junk bond market has also evaporated in the Markit iTraxx Crossover index of the most actively-traded on-the-run credits, where positioning is now “long risk.” While Europe still lags other regions in terms of outright long positions, it’s narrowed the gap. Fund managers at Insight Investment Management and Andromeda Capital Management are getting behind the catch-up trade. “We’re not saying it’s an amazing opportunity but there are some interesting pockets in Europe that I think are harder to find in the US,” said Alberto Gallo , chief investment officer and co-founder of Andromeda Capital. “In Europe there are a lot of unloved assets.” For months, bearish positions in European credit had stood out for being among the largest across global markets. The spillover from the Iran conflict was in full view Thursday, when European policymakers unleashed the first interest-rate hike in almost three years, as a preemptive move against a broader inflation shock. The net long positioning in the iTraxx Europe , at $11 billion, compares with $135 billion of long exposure in the CDX IG index of North American names, the Barclays data shows. Andromeda sees opportunities in Ukraine, which is making advances in its war against Russia, and in Hungary, where Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s new pro-European government is set to unlock access to European Union funding. Insight likes European chemical companies, which are enjoying a rare advantage thanks to better access to raw ...
‘I’ve given it my all in every match,’ says Black Caps legend Captained World Test Championship winners in 2021 Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will play no further part in the Test series against England after retiring from all international cricket with immediate effect. Williamson brings an end to a 16-year career marked by numerous accolades and by captaining his side to the title i...
‘I’ve given it my all in every match,’ says Black Caps legend Captained World Test Championship winners in 2021 Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will play no further part in the Test series against England after retiring from all international cricket with immediate effect. Williamson brings an end to a 16-year career marked by numerous accolades and by captaining his side to the title in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021. Continue reading...
The post How to Buy Stocks by Alison Plaut appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. SpaceX begins trading on the Nasdaq today under the ticker SPCX, and retail investors are part of the largest IPO in history, with the company raising nearly $75 billion at a roughly $1.75 trillion valuation. Benzinga Moments like this send thousands of first-time investors s...
The post How to Buy Stocks by Alison Plaut appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. SpaceX begins trading on the Nasdaq today under the ticker SPCX, and retail investors are part of the largest IPO in history, with the company raising nearly $75 billion at a roughly $1.75 trillion valuation. Benzinga Moments like this send thousands of first-time investors searching for the same answer: how do you actually buy a stock? The good news is that the process takes less time than ordering groceries online, and you can start with as little as $1. How to Buy Stocks Buying a stock takes three steps: open a brokerage account, deposit money into it, and place an order for the shares you want. A brokerage account works like a bank account built for investing, and opening one online typically takes 10 to 15 minutes. Most major U.S. brokerages now charge zero commission on stock and exchange-traded fund trades, so the main costs of investing are the prices of the shares themselves. If you want help picking a platform, Benzinga’s guide to the best stock brokers for beginners compares the top options on fees, tools, and ease of use. Open and Fund a Brokerage Account To open an account, you will need your Social Security number, a government-issued ID, and basic employment information. Brokerages are required to collect this under federal know-your-customer rules, so every legitimate platform will ask for it. Once the account is approved, link a bank account and transfer money. Many brokerages make a portion of your deposit available to trade instantly, while the full transfer usually clears within one to three business days. There is no required minimum at most platforms, so $25 or $50 is enough to begin. Cash and securities in your account are protected up to $500,000, including a $250,000 limit for cash, if the brokerage fails, under coverage from the Securities Investor Protection Corporation . That protection covers brokerage failure, not ...
Medallion Financial ( MFIN ) said that its banking subsidiary, Medallion Bank CEO Donald Poulton will retire at the end of June 2026, with an internal successor set to take over leadership from July 1. The company has appointed Justin Haley as Poulton’s successor. Haley, who has been with the bank since 2011, was promoted to president in January 2026. More on Medallion Financial Medallion Financia...
Medallion Financial ( MFIN ) said that its banking subsidiary, Medallion Bank CEO Donald Poulton will retire at the end of June 2026, with an internal successor set to take over leadership from July 1. The company has appointed Justin Haley as Poulton’s successor. Haley, who has been with the bank since 2011, was promoted to president in January 2026. More on Medallion Financial Medallion Financial Corp. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Medallion Financial Corp. (MFIN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Medallion Financial targets $5B in assets in 5 years while signaling ~10% loan growth Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Medallion Financial Historical earnings data for Medallion Financial
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan speaks at the ninth Caixin Summer Summit in Hong Kong on Friday. Photo: Caixin Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan has touted the city as a place where investors can gain exposure to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence while benefiting from a stable investment environment. Speaking at the Caixin Summer Summit in Hong Kong on Friday, Chan said adv...
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan speaks at the ninth Caixin Summer Summit in Hong Kong on Friday. Photo: Caixin Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan has touted the city as a place where investors can gain exposure to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence while benefiting from a stable investment environment. Speaking at the Caixin Summer Summit in Hong Kong on Friday, Chan said advances in AI are reshaping global capital flows, positioning the city as a bridge between international investors and Chinese technology companies.
Trump canceled new Iran strikes and signaled that a peace deal could come soon, but Iran says it hasn't been finalized. And, the U.S. men's soccer team plays its first 2026 World Cup match today. (Image credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi)
Trump canceled new Iran strikes and signaled that a peace deal could come soon, but Iran says it hasn't been finalized. And, the U.S. men's soccer team plays its first 2026 World Cup match today. (Image credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi)
With his trademark glasses, his bleached hair and a thrillingly haphazard approach to colour, the artist’s signature style evolved and captivated decade after decade If artist style is now a well-trodden path in fashion, there are some examples that stand out. David Hockney – with his trademark glasses, rugby shirts, trenchcoats and quirks like wearing a pair of yellow Crocs to meet King Charles i...
With his trademark glasses, his bleached hair and a thrillingly haphazard approach to colour, the artist’s signature style evolved and captivated decade after decade If artist style is now a well-trodden path in fashion, there are some examples that stand out. David Hockney – with his trademark glasses, rugby shirts, trenchcoats and quirks like wearing a pair of yellow Crocs to meet King Charles in 2022 – might have been top of that list. His flair for style was there from the start: a self-portrait of Hockney at 16 shows him dressed in a blue coat, red scarf and yellow tie, already with strong statement specs. As time went on, he developed his trademark look. The peroxide mop came in the early 60s, after he saw an advert for Clairol proclaiming “blondes have more fun” and his signature round spectacles replaced his NHS specs by the the middle of the decade. Continue reading...