halbergman/iStock via Getty Images The trucking tonnage for March made a near-term high with February revised higher. What is occurring here is the deportation of undocumented drivers, a shutdown of falsified IDs and certificates, and the truck leasing companies that sprung up creating overcapacity during the prior administration exiting the industry. The net effect is to make compliant companies ...
halbergman/iStock via Getty Images The trucking tonnage for March made a near-term high with February revised higher. What is occurring here is the deportation of undocumented drivers, a shutdown of falsified IDs and certificates, and the truck leasing companies that sprung up creating overcapacity during the prior administration exiting the industry. The net effect is to make compliant companies such as J.B. Hunt ( JBHT ) more profitable just as real retail sales appear to trend higher. This general economic trend creates a better climate for the trucking industry, retailers, and packaging companies like Packaging Corporation of America ( PKG ) which just reported decent demand. It is also positive for XPO ( XPO ), GXO Logistics ( GXO ), RXO ( RXO ) which provide services and transport. Each of these suggestions has a strong management team and has remained a suggestion throughout primarily because the timing of these positive changes vs. their market psychology is always difficult to predict. I am always in doubt about market psychology timing and sometimes need to reassess my management perspective, but if the management proves worthy, then holding is always a good idea until the market psychology finally takes hold. Original Post Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
Supreme Court To Decide Whether Colorado Can Deny Funding For Catholic Preschools The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy , a significant religious liberty case that pits Colorado’s universal preschool funding program against Catholic schools’ faith-based admissions and operational policies. Earlier this week, the Court granted certiorari in an unsigned order (no ...
Supreme Court To Decide Whether Colorado Can Deny Funding For Catholic Preschools The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy , a significant religious liberty case that pits Colorado’s universal preschool funding program against Catholic schools’ faith-based admissions and operational policies. Earlier this week, the Court granted certiorari in an unsigned order (no dissents noted), limiting review to two questions from the petitioners’ November 2025 petition. Arguments are expected in the Court’s October 2026 term. The Supreme Court building in Washington on April 13, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times In 2020, Colorado voters approved Proposition EE, creating dedicated funding for voluntary universal preschool. The state’s Early Childhood Act and related rules established the UPK program, which provides free preschool (initially 15 hours per week, later expanded in some descriptions) to families at participating public, private, or faith-based providers. The goal: expand access and choice for all families, including through private options. To participate and receive taxpayer funds, preschools must sign a nondiscrimination agreement. It requires offering “equal opportunity” to enroll and serve children regardless of race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, disability, or other protected characteristics. The program includes some targeted preferences or exemptions (e.g., for children of color, low-income families, those with disabilities, gender-nonconforming children, or LGBTQ+ families), but participating providers must still comply with the core nondiscrimination rule. Catholic Preschools Catholic preschools operated by the Archdiocese of Denver (including St. Mary Catholic Preschool in Littleton and Wellspring Catholic Academy/St. Bernadette’s in Lakewood) integrate religious formation with early education. They serve as faith-filled communities where children learn, pray, and grow alongside fam...
STORY: The rollout of Tesla’s robotaxi business looks to be going slower than expected. That was the verdict from several Wall Street analysts Thursday (April 23), following an unusually downbeat update from Elon Musk the day before. Over the past year, the billionaire has outlined bullish expansion plans for the service. But in a call with analysts this week he sounded more measured. Musk said he...
STORY: The rollout of Tesla’s robotaxi business looks to be going slower than expected. That was the verdict from several Wall Street analysts Thursday (April 23), following an unusually downbeat update from Elon Musk the day before. Over the past year, the billionaire has outlined bullish expansion plans for the service. But in a call with analysts this week he sounded more measured. Musk said he hoped to have robotaxis and driverless vehicles in a “dozen or so states” by the end of the year. He said Tesla was taking a “cautious approach” to avoid injuries or fatalities. That’s all a big change from last summer, when he had said robotaxis would be available to half the population of the U.S. by the end of 2025. He had said growth would increase at a “hyper-exponential” rate. Now analysts say Tesla is likely confronting the difficulties of operating robotaxis. One said Musk’s call was untypically “low energy”, and was marked by unusual reserve and caution. Having once said robotaxis would generate significant revenue by the middle of this year, he now says that won’t happen until some time in 2027. Investors will be watching very carefully, with much of Tesla’s $1.5 trillion value tied to Musk’s big promises on the new service. Critics note that he has a long history of unfulfilled promises on driverless vehicles stretching back a decade.
China’s first sale of ultra-long special sovereign bonds this year drew solid demand, with yields coming in below prevailing market levels. The Ministry of Finance issued 85 billion yuan ($12.5 billion) of 30-year notes on Friday, the largest single offering at that tenor on record, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It also sold 34 billion yuan of 20-year bonds. The 30-year bonds were sold ...
China’s first sale of ultra-long special sovereign bonds this year drew solid demand, with yields coming in below prevailing market levels. The Ministry of Finance issued 85 billion yuan ($12.5 billion) of 30-year notes on Friday, the largest single offering at that tenor on record, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It also sold 34 billion yuan of 20-year bonds. The 30-year bonds were sold at an average yield of 2.2%, according to a trader who participated in the auction, slightly lower than secondary-market levels of around 2.3%. The 20-year notes were priced at 2.2%, the trader added, declining to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak publicly. The issuance is part of China’s 1.3 trillion yuan ultra-long special bond quota approved in March. Unlike regular sovereign debt, these bonds are earmarked for specific spending, such as on infrastructure and subsidies for consumer goods and business equipment, and are not included in the official deficit. They’ve been a regular off-budget funding tool since 2024 to aid the economy. The strong demand reflects ample liquidity in the financial system. Recent central bank cash injections have kept funding conditions loose to hold down borrowing costs and ensure smooth government financing as authorities lean more on fiscal support. That backdrop has bolstered expectations the bond rally — which has seen Chinese debt outperform peers — may have further to run. Chinese bonds were little changed following a recent rally. Yields on 30-year cash bonds held at 2.23%, while futures contract on those notes rose 0.1%.
Despite ongoing headwinds from supply‑chain disruptions, Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz expects China to account for 9% of the company’s global sales by 2030. He spoke to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show. (Source: Bloomberg)
Despite ongoing headwinds from supply‑chain disruptions, Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz expects China to account for 9% of the company’s global sales by 2030. He spoke to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show. (Source: Bloomberg)
India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was ...
India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request. The announcement – a significant shift...
Hi, this is Josh Xiao , fresh off a visit to Kuala Lumpur, where I attended one of Asia’s biggest defense and security exhibitions. The main thing that jumped out at me was that Chinese companies were ramping up their presence like never before. This year, 192 such firms sent representatives to the event, organizer Defence Services Asia told me. That’s the biggest showing ever from China, which is...
Hi, this is Josh Xiao , fresh off a visit to Kuala Lumpur, where I attended one of Asia’s biggest defense and security exhibitions. The main thing that jumped out at me was that Chinese companies were ramping up their presence like never before. This year, 192 such firms sent representatives to the event, organizer Defence Services Asia told me. That’s the biggest showing ever from China, which is the world’s fifth-largest arms exporter in terms of percentage of global shipments. The firms had a bunch of interesting hardware on display. An amphibious transport dock equipped with surface-to-air missiles and loaded with guns. The Sky Dragon 100, a medium-to-long-range air-defense missile. Oh, and a robot dog marketed by Poly Technologies that paraded around the cavernous hall with four man-portable air-defense systems on its back. Another prominent feature of the defense exhibition was the prevalence of China Inc.’s drone and anti-drone tech . Aircohn, a Shenzhen company that makes systems to find and disrupt unwanted drones, said Mexico placed a big order for their portable UAV detection and jamming equipment this year after testing it in 2025. Chelsea Guo, a sales manager at Aircohn, said this was the company’s first appearance at the show and suggested why it was there: “Southeast Asia has a lot of potential customers that we would like to explore.” A few stalls away, the anti-drone firm Bitalltech (Beijing) was also at the exhibition for the first time. “Malaysia is a good entry point into Southeast Asia,” said Donna Du, a sales director. “You also have African and Middle Eastern customers.” The sales pitch for these companies has gotten a bit easier given how drone tech has played such a big role in the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Tehran has used its relatively cheap Shahed drones to hit targets all over the region , including oil infrastructure and US bases. That reach has forced Washington to not only deploy much more expensive defenses but also put pressure on t...
Also known as ‘dunnies’, the toilets are common in rural and remote parts of Australia, including many tourist sites What started as a routine trip to the bathroom ended in horror after a long-drop toilet collapsed in the Northern Territory, stranding a tourist waist-deep in excrement for several hours before she was ferried to safety by a tradesman. The woman, who was visiting the Henbury meteori...
Also known as ‘dunnies’, the toilets are common in rural and remote parts of Australia, including many tourist sites What started as a routine trip to the bathroom ended in horror after a long-drop toilet collapsed in the Northern Territory, stranding a tourist waist-deep in excrement for several hours before she was ferried to safety by a tradesman. The woman, who was visiting the Henbury meteorite crater about 120km south of Alice Springs with her partner and two children from Canberra, entered the long-drop toilet on Sunday afternoon and didn’t emerge until three hours later. Continue reading...