Yao Yuping Yao Yuping, a former vice president of the Shenzhen branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC), is under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations. The probe into the retired banker, who oversaw corporate finance at the state-owned lender’s Shenzhen branch for about a decade, comes amid an antigraft sweep in southern China’s Guangdong provi...
Yao Yuping Yao Yuping, a former vice president of the Shenzhen branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC), is under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations. The probe into the retired banker, who oversaw corporate finance at the state-owned lender’s Shenzhen branch for about a decade, comes amid an antigraft sweep in southern China’s Guangdong province that appears linked to troubled financing involving a major supplier to the fallen developer China Evergrande Group.
Watch: Vance Pledges Probe Into Epstein 'Pizza' And 'Grape Soda' References Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Vice President JD Vance has publicly committed to investigating references in the Jeffrey Epstein files that he says evoked the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, citing emails mentioning “pizzas or grape sodas” in odd contexts. His remarks come as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche...
Watch: Vance Pledges Probe Into Epstein 'Pizza' And 'Grape Soda' References Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Vice President JD Vance has publicly committed to investigating references in the Jeffrey Epstein files that he says evoked the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, citing emails mentioning “pizzas or grape sodas” in odd contexts. His remarks come as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche doubled down on the Department of Justice’s position that every relevant document has already been released, leaving critics to question whether the full truth about Epstein’s network will ever see daylight. In remarks at a Turning Point USA event, Vance described reviewing the files and encountering an email that stood out. JD Vance says he is in the process of opening an investigation into the "Pizzagate conspiracy theory" after he read strange words involving pizza and grape soda in the Epstein files. Vance has now publicly pledged to follow up on this matter. "I remember it sounding like the… pic.twitter.com/eu122DyAhw — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) April 14, 2026 “One person sent an e-mail to Jeffrey Epstein saying oh they were some really nice like pizzas or grape sodas or something like that,” he recalled. “And I remember it sounding like the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.” His reaction was direct: “We should absolutely investigate.” Vance added that he plans to follow up “to see whether we’ve investigated that person because we should. We absolutely should when you see evidence of sexual assault sexual misconduct regardless of who the powerful not fact.” The comments have reignited scrutiny over language in the Epstein files that some have long argued resembles coded references first highlighted in 2016. Those earlier claims, known as Pizzagate, originated from WikiLeaks releases of John Podesta’s emails that contained repeated, seemingly out-of-context mentions of pizza alongside other odd terms. Recent Epstein document dumps have revived the debate, with analysts...
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify President threatens to fire Fed chief if he doesn’t leave ‘on time.’ (0:15) Bank of America and Morgan Stanley beat earnings on trading strength. (1:43) Starbucks launches ChatGPT-powered AI tool to find the right drink. (2:26) This is an abridged transcript of the podcast: Our top story so far, President Don...
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify President threatens to fire Fed chief if he doesn’t leave ‘on time.’ (0:15) Bank of America and Morgan Stanley beat earnings on trading strength. (1:43) Starbucks launches ChatGPT-powered AI tool to find the right drink. (2:26) This is an abridged transcript of the podcast: Our top story so far, President Donald Trump said he would move to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he does not step down from the Board of Governors “on time,” escalating tensions with the central bank. Trump also said he does not plan to drop a Department of Justice probe into Powell and reiterated the need to investigate the Federal Reserve’s building project. “We have to find out what happened,” he told Fox Business, adding that he hopes Kevin Warsh will be confirmed as the next Fed chair. The comments follow Powell’s March statement that he does not intend to leave his position on the Board until the investigation concludes. Under the Federal Reserve Act, a president may remove a governor “for cause,” though that standard is not clearly defined. The rhetoric comes as U.S. prosecutors made a surprise visit to the Fed’s Washington headquarters Tuesday. Three DOJ officials sought access to the construction site but were denied entry due to safety and clearance protocols, Bloomberg reported. Outside counsel Robert Hur objected in a letter, arguing prosecutors were attempting to bypass established legal channels. The Justice Department has defended its review. Also in Washington, the administration is set to begin accepting tariff refund claims starting April 20 , returning billions collected under levies later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade said the government remains on track to begin processing certain claims with interest next week. The initial phase is expected to cover roughly $127B of the ~$166B in tariffs invalidated by the...
vadimrysev Italy and Ukraine are looking to team up to jointly produce military drones. “We talked today about how to strengthen our defense cooperation,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters Wednesday following a meeting in Rome with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Bloomberg. “Italy in particular is very interested in developing a joint drone production, a se...
vadimrysev Italy and Ukraine are looking to team up to jointly produce military drones. “We talked today about how to strengthen our defense cooperation,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters Wednesday following a meeting in Rome with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Bloomberg. “Italy in particular is very interested in developing a joint drone production, a sector in which Ukraine has become a leader in these years," Meloni added. “War has changed. Now, nobody can feel safe without strong protection from all types of drones,” Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting. Meloni also reiterated her support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia, asserting, "A divided West, a broken Europe, would be a great gift for Russia." More on SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust The Opportunity Cost Has Shifted Economic Warfare Could Lead To A Global Depression What In The World? 3 Country ETFs That Look Good Vs. S&P 500 Qatar warns Iran war will have major global economic impact Prediction markets downplay Trump's threat to oust Fed Chair Powell
After slumping in March, the Nasdaq Composite index has since bounced back. While it's still off its all-time highs, a further rebound could easily come if we get positive news regarding the conflict in Iran and solid quarterly results released in late April to early May. I've got three stocks that look like solid buys before the rebound occurs, as they could easily notch new all-time highs if the...
After slumping in March, the Nasdaq Composite index has since bounced back. While it's still off its all-time highs, a further rebound could easily come if we get positive news regarding the conflict in Iran and solid quarterly results released in late April to early May. I've got three stocks that look like solid buys before the rebound occurs, as they could easily notch new all-time highs if they can generate some momentum in the next few weeks with rock-solid earnings reports. My top three picks to buy as the Nasdaq starts its rebound are Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) , Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) , and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) . I think all these stocks could post incredible returns between now and the end of the year, and with each of them well off their all-time highs, it's the perfect time to scoop them up. Continue reading
US President Donald Trump posted an apparently AI-generated image of Jesus embracing him on Wednesday, two days after he deleted a post that prompted criticism that the Republican president had compared himself to Jesus. The image, reposted to Trump’s social media account, shows the president with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus. Trump is standing behind...
US President Donald Trump posted an apparently AI-generated image of Jesus embracing him on Wednesday, two days after he deleted a post that prompted criticism that the Republican president had compared himself to Jesus. The image, reposted to Trump’s social media account, shows the president with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus. Trump is standing behind a microphone, and behind him is an American flag. The original post had the caption: “I was never a...
Some campaigners are frustrated at slow pace of change, while those impacted are trying to work out what it means day-to-day A year ago, the supreme court made its landmark judgment on single-sex spaces. In a long-running case against the Scottish government brought by gender-critical campaigners For Women Scotland (FWS), the court ruled that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, the legal defini...
Some campaigners are frustrated at slow pace of change, while those impacted are trying to work out what it means day-to-day A year ago, the supreme court made its landmark judgment on single-sex spaces. In a long-running case against the Scottish government brought by gender-critical campaigners For Women Scotland (FWS), the court ruled that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, the legal definition of a woman was based on biological sex . The judgment has significant ramifications for who can now access women-only services and spaces, such as refuges or toilets. But most service providers are still awaiting practical guidance on how to apply the ruling. Continue reading...
Thousands of revelers who dressed as Santa Claus and other famous characters, participate in the annual SantaCon pub crawl on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in New York City, United States. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu | Getty Images The president of SantaCon was arrested on Wednesday on a federal criminal indictment accusing him of using the ticketed Christmas bar-crawl event to divert hundreds of thousan...
Thousands of revelers who dressed as Santa Claus and other famous characters, participate in the annual SantaCon pub crawl on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in New York City, United States. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu | Getty Images The president of SantaCon was arrested on Wednesday on a federal criminal indictment accusing him of using the ticketed Christmas bar-crawl event to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked for charity to personal use, federal prosecutors in New York said. The defendant, Stefan Pildes, who claimed he did not receive any compensation from SantaCon allegedly spent the diverted funds on extensive renovations to a lakefront property in New Jersey, luxury vacations in Hawaii, Las Vegas and Vail, Colorado, concert tickets, extrvagant meals and a luxury vehicle, according to the indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. About $124,000 of the SantaCon funds were spent toward leasing a luxury apartment in Manhattan, and another $100,000 was invested in a boutique resort in Costa Rica founded by a friend of Pildes, the indictment said. Pildes "donated only a small fraction" of the approximately $2.7 million raised from SantaCon to charity, according to the indictment against him. Pildes, 50, "promoted SantaCon as an event grounded in charitable giving, but instead of donating the millions of dollars he raised, he ran his own con game," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. "He took advantage of New Yorkers' generous holiday spirit to finance his lifestyle through personal expenses, big and small," Clayton said. Prosecutors said Pildes raised at least $2.7 million for charity from 2019 through 2024, but diverted more than half of that money "to a slush fund." The resident of Hewitt, N.J., is charged with one count of wire fraud. He is expected to appear on Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan federal court. Read more CNBC politics coverage Kalshi, Polymarket lobby as insider trading, betting eyed by Con...
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is betting on immersive, tech-driven retail after first spending thousands there as a customer. His move reflects a consistent strategy of investing in products he personally believes in—and sees real potential in.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is betting on immersive, tech-driven retail after first spending thousands there as a customer. His move reflects a consistent strategy of investing in products he personally believes in—and sees real potential in.
Earnings Call Insights: Morgan Stanley (MS) Q1 2026 Management View Morgan Stanley framed Q1 as a markets-and-wealth driven “record quarter with revenues of $20.6 billion and EPS of $3.43,” alongside “return on tangible of 27%,” as CEO Ted Pick highlighted the integrated model in “periods when clients and markets are active” (CEO & Chairman of the Board Ted Pick). Pick pointed to Wealth Management...
Earnings Call Insights: Morgan Stanley (MS) Q1 2026 Management View Morgan Stanley framed Q1 as a markets-and-wealth driven “record quarter with revenues of $20.6 billion and EPS of $3.43,” alongside “return on tangible of 27%,” as CEO Ted Pick highlighted the integrated model in “periods when clients and markets are active” (CEO & Chairman of the Board Ted Pick). Pick pointed to Wealth Management momentum, citing “$118 billion of net new assets and $54 billion of fee-based flows,” and said Investment Banking and Markets produced “a record $10.7 billion in quarterly revenues, inclusive of $5 billion plus in equities,” while “total client assets exceed $9 trillion on the road to $10 trillion plus” (CEO & Chairman of the Board Pick). Pick emphasized capital positioning and regulatory direction, stating, “Our reported CET1 ratio of 15.1% against the capital requirement of 11.8% translates into a capital buffer of over 300 basis points,” and added, “We’re encouraged by this period of enhanced regulatory transparency and balance as we move through rule-making comments toward the finalization of Basel” (CEO & Chairman of the Board Pick). Sharon Yeshaya described record firm performance and efficiency: “The firm produced record revenues of $20.6 billion and record EPS ex DVA of $3.43,” with “efficiency ratio was 65%,” noting “Improved efficiency includes $178 million of severance charges” (Executive VP & CFO Sharon Yeshaya). Strategic updates included closing EquityZen and a digital assets pilot: “We closed the acquisition of EquityZen,” and “We launched our digital asset pilot through our partnership with Zero Hash, enabling select clients to buy and sell several major digital currencies through E*TRADE” (Executive VP & CFO Yeshaya). Outlook The call did not include firmwide EPS or revenue guidance; management commentary centered on Wealth NII trajectory and activity/pipeline tone. Yeshaya signaled an NII path higher: “Looking ahead, we expect NII to build over the course...
Mariia Vitkovska/iStock via Getty Images Kering's ( PPRUF ) fall from the top is truly something to be taught in business schools. Down 64% from the 2021 highs, the stock started showing signs of life since mid-2025, but fundamentals remain weak. I have been consistent in saying brand turnarounds are rarely successful, which is why I maintained a ' Sell ' rating for quite some time now. The whole ...
Mariia Vitkovska/iStock via Getty Images Kering's ( PPRUF ) fall from the top is truly something to be taught in business schools. Down 64% from the 2021 highs, the stock started showing signs of life since mid-2025, but fundamentals remain weak. I have been consistent in saying brand turnarounds are rarely successful, which is why I maintained a ' Sell ' rating for quite some time now. The whole industry is crossing fingers, wanting to see that this feat is even possible, as the luxury sector struggles to regain momentum. After another disappointing quarter and the stock falling 9% post-earnings, I see no reason to get excited here. Kering As The 'Negative Bellwether' The luxury sector reached a peak in late 2021. At the time, they experienced a perfect storm to fuel demand - stimulus, zero interest rates, pent-up demand from COVID lockdowns, and broad excitement surrounding luxury. This has turned people who never thought they would buy at Gucci into customers, pushed margins to record highs, and sales grew at unprecedented levels. Data by YCharts That perfect storm has turned into a major issue for the sector in the following years. Desirability plummeted as they sacrificed scarcity for near-term profits. Meanwhile, those "aspirational" customers have left, facing inflation, higher interest rates, and the end of stimulus. While some brands were affected more than others, Kering is the embodiment of this fallout. It was the first to feel the heat, and it's still dealing with it, to this day. This is why I strongly believe the whole industry wants to see Kering dig itself out of the hole, in hopes it will provide proof that it can be done. Another Disappointing Quarter, Though Gap Is Narrowing For now, the recovery dreams remain, well, dreams. Kering Q1-26 Earnings Release To start 2026, Kering reported another quarter of declining sales, down 6% Y/Y on a reported basis, and flat on a comparable basis. They rearranged their segments so it's hard to tell exactly wha...