Social network Bluesky saw some intermittent service disruptions on Monday. On its own, this fact isn't that noteworthy—Bluesky has seen similar service disruptions in the past , and this one coincided with widespread service problems being reported with other popular sites (Bluesky officially blamed the temporary problems on an "upstream service provider"). What made this outage notable for many ...
Social network Bluesky saw some intermittent service disruptions on Monday. On its own, this fact isn't that noteworthy—Bluesky has seen similar service disruptions in the past , and this one coincided with widespread service problems being reported with other popular sites (Bluesky officially blamed the temporary problems on an "upstream service provider"). What made this outage notable for many Bluesky users, though, was the instant assumption that it was the result of sloppy, AI-assisted "vibe coding" by the Bluesky development team. Amid Monday's service issues, many Bluesky feeds were filled with hundreds of posts that laid the blame on developers who were allegedly relying on unreliable AI tools to ship faulty code. Some used memes , others used alt text , still others used irony or wry humor to call out Bluesky's development team for this alleged sloppiness. Read full article Comments
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images The 12-month average, which irons out Boeing’s huge orders, shows the trend: +8.8% year-over-year. Orders excluding aircraft & defense jumped by 1.5% in February from January. When Boeing ( BA ) receives an order for 30 jet aircraft in one month, that huge order of billions of dollars pushes up durable goods orders that manufacturers in the US receive and th...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images The 12-month average, which irons out Boeing’s huge orders, shows the trend: +8.8% year-over-year. Orders excluding aircraft & defense jumped by 1.5% in February from January. When Boeing ( BA ) receives an order for 30 jet aircraft in one month, that huge order of billions of dollars pushes up durable goods orders that manufacturers in the US receive and that are published monthly. The next month, Boeing might not receive a big order like that, which will push down durable goods orders. We’ll sort that out in a moment. Total durable goods orders, including aircraft and defense, fell by 1.4% in February from January, to $315 billion, seasonally adjusted. But they were up by 7.3% from a year ago (blue line), according to data from the Census Bureau today. The 12-month average shows the trend in US manufacturing (red line). It irons out the month-to-month spikes and plunges of huge aircraft orders. In February, it rose by 0.5% from January and by 8.8% year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted. The surge started in early 2025, after flatlining in 2024 and after a multiyear surge out of the pandemic. Orders had essentially stagnated for years before the pandemic. Orders for nondefense aircraft and parts spike and then plunge by huge amounts, largely driven by orders that Boeing receives. In February, they plunged by 7.7% from January to $19.2 billion. But compared to February last year, orders were still up by 33%. It’s not that aircraft orders are not important – they’re very important. But they’re randomly volatile on a month-to-month basis in a meaningless way that distorts the month-to-month figures. In addition, orders for defense aircraft and defense capital goods might be erratic, especially with a war going on, and we can exclude those too to see through the fog. So, orders excluding aircraft and defense jumped by 1.5% in February from January and by 5.8% year-over-year to a record $278 billion, seasonally adjusted. The incr...
Pacific Investment Management Co. is in discussions with Bank of America ( BAC ) to help provide ~$14 billion of debt financing for an Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) data center in Michigan. The financing would be structured as a bond and Pimco could syndicate some to other investors, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, which cited people familiar with the matter. Blackstone Inc. ( BX )is also plan...
Pacific Investment Management Co. is in discussions with Bank of America ( BAC ) to help provide ~$14 billion of debt financing for an Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) data center in Michigan. The financing would be structured as a bond and Pimco could syndicate some to other investors, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, which cited people familiar with the matter. Blackstone Inc. ( BX )is also planning to contribute an additional $2 billion of equity for the project, Bloomberg has previously reported. Pimco and Bank of America declined to comment to Bloomberg. A spokesperson for Oracle told the news service that the company is proud of the “rapid progress” it's made in financing and developing the facility. In December, Blue Owl Capital Inc. ( OWL ) opted not to provide equity for the Michigan site, stalling a major part of the planned funding and raising uncertainty over how the buildout would be financed More on Oracle Oracle: Layoffs Fulfill The Promise Of AI, 'Buy' The Dip Oracle: OCI And Multicloud Execution Shift The Narrative To Buy (Rating Upgrade) Oracle: Building Immunity To 'SaaSpocalypse' As It Lives Up To Its AI Potential Oracle changing finance chiefs makes sense as cloud becomes more critical: RBC SA analyst upgrades/downgrades: MU, ORCL, SMCI, LTM
The company that plans to build a $1 billion research and manufacturing campus in Mesa del Sol has named a new head of its New Mexico operations. Pacific Fusion named Josh Tech, a former Tesla employee, to the executive role on Monday. “Some career moves feel incremental. Others feel like stepping into the future,” Tech said in a statement. “At Pacific Fusion, I’m joining a team tackling the ...
The company that plans to build a $1 billion research and manufacturing campus in Mesa del Sol has named a new head of its New Mexico operations. Pacific Fusion named Josh Tech, a former Tesla employee, to the executive role on Monday. “Some career moves feel incremental. Others feel like stepping into the future,” Tech said in a statement. “At Pacific Fusion, I’m joining a team tackling the ...
Sunday Yenihenwa/iStock via Getty Images Meren Energy (OTCMKTS: MRNFF ) is a ~$1 billion oil company that has outperformed the market by double digits since we last recommended it. The company has some decline concerns with its existing assets, but an exciting growth portfolio, along with a strong asset portfolio, makes Meren Energy a valuable investment. Meren Energy 2025 Results Meren Energy had...
Sunday Yenihenwa/iStock via Getty Images Meren Energy (OTCMKTS: MRNFF ) is a ~$1 billion oil company that has outperformed the market by double digits since we last recommended it. The company has some decline concerns with its existing assets, but an exciting growth portfolio, along with a strong asset portfolio, makes Meren Energy a valuable investment. Meren Energy 2025 Results Meren Energy had an incredible 2025, closing its merger with Prime Oil and Gas and doubling reserves and production. Meren Energy Investor Presentation The company has an incredibly strong balance sheet, with more than $100 million in 2025 shareholder returns. The company has repaid $420 million of RBL, improving its balance sheet substantially, and it continues to maintain hefty liquidity. Meren Energy has a dividend yield of ~8.5% that it can comfortably afford and continues to have opportunistic repurchases. Those are incredibly strong results. Meren Energy Investor Presentation The company's entitlement production of 35.1 thousand barrels/day is well within its guidance, though on the low side of the midpoint. At the same time, Meren Energy's working interest is also well within guidance. The company's capex guidance of $100.2 million was at the bottom end of guidance, improving Meren Energy's FCF substantially. Nigeria should start drilling soon, and as we'll see throughout this article, Meren Energy has substantial potential. Meren Energy Financial Results Meren Energy's financial results remain quite strong for the company. Meren Energy Investor Presentation The company saw $440 million in EBITDAX. It translated that to more than $260 million in CFFO. Due to the company's capex coming in at the lower end, the company generated more than $160 million in FCF. True FCF came in higher, but that was due to some temporary payments. The $160 million FCF at much lower Brent prices is a way to generate a double-digit FCF yield. Meren Energy Investor Presentation The breakdown of Meren Energy...
Android XR is getting a new feature that turns 2D apps, websites, images, and videos into "3D experiences." The feature, which Google calls "auto-spatialization," was initially announced last year , and it's launching on Tuesday as an experimental feature for Samsung Galaxy XR headsets. Here's a video from Google that gives you an idea about how auto-spatialization might look in practice: There ar...
Android XR is getting a new feature that turns 2D apps, websites, images, and videos into "3D experiences." The feature, which Google calls "auto-spatialization," was initially announced last year , and it's launching on Tuesday as an experimental feature for Samsung Galaxy XR headsets. Here's a video from Google that gives you an idea about how auto-spatialization might look in practice: There are a few caveats to auto-spatialization: it supports content up to 1080p or lower at 30fps, it "uses slightly more battery power," and it only works "on the app window currently in focus," Google says . But if you have a Galaxy XR device, it could be … Read the full story at The Verge.
Comments by US president’s son seen as gesture of support for ousted pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik Donald Trump’s eldest son has criticised the EU as “a little bit of a mess” during a visit to Bosnia’s Republika Srpska widely seen as a gesture of support for the ousted pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik. Donald Trump Jr travelled to the Serb-run region’s de facto capital, Banja Luka, as the guest...
Comments by US president’s son seen as gesture of support for ousted pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik Donald Trump’s eldest son has criticised the EU as “a little bit of a mess” during a visit to Bosnia’s Republika Srpska widely seen as a gesture of support for the ousted pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik. Donald Trump Jr travelled to the Serb-run region’s de facto capital, Banja Luka, as the guest of Dodik’s son Igor. The visit coincided with remarks by JD Vance in Budapest, who accused the EU of meddling in an election in Hungary, even as he endorsed Viktor Orbán ahead of Sunday’s vote . Continue reading...
In February, JPMorgan Private Bank released a report that projected that a surge of investment into cybersecurity was on the way. The report forecast that $240 billion will be spent on cybersecurity in 2026, and that spending in that category would grow at an 11% annualized clip to $320 billion by 2029. Moreover, it predicted that spending on AI-related cybersecurity measures would grow three to f...
In February, JPMorgan Private Bank released a report that projected that a surge of investment into cybersecurity was on the way. The report forecast that $240 billion will be spent on cybersecurity in 2026, and that spending in that category would grow at an 11% annualized clip to $320 billion by 2029. Moreover, it predicted that spending on AI-related cybersecurity measures would grow three to four times faster. One big factor driving those rising outlays, according to JPMorgan Private Bank, a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase , will be the need to protect the AI infrastructure that enterprises have invested in so heavily. But AI-related security measures are also needed to better defend against more sophisticated AI attacks. Continue reading
Making the case for better selfies. The Selfix phone case is a classic example of a great idea in theory that falls apart in practice. It's a case for the iPhone 17 Pro with a circular screen on the back. It mirrors the middle of your main phone screen, making it easier to frame up selfies using your phone's higher-quality rear cameras rather than the selfie camera. A nice concept! I wish it worke...
Making the case for better selfies. The Selfix phone case is a classic example of a great idea in theory that falls apart in practice. It's a case for the iPhone 17 Pro with a circular screen on the back. It mirrors the middle of your main phone screen, making it easier to frame up selfies using your phone's higher-quality rear cameras rather than the selfie camera. A nice concept! I wish it worked better. Selfie cameras have come a long way, and the updated sensor in the iPhone 17 series' front-facing camera is more than capable in good lighting. But there are still ways that the bigger sensors and lenses in your phone's rear cameras outperform them: They can do slow-motion … Read the full story at The Verge.
Ca-ssis/iStock via Getty Images Leuthold Group’s Chun Wang used this lede to introduce the firm’s March “Green Book.” He titled it “Goldilocks & The Three Bears”: Markets are currently fixated on Operation Epic Fury, whose trajectory and spillover effects are highly uncertain. Even before the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, the news flow had already skewed negative, dominated by concerns over AI disru...
Ca-ssis/iStock via Getty Images Leuthold Group’s Chun Wang used this lede to introduce the firm’s March “Green Book.” He titled it “Goldilocks & The Three Bears”: Markets are currently fixated on Operation Epic Fury, whose trajectory and spillover effects are highly uncertain. Even before the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, the news flow had already skewed negative, dominated by concerns over AI disruption and mounting stress in private credit. Readers, please remember this Leuthold Group monthly research was written weeks ago. The report continues: Equity market resilience against war headlines, AI disruption fears, and private credit stress have so far been largely supported by a rare “Goldilocks” macro setup. Enter the three bears: Software stocks, private credit/BDCs, and bitcoin. Reading would normally require a subscription and a password, but we have obtained permission to offer this link to all readers. Thank you to Leuthold Group for sharing their research with our readers: “ Goldilocks & The Three Bears ”, Leuthold Group, March 2026 Today we’ll pick up on the Leuthold Group’s assessment, noted above. For our exploration, we will end with “the Greeks” but start with a few ETFs. A lot has happened since the Leuthold Group published their research commentary on March 20. This past week, as President Donald Trump’s address to the nation approached, the markets experienced a “Hormuz Hope rally,” as I termed it, noting that “Market agents think this is a turning point.” That phrase was picked up in this Wall Street Journal piece on the rally: “ Stocks Cap March With ‘Hormuz Hope’ Rally on Possible End to Middle East Conflict ”, Wall Street Journal President Trump’s address to the nation on April 1 precipitated an immediate and sizable market reaction, underscoring the theme of volatility. Tracking one year (from the day before “Liberation Day” to this April Easter/Passover period) a month into the escalating Iran War, we look at the turmoil and volatility in the US ...
U.S. consumer credit fell by $19.9B month-over-month in February, compared to a $6.0B sequential drop logged in January, according to data released by the Federal Reserve on Tuesday. Consumer borrowing outstanding, not seasonally adjusted, dropped to $5.074 trillion in February from January's revised $5.094 trillion. In February, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2....
U.S. consumer credit fell by $19.9B month-over-month in February, compared to a $6.0B sequential drop logged in January, according to data released by the Federal Reserve on Tuesday. Consumer borrowing outstanding, not seasonally adjusted, dropped to $5.074 trillion in February from January's revised $5.094 trillion. In February, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.2%. Revolving credit increased at an annual rate of 0.6%, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 2.8%. More on U.S. Economy Chicago Fed's Goolsbee warns of successive inflationary shocks Consumers' short-term inflation expectations climb as gas price growth expectations spike Durable goods orders fall more than expected in February
Royal Navy type 45 destroyer deployed to reinforce security around RAF base in Cyprus to undergo short maintenance stop, says MoD HMS Dragon has docked in the eastern Mediterranean after suffering technical problems with its water systems. The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced on 3 March that the type 45 destroyer would be deployed to reinforce security around RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, tw...
Royal Navy type 45 destroyer deployed to reinforce security around RAF base in Cyprus to undergo short maintenance stop, says MoD HMS Dragon has docked in the eastern Mediterranean after suffering technical problems with its water systems. The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced on 3 March that the type 45 destroyer would be deployed to reinforce security around RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, two days after the base was struck by a Shahed 136 drone. Continue reading...
Procter & Gamble is well known for iconic household brands like Tide, Gillette, and Pampers. Less understood is how the company maintains its leadership in a super-competitive market. It starts and ends with what P & G calls its "lifeblood": innovation. In practice, this means heavy investment in research and development and the increasing use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to c...
Procter & Gamble is well known for iconic household brands like Tide, Gillette, and Pampers. Less understood is how the company maintains its leadership in a super-competitive market. It starts and ends with what P & G calls its "lifeblood": innovation. In practice, this means heavy investment in research and development and the increasing use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to create products superior to those of rivals. With effective marketing, P & G can then charge premium prices across its many categories, including laundry detergent, razors, and diapers. The Cincinnati-based company has been building an innovation engine for nearly two centuries, since brothers-in-law William Procter and James Gamble merged their candle and soap businesses in 1837. For P & G, innovation is a system — combining deep consumer insights, advanced science, and a sprawling manufacturing network to consistently develop and improve everyday products. "At its core, it's something of a chemical and engineering and increasingly a data science company that sells consumer products," Robert Ottenstein, analyst at Evercore ISI, told CNBC. Of course, P & G's peers, such as Kleenex owner Kimberly-Clark , also like to tout their focus on innovation. But by pure numbers, nobody in the industry spends more on research and development than P & G — and by a wide margin. Over the past five years, P & G's $10 billion in R & D spending is roughly double that of its nearest competitor, Dove parent Unilever , according to FactSet data. Kimberly-Clark spent about $1.5 billion. The focus on premium has its shortcomings. P & G has lost some market share in recent years as inflation-wary shoppers turned to cheaper goods. With the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge above its 2% annual target since early 2021, the company was also forced to raise prices to offset rising costs, compounding the affordability squeeze. The company reported modest declines in global market share in fisca...
MileA/iStock via Getty Images I don't know you, but I'm certainly getting some headline fatigue. Each day, there seems to be a new development in the conflict in the Middle East, followed by a major plot twist. The latest one, as I'm writing this piece, is quite concerning: Reuters Between writing this piece and the time it gets published, a lot of developments may happen, which is the reason I de...
MileA/iStock via Getty Images I don't know you, but I'm certainly getting some headline fatigue. Each day, there seems to be a new development in the conflict in the Middle East, followed by a major plot twist. The latest one, as I'm writing this piece, is quite concerning: Reuters Between writing this piece and the time it gets published, a lot of developments may happen, which is the reason I decided to take a different approach. Regardless of what the U.S. does or doesn't do in Iran tonight, in this article, I analyze the impact that higher for longer oil prices have on inflation, and whether that is concerning or not from an investor's point of view. History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. So, let me start with a quick overview of the 70s. This Ain't The Late 70's Again I have a few solid reasons. First, inflation. What happened in the 1970s was broader than oil getting expensive. The U.S. was in the midst of the Great Inflation . Fed Interestingly, the biggest 12-month CPI increase (14.8%) happened between March 1979 and March 1980, right after the second oil shock. Speaking of which, there were not just one, but two shocks: the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo, and the 1978-79 Iran shock. Crude prices quadrupled in the first shock and then tripled in the second. So, what? Who cares? Why is this even relevant today? (All valid questions, by the way.) Well, Lutz Kilian, a leading energy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, cared enough to the point that he wrote a 27-slide presentation back in 2024. I include the takeaway points below: Lutz Kilian According to his studies, a one-time oil shock typically creates a headline inflation blip, has negligible effects on core inflation, and by itself does not establish a wage-price spiral. This is key, and I will return to this point in a bit. Moving on, the U.S. was heavily reliant back then on energy imports. I love the chart below from a 2024 EIA study, which shows how much production has increased in the U...