IRGC Has 'Finger On The Trigger' As US Carrier Strike Group Enters Waters Near Iran The US Navy's aircraft carrier strike group USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the Middle East , this week entering CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean , and is awaiting orders Fox correspondent Jennifer Griffin cites a senior American official who said the carrier is not yet on station for any possible future strik...
IRGC Has 'Finger On The Trigger' As US Carrier Strike Group Enters Waters Near Iran The US Navy's aircraft carrier strike group USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the Middle East , this week entering CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean , and is awaiting orders Fox correspondent Jennifer Griffin cites a senior American official who said the carrier is not yet on station for any possible future strikes against Iran, however. via AFP The same outlet has further reported, "U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria." "A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived," Fox adds. This all comes after President Trump's apparent climb-down after threatening military intervention against Tehran in the wake of large deadly protests which rocked the Islamic Republic early this month, amid an internet blackout. But Trump has put Iran on notice, despite that Iranian streets have been clear of unrest for well over a week at this point. He said on Thursday he has ordered a "massive fleet" to be sent toward Iran "just in case" he wants to take action - although he underscored that "maybe we won't have to use it." Just in terms of the strike group, this includes the following advanced assets : The strike group is comprised of the Lincoln, an aircraft carrier, and three guided missile destroyers: the USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., the USS Spruance and the USS Michael Murphy. On board the Lincoln are squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-35C fighter jets and MH-60R/S helicopters. The naval force was not necessarily "on station" as of Monday morning Eastern Time, meaning it was not in its intended ultimate position. This is being taken seriously by Tehran leaders given the month kicked off with a shock US military intervention in Caracas - which ...
By Diana Novak Jones Jan 26 (Reuters) - Attorneys for Meta Platforms and other social media companies asked a California federal judge on Monday to block several school districts from taking their lawsuits against the companies to trial, arguing that federal law protects them from claims they knowingly addicted young users. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland...
By Diana Novak Jones Jan 26 (Reuters) - Attorneys for Meta Platforms and other social media companies asked a California federal judge on Monday to block several school districts from taking their lawsuits against the companies to trial, arguing that federal law protects them from claims they knowingly addicted young users. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, lawyers for the companies clashed with counsel for six school districts from states across the country, who argue the platforms' design has harmed students' mental health and forced districts to spend money and staff time to address the fallout. The companies urged the judge to rule that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally shields platforms like Meta's Facebook and Instagram from liability over user-generated content, bars the cases from proceeding to the first trials in federal court over the claims. Jonathan Blavin, an attorney for the social media companies, said the schools’ allegations rely on evidence that includes such content, placing the claims within the protections of Section 230. "If that evidence is entirely excluded, I think the record here is incredibly thin," Blavin said. "It's just not there." Lawyers for the school districts countered that their claims are not based on user-content but on platform features they say are intentionally designed to keep young people on the social media sites as long as possible. Andre Mura, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said their experts had examined broad studies of students who had used social media to support their findings that it had harmed them. “The literature shows the increase in the risk of harm is not based on content,” he said. THOUSANDS OF LAWSUITS IN STATE, FEDERAL COURT Meta, Snapchat and parent Snap Inc., YouTube and parent Alphabet Inc., and TikTok and parent ByteDance are facing thousands of lawsuits in both federal and state court over claims they knowingly d...
Key Points Walkner Condon bought 41,581 shares of FTCS at an estimated transaction value $3.84 million based on quarterly average price. Quarter-end value of FTCS position rose by $3.70 million, reflecting both trading and price movement. The transaction equaled 0.53% of the fund’s 13F AUM. The firm's position now totals 175,919 shares, valued at $16.27 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. First Trust Cap...
Key Points Walkner Condon bought 41,581 shares of FTCS at an estimated transaction value $3.84 million based on quarterly average price. Quarter-end value of FTCS position rose by $3.70 million, reflecting both trading and price movement. The transaction equaled 0.53% of the fund’s 13F AUM. The firm's position now totals 175,919 shares, valued at $16.27 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. First Trust Capital Strength ETF stake represents 2.26% of fund AUM, making it the 10th-largest holding. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › What happened According to a Jan. 20, 2026, SEC filing, Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC increased its holding in First Trust Capital Strength ETF (NASDAQ:FTCS) by 41,581 shares. The estimated value of this trade is $3.84 million, calculated using the average fourth-quarter 2025 closing price. The fund’s FTCS position value at quarter’s end increased by $3.70 million, reflecting both share purchases and market price changes. What else to know This transaction was a buy. Post-trade, FTCS represents 2.26% of Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC’s 13F AUM. Top holdings after the filing: SPDR Portfolio Developed World Ex-U.S. ETF : $49.91 million (6.9% of AUM) S tate Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF : $40.57 million (5.6% of AUM) JP Morgan Core Plus Bond ETF : $24.76 million (3.4% of AUM) iShares Core S&P 500 ETF : $23.67 million (3.3% of AUM) First Trust Low Duration Opportunities ETF : $21.04 million (2.9% of AUM) As of Jan. 26, 2026, FTCS shares were priced at $96.33, up 7% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 6 percentage points. ETF overview Metric Value AUM $8.05 billion Dividend yield 1.00% Price (as of market close 1/26/26) $96.33 1-year return 7.12% ETF snapshot First Trust Capital Strength ETF’s: Investment strategy focuses on tracking an index of well-capitalized companies with strong market positions, aiming for stability and consistent performance over time. Underlying holdings primarily consist of...
Hint: It's a matter of not putting yourself first. As a parent, I know how hard it can sometimes be to say no to a child. Granted, I have no problem saying no to my teenage son when he asks if I can pick him up at midnight from a friend's place. Staying up that late is just not my thing. But when my son asks for $20 to grab dinner with his buddies, that's a little harder to say no to (though I do ...
Hint: It's a matter of not putting yourself first. As a parent, I know how hard it can sometimes be to say no to a child. Granted, I have no problem saying no to my teenage son when he asks if I can pick him up at midnight from a friend's place. Staying up that late is just not my thing. But when my son asks for $20 to grab dinner with his buddies, that's a little harder to say no to (though I do set boundaries on the number of times per month he can ask). In talking to friends whose children are older than mine, one thing I've learned is that you never really stop being in a position where your kids need your support -- whether it's emotional, logistical, or financial. But if you're not careful, going overboard on financial support could leave you with a serious retirement savings shortfall on your hands. Don't put your retirement at risk When I recently read that parents who support grown kids provide an average of $1,474 monthly per child, according to Savings.com, I was horrified but not totally shocked. Navigating young adulthood has been a very tough thing in recent years. Stagnant wages, high costs from inflation, and student loan debt are trapping many 20- and even 30-somethings in a cycle of not being able to get ahead financially. At the same time, I think it's highly problematic that working parents who support grown kids are giving those children more than twice as much money per month as they're contributing to their IRAs or 401(k)s -- $1,589 versus $673, respectively, according to Savings.com. It's not that $673 isn't a perfectly decent monthly IRA or 401(k) contribution. Rather, it's that parents seem to be prioritizing their grown kids' financial wellbeing over their own retirement security. And that's not something I can get on board with. Find other ways to help If you're a parent of grown kids and your financial situation is fantastic, then sure, why not help out if you can? But if you're still in the process of trying to build a retirement nest e...