Schumer and Jeffries says White House proposal is ‘incomplete and insufficient’ as prospect of deal recedes Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines over the next few hours. We start with news that Democratic leaders say a proposal from the White House is “incomplete and insufficient” as they demand new restrictions on pre...
Schumer and Jeffries says White House proposal is ‘incomplete and insufficient’ as prospect of deal recedes Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines over the next few hours. We start with news that Democratic leaders say a proposal from the White House is “incomplete and insufficient” as they demand new restrictions on president Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Donald Trump threatened to block a new bridge connecting the US and Canada he supported in 2017 and made the bizarre false claim that increased trade between Canada and China would include a total ban on Canadians playing ice hockey. The Miami Herald reported that one partially redacted Epstein files document includes an account of a 2006 phone call in which Trump told the Palm Beach police chief that “everyone has known” Jeffrey Epstein was abusing girls and Ghislaine Maxwell ‘“is evil”. Trump now says he had no idea Epstein was abusing girls and wishes Maxwell well. An immigration judge rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk , who was arrested last year as part of a crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activists, her lawyers said in a statement . The US military’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced it carried out another deadly strike on Monday, killing two suspected drug smugglers in the eastern Pacific. A federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction that blocks part of a new state law that bans federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces. Continue reading...
Key Points McKinsey estimates the market could be valued at $1 trillion or more in the next decade. IonQ is one of the leading pure plays on quantum computing, and it's already experiencing significant revenue growth. Nvidia is a classic pick-and-shovel play, providing the necessary hardware and software for quantum research. 10 stocks we like better than IonQ › Quantum computing is an early-stage...
Key Points McKinsey estimates the market could be valued at $1 trillion or more in the next decade. IonQ is one of the leading pure plays on quantum computing, and it's already experiencing significant revenue growth. Nvidia is a classic pick-and-shovel play, providing the necessary hardware and software for quantum research. 10 stocks we like better than IonQ › Quantum computing is an early-stage technology that carries risks but also offers great long-term rewards for investors who get in early. This technology promises to accelerate computing power, potentially leading to significant scientific breakthroughs, but over time, the use cases could be numerous. McKinsey estimates the quantum computing market could be valued at $1 trillion or more in the next decade. Here are two stocks that could benefit from this growth. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » IonQ IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) is one of the best pure-play stocks to buy in the quantum computing market. It has been investing in this technology for over 20 years. The company says its Tempo computing system offers a computational space that is 36 quadrillion times larger than competitors, but the most telling sign of its potential is its revenue growth. It is focused on commercializing its quantum computers through cloud partners and other enterprise agreements. It's still early, but so far it is seeing significant progress, with revenue growing 222% year over year in the third quarter. The consensus estimate has revenue reaching $192 million in the current fiscal year before increasing to $316 million next year. IonQ has the benefit of growing off a small base to deliver explosive returns to investors, but this also comes with risks. The relatively low amount of revenue underscores the technology's early-stage nature and the need for pat...
Elon Musk took a significant step towards potentially becoming the world’s first trillionaire by merging his aerospace company, SpaceX, with his artificial intelligence firm, xAI. The merger valued the combined entity at $1.25 trillion, dramatically boosting Musk’s net worth to approximately $845 billion. According to a report, this consolidation marks a shift in Musk’s financial focus from Tesla ...
Elon Musk took a significant step towards potentially becoming the world’s first trillionaire by merging his aerospace company, SpaceX, with his artificial intelligence firm, xAI. The merger valued the combined entity at $1.25 trillion, dramatically boosting Musk’s net worth to approximately $845 billion. According to a report, this consolidation marks a shift in Musk’s financial focus from Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) to SpaceX, which now constitutes nearly two-thirds of his wealth. The merger has sparked discussions about Musk’s strategic direction, highlighting his ambitions in the aerospace and AI sectors. Don't Miss: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share Motley Fool's analysts have built a new lineup of passive ETFs — explore which "Foolish" strategy fits your investment goals. How SpaceX Merger Transforms Musk’s Wealth With Musk’s ownership in the new entity estimated at around 43%, his stake is valued at over $530 billion. This development underscores a rapid transformation in his fortunes, as the tech magnate’s wealth is increasingly tied to SpaceX rather than Tesla, reports CNBC. “A majority of Mr. Musk’s wealth is now derived from other business ventures,” Tesla noted in its latest proxy filing. SpaceX’s merger with xAI is seen as a strategic move to access larger capital markets, particularly as xAI’s AI model development requires significant funding. “You’ve muddied up your story a little bit as a pure-play SpaceX shareholder, but the opportunity has gotten a lot bigger,” Greg Martin, managing director at Rainmaker Securities, told the outlet. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Could Musk Really Become A Trillionaire? For Musk to achieve trillionaire status, SpaceX would need to reach a valuation of approximately $1.6 trillion, assuming Tesla’s stock price remains stable. This target highlights the importance of SpaceX’...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Although I've only recently started my Seeking Alpha journey, I have already noticed a clear subset of Seeking Alpha readers and investors who are interested in safer equities with dividend yields higher than market averages. I am also a strong believer that low-beta, higher-yield dividend stocks can add protective value to nearly a...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Although I've only recently started my Seeking Alpha journey, I have already noticed a clear subset of Seeking Alpha readers and investors who are interested in safer equities with dividend yields higher than market averages. I am also a strong believer that low-beta, higher-yield dividend stocks can add protective value to nearly any investor's portfolio. In this article, I argue that Gilead Sciences ( GILD ) is one such stock that can enhance portfolio safety and yield. Additionally, the stock's metrics on Seeking Alpha's Quantitative Rankings, Factor Grades, and Dividend Grades validate the company's strong fundamentals and, in my view, increase the likelihood that now is a particularly good time for investors to add the stock to their portfolios. Finally, I assign a "Buy" rating to GILD with a price target of $191 based on a DCF valuation analysis. Screening Methodology Instead of picking this stock out of the blue, I used Seeking Alpha's screening tools to create a list of stocks that had the following attributes: Dividend Yield > 2% Beta < 0.6 Quant Rating: Buy or Strong Buy Profitability, Momentum, and Dividend Safety Grades of "B" or higher US-based stocks So why this set of screening factors in particular? A dividend yield greater than 2% speaks for itself - we're looking for stocks that pay significantly greater dividends than the S&P 500 on average. A beta value of less than 0.6 ensures that the stock historically has lower volatility than the overall market, which is an important attribute for both risk-averse investors and investors seeking diversification from a higher beta portfolio. I filter for Quant ratings of "Buy" or "Strong Buy" to improve the likelihood that now is a good time to buy the stock. It can take the market time to catch up with fundamental valuation, but strong scores for Quant ratings, and particularly the "Momentum" factor, would suggest that a stock currently has fa...
Do People Trust The Media Or Government More? Trust in institutions shapes how societies function—from whether people follow public health guidance to whether they believe election results. Yet confidence in governments and the media has diverged sharply across countries. This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, shows whether people trust the media or the government more, based o...
Do People Trust The Media Or Government More? Trust in institutions shapes how societies function—from whether people follow public health guidance to whether they believe election results. Yet confidence in governments and the media has diverged sharply across countries. This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, shows whether people trust the media or the government more, based on responses from nearly 34,000 people across dozens of countries. The data comes from the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer . Respondents were asked whether they trust the government and the media to “do what is right.” High Government Trust in the Middle East and Asia Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China, and Singapore show higher trust in government than in media. Saudi Arabia tops the list, with an 89% government trust score compared to 66% for media—a 23-point gap. Country Government Trust Score Media Trust Score Media or Govt 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 89 66 Govt 🇦🇪 UAE 86 74 Govt 🇨🇳 China 86 81 Govt 🇸🇬 Singapore 76 60 Govt 🇮🇳 India 75 65 Govt 🇲🇾 Malaysia 72 65 Govt 🇮🇩 Indonesia 68 76 Media 🇸🇪 Sweden 59 46 Govt 🇳🇬 Nigeria 59 70 Media 🇹🇭 Thailand 57 67 Media 🇳🇱 Netherlands 57 58 Media 🇦🇺 Australia 53 45 Govt 🇨🇦 Canada 52 51 Govt 🇰🇷 South Korea 50 40 Govt 🇰🇪 Kenya 47 70 Media 🇦🇷 Argentina 47 44 Govt 🇧🇷 Brazil 45 52 Media 🇲🇽 Mexico 43 57 Media 🇮🇪 Ireland 43 43 Equal 🇩🇪 Germany 42 46 Media 🇮🇹 Italy 41 49 Media 🇺🇸 United States 39 44 Media 🇯🇵 Japan 37 33 Govt 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 36 39 Media 🇪🇸 Spain 35 43 Media 🇨🇴 Colombia 34 45 Media 🇿🇦 South Africa 33 50 Media 🇫🇷 France 30 40 Media Media Trusted More in Many Western Democracies In much of Europe and the Americas, trust tilts toward the media rather than the government. Countries like France, Spain, the U.S., and the UK all show higher media trust scores, even though overall trust levels are relatively low . France stands out at the bottom of the ranking, with just 30% trusting the government versus 40% trusting the media. Large T...
This innovative fintech enterprise is going full steam ahead in the world of blockchain technology. When asked what they see as the most innovative industries, investors probably won't pick financial services. But SoFi Technologies (SOFI +2.30%) is changing that narrative. Its monster growth proves how well it's resonating with customers. The fintech stock is making an aggressive push into the cry...
This innovative fintech enterprise is going full steam ahead in the world of blockchain technology. When asked what they see as the most innovative industries, investors probably won't pick financial services. But SoFi Technologies (SOFI +2.30%) is changing that narrative. Its monster growth proves how well it's resonating with customers. The fintech stock is making an aggressive push into the cryptocurrency market. If history repeats, shareholders may enjoy supercharged returns. SoFi is putting its foot on the crypto gas pedal Just in the final six months of 2025, SoFi made some big moves that indicate management's heightened focus on blockchain technology. In August, SoFi announced an exciting partnership with Lightspark to offer a new capability. SoFi Pay customers can send fast and cheap cross-border payments to more than 30 countries within the app. These transactions use the Bitcoin Lightning network. With SoFi Crypto, the business launched crypto trading in November, allowing its members to buy, sell, and hold certain digital assets. This is the first time a nationally chartered, federally insured bank made such a move. In December, SoFi introduced its fully reserved stablecoin, called SoFiUSD, leaning into one of the hottest trends in the digital asset industry. This initiative "will enable SoFi to serve as a stablecoin infrastructure provider for banks, fintechs, and enterprise platforms," according to the press release. "Blockchain is a technology super cycle that will fundamentally change finance, not just in payments, but across every area of money," Chief Executive Officer Anthony Noto said. He has high hopes. Looking ahead, crypto-backed lending, institutional trading and custody, and business banking are all focus areas. Expand NASDAQ : SOFI SoFi Technologies Today's Change ( 2.30 %) $ 0.48 Current Price $ 21.34 Key Data Points Market Cap $27B Day's Range $ 20.80 - $ 21.59 52wk Range $ 8.60 - $ 32.73 Volume 1K Avg Vol 59M Gross Margin 63.53 % There is...
Meridian Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 9.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 31,468 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 3,164 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises about 0.9% of Meridian Wealth Management LLC's investment portfolio, ...
Meridian Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 9.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 31,468 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 3,164 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises about 0.9% of Meridian Wealth Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Meridian Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $23,109,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Goldstone Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 44.4% during the 3rd quarter. Goldstone Financial Group LLC now owns 3,752 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,756,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares in the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 27.8% in the second quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 176,762 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $130,467,000 after purchasing an additional 38,432 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Meta Platforms by 11.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 210,526 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $155,387,000 after purchasing an additional 20,912 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 84,687 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $62,507,000 after purchasing an additional 4,473 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. Motiv8 Investments LLC now owns 2,080 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,535,000 after buying an additional 214 shares d...
As sovereign wealth funds are increasingly deployed as geopolitical tools, Indonesia ’s new state-backed vehicle is setting itself apart by operating with transparency and professional discipline, according to one of its top executives. Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, said the sovereign wealth fund was being run for profit rather than politics, even as governments a...
As sovereign wealth funds are increasingly deployed as geopolitical tools, Indonesia ’s new state-backed vehicle is setting itself apart by operating with transparency and professional discipline, according to one of its top executives. Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, said the sovereign wealth fund was being run for profit rather than politics, even as governments around the world tapped heavily into such stashes to pursue strategic goals. “In the new geopolitical world, every country and every leader uses sovereign wealth funds as a geopolitical tool,” Pandu said at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday. Advertisement “We cannot have politicians in the company. It has to be professional,” he said, adding that the fund had laid rules stipulating that it had to be run for profit. He acknowledged funds often had to balance national interests while meeting international transparency and governance standards. A sign for Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara is seen in front of its headquarters in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters “Given where Danantara is today, there’s a lot of pull for us to do things that may be important for the country, but not yet profitable as a project,” he said. “The art of saying no is super important.”