When it comes to politics in Appalachian Kentucky, one of the first things anyone will tell you is that people defy easy categorization. There are fervent church goers who say that Jesus’ message of helping others is basically socialism, and that’s a good thing. There are gun owners who pine for universal healthcare. Home to shuttered coal mines and steel plants, Appalachian Kentucky remains one of the most disadvantaged regions in America. Unlike many other Republican-leaning parts of the country, there are few military-adjacent companies or industries in its hollers and hills. With two of the 13 American military members killed in the Iran war so far from Kentucky, the decisions being made in Washington on what many are calling a needless conflict are hitting home hard. And while Donald Trump won 65% of the vote in Kentucky in the 2024 election, there are growing signs that the conflict is fueling mounting discontent here. Early estimates suggest the first 12 days of the war on Iran cost the US taxpayer around $16.5bn. An estimated 40% of children in eastern Kentucky are growing up in households where income is below the federal poverty level. In July 2022, flooding from heavy rain led to the deaths of 38 people in eastern Kentucky. All the while, thousands of eastern Kentucky residents have seen Snap and Medicare support cut by the Trump administration, and rising utility prices drive them back into poverty. “This war, with no congressional approval, is a slap in the face of rural Kentuckians and my neighbors. There are so many things that that money could be better allocated for … especially after all the cuts that have been made, it’s really difficult to kind of swallow that pill,” says McKenna Brashear, the acting president of the Perry County Young Democrats, who’s from the tiny community of Viper. “Our schools rely heavily on government assistance. Any portion [of the Iran war spending] could greatly increase an educator’s ability to get school supplies. Hig...

In one corner, clean energy champion Ed Miliband. In the other, residents – and Reform politicians – outraged at plans for more large-scale solar farms in Lincolnshire than anywhere else in the UK As night descends on the grand offices of Lincolnshire county council, everything appears orderly and calm. Paintings of long-forgotten councillors and dignitaries stare out into an empty drawing room. The council chamber is silent and dark. Bored receptionists glance at their phones while a handful of admin staff hunch over glowing screens. But a rebellion is brewing in the office of the council leader, Sean Matthews, who took charge last May, when Reform replaced the Conservative old guard. The affable former royal protection officer is plotting an apparently radical campaign of civil disobedience against a series of giant solar farms planned for Lincolnshire. Despite a quarter of a century in the Metropolitan police, Matthews is willing to break the law to stop solar developers. He is planning to lie down in front of the bulldozers. “They can arrest me – I’ve arrested plenty of people,” he says, leaning forward on a sofa. “It’s much bigger than me and my criminal record. For goodness sake, it’s the future of the county, it’s the future of our land. I am passionate about that and I will do what I can.” Continue reading...

When the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI, the tech firm behind ChatGPT, the partnership was hailed as one that could harness artificial intelligence to “address society’s greatest challenges”. But eight months on from the fanfare of that announcement, the government has yet to hold any trials involving the firm’s tech. A freedom of information (FoI) request asked the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) for information about trials conducted under the memorandum, which said the company would work with civil servants to “identify opportunities for how advanced AI models can be deployed throughout government and the private sector”. The department replied that it held none of this information and had “not undertaken any trials under the memorandum of understanding with OpenAI”. In response to a query from the Guardian, DSIT pointed to an agreement under which the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last October enabled civil servants to use ChatGPT “with an option for UK-based data storage for customers”. Tarek Nseir, the CEO of Valliance, the AI consultancy that filed the FoI, said: “Either there’s been a huge failure in execution, or it was a failure of intent in my view. “There are unquestionably pockets of government that are engaging with these frontier models and these providers … We just have so little to show for it. “Rolling out ChatGPT in a department hardly reflects the ambition of the MoU.” He added: “We use PowerPoint – that doesn’t mean we have a strategic relationship with Microsoft. If this was the intent of the MoU then our government is not taking the impact of AI on our economy seriously.” The agreement for the MoJ to use ChatGPT appeared to be part of a larger “AI Action Plan for Justice” rolled out separately last July. DSIT also pointed to continuing work with the UK AI Safety Institute to test AI models and develop safeguards in collaboration with OpenAI. It said: “We are pleased with the progress we are ...

The skies over this far-flung coffee-growing hub went charcoal black, the heavens opened and one of Brazil’s greatest mysteries was born. “It really was something unique,” recalls Marco Antônio Reis, a zoo director, who was at his ranch outside Varginha one stormy day in January 1996 when, he says, an otherworldly creature came to town. View image in fullscreen Marco Antônio Reis sits next to a statue of the creature. Photograph: Alan Lima/The Guardian Reis and other locals claim the unusually ferocious downpour heralded a series of disturbing and seemingly paranormal events. At least six of the zoo’s animals, including a spider monkey, a tapir and a raccoon, died mysteriously after a horned interloper with bulging red eyes was spotted in the vicinity by a woman who had gone out for a smoke. When a vet examined their corpses, “they were all black inside”, Reis claims. On a nearby wasteland, three young women spotted a peculiar and malodorous being with a heart-shaped face and three lumps on its head cowering beside a wall. “I’ve seen the devil,” one of those witnesses would later tell her mum. Soon afterwards, an unexplained infection was rumoured to have killed a strapping police intelligence officer who was said to have grappled with the oleaginous unidentified being. View image in fullscreen The wasteland where three women claim to have seen an alien in Varginha in January 1996. Photograph: Alan Lima/The Guardian Three decades later, Reis says he is convinced Varginha received a non-human visit. His only doubt was from where it came. “We don’t know if it was extraterrestrial or intraterrestrial,” the 71-year-old says as he climbs a staircase to the veranda where the smoker claims to have seen what, in reference to Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film, became known as the “ET of Varginha”. A 2ft statue of a two-toed alien now marks the spot. “It’s possible it was an intraterrestrial, from inside the Earth … They don’t just come from space,” Reis says. “It might have come ...

The US-Israel war on Iran is a disaster for the climate, according to an analysis that finds it is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined. As warplanes, drones and missiles kill thousands of people, level infrastructure and turn the Middle East into a gigantic environmental sacrifice zone, the first analysis of the climate cost has found the conflict led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in its first 14 days. The analysis, shared exclusively with the Guardian, adds another layer on to reporting of the catastrophic environmental harm being caused by attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure, military bases, civilian areas and ships at sea. “Every missile strike is another downpayment on a hotter, more unstable planet, and none of it makes anyone safer,” said Patrick Bigger, a research director at the Climate and Community Institute and a co-author of the analysis. “Every refinery fire and tanker strike is a reminder that fossil‑fuelled geopolitics is incompatible with a livable planet. This war shows, yet again, that the fastest way to supercharge the climate crisis is to let fossil fuel interests dictate foreign policy.” The US-Israeli axis claims to have bombed thousands of targets inside Iran, and Israel has hit hundreds more targets in Lebanon. Reports from inside both countries show extensive destruction of infrastructure. Destroyed buildings constitute the largest element of the estimated carbon cost. Based on reports by the Iranian Red Crescent humanitarian organisation that about 20,000 civilian buildings have been damaged by the conflict, the analysis estimates the total emissions from this sector to be 2.4m tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e). Fuel is the second biggest element, with US heavy bombers flying from as far away as the west of England to carry out raids over Iran. The analysis estimates between 150m and 270m litres of fuel were consumed by aircraft and support vessels and vehicles in the first 14 days, producing a to...

The survival of Iran’s political and military apparatus following a massive US-Israeli decapitation strike has ignited a strategic debate in Taiwan, with experts weighing the island’s ability to withstand a similar “surgical” opening to an attack from the mainland. Military analysts and officials in Taipei are closely studying the February 28 strikes that killed Ali Khamenei , the Iranian supreme leader, and Iran’s ability to sustain organised resistance in the weeks that have followed. Iran’s capacity to absorb the severe blow of the loss of its top leadership has provided a real-world test of “distributed command” – a doctrine Taiwan has been racing to adopt as part of its strategy against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Advertisement “The lesson from Tehran is that decapitation is not the end of the war but the beginning of a much more chaotic one,” said Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society. Lo pointed out that an article published in November by a PLA Navy-affiliated journal outlined how precision strikes on Taipei’s “nerve centre” could force rapid capitulation, noting that these were options that Beijing had long considered. Advertisement “But Iran shows that if you push authority down to the local level before the missiles fly, the body can keep fighting even if the head is targeted,” he said.

TikTok owner ByteDance has reportedly sold its gaming unit Moonton to a Saudi Arabian peer for around $6 billion to fully focus its attention on AI. Mobile Legends Move According to a Bloomberg report, ByteDance has concluded talks to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology, the studio behind the popular mobile game Mobile Legends, to Savvy Games Group. It is understood that Moonton CEO Zhang Yunfan and his management team will remain in place following the acquisition, while employees will benefit from a range of incentive programs. The move means that ByteDance will now refocus its efforts on developing generative AI. The proceeds are expected to support investments in large language models and the infrastructure required to sustain platforms like TikTok. For Savvy Games, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it is part of a plan to become a global gaming and e-sports hub. ByteDance’s video games unit Nuverse bought Moonton Technology back in 2021 in a deal believed to be worth around $4 billion. It is understood that Chinese video games and social media company Tencent (TCEHY) also made a bid for Moonton at the time. Growing Global Market Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the most popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) mobile games in the world. It won “Most Competitive Game of the Year” at the MOBIES 2024 and “Esports Mobile Game of the Year” at the Esports Awards 2024. Other Moonton games include Magic Chess: Go Go and the gothic vampire game Silver and Blood. Savvy’s games include Monopoly Go!, which has had over 150 million downloads around the world. It is an investor in Hero Esports, formerly VSPO, the largest esports company in Asia and it sponsors Saudi football club Al-Hilal. The global mobile gaming market size was estimated at $139.38 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $256.19 billion by 2030 as smartphone adoption increases around the world. What are the Best Chinese Stocks to Buy Now? We have rounded up the best Chinese stocks to...

A mini burger, mini fries and mini beer, Clinton Hall's "Teeny Weeny Mini Meal", is pictured next to a regular-sized combo on Dec. 8, 2025 in New York City. Approximately one in eight American adults are currently taking drugs from the class of GLP-1 agonists that are now popular for weight loss, according to a November poll by the non-profit health policy tracker KFF. Some in the restaurant industry are taking note. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images The cost of GLP-1 drugs is falling, and pill versions are hitting the U.S. market. For restaurant chains and snacking giants, higher adoption of weight loss and diabetes treatments poses a threat to their sales — or an opportunity. GLP-1 drugs slow digestion, suppress users' appetites and increase satiety. For many restaurants and packaged food manufacturers, those reactions will likely mean weaker sales. Adults who use GLP-1s consume 21% fewer calories and spend nearly a third less on grocery bills on average, according to KPMG. JPMorgan estimates the growing use of the medications could wipe out $30 billion to $55 billion in annual sales for the food and beverage industry as soon as 2030. About one in every eight U.S. adults is currently taking a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Zepbound, according to the KFF Health Tracking Poll conducted from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2. That number doesn't include consumers who have discontinued their use of the drugs; 18% of respondents said that they have taken a GLP-1 medication at some point. Those numbers are expected to keep climbing, especially after Novo Nordisk launched its Wegovy pill in January and Eli Lilly prepares to roll out its own oral drug this year. By 2030, more than 30 million Americans could be on a GLP-1 treatment, up from 10 million in 2026, based on J.P. Morgan estimates. Michael Siluk | UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images But the shift also presents an opportunity for restaurants and food and beverage companies. With new protein- and fiber-rich options, many busin...

Welcome to the Wall Street Week newsletter, bringing you stories of capitalism about things you need to know, but even more things you need to think about. I’m David Westin , and this week former Fed Vice Chair Randy Quarles takes us through the latest Fed decision, and we learn why one expert thinks AI may just be “normal.” If you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up here for this newsletter. Quarles on Inflation In his news conference this week, Fed Chair Powell talked a lot about uncertainty stemming from the war in Iran: “The economic effects could be bigger, they could be smaller. They could be much bigger. We just don’t know.” Former Fed Vice Chair Randy Quarles (now head of investment firm Cynosure) says dealing with uncertainty is just what the Fed does: “That’s really behind the Fed’s regular mantra: `We’ll be data dependent.’” When faced with this “level of uncertainty,” Quarles says the focus has to be on “the fundamental drivers of the economy.” Certainly developments in the Middle East and their effect on oil prices are potentially important, with even a risk of demand destruction at some point. But Quarles notes there are other forces that are also tending to point toward higher inflation. ‘Normal’ AI Everywhere we turn we hear how revolutionary artificial intelligence will be — for jobs, for productivity, for life as we know it. Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton went so far as to tell us “it might just replace us.” But at least one expert, Computer Science Professor Arvind Narayanan of Princeton says we’re overdoing the expectations. It will no doubt change much of what we do and how we do it, Narayanan said. But he believes it will take longer and be less disruptive in many areas than what people are predicting. More from Wall Street Week Bloomberg Wall Street Week is live Fridays at 6 p.m. New York time. Watch on Bloomberg Television , on the Terminal at TV and on YouTube ; or listen to the show on Bloomberg Radio and RADI . Catch the show Saturdays at 10 ...

In this article EBAY NVDA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT People queue to have their laptops install with OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant at the Baidu headquarter in Beijing on March 11, 2026. Adek Berry | Afp | Getty Images Three months ago, the tech industry was unaware of a lobster-themed AI coding project built by an under-the-radar Austrian software developer. OpenClaw, as that creation is known, has enjoyed such a rapid ascent since then that it took center stage this week at GTC, Nvidia's annual conference, where the leader of the world's most valuable company called it "the most popular, open-source project in the history of humanity." "This is definitely the next ChatGPT," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC's Jim Cramer on the sidelines of the developer event in Santa Clara, California. In his keynote, Huang described OpenClaw as the go-to option for building AI agents that can perform tasks like scouting eBay for deals and then placing bids, and said it "exceeded what Linux did in 30 years" in mere weeks. The phenomenon is so pivotal to Nvidia that the chipmaker said at GTC that it's building free accompanying security services — packaged as NemoClaw — intended to help spur more adoption of OpenClaw and get large businesses comfortable with its use. Huang was validating what the rest of the market has been witnessing. An independent developer, rather than a giant, richly valued lab like OpenAI or Anthropic, came up with the next big thing in AI and, in doing so, exposed a potential major flaw in the investment thesis behind the large language models: They may be getting commoditized. watch now VIDEO 2:48 02:48 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: OpenClaw is 'definitely the next ChatGPT' Mad Money with Jim Cramer While OpenAI and Anthropic remain deeply popular and continue building services that are resonating with users, the power of OpenClaw is that it's enabling all sorts of developers and hobbyists to quickly create and manage AI agents acros...

In this article @CL.1 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT US President Donald Trump and Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Aaron Schwartz | CNP | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi embraced President Donald Trump on Thursday, and not just on policy grounds. The newly elected Japanese leader threw herself into the arms of the U.S. president when he greeted her at the White House. "It is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world," Takaichi said later as the two met in front of reporters in the Oval Office. Beneath the flattery is an important truth. Trump is singlehandedly shaping the course of global events to a degree that far outstrips even the power he wielded in his first presidency. With his presidency unshackled, his military and other policy decisions are reshaping the economy in real time — and clouding the economic outlook . Trump's predecessors weren't willing to make the choice he did in Iran. President Barack Obama 's response to the risk that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon was to negotiate a multilateral arms deal . Trump scrapped it in his first term. President Joe Biden attempted to revive it, opting for negotiations and sanctions pressure even after Iran-backed Hamas massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. Trump's decision to use his authority as the military's commander-in-chief has essentially made him the lever that moves global energy prices up or down. Iran's forces have attacked cargo ships and assailed its neighbors' energy facilities. Traffic has stalled through the vital Strait of Hormuz. In normal times it carries 20% of the world's crude oil. Read more CNBC politics coverage Everything to know about the SAVE America Act voter ID-bill Trump signals DOJ should continue Powell probe, complicating Warsh Fed nom Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could ...

J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Co-authored by Kody's Dividends We live in an era that loves to compare generic products to the original premium product. You don't have to go far on Instagram, Facebook ( META ), or even TikTok ( TIKTOK ) to find people promoting dupes. Dupes are copies or close equivalents of popular products that are often significantly cheaper. The downside with many of these dupes is that the quality is lower or they're lacking some key feature the original has, and it's the reason why the original can still command the high price that it does versus the dupe. If that lacking feature doesn't matter to you, then the dupe may be just as good for your specific situation. But the original premium product remains the gold standard the dupes are compared against. Otherwise, the original product would be compared to the dupe instead of the dupe to the original product. When it comes to global asset management, there are few names that are as well-known as BlackRock ( BLK ). It is so well known that it can be considered the gold standard of global asset management . Let's take a closer look at why this is the case. The Gold Standard Of Global Asset Management BlackRock Q4 2025 Earnings Release Supplement As of Dec. 31, 2025, BlackRock ( BLK ) held approximately $14 trillion (or units of trust, as they often call it) of assets under management. As illustrated above, BLK's AUM base is highly diverse: 24% being actively managed, 39% ETFs, 29% non-ETF indices, and 8% cash. The star anchoring its ETF AUM is the iShares franchise , which has around $5 trillion in AUM, making it the largest issuer of ETFs on the planet. Beyond being an asset manager, BLK also owns the Aladdin platform . This is an investment management software program used by major financial institutions throughout the world. As Kody indicated last month , BLK had a fantastic fourth quarter to close out Q4 2025. The company's total revenue vaulted 23.4% higher year-over-year to $7.01 ...

OlekStock/iStock via Getty Images We start this article with a recent and prudent observation from famed bond manager Jeffery Gundlach this week on the mechanics of Wall Street: 2005-2006: “ Hey! We found a way to turn BBB ratings into AAA ratings. And pocket the difference !!” 2024-2025: “ Hey! We found a way to put illiquid assets into liquid funds. And pocket the difference !!” The private credit markets are deteriorating at an accelerating rate here in March. The problems at Blue Owl Capital ( OWL ) that came to the surface in the last half of February kicked off the recent spate of concerning news emanating from the private credit and business development company space. Company Filings, Barclays Research Negative news flow has greatly increased around these markets this month. Morgan Stanley ( MS ) and BlackRock ( BLK ) have blocked full redemption requests from investors in March. The $33 billion private credit fund at Cliffwater also hasn't honored full redemption requests . This is giving many seasoned investors some 2007 déjà vu, as this reminds them of the 'gating' that happened in mortgage funds that year in front of the Great Financial Crisis. In another blast from the past, Goldman Sachs is now creating entities that allow investors to bet against private credit. Reminding some of when the investment bank did the same to allow wagers against mortgage-backed securities, or MBS, during the housing bust more than a decade and a half ago. UBS recently projected that default rates in private credit could hit 15% in a worst-case scenario. This would dwarf the corporate loan default rates of banks during the peak of the GFC, it should be noted. UBS While the private credit market has experienced huge growth since the Great Financial Crisis, it is still just under a $2 trillion space. However, much like the subprime market from yesteryear, it is the potential for contagion and the tightening of credit from the problems in this niche that is concerning experienc...

nanako75/iStock via Getty Images Purpose I look at the high frequency weekly indicators because while they can be very noisy, they provide a good nowcast of the economy, and will telegraph the maintenance or change in the economy well before monthly or quarterly data is available. They are also an excellent way to "mark your beliefs to market." In general, I go in order of long leading indicators, then short leading indicators, then coincident indicators. A Note on Methodology Data is presented in a "just the facts, ma'am" format with a minimum of commentary so that bias is minimized. Where relevant, I include 12-month highs and lows in the data in parentheses to the right. All data taken from St. Louis FRED unless otherwise linked. A few items (e.g., Financial Conditions indexes, regional Fed indexes, stock prices, the yield curve) have their own metrics based on long-term studies of their behavior. Where data is seasonally adjusted, generally it is scored positively if it is within the top 1/3 of that range, negative in the bottom 1/3, and neutral in between. Where it is not seasonally adjusted, and there are seasonal issues, waiting for the YoY change to change sign will lag the turning point. Thus I make use of a convention: data is scored neutral if it is less than 1/2 as positive/negative as at its 12-month extreme. With long leading indicators, which by definition turn at least 12 months before a turning point in the economy as a whole, there is an additional rule: data is automatically negative if, during an expansion, it has not made a new peak in the past year, with the sole exception that it is scored neutral if it is moving in the right direction and is close to making a new high. For all series where a graph is available, I have provided a link to where the relevant graph can be found. Recap of Monthly Reports February data included a “hot” PPI, and positive industrial production. January data included frigid new home sales and barely positive factory a...

Gold, often a haven during times of stress, has been falling. Meanwhile, stocks are down, but not as much as many expected.

Opinion: Lessons from a bad weather forecast toggle caption Andy Newman/ASSOCIATED PRESS/FR57513 AP Washington, D.C. flew into a panic last weekend. Schools closed, parents scrambled, flights were canceled, and mayors declared emergencies. "There's a storm coming!" people in and around the nation's capital exclaimed to one another Sunday night. "Are you ready? Charge your phone, so you can call for help! But unplug your laptop, because of lightning! Prune the trees! Fill your bathtubs! Juice up your generator! Stay away from windows! Hoard power bars! Hunker down!" Then, not a lot happened. The severe weather, with rain, hail, tornadoes, and hurricane-force wind gusts predicted for Monday, March 16, never quite blew into town. Sponsor Message My family and I dared to venture out for a birthday dinner in what turned out to be a light mist. After all the dire predictions, it was almost disappointing. It was almost refreshing. "What a HORRIBLE forecast by meteorologists — especially myself," local meteorologist Matthew Cappucci wrote on X, "…essentially a nothing-burger…" He posted a video in which he noted that schools, airlines, cities and families had upset their plans,"…much of it under my advice…Ten million people were notified of something that didn't really wind up happening." He explained that the movement of storms through the Carolinas had reduced the "storm fuel" of warmer air that he and other meteorologists had expected to smack into a cold front and whip up turbulence. And to be sure, there were winds and rain strong enough to fell several trees, flood a few roads, and knock out power in some Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Another meteorologist, Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd of the University of Georgia, wrote in Forbes that, "A level 4 or 5 storm in the D.C. area is rare," and "preparation was absolutely warranted in places like D.C." Still, Cappucci said, "We made a horrible forecast." Then he explained why the mistake happened and added words rarely heard f...

is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 120, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready for Pen Opinions, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) I also have for you a must-see movie for the weekend, a couple of fun new ways to play with AI, a piece of delightfully inventive furniture, and much more. Let’s do this? Let’s do this. (As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / listening to / playing / sticking to the wall with thumbtacks this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.) The Drop Project Hail Mary . According to basically everyone I know and read, you need to see this movie. In a theater. As soon as humanly possible. I confess I didn’t like the book quite as much as The Martian — I loved that book and movie both — but I’m still getting tickets for this one this weekend. According to basically everyone I know and read, you need to see this movie. In a theater. As soon as humanly possible. I confess I didn’t like the book quite as much as The Martian — I loved that book and movie both — but I’m still getting tickets for this one this weekend. The AirPods Max 2 . Honestly? It is outrageous to me that Apple updated these headphones without making them lighter or fixing that stupid charging case. But, in the sense that these are “AirPods Max only better,” they are better in a bunch of really useful ways. Just, I mean, the case. Come on. Honestly? It is outrageous to me that Apple updated these headphones without making them lighter or fixing that stupid charging case. Bu...

Apple’s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has reigned supreme in the world of creator-focused laptops since its M-series processor overhaul in 2021. Since then, we’ve mostly seen the same design with year-over-year chip bumps and small refinements. “If it ain’t broke,” right? If you want to know everything about this machine, you can read our review of the last-gen M4 Pro / M4 Max models — it pretty much all holds up with the M5 models that replace them. But this time around, in addition to the usual testing and use of the new M5 Max model, it’s worth asking a specific new question: whether you should consider a new MacBook Pro if you’re currently using an M1 Pro or M1 Max model. I see you in the comments section, 2021 MacBook owners, wondering when an upgrade is worth it. And I’m here for you. We got our hands on some four-and-a-half-year-old MacBook Pros to test them against Apple’s latest and greatest, and it’s safe to say it’s worth upgrading — for some of you, at least. For 2026, the 16-inch MacBook Pro has faster processors, Wi-Fi 7 support, and twice-as-fast storage that now starts at higher capacities. The Pro costs $2,699 for an M5 Pro chip with an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU, “just” 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. At a starting price of $3,899, the M5 Max has an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage — along with double-capacity memory bandwidth over the M5 Pro (for faster data transfer between the CPU and RAM). Our M5 Max test unit is souped up with a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, 4TB of storage, and a Nano-texture anti-glare display, all costing an exorbitant $6,149. Component report card Screen: A Webcam: A Keyboard: B Trackpad: A Port selection: B Speakers: A Number of ugly stickers to remove: 0 The M1 Pro and M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros I got my hands on for some limited testing have comparatively quaint specs. The M1 Pro is a 10-core CPU / 16-core GPU model, with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage (it cost $2,699 when new in 2021). And the M1 Ma...

The Iran conflict has thrown both the U.S. economic outlook and Fed policy plans out the window. While geopolitical events tend to be short term in nature and conditions often return to the way they were after tensions settle, this conflict is looking more and more like it will be a problem for a while. It's also impacting what the Fed might be able to do this year. For months, the Fed Funds futures market has been pricing in rate cuts this year. Even with inflation remaining stubbornly above target and several Fed members expressing hesitation to cut rates in light of this, futures had been indicating expectations for two rate cuts in 2026. This belief was largely based on the notion that gross domestic product (GDP) growth was likely to slow and the labor market showed stagnant job growth. Plus, if the current oil spike was due to a supply driven event, it may only be temporarily inflationary. Long-term macro fundamentals should outweigh short-term shocks. But the inflation question still isn't going away. It doesn't seem out of the question that the Iran conflict could drag out for months. If Iran is willing to close off the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely despite the United States government's insistence that it won't withdraw until Iran surrenders, we could be facing a long stalemate. This all leads to one big question: Should the Fed be giving stronger consideration to hiking rates here, rather than cutting them? Let's take a look at some of the factors that could support the case for rate increases. Corporate earnings are strong Current estimates call for 11.6% earnings growth for the S&P 500 (^GSPC 1.51%) in Q1 2026. If that number delivers, it would be the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit year-over-year earnings growth for the index. Even better, small-cap earnings growth expectations are starting to improve as well. Rate cuts are meant to support an economy that's deteriorating. If corporate earnings are already strong and in some cases accelerating...

Yeomans Consulting Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,035 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $866,000. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Micron Technology by 18.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,318 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock valued at $532,000 after purchasing an additional 976 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Micron Technology by 21.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,528 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $435,000 after buying an additional 628 shares in the last quarter. United Bank bought a new position in Micron Technology during the 2nd quarter valued at $236,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in Micron Technology by 67.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 16,984 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $2,093,000 after acquiring an additional 6,867 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Micron Technology by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,964 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $735,000 after acquiring an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.84% of the company's stock. Get Micron Technology alerts: Sign Up Micron Technology Trading Down 4.8% Shares of MU stock opened at $422.81 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $475.87 billion, a PE ratio of 19.96 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.78 an...

The Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting has been cleared to compete in the female category at World Boxing events, the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association (CTBA) has announced, hailing the news as a “tremendous relief”. Lin and the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were embroiled in a gender row at the 2024 Paris Games, where they won Olympic titles in separate weight classes. World Boxing, a body recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), confirmed the decision to allow Lin back into the ring after its medical experts ruled that the 30-year-old athlete was female. The decision means Lin can compete in the Asian Boxing Championships in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, starting next Saturday, her first international event since Paris. “We are pleased that World Boxing’s independent medical experts thoroughly reviewed all evidence and confirmed that she has been female since birth,” the CTBA said in a statement. Under World Boxing’s policy introduced in August, fighters over 18 who want to participate in the women’s category need to take a one-off genetic test. Lin was tested last year, but World Boxing has not revealed the results. She missed the world championships in Liverpool in September after reportedly failing to get a response from World Boxing. The CTBA began an appeal process, submitting medical documents to World Boxing that were analysed by its medical committee. Its secretary general, Tom Dielen, said in a statement: “Following the conclusion of an appeal process… we can confirm that the boxer is eligible to compete in the female category at World Boxing competitions.” Lin and Khelif were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed eligibility tests. However, the IOC allowed them both to compete in Paris, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”. Khelif has not competed in World Boxing-sanctioned events since the implementation of the test, bu...

格隆汇3月21日｜据以色列媒体21日消息，以国防部长卡茨当天表示，在接下来的一周，以色列与美国将“显著加大”对伊朗的军事打击力度。据《以色列时报》，卡茨在与军方官员举行的一次评估会议上称，接下来的一周，以色列和美国将“显著加大”针对伊朗基础设施的打击力度。卡茨称，以色列“决心继续主导”针对伊朗的军事行动，打击伊朗指挥体系并挫败其战略能力，直至消除一切对以色列国家安全以及美国在该地区利益构成的威胁。卡茨还称，以色列在实现所有战争目标之前“不会停止行动”。

格隆汇3月21日｜伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队：凌晨3点45分，伊朗中部地区被伊斯兰革命卫队空天部队的新型防空系统击落，这是属于犹太复国主义政权的第三架敌方战斗机，型号为F-16。战争爆发后的前三周，成功追踪并摧毁了200多架敌方飞机，包括无人机、巡航导弹、加油机和先进战斗机。这表明伊朗及其周边地区对敌方空域的监视和追踪能力显著提升，国家防空体系也得到了加强。

JJFarquitectos/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered Unilever ( UL ), I highlighted how their planned ice cream spin-off and 2030 plan could help improve their margins, although there were several macro headwinds to keep in mind. Although the stock is down to 52-week lows following the escalation of the Iran conflict, broader macro pressure, and recently announcing their intention to look into a potential spin-off/sale of their food business, I believe UL’s current valuation remains fair, with the margin of safety not justifying a buy yet. Internal Developments Unilever IR UL reported a relatively solid quarter and year, with a 3.5% growth rate in underlying sales in 2025, 2 percentage points coming from price growth and 1.5 points from volume growth, the latter being quite rare in this environment, being an advantage of the company’s global footprint, while their 30 “Power Brands” ( 78% of turnover ; 11 of them being billion-dollar brands) delivered even better numbers. Meanwhile, the free cash flow (excluding the Magnum Ice Cream ( MICC ) branch that was successfully demerged recently - with UL keeping 19.9% of them, for now - reached €5.9 billion, with a 100% cash conversion rate, while they also completed several other portfolio dispositions and bolt-on acquisitions. For 2026, Unilever expects a similar 4% to 6% underlying sales growth rate, with modest underlying operating margin improvements from last year’s 20% - which remains solid for a company in this industry, further highlighting their diversified, global operations with significant exposure to Asia (44% of their turnover, double the 22% coming from North America) - with CAPEX expected at about 3% of their turnover. Unilever IR Financially, based on UL’s latest report , we can see an overall normal position for a company like this, with the current assets not covering the current liabilities, but with an overall manageable level of debt, with a relatively low 2.0x Net Deb...

3月20日，帝欧水华（002798.SZ）发布公告，公司拟接受龙湖集团（00960.HK）、万科（000002.SZ）、碧桂园（02007.HK）、中国金茂（00817.HK）、成都新希望置业有限公司等19家房企非现金资产抵债。 更为直接的说法是“以房抵债”。公告显示，债务人以其已建成和在建商品房（含住宅、商铺、公寓、停车位）合计金额1.61亿元（已含增值税），用以抵偿其所欠付公司的货款共计1.55亿元，差额606.49万元由公司以现金方式结付。 执行方式有两种，一是，公司与债务人订立书面约定，将相关房产网签备案给公司用以抵偿债务，公司聘请资产评估公司，对相关抵债房产进行评估；二是，公司与债务人订立书面约定，由债务人在约定的时间内将房产出售，以取得的销售回款归还给本公司用以抵偿债务。 公告称，本次非现金资产抵债的债务人均是公司建筑陶瓷和卫浴业务的客户及其关联人，所有的债务人均与公司及公司董事、高级管理人员、5%以上股东及其关联方不存在关联关系，亦不存在向公司及公司关联方输送利益的情形。目前，公司已对部分抵债资产进行财务入账，入账依据为网签备案的评估价值或市场价格标准进行确认。 帝欧水华聘请了资产评估公司，对涉及已网签备案及拟网签备案的抵债房产进行评估。评估结果显示，用于抵债的房产（已网签及拟网签）于2026年1月31日（评估基准日）的评估价值为6454.75万元。 公告指出，该评估价值与抵债金额9451.58万元存在差异，“公司经审慎考虑后认为，对资产抵偿作出适当让步，通过以房抵债方式来化解应收账款的回款风险是实现资产安全的最优办法，也有利于最大化维护公司和全体股东的权益”。 公告显示，本次事项已经过董事会的审议通过。此前，公司已多次开展以非现金资产抵债事项，2024年5月至2025年4月累计抵债金额约7.83亿元，相关事项已在2024年年度股东会上通过。

Teamjackson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Veolia ( VEOEY ) has been one of my primary buys for some time. I thought the company, as of recently, was on the "way up", given the trends we were seeing with the stock hitting native share prices of almost €36/share. I was, in fact, close to lowering my rating to "HOLD". Despite the recent trend, you will see that based on my ratings, Veolia has not only performed well, it has also outperformed the SPY. Seeking Alpha Veolia RoR Veolia remains, in my mind, one of the premier investment opportunities in this sector. This is especially the case now that the sector is seeing extremely overvalued tendencies, which thankfully Veolia is in no way part of (after the recent decline, at least). Veolia's quality as an investment is good for several reasons. You can read them somewhat included in my last article, which you can find here, but for the sake of simplicity, I will reiterate them quickly here. Veolia is a very defensive investment in key human need areas , including water, waste, and energy. It offers a high rate of recurring revenue generation , which translates into high cash generation. Its growth potential within the EU is secured through its current investment and CapEx plan, combined with a solid set of inflation-protected cash flows , a very good dividend yield, and moves to expand further into the lucrative markets of hazardous waste and decarbonization. Its fundamentals and solid historical performance only underscore the company's positive quality in virtually every operating environment. I will go through key risk areas in this article, but it's important to understand from the get-go that key risks for this player are relatively limited or low, no matter how you choose to view it. This is because Veolia is a major player in the EU energy transition , and is set to receive significant advantages from this happening over the next 5 years. The description above is why I am significantly invested in the company...

23s ago 12.10 GMT GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham (Khadija Shaw, 8) Shaw fires City into the lead! Greenwood sends a corner into the box and Blakstad fails to clear the ball away. It drops directly to Shaw in the six-yard box, who does not hesitate before smashing her shot home. Share 3m ago 12.07 GMT Zach Neeley has messaged in to say: “Caldentey, Smith, Russo, Kelly, Blackstenius. That’s A LOT for West Ham’s defence to have running at it…” Share 5m ago 12.06 GMT GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 West Ham (Stina Blackstenius, 4) Arsenal get the first goal of the afternoon! Kelly sends a cross into the danger zone from the left and Blackstenius pounces to poke the ball into the net. Share 7m ago 12.03 GMT Manchester City v Tottenham: City are pressing high in the early stages, but Spurs remain compact at the back. Share 14m ago 11.57 GMT The teams are out across the grounds and we’re about to get under way! Share 40m ago 11.30 GMT Team news – Manchester United v Everton Manchester United starting line-up: Tullis-Joyce, Le Tissier, Lundkvist, Park, Malard, Terland, Rolfö, Awujo, Naalsund, Zigiotti, Turner. Substitutes: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, George, Anderson, Drury, Schüller. Everton starting line-up: Brosnan, Hobson, Fernández, Mace, Pacheco, Van Gool, Galli, Kramzar, Payne, Vignola, Momiki. Substitutes: Ramsey, Gabarro, Gago, Lawley, Harbert, Stenevik, Jones. Share 52m ago 11.19 GMT Team news - Arsenal v West Ham Arsenal starting line-up: Borbe, Holmberg, Wubben-Moy, Codina, Hinds, Little, Caldentey, Smith, Russo, Kelly, Blackstenius. Substitutes: Votikova, Van Domselaar, Fox, Mead, McCabe, Pelova, Harwood. West Ham starting line-up: Szemik, Hansen, Nyström, Cascarino, Belloumou, Tennebø, Siren, Zelem, Morgan, Wandeler, Martinez. Substitutes: Walsh, Endo, Bose, Zadorsky, Brasero, Hanshaw, Houssein, Cemal, Piubel. Share 1h ago 11.14 GMT Team news - London City Lionesses v Chelsea London City Lionesses starting line-up: Lete, Fernández, Pattinson, Asllani, Van de Donk, Linari...

Bloomberg's Abeer Abu Omar, Skylar Woodhouse and The Associated Press' Konstantin Toropin join David Gura and Christina Ruffini on “Bloomberg This Weekend” to discuss the implications for US foreign policy and the political dynamics surrounding Trump's approach to Iran. (Source: Bloomberg)

⚽ Updates from the 12.30pm GMT Premier League kick-off ⚽ Ten things to look out for | Table | Mail Scott Hürzeler’s side can get into the top half of the table with a win this lunchtime. They’d leapfrog over Everton into eighth spot, for a couple of hours at least. (Fulham host Burnley at 3pm and Everton welcome Chelsea at 5.30pm, but with Newcastle not in action until tomorrow’s north-east derby, a top-half spot come bedtime would be guaranteed.) Liverpool can move into fourth with a win; Aston Villa don’t play until they host West Ham tomorrow. Sumer The business end of the season is icumen in . Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler talks to TNT Sports. “We try to stick to your principles … don’t over-react … don’t get too depressive … don’t focus on the lows … keep the work ethic high … I am a big believer of this team … of the quality of the players … they stepped up … showed ownership and responsibility … we have been able to manage the key moments of the game … every player knows his role … it is so important to do the small margins right … we need to play intense today … we have to be really tight … press like a very compact team … I always see football as an event … fans spend a lot of money … we want to win with our identity … we are not known for set-piece culture … playing with courage … being innovative … how you want to be seen.” Continue reading...