17 Veterans Kill Themselves A Day Waiting 17 Days For Help Authored by Sean O'Connor via RealClearDefense , Every day, roughly 17 veterans take their own lives. For two decades , that number hasn't budged. VA Secretary Doug Collins said that despite spending billions of dollars, we're losing the same number of veterans every year. For veterans under the age of 45, a recent report shows suicide is ...
17 Veterans Kill Themselves A Day Waiting 17 Days For Help Authored by Sean O'Connor via RealClearDefense , Every day, roughly 17 veterans take their own lives. For two decades , that number hasn't budged. VA Secretary Doug Collins said that despite spending billions of dollars, we're losing the same number of veterans every year. For veterans under the age of 45, a recent report shows suicide is the second-leading cause of death. They’re not faceless statistics, but fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters who couldn't survive the wait for help. What makes this unbearable is that while those veterans were in crisis, veterans wait an average of 17 days to see a mental health professional for the first time. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, wrote that these delays ‘pose serious risks to the health and safety of those who served.’ The problem isn't money. In November, President Trump signed a $133 billion VA funding bill that includes $698 million for suicide prevention outreach. And the problem isn’t resourcing, as more than 9 million scheduled visits go unutilized each year due to missed appointments. The problem is that the infrastructure can’t keep up. The VA operates on electronic record systems that don't communicate across facilities, community providers, or state lines, the very kind of coordination that's standard in private health systems. Consider the veteran who needs help for mental health or PTSD treatment. There might be an appointment at their local VA, an available telehealth appointment, or a nearby walk-in clinic. But the scheduling infrastructure can't surface those pathways together. Staff can’t schedule across the network, even though there's availability to address a veteran’s needs that day. The veteran can't book online, and they're told to wait, call back, or try another number. The inefficiencies are well documented. T he VA's own Access to Care website shows it: mental health, primary care...
The FBI is investigating whether Joseph Kent, who resigned his position as a top counterterrorism official this week in protest of the Iran war, improperly shared classified information, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The investigation precedes Kent’s resignation Tuesday from his role as director of the US government’s National Counterterrorism Centre, said the person, who spoke...
The FBI is investigating whether Joseph Kent, who resigned his position as a top counterterrorism official this week in protest of the Iran war, improperly shared classified information, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The investigation precedes Kent’s resignation Tuesday from his role as director of the US government’s National Counterterrorism Centre, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing FBI inquiry. But it comes as the Justice Department has undertaken multiple investigations over the last year into political foes of President Donald Trump, including former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Prosecutors have repeatedly struggled to make charges stick amid rejections from judges or to secure indictments in the first place. Advertisement Additional details about what the investigation, which was first reported by Semafor, is examining were not immediately available. 03:29 US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal Kent disclosed his departure from the administration in a statement on X in which he cited his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and said he “cannot in good conscience” back the war against Iran.
(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are mostly lower on Thursday, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, as a fresh spike in oil prices, triggered by attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities, revived inflation concerns. Report showing stronger-than-expected increase in US producer prices and the US Fed's higher inflation projections dampened bets for near-term interest rate...
(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are mostly lower on Thursday, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, as a fresh spike in oil prices, triggered by attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities, revived inflation concerns. Report showing stronger-than-expected increase in US producer prices and the US Fed's higher inflation projections dampened bets for near-term interest rate cuts. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Wednesday. The Middle East war continued to escalate as attacks on the UAE's energy infrastructure heightened fears of prolonged supply disruptions. Iran also launched missile strikes on a Qatari site housing the world's largest LNG facility after an Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field. Iran has reportedly refused to discuss any peace plans with the U.S., diminishing the expectations of an end to the war or even a ceasefire. Iran has taken this hardline stance to avenge Iran's martyrs. While Israel targeted Iran and Lebanon, Iran attacked its neighbors who host US military bases. The Australian market is trading sharply lower on Thursday, reversing the gains in the previous two sessions, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling to near the 8,500 level, with weakness across most sectors led by mining and technology stocks. Energy stocks were the only bright spot amid spiking crude oil prices. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 131.90 points or 1.53 percent to 8,508.70, after hitting a low of 8,495.30 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 145.40 points or 1.64 percent to 8,702.30. Australian stocks ended modestly higher on Wednesday. Among major miners, Rio Tinto and Mineral Resources are declining almost 3 percent each, while Fortescue is down more than 2 percent and BHP Group is losing more than 3 percent. Oil stocks are mostly higher. Santos is adding more than 3 percent, Beach energy is gaining more than 3 percent, Woodside Energy is surgin...
Q : The 81% gross margin guide is very impressive. How should we think about the sustainability of gross margins, especially with more HBM4 in the mix? A : Mark Murphy, CFO, explained that the 81% gross margin reflects the benefits of AI driving a multi-year investment cycle, requiring more high-performance memory. While they expect market conditions to remain tight beyond 2026, they are not provi...
Q : The 81% gross margin guide is very impressive. How should we think about the sustainability of gross margins, especially with more HBM4 in the mix? A : Mark Murphy, CFO, explained that the 81% gross margin reflects the benefits of AI driving a multi-year investment cycle, requiring more high-performance memory. While they expect market conditions to remain tight beyond 2026, they are not providing specific guidance for the fourth quarter. The growth in HBM4 is factored into the margin, but incremental price increases will have less effect at these levels. There are concerns about the sustainability of high gross margins, especially as the company increases HBM4 production. Micron's fiscal 2026 CapEx is projected to be above $25 billion, driven by cleanroom facility-related expenses, which could pressure cash flow. Supply constraints in DRAM and NAND are impacting the ability to meet customer demand, with some customers receiving only 50% to two-thirds of their requested supply. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript . Story Continues Q: How different is the new five-year Strategic Customer Agreement (SCA) from the Long-Term Agreement (LTA)? A: Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO, noted that SCAs are multi-year agreements, unlike the typical one-year LTAs. These agreements provide stability and visibility into the business model, with specific commitments from customers. While details are confidential, SCAs are designed to help both Micron and its customers plan better in a tight supply environment. Q: How are you managing allocation across different markets, especially with AI demand? A: Sanjay Mehrotra stated that supply is tight across all markets, but demand remains strong. While consumer markets like PCs and smartphones may see some demand impact due to higher prices, overall demand is robust. Micron aims to maintain a diversified supply across end markets, with data centers becoming a larger part of the industry...
Standing up in parliament last week, Charlotte Nichols MP waived her right to anonymity as a complainant of sexual offences. “I care profoundly about rape victims facing intolerable delays for their day in court,” she said, in a debate about jury trials. “I waited 1,088 days to go to court,” she added. Nichols speaks to Helen Pidd about the painful experience of waiting for the case to go to trial...
Standing up in parliament last week, Charlotte Nichols MP waived her right to anonymity as a complainant of sexual offences. “I care profoundly about rape victims facing intolerable delays for their day in court,” she said, in a debate about jury trials. “I waited 1,088 days to go to court,” she added. Nichols speaks to Helen Pidd about the painful experience of waiting for the case to go to trial and what it was like to give evidence. “It’s like having a bruise punched,” she tells Helen. “All the worst things that you think about yourself, they’re going for.” The defendant was acquitted on all of the charges against him. He declined to comment when approached by the Guardian. Support the Guardian today: theguardian.com/todayinfocuspod
Japan ’s education ministry has launched a campaign to fight sexual misconduct involving teachers and revised regulations against voyeurism in the wake of seven male educators arrested last year for taking inappropriate videos of students and sharing them on social media. A law aimed at preventing sexual misconduct in the nation’s schools went into effect in 2022, but revisions were introduced as ...
Japan ’s education ministry has launched a campaign to fight sexual misconduct involving teachers and revised regulations against voyeurism in the wake of seven male educators arrested last year for taking inappropriate videos of students and sharing them on social media. A law aimed at preventing sexual misconduct in the nation’s schools went into effect in 2022, but revisions were introduced as a result of the offences. The ministry intends to update teachers on the rules, including dismissal and prosecution of those who take voyeuristic images of their students. Advertisement Schools will be required to undergo regular inspections to ensure that cameras are not hidden in classrooms, bathrooms or changing rooms, and that teachers know they are not allowed to take photos of students on their personal smartphones. “The law to protect students from sexual harassment by teachers has been in place for a couple of years, and we are seeing more teachers being punished for their actions,” said Chisato Kitanaka, an associate professor of sociology at Hiroshima University and an adviser to the government on gender issues. Advertisement In the 2024 financial year, 281 teachers and staff from kindergartens to senior high schools were disciplined for sexual offences, according to the latest available official data. While the figure was a decline from a record high of 320 cases in the previous financial year, such incidents are still a cause for concern.
yuriz/iStock via Getty Images ENB Stock: Let Your Profit Run I have been bullish on Enbridge Inc. ( ENB ) for about a year now, as you can tell from my historical rating. As an example, my most recent analysis on the stock was titled "Enbridge Q4 2025 Earnings: I See An Equity Bond" and published on Feb 7, 2026. The article previewed its Q4 earnings report (ER) and rated it as a buy. The stock has...
yuriz/iStock via Getty Images ENB Stock: Let Your Profit Run I have been bullish on Enbridge Inc. ( ENB ) for about a year now, as you can tell from my historical rating. As an example, my most recent analysis on the stock was titled "Enbridge Q4 2025 Earnings: I See An Equity Bond" and published on Feb 7, 2026. The article previewed its Q4 earnings report (ER) and rated it as a buy. The stock has indeed performed well either in absolute terms or against the broader market in the past year. As shown in the next chart, Enbridge significantly outperformed the SP500 (as approximated by VOO) with a total return of 31.55%, compared to the already-terrific 19.76% return posted by VOO. Seeking Alpha Besides the substantial price change, a few other fundamental catalysts have also emerged for ENB since my last writing, both in terms of geopolitics and also company specifics. The top changes on my list include the large increases in oil prices due to the military conflict in the Middle East, the company's actual FQ4 ER updates, and also its latest dividend declaration. Usually, a working bullish thesis tends to defeat itself. As price increases, valuation risks heighten and the thesis weakens. However, after examining the above fundamental changes, I don't believe this is the case for ENB. As to be detailed next, the stock still provides a favorable return/risk ratio in my model because the brightened growth prospects have more than offset the substantial valuation expansion since my last writings. Dividend Growth Accelerates to 6.53% Let me start with the latest dividend payout declared by Enbridge, a most telling sign of its true economic earnings in my view. As most investors already know, ENB has been maintaining a strong record of consistent quarterly dividend payouts. And the payout just saw a notable year-over-year increase in 2026. To wit, in 2025, the company distributed four regular payments starting at $0.6653 in February and concluding with a $0.6719 payout in No...
Zijin Mining Group , China’s biggest gold and copper producer, wants to invest in metals like tungsten and uranium, as the global bid to secure critical minerals drives prices higher. “We are looking to expand our position in tungsten and other strategic metals,” including uranium, Lisa Liu , managing director and portfolio manager of Gold Mountains Asset Management Ltd. , said in a recent intervi...
Zijin Mining Group , China’s biggest gold and copper producer, wants to invest in metals like tungsten and uranium, as the global bid to secure critical minerals drives prices higher. “We are looking to expand our position in tungsten and other strategic metals,” including uranium, Lisa Liu , managing director and portfolio manager of Gold Mountains Asset Management Ltd. , said in a recent interview. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin, the firm manages some of the mining giant’s financial investments, including stakes in Montage Gold Corp. and Equinox Gold Corp . Gold Mountains has over $6 billion in assets under management, with around 75% in gold and the rest in copper, lithium, uranium and other metals. Tungsten, a super-dense material used in drilling equipment and armor-piercing weaponry, has more than doubled in value this year due to Chinese export curbs and rising military demand. Prices of uranium , the fuel in nuclear reactors, have also rallied over the past few years in anticipation of a surge in atomic energy demand. Read More: Munitions Metal Tungsten Eclipses Gold, Copper in 557% Rally Mines containing rare earths — a subset of critical minerals used widely in electric vehicles, weapons systems and high-tech manufacturing — are also on the company’s radar, said Liu. But good projects are hard to come by and “many of them are either very expensive or will need a long time” before becoming productive, she said. Gold Mountains has a sizable cash buffer that could be invested in a project at once. “If a major shareholder suddenly looks to offload a large stake, we can step in and absorb it immediately,” said Liu. Gold remains an important part of the business. “Given all the uncertainty — whether it’s global conflicts or changes to monetary systems — there has to be an anchor for storing wealth. That anchor will inevitably be gold,” she said.