Kay Ivey commutes sentence of Charles ‘Sonny’ Burton, saying death penalty would be unfair as he did not fire the fatal shot Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The governor of Alabama commuted the death sentence of a 75-year-old inmate who was set to be executed this week, even though he was not in the building when the victim of the murder he was sentenc...
Kay Ivey commutes sentence of Charles ‘Sonny’ Burton, saying death penalty would be unfair as he did not fire the fatal shot Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The governor of Alabama commuted the death sentence of a 75-year-old inmate who was set to be executed this week, even though he was not in the building when the victim of the murder he was sentenced for was killed. Kay Ivey, the Republican governor of the state, reduced Charles “Sonny” Burton’s sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole this week. The move marks the second time the governor has granted clemency of a death row inmate since she took office in 2017. Burton was sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting death of a customer, Doug Battle, during a store robbery. However, another man, Derrick DeBruce, shot Battle after Burton had left the store. DeBruce’s death sentence was reduced on appeal to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ivey said in a statement that she could not fairly administer the death penalty to Burton when the man who actually killed Battle was allowed to live. “I firmly believe that the death penalty is just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders, as shown by the 25 executions I have presided over as governor. In order to ensure the continued viability of the death penalty, however, I also believe that a government’s most consequential action must be administered fairly and proportionately,” she said. Continue reading...
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol during votes on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images There is nothing that Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh can say to get Sen. Thom Tillis to end his blockade on Warsh's confirmation, the North Carolina Republican said Tuesday. "This is not about people, it's about process," Tillis tol...
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol during votes on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images There is nothing that Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh can say to get Sen. Thom Tillis to end his blockade on Warsh's confirmation, the North Carolina Republican said Tuesday. "This is not about people, it's about process," Tillis told reporters at the U.S. Capitol, ahead of a scheduled meeting with Warsh. Tillis has vowed not to vote for any Fed nominees, including Warsh, until a criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell is resolved. Powell has called the investigation a political pretext. The chairman has said he is really being targeted for his refusal to cut interest rates as broadly and as quickly as demanded by President Donald Trump . This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
NiseriN/iStock via Getty Images This article reviews the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for Italy's Snam S.p.A. ( SNMRY ) ( SNMRF ), presented on 5th March 2026 in Milan. This is the first presentation given by Snam's new CEO, Agostino Scornajenchi, who joined the company in May 2025. As a reminder, Snam is Italy's and one of Europe's leading gas infrastructure operators. Scenario Snam said there is "ri...
NiseriN/iStock via Getty Images This article reviews the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for Italy's Snam S.p.A. ( SNMRY ) ( SNMRF ), presented on 5th March 2026 in Milan. This is the first presentation given by Snam's new CEO, Agostino Scornajenchi, who joined the company in May 2025. As a reminder, Snam is Italy's and one of Europe's leading gas infrastructure operators. Scenario Snam said there is "rising global gas demand driven by power generation and system integration needs" however, the European Union's Fit for 55 package—the EU's commitment to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030—is not on target. This means the era of "gas as the enemy" in Europe is at an end, with rising coal-to-gas switching happening and needed. Snam 2026-2030 Strategic Plan However, Italy's own gas demand is falling thanks to lower gas needs in power generation and the residential sector. This is being offset by rising gas demand from industry, and as such, serving industry is an important factor in Snam's updated strategy. Snam 2026-2030 Strategic Plan Italy will also increase its gas exports, making Snam's gas infrastructure a key enabler for European gas supply adequacy and security. Along with gas adequacy and security, gas-electricity integration—thanks to growing system complexity with increased renewables uptake—and developments in new low-carbon gases to enable Europe's decarbonization goals mean that Snam's new strategy tagline is From Energy Transition to Energy Integration . My own thoughts are that Europe desperately needs more gas infrastructure to help make its industry more competitive; hence, I'm in agreement with Snam's scenario. From Energy Transition to Energy Integration Snam is not just an Italian business; it has an important portfolio of international assets and associates, such as the SeaCorridor connecting Italy with Tunisia in partnership with Eni ( E ), the Trans Adriatic Pipeline in partnership with BP p.l.c. ( BP ) and others, the East M...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) shares rose 1.37% intraday to $656.28 after the company agreed to acquire Moltbook, an experimental social network designed for interactions between artificial intelligence agents. The platform allows AI systems to post messages, comment on threads, and vote on content while their human developers observe the activity. Terms of...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) shares rose 1.37% intraday to $656.28 after the company agreed to acquire Moltbook, an experimental social network designed for interactions between artificial intelligence agents. The platform allows AI systems to post messages, comment on threads, and vote on content while their human developers observe the activity. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The team behind Moltbook will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs, a newer division focused on accelerating the company's AI model development. The startup launched in late January 2026 by Matt Schlicht, the chief executive of AI commerce startup Octane AI. The platform was built rapidly using AI-assisted coding tools. By bringing the team into Meta's Superintelligence Labs, Meta aims to bridge the gap between static models and autonomous agents capable of performing tasks for businesses.
General Catalyst , a venture capital firm that has recently transformed into a broader financial services company, is in talks with investors to raise about $10 billion in new funding, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions are early and the fundraising targets could change, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The money would be sp...
General Catalyst , a venture capital firm that has recently transformed into a broader financial services company, is in talks with investors to raise about $10 billion in new funding, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions are early and the fundraising targets could change, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The money would be spread across several vehicles, including the company’s growth and early-stage venture funds, one of the people said. A representative for General Catalyst didn’t respond to requests for comment. Best known for its bets on Silicon Valley startups like Airbnb Inc. and Stripe , General Catalyst has expanded into other areas of finance in recent years, and has put a focus on bringing artificial intelligence to more traditional industries. For example, it recently bought a health system in Ohio. The company has expanded its investments into other money managers, sometimes investing several million into certain funds, the people said. General Catalyst has also acquired firms outright, including La Famiglia in Europe. Read More: The Princess President of a Major VC Firm Wants a European AI Renaissance As of last summer, General Catalyst had more than $40 billion in assets under management. The new funding would significantly increase that, putting it ahead of most venture firms in the US by size. In 2024, General Catalyst raised about $8 billion in capital, including $4.5 billion for venture capital investing and $3.5 billion for other types of bets. Expanding beyond the traditional VC model, General Catalyst has also incubated its own companies and has encouraged some startups to buy others, a strategy reminiscent of private equity. Led by investor Hemant Taneja , General Catalyst has recently backed companies in AI, defense, climate tech, health care and finance. Those include Anduril Industries Inc. and major AI player Anthropic PBC . Read More: General Catalyst, MGX in Talks to...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares climbed about 2% Tuesday as the chipmaker unveiled a multi?year strategic partnership and moved toward new product launches. Under the agreement, Nvidia agreed to invest in AI startup Thinking Machines Lab and will supply at least one gigawatt of its next?generation Vera Rubin processors to support the company's AI model trainin...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares climbed about 2% Tuesday as the chipmaker unveiled a multi?year strategic partnership and moved toward new product launches. Under the agreement, Nvidia agreed to invest in AI startup Thinking Machines Lab and will supply at least one gigawatt of its next?generation Vera Rubin processors to support the company's AI model training efforts. The deal also includes joint design work for training and serving systems based on Nvidia architectures, with deployment expected early next year. Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has rapidly scaled since its 2025 launch, securing about $2 billion in seed funding and reaching a double?digit billion valuation. The computing power from Nvidia is intended to help the startup compete with larger rivals in advanced AI systems development. Separately, Nvidia is preparing to unveil an open?source enterprise AI platform called NemoClaw ahead of its GTC 2026 conference. The software aims to expand Nvidia's presence beyond hardware by enabling reasoning and task execution functions for corporate applications. Investors and analysts are watching these moves as indicators of Nvidia's attempts to broaden its AI ecosystem beyond chip sales alone.
On Friday night, my boyfriend and I sat on the couch for a refreshing evening of doing nothing together. We tuned into a baseball game, he picked up my guitar, and I eagerly booted up “Pokémon Pokopia,” the 30-year-old franchise’s new cozy life simulator game, which is unlike anything we’ve seen from Pokémon before. I narrated my experience as I played, explaining the process of constructing habit...
On Friday night, my boyfriend and I sat on the couch for a refreshing evening of doing nothing together. We tuned into a baseball game, he picked up my guitar, and I eagerly booted up “Pokémon Pokopia,” the 30-year-old franchise’s new cozy life simulator game, which is unlike anything we’ve seen from Pokémon before. I narrated my experience as I played, explaining the process of constructing habitats to increase the comfort levels of my Pokémon friends, a primary objective of the game. “Onix is stuck in a cave, but I can’t break through the walls, so Squirtle suggested throwing a party to make it rain to soften the rocks,” I told my boyfriend as I played. “But Squirtle and I don’t know what ‘celebration’ means, so we have to ask Professor Tangrowth what it means to ‘party.’” I rejoiced when I finally made it rain and awakened Kyogre — but then Charmander, who calls me “bestie,” discovered that the rain makes the flame on its tail go out, so I had to build a little hut for shelter with the help of our pals Timburr and Hitmonchan. Suddenly, it was 11:30 p.m. I only looked up because the baseball game was about to end. To my horror, my boyfriend had fallen asleep on the couch beside me. I did not realize he was asleep. I was so engrossed in building habitats for my Pokémon pals that I didn’t notice that he had stopped responding to my commentary … since he was no longer awake. While he drifted in and out of a light couch snooze, I had never stopped relaying a detailed play-by-play of how I was restoring a seaside habitat for Magikarp. I was completely oblivious. I was, and am, embarrassed that this happened. For my own good, I have no choice but to believe that I committed this faux pas not because I am an inattentive partner, but because “Pokopia” is simply too good a game, and thus, it is not my fault that I paid more attention to the fictional Onix stuck in a cave than the actual human being beside me. (You should’ve seen how helpless that Onix looked! How long had ...
peshkov Mohamed A. El-Erian, the prominent economist and market commentator, cautioned Tuesday that the extreme turbulence gripping oil markets is unlikely to subside anytime soon, even as prices retreated sharply from recent highs. In a post on X, El-Erian described the trading session as “another super wild day” following U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech the previous evening, in addition to ...
peshkov Mohamed A. El-Erian, the prominent economist and market commentator, cautioned Tuesday that the extreme turbulence gripping oil markets is unlikely to subside anytime soon, even as prices retreated sharply from recent highs. In a post on X, El-Erian described the trading session as “another super wild day” following U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech the previous evening, in addition to an unconfirmed report of the U.S. military escorting a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz and a multi-country agreement on a possible coordinated release of strategic reserves. The scale of recent price swings has been remarkable. El-Erian noted that in just seven days, oil prices surged from around $70 a barrel to nearly $120 before falling back to $80. “I expect this turbulence to persist,” El-Erian wrote. He pointed to three factors driving his outlook: the ongoing conduct of the war, the growing misalignment of incentives between the three main countries involved—the United States, Israel and Iran—and the inherent complexities of energy supply chains. The warning comes as markets attempt to digest the implications of the Middle East conflict for global energy supplies. Brent crude ( CO1:COM ) has tumbled but remains significantly elevated compared to pre-conflict levels. For investors, El-Erian’s assessment suggests that positioning for continued uncertainty rather than betting on a quick return to stability may be the prudent approach in the weeks ahead. Oil ETFs: ( USO ), ( UCO ), ( DBO ), ( OILK ), and ( USL ). Brent futures (five-day view) (Seeking Alpha) More on Brent Futures, Crude Oil Futures, etc. Oil Prices: What If Iran Manages To Keep The Strait Of Hormuz Closed For Longer? WTI Forms A Tight Range After Trump's Comments - Oil Dynamics And Intraday Analysis Crude Oil: Too Late To Buy And Too Early To Short Despite oil's 10% slide, prediction markets are not convinced that the oil rally is over Markets force Trump's hand again as oil tumble validates strategy:...
Rocket Companies has been down in the dumps, but its shares could be due for a bounce following its latest string of acquisitions, according to Josh Brown. The fintech and homeownership services company is down roughly 20% since the beginning of the year, despite a broader real estate rally. But that doesn't mean there's more downside ahead, Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO and co-founder Josh Brown...
Rocket Companies has been down in the dumps, but its shares could be due for a bounce following its latest string of acquisitions, according to Josh Brown. The fintech and homeownership services company is down roughly 20% since the beginning of the year, despite a broader real estate rally. But that doesn't mean there's more downside ahead, Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO and co-founder Josh Brown said Tuesday on CNBC's "Halftime Report." "This is a company that spent the mortgage nuclear winter making acquisitions," Brown said. "And now, with this combination of assets, I think the CEO is on the right track, and what he wants to build is the dominant mortgage-to-housing platform." Last October, Rocket completed the acquisition of Mr. Cooper , a large mortgage servicer, for more than $14 billion. Following the deal, Rocket services nearly 10 million homeowners. That adds to its purchase of real-estate brokerage platform Redfin , completed a few months earlier. Rocket seems to be poised for a bounce as the real estate industry rallies. The State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF risen 7% in the year to date. Stocks in the sector, including Rocket, could also see more upside if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates again, or Treasury yields pull back to where they were before the Iran war. Traders expect no move from the Federal Reserve at its policy meeting next week, according to fed funds futures trading data collected on the CME Group's FedWatch tool.
Over the past year, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 1.33%) and DexCom (DXCM 1.21%) have faced headwinds, and have lagged the stock market as a result. Shares of the former are down 13% over the trailing-12-month period, while the latter is down 12%. Despite the obstacles they have faced, Intuitive Surgical and DexCom have excellent prospects that could allow them to outperform broader equities over the n...
Over the past year, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 1.33%) and DexCom (DXCM 1.21%) have faced headwinds, and have lagged the stock market as a result. Shares of the former are down 13% over the trailing-12-month period, while the latter is down 12%. Despite the obstacles they have faced, Intuitive Surgical and DexCom have excellent prospects that could allow them to outperform broader equities over the next decade. 1. Intuitive Surgical Intuitive Surgical, the leader in the robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) market, encountered at least two obstacles in 2025. First, tariffs took a bite out of the company's financial results. Second, Medtronic, a medical device leader, earned clearance for a competing device in the U.S., the Hugo system, in urologic procedures. While the Hugo system won't seriously challenge Intuitive Surgical's crown jewel, the da Vinci system, for a few years, the prospect of more competition did the company no favors. Let's see how Intuitive Surgical can overcome both obstacles, starting with the second one, and still deliver competitive returns through 2036. Intuitive Surgical will benefit from an important secular trend: The world's aging population, which means a higher demand for many of the procedures it offers with its da Vinci system. By 2034, there will be more seniors aged 65 and older than people 18 and under in the U.S., according to projections (and it's already the case in 11 states). Expand NASDAQ : ISRG Intuitive Surgical Today's Change ( -1.33 %) $ -6.59 Current Price $ 486.97 Key Data Points Market Cap $175B Day's Range $ 484.56 - $ 496.00 52wk Range $ 425.00 - $ 603.88 Volume 97K Avg Vol 1.9M Gross Margin 65.98 % It's also worth noting Intuitive Surgical's wide moat, driven by switching costs (da Vinci systems are expensive), as well as its innovative qualities, which have enabled it to launch new iterations of its devices and secure label expansions. The result should be a larger market and increased procedure volume, leading to higher rev...
Poca Wander Stock/iStock via Getty Images As I covered about one year ago , while I saw Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( AJG ) as an interesting growth play in the insurance sector, its valuation was quite high, making me cautious about its shares at the time. However, despite the company having a good growth history and its operating performance being solid, its shares have performed much worse than I...
Poca Wander Stock/iStock via Getty Images As I covered about one year ago , while I saw Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( AJG ) as an interesting growth play in the insurance sector, its valuation was quite high, making me cautious about its shares at the time. However, despite the company having a good growth history and its operating performance being solid, its shares have performed much worse than I was expecting, having declined by around 33% since then and underperforming the overall stock market ( SPY ) by a wide margin during the same period. Article performance (Seeking Alpha) This weak performance is not just specific to AJG, as compared to some of its closest peers, including AON Plc ( AON ), Willis Towers Watson ( WTW ), or Marsh & McLennan Companies ( MRSH ). All these stocks have posted negative returns over the last year, as shown in the next graph. However, AJG had the worst performance across its peer group, which seems to be a warning sign about its fundamentals ahead. Stock returns (Seeking Alpha) Looking into its most recent financial performance, AJG continued to pursue its growth strategy in 2025 , being a mix of organic initiatives and acquisitions. The company completed 33 acquisitions during the year, including the large acquisition of AssuredPartners for some $13.8 billion, a relatively high-level given that it usually makes 25-35 acquisitions per year. This was a key factor for AJG to report growth in annual revenues of 21%, of which only 6% was organic (vs. 7% in 2024) and was at the bottom of its guidance range of 6-8%. This shows that most revenue growth was driven by acquisitions, while organic growth was softer than expected during last year. For the full year, AJG reported annual revenues of more than $13.7 billion, with 88% being generated in the insurance brokerage segment and the rest in the risk management unit. On top of strong revenue growth, the company was also able to achieve some margin expansion, as the costs and revenue synergi...
bombermoon/iStock via Getty Images SolarEdge Technologies ( SEDG ) +10.3% in Tuesday's trading as Bank of America upgraded shares to Neutral from Underperform with a $40 price target, raised from $17, saying revenue, margin trajectory, and liquidity have "stabilized enough to materially reduce downside risk," even as U.S. residential solar volumes likely will fall sharply in 2026. "Importantly, a ...
bombermoon/iStock via Getty Images SolarEdge Technologies ( SEDG ) +10.3% in Tuesday's trading as Bank of America upgraded shares to Neutral from Underperform with a $40 price target, raised from $17, saying revenue, margin trajectory, and liquidity have "stabilized enough to materially reduce downside risk," even as U.S. residential solar volumes likely will fall sharply in 2026. "Importantly, a market share rotation is underway, with SEDG regaining the #1 U.S. [residential] inverter share in 2Q-3Q '25 for the first time since 3Q '21, driven by a higher TPO mix, which is taking share as cash/loan volumes collapse and the rollout of single-SKU inverters that simplify dealer operations," BofA's Dimple Gosal wrote. SolarEdge's ( SEDG ) upside is limited by weak end markets, uncertain free cash flow durability, and European Union softness, which together cap visibility on sustained margin recovery, while downside also is more balanced as inventories have cleared, gross margin has normalized, and liquidity risk has eased, according to the analyst, who said the stock now trades at fair value. More on SolarEdge Technologies SolarEdge Technologies: Solid Quarter And Outlook Amid Difficult Market Conditions - Hold SolarEdge Is A Hold Until Margins Actually Come Back (Rating Downgrade) SolarEdge Technologies: Ready For A Brighter Future
Senate Democrats ramp up pressure campaign for public hearings on war with Iran toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Senate Democrats are demanding public hearings with testimony from top Trump administration officials as the White House offers mixed messaging on the war's central objectives and timeline. White House officials, including Secretary of State Marco R...
Senate Democrats ramp up pressure campaign for public hearings on war with Iran toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Senate Democrats are demanding public hearings with testimony from top Trump administration officials as the White House offers mixed messaging on the war's central objectives and timeline. White House officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have held a series of classified briefings with lawmakers since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 . Following a closed-door briefing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, Democrats said the classified nature of these briefings hamstrings lawmakers from being transparent with their constituents about key components of the war. "Here we are well into the second week, and it is still the case that the Trump administration cannot explain the reasons that we entered this war, the goals we're trying to accomplish, and the methods for doing that," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., upon leaving the briefing. Sponsor Message Administration officials have offered various – and sometimes conflicting – justifications for the war , referencing Iran's growing ballistic missile program, its naval fleet, its network of terror proxy groups across the Middle East, and its nuclear ambitions. Overall, Congressional Republicans have publicly supported the war. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday the war could be "generational in terms of its impact." "Not only for that region, but for the entire world, because they continued -- Iran -- to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. They are on the way to nuclear capability, and they're holding that entire region hostage and American interests as well," he said at a weekly press conference. "So I think this was an important mission to accomplish, and hopefully it'll be accomplished soon." House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also defended the war w...
The stock market is full of bargains -- the question is which ones are true bargains and which ones are companies that are being sold off for a good reason. I think three that are down a bit from all-time highs yet look like solid investment picks are Nvidia (NVDA +1.13%), Microsoft (MSFT 1.15%), and The Trade Desk (TTD 3.19%). These three all have solid upside and look like great bargains to buy ...
The stock market is full of bargains -- the question is which ones are true bargains and which ones are companies that are being sold off for a good reason. I think three that are down a bit from all-time highs yet look like solid investment picks are Nvidia (NVDA +1.13%), Microsoft (MSFT 1.15%), and The Trade Desk (TTD 3.19%). These three all have solid upside and look like great bargains to buy now. Nvidia "Nvidia" and "bargain" are two words that aren't used in the same sentence all that often, but that's what I think the stock represents today. Nvidia makes graphics processing units (GPUs), which have become the most popular computing hardware for running and training AI models. Demand for these products isn't expected to slow down anytime soon, and with multiple projections estimating AI spending will occur through at least 2030, Nvidia still has plenty of room to run. Despite Nvidia already being the largest company in the world, it's growing at an unbelievable pace, and management expects revenue to increase by 77% during its fiscal first quarter currently underway. That's an astounding growth rate for its size, yet the stock isn't valued at that high a premium. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( 1.13 %) $ 2.07 Current Price $ 184.72 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.4T Day's Range $ 182.01 - $ 186.44 52wk Range $ 86.62 - $ 212.19 Volume 6.7M Avg Vol 177M Gross Margin 71.07 % Dividend Yield 0.02 % Nvidia's stock trades for 21.9 times forward earnings; that's the same price the S&P 500 trades at now. A company dominating its industry in a massive technological revolution growing at over a 70% pace has no business being valued at the same price tag as the broader market, which is why I think Nvidia is an incredible value here. Microsoft Microsoft may not be growing at the same pace as Nvidia, but it's still posting solid results, and its approach to AI is working out. In its last quarter, Microsoft's revenue rose 17% year over year, and its cloud computin...