Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and burger season. Wayback Burgers President Patrick Conlin joined Christina Ruffini and David Gura on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss changing consumer tastes, rising food costs, and how restaurants are preparing for one of the busiest dining seasons of the year. (Source: Bloomberg)
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and burger season. Wayback Burgers President Patrick Conlin joined Christina Ruffini and David Gura on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss changing consumer tastes, rising food costs, and how restaurants are preparing for one of the busiest dining seasons of the year. (Source: Bloomberg)
Oksana Iermolinska/iStock via Getty Images Co-authored with Beyond Saving. Is it worth paying a premium? When faced with that question, many investors will instinctively say "no." I can appreciate the sentiment because I love a discount as much as the next person. However, when I'm going out with my wife for a romantic steak dinner, I'm not going to the place with the best discount coupon. I'm goi...
Oksana Iermolinska/iStock via Getty Images Co-authored with Beyond Saving. Is it worth paying a premium? When faced with that question, many investors will instinctively say "no." I can appreciate the sentiment because I love a discount as much as the next person. However, when I'm going out with my wife for a romantic steak dinner, I'm not going to the place with the best discount coupon. I'm going to the place that is going to charge a premium in return for a truly memorable experience. If I'm on a long road trip and just looking for a quick bite, then the meat that the truck stop alleges as "sirloin steak" might pass because at least it's cheap. The answer to whether it is worth paying a premium is situational and depends on what you are buying. The same is true of investments. For many investments, you want to buy at a discount because they are frequently available at a discount. For other investments, they chronically trade at a premium and are worth the premium. In the world of BDCs (Business Development Companies), people often talk about the valuation in reference to NAV (Net Asset Value). They will say that the stock is trading at a premium or discount to NAV. While there are certainly cases where a discount is attractive and can be a motivation to invest, BDCs that consistently trade at a premium to NAV have a competitive advantage. They experience better results and produce better returns because they are trading at a premium. Today, we are going to take a close look at Capital Southwest ( CSWC ). It's a BDC that has been trading at a significant premium to NAV, and it is worth every penny. CSWC Is A Premium BDC It has been a tough quarter for BDCs, with most seeing a decrease in their book value and several cutting their dividends. Against that backdrop, CSWC reported a very strong quarter with pre-tax NII at $0.59/share, down only a penny from last quarter. NAV was down 0.4% to $16.69, making it essentially flat over the past year. CSWC has established ...
Pentagon, Intelligence Community Preparing For Renewed Strikes On Iran This Weekend: CBS CBS is reporting that the Trump administration, specifically the Pentagon - as well as intelligence community officials - are currently preparing for a new potential round of military strikes against Iran within the next three days . However, like with much of the latest speculation and reporting regarding wha...
Pentagon, Intelligence Community Preparing For Renewed Strikes On Iran This Weekend: CBS CBS is reporting that the Trump administration, specifically the Pentagon - as well as intelligence community officials - are currently preparing for a new potential round of military strikes against Iran within the next three days . However, like with much of the latest speculation and reporting regarding what comes next in the Iran war, the report included the important caveat that nothing is ultimately confirmed or final: "No final decision on strikes had been reached as of Friday afternoon." Any new US attack would likely see Israel join in, & Tehran vows it would retaliate. Getty Images "Some members of the US military and intelligence community canceled their plans for the Memorial Day weekend in anticipation of possible strikes," several sources said . "Defense and intelligence officials began updating recall rosters for US installations overseas as tranches of troops stationed in the Middle East rotate out of theater , part of an effort to reduce the American military footprint in the region amid concern about possible Iranian retaliation," CBS said. Additionally, Trump's own Truth Social post about missing his son's wedding has set off an avalanche of speculation that renewed attacks are imminent. "Circumstances pertaining to Government" are keeping him from attending his son Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding this weekend, Trump wrote in the post. "I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina!" Trump said. The day prior he had been vague in answering reporters' questions on the matter. "He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it," he had said. A number of pundits noted the ease with which he frequently goes down to Florida to play golf, and that it's strange that he would now miss his son's wedding. Howev...
Melania Trump has won the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by author Michael Wolff designed to head off a billion-dollar defamation action brought by the first lady over statements he made in the media. The US district judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said that Wolff’s claim against Trump under anti-Slapp statutes, which are designed to allow defendants to quickly dismiss meritless, intimidating lawsuits, wa...
Melania Trump has won the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by author Michael Wolff designed to head off a billion-dollar defamation action brought by the first lady over statements he made in the media. The US district judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said that Wolff’s claim against Trump under anti-Slapp statutes, which are designed to allow defendants to quickly dismiss meritless, intimidating lawsuits, was “preemptive” and presented in a “somewhat contorted posture”. In a 45-page ruling, Vyskocil said the “plaintiff asks for a declaration that, if the first lady sues him, he deserves to win. That is not how the federal courts work.” Wolff, who has written four books about Donald Trump, filed the lawsuit last year in response to a lawsuit brought by the first lady after she demanded – and failed to receive – an apology for Wolff’s comments on the administration’s handling of files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Vyskocil, who was appointed by Trump, agreed that Wolff and the first lady “have a real dispute”, but said “they must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else”. Wolff sued Melania Trump last October after her lawyer, Alejandro Brito, told him in a letter that she would be “left with no alternative” but to sue him if he didn’t retract statements that the lawyer said had caused her “overwhelming reputational and financial harm”. Vyskocil ruled that Wolff was seeking special treatment by seeking to litigate out of order and accused him of “textbook bad-faith forum shopping” by filing his claim in New York before Trump had filed her defamation suit in Florida. In that legal effort to establish his statements as non-defamatory, Wolff had won “the race to the courthouse”, Vyskocil wrote, but said he had exhibited an “inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship”. “The outcome is simple,” Vyskocil continued. “The court will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat and so declines to reach the merits here.” Wolff, who...
Key Points Energy Transfer will remain a reliable income stock in bull and bear markets. Amazon’s cloud, e-commerce, and advertising businesses will continue to grow. 10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer › The S&P 500 is hovering near its record high, and the benchmark index looks historically expensive at 32 times earnings. However, many investors are still rushing into this frothy marke...
Key Points Energy Transfer will remain a reliable income stock in bull and bear markets. Amazon’s cloud, e-commerce, and advertising businesses will continue to grow. 10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer › The S&P 500 is hovering near its record high, and the benchmark index looks historically expensive at 32 times earnings. However, many investors are still rushing into this frothy market, expecting the market's top-performing stocks to keep rising. While many of these stocks might head higher over the long term, they could pull back sharply before that happens. That downturn could shake many bullish investors out of the market. As Peter Lynch once said, "Everyone is a long-term investor until the market goes down." Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » As someone who started investing right before the Great Recession, I know that feeling well. But today, I'm hopefully better at tuning out the near-term noise and staying focused on my longer-term goals. Here are two of my top stocks I'd be willing to hold and forget for the next 20 years: Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). Energy Transfer I started to accumulate shares of Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) last April. Today, the stock accounts for about 4% of my portfolio, and I don't plan on selling that stake anytime soon. Three things drew me to Energy Transfer. First, it's a major midstream company that transports natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, and other refined products through over 140,000 miles of pipeline across 44 states. By charging upstream and downstream companies "tolls" to use that infrastructure, it's well-insulated from volatile oil prices and generates plenty of cash to cover its distributions. It currently pays a forward yield of 6.6%, and analysts e...
The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda”. The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the...
The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda”. The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the US Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025 , pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and a crutch. On Monday, the justice department announced the creation of a $1.776bn fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress. After a journalist on Friday observed on the social media platform X that the justice department was “quietly” removing news releases on its website that were related to the January 6 attack, including about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and also faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor, the department responded through its “rapid response” account that there was “nothing ‘quiet’ about it”. “We are proud to reverse the [justice department’s] weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping [the justice department’s] website of partisan propaganda.” Among the releases removed from t...
ArtistGNDphotography/E+ via Getty Images Thesis With commodity markets on fire, we are going to explore a long-short commodities ETF today. The name of the fund is First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF ( FAAR ) , and it represents an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide investors with long-term total returns. As a long-short fund with an absolute return strategy, the ETF aims ...
ArtistGNDphotography/E+ via Getty Images Thesis With commodity markets on fire, we are going to explore a long-short commodities ETF today. The name of the fund is First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF ( FAAR ) , and it represents an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide investors with long-term total returns. As a long-short fund with an absolute return strategy, the ETF aims to make money both during bear and bull markets. The name discloses the following in its fact sheet: Unlike traditional investment strategies, where returns are generally tied to the ups and downs of a single benchmark, absolute return strategies may produce positive returns in any market environment, independent of the market being up, down or flat. Absolute return strategies offer a potential strategy diversification benefit, that may help to achieve more consistent returns over time and reduce overall investment risk, but it does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. In today's article we are going to look at the fund's composition, its analytics and historic returns. Furthermore we are going to benchmark the ETF's performance versus a cohort of peers, taking into account volatility profiles as well. Fund composition The name utilizes futures to gain its exposures; thus, the fund composition is bifurcated between cash in treasuries and T-Bills and commodity futures positions. This is fairly standard for commodities funds; however, this is the first long-short fund we are analyzing in the sector. The name provides its net exposures: Positions (Fund Fact Sheet) The fund is net long energy, precious metals, livestock, agricultural commodities and industrial metals. Do note this is the net long positioning, with the ETF having both long and short positions: Long vs Short Exposure (Fund Fact Sheet) Note how the fund is long June Brent futures, May gasoline futures and May NY Harbor ULSD (distillate fuel), while short June WTI futures. Similarly the fund is long on...
The electric vehicle (EV) market remains a battleground of innovation and scale, with legacy makers and newcomers vying for dominance. Choosing between Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) and Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) requires looking at their distinct paths toward profitability. Rivian builds rugged trucks and SUVs for the outdoors, while Lucid specializes in ultra-luxury sedans with record-setting r...
The electric vehicle (EV) market remains a battleground of innovation and scale, with legacy makers and newcomers vying for dominance. Choosing between Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) and Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) requires looking at their distinct paths toward profitability. Rivian builds rugged trucks and SUVs for the outdoors, while Lucid specializes in ultra-luxury sedans with record-setting range. Both companies are scaling production during a pivotal period for the automotive market while facing intense competition for market share. Rivian Automotive focuses on the production of high-end electric adventure vehicles, including the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV. The company also operates a commercial division that sells delivery vans directly to business clients like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) . Customer concentration like this adds a layer of risk to the business, as a significant portion of its future success is tied to a single buyer. Rivian builds vehicles for the adventure-oriented segment of consumer discretionary stocks and hopes to expand its footprint in global markets. Continue reading
(RTTNews) - Air Canada (AC.TO) announced that it has reached a tentative collective agreement with Unifor, the union representing approximately 6,000 of its employees. These include contact centre staff, customer relations teams, concierge services, airport in-terminal agents, and those managing customer journeys across the airline. The agreement acknowledges the professionalism and contributions ...
(RTTNews) - Air Canada (AC.TO) announced that it has reached a tentative collective agreement with Unifor, the union representing approximately 6,000 of its employees. These include contact centre staff, customer relations teams, concierge services, airport in-terminal agents, and those managing customer journeys across the airline. The agreement acknowledges the professionalism and contributions of Air Canada's frontline airport and customer service agents. It also establishes a framework to support the airline's future growth while ensuring recognition of the workforce's vital role. Details of the new agreement will remain confidential until a ratification vote is conducted by Unifor members, which is expected to be completed within the next month. Final approval will also require endorsement by Air Canada's Board of Directors. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo of “Bloomberg This Weekend” play Pointed! Wager your points, leverage your bets and answer wisely. A new quiz is available to play each week on Bloomberg.com (Source: Bloomberg)
David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo of “Bloomberg This Weekend” play Pointed! Wager your points, leverage your bets and answer wisely. A new quiz is available to play each week on Bloomberg.com (Source: Bloomberg)
The world is infatuated with anything artificial intelligence (AI) or energy in 2026. These trends have driven the S&P 500 index up 7% year to date, despite fits and starts amid the U.S. conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some stocks, including Micron Technology, are up by more than 100% so far this year. Index fund investors have gotten quite rich in this environment. But t...
The world is infatuated with anything artificial intelligence (AI) or energy in 2026. These trends have driven the S&P 500 index up 7% year to date, despite fits and starts amid the U.S. conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some stocks, including Micron Technology, are up by more than 100% so far this year. Index fund investors have gotten quite rich in this environment. But the index has also been driven to a high price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), with many stocks trading at expensive levels. For contrarian investors, now is the time to look away from the heavy hitters of the S&P 500 to cheaper stocks around the world. Here's one technology stock I like more than anything in the S&P 500 right now: MercadoLibre (MELI 0.78%). Expand NASDAQ : MELI MercadoLibre Today's Change ( -0.78 %) $ -13.05 Current Price $ 1664.85 Key Data Points Market Cap $84B Day's Range $ 1651.00 - $ 1702.99 52wk Range $ 1495.00 - $ 2645.22 Volume 15.3K Avg Vol 604.8K Gross Margin 43.86 % E-commerce acceleration MercadoLibre is the largest e-commerce player in Latin America, with a presence in every large economy in the region. Over the years, the company has compounded its revenue in a similar way to Amazon, driving growth by expanding its product selection and improving the availability of fast, free shipping for premium members. In recent years, competition in e-commerce in Latin America has increased, driven by players such as Amazon. To maintain its lead in Brazil and other places, MercadoLibre is pressing the accelerator to offer better selection and faster shipping across all items sold on its marketplace. This approach includes lowering free shipping thresholds, increasing the number of cross-border merchants from the likes of China and the United States, and adding first-party selections sourced by MercadoLibre to widen its selection for consumers. All of these investments are paying off with accelerating revenue growth. For example, in Brazil, gross merchandise volu...
Key Points Most S&P 500 stocks have soared to date, leaving them overvalued -- but not all of them. MeracdoLibre is currently misunderstood by the market, creating a buying opportunity for investors. Its prospects for margin expansion and massive revenue growth in the years ahead make the stock cheap. 10 stocks we like better than MercadoLibre › The world is infatuated with anything artificial int...
Key Points Most S&P 500 stocks have soared to date, leaving them overvalued -- but not all of them. MeracdoLibre is currently misunderstood by the market, creating a buying opportunity for investors. Its prospects for margin expansion and massive revenue growth in the years ahead make the stock cheap. 10 stocks we like better than MercadoLibre › The world is infatuated with anything artificial intelligence (AI) or energy in 2026. These trends have driven the S&P 500 index up 7% year to date, despite fits and starts amid the U.S. conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some stocks, including Micron Technology, are up by more than 100% so far this year. Index fund investors have gotten quite rich in this environment. But the index has also been driven to a high price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), with many stocks trading at expensive levels. For contrarian investors, now is the time to look away from the heavy hitters of the S&P 500 to cheaper stocks around the world. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Here's one technology stock I like more than anything in the S&P 500 right now: MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI). E-commerce acceleration MercadoLibre is the largest e-commerce player in Latin America, with a presence in every large economy in the region. Over the years, the company has compounded its revenue in a similar way to Amazon, driving growth by expanding its product selection and improving the availability of fast, free shipping for premium members. In recent years, competition in e-commerce in Latin America has increased, driven by players such as Amazon. To maintain its lead in Brazil and other places, MercadoLibre is pressing the accelerator to offer better selection and faster shipping across all items sold on its marketplace. This approach includes lowering free shi...
The post Polygon (POL) Price Predictions: 2025, 2026, 2030 by Margaret Jackson appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. MATIC (migrated to POL) $0.00 Buy MATIC (migrated to POL) JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST Our team is diligently working to keep up with trends in the crypto markets. Keep up to date on the latest news and up-and-coming coins. MOON BUST 28...
The post Polygon (POL) Price Predictions: 2025, 2026, 2030 by Margaret Jackson appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. MATIC (migrated to POL) $0.00 Buy MATIC (migrated to POL) JOIN THE MOON OR BUST EMAIL LIST Our team is diligently working to keep up with trends in the crypto markets. Keep up to date on the latest news and up-and-coming coins. MOON BUST 286 votes Analysts are forecasting that Polygon (POL) could reach $0.717 by 2030. Feeling confident about this POL price prediction? You can trade Polygon on Coinbase— and if you’re new to the platform, you could earn up to $400 in rewards by completing a few quick educational lessons and making your first qualifying trade . Polygon (POL) is a Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum designed to address the network’s high transaction fees and slow speeds. It is a framework for building interconnected Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks to improve scalability and user experience. POL, its native token (formerly MATIC), is used for transaction fees and network governance. Polygon attracts developers and users by offering a more efficient Ethereum experience, contributing to POL’s value. Table of contents [ Show ] 2025 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction 2026 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction 2030 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction Reasons to Invest in Polygon (POL) Factors That Could Slow Polygon’s (POL) Growth Price Prediction Methodology Aggregate Analyst Forecasts Market Trends Sentiment and Social Trends Macroeconomic Factors Frequently Asked Questions 2025 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction This suggests a possible trend reversal and a prospective return on investment for long traders. 2026 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction January is predicted to be the peak month, with a potential price surge compared to current valuations. 2030 Polygon (POL) Price Prediction The long-term outlook suggests a bullish trend. Reasons to Invest in Polygon (POL) Polygon’s appeal, particularly when compared to ...
Many international landmarks have been designed to attract and accommodate enormous numbers of tourists. That’s not the case when it comes to natural scenery. Outdoors types often love to hike for miles into the wilderness precisely to get away from the crowds; those people shudder at the very idea of a 13-mile hike where you’re constantly close to other walkers. Bloomberg News Ideas & Culture Sen...
Many international landmarks have been designed to attract and accommodate enormous numbers of tourists. That’s not the case when it comes to natural scenery. Outdoors types often love to hike for miles into the wilderness precisely to get away from the crowds; those people shudder at the very idea of a 13-mile hike where you’re constantly close to other walkers. Bloomberg News Ideas & Culture Senior Writer Felix Salmon joins Christina Ruffini and David Gura on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss the surprising joys of a crowded hiking trail. (Source: Bloomberg)
Given the importance of oil and natural gas to the global economy, every investor should probably have some exposure to the energy sector. I personally own one oil stock, yet I'm not the least bit worried about oil prices. That's notable because the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has made high oil prices headline-grabbing news. If all you care about is finding a way to profit from rising...
Given the importance of oil and natural gas to the global economy, every investor should probably have some exposure to the energy sector. I personally own one oil stock, yet I'm not the least bit worried about oil prices. That's notable because the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has made high oil prices headline-grabbing news. If all you care about is finding a way to profit from rising oil prices over the short term, you'll probably want to buy a dedicated energy producer like Devon Energy (DVN +0.39%). Notably, its production is unaffected by the Middle East disruptions because it is U.S.-focused. But if you are a long-term investor, you'll want to take a more balanced approach to the energy sector, buying stocks like ExxonMobil (XOM 0.24%), Chevron (CVX +0.26%), and, in my case, TotalEnergies (TTE 0.81%). Here's why these three energy giants are my top oil stocks right now. Go integrated or go home The unifying theme with Exxon, Chevron, and TotalEnergies is that they are all integrated energy companies. This means they have operations across the entire energy value chain. So they produce oil and natural gas in the upstream, like Devon or Diamondback Energy (FANG 0.13%). However, unlike an upstream-focused business, an integrated energy company also moves energy in the midstream, via infrastructure assets such as pipelines. And it processes these vital fuels in the downstream segment of the broader industry, in chemical and refining operations. Expand NYSE : CVX Chevron Today's Change ( 0.26 %) $ 0.49 Current Price $ 191.50 Key Data Points Market Cap $381B Day's Range $ 189.82 - $ 191.99 52wk Range $ 135.21 - $ 214.71 Volume 220.7K Avg Vol 12.1M Gross Margin 15.15 % Dividend Yield 3.65 % Exxon, Chevron, and TotalEnergies generate most of their revenue from upstream operations, so their financial results are heavily influenced by oil and gas prices. They are definitely going to provide exposure to rising oil prices. However, the history of the energy se...
Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait ever painted and millions of people flock to the Louvre to admire her enigmatic smile every year. As well as being beautiful, Mona Lisa was, according to some experts, also seriously overweight. Now they are asking how that leaves our notions of artistic beauty in an era of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, arguing that in future, “GLP-1 face” cou...
Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait ever painted and millions of people flock to the Louvre to admire her enigmatic smile every year. As well as being beautiful, Mona Lisa was, according to some experts, also seriously overweight. Now they are asking how that leaves our notions of artistic beauty in an era of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, arguing that in future, “GLP-1 face” could become the subject of modern depictions of artistic beauty. Contemporary art often portrays trends in aesthetics, body image and health – lots of painters and photographers have made art featuring cosmetic surgery, for example. But researchers believe the exponential growth in use of weight-loss jabs is changing our perception of beauty today, with future artworks likely to depict very thin people with gaunt faces who have lost weight rapidly while on GLP-1 medication. Prof Rosalind Gill, fellow at the British Academy and professor of inequalities in media, culture and creative industries at Goldsmiths, said: “While GLP-1 face is often regarded negatively, humans have the capacity to perceive beauty in all kinds of faces and bodies, and features of this hollowed-out look are definitely becoming desirable – in a similar way to ‘heroin chic’ in the 1990s and, before that, the resignification of certain iconic images of people with Aids as beauty ideals. “Add to this a voracious consumer culture with brands constantly in search of new looks to sell to us, and it is eminently possible that a variant of GLP-1 will become a new cultural ideal – also reflected in art.” Her prediction follows research by Dr Michael Yafi, a paediatric endocrinologist at the University of Texas, Houston, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul. He speculated that while some artists, notably the Brazilian painter Fernando Botero, continue to celebrate heavier figures, weight-loss drugs would influence how people are portrayed in artworks. “I think that as more people use these dru...
A little bit country, a little bit Desi: A Pakistani-American's hybrid music toggle caption Mo Sabri When the singer-songwriter Mo Sabri was growing up in East Tennessee, his Pakistani immigrant parents loved playing the swirling, rhythmic sounds of qawwali, Sufi Muslim devotional music. They also loved playing country classics by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. After all, Johnson City, Sabri's hom...
A little bit country, a little bit Desi: A Pakistani-American's hybrid music toggle caption Mo Sabri When the singer-songwriter Mo Sabri was growing up in East Tennessee, his Pakistani immigrant parents loved playing the swirling, rhythmic sounds of qawwali, Sufi Muslim devotional music. They also loved playing country classics by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. After all, Johnson City, Sabri's hometown, is a 30-minute drive from Bristol, Tenn., known as the birthplace of country music. Those musical influences would have a profound effect on Sabri. Today, he is a country music artist in Nashville who proudly identifies as a Pakistani American and a Muslim — and creates music drawing from those worlds. On his YouTube channel, you'll find original country songs like " Married in a Barn " but also a cover of the qawwali " Tajdar e Haram ." Sponsor Message YouTube And he's making music history. On May 31, this Muslim country singer will play with the Nashville Symphony. They will perform an orchestral rendition of his new album, Tennessee Desi , a unique fusion of Appalachian country sounds and qawwali, which comes from the Arabic word qaul, meaning "to speak." "This is a really big deal," says Charles Alexander , a digital strategist of Malaysian Indian descent who has worked in Nashville's music industry for 16 years. "It speaks volumes in terms of diversity and representation in the types of music that has germinated in Tennessee." As for Sabri, his upcoming show is a homecoming. "In a way, it's a reflection of who I am as a first-generation American, who's half-country, half-desi," he says. "Desi" refers to those from the South Asian diaspora. "I feel most free writing country music" Although country, which descended from Black music, is associated with a white conservative audience , it felt like the natural choice for Sabri as a musical artist. In Johnson City, his life resembled the lyrics of the country music songs he listened to. "There was a lot of sitting on ...
Sean Pavone/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Shares of Centerspace ( CSR ) have trailed returns of U.S. REIT peers held in the Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF ( VNQ ), with the relative underperformance driven by a mix of company-specific factors (negative net operating income growth) as well as macro headwinds (higher long-term interest rates). With CSR projecting an improvement in operat...
Sean Pavone/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Shares of Centerspace ( CSR ) have trailed returns of U.S. REIT peers held in the Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF ( VNQ ), with the relative underperformance driven by a mix of company-specific factors (negative net operating income growth) as well as macro headwinds (higher long-term interest rates). With CSR projecting an improvement in operating performance for the rest of 2026 and the company having limited near-term debt maturities, I believe a Strong Buy rating is justified for CSR, in line with my previous coverage from May 2025 . My bullish investment thesis can be briefly summarized as: CSR trades at only 13.8x its expected Core FFO for 2025, with a comparable result expected in 2026. CSR benefits from a staggered debt maturity structure at below market rates, making the company an interesting acquisition target. CSR's market-implied capitalization rate stands at about 7%, attractive in light of the high 95.1% occupancy, while also providing room for administrative expenses optimization. Q1 2026 Results Overview CSR delivered Core FFO of $1.12/share , down 7% Y/Y. The decrease was driven by a smaller portfolio (CSR sold 12 apartment communities in 2025), higher interest costs, as well as a 1.1% Y/Y decrease in same-store net operating income [NOI]. The decline in NOI was the result of higher property expenses and a 0.4% Y/Y drop in same-store occupancy to 95.4%. Including non-same store apartment communities with an occupancy of 92%, CSR's total occupancy rate stood at 95.1% at the end of Q1 2026, down 0.5% Y/Y. Leasing spreads remain modestly positive at 0.4%, with strength in lease renewals (+3.1%) offseting weakness in new leases (-2.1%). To sum up, we do see some deceleration in CSR's operating performance, driven by weak revenue growth in the face of higher expenses, as well as a modest decline in occupancy. Even so, with an occupancy rate of 95.1%, CSR's portfolio quality remains high, supporting a ...