Ihor Lukianenko/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier Week in review: A proper peace process unfolding; will it lead to an actual deal? This week has been nothing short of historic. Both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 have charged to fresh all-time highs, completely leaving the geopolitical panic behind as traders aggressively price in a proper peace agreement. The move has bulldozed through any type of...
Ihor Lukianenko/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier Week in review: A proper peace process unfolding; will it lead to an actual deal? This week has been nothing short of historic. Both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 have charged to fresh all-time highs, completely leaving the geopolitical panic behind as traders aggressively price in a proper peace agreement. The move has bulldozed through any type of resistance and prior records in a move that has left many traders scratching their head. Only the Dow Jones is looking to catch up to its younger peers but is already on pace to do so – that is, if the current pricing withstands the weekend. Nasdaq Daily Chart – April 17, 2026 – Source: TradingView While the past two weeks of US-Iran negotiations have generated their fair share of chaotic headlines, the diplomatic process unfolding in Pakistan appears genuinely serious, with both sides making significant, market-moving concessions. The absolute catalyst for the week was this morning's market-rocking news regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Bolstered by President Trump's remarks that he expects a finalized deal in a day or two, the geopolitical risk premium imploded. WTI 4H Chart – April 17, 2026 – Source: TradingView Oil prices collapsed nearly 10% since yesterday, completely erasing their previous rally to trade comfortably right below the $90 handle. Notably, clear signs of insider trading emerged in the crude market just before the announcement - a continuation of the wild market craziness that has defined Trump’s second term, but certainly not a first. Moving forward, physical traders will be closely monitoring the strait to see if actual tanker flows resume. The euphoria isn't limited to traditional equities paying out big peace dividends. Cryptocurrencies caught a massive bid, with Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) exploding back to life and rallying to sit just below the $80,000 (~$78,000) mark as the weekend approaches, also boosting other crypto assets. On the macr...
Nexstar Media Group Inc. was ordered by a California federal judge to keep operating Tegna Inc. as a separate company until he has issued a final judgment on whether to allow a merger that would create the largest local TV operator in the US. US District Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento on Friday extended an order he imposed last month to maintain the status quo as the case makes its way to tria...
Nexstar Media Group Inc. was ordered by a California federal judge to keep operating Tegna Inc. as a separate company until he has issued a final judgment on whether to allow a merger that would create the largest local TV operator in the US. US District Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento on Friday extended an order he imposed last month to maintain the status quo as the case makes its way to trial. He did not set a trial date. In a 52-page ruling, the judge said that allowing Nexstar to move ahead with its integration of Tenga would hurt DirecTV and the state plaintiffs, reduce competition and result in newsroom layoffs and shutdowns. Nunley said the merger is likely to increase retransmission rates, referring to the fees local broadcasters charge for content from cable companies, which can lead to higher bills for consumers. Nexstar and Tegna closed their $3.5 billion deal March 19 after receiving approval from the US Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. In the same week, a group of states, led by California, and satellite television company DirecTV filed separate suits, alleging the merger will hurt competition for broadcast television in dozens of markets around the country. The ruling is a blow to the White House, which had backed the deal. President Donald Trump posted on social media earlier in the year that the agreement should be approved. “This is a critical win in our case,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “This merger is illegal, plain and simple. The federal government may have thrown in the towel, but we’ll keep fighting for consumers, for workers, for affordability, and for our local news.” Nexstar is already the largest owner of local broadcast stations, including 14 regions where it has two or three affiliates that air content from the so-called Big Four — Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, Paramount Skydance Corp.’s CBS, Fox Corp. and Comcast Corp. ’s NBC. According to the lawsuits, the deal expands Nexstar’s...
Kuwait Holds American Journalist After Reporting On 'Friendly Fire' Shootdown Incident Authored by Chris Hedges via Consortium News Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a fearless Palestinian-American journalist (he's an American-born Kuwaiti of Palestinian descent) whose writing and reports are defined by unparalleled integrity, depth and eloquence, was arrested on March 3rd in Kuwait. He is charged with spreadin...
Kuwait Holds American Journalist After Reporting On 'Friendly Fire' Shootdown Incident Authored by Chris Hedges via Consortium News Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a fearless Palestinian-American journalist (he's an American-born Kuwaiti of Palestinian descent) whose writing and reports are defined by unparalleled integrity, depth and eloquence, was arrested on March 3rd in Kuwait. He is charged with spreading false information and harming national security . His arrest took place following his reporting of the shooting down of three U.S. fighter planes by the Kuwaiti military in an act of friendly fire during the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Ahmed, along with other news outlets such as the BBC , published footage of a U.S. F-15 E Strike Eagle crashing in al-Jahra west of Kuwait City. I fear Ahmed, a graduate of Columbia Journalism School who has worked for The New York Times, PBS Frontline, Al Jazeera English, Vice on HBO, The Huffington Post and appeared on numerous news outlets including the BBC and CNN, will be charged under new, draconian security laws instituted in Kuwait, which have already led to dozens of arbitrary arrests. Kuwait has desperately tried to maintain the fiction that it did not serve as a staging area for US attacks on Iran. The NY Times had also confirmed this week : The arrest of the journalist, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, which Kuwaiti authorities had yet to publicly confirm , would be one of many detentions across the Persian Gulf as governments there try to repress information about local effects of the war in Iran. “It is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security and misusing his mobile phone — vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists,” the committee said in a statement . He had not posted online or been seen in public since early March, it said. His Twitter and Instagram accounts appeared to have been deleted. Iran repeatedly attacked Kuwait, i...