Democrats seek to oust Republicans in New Jersey and Iowa, while other major races remain up in the air Voters in Tuesday’s primary elections across the US chose candidates who could flip critical districts in the US House and Senate in November, setting up a series of high-stakes general election contests in a midterm year expected to favor Democrats. Among the most watched races are: a New Jerse...
Democrats seek to oust Republicans in New Jersey and Iowa, while other major races remain up in the air Voters in Tuesday’s primary elections across the US chose candidates who could flip critical districts in the US House and Senate in November, setting up a series of high-stakes general election contests in a midterm year expected to favor Democrats. Among the most watched races are: a New Jersey Democrat who could oust a Republican incumbent absent with a mystery medical issue for months; several Iowa Democrats hoping to flip their red-leaning state; and California’s redrawn maps that have given Democrats an advantage in the heavily blue state. Continue reading...
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is finalising its first external fundraising round, securing over 50 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) at a valuation of just under US$60 billion, according to people familiar with the matter – marking a six-fold leap from its US$10 billion valuation in April. The blockbuster round highlights intensifying global competition and a shifting strategy for ...
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is finalising its first external fundraising round, securing over 50 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) at a valuation of just under US$60 billion, according to people familiar with the matter – marking a six-fold leap from its US$10 billion valuation in April. The blockbuster round highlights intensifying global competition and a shifting strategy for the AI breakout star, which had previously resisted external capital. Market-oriented investors and...
China is one of the world’s largest buyers of gold as central banks shift towards the precious metal, which has overtaken US Treasuries to become the world’s top reserve asset amid higher valuations and its appeal as a geopolitical hedge, the European Central Bank said. The world’s second-largest economy was the fourth-largest per-country buyer of gold in 2025 after Poland, Kazakhstan and Brazil, ...
China is one of the world’s largest buyers of gold as central banks shift towards the precious metal, which has overtaken US Treasuries to become the world’s top reserve asset amid higher valuations and its appeal as a geopolitical hedge, the European Central Bank said. The world’s second-largest economy was the fourth-largest per-country buyer of gold in 2025 after Poland, Kazakhstan and Brazil, purchasing about 25 tonnes, the ECB stated. It estimated that China had bought more than 350 tonnes...
In the face of widespread backlash to the AI data center buildout throughout the US, Google is touting its efforts to minimize the environmental impact by actually increasing water for local communities. The company laid out five commitments around water use in a new blog post published Wednesday, including a goal to replenish more water than it uses at its data centers by 2030. Google also said i...
In the face of widespread backlash to the AI data center buildout throughout the US, Google is touting its efforts to minimize the environmental impact by actually increasing water for local communities. The company laid out five commitments around water use in a new blog post published Wednesday, including a goal to replenish more water than it uses at its data centers by 2030. Google also said it will invest in local water infrastructure, identify alternative water sources to power its facilities, and be transparent about its water use overall. "We're just one of dozens of players in the space," Google's global head of infrastructure a … Read the full story at The Verge.
The value of copper is rising, and thieves can make money by stripping it from phone poles, streetlights and EV chargers. But those thefts cost the rest of us. (Image credit: John Ruwitch/NPR)
The value of copper is rising, and thieves can make money by stripping it from phone poles, streetlights and EV chargers. But those thefts cost the rest of us. (Image credit: John Ruwitch/NPR)
The Allen Institute in Seattle says scientists have now learned enough about how the brain works to start fixing it when it breaks. (Image credit: Erik Dinnel)
The Allen Institute in Seattle says scientists have now learned enough about how the brain works to start fixing it when it breaks. (Image credit: Erik Dinnel)
The site compares undocumented immigrants to extraterrestrials, refers to people as "it," and says "they do not belong here" (Image credit: The White House)
The site compares undocumented immigrants to extraterrestrials, refers to people as "it," and says "they do not belong here" (Image credit: The White House)
Stock market investors are having a great year, particularly those heavily exposed to the technology sector. Cryptocurrency investors, on the other hand, aren't faring so well. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is down 40% from last year's record high, and although its market capitalization of $1.4 trillion still makes it the world's largest cryptocurrency, there appears to be a real lack of conviction in the...
Stock market investors are having a great year, particularly those heavily exposed to the technology sector. Cryptocurrency investors, on the other hand, aren't faring so well. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is down 40% from last year's record high, and although its market capitalization of $1.4 trillion still makes it the world's largest cryptocurrency, there appears to be a real lack of conviction in the bullish case right now. Many investors touted Bitcoin as the digital currency that could transform the financial system, but it still hasn't gained traction as a basic payment mechanism. Other investors believed it was a digital replacement for gold, but in a moment, I'll explain why that thesis completely fell apart last year. Continue reading
Welsh Police Officers Ordered To Log Anti-Islam Comments In Chilling Free Speech Crackdown Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Britain's free speech traditions face fresh erosion as South Wales Police directs officers to record conversations and comments about Islam that stray beyond what the force deems "legitimate" discussion. The policy, exposed in recent social media posts, risks logg...
Welsh Police Officers Ordered To Log Anti-Islam Comments In Chilling Free Speech Crackdown Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Britain's free speech traditions face fresh erosion as South Wales Police directs officers to record conversations and comments about Islam that stray beyond what the force deems "legitimate" discussion. The policy, exposed in recent social media posts, risks logging lawful criticism as hostility incidents that could surface in future employment checks. This move builds directly on the Labour government's March definition of "anti-Muslim hostility" and exposes how public bodies are "gold-plating" safeguards meant to protect open debate. Police force orders officers to keep record of Britons' anti-Islam comments https://t.co/kQIa0v3VGz - GB News (@GBNEWS) June 2, 2026 South Wales Police has told staff to log anything exceeding its view of 'acceptable' talk on Islam. The Free Speech Union immediately challenged the guidance, warning it hands officers unchecked power to decide acceptable speech and creates a chilling effect on expression. The FSU post laid it out plainly, noting "South Wales Police are zealously enforcing their own definition of Islamophobia in a way that threatens free speech." ? South Wales Police are zealously enforcing their own definition of Islamophobia in a way that threatens free speech. The force has instructed staff to log anything that goes beyond what it considers a "legitimate" discussion of Islam. This subjective definition gives... pic.twitter.com/cI6P188WOm - The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) June 1, 2026 "This subjective definition gives officers the power to decide what constitutes acceptable speech and risks having a chilling effect on free expression," the FSU adds. The FSU has written to South Wales Police calling on them to withdraw the guidance. "If they fail to do so, we have threatened legal action by way of judicial review," it further notes. FSU General Secretary Lord Young said South Wale...
MengWen Guo/E+ via Getty Images Investment thesis Semtech Corporation ( SMTC ) is pivoting from a post-Sierra Wireless business into an AI/data-center connectivity growth company. However, the Sierra acquisition appears to have structurally reduced Semtech’s margin and returns. While there is topline growth, improvement in unit economics is challenging. Unfortunately, the market is pricing the com...
MengWen Guo/E+ via Getty Images Investment thesis Semtech Corporation ( SMTC ) is pivoting from a post-Sierra Wireless business into an AI/data-center connectivity growth company. However, the Sierra acquisition appears to have structurally reduced Semtech’s margin and returns. While there is topline growth, improvement in unit economics is challenging. Unfortunately, the market is pricing the company with both topline growth and better unit economics. Introduction I first covered Semtech in Sep 2024, about a year after the acquisition of Sierra Wireless. In 2024, the company had to write off almost USD 890 million of goodwill and assets, mainly related to this acquisition. There was also a reduction in its gross profit margins. These resulted in a significant loss. The financial impact of the Sierra Wireless acquisition extended well beyond 2024. In 2025, there were debt extinguishment losses related to acquisition financing, and in 2026, there were additional goodwill impairments. Despite the large goodwill impairments and weaker-than-expected economics, the Sierra Wireless operations remain deeply integrated within Semtech’s original businesses. In my earlier article, I posited that the company was undergoing a turnaround with 2 paths for my valuation—cut losses or rebuild. I failed to see a third path—data-center connectivity growth. The biggest thing I missed was the AI/data-center upside. In Q1 FY2027, signal integrity revenue rose 39% year-over-year, driven mainly by data center sales. Management’s Q1 FY2027 presentation also highlighted data-center sales of $71.6 million, up 39% year-over-year. Given this and the potential AI bubble, this analysis assesses whether Semtech is now an AI/data-center connectivity growth company, or is it still fundamentally a low-quality post-Sierra turnaround story? To answer the question, I considered the following: Did the Sierra acquisition permanently impair the business model? Has Semtech’s economic engine structurally imp...