For much of the past year, investors have been focused on one question: When will the Federal Reserve finally start cutting interest rates? That expectation helped fuel one of the strongest stock market rallies in recent memory. Investors largely assumed that once inflation cooled, lower rates would follow. But what if the new Fed chair ... 18 Words From Fed Chair Kevin Warsh That Could Keep Inter...
For much of the past year, investors have been focused on one question: When will the Federal Reserve finally start cutting interest rates? That expectation helped fuel one of the strongest stock market rallies in recent memory. Investors largely assumed that once inflation cooled, lower rates would follow. But what if the new Fed chair ... 18 Words From Fed Chair Kevin Warsh That Could Keep Interest Rates Higher for Years
CTE is caused by repeated blows to the head Family choose to donate brain for research Claude Lemieux’s brain is being donated to the Boston University CTE Center to research the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries, his family said Saturday in a statement released by daughter Claudia Lemieux Bishop. Lemieux died by suicide at age 60 on Thursday , according to authorities, after earlier ...
CTE is caused by repeated blows to the head Family choose to donate brain for research Claude Lemieux’s brain is being donated to the Boston University CTE Center to research the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries, his family said Saturday in a statement released by daughter Claudia Lemieux Bishop. Lemieux died by suicide at age 60 on Thursday , according to authorities, after earlier in the week serving as the Montreal Canadiens’ torchbearer before a playoff game. He played nearly 1,500 NHL games with six teams from 1983 to 2009 and was known for his hard-hitting style and ability to perform in big games on the way to winning the Stanley Cup four times. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org . In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 and the domestic violence helpline is 0808 2000 247. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is 1800 737 732. Continue reading...
Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images May 28th was an important day for shareholders of both MasterBrand ( MBC ) and American Woodmark Corporation ( AMWD ) . That's because, on that day, the two companies completed their all stock merger that had been in the works for some time. According to the terms of the agreement, shareholders of American Woodmark received 5.150 shares of MasterBrand fo...
Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images May 28th was an important day for shareholders of both MasterBrand ( MBC ) and American Woodmark Corporation ( AMWD ) . That's because, on that day, the two companies completed their all stock merger that had been in the works for some time. According to the terms of the agreement, shareholders of American Woodmark received 5.150 shares of MasterBrand for each share of American Woodmark that they owned. The end result here was that investors in MasterBrand now own 63% of the combined business while investors in American Woodmark own the remaining 37%. Now that this transaction has occurred, American Woodmark is being delisted from the market and the combined company will continue to trade under the MasterBrand name. Back in December of last year, I talked about this merger . I found it so compelling, in fact, that I ended up rating American Woodmark a ‘strong buy,’ while MasterBrand was listed as a ‘buy’ candidate. The transaction made a lot of sense, even if we ignored the prospect of the $90 million of synergies that management expected from the deal. But then when you factor in the planned synergies, it looked downright appetizing. Unfortunately, we have seen economic conditions deteriorate for both businesses because of weakness in the housing market. In the short run, this will continue to prove problematic for the business. But based on how shares are priced on a pro forma basis, both with synergies and without, I firmly believe that rating MasterBrand a ‘strong buy’ is appropriate here. Tough Times Don’t Negate A Great Opportunity As I detailed in my previous article about this transaction, the combined business that I will now refer to as MasterBrand has a lot going for it. A lot of what the company does is tied to the housing market. In the short run, this is a space that I am bearish about. As I have detailed in other articles, housing affordability remains a big problem in the US. A lot of new housing developmen...
Investors searching for the next winners from the artificial intelligence boom are increasingly looking beyond chipmakers to companies across Asia’s technology supply chain, as major AI firms prepare for a wave of stock offerings, Bloomberg News reported Saturday. The investment thesis is that planned fundraising by companies such as SpaceX ( SPCX ), OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) coul...
Investors searching for the next winners from the artificial intelligence boom are increasingly looking beyond chipmakers to companies across Asia’s technology supply chain, as major AI firms prepare for a wave of stock offerings, Bloomberg News reported Saturday. The investment thesis is that planned fundraising by companies such as SpaceX ( SPCX ), OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) could unlock billions of dollars for additional spending on data centers, servers, power infrastructure and related equipment. That spending could create opportunities for suppliers of electronic components, cooling systems, specialized materials and power equipment throughout Asia. Some investors say valuations among leading semiconductor companies have become stretched after years of strong gains. As a result, attention is shifting toward companies further down the supply chain that may benefit from the next stage of AI infrastructure investment. Market participants expect the upcoming AI-related offerings to support continued capital spending by technology companies, extending demand beyond chip manufacturers and into areas such as advanced packaging, testing, optical connectivity, server assembly and power management. Analysts estimate the new fundraising could add tens of billions of dollars to AI-related spending already committed by major cloud-computing providers. Among the companies attracting investor interest are server manufacturers, component suppliers and materials providers in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Some fund managers also see opportunities in emerging AI applications such as robotics and autonomous vehicles. Power infrastructure has become another favored investment theme as data-center demand increases. Investors are evaluating opportunities tied to electricity generation, transmission and alternative energy sources, viewing power availability as one of the industry's most important constraints. Still, some investors caution that the AI trade faces risk...
Survey finds consumers cannot reliably access 4G or 5G, highlighting weaknesses in digital infrastructure More than four in 10 consumers struggle to access 4G or 5G on their mobile devices for at least half the time they are on the move, according to a survey that highlights the poor state of the UK’s digital infrastructure. The poll of more than 2,000 people who use digital devices found that 45%...
Survey finds consumers cannot reliably access 4G or 5G, highlighting weaknesses in digital infrastructure More than four in 10 consumers struggle to access 4G or 5G on their mobile devices for at least half the time they are on the move, according to a survey that highlights the poor state of the UK’s digital infrastructure. The poll of more than 2,000 people who use digital devices found that 45% feel frustrated with mobile connectivity outside the home at least once a week. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, that figure rises to 57%. Continue reading...
"It's All So Tiresome": UK's Social Media Ban Trudges Ever Onward Authored by Kit Knightly via Off-Guardian.org, The UK government’s “consultation” on social media harm is over, and – brace yourselves – it turns out they’re going to have to do something about it. I know, I was shocked too. The main talking point is that “social media is like cigarettes” . Everyone is saying that, it’s the meme of ...
"It's All So Tiresome": UK's Social Media Ban Trudges Ever Onward Authored by Kit Knightly via Off-Guardian.org, The UK government’s “consultation” on social media harm is over, and – brace yourselves – it turns out they’re going to have to do something about it. I know, I was shocked too. The main talking point is that “social media is like cigarettes” . Everyone is saying that, it’s the meme of the day . It’s a sentiment originally taken from a new report submitted to the consultation by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Titled “Growing up in an online world” , it contains this hilarious line in the foreword: …there is, I think, an overwhelming consensus that excessive screen time can harm children and young people and we need to call this out unflinchingly rather than passively wait for someone else to prove causation”. Which is a pretty neat summary of how our political system works in general, and certainly in this case: We don’t know if there’s even a problem yet, but by God we’re gonna do something about it. That the something they end up doing makes them rich and powerful is just one of the curious coincidences tyrants can always rely on. { Sidenote: This morning the BBC had “Overwhelimg consensus” in their headline on this story , but at some point the absurdity of that quote was realised, and the headline changed. Now there’s this disclaimer near the end : “There is no consensus among the wider scientific community that screen time overall is harmful to children.” Funny stuff.} Elsewhere, the report wails about “a wave of radicalized children” who pose “a real risk to society” , and calls social media “an incredibly powerful and uncontrolled commercial detriment to health”. In a similar vein, The Guardian is warning of a “tsunami of harm” , and has assembled an all-star cast of interested parties to talk up the scariness of social media meanness. After meeting with “bereaved parents” earlier today, Keir Starmer has “vowed to take action” . His potenti...
The logo of Japanese company SoftBank Group at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on Nov. 21, 2025. Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Japan's SoftBank Group plans to invest 45 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, the company said on Sunday. The tech giant said the commitment is part of a 75-billion-euro program to roll ou...
The logo of Japanese company SoftBank Group at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on Nov. 21, 2025. Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Japan's SoftBank Group plans to invest 45 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, the company said on Sunday. The tech giant said the commitment is part of a 75-billion-euro program to roll out 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France. Softbank said the initial phase of the plan involves building 3.1 GW of AI data centers in the northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031, including in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain. "The commitment marks SoftBank Group's largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe," Softbank said in a statement . "It is designed to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence by expanding access to high-performance compute capacity in France." The investment plans are due to be formally announced on Monday. "AI is entering a new era, and the countries that build the infrastructure for this transformation will shape the future of technology, industry and society," said Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son. "SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe." Softbank said it would partner with French engineering company Schneider Electric to develop a large-scale industrial production cluster in Dunkirk as part of the buildout. Softbank's share s have risen more than 70% in 2026 so far on expectations its investments in AI infrastructure will reap big rewards. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo, Japan Feb. 3, 2025. Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters The Japanese company's fortunes are closely tied to the AI boom through its stake in Arm Holdings, whose chip designs are used in AI servers and data centers powered by Nvidia systems, a...
Growing number of people in England and Wales are being released into homelessness with little support Deaths within two weeks of prison release hit record high in England and Wales In the weeks running up to his release from prison, Robert Barraclough began feeling anxious about becoming homeless. He told staff that he feared having to sleep in a tent in the cold, and began to self-harm. He had b...
Growing number of people in England and Wales are being released into homelessness with little support Deaths within two weeks of prison release hit record high in England and Wales In the weeks running up to his release from prison, Robert Barraclough began feeling anxious about becoming homeless. He told staff that he feared having to sleep in a tent in the cold, and began to self-harm. He had been serving a 19-month sentence for assault and criminal damage at HMP Nottingham, and initially told prison officers he was looking forward to seeing his family and working at his friend’s scaffolding business on release. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Experts say homelessness is primary driver of crisis that led to 77 ‘avoidable’ deaths in 2025 Falling through the cracks: ex-prisoners who died within two weeks of release The number of people who die within two weeks of being released from prison in England and Wales has reached a record high, a Guardian investigation has found. Seventy-seven people died within 14 days of being releas...
Exclusive: Experts say homelessness is primary driver of crisis that led to 77 ‘avoidable’ deaths in 2025 Falling through the cracks: ex-prisoners who died within two weeks of release The number of people who die within two weeks of being released from prison in England and Wales has reached a record high, a Guardian investigation has found. Seventy-seven people died within 14 days of being released from prison in 2025, 28% higher than the 60 deaths recorded the previous year and the highest since records began in 2021. Continue reading...
Two of the most impressive stocks over the past year have been Micron (NASDAQ: MU) and Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) . Micron's stock has risen an outstanding 860%, and any investor would be thrilled with a return like that. However, after comparing it to Sandisk's meteoric rise, it looks a bit lacking. Sandisk's stock has risen a jaw-dropping 4,160% over the past year. So, if you had the foresight to in...
Two of the most impressive stocks over the past year have been Micron (NASDAQ: MU) and Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) . Micron's stock has risen an outstanding 860%, and any investor would be thrilled with a return like that. However, after comparing it to Sandisk's meteoric rise, it looks a bit lacking. Sandisk's stock has risen a jaw-dropping 4,160% over the past year. So, if you had the foresight to invest $10,000 into Sandisk's stock a year ago, that sum is now worth about $425,000. However, with all of that rise, the word "bubble" is starting to be thrown around more often. This is only natural, as most companies that rise that far that fast are caught up in a bubble. However, after examining a few key parts of each business, I don't think that's the case here. In fact, these two could go even higher over the next few years. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
⚽ Hundreds of thousands attend London event (2pm BST) ⚽ PSG dash Arsenal’s Champions League dream | Mail John The crowds really are deep in numbers along the route , with airhorns to the fore. Upper Street is brimming over. A few fans were in Budapest last night and caught flights at 2am to be there. Many who were there will be arriving at a time when the parade is on. The route: Holloway Road , a...
⚽ Hundreds of thousands attend London event (2pm BST) ⚽ PSG dash Arsenal’s Champions League dream | Mail John The crowds really are deep in numbers along the route , with airhorns to the fore. Upper Street is brimming over. A few fans were in Budapest last night and caught flights at 2am to be there. Many who were there will be arriving at a time when the parade is on. The route: Holloway Road , around Seven Sisters, through Blackstock Road to Newington Green, then Essex Road before turning right at Angel station on to Upper Street. But not, note, past the Emirates, which has been cordoned off. Continue reading...
Colombians will cast ballots on Sunday in what is likely to be the first round of a presidential election, choosing between a leftist pledging to expand reforms begun by the current government, an independent businessman promising a security crackdown and a right-wing senator seeking to become the country’s first female leader. Leftist Ivan Cepeda, a 63-year-old senator, is leading opinion polls,...
Colombians will cast ballots on Sunday in what is likely to be the first round of a presidential election, choosing between a leftist pledging to expand reforms begun by the current government, an independent businessman promising a security crackdown and a right-wing senator seeking to become the country’s first female leader. Leftist Ivan Cepeda, a 63-year-old senator, is leading opinion polls, but looks likely to fall well short of the 50 per cent-plus support needed to avoid a June run-off....
Poland has become one of Europe’s standout growth stories, with an economy that crossed $1 trillion and a new generation of entrepreneurs returning home after studying and working abroad. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański points to decades of reform, EU integration, foreign investment and a diversified economy as drivers of Poland’s rise, while venture capitalist Aleksandra Pedraszewska says Warsa...
Poland has become one of Europe’s standout growth stories, with an economy that crossed $1 trillion and a new generation of entrepreneurs returning home after studying and working abroad. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański points to decades of reform, EU integration, foreign investment and a diversified economy as drivers of Poland’s rise, while venture capitalist Aleksandra Pedraszewska says Warsaw’s technology scene now offers opportunities that were far less obvious a decade ago. But economists warn that sustaining the boom will require Poland to address large deficits, elevated defense spending, demographic decline and the need for more investment in research, education and innovation. (Source: Bloomberg)