The sticker 'U.S. Army' seen on a soldier uniform from the 1st Infantry Division, during a military training at Nowa Deba training ground, in Nowa Deba, Poland, on April 12 2023. Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images The Selective Service System plans to automatically register eligible American men between ages 18 and 26 for a U.S. military draft by December, almost a half-century after compulsory...
The sticker 'U.S. Army' seen on a soldier uniform from the 1st Infantry Division, during a military training at Nowa Deba training ground, in Nowa Deba, Poland, on April 12 2023. Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images The Selective Service System plans to automatically register eligible American men between ages 18 and 26 for a U.S. military draft by December, almost a half-century after compulsory registration for the draft by that group became law, a government filing shows. The SSS's proposal would implement a requirement passed by Congress in December in the National Defense Authorization Act to include automatic registration for "every male citizen of the United States" between those ages. There has not been a military draft since 1973, when U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam was winding down. But in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed a law requiring men between the ages of 18 to 25 to register for military conscription. Since then, the federal government has relied on voluntary compliance with that law, not automatic enrollment. Men who are 26 are allowed to enroll late to comply with the law. The SSS has said that in 2024, 81% of all eligible men registered, a three-percentage point drop from the previous year. The proposal by the SSS to automatically enroll men in the draft was submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30. The proposal was made about a month after the U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran. A two-week ceasefire in that conflict took effect on Tuesday evening. There are currently no plans to reinstate a draft. Read more CNBC politics coverage Trump praises Hungary PM Viktor Orbán after Vance calls him at Budapest rally Bill Gates interview about Jeffrey Epstein by House Oversight set for June 10 House Democrats call on federal regulator to crack down on offshore prediction market war bets But on March 8, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump "keeps his options on the table"...
Welcome to Bloomberg’s Texas Edition — covering all the industries and people driving America’s second-largest economy, from finance and oil to tech and sports. Join us each week for an inside look at Texas through a Bloomberg lens. Sign up here if you’re not already on the list. What do you get when you assemble Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, Texas Stock Exchange CEO ...
Welcome to Bloomberg’s Texas Edition — covering all the industries and people driving America’s second-largest economy, from finance and oil to tech and sports. Join us each week for an inside look at Texas through a Bloomberg lens. Sign up here if you’re not already on the list. What do you get when you assemble Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, Texas Stock Exchange CEO Jim Lee, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins and Citadels Securities’ Jim Esposito? Welcome to the “Boom Belt,” the label for an 11-state region that this group was using Tuesday in Miami. They were talking up the economy across a sort of crescent-shaped swath of the US that sweeps in Texas and Florida, hailing the companies that are moving to the region and the new Dallas-based exchange. We may be hearing that catchphrase for some time. (If Welcome to the Jungle keeps going through your head, that was my Tuesday.) But Texas’ prominence was no accident. The event highlighted economies of Texas — which would be among the world’s 10 largest if it were its own country — Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. It has been a good week for Texas to get some Wall Street love. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon sent some props to the state this week, too. In his annual shareholder letter, he reaffirmed JPMorgan’s commitment to New York, where the bank just opened a new headquarters. But he also contrasted the bank’s headcount in Texas — now at 32,000 compared with 26,000 a decade earlier — with the 20% reduction in New York City, to 24,000 jobs. “This trend,” he wrote, “will likely continue.” The Fine Line The Texas Stock Exchange doesn’t have the state to itself, of course. Dallas-based Nasdaq Texas debuted in March. The city is also home to the NYSE Texas, whose parent launched the exchange more than a year ago. “This has been a really kind of neat collision of Main Street and Wall Street...
White House Says Cuban Regime Is "Bound To Fall" Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation in Cuba, where the population of nearly 10 million are impacted by rolling blackouts and instability, during a press briefing April 8. She further clarified President Donald Trump’s recent statement that “Cuba is next,” after the U.S...
White House Says Cuban Regime Is "Bound To Fall" Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation in Cuba, where the population of nearly 10 million are impacted by rolling blackouts and instability, during a press briefing April 8. She further clarified President Donald Trump’s recent statement that “Cuba is next,” after the U.S. military successfully detained former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores Maduro before striking Iran in coordination with Israel. “I think when President Trump said that and he later clarified after making that statement that he meant the Cuban regime is bound to fall,” Leavitt said in response to a question from The Epoch Times. “The country is very weak. They’re in a very weak position economically, obviously, and financially.” Cuba relied on Venezuela for much of its energy resources, but that supply dried up after the United States took control of the region’s oil industry following Maduro’s capture. A fuel crisis is threatening the nation, with scarce resources available, and nationwide power outages affecting homes and businesses. Outdated energy infrastructure and a failure to maintain electricity grids are contributing to hardships, according to the U.S. State Department. “The Cuban people are fed up with their government, as they should be,” Leavitt said. She offered no policy updates but said administration officials are collaborating across departments to identify diplomatic solutions. “These talks and discussions continue to happen at the highest level of our government,” Leavitt said. Cuba has faced embargos and economic pressure from the United States since Fidel Castro led a communist revolution in 1959 toppled Fulgencio Batista, who led the island nation with U.S. support after taking power through a coup in 1952. President Barack Obama eased some sanctions in a normalization process, but Trump began reversing those policies duri...
Shares of software companies fell on Thursday, in the latest example of the group slumping amid concerns about disruption from artificial intelligence services. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF fell 3.6%, extending the previous session’s 0.9% decline. The fund is on track for its lowest close since November 2023, having dropped almost 28% this year. An index of software-as-a-service s...
Shares of software companies fell on Thursday, in the latest example of the group slumping amid concerns about disruption from artificial intelligence services. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF fell 3.6%, extending the previous session’s 0.9% decline. The fund is on track for its lowest close since November 2023, having dropped almost 28% this year. An index of software-as-a-service stocks shed 5.5%, bringing its week-to-date decline to nearly 10% and its 2026 drop to almost 40%. The year’s selloff stems from investor concern that AI offerings will sap demand for services from legacy providers, weighing on their growth and pricing power going forward. The proliferation of so-called AI agents, designed to complete multi-step processes without human interference, has been viewed as a particular challenge for software-as-a-service stocks. “We have a threat in the environment that wasn’t there before, and expectations for growth going forward have been dashed on the rocks,” said Kevin Caron, co-chief investment officer at Washington Crossing Advisors. “Pre-AI, the idea that someone could come along and develop some kind of replacement software just wasn’t something anyone had to worry about. Now we have to reassess everyone’s competitive moats.” Read more: Private Markets’ Software Pain Is About to Get a Lot Worse The latest concerns on Wednesday arose after Anthropic launched Claude Managed Agents and Meta Platforms Inc. unveiled a new AI model. Among notable decliners, Microsoft Corp. fell 1.5%, Palantir Technologies Inc. sank 7%, Oracle Corp. dropped 2.8%, Salesforce Inc. shed 3.9%, ServiceNow Inc. slumped 6.4%, and Workday Inc. dropped 6%. So far, concerns about AI disrupting growth are more about sentiment than financial results. According to data from Bloomberg Intelligence, the software sector is expected to post earnings growth of 16.5% in 2027, a consensus that has risen in recent weeks; in late February, the consensus was for 15.7% growth. A simil...
Police say case highlights online dangers to children after Carlo Tritta pleads guilty to making indecent images A man who obsessively groomed a 14-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox has been jailed for 28 months. Carlo Tritta, now 19, kept indecent images of the girl and travelled hundreds of miles from his home in Eastleigh, Hampshire in order to turn up, uninvited, a...
Police say case highlights online dangers to children after Carlo Tritta pleads guilty to making indecent images A man who obsessively groomed a 14-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox has been jailed for 28 months. Carlo Tritta, now 19, kept indecent images of the girl and travelled hundreds of miles from his home in Eastleigh, Hampshire in order to turn up, uninvited, at her home in Manchester. Continue reading...
Technology stocks have had a rough stretch. Goldman Sachs thinks that is exactly the point. In a research note published April 7, Goldman Sachs strategists led by Chief Global Equity Strategist Peter Oppenheimer, argued that the sell-off in tech has pushed valuations to levels not seen in decades, ...
Technology stocks have had a rough stretch. Goldman Sachs thinks that is exactly the point. In a research note published April 7, Goldman Sachs strategists led by Chief Global Equity Strategist Peter Oppenheimer, argued that the sell-off in tech has pushed valuations to levels not seen in decades, ...
Keir Starmer and the UK government are scrabbling to keep up with Trump’s fast-changing position on Iran and the Middle East. While a two-week ceasefire is in place, how long will it hold for? Peter Walker and Alexandra Topping look at what happens now. And, with the local election campaign under way, how are the different parties responding to the conflict? Guardian Live: Can Labour come back fro...
Keir Starmer and the UK government are scrabbling to keep up with Trump’s fast-changing position on Iran and the Middle East. While a two-week ceasefire is in place, how long will it hold for? Peter Walker and Alexandra Topping look at what happens now. And, with the local election campaign under way, how are the different parties responding to the conflict? Guardian Live: Can Labour come back from the brink? With a difficult set of May elections approaching, Labour under threat from both the Green party and Reform, and Keir Starmer’s popularity in freefall, can he survive as leader of the Labour party? The Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff will chair our panel of Guardian columnists including Polly Toynbee, Rafael Behr and Zoe Williams. Join us as they discuss Starmer, Labour and the upcoming May byelections. They will also be answering your own questions. Get your tickets here Continue reading...
An official confirmed the Justice Department has begun an investigation into whether the pro football league has been involved in anticompetitive behavior.
An official confirmed the Justice Department has begun an investigation into whether the pro football league has been involved in anticompetitive behavior.
While attention is dominated by fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, it can be difficult to keep one’s eye on the ball — or rather, on other balls, even when they’re related to the main event. Vladimir Putin hoped to take advantage of such distraction, according to Defence Secretary John Healey, with Russian submarines spending recent weeks lurking in British waters. “To President Putin, I say, ‘...
While attention is dominated by fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, it can be difficult to keep one’s eye on the ball — or rather, on other balls, even when they’re related to the main event. Vladimir Putin hoped to take advantage of such distraction, according to Defence Secretary John Healey, with Russian submarines spending recent weeks lurking in British waters. “To President Putin, I say, ‘We see you,’” Healey retorted at a Downing Street press conference today. “‘We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines. And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.’” The submarines have now been fended off, Healey said, adding that Russian aggression toward Europe remains the biggest security threat to the UK and to Nato as a whole; a comment that could easily be seen as another small step in the Labour government’s increasing distance from Donald Trump’s White House. Talking of which, Trump’s team is gearing up for crucial talks in Pakistan on Saturday as the US ceasefire with Iran confronts reality. As I’ve been writing these paragraphs, WTI (the American oil benchmark, to describe it crudely) rose back above $100 a barrel for the first time since the ceasefire was announced, while Brent (the more global equivalent) also climbed above $99. They then dropped again on news of Israel-Lebanon peace talks, but the volatility still made me think of a few other R-words, aside from Russia, that have slipped slightly out of focus this week: refueling, remortgaging and rates, to be specific. The world’s optimists (also known as equity traders) may have seen the ceasefire as opening the way to some kind of normality, but this prospect is pretty remote when it comes to the UK economy. The price of petrol and diesel both rose again today, with the Road Haulage Association calling the cost “unsustainable.” There was brighter news on mortgage rates this morning, as the average two- and five-year fixes both dip...
The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed, with more than 800 ships still stranded in the Persian Gulf and only eight vessels, mostly dry-bulk vessels, passing through since the tenuous cease-fire between the U.S., Israel and Iran was announced earlier this week.
The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed, with more than 800 ships still stranded in the Persian Gulf and only eight vessels, mostly dry-bulk vessels, passing through since the tenuous cease-fire between the U.S., Israel and Iran was announced earlier this week.
monticelllo Brown-Forman (BF. A) (BF. B) rose 12% after a report that Sazerac recently approached the maker of Jack Daniels about a potential acquisition, according to a WSJ report on Thursday, which cited people familiar with the matter. The report comes after a Bloomberg report late last month that Pernod Ricard SA ( PDRDF) was weighing a potential purchase of Brown-Forman ( BF.B). Brown-Forman ...
monticelllo Brown-Forman (BF. A) (BF. B) rose 12% after a report that Sazerac recently approached the maker of Jack Daniels about a potential acquisition, according to a WSJ report on Thursday, which cited people familiar with the matter. The report comes after a Bloomberg report late last month that Pernod Ricard SA ( PDRDF) was weighing a potential purchase of Brown-Forman ( BF.B). Brown-Forman ( BF.A ) ( BF.B ) confirmed the company is engaged in discussions with Pernod Ricard. Closely held Sazerac has 550 brands including Buffalo Trace bourbon, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and BuzzBallz ready-to-drink cocktails. More on Brown-Forman, Pernod Ricard Brown-Forman: A Deal With Pernod Ricard Could Be A Game Changer Brown-Forman: There's Enough Reason To Turn Neutral (Rating Upgrade) Brown-Forman Corporation (BF.B) Presents at UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference Transcript Most and least shorted large-cap consumer staples at March end High spirits: Analysts weigh in on Brown-Forman's potential deal with Pernod Ricard
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Mortgage rates inched down after five consecutive weeks of rising, according to the latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.37% as of April 9, down from 6.46% last week and 6.62% in the same period a year ago. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.74%, down from 5.77% a week ago and 5.82% a year ago. "T...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Mortgage rates inched down after five consecutive weeks of rising, according to the latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.37% as of April 9, down from 6.46% last week and 6.62% in the same period a year ago. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.74%, down from 5.77% a week ago and 5.82% a year ago. "The decrease in rates represents a positive development for prospective homebuyers and could spark a more favorable spring homebuying season than last year," said Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac. More on Mortgages Mortgage demand down overall, but purchase applications are gaining traction Rocket Companies, First American Financial upgraded at Barclays on mortgage volumes
Von der Leyen urged to take action about alleged disinformation and intimidation on behalf of Orbán’s party The European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party. Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of th...
Von der Leyen urged to take action about alleged disinformation and intimidation on behalf of Orbán’s party The European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party. Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a group of MEPs have written to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the commissioner responsible for the rule of law, Michael McGrath, calling for action. Continue reading...