One of disco’s biggest stars answers your questions, recalling tours with Rick James, inspiration for Destiny’s Child and what she wished she asked Michael Jackson You have been an active contributor to an astounding canon of music . What was the essential ingredient that made it all happen? eamonmcc The first word that comes to mind is passion – for the music, for what I do. If you get to be the ...
One of disco’s biggest stars answers your questions, recalling tours with Rick James, inspiration for Destiny’s Child and what she wished she asked Michael Jackson You have been an active contributor to an astounding canon of music . What was the essential ingredient that made it all happen? eamonmcc The first word that comes to mind is passion – for the music, for what I do. If you get to be the voice of a song like We Are Family, which is here for generations to come – to me, it’s more than a song, it’s a statement – it just blows my mind. We were the group that brought the world together as a family through a song. I reckon if you put a rocker, a pop fan, a metalhead, a hip-hop nut, a techno obsessive and a classical devotee into a room and put on Lost in Music, everybody w ould get down. What’s your own relationship with the song ? DeJongandtherestless The song we’re known for is We Are Family, but we’re really Lost in Music. That should be the theme song for Sister Sledge. I’ve been doing this all my life, since I was 11 years old, but in order to survive the industry, there has to be a balance. There were times, especially in the early days, where we toured so much that we couldn’t come up for air, and that, if anything, makes me relate to those lyrics. Continue reading...
Bill Tracy is clearly not one to brag, but after a while, it seems he just can’t help himself. “I did come up with something absolutely amazing actually,” he gleams softly. “Really quite amazing.” Tracy has spent the last 40 years in the fields of Wisconsin as one of the US’s leading sweetcorn breeders, tasting up to 300 ears a day in search of the perfect corn that might one day sizzle on barbecu...
Bill Tracy is clearly not one to brag, but after a while, it seems he just can’t help himself. “I did come up with something absolutely amazing actually,” he gleams softly. “Really quite amazing.” Tracy has spent the last 40 years in the fields of Wisconsin as one of the US’s leading sweetcorn breeders, tasting up to 300 ears a day in search of the perfect corn that might one day sizzle on barbecues across the country. Ten years ago, he came close with a variety that visibly captured his heart. “The first time I bit into it I said: ‘Wow,’” Tracy recalls. “Then I handed it to the person next to me and she said: ‘Wow.’ And I counted – the first 100 people who ate it, the first thing they all said was: ‘Wow.’” Tracy is understandably proud of his creation but those lucky enough to taste it could fit inside a mid-sized restaurant. That corn has never made it into a single grocery store or farmers’ market. While packed with flavour, farmers tell him they cannot justify growing a crop with such fragility and low-yield on the type of industrial farm that dominates modern America today. double quotation mark Everybody working on vegetables will say: ‘I’ve got the tastiest things’ ... But they just eat them with their families Bill Tracy It is a typical dilemma for breeders like Tracy, who in many cases have dedicated their entire working lives to creating delicious food only to rub up against a system in which flavour is often devalued to the point of exclusion. “Everybody working on vegetables will say: ‘I’ve got the tastiest things in the world in the back of the field,’” Tracy says. “But they just eat them with their families because they’re not marketable in our current world.” Delicious food is out there, you only need to visit certain restaurants, farmers’ markets or the back of a breeder’s field to see that. But as Tracy explains, many of us living in countries with hyperindustrialised food systems can spend much of our lives without tasting any of it. For Arielle Jo...
It’s hard to think of a single figure who has been so influential on contemporary UK classical music for so long as Colin Matthews, who turned 80 earlierthis year. This release from the Nash Ensemble, conducted by Jessica Cottis, showcases his works for voice and chamber group. What’s striking throughout these four song cycles is the kaleidoscopic sound world he creates with such forensic precisio...
It’s hard to think of a single figure who has been so influential on contemporary UK classical music for so long as Colin Matthews, who turned 80 earlierthis year. This release from the Nash Ensemble, conducted by Jessica Cottis, showcases his works for voice and chamber group. What’s striking throughout these four song cycles is the kaleidoscopic sound world he creates with such forensic precision, whether he has seven players to work with or 17. The songs teem with detail; some would almost work without the singer. And yet the vocal line remains the focus. View image in fullscreen The artwork for Seascapes The Island (2007), setting three poems by Rilke, was written for Claire Booth’s cool-water soprano; she’s also the soloist in Seascapes (2020) and A Land of Rain (2017), and sounds as vibrant as ever, even if occasionally the words get lost in the supple musical lines she is sculpting. In 2018’s As Time Returns, it’s the baritone Marcus Farnsworth who sings Ivan Blatný’s poetry, with honeyed tone and disarming clarity. The largest-scale work is A Land of Rain: 10 songs setting words by the poet Nicholas Moore, taken from the 31 different translations he made of a single Baudelaire poem (entries to a newspaper competition, submitted under 31 variously silly pseudonyms). Matthews’s music, moving chameleon-like through different styles, brings them alive as a study in how words can be reinterpreted from a myriad of angles. The last song sets the French original – and as the musical strands finally coalesce, in almost Mahlerian style, it’s as if all the other songs were a daydream. Allow content provided by a third party? This article includes content hosted on embed.music.apple.com . We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Allow and continue Listen on Apple Music (above) or Spotify
The Book of Birds delivers a stark warning in its introduction about the “great thinning of the skies … Dawns and springs are quieter; the air emptier. An ancient avian orchestra is falling silent.” There are now 3 billion fewer birds in North America than there were 50 years ago, and 5 million fewer in Europe. Across the world, almost 50% of bird species are in decline. These figures are the galv...
The Book of Birds delivers a stark warning in its introduction about the “great thinning of the skies … Dawns and springs are quieter; the air emptier. An ancient avian orchestra is falling silent.” There are now 3 billion fewer birds in North America than there were 50 years ago, and 5 million fewer in Europe. Across the world, almost 50% of bird species are in decline. These figures are the galvanising force behind writer and illustrator Jackie Morris and nature writer Robert Macfarlane’s compendium of 49 bird species under threat in Britain. Each entry is a prose poem aimed at evoking the spirit and the unique qualities of each bird, among them the kingfisher, nightingale, nightjar, song thrush, tern, tawny owl and puffin. Macfarlane narrates the bird entries, which also include the avocet, which “[when] seen at sunset in silhouette seems blown from glass – as if breath of wind would leave her in shards amid the sea reeds, the fescue, the eelgrass”. Meanwhile, Morris reads the “seven wonders of bird”, a series of short essays hailing the remarkable inventions that are feathers, nests, beaks and eggs, the latter acting as a “space station, shock absorber, bathysphere, safe harbour, first home”. The audio edition also features terrific sound design courtesy of field recordist Chris Watson, known for his work with David Attenborough. Watson has meticulously recorded the call of each bird and incorporated them into each chapter. This blend of lyrical prose and birdsong make for moving love letter to our feathered friends. Available viaFiona Sturges Penguin, 3hr 38min Further listening Clown Town Mick Herron, Baskerville, 12hr 6min The ninth Slough House novel from Herron tells of hidden agendas, a cover-up concerning IRA infiltration and a villain with a grim murder technique that involves running over their victim’s head with a Land Rover. Sean Barrett narrates. Confessions Catherine Airey, Penguin Audio, 12hr 19min After the 9/11 terrorist attacks leave Cora Brady ...
China has a unique window to internationalise its currency by deepening domestic financial markets, according to a former senior US central bank official who pointed to the evolution of the US dollar and the euro for lessons to be gleaned. The comments from Charles Evans, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, provide a fresh perspective in the growing discussion over whether and...
China has a unique window to internationalise its currency by deepening domestic financial markets, according to a former senior US central bank official who pointed to the evolution of the US dollar and the euro for lessons to be gleaned. The comments from Charles Evans, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, provide a fresh perspective in the growing discussion over whether and how the world’s second-largest economy can transform the yuan into a global currency. Speaking on the sidelines of the UBS Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong, Evans highlighted the enduring advantages of the US dollar. His comments came amid growing criticism over the currency’s weaponisation, US debt sustainability, and policies from the administration of US President Donald Trump. Advertisement “One reason why the US dollar plays such a strong role in financial market transactions, and also trade transactions, is the vibrancy of financial markets, the depth of capital markets, Treasury debt, and the fact that it’s traded and it’s useful for financial activities,” he said on Wednesday. He also noted how internationalisation typically requires a currency to be fully convertible. “Those are big issues for a country like China,” he said. Charles Evans, seen here in Hong Kong in March 2019, is a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He appeared in Hong Kong again this week. Photo: K. Y. Cheng Beijing has been steadily promoting the yuan’s use overseas since introducing cross-border trade transactions in 2009. The pace has accelerated in recent years amid growing concerns regarding US dollar weaponisation, with sentiment influenced by Washington’s asset freezes and financial sanctions imposed on Russia.
President Donald Trump ’s foreign policy direction could have lasting effects on America’s alliances and global leadership, and it could also speed up the shift to a multipolar world where China plays a bigger role. That is according to Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. Speaking at a seminar hosted by the university on Tuesday, Wu said the Tr...
President Donald Trump ’s foreign policy direction could have lasting effects on America’s alliances and global leadership, and it could also speed up the shift to a multipolar world where China plays a bigger role. That is according to Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. Speaking at a seminar hosted by the university on Tuesday, Wu said the Trump administration was “reshaping US foreign policy” – and it could be a turning point for the country as it prepares to mark 250 years since its founding. Advertisement Wu said the administration had pushed Washington towards a realist foreign policy while accelerating the erosion of its alliance system, particularly its transatlantic ties with Europe “Under Trump, the US alliance system has come under unprecedented strain … The question is whether the transatlantic partnership can be repaired after Trump. I think there may be some partial recovery, but it will never return to what it once was,” Wu said. Advertisement “One reason is that Europe’s confidence in the US is already gone, because Europeans know that once there has been one Trump, he will not be the last American leader like this. Therefore, Europe can no longer place its hopes in the US the way it did in the past.”
The Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS 0.62%) offers broader diversification across hundreds of holdings, while the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY 0.71%) provides concentrated exposure to large-cap leaders. These funds target the consumer cyclical sector, capturing companies that rely on discretionary spending and economic strength. While the Fide...
The Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS 0.62%) offers broader diversification across hundreds of holdings, while the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY 0.71%) provides concentrated exposure to large-cap leaders. These funds target the consumer cyclical sector, capturing companies that rely on discretionary spending and economic strength. While the Fidelity fund tracks a broader index that includes hundreds of smaller firms, the State Street fund focuses exclusively on large-cap leaders in the S&P 500. Investors may choose based on their preference for broad market representation versus blue chip concentration. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric XLY FDIS Issuer SPDR Fidelity Expense ratio 0.08% 0.08% 1-yr return (as of 2026-05-27) 13.00% 12.70% Dividend yield 0.70% 0.70% Beta 1.22 1.25 AUM $22.8 billion $1.8 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield. Both ETFs are highly cost-efficient, with expense ratios of 0.08%, well below the average for sector-specific funds. This low-cost structure helps minimize the drag on performance. Additionally, both funds offered identical trailing-12-month dividend yields of 0.70% as of May 27, 2026. Performance & risk comparison Metric XLY FDIS Max drawdown (5 yr) (39.70%) (39.20%) Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) $1,465 $1,385 What's inside The Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS) launched in 2013 and holds 274 stocks. Its portfolio is composed of 97.00% consumer cyclical, 1.00% consumer defensive, and 1.00% technology stocks. Its largest positions include Amazon.com (AMZN 0.80%) at 24.15%, Tesla (TSLA 0.14%) at 17.83%, and Home Depot (HD +1.16%) at 4.53%. The Fidelity fund has a trailing-12-month dividend of $0.74 per share. In contrast, the State Street Consumer Dis...
To get Industrial Strength delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here . Jet fuel costs have surged and US consumer sentiment has hit a record low on concerns about the inflationary ripple effects of the war in Iran. But demand for private jet travel just keeps growing. Year-to-date flight activity on business jets is up almost 4% globally through May 24 relative to the same period a year ago, ...
To get Industrial Strength delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here . Jet fuel costs have surged and US consumer sentiment has hit a record low on concerns about the inflationary ripple effects of the war in Iran. But demand for private jet travel just keeps growing. Year-to-date flight activity on business jets is up almost 4% globally through May 24 relative to the same period a year ago, according to data from WingX, an aviation data company. That’s even with a more than 20% drop in Middle East departures tied to disruptions from the conflict. North America accounts for the vast majority of flights and is leading the growth. The rise in activity so far this year is even outpacing that seen in the same stretch in 2025, which turned out to be the busiest year ever for private jet travel, WingX data show. That’s translating into booming demand for private jet manufacturers. Gulfstream-maker General Dynamics Corp. notched its highest-ever first-quarter pace of deliveries this year but demand is rising even faster, with orders for 17 more jets than the year-ago period. While demand has slowed in the Middle East, that’s been more than offset by strong bookings in the US, General Dynamics executives said on the company’s earnings call in late April. Cessna-manufacturer Textron Inc. and Bombardier Inc., which makes the Challenger and Global models, are seeing similar surges in orders. Overall backlogs at major private jet manufacturers that report first-quarter results rose 19.3% year-over-year to $57.1 billion, according to Global Jet Capital . It’s a striking contrast to the commercial airline sector, particularly at the back of the cabin. Airlines have been culling flights that are now unprofitable with higher fuel costs and CEOs including Scott Kirby of United Airlines Holdings Inc. have acknowledged that an expected uptick in prices will turn off some customers . Read More: Ryanair Sees European Airline ‘Casualties’ on Jet Fuel Spike Nearly a quarter of Americ...
The Nintendo Switch 2 can be enjoyed right out of the box, but it’s even better with the right accessories. Some of these add-ons are more crucial than others, especially if you’re deciding what to buy early on. For example, a case and a screen protector can keep your console safe from scuffs, scratches, and drops, so both are what I’d consider to be essential. If you’re not a fan of how the Joy-C...
The Nintendo Switch 2 can be enjoyed right out of the box, but it’s even better with the right accessories. Some of these add-ons are more crucial than others, especially if you’re deciding what to buy early on. For example, a case and a screen protector can keep your console safe from scuffs, scratches, and drops, so both are what I’d consider to be essential. If you’re not a fan of how the Joy-Con 2 feel to use, a cheap but good wireless controller wouldn’t hurt, either. On the other hand, a microSD Express card lets you add even more digital games to your library, although the console’s somewhat generous 256GB of internal storage means you may not need one right away. Some other accessories don’t add enough to the gaming experience to justify the cost. Those Joy-Con 2 steering wheel accessories? You can probably pass on those. The Switch 2 and its games are expensive enough, so we’ve assembled this guide with picks that are a great value. No matter your budget, we’ve included numerous categories, beginning with a starter kit of recommendations we think everyone should consider. The best Switch 2 controllers Our list of the best Switch 2 controllers is always evolving. It started with just a few alternatives to Nintendo’s great, yet imperfect Switch 2 Pro controller that costs $90. Now it’s full of options covering a range of budgets. Currently, the best wireless controller for most Switch 2 gamers is the EasySMX S10 . It offers comfort, great-feeling rumble, it includes a floating eight-way direction pad, and has support for motion controls and amiibo. It’s the total package, but I have minor complaints. The home, GameChat, and screenshot buttons are placed awkwardly, and not everyone will dig the design or the gritty texture on the grips. EasySMX S10 Where to Buy: $59.99 $49.99 at Amazon (black, for Prime members) $59.99 at EasySMX $59.99 $50.99 at Amazon (white, for Prime members) 8BitDo USB Adapter 2 It’s technically not a controller, but I’m a broken record w...
Berlin, BERLIN, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peec AI, the AI search analytics platform, today announced it has surpassed $10 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) just 16 months after launching its product. The company also confirmed the opening of its first US office in New York to support accelerating demand from American enterprises. The team behind Peec AI. Photo credit: Thomas Obernie...
Berlin, BERLIN, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peec AI, the AI search analytics platform, today announced it has surpassed $10 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) just 16 months after launching its product. The company also confirmed the opening of its first US office in New York to support accelerating demand from American enterprises. The team behind Peec AI. Photo credit: Thomas Oberniedermayr Peec AI grew from $0 to $5M ARR in its first 11 months and doubled to $10M ARR in the five months that followed. Headcount grew from 25 to more than 70 employees across engineering, go-to-market and operations in the last six months. "Brands that figured out SEO early won the last decade. The same dynamic is playing out right now with AI search — just compressed into months, not years," said Marius Meiners, co-founder and CEO of Peec AI. Peec AI counts more than 2500 customers globally, including brands like Attio, Squarespace, TUI and Hugo Boss, with the US emerging as its fastest-growing market as brands race to measure and improve their AI search presence. Peec AI has emerged as one of the fastest-growing AI software companies in Europe. The company was featured by Ramp among the world's breakout software vendors, and ranked #2 in Harmonic's Q2 2026 Hot 25 startup ranking. Peec AI was founded in January 2025 by Marius Meiners, Daniel Drabo and Tobias Siwonia at Antler. The company raised a €7M seed round led by 20VC in 24h, reportedly the fastest seed investment in the firm's history, followed by a $21M Series A led by Singular in November 2025. Total funding to date stands at $29M. What's next The New York office isn't just a flag in the ground. The US is Peec's fastest-growing market, and the team is actively hiring across sales, customer success, and engineering to meet it. The product roadmap reflects the same ambition: with AI search analytics as the foundation, Peec AI is now building toward brand perception, commerce, and the ability to act on all of it an...
Early Bird pricing ends tomorrow, May 29, at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, prices for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 go up. Miss this, and you’ll be paying more for the same access to one of the most anticipated tech epicenters of the year. Register now to secure discounts of up to $410 on your pass, or up to 30% on group passes. Disrupt: Your launchpad in the tech ecosystem If you want to raise capital, hi...
Early Bird pricing ends tomorrow, May 29, at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, prices for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 go up. Miss this, and you’ll be paying more for the same access to one of the most anticipated tech epicenters of the year. Register now to secure discounts of up to $410 on your pass, or up to 30% on group passes. Disrupt: Your launchpad in the tech ecosystem If you want to raise capital, hire top talent, launch your startup, or discover your next portfolio company, missing Disrupt from October 13–15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West is not an option. Here’s what you’ll gain by attending: Actionable insights from builders, operators, and VCs actively shaping today’s market Direct access to the right investors for your next round, or founders aligned with your portfolio Early visibility into breakthrough innovations before they hit the broader market Connections that drive real impact, from partnerships to funding to career opportunities How Disrupt delivers value Access to 10,000+ founders, operators, and VCs with targeted programming Tactical, real-world on-stage discussions with 250+ of today’s industry leaders, from leaders in AWS, Databricks, Google, and Index Ventures, spanning across multiple industry stages, roundtables, and breakout sessions. Image Credits:Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch Front-row seat to Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition with a $100,000 equity-free prize on the line Expo Hall access with 300+ showcasing innovative startups shaping the future of tech 20,000+ curated 1:1 or small-group networking designed for real, actionable results 80+ Side Events across the Bay Area for networking, workshops, and social connections Exclusive programming for founders and investors Founder Pass: Accelerate growth with the right insights, tools, and connections. Meet investors aligned with your startup. Investor Pass: Discover standout startups and expand your portfolio with curated access. Use matchmaking tools to make every conversati...
Visa has announced an undisclosed investment in AI coding platform Replit. The two companies are also exploring how to integrate Visa’s payment products into Replit, so that developers — and the AI agents they build — can accept payments directly from customers without leaving the platform. Visa added that more than 1,000 of its employees have been using Replit for prototyping and development. As ...
Visa has announced an undisclosed investment in AI coding platform Replit. The two companies are also exploring how to integrate Visa’s payment products into Replit, so that developers — and the AI agents they build — can accept payments directly from customers without leaving the platform. Visa added that more than 1,000 of its employees have been using Replit for prototyping and development. As part of the partnership, the companies are exploring how developers on Replit can use Visa’s suite for AI-powered payments, called Visa Intelligent Commerce, as well as Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol — a system that allows AI agents to securely identify themselves by sharing information like their intent and relevant customer details, so that payments made by agents can be verified and trusted. All of these projects are in an exploratory stage, and the companies haven’t formally announced any joint products. The investment reflects a broader race to establish the infrastructure for so-called agentic payments — a world in which AI agents buy and sell things on users’ behalf. Besides Replit and Visa, other tech companies are also moving quickly in this space. Retail investing platform Robinhood now wants people to use agents to trade, while Google wants users to deploy agents for shopping. “Over the last few months, our enterprise traction has been growing, and Visa coming on board underscores our mission of making coding available to anyone in a secure and robust manner,” Amjad Masad, CEO and founder of Replit, said in a statement. Replit is also launching self-serve enterprise access, allowing companies to sign contracts worth up to $200,000 without talking to a salesperson. The tier offers enterprise-grade compliance and controls, including SSO — single sign-on, a system that lets employees access multiple tools with one set of credentials — audit logs, and advanced permissions. “Our continued customer and partner additions in the enterprise, coupled with our new self-serve...
The Bank of Canada said the financial system has functioned well through recent global shocks, but highlighted the risk of an asset price correction as well as vulnerabilities related to the role hedge funds are playing in debt markets. The central bank’s 2026 financial stability report released Thursday noted financial asset valuations have continued to rise, while the stock market is increasingl...
The Bank of Canada said the financial system has functioned well through recent global shocks, but highlighted the risk of an asset price correction as well as vulnerabilities related to the role hedge funds are playing in debt markets. The central bank’s 2026 financial stability report released Thursday noted financial asset valuations have continued to rise, while the stock market is increasingly concentrated in a handful of large tech companies that are heavily invested in artificial intelligence. That makes asset managers more vulnerable to a sudden correction, and a negative shock to AI sectors would have an outsized impact on broader stock indexes. The central bank also said that the increased role of hedge funds in overnight funding markets poses a financial market vulnerability. “A sharp pullback in hedge fund activity in government debt markets, for example, could negatively affect the liquidity and functioning of these markets and other fixed income markets. This, in turn, could generate financial system stress,” the report said. Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers said individually, these vulnerabilities look “manageable.” “However, the economic and geopolitical environment has become more volatile. And this has made it more likely that a new shock or a combination of shocks could cause several vulnerabilities to crystallize at once,” Rogers said in prepared remarks. The report analyzes risks to the Canadian financial system, but doesn’t assign probability and isn’t a projection from the central bank. Meanwhile for households and businesses, the bank said the main financial health vulnerability relates to a geopolitical or economic shock that leads to a deep recession and a spike in unemployment. While the central bank previously flagged mortgage renewals as a concern, it noted on Thursday that most borrowers have managed this risk well. “With the final wave of these renewals set to happen over the next 12 months, we expect this risk to have fully passe...
Today, I’m talking with Wassym Bensaid, the chief software officer at Rivian, and the co-CEO of Rivian’s platform joint venture with Volkswagen, which everyone just calls RV Tech. That joint venture kicked off about a year and a half ago with a nearly $6 billion investment from Volkswagen. It effectively puts Wassym in charge of the operating system and electrical architecture for every future EV ...
Today, I’m talking with Wassym Bensaid, the chief software officer at Rivian, and the co-CEO of Rivian’s platform joint venture with Volkswagen, which everyone just calls RV Tech. That joint venture kicked off about a year and a half ago with a nearly $6 billion investment from Volkswagen. It effectively puts Wassym in charge of the operating system and electrical architecture for every future EV from Volkswagen and its associated brands, including familiar names like Audi, but also new companies like Scout. There’s a lot of Decoder ideas in there — I really wanted to know how that joint venture works and how it’s structured to preserve Rivian’s unique software culture, which you’ll hear Wassym talk about as the core element of the whole thing. I also wanted to know where the lines were — what parts of Rivian’s software get to be just for Rivian, and which parts of the core technology would be shared across the smaller company and the behemoth that is Volkswagen Group. And, of course, I wanted to understand how Wassym navigated the tension between the two. You know, classic Decoder bait. Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Decoder wherever you get your podcasts. Head here . Not a subscriber? You can sign up here . It’s also a big moment for Rivian in general right now. The company is gearing up to deliver the more affordable Rivian R2 , which is the first vehicle based on this new architecture, and the company also just shipped the AI-powered Rivian Assistant in its R1 vehicles . You’ll hear Wassym talk about Assistant as the beginning of a big bet for Rivian, as it tries to create a more agentic software platform in its cars . I actually got to spend some time with the Rivian Assistant in an R1S ahead of my conversation with Wassym, and I found it to be a fascinating experience — certainly powerful and engaging while at the same time frustrating in a lot of really interesting ways. So I had a lot of feature requests, bug reports, and...
Major earnings expected after the bell on Thursday include: Costco Wholesale Corporation ( COST ) Dell Technologies ( DELL ) Okta ( OKTA ) UiPath ( PATH ) SentinelOne ( S ) Other earnings slated for release after Thursday's close include: ADSK , AEO , AMBA , ASAN , ESTC , GAP , HQY , MDB , NGL , NTAP , PD , UVV , VSAT For Seeking Alpha's full earnings season calendar, click here .
Major earnings expected after the bell on Thursday include: Costco Wholesale Corporation ( COST ) Dell Technologies ( DELL ) Okta ( OKTA ) UiPath ( PATH ) SentinelOne ( S ) Other earnings slated for release after Thursday's close include: ADSK , AEO , AMBA , ASAN , ESTC , GAP , HQY , MDB , NGL , NTAP , PD , UVV , VSAT For Seeking Alpha's full earnings season calendar, click here .
Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the minds of investors and companies alike. Spending on AI infrastructure is through the roof, as is demand for AI tools and services. Not surprisingly, many stocks have benefited from the trends in AI over the past few years. That said, if there were one AI stock I'd be putting in my retirement portfolio before the end of this year, it would be Alphabet (...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the minds of investors and companies alike. Spending on AI infrastructure is through the roof, as is demand for AI tools and services. Not surprisingly, many stocks have benefited from the trends in AI over the past few years. That said, if there were one AI stock I'd be putting in my retirement portfolio before the end of this year, it would be Alphabet (GOOGL +0.08%) (GOOG +0.11%). The reason is quite simple, as it's the most complete AI company with several built-in advantages. Expand NASDAQ : GOOGL Alphabet Today's Change ( 0.08 %) $ 0.31 Current Price $ 389.14 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.7T Day's Range $ 385.17 - $ 390.42 52wk Range $ 162.00 - $ 408.61 Volume 190.7K Avg Vol 28.1M Gross Margin 60.43 % Dividend Yield 0.22 % The most complete AI stack Alphabet has the most complete AI stack of any company, highlighted by its Gemini AI models and its custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). The company has many advantages in the AI race, but it all starts with its TPUs. Alphabet developed these custom chips more than a decade ago, designing its entire software and hardware stacks around them. This has given it a big head start in a world where cheaper, more efficient computing power is king. By owning its own custom chips designed specifically for its ecosystem, Alphabet has a huge cost edge in the AI race. It can get more bang for its buck with its AI infrastructure spending, while also training its Gemini model and running inference at a much lower cost compared to rivals that largely depend on Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs). This also gives it a cost advantage through its fast-growing cloud computing business and helps it achieve better economics by having both its own chips and models. Its chips are also so highly regarded that it is now letting its co-developer, Broadcom, sell them directly to select customers, opening up another high-margin revenue stream. Alphabet also has a big distribution advantage when i...
Treasuries rallied back to be little-changed on the day, erasing earlier declines spurred by higher oil prices, after a key US inflation gauge rose less than expected. Yields were mostly within one basis point of Wednesday’s closing levels after the inflation gauge — the price index for April personal consumption expenditures — rose 0.4% overall and 0.2% once food and energy was excluded. Economis...
Treasuries rallied back to be little-changed on the day, erasing earlier declines spurred by higher oil prices, after a key US inflation gauge rose less than expected. Yields were mostly within one basis point of Wednesday’s closing levels after the inflation gauge — the price index for April personal consumption expenditures — rose 0.4% overall and 0.2% once food and energy was excluded. Economists had estimated increases of 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively. Still, the changes boosted the year-on-year rate, which Federal Reserve policymakers aim to keep around 2%, to 3.8%, the highest since May 2023. “The Fed’s reaction function for hikes is not there yet,” Matthew Luzzetti , chief US economist at Deutsche Bank, told Bloomberg Surveillance Thursday after the data reports. “They’re giving time for inflation to come down.” Actual and expected inflation have risen since the US attacked Iran in late February, unleashing a surge in oil and gasoline prices. The prospect that central banks will respond with interest-rate hikes helped drive Treasury yields to their highest levels of the year this month and yields have continued to take direction from oil prices. While oil prices have retreated from their highest levels since the war began and slipped to the lowest levels in a month on Wednesday, they resumed rising after US forces carried out air strikes on an Iranian military site and struck other targets near the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury yields reached session highs concurrently with oil prices before the US trading day began, rising as much as four to six basis points across maturities. The 10-year note’s yield, little changed at 4.48% after the US economic data, earlier reached 4.53%. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index also was little changed after rising as much as 0.3%. Thursday’s recovery trimmed the expected yield for an auction of seven-year notes at 1 p.m. New York time to about 4.33%, still higher than seven-year auction results since January 2025. When the sale was a...
Andy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions. As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits...
Andy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions. As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. The system can be a significant driver of homelessness, as those who lose their job or suffer another setback are ineligible for any official support, and can often end up sleeping rough. In 2023, Burnham signed a joint letter with the mayors of every Greater Manchester borough, urging the then-Conservative government to take action to stop a surge in homelessness due to the planned closure of so-called bridging hotels, temporary accommodation used mainly to help resettled Afghan nationals. The letter, among its wider demands to help end rough sleeping, asked for the NRPF rules to be changed so that non-UK nationals in this situation who faced homelessness would be given “at least a minimum safety net”. In 2019, in a statement on his mayoral website calling for more efforts to combat homelessness, Burnham said one response should be to “abolish the no recourse to public funds policy”. A spokesperson for Burnham said: “Andy’s been very clear that he recognises that towns across this country want an immigration system to be fair and they want to know that the government has control – and it is right to pursue root and branch reform. “He strongly believes we need control as well as compassion. Britain has always welcomed those who come here and contribute and Greater Manchester is testament to that.” It is understood that if he wins the byelection and subsequently replaces Keir Starmer as prime minister, Burnham will re-examine such policies and how best to tackle rough sleeping, one of the priorities of his mayoralty....
Bo Shen/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Corteva, Inc. ( CTVA ) a Hold. I see Corteva as an interesting equity story focused on a pre-separation dynamic, as, today, the share represents a double claim on two future standalone businesses: Vylor for the Seed segment and New Corteva for the Crop Protection one. I built my investment case not on top-line’s aggressive growth, ...
Bo Shen/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Corteva, Inc. ( CTVA ) a Hold. I see Corteva as an interesting equity story focused on a pre-separation dynamic, as, today, the share represents a double claim on two future standalone businesses: Vylor for the Seed segment and New Corteva for the Crop Protection one. I built my investment case not on top-line’s aggressive growth, but on an analysis of the different quality of the cash flow generated by the two current segments, that will soon be the two new companies. The DCF valuation uses assumptions centered on the current segments' performances, assuming that the long-run excess returns will fade, with the two companies that will end-up earning their respective cost of capital. The intrinsic valuation has been integrated with a Sum-of-the-Parts (SOTP) multiple analysis, that captures the value of the two businesses in a different way, suggesting a significantly higher value, driven by Vylor’s expected premium profile. As I am relying more on my DCF results, the investment decision depends on whether the investors believe that the separation will unlock the valuation gap between CTVA’s current structure and the future standalone entities. I will update my analysis as soon as the company releases the official financial documents on the two businesses’ capital structures. Business Overview I describe Corteva as a company sitting at the intersection of the traditional and the innovative, helping the former grow and expand thanks to benefits implied by the latter. Operating as a pure-player in the agricultural technology industry, Corteva’s business model is centered around one fundamental goal: improving farm productivity. This objective is achieved through two main segments: Seed, including proprietary genetics, traits, and brands such as Pioneer and Brevant Crop protection, which includes herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and seed-applied technologies In other words, the company is well-positi...
With the 10-year Treasury yield sitting at 4.57% and pinned in the 98th percentile of its 12-month range, the bar for owning equities, especially rate-sensitive ones, keeps rising. That math punishes expensive growth names and rewards stocks whose cash flows already compensate for the risk-free hurdle. Investors hunting for income-like exposure under $50 a share ... The Sub-$50 Institutional Cash-...
With the 10-year Treasury yield sitting at 4.57% and pinned in the 98th percentile of its 12-month range, the bar for owning equities, especially rate-sensitive ones, keeps rising. That math punishes expensive growth names and rewards stocks whose cash flows already compensate for the risk-free hurdle. Investors hunting for income-like exposure under $50 a share ... The Sub-$50 Institutional Cash-Flow Machine That Remains Attractive Despite High Risk Free Yields
Three crude-oil tankers sanctioned for being part of Russia’s shadow fleet were attacked by drones off Turkey’s Black Sea coast overnight, according to a local port agent. The Turkish-managed Altura and Velora were targeted while they were conducting ship-to-ship cargo transfers, according to a report from the port agent seen by Bloomberg. Ship-tracking data showed that they arrived in the area on...
Three crude-oil tankers sanctioned for being part of Russia’s shadow fleet were attacked by drones off Turkey’s Black Sea coast overnight, according to a local port agent. The Turkish-managed Altura and Velora were targeted while they were conducting ship-to-ship cargo transfers, according to a report from the port agent seen by Bloomberg. Ship-tracking data showed that they arrived in the area on May 24. The Altura was attacked previously in March, local media reported at the time, when it was fully laden with about a million barrels of Russian Urals crude. Another tanker, James II, also suffered a drone strike, according to a separate report from the same port agent. That ship was managed by an Indian company, according to the Equasis marine database, and is also capable of carrying one million barrels of crude. While the agent’s reports didn’t say whether the ships were damaged, the James II’s navigation status changed from “under way using engine” to “not under command” on Thursday morning, which may indicate some kind of mechanical issue. The attacks are the latest examples of intensified drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine that’s showing no signs of abating. In recent weeks, Kyiv has targeted Russia’s Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse , as part of strikes designed to reduce windfall revenues that the Kremlin is reaping from the rally in global commodities prices. Ukraine began attacking Russian tankers in the Black Sea late last year. Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal working hours. Thursday is a national holiday in the country. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have commented on the incidents so far. Managers for all of the ships involved didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams says the answer to whether a lift in productivity will ultimately impact interest rates and the central bank’s policymaking is, “unsurprisingly, it depends.” Williams spoke Thursday at a central banking conference in Iceland. (Source: Bloomberg)
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams says the answer to whether a lift in productivity will ultimately impact interest rates and the central bank’s policymaking is, “unsurprisingly, it depends.” Williams spoke Thursday at a central banking conference in Iceland. (Source: Bloomberg)
NVIDIA’s NVDA CEO Jensen Huang announced that the technology giant plans to ramp up its annual spending and investments in Taiwan to a staggering $150 billion. This massive commitment marks a tenfold increase from the $10-$15 billion the company spent annually on the island just five years ago. Taiwan has long established itself as the indispensable central hub for the artificial intelligence (AI)...
NVIDIA’s NVDA CEO Jensen Huang announced that the technology giant plans to ramp up its annual spending and investments in Taiwan to a staggering $150 billion. This massive commitment marks a tenfold increase from the $10-$15 billion the company spent annually on the island just five years ago. Taiwan has long established itself as the indispensable central hub for the artificial intelligence (AI)-led tech boom, dominating advanced semiconductor manufacturing, thanks to industry titans like Taiwan Semiconductor TSM. NVIDIA’s latest pledge has once again placed the island’s chip ecosystem in the spotlight and strengthened the case for continued gains in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with significant Taiwan exposure. From an investment perspective, it is important to examine the strategic rationale behind NVIDIA’s latest move and assess Taiwan’s critical role in the broader technology ecosystem before identifying the ETFs best positioned to benefit from this significant capital infusion. Rationale Behind NVIDIA’s $150B Pledge NVIDIA’s decision to channel $150 billion annually into Taiwan is rooted in supply-chain efficiency and technological necessity as the company seeks to maintain its leadership position in the AI value chain. As a fabless chipmaker, NVIDIA designs some of the world’s most advanced GPUs, including its Hopper and Blackwell architectures, but depends entirely on Taiwan for fabrication. The primary linchpin in this relationship is Taiwan Semiconductor, which produces the advanced semiconductors that power NVIDIA's AI GPUs. To this end, NVIDIA expects to surpass Apple as TSM’s largest customer this year, with the latter controlling over 90% of the world's advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Beyond TSM, NVIDIA relies on a network of Taiwanese partners to manufacture, package, and assemble its AI hardware. Companies like Foxconn, Quanta Computer, and Wistron are critical for assembling the massive AI servers and liquid-cooled data center architectures t...