There are a handful of giants in the retail world, with Walmart and Amazon as the household names leading the way. Walmart stores are accessible to the vast majority of the American population, and Amazon is the undisputed e-commerce king, but neither runs the warehouse memberships like Costco (COST 2.14%). Costco's stock hasn't gotten as much attention as tech or artificial intelligence (AI) stoc...
There are a handful of giants in the retail world, with Walmart and Amazon as the household names leading the way. Walmart stores are accessible to the vast majority of the American population, and Amazon is the undisputed e-commerce king, but neither runs the warehouse memberships like Costco (COST 2.14%). Costco's stock hasn't gotten as much attention as tech or artificial intelligence (AI) stocks over the past few years. Still, it has outperformed all major indexes and every "Magnificent Seven" stock not named Nvidia or Alphabet over the past five years. But while past success is nice, future success matters. Where will Costco and its stock be in five years? Embracing different property styles to remove expansion barriers Costco's memberships are growing -- which is a good thing, no doubt -- but one downside is overcrowded stores in high-volume areas. To help with the issue (and overall growth), Costco is pursuing an aggressive expansion plan, aiming to open at least 30 new stores annually. For your average city, it's a straightforward process once you find space for it (Costco aims for at least 25 acres). In high-density cities like New York City and Los Angeles, space isn't readily available to build large Costco stores, so the company is embracing mixed-use properties that deviate from its traditional designs but allow it to capitalize on high-income areas. Costco is currently building its first mixed-use property in Los Angeles, with apartment buildings atop the warehouse, and the company says such properties should increase foot traffic. If these mixed-use stores in high-density areas prove effective, the burden of space will become less meaningful for Costco's physical footprint. It currently has 28 stores in its pipeline for this year. Expand NASDAQ : COST Costco Wholesale Today's Change ( -2.14 %) $ -22.47 Current Price $ 1027.98 Key Data Points Market Cap $456B Day's Range $ 1025.19 - $ 1044.90 52wk Range $ 844.06 - $ 1096.50 Volume 104.4K Avg Vol 1.9M G...
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is tapping private-sector digital forensics expertise as it seeks to boost an investigation into an overhaul of the country’s tax agency under former President Jacob Zuma, the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times said. The authority has brought in Facts Consulting to assist with the probe into the role played by Bain & Co in the restructuring of the S...
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is tapping private-sector digital forensics expertise as it seeks to boost an investigation into an overhaul of the country’s tax agency under former President Jacob Zuma, the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times said. The authority has brought in Facts Consulting to assist with the probe into the role played by Bain & Co in the restructuring of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) that resulted in the ousting of senior staff and gutting of its investigative capacity, the weekly said, citing NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago. Bain is one of several international companies caught up in state-corruption scandals, commonly known locally as state capture, during Zuma’s tenure, which ended in 2018. Bain didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg outside regular office hours on Sunday. The firm has since paid SARS 217 million rand ($13.2 million) to refund consultancy fees and interest, the paper reported. The National Treasury also banned the firm from doing business with the state for 10 years. Bain closed its South African consultancy business last year and has sued the Treasury and tax service in a bid to reverse the ban, saying the legal provisions used to ban it were unconstitutional. The roles of former president Jacob Zuma and Bain South Africa boss Vittorio Massone are set to come under scrutiny as the NPA’s leadership seeks criminal charges against the main actors responsible for the near collapse of SARS, the Sunday Times said.
Last quarter was a busy one for Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +1.43%) (BRKB +1.32%)... busier than most. New CEO Greg Abel made a bunch of changes that predecessor Warren Buffett didn't seem so interested in making. Here's a rundown of the biggest three made in the first quarter. 1. Dumped all of Visa (and Mastercard) Buffett was never wholeheartedly committed to it in the sense that Berkshire never he...
Last quarter was a busy one for Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +1.43%) (BRKB +1.32%)... busier than most. New CEO Greg Abel made a bunch of changes that predecessor Warren Buffett didn't seem so interested in making. Here's a rundown of the biggest three made in the first quarter. 1. Dumped all of Visa (and Mastercard) Buffett was never wholeheartedly committed to it in the sense that Berkshire never held a major stake in the company. But, after first establishing a position in 2011, Abel opted to sell the entirety of the conglomerate's 8.3-million-share stake in credit card middleman Visa (V 0.68%) last quarter. Berkshire also dumped all of its holdings in Mastercard (MA 0.28%) during the first quarter of the year. Neither was a particularly big position for the company. Indeed, Mastercard and Visa each only accounted for about 1% of Berkshire's entire portfolio of stocks. Still, it's a message about how Abel feels about certain aspects of the credit card business right now. Although the company dumped Visa and Mastercard, Berkshire's position in American Express (AXP +0.73%) remained untouched in Q1. It's now the conglomerate's second-biggest holding, worth a whopping $47 billion. 2. Bought a somewhat meaningful stake in Delta Buffett overwhelmingly gave up on airlines in early 2020, selling all of $4 billion worth of positions in several of the major names in the business after the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat that could have lasted a while. That threat eventually abated, of course, but Berkshire never stepped back in -- a seemingly smart decision given airlines' uncertain performances in the meantime (and for the foreseeable future). Abel seems willing to take risks that Buffett wasn't, however. Last quarter, Berkshire scooped up 39.8 million then-beaten-down shares of Delta Air Lines (DAL +0.65%), now worth $2.8 billion. Expand NYSE : DAL Delta Air Lines Today's Change ( 0.65 %) $ 0.49 Current Price $ 76.14 Key Data Points Market Cap $50B Day's Range $ 75.51 - $ ...
Key Points The company exited several smaller, distracting positions. Berkshire’s new management team appears a little more willing to take risks on seemingly undervalued tickers. While Buffett was never a big fan of tech stocks, Abel and his lieutenants are clearly far more comfortable with (some of) them. 10 stocks we like better than Berkshire Hathaway › Last quarter was a busy one for Berkshir...
Key Points The company exited several smaller, distracting positions. Berkshire’s new management team appears a little more willing to take risks on seemingly undervalued tickers. While Buffett was never a big fan of tech stocks, Abel and his lieutenants are clearly far more comfortable with (some of) them. 10 stocks we like better than Berkshire Hathaway › Last quarter was a busy one for Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB)... busier than most. New CEO Greg Abel made a bunch of changes that predecessor Warren Buffett didn't seem so interested in making. Here's a rundown of the biggest three made in the first quarter. 1. Dumped all of Visa (and Mastercard) Buffett was never wholeheartedly committed to it in the sense that Berkshire never held a major stake in the company. But, after first establishing a position in 2011, Abel opted to sell the entirety of the conglomerate's 8.3-million-share stake in credit card middleman Visa (NYSE: V) last quarter. Berkshire also dumped all of its holdings in Mastercard (NYSE: MA) during the first quarter of the year. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Neither was a particularly big position for the company. Indeed, Mastercard and Visa each only accounted for about 1% of Berkshire's entire portfolio of stocks. Still, it's a message about how Abel feels about certain aspects of the credit card business right now. Although the company dumped Visa and Mastercard, Berkshire's position in American Express (NYSE: AXP) remained untouched in Q1. It's now the conglomerate's second-biggest holding, worth a whopping $47 billion. 2. Bought a somewhat meaningful stake in Delta Buffett overwhelmingly gave up on airlines in early 2020, selling all of $4 billion worth of positions in several of the major names in the business after the COVID-19 pandemic pos...
Russia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv toggle caption Evgeniy Maloletka/AP KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people, marking the third time the weapon has been used in the four-year war. The intens...
Russia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv toggle caption Evgeniy Maloletka/AP KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people, marking the third time the weapon has been used in the four-year war. The intense aerial assault damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital, including near government offices, residential buildings and schools. The Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. The target was not immediately clear. Sponsor Message Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday confirmed it used the Oreshnik, as well as other missile types, to strike Ukrainian "military command and control facilities," air bases and military industrial enterprises. It did not specify where the targets were. The ministry added the attack was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on "civilian facilities on Russian territory", without immediately giving detail. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denounced a drone strike on a college dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, which Moscow blames on Kyiv, and ordered the Russian military to submit its proposals for retaliation. He said there were no military or law enforcement facilities near the college. The death toll from the strike in Starobilsk had risen to 21 as search-and-rescue operations closed, the press service of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said late on Saturday. It said 42 other people had been injured in the attack the previous night. The Kremlin-installed authorities of the Luhansk region announced two days of mourning on Sunday and Monday to honor the victims. At a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on the strike, held at the request of Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk denied his Ru...
日本沖繩知事玉城丹尼收死亡恐嚇 疑與3月學生考察美軍基地翻船事故有關 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】日本沖繩知事據報接死亡恐嚇，懷疑與一宗校外活動死傷慘劇有關。 今年3月，同志社國際高中安排學生考...
日本沖繩知事玉城丹尼收死亡恐嚇 疑與3月學生考察美軍基地翻船事故有關 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】日本沖繩知事據報接死亡恐嚇，懷疑與一宗校外活動死傷慘劇有關。 今年3月，同志社國際高中安排學生考察美軍搬遷到邊野古新基地的建設情況，學生乘搭的兩艘船翻沉。文部科學省日前指，調查判定活動違反「政治中立」。 原名玉城康裕的沖繩知事玉城丹尼批評文科省不當介入，侵犯學校提供和平教育環境。日本傳媒報道，玉城周五接獲恐嚇信，指控他隱瞞與共產黨的關係，威脅殺害他。信中又提到船長是共產黨員。玉城周末出席活動時，警方加強戒備。
Those aboard the train had been on their way to Quetta's main railway station from a nearby military encampment, officials said. From there, they were due to travel to Peshawar and then onto their home towns for the holiday.
Those aboard the train had been on their way to Quetta's main railway station from a nearby military encampment, officials said. From there, they were due to travel to Peshawar and then onto their home towns for the holiday.
Key Points The S&P 500 has increased 9% this year despite elevated oil prices tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. In May, the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment dropped to its lowest level in history. In April, wholesale inflation (a precursor to consumer inflation) accelerated to its highest level since December 2022. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › The S&P 500 (SNPIND...
Key Points The S&P 500 has increased 9% this year despite elevated oil prices tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. In May, the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment dropped to its lowest level in history. In April, wholesale inflation (a precursor to consumer inflation) accelerated to its highest level since December 2022. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has advanced 9% year to date despite dropping sharply in March when the U.S.-Iran conflict pushed oil prices to a multiyear high. But the rebound may have been premature. Oil prices remain well above where they started the year, geopolitical tensions remain elevated in the Middle East, and investors just got bad news about President Donald Trump's economy: Consumer sentiment dropped to an all-time low in May after wholesale inflation reached a multiyear high in April. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Here are the important details. Consumer sentiment just dropped to its lowest level in history The University of Michigan publishes the Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) each month. The ICS is based on a 50-question survey that covers three broad areas: personal finances, business conditions, and buying conditions. The questions are designed to provide insight into how consumers feel about the economy today and what they expect in the future. The ICS measured 44.8 in May 2026, marking the third straight monthly decline. More alarmingly, the latest reading is the lowest score in history (i.e., since data collection started in November 1952). Comments from the latest survey suggest consumers are gloomy not only because high prices are diminishing their buying power but also because they expect inflation to worsen in the next year. Importantly, while consumer sentiment scores themselves...
"If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes." That's the advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett. His point was that you should have enough confidence in the underlying business that you're comfortable holding the stock for the long term. The good news is that there are plenty of stocks that warrant such confidence -- and many of them p...
"If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes." That's the advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett. His point was that you should have enough confidence in the underlying business that you're comfortable holding the stock for the long term. The good news is that there are plenty of stocks that warrant such confidence -- and many of them pay attractive dividends. Here are three monster dividend stocks to hold for the next 10 years. 1. AbbVie AbbVie (ABBV +0.56%) is a leading pharmaceutical company. Its product lineup features multiple blockbuster drugs, such as Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Humira, Botox, Vraylar, Imbruvica, and Venclexta. AbbVie's pipeline includes around 90 programs, of which roughly 60 are in mid- or late-stage clinical trials. The drugmaker is a member of the Dividend Kings, an elite group of stocks that have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. AbbVie's streak of dividend hikes stands at 53 years, including the time it was part of Abbott Labs (ABT 0.41%). The company's forward dividend yield tops 3.2%. Expand NYSE : ABBV AbbVie Today's Change ( 0.56 %) $ 1.20 Current Price $ 215.70 Key Data Points Market Cap $381B Day's Range $ 215.70 - $ 220.01 52wk Range $ 181.73 - $ 244.81 Volume 5.4M Avg Vol 6.7M Gross Margin 70.58 % Dividend Yield 3.12 % I view this stock as one to hold for the next 10 years largely because its growth prospects are compelling. The autoimmune disease drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq have particularly strong growth potential. Several of AbbVie's cancer therapies in development are also promising. AbbVie has also demonstrated its ability to adapt effectively to daunting challenges. The company's longtime top-selling product, Humira, lost U.S. patent exclusivity in 2023. But AbbVie's growth barely skipped a beat, thanks to its investments in research and development and smart acquisitions that added new growth drivers. The drugmaker now appears to be in a great posi...
Key Points AbbVie is a Dividend King that has demonstrated its ability to adapt effectively to daunting challenges. Enterprise Products Partners is a top pipeline stock with an especially attractive distribution. NextEra Energy is a utility giant that could become much larger with a planned acquisition. 10 stocks we like better than NextEra Energy › "If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 yea...
Key Points AbbVie is a Dividend King that has demonstrated its ability to adapt effectively to daunting challenges. Enterprise Products Partners is a top pipeline stock with an especially attractive distribution. NextEra Energy is a utility giant that could become much larger with a planned acquisition. 10 stocks we like better than NextEra Energy › "If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes." That's the advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett. His point was that you should have enough confidence in the underlying business that you're comfortable holding the stock for the long term. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » The good news is that there are plenty of stocks that warrant such confidence -- and many of them pay attractive dividends. Here are three monster dividend stocks to hold for the next 10 years. 1. AbbVie AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is a leading pharmaceutical company. Its product lineup features multiple blockbuster drugs, such as Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Humira, Botox, Vraylar, Imbruvica, and Venclexta. AbbVie's pipeline includes around 90 programs, of which roughly 60 are in mid- or late-stage clinical trials. The drugmaker is a member of the Dividend Kings, an elite group of stocks that have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. AbbVie's streak of dividend hikes stands at 53 years, including the time it was part of Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT). The company's forward dividend yield tops 3.2%. I view this stock as one to hold for the next 10 years largely because its growth prospects are compelling. The autoimmune disease drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq have particularly strong growth potential. Several of AbbVie's cancer therapies in development are also promising. AbbVie has also demonstrated its ability to adap...
Key Points SpaceX has several businesses, but Starlink is the biggest moneymaker. The company's most critical number for now is, unsurprisingly, related to its satellite internet services business. Ultimately, the most important metric for SpaceX will be its profits. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the "year of the fire horse." Fo...
Key Points SpaceX has several businesses, but Starlink is the biggest moneymaker. The company's most critical number for now is, unsurprisingly, related to its satellite internet services business. Ultimately, the most important metric for SpaceX will be its profits. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the "year of the fire horse." For U.S. investors, though, 2026 probably deserves the title of "year of the mega-IPO." Artificial intelligence (AI) leaders Anthropic and OpenAI are expected to conduct IPOs with valuations in the ballpark of $1 trillion. However, the most highly anticipated public listing is unquestionably SpaceX. When Elon Musk merged his AI start-up, xAI, with SpaceX in February 2026, the space technology company was valued at roughly $1.25 trillion. SpaceX's IPO valuation is estimated at around $1.75 trillion, making it the largest IPO ever -- by far. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Such a lofty market cap for a new publicly traded company will deservedly attract much attention. However, there's another critical number that investors should watch with SpaceX. Looking under the hood at SpaceX's business Before we get to that important number, it's helpful to first examine SpaceX's business model. Actually, the company has multiple business models. SpaceX's launch business receives the most public attention. Many people have watched the Falcon 9 rockets take off and later land after soaring into space. SpaceX charges a hefty fee to launch satellites and take crew and cargo to the International Space Station. In the not-too-distant future, the company will generate revenue with its Starship reusable spacecraft. As previously mentioned, Musk merged xAI with SpaceX earlier this year. xAI makes money from sub...
Having enjoyed breakout fame on Taskmaster and Last One Laughing, the subversive Australian comic has been handed the reins of his own, very strange sitcom. Get ready for feet animations and a character called Super-Breast … The premise of Make That Movie, Australian comedian Sam Campbell’s deeply strange new Channel 4 series, is not easy to describe. A show-within-a-show, it stars its creator as ...
Having enjoyed breakout fame on Taskmaster and Last One Laughing, the subversive Australian comic has been handed the reins of his own, very strange sitcom. Get ready for feet animations and a character called Super-Breast … The premise of Make That Movie, Australian comedian Sam Campbell’s deeply strange new Channel 4 series, is not easy to describe. A show-within-a-show, it stars its creator as an alternative Sam Campbell: rather than his real-life idiosyncratic standup self, he’s a pompous director whose well of inspiration has run dry. So he invites the public to share their (invariably bonkers) ideas for movies, which he and his dysfunctional crew then develop into real feature films. This all occurs within the framework of a shonky reality programme; each episode concludes with the film’s premiere. Think Changing Rooms, but instead of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Handy Andy renovating somebody’s living room, it’s Campbell and co bringing to life a man called Mick’s fantasy about a couple who can’t be snakes at the same time, yet one of them is always a snake. In other words, the actual Campbell is the one who has been given carte blanche to turn his own invariably bonkers ideas into reality. He claims the production company behind the show were very hands-off – partly because they were so busy working on an animated Ricky Gervais series about cats “so we sort of got left to our own devices”. It helped that Channel 4’s head of comedy, Charlie Perkins – a longtime champion and collaborator of Campbell’s – was also “very trusting. I don’t know if she really got [the concept] when we were first talking about it. When we’d made it, I think she understood it a tiny bit more.” Continue reading...
It was cheering to read that William and Kate’s new lease for Forest Lodge in Windsor stipulates that they must keep the grounds “clean and tidy” and “free from weeds”. Solidarity, comrades! How relatable. For I too am a renter, and know how it feels to live under the landlord’s cosh. My own tenancy agreement says something similar. Not that the landlords have ever enforced it. They take what I mi...
It was cheering to read that William and Kate’s new lease for Forest Lodge in Windsor stipulates that they must keep the grounds “clean and tidy” and “free from weeds”. Solidarity, comrades! How relatable. For I too am a renter, and know how it feels to live under the landlord’s cosh. My own tenancy agreement says something similar. Not that the landlords have ever enforced it. They take what I might euphemistically call a “hands-off” approach, which I acknowledge is preferable to the alternative. I was outside weeding this very afternoon, not because I’m legally obliged to but because I have decided, after four years of letting it slide, to enjoy my garden again. I say “my” garden, but it is of course a rented garden. When you’re renting, there is always a dilemma as to how much time and money to invest in your surroundings, what with the constant awareness that they could be snatched away from under you at any moment. Or at least, that used to be the case. We got a letter from Clarion Housing yesterday and my heart started beating like a snare drum, a trauma response acquired from lengthy experience. But instead of yet another rent increase, it was informing us of our new legal rights as tenants (thanks, Labour!). Not only can we now only be evicted for a very good reason, ditto the cat. In fairness to Clarion, it does seem to recognise more than most private landlords that a rented home is still a home: the decorating, including the colour of the walls, falls to us. Unlike several of my friends, we never bothered to hide the cat when there was a fire inspection. Mackerel is an indoor cat and if anyone wanted to evict her, well, I say good luck to them and their still-intact eyeballs. So there I was this afternoon, feeling more upbeat about being a tenant than usual, weeding and swishing my hair like a princess (it is Kate who does the bulk of the gardening in the royal household which is, again, relatable), reflecting on my time renting this property, which now a...
“We are bringing the boys home,” says Ngenoh Erick Kibet, a wildlife officer at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, as a cargo plane carrying four mountain bongo touches down on a wet runway at Jomo Kenyatta international airport. The operation is the culmination of two weeks spent in Czechia, a first flight for Kibet, and a decades-long collective effort to rescue a species on the edge of extin...
“We are bringing the boys home,” says Ngenoh Erick Kibet, a wildlife officer at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, as a cargo plane carrying four mountain bongo touches down on a wet runway at Jomo Kenyatta international airport. The operation is the culmination of two weeks spent in Czechia, a first flight for Kibet, and a decades-long collective effort to rescue a species on the edge of extinction. The mountain bongo may seem like any other antelope but no more than 100 have been counted in the wild. They are endemic to Kenya’s highland forests: the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, the Mau and the Eburu. For Kibet and Christine Gichohi, an animal keeper at the conservancy, spending time with these critically endangered antelopes on a daily basis is more than a job, it is key to ensuring that the species thrives. View image in fullscreen The 100th bongo calf was recently born at the conservancy The trip to Czechia was the first time Gichohi and Kibet had left Kenya. The four bongos they were bringing back – Fitz, Maue, Kudu and Bon64 – had been held in a quarantine facility, isolated from other animals and cared for indoors, their world condensed to an enclosed space. Gichohi and Kibet spent two weeks there, learning the animals’ routines, earning their trust and studying each bongo. “Mountain bongos are the shiest antelopes,” Gichohi says. “Even if they are tamed, that shyness and curiosity will still be there.” Each of the four males has a distinct personality, and the keepers had to get to know them before the journey home could begin. View image in fullscreen Wildlife officer Ngenoh Erick Kibet and animal keeper Christine Gichohi Maue is gentle, settled and the one who made everything easier. “He was very friendly and calm,” Kibet says. “You could get in where he was without any fear.” In the Czech facility, it was Maue who licked Kibet’s arm. It sounds like a small gesture. It was not. Then there is Fitz – “the aggressive one”, Gichohi says. “He is one of the bongos...
Salut et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 20126 – jour un! Notre été starts here, and it’s going to be a jazzer – or, to keep on theme, le jazzeur. It’s fair to say we’ve a strong idea of how the men’s tournament might resolve, but the fun in getting there means we can ignore the inevitability for now and the women’s even promises a royal rumble for the ages. The top four seeds will fancy their chances: ...
Salut et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 20126 – jour un! Notre été starts here, and it’s going to be a jazzer – or, to keep on theme, le jazzeur. It’s fair to say we’ve a strong idea of how the men’s tournament might resolve, but the fun in getting there means we can ignore the inevitability for now and the women’s even promises a royal rumble for the ages. The top four seeds will fancy their chances: Aryna Sabalenka is the best player in the world; Iga Swiatek is a four-time winner who’d won three in a row prior to last year; Coco Gauff is the defending champ; and Elena Rybakina is on the surge, at one with her easy power. And of course there’s a cast of other brilliant players – Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, Victoria Mboko, Karolína Muchova, Naomi Osaka and others – good enough to sort any of them on a good day. Or, in other words, we’re talking about what is now the most competitive, highest-level sport in the world. So it’s no surprise that today’s likeliest classic comes on the women’s side, where Hailey Baptiste, the no 26 seed, meets Barbora Krejcikova, the winner in 2021 – and at Wimbledon in 2024. But that is not the size of things. Taylor Fritz’s meeting with Nishesh Basavareddy looks tasty, Alexander Zverev meets Benjamin Bonzi, Francesca Jones takes on Bea Haddad Maia, and Emma Raducanu, Mirra Andreeva and João Fonseca all get under way. Alors on y va!
'Homeland Security' has spawned political insecurity since DHS was born toggle caption Heather Diehl/Getty Images Why did the U.S. Senate strike its tent last week and go home early? Because in spite of a June 1 deadline set by President Trump, Senate Republican leaders were not ready to restore funding for two key components of the Department of Homeland Security. We have reached the point where ...
'Homeland Security' has spawned political insecurity since DHS was born toggle caption Heather Diehl/Getty Images Why did the U.S. Senate strike its tent last week and go home early? Because in spite of a June 1 deadline set by President Trump, Senate Republican leaders were not ready to restore funding for two key components of the Department of Homeland Security. We have reached the point where the phrase "homeland security" swiftly translates to political insecurity, and that brings the legislative machinery in Congress to a halt as the midterm elections loom. Anyone following the president's second term thus far will not be surprised that the latest DHS freeze-up concerns the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sponsor Message Democrats have refused to provide the votes needed to fund those agencies after being rebuffed in their efforts at reform in the face of major headline-grabbing controversies. Earlier this month, Republicans thought they had a procedural workaround to get the money flowing to these parts of DHS with their own votes alone. But then the Department of Justice announced a new "Anti-Weaponization" Fund that would use nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to compensate people who said they had been prosecuted or investigated by the department under former President Joe Biden. Widely expected to be first in line for compensation were many who were prosecuted or investigated for their roles or reactions to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, including those convicted of beating police officers as they defended the House and Senate chambers. That attack by Trump supporters disrupted the official session of Congress that was convened to certify Trump's loss to Biden in the election of November 2020. This week, that proved too much for many Senate Republicans. Thom Tillis, the retiring GOP senator from North Carolina, called the fund "stupid on stilts." Others who had fled the Capitol that January night fearing for their ...
The Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event toggle caption Ty ONeil/AP Think the Olympics — with a multi-million jackpot and no rigid doping rules. The Enhanced Games are happening on Sunday in Las Vegas with the promise to create a global sports competition "where elite athletes push the limits of human performance," according to organizers. The privately-fund...
The Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event toggle caption Ty ONeil/AP Think the Olympics — with a multi-million jackpot and no rigid doping rules. The Enhanced Games are happening on Sunday in Las Vegas with the promise to create a global sports competition "where elite athletes push the limits of human performance," according to organizers. The privately-funded games have garnered considerable attention online, and are financially backed by Donald Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm, 1789 Capitol, and tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The company behind the event, the publicly-traded Enhanced Group, is using the games as a launch pad for their business, selling peptides and other supplements. Enhanced is also documenting the effects of the drugs on athletes for its own research. Sponsor Message "I understand that there's a very large commercial opportunity for this company, but it is something I think borders on the lines of ethics," said Dr. Aaron Baggish, a professor of medicine at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland who worked with sports teams in Boston for 20 years. The one-night competition will be held in custom-built arena at Resorts World Las Vegas with a four-lane 50-meter pool, a six-lane sprint track and a weightlifting stage. What will happen at the Enhanced Games? Over 40 athletes from across the globe will compete across three sports: swimming, track and weightlifting. There will also be a "strongman" deadlift showdown.. The four swimming events are 50-meter and 100-meter races in both freestyle and butterfly. The track and field races include the 100-meter sprint and the 100-meter and 110-meter hurdles. The weightlifting series will feature the clean and jerk as well as the snatch events. The total prize pool for the games is $25 million, CEO Max Martin told Front Office Sports News. Each individual event has a total purse of $500,000, with a $250,000 prize awarded to first place. The company also said that if an...
Torn by war, Israelis and Palestinians tie their fortunes together toggle caption Dena Yadin BOSTON - Salah Hussein was 11 years old when he was woken up in the middle of the night by Israeli soldiers in his family home in Nablus in the West Bank. It left him traumatized and terrified for years. It was "triggering" to see any Israeli in uniform, he says. "For me, all of them were a threat." But de...
Torn by war, Israelis and Palestinians tie their fortunes together toggle caption Dena Yadin BOSTON - Salah Hussein was 11 years old when he was woken up in the middle of the night by Israeli soldiers in his family home in Nablus in the West Bank. It left him traumatized and terrified for years. It was "triggering" to see any Israeli in uniform, he says. "For me, all of them were a threat." But decades later, Hussein, now a 33-year-old entrepreneur, has willingly and purposefully tied his fortune to his co-founder, who is an Israeli Jew. Hussein is one of about 35 entrepreneurs taking part in a start-up accelerator program called 50:50 Startups , where mixed teams of Palestinians, Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews spend six months in a kind of business bootcamp, going to workshops, lectures and connecting with mentors. The program culminates with a session in Boston, where the entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to potential investors. Sponsor Message The cross-the-divide collaboration brings an extra layer of challenge to what is already a heavy lift. By most estimates, about 90% of startups fail. But Hussein is fiercely determined, not only because of pragmatic considerations, like the need for resources and access to capital for his business, but also the more lofty ideals. toggle caption Tovia Smith/NPR "If we are not the ones looking for change, who will be? We are the right people at the right place, at the right time. We have to move on," he says. "I don't want my kids to be living in a world full of hatred." Yana Shaulov is the Jewish Israeli on Hussein's team. A 37-year-old molecular biologist, she joined 50:50 hoping to launch an idea of her own, but ended up joining Hussain's team instead. Having grown up in a mixed neighborhood of Haifa, she says, she's used to coexistence. "It's not always easy, you can feel the tension sometimes, but [Israelis and Palestinians] are both here to stay, and we have to live together at the end of the day," Shaulov says. She conce...
Key Points Recent developments have pushed expectations for the 2027 COLA significantly higher. Many retirees are facing the challenge of inflation right now. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › A growing number of retirees are highly dependent on Social Security to make ends meet. The most recent iteration of a Gallup annual poll found 62% of retirees say Social ...
Key Points Recent developments have pushed expectations for the 2027 COLA significantly higher. Many retirees are facing the challenge of inflation right now. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › A growing number of retirees are highly dependent on Social Security to make ends meet. The most recent iteration of a Gallup annual poll found 62% of retirees say Social Security is a major source of revenue, the highest level recorded in the poll's 25-year history. As such, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is of great importance to retirees, as it helps beneficiaries keep up with rising prices. The good news is 2027 could see the highest annual COLA since the start of 2023, when beneficiaries received a giant 8.7% boost to their monthly payments. While retirees might not receive quite as big a boost as they did four years ago, it could be larger than each of the three previous years and the third-largest since 2009. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » How big could the 2027 COLA be? The annual cost-of-living adjustment is based on a measure of inflation known as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W. The CPI-W uses the same data collected for the more commonly reported CPI-U (CPI for All Urban Consumers), but the weightings on each item are slightly different. That leads to slight variations in the numbers. The CPI-W rose 3.9% year over year in April, as the ongoing war in Iran drove oil prices higher. Not only did that affect gasoline and energy costs, but higher fuel costs and constrained commodity supplies also led to higher prices for just about everything. But if retirees are hoping for the current level of inflation to be reflected in next year's COLA, it'll have to stay high through the summer. That's...