The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is down -0.04%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.13%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.16%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are up +0.13%. Stocks are being pressured today by fresh disruptions in the Persian Gulf that raised doubts about President Trump’s comment yesterd...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is down -0.04%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.13%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.16%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are up +0.13%. Stocks are being pressured today by fresh disruptions in the Persian Gulf that raised doubts about President Trump’s comment yesterday evening that the Iran war could end “very soon.” In addition, the Pentagon said the US military is today conducting its most intensive day of bombing yet. Stocks are also being undercut by today’s +1.7 bp rise in the 10-year T-note yield. An Iranian drone attack today caused the biggest refinery in the UAE at the Ruwais Industrial Complex to halt operations due to a fire in the complex. Also, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported an explosion today involving a tanker near Abu Dhabi, but no further details were available. Despite those disruptions, April WTI crude oil futures prices are down -7% today, erasing part of the sharp rally seen in the past 1-1/2 weeks. Oil prices on Monday spiked to a high of $119.48 after Israel over the weekend bombed 30 Iranian fuel depots. However, WTI oil prices have since fallen to the $ 85-per-barrel area after President Trump said on Monday that the Iran war is “pretty much” over, and after G-7 finance ministers said on Monday that the G-7 nations stand ready to release oil stockpiles if needed. At a press conference Monday evening, President Trump was asked when the war would end, and he answered, “I think soon, very soon.” G-7 energy ministers are meeting today beginning at 1:45pm local time (8:45 am Eastern) at the International Energy Agency in Paris, with most ministers joining remotely, according to French Finance Minister Roland Lescure. Mr. Lescure said today, “We are gathering the G-7 energy ministers today here in Paris; we are going through the process but obviously all options are on the table,” including an emergen...
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Everything is more expensive now, even Fortnite’s in-game currency. Starting on March 19th, V-bucks packs will include less of the premium currency at the same prices. For instance, players can currently get 1,000 V-bucks for $8.99, but after the price increases they will only get 800 V-bucks at the same rate. ...
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Everything is more expensive now, even Fortnite’s in-game currency. Starting on March 19th, V-bucks packs will include less of the premium currency at the same prices. For instance, players can currently get 1,000 V-bucks for $8.99, but after the price increases they will only get 800 V-bucks at the same rate. The price of exact amount packs is increasing from $0.50 per 50 V-bucks to $0.99 per 50 V-bucks. Epic is also adjusting the price of Fortnite’s Battle Pass, which will now cost 800 V-bucks to access and reward 800 V-bucks upon completion, rather than costing and awarding 1,000 V-bucks as it currently does. Unfortunately, Battle Pass bonus rewards will no longer include V-bucks after next week’s price changes. Epic has also lowered the cost of the OG Pass to 800 V-bucks (previously 1,000) and the LEGO and Music Passes will cost 1,200 V-bucks, rather than 1,400. However, existing V-bucks gift cards can still be redeemed for their printed values. Epic says “the cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot,” forcing them to increase their prices. Fortnite isn’t the only Epic game seeing price hikes, either — the premium currency in Fall Guys is getting similar pricing changes starting on April 8th.
Pawel Gaul/iStock via Getty Images The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF ( EWZ ) has surged 16% year-to-date through March 2026, closing at $37.10 on March 9, 2026, driven by Brazil's robust commodity exports and oil strength amid global energy demand. As the world grapples with the oil price surge due to the war, Brazilian ETF like EWZ could benefit from it. Below is a list of the top holdings of the iShar...
Pawel Gaul/iStock via Getty Images The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF ( EWZ ) has surged 16% year-to-date through March 2026, closing at $37.10 on March 9, 2026, driven by Brazil's robust commodity exports and oil strength amid global energy demand. As the world grapples with the oil price surge due to the war, Brazilian ETF like EWZ could benefit from it. Below is a list of the top holdings of the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, ranked according to their Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras ( PBR ) tops the list with the highest Quant Rating of 4.96, earning a Strong Buy designation. B3 S.A. - Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão ( BOLSY ) and Vale S.A. ( VALE ) follow closely behind, with ratings of 4.87 and 4.85, respectively. The majority of the ETF’s top holdings carry bullish ratings, with Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP ( SBS ) and WEG S.A. ( WEGZY ) also earning Strong Buy ratings. Financial sector giants like Nu Holdings Ltd. ( NU ) and Itaú Unibanco ( ITUB ) round out the top holdings, with NU holding a Buy rating and ITUB rated as a Hold. Seeking Alpha’s Quant system ranks stocks based on their performance on critical quantitative measures, including valuation, growth, stock momentum, and profitability. Each stock is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with any rating above 3.5 indicating a bullish rating. A score of 2.5 or below represents a bearish profile. Here is the list: 1. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras ( PBR ), Quant Rating: 4.96 2. B3 S.A. - Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão ( BOLSY ), Quant Rating: 4.87 3. Vale S.A. ( VALE ), Quant Rating: 4.85 4. Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP ( SBS ), Quant Rating: 4.78 5. WEG S.A. ( WEGZY ), Quant Rating: 4.63 6. Ambev S.A. ( ABEV ), Quant Rating: 4.12 7. Nu Holdings Ltd. ( NU ), Quant Rating: 4.12 8. Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. ( ITUB ), Quant Rating: 3.47 9. Banco Bradesco S.A. ( BBD ), Quant Rating: 3.22 More on iShares MSCI Brazil ETF Investing In Brazil Thr...
is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. A lot of people are mad at Ticketmaster, and have been for a long time. (Did Swifties directly create an antitrust trial? Discuss.) The US government’s c...
is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. A lot of people are mad at Ticketmaster, and have been for a long time. (Did Swifties directly create an antitrust trial? Discuss.) The US government’s case against Live Nation-Ticketmaster appeared poised to lay bare some of the strangeness of the music business, and maybe even change the way the company works. Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Vergecast wherever you get your podcasts. Head here. Not a subscriber? You can sign up here. And then, well, the Department of Justice and Live Nation-Ticketmaster decided to settle. On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Lauren Feiner explains what happened during the first few days of the trial, the machinations that led to the settlement, and what’s likely to happen next in this fight. The trial may not be over, but it’s certainly about to change. After that, The Verge’s Hayden Field joins the show to catch up on the latest between Anthropic, OpenAI, and the US Department of Defense. She explains why OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s deal announcement backfired so spectacularly, why this whole thing is both a big win and a huge problem for Anthropic, and whether the end result of this saga will change the way we use, and regulate, AI going forward. Finally, David answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about foldable and flippable phones. They’re cool, they’re fun, they kind of seem like the future… but what are they for? If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started:
There were "differing opinions" about whether the UK should "physically" join strikes on the country, he added, but the UK should not have rejected the initial US request to use British bases for strikes on missile sites used to target allies.
There were "differing opinions" about whether the UK should "physically" join strikes on the country, he added, but the UK should not have rejected the initial US request to use British bases for strikes on missile sites used to target allies.
Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in TSM usually suggests something big is about to happen. We gleaned this information...
Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in TSM usually suggests something big is about to happen. We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 30 extraordinary options activities for Taiwan Semiconductor. This level of activity is out of the ordinary. The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 26% leaning bullish and 56% bearish. Among these notable options, 8 are puts, totaling $517,508, and 22 are calls, amounting to $1,473,761. What's The Price Target? After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $200.0 and $470.0 for Taiwan Semiconductor, spanning the last three months. Analyzing Volume & Open Interest In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Taiwan Semiconductor options trades today is 2905.54 with a total volume of 4,150.00. In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Taiwan Semiconductor's big money trades within a strike price range of $200.0 to $470.0 over the last 30 days. Taiwan Semiconductor Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview Noteworthy Options Activity: About Taiwan Semiconductor Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Taiwan Semiconductor, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance. Where Is Taiwan Semiconductor Standing Right Now? With a volume of 2,091,831, the price of TSM is down -0.6% at $346.61. RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold. Next earnings are expected to be released in 37 days. What The Experts Say On Tai...
Earnings Call Insights: ADC Therapeutics SA (ADCT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ameet Mallik highlighted a strategic plan focused on ZYNLONTA with optimized life cycle management, including advancing LOTIS-5, initiating LOTIS-7, and investigator-initiated trials (IITs) in indolent lymphomas. Mallik stated, "By focusing the company, we reduced our operating cost structure by approximately 50%. At th...
Earnings Call Insights: ADC Therapeutics SA (ADCT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ameet Mallik highlighted a strategic plan focused on ZYNLONTA with optimized life cycle management, including advancing LOTIS-5, initiating LOTIS-7, and investigator-initiated trials (IITs) in indolent lymphomas. Mallik stated, "By focusing the company, we reduced our operating cost structure by approximately 50%. At the same time, we refined our go-to-market model, which resulted in strengthened KOL advocacy, and a sustained market position in the third-line plus DLBCL setting despite the entry of the bispecific class." Mallik reported strengthened leadership, improved execution, and a balance sheet "through equity and BD and improved our strategic flexibility with an amended HCR agreement." Strategic horizons for value creation were outlined: "These are centered around final data disclosures, approval and compendia inclusion and ultimately delivering growth." ZYNLONTA’s net product revenues in Q4 were $22.3 million, attributed to variability in customer ordering and new account activation, with annual sales of $73.6 million. Mallik reaffirmed, "We believe ZYNLONTA plus glofitamab has the potential to transform the future of lymphoma treatment..." and estimated a "potential annual U.S. peak revenue opportunity of $600 million to $1 billion." CFO Jose Carmona stated, "ZYNLONTA net product revenues in the fourth quarter of 2025 were $22.3 million as compared to $16.4 million in the same quarter in 2024. On a full year basis, net product revenues were $73.6 million versus $69.3 million in 2024... Total operating expenses were $41 million and $202.9 million for the fourth quarter and full year..." Outlook The company expects to share LOTIS-5 top line data in Q2 2026 and publish full results by year-end, with a supplemental biologic license application submission and potential compendia inclusion in the first half of 2027. "We expect to have multiple data catalysts in 2026 across the ZYNLONTA...
As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship That was despite Washington’s...
As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship That was despite Washington’s strategic pullback, heightened sensitivities over the Taiwan Strait, and intensifying conflict in the Middle East. Advertisement Da Wei, director of the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, argued that the “relative stability” in today’s US‑China relations was fundamentally different from the cycles of crisis and summit diplomacy seen under previous administrations. “I think the nature of the relationship has changed,” he said at the event on Friday. Advertisement Da attributed that shift to the Trump administration’s “strategic retrenchment” which he said “basically ended the international liberalism which [Washington] had honoured for 80 years after World War II”. He said the world’s largest developed country and largest developing country had moved on from the “love and hate” partnership of the post-Cold War era, anchored by hyper-globalisation.
Climate breakdown is shrinking the amount of time that people can safely go about their lives, according to a study that shows a third of the world’s population now resides in areas where heat severely limits activity. Rising temperatures, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels, are making it difficult even for many young, healthy adults to do basic physical activities, such as housework ...
Climate breakdown is shrinking the amount of time that people can safely go about their lives, according to a study that shows a third of the world’s population now resides in areas where heat severely limits activity. Rising temperatures, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels, are making it difficult even for many young, healthy adults to do basic physical activities, such as housework or walking up stairs during daylight hours at the height of the summer, the report warns. The limitations are greater for elderly people, who have less ability to sweat and thus control their body temperatures, according to the research, which combines physiological studies of heat tolerance with seven decades of global and regional data on population, temperatures and human development. On average, the report finds that people over 65 now experience about 900 hours each year when heat severely restricts safe outdoor activity, compared with 600 hours in 1950. This is equivalent to more than a month of daytime hours. Worst-affected are those in poorer countries or regions, even though they are far less responsible for climate breakdown than wealthy consumers whose lifestyles produce higher greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of gas, oil and coal. In some tropical and subtropical regions, heat restricts outdoor activity for older adults for between one-quarter and one-third of the year. The most severe challenges are found in south-west Asia (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman), south Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India) and parts of west Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Djibouti and Niger). View image in fullscreen A volunteer pours water on a man’s head during a May 2024 heatwave in Karachi, Pakistan. Photograph: Fareed Khan/AP Within countries there are huge variations according to geography, income group and types of work. In India, limitations are most pronounced across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and eastern lowlands, and least ...
Chopping chives, I notice my weak wrists for the first time. My knife is connected to my hand which is connected to my wrist, which is flopping about like an overcooked piece of asparagus. “You’ve got to keep them more sturdy,” says chef Trisha Greentree. “Lock in that line.” We’re in the kitchen of Sydney restaurant Fratelli Paradiso, where Greentree is executive chef. Lunch service is about to s...
Chopping chives, I notice my weak wrists for the first time. My knife is connected to my hand which is connected to my wrist, which is flopping about like an overcooked piece of asparagus. “You’ve got to keep them more sturdy,” says chef Trisha Greentree. “Lock in that line.” We’re in the kitchen of Sydney restaurant Fratelli Paradiso, where Greentree is executive chef. Lunch service is about to start but she stays by my side, scrutinising my posture (“squeeze those glutes”), my wrists and my knife skills. View image in fullscreen For many chefs, chopping chives is comparable to a musician knowing their scales. It’s a foundational skill for those trained in the western canon of cookery. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian I gently grasp the green spindly stalks in my left hand, keeping them bunched together with my pinky and thumb, while my remaining fingers rest on top. I attempt to slice the chives into immaculate, exacting circles. Because a pile of immaculate, exacting circles is how one scores a 10 out of 10 on Rate My Chives, the Instagram account that rates sliced chives like a competitive sport – and Greentree has committed to showing me how the pros do it. Rate My Chives has more than 93,000 followers including top-end chefs such as Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago, Australian-born Matt Abé, formerly of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and Australia’s Mark Best (in return, Rate My Chives follows only five accounts, including two chefs and Taylor Swift). Almost every day, chefs and home cooks submit photos of their chives to the “number one authority on chives worldwide”; and almost every day, its anonymous founder rates them. The Rate My Chives founder, a UK-based chef, started the account in 2022 after noticing poorly cut chives on a dish while dining out. They are a herby harbinger of a bad meal, a green canary down the mine. “If the chefs don’t care about the little things like how to chop chives, then the rest of the food’s going to be crap as well,...
When a couple of cops turn up to a domestic violence call, things take a nasty turn as we see the mayhem unfold thanks to their body-worn cameras At its best, this low-budget found-footage horror recalls the early Paranormal Activity films, with plenty of jump-scares and low-fi atmospheric eeriness. The “found footage” here isn’t black-and-white security videos though, but the bodycams worn by a p...
When a couple of cops turn up to a domestic violence call, things take a nasty turn as we see the mayhem unfold thanks to their body-worn cameras At its best, this low-budget found-footage horror recalls the early Paranormal Activity films, with plenty of jump-scares and low-fi atmospheric eeriness. The “found footage” here isn’t black-and-white security videos though, but the bodycams worn by a pair of cops on what they initially believe to be a routine domestic violence call in a neighbourhood noted for its large population of “tweakers” (AKA methamphetamine addicts). Shot on location in Alberta, Canada, the film makes good use of real derelict locations, giving a plausible griminess to a broadly supernatural tale. The bodycam conceit starts out as an ace up the film’s sleeve before gradually becoming a bit of a liability, though in a way that is different from the usual pitfalls of the genre. In most found-footage films, the nagging question is why and how the filming would plausibly continue – there is usually a point where a character’s self-preservation would take precedence over neatly capturing whatever mayhem is going down. The bodycam conceit handily avoids this issue – the filming is passive and the cameras cannot be turned off. Continue reading...
In 2010 the Guardian gave the romcom Leap Year a one-star review. The script was “horrendous”, according to the reviewer: “Afterwards, the only ‘leap’ I felt like making was off a motorway gantry into the fast lane of the M25.” He wasn’t alone. Leap Year has an approval rating of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes; the New York Times called it “so witless, charmless and unimaginative that it can be described ...
In 2010 the Guardian gave the romcom Leap Year a one-star review. The script was “horrendous”, according to the reviewer: “Afterwards, the only ‘leap’ I felt like making was off a motorway gantry into the fast lane of the M25.” He wasn’t alone. Leap Year has an approval rating of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes; the New York Times called it “so witless, charmless and unimaginative that it can be described as a movie only in the strictly technical sense”. It’s been 16 years. And here is why Leap Year is good, actually. The premise is this: Anna, an American woman (Amy Adams), decides she’ll make use of an alleged Irish rule that says women – shock horror – can propose to men on 29 February. She follows her cardiologist boyfriend (Adam Scott, who looks like a lesbian mouse who wished to be human – complimentary) to Dublin with the intention of getting down on one knee. The wet Irish weather conspires against her and for whatever reason – don’t question it – a tall, beautiful, cranky publican (Matthew Goode) is her only hope of transport. They are very rude to each other, in a way that is very hot. She ruins her heels in the mud; he laughs when her suitcase is stolen. At one point they need accommodation – and guess what? There’s only – say it with me – one room at the inn. And the owners are religious, so Amy and Matthew have to pretend to be a married couple. Oh, and the shower curtain is semi-transparent. View image in fullscreen ‘It seems entirely plausible they fall in love over two days on a road trip.’ Photograph: Universal/Sportsphoto/Allstar The appeal of a romcom is that we know what is going to happen; therein lies the comfort and joy. Previous reviewers have mistaken well-loved tropes for a lack of imagination. Done properly, a romcom takes our hand through a series of events that are both audaciously unrealistic and deeply familiar. Everything, every character, every line of dialogue, every Irish cow that blocks the bickering pair’s journey – is there in service of...
I once cared for a patient for 10 years, which is a pleasingly long time in oncology. Alas, the years didn’t bond us. I found her, in turns, combative and annoying, and I confess she probably found me the same. Before each encounter, I would take a deep breath and talk myself into greeting her with an ease I never felt. She was my “heart-sink” patient. When she didn’t show up, I worried, but when ...
I once cared for a patient for 10 years, which is a pleasingly long time in oncology. Alas, the years didn’t bond us. I found her, in turns, combative and annoying, and I confess she probably found me the same. Before each encounter, I would take a deep breath and talk myself into greeting her with an ease I never felt. She was my “heart-sink” patient. When she didn’t show up, I worried, but when she did, my stomach tightened. My “surface feeling” was impatience, but inside, I felt terrible that any patient should arouse such antipathy in a member of the “caring profession”. When she was finally discharged in good health, we were both relieved for different reasons. I found myself thinking about this when reading an illuminating study about what makes “difficult” patients difficult. (I do love that doctors choose to study such things.) The authors interrogated studies from different countries and different non-psychiatric settings including primary care, emergency, inpatient and specialty clinics. Twenty-eight of the 45 studies used a reliable instrument called the Difficult Doctor-Patient Relationship Questionnaire, a self-administered tool completed by the doctor to identify patients whose care was experienced as difficult. Questions include: How time consuming is caring for this patient? To what extent are you frustrated by this patient’s vague complaints? Do you find yourself secretly hoping this patient will not return? How difficult is it to communicate with this patient? How manipulative is this patient? How much are you looking forward to this patient’s next visit after seeing this patient today? The authors found strong evidence that physicians rate one in six patients as “difficult”. Mostly, these patients have personality disorders, depression, anxiety and chronic pain. Patients considered difficult reported more symptom burden and worse function. Finally, as in every walk of life so in medicine: women were somewhat more likely to be perceived as difficul...
On Sunday 19 July, the final match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup will be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For one day, our community will be the center of the world. But as that moment approaches, I find myself spending less time thinking about the games at MetLife Stadium, and more time worrying about whether we are ready. Because if Washington doesn’t get its act together, we risk turning a g...
On Sunday 19 July, the final match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup will be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For one day, our community will be the center of the world. But as that moment approaches, I find myself spending less time thinking about the games at MetLife Stadium, and more time worrying about whether we are ready. Because if Washington doesn’t get its act together, we risk turning a generational opportunity into an international embarrassment. The first problem is money. Congress appropriated $625m to help the 11 American cities hosting World Cup games meet the coming crush of visitors. Each of the 104 matches will be the size of a logistical Super Bowl. State and local law enforcement will have their hands full and need every dollar. But the money has yet to reach these cities. Roughly four months out, not one of those cities has received a dollar of it. At a congressional hearing on 24 February, an official with the Miami World Cup host committee testified that Miami’s Fan Fest – which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands – will be canceled within 30 days if the funding does not arrive. In Kansas City, which will host six matches and expects 650,000 visitors, the deputy police chief told us in the same hearing that delayed funds stood in the way of security planning. In Foxborough, Massachusetts, the town has threatened to withhold the license Fifa needs to host games at Gillette Stadium because it has not received the $7.8m it has been promised. For a community of 18,600 people, that figure represents roughly half of what the entire town spends on public safety in a normal year. double quotation mark Every day of delay makes an already complex logistical challenge harder to solve These are not abstract delays. They are threats to events cities have been planning for years. The Department of Homeland Security is administering these grants through Fema and needs to release these funds. Every day of delay makes an already complex logistical challen...
An "Open House" sign outside a home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. Zak Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Home sales made a small gain to start the year, but higher mortgage rates now could throw cold water on the spring season. Existing home sales in February rose 1.7% from January to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4.09 million units, according to the Nat...
An "Open House" sign outside a home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. Zak Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Home sales made a small gain to start the year, but higher mortgage rates now could throw cold water on the spring season. Existing home sales in February rose 1.7% from January to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4.09 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were down 1.4% from February of last year. This count represents closed sales, so deals were likely inked in December and January, when mortgage rates fell a bit and stayed solidly in a low range near 6% on the 30-year-fixed mortgage. Rates were about a full percentage point higher the year before. "Despite the modest gain in home sales, actual housing demand remains muted relative to wage growth and job gains," Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors, said in a release. "Wage growth is now outpacing home price growth by almost four percentage points. Mortgage rates are also measurably lower compared to a year ago." Yun also noted that there are more than 6 million more jobs now than there were in 2019, yet home sales per year are down by 1 million. Lower mortgage rates helped improve affordability slightly, but low inventory is still a significant headwind. There were 1.29 million units for sale at the end of February, an increase of 2.4% from January and 4.9% from February 2025. At the current sales pace, that is a 3.8-month supply, unchanged from January. A six-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyer and seller. More sellers who delisted their homes last fall, due to slower sales and weak consumer confidence, are relisting their homes now , according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage. Nearly 45,000 homes that were delisted last year were relisted for sale in January. That is the highest January figure since Redfin began tracking this metric a decade ago and represents a record 3.6% of homes that were on the ...
A new AI startup is betting that it has found a powerful data source to teach robots to do more valuable work: online videos. Rhoda AI has raised $450 million in funding to develop and deploy a new artificial intelligence model trained on millions of publicly available internet videos, with the goal of directing robots to perform a variety of industrial tasks, including in unfamiliar conditions. T...
A new AI startup is betting that it has found a powerful data source to teach robots to do more valuable work: online videos. Rhoda AI has raised $450 million in funding to develop and deploy a new artificial intelligence model trained on millions of publicly available internet videos, with the goal of directing robots to perform a variety of industrial tasks, including in unfamiliar conditions. The round was led by Premji Invest and values the startup at $1.7 billion, including the money raised. Currently, AI models for robotics are typically built using data from teleoperation, where humans remotely control the robot’s motion. That limits the amount of data available for robots to adapt to the wide range of situations found outside a lab. Rhoda’s team is betting that online videos can help fill in the gaps, along with a smaller amount of robot telemetry. “In the case of teleoperation, if the phone orientation changes, that might be enough to cause the model to fail,” said Chief Executive Officer Jagdeep Singh , who previously founded and ran QuantumScape Corp. , the solid-state battery maker. “Whereas in our case the model, it’s seen so many other examples of objects that are at different orientations, it’s able to generalize. Rhoda is one of a growing number of startups drawing significant interest from investors for the promise of using advances in AI to make robots better at navigating the world around them. Other backers in the new funding round include Khosla Ventures, Singapore’s state-owned investor Temasek Holdings Pte and venture capitalist John Doerr. Vinod Khosla, who has invested in some of Singh’s other companies, let Singh incubate Rhoda inside his namesake venture firm. Khosla Ventures also helped Singh recruit his co-founders. “The real world is messy, complex and being able to actually work on production lines is much, much harder than doing the demo,” said Khosla, noting that he believes Rhoda has the right technology to do real work. Rhoda calls...
Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . Donald Trump’s claim that the Iran war may end “very soon” sent spiraling oil prices into retreat, offering a respite for markets. European leaders nevertheless are contending with a looming energy crisis. Speaking at a nuclear energy...
Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . Donald Trump’s claim that the Iran war may end “very soon” sent spiraling oil prices into retreat, offering a respite for markets. European leaders nevertheless are contending with a looming energy crisis. Speaking at a nuclear energy summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron this morning in Paris, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen laid out the EU’s long-term plan to focus on low-carbon sources like renewables and nuclear energy. “Together, they can become the joint guarantors of independence, security of supply, and competitiveness – if we get it right – now,” she said. The remarks on atomic energy are bound to ruffle feathers. Noting that only 15% of Europe’s electricity comes from nuclear sources compared with a third in 1990, she lamented Europe’s decision to “turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power.” The move was a “strategic mistake.” The notable context is that von der Leyen was a cabinet member in the German government when former Chancellor Angela Merkel doubled down on the country’s nuclear phaseout after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, reversing an initial ambition to extend the life of nuclear power plants. Merkel earlier today was named among the first laureates of the European Order of Merit by the European Parliament. Coming full circle, von der Leyen announced a €200 million guarantee to support private investment in innovative nuclear technology backed by the the Emissions Trading System, the cornerstone of the EU’s climate policy. The commission chief is also preparing a clean energy investment package later today in Strasbourg. As we reported yesterday , the EU’s executive arm will launch a new investment fund to help deliver the trillions of euros of spending that will be needed over the next 15 years for the bloc’s green-energy tran...
watch now VIDEO 34:08 34:08 Inside Alts: Saba Capital's Boaz Weinstein on private credit's liquidity problem Inside Alts A version of this article appeared in CNBC's Inside Alts newsletter, a guide to the fast-growing world of alternative investments, from private equity and private credit to hedge funds and venture capital. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. The problems ...
watch now VIDEO 34:08 34:08 Inside Alts: Saba Capital's Boaz Weinstein on private credit's liquidity problem Inside Alts A version of this article appeared in CNBC's Inside Alts newsletter, a guide to the fast-growing world of alternative investments, from private equity and private credit to hedge funds and venture capital. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. The problems in private credit are "multiplying by the quarter," due in part to the "financial alchemy of promising liquidity that isn't there," Boaz Weinstein, founder of Saba Capital Management, told Inside Alts this week. "What's happening, big picture, right now is that, for a number of reasons, in the middle of a bull market, there are cracks, there are problems, there are frauds, there are companies that are going bad without being a fraud," Weinstein said in an exclusive interview. "So for those reasons, investors are seeing their dividends being cut. They want their money back, and [on] Wall Street the No. 1 story right now is where the redemption is going to be for all these managers." Weinstein, of course, is a central figure in that story. His firm, Saba, alongside Cox Capital Management, just launched a tender offer to purchase 6.9% of shares in one of Blue Owl's nontraded private credit funds at a 34.9% discount. "We were hearing from investors in these funds that they wanted their money back," he said. "They were trying to find someone to step into their shoes, so that happened in an organic way." That fund, known as Blue Owl Capital Corp. II, halted quarterly redemptions and sold $1.4 billion of direct lending investments to provide liquidity for its investors. It turned out to be among the first in a slew of nontraded, private credit funds that have been hit with redemption requests above the typical 5% quarterly cap. Private wealth flows across products tracked by analysts at Jefferies were down 19% in the first quarter compared with Q4. Analysts said they expect redemp...
YouTube is expanding its likeness detection technology, which identifies AI-generated deepfakes, to a pilot group of government officials, political candidates, and journalists, the company announced Tuesday. Members of the pilot group will gain access to a tool that detects unauthorized AI-generated content and lets them request its removal if they believe it violates YouTube policy. The technolo...
YouTube is expanding its likeness detection technology, which identifies AI-generated deepfakes, to a pilot group of government officials, political candidates, and journalists, the company announced Tuesday. Members of the pilot group will gain access to a tool that detects unauthorized AI-generated content and lets them request its removal if they believe it violates YouTube policy. The technology itself launched last year to roughly 4 million YouTube creators in the YouTube Partner Program, following earlier tests. Similar to YouTube’s existing Content ID system, which detects copyright-protected material in users’ uploaded videos, the likeness detection feature looks for simulated faces made with AI tools. These tools are sometimes used to try to spread misinformation and manipulate people’s perception of reality, as they leverage the deepfaked personas of notable figures — like politicians or other government officials — to say and do things in these AI videos that they didn’t in real life. With the new pilot program, YouTube aims to balance users’ free expression with the risks associated with AI technology that can generate a convincing likeness of a public figure. “This expansion is really about the integrity of the public conversation,” said Leslie Miller, YouTube’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, in a press briefing ahead of Tuesday’s launch. “We know that the risks of AI impersonation are particularly high for those in the civic space. But while we are providing this new shield, we’re also being careful about how we use it,” she noted. Image Credits:YouTube Miller explained that not all of the detected matches would be removed when requested. Instead, YouTube would evaluate each request under its existing privacy policy guidelines to determine whether the content is parody or political critique, which are protected forms of free expression. The company noted it’s advocating for these protections at a federal level, too, with its su...
is features writer with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Public officials and journalists will soon be able to keep track of AI-generated deepfakes of themselves on YouTube through the platform’s likeness detection feature. The tool is alr...
is features writer with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Public officials and journalists will soon be able to keep track of AI-generated deepfakes of themselves on YouTube through the platform’s likeness detection feature. The tool is already available to millions of content creators on YouTube, but beginning Tuesday, it will expand to a pilot group of journalists, government officials, and political candidates. (At a briefing with reporters, YouTube declined to share who was in the pilot group, including whether Donald Trump is part of it.) Likeness detection is similar to Content ID, which scans YouTube for copyrighted material — except likeness detection looks for people’s faces. When there are matches, an individual in the program can request that YouTube remove the content, though the company says not every request will be approved. Removals are based on YouTube’s privacy policy, which includes carve outs for content like parody and satire. “YouTube has a long history of protecting free expression, and that includes parody, satire, and political critique. If a video of a world leader is clear parody, it’s likely to stay up,” said Leslie Miller, YouTube’s vice president of government affairs and public policy. “We evaluate every removal request under our longstanding privacy guidelines to ensure we’re not stifling the very civic discourse we’re trying to protect.” To join the program, individuals will be required to submit a video of themselves and a government ID. YouTube says this data will only be used for the likeness detection feature, and that individuals can withdraw from the program and request YouTube remove the data. Amjad Hanif, vice president of creator products, said that so far the amount of content creators request that YouTube remove under the policy is “actually very small.” “They may s...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Yamaha is taking a big leap into subscription services with its new Creator Pass, which bundles a bunch of different services and apps focused on music and podcast production under a single umbr...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Yamaha is taking a big leap into subscription services with its new Creator Pass, which bundles a bunch of different services and apps focused on music and podcast production under a single umbrella. Yamaha doesn’t actually make much software of its own, so it’s partnered with several other companies to help fleshout the bundle. The primary partners are Landr, Output, and Riverside, which offer virtual instruments, sample libraries, and podcast recording tools. The bundles start at $14.99 a month (or $155.88 when billed annually) for the Beginner package, and go all the way up to $468 per-year for the Podcaster Complete plan. In total, there are seven different tiers, five focused on music production and two for podcasters, which is a bit overwhelming. Both Podcaster and Podcaster Complete include Riverside Pro, which covers recording, editing, and hosting. The Complete bundle is only available as an annual plan and doesn’t add any services, but comes with a Yamaha AG01 USB condenser mic to get you started. The Beginner and Producer subscriptions include Landr Studio Essentials or Standard, which comes with over 1,000 sample credits, AI-powered mastering services, music distribution, plus several plugins. Landr makes some of the instruments and effects, but the bulk of them come from other companies, including big names like Arturia, Eventide, Baby Audio, Puremagnetik, and Cableguys. The Producer Pass also comes with Output Arcade, a playable sampler, while Producer Plus adds a bunch of other Output plugins and services to the bundle, including Co-Producer, which uses AI to identify samples that might work with your track. The only thing missing from the bundle is a DAW. In addition to the core services, the Creator Pass will include discounts and special offers o...