Trump Says Cuba Is Seeking Help: 'We Are Going To Talk' Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times, Cuba wants help, and the United States will hold talks with the communist island nation, President Donald Trump announced in a Tuesday post on Truth Social. He did not specify when those talks would take place. “No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only headi...
Trump Says Cuba Is Seeking Help: 'We Are Going To Talk' Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times, Cuba wants help, and the United States will hold talks with the communist island nation, President Donald Trump announced in a Tuesday post on Truth Social. He did not specify when those talks would take place. “No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction—down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote in his post. The president has made Cuba a focus of his second term, increasing pressure on Havana in the form of sanctions, an oil blockade, and repeated comments from himself and others in his administration about how Cuba is next after the U.S. military captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Cuba, in January. As he left for his trip to China , Trump declined providing any further information to reporters at the White House. “Cuba is not doing well. It’s a failed nation, and we'll be talking about Cuba at the right time,” Trump said. Asked about any planned talks with the country, a White House official said, “Within a short period of time, they will fall, and we will be there to help them out.” Trump has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions against the Cuban regime to choke the leadership out and push it toward making a deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, announced some of those sanctions on May 7. On May 1, Trump signed a presidential action broadening sanctions on the communist government, imposing them on individuals, entities, and affiliates of the regime. It also targeted anyone complicit in human rights violations or corruption. “[Cuba’s policies] constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat,” Trump’s order said. “Not only are these policies, practices, and actions designed to harm the United States, but they are also repugnant to the moral and political values of free and democr...
In apology, William Paul said he had had ‘too much to drink’ and the things he said ‘don’t represent who I really am’ Republican senator Rand Paul’s son William apologized on Wednesday for a drunken tirade at a bar in Washington DC, in which he reportedly told a Republican congressman he “hates Jews and hates gays”. “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who...
In apology, William Paul said he had had ‘too much to drink’ and the things he said ‘don’t represent who I really am’ Republican senator Rand Paul’s son William apologized on Wednesday for a drunken tirade at a bar in Washington DC, in which he reportedly told a Republican congressman he “hates Jews and hates gays”. “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem,” William Paul posted on social media under the handle TastyBrew1776. Continue reading...
Earnings Call Insights: StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) Q1 2026 Management View “We are off to a positive start in 2026 with solid top line growth and increased profitability,” said (Founder, CEO, & Chairman Eric Baker), adding, “GMS increased 7% to $2.2 billion, and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 16%.” Baker described 2026 priorities as “Growth in our core resale marketplace; increased profitab...
Earnings Call Insights: StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) Q1 2026 Management View “We are off to a positive start in 2026 with solid top line growth and increased profitability,” said (Founder, CEO, & Chairman Eric Baker), adding, “GMS increased 7% to $2.2 billion, and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 16%.” Baker described 2026 priorities as “Growth in our core resale marketplace; increased profitability; and advancement of longer-term distribution opportunities,” and said Q1 execution supported “all 3 of these objectives,” while reiterating, “we are reiterating our full year outlook for GMS and adjusted EBITDA.” On open distribution, Baker said StubHub expanded supply efforts “beyond individual and professional sellers to enterprise scale sellers,” and argued, “We believe it is clear the market is heading in the direction of nonexclusive open distribution,” while citing that “a recent proposal to settle antitrust suit in the live events space included nonexclusive distribution.” Baker highlighted two product/distribution launches: “Distribution Manager: An AI-powered self-serve tool that allows artists, teams and venues to list and manage tickets directly through StubHub,” and “an integration with a primary ticketing company that tickets rights holders like Stanford University Athletics.” (Chief Financial Officer Constance James) framed the company’s financial approach as “Durable GMS growth; meaningful margin expansion; and continued strength in free cash flow generation,” and said Q1 results showed “progress in each of these areas.” Outlook James reiterated full-year targets: “We are reiterating our full year outlook for GMS and adjusted EBITDA,” guiding to “GMS of $9.9 billion to $10.1 billion” and “adjusted EBITDA of $400 million to $420 million.” On phasing, James said the company expects seasonality similar to last year: “We expect the first and second half contribution to full year GMS to remain broadly consistent with 2025.” On comparability, James said, “As ...
Blackstone Inc. -owned data center firm AirTrunk is marketing a $2.3 billion loan to fund a Malaysia project, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a slew of tech-linked financings in Southeast Asia spurred by the artificial intelligence boom. Proceeds will support the firm’s 200-megawatt AirTrunk JHB2 facility located in the southern state of Johor, said the people, who asked not ...
Blackstone Inc. -owned data center firm AirTrunk is marketing a $2.3 billion loan to fund a Malaysia project, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a slew of tech-linked financings in Southeast Asia spurred by the artificial intelligence boom. Proceeds will support the firm’s 200-megawatt AirTrunk JHB2 facility located in the southern state of Johor, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. About a dozen lenders — including DBS Group Holdings Ltd. , Credit Agricole SA , ING Bank NV and United Overseas Bank Ltd. — are arranging the three-year loan, which is being syndicated to the broader market, the people said. Blackstone and AirTrunk declined to comment. Surging demand for AI capabilities has spurred data center operators to take on more debt to expand. Moody’s Ratings expects at least $3 trillion to flow into the sector over the next five years, with much of it financed through debt. Some investors, however have raised concerns about whether such investments will deliver sustainable returns. Recent deals underscore the trend. Digital Edge and power producer B.Grimm Power Pcl this month announced an $880 million facility, the largest-ever financing for a data center project in Thailand. Bain Capital-owned Bridge Data Centres has also been in talks with lenders for a potential loan of up to $6 billion for expansion in the country. In Malaysia, Singapore-based DayOne Data Centers Ltd. has been seeking to double the size of an existing loan to as much as $7 billion for its expansion plans. SoftBank Cuts Target for OpenAI Margin Loan by 40% to $6 Billion SoftBank-Tied Data Center Sweetens Pricing on Junk-Bond Sale Digital Edge Weighs Options Including Sale for $10 Billion AirTrunk’s loan — which carries two one-year extension options — pays an interest margin of 225 basis points above the Secured Overnight Financing Rate for offshore financing and 235 basis points for onshore, the people said. The Sydney-headquartered...