Anti-extremism researchers who have spent years fighting online radicalization are now helping educators and community groups identify warning signs that teens may be driven to violence by internet conspiracy movements. The initiative, framed as a public-health response to online extremism, is an increasingly rare example of disinformation and extremism specialists trying to blunt real-world harm ...
Anti-extremism researchers who have spent years fighting online radicalization are now helping educators and community groups identify warning signs that teens may be driven to violence by internet conspiracy movements. The initiative, framed as a public-health response to online extremism, is an increasingly rare example of disinformation and extremism specialists trying to blunt real-world harm at a moment when social media companies and government agencies have wound down similar efforts under political pressure. American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab, known as PERIL, has partnered with Bedrock.us, a nonprofit focused on preventing political violence, representatives for the groups said. The goal is to help communities spot warning signs early and intervene before an online conspiracy or hate movement turns into an attack. Mass shooters like the one who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY are often active on fringe corners of the internet . “We spend more time living in the online world than we do in our communities,” said Bill Braniff, a PERIL leader and former Department of Homeland Security official. “Online culture is often toxic. We have to develop the intuitive resilience to the cesspool that’s becoming part of our lives.” PERIL and Bedrock plan to provide state and local officials with intelligence reports on online extremist communities, training on how to de-escalate tense situations and guidance for educators on language and behaviors that can signal a student is being pulled into toxic networks. A key focus is helping parents and schools respond to online groups that groom and blackmail teenagers, often pushing them toward self-harm or suicide, a topic that Bloomberg has reported on extensively. Groups such as 764 have been accused of coercing minors into sending sexually explicit images and then threatening to publish them to force further compliance. Sextortion groups have Researchers also want edu...
Short interest at the end of February was spread broadly across the industrial sector, with no single industry emerging as a clear standout or dominating in terms of positioning. Here are the five most shorted industrial stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion (as a % of shares outstanding) Enovix ( ENVX ), Short Interest: 28.12%. Richtech Robotics ( RR ), Short Interest: 26.67%. NA...
Short interest at the end of February was spread broadly across the industrial sector, with no single industry emerging as a clear standout or dominating in terms of positioning. Here are the five most shorted industrial stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion (as a % of shares outstanding) Enovix ( ENVX ), Short Interest: 28.12%. Richtech Robotics ( RR ), Short Interest: 26.67%. NANO Nuclear Energy ( NNE ), Short Interest: 25.18%. 3D Systems ( DDD ), Short Interest: 24.44%. Virgin Galactic Holdings ( SPCE ), Short Interest: 23.28%. Here are the five least shorted industrial stocks with market capitalizations of up to $2 billion: (as a % of shares outstanding) WF International ( WXM ), Short Interest: 0.50%. Texxon Holding ( NPT ), Short Interest: 0.51%. Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings ( BAER ), Short Interest: 0.52%. Globavend Holdings ( GVH ), Short Interest: 0.53%. Highway Holdings ( HIHO ), Short Interest: 0.54%. More on short interest reports Sphere Entertainment, EchoStar top communications services stocks in short interest; Kyivstar Group, Alphabet see the lowest exposure Most and least shorted communications services stocks with up to $2B market cap as of end-Feb Most and least shorted materials stocks with up to $2B market cap at February end Most and least shorted utilities stocks with up to $2B market cap Under Armour tops the list of most shorted S&P 500 consumer discretionary stocks in February; Amazon among least shorted
Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) stock has been under pressure recently. The video game publisher, which is known for franchises including Grand Theft Auto ( GTA ), Red Dead Redemption , and NBA 2K , has seen pullbacks in conjunction with valuation contractions across the broader software industry. The stock also saw big pullbacks on news that the release of Grand Theft Auto VI had bee...
Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) stock has been under pressure recently. The video game publisher, which is known for franchises including Grand Theft Auto ( GTA ), Red Dead Redemption , and NBA 2K , has seen pullbacks in conjunction with valuation contractions across the broader software industry. The stock also saw big pullbacks on news that the release of Grand Theft Auto VI had been delayed to November of this year and Alphabet 's unveiling of a new artificial intelligence (AI) tools for video game and 3D content creation. Take-Two stock has slid 17% across 2026's trading and is down 19% from the valuation peak it hit last year. As of this writing, the company's share price has climbed just 15% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up 80.5% across the stretch, and the Nasdaq Composite has risen 72%. Can the gaming publisher beat the market over the next five years, or is it on track to continue being an underperformer? Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Joby Aviation has a new partnership with Uber and is expecting FAA certification this year. But scaling and other challenges suggest profitability isn't close.
Joby Aviation has a new partnership with Uber and is expecting FAA certification this year. But scaling and other challenges suggest profitability isn't close.
BTIG has become the latest to see a light at the end of the tunnel for US stock investors, joining Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citadel Securities in their bullish calls. “A low has been made and we should be playing offense more than defense,” said BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky as the S&P 500 Index rebounded from the prior session’s lows. The equity benchmark rose as much as 0.9% Wednesday to climb abo...
BTIG has become the latest to see a light at the end of the tunnel for US stock investors, joining Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citadel Securities in their bullish calls. “A low has been made and we should be playing offense more than defense,” said BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky as the S&P 500 Index rebounded from the prior session’s lows. The equity benchmark rose as much as 0.9% Wednesday to climb above 6,800. That puts the gauge above a key technical level that makes it likely that bearish bettors on any new dips will get caught unawares when stocks bounce back, the chief market technician wrote in a note to clients. Traders are capitalizing on better-than-expected labor market data as well as an expansion in services activity as the S&P 500 recovers from Tuesday’s 2.5% intraday drop. The upbeat data helped offset worries around the continuing conflict between Iran and the US in the Middle East. Krinsky joins other bullish calls after the recent market upheaval. Earlier, Goldman Sachs strategists led by Peter Oppenheimer said investors should view any correction in equities as a buying opportunity rather than the beginning of a bear market. Meanwhile, Citadel Securities’ Scott Rubner said his fundamental analysis of the market signaled that now was the time to turn bullish on equities. In Krinsky’s view, several sectors seem to have found a floor as the S&P 500 reclaims a key support. “We see bottoms in airlines, consumer, banks, crypto, software, and China, while energy and staples look like tactical tops,” Krinsky wrote.
Maksim Safaniuk The expanding conflict with Iran comes as the U.S. government is already running large peacetime deficits. Overall, the Congressional Budget Office is projecting a federal deficit of about $1.9T in fiscal-year 2026, with government debt continuing to swell to $3.1T by 2036. The shortfall is already running at an unusually large 6% of gross domestic product. Defense spending is alre...
Maksim Safaniuk The expanding conflict with Iran comes as the U.S. government is already running large peacetime deficits. Overall, the Congressional Budget Office is projecting a federal deficit of about $1.9T in fiscal-year 2026, with government debt continuing to swell to $3.1T by 2036. The shortfall is already running at an unusually large 6% of gross domestic product. Defense spending is already substantial in the U.S.—one of the largest government outlays. In February, Congress passed an FY26 appropriations bill providing some $839B in funding for the Pentagon, representing roughly 3% of GDP, well below Cold War levels of ~6%. But with current huge federal deficits, the capacity to finance major military options rests largely on the government's ability to issue more Treasury debt ( US10Y ) ( US2Y ) ( US30Y ) and the market's willingness to absorb it. That puts investor focus on demand at government bond auctions, which recently has been solid. Kent Smetters, director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, has reportedly said that the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran could cost up to about $210B, depending on how long the conflict lasts, which could be weeks or "whatever it takes." Meanwhile, the Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution that would require congressional approval for further military action against Iran, following President Donald Trump’s unauthorized decision to launch military action against Iran. Treasury exchange-traded funds: ( TLT ), ( TLH ), ( IEF ), ( IEI ), ( SHY ), ( SGOV ), ( SCHO ), and ( BIL ). U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis | FRED More on iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF, United States 10-Year Bond Yield, etc. The US-Iran War: Phase Two (Where The Pain Starts) 3 Reasons The S&P 500 Could Stay In Bull Mode The SaaSpocalypse Has Arrived... Or Has It? Stocks in March will bounce back with a volatility normalization – Citadel’s Scott Rubner U.S. stocks inch up as Wall Street assesses the latest labor report; ...
Intel Corp. is experiencing strong demand for lucrative server processors and expects that situation to continue into next year, Chief Financial Officer Dave Zinsner said at a conference. The company’s ability to meet the growing orders is limited by supply shortages internally at its factories and across the whole of the semiconductor industry, Zinsner said Wednesday at an event in San Francisco ...
Intel Corp. is experiencing strong demand for lucrative server processors and expects that situation to continue into next year, Chief Financial Officer Dave Zinsner said at a conference. The company’s ability to meet the growing orders is limited by supply shortages internally at its factories and across the whole of the semiconductor industry, Zinsner said Wednesday at an event in San Francisco sponsored by Morgan Stanley. Building on growth of more than 20% in units last year, the server market is “going to be up again pretty meaningfully this year,” Zinsner said. Runaway demand for gear needed to create and run artificial intelligence services is helping drive the need for processors such as Intel’s that perform tertiary roles in such hardware, helping spread the supply crunch to a more diverse set of suppliers. While that’s helping Intel to belatedly cash in on the phenomenon that’s driving the computer industry, the company is still struggling to get enough output from its factories and suppliers. The once-dominant semiconductor company has spent years trying to restore its technological edge and recover from market share losses. The efficiency of its manufacturing plants is crucial to its hopes of a turnaround. Zinsner said that shortfall will continually ease, but persist through the end of the year. Many of Intel’s factories are working above 100% capacity, he said. Intel shares rallied as much as 6.9% to a high of $46.08 in New York trading on Zinsner’s remarks, adding to a rally of 17% this year through Tuesday’s close.
The 2026 Oscar-nominated documentaries are sensitive and transformative toggle caption Netflix There is a prevalent sentiment among documentary filmmakers that most streamers and distributors are only interested in projects about the three C's — cults, crime and celebrities. But this year's five Oscar-nominated feature documentaries prove that, while that may be largely true, such a belief is only...
The 2026 Oscar-nominated documentaries are sensitive and transformative toggle caption Netflix There is a prevalent sentiment among documentary filmmakers that most streamers and distributors are only interested in projects about the three C's — cults, crime and celebrities. But this year's five Oscar-nominated feature documentaries prove that, while that may be largely true, such a belief is only one side of the picture, and that even documentaries that fall into these categories can still bring an innovative, moving and impactful approach to nonfiction storytelling. Despite the challenging issues all these films explore — from terminal illness, to life in one of the deadliest prison systems in the United States and in a small Russian town in the midst of a war — these filmmakers tackle them with sensitivity, humanity and unexpected humor. In the era of big-budget documentaries, these films are a great reminder of the transformative power of nonfiction stories, and that, more often than not, all you need is a camera and a strong story that must be told to move and connect with audiences. Sponsor Message The Alabama Solution YouTube The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791. It simply reads "excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Nearly 235 years later, thousands of people have died while in government custody, at prisons and jails, in what advocates — and courts — have said are direct violations of prisoners' constitutional rights. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in Alabama, one of the deadliest prison systems in America. The Alabama Solution is a six-year investigation into the crisis unfolding at prisons across the southern state, discovering over 1,300 deaths of people in custody inside Alabama correctional facilities between 2019 and 2024. Documenting abuse inside prisons is dauntingly difficult, but thanks to the bravery of a group of inc...
Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) has long been the darling of the beverage sector, but fourth-quarter 2025 results signal a changing of the guard. While the core Celsius brand saw organic growth cool to 7.5% amid distribution shifts, the company's $2.5 billion revenue record was salvaged by its newest powerhouse: Alani Nu. Acquired to capture the wellness-focused demographic, Alani Nu exploded in l...
Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) has long been the darling of the beverage sector, but fourth-quarter 2025 results signal a changing of the guard. While the core Celsius brand saw organic growth cool to 7.5% amid distribution shifts, the company's $2.5 billion revenue record was salvaged by its newest powerhouse: Alani Nu. Acquired to capture the wellness-focused demographic, Alani Nu exploded in late 2025, delivering over $1 billion in annual revenue. As we move into 2026, the "growth machine" label now belongs to this high-margin integration, proving that Celsius's future lies in its multi-brand platform strategy. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of Feb. 28, 2026. The video was published on March 4, 2026. Continue reading
Catherine Delahaye/DigitalVision via Getty Images Xponential Fitness ( XPOF ) shares are trending higher on Wednesday as the company’s largest shareholder is urging the company to pursue strategic alternatives, favoring a sale of the entire business to private investors to capitalize on the value of its Club Pilates business. In the wake of disappointing fourth quarter results, Voss Capital issued...
Catherine Delahaye/DigitalVision via Getty Images Xponential Fitness ( XPOF ) shares are trending higher on Wednesday as the company’s largest shareholder is urging the company to pursue strategic alternatives, favoring a sale of the entire business to private investors to capitalize on the value of its Club Pilates business. In the wake of disappointing fourth quarter results, Voss Capital issued a letter to the Xponential Fitness ( XPOF ) board of directors to “immediately” engage financial advisors to pursue a sale of the business and, as the largest shareholder (with a 19.3% stake), expects the board to take action. Voss Capital believes that with an enterprise value that exceeds that of the entire company, Xponential’s ( XPO ) Club Pilates generates more income as a standalone company than the other businesses combined. With $500M in debt against $105M in EBITDA—approximately 5x net leverage—and with $55M in annual interest expense, XPOF shareholders receive very little cash the business generates. However, Voss argues that a sale could resolve this “potential structural trap,” as Club Pilates royalties could be securitized at an interest rate 400 to 600 basis points lower than the current rate XPOF is paying. “Given Club Pilates’ unmatched scale, healthy franchisee base, new unit pipeline visibility, and long unit growth runway, it is reasonable to suspect a sale of the brand could be worth multiples of the current equity value, even after netting all corporate level debt,” Voss Capital says in Wednesday’s letter. By going private, new owners could finance Club Pilates as a standalone brand and capture the full value of the franchise royalty stream “without the constraints and costs of public company infrastructure.” Last week, Xponential Fitness ( XPOF ) showed it had slipped further into the red in the fourth quarter with a loss of $0.91 per share on a 0.3% loss in sales, forecasting further sales erosion in FY26. Over the past year, the company has unloaded...
Javier Ruiz/iStock via Getty Images Aluminum prices surged as much as 5% on the London Metal Exchange to the highest since 2022 after Aluminium Bahrain BSC suspended deliveries of metal to some customers under force majeure clauses in its supply contracts. The company, known as Alba, is a major supplier of aluminum in the Middle East, where shipments have been harmed by an effective halt on voyage...
Javier Ruiz/iStock via Getty Images Aluminum prices surged as much as 5% on the London Metal Exchange to the highest since 2022 after Aluminium Bahrain BSC suspended deliveries of metal to some customers under force majeure clauses in its supply contracts. The company, known as Alba, is a major supplier of aluminum in the Middle East, where shipments have been harmed by an effective halt on voyages through the Strait of Hormuz; Alba said the force majeure relates to the transit issues through Hormuz and not due to any disruption or damage to its smelter facility. Aluminum ( LMAHDS03:COM ) on the LME recently traded up ~4% to $3,383.50/ton, extending its weekly gain to nearly 8%. The Middle East conflict has exposed another severe supply choke point that could cause chaos across the industry, with manufacturers in Europe, Asia and the U.S. facing shortages in spot supply if Middle East smelters are overcome by disruptions to shipments of outbound metal and incoming raw materials. President Trump said the U.S. Navy will escort oil tankers and other commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but traders are skeptical that flows through the vital waterway will return to normal any time soon. Potentially relevant stocks include Alcoa ( AA ), Century Aluminum ( CENX ), Rio Tinto ( RIO ), BHP ( BHP ), Kaiser Aluminum ( KALU ), and Constellium ( CSTM ). More on Alcoa and aluminum Alcoa: Valuation Concern Overshadows Aluminum Strength Commodities: European Gas And Asian LNG Surge After Qatar Halts Operations Aluminum Supply Risk Returns Amid Middle East Tensions
Wachiwit Netflix ( NFLX ) announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its Ads Suite to give brands more options to buy and measure ads, with a focus on better targeting, frequency management, and scaled reach on its ad-supported plan. The streaming giant is introducing new retail and behavioral audience capabilities starting in the second quarter in the U.S., with other ad-supported markets to fol...
Wachiwit Netflix ( NFLX ) announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its Ads Suite to give brands more options to buy and measure ads, with a focus on better targeting, frequency management, and scaled reach on its ad-supported plan. The streaming giant is introducing new retail and behavioral audience capabilities starting in the second quarter in the U.S., with other ad-supported markets to follow. Through Amazon ( AMZN ) DSP, advertisers can use Amazon Audiences, which is built from extensive shopping, streaming, and browsing signals, to reach Netflix ( NFLX ) members based on real behaviors, lifestyles, interests, and active shopping intent. Through Yahoo DSP, advertisers can activate deterministic Yahoo audiences informed by hundreds of millions of global interest, behavioral, purchase, and life-stage signals, which is anticipated to make campaigns feel more timely and relevant for viewers. Netflix ( NFLX ) is also launching its own conversion API to address advertiser demand for full-funnel solutions and clearer proof of outcomes. The CAPI is designed to use real-time insights to optimize campaigns and demonstrate results. In early testing with Tinuiti, a large independent full-funnel agency in the U.S., campaigns using Netflix's ( NFLX ) tools beat benchmarks by more than 75% across financial services, ed tech, and retail clients. "These advancements are part of our ongoing effort to make advertising on Netflix more effective and easier to buy. We’re offering our brand partners clearer ways to reach the right audiences while maintaining the high-quality experience our members expect," highlighted the company. The development could be relevant for the Trade Desk ( TTD ), which also operates a demand-side platform that helps advertisers buy and optimize data-driven digital ad campaigns across the open internet in one place. Netflix ( NFLX ) was up 1.0% in midday action, while The Trade Desk ( TTD ) traded flat. More on Netflix Netflix: Moving Along On Its Own ...
(RTTNews) - Amplifon S.p.A. (AMP.MI, AMFPF) on Wednesday reported full-year 2025 adjusted net profit of 159.2 million euros, down from 188.1 million euros in the prior year. Adjusted earnings per share declined to 0.72 euros from 0.83 euros. Net revenues were 2.39 billion euros, down 0.6% or up 1.7% at constant exchange rates compared with 2024. Last year, revenues were 2.41 billion euros. Adjuste...
(RTTNews) - Amplifon S.p.A. (AMP.MI, AMFPF) on Wednesday reported full-year 2025 adjusted net profit of 159.2 million euros, down from 188.1 million euros in the prior year. Adjusted earnings per share declined to 0.72 euros from 0.83 euros. Net revenues were 2.39 billion euros, down 0.6% or up 1.7% at constant exchange rates compared with 2024. Last year, revenues were 2.41 billion euros. Adjusted EBITDA declined 4.5% to 540.4 million euros from 566.1 million euros a year earlier, while the margin narrowed to 22.6% from 23.5%. The decline reflected lower operating leverage, expansion of the Miracle-Ear direct network in the United States, geographic mix in EMEA, and higher marketing investments. Further, the board proposed a dividend of 0.29 euros per share. For the fourth quarter, revenues rose 1.4% at constant exchange rates to 651.9 million euros. Adjusted EBITDA was 145.5 million euros with a margin of 22.3%, while adjusted net profit declined to 49.5 million euros from 53.8 million euros a year ago. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Getty Images By James Smith , Developed Markets Economist, UK Inflation could test 3.5% if energy prices stay elevated into Q2 Investors have slashed expectations for a March rate cut from the Bank of England; markets are pricing it with just a 20% probability, down from 80% pre-conflict. We are pushing back our call for the next cut to April, though we wouldn’t rule out a move this month. Remembe...
Getty Images By James Smith , Developed Markets Economist, UK Inflation could test 3.5% if energy prices stay elevated into Q2 Investors have slashed expectations for a March rate cut from the Bank of England; markets are pricing it with just a 20% probability, down from 80% pre-conflict. We are pushing back our call for the next cut to April, though we wouldn’t rule out a move this month. Remember, those who have voted for rate cuts at recent meetings have done so because the labour market is getting weaker. That hasn’t changed. Still, the Bank of England has shown itself to be particularly sensitive to supply-driven spikes in headline inflation, more so than the Federal Reserve or the European Central Bank. Last summer’s hawkish response to higher food prices made that abundantly clear. Chief Economist Huw Pill has often cited 3.5-4% as a level for headline CPI, which, if reached, is statistically much more likely to morph into a longer-lasting bout of price pressure. That threshold could easily be tested if natural gas prices stay at or above 120p/therm - equivalent to 50 EUR/MWh on the Dutch TTF benchmark - into Q2 and if oil prices persistently flirt with 85-90 USD/bbl. Headline inflation would peak at 3.5% in late summer. And that’s before considering the secondary impact on food and services inflation. A more extreme scenario where oil prices go to 110 USD/bbl and European gas prices rise persistently above 65 EUR/MWh could push headline inflation temporarily close to 5%. We estimate every 10% rise in oil prices adds 0.1ppt to headline inflation. Every 10% rise in gas prices is worth 0.15ppt. Three scenarios for UK headline inflation (YoY%) July-Oct energy price cap based on average gas prices between mid-Feb and mid-May and are linked to futures contracts for delivery in 6-12M, as opposed to the front-month future Source: Macrobond, ING Cooler jobs market will limit the impact on wage growth and services inflation But this will take some time to show through...
It’s monstrously presumptuous? Unforgivably glib? Perhaps. But this stylised drama is the show we all need right now If you are looking for a break in the clouds from this terrible news cycle, can I direct you towards Love Story , the nine-part series executive-produced – but crucially, not written! – by Ryan Murphy, which documents the love and untimely deaths of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, C...
It’s monstrously presumptuous? Unforgivably glib? Perhaps. But this stylised drama is the show we all need right now If you are looking for a break in the clouds from this terrible news cycle, can I direct you towards Love Story , the nine-part series executive-produced – but crucially, not written! – by Ryan Murphy, which documents the love and untimely deaths of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bessette. You might think this isn’t for you, that it’ll be too tabloidy or that you’re not interested in JFK Jr. But while Love Story, which takes us back to a very particular version of early-1990s New York, might not seem like the show we want right now, it is exactly the show that we need. This probably sounds like a heartless summary of a true story that ends in the terrible deaths of two young people (in 1999, while flying his wife and her sister from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard, Kennedy crashed his light aircraft, killing everyone on board). But that tragic end only suffuses the preceding nine hours of storytelling with a kind of pearly, nostalgic light, just the thing to see off the iron-grey wash of today’s reality. The New York of Love Story isn’t the city’s current iteration, with its impossible rents and charmless finance bros ruining downtown. Nor is it the 1990s New York of, say, Home Alone 2, in which Donald Trump strides through the Plaza Hotel and Central Park is a crime-ridden disaster. Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
Marathon Asset Management Chair and CEO Bruce Richards explains why he thinks highly-leveraged software default rates could surge and discusses where he is finding investment opportunities on "Bloomberg Open Interest." (Source: Bloomberg)
Marathon Asset Management Chair and CEO Bruce Richards explains why he thinks highly-leveraged software default rates could surge and discusses where he is finding investment opportunities on "Bloomberg Open Interest." (Source: Bloomberg)
To use the Gen Z lingo of the day, the Spanish prime minister has today been mogging Keir Starmer. “Mogging” is Gen Z-speak for being outclassed. If turning on the US president is your domestic political imperative, Starmer is having a go — but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been doing it with more brio. And because Starmer has tried to be closer to Donald Trump than the Spanish leader e...
To use the Gen Z lingo of the day, the Spanish prime minister has today been mogging Keir Starmer. “Mogging” is Gen Z-speak for being outclassed. If turning on the US president is your domestic political imperative, Starmer is having a go — but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been doing it with more brio. And because Starmer has tried to be closer to Donald Trump than the Spanish leader ever has, this is yet another reversal of strategy by the UK PM. Sanchez has called US action in the Middle East a “disaster.” Starmer has been critical of US action too, drawing barbs from the president, but today at Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer chose to go even further. The US, he said, had no “viable plan” for Tehran. Starmer could have chosen not to be drawn on the topic, as he did in early January when the US removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro . That restraint is now gone. But while his current stance might be intellectually consistent with Starmer’s pre-politics life as an anti-Iraq War lawyer, it is not intellectually consistent with his team’s painstaking work over the last two years to get close to Trump. This diplomatic push, we were told over many months, reaped substantial economic benefits when Team Starmer impressively netted the lowest tariff rate for the UK. Yesterday in her interview with our Stephanie Flanders , the chancellor dismissed the idea that the UK might refrain from being critical of US actions in the Middle East because it wants to secure preferential tariff treatment as these rates are looked at again in light of the US Supreme Court verdict. But this is how this most transactional of White Houses works. As Philip Aldrick says in his piece on the political and economic impact of Middle Eastern unrest, the political opponents to the left of Labour are already pushing for the government to do more to help with rising energy costs: “ The Trades Union Congress responded that she needs to ‘stand ready to pull every lever to shield househ...