US President Donald Trump on Tuesday revealed previously undisclosed details about his new bunker-like White House ballroom, saying it would have a drone base on the roof and a military hospital as part of a six-storey subterranean complex. Amid the bang and clang of construction, Trump took a group of reporters on a tour of the project to try to bolster his argument that the US Congress shoul...
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday revealed previously undisclosed details about his new bunker-like White House ballroom, saying it would have a drone base on the roof and a military hospital as part of a six-storey subterranean complex. Amid the bang and clang of construction, Trump took a group of reporters on a tour of the project to try to bolster his argument that the US Congress should allocate US$1 billion to pay for security enhancements to the building. Democrats and some Republicans have balked at the request, calling it extravagant as Americans grapple with spiralling petrol prices and other fallout from Trump’s war on Iran ahead of November midterm elections. Advertisement He repeated that the US$400 million ballroom cost would be covered by donors, including him, and that the work was being done “in strict coordination” with the military and US Secret Service. “This is not going to be paid for by the taxpayer,” Trump said. “This is a gift to the United States of America.” Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, did not hold back in describing previously unknown details about the project, which at 90,000 square feet stands to dwarf the adjacent White House built in the late 18th century. Advertisement Trump has argued the ballroom was needed for large events of 1,000 people, far more capacity than the White House entertainment spaces can accommodate.
Nickbeer/iStock via Getty Images I have recently reviewed some of the popular BDCs in the core direct lending and venture lending space ( OBDC versus ARCC and TRIN versus HTGC ) in the backdrop of rising credit concerns and some redemption pressures earlier in the year. These analyses across different layers of the private credit spectrum attempted to answer the same evolving question - whether pr...
Nickbeer/iStock via Getty Images I have recently reviewed some of the popular BDCs in the core direct lending and venture lending space ( OBDC versus ARCC and TRIN versus HTGC ) in the backdrop of rising credit concerns and some redemption pressures earlier in the year. These analyses across different layers of the private credit spectrum attempted to answer the same evolving question - whether premium quality alone still justifies premium valuations in a slower liquidity and normalization regime. In this article, I explore the relative positioning of two more popular BDCs - Main Street Capital ( MAIN ) and Capital Southwest ( CSWC ) - completing the loop by testing the same framework in perhaps the most psychologically important segment of the BDC world - premium retail favored income franchises operating in the lower middle market segment. My earlier standalone coverage on MAIN and CSWC in January 2026 reflected different expectations, despite both BDCs looking fundamentally healthy. MAIN was rated Hold not because of operational weakness, but because the combination of premium valuations, normalization in distributable income and a historically elevated price-to-NAV multiple appeared likely to cap forward total returns despite continued business quality. CSWC, in contrast, was rated Buy because the market already appeared to be discounting much of the expected earnings normalization from falling rates, while the balance sheet, credit profile, dividend coverage and operating structure remained comparatively resilient. Since the January thesis on both, the relative trade has worked out much as expected. CSWC is up ~7% in total return terms, while MAIN has corrected by ~15% - that is a huge gap in performance validating my relative view. The performance differences, once again (as discussed in my earlier comparative BDC thesis on OBDC versus ARCC and TRIN versus HTGC), highlights that markets are increasingly prioritizing valuation support and realistic earnings exp...
CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) is one of the 10 Stocks With Powerful Gains. Shares of CleanSpark rallied for a second day on Tuesday, jumping 9.30 percent to close at $14.69 apiece, as investors took heart from an investment firm’s bullish call for its stock. In a market note, CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) received a $24 price target from Bernstein, marking a 63 percent upside potential from its la...
CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) is one of the 10 Stocks With Powerful Gains. Shares of CleanSpark rallied for a second day on Tuesday, jumping 9.30 percent to close at $14.69 apiece, as investors took heart from an investment firm’s bullish call for its stock. In a market note, CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) received a $24 price target from Bernstein, marking a 63 percent upside potential from its latest closing price. The stock was also rated outperform alongside its peers, namely IREN Ltd., Riot Platforms, and Core Scientific. Photo from CleanSpark According to Bernstein, the coverage reflected its highly optimistic outlook for Bitcoin mining companies, amid Google and Blackstone’s plan to establish a new AI cloud venture. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google and Blackstone are planning to put up a joint AI cloud company, which would see the deployment of Google’s custom chip technology, with Blackstone shelling out $5 billion in equity and retaining a majority stake. Such a move is expected to bolster Bitcoin miners-turned-data centers, with the industry announcing more than $90 billion in AI-related contracts covering 3.7 gigawatts of capacity. In other news, CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) announced the results of its earnings performance in the first quarter of the year, expanding its net loss by 172 percent to $378 million from $138.79 million in the same period last year. Revenues declined by 24.9 percent to $136.4 million from $181.7 million year-on-year. While we acknowledge the potential of CLSK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and Cathie Wood 2026 Portfolio: 10 Best Stocks to Buy. Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google Ne...
Micron Technology shares moved higher after fresh price target hikes from major Wall Street banks, reflecting upbeat expectations for AI-driven memory demand. Investors are watching how the chipmaker plans to translate the boom into sustained earnings growth. Micron Technology stock attracted fresh attention this week after new analyst upgrades and higher price targets highlighted rising optimism ...
Micron Technology shares moved higher after fresh price target hikes from major Wall Street banks, reflecting upbeat expectations for AI-driven memory demand. Investors are watching how the chipmaker plans to translate the boom into sustained earnings growth. Micron Technology stock attracted fresh attention this week after new analyst upgrades and higher price targets highlighted rising optimism around the memory specialist’s role in the artificial intelligence boom. On May 19, 2026, shares traded about 2.5% higher in midday trading after a positive note, according to MarketBeat as of 05/19/2026. The move followed recent, very aggressive price target increases from large banks such as Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, which underscored how strongly some market participants now rate Micron’s long?term earnings potential in high?bandwidth memory and DRAM. In one of the most striking signs of confidence, Citigroup recently lifted its price target on Micron shares from 425 USD to 840 USD while maintaining a positive stance on the stock, pointing to its leverage to AI infrastructure demand, according to MarketBeat as of 05/19/2026. Morgan Stanley also raised its target, moving from 350 USD to 450 USD with an “overweight” rating in the same report, illustrating a broader shift among traditional skeptics of the memory cycle toward a more structural, AI?driven view of demand. As of: 20.05.2026 By the editorial team – specialized in equity coverage. At a glance Name: Micron Technology Micron Technology Sector/industry: Semiconductors, memory and storage Semiconductors, memory and storage Headquarters/country: Boise, United States Boise, United States Core markets: Data centers, PCs, smartphones, automotive, industrial Data centers, PCs, smartphones, automotive, industrial Key revenue drivers: DRAM, NAND, high-bandwidth memory for AI and cloud DRAM, NAND, high-bandwidth memory for AI and cloud Home exchange/listing venue: Nasdaq (ticker: MU) Nasdaq (ticker: MU) Trading currency:...
House Lawmaker Introduces Legislation To Expose CCP Exploitation Of Sister City Agreements Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A House lawmaker has introduced legislation to prevent foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from exploiting sister city partnerships and jeopardizing U.S. national security. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaks during a cam...
House Lawmaker Introduces Legislation To Expose CCP Exploitation Of Sister City Agreements Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A House lawmaker has introduced legislation to prevent foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from exploiting sister city partnerships and jeopardizing U.S. national security. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaks during a campaign event with Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, introduced the Sister City Transparency Act (H.R.8833) on May 14. In a statement announcing the bill, Roy’s office said local governments across the United States maintain roughly 1,800 sister-city partnerships with foreign municipalities, including 157 with communities in China. “America’s local communities should never be left vulnerable to foreign influence operations masquerading as cultural exchange,” Roy said in a statement on May 14. “The Sister City Transparency Act brings much-needed oversight and accountability to these partnerships, helping ensure they serve the interests of the American people—not the strategic ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party or other foreign adversaries.” Study on Sister City Partnerships The legislation would direct the comptroller general—the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)—to conduct a study of sister-city partnerships with communities in countries deemed to have “significant public sector corruption,” including Russia and China, the lawmaker’s office explained. According to the language of the bill, the measure would specifically target countries that scored 45 or lower on Transparency International’s 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. China scored 41 in the 2019 index and 43 in the 2025 index. The study would identify how foreign communities select U.S. communities for sister city partners...
Demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), tiny electronic components found in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, is surging as the artificial intelligence boom triggers new production. MLCCs, which act as electrical buffers in circuit boards, are increasingly deployed in massive volumes in high-performance servers, emerging as the latest AI-driven investor darling following ...
Demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), tiny electronic components found in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, is surging as the artificial intelligence boom triggers new production. MLCCs, which act as electrical buffers in circuit boards, are increasingly deployed in massive volumes in high-performance servers, emerging as the latest AI-driven investor darling following memory chips and optical modules. The AI hardware boom was squeezing production capacity as MLCC manufacturers prioritised high-end supply for data centres over consumer-grade capacitors, prompting suppliers to raise prices, TrendForce, a market research firm based in Taipei, said in a report released on Monday. Advertisement The sector was seeing growing demand because next-generation AI hardware required significantly larger volumes of MLCCs, TrendForce said. Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin architecture , which will power advanced AI computing platform but require more complex power management, used 12,000 MLCC units on a single board, compared with 6,500 on the current GB200 platform, the report said. An AI server, densely packed with graphics processing units, consumes up to 10 times more power than a traditional server, and requires up to 28,000 MLCCs per unit, a 13-fold increase from a standard set-up, China Securities said in a research note issued last week. Advertisement The MLCC industry was poised for explosive growth, China Securities said – “potentially repeating the ‘growth miracle’ previously seen in the optical module sector”. The global MLCC market is dominated by Japanese and South Korean manufacturers, led by Murata Manufacturing and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO), which have a tight grip on the high-end capacitors used in AI servers.
As someone who has made much of his devotion to science, Bryson DeChambeau isn’t foolish enough to fall for any old conspiracy theory. But he does believe the moon landings may not have been all they seemed. And that interdimensional beings may be visiting Earth. The two-time major champion appeared this week on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, the wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Mille...
As someone who has made much of his devotion to science, Bryson DeChambeau isn’t foolish enough to fall for any old conspiracy theory. But he does believe the moon landings may not have been all they seemed. And that interdimensional beings may be visiting Earth. The two-time major champion appeared this week on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, the wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. During the interview DeChambeau spoke about conspiracy theories, golf and his friendship with Donald Trump. Miller asked DeChambeau whether he believed astronaut Alan Shepard had played golf on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. “Oh, I don’t, here we, conspiracy theory, I don’t know,” DeChambeau said. “Look, Elon [Musk] says we’ve definitely gone there. So I tend to go that route, because he’s the man that knows quite a bit about all that. Artemis just went around the moon. So I do believe if we spent a lot of our resources like they say we did, I think we did. I don’t think the footage is real. But I think we did go to the moon. I don’t know about the footage. It’s quite, it’s quite wild.” After suggesting thousands of people – including Shepard, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – had not been entirely truthful about Nasa’s moon landings, DeChambeau dealt with other weighty topics. “I do think that there are interdimensional beings out there, for sure,” DeChambeau, who was a physics major in college, said. “I do believe in UAPs [Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]. UAPs, UFOs, I think they’re more than just aliens from another world. Maybe aliens from another world. But I think there’s more. There’s a lot more to that story.” DeChambeau was also asked about his relationship with Trump, the most powerful man in the world. “He gives me a lot of crap about pickles, actually,” said DeChambeau. DeChambeau is one of the most prominent players on the LIV Golf, which faces an uncertain future after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced plans to withdraw fundin...