Lawmakers say moratorium on construction would buy time to create strong, federal guardrails for AI Amid an unprecedented energy crisis and the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders , an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexa...
Lawmakers say moratorium on construction would buy time to create strong, federal guardrails for AI Amid an unprecedented energy crisis and the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders , an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a New York Democratic representative, on Wednesday morning, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. A temporary ban, the lawmakers say, would give the US government time to create strong federal safeguards for AI, which is “affecting everything from our economy and wellbeing to our democracy, warfare and our kids’ education”. Continue reading...
Homes in Daly City, California, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week to the highest level since last fall, and that pushed mortgage demand off a cliff. Total mortgage application volume dropped 10.5% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. The average contract i...
Homes in Daly City, California, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week to the highest level since last fall, and that pushed mortgage demand off a cliff. Total mortgage application volume dropped 10.5% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, increased to 6.43% from 6.30%, with points increasing to 0.65 from 0.63, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. "The threat of higher for longer oil prices continued to keep Treasury yields elevated, and mortgage rates finished last week higher. The 30-year fixed rate rose to 6.43 percent, more than 30 basis points higher than at the end of February and at its highest level since October 2025," said Joel Kan, MBA's vice president and deputy chief economist. Refinance demand, which had been surging just a few months ago, dropped 15% for the week. It was still 52% higher than the same week one year ago, when the 30-year fixed rate was 28 basis points higher. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 49.6% of total applications. For comparison, in mid-January it held a 60% share. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home dropped 5% for the week and were just 5% higher than the same week one year ago. Get Property Play directly to your inbox CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today . "Higher mortgage rates, coupled with affordability constraints and economic uncertainty, pushed some potential homebuyers to the sidelines," Kan added. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity also increased to 8.1% of total applications. ARM's offer lower rates but with higher risk, as they can adjust after a fixed peri...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talks with reporters after a Senate Armed Services Committee closed briefing on the Iran war, in the Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Department of Defense has no plan to stop President Donald Trump's family from profiting on lucrative defense contracts in a Tuesday let...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talks with reporters after a Senate Armed Services Committee closed briefing on the Iran war, in the Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Department of Defense has no plan to stop President Donald Trump's family from profiting on lucrative defense contracts in a Tuesday letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , shared exclusively with CNBC. The letter comes after the Pentagon sent Warren a response to a January inquiry the Massachusetts Democrat sent to the department seeking answers about the agency's contracting with the Trump children. CNBC has also reviewed the previously unreported Defense Department response, which Warren said failed to answer her questions about potential Trump family involvement in the agency's contracting decisions. Read more CNBC politics coverage Pakistan offers to facilitate U.S.-Iran war talks as Trump, Tehran give mixed signals DCCC launches geotargeted digital ad campaign hitting GOP for gas prices Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as next DHS secretary "It failed to provide answers to the vast majority of questions that we asked regarding DoD's decision making process for the contracts and loan guarantees referenced in our January 22, 2026 letter," Warren wrote of the Defense Department's response in the new letter, which was cosigned by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "It also suggests that DoD appears to have no effective processes in place to ensure that DoD contracts are being fairly awarded to companies based on our national security and defense requirements—rather than the financial interests of the President's family." The Defense Department, in its initial response to Warren, said that the Pentagon's "[Office of Strategic Capital] is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and ensuring that its investment decisions are free from conflicts of interest involving Department of War (DoW) pers...
ParkerVision Believes Qualcomm Makes Critical Contradiction in its Own Appeal Brief JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESS Newswire / March 25, 2026 / ParkerVision, Inc. (the "Company") (OTCQB:PRKR) today announced that it has completed appellate briefing ...
ParkerVision Believes Qualcomm Makes Critical Contradiction in its Own Appeal Brief JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESS Newswire / March 25, 2026 / ParkerVision, Inc. (the "Company") (OTCQB:PRKR) today announced that it has completed appellate briefing ...
The best Super Mario games are ones I find myself coming back to again and again. I'm not sure I want to count how many copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World I own across various Nintendo platforms, but it's worth it because of just how satisfying it is to replay those classic levels, like revisiting a favorite album. They're simple enough that you can jump in easily, but with a leve...
The best Super Mario games are ones I find myself coming back to again and again. I'm not sure I want to count how many copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World I own across various Nintendo platforms, but it's worth it because of just how satisfying it is to replay those classic levels, like revisiting a favorite album. They're simple enough that you can jump in easily, but with a level of depth that means I'm always discovering new things. And over the last few years I've added Super Mario Bros. Wonder to that list, a game that is absolutely bursting with new ideas and that exudes playfulness . It's a great way to unwind - and if … Read the full story at The Verge.
- Reports Revenue of $5.6 Million – Posting fourth consecutive quarter of growth and highest recorded annual revenue in the Company’s history - - Lowest Quarterly Net Loss since 2013 – Evidencing further progress toward profitability -
- Reports Revenue of $5.6 Million – Posting fourth consecutive quarter of growth and highest recorded annual revenue in the Company’s history - - Lowest Quarterly Net Loss since 2013 – Evidencing further progress toward profitability -
Positive topline data from Phase 2 HORIZON trial of MZE829 demonstrating first clinical proof-of-concept in patients with broad AMKD to support advancement into pivotal program; Maze to host conference call today at 8:00 am EDT
Positive topline data from Phase 2 HORIZON trial of MZE829 demonstrating first clinical proof-of-concept in patients with broad AMKD to support advancement into pivotal program; Maze to host conference call today at 8:00 am EDT
Five-year agreements with US$1,000t floor price, no discount to spot pricing and full upside exposure to support Project financingTORONTO, March 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) ("Lithium Ionic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed binding multi-year offtake agreements with each of Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co., Ltd....
Five-year agreements with US$1,000t floor price, no discount to spot pricing and full upside exposure to support Project financingTORONTO, March 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) ("Lithium Ionic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed binding multi-year offtake agreements with each of Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co., Ltd. (“Yahua Group”) and Grand Chen Resources Pte. Ltd. (“Grand Chen”), two leading global lithium-ion b
US mortgage rates climbed for a third straight week, pushing home-financing costs to the highest since October and dealing a blow to both purchasing and refinancing activity. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage rose 13 basis points to 6.43% in the week ended March 20, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. In the last three weeks, the rate has climbed 34 basis point...
US mortgage rates climbed for a third straight week, pushing home-financing costs to the highest since October and dealing a blow to both purchasing and refinancing activity. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage rose 13 basis points to 6.43% in the week ended March 20, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. In the last three weeks, the rate has climbed 34 basis points, the most since November 2024. The group’s index of mortgage applications for home purchases fell 5.4% last week, the biggest drop since January. Refinancing applications tumbled another 14.6% after a steeper decline in the prior week. The pickup in home-financing costs and slowdown in mortgage activity illustrates a widening economic toll from the war in the Middle East. Mortgage rates are tied to movements in the US Treasury market, and the yield on the 10-year note has spiraled higher as the conflict stokes concerns about an oil-driven inflation resurgence. Higher borrowing costs represent a headwind for the long-suffering housing market as it heads into the crucial spring selling season. Builders had already been employing incentives and cutting prices to help drum up demand and reduce inventory. The MBA survey, which has been conducted weekly since 1990, uses responses from mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts. The data cover more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the US.
PDD Holdings Inc. posted disappointing earnings and warned that growing investments in logistics will hurt its performance. The company posted an 11% fall in net income to 24.5 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) for the December quarter, falling short of the average analysts’ estimate by roughly 16%. Revenue grew 12%, about as anticipated. Its shares slid about 3% in pre-market US trading before recoupin...
PDD Holdings Inc. posted disappointing earnings and warned that growing investments in logistics will hurt its performance. The company posted an 11% fall in net income to 24.5 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) for the December quarter, falling short of the average analysts’ estimate by roughly 16%. Revenue grew 12%, about as anticipated. Its shares slid about 3% in pre-market US trading before recouping most of the losses. PDD, the biggest rival to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. in the Chinese online retail arena, is grappling with a domestic consumer downturn as well as regulatory scrutiny at home. Beijing agencies broadened a probe into PDD’s accounting and taxes after its employees exchanged blows with regulators in a highly publicized incident in December. “The external environment and competitive landscape are undergoing rapid changes. To meet the evolving needs of consumers, we must continually explore and make investments,” Jun Liu, VP of finance, said in a statement . “These investments are firm and long-term, and will inevitably affect our financial performance.” Read More: China Deepens PDD Probe After Fistfights With Regulators PDD has in the span of a few years grown from a scrappy VC-backed underdog into one of China’s leading e-commerce players, at one point even surpassing Alibaba in market value. Today, it is best known internationally as the owner of Temu, and competes with Shein across the US and Europe. But it’s also grappled with volatile Chinese consumption, escalating tariffs and the scrapping of a tax loophole that helped discount retailers like Temu and Shein flourish in the US.
Felipe Cruz/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Revisiting the Bear Case The last time I wrote about Cosan, I had summarized the bearish thesis as follows: “The company's thesis has been based on high leverage, since high-interest expenses accumulate as a result of the very high-interest rate scenario in Brazil, and dividend generation has been on the verge of insufficiency. Thus, Cosan is forced to...
Felipe Cruz/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Revisiting the Bear Case The last time I wrote about Cosan, I had summarized the bearish thesis as follows: “The company's thesis has been based on high leverage, since high-interest expenses accumulate as a result of the very high-interest rate scenario in Brazil, and dividend generation has been on the verge of insufficiency. Thus, Cosan is forced to divest to strengthen its cash position, something I do not see as healthy or sustainable for a holding company.” To make it clear, Cosan is a conglomerate of companies (Rumo ( RUMOF ), Compass, Moove, Radar, and Raízen) that basically lives off dividends and the appreciation of the equity of its holdings. The problem with the thesis is that Cosan has become an overly complex structure, mixing several cyclical and cash-intensive segments (sugar, ethanol, fuels), causing the market to apply a "conglomerate discount" to the thesis. The Numbers Don’t Tell a Clean Story The latest earnings print (4Q25 and FY25) highlighted some unresolved issues at Cosan in my view. Deleveraging improved, with a 3.3x pro-forma net debt-to-EBITDA ratio vs. 3.7x in 3Q25, with expanded net debt falling by 58% YoY despite the fact that dividends received also fell by 41% in the year, with an interest coverage of 0.9x—showing that Cosan still does not cover its interest expenses with its own cash flow. Cosan's IR The biggest problem, as I see it, is that this debt reduction did not come organically. Cosan carried out a capital increase of R$10.5 billion , diluting its shareholders, and sold core assets (stake in Vale ( VALE )). So, this "improvement" in Cosan's reported results came much more from balance sheet engineering than via cash generation. The structural risk for the holding company remains very high, as I view it, since with Cosan not fully controlling the flow, the dependence of Raízen, Rumo, and Compass on allocating their capital and eventually entering a bad cycle leaves Cosan "in the ...
'Reputation, trust, and confidence of the market is central to everything', says Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan as the government's number one priority is to ensure a continuous supply of quality issuers coming to the market. (Source: Bloomberg)
'Reputation, trust, and confidence of the market is central to everything', says Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan as the government's number one priority is to ensure a continuous supply of quality issuers coming to the market. (Source: Bloomberg)
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images By Michiel Tukker, Senior UK & Eurozone Rates Strategist Ceasefire headlines offer hope, but market patience is wearing thin Recent signals that Iran may be open to negotiations, alongside talk of a one-month ceasefire, offer some hope. That said, a series of false starts and premature declarations of victory argue for continued caution. We're seeing euro rate...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images By Michiel Tukker, Senior UK & Eurozone Rates Strategist Ceasefire headlines offer hope, but market patience is wearing thin Recent signals that Iran may be open to negotiations, alongside talk of a one-month ceasefire, offer some hope. That said, a series of false starts and premature declarations of victory argue for continued caution. We're seeing euro rate markets getting increasingly impatient. Each day that oil trades close to $100, inflation risks increase, as does the probability of rate hikes. On Tuesday, we saw that despite oil trading broadly sideways, the 2Y swap rate still managed to climb throughout the day. ECB officials are not pushing back either, and if anything, seem to take a hawkish stance. Market positions now imply a 70% chance of an April hike and are back to an aggressive three hikes priced in for this year. Besides inflation risk concerns, other parts of the markets are flashing warning signs. Bunds, for example, are beginning to outperform swaps more materially. The 2Y Bund yield now trades more than 25bp below the swap rate, which suggests safe-haven flows are picking up. Those levels are on par with ‘Liberation Day’, and the momentum from the past few days suggests we may not have seen the end yet. The demand for safety and liquidity is also observed in the latest ECB refinancing operations. A total of €17bn of 7-day liquidity was allotted to banks this week, a sharp increase from the average this year of €11bn. This means banks are starting to rely more on relatively expensive funding from the central bank rather than market sources. These signs clearly suggest that markets are being pushed out of their comfort zone. Only a significant decline in uncertainty and energy prices can alleviate the pressure. If not, financial conditions will deteriorate further and in turn weigh on the economic outlook. With the growth backdrop in the eurozone already fragile, we think the back end of the euro swap curve...
The S&P 500 index is still close to all-time highs, despite current geopolitical upheaval. However, under the hood, there has been significant pain for investors not invested in the hottest artificial intelligence (AI) stocks over the last few years. Even Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has significantly underperformed the index over the last five years, despite benefiting from the AI boom. With the stock s...
The S&P 500 index is still close to all-time highs, despite current geopolitical upheaval. However, under the hood, there has been significant pain for investors not invested in the hottest artificial intelligence (AI) stocks over the last few years. Even Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has significantly underperformed the index over the last five years, despite benefiting from the AI boom. With the stock stuck around $200 -- close to where it traded in 2021 -- investors are likely growing impatient with the e-commerce and cloud computing giant. Is it time to bail on Amazon? Or is now the perfect time to buy the stock for your portfolio? Image source: Amazon. Continue reading