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Business - Page 58

2025-07-11

Steve Jobs' secretary was late for work because her car wouldn't start, so he gave her the keys to a brand-new Jaguar, saying, "Here, never be late again. - evidencenetwork.ca

Steve Jobs' secretary was late for work because her car wouldn't start, so he gave her the keys to a brand-new Jaguar, saying, "Here, never be late again. evidencenetwork.ca

Goldman Sachs is piloting its first autonomous coder in major AI milestone for Wall Street
2025-07-11

Goldman Sachs is piloting its first autonomous coder in major AI milestone for Wall Street

Goldman is testing an autonomous software engineer from artificial intelligence startup Cognition that is expected to soon join the ranks of the firm’s 12,000 human developers, Goldman tech chief Marco Argenti told CNBC. The program, named Devin, became known in technology circles last year with Cognition’s claim that it had created the world’s first AI software engineer. It’s the latest indicator of the dizzying speed in which AI is being adopted in the corporate world. The newest hire at Goldman Sachs isn’t human.The bank is testing an autonomous software engineer from artificial intelligence startup Cognition that is expected to soon join the ranks of the firm’s 12,000 human developers, Goldman tech chief Marco Argenti told CNBC.The program, named Devin, became known in technology circles last year with Cognition’s claim that it had created the world’s first AI software engineer. Demo videos showed the program operating as a full-stack engineer, completing multi-step assignments with minimal intervention.“We’re going to start augmenting our workforce with Devin, which is going to be like our new employee who’s going to start doing stuff on the behalf of our developers,” Argenti said this week in an interview.“Initially, we will have hundreds of Devins [and] that might go into the thousands, depending on the use cases,” he said.It’s the latest indicator of the dizzying speed in which AI is being adopted in the corporate world. Just last year, Wall Street firms including JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley were rolling out cognitive assistants based on OpenAI models to get employees acquainted with the technology.Now, the arrival of agentic AI on Wall Street — referencing programs like Devin that don’t just help humans with tasks like summarizing documents or writing emails, but instead execute complex multi-step jobs like building entire apps — signals a much larger shift, with greater potential rewards.Tech giants including Microsoft and Alphabet have said AI is already producing about 30% of the code on some projects, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said last month that AI handles as much as 50% of the work at his company.At Goldman Sachs, one of the world’s top investment banks, this more powerful form of AI has the potential to boost worker productivity by up to three or four times the rate of previous AI tools, according to Argenti.Devin will be supervised by human employees and will handle jobs that engineers often consider drudgery, like updating internal code to newer programing languages, he said.Courtesy: Goldman SachsDevin, an AI software developer, from a startup called Cognition Labs, which is valued at nearly $4 billion and counts Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund among investors.Goldman is the first major bank to use Devin, according to Cognition, which was founded in late 2023 by a trio of engineers and whose staff is reportedly stocked with champion coders.In March, the startup doubled its valuation to nearly $4 billion just a year after the release of Devin. The company counts Peter Thiel and Joe Lonsdale, the prominent venture capitalists and Palantir co-founders, among its investors.Goldman doesn’t own a stake in Cognition, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified speaking about the bank’s investments.Hybrid workforceThe bank’s move could spark a fresh round of anxiety on Wall Street and beyond about job cuts as a result of AI.Executives at companies from Amazon to Ford have grown more candid about what AI will mean for hiring plans. Banks around the world will cut as many as 200,000 jobs in the next three to five years as they implement AI, Bloomberg’s research arm said in January.For his part, Argenti — who joined Goldman from Amazon in 2019 — charted out a vision for the near future that he called a “hybrid workforce” where humans and AI coexist.“It’s really about people and AIs working side-by-side,” Argenti said. “Engineers are going to be expected to have the ability to really describe problems in a coherent way and turn it into prompts ... and then be able to supervise the work of those agents.”While the role of software developer is one that most lends itself to the type of training, called reinforcement learning, that is used to make AI smarter, other roles at a bank aren’t far off from being automated, according to Argenti.“Those models are basically just as good as any developer, it’s really cool,” Argenti said. “So I think that will serve as a proof point also to expand it to other places.”

CNBC Daily Open: The battleground for Fed chair might have shifted to renovations from rates
2025-07-11

CNBC Daily Open: The battleground for Fed chair might have shifted to renovations from rates

U.S. President Donald Trump announces 35% tariffs on Canada. More all-time highs for U.S. stocks. The White House accuses Powell of mismanagement. Analysts doubtful about the valuation of Starbucks’ China business. “New bull case” for the market.Homo economicus, or the “economic man,” is an idea that depicts humans as rational beings. This assumption has been used to construct models of the economy and, more broadly, society.The great flaw in that theory is the supposition of logic in humans. We know, on an everyday basis, how flimsy that notion is. We need to keep our blood cholesterol in check, but the crunch of that fried chicken is irresistible.On Thursday, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought accused Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of shooting over the budget to renovate the central bank’s headquarters by roughly $700 million.In the same breath, he also questioned why there weren’t any “rooftop terrace gardens, VIP private dining rooms and elevators, water features, premium marble, and much more” constructed, as was originally planned.To be fair, if all the allegations are true — that the promised luxury features factored into the budget had been omitted while costs have busted expectations — that would constitute mismanagement. At this point, however, either the budget or the fountain’s got to give.The accusation, more fundamentally, raises the question of whether U.S. President Donald Trump — who has engaged in multiple tirades against Powell — will use this incident to boot the Fed chair.The idea of “homo economicus” was widely criticized in the late 20th century. Through psychological experiments, economists have proven no human is fully rational. But, really, did they have to go to such lengths?— Dan Mangan contributed to this report.What you need to know todayTrump announces 35% tariffs on Canada. In his letter, Trump highlighted how the country “retaliated with its own Tariffs” in March after the White House imposed fentanyl-related levies on it. In response, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government will defend its workers and businesses.More all-time highs for U.S. stocks. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose Thursday to notch new closing records. Asia-Pacific markets mostly traded higher Friday. Singapore’s Straits Times Index hit its fifth consecutive high in as many trading days.The White House accuses Powell of mismanagement. Trump’s budget chief said that Powell had misled Congress about the renovation of the central bank’s headquarters. It raises the question of whether Trump would use the incident to remove Powell.Analysts doubtful about the valuation of Starbucks’ China business. Analysts have expressed hesitation over the $10 billion figure attached to the coffee chain’s subsidiary, saying it does not consider the stiff competition in China’s market. [PRO] ‘New bull case’ for the market. The chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management wrote to clients that several factors in the economy are helping investors shrug off tariff-related fears.And finally...Jonathan Nackstrand | Afp | Getty ImagesAn electric car at a charging station in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Sept. 25, 2024.Norway’s Tesla obsession defies Europe’s Musk backlashTesla recorded a 54% year-on-year jump in new car sales in Norway in June, according to data from the Norwegian Road Federation, fueled by a 115.3% yearly increase in registrations for its revamped Model Y sports utility vehicle.The Tesla Model Y appears to be especially popular in Norway because of its competitive price and the fact that it meets local demand for large luggage space, high-ground clearance, all-wheel drive and a tow hitch, said Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association.— Sam Meredith

Brazil Hits Back At Trump's Tariff Letter, Lula Says If 'He's Going To Charge Us 50, We'e Going To Charge Him 50'
2025-07-11

Brazil Hits Back At Trump's Tariff Letter, Lula Says If 'He's Going To Charge Us 50, We'e Going To Charge Him 50'

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, issued a warning Thursday about potential retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. proceeds with its planned 50% tax on Brazilian imports from Aug. 1.What Happened: Lula stated via his official X handle that Brazil would take the necessary measures to “protect its people and its companies.”“The Brazilian people must be respected. Brazilian justice must be respected.” Lula said, “We are a great, sovereign country with a historic tradition of diplomacy with all nations.”“And don’t have any doubt that first we will try to negotiate, but if there is no negotiation, the law of reciprocity will be put into practice,” the Brazilian president stated in an interview with local media. “If he’s [Trump] going to charge us50, we’re going to charge him 50.”Full story available on Benzinga.com

2025-07-11

Why Powell is ignoring Trump’s push to quickly slash interest rates - The Washington Post

Why Powell is ignoring Trump’s push to quickly slash interest rates The Washington PostMost Fed officials see rate cuts coming, but opinions vary widely on how many, minutes show CNBCMinutes of Fed’s June Meeting Are Out. What to Know. Barron'sMinutes show Fed officials divided over tariff-driven inflation AxiosWhat Division Inside the Fed Means for Future Interest-Rate Cuts - WSJ The Wall Street Journal

NursesMC Nashville to open this fall, creating new pipeline for health care workers
2025-07-11

NursesMC Nashville to open this fall, creating new pipeline for health care workers

The nation is in the grips of a nursing shortage. NursesMC is a new school opening this fall in Nashville aimed at helping to address that shortage, with partners like Vanderbilt and HCA. Here's how the program works.

2025-07-11

Dickinson Wright Files Lawsuit Against 'John Doe' 'Naked' Short-Sellers of Datavault AI Common Stock

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN – On Thursday, July 10, 2025, Dickinson Wright filed a lawsuit on behalf of the law firm's client, Datavault AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:DVLT), (Datavault AI), alleging securities fraud (stock manipulation), defamation and intentional tort against "John Doe" "naked" short sellers of Datavault AI common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The Complaint alleges that the short sellers engaged in the unlawful practice of "naked short selling" and other manipulative devices – including marking the close, painting the tape, spoofing and layering. The Complaint further alleges that the "John Does" for themselves or acting in concert with the "naked" short sellers also published materially false and misleading and defamatory information on internet chat room "Stocktwits" and on LinkedIn. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago, seeks unspecified compensatory and special damages and other relief.Jacob Frenkel, Securities Enforcement Practice Chair at Dickinson Wright PLLC and lead counsel for Datavault AI, stated: "This lawsuit on behalf of our dynamic client Datavault AI challenges the too-often abusive, fraudulent and manipulative practice of ‘naked' short selling, illegal behavior that is a scourge on early stage and entrepreneurial public companies. My expectation is that once we identify the perpetrators of these activities that the Department of Justice and the SEC have determined to be actionable, I am encouraged that the evidence will support amending our lawsuit to add civil RICO – civil racketeering – allegations against the soon-to-be known violators."Datavault AI (NASDAQ:DVLT), as set forth in the lawsuit, rebranded earlier this year to reflect its focus on AI-driven data visualization, valuation, and monetization, alongside high-performance computing solutions. Datavault AI's operations and product offerings come from the company's ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

The Xbox Series S Is Down To Just $315 This Prime Day
2025-07-10

The Xbox Series S Is Down To Just $315 This Prime Day

Take $65 off the staple console of any game setup.

Flat and Whisker Labs Partner to Bring Real-Time Power Outage Intelligence to Homeowners and Their Service Providers
2025-07-10

Flat and Whisker Labs Partner to Bring Real-Time Power Outage Intelligence to Homeowners and Their Service Providers

New integration unites Flat's all-in-one homeowner platform with precise, real-time outage alerts powered by Ting Insights—enabling smarter, safer, and more connected homes.CHICAGO, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Flat, the leading white-label platform for home service professionals, and Whisker Labs, creator of Ting Insights, have announced a strategic partnership that brings precise, real-time power outage intelligence directly into the Flat platform. This collaboration delivers critical power status alerts to homeowners while enabling their service providers to engage at high-impact moments. "We've been building toward a seamless, end-to-end home management experience, and teaming up with Ting Insights marks a major milestone," said Brent Hasse, CEO of Flat. "This partnership leverages real-time ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Head-To-Head Analysis: Jutal Offshore Oil Services (OTCMKTS:JUTOY) & USA Compression Partners (NYSE:USAC)
2025-07-10

Head-To-Head Analysis: Jutal Offshore Oil Services (OTCMKTS:JUTOY) & USA Compression Partners (NYSE:USAC)

Jutal Offshore Oil Services (OTCMKTS:JUTOY – Get Free Report) and USA Compression Partners (NYSE:USAC – Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations and profitability. Volatility and Risk Jutal Offshore [...]

Code Waechter LLC Buys New Stake in Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC)
2025-07-10

Code Waechter LLC Buys New Stake in Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC)

Code Waechter LLC bought a new stake in Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC – Free Report) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 8,874 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $365,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of TFC. Hopwood [...]

Financial Analysis: Williams-Sonoma (WSM) versus Its Competitors
2025-07-10

Financial Analysis: Williams-Sonoma (WSM) versus Its Competitors

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) is one of 14 public companies in the “RETAIL – HOME FRN” industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Williams-Sonoma to similar businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations. Risk & Volatility Williams-Sonoma has [...]

Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC Sells 7,376 Shares of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)
2025-07-10

Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC Sells 7,376 Shares of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)

Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC reduced its stake in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX – Free Report) by 50.1% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 7,360 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 7,376 shares during the quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC’s holdings in Chevron were worth $1,231,000 at [...]

Critical Review: Williams-Sonoma (WSM) & Its Rivals
2025-07-10

Critical Review: Williams-Sonoma (WSM) & Its Rivals

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) is one of 14 public companies in the “RETAIL – HOME FRN” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Williams-Sonoma to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, dividends, profitability, institutional ownership and risk. Institutional and Insider Ownership 99.3% [...]

Rogco LP Purchases Shares of 2,441 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (NYSE:PNC)
2025-07-10

Rogco LP Purchases Shares of 2,441 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (NYSE:PNC)

Rogco LP bought a new position in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (NYSE:PNC – Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $429,000. [...]

Code Waechter LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O)
2025-07-10

Code Waechter LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O)

Code Waechter LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O – Free Report) by 26.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 15,339 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 5,643 shares during the period. Code Waechter LLC’s holdings in Realty Income were worth $890,000 [...]

Is Outlook down? Thousands of users report issues accessing their email
2025-07-10

Is Outlook down? Thousands of users report issues accessing their email

Several thousand Microsoft Outlook users ran into issues with the email platform Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with some reporting problems like loading their inboxes or signing in

Making healthy snacks a habit when afternoon energy slumps strike at work
2025-07-10

Making healthy snacks a habit when afternoon energy slumps strike at work

Sticking to healthy snacks during workdays can be tough, especially with busy schedules and tempting treats nearby

2025-07-10

1514341 Ontario Inc. News Release

TORONTO, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1514341 Ontario Inc. (the "Company") announces that the Company has entered into an agreement with Pasinex Resources Limited (the "Issuer") to convert an aggregate principal amount of $805,875.15 of debt (the "Settlement Amount") owing by the Issuer to the Company into common shares of the Issuer (the "Common Shares") on a non-brokered private placement basis pursuant to the accredited investor exemption in section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus and Registration Exemptions (the "Debt Settlement Transaction"). The Company will acquire ownership and control of 10,745,002 Common Shares (the "Settlement Shares") in exchange for the settlement of the Settlement Amount at a price of $0.075 per Settlement Share.Prior to acquiring the Settlement Shares, the Acquiror owned and controlled 23,265,815 Common Shares, representing approximately 16.1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as of June 30, ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Ottawa to reimburse auto dealers for unpaid EV rebates
2025-07-10

Ottawa to reimburse auto dealers for unpaid EV rebates

Federal government owes Canadian auto dealers as much as $11-million for cancelling the incentive after Tesla claimed millions of dollars in rebates in a short period

U.S. copper tariffs threat met with shrugs, skepticism, though risks remain
2025-07-10

U.S. copper tariffs threat met with shrugs, skepticism, though risks remain

U.S. threats to impose 50 per cent tariffs on copper imports have been met with shrugs by Canadian mining companies and skepticism by analysts, though long-term risks remain.U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration on Tuesday of the coming tariffs came before a study on their need had been rele...

10 Stocks That Investors Are Dumping
2025-07-10

10 Stocks That Investors Are Dumping

Ten companies lost their steam on Wednesday, bucking a wider market rally, as current news failed to spark investor excitement for their stocks. On Wall Street, the Nasdaq increased by 0.94 percent, the S&P 500 grew by 0.61 percent, and the Dow Jones was up by 0.49 percent. In this article, let us explore Wednesday’s [...]

BRILYN HOLLYHAND: Elon, Don’t Be An Idiot: A Third Party Is A Gift To The Left
2025-07-10

BRILYN HOLLYHAND: Elon, Don’t Be An Idiot: A Third Party Is A Gift To The Left

Let me say this as plainly as possible: Elon Musk starting a third party in 2025 would be the dumbest, most self-destructive political move since Ross Perot handed Bill Clinton the keys to the White House in the ’90s. It wouldn’t be bold. It wouldn’t be visionary. It would be idiotic — and, frankly, hurtful [...]

Chicago Bears assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El buys Long Grove home for $860,000
2025-07-10

Chicago Bears assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El buys Long Grove home for $860,000

In Long Grove, Antwaan Randle El’s new house was built in 2007 and has five bathrooms, two fireplaces, hardwood floor, a two-story foyer and a recently updated cedar shake roof.

Startups love the UK. Its IPO market? Not so much
2025-07-10

Startups love the UK. Its IPO market? Not so much

U.S. Treasury yields held steady on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s trade war intensified, with Brazil being hit with fresh levies and new tariffs on copper imports being announced.At 6 a.m. ET, the 10-year Treasury yield was little changed at 4.35%, and the 30-year yield was around 1 basis point higher at 4.882%. The 2-year yield was down less than a basis point at 3.853%.One basis point is equal to 0.01%. Yields and prices have an inverse relationship.Trump slapped 50% tariffs on Brazil in an announcement late Wednesday, which is set to go into effect from Aug. 1. It’s partly in retaliation against the ongoing prosecution of the country’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro.The levies are a jump from the 10% reciprocal tariffs imposed on Brazil in early April, with Trump saying it’s also a response to the “very unfair trade relationship” between the two companies.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that the country will respond with reciprocity to the new tariffs rates, citing a Brazilian law which allows the government to take appropriate countermeasures.Additionally, Trump said 50% tariffs on copper will start from Aug. 1, a decision made after the president received a national security assessment.On the data front, investors will await weekly initial jobless claims for the week ending July 5, which will be released on Thursday morning.

WK Kellogg, Nvidia, Costco, Plug Power, And Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today
2025-07-10

WK Kellogg, Nvidia, Costco, Plug Power, And Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

On a day marked by mixed reactions to President Donald Trump’s tariff letters, the stock market displayed a surprising calm. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% to 44,458.30, while the S&P 500 gained 0.6% to 6,263.26. The Nasdaq also gained almost a percent to 20,611.34.These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors throughout the day:WK Kellogg Co (NYSE:KLG)Kellogg’s stock soared by 3.49%, closing at $17.50. The stock’s intraday high and low were $17.67 and $16.88, respectively, with a 52-week range of $14.80 to $22.21. The shares spiked 56.46% to $27.38 in after-hours trading. This surge followed a report that Ferrero, an Italian candy company, is nearing a deal to acquire Kellogg for roughly $3 billion.NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:Full story available on Benzinga.com

Older Adults Outnumber Children In More US States, Median Age Hits New High
2025-07-10

Older Adults Outnumber Children In More US States, Median Age Hits New High

Older Adults Outnumber Children In More US States, Median Age Hits New High Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times,A new report from the Census Bureau indicates older adults now outnumber children in 11 states and almost half of the counties in the United States.The census data shows that the U.S. population continues to age, with the share of the 65-year-plus group steadily increasing from 12.4 percent in 2004 to 18 percent in 2024, while the share of the under-18 population has decreased from 25 percent to 21.5 percent during the same period.In 2024, the population aged 65 and older increased by 3.1 percent, to 61.2 million, from 2023, while those under the age of 18 decreased by 0.2 percent, to 73.1 million, during the same time frame.“Children still outnumber older adults in the United States, despite a decline in births this decade,” Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, said in the report.“However, the gap is narrowing as baby boomers continue to age into their retirement years. In fact, the number of states and counties where older adults outnumber children is on the rise, especially in sparsely populated areas.”According to the report, from 2020 to 2024, the older population grew by 13 percent, significantly outpacing the 1.4 percent growth of working-age adults (18 to 64), while the number of children declined by 1.7 percent.In 2020, the Census Bureau named just three states—Maine, Vermont, and Florida—where older adults outnumbered children. In 2024, the list was expanded to include eight more states with a majority of adults aged 65 and older: Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.In addition, the number of U.S. metro areas with a majority of older adults increased from 58 to 112 from 2020 to 2024.“This represents nearly 30 percent of the nation’s 387 metro areas,” the report states.In 2024, three metropolitan areas with at least 1 million people—Cleveland, Ohio; Providence–Warwick, Rhode Island–Massachusetts; and Hartford, Connecticut—recorded more older adults than younger people for the first time ever.On the county level, 31.3 percent of America’s 3,144 counties had more older adults than children in 2020. In 2024, that level rose to 45 percent.Trend Expected to ContinueGlen Hedrick, financial advisor at Old North State Wealth Management in Wilmington, North Carolina, believes the aging population trend will continue into the 2030s.“This will be a pivotal time for entitlement reform and healthcare infrastructure reform,” Hedrick told The Epoch Times.“For Social Security, the trend is in the direction of more beneficiaries and fewer contributors.”He mentioned disparities in states such as Maine and Florida, which he noted may feel even more of a strain.“As an advisor, I would recommend, based on these findings, to not depend solely on entitlements,” he said.“Build a diversified income stream, maybe even delaying Social Security as people live longer to maximize benefits.”The U.S. Census BureauThe Census Bureau also reported that the U.S. median age reached a new record high of 39.1 years in 2024, up from 38.5 in 2020. Regionally, the Northeast had the highest median age at 40.6, with Maine having the oldest median population in the nation at 44.8.The Midwest was a close second with a 39.3 median age, while the West and South held the lowest median ages at 38.4 and 38.8, respectively.Birth Rates Declining Since 1990According to a recent Statista report, the U.S. birth rate has been declining steadily since 1990. In 2023, there were 10.7 births per 1,000 of the population, compared with 16.7 births per 1,000 in 1990.The research also shows that the fertility rate among women of childbearing age dropped to 1.62 in 2023, the lowest rate ever recorded.“The reasons behind the declining birth and fertility rates in the U.S. are complex but include personal factors such as changing priorities among women and the high cost of living, including student loan debt, housing costs, and the cost of child care,” the report states.Aaron Cirksena, founder and CEO of MDRN Capital based in Annapolis, Maryland, told The Epoch Times that the rising age population is a concern for the entire nation.“The country as a whole is getting older, while the younger population is decreasing. That’s going to put an extra strain not only on Social Security, but Medicare, and filling jobs for the future,” he said.Cirksena noted that as this imbalance grows, there will be a lot less people in the workforce paying taxes.“There’s only so many ways you can get tax revenues out of retirees on a fixed income, so this shrinking base of taxpayers means there are less people supporting the older population,” he said.In the long term, he noted, the United States could experience slower economic growth.“There could be a problem filling vacant jobs and then there’s the question of what will happen when the next generation begins to retire,” he said.In 2024, the Internal Revenue Service allowed a tax credit of $2,000 per child under age 17 for individuals earning less than $200,000 or $400,000 per couple. This year, the amount is expected to increase to $2,500 per child.“Still, changing the country’s demographics is not something you can easily turn around in just a couple of years,” Cirksena noted.He believes the full retirement age will be extended from the current 67 in the near future.“People are living longer and in order to keep the system going, they’ll probably have to work longer as well,” Cirksena said. Tyler DurdenWed, 07/09/2025 - 22:35

Russia hits Kyiv with more missiles and drones, causing fires and injuring at least 10
2025-07-10

Russia hits Kyiv with more missiles and drones, causing fires and injuring at least 10

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with another mass missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, causing fires in areas across the city and injuring at least 10 people a day after the heaviest aerial attack of the three-year war so far, according to Ukrainian officials. In a post on the Telegram messaging [...]

Nvidia Sometimes Feels Like America's Only Bargaining Chip In Trade Standoff With China, Says Jim Cramer: 'Own It, Don't Trade It'
2025-07-10

Nvidia Sometimes Feels Like America's Only Bargaining Chip In Trade Standoff With China, Says Jim Cramer: 'Own It, Don't Trade It'

On Wednesday, Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) briefly became the world's most valuable company. Following this, Jim Cramer hailed the AI chipmaker as a national strategic asset and a powerful tool in America's trade tensions with China.What Happened: Nvidia crossed a $4 trillion market cap during trading before closing at $3.97 trillion. The surge reaffirmed its place atop the global market, surpassing Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)."The fact is, neither Microsoft nor Apple can claim that they're currently creating a new industrial revolution, like Nvidia can," said Cramer, reported CNBC."In fairness, they did create the last industrial revolution, the rise of the personal computer, although that was a long time ago," he added.See Also: Mark Zuckerberg Once Set Up A Facebook Account For Brooklyn Nine-Nine Star Andy Samberg, Then Personally Played Tech Support When Things Went A Bit HaywireReflecting on Nvidia's geopolitical significance, Cramer noted that Nvidia sometimes seems to be the U.S.’s "only bargaining ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

2025-07-10

CP Atlas Buyer, Inc. Announces Early Exchange Results of Exchange Offer for Outstanding 7.000% Senior Notes due 2028 and Consent Solicitation

IRVING, Texas, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CP Atlas Buyer, Inc. (the "Company"), the parent company of American Bath Group, LLC ("ABG"), a leading manufacturer of showers, bathtubs and related accessories, today announced the early exchange results of the previously announced offer to...

2025-07-09

What AI-Powered Chatbots Think Is Important in Human Love

How AI is responding to questions of the human heart.

2025-07-09

Clever Credit: I'm Ready to Upgrade from Cash Back. What Should Be My Next Rewards Card?

Our credit cards analyst offers options for dipping your toe in the rewards game.

2025-07-09

Global Times: China's advanced waste treatment technology boosts green transition at home, abroad

BEIJING, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "Beijing Besieged by Waste," a documentary released in 2012 by Chinese filmmaker Wang Jiuliang, captured a staggering scene in which the capital was encircled by mountains of trash. Yet, this shocking image now seems like a thing of the past. The piles of waste have quietly disappeared from public view, leaving many to wonder: where has all the trash gone?Recently, a topic with hashtag "China's waste is running out" has been trending on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. The "thirsty incinerators" have sparked heated debate on social media, with reports claiming that waste incineration plants in China are scrambling for garbage, even seeking it overseas, according to a report published by China News Service.Behind this shift is China's advanced technology and innovative method to turn waste into clean energy. The rapid development of waste-to-energy incineration has been key role in addressing the long-standing "garbage siege" problem in China. As of October 2024, the number of incineration plants in the country has reached 1,010, nearly half of the global total, according to the China News Service report.Mushrooming plants"Now, what we're worried about is that there's not enough garbage to burn!" Ma Kejun, a manager at Beikong Environmental Technology Development in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, told the Global Times. He explained that while his company is designed to process 3,000 tons per day, it typically receives only around 2,000 tons, meaning only three of four incinerators run year-round.Ma's plant reflects a broader trend: China has built over 1,000 large-scale incineration facilities over recent years, with a combined daily capacity of more than 1.1 million tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported in May.China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued a report in June, which cited preliminary calculations as saying that the total ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD) Price Target Raised to $87.00 at UBS Group
2025-07-09

DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD) Price Target Raised to $87.00 at UBS Group

DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD – Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by equities researchers at UBS Group from $85.00 to $87.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 16.26% from [...]

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says
2025-07-09

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) had its price objective boosted by equities research analysts at Truist Financial from $51.00 to $53.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Truist Financial’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 13.13% from the company’s [...]

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A) to Issue Dividend Increase – $0.39 Per Share
2025-07-09

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A) to Issue Dividend Increase – $0.39 Per Share

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A – Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 11th, TickerTech Dividends reports. Investors of record on Friday, July 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.39 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, July 18th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and [...]

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A) Increases Dividend to $0.39 Per Share
2025-07-09

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A) Increases Dividend to $0.39 Per Share

Guardian Capital Group Limited (TSE:GCG.A – Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 11th, TickerTech Dividends reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.39 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, July 18th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield [...]

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC Reduces Position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB)
2025-07-09

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC Reduces Position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB)

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB – Free Report) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,166 shares of the company’s stock after selling 67 shares during the quarter. Cornerstone Planning [...]

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target Cut to $14.00 by Analysts at Truist Financial
2025-07-09

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target Cut to $14.00 by Analysts at Truist Financial

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN – Get Free Report) had its price target cut by research analysts at Truist Financial from $16.00 to $14.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Truist Financial’s price target indicates a potential upside of 26.07% from the stock’s current price. [...]

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC Buys 3,793 Shares of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP)
2025-07-09

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC Buys 3,793 Shares of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP)

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP – Free Report) by 20.4% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 22,349 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,793 shares during the period. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Microchip [...]

Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC Lowers Position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)
2025-07-09

Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC Lowers Position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC reduced its stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) by 2.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,994 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 159 shares during the quarter. Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC’s holdings in [...]

Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) Stock Price
2025-07-09

Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) Stock Price

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Truist Financial from $280.00 to $290.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Truist Financial’s price target suggests a potential upside of 2.33% from the [...]

Dogwood Wealth Management LLC Purchases 29 Shares of CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD)
2025-07-09

Dogwood Wealth Management LLC Purchases 29 Shares of CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD)

Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD – Free Report) by 23.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 152 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC’s holdings [...]

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC Purchases 3,793 Shares of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP)
2025-07-09

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC Purchases 3,793 Shares of Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP)

Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP – Free Report) by 20.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,349 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,793 shares during the [...]

Truist Financial Boosts American Express (NYSE:AXP) Price Target to $340.00
2025-07-09

Truist Financial Boosts American Express (NYSE:AXP) Price Target to $340.00

American Express (NYSE:AXP) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at Truist Financial from $335.00 to $340.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the payment services company’s stock. Truist Financial’s target price suggests a potential upside of 6.89% from the stock’s current price. AXP has [...]

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC Sells 67 Shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB)
2025-07-09

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC Sells 67 Shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB)

Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lowered its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB – Free Report) by 3.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,166 shares of the company’s stock after selling 67 shares during the [...]

CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) Shares Purchased by Dogwood Wealth Management LLC
2025-07-09

CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) Shares Purchased by Dogwood Wealth Management LLC

Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD – Free Report) by 23.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 152 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 29 shares during the quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management [...]

Celanese (NYSE:CE) Given New $66.00 Price Target at UBS Group
2025-07-09

Celanese (NYSE:CE) Given New $66.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Celanese (NYSE:CE – Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by equities researchers at UBS Group from $51.00 to $66.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. UBS Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 9.86% from the stock’s current [...]

TSA to end shoe removal policy at airport security
2025-07-09

TSA to end shoe removal policy at airport security

All passengers will soon be able to keep their shoes on during TSA airport security screenings, the White House confirmed Tuesday.

Luzerne County solicitor: Job Corps lease renewal a ‘good thing’
2025-07-09

Luzerne County solicitor: Job Corps lease renewal a ‘good thing’

WILKES-BARRE — The U.S. Department of Labor renewal of a lease to operate the Keystone Job Corps Center on Luzerne County property in Butler Twp. is a “good thing,” county Solicitor Harry Skene said Tuesday at a county council meeting. “And the good thing is it costs about a million dollars a year to maintain that property,” Skene explained. “So it’s good that they want to renew it because then they’ll be responsible for upkeep of the property.” In May, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the closure of all 99 Job Corps centers across the nation by June 30. [...]

New 'Mind-Reading' AI Predicts What Humans Will Do Next
2025-07-09

New 'Mind-Reading' AI Predicts What Humans Will Do Next

New 'Mind-Reading' AI Predicts What Humans Will Do Next Via StudyFinds,MUNICH — An artificial intelligence system can now predict your next move before you make it. We’re not just talking about whether you’ll click “buy now” on that Amazon cart, but rather how you’ll navigate complex decisions, learn new skills, or explore uncharted territory.(Image by metamorworks via Shutterstock)Researchers have developed an AI called Centaur that accurately predicts human behavior across virtually any psychological experiment. It even outperforms the specialized computer models scientists have been using for decades. Trained on data from more than 60,000 people making over 10 million decisions, Centaur captures the underlying patterns of how we think, learn, and make choices.“The human mind is remarkably general,” the researchers write in their paper, published in Nature. “Not only do we routinely make mundane decisions, such as choosing a breakfast cereal or selecting an outfit, but we also tackle complex challenges, such as figuring out how to cure cancer or explore outer space.”An AI that truly understands human cognition could revolutionize marketing, education, mental health treatment, and product design. But it also raises uncomfortable questions about privacy and manipulation when our digital footprints reveal more about us than ever before.How Scientists Built a Digital Mind Reader AIThe research team started with an ambitious goal: create a single AI model that could predict human behavior in any psychological experiment. Their approach was surprisingly straightforward but required massive scale.Scientists assembled a dataset called Psych-101 containing 160 experiments covering memory tests, learning games, risk-taking scenarios, and moral dilemmas. Each experiment was converted into plain English descriptions that an AI could understand.Rather than building from scratch, researchers took Meta’s Llama 3.1 language model (the same type powering ChatGPT) and gave it specialized training on human behavior. They used a technique that allows them to modify only a tiny fraction of the AI’s programming while keeping most of it unchanged. The entire training process took only five days on a high-end computer processor.Centaur could mark a new turning point in AI in its unprecedented ability to understand the human mind. (Image by Shutterstock AI Generator)Centaur Dominates Traditional Cognitive ModelsWhen tested, Centaur completely crushed the competition. In head-to-head comparisons with specialized cognitive models that scientists spent decades perfecting, Centaur won in almost every single experiment.The real breakthrough came when researchers tested Centaur on completely new scenarios. The AI successfully predicted human behavior even when the experiment’s story changed (turning a space treasure hunt into a magic carpet adventure), when the structure was modified (adding a third option to a two-choice task), and when entirely new domains were introduced (logical reasoning tests that weren’t in its training data).Centaur could also generate realistic human-like behavior when running simulations. In one test involving exploration strategies, the AI achieved performance comparable to actual human participants and showed the same type of uncertainty-guided decision-making that characterizes how people behave.Neural Alignment: Centaur Mimics Human Brain ActivityIn a surprising discovery, Centaur’s internal workings had become more aligned with human brain activity, even though it was never explicitly trained to match neural data. When researchers compared the AI’s internal states to brain scans of people performing the same tasks, they found stronger correlations than with the original, untrained model.Learning to predict human behavior apparently forced the AI to develop internal representations that mirror how our brains actually process information. The AI essentially reverse-engineered aspects of human cognition just by studying our choices.The team also demonstrated how Centaur could accelerate scientific discovery. They used the AI to analyze human behavior patterns, leading to the discovery of a new decision-making strategy that outperformed existing psychological theories.“We’ve created a tool that allows us to predict human behavior in any situation described in natural language – like a virtual laboratory,” says lead author Marcel Binz in a statement.What’s Next for Human Behavior AI?While impressive, this research represents just the beginning. The current version focuses primarily on learning and decision-making, with limited coverage of areas like social psychology or cross-cultural differences. The dataset also skews toward Western, educated populations, a common limitation in psychological research.The team plans to expand their dataset to include more diverse domains and populations, envisioning a comprehensive model that could serve as a unified theory of human cognition. They’ve made both their dataset and AI model publicly available for other researchers to build upon.“We combine AI research with psychological theory – and with a clear ethical commitment,” adds Binz. “In a public research environment, we have the freedom to pursue fundamental cognitive questions that are often not the focus in industry.”For the first time, we have an artificial system that can predict human behavior across the full spectrum of psychological research with unprecedented accuracy. Whether that development excites or concerns you may depend on how confidently we can ensure such tools are used responsibly.Paper SummaryMethodologyThe researchers created Centaur by fine-tuning Meta’s Llama 3.1 70B language model on a dataset called Psych-101, which contains trial-by-trial behavioral data from 160 psychological experiments involving over 60,000 participants making more than 10 million choices. They converted all experiments into natural language format and used a parameter-efficient training technique called QLoRA that modified only 0.15% of the model’s parameters. The training focused specifically on predicting human responses while masking out other parts of the experimental instructions.ResultsCentaur outperformed existing domain-specific cognitive models in almost every experiment when predicting behavior of held-out participants. The AI also successfully generalized to modified cover stories, structural task changes, and entirely new domains like logical reasoning. In open-loop simulations, Centaur generated realistic human-like behavior patterns and achieved comparable performance to actual humans in exploration tasks. Additionally, the model’s internal representations became more aligned with human neural activity compared to the base model.LimitationsThe current dataset focuses primarily on learning and decision-making domains, with limited coverage of social psychology, cross-cultural studies, and individual differences. The participant pool skews toward Western, educated populations typical of psychological research. The natural language format also introduces selection bias against experiments that cannot be easily expressed in text, and the researchers note the need for eventual expansion to multimodal data formats.Funding and DisclosuresResearch was supported by the Max Planck Society, the Humboldt Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the NOMIS Foundation. One author has consulting relationships and ownership interests in several biotech companies. The researchers have made their dataset and model publicly available for scientific use.Publication Information“A foundation model to predict and capture human cognition” was published in Nature on July 2, 2025. The study was led by Marcel Binz at the Institute for Human-Centered AI, Helmholtz Center Munich, with collaborators from institutions including Princeton University, University of Tübingen, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, and others. Tyler DurdenTue, 07/08/2025 - 22:35

CNBC Daily Open: Wishing upon a meteor that tariffs won't cause inflation
2025-07-09

CNBC Daily Open: Wishing upon a meteor that tariffs won't cause inflation

China’s producer prices plunged 3.6% in June from a year earlier, marking its largest decline since July 2023. The consumer price index edged 0.1% higher in June from a year ago, beating the estimates for a flat reading. Core CPI, stripping out food and energy prices, rose 0.7% from a year ago.China’s producer prices plunged 3.6% in June from a year earlier, marking its largest decline in nearly two years, as a deepening price war rippled through the economy that’s already grappling with tepid consumer demand.The consumer price index edged 0.1% higher in June from a year ago, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics Wednesday, returning to growth after four consecutive months of declines.Economists had forecast a flat reading compared to the same period a year earlier, according to a Reuters poll.Core CPI, stripping out food and energy prices, rose 0.7% from a year ago, the biggest increase in 14 months, according to NBS.The drop in producer prices, however, came worse than the expected 3.2% in a Reuters poll and marked its biggest fall since July 2023, according to LSEG data. The PPI has been mired in a multi-year deflationary streak since September 2022.Mainland China’s CSI 300 index rose 0.19% following the release.“It is too early to call the end of deflation at this stage [as] the momentum in the property sector is still weakening [and] the ‘anti-involution’ campaign is still at its early phase,” said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. Involution, known colloquially as “neijuan” in China, refers to the price wars plaguing some consumer sectors.Last week, Chinese policymakers, in a top economic policy meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping, criticized the excessive price competition by Chinese companies to entice consumers and clear excess inventory, as the U.S. tariff onslaught has threatened the viability of selling to the world’s largest consumer market.Beijing pledged to tighten regulations on such aggressive price-cutting that has been unable to influence consumer behavior while biting into businesses’ profitability. Profits at industrial firms plunged 9.1% in May from a year earlier, marking the steepest fall since October last year.“Businesses should be guided to improve product quality and support the orderly phasing out of outdated production capacity,” a Chinese state-backed newspaper said, citing the meeting.The rebound in consumer prices last month was helped by a consumer goods trade-in scheme offering subsidies for household appliances, electronics and electric vehicles, said Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics.That boost, however, will likely diminish in the second half of this year, Huang noted, denting the underlying inflation if the oversupply issue persists.“With goods supply continuing to outpace demand, persistent overcapacity means price wars among manufacturers are likely to continue,” Huang added.“Without a strong policy stimulus, it’s hard to escape the ongoing deflationary spiral,” said Larry Hu, chief China economist at Macquarie, adding that the momentum in China’s exports in recent months has partly pared back Beijing’s desire to stimulate consumption in any meaningful way.“Policymakers will keep waiting until exports fall sharply,” Hu added.China’s export growth has shown some resilience in recent months, even as the erratic U.S. tariff policies disrupted global trade. Chinese overall exports rose 4.8% in May and 8.1% in April, thanks to a surge in shipments to the Southeast Asian nations that largely offset the shrinking U.S.-bound goods.

Jeff Williams, Once Tipped As Tim Cook's Successor, To Retire From Apple
2025-07-09

Jeff Williams, Once Tipped As Tim Cook's Successor, To Retire From Apple

Jeff Williams, Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) longtime chief operating officer and a key figure once rumored to be Tim Cook's potential successor, will retire later this year.What Happened: On Tuesday, in a press release, Apple announced that Williams will transition COO duties to Sabih Khan later this month.The outgoing COO joined Apple in 1998 and helped architect the company's health strategy and build the supply chain.“Apple wouldn't be what it is without him,” said Tim Cook, adding, “He's helped to create ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Syria's Sharaa Met With Top Israeli Officials In 'Quiet' Normalization Effort: Reports
2025-07-09

Syria's Sharaa Met With Top Israeli Officials In 'Quiet' Normalization Effort: Reports

Syria's Sharaa Met With Top Israeli Officials In 'Quiet' Normalization Effort: Reports A Syrian newspaper as well as several Israeli media sources are reporting that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously went by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and is the founder of Syrian al-Qaeda, has met with Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.While the reports remain unconfirmed by Damascus, The Jerusalem Post says that this was not "the first such meeting" to take place, citing a Syrian source. But Israel quickly denied the reports: "Israel issued a statement denying the claim, noting that Hanegbi is in Washington as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delegation visiting the US." via Tehran TimesThe sources are calling the alleged meeting "a significant step in the Syrian‐Israeli negotiations" as part of potentially moving closer to achieving normalization base on the Abraham Accords.This could also be part of publicly known efforts to advance "quiet" talk with Israel in order to reach a security status quo. At the moment Israel's military still occupies a large portion of southern Syria, going well beyond the Golan Heights.Israel's YNet writes that "The expected agreement could include security guarantees, a pledge to counter terrorist activity, measures to curb Iranian influence, and a restriction of terror operatives near the border.""According to foreign reports, Israel has already used Syrian airspace to strike Iranian targets—suggesting informal coordination between the two nations, even if not official," the outlet adds.Damascus has continued to claim busting up 'Iranian terror' cells in various parts of the country. It is not expected to prioritize counter-ISIS operations given that many of the Sharaa/HTS government's own members are ISIS or former ISIS.The prior Assad government had lone been Israel's most formidable regional enemy, given it possessed Russian anti-aircraft systems and hosted Iranian forces. Israel, for its part, was part of the West's covert war to oust Assad.The timing of these reported Sharaa meetings with top Israeli officials is interesting given that it was only on Monday that the US formally lifted the longtime terror designation against his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).Meanwhile, an interesting new revelation on Monday...JUST IN: TRUMP SAYS NETANYAHU WANTED SANCTIONS LIFTED OFF SYRIA“We took the sanctions off [Syria] because we want to give them a chance ... and I would love to be able to — at the right time — take those sanctions off [Iran], give them a chance at rebuilding, because I'd like... pic.twitter.com/dTkxg2vomr— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) July 8, 2025As we highlighted, the fact that Sharaa was a formally designated terrorist didn't stop President Trump from meeting with him during his Saudi visit months ago. Trump even praised him as a "young, attractive guy" who has a "real shot at doing a good job"Sadly, the message from the White House seems to be that Syria should prioritize ending the long-running state of conflict with Israel, but there's been barely a peep about the massacres being conducted against Syria's ancient Christian, Alawite, and Druze populations. Tyler DurdenTue, 07/08/2025 - 22:10

2025-07-08

Honeywell Is Looking at ‘Strategic Alternatives.’ What It Means for the Stock. - Barron's

Honeywell Is Looking at ‘Strategic Alternatives.’ What It Means for the Stock. Barron'sHoneywell to review alternatives for two businesses ahead of 2026 split Yahoo FinanceHoneywell International Aims to Streamline Ahead of Breakup WSJHONEYWELL TO EVALUATE STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES FOR PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES AND WAREHOUSE AND WORKFLOW SOLUTIONS BUSINESSES PR NewswireHoneywell International (NasdaqGS:HON) Appoints Jim Masso to Lead Process Automation Business simplywall.st

2025-07-08

Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network Notice of Data Privacy Incident

DETROIT, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) is providing notice of a data privacy event that affected certain personal information. Data privacy and security is a priority for DWIHN, and we take this event seriously. What happened? On August 20,...

AVCOR Turns to Kahua to Meet DoD Cybersecurity Standards and Deliver Project Success
2025-07-08

AVCOR Turns to Kahua to Meet DoD Cybersecurity Standards and Deliver Project Success

ALPHARETTA, Ga., July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahua, a leading provider of capital programs and construction project management information systems (PMIS), is proud to announce AVCOR Construction, LLC has selected Kahua as its project management system of record. AVCOR, a veteran- and...

Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Don't Want Manufacturing Jobs But The 'Problem' Is That For Some Doing Them Now, 'It's Their Entire Identity'
2025-07-08

Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Don't Want Manufacturing Jobs But The 'Problem' Is That For Some Doing Them Now, 'It's Their Entire Identity'

On a recent episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, host Joe Rogan and Replit CEO Amjad Masad explored the rise of AI, the collapse of routine jobs, and what happens when someone’s entire sense of self is tied to work that may soon vanish.Identity At StakeRogan voiced concern about what happens when automation hits not just jobs, but people's sense of purpose."My problem is there's some people that are doing those jobs right now and it's their entire identity," Rogan said. "They work for a good company, they make a good living, and that might go away, and they're just not psychologically equipped to completely change their life."Don't Miss:Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here’s how you can earn passive income with just $10.$100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation.He added that many of these people are "valuable parts of a certain business" and "hardworking," saying, "They show up every day. Everybody loves them and trusts them. And that's part of who they ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

FOX NATION ENTERS LIVE SPORTS ARENA WITH ALL-NEW PBR PARTNERSHIP
2025-07-08

FOX NATION ENTERS LIVE SPORTS ARENA WITH ALL-NEW PBR PARTNERSHIP

FOX Nation Strikes Deal to Become PBR's Exclusive Broadcast Partner for "PBR Friday Night Live" Series Season Two of "Last Cowboy Standing" to be Released in Lead Up NEW YORK, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX Nation has signed its first deal in the live sports arena, becoming the exclusive Friday night broadcast partner for the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series, announced FOX Nation president Lauren Petterson. Beginning on Friday, August 8th, the "PBR Friday Night Live" series will begin in Sunrise, FL and will continue weekly through the fall with 10 Friday Night Teams broadcasts across the country culminating with league's championship opener on October 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the lead up to the live weekly team events, the platform will roll out season two of the hit series "Last Cowboy Standing" beginning on Friday, July 11. With 10 all-new weekly episodes, eight ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Trump’s megabill slashes wind energy incentives, but Dominion’s Virginia Beach project spared
2025-07-08

Trump’s megabill slashes wind energy incentives, but Dominion’s Virginia Beach project spared

President Donald Trump's signature bill will slash solar and wind energy incentives, but Dominion Energy's wind farm is expected to be complete before the phase out of anticipated tax credits.

IOVA Investors Have the Opportunity to Lead the Iovance Biotherapeutics Securities Fraud Lawsuit with Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
2025-07-08

IOVA Investors Have the Opportunity to Lead the Iovance Biotherapeutics Securities Fraud Lawsuit with Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $100,000 In Iovance To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you suffered losses exceeding $100,000 in Iovance between August 8, 2024 and May 8, 2025 and...

Trump ‘not happy with Putin,' accuses Russian leader of throwing ‘bulls—‘
2025-07-08

Trump ‘not happy with Putin,' accuses Russian leader of throwing ‘bulls—‘

The S&P 500 was trading little changed after President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered no exceptions to his Aug. 1 tariff start date.The broad market benchmark was little changed, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 153 points, or 0.3%.Traders had trouble keeping up with the conflicting signals from Trump on trade. Trump on Monday pushed the tariff deadline to Aug. 1 from July 9. Then, late Monday he said that new deadline was “not 100% firm.”However, on Tuesday, the president posted on Truth Social that there would be no change or extensions granted to the Aug. 1 date. The same day, Trump also announced a steep 50% tariff on copper import.Tuesday’s listless action follows Monday’s deep sell-off with the Dow tumbling more than 400 points as Trump slapped 25% tariffs on South Korea and Japan. Trump hit at least 14 countries in total with new duties on Monday.Investors are waiting for further clarity, with many expecting the ultimate tariff rates to not be as strict as what Trump has threatened.“What we’ve seen since April has really been the markets getting past the idea that tariffs would have a particularly detrimental impact on growth, earnings, inflation, etc.,” said Bill Merz, head of capital markets research at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “Investor sentiment has shifted a lot in a very short period of time and become more optimistic, as we can see in equity market pricing and how we’re right around all time highs across multiple indices.”On the upside, Nvidia nudged higher, closing in on a $4 trillion market cap. But banks helped weigh down the market, after HSBC adopted a “more cautious stance” on larger banks. Shares of JPMorgan and Bank of America shed 3%, while Goldman Sachs slipped 2%.The consumer will have to take some of the tariff increases, Evercore ISI analyst says Consumers are going to have to absorb some of the costs from higher tariffs, according to Mark Mahaney, head of internet research at Evercore ISI. Mahaney said he expects that price increases from tariffs can still come. He noted that a spike in costs that can be weathered by larger retailers such as Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon will be more challenging for smaller companies. “10%, 20%, 30% — those are big increases. Retail is a thin margin business. So if you’re going to increase your cost of inputs, that’s going to be passed along, and those companies can only eat so much of that,” Mahaney told CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Tuesday. “Consumer is going to have to eat some of this,” he added. “We’re still in a wait and see mode. But this is more risk than we had a year ago. There’s more price risk here than we had a year ago.”— Sarah MinBias is to the upside for regional bank earnings, Raymond James saysIf the upcoming earnings season is going to show some warning signs about the economy, it likely won’t come from regional banks, according to Raymond James. Analyst Daniel Tamayo said in a note to clients that he has a generally optimistic outlook on that group heading into earnings. “We expect relative stability in EPS estimates with a bias to the upside during the July reporting season. Management commentary on credit has largely been stable during the quarter while a stronger likelihood of avoiding recession could lead to lower credit cost forecasts in the out quarters. We expect loan growth forecasts to remain mostly stable to slightly improved,” Tamayo said. Similarly, Raymond James also forecasts fee-based revenues to be stable with potential upside, the note said.As part of the outlook, Raymond James upgraded PNC Financial and Truist Financial to outperform from market perform.— Jesse PoundLoop Capital downgrades Shake Shack after stock’s recent surgeSmith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesShake Shack storefront with illuminated sign on a bustling street in New York City on Oct. 22, 2024.Shake Shack received a downgrade to hold from buy Tuesday morning by Loop CapitalAnalyst Alton Stump maintained his price target of $127, which indicates a roughly 9.5% potential decline from the stock’s latest close.Shares of the fast-food burger chain are up 7.4% this year. The stock saw a sell-off earlier this year amid the broader market slump and period of extreme tariff concerns, which Stump said “was unwarranted since SHAK sources nearly all its ingredients domestically.” Shake Shack had also posted disappointing second-quarter results and cut its full-year forecast.“While we remain positive on Shake Shack’s near and long-term story and would be more constructive on the shares in the event of a material pullback, we believe SHAK’s current valuation accurately reflects the company’s attractive fundamentals,” he said in a note to clients.— Pia SinghMarket turmoil could only arise this summer from a bigger shock that policy can’t fix, Deutsche Bank saysDeutsche Bank sees a lower likelihood of a summer crisis arising this year.“In the current climate, as long as markets believe that policymakers are willing and able to adjust in response to turmoil, then that in itself should limit the extent to which markets can sell off aggressively,” wrote strategist Henry Allen. “That means for a summer crisis to prove longer-lasting, and for the current resilience to end, it would take something that affects the macro fundamentals, but policymakers can’t easily fix.”Several factors that could trigger turmoil this summer include U.S. tariffs snapping back higher on Aug. 1, the market pricing out rate cuts due to the inflationary impact of tariffs, economic growth beginning to falter and oil prices spiking due to a geopolitical shock, the bank added.— Lisa Kailai Han Guggenheim downgrades Datadog, sees 30% downside aheadThere are headwinds ahead for Datadog, according to Guggenheim. The firm downgraded the software stock to sell from hold on Tuesday, noting that Datadog’s largest customer, OpenAI, is shifting towards more cost-efficient, in-house managed technologies.“We don’t believe this is representative of broader enterprise trends; rather, OpenAI is an outlier in terms of its hypergrowth and associated infrastructure costs that become financially impractical via third-party solutions at scale.’ analyst Howard Ma said in a note to clients.“OpenAI may have already started to move off Datadog for log management onto its internally built solution, followed by planned deprecation of other Datadog functionalities (e.g., metrics and traces),” he added. “We estimate this could result in 2H revenue risk, especially in 4Q where we’re modeling 17% growth in our plausible scenario.”Ma’s $105 price target suggests 31% downside from Monday’s close.— Michelle FoxLatest round of tariffs are not a ‘done deal,’ says Bank of AmericaKevin Lamarque | ReutersU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025.President Donald Trump’s most recent slate of tariffs are still a work in progress with more work to be done, according to Bank of America.“We don’t think the tariffs announced yesterday are a done deal. Rather, the extension of the deadline from July 9 to August 1 suggests there is still room for negotiation,” BofA economist Antonio Gabriel wrote on Tuesday. “But if the tariffs are implemented, we estimate they should add about 0.1pp to inflation and subtract a similar amount from growth.”— Brian EvansInvestor Keith Lerner reiterates bullish stance on equity marketGoing forward, investor Keith Lerner believes that the market “deserves the benefit of the doubt.”“This bull market has earned the benefit of the doubt, and even if it’s a slower trajectory higher and with some hiccups along the way, I still think the trend is one that moves up over the duration of the year,” the Truist Wealth co-chief investment officer said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Tuesday morning.Lerner pointed to strong corporate earnings as a driving force behind the market’s current resilience.— Lisa Kailai HanCopper prices hit record after Trump announces 50% tariff Copper futures hit a record high after Trump abruptly announced 50% tariffs on all imports of the metal during a White House Cabinet meeting.The copper futures contract for September jumped 10.5% to $5.8955 per pound. Shares of copper miner Freeport-McMoRan jumped more than 5% in response the president’s announcement.— Spencer KimballElon Musk doesn’t like Dan Ives’ plan to fix Tesla Elon Musk told Wedbush analyst Dan Ives to “shut up” after he laid out a plan to reign in the Tesla CEO. Ives said Tesla’s board of directors should approve a pay package that would give Musk 25% voting control of the electric vehicle maker. But the package would come with strings attached. The board would have oversight over Musk’s political activities and the CEO would be required to spend a certain amount of time at Tesla, Ives said in a post on X. In response, Musk said: “Shut up, Dan.” — Spencer KimballStocks making the biggest moves middayJustin Sullivan | Getty ImagesHershey’s milk chocolate candy bars are displayed in San Anselmo, California, on May 3, 2024.Hershey — The candy company slid more than 3% following news that Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner will take the helm at Hershey, effective Aug. 18. He will replace Michele Buck, who has been with the company for the past two decades and has spent eight years as CEO.Chemours — The company rallied more than 9%, adding to its strong gains over the past month, after the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew new rules regarding the use of certain chemicals. Huntsman shares also gained 5.7%.Fair Isaac Corp. — Shares plunged nearly 12% after Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte said on social media platform X that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow lenders to use Vantage 4.0 Scores to assess credit risk. Vantage is a competitor to FICO scores, the industry standard to this point. Check out the full list here.— Fred ImbertJamie Dimon calls the U.S. tax policy changes an ‘important step’ for growthJPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon gave a positive review of the U.S. tax policy changes signed by President Trump last week to CNBC’s Leslie Picker. “The Administration and Congress took an important step by enacting long-term, internationally competitive tax policy that provides the predictability needed to support business confidence, investment and job growth,” Dimon told Picker.The “big beautiful bill” extended some of the corporate tax benefits that were implemented during Trump’s first term and set to expire at the end of this year, and the bill also changed some rules around expensing new projects. — Jesse PoundGoldman Sachs downgrades gold mining stock NewmontThe rally for mining stock Newmont is due to cool off, according to Goldman Sachs.The investment firm downgraded Newmont to neutral from buy, with analyst Hugo Nicolaci saying in a note to clients that the stock now looks fairly valued relative to the price of gold and its peers. “On our LT gold price of US$2,850/oz NEM is trading on ~0.95x NAV, or pricing ~US$2,675/oz gold (peer average ~0.95x NAV and ~US$2,775/oz),” the note said. Shares of Newmont are up more than 60% year to date.— Jesse PoundBank stocks fall following HSBC downgradeJoe Raedle | Getty ImagesCustomers use a Chase bank ATM on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Bank stocks were lower on Tuesday, after HSBC downgraded some of the bigger names on Wall Street over a “more cautious stance” on larger firms.Shares of JPMorgan Chase slipped more than 3%, alongside Bank of America. Goldman Sachs pulled back roughly 2%. HSBC analyst Saul Martinez downgraded all three stocks in a Monday note.CNBC Pro subscribers can read the full story here.— Brian EvansConsumer survey shows inflation outlook back to pre-tariff levelInflation expectations over the next year have returned to January levels, before President Donald Trump launched his global trade war that economists feared would spike prices, according to a New York Federal Reserve survey released Tuesday.The central bank’s monthly consumer survey for June showed respondents expect inflation a year from now to be running at 3% rate, the same as in January and down from the peak of 3.6% in March and April.However, respondents still expect hefty price increases for energy, rent, education and other items.— Jeff CoxTrump says there will be no extensions for Aug. 1 tariffsEvelyn Hockstein | ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after touring a temporary migrant detention center informally known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025.President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the Aug. 1 start date for the tariffs laid out in letters to countries on Monday is a firm timeline that will not change.“There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change. In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 – No extensions will be granted,” the post said.— Jesse PoundTariffs raise near term risk to recent equities strength, says Wolfe ResearchPresident Donald Trump’s latest moves on tariffs could be a catalyst for stocks to lose steam in the near-term, according to Wolfe Research.“Investors seem to be dismissing the upside risk to inflation. But someone ultimately has to pay the tariffs—likely showing up in CPI, profit margins, or (realistically) a combination of both,” Wolfe Research chief economist Stephanie Roth wrote in a Tuesday note. “While we still expect the economy to hold up, this raises near-term risks to the equity rally so far and reinforces our base case that the Fed stays on hold this year given the looming inflationary impact,” she added.— Brian EvansOppenheimer remains bullish on U.S. stocks, prefers cyclical namesOppenheimer Asset Management remains bullish on U.S. equities at this time, the firm’s chief investment strategist John Stoltzfus wrote in a Monday note.Specifically, the firm prefers cyclical stocks over their more defensive counterparts. These cyclical sectors include information technology, consumer discretionary, communication services, industrials and financials.“We anticipate continued positive corporate earnings growth, a key driver of equity valuations,” Stoltzfus wrote. “Our intermediate- and longer-term outlook for the U.S. economy and the stock market remains decidedly bullish. We believe U.S. economic fundamentals remain on solid footing. As the drag of tight monetary policy eases, job growth and consumption and business fixed investment demand should continue to exhibit resilience. In addition, should the economy appear to falter, the Federal Reserve has the ability to move swiftly to cut rates further to provide economic stimulus and reinvigorate demand.”— Lisa Kailai HanStocks open little changed on TuesdayStocks were little changed to kick off Tuesday’s trading session.The S&P 500 was marginally higher. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 61 points, or 0.1%.— Lisa Kailai HanSolar and bank stocks under pressure in premarket tradingDado Ruvic | ReutersHere are some of the biggest movers in premarket trading.Sunrun, First Solar, Enphase Energy — Solar stocks were under pressure on Tuesday morning after President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the roll back of green energy subsidies, including to “build upon and strengthen” some of the changes in the recent tax bill.Datadog — The cloud security stock fell more than 2% after a Guggenheim downgrade to sell from neutral, citing risks from its exposure to OpenAI as a key customer.JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America — Shares of the three major banks were set to open lower following downgrades from HSBC. Check out the full list of movers here.— Jesse PoundNvidia gains 0.8% in Tuesday’s premarket sessionGonzalo Fuentes | ReutersJensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, gestures as he speaks during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. Shares of Nvidia gained 0.8% on Tuesday morning.This marked a reversal for the graphics processing unit manufacturer from Monday’s session, when it shed 0.7%.Nvidia’s rebound was part of a broader move higher on Tuesday morning as stock futures clawed back some of their losses from the previous session.— Lisa Kailai HanUncertainty around tariffs won’t stop stock market rally, Capital Economics saysThe timeline for trade negotiations between the U.S. and other countries appears to have changed once again, but that likely won’t dent investor confidence, said Thomas Matthews, head of markets for Asia Pacific at Capital Economics. “Our base case remains that the uncertainty around tariffs won’t be enough on its own to bring the US economy to a crashing halt. If so, its unlikely to be enough to dampen investors enthusiasm for US equities,” Matthews said in a note to clients.However, the same may not be true for Federal Reserve officials. “It’s been clear in recent weeks that many FOMC members are not confident cutting rates until the inflationary effects of tariffs are clearer, and we doubt they’ll cut this year. That would be bad news for Treasuries given current pricing. But it might, eventually, give the dollar a boost, even if whatever is behind its apparent risk premium takes longer to fade,” Matthews said. — Jesse PoundAmazon stock rises as Prime Day kicks offThomas Fuller | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesShares of Amazon rose slightly in Tuesday’s premarket session as the e-commerce seller’s annual four-day Prime Day sales event commenced.The stock was last trading nearly 0.4% higher.Amazon’s Prime Day promotion runs from July 8 to July 11 this year. This is the first year the event has run for four days; previously it was typically scheduled for two.— Lisa Kailai HanEquity setup looks bullish, according to Piper SandlerThe setup for equity markets continues to look bullish, Piper Sandler wrote in a Monday note to clients.“The combination of better-than-expected economic data, easing global trade tensions, and supportive monetary policy is underpinning this bull market. Technically, our measures of market breadth and trends continue to show improvement on a week-over-week basis,” the bank said.Piper Sandler added that small-cap stocks look especially compelling from here.“Based on the broadening market breadth, we continue to believe that a catch-up trade is unfolding for SMID-cap stocks, with SMID-Caps outperforming over the last several weeks,” the bank wrote.— Lisa Kailai HanAsia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors assess Trump’s steep tariffsIssei Kato | ReutersA man walks in front of a screen displaying Japan’s Nikkei share average and the Dow Jones Industrial Average outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan July 8, 2025. Asia-Pacific markets swung between gains and losses Tuesday as investors assessed U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats on 14 trading partners.Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark ended the day 0.26% higher at 39,688.81 while the broader Topix index moved up 0.17% to 2,816.54.In South Korea, the Kospi index increased by 1.81% to close at 3,114.95 while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.74% to 784.24.Mainland China’s CSI 300 index advanced 0.84% to end the day at 3,998.45 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index increased by 1.09% to 24,148.07.Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark ended the day flat at 8,590.70 after the Reserve Bank of Australia unexpectedly stood pat on interest rates at 3.85%.Meanwhile, India’s benchmark Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex were flat as of 1.50 p.m. Indian Standard Time.— Amala BalakrishnerLower Treasury yields are fuel for a ‘melt-up in risk assets,’ HSBC strategist saysLower yields on U.S. Treasury debt have proven the latest fuel for a “melt-up in risk assets,” and the looming tariff deadlines are “unlikely to matter much,” HSBC chief multi-asset strategist Max Kettner wrote to clients on Monday, before President Trump released letters announcing sharp tariffs on Japan, South Korea and others starting in August.Melt-up ingredients range from “the big beautiful bill, some U.S. trade deals (e.g. Vietnam, potentially), a U.S. labour market that’s been defying the doom-and-gloom calls — not only last month but in the entire second quarter” to lower Treasury yields that are “still being far away from the Danger Zone.”Possible “pain trades,” which would move against conventional wisdom and harm portfolios positioned the other way, include a stronger U.S. dollar, U.S. and global economic growth that fail to soften and flatter government bond yields in developed markets, London-based Kettner wrote.Kettner worked to dispel doubts about U.S. stocks, saying: tariffs may have an effect on corporate profits, but will be mitigated by the weaker U.S. dollar, helping large cap companies but especially megacap stocks the most; policy uncertainty is likely to dissipate relative to the second quarter; the U.S. stock market is expensive relative to the rest of the world “because it makes the most money ... compared to history, as well as compared to the largest equity markets globally on a crosssectional basis, the U.S. looks fairly valued.”— Scott SchnipperDividend growth slowed in the second quarter, S&P Dow Jones Indices foundCompanies tightened their purse strings over dividend increases in the second quarter amid worries over the economy, according to a report from S&P Dow Jones Indices.Dividend net changes – that is, increases minus decreases – for U.S. domestic common stocks rose $7.4 billion in the second quarter of this year. That compares to a $16 billion increase in the year-ago period and a $15.3 billion gain in the first quarter of 2025.“Dividend growth has continued, but is noticeably slower than had been hoped for, though it is in line with expectations given the economic certainties,” said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, in an e-mail.He added that while this uncertainty doesn’t seem to have stopped increases, it seems to have capped the size of these hikes.Silverblatt noted that dividend increases may be limited as companies take a wait-and-see approach toward global government policy that’s constantly changing and worries over employment and inflation.He also said that the third quarter is expected to start with an improvement from major banks, which have lifted their dividends in light of the Federal Reserve’s stress test results.— Darla MercadoTrump announces steep tariffs on 14 countriesCelal Gunes | Anadolu | Getty ImagesUnited States President Donald Trump walks toward the White House upon his arrival from New Jersey in Washington DC on July 6, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on 14 countries to go into effect Aug. 1 that were more severe than investors were expecting. Those countries hit by new tariffs are Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia.The countries were hit with import duties that are similar to, and in some cases even higher than, what Trump first announced back in April in his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs. Japan, for example, was hit with a 25% levy that’s a little bit above the 24% rate Trump initially said in April. Malaysia was hit with a 25% tariff rate, also higher than the previous 24% level.— Sarah Min, Kevin BreuningerStock futures open lower Stock futures opened lower Monday night. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures declined by 87 points, or 0.19%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.16% and 0.15%, respectively.— Sarah Min

Competition Bureau advances investigation into Amazon's pricing policy
2025-07-08

Competition Bureau advances investigation into Amazon's pricing policy

The agency is investigating the Amazon Marketplace Fair Pricing Policy, and has obtained a court order that will require Amazon to hand over records and relevant information for the investigation.

Here are the 15 busiest airports in the world
2025-07-08

Here are the 15 busiest airports in the world

To be eligible for CNBC’s rankings, a person or entity must be the majority owner of at least one sports team valued at $1 billion or more and hold additional sports-related investments worth at least $500 million. Liberty Media, for example, is excluded from the list, despite owning Formula One, because it spun off MLB’s Atlanta Braves.CNBC’s valuations include only sports-related assets. For instance, the $12 billion valuation for AEG excludes its music and hotel businesses.A sports empire is defined by its scale. To determine the enterprise values of these empires, CNBC did not simply total the value of individual sports assets. Instead, CNBC applied a multiple — ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 — to the sum of the assets. The multiple used depended on the teams and other sports properties owned. In some cases, it was also adjusted to reflect recent transactions, such as the limited-interest sale of the San Francisco 49ers.For NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and soccer teams, CNBC used its own official valuation rankings. For other sports teams and businesses, it relied on input from owners and executives, sports bankers and public filings.In cases in which CNBC could not verify reports from people representing the empires it valued, CNBC made informed estimates based on comparable transactions.

How New Microschool Accreditation Pathways Are Opening Doors For Founders and Families
2025-07-08

How New Microschool Accreditation Pathways Are Opening Doors For Founders and Families

How New Microschool Accreditation Pathways Are Opening Doors For Founders and Families Authored by Kerry McDonald via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),As a mother of nine in Tennessee, Sarah Fagerburg tried a variety of different schooling types, from public schools to homeschooling, but she always felt there had to be something better. In the spring of 2023, she discovered Acton Academy from listening to a podcast, and knew that this was the educational model she had been seeking.MCP Academy in Mansfield, Texas/FEE“My mind was blown,” said Fagerburg. “I had no idea education could be this good.”She applied to open her own Acton Academy, and was accepted into the fast-growing network of approximately 300 independently operated schools, emphasizing learner-driven education. Fagerburg launched Acton Academy Johnson City last fall with 13 students, including four of her own children. Today, she has 26 K-6 students enrolled in her secular microschool, with plans to add a middle school and high school program in the coming years. “Parents want this. They love it,” said Fagerburg, adding that some families drive up to 45 minutes each way for their children to attend her program.She says she sees enormous demand for the Acton Academy model, and hopes to open more locations in Tennessee, but access is a key concern. “I grew up poor,” said Fagerburg. “I never would have been able to attend a school like this.”With the current expansion of school choice programs, such as Tennessee’s new universal education savings accounts (ESA), many more families are able to access innovative schools and learning models. “It’s a complete game changer,” said Fagerburg, explaining how the ESA program enables Tennessee families who previously had limited education choices to now use a portion of state-allocated education funding to select the school or learning space that is best for their child.But there’s a catch. In order to participate in Tennessee’s ESA program, Fagerburg’s school must be accredited, and its current accreditation by the International Association of Learner Driven Schools isn’t recognized by the state.That is why Fagerburg jumped at the opportunity to participate in a fledgling program offered through the Middle States Association (MSA), one of the four major K-12 accreditation entities, with 3,200 member schools worldwide. In partnership with Stand Together Trust, MSA’s Next Generation Accreditation pilot program seeks to offer a faster, more affordable, and more flexible route toward accreditation for today’s emerging schools.“We created this flexible protocol around how a school actually works,” said Christian Talbot, President and CEO of MSA. “That gives mostly microschools, but really any innovative school, the opportunity to tell their story with the production of evidence that makes the most sense to them.”Talbot offered the example of a hypothetical urban “place-based” learning environment, with no designated school building and students taking classes at various museums, public parks, and historic sites throughout a city. “That school is going to have the opportunity to describe the learning environment in ways that existing accreditation protocols really don’t allow because you have to have a certificate of occupancy, or a lease, or some other thing that is tied to this mental model we have that school has to be in a building,” said Talbot.He emphasized that these innovative schools are “meeting all of the exact same standards of accreditation” as conventional schools, but they are able to demonstrate these standards in ways that reflect the ingenuity of their models.MSA is the world’s second-oldest accrediting agency. It launched more than a century ago, as interest grew from schools and colleges for independent, third-party verifiers of quality. For higher education, accreditation eventually became a requirement for US colleges and universities to participate in federal student financial aid programs, but at the K-12 level, mandatory accreditation is less common.Most states don’t require schools—public or private—to be accredited, but some schools choose to become accredited to earn an external “seal of approval,” which may help them to attract and retain students and educators. With the expansion of school-choice programs nationwide in recent years, certain states, such as Tennessee and Texas, require accreditation in order for a school to participate in these programs.Cammy Herrera had been exploring the possibility of accreditation for her secular microschool MCP Academy, in Mansfield, Texas, well before the state introduced a new universal school-choice program this spring. A former public school teacher, Herrera had been running a licensed in-home preschool for more than a decade when she decided in 2021 to add a Montessori-inspired school-age program. She now serves over 50 students through middle school, with plans to open a high school if she can find a larger space to accommodate more students.For Herrera, accreditation was appealing as a signal of quality, but she felt that most existing accrediting organizations took a traditional view of education that didn’t reflect her personalized, flexible approach.“Our school is so different. We are not trying to fit into a one-size-fits-all box when it comes to schooling,” said Herrera, whose students are technically considered homeschoolers. They can attend her school full-time at an annual tuition of $10,250, or customize their enrollment based on their own learning needs. Tuition for Herrera’s two-day-a-week option is about $4,000 annually. “Whoever we get accredited through has to believe in our vision and has to be on board with what makes our school special because we don’t want our school to lose that special part that makes us different from a traditional school,” she said.When Herrera learned about the MSA’s pilot accreditation program for microschools, she eagerly applied. Next Generation Accreditation would offer Herrera that third-party validation she has been seeking while retaining her program’s originality. It would also enable her to participate in Texas’s new school choice program, should she choose.MSA hopes to run the Next Generation Accreditation pilot with 10 to 15 innovative schools over the next several months to learn more about these schools’ distinct needs and structures, and then iterate and adapt protocols to provide a valuable accreditation pathway for today’s creative schooling models.As the creator of the Texas Microschools Facebook group, Herrera sees mounting interest in microschooling and the diverse educational models and methods that the movement fosters. She thinks that accreditation options that reflect this diversity can be beneficial to founders and families who value that credential, or who need it to participate in certain school-choice programs. But she also warns of potential drawbacks: “There are all these special schools, and if everybody has to follow the same standards to be accredited, then I think they’ll be more alike than different. That’s the only thing I could see being a downfall.”Originally published on The74, reposted from the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) Tyler DurdenMon, 07/07/2025 - 22:35

2025-07-08

Perseus Mining Quarterly Report Investor Webinar

Perth, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QUARTERLY REPORT INVESTOR WEBINAR / CALL

CNBC Daily Open: Tariff letters from Trump, like those of lovers, seem to signify little
2025-07-08

CNBC Daily Open: Tariff letters from Trump, like those of lovers, seem to signify little

This is CNBC’s live blog covering European markets.We expect U.S. effective tariff rate near 20%, economist saysA lot remains unclear about the future of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs after 14 countries, mainly in Asia, were threatened with sharply higher rates from Aug. 1.For European markets, all eyes remain on whether the EU will reach a framework agreement for a deal with the White House in the coming days. An EU diplomat, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the talks, told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Monday that the bloc is not expected to receive a letter from the U.S. administration detailing a new timeline for higher rates on Tuesday, providing more breathing room for negotiations this week.According to Raphael Olsyzna-Marzys, international economist at J. Safra Sarasin Sustainable Asset Management, forecasting amid the current unpredictability is a challenge — but he said he now expects the U.S. to end up with an effective tariff rate closer to 20%, up from 15% today and 2.5% at the end of last year.“What’s clear is that Trump wants to have tariffs of 10%, that was always the bare minimum ... but what’s quite clear is at least on Asian countries such as Vietnam, the tariff rate is going to be quite high because the administration feels these countries have too high of a trade surplus, they need to be corrected,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.““If you negotiate, if you give everything away, you might get 20%, which is still pretty high ... We know for the EU it’s going to be 10% minimum, with carve-outs and exemptions.”— Jenni ReidHere are the opening callsWelcome to CNBC’s live blog covering all the action and business news in European financial markets on Tuesday.Futures data from IG suggests regional markets will open lower, with London’s FTSE 100 expected to open 0.3% lower, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 0.1% lower, respectively. Futures tied to Italy’s FTSE MIB, were around 0.1% lower this morning.Global markets are seesawing this week, as traders digest the latest trade tariff news, and any potential trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline, when higher trade duties are due to come into effect.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday that there would be several trade announcements over the next 48 hours, adding that he expects “it’s going to be a busy couple of days.” He did not specify which countries were involved.Asia-Pacific markets swung between gains and losses overnight, however, as investors assessed Trump’s latest tariff threats on 14 trading partners. Read moreTrump announces steep tariffs on 14 countries starting Aug. 1Goods exported to the U.S. from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia are among the countries now set to face 25% tariffs starting Aug. 1, according to the letters Trump posted on Truth Social, and other countries look to have higher duties imposed on them.— Holly Ellyatt, Amala Balakrishner

TrinaTracker Receives the first Wind Tunnel Test Technical Review Report in China by DNV
2025-07-08

TrinaTracker Receives the first Wind Tunnel Test Technical Review Report in China by DNV

SHANGHAI, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TrinaTracker, the smart solar tracking system provider under Trinasolar (SHA: 688599), announced that it has received a third party technical review of the wind tunnel test program for its Vanguard 1P tracker, with a report issued by the independent energy expert and assurance provider, DNV. The test program, conducted by Tongji University, involved a new rigid-model pressure measurement test and advanced dynamic analysis research for its Vanguard 1P tracker, with DNV providing third-party technical review services.Full story available on Benzinga.com

Santa Fe homebuilders group leader Miles Conway leaving for CEO position at state association
2025-07-08

Santa Fe homebuilders group leader Miles Conway leaving for CEO position at state association

A search is already underway to replace Conway, who will continue to serve as the Santa Fe association's head temporarily.

2025-07-08

Drivers saw uncharacteristically lower gas prices ahead of Fourth of July weekend

Gas prices usually climb before a holiday weekend, but that's not what happened in New Mexico this year in the days before July 4.

Owner plans to shutter Santa Fe's Bell & Dorje Tibet Emporium after more than 20 years
2025-07-08

Owner plans to shutter Santa Fe's Bell & Dorje Tibet Emporium after more than 20 years

Tibetan immigrant Dorjee Gyaltsen, who opened the Bell & Dorje Tibet Emporium in 2002, reflects on his life in America as he prepares to retire and close his business at the end of July.

Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association leader Miles Conway leaving for state association CEO position
2025-07-08

Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association leader Miles Conway leaving for state association CEO position

A search is already underway to replace Conway, who will continue to serve as the Santa Fe association's head temporarily.

Shein files for Hong Kong IPO in hopes of salvaging London listing: FT report
2025-07-08

Shein files for Hong Kong IPO in hopes of salvaging London listing: FT report

This is CNBC’s live blog covering European markets.We expect U.S. effective tariff rate near 20%, economist saysA lot remains unclear about the future of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs after 14 countries, mainly in Asia, were threatened with sharply higher rates from Aug. 1.For European markets, all eyes remain on whether the EU will reach a framework agreement for a deal with the White House in the coming days. An EU diplomat, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the talks, told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Monday that the bloc is not expected to receive a letter from the U.S. administration detailing a new timeline for higher rates on Tuesday, providing more breathing room for negotiations this week.According to Raphael Olsyzna-Marzys, international economist at J. Safra Sarasin Sustainable Asset Management, forecasting amid the current unpredictability is a challenge — but he said he now expects the U.S. to end up with an effective tariff rate closer to 20%, up from 15% today and 2.5% at the end of last year.“What’s clear is that Trump wants to have tariffs of 10%, that was always the bare minimum ... but what’s quite clear is at least on Asian countries such as Vietnam, the tariff rate is going to be quite high because the administration feels these countries have too high of a trade surplus, they need to be corrected,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.““If you negotiate, if you give everything away, you might get 20%, which is still pretty high ... We know for the EU it’s going to be 10% minimum, with carve-outs and exemptions.”— Jenni ReidHere are the opening callsWelcome to CNBC’s live blog covering all the action and business news in European financial markets on Tuesday.Futures data from IG suggests regional markets will open lower, with London’s FTSE 100 expected to open 0.3% lower, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 0.1% lower, respectively. Futures tied to Italy’s FTSE MIB, were around 0.1% lower this morning.Global markets are seesawing this week, as traders digest the latest trade tariff news, and any potential trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline, when higher trade duties are due to come into effect.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday that there would be several trade announcements over the next 48 hours, adding that he expects “it’s going to be a busy couple of days.” He did not specify which countries were involved.Asia-Pacific markets swung between gains and losses overnight, however, as investors assessed Trump’s latest tariff threats on 14 trading partners. Read moreTrump announces steep tariffs on 14 countries starting Aug. 1Goods exported to the U.S. from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia are among the countries now set to face 25% tariffs starting Aug. 1, according to the letters Trump posted on Truth Social, and other countries look to have higher duties imposed on them.— Holly Ellyatt, Amala Balakrishner

'16 & Pregnant' star charged with involuntary manslaughter in Georgia
2025-07-08

'16 & Pregnant' star charged with involuntary manslaughter in Georgia

Former "16 & Pregnant" star Whitney Purvis is accused of supplying a drug combination that led to a Georgia man's fatal overdose.

China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
2025-07-08

China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost [...]

Hurry! Samsung's Stunning S90D Is Up To 56% Off This Prime Day
2025-07-07

Hurry! Samsung's Stunning S90D Is Up To 56% Off This Prime Day

This Samsung screen offers dazzling colors, smooth pixels, and next level audio, so it's really a no brainer to pick it up at one of it's lowest prices.

2025-07-07

Netflix Stock Downgraded. Here’s Why. - Investor's Business Daily

Netflix Stock Downgraded. Here’s Why. Investor's Business DailyHas Netflix’s big push for growth gotten ahead of its stock price? MarketWatchTop Analyst Downgrades Netflix Stock (NFLX) to Hold, Warns It ‘Needs Time to Execute’ TipRanksSeaport downgrades Netflix to 'neutral'; shares fall TradingViewNetflix Stock Stalled as Analyst Voices Valuation Concerns Schaeffer's Investment Research

2025-07-07

Chart: The Plummeting Cost of Renewable Energy - Visual Capitalist

Chart: The Plummeting Cost of Renewable Energy Visual Capitalist

Dow Cuts 800 Jobs, Shuts Major European Facilities To Boost Profit
2025-07-07

Dow Cuts 800 Jobs, Shuts Major European Facilities To Boost Profit

Dow Inc. (NYSE:DOW) is moving forward with a series of strategic asset closures across Europe as part of a broader restructuring plan to boost long-term profitability and streamline global operations.The decision, approved by the board, involves winding down operations at an ethylene cracker in Böhlen and chlor-alkali and vinyl units in Schkopau, Germany, and a siloxanes facility in Barry, U.K. The closures will begin in mid-2026 and are expected to conclude by late 2027, with decommissioning continuing through 2029.The restructuring, first outlined in April, is expected to boost operating EBITDA ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

$100 Invested In Crown Holdings 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today
2025-07-07

$100 Invested In Crown Holdings 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

Crown Holdings (NYSE:CCK) has outperformed the market over the past 20 years by 1.76% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 10.21%. Currently, Crown Holdings has a market capitalization of $12.56 billion. Buying $100 In CCK: If ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Market conditions favour buyers, so why are sales of new homes so low?
2025-07-07

Market conditions favour buyers, so why are sales of new homes so low?

With prices down between 18 and 19 per cent since 2022, and inventory and choice at levels not seen in a decade, the market conditions clearly favour buyers — so why are we not seeing higher sales?

Space Stock Watch: Rocket Lab Joins Russell 1000, NASA And Netflix Announce Streaming Deal
2025-07-07

Space Stock Watch: Rocket Lab Joins Russell 1000, NASA And Netflix Announce Streaming Deal

Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) joined the Russell 1000, and NASA announced a major streaming partnership last week. Here’s a look at recent highlights, news catalysts, and upcoming events in the space stock sector. Rocket LabRocket Lab joined the Russell 1000 index last Monday, reflecting a significant increase in the company’s market capitalization. The inclusion is based on ranking among the top 1,000 companies by market cap in the Russell 3000 Index. Keybanc analyst Michael Leshock on Thursday maintained an Overweight rating on Rocket Lab stock and raised the price target from $29 to $40. Read Next: Elon Musk’s ‘Stupid’ Actions Will Be Tesla’s ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

State of mind of Idaho firefighter shooter is something no one ‘could understand’; expert compares case to Trump assassination attempt
2025-07-07

State of mind of Idaho firefighter shooter is something no one ‘could understand’; expert compares case to Trump assassination attempt

SPOKANE — The man investigators say shot and killed two Idaho firefighters near Coeur d’Alene in a brazen ambush started to behave strangely the year leading up to the shooting, his roommate said.

2025-07-07

US tariffs on European goods threaten to shake up the world’s largest trade relationship

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union expects to find out on Monday whether President Donald Trump will impose punishing tariffs on America’s largest trade partner in a move economists have warned would have repercussions for companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

2025-07-07

The World's Largest Tesla Supercharger Station Is Entirely Off-Grid - InsideEVs

The World's Largest Tesla Supercharger Station Is Entirely Off-Grid InsideEVsTesla launches Oasis Supercharger with solar farm and off-grid batteries Electrek

Tragic flooding in Texas; Phoenix fire hospitalizes two residents | Nightly Roundup
2025-07-07

Tragic flooding in Texas; Phoenix fire hospitalizes two residents | Nightly Roundup

From dozens of people dying in Texas following massive, widespread flooding, to a woman being found dead in a Phoenix park over the weekend, here are tonight's top stories.

Best THCA Vape of 2025 – Area 52 Named #1 Disposable by Oregon Observer
2025-07-07

Best THCA Vape of 2025 – Area 52 Named #1 Disposable by Oregon Observer

Las Vegas, NV, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a groundbreaking achievement that cements Area 52's position as the premier innovator in cannabis vaping technology, The Oregon Observer's comprehensive 2025 cannabis review has awarded the top three vape rankings to Area 52's revolutionary product lineup. This historic sweep demonstrates the brand's mastery of both cutting-edge THCA formulations and advanced vaping technology.[click here to read reviews of Oregon Observers #1 THCA brand]While competitors struggle with inconsistent potency and harsh chemical extractions, Area 52 has redefined vaping excellence through their proprietary extraction methods, premium hardware design, and unwavering commitment to delivering the purest, most potent cannabis experiences available in the legal market.Why Area 52's Vapes Achieved Total Market DominationArea 52's unprecedented triple victory reflects a fundamental shift in cannabis vaping—from basic THC delivery systems to sophisticated consciousness-enhancement tools. Each product represents years of biochemical research and customer-focused innovation that prioritizes both potency and purity.1. Revolutionary THCA Technology and Extraction MasteryUnlike traditional vape brands that rely on standard distillates, Area 52 pioneers THCA vaping technology using advanced molecular isolation and zero-solvent refinement processes. Their proprietary methods preserve the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes while achieving unprecedented purity levels:THCA preservation through cold-chain processingHeavy metal elimination (lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium)Complete pesticide screening (200+ compound panel)Zero residual solvents (hexane, butane, propane elimination)Microbial safety verification (E. coli, salmonella, mold testing)2. Premium American Cannabis SourcingEvery vape cartridge begins with carefully selected cannabis from specialty farms in Colorado and Washington, where organic cultivation practices and early harvest timing maximize THCA content. This domestic sourcing eliminates contamination risks while ensuring optimal cannabinoid profiles.3. Industry-Leading 60-Day Satisfaction GuaranteeArea 52 demonstrates absolute confidence in their vape technology with a 60-day, no-questions-asked refund policy—double the industry standard. This unprecedented guarantee reflects the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and product excellence.[Read testimonials from thousands of satisfied customers here]The Champion Vape Collection: Oregon Observer's Top 3Area 52's complete market sweep showcases three distinct approaches to cannabis vaping excellence, each engineered for specific user preferences and potency requirements.#1 - THCA Vapes: The Revolutionary Game-ChangerBest For: Maximum potency and pure THCA experience Technology: Proprietary THCA preservation in premium ceramic cartridgesWhy It's #1: First-to-market THCA vaping technology delivers unmatched potency while maintaining the full therapeutic profile of raw cannabisThese groundbreaking vapes represent the future of cannabis consumption, offering users direct access to THCA's unique properties through advanced vaporization technology. Each cartridge contains carefully preserved THCA that converts to Delta-9 THC upon heating, delivering incredibly potent effects with remarkable smoothness.Available Strains:Sativa-Dominant: Energizing, creative focusHybrid: Balanced mind-body effectsIndica-Dominant: Deep relaxation and stress relief#2 - Full-Spectrum UFO Vapes: The Entourage Effect MasterBest For: Comprehensive cannabinoid experience with enhanced therapeutic benefitsTechnology: Nano-enhanced full-spectrum extract with preserved terpene profilesWhy It's #2: Sophisticated blend of Delta-9 THC, CBD, CBG, and minor cannabinoids creates synergistic effects impossible with single-compound vapesThe UFO vape series showcases Area 52's mastery of the entourage effect, combining multiple cannabinoids and custom terpene blends for deeper, longer-lasting results than traditional THC-only cartridges.#3 - Delta-8 Vapes: The Smooth OperatorBest For: Clear-headed euphoria with reduced anxiety potentialTechnology: Pure Delta-8 THC distillate with strain-specific terpenesWhy It's #3: Delivers the perfect middle ground between CBD and Delta-9 THC, offering relaxation and mood enhancement without overwhelming intensityThese premium Delta-8 vapes provide the smooth, manageable high that has made Delta-8 the fastest-growing segment in cannabis. Perfect for daytime use or social situations where clarity matters.Advanced Vaping Technology That Sets New StandardsArea 52's vape cartridges incorporate cutting-edge hardware designed to maximize flavor, potency, and user experience:Ceramic Heating Elements: Ensure even heating without burning, preserving delicate terpenes and preventing harsh hitsAdjustable Airflow: Customizable draw resistance allows users to fine-tune their vaping experienceLeak-Proof Design: Advanced sealing technology prevents waste and ensures consistent performanceBattery Optimization: Compatible with standard 510-thread batteries while optimized for low-heat preservation of cannabinoidsYour Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Vape ExperienceSelecting the ideal Area 52 vape depends on your specific goals and experience level:Assess your tolerance: New to vaping? Start with Delta-8 for a gentle introduction. Experienced users can explore THCA for maximum potency.Consider your setting: Need daytime clarity? Delta-8 excels here. Want deep relaxation? THCA Indica strains deliver. Seeking balanced effects? Full-spectrum UFO provides versatility.Review extraction methods: Premium vapes should use solventless or supercritical CO2 extraction. Area 52's zero-solvent refinement represents the gold standard.Verify testing standards: Look for comprehensive lab reports covering potency, purity, and safety. Area 52's multi-stage testing exceeds industry requirements.Frequently Asked Questions About Area 52's Award-Winning VapesQ: What makes THCA vapes different from regular THC cartridges? A: THCA vapes contain the raw, non-psychoactive form of THC ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

CNBC Daily Open: Elon Musk, founder of companies and political parties
2025-07-07

CNBC Daily Open: Elon Musk, founder of companies and political parties

This is CNBC’s live blog covering European financial markets. European shares open mixedWe’re 10 minutes into the first trading session of the week, and European stocks are trading in mixed territory.The pan-European Stoxx 600 was last seen hovering just below the flatline, with no consensus movement among regional sectors.Major bourses are also moving in opposite directions, with London’s FTSE 100 down 0.1%, the French CAC 40 little changed, and Germany’s DAX gaining 0.4%.— Chloe TaylorCapgemini to buy WNS in $3.3 billion dealFrench tech firm Capgemini announced on Monday that it will buy U.S.-listed WNS in a $3.3 billion cash deal.That translates to $76.50 per share in the technology outsourcing firm — a 17% premium on its July 3 closing price.Capgemini is aiming to capitalize on WNS’ generative and agentic artificial intelligence offerings, which it said would attract significant investments.— Emilia HardieOctopus Energy reportedly plans Kraken demergerThe U.K.’s largest residential gas and electricity supplier, Octopus Energy, is planning a £10 billion ($13.6 billion) demerger of its technology arm Kraken, Britain’s Sky News reported over the weekend. The demerger is reportedly expected to take place within the next 12 months.— James TillotsonChina retaliates against EU ban with import restrictions on medical devicesChina’s Finance Ministry said on Sunday that it was restricting government purchases of medical devices from the EU if they exceeded 45 million yuan ($6.3 million). It’s a retaliation against the bloc saying last month it would ban Chinese firms from competing for EU public tenders for medical devices worth more than 60 billion euros ($70 billion) a year.Read more here.— Chloe TaylorEuropean stocks poised for mixed openLucy North – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesLondon Bridge on March 12, 2024.Good morning from a very gray London.Europe-listed shares look set for a mixed open today. Futures tied to the regional Stoxx 50 were last seen trading 0.1% higher, while those tied to London’s FTSE 100 and the German DAX were last 0.2% lower and 0.2% higher, respectively.Futures tied to France’s CAC 40 are around 0.3% lower this morning.— Chloe TaylorTrump threatens extra 10% tariff on countries that align with ‘Anti-American’ BRICS policiesKen Cedeno | ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump gestures, on the day he is expected to sign a sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened an additional 10% tariff on countries that orient themselves along the “Anti-American policies of BRICS.”Trump’s announcement, which did not elaborate on any specific policy of BRICS, came as the group’s meeting is underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The bloc’s leaders took aim at Trump’s sweeping tariff policies in a joint statement dated July 6, warning against “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs.”Read more here.— Anniek Bao

Americans get 'Big Beautiful Bill' tax cuts
2025-07-07

Americans get 'Big Beautiful Bill' tax cuts

The key tax changes under the One Big Beautiful Act include SALT and Social Security income tax deductions.

2025-07-07

Striking WSIB workers returning to work on Monday after voting to ratify tentative collective agreement - CP24

Striking WSIB workers returning to work on Monday after voting to ratify tentative collective agreement CP24WSIB workers ratify agreement to end strike, return to work Monday Toronto StarTentative agreement reached between WSIB and OCEU CTV NewsTentative deal reached in six-week strike with WSIB workers CityNews KitchenerWSIB workers vote to ratify new collective agreement Sudbury News

2025-07-07

DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of Columbia University Customers Whose Data May Have Been Compromised

NEW YORK, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Edelson Lechtzin LLP, based in suburban Philadelphia, is investigating data privacy claims regarding an incident at Columbia University ("Columbia"). Columbia learned of a data breach on or about June 24, 2025.If you have received a notice concerning the Columbia University data breach and would like to speak with a lawyer, go HERE.About Columbia UniversityFounded in 1754, Columbia University is a private Ivy League institution located in New York City.What happened?On or about June 24, 2025, a ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

The Secret Campaign To Stop RFK Jr.
2025-07-07

The Secret Campaign To Stop RFK Jr.

The Secret Campaign To Stop RFK Jr. Authored by 'A MidWestern Doctor' via 'The Forgotten Side Of Medicine' substack,A few days ago, Robert Malone contacted me about a leaked memo from BIO published by the Brownstone Institute which he’d shared on his Substack which detailed an orchestrated industry conspiracy to sabotage RFK Jr. and stop making America healthy.After reviewing the article, my suspicion was that it was authentic as I knew an orchestrated campaign against RFK Jr. existed and much of it matched what we had already proven these groups (e.g., BIO do). I then asked the people closest to the story (who I trust) who shared that they had confidence in the source who leaked it, and noted that when confronted by a larger outlet, BIO did not explicitly deny it, also suggesting the document was real (e.g., their spokesman declined to confirm or deny the veracity of the quote about lobbying for Kennedy’s ouster). As such, I will proceed on the assumption it was real.RFK’s NominationThroughout this publication, RFK Jr. has been one of the few political figures I have publicly supported. This is because:RFK has continually advocated for many of the things most important to me.I long thought it would be impossible to ever have anyone in a senior level of government advocating for them—but due to an extraordinary confluence of events RFK was put into a position to.When I spent time with RFK, my two non-verbal takeaways were that he has gone through a lot of very difficult and traumatic events throughout his life, and that he has a deep conviction in the positions he is advocating for. There are a variety of ways people can respond to those types of unpleasant experiences, and it appeared to me that RFK adopted one of the less common responses—developing a deep conviction to make the world be a better place regardless of the obstacles put in front of you.A few of my close friends who know RFK Jr. feel the same way.Since he has gotten into the H.H.S., he has been very systematic and strategic in fixing the issues we are facing, in many cases doing exactly what I would do.In short, like many, I long entertained entering politics so I could fix the horrendous issues around us, but ultimately was not willing to because becoming a politician is a miserable experience which puts your entire life under scrutiny, leads to a never ending slew of attacks to force you to adopt positions that support vested interests, and requires you continually make unpalatable compromises to advance the greater good.RFK Jr. hence is a blessing to me, as he’s doing everything I would do if I’d made the necessary sacrifices (and had the luck) to get into a position of influence, but instead he’s taking the heat for that role, and as such, I feel compelled to do all I can to support him during this once in a lifetime opportunity (which is essentially why I overextend myself to produce this newsletter).Making the Impossible PossibleOne of the things I feel most people do not grasp is how much influence the H.H.S. Secretary has over health in the country (as many of the Federal Laws and Policies are written so that they are implemented at the Secretary’s discretion—which until now has protected the status quo as no H.H.S Secretary tried to make the country healthy).Likewise, I feel many still do not understand just how improbable it was RFK got both nominated and confirmed, or that Trump has essentially given RFK the leeway to do whatever he wants to do (provided it’s done in a sensible and persuasive manner)—something to the best of my knowledge no other Federal leader in US history has been able to do.Note: the closest parallel, Harvey Willey, the first head of the FDA a century ago had massive public support, and both Congress and the court’s support, but nonetheless lobbyists managed to convince the executive branch to tie Wiley’s hands eventually leading to his resignation as he realized he could do more to help America’s health from outside of the government.Presently, I believe RFK’s unprecedented situation was due to:Trump having longstanding concerns about the excessive vaccine schedule due to children he knew being injured by them. Beyond having publicly spoken about this prior to his 2016 run, during the 2016 presidential debates he refused to back down on his position and at the start of his first term, he’d planned to have RFK lead a federal investigation of the vaccine schedule (which was ultimately nixed by his administration and outside parties like Bill Gates).Both Scott Atlas M.D. and Joe Navarro’s memoir of the pandemic tell a similar story. During COVID, Trump had had serious doubts about what the media and experts were saying about COVID (which against widespread protest he enacted the early travel ban), did not support the lockdowns or endless testing, and repeatedly tried to get non-standard therapies (e.g., hydroxychloroquine and disinfecting UV light treatments) into consideration. Unfortunately, everyone in the H.H.S. along with the media, continually sabotaged this and as a result, his advisors told him he could not rock the boat by creating public outrage over being a mass murder (e.g., by not perpetually locking down the country)—something we also encountered when communicating with the White House over off-patent ways to treat and end the pandemic (they told us the data was compelling but they could not afford to be eviscerated by the media by supporting them).Both Navarro and Atlas attested that Trump felt immensely conflicted over ignoring his gut hunch to listen to the “experts,” and it is my belief that Trump knows if had instead focused on rational COVID policies, he would have won the 2020 election (as the pandemic would have been over by November). Note: when Atlas left the White House, he told Trump and his advisors ““Well, Mr. President, I will say this. You have balls. I have balls. But the closest people around you—they didn’t. They had no balls. They let you down.” (followed by Atlas remarking They let down the rest of the country, too).The alternative proposed to Trump (and supported by the medical establishment and an otherwise hostile media) was to push for a vaccine in Warp Speed so that it could be ready before the election. Trump thus used a pre-existing (Gates funded) framework for this and did everything he could to expedite it (e.g., he funded the development and manufacturing of a variety of potential vaccine candidates prior to them being ready so that the production time could be decreased). On one hand, this was a “monumental accomplishment” as it allowed a vaccine to get to market much faster than anyone thought was possible, but on the other hand (if you knew about all the issues with vaccines) a terrible idea likely to release a disastrous product.Most importantly however, after months of meetings, promises, and eager expectations by the White House, at the last minute, Pfizer pulled the rug out on Trump and delayed the vaccine’s approval until right after the election, presumably because it was in their interest to have a more pro-pharmaceutical contingent assume the Presidency (which the House Judiciary recently confirmed). On one hand, I feel this was “fair” because if you make a deal with the devil you can’t expect to not get burned, but more importantly, that greed from Pfizer was incredibly shortsighted because it destroyed any trust or leverage they had to rein Trump in were he to get re-elected.The media messaging used to push the COVID vaccines was very similar to the sensationalistic partisan messaging used to discredit Trump’s first presidency. Because of this, when it was deployed against Trump’s supporters to make them vaccinate, owing to their existing distrust of the media developed over the last four years, they were not receptive to it, and chose not to vaccinate. As such, when the media and government doubled down on pushing the vaccines, it made many who were previously neutral about vaccines become highly distrustful of them—particularly since they were frequently observing severe injuries every authority claimed “did not exist” and seeing the COVID vaccine fail.In short, because of how greedy the pharmaceutical industry was with the COVID vaccines (and how good a job the galvanized independent media did of exposing these underhanded tactics) they effectively “killed the goose that laid the Golden Eggs” and created the most public distrust in vaccines that has been seen since the early days of the smallpox vaccine. Note: Pfizer’s decision to relentlessly push the COVID vaccines to increase their profits (at the expense of the traditional vaccine industry) seemed incredibly short-sighted to me, as had this been done less aggressively, the trust that industry rests upon could have been maintained. One of the best explanations I’ve ever heard for why this happened came from a pharmaceutical executive who shared with me that pharmaceutical executives are frequently rotated out of their companies and paid lavish bonuses which are dependent upon sales during their tenure, so as a result, they have no incentive to avoid short term profits at the expense of the sector.All of that (and prior skepticism from the Tea Party due to Obama’s vaccine overreach) made vaccine skepticism part of the modern Republican party and birthed the Make America Healthy Again movement. In turn, RFK was able to ride that wind to become one of the most successful independent candidates in US history (reaching 22% of the vote), before utilizing that capitol to support President Trump (and likely swing the race) in return from him agreeing to advance Making America Healthy Again (as there was no interest within the Democrat party to do the same).Trump decided to keep his promise (either out of obligation or because he want to make America healthy) and due to his unique political position, had the ability to force others to comply with it.It’s really hard to describe how improbable all of this happened, and had I not seen it unfold in front of me, I would have never thought there was even a 1% chance of someone like RFK becoming the HHS Secretary.Note: RFK recently had an excellent interview with Tucker Carlson which spelled out exactly what he is doing, how grave and indefensible many of the issues we face are, and the difficulties he’s run into from the establishment from trying to make things right.Public RelationsOne of the most frustrating things for me throughout my lifetime has watched cause after cause (or politician) I strongly agreed with be nullified by the media working in concert to sabotage it. It hence was eye-opening for me when I learned about the Public Relations Industry (discussed further here), an invisible multibillion industry which synthesizes marketing and propaganda to persuade the public of its sponsor’s message.On one side, PR is immensely depressing, as it so effect it essentially “invalidates” democracy as whatever message its sponsor’s pay for is what becomes policy rather than what the public wants—and in most cases the public can’t even see it be done. On the other, understanding the industry is also incredibly informative for predicting future events, as there are a limited number of tactics the PR industry uses (presumably because people who work in those firms are not that creative and because the industry has had such a monopoly on truth it has not been forced to innovate). As a result, once you see the early stages of a PR campaign in motion, you normally know what will follow because it is very predictive and repetitive.Note: those tactics include blasting the same message on every outlet, using focus groups to create the most emotionally manipulative messaging possible (which is why newscasters and politicians will all often say rather odd sculpted phrases), having “independent” experts or “trustable third parties” promote the intended message and creating fabricated viral moments (which the entire media then amplifies) to promote their message.In many cases, PR is also blended with political lobbying so lobbyists will not only push legislators to kill a bill which threaten their industry but also incite a public hysteria against it to intimidate legislators into stopping it. For example, methamphetamine production has been immensely damaging for many parts of America (e.g., roughly 4% of Americans have an amphetamine use disorder, overdoses now kill over 30,000 Americans a year, parental methamphetamine has become a leading reason children are put into foster care and in numerous states cleaning up toxic meth labs have overwhelmed law enforcement). Much of this arose from it becoming possible to easily synthesize meth at home from pseudoephedrine (one of many cough medicines), so legislators in hard hit states sought to stop this by placing limits on how much pseudoephedrine could be purchased over the counter—after which lobbyists and PR firms descended like hornets to stop those laws from passing (in most cases succeeding).Public Relations and Social MediaThe PR apparatus is much more suited to engaging with the legacy media than social media (as there are a limited number of networks which have monopolized the airwaves so it is easy enough to pay them all off to promote your message whereas online there are an almost infinite number of voices). Because of this, the existing control apparatus has greatly struggled (e.g., within hours Twitter can often completely debunk a carefully orchestrated and costly PR campaign and there are far to many content producers to buy them all off) and a lot of marginal attempts have been made to try to shift that tide.As such, during the COVID vaccine public relations campaign, one of the primary pushes by the industry was to enact draconian censorship from both online media companies (e.g., Facebook) and the government. As this was not enough, many attempts were made to directly silence those who still spoke out (e.g., getting them banned online, getting them fired, taking about their board certifications or licenses and leaving grisly threats on their doorsteps).Eventually, we figured out much of this was being coordinated by “Shot’s Fired” a private Facebook group (which had many prominent vaccine zealots including Richard Pan—the California State Senator who ushered in the era of immensely unpopular vaccine mandates after the 2019 Measles “outbreak” [where no one died]). That group in turn would pick a “target,” descend on them like bees, and then once the target had been neutralized, proceed onto the next target.After some work (e.g., a few of us infiltrated the group while a few others untangled their web of concealed funding), we discovered out they were being funded be the Public Good Project, which in turn was being funded by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). For context, BIO is “the largest trade organization to serve and represent the emerging biotechnology industry in the United States and around the globe,” with many pharmaceutical clients (e.g., you can find Moderna, J&J and remdesivir’s manufacturer Gilead listed as core companies in their membership directory), and interlocking relationships with the leadership of many of these companies (e.g., BIO shares a VP with Pfizer). In turn, as you might expect, these groups also had extensive interactions with the Biden administration and the social media companies, all of which was done to further promote the vaccine campaign.Note: when I watched the promotional videos Shots Fired made to attract funding, they essentially said they would “save the world” by getting the funding for a lot of trolling (harassment) and astroturfing—relatively unsophisticated tactics that again illustrate the PR apparatus is not capable of effectively engaging the internet.Let’s now look at BIO’s partial denial of the leak:The purported memo was not produced by BIO. We have never seen or heard of this document, and it certainly does not accurately represent the spirit, strategy, or mission of BIO’s work.Given BIO’s documented conduct, I would say the document very much reflects “the spirit, strategy, and mission of BIO’s work.”Note: strong accusations require significant proof. Everything I mentioned in this section is extensively documented in this article.The Vast Pharmaceutical Conspiracy to Silence Dissent OnlineA Midwestern DoctorSeptember 25, 2024The Plot to Get RFK, Jr.Once it became clear Trump would indeed take on the political risk of nominating RFK Jr., I suspected a massive PR campaign would be orchestrated to stop it. In turn, I gradually saw clearly concocted stories appear on the mainstream media, and on November 18th Politico aired a remarkably story which not only admitted this was happening, but appeared to be a solicitation for more funding.Democratic-aligned healthcare advocacy groups are putting together a strategy to fight Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be HHS secretary.During an organizing call on Monday, the details of which have not been reported publicly, more than 200 people from several dozen of those groups, along with other advocacy organizations, discussed strategies to oppose Kennedy’s nomination. That included which Republican senators to target and the most effective way to talk to them, according to Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care.Protect Our Care is hiring teams in several states, including Alaska, Idaho, Maine, and West Virginia, to lobby senators at the state and local level through experts and personal stories, with events slated to begin as soon as next week.Note: as you might expect, “Protect Our Care” was funded by the medical industry. One of the most amazing things about this campaign is that it not only targeted Democrat Senators but also (with Mike Pence’s lobbying group) Republican ones. This led to the truly extraordinary situation where RFK Jr. was attacked both for being “too pro-choice” and “too pro-life” something I have never previously seen in the abortion debate.Because of all of this, I quickly began testing out if there was any approach I could enact to potentially derail it. After a bit, I realized the best approach was to highlight the vast pharmaceutical donations prominent politicians (particularly Elizabeth Warren) had received and juxtapose them with those politicians zealous (and unjustified) critiques of RFK which coincidently happened to echo industry talking points.As such, after some testing to refine it, I posted a thread immediately after the first day of RFK’s hearing which showed those most opposed to RFK also had the most contributions from parties within the pharmaceutical industry. This worked (getting 33 million direct views and many more indirect ones) and the backlash from it (e.g., against progressive icon Bernie Sanders), according to one insider, was sufficient to get key Republicans on the fence to vote for RFK so they would not risk breaking from their party and having their funding be exposed—all of which illustrates that the traditional PR approach (paying off the media to gaslight Americans) is no longer viable.However, while that campaign failed and RFK was able to get confirmed, the industry was not going to give up (as people will get quite vicious to protect their revenue streams) and since then I’ve tried to do what I can to counteract the various (common) strategies they’ve cycled through such as many people claiming RFK is our enemy and trying to sabotage MAHA or the various attempts I’ve watched to neutralize RFK by driving a wedge between MAHA and MAGA.BIO’s DocumentWith that context, I would now like to review the leaked BIO document with some comments of my own. In my eyes, one of the most important takeaways from this is that many parts of it show how the PR industry continuously sculpts and resculpts language to manipulate us.Note: my comments are in italics, everything else is copied from the document.BIO Vaccine Policy Steering Committee (VPSC) Meeting April 3, 2025 Executive Summary – Key Highlights●Political Landscape•Widespread concern over RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine stance; members view him as a direct threat to public health.•FDA’s April 2 RIF (reduction in force) marked a critical turning point, raising concerns about institutional stability [RIF was where RFK let go of corrupt officials and science throughout the H.H.S. who had undermined America’s health]•Speculation about the Trump-RFK Jr. alliance, with potential for breakdown over conflicting interests.●Strategic Voices and Allies•Dr. Oz seen as a potential “voice of reason” on public health within the current administration.•Senator Cassidy emerging as an influential advocate for CDC and public health engagement.•AEI and former Senator Richard Burr seen as important conservative allies in vaccine advocacy.Note: Senator Cassidy has been one of RFK’s primary opponents on vaccine safety. I am truthfully undecided if he has been paid off or simply has the strong belief in vaccines many doctors have (e.g., while the former seems likely, the only person I know who I trust and directly knows Cassidy believes it is the latter). Fortunately, even if he is being funded, documents like this make it much harder for him to maintain his stance and create a window for him to pivot once RFK Jr. is able to provide gold-standard evidence of vaccine harm (which he discusses in the above Tucker Carlson interview).●VPSC Leadership and Goals•New co-chairs: Silvia Taylor (Novavax) and Art Hirt (Merck).•Emphasis on governance restructure, AEI relationship-building, and defining 2025 vaccine strategy.•Strategy centered on continuity, innovation access, and restoring public trust [good luck with that].●Investor and Market Challenges•Vaccine development viewed as unpredictable and politicized; goalposts are constantly shifting.•Investor confidence shaken; limited capital access for the next 6–9 months.•Jim Wassil (Vaxcyte): no viable capital-raising opportunities in current climate.Note: when Malone sent me this, my immediate response was “lol, goal posts are shifting” in reference to the fact the vaccine industry always shifts the goal posts on a vaccine during their sales campaign (e.g., the COVID vaccines would be fully voluntary, prevent transmission and prevent all illness, to mandatory and maybe reduce your risk of severe illness if you take a booster every year). More importantly, this passage touches on the core of the issue, because people no longer have a blind trust in vaccines and their lucrative approval by the FDA/CDC is no longer guaranteed, they’ve stopped becoming an attractive market for investors, thereby drying up the funding spigot, which amongst other things sustains the PR and lobbying campaigns enacted by groups like BIO (hence creating an existential risk to this group).●Communications and Messaging Strategy•Need to frame vaccine narrative around “efficiency,” “transparency,” and “national security.•Shift BIO’s messaging regarding ACIP/FDA from defensive to proactive: from “protect” and “defend” to “optimize” and “enhance.”•Launch of the pro-vaccine campaign “Why We Vaccinate” to be tested in the Washington, D.C. area.●Opportunities and Threats•Threats: Anti-vaccine rhetoric, tariffs, index pricing, weakened FDA capacity.•Opportunities: Leverage National Security Commission report, onshore supply chains, reposition vaccines as national security assets.●Tactical Recommendations•Engage conservative voices and grassroots/state-level influencers rather than federal figures like RFK Jr.•Convene a Senate Public Health Caucus.•Rebuild FDA capacity with Commissioner Makary; modernize review pathways while protecting mission integrity.Focus public messaging on science and economic benefits—healthy workforce, national resilience.Meeting Goalsa. Discuss new governance structure of VPSCb. Identify key areas for BIO engagementc. Outline VPSC goals/prioritiesd. Build a relationship with AEIIntroduction of New Co-Chairs a. Silvia Taylor – Corporate Affairs, Novavax b. Art Hirt – SVP Vaccines, MerckBIO Diversifying Inputa. Including Conservative voicesb. American Enterprise Institute (AEI)c. Richard Burr – Former Senator NC; Advisor, DLA Piper Health Policy Steering CommitteeNote: In many cases once politicians leave office they frequently become highly paid lobbyists or create lobbying groups (e.g., Mike Pence’s firm has a 20 million dollar budget)2025 Vaccine Strategya. Goal: Protecting continuity and viability of vaccine businessb. Core Principles: Promoting access, innovation, and trustc. Objective: Maintain and strengthen environment for vaccine access and innovationd. Objective: Help build trust in vaccinesImpact of New HHS Administration [one of the most important parts to read]a. “It is time to go to The Hill and lobby that it is time for RFK Jr to go...communicate what’s going on in business”b. Trump owed RFK Jr (for his support), but that loyalty may/may not lastc. Definitive examples of RFK Jr’s threat to vaccines and public healthd. If vaccine companies lose investor confidence – everyone losese. Jim Wassil, EVP & COO Vaxcyte•i. Investors have stated they are leaving until the next data read out•ii. No opportunity to raise capital in the current environment•iii. Investors are sitting on the sidelines for the next 6-9 month•iv. Vaccine pathway to approval is unpredictable and politicizedf. RFK Jr Administration keeps moving the goal posts on vaccinesg. BIO supports change, as long as the core mission of institutions is protected and there is business continuityh. Need to communicate with the new Administration using their words – safety, efficiency, health resilience, transparencyNote: all of this shows that we are winning and there is a good chance that will snowball.John Crowley – BIO President & CEOa. Vaccines are the #1 priority at BIO [this shows how critical vaccines are to the industry as there are far more lucrative non-vaccine products on the market, but vaccines are a cornerstone of the trust which underlies the industry and a source of longterm revenue from all the chronic illnesses they cause]b. Vaccines are “canary in the coal mine” with respect to gauging HHS anticipated actionsc. BIO created vaccine task force (1st BIO task force)d. There are both threats and opportunities working with the new Administration•i. Threats—1. Tariffs 2. Index pricing 3. Vaccine lack of trust•ii. Opportunities1. National Security Commission Report – Biotech Threats (https://www.biotech.senate.gov/final-report/chapters/)•a. Need for accelerated research and approval timelines•b. Need for on-shoring supply lines [I actually agree with this]e. FDA needs to stay strong; BIO priority to work with Commissioner Makary to replace lost talent, modernize FDA, communicate big picture implications regarding vaccine access [my limited indirect experiences with Makary have made me very hopeful he won’t sell out to the industry]f. Need a creative communication campaign targeting•i. Legislators and influencers (as opposed to directly with RFK Jr)•ii. Conservative constituents such as AEI•iii. Unions (concern regarding Member health)•iv. Campaign needs to both inspire and frighten (potential outcomes)•v. $2M of BIO’s $4M cash reserve will be spent on vaccine programs [once again showing how critical vaccines are to the industry—particularly since BIO is willing to risk that much of their reserves despite a real chance their funding will dry up]g. Need to identify common ground areas•i. Domestic manufacturing•ii. Strategic importance to U.S.•1. Need for a healthy population [which is why BIO’s response after getting caught was to “endorse” MAHA].•2. Protection from pandemic/bio attacksNote: on the internet, there are two common ways for content producers to make money. One is to be paid a flat fee to promote sponsored messages for your brand (e.g., large influencers can make 10,000 a post). Now that I have a larger Twitter following (287k followers) I periodically get these solicitations (and never respond). I asked a friend about Influenceable and she told me she received $500 per tweet (which were pre-written but she could modify), and normally 3 tweets per campaign and a few per month, adding up to a roughly 10,000.00 minimal work monthly salary (which helps explain why many prominent conservative influencer’s all started posting nearly identical messages supporting soda consumption (for up to $1000 each) that Nick Sorter then exposed in May here.The other is to receive a cut for how much of a product you sell (typically via an affiliate link). In most cases, the products being sold are high margin ones with a lot of competition (e.g., ivermectin or fenben), which results in overpriced ones being offered which the influencer then creates their own spin to justify why you should buy it from them (and attack their competitors or anyone who threatens their sales). I have received a lot of requests to do this (which would have netted me hundreds of thousands of dollars) but I have refused to do it because I don’t think it’s ethical and want to restrict promoting products to new ones I think come from ethical companies I want to give a chance to enter the marketplace so they can help people. One of the both fortunate and unfortunate things about DMSO is that since it costs so little, there are no margins to be made on it, so I have not been attacked by other people pushing DMSO, but simultaneously, no one has wanted to heavily promote it (as they can’t make money off it) so it’s fallen to me to do that (which fortunately due to my network I can).Scott Gottlieb – Resident Fellow, AEI [Scott Gottlieb was one of Trump’s FDA Chiefs and then after leaving immediately became a Pfizer Board Member and frequently is a media guest defending the pharmaceutical industry].a. “MAHA movement is a cover for an anti-vaccine campaign” [this is why it’s so critical for us to also focus on the other important MAHA polices like healthier food which appeal to a broader segment of the population]b. Focus attention and dialog on grassroots/state/local level (vs Federal)c. Very few people in the WH with public health backgrounds [as COVID and 2020 shows, appealing to experts will no longer work]d. Q: Will the Trump-RFK Jr relationship break?”Not convinced it will break as there are non-vaccine issues, such as food safety, within MAHA” [which is why I do not agree with the influencers criticizing RFK for focusing on food safety]Q: How does one reach out and get support when no one is willing to stick their neck out? [this illustrates that the monolithic vaccine industry is a lot more vulnerable than it appears once its core supports such as public trust are removed]”Focus on the national security benefit – need for domestic manufacturing.”f. Concern that companies are exiting smaller vaccine marketsg. Need to differentiate between anti-vaccine/vaccine hesitancy (“movable middle”) vs anti-vaccine mandate groupsh. Need to differentiate between science argument vs economic argument (healthy workforce)i. Dr. Oz can be public health voice of reason within WH [not anymore!]•i. Has strong healthcare team•ii. Deeply scientific and public health minded•iii. Potential role educating the publicj. Senator Cassidy is getting more involved regarding CDC, etck. Recommend convening a Senate Public Health Caucusl. Q: How work with AEI to target messages?•i. AEI is pro-vaccine•ii. Use as a data-leading voice to leverage the discussionVPSC Strategy Discussion – ACIP and FDAa. BIO needs to change the messaging narrative from “protect,” “defend,” “maintain” to “support,” “shape,” “optimize,” “enhancing,” “streamline,” “efficiency,” “transparency”b. Focus on positive change; no place for politics; areas of commonalityc. Move narrative to the middle [no longer possible because of what you did during COVID]d. BIO Communications Strategy•i. Have built out a pro-vaccine campaign (whywevaccinate.org) based on qualitative and quantitative research•ii. Plan to market test in WDC market (April/May)e. Re-imagining the FDA•i. Key messages working with FDA are “efficiency” and “speed”•ii. How does one approach the FDA given the brain-drain?•iii. Q: Is Novavax (data requirements) the new review standard? [yes, now you have to actually provide data showing a vaccine is safe and effective rather than just getting rubber stamped with minimal data]•iv. Conflicting FDA objectives (1. Drive to modernize 2. Slowing down vaccine development – e.g., Novavax approval; slow-walking ACIP).f. More productive to target Makary and Trump Insiders vs RFK Jrg. Risk of U.S. losing its worldwide advantageOverall, this document is a wonderful illustration into one facet of what the vaccine industry looks like on the inside and I hope we see more similar ones in the future.ConclusionSince COVID, there has been a massive and completely unprecedented loss of trust in our medical system (e.g., , a large JAMA study of 443,445 Americans found that in April 2020, 71.5% of them trusted doctors and hospitals, while in January 2024, only 40.1% did). The medical system has now recognized this issue, and many prominent politicians are now urgently calling for it to be addressed.However, they still exist within the old paradigm (where the mass media and PR can convince the public of anything), and hence have tried to resort to browbeating the public into submission. For example, at RFK’s confirmation hearing, many senators raised this point and said for him to be confirmed, that since many trusted RFK, he needed to publicly endorse vaccination so trust in vaccination could be restored—without the faintest recognition this would simply cause people to lose trust in RFK.I fully agree it is urgent to rebuild trust in medicine (as there is a lot of good healthcare workers do and many critical things we rely upon medicine for which we have no viable alternative to). However, the unchangeable fact is that the medical industry’s greed went to far and the widespread public trust they’ve relied up to have their questionable actions be shielded from public scrutiny no longer exists.As such, the only path forward is to make the medical system earn the public’s trust by returning to gold-standard (objective) science which pulls the harmful and ineffective medicines everyone is profiting from off the market, allows the non-patented therapies which really help people (e.g., the Forgotten Side of Medicine) to enter the mainstream, and allow doctors to have the autonomy to actually spend time with their patients and figure out what helps them rather than being forced into 15 minutes visits where they can only check the required boxes and follow the existing medical guidelines.Fortunately, I feel we are getting closer to that point, and while campaign’s like BIO’s are frustrating, I believe at the end of the day they actually help us as if we can expose these tactics for everyone to see (which the internet makes possible) it will further galvanize the public to demand the actual reform to Make America Healthy Again. Since so much is at stake, it is critical for each of us to do everything we can be on guard for these tactics and not fall prey to the attacks and division, as currently, short of actually doing the right thing (e.g., making America healthier) the only option the industry has is to divide us so we fight amongst ourselves and splinter into factions which lack the power to shift the existing paradigm.As such, I am incredibly grateful for all the support, unity and heart felt wisdom I have seen from so many of you, as beyond it making this newsletter possible, I believe it is the force that can finally end the nightmare we have been stuck in.* * *The Forgotten Side of Medicine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Tyler DurdenSun, 07/06/2025 - 22:10

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