
The Trump administration has escalated threats of military action against Iran while covert nuclear talks continue, and Tehran’s state media claim the pressure is a distraction linked to the Epstein scandal. In parallel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel cemented a growing arms partnership, despite domestic media suppression. Brazil’s right‑wing is undergoing a digital transformation as young evangelical politicians inherit Jair Bolsonaro’s movement, leveraging an entrenched religious media network. These developments illustrate how geopolitical rivalries and domestic political shifts are increasingly mediated through digital narratives.
February... Silver $SLV: +13% Energy $XLE: +10% Gold $GLD: +9% International Developed $VEA: +6% EM $IEMG: +6% Oil $USO: +3% Bonds $AGG: +2% S&P 500 $SPY: -1% Nasdaq 100 $QQQ: -2% Financials $XLF: -4% Mag 7 $MAGS: -7% Software $IGV: -10% Bitcoin $IBIT: -22% Fartcoin $FART: -31%
David Ellison is poised to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix abandoned its bid, positioning the Ellison family as the leading suitor. The prospective takeover, tied to a pending Paramount‑Skydance merger, still requires regulatory clearance. Analysts warn that the deal could trigger...
"In a world in which antitrust has become a political weapon, Paramount had the upper hand. Its reward means it will now have to combine two companies whose debt is junk-rated and find a media business model that works." https://t.co/Lx1hXs4Ijz...

Patrice Bisiot argues that executive authority is formed in a few hundred milliseconds, long before strategic content is evaluated. Cognitive‑psychology research shows rapid, subconscious judgments of credibility, certainty and safety drive stakeholder trust. While AI accelerates data‑driven decision‑making, it cannot...
A G7‑backed price cap on Russian oil, introduced in 2022, is shown to boost near‑term extraction while curbing global oil prices and volatility. The cap neutralizes market power and reduces the option value of holding reserves, shifting producer incentives toward...

Escalating clashes along the Pakistan‑Afghanistan border have intensified after Taliban‑aligned drones struck Pakistani military camps in Miranshah and Spinwam, prompting Islamabad to launch airstrikes on Afghan cities, including Kabul. The violence shatters the October cease‑fire and revives fears of a...

U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a January 2026 raid, removing the military threat to Guyana’s Essequibo region and clearing the path for the country’s oil expansion. Guyana’s offshore Stabroek Block, operated by ExxonMobil with Chevron and CNOOC,...

Paramount has agreed to acquire Warner Bros Discovery for $31 per share, valuing the combined enterprise at roughly $110 billion including debt. The deal also covers Netflix’s $2.8 billion termination fee, clearing the rival’s exit from the bidding war. If regulators approve,...

Executives face mounting pressure from shareholders, customers, boards, AI integration and geopolitical uncertainty, often defaulting to tighter control and rapid decisions. Helen Wada argues that adopting a coaching mindset—centered on presence, curiosity and human connection—reverses this reflex. By pausing, listening...
It’s been a while since I’ve seen so much focus on the ISM. Our work has over 15 individual series that lead this data (regressions don’t work well out of sample), between 6 and 18 months and another dozen that...
The United States publicly affirmed its support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks by Afghanistan’s Taliban, whom Washington designates as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. The statement follows a rapid escalation after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory...

The newsletter highlights a resurgence of U.S. geopolitical pressure on China, from Trump’s revived Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to a new 15% global tariff. Demographic data show major population gains in Texas and Florida while New York and California...

Hyundai Motor Group’s eVTOL arm Supernal announced a major workforce reduction, laying off 296 employees—roughly the bulk of its staff. The cuts underscore the subsidiary’s struggle to deliver a market‑ready electric vertical take‑off and landing aircraft despite five years of...
Oracle has extended its title partnership with Red Bull Racing, deepening the use of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AI, and Fusion Cloud Applications across the team’s race strategy, engineering, and business functions. The deal supports the development of a next‑generation hybrid...
Martin Parnell completed 250 marathons in a single year, raising $250,000 for Right to Play and turning personal loss into a purpose‑driven endurance challenge. He set a precise, measurable target—250 marathons for $250,000—leveraging goal‑setting theory to focus effort. By breaking...

Third Side Music, founded in Montreal with a $150,000 seed investment, has become an indie publishing powerhouse generating over $25 million in annual revenue in 2025 without outside capital. The company averages 15‑20% year‑over‑year growth, driven by a 75,000‑plus‑title catalog and...
If anthropic doesn’t want to do military tech, you can be sure that OpenAI (or another foundational model), will bend over backwards to provide whatever the department of war wants. And the department of war/defense doesn’t need to accept any...

In January 2026 the United States orchestrated the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, installing an interim administration that quickly aligned with Washington. President Donald Trump has since proclaimed control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, sealing new contracts with U.S....
Mirakl announced full‑year profitability for 2025, driven by a 23% jump in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to $218 million. Marketplace and dropship activity surged, processing roughly $15 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV), a 31% increase year‑over‑year. New products such as Mirakl...

Thai state‑owned energy group PTT Plc announced it will seek external partners across its value chain, aiming to sell stakes in its oil‑refining and petrochemical subsidiaries—Thai Oil, PTT Global Chemical and IRPC—to global investors. The company also plans to attract...
Corsair announced it will fully absorb Drop, closing the Drop.com storefront by March 31, 2026, with the final order deadline on March 25. The move follows Corsair’s 2023 acquisition of Drop, aimed at expanding its peripheral portfolio beyond core gaming keyboards and...
Static price lists, once suitable for stable markets, now expose manufacturers and distributors to hidden margin leakage as economic volatility drives cost swings, demand shifts, and competitive pressure. Without dynamic modeling, price changes are applied reactively, often misaligned across segments,...
There is always a chance when government is involved, never rule this out. But I still see the odds in #Paramount’s favor for 2 reasons: 1- the Ellisons are one of the richest and most well connected families in the U.S. 2-...
Warren Buffett retired as Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO at the end of 2025, handing the role to Greg Abel while staying on as chairman. In the fourth quarter, Berkshire sold large blocks of Amazon, Apple, and Bank of America, cutting its exposure...
Oil prices jumped to eight‑month highs on Friday as diplomatic hopes between the United States and Iran faded, reigniting geopolitical risk premiums. Brent crude breached the $85‑per‑barrel mark while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose above $80. Traders cited potential supply...

The Fifth Circuit affirmed that oral consent satisfies the TCPA’s prior express consent requirement, holding that a customer’s provision of a phone number and lack of objection counts as valid consent for automated calls. The decision interprets “express consent” using...
If the luxury markup is really for marketing, and brands replace artist-created campaigns with AI... what are you paying for? Nothing. https://www.backrow.net/p/what-s-so-insulting-about-gucci-s-ai-slop
Markel 2025 Shareholder Letter: "2025 was a year of productive change and recommitment in our largest business, Markel Insurance. Most notably, in March 2025, we promoted Simon Wilson to serve as CEO."

Finance leaders face a “year-two problem” where B2B payments upgrades fail to deliver expected gains without refined data and processes. The article argues that execution velocity—how quickly firms turn standardized transactional data into actionable decisions—will be the decisive KPI. CFOs...

We have a new record, folks. $PSKY's now friendly acquisition of $WBD comes with a $7 billion reverse break fee - the largest in history. https://t.co/GNoyWI0tl0
We seem close to: - Give an agent access to a competitor app on a computer - Tell agent: Rebuild this app by using all its features - Agent tries app -> documents all flows/features/edge cases - The other agent builds all flows/features - They...

Anoto Group AB posted a weaker top line in 2025, with net sales falling to MSEK 22 for the year and MSEK 5 in Q4, down from MSEK 30 and MSEK 6 respectively. Despite the revenue decline, gross margins improved markedly to 55% annually...

#CubaWatch 🇨🇺: Today, I measure Cuba’s inflation rate at 49.0%/yr. That makes Cuba the WORLD’S FIFTH-HIGHEST INFLATOR. SOCIALISM = POVERTY. https://t.co/62I1XycBU8
"The Federal Communications Commission has given the go ahead for two of the US' biggest cable providers, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, to merge." via @engadget https://t.co/2GF4W9NFlt

Silvano Fashion Group reported a 4.5% decline in revenue to €55.5 million for the 12 months ended December 2025, accompanied by sharp profit squeezes: gross profit fell 14.6%, operating profit dropped 39.5% and net profit decreased 26.6% year‑over‑year. Margins eroded, with...
ICYMI: AI Killed My SaaS Why I replaced my own software before I could even properly launch it https://t.co/nDyTkKUqem
RT Digital transformation is hitting a new phase. These 50+ expert predictions on agentic AI, governance, and security outline what leaders must prioritize now. #DigitalTransformation #AI #CISO @Star_CIO https://t.co/zhlbEwiusI
United Airlines has resumed contract talks with its flight‑attendant union in March, after a previously rejected agreement was voted down by 71% of members. The airline emphasizes it will offer the highest industry pay rates but seeks cost‑saving concessions such...
"Managing #multicloud is like learning multiple languages from AWS, Azure, Oracle, & others." Assign an #AI architecture agent that ingests standards, decision criteria, and NFRs, then articulates tradeoffs (cost, perf, security) for each #cloud https://t.co/vBzM21vM14
The S&P 500 is headed for its first RED month since April 2025. Meanwhile, GOLD is headed for its 8th consecutive GREEN month. That’s gold’s longest winning streak in history. BUY GOLD, WEAR DIAMONDS. https://t.co/sNJYx0tj3z

The rail industry is experiencing a wave of liquidity as infrastructure funds, insurance companies, and private‑equity firms pour billions into railcar and locomotive financing. Traditional tax‑leveraged leases are being replaced by long‑horizon passive capital and CDO‑structured debt, reshaping the capital...
‘David Ellison Scares the Shit Out of Me’: How Paramount Beat Out Netflix, Won Warner Bros. and Will Change Hollywood Forever https://t.co/Pt6DwlK7fc

Takes a global effort to tell one of the most incredible deal battles in modern history With @DanielThomasLDN @mroliverbarnes and Chris Grimes https://t.co/OfRP3RBlGV https://t.co/Wx8RaqAIv0

The Senate introduced the Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD) Act, aiming to strengthen the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The bill would let smaller CDFIs join the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, reauthorize a liquidity‑enhancement...
Warner says in SEC filing that 'The boards of directors of WBD and PSKY have unanimously approved the Merger Agreement...'

Castlelake’s aviation leasing arm has fully repaid a $595 million aircraft‑backed security, marking the first complete repayment of an operating‑lease aircraft ABS since the COVID‑19 pandemic. The Castlelake Aircraft Securitization Trust 2021‑1, comprising 26 passenger jets, one freighter and 11 lessees across...

Deloitte announced a sweeping consolidation of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) member firms into a single €20 billion practice, slated to launch on 1 June 2026. The move will unite 132,000 staff under a new Deloitte EMEA structure and trigger a leadership...

Leaders are urged to prioritize Non‑Human Identities (NHIs) – machine identities such as tokens, keys and certificates – as a core component of AI system safety and regulatory compliance. The article outlines how inadequate discovery, classification and secret rotation create...

Non-Human Identities (NHIs) are becoming central to cybersecurity as organizations accelerate digital transformation. By managing machine identities, tokens and keys throughout their lifecycle, companies can reduce breach risk, improve compliance, and automate secret rotation. AI‑driven platforms add context‑aware detection, enabling...