News•Feb 18, 2026
Corpus Christi to Tap Future Bond Proceeds for Water Project Costs
The Corpus Christi City Council approved a resolution to tap up to $410 million in future water revenue bonds, slated for issuance as late as 2027, to reimburse current cash outlays for critical water‑supply projects. The plan funds a $175 million containerized brackish‑water treatment plant, $38 million for groundwater rights, and $197 million for the Evangeline Groundwater Project, while revisiting a halted desalination effort. Drought‑driven Level 1 water emergency forecasts and recent rating downgrades underscore the urgency. Officials argue the diversified portfolio will secure long‑term water availability for the seven‑county service area.
By The Bond Buyer (municipal finance)
News•Feb 18, 2026
PFM Partners up with DebtBook
PFM announced a partnership with DebtBook to embed artificial‑intelligence capabilities into public‑sector treasury operations, leveraging PFM's Synario financial‑modeling platform alongside DebtBook's debt‑management suite. The alliance aims to automate cash‑flow, leasing and investment tracking, freeing municipal finance teams to focus on...
By The Bond Buyer (municipal finance)
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Multiple Crises, Stalled Talks, White House Impatience Signal Change
two conflicts. two stalled negotiations. one impatient white house. the next few weeks could look very different from today. @gzeromedia
By Ian Bremmer
News•Feb 18, 2026
Ikea to Open 10 US Stores This Year
Ikea U.S. announced plans to open ten new stores across the United States in 2026, including its first city‑center location in Los Angeles and its inaugural store in Oklahoma. The expansion follows a FY2025 sales decline of 4.3% to $5.3 billion...
By Retail Dive
News•Feb 18, 2026
‘The Future Is About Fixing Business Problems:’ New Charter CEO On AI‑Native MSP Strategy
New Charter Technologies is reshaping the managed services provider (MSP) model by embedding AI into its core operations, turning reactive support into automated, self‑healing processes. The company recently hired Microsoft veteran Michelle Curtis as chief revenue officer to drive a...
By CRN (US)
Social•Feb 18, 2026
S&P Adds $500B, Gold Climbs; PCE Inflation Watch
WHAT A DAY, the S&P 500 has gained around $500 BILLION in market cap, up 0.8%. The index is now up 0.3% YTD 📈 Gold is also trading higher, back above $5,000/oz, as global tensions start to escalate 😳 Mark your calendars...
By Peter Tuchman (Einstein of Wall Street)
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Debunking 10 Common Social Media Myths
Let's talk Social Media's biggest myths: 1. Is Shadowbanning real? 2. Is your phone's mic listening? 3. Do editing happs hurt reach? 4. Do hashtags grow your account? 5. Does scheduling content hurt? 6. Are Brand Partnerships throttled? 7. Do you have to post every day? 8. Does...
By Jack Appleby
News•Feb 18, 2026
Outgoing Sucker Punch Boss Hopes Studio Can Make Games in 'Shorter Periods of Time'
Outgoing co‑founder Brian Fleming says Sucker Punch wants to shrink its development cycles from roughly five years to four. The studio’s recent hit, Ghost of Yotei, outperformed its predecessor and won a DICE award, proving the model can still deliver commercial...
By Game Developer (formerly Gamasutra)
Social•Feb 18, 2026
History’s Empire Cycle Reveals Today’s Global Power Shift
Empires rise. Empires peak. Empires fall. Medieval thinkers understood the structural forces behind power, decline, and transition. Those same cycles are shaping the world today. Understand the pattern. Know what comes next. Read more at davidmurrin.co.uk #Geopolitics #EmpireCycles #History #Strategy #GlobalPower
By David Murrin
News•Feb 18, 2026
How Wingstop Plans to Weather Traffic Slides and Winter Storms
Wingstop reported a 5.8% decline in domestic same‑store sales for Q4 2025, while overall system sales rose 9% thanks to 493 new restaurants. The chain is rolling out Club Wingstop, a loyalty program that lifted guest frequency by 7% in...
By Restaurant Dive (Industry Dive)
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
AM Revises Outlook for State Street Captive
AM Best upgraded the outlook for State Street’s captive insurer, Federated Underwriting Company, from stable to positive. The agency also reaffirmed the captive’s financial strength rating at A‑ (excellent) and its long‑term issuer credit rating at a‑ (excellent). Federated Underwriting...
By Captive Intelligence
News•Feb 18, 2026
Bloomberg Intelligence: Berkshire Slashes Amazon Stake (Podcast)
Berkshire Hathaway has cut its Amazon stake by 75%, reducing a once‑$15 billion holding to roughly $10 billion. The move, disclosed in a Bloomberg Intelligence podcast, reflects Warren Buffett’s bearish view on the e‑commerce giant’s growth prospects. It marks a rare portfolio...
By Bloomberg — Business
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
‘No Landing’ Is Back In A Big Way
‘No landing’ has emerged as the prevailing global macro outlook, suggesting the economy will remain in a state of indefinite uncertainty rather than a clear recession or recovery. The author points to persistent inflation, aggressive AI investment, and AI‑induced job...
By Heisenberg Report
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Geopolitical Tension Drives Gold Surge—Position Now
Gold is on the move🔥 As tensions in the Middle East rise and Iran escalates, markets are reacting and gold is back in focus When uncertainty rises, gold shines ✨ Big moves could be ahead. The question is… are you positioned? Trade Gold with...
By Kathy Lien
News•Feb 18, 2026
Williams-Sonoma to Test Ads in ChatGPT
Williams‑Sonoma has joined OpenAI’s ad pilot, becoming one of the first retailers to test sponsored placements inside ChatGPT. The experiment will surface high‑end home‑goods ads to free and Go users as they ask product‑related questions, while paid subscribers remain ad‑free....
By Retail Dive
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
Folks Unveils 2026 State of HR Report
Folks, a Canadian HR software provider, has released its 2026 State of HR Report, surveying over 400 small and medium‑sized businesses across Canada. The study spotlights recruitment as a top priority while documenting a surge in artificial‑intelligence use and broader...
By HRTech Cube
News•Feb 18, 2026
Don’t Run From Scary Times. Here’s How AI Helps You Prioritize What Really Counts
Amid economic uncertainty, the article urges businesses to double down on core strengths and customer relationships, using AI as a strategic ally. It highlights how AI can surface top‑performing products, personalize marketing, and provide real‑time data to guide decisions. By...
By Entrepreneur
News•Feb 18, 2026
CMA CGM Inks Order for Six Dual-Fuel LNG Ships with India Yard
CMA CGM has placed an order with India’s Cochin Shipyard for six 1,700‑TEU dual‑fuel LNG container vessels. The deal was announced during a New Delhi visit that also included a pledge to recruit an additional 1,500 seafarers, bringing the total Indian crew...
By Journal of Commerce (JOC)
Social•Feb 18, 2026
AI Spending and Consumer Surge Mask Weak Underlying Growth
Recent top and bottom line (as well as profit margins) have been disproportionately impacted by massive AI cap spending and high end consumer spending. The former has a half life to it. The later may not be sustained if home and stock...
By Doug Kass
News•Feb 18, 2026
Frist Cressey Ventures Raises $425M Fund to Invest in AI-Native Care
Frist Cressey Ventures closed an oversubscribed $425 million Fund IV, lifting its assets under management close to $1 billion. The new fund zeroes in on early‑stage, AI‑native healthcare companies that can reshape care delivery. Strategic limited partners such as Cigna, MedStar Health and...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 18, 2026
Japan Accounting Group Seeks to Ease Insurer Bond Loss Rule
The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA) has proposed treating life insurers' government‑bond holdings as held‑to‑maturity, removing the need for impairment accounting when certain criteria are met. Under current rules insurers must record a loss if market value falls...
By Accounting Today
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Retail Traders Set Record Demand on Citadel Platform
Citadel on flows, via Bbrg: Retail traders spent a record amount snapping up software shares on Citadel Securities’ platform, according to Scott Rubner, head of equity and equity derivatives strategy at the firm, which began tracking the data in 2017: “Net notional...
By MacroCharts
News•Feb 18, 2026
TPG Chief Executive Jon Winkelried Says Firm Set Up AI Taskforce
TPG’s chief executive Jon Winkelried announced the creation of an AI taskforce to steer the firm’s software‑investment strategy as the sector endures a sharp sell‑off. He described the start of 2026 as a "big curveball" for markets, highlighting heightened volatility...
By Bloomberg — Business
News•Feb 18, 2026
You Can Invest in SpaceX Before Its IPO — but Should You?
Investors can now gain exposure to SpaceX through private secondary markets, specialty ETFs and pooled funds, sidestepping the wait for a public listing. The rocket company is valued at roughly $1.25 trillion, making it one of the most coveted private assets....
By MarketWatch – Top Stories
Social•Feb 18, 2026
De-Dollarization Undermines US Military Financing Power
De-Dollarization Threatens US Military Power The dollar’s role in global trade is shrinking. As it loses value, I see us losing influence and even military strength, because our military depends on financing powered by the dollar. The markets are already showing...
By Peter Schiff
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Seeing Bugs in IDE Boosts Fixes From 0% to 70%
“At Facebook, they found that when security vulnerabilities were reported as issues, nearly 0% got fixed. But when these same problems appeared directly in the developer’s IDE, where the red squiggles were difficult to ignore, fix rates jumped to around...
By Sean D. Mack
News•Feb 18, 2026
Warren Targets Dimon for Help on Interest Rate Caps
Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon urging his public support for the Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumers Act, which would let states re‑impose credit‑card interest‑rate caps on national banks. The legislation seeks to restore the...
By Banking Dive
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Top Invoicing Vendors Capture 55% Market Share
You don't get paid unless you invoice. Accurate, timely invoices. These are the top invoicing vendors used in software companies. Plus, honorable mentions just off the chart. Survey Highlights: - 57 invoicing solutions named - Top 5 solutions own 55% of the market share...
By Ben Murray
Social•Feb 18, 2026
AI Hiring You Now: Boardy AI Disrupts Investing
Someday soon AI will hire you. @boardyai is already doing that today. You talk to it on the phone. Helps you build your company. Very disruptive to all sorts of investors.
By Robert Scoble
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
Collage Integrates Payroll, Powered by Nmbr
Collage, a Canadian all‑in‑one HR, benefits and payroll platform, has launched Collage Payroll in partnership with Nmbr, the country’s first embedded payroll provider. The new feature lets businesses manage HR, benefits, time‑off and payroll from a single login, eliminating the...
By HRTech Cube
Social•Feb 18, 2026
China’s Outward FDI Surpasses Inward, Gap Widens
Since the 2010s and BRI, Chinese FDI has matched or exceeded inward FDI, but now a really big gap is opening up. More at today's Chartbook Top Links: https://t.co/DcgBB3hzww
By Adam Tooze
Social•Feb 18, 2026
AI Sales Agent Raises $14M, Beats Human Reps
In this episode of Founder Firesides,@snowmaker talks to the founders of @simpleailab, @catheryn_li & @Zach_Kamran, who just raised a $14M seed. Simple AI gives businesses an AI sales agent that handles inbound calls end-to-end and outperforms their human reps. https://t.co/keftLeBwrc
By YCombinator
News•Feb 18, 2026
Isabel Schnabel: Fiscal Challenges Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty and Ageing Societies
Isabel Schnabel highlighted the euro area’s mounting fiscal pressures, noting that low debt levels often coincide with weak public investment. She examined Germany’s new defence and infrastructure package, showing it can lift GDP but also raise debt ratios under different...
By European Central Bank — Press/Speeches
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Gold Rallies 13% as Tech Stocks Stumble
While the Magnificent Seven tech stocks have SUFFERED in 2026, GOLD IS UP over 13%. It's time to turn away from SILLY VALLEY. BUY GOLD, WEAR DIAMONDS. https://t.co/PZTIJFhPOp
By Steve Hanke
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Sector Rotation Timing Yields Asset‑rich Returns
The Great Rotation: From Growth to Asset Rich Value My job is timing sector rotation & picking the best stocks long/short within it. That & sizing up macro event risk & market structure support. That's how I could time the...
By Samantha LaDuc
News•Feb 18, 2026
Hashtag Orange Promotes Gaurang Menon to Managing Partner & Creative Head – West
Hashtag Orange, a fast‑growing Indian advertising agency, announced the promotion of Gaurang Menon to Managing Partner and Creative Head for its West operations. The move elevates Menon, who has driven award‑winning campaigns for major brands, to oversee both business development...
By Branding in Asia
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Collapse AppStack Into AppOS to Boost Developer Velocity
At #ZohoDay26, @Zoho CEO Mani Vembu makes the case to collapse AppStack layers into an AppOS. The goal is the same - #EntepriseAcceleration through higher developer velocity. https://t.co/e7JTmo1bS8
By Holger Müller
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Markets Mirror Trump’s Shifting Policy Narratives
You just have to respect markets and the games they play Trump first term: Public is all about long Energy, short Solar.... Solar stocks go on an epic run Trump 2nd term: Tariffs going to crush International economies.... International stocks just thrashing...
By Joe Kunkle
News•Feb 18, 2026
Dataminr Report: Cyber Risk Shifted in 2025 with Increased Threat Actor Activity and Mega-Loss Events
Dataminr’s 2026 Cyber Threat Landscape Report shows a dramatic shift in cyber risk during 2025, with threat‑actor alerts soaring 225% year‑over‑year. Identity‑based intrusions now account for nearly 30% of attacks, driven by an 84% rise in infostealer malware and AI‑enhanced...
By SC Media
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Zoho CEO Highlights Overwhelming System Complexity
Next up - @Zoho CEO Mani Vembu on the challenges of #ensw. In short. Too many systems. #ZohoDay26 https://t.co/VncJBRx1pr
By Holger Müller
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
India Takes on the Shadow Fleet (Bonus Video)
India's navy has begun seizing shadow‑fleet oil tankers within its exclusive economic zone, capturing three vessels since early February. The shadow fleet, a network of roughly 1,000 de‑commissioned tankers, moves 3‑4 million barrels of sanctioned crude daily from Russia, Iran...
By Zeihan on Geopolitics (Insights)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Rates Spark: Pressures Rebuild for Long Dates
Equity volatility in the US is easing, opening the door for a near‑term rally in 10‑year euro swap rates that sit about 20 basis points below their January peak. Market participants expect a bear‑steepening move as the front end of...
By ING — THINK Economics
News•Feb 18, 2026
Caturus Energy Advances LNG Business Through $950-Million Asset Deal with SM Energy
Caturus Energy announced a $950 million purchase of SM Energy’s Galvan Ranch assets, adding about 61,000 net acres and 250 MMcfed of daily gas production in Webb County, Texas. The acquisition lifts Caturus’s pro‑forma net output to roughly 950 MMcfed across 275,000 acres,...
By Oil & Gas Journal – General Interest
News•Feb 18, 2026
ED Freezes ₹505 Cr Held Abroad In WinZO Money-Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached ₹505 cr (≈$55.7 mn) held in WinZO’s US and Singapore shell accounts as part of a money‑laundering probe. The agency alleges the gaming platform used bots and algorithm‑driven personas to play against real users, inflating revenues...
By Inc42
Social•Feb 18, 2026
CIOs Overrun SAP Migration; ERP Must Accelerate for AI
The 7 biggest S/4HANA migration hurdles — and how to overcome them https://t.co/6u9sHnY6rG My take: Many CIOs I speak w/ are accumulating SAP instances faster than they can combine/rationalize them. ERP industry needs to adapt to AI speed if it doesn’t want to...
By Dion Hinchcliffe
Social•Feb 18, 2026
UK Inflation Hits 2025 Low, Strengthening BoE Rate‑Cut Case
UK inflation slowed to its weakest level since March 2025, bolstering the case for an interest rate cut when the Bank of England meets next month https://t.co/yJqzpiJ61p via @irinaanghel12 @PhilAldrick https://t.co/a5Mov7Jkhv
By Zöe Schneeweiss
News•Feb 18, 2026
France’s Very Low Inflation Rate Is a Major Challenge for Public Finances
France’s inflation fell to 0.3% year‑on‑year in January, the lowest level since 2016 and well below the euro‑area average of 1.7%. The drop, driven by falling manufactured‑goods and energy prices, leaves core inflation at just 0.7% and fuels criticism that...
By ING — THINK Economics
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Turnover Costs: Direct + Indirect Impacts Revealed
Cost of Turnover: Direct and Indirect #EmployeeTurnover Costs @perceptyx https://t.co/DN32GkyPrz #HCM #HRM #HumanResources #HRTech #CHRO #CPO #Hiring #Recruitment #PeopleManagement #Culture #Change #FutureofHR #HRCurator
By Dave Millner
News•Feb 18, 2026
Dow Jones Industrial Average Gains 200 Points as Fed Minutes Loom and Nvidia Rallies on Meta Deal
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 300 points, or 0.65%, as investors returned to equities ahead of the Federal Reserve’s January minutes. Nvidia surged over 2% after Meta announced an expanded AI‑chip partnership worth tens of billions, reinforcing Nvidia’s...
By FXStreet — News
Social•Feb 18, 2026
How Many VCs Should You Pitch for Seed?
Hey founders, when you raised your seed round, how many unique VC firms did you send your pitch?
By Mike Maples Jr.