Stephen Gorenstein: Why War Hasn’t Shifted Fundie’s View on Gold and Critical Minerals
Stephen Gorenstein of the SGH Ari Fund says the Iran war and a hawkish Fed chair nomination have rattled gold prices, but his long‑term thesis on gold and critical minerals stays intact. The fund posted a 95.4% gain in calendar year 2025 driven by those positions, even as spot gold fell from a record US$5,500/oz to around US$4,700/oz. Gorenstein expects the Federal Reserve to keep cutting rates this year, which he believes will support gold and keep central banks net buyers. He also highlights strong margins and cost discipline as key for miners, naming Ramelius Resources, PC Gold and Many Peaks as top picks.
VA's Failure to Use Its New Authority to Boost Pay for Doctors Draws Bipartisan Criticism
Veterans Affairs doctors remain capped at $400,000 a year despite the Dole Act, a bipartisan law signed by President Biden that allows 300 pay‑waiver exceptions and retroactive compensation. The VA has not issued guidance to implement the authority, even though...
BoE and PRA Response On AI In Financial Services
The Bank of England and the Prudential Regulation Authority issued a joint letter to the Chancellor outlining a new supervisory framework for artificial intelligence in the UK financial sector. AI will be embedded as a 2026 supervisory priority, with heightened...
US Agency Proposes Rolling Back Rules for Safe Disposal of Toxic Coal Ash
The EPA announced a proposal to roll back rules that govern the safe disposal of coal‑ash waste, reversing standards tightened under the Biden administration. The draft would ease groundwater monitoring, limit requirements to line new storage sites, and broaden the...
DOW’s Economic Defense Unit: Top Points for Defense and Defensetech Companies
The U.S. Department of War has launched the Economic Defense Unit (EDU) to channel roughly $200 billion into defense and dual‑use technology firms over the next three years. The EDU will issue a mix of grants, loans, equity investments and purchase...
Red Bull, Chobani, Unilever Named CPG Leaders -- But Smaller Brands Are Coming For Them
The 2025 Circana U.S. CPG Growth Leaders report shows Red Bull leading the largest manufacturers, with Unilever, Kimberly‑Clark, L’Oréal and Coca‑Cola following, while mid‑tier firms such as Chobani and Celsius also posted strong gains. Private‑label and sub‑$1 billion brands captured market...
Renewables Reenvisioned: How Linea Energy Built a 7-GW Renewable Pipeline in Under Two Years
Linea Energy, founded by veteran developer Cassidy DeLine, has assembled a renewable pipeline exceeding 7 GW in under two years. The company leverages proprietary data simulations to front‑load site analysis, acquires mid‑stage projects, and advances projects without early PPAs, reducing risk....
SkyShare Selected to Operate FBO and Develop Much Needed Hangar Capacity at South Valley Regional Airport
SkyShare has been chosen as the Fixed Base Operator for South Valley Regional Airport (SVR) near Salt Lake City. The company will manage the full‑service FBO and oversee roughly 650,000 sq ft of hangar and office space. To address a four‑year‑long hangar...
Volkswagen Killing U.S. ID.4 and Could Be Readying a New Pickup
Volkswagen will cease production of the ID.4 electric compact SUV at its Chattanooga plant by the end of the month, reallocating the line’s capacity to the upcoming 2027 Atlas SUV. The company says the current ID.4 inventory will sustain North...
First Circuit Confirms Mootness Limits Post‑Janus Union Dues Litigation
The First Circuit dismissed the First Amendment appeal in Ramos‑Ramos v. Jordán‑Conde, holding the case moot after the University of Puerto Rico stopped post‑resignation union dues, reimbursed employees, and revised its policies. The court emphasized that federal courts cannot issue...
Hack-for-Hire Group Targets MENA Journalists and Officials
A hack‑for‑hire group has been uncovered running a multi‑year espionage campaign against journalists, activists and government officials across the Middle East and North Africa. The attackers used phishing to steal Apple ID credentials and access iCloud backups, while deploying Android spyware...
Russelectric, A Siemens Business, Highlights Advantages of Central Paralleling Systems
Russelectric, a Siemens business, promotes centralized paralleling systems as a superior alternative to onboard generator control. By moving synchronization, PLCs, and metering into a dedicated switchgear enclosure, the solution offers hot‑standby redundancy, manual backup and comprehensive event logging. The architecture...
Can Newspapers Be Saved? One Billionaire Thinks He Can Do Just That
Billionaire David Hoffmann has amassed control of 131 U.S. newspaper titles, directly owning 42 and holding a 53% stake in Lee Enterprises. Since 2022, every paper he acquired outright has become profitable, a rare feat amid a sector where 40%...
Live Nation Antitrust Trial Nears End as Lawyer for 34 States Labels the Concerts Giant a Monopolist
Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster unit dominate the concert market, holding about 86 % of ticket sales and 73 % when sports events are included. A coalition of 34 states presented closing arguments in a Manhattan federal antitrust trial, accusing the...
Local Youth Development Program Brings “Home” To Life for Travelers at SAN Through Dance
San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 1 will host a live dance series, “Migration: Making a Home in Transit,” from April 16 through May 14. The performances are part of the airport’s Spring Performing Arts Residency and are created by youth development nonprofit A...
Rocky Mount, N.C., Downgraded to A1 After Takeover Threat
Moody's lowered Rocky Mount, North Carolina’s issuer and special‑tax ratings to A1, two notches below its previous Aa2 standing, citing a sharp erosion of liquidity that fell to under 11 % of revenue in FY 2025. The city carries $80.2 million in debt...
Q&A: How Lebanon’s Aviation Chief Keeps Beirut Airport Open Amid Iran War Chaos
Amid the US‑Israeli war on Iran, Beirut’s Rafic Hariri Airport remains operational despite daily Israeli strikes near the city. Captain Mohammed Aziz, head of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, says Middle East Airlines (MEA) is the sole carrier still flying, operating...
Carbon Nanotube Fiber Sensors Achieve Record Measurement Error Below 0.1%
Skoltech researchers, together with Chinese and Iranian collaborators, demonstrated carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF) sensors that achieve a record‑low measurement error of under 0.1%, far surpassing the typical 2% error of commercial sensors. The study, published in iScience, proves CNTFs can...
UK FCA Confirms An Increase To FOS Award Limits
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has approved higher compensation caps for the Financial Ombudsman Service for 2026/27, tying the increase to CPI inflation. Effective 1 April, the maximum award for complaints arising on or after 1 April 2019 rises to £455,000 (about $578,000),...
Oil Pares Gains to Close up 1% as Israel Plans Peace Talks with Lebanon
Oil prices closed up about 1% on Thursday, with Brent at $95.92 and WTI at $97.87, but both remained below the $100 barrier for a second day. The market initially spiked over 5% on doubts about the durability of the...
AI Is Coming for Car Salesmen and Let’s Be Real, It Makes Perfect Sense
South Korean software firm Epikar has introduced the Pikar Genie, an AI‑powered kiosk designed to handle most showroom interactions traditionally performed by car salespeople. The device is already deployed in Renault, BMW and Volvo dealerships in South Korea, where Renault...
Six Questions Federal Contractors Are Asking About the New DEI Executive Order
Executive Order 14398, issued to curb race‑based DEI practices among federal contractors, mandates a specific contract clause by April 25, 2026 that requires reporting, flow‑down to subcontractors, and subjects violators to False Claims Act liability. The order narrows the focus to race...
Minor Hotels Unveils Plans for Global Data and AI Platform
Minor Hotels announced a new global data and AI platform built with Google Cloud, Salesforce, OneTrust and Deloitte. The platform will unify guest data across its 63‑country footprint, enabling real‑time personalization and AI‑driven service. Designed from scratch, it leverages generative...
Portland Fire+ Streaming Platform Launches
Portland’s new WNBA franchise has launched Portland Fire+, a direct‑to‑consumer streaming service priced at $5.99 per month or $59.99 annually. The platform, built with Kiswe’s streaming technology and featuring live game broadcasts by Chime, offers original series, player features, and...
The Need to Prioritize Supporting Caregivers Through a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Family caregivers of breast cancer patients face high rates of anxiety and depression, with studies reporting prevalence between 52% and 94%. Research shows caregiver burden is the strongest predictor of their mental health, worsening as patients’ functional status declines and...
YouTube Tests New Premium Feature that Automatically Speeds up Videos to Save Viewers Time
YouTube is piloting an "auto speed" feature that dynamically adjusts playback rates for Premium subscribers, aiming to keep content clear while speeding up longer videos. Users must enable the experiment in Settings under "Try experimental new features". The rollout coincides...
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Getting a Tax Refund? This New 5.00% Short-Term CD Could Be the Smartest Place to Park It
Nuvision Credit Union has launched a new five‑month certificate of deposit that pays a 5.00% APY, the highest short‑term rate available in the market. The CD is limited to a single $5,000 deposit per member, which aligns well with the...
Healthy Starts, Cravings Later: How 'Need States' Drive Daily Dining Decisions
Technomic’s newest trend report shows diners start the day with a “better‑for‑you” need state, which accounts for roughly one‑third of breakfast choices, but quickly shift to craving‑satisfaction and experiential drivers for lunch, snacks, dinner and late‑night meals. Cravings dominate all...
Costs for Rent-Stabilized Landlords Outpaced Inflation, Board Says
The New York Rent Guidelines Board reported that operating costs for rent‑stabilized landlords rose 5.3% last year, more than double the 2.7% overall inflation rate. Energy and insurance expenses led the surge, pushing the five‑year cost increase to 31%. To...
'BlueHammer' Windows Zero-Day Exploit Signals Microsoft Bug Disclosure Issues
A researcher using the alias Chaotic Eclipse publicly released exploit code for a Windows zero‑day flaw dubbed “BlueHammer,” which targets a race condition in Windows Defender’s signature update system. The PoC, posted on GitHub on April 2, claims the vulnerability remains...
As Astronauts Visit the Moon, NASA Insider Says Agency Is in Shambles Behind the Scenes
Four NASA astronauts completed a lunar flyby, delivering striking images of Earth and the Moon’s far side. At the same time, the agency is grappling with a proposed 47% cut to its science directorate under the Trump administration’s 2026 budget...
Florida AG Announces Investigation Into OpenAI over Shooting that Allegedly Involved ChatGPT
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into OpenAI, alleging that the chatbot ChatGPT was used to plan the April 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University that left two dead and five injured. The victims' families have filed...
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Draws Coverage From “Inside the CFPB”: A First for Our Platform
The Consumer Finance Monitor podcast earned its first dedicated coverage from the industry publication Inside the CFPB, highlighting an April 2 episode on buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) regulation. The article quoted Max Dubin of the New York State Department of Financial Services,...
On Final Approach: How the NC Supreme Court Case Can Ground Long-Tail Aviation Liability
The North Carolina Supreme Court in Warren v. Cielo Ventures upheld a one‑year contractual limitations period, rejecting the idea that statutory UDTPA claims automatically override contract terms. The decision rests on freedom‑of‑contract principles and prior case law, stating that parties...
Post-TAVR Bleeding in AFib Patients Much Less Common with Apixaban than Rivaroxaban
A new retrospective analysis of more than 4,000 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients with atrial fibrillation found that apixaban significantly lowers the risk of major bleeding compared with rivaroxaban. Propensity‑score matching created two balanced cohorts of 2,157 patients each,...
American Airlines Hikes Checked Baggage Fees: What They Cost and How to Avoid Paying Them Entirely
American Airlines raised its checked‑bag fees on April 9 2026, charging $45 pre‑pay (or $50 at the airport) for the first bag and $55 pre‑pay (or $60 at the airport) for the second on domestic and short‑haul international routes. Pre‑paying saves $5...
Chili's Is Now the Second-Largest U.S. Casual-Dining Chain
Chili's Grill & Bar surged past Olive Garden in 2025 to become the second‑largest U.S. casual‑dining chain, posting a 20.6% jump in system‑wide sales to $5.5 billion. The growth was achieved without opening new locations, as average unit volume rose about...
David Weekley Homes Celebrates 50 Years of People First
David Weekley Homes marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, having built more than 130,000 homes across 19 U.S. markets. The Houston‑based builder employs roughly 1,780 staff and has earned industry firsts such as the Triple Crown of American Home Building...
Experian Express Gives Small Lenders a Self-Service Onboarding Platform
Experian launched Experian Express, a self‑service platform that lets credit unions, community banks and other small lenders digitally credential, onboard and pull credit reports without complex integration. The solution taps Experian’s database of more than 245 million U.S. credit‑active consumers and...
A Maverick Hacker Got Mac OS X Running on a Wii
Bryan Keller, a self‑taught hacker, successfully ported Mac OS X 10.0 (Cheetah) to Nintendo's 2006 Wii console, overturning a Reddit claim that it was impossible. Leveraging the Wii's PowerPC processor—similar to early Macs—Keller built a custom bootloader, patched the kernel,...
Chicago Selected As Home Of NCSA’s Candy Hall Of Fame Experience
The National Confectionery Sales Association (NCSA) announced that Chicago will host the permanent Candy Hall of Fame Experience, a 60,000‑square‑foot, multi‑level attraction slated to open in summer 2027 at 830 North Michigan Avenue. The city was selected over Orlando and...
Gilead and Roche Bet on Protein Degraders for Their Cancer Drug Pipelines
Gilead exercised its option to license Kymera Therapeutics' CDK2 molecular‑glue degrader KT‑200, triggering a $45 million payment and opening a potential $665 million milestone path, with an IND target of 2027. Roche paid $20 million upfront to C4 Therapeutics to co‑develop degrader‑antibody drug...
Metal Gear Solid Movie Gets New Directors After Nearly a Decade in Development Hell
Sony has inked a first‑look deal with directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, tasking them with helming the long‑awaited Metal Gear Solid film. The duo arrives fresh from the $317 million worldwide success of Final Destination: Bloodlines, which they directed...
House Set To Vote on ALERT Act Next Week
The U.S. House will vote next week on the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act (H.R.7613) under suspension of the rules, requiring a two‑thirds majority. The bill expands on the earlier ROTOR Act by directing the FAA to...
Eggs Up Grill Partners With Metz Group for Pennsylvania Expansion in Q1 2026
Eggs Up Grill reported a 4% same‑restaurant sales increase in Q1 2026, marking its 21st straight quarter of growth. More than 60% of its franchisees now operate multiple units, underscoring a maturing franchise network. The chain announced a strategic partnership with...
GalaxyEdge Acquisition Corp Announces the Separate Trading of Its Ordinary Shares and Rights
GalaxyEdge Acquisition Corp (NYSE: GLED U) announced that holders of its IPO units can elect to separate the ordinary shares and accompanying rights, with separate trading slated to begin around April 14, 2026. The split shares will trade under the ticker GLED, while...
Coherent Advances Silicon Carbide Thick Epitaxy Capabilities for High-Voltage AI Datacenter and Industrial Power Applications Up to 10kV
Coherent Corp announced new thick silicon‑carbide (SiC) epitaxy platforms on 150 mm and 200 mm wafers that support power devices up to 10 kV, with demonstrated capability beyond that threshold. The technology targets high‑efficiency, high‑power‑density converters for AI‑intensive datacenters and industrial electrification such...
Planned Parenthood Clinic Turns to Cosmetic Care Amid Loss of Federal Funding
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the nation’s largest affiliate, is launching cash‑based aesthetic services such as Botox and IV hydration to compensate for a revenue gap after the Trump administration cut federal funding. The loss of Medicaid reimbursements forced the closure of...
Coolio: "I Don't Think There Are Many Teams in the World Like Ours, We Are More than a Family"
FUT advanced to the PGL Bucharest semi‑finals after a dominant 2‑0 win over B8, dropping only one map to Inner Circle earlier in the tournament. Coach András “coolio” Fercsák emphasized realistic expectations, noting the team’s aggressive style and strong mental...
Automatic U.S. Military Draft Registration Planned by December, Filing Shows
The Selective Service System filed a proposal to automatically enroll every U.S. male citizen aged 18 to 26 in the draft registry by December 2026, fulfilling a requirement added to the National Defense Authorization Act. Registration compliance slipped to 81%...