Iran's Real Power: Controlling the Strait of Hormuz
My take on Iran's biggest advantage in the war: "The US & Israel are making mincemeat out of Iran, but Iranians still hold their key card: the Strait of Hormuz, which remains shut down. A great friend in Dubai said he has 24,000 tons of cargo stranded at sea & it's a nightmare." https://t.co/Y3sq0eOW8M
ECB's Panetta: Private Sector Drives Cross‑border Payments
ECB’s Panetta says the private sector is key in cross-border payments https://t.co/dYdaPPXjLl via @Alemrome https://t.co/dkpP47DCou
Linux Community Deems New CA Law Ridiculous, Unenforceable
As I read and listen to responses to the new CA law, a theme emerged: the Linux community thinks this is ridiculous and is unlikely to comply (and compliance would be next to impossible to enforce...) https://t.co/hiQJkTfESN
Parents Need Direct Control Over Roblox AI Content
Roblox should allow parents to block AI-centric experiences from populating their children's Roblox accounts. It shouldn't come down to whether Roblox considers the chatbot interaction "extended" or "brief." I don't want either. https://www.crossplay.news/p/new-ai-updates-in-roblox
Gas $5, Oil Spike Signals Higher Prices Ahead
Gas is already pushing five dollars a gallon here, and remember this: when oil prices spike, gas prices lag behind. Which means this isn’t the peak. It’s the warning. Are we winning yet?!
NFL Offers CBS 50% Higher Deal, Extends Contract to 2034
The NFL has begun talking to Paramount/CBS Sports about a new deal. I'm told the current bid-ask spread midpoint is about 50-60% higher, and in return, the NFL would simply lift its current 2029-30 opt out and keep the CBS deal...
China Launches Ground‑mounted Perovskite Solar Test Field
Ground-mounted perovksite solar module testing field goes online in China #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/JFx7Yp31JV
Western Innovation Slowing as Price Race Overshadows True Cost
Since it's Friday, I'd like to share some thoughts. Ideal for a weekend meditation or a (friendly) discussion. I just got back from my keynote in New York at Additive Manufacturing Strategies, and we need to talk about how we've taken...
Chemical Shortage Hits Asia as Naphtha Supply Dries Up
More than “Five Asian petrochemical plants have declared force majeure in the past ten days because their naphtha supply was cut off at the Strait of Hormuz. The emergency reserves are crude oil. The shortage is chemicals.”
Iran May Extort Oil Deals After $120 Price Surge
Why wouldn’t Iran wait until oil hits $120/barrel and then put out the word that if you’re friendly to them and pay them you can get your oil, mafia-style?
US Deploys AI for Warfare, Iran Becomes Test Ground
The US turned to Claude and other artificial intelligence systems to help shape its vision for AI warfare. In Iran that strategy is unfolding in real time An excerpt from the coming book Project Maven shows how the US enlisted...
Progress MS-33 Sealed in Fairing for March 22 ISS Launch
Progress MS-33 cargo ship was encapsulated inside its fairing in preparation for an ISS resupply mission scheduled to lift off on March 22: https://t.co/mN4Hi2mIUG https://t.co/13WiUz4NSF
Sensofusion Unveils Portable Drone Factory in Shipping Container
Sensofusion has today announced the Tactical Drone Factory: a fully self-contained interceptor drone manufacturing facility built inside a standard shipping container. Shipping worldwide in May (export restrictions apply). https://t.co/h8FszYdeAo https://t.co/RgZ7xuuGiT
Pentagon's $11B Iran War Figure Grossly Understates True Cost
In the last week alone, the Pentagon estimates that the US spent $11 BILLION on the Iran war. WARNING: Pentagon estimates are always fiction and way below the real cost. WAR = COSTS AMERICANS AN ARM AND A LEG. https://t.co/49t33aGlwH
Emirates, Qatar Flights Fly Empty, First-Class Solo
Emirates And Qatar Flights Are Empty — Passengers Have Whole First Or Business Class Cabins To Themselves - View from the Wing https://t.co/WyPl6Tmz9c
Institutional Buying Doesn't Hike Prices; Building New Homes Lowers Them
It's not actually that complicated: 1️⃣ There's no evidence that institutional purchases of existing single-family homes drives up prices. 2️⃣ Institutional financing, building, and ownership of new single-family homes expands the housing supply and drives down prices.
Auto Industry Sees Surge in Freight Fraud and Cargo Theft
The auto industry people are noticing the massive uptick in freight fraud and cargo theft
UAE Rail Shifts 459k Tons in Nine Days
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the UAE has turned to its rail network. Etihad Rail Freight has transported 459,000 tons of cargo and 7,900 containers in only 9 days. UAE’S INFRASTRUCTURE MITIGATES THE WAR’S COLLATERAL DAMAGE. https://t.co/cRyWRv4gvD
Trump Administration Winged War Amid Chaos, Oil Surge
Two weeks into the US-Iran war, CENTCOM has struck 6,000 targets, Hormuz is closed, oil is at $100 a barrel, the regime hasn’t fallen, and 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium sit somewhere under rubble. In a new show with @shashj,...
Brent Backwardation Narrows at Front, Widens Overall
While the prompt Brent timespread has actually weakened a bit from last Friday, it's largely because the rest of the curve is rallying more aggressively than the front. Brent curve backwardation slightly shallower at the front vs last Friday, but backwardation...
Ultra‑wealthy Exodus Leaves No Revenue, Boomers Get Breaks
There's not going to be a revenue base here after they drive ultra HNW to Florida and Texas and keep giving boomers property tax breaks.
US Deploys Marine Task Force for Limited Middle East Operations
Can confirm this news, per two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. This will put a Marine air-ground task force in the Middle East, along with three amphibious warships. That's not enough for a major invasion. But the unit, in...
Rio Silver Reports Ongoing Progress at Maria Norte
Rio Silver Provides Corporate Update Highlighting Continued Operational Progress at Maria Norte - Rio Silver https://t.co/LA99y4ynqV $RYO.V $RYOOF
Simple Time Question Outsmarts Freight Fraud Scammers
Asking freight fraud scammers what time it is where they are trips them up so much more frequently than you’d think
Meta Strips End-to-End Encryption From Instagram DMs
A terrible step back for privacy and it's crazy that Meta announced this by updating a support page https://www.androidpolice.com/instagram-is-getting-rid-of-end-to-end-encryption-for-dms/
Ariane 6 Poised as Amazon Leo’s Workhorse
Who had Ariane 6 as the booster that would emerge from the Vulcan/New Glenn/Ariane 6 triumvirate of new rockets to become a workhorse for Amazon Leo?
US Injuries From Iran Strikes Occur Across Gulf, Officials Vague
Asked this morning about U.S. military injuries against Iran, neither Secretary Hegseth nor Gen. Caine shared great fidelity. But Caine did say they have occurred "in Kuwait, Jordan, down across the southern flank a little bit, a variety of places, most...
CMS Delays Florida Direct Payment Approval for UHS
HEARING $UHS --negative call out right now- CMS has delayed Florida Direct payment approval due to CMS concerns-- capital forum confirmed
Failed Execution Left Strait Open, only Weapons Remain
"We had a plan. We just didn't execute it and that is why the Strait is totally open except for the missiles, explosive UUVs, and maybe some mines."
Epigenetic Therapy Marks New Era in Glaucoma Treatment
Great to see ophthlamologists adopting epigenetic modifications and resets to treat eye diseases like glaucoma. A paradigm shift in medicine https://t.co/g2gr3WVpkf https://t.co/6gbBVHJuXI
AEMO Stresses Keeping System and Market Functions Unified
“It is paramount:” AEMO says system and market operator functions must be kept together #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/aT4fNULk61 https://t.co/zCvJLVP2gO
UK Freelancers Can Auto‑Calculate Statutory Late‑Payment Interest
Freelancers, small businesses and so on have a statutory right under uk law to charge interest on unpaid bills. But the calculation can be complex. So my old friend the brill actress and podcaster Laura Shavin built a calculator. It’s...
Real‑time Hormuz Strait Vessel Traffic Data Updated Every 30 Minutes
Data for Hormuz Strait vessel traffic, updated every 30 minutes To monitor Hormuz Strait vessel traffic updated every 30 minutes, 24-hour rolling, type TRHBTKCD Index and WSL SHIPPING in Bloomberg. (via Torsten Slok of Apollo) https://t.co/FEU44SH6R5
Financing Rules and Lawsuits Have Halted U.S. Condo Construction
Over the past 20 years, America has basically stopped building condos. Owing to a mix of restrictive financing regulations and endless defect litigation, the most viable path to urban homeownership has largely disapprared. In my latest for @TheAtlantic, we explain...
Assessing Operation Epic Fury's Success in Securing Hormuz Traffic
I joined @benshapiro this morning to discuss how Operation Epic Fury is going, are we achieving our objectives, will we be able to ensure traffic in the Straights of Hormuz?
AT&T's New Plans Push Upgrades, Not Spark Price War
AT&T's new set of wireless plans aim to incentivize subs to upgrade to better tiers, but it's 'not the start of a new price war ... kind of the opposite,' notes New Street Research's David Barden. @Light_Reading https://t.co/JE0b6UgSKA
AI's Future Depends on Management Consulting Expertise
#AI Needs Management Consultants After All by @AllisonPohle @wsj Learn more: https://t.co/22WVGLJGTi #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML #DL https://t.co/BNYeCN5xJc
Billable Hours Block Law Firm Tech Adoption
Why is it so hard to get law firms to adopt technology?The answer: the billable hour. Not as a pricing mechanism, but as the operating system of the entire firm. It shapes comp, performance, and earnings, and thus behavior. I...
War-Driven Rate Hike Adds $130/Month on $600k Mortgage
For a $600,000 home, a borrower will now have to pay $130 more per month than what they would have paid the day before the war started when rates were 5.99%
Banks Shifted $300B Risk to Private Credit Funds
$300B in bank loans to private credit funds, BDCs, and CLOs. "Private credit moved risk out of the banking system" was always the pitch. The banks just lent to the funds instead of the borrowers.
People Rarely Change Their Banking Apps
I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I do know that nobody ever switches their banking app. https://t.co/sSoj6aN1T6
Iran Under Heavy Assault, Conflict Duration Uncertain
"Iran is clearly being pummelled... However at what rate – hence conflict timeframe – remains unclear." #Iranwar #Iran #defence #avgeek https://t.co/qhtkN3j2VB https://t.co/XSGoJdQlBO
Prediction Markets See Two‑thirds Chance US Troops Deployed by Year‑end
Prediction markets are pricing in 2/3rds chance that U.S. boots are on the ground by the end of the year https://t.co/2kcrfgNU6v
Navy’s Capability Outpaces Capacity, Leaving Few Ready Ships
Hegseth says the Navy is performing better than expected. He says the Navy had a comprehensive plan for the Strait of Hormuz. He says we have the best warships in the world. He says we have enough munitions. All of that can be true. And...
Chinese AI Turns Commercial Satellite Data Into Intelligence
Chinese AI Startup Watching US Military Assets in Middle East From Space So are a lot of actors... “The value of MizarVision’s output is not the raw satellite image. Any government can purchase commercial satellite passes. The value is the AI...
Gold Not Sold, Gains Funding Rearmament Plan
Lots of very misplaced reporting and speculation about Glapinski's gold "sale" for rearmanent plan. It's not a sale. Latest indications are it's about using the unrealised gains on the gold they bought to fund a rearmament program. The whole back...
Congress Urges Curb on Costly Medicare Advantage Subsidies
Congressional advisers call to rein in Medicare Advantage spending amid industry pressure I’ll summarize for you. EVERY SINGLE FAMILY IN THE USA IS PAYING $800 A YEAR to the big insurance companies because taxpayers pay them more than it...
ATACMS Missile Sinks Iranian Submarine, Cripples Navy
Iranian Submarine Sunk By ATACMS Short Range Ballistic Missile ATACMS and PrSM ballistic missiles have played a key role in destroying Iran's Navy from afar. https://t.co/8ejVX64Vod
Mearsheimer: US War in Iran Faltering, Trump Stuck
Distinguished UChicago Prof. John Mearsheimer on the war in Iran: “It’s quite clear that the war is not going well for the United States… and the problem that [Trump] faces is he can’t find an off-ramp.” https://t.co/7LkbA4GAp1
Small Marine Deployment Sparks Uncontrolled Escalation Risk
"The camel's nose under the tent"? Client just summed Hegseth sending 5000 marines to the Trump-Netanyahu War on Iran: a modest initial action that will inevitably lead to much larger, more serious, and uncontrollable consequences. Let’s face it: Trump trapped US - as...