Pulse
Original reporting by Pulse, synthesizing breaking news from multiple sources with AI-powered analysis. Each story combines insights from leading publishers, expert commentary, and real-time data.
Gold Slides as Inflation Data Stokes Fed Rate‑Hike Fears
Gold prices slipped sharply after U.S. import prices rose 1.3% month‑over‑month, reviving fears of persistent inflation and prompting Federal Reserve officials to signal further rate hikes. The move underscores growing market anxiety over the Fed’s dual mandate.
US Equities Rebound on Iran Cease‑fire Hopes and Chip Optimism
U.S. equities climbed Wednesday after the White House delivered a 15‑point Iran cease‑fire proposal, sparking optimism that the conflict could de‑escalate. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished in the green, while chip‑related stocks rallied and oil prices fell.
Netflix’s MLB Opening Day Stream Sparks Fan Backlash, Highlights Shift to Streaming‑Only Sports
Netflix aired the 2026 MLB season opener between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants as a pay‑walled event, prompting a wave of fan criticism over cost and tradition. The backlash illustrates growing tension as major leagues experiment with...
Blackstone‑Led Group Buys IPL’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $1.78 Billion
Blackstone, alongside Aditya Birla Group, Times of India and Bolt Ventures, signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL franchise for $1.78 billion. The deal, pending regulator sign‑off, places the team under a new ownership team that aims to...
Berkshire Hathaway’s $78 B Share Repurchase Outpaces Spend on Apple, Chevron, BofA, Occidental
Berkshire Hathaway has repurchased $78 billion of its own Class A and B shares since July 2018, a sum that exceeds the total capital the conglomerate has ever allocated to Apple, Chevron, Bank of America and Occidental Petroleum combined. The buyback...
Henkel to Acquire Olaplex for $1.4 Billion, Expanding Hair‑Care Portfolio
German consumer‑goods giant Henkel AG has signed a definitive agreement to purchase premium hair‑care brand Olaplex for $1.4 billion, or $2.06 per share. The deal, approved by Olaplex’s board and its controlling shareholder Advent, is aimed at deepening Henkel’s hair‑care category...
Iran War Sends Shockwaves Through Energy, Fertilizer and Consumer Goods Supply Chains
The war sparked by Iran’s confrontation with the United States and Israel has closed the Strait of Hormuz, driven Brent crude above $100 a barrel and halted key fertilizer shipments, while India grapples with an LPG shortage that threatens millions...
Amazon Tests Prime Shipping on External Sites, Details Undisclosed
Amazon has begun a pilot that would let external e‑commerce sites display Prime two‑day shipping eligibility without requiring shoppers to log into Amazon. The company has not released details on participating sites, timeline, or technical implementation, leaving the market to...
Atossa Therapeutics Posts Q4 2025 Results, Secures Rare Disease Designations for (Z)-Endoxifen
Atossa Therapeutics released its fourth‑quarter 2025 earnings and announced that the FDA granted Rare Pediatric Disease and Orphan Drug designations to its lead candidate (Z)-endoxifen for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The company said the designations accelerate its rare‑disease strategy while it...
GAC Philippines Rolls Out ONE GAC 2.0 Strategy to Consolidate Brand and Expand Market Share
GAC International Philippines announced the ONE GAC 2.0 strategy, merging its GAC MOTOR, AION and HYPTEC lines under a single brand, completing a brand‑renewal rollout in just over a month and convening 30 core dealers at a February conference to...
From Homelessness to 1,000 Rental Units: Terrica Lynn Smith’s $1B Real Estate Empire
Terrica Lynn Smith, who lived under a bridge after Hurricane Katrina, now owns and manages more than a thousand rental units and has participated in nearly $1 billion of real‑estate transactions. Her rise from a $5,000 first purchase to a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar...
Remote Workers Hit by Unexpected State Tax Bills as 22 States Tax From Day One
Cross‑state remote employees are being hit with surprise tax bills as 22 states can levy income tax from the first day of work, and five states apply a “convenience of employer” rule that taxes wages in the employer’s state. The...
Melania Trump Debuts Figure 03 Humanoid Robot at White House Summit
First Lady Melania Trump walked onto the White House’s “Fostering the Future Together” summit flanked by Figure 03, a new humanoid robot from Figure AI. The high‑profile demo highlights the company’s push to mass‑produce AI‑powered robots for everyday use, a...
Meta's $2 B AI Deal Stalled by China Travel Ban on Executives
Meta's $2 billion acquisition of a Singapore‑based artificial‑intelligence company has hit a regulatory snag as Chinese authorities barred two of the firm’s executives from leaving the country. The move underscores the geopolitical headwinds facing large cross‑border tech deals.
BAIC Unveils 11‑Minute Charge Sodium‑Ion EV Battery with 450 Km Range
Beijing Automotive Group’s R&D unit announced a sodium‑ion battery prototype that can fully charge in about 11 minutes and deliver a CLTC range of 450 km. The pack boasts over 170 Wh/kg energy density and operates from –40 °C to 60 °C, positioning...
Iuvo Joins New England's Fastest‑Growing Firms Amid Surge in Consulting Demand
iuvo, a pure‑play IT consulting firm, was named one of New England's fastest‑growing companies, underscoring robust market appetite for digital transformation and operational improvement services. The accolade arrives as larger players like Infosys double down on healthcare consulting through strategic...
Palantir Deploys Vergence AI on Polymarket to Combat Fraud in Prediction Markets
Palantir Technologies has entered a joint venture with Polymarket to embed its Vergence AI engine into the prediction‑market platform’s sports‑betting and event‑driven ecosystem. The partnership aims to detect and prevent fraud in real time, offering regulators and users greater confidence...
New Horizon Medical Solutions Names Dr. Christine Grogan as Chief Commercial Officer
New Horizon Medical Solutions announced the appointment of Dr. Christine Grogan as Chief Commercial Officer, tasking her with expanding sales, marketing and partnership initiatives. The move underscores the fast‑growing health‑tech firm’s push to scale commercial operations amid rising demand for...
Ring Unveils Battery-Powered 4K & 2K Video Doorbells Starting at $99
Ring announced battery-powered versions of its 4K and 2K video doorbells, with the base Battery Doorbell (2nd gen) priced at $99. The new lineup includes a $250 4K Pro, a $180 2K Plus and a $79 wired 2K model, all available...
Legal AI Startup Harvey's $1 B Fundraising Sparks Debate over Capital Use
Harvey, a legal‑tech AI startup, announced a fundraising round that brings total new capital to almost $1 billion, prompting both excitement and scrutiny over how the money will be deployed in contract and litigation automation.
OpenAI Adds Broadcom as AI Chip Supplier, Widening Gap with Nvidia
OpenAI announced that Broadcom will join Nvidia as a supplier of custom AI accelerators for its ChatGPT and other services, marking a strategic diversification. Broadcom’s AI semiconductor revenue doubled to $8.4 billion last quarter, underscoring its growing relevance in the inference...
Progressives Push Federal Moratorium on AI Data Center Construction
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez are introducing companion bills that would halt construction and upgrades of AI‑focused data centers until federal AI safety, climate and equity laws are passed. The proposal targets facilities over 20 MW and comes as...
Chinese and Italian Colleges Launch Joint Drone‑Based Vocational Training Program
Chinese and Italian colleges have announced a joint drone‑based vocational training program, the first cross‑border EdTech partnership focused on hands‑on technology skills. While the curriculum details and funding amounts remain undisclosed, the initiative signals a concrete expansion of digital learning...
Infosys to Acquire Stratus, Expanding AI‑Driven Services for P&C Insurers
Infosys announced a definitive agreement to acquire Stratus, a U.S.‑based Guidewire consulting specialist with more than 450 experts. The deal, slated to close in the first quarter of FY2027, aims to combine Infosys' Topaz AI and Cobalt cloud platforms with...
Hosting.com Unveils AI Application Studio & Hosting Platform Powered by Cloudflare and AMD EPYC
Hosting.com announced the launch of its AI Application Studio & Hosting platform, a cloud service that blends Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, AMD EPYC compute and WebPros' Nova studio. The offering, now live in the US, UK and Germany, promises developers faster,...
Bernie Sanders Introduces AI Safety Bill That Could Freeze New Data Center Builds
Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled a legislative proposal to curb AI risks by banning the construction of new data centers, yet the bill’s text and funding details were not disclosed. The move arrives amid a wave of progressive activism and...
U.S. House Financial Services Committee Holds Tokenization Hearing – Details Not Disclosed
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee convened a hearing on tokenization and the future of securities, a development that could reshape investment banking advisory services. No specific figures or participant statements were provided in the available sources.
Dyadic COO Hazelton Steers Modest $3.1M Revenue Rise Amid Grant‑driven Cost Shift
Dyadic (DYAI) posted Q4 2025 revenue of $3.1 million, a modest rise driven by COO Joseph P. Hazelton’s operational focus. The earnings call highlighted new product launches, global distribution deals and a growing reliance on grant‑linked R&D, offsetting a drop in...
Meta's AI Ray‑Ban Glasses Stalled in EU Over Battery, AI and Supply Rules
Meta Platforms' AI‑powered Ray‑Ban smart glasses have hit a trio of EU obstacles—mandatory removable batteries by 2027, strict AI regulations, and supply shortfalls from partner EssilorLuxottica—forcing the company to seek an exemption and postponing a European rollout.
Chevron Warns California of Historic Fuel Shortage as Diesel Tops $7 per Gallon
Chevron warned that California is on the brink of a historic fuel shortage after diesel prices surged past $7 a gallon, the highest on record. The company said it may cease refining in the state unless taxes and regulations are...
Bill Ackman Dumps Hilton, Shifts Pershing Square Into Amazon and Meta AI Bets
Activist billionaire Bill Ackman sold Pershing Square’s remaining Hilton Worldwide shares after a seven‑year hold, using the proceeds to buy Amazon and Meta Platforms. The move lifts AI stocks to roughly 55% of the fund’s $15.5 billion portfolio, underscoring a broader...
McDonald’s Partners with Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” For Limited‑Time Meals
McDonald’s is rolling out two limited‑time adult meals inspired by Netflix’s hit film KPop Demon Hunters, debuting nationwide on March 31. The promotion pairs themed menu items, collectible photocards and QR‑code content with a new Derpy McFlurry, targeting the franchise’s 500 million‑view global...
Gold ETF Showdown: AAAU Vs. GLD Expense Ratios, Liquidity and Performance Compared
Investors are comparing the newer AAAU ETF with the market‑dominant GLD as spot gold steadies around $4,500 per ounce. Recent data show gold ETFs shed roughly 62 metric tons in March, prompting a focus on expense ratios, trading liquidity...
Russia to Deploy Combat Drones to Iran, Signaling First Direct Military Aid
Russia announced it will begin delivering combat drones to Iran, the first clear evidence of Moscow providing direct military assistance in the regional war. The move heightens tensions in a volatile market and could reshape defense procurement across emerging economies.
Marriott Reopens ARC Hotel in Washington, DC After Major Renovation
Marriott International has reopened the ARC Hotel in Washington, DC following a comprehensive renovation and rebranded it as part of the Series by Marriott collection. The upgrade adds larger rooms, refreshed public spaces and integration into Marriott Bonvoy, signaling a...
Foster City Ransomware Attack Triggers Emergency as RSAC Spotlights Municipal Threats
A ransomware intrusion crippled Foster City’s computer systems, leading the city council to declare a state of emergency. The incident unfolded as more than 40,000 cybersecurity professionals gathered at the RSAC conference in San Francisco, turning the breach into a...
Waymo Robotaxis Depend on Police and Firefighters After Redwood City Freeway Fire
Waymo called 911 when a robotaxi got stuck on California's I-280 during a grass fire; a California Highway Patrol officer drove the vehicle to a park‑and‑ride after about 30 minutes. The incident underscores growing reliance on taxpayer‑funded first responders to...
European Shares Slip as ECB Rate‑Hike Fears Hit Major Stocks
European equities fell sharply on Thursday as investors priced in higher ECB rates, dragging down a range of listed companies from Germany’s SMA Solar to France’s Vinci. The sell‑off coincided with a $1.4 billion Henkel acquisition, a 1% revenue dip at...
HSBC Names Jack Yang CFO for Asia and Middle East, Replacing Ming Lau
HSBC Holdings Plc has appointed Jack Yang as chief financial officer for its Asia and Middle East franchise, succeeding Ming Lau who left for Manulife. The move is part of CEO Georges Elhedery’s broader overhaul of the bank’s senior finance...
Drone Strike Destroys Sudan Hospital, Cutting Care for 2 Million
A Sudanese army drone hit the El‑Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, killing 70 people—including women, children and health workers—and wounding 146. The facility, which served more than two million residents, is now non‑functional, forcing patients to travel 160 km for...
Trump Official Hit with Backlash After Tense All‑Hands Meeting Over Travel Ban
A senior Trump administration official who oversees the 2023 travel ban on Iran faced a heated all‑hands meeting that sparked backlash from staff and external critics. Families like Safa Sefidgari and lawyers for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro have amplified calls...
India's DPIIT Signs MoU with Krafton to Boost Gaming and Digital Entertainment Startups
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Krafton India to nurture gaming, esports and digital‑entertainment startups across the country. The partnership will launch innovation challenges, hackathons and mentorship programs, signaling...
Chewy Shares Jump 13% on Strong 2026 Outlook and AI‑Driven Margin Boost
Chewy (CHWY) surged 13% after reporting a fourth‑quarter profit beat and issuing a 2026 outlook that tops analyst estimates. The company highlighted 8.1% revenue growth to $3.26 billion, a gross‑margin lift to 29.4%, and AI‑driven efficiency gains that should lift adjusted...
Union Vote at Downtown Music Venue Highlights Service‑Sector Organizing Trend
Employees at a newly opened downtown music venue voted to join a union, marking a rare win for service‑industry labor organizing. The vote reflects broader momentum seen in recent collective‑bargaining battles, from the WNBA to hospitality workers, and raises questions...
European Audiovisual Market Hits €142 B in 2024, Led by Streaming and Box‑Office Growth
The European Audiovisual Observatory reported that the continent’s audiovisual industry produced €142 billion ($164.7 billion) in 2024. Consumer spending on streaming, pay‑TV, cinema tickets and home video accounted for over half of that total, underscoring the sector’s reliance on subscription‑based models.
Russia Caps Cash Ruble Exports to EAEU at $100,000 per Person From April 1
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that, effective April 1, 2026, prohibits individuals from exporting cash rubles worth more than $100,000 to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) members. Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs are barred from any cash export, with limited...
Iran's Hormuz Closure Sends Brent to $104, Triggers Global Energy Shock
Iran’s decision to block the Strait of Hormuz has driven Brent crude up to $104 a barrel, a 40% jump since the war began, while roughly 2,000 vessels remain stranded. The move fuels a price surge, a de‑facto toll‑booth regime...
Poll Shows Majority Say U.S. Military Action Against Iran Has Overstepped
A recent poll reveals that a clear majority of Americans think U.S. military action against Iran has exceeded acceptable limits. The sentiment comes as Washington debates a possible operation on Iran's strategic Kharg Island and as regional violence escalates.
EPA Issues Temporary E15 Gasoline Waiver to Ease $4‑plus Pump Prices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, approved a short‑term waiver permitting nationwide sales of E15 gasoline from May 1 to May 20. The move targets near‑$4‑per‑gallon pump prices that have surged amid the Iran war, while sparking debate...
Arbuthnot Banking Group Posts 28% Profit Drop as UK Regional Banks Feel Pressure
Arbuthnot Banking Group announced full‑year earnings of £17.81 million ($22.6 million), a 28% decline from the prior year, while revenue fell 3.6% to £148.37 million ($188.4 million). The results underscore mounting pressure on UK regional banks from higher funding costs and digital competition.