Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 3/14/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 3/14/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
!summarize
#ai #quantum
AMD’s Gonna Go Nuts
The latest tech news includes Intel's new CEO, Lip Bu Tan, who joins the company after being at Intel for quite some time. Meanwhile, Nvidia is expected to announce the RTX 5060 and 5060 TI, with speculated price points of $329 and $399, respectively. Additionally, Asus is reportedly making a handheld Xbox console, and Corsair has announced a firmware update utility via a web browser, eliminating the need for their iQ software.
AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs have seen significant sales, with 71% of buyers choosing AMD over Nvidia. The company is also rumored to be working on Zen 6 CPUs with increased L3 cache, potentially making x3d chips less necessary.
Longer Summary ->
WHY ORACLE IS WINNING WITH TIKTOK
ByteDance is sticking with Oracle as its top cloud partner, choosing the company to store US user data since 2022. This partnership could grow stronger, as ByteDance seems to prefer Oracle over other cloud providers. It's like Oracle’s been the reliable choice behind the scenes, quietly powering TikTok’s infrastructure. With Oracle handling the heavy lifting, TikTok’s got a steady backbone for all that viral content!
#cloudcomputing #datastorage #ByteDance #Oracle #technology
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META BRINGS COMMUNITY NOTES TO THE US NEXT WEEK
Meta is rolling out Community Notes for its apps on March 18, 2025, following in the footsteps of Twitter's 2021 crowdsourced fact-checking system. The feature will first launch in the US to ensure it works smoothly before expanding internationally. However, Meta may hold back on launching it in the EU, where the European Commission is investigating X's effectiveness with similar tools. Looks like Meta's testing waters before diving in globally.
#meta #communitynotes #socialmedia #technology
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GOOGLE GEMINI JUST GOT SMARTER—BUT ONLY IF YOU LET IT
Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash can now use your search history to give more personalized answers—but only if you opt in. Right now, it’s limited to search history, but Google plans to connect it with other apps soon. The AI decides when history is useful, so it won’t check every time. The feature is live for Gemini and Gemini Advanced users on the web, with mobile support coming soon.
#google #ai #gemini #technews #technology
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BEWARE OUTDATED TECH CAREER ADVICE
If you're new to tech, take advice from old-timers with a grain of salt. The industry has changed so much in the last 15–20 years that their career path might not even exist anymore. What worked for them—like landing a job with just a coding bootcamp—might not cut it today. Tech moves fast, and what got someone hired in 2010 won’t necessarily work in 2025. Stay flexible and focus on what works now.
#careeradvice #techjobs #futureofwork #technology
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HTTP/3: Everywhere and Nowhere
HTTP/3 has been in the works since 2016, and a third of web traffic already runs on it. But here’s the catch: no major programming language includes it in its standard libraries. Support is scattered across experimental libraries, and most open-source tools haven’t even started integrating it. The internet’s big players are racing ahead, leaving everyone else to catch up. The tech is solid, but will it stay locked behind corporate gates?
#http3 #quic #networking #opensource #technology
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Bryan Johnson Wants to Scan Your Food for Toxins
The guy behind the Don't Die movement, Bryan Johnson, is taking his anti-aging obsession to food. He’s launching a public database to test everyday foods for hidden toxins—stuff that sneaks in during processing. His goal? Make brands accountable and help people actually eat clean. Think of it like a food detective service, where anyone can chip in to get their favorite snacks tested.
#bryanjohnson #healthtech #foodtesting #biohacking #technology
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Nvidia’s Next AI Chips Honor Dark Matter Pioneer
Nvidia’s next-gen AI chips are named after Vera Rubin, the astronomer who helped prove dark matter exists. Since 1998, Nvidia has named its GPU architectures after scientists, often women, but never explained why. While they don’t highlight it, this is one of tech’s most visible nods to diversity. From Curie to Hopper, their chips quietly celebrate the minds that shaped science. Now, Rubin joins the list—fitting for AI’s deep dive into the unknown.
#nvidia #ai #gpus #science #technology
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APPLE BRINGING LIVE TRANSLATION TO AIRPODS IN IOS 19
Apple is adding live translation to AirPods in iOS 19! You'll hear real-time translations through your AirPods, and if you respond, your iPhone will play a translation out loud. Apple is also redesigning iOS, iPadOS, and macOS this year. But don’t expect the AI-powered Siri upgrade just yet—it’s taking longer than planned. Big changes are coming, just not all at once.
#apple #airpods #ios19 #translation #technology
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Paragraphs
This isn't what Wall Street was expecting.
Following Trump's election victory in November, the market jumped on prospects of diminished regulation and favorable tax policies. The Nasdaq climbed to a record close on Dec. 16, capping a more than 9% rally over about six weeks after the election.
Since then, electric car maker Tesla has lost close to half its value, despite — or perhaps because of — the central role that CEO Elon Musk is playing in the Trump administration.
The Nasdaq's high point for the year came on Feb. 19, about a month into Trump's second term. But it finished that week lower and has continued its precipitous decline.
Here's how the seven megacaps have fared over that stretch:
Apple, the world's most valuable company and the only remaining member of the $3 trillion club, has lost $529 billion in market cap since the close on Feb. 19. The iPhone maker is down 14%.
Microsoft, which was previously worth more than $3 trillion, has fallen by $267 billion in the past three weeks, a drop of close to 9% for the software giant.
Nvidia, the chipmaker that's been the biggest beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom, also slid below $3 trillion over the course of losing $577 billion in value, the biggest dollar decline in the group. The stock is down 17% since the Nasdaq peaked.
Amazon is down by $347 billion, falling by 14%, while Alphabet is off by $275 billion after a 12% decline. Meta has shed $286 billion in market cap, a 16% drop.
Tesla has seen by far the biggest percentage decline at 33%, equaling $386 billion in value.
Goldman Sachs on Wednesday referred to the group as the "Maleficent 7." David Kostin, the firm's chief U.S. equity strategist, noted that the basket now trades at its lowest valuation premium relative to the S&P 500 since 2017. Goldman cut its price target on the benchmark index to 6,200 from 6,500. The S&P 500 closed on Thursday at 5,521.52.
"To be able to get scale, we need to consolidate a fragmented market like the telecoms market in Europe," Murtra added. "And for that, we need a regulation that allows us to consolidate. So what we do ask is: please unleash us. Let us gain scale. Let us invest in technology and bring upon productive change."
Christel Heydemann, CEO of French carrier Orange, said that while some mega-deal activity is starting to gather pace in Europe, more needs to be done to guarantee the continent's competitiveness on the world stage.
Last year, Orange closed a deal to merge its Spanish operations with local mobile network provider Masmovil. Meanwhile, more recently, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority approved a £15 billion ($19 billion) merger between telecoms firms Vodafone and Three in the U.K., subject to certain conditions.
A chart comparing the share price performance of T-Mobile, America's largest telco by market cap, with that of Germany's Deutsche Telekom and France's Orange.
"We need a reform of the of the competition policy," Höttges said onstage at MWC. "We have to be allowed to consolidate our activities."
"There is no reason that every market has to operate with three or four operators," he added. "We should build a European single market ... because, if we cannot increase our consumer prices, if we cannot charge the over-the-top players, we have to get efficiencies out of the scale which we created."
At MWC, many mobile network operators talked up their usage of AI to improve network quality, better serve their customers and gain market share from competitors.
Still, Europe's telco bosses say they could be accelerating their digital transformation journeys if they were allowed to combine with other large multinational players.
"There's this real focus now around European competitiveness," Luke Kehoe, industry analyst for Europe at network intelligence firm Ookla, told CNBC on the sidelines of MWC last week. "There's a goal to mobilize policy to improve telecoms networks."
In January, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, issued its so-called "Competitiveness Compass" to EU lawmakers.
The document calls for, among other things, "revised guidelines for assessing mergers so that innovation, resilience and the investment intensity of competition in certain strategic sectors are given adequate weight in light of the European economy's acute needs."
Meanwhile, last year former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi released a long-awaited report that urged radical reforms to the EU through a new industrial strategy to ensure its competitiveness.
Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, displays the new Blackwell GPU chip during the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California, on March 18, 2024.
The company has never explained its naming convention, and hasn't emphasized the diversity aspect of its choices, but Nvidia's chip names that highlight women and minority scientists are one of the most visible efforts to honor diversity in the tech industry during a period where diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives are being slashed by the Trump administration.
Rubin discovered a lot of what is known about "dark matter," a form of matter that could make up a quarter of the matter of the universe and which doesn't emit light or radiation, and she advocated for women in science throughout her career.
Before revealing a new architecture, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang usually gives a one-sentence biography of the scientist it's named after.
"I'd like to introduce you to a very, very big GPU named after David Blackwell, mathematician, game theorist, probability," Huang said at last year's GTC conference. "We thought it was a perfect name."
Rubin is a fitting name for Nvidia's next chip, which comes as the company tries to solidify the gains it has made in recent years as the leader in AI hardware. "Vera" will refer to Nvidia's next-generation central processor, and "Rubin" will refer to Nvidia's new GPU.
Born in Philadelphia in 1928, Rubin studied deep space and worked with other scientists to develop better telescopes and instruments that could collect more detailed data about the universe. In 1968, according to a Nova documentary, she started observing the Andromeda galaxy and collecting the data that would upend science's understanding of our universe.
Her primary claim to fame came after she observed how quickly galaxies rotate.
"The presumption was that the stars near the center of a galaxy would be orbiting very rapidly, and stars at the outside would be going very slowly," Rubin said in 1987.
But Rubin realized that she was observing that outer stars were moving quickly, contrary to expectations. They weren't flying out of orbit, which meant that there had to be more mass scientists weren't observing — confirming the concept of dark matter.
In order to keep growth rising, Nvidia needs to deliver a next-generation chip that justifies its cost and improves on the previous generation's speeds, power efficiency and cost of ownership.
The company has targeted 2026 for a rollout of the Vera chips, according to an investor presentation last fall. In addition to Vera Rubin, Nvidia is expected to discuss Blackwell Ultra, an updated version of its Blackwell chips that analysts expect the company to start selling later this year.
Huang also teased during an earnings call last month that he'll show the "next click" after Vera Rubin. That architecture will likely be named after a scientist, too.
In fact, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro has seen a 900% increase in searches for "toll road scams" in the last three months, meaning, the company says, that these scams are hitting everyone, everywhere, and hard.
"It is obviously working; they are getting victims to pay it. This one apparently seems to be going on a lot longer than we normally see these things," said Jon Clay, vice president of threat intelligence at Trend Micro.
In this case, the "they" are likely Chinese criminal gangs working from wherever they can find a foothold, including Southeast Asia, which Clay says Chinese criminal gangs are turning into a hot spot.
"They are basically building big data centers in the jungle," Clay said, and staffing them with scammers.
Clay also says that absent a big news event that scammers can latch onto, the toll scam fills the void. But he said tax-time scams will soon really ramp up.
What really makes the toll scam effective is that it is cheap and easy for scammers to utilize. They can buy numbers in bulk and send out millions of texts. A handful of people will be persuaded to pay the $3 toll fee to avoid the (fictional) threat of fines or licensing revocation. But Clay says they aren't just interested in the $3; it's your personal information that you'll enter that has far more value.
"Apple doesn't do anything about it. ... Android will add it to their spam list so you won't get texts from the same number, but then the scammers will just change numbers," Clay said. "Apple has done a wonderful job of telling everyone their phone is secure, and they are, but not from this kind of attack," Clay added.
Across the 241 miles of the Ohio Turnpike, the scam first appeared on the state's radar in April 2024, but it has been ramping up recently, said a spokesman for the Ohio public road system.
"Over the past two weeks, our customer service center has received a record number of calls from customers and mobile device users in area codes across Ohio and elsewhere about the texting scam," the spokesman said. The good news, he says, is that the calls have been tailing off in recent days, likely because of growing awareness, and he said personally he knows of few who have fallen for the scam.
However, the issue has become acute enough that the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission produced a public service video to raise awareness.
Louisiana and Vermont are among states where top government officials have recently issued warnings to residents.
NASA, SpaceX Retry Launch to Bring Astronauts Home
NASA and SpaceX are planning a Crew-10 launch to bring home astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months.
NASA and SpaceX on Friday will count down to a long-awaited crewed rocket launch that will allow them to bring home U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months.
SpaceX and the U.S. space agency had planned on Wednesday to launch from Florida a replacement crew of four astronauts, a mission called Crew-10, but a last-minute issue with the rocket's ground systems forced a delay.
Now slated for liftoff at 7:03 p.m. ET Friday (2330GMT), the Crew-10's arrival to the ISS on Saturday night will allow the return of Wilmore and Williams, two veteran NASA astronauts and U.S. Navy test pilots who in June 2024 were the first humans to test-fly Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the ISS in June.
But problems with Starliner's propulsion system during its flight to the ISS delayed what was expected to be an eight-day stay. NASA deemed it too risky for the astronauts to fly home on the Boeing craft, which led to the current plan to bring them home in a SpaceX capsule.
It has also become entangled in politics as President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, claim without evidence President Joe Biden left "Butch and Suni" on the station for political reasons.
When the new crew arrives aboard the station, Wilmore, Williams and two others - NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov - can return to Earth in a capsule that has been attached to the station since September, as part of the prior Crew-9 mission.
If Crew-10 launches as planned on Friday, it will dock to the ISS at 11:30 pm Saturday, followed by a traditional handover ceremony that will allow for the Crew-9 crew's departure March 19.
Wilmore and Williams cannot leave until the new Crew-10 craft arrives so that the ISS staffed with enough U.S. astronauts for maintenance, according to NASA.
Trump Warns Putin, Russia: 'Spare Their Lives!'
President Donald Trump asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to order Moscow forces to refrain from killing Ukrainian troops who have been surrounded.
President Donald Trump asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to order Moscow forces to refrain from killing Ukrainian troops who have been surrounded.
Russian troops recaptured 28 settlements in its western Kursk region in the past week and took control of the village of Noven'ke in Ukraine's adjacent Sumy region, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.
The news came amid reports that Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscow's thoughts to Washington.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday warned that Putin will drag out a deal for a ceasefire because he is not interested in peace, The New York Times reported.
Zelenskyy added that Putin has demanded so many preconditions that "nothing will work out at all, or that it will not work out for as long as possible."
Classified U.S. intelligence reports as recently as this month said Putin continues to focus on his maximalist goal of bringing Ukraine into Russia's security and economic orbit despite Trump's attempts to end the war through negotiations, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Russia has sharply accelerated a push to drive Ukrainian forces out of Kursk, where they took control of about 100 settlements in a surprise incursion into Russian territory last August.
!summarize #nygiants #defense #freeagency #nfl
!summarize #china #shanghai #economy #housing
!summarize #baseball #contentcreation
!summarize #espn #lawsuit #brettfarve #disney
50-50 Chance of Recession This Year: Larry Summers
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers sees a 50-50 chance of a recession in 2025 due to President Trump’s tariffs, immigration policies and federal government layoffs.
“I’d say there’s a 50-50 chance of a recession starting this year,” Summers told Bloomberg. “When economic revisions start being revised in a direction, there tends to be momentum, and all the revisions are going one way, pointing towards less growth and real uncertainty.”
The steep decline in the stock market and erosion of consumer confidence are also indicators of a possible recession, said Summers, who was Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration and served as White House Economic Council director under Obama.
“We have seen a sea change in perception in the two months since Trump was inaugurated,” said Summers, who was president of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. When Trump came into office, “the prevailing view was a very strong economy, possibly inflation risk, and United States exceptionalism and outperformance relative to the rest of the world.
“But the combination of the substantial immigration restrictions, substantial federal government layoffs, the damage to U.S. competitiveness and U.S. production done by tariffication, and, above all, a big increase in risk premiums, have led to sharp reductions in consumer and business spending.”
Summers slammed Trump’s “steadfastness on tariffs, economic nationalism and vast, wide interpretation of government” reach for creating market uncertainty.
“Every time he recommits [to the tariffs], pessimism increases,” Summers said.
Eggs US decreased 0.91 USD/DOZEN or 15.71% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Historically, Eggs US reached an all time high of 8.17 in March of 2025. source: USDA
WTI crude oil futures climbed above $67 per barrel on Friday, rebounding from losses in the previous session, supported by fresh US sanctions on Iranian oil and shipping. Washington targeted Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and Hong Kong-flagged vessels linked to a shadow fleet concealing Tehran’s crude exports. Further boost came from fading hopes for a swift resolution to the Ukraine war, which could have restored Russian energy supplies. Meanwhile, macroeconomic uncertainties kept oil under pressure, with the International Energy Agency warning of a growing supply surplus as an escalating trade war weakens demand while OPEC+ boosts production. The IEA projects global supply to exceed demand by 600,000 bpd this year, with demand expected to rise just 1.03 million bpd, 70,000 bpd below last month’s forecast. For the week, oil is on track for its longest losing streak since August 2015.
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.71% to close at 37,053, while the broader Topix Index edged up 0.65% to 2,716 on Friday, as investors snapped up beaten-down technology stocks. Despite the rebound, market sentiment remained fragile amid escalating global trade tensions. In the latest trade dispute, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on all alcoholic products from the European Union, retaliating against the bloc’s 50% tariff on American whiskey. Meanwhile, investors continued to monitor Bank of Japan policy signals, as Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed plans to reduce the central bank’s massive balance sheet. Leading the tech rally were Fujikura (8.1%), Advantest (+5.3%), Disco (+3.7%), SoftBank Group (1%), and Tokyo Electron (+0.8%). Still, the Nikkei and Topix indexes ended the week little changed, inching up 0.45% and 0.27%, respectively.
WTI crude oil futures climbed above $67 per barrel on Friday, rebounding from losses in the previous session, supported by fresh US sanctions on Iranian oil and shipping. Washington targeted Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and Hong Kong-flagged vessels linked to a shadow fleet concealing Tehran’s crude exports. Further boost came from fading hopes for a swift resolution to the Ukraine war, which could have restored Russian energy supplies. Meanwhile, macroeconomic uncertainties kept oil under pressure, with the International Energy Agency warning of a growing supply surplus as an escalating trade war weakens demand while OPEC+ boosts production. The IEA projects global supply to exceed demand by 600,000 bpd this year, with demand expected to rise just 1.03 million bpd, 70,000 bpd below last month’s forecast. For the week, oil is on track for its longest losing streak since August 2015.
US natural gas futures dropped 9% to a two-week low below $4/MMBtu this week, pressured by near-record output and forecasts for milder weather over the next two weeks. Production in the Lower 48 states rose to 105.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in March, surpassing February's record of 105.1 bcfd. However, gas flows to U.S. LNG export plants also reached 15.6 bcfd, matching last month's record. The latest EIA report showed US utilities withdrew 62 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas for the week ending March 7, exceeding forecasts of 50-55 bcf. As a result, storage levels remain 27% lower than the same period last year and 11.9% below the five-year average.
US gasoline futures climbed above $2.1 per gallon, after data showed US gasoline inventories fell by nearly 6 million barrels to the lowest since early January, indicating robust consumer consumption. Crude oil stocks increased by 1.5 million barrels, below market expectations, while reserves at the Cushing hub declined. Meanwhile, markets weighed the potential impact of tariffs on Canadian oil, which could disrupt domestic supply and strain refining capacity in the Northern US. According to fuel distributor TACenergy, gasoline stations in New England faced higher costs on Canadian fuel shipments due to anticipated tariffs from US President Donald Trump. In geopolitical developments, Ukraine agreed to a US-backed 30-day truce with Russia, while Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis threatened to resume attacks on Israeli ships.
Heating oil futures in the US fell toward $2.15 per gallon in March, reaching a three-month low, as rising global oil supply, trade uncertainties, and weakening demand weighed on prices. OPEC+ plans to increase output by 138,000 barrels per day in April, with Kazakhstan surpassing its quota, further boosting global supply and placing a cap on crude oil feedstock costs. Uncertainty surrounding US tariffs on Canadian oil has added volatility, raising concerns about potential disruptions to US supply and refining. Meanwhile, increased US natural gas production, combined with forecasts for milder weather in the next two weeks, is adding further pressure on heating oil prices, as natural gas competes for market share. Additionally, distillate stocks fell by 1.6 million barrels for the week ending March 7th, surpassing market expectations of a 1.3 million barrel decline, while heating oil inventories decreased by 183,000 barrels, marking the second consecutive drop.
Gold touched a $3,000 per ounce milestone on Friday, a fresh record high driven by risk aversion and rising expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts. In the latest escalation of US President Donald Trump’s multi-front trade war, he warned of a 200% tariff on European wine and other alcoholic beverages after the EU imposed a 50% tax on American whiskey exports. Meanwhile, recent PPI and CPI data signaled easing price pressures in February, giving the Fed more room to cut rates and boosting the appeal of non-yielding gold. Further supporting the metal are strong ETF demand and sustained central bank buying, with China extending its purchases for a fourth consecutive month. For the week, bullion is set for a gain of nearly 3%.
Silver climbed toward $33.90 an ounce, its highest level since late October, as investors sought safe-haven assets amid rising tariff tensions and growing bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts following weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data. Trade tensions escalated after President Trump threatened 200% tariffs on European wines, champagnes, and other alcoholic beverages in response to the EU’s 50% tariff on American whiskey. Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that a recession would be "worth it" to implement Trump’s economic policies. On the economic front, U.S. producer prices were unexpectedly flat in February, while consumer inflation rose just 0.2%, below forecasts. Additionally, jobless claims fell again last week, signaling a still strong labor market.
Copper futures rose to above $4.9 per pound on Friday, a nine-month high, and more than $0.4 higher than comparable contracts at the LME on expectations that the US will impose tariffs on copper, a move that would pressure the limited capacity for local smelters. President Trump signed an executive order to initiate a review on copper imports after noting he would tariff the metal in an earlier speech before Congress. The signals suggested that levies would be imposed later in the year, but the escalation on base metal tariffs on Canada sporadically announced by the White House ramped up concerns that barriers on copper may be expedited. Such a move would increase dependency on domestic capacity, which is limited to only two major smelters, as the US imports nearly half of its copper. In China, supply remained ample. Treatment charges by smelters were still below zero, reflecting the large extent of overcapacity in refined copper production in the major producer.
Soybean futures rebounded to $10.00 per bushel, attempting to recover from a recent sell-off after Argentina lowered its production forecast below USDA estimates. Argentine soybean output for 2024/25 is now expected at 46.5 million metric tons (mmt), down from last month’s forecast of 47.5 mmt and below the USDA’s 49 mmt projection, as drought impacts persist despite signs of recovery. Adding support, the USDA's weekly Export Sales report showed stronger-than-expected U.S. soybean sales, with China leading purchases, followed by Indonesia and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, investors continued to assess the latest tariff announcements, with President Donald Trump escalating trade tensions with the EU and threatening 200% tariffs on European wines, champagnes, and other alcoholic beverages.
Wheat futures climbed above $5.50 per bushel, touching their highest level since February 26th, as investors welcomed signs of strong international demand. The USDA’s latest weekly Export Sales report showed U.S. wheat sales surged 84% above the prior four-week average and exceeded expectations, with major purchases from Panama, South Korea, and unidentified buyers. Year-to-date sales are now 69 million bushels ahead of last year, with the USDA projecting a 128-million-bushel increase. Meanwhile, Algeria secured at least 450,000 metric tons in a Wednesday tender, while Tunisia was seeking 100,000 tons in a tender on Thursday. On the supply side, Statistics Canada reported that Canadian farmers plan to expand wheat planting in 2025. Investors also monitored escalating trade tensions, as President Trump threatened 200% tariffs on European wines, champagnes, and other alcoholic beverages.
Newcastle coal futures fell to $101 per tonne, returning toward the near four-year low of $99 from February 28th as selected output curbs were not enough to outweigh the view that thermal coal is increasingly oversupplied. China announced that its output is set to expand 1.5% to 4.82 billion tons in 2025 following a record-setting 2024, aiming to expand mining capacity to avoid availability risks from carbon emission limits and mine shutdowns for safety protocol breaches. The development occurred as utilities already deal with record-high coal inventories, which rose by 12% in the two months ending October. Also, Indonesian output rose to a record high 836 million tonnes in 2024, 18% above its target, while the country’s increasing investment in alternative power sources limited the outlook for coal demand. Consequently, Glencore noted that multiple Australian coal producers, which especially impact the Newcastle grade, were considering shitting down as lower prices reduce margins.
Steel rebar futures were at CNY 3,220 per tonne, remaining close to the two-month lows of CNY 3,200 touched on March 11th amid concerns of lower demand. Consumer and producer prices in China fell more than expected in February to underscore the poor demand for manufactured goods in the world's top consumer. In the meantime, US President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel, spurring retaliatory measures from the EU. The measures have a muted impact on the Chinese rebar market due to existing barriers Trump's first term. Still, the move added to a rising trend of protectionist policies that do impact Chinese mills, particularly due to the rising dependency on exports to meet their sales targets as slowing construction activity dampened domestic rebar buying. Tariffs were imposed or threatened by Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, and Brazil. Steel exports grew 7% in the first two months to 17 million tons, following a record-setting record-high 130 million tons in 2024.
David Tuthill Jennings (June 8, 1952 – June 19, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1987. He played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets.[1] He later worked as a radio color commentator for Jets and Giants games until 2007. He died of complications with Parkinson's disease in 2013.
William Ray Guy (December 22, 1949 – November 3, 2022) was an American professional football punter who played for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Guy was a first-team All-American selection in 1972 as a senior for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and is the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, when the Raiders selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft. He won three Super Bowls with the Raiders. Guy was elected to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. An eight-time All-Pro, Guy is widely considered to be the greatest punter of all time.
With his induction to the Hall of Fame on August 2, 2014, he became the first pure punter to be so honored.
European natural gas futures rose over 8% to above €42/MWh this week, ending a four-week losing streak, as colder weather increased heating demand and the market monitored potential ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia. Concerns persist over Europe's ability to refill gas storage ahead of winter, with current levels below 36% and a 90% target set for November 1. Hopes for a quick end to the Ukraine war, which could restore Russian gas flows, remain low. While Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed conditional support for a US-proposed ceasefire, his demands suggest no imminent resolution.
US Stocks Rally After Their Epic Selloff
U.S. stocks are rallying Friday, but nowhere nearly by enough to keep Wall Street from a fourth straight losing week, which would be its longest such streak since August.
The S&P 500 was 1.77% higher in early trading at 11:28 a.m. EST, a day after closing more than 10% below its record for its first “ correction ” since 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 561.43 points, or 1.38%, and the Nasdaq composite was 371.19 points or 2.16% higher.
One piece of uncertainty hanging over Wall Street may be clearing after the Senate made moves to prevent a possible partial shutdown of the U.S. government. A deadline is looming at midnight for it.
Economists say China needs consumers to spend more to get the economy out of its doldrums, although most have advocated broader, more fundamental reforms such as increasing wages, social welfare and support for public health and education.
In the bond market, Treasury yields rose to recover some of their sharp recent losses. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.27% late Thursday and from 4.16% at the start of last week.
Yields have been swinging since January, when they were approaching 4.80%. When worries worsen about the U.S. economy’s strength, yields have fallen. When those worries lessen, or when concerns about inflation rise, yields have climbed.
Lumber futures eased toward $630 per thousand board feet, retreating from a two-and-a-half-year high of $658, as tariff policies from President Trump and retaliatory measures from Canada and the European Union strain global trade and stoke recession fears in the U.S. and Canada. However, the U.S. Producer Price Index recorded a softwood lumber surge of 11.7% over the past year, marking four consecutive months of double-digit annual growth. Tariff uncertainties have led builders to stockpile lumber to avoid potential tariffs on Canadian imports—a strategy that has historically pushed prices up by as much as 25%. Mills are preemptively hiking prices by 25% to 65% amid shifting trade policies and supply chain disruptions. Additionally, the Department of Commerce’s proposal to nearly triple anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood—from 14.5% to a potential 52%—adds further uncertainty, given that Canada supplies 30% of the softwood used in the U.S. for housing and furniture.
Duffy traveled to Washington and met with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, along with acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, following last year's mid-air panel blowout on a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 airplane that was missing four key bolts.
Ortberg will testify April 2 before Congress.
"They've lost trust," Duffy said. "They have to take a look at how they're manufacturing. They have to look at their quality. They have to get it up to a place where the FAA and the American people and the airlines feel like they're producing incredibly safe airplanes."
Duffy noted that Boeing has new leadership.
"They are making efforts and strides to bring quality back to their aircraft," he said.
Blanche added that federal law enforcement had executed a search warrant on Thursday night as part of a separate probe into whether Columbia University harbored undocumented immigrants on its campus.
Schumer has been facing mounting criticism from his own party after he said he would vote to advance a Republican stopgap bill rather than face a government shutdown.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is furious at Schumer, saying Democrats felt "outrage" and "betrayal" over his move. In an interview on CNN, Ocasio-Cortez declined to rule out primarying Schumer when he is up for reelection in 2028.
"I think it is a huge slap in the face, and there is a wide sense of betrayal if things proceed as originally planned," Ocasio-Cortez told MSNBC.
Schumer has defended his decision by saying that voting for the continuing resolution was the best of bad options.
"As bad as passing the continuing resolution would be, I believe a government shutdown is far worse," Schumer said.
"The wholesale price on the New York market for formula trading of Large cartoned shell eggs delivered to retailers declined $2.40 to $4.78 per dozen," the report stated.
The report stated that at the national level, prices dropped about the same amount over the past week.
"Wholesale prices for national trading of trucklot quantities of graded, loose, White Large shell eggs declined $2.70 to $4.15," the report stated.
The Post reported that James indicated in January that the outbreak of bird flu, leading to the culling of millions of egg-laying chickens, was no excuse for price hikes and urged residents to report what they believed were cases of price gouging.
The papers would have given Biden a "road map" to Ziegler's "most important legal arguments" along with prejudicial advantage, given the former president's son had "yet to file an opposition."
Further, if Biden returned with the case, he would have extra time to prepare for a deposition with information from Ziegler's latest briefing, said Vera.
Ziegler, who had been an aide to trade adviser Peter Navarro, tried to fight back against dropping the case, so he could go after Biden for legal fees.
Biden was to have been deposed on March 10 by Ziegler, who he said hacked his laptop and shared the infamous contents on the conservative nonprofit site Marco Polo.
Trump says it would save families $5,000 in energy costs in New York and New England.
"I hope we don't have to use the extraordinary power of the federal government to get it done, but if we have to, we will, but I don't think we'll have to," Trump said Thursday.
"I can tell you Connecticut wants and all of New England wants it. And who wouldn't want it?"
Earlier this week, Hochul demanded Trump reverse U.S. tariffs on Canadian energy imports, arguing the tariffs and Canadian retaliatory actions threatened to drive up electricity and heating costs for New Yorkers.
"I reached out to the president yesterday and said I want to carry on the conversation that we had in the Oval Office a couple weeks ago," Hochul told reporters.
"I have a lot on my agenda. We talked about infrastructure, Penn Station. We talked about - he knows I want to talk about congestion pricing again. I want to talk about, you know, our concerns about energy in light of the tariffs."
MSNBC ratings continue their months long struggle...since Donald Trump regained the White House. Although Rachel Maddow ratings have rebounded recently...Rachel Maddow is still down 22%. The bigger problem for MSNBC...CNN is now outperforming MSNBC in the key demo.
We reveal and compare MSNBC ratings to CNN. We discuss the recent ratings surge at CNN...and explain why Scott Jennings could be partially responsible. We also explain why Abby Philip is in a precarious situation...but credit Abby Philip and CNN for finding a formula that works.
The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and repeatedly has said Canada should become the 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Carney has said he's ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesn't plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon..
"The president is a successful businessman and deal maker. We’re his largest client in so many industries," Carney said. "Clients expect respect and working together in a proper commercial way."
Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, and then in 2013 when he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the worst impacts of Brexit in the U.K. He will now try to steer Canada through the trade war brought by Trump.
Carney, a former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics, becomes Canada’s 24th prime minister. He said protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified trade actions and growing the economy will be his top priorities.
Carney said he will travel to Europe to visit French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the coming days. He received invitations from both.
"We must diversify our trade partners and strengthen our security in so doing," Carney said.
But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canada's next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.
"He will do very well. He’s respected internationally," former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told reporters Friday. But, he added: "There is no magic solution. This is not a normal situation. We’ve never seen someone who changes his mind every five minutes as president of the United States. It creates problems everywhere, not only in Canada."
A new Cabinet of 13 men and 11 was sworn in, smaller than Trudeau's 37-member team. François-Philippe Champagne becomes Canada's new finance minister, the government's second most powerful position. He was previously industry minister. Dominic LeBlanc goes from finance to to intergovernmental affairs.
When George H.W. Bush, a close friend for more than a quarter century, was nominated for president in 1988, speculation was rampant Simpson would be his vice president. But the Wyoming man knew his pro-choice stand on abortion and support of the fledgling gay-rights movement made a Bush-Simpson ticket out of the question.
Appearing on Meet the Press, Simpson ruled himself out of the veepstakes by saying he would be a liability to the ticket because, "I've had a rather checkered career" having "punched the lights out" of many "sacred cows" in speeches on the floor of the Senate.
But Simpson could also deploy his sense of humor and good nature to help conservative causes. In 1981, he was a major player in securing Senate passage for the bold tax and budget initiatives of President Ronald Reagan. Simpson and Reagan, who both loved horseback riding and cowboy lore, became fast friends.
Furious at the media's treatment of Reagan during the Iran-Contra controversy in March of 1987, a fiery Simpson told a group of reporters just before the president's news conference: "You're asking him things because you know he's off-balance and you'd like to stick it in his kazoo!" (Simpson loved using the word 'kazoo' or, as he sometimes pronounced it 'gazoo,' and entitled his memoirs "Right in the Old Gazoo: What I Learned In A Lifetime of Meeting the Press.")
Simpson could also be humble when he was wrong. In 1991, he denounced CNN correspondent Peter Arnett an Iraqi "sympathizer" and charging that during the Vietnam War, the reporter had a brother in-law "who was active in the Viet Cong."
The FTSE 100 rose 1% on Friday, buoyed by gains in defense and mining stocks. However, it still marked its second consecutive weekly decline, as volatility from fluctuating US tariff policies and disappointing earnings weighed on equity markets. Precious and industrial metal miners gained 1.8% and 2.3%, respectively, after spot gold prices surpassed the $3,000 mark for the first time. Meanwhile, the UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% in January, missing the anticipated 0.1% growth. A Bank of England survey showed long-term inflation expectations hit a five-year high in February. Aerospace and defense stocks surged 3.8%, driven by Germany's agreement on a debt overhaul and significant state spending increases. Melrose Industries (up 5.9%) led the FTSE 100, followed by BAE Systems (4.1%) and Rolls Royce (3.2%). Miners Glencore, Anglo American, and Antofagasta rose between 2.5% and 3%. However, Bodycote fell 5% due to supply chain disruptions.
"Yes," Simpson shot back. "He was of counsel to Billy the Kid."
It was true. William Lee Simpson, father and grandfather of U.S. senators, was the lawyer for notorious bankrobber William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid.
Not all agreed with Al Simpson but all found that he could disagree without being disagreeable. That is why as much as he could irk those farther to the right than him, he never had much trouble in his trips to the polls as state legislator and then senator.
And the same people who disagreed with him now mourn and honor Al Simpson.
Apple recently announced a $500 billion investment into American manufacturing and research and development. It may seem like Trump’s tariff war was the main reason behind this and while that definitely played an influential role, this breakup with China has actually been setting up for quite some time for Apple. Over the years, Chinese labor has not only gotten substantially more expensive, but concerns regarding CCP control and lack of diversification have also become quite large for Apple. As such, Apple has been moving manufacturing outside of China for quite some time now to countries like India. The trade war was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back leading to Apple embarking on one of the largest manufacturing overhauls in their history. This video explains the story of Apple’s globalization and deglobalization efforts and how this affects the Chinese manufacturing industry.
The closure of the helicopter route near the airport makes permanent the restrictions put in place after Jan. 29 midair collision. The FAA order will allow a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and lifesaving missions.
The FAA also said it is studying cities with airports where there are a high number of different types of aircraft sharing the same space, including eight metro areas with busy helicopter routes: Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.
It also is looking at offshore helicopter operations along the Gulf Coast.
The Army supports the FAA’s efforts to improve aviation safety around the nation's capital and will use "alternative routes to mitigate impacts on training and readiness,” spokesman Matt Ahearn said Friday.
Vance Expects 'High Level' TikTok Deal by April 5
Vice President J.D. Vance said Friday he expects a "high level" TikTok deal by the April 5 deadline.
“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise,” he told NBC News during an interview aboard Air Force Two.
President Donald Trump tapped Vance and national security adviser Michael Waltz last month to oversee the potential sale of the social media app.
TikTok's fate has been up in the air since a law requiring its owner ByteDance to either sell it on national security grounds or face a ban took effect on Jan. 19. Trump, after taking office on Jan. 20, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days the enforcement of the law.
Bipartisan Senators Propose Chinese Tech Investment Ban
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to safeguard the U.S. from American investments in Chinese militarized industries, including artificial intelligence.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said the legislation is critical to protecting American interests. The Foreign Investment Guardrails to Help Thwart (FIGHT) China Act is designed to prohibit U.S.-based financial stakes in "certain" AI models. The bill also blocks American investments in Chinese quantum computers and military systems, including hypersonic missiles and vehicles that can travel over five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5.
The Chinese threat to the U.S. was also noted in an appearance before a U.S. House committee last year by then-FBI Director Christopher Wray, who told the panel, "The CCP's dangerous actions — China's multipronged assault on our national and economic security — make it the defining threat of our generation."
The Republican-led Senate needs seven Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster and move to a floor vote on the measure, which would fund the federal government through the 2025 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The Senate faces a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday to pass the measure.
"Democratic senators should listen to the women," Pelosi said. "Appropriations leaders [Rep.] Rosa DeLauro [D-Conn.] and [Sen.] Patty Murray [D-Wash.] have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement.
"America has experienced a Trump shutdown before — but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse. Democrats must not buy into this false choice. We must fight back for a better way. Listen to the women, For The People."
One House Democrat, Jared Golden of Maine, did vote for the bill, posting Thursday on X that "voting to shut down the government for the sake of performative protest was always reckless. As I said when I voted for the CR: Even a brief shutdown would bring even more chaos and uncertainty than we already face. Good for @SenSchumer."
Dow Bounces 675 Points, Nasdaq 451 on Dip-Buying Rally
U.S. stocks rebounded Friday as investors hunted for bargains at the end of a tumultuous week in which U.S. President Donald Trump's escalating trade war fueled recession fears and doused risk appetite.
A broad rally boosted all three major U.S. stock indexes to solid gains, with recently battered tech-related megacaps enjoying a comeback. Every one of the so-called Magnificent 7 artificial intelligence-related momentum stocks advanced, although six of them remain down on the year.
"I don't see a catalyst that would spark this huge upside we're seeing in markets," said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird in Louisville, Kentucky.
"The market doesn't like the tariff stuff, the added uncertainty that keeps them from planning and making decisions," said Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital, in St. Louis, Missouri.
"Trump is ... wreaking havoc, with his advisors talking about detox, about how maybe a recession is coming, maybe not. It's unsettling, indecisive, it's bad for the economy and bad for the stock market."
Those anxieties were laid bare by a dire report from the University of Michigan, which showed consumer sentiment plummeting to its most pessimistic level in nearly two years and one-year inflation expectations spiking to 4.9%.
The report echoes other recent downbeat survey data, including a Reuters/Ipsos poll of Americans conducted March 11-12 that showed 57% of survey participants believe Trump's policies will do more harm than good.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 117.42 points, or 2.13%, to end at 5,638.94 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 451.07 points, or 2.61%, to 17,754.09. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 674.62 points, or 1.65%, to 41,488.19.
Tesla rose following a report on the electric vehicle maker's plans to make a lower-cost version of its best-selling Model Y in Shanghai, aiming to regain ground lost during a price war in its second-largest market.
Nvidia's shares advanced ahead of next week's GPU Technology Conference (GTC), which is expected to culminate in a hotly anticipated keynote address from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Jeffries on Supporting Schumer: 'Next Question'
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declined to back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as House Democrats continue to voice their outrage over Schumer's decision to advance a Republican stopgap spending bill rather than risk a government shutdown.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declined to back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as House Democrats continue to voice their outrage over Schumer's decision to advance a Republican stopgap spending bill rather than risk a government shutdown.
"Next question" was all Jeffries would say when asked by reporters if there should be new leadership in the House, Politico reported. Jeffries also refused to answer a question on whether he had confidence in Schumer. He said any conversations they had would "remain private."
Schumer has defended his decision by saying that voting for the continuing resolution was the best of a bad option.
She announced via social media on Thursday that she was ending the “expensive and unnecessary contracts” with the wire services.
“We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,” said Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor. “With a nearly billion-dollar budget, we should be producing news ourselves. And if that's not possible, the American taxpayer should demand to know why.”
In a meeting on Friday, VOA staffers were told to stop using wire service material for their reports, according to journalists who spoke under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.
At many news organizations, audio, video and text reports from wire services are used to supplement reports from locations where the company's own journalists are not located.
Senate Dems join with Republicans to pass government funding bill, avert a midnight shutdown
The bill — a continuing resolution that will essentially extend fiscal 2024 spending levels through the start of the 2026 fiscal year — is backed by President Trump.
The Senate passed a stopgap government funding bill on Friday – hours before a partial shutdown of federal agencies was set to take effect Friday at midnight.
A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the House-passed GOP plan to keep the government funded through September, which cleared the upper chamber’s filibuster in a 62-38 vote, with 10 Democrats voting to advance the measure.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) chided Schumer for the abrupt U-turn in a floor speech Friday.
“Last summer, the Appropriations Committee reported out 11 of its 12 bills with bipartisan support. Six of those bills passed out of the committee unanimously,” the Republican leader said.
“But month after month, Leader Schumer found something more important to do than fund the government. And not one – not one – of those 11 bipartisan bills ever came to the floor.”
Thune added that the GOP wasn’t “thrilled” about the funding bill, which was a carry over of the spending levels set by former President Joe Biden during his last year in office, but his conference sense it was the “best option” to prevent a shutdown.
But by Thursday, some Senate Democrats were voicing their opposition to Schumer’s defiance both publicly and privately.
“Any party should never shut the government down,” Fetterman told reporters Thursday, calling it “a gift for the Republicans” if Democrats block the House-passed bill.
“It wasn’t that long ago before we were lecturing that you can never shut the government down,” Fetterman continued, criticizing Schumer’s resistance. “So that’s kind of inconsistent.”
Gillibrand was reportedly heard “screaming” Thursday during a raucous meeting with her Democratic Senate colleagues on how to handle the CR vote.
The New York Democrat was yelling so loudly during the private lunch on Capitol Hill that her voice could be heard through the room’s “thick wood doors,” according to Fox News.
“She seems to be making the case against allowing the government to shut down,” Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio wrote on X, after eavesdropping on the tense meeting, which lasted for more than an hour.
Ahead of the procedural vote, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pleaded with Democratic senators to defy Schumer and vote against the GOP-crafted measure.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“[T]his false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable,” she added.
Deaths March 14, 2025
Lil Bahadur Chettri, 92, Indian novelist (Basain).[10]
John Feinstein, 69, American Hall of Fame sportswriter (The Washington Post, The Sporting News) and author (A Season on the Brink).[11]
Raúl Grijalva, 77, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (since 2003), lung cancer.[12]
Sofia Gubaidulina, 93, Russian composer.[13]
Mark Holder, 52, American blues musician (Black Diamond Heavies).[14]
Deaths March 14, 2025
Radiša Ilić, 47, Serbian footballer (Partizan, OFK Beograd, national team).[15]
K. K. Kochu, 76, Indian writer and social activist, cancer.[16]
Miguel Macedo, 65, Portuguese politician, MP (1987–2002, 2005–2015) and minister of internal administration (2011–2015), heart attack.[17]
Edgar Oehler, 83, Swiss politician, MP (1971–1995).[18]
Pierluigi Sangalli [it], 83, Italian comic books artist (Geppo, Nonna Abelarda).[19]
A. A. M. S. Arefin Siddique, 71, Bangladeshi academic administrator, vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka (2009–2017), stroke.[20]
Maria Grazia Spina, 88, Italian actress (Samson and the Slave Queen, Toto vs. the Black Pirate, Rugantino).[21] (death announced on this date)
Claude Verret, 61, Canadian ice hockey player (Buffalo Sabres, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Rochester Americans).[22]
Yallunder, 30, South African singer.[23]
Şinasi Yurtsever [tr], 51, Turkish actor (Vavien).[24]
The FTSE MIB built momentum to close about 1.7% higher at 38,655 on Friday, mirroring gains in European markets, fueled by optimism about the investment plan of German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz and hopes for a resolution in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the ongoing tariff war remained a major concern. On the corporate front, Iveco Group stood out with a 7.2% surge after announcing the expansion of its electric van lineup with two models produced by Stellantis. Leonardo rose 7.1%, fueled by expectations of increased European defense spending and media reports of a new order from Airbus. UniCredit rose 3.3% after receiving ECB approval to acquire up to 29.9% of Commerzbank, though it still awaits German antitrust approval and plans to engage with the new German government once formed. On the downside, Diasorin fell 2.7% to the bottom of the list after reporting its 2024 results and 2025 guidance. For the week, the index rose about 0.2%.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.52% to close at 7,790 on Friday, recovering losses from the previous session as mining stocks surged on stronger metals prices. However, the benchmark index lost 2% for the week, logging its fourth consecutive weekly decline. Market sentiment has been pressured this week by US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum, impacting roughly $1 billion worth of Australian exports. Trump also reaffirmed his stance on implementing reciprocal tariffs against global trading partners, set to take effect on April 2. Despite broader market concerns, iron ore and gold miners led the gains, with notable advances from BHP Group (+1.1%), Fortescue (+2.7%), Rio Tinto (+1%), Northern Star Resources (+2.8%), and Evolution Mining (+4.6%).
The BSE Sensex erased early gains to close 0.3% lower at 73,829 on Thursday, marking its fifth consecutive decline ahead of the long weekend. Continuous selling in auto, IT, and select banking stocks pushed the main index down. Market participants were cautious and preferred not to make fresh positions amid global uncertainty, particularly surrounding Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Market sentiment was tempered by softer-than-expected inflation data in the US and India, which raised hopes of rate cuts this year. The BSE is set to remain closed on Friday for the ‘Holi’ festival. For the week, the index lost about 0.7%.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index climbed 1.4% to close at 24,553 on Friday, trimming weekly losses to 0.8% and rebounding from four-month lows as encouraging economic data and the prospect of a policy turnaround lifted investor confidence. Manufacturing sales rose 3% year-on-year in January and wholesale sales increased 2.8%, underscoring economic resilience amid persistent U.S. trade tensions. Additional support came with the impending swearing-in of former central banker Mark Carney as prime minister, expected to counteract U.S. tariff threats on Canadian goods. The recovery was led by tech and financial heavyweights, with e-commerce leader Shopify surging 4.3% to recover from sharp losses, and with Constellation Software and Celestica gaining 1.5% and 5.5% respectively. Additionally, major financial institutions including RBC, TD Bank, Brookfield, and BMO recorded gains between 1.6% and 3.2%.
The Ibovespa surged 2.6% to close at 128,957 level on Friday, securing a robust weekly gain of 3.1% as improved fiscal data eased concerns over the Lula administration’s commitment to sustainable fiscal discipline. Gross public debt as a percentage of GDP unexpectedly declined to 75.3% in January, down from 76.1% in the previous month and below the 76.2% forecast, driven by a record primary surplus of R$104 billion. Most stocks traded strongly, with Magazine Luiza leading the advance by surging 13.2% on stronger-than-expected earnings, while B3 extended its positive momentum with shares rising 11.2% on robust operational data, a billion-dollar victory at Carf, and increased trading volumes. Other notable performers included commodity giants Petrobras and Vale, which gained 4.4% and 3.2% respectively. Conversely, Natura lost over a quarter of its valuation after its fourth-quarter results showed adjusted EBITDA 35% below forecasts.
!summarize #ev #battery #automotive
'Please unleash us,' Europe's telcos urge regulators as industry bangs drum for more mega-deals
CEOs of several European telecoms firms are calling on regulators to make it easier for them to combine their operations with other businesses.
BARCELONA — Europe's telecommunication firms are ramping up calls for more industry consolidation to help the region compete more effectively with superpowers like the U.S. and China on key technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence.
Last week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Barcelona, CEOs of several telecoms firms called on regulators to make it easier for them to combine their operations with other businesses and reduce the overall number of carriers operating across the continent.
Currently, there are numerous telco players operating in multiple EU countries and non-EU members such as the U.K. However, telco chiefs told CNBC this situation is untenable, as they're unable to compete effectively when it comes to price and network quality.
"If we're going to invest in technology, in deep know-how, and bring drastic change, positive drastic change in Europe — like other large technological companies have done in the U.S. or we're seeing today in China — we need scale," Marc Murtra, CEO of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, told CNBC's Karen Tso in an interview.
!summarize #tesla #optimus #factory #humanoid #robots
Nvidia’s next chips are named after Vera Rubin, astronomer who discovered dark matter
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to reveal details about Rubin, the chipmaker's next AI GPU, on Tuesday at the company's annual GTC conference.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to reveal details about Rubin, the chipmaker's next AI graphics processor, on Tuesday at the company's annual GTC conference.
While other tech companies usually name their products using combinations of inscrutable letters and numbers, most of Nvidia's most recent GPU architectures have been named after famous women scientists.
Nvidia is naming its next critical AI chip platform after Vera Rubin, an American astronomer.
!summarize #tesla #modely #china #ev
Why the toll road text scam is out of control across the U.S., and Apple, Android can't do anything to stop it
Toll road text scams have used over 60,000 domain names and Apple, Android have been powerless to prevent the fraud from hitting users everywhere.
The texts first started arriving on Eric Moyer's phone in February. They warned him that if he didn't pay his FastTrak lane tolls by February 21, he could face a fine and lose his license.
The Virginia Beach resident did what the majority of people do: ignore them. But there was enough hesitation to at least double-check.
"I knew they were a scam immediately; however, I had to verify my intuition, of course; I accessed my E-ZPass account to ensure, plus I knew that I had not utilized a toll road in recent months," Moyer said, adding that his wife's phone also received the same blitz of menacing messages.
But not everyone ignores them, and, unlike Moyer, not everyone has an E-ZPass account to check. Some people do pay, which makes the whole endeavor worthwhile for hackers, and which is why the toll texts keep coming. And coming.
https://www.youtube.com/live/91I7AGby93Q?si=tqheQagnB-MDBl4l
#ai #rebooting
!summarize
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#bloomberg #intel #technology
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#ai #revolution
https://www.youtube.com/live/-Drt3YeIMuc?si=WYDWbKatOqc_q-d1
!summarize
#android #gemini #devices
!summarize
#tech #ideas
CHINA'S AI REVOLUTION: DEEPSEEK TAKES OVER
China's all-in on AI, and DeepSeek is at the forefront—showing up in cars, phones, hospitals, and beyond. By tapping into this technology, Chinese institutions are not just boosting their services but also aligning with the government's ambitious goals. It's not just about innovation; it's about national strategy. Think of DeepSeek as the engine that powers everything from your phone to life-saving medical tech. China’s AI is changing how we live and work.
#china #deepseek #ai #technology
> S👁️URCE <
Google's Big Move: Linux on Android
Google is rolling out full Linux support on Android, offering users more control and flexibility. This new feature lets you run an optimized Linux environment directly on your phone, giving a desktop-like experience right from your pocket. It’s a game-changer for anyone wanting more freedom to tinker with their system. Think of it like unlocking a whole new level of customization for your device—more power, more control, all from your mobile.
#android #linux #google #mobile #technology
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PUBLIC INTELLIGENCE: A GLOBAL SHARED FUTURE
Imagine if AI wasn't controlled by just a few big companies, but was a global resource owned by everyone. That's the idea behind Public Intelligence. This concept pushes for AI to be a commons, where data and tech are accessible to all, promoting fairness and collective progress. Think of it like an open-source software, but for the future of humanity. No one company dominates; instead, we all benefit.
#AI #publicintelligence #commons #futureoftech #technology
> S👁️URCE <
ANTHROPIC'S NEW TOKEN-SAVING UPDATE IS HERE!
Anthropic just dropped a game-changer for its API, rolling out token-efficient updates that cut down usage by up to 90%. With cache-aware rate limits and smarter prompt caching for Claude 3.7 Sonnet, this means you can do more with less. Imagine saving on your API calls while getting the same power-packed performance. A win for developers who want to keep their costs down without compromising on results.
#claude3 #api #efficiency #developers #technology
> S👁️URCE <
GEMINI 2.0: GOOGLE'S AI GETS PERSONAL
Google's Gemini is stepping up its game with the Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model. It's now linking up with Google Search to offer personalized help based on your search history. Coming soon: Gemini will integrate with Photos and YouTube, making your AI assistant smarter and more in tune with your preferences. Whether it's finding the right video or picture, Gemini’s got you covered in a more personal way!
#google #AI #gemini #personalization #technology
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OPENAI WANTS DEEPSEEKS BANNED OVER SECURITY CONCERNS
OpenAI is pushing the U.S. to ban Chinese AI lab DeepSeek’s models, calling them "state-controlled." Their concern? Potential security risks linked to the Chinese government’s influence over the company. OpenAI warns that models like DeepSeek's could pose a threat if misused, citing the importance of ensuring AI doesn't fall under questionable control. As AI's power grows, the stakes for national security rise too.
#AIsecurity #OpenAI #DeepSeek #technology
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GOOGLE DEEPMIND'S AI MODELS REVOLUTIONIZE ROBOTICS
Google DeepMind just introduced its Gemini Robotics AI models, giving robots the ability to interact with objects and environments in unprecedented ways. These new models are designed to enhance robot capabilities, allowing them to perform tasks with a level of dexterity and precision that was once thought impossible. This leap forward in robotics could change everything from manufacturing to everyday tasks. The future of AI-powered robots is closer than ever.
#ai #robotics #deeplearning #technology
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SNAPCHAT'S NEW AI VIDEO LENSES: NEXT-LEVEL FUN!
Snapchat's bringing some serious magic to your snaps! Platinum subscribers can now use AI-powered video lenses, like animated foxes, raccoons, and flowers, to totally transform their selfies. Imagine turning into a playful fox or getting a cute raccoon to pop up in your frame. It's a fun and creative way to stand out. Get ready to play with these cool new features!
#snapchat #ai #socialmedia #creativity #technology
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New & Retro Gaming Controllers with Hall Effect!
The video discusses the issues with modern gaming controllers, specifically the problem of stick drift, and explores alternatives using Hall Effect technology. Hall Effect sensors use magnets to determine the position of the thumbstick or trigger, providing a more durable and accurate input method. The host showcases various controllers for older consoles, such as the PlayStation 1 and 2, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast, that utilize Hall Effect technology.
He also discusses newer consoles, like the Xbox and Nintendo Switch, and review third-party controllers that offer improved performance and durability. The host emphasizes the importance of using Hall Effect technology in gaming controllers, citing its benefits in reducing stick drift and improving overall gaming experience.
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The All Alienware Setup
The video explores the Alienware ecosystem, testing their gaming setup, including a computer, peripherals, and a laptop. The system, featuring a 13700F processor and a 4070TI GPU, performs well, but the peripherals, such as the keyboard and mouse, are deemed "suitably adequate" but not the best-priced options. The laptop, with a 13900 processor and a 4080 GPU, also shows good performance.
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Global M2 Money Supply: A Key Indicator for Crypto Market Trends
The global M2 money supply is a crucial indicator that tracks every dollar in circulation, from personal wallets to bank vaults. It has a significant impact on the economy and risk assets like stocks and Bitcoin. Historically, an increase in M2 correlates with Bitcoin's price movement, and with a recent 3.8% increase in global M2, the crypto market may see a surge in late March or early April.
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6 Things You Must Know About AliExpress Before You Buy
When shopping on AliExpress, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks and take necessary precautions to avoid getting scammed. AliExpress is a legit company and a reliable marketplace to buy from, but some sellers may offer poor quality merchandise.
The platform provides a comprehensive buyer protection program, which includes a full refund if the product doesn't arrive on time or if it's not as described. To avoid common issues such as late shipping, poor quality merchandise, and counterfeit products, it's crucial to research the seller, read reviews, and understand the buyer protection program.
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Bigme Hibreak vs Onyx Boox Palma: A Comparison of E-Ink Devices
The Bigme Hibreak and Onyx Boox Palma are two e-ink devices that offer a unique reading experience. In a direct comparison, both devices have their strengths and weaknesses. The Onyx Boox Palma has a higher resolution and better contrast, making it more suitable for reading. The Bigme Hibreak, on the other hand, is a smartphone with e-ink capabilities, but it lacks features like a fingerprint reader and NFC.
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"Will Nvidia Abandon Gaming In Favor Of AI?"
The transcript discusses Nvidia's recent launch and its potential implications on the company's future in the gaming industry. With 90% of Nvidia's revenue coming from AI, there are concerns that the gaming side of the company may be suffering. The launch of the 5090 and 5070 has been underwhelming, with the 5070 being compared to a 4070 super with a price cut and DLSS 4. The hardware side of things seems to be lacking, and there are concerns about Nvidia's priorities and whether they are shifting away from gaming.
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