I had a great conversation with Eric Markowitz of The Big Think about HNTI. He focuses on all the right things: “As Ritholtz puts it, “The book is ostensibly about investing. But if you strip it down to its most basic…

First came China's "Deep Seek" moment at the start of the year. Then TD Cowen's Michael Elias told clients Microsoft was scaling back data center projects in the U.S. and Europe. Shortly after, Goldman Sachs pulled forward its peak data center…

by Calculated Risk on 4/22/2025 12:49:00 PM Goldman Sachs economists put out a note this morning: When Will Growth Slow, and When Will We Know?A few brief excerpts: Most of the sequential inflation increases in the last trade war took place…

Update (1315ET): Shortly after the Bessent headlines moved stocks higher, Politco reports, while The White House is closing in on general agreements with Japan and India to stave off massive U.S. tariffs, it “may take months to hammer out the final…

Authored by Jonathan Turley,Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a major parental rights case in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a challenge to Montgomery County (Md.) requiring their children to participate in instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes. It is a case that…

A 'mystery explosion' has rocked a munitions depot in Russia's Kirzhach district (Vladimir region) outside of Moscow on Wednesday, resulting in a state of emergency being declared for the area, and large-scale evacuations from nearby villages, as emergency crews scramble to…

In today’s newly released IMF World Economic Outlook, 2025 Q4/Q4 growth revised down by 0.9 ppts from January. Compare against WSJ mean revised down  by 1.27 ppts. GDPNow adjusted for gold imports is on track to match WSJ forecast. Figure 1:…

Tesla has set its Q1 2025 earnings call for today at 5:30PM eastern time. The event will be livestreamed, with a recording available later on Tesla’s website. The Q1 Update Letter will be released after markets close that same day. This quarter,…

Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times,Nearly half of U.S. home sellers gave concessions to buyers in the first quarter of 2025, as rising housing costs, high interest rates, and a growing supply of homes have made buyers more cautious,…

Authored by Rachel Acenas via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),Four more Democratic lawmakers have traveled to El Salvador to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man at the center of a high-profile deportation by the Trump administration.U.S. Rep.…

Tass news agency is reporting that Moscow forces are poised to liberate the last village still held by Ukraine forces in the southwestern Kursk region. This final battle will bring 100% of Kursk oblast back under full Russian control."Our soldiers liberated…

Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times,The Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 21 announced that 27 alleged members or affiliates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had been charged under legislation designed to bring down criminal enterprises.The…

by Calculated Risk on 4/22/2025 09:49:00 AM Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NMHC on Apartments: Market conditions Tightened in Q1 pre-TariffsExcerpt: From the NMHC: Apartment Market Sees Tighter Conditions, Rebounding Deal Flow and Improved Debt Financing in First Quarter…

Authored by Michael Every via Rabobank,President Trump just landed another comic-book punch on Fed Chair Powell: ""Pre-emptive Cuts” in Interest Rates are being called for by many…. there can almost be no inflation, but there can be a SLOWING of the economy…

The International Monetary Fund slashed its growth forecast for 2025 and 2026, and said the latest escalation in the trade war risks saddling China and the US with losses that would only get worse after this year.In its latest World Economic Outlook report…

Northrop Grumman shares plunged in premarket trading—much like the U.S. MQ-9 drones downed by Iran-backed Houthis—after the aerospace and defense contractor posted dismal first-quarter results and slashed its 2025 earnings forecast.Northrop posted a profit of $481 million, or $3.32 per share, for…

US equity futures are higher, attempting to pare back some of the sharp losses from Monday's prior session and extending yesterday’s late day buying where the S&P found support at the 5,100 level; according to JPM, there is some optimism around…

by Calculated Risk on 4/22/2025 08:12:00 AM From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to 0.36% in March The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance…

by Calculated Risk on 4/22/2025 08:12:00 AM From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to 0.36% in March The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance…

Authored by Samantha Flom via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),An interfaith group of parents says forcing elementary school children to participate in instruction that contradicts their religious beliefs on sex and gender violates their First Amendment rights.An interfaith coalition of parents…

Morgan Stanley analysts have released a report that drills into the "tariff math" for clients, outlining how President Trump's ongoing trade war with China could impact the discretionary retail sector—specifically Softlines (apparel and footwear) and Hardlines (general retail) companies within their…

Authored by Glenn Minnis via The Center Square,Illinois Republican state Rep. Dan Ugaste is speaking out against a “nationwide literacy crisis” that counts Illinois among the more than 40 states where just one out of every three fourth grade students are…

My morning train reads: • Why Patience Matters During Market Stress:  Trend investors have had a bumpy ride so far this year, but how does today compare with history? (Man Group) • How Wall Street got Donald Trump wrong: Titans of…

NASA’s Curiosity rover finds major clue that Mars was once habitable Space.com Study explores the impact of growing up without siblings on the brain and behavior of adults Medical Xpress Could the Pope’s Death Mean the Demise of Liberal Catholicism? European…

With U.S. tariff rates now at their highest levels since President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inauguration, executives from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe's met with President Donald Trump on Monday to seek relief from sweeping trade duties that have disrupted…

Silicon Valley’s darkest and most secretive unicorn “has finally made it big”. But at what cost to the rest of us? For almost two years, the British government has been holding an inquiry-cum-whitewash into the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Authored by Harry Krejsa and Markt Montgomery via RealClearWire,Even in its most conservative projections, AI-driven booms in electricity use are poised to provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity—and imperative—to secure our grid against PRC cyber attacks.OpenAI just closed the largest funding deal ever by a…

As the US goes down the trade war route with China, it’s looking for others to join the party. There are numerous reasons to believe the entire project will go down in flames like the effort to isolate Russia. What of…

An Easter dinner out with family turned into a big embarrassment for Kristi Noem and the Secret Service, as a thief stole the Department of Homeland Security chief's handbag and the big stack of cash and various other sensitive items it…

Conor here: I suppose some of this makes a little more sense if the following is true: Nah here’s the thing: 50-75% of US farms are already tax shelters & vehicles for getting $ from taxpayers. That’s how we keep spending…

Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,At the airport, the staff now offers comfort dogs, gorgeous Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds available for petting and holding. The idea is to comfort scared kids, delight passersby, and generally lift up the…

Countries are investing heavily in artificial intelligence to position themselves for a future that could look significantly different from today.Greater investment in AI typically translates into stronger innovation ecosystems, which can attract top talent and fuel groundbreaking research that drives long-term…

Authored by Kyle Anzalone via AntiWar.com,Nine plane loads of bunker-busting bombs were shipped from the US to Israel. The munitions are intended to prepare Israel for a potential war with Iran."Nine US transport planes carrying bunker-busting bombs and other defensive weapons landed…

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacks on two US aircraft carrier groups currently patrolling the Red Sea and areas off Yemen's coast on Monday, and further announced fresh drone launches on the southern Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Eilat.The…

Yves here. Regulars may recall that Satyajit Das has written other articles about movies that we have been honored to publish, such as Desperately Seeking Entertainment and New Asian Cinematic Obsessions. Here, he looks at some prominent examples from the genre…

Authored by Drieu Godefridi via The Gatestone Institute,The news came down like a thunderbolt. In a spectacular decision, the Morton County courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota, ordered the environmentalist organizations that comprise Greenpeace to pay $665 million in damages to Energy Transfer,…

Authored by James Gorrie via The Epoch Times,Is a new boom in deceptive trading practices taking shape in many parts of the world? As the U.S.–China trade war intensifies, it certainly looks that way.China’s Gray Trade Strategy Blunts Impact of US…

Authored by Brad Jones via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),Harmeet Dhillon’s decision to step down as the CEO of the Center of American Liberty to accept her new role as an assistant attorney general is one of mixed emotions, but it’s…

A Trump administration deadline to remove a toll charged to drivers in Manhattan, New York City, by April 20 has not been met by local authorities.On Jan. 5, the city implemented a congestion pricing policy under which drivers of cars, small…

Authored by Stacy Robinson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration offered federal employees a deal many couldn’t refuse: resign voluntarily and receive full benefits and paid leave lasting until September.Demonstrators rally outside the U.S. Office…

By Eric Kulisch of FreightWavesU.S. plans next month to cancel tariff-free access for low-value parcel shipments from China and Hong Kong, coupled with a new 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports, could bleed more than $22 billion in revenue from the…

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled this week that a 16-year-old biological female undergoing gender transition procedures cannot legally change her name to a more masculine one.In an 8–1 decision issued April 17, the state’s highest court sided with a lower court…

Mike Benz, the former State Department official who would later shed light on the Government-Big Tech censorship complex, has now accused the U.S. intelligence community of attempting to wage what he describes is an “undeclared second Cold War” against populism at…

Apparently trying to out-hawk the late John McCain, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has described that he recently traveled to Ukraine and spent several days at the front lines.The 51-year old Republican rep from Pennsylvania spent a total of a week inside the war-ravaged country, visiting soldiers…

Authored by Josiah Lippincott via American Greatness,Independence is freedom. Dependence is slavery. The more independence you have, the more choices you can make and the freer you are.The more you need things from other people, the fewer choices you have, and…

by Calculated Risk on 4/21/2025 07:33:00 PM From Matthew Graham at Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates Jump Back Toward 7%The latest headlines involve heavy criticism of Fed Chair Powell on the part of The President. Without any comment on whether that…

The Kremlin has belatedly reacted to Washington proposals toward ending the war in Ukraine, by praising and welcoming the Trump administration's ruling out Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); however, as The Wall Street Journal reports in the wake…

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,Americans watch more television than anyone else in the world, and as we watch television we are constantly being bombarded by commercials from pharmaceutical companies.  As I discussed in a previous article, pharmaceutical companies…

Previously we explained that the US-China trade war has been unique in that the US was hit fast and hard, mostly through capital markets and financial linkages, which travel instantaneously with acute consequences (the recent dump of US treasuries by China…

Authored by Sheramy Tsai via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),The scale doesn’t lie—but it doesn’t tell the whole story.You might be eating better, exercising more, and still seeing the same number each morning. It’s frustrating, discouraging, and, as it turns out,…