ZeroHedge News

4 In 10 American Teens Are Almost Constantly Online

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:45:00 +0000

4 In 10 American Teens Are Almost Constantly Online

A U.S. jury recently found Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial, marking a major legal setback for the tech giants.

According to the BBC, jurors concluded that the platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive and contributed to harm experienced by a young user.

The ruling could open the door to further lawsuits and increased regulatory scrutiny of social media companies.

This debate over the impact of social platforms is closely tied to the extent to which young people use them.

As Statista's Tristan Gaudiat details below, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that social media is deeply embedded in teenagers’ daily lives, with a vast majority of U.S. teens reporting daily use of the internet (97 percent) and platforms such as YouTube (76 percent), TikTok (61 percent) and Instagram (55 percent). As our infographic shows, a notable share reports near-constant use: 40 percent overall for the internet, 21 percent for TikTok, 17 percent for YouTube and 12 percent for Instagram, with a further 31 to 43 percent saying they use these platforms several times a day.

You will find more infographics at Statista

These patterns point to clear differences in engagement across platforms, with video-based apps standing out for their particularly intensive use.

TikTok and YouTube, both centered on short-form and highly personalized video content, are among the platforms most likely to be used almost constantly, reinforcing concerns about their potentially addictive design.

More broadly, the rise of algorithm-driven feeds and endless scrolling has reshaped how teens consume content, increasing both the frequency and duration of their online activity.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 05:45

Sweden Will Consider Ways To Limit Energy Use If Iran War Continues, Government Says

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sweden Will Consider Ways To Limit Energy Use If Iran War Continues, Government Says

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Sweden may need to consider options to reduce energy consumption, including rationing, if the disruption to the flow of fuel supplies continues as a result of the Iran war, the country’s prime minister and finance minister said on on April 23.

Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson speaks at a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels on Dec. 19, 2024. Johanna Geron/Reuters

“We are not planning any rationing right now, but we are prepared for it to happen,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference, according to Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet.

Speaking alongside the prime minister, Minister of Finance Elisabeth Svantesson described the situation as “the worst crisis in a very long time, when it comes to energy.”

“Government rationing is something that you absolutely want to avoid in every situation. That is why we are working on measures that will ensure that we do not get there,” Svantesson said.

Kristersson also said the Swedish economy is now in a worse scenario than it was before the conflict.

The warnings from Sweden come as other countries in Europe are bracing for the impact of surging energy prices.

On April 22, Germany’s economy ministry cut its growth forecasts in half for 2026, with Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche saying economic recovery will be “slowed down by external geopolitical shocks.”

Germany now expects 0.5 percent growth for this year, down from an earlier projection of 1 percent. Next year’s growth outlook has also been cut 0.9 percent from 1.3 percent.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action said the Iran war, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “especially,” has led to shortages and a rise in the price of energy and other commodities.

The ministry now expects inflation to increase to 2.7 percent this year ⁠and 2.8 percent in 2027, up from 2.2 percent last year.

Airlines Impacted

Airlines are increasing prices, cutting back on perks, and dropping routes to save money and fuel.

United Airlines said on April 22 it may have to increase ticket prices by up to 20 percent to offset the rise in jet fuel costs.

The airline’s CEO Scott Kirby made the announcement to investors during a quarterly earnings call, saying United’s goal “is to do whatever it takes to recover 100 percent of the increase in jet fuel prices as quickly as possible.”

“Yields need to increase by about 15 percent to 20 percent,” Kirby said, adding that the company is assuming fuel prices could remain elevated for longer, according to a transcript of the call published on financial commentary and analysis site Seeking Alpha.

“Realistically, there probably isn’t enough time to make up 100 percent of the fuel price increase this year. But I feel very good about 100 percent recovery and getting to double-digit margins in 2027.”

Lufthansa announced on April 21 that 20,000 short-haul flights would be canceled this summer.

The German carrier said in a statement that the flights “will be removed from the schedule through October, equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.”

A Qantas Boeing 737-800 taxis down the runway as a Qantas Boeing 717 comes in for a landing at Sydney International Airport, Australia, on June 7, 2024. Davis Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Elsewhere, Air Canada said last week it would stop flying to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and raise baggage fees on some flights because of rising fuel costs.

Virgin Australia said last week that it was raising fares, and Australian carrier Qantas Airways said last month that it would increase fares on its international routes in response to the surge in jet fuel costs.

Guy Birchall and Owen Evans contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 05:00

Ship Of Shame: Australia Saved By Trump's Emergency Fuel Shipments

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:15:00 +0000

Ship Of Shame: Australia Saved By Trump's Emergency Fuel Shipments

It's no secret that Europe and western satellite nations like Canada and Australia have been rather hostile in rhetoric when it comes to the US. This trend started well before the war in Iran and is owed largely to the ideological break between American conservative movements and European globalists and "multiculturalists".

The Trump Administration's trade tariffs are a big factor, but they are ultimately just another reflection of the separation of ideals between the US and its liberal "allies". At bottom, US tariffs against allied economies are merely a response to decades of allies using tariffs against the US. Tensions between western powers are rooted in a conflict of principles, not economics.

Despite these tensions and the fact that countries like Australia have made it clear that they will not aid the US in reopening the Strait of Hormuz (which Australia relies on for the majority of its energy supplies), Trump has offered considerable help to prevent Australia from facing total economic collapse.

Australians are calling it the "Ship of Shame" - A series of refined fuel imports from the US over the course of the past month which are preventing the country crossing the "dry up" threshold. Australia imports around 90% of all it's refined fuels, including diesel which the nation relies on heavily for industrial needs and freight needs. Around 60% of Australia's refined fuels are produced in Asia using oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Without these US shipments, the country was four weeks away from critical shortages and potential industry shutdowns. Australian political leaders have proven to be either incompetent or indolent in their responsibilities to prepare the country for energy emergency.

Critics will argue that Australia would not have to worry about fuel shortages were it not for US intervention in Iran. But, as we warned in March, the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the liberal Australian government, which has crippled their own economy with strict "green" polices, carbon taxation and their continuous efforts to thwart homegrown energy production.

Australia's economic weakness is a product of many years of mismanagement and has nothing to do with the Trump Administration or the war in Iran.

The US sent around 240,000 metric tons of fuel products in March alone, the largest amount to Australia in over 30 years, with more on the way. Along with some alternative supplies coming from Africa, Malaysia and other markets, Australia's emergency reserves are actually greater than they were before the war in Iran (with an extra 10 days of supply on top of their previous totals).

However, there is still a threat of "long tail" shortages and price hikes if the closure of the Hormuz lasts longer than a couple of months.

The lesson is clear; economic interdependency is a mistake and "just in time" supply chains are foolish. Furthermore, green energy is utterly useless and a form of economic suicide. Australia is a perfect model for what not to do when developing a national energy policy.

The country's sudden desperate need for aid from Trump and the US will hopefully wake up the Australian public to the fact that their current far-left political leadership is inept at best, and self destructive at worst.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 04:15

Israeli Air Force Technicians Charged With Spying For Iran Amid 'Espionage Epidemic'

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Israeli Air Force Technicians Charged With Spying For Iran Amid 'Espionage Epidemic'

Via The Cradle

Two Israeli air force technicians who were operating at the Tel Nof Air Base near the city of Ashdod are set to be charged with espionage for Iran in the US-Israeli war launched against the Islamic Republic in late February, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

This marks the latest case in what has been referred to as an "espionage epidemic" in Israel. According to a report by Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), the technicians worked on Israel's F15 jets. The two were identified as Asaf Shitrit and Sagi Haik.

Israeli Air Force image

The report says they handed over documents detailing engine diagrams and photos showing a flight instructor's face, violating military censorship regulations.

The two technicians were also enlisted to gather intelligence on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and former army chief Herzi Halevi.

KAN revealed that authorities are mulling stepping up the charges to treason against one of the air force technicians. Eight other soldiers are being accused of knowing about the spying and failing to report it.

The Tel Nof base commander summoned the troops for a security briefing and informed them that he has been asked to clarify the incident to Israel’s Shin Bet security agency.

Over 50 indictments have been filed against Israeli citizens for spying for Iran since October 2023, Mondoweiss revealed in a report.

Security analysts and commentators in Israel have described the situation as an "espionage epidemic" fueled by public distrust of political leadership, corruption, and general discontent among Israelis.

Recent cases in 2026 alone include an Iron Dome reservist accused of passing system details for $1,000, multiple active-duty soldiers charged with espionage, and a thwarted plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The Iron Dome reservist, Raz Cohen, was arrested in a joint operation by the Shin Bet and the police's Lahav 433 major crimes unit. According to the indictment filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, Cohen had been communicating with an Iranian agent since December via the Telegram messaging app.

The reservist allegedly took photographs and videos that he shared with his Iranian handlers and provided coordinates for several locations, including the Hatzor, Hatzerim, Nevatim, and Tel Nof air bases, as well as an additional classified facility.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 03:30

EU Finally Unblocks €90 Loan For Ukraine, Weighted Toward Military Spending

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:45:00 +0000

EU Finally Unblocks €90 Loan For Ukraine, Weighted Toward Military Spending

Ukraine has hailed the long awaited approval and release of a whopping a €90 billion loan by the European Union, which belatedly happened Thursday after months of negotiations.

"The European support loan for Ukraine has been unblocked - €90 billion over two years," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.

European Union photo

"For us this is important, and it will strengthen, of course, our army, Ukrainian forces, and allow us to boost production of air defense systems and work more to protect our energy system for the winter. Together we will solve many issues of protecting lives. And of course, we will keep working to push Russia to real diplomacy to end this war," he said.

Hungary and Slovakia, which had blocked the package, did not object before the 3 p.m. deadline, clearing final approval. This after a major Hungarian election wherein PM Viktor Orban suffered defeat, and rapid political transition is underway.

These countries lifted their vetoes after oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline finally resumed Thursday following earlier damage from Russian strikes. The timing interestingly corresponded with Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar cinching victory in a historic election.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the decision while traveling to Cyprus for talks with European leaders on the Middle East-driven energy crisis.

"While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation enabling Ukraine to defend itself," von der Leyen wrote on X.

The loan is heavily weighted toward military spending, and the NY Times says that it signifies that Kiev's Western backers see peace as being very far away. And additionally, this was unleashed by Brussels:

The latest EU sanctions against Russia – the 20th round since the invasion – blacklist Russian banks and energy companies, as well as entities in the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and China, including Hong Kong, for helping Moscow evade western restrictions.

Again, as for what changed to finally unlocked the loan, Washington Post bluntly points out the obvious big elephant in the room...

"The two-year loan is moving forward after its main opponent, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, lost his campaign for reelection this month," WaPo writes.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 02:45

Europe's Rooftop Solar Orders Triple As Gas Prices Surge

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Europe's Rooftop Solar Orders Triple As Gas Prices Surge

Submitted by Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com

Rooftop solar installations in Europe have surged since the Middle East war triggered a new oil and gas supply crisis and hiked power prices.

Demand from households and businesses willing to install rooftop solar systems soared in March and continues to rise at even higher rates in April as consumers look to insulate themselves from spiking gas and electricity prices, equipment wholesalers and renewable utilities in Northwest Europe have told Reuters.

Rooftop solar demand in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK has jumped by between 30% and 50% since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, according to various industry executives who spoke to Reuters.

Sales at Germany's solar equipment wholesaler Solarhandel24 more than tripled last month and are set to triple again in April, amid soaring demand for rooftop solar, company representatives told Reuters.

German solar solutions provider Enpal also reported strong rooftop solar demand driving a 30% jump in orders in March from a year earlier, and expects a further 33% surge in April.

A fence made of solar panels stands along a garden in Amsterdam, Netherlands April 23, 2024. REUTERS

The UK is also looking to boost rooftop solar installations as part of the government's measures unveiled this week and aimed at breaking the outsized influence of gas prices on electricity prices.

UK firm OVO Energy said in an analysis last month that there are around 13.7 million homes across the UK that are ready for solar panels – nearly half of all residential buildings. If these are installed, they would generate 28.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable energy every year—enough power to charge all of the UK's 1.2 million EVs for almost 10 years, OVO Energy says.

Separately, industry association SolarPower Europe has found in research that solar power saved the EU $130 million (111.7 million euros) every day in the first 17 days of the Middle East conflict—savings from avoided fossil fuel imports.

Without solar electricity, the EU's fossil fuel import bill would have been 32% higher than it currently is, according to the research.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/24/2026 - 02:00

Supreme Court To Decide Whether Colorado Can Deny Funding For Catholic Preschools

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:50:00 +0000

Supreme Court To Decide Whether Colorado Can Deny Funding For Catholic Preschools

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a significant religious liberty case that pits Colorado’s universal preschool funding program against Catholic schools’ faith-based admissions and operational policies.

Earlier this week, the Court granted certiorari in an unsigned order (no dissents noted), limiting review to two questions from the petitioners’ November 2025 petition. Arguments are expected in the Court’s October 2026 term.

The Supreme Court building in Washington on April 13, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

In 2020, Colorado voters approved Proposition EE, creating dedicated funding for voluntary universal preschool. The state’s Early Childhood Act and related rules established the UPK program, which provides free preschool (initially 15 hours per week, later expanded in some descriptions) to families at participating public, private, or faith-based providers. The goal: expand access and choice for all families, including through private options.

To participate and receive taxpayer funds, preschools must sign a nondiscrimination agreement. It requires offering “equal opportunity” to enroll and serve children regardless of race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, disability, or other protected characteristics. The program includes some targeted preferences or exemptions (e.g., for children of color, low-income families, those with disabilities, gender-nonconforming children, or LGBTQ+ families), but participating providers must still comply with the core nondiscrimination rule.

Catholic Preschools

Catholic preschools operated by the Archdiocese of Denver (including St. Mary Catholic Preschool in Littleton and Wellspring Catholic Academy/St. Bernadette’s in Lakewood) integrate religious formation with early education. They serve as faith-filled communities where children learn, pray, and grow alongside families who share or at least respect core Catholic teachings on faith, morals, sexuality, and gender (e.g., traditional Catholic doctrine on biological sex, marriage, and gender identity). Enrollment policies typically require families to affirm support for these beliefs; some policies also address practical matters like bathroom use aligned with biological sex.

The state determined these practices violate the equal-opportunity mandate - particularly with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, and religious affiliation - because the schools do not guarantee enrollment to families whose beliefs or identities conflict with Catholic doctrine. As a result, the Archdiocese’s roughly 30+ Catholic preschools were categorically excluded, affecting over 1,500 children and families. At least one preschool closed, and enrollment at others dropped sharply (nearly 20% in some cases), forcing families to pay out-of-pocket or choose non-Catholic options.

Plaintiffs (two parishes/preschools, the Archdiocese, and parents Daniel and Lisa Sheley, who wished to use the benefit at a Catholic preschool) sued in 2023 via the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, arguing Free Exercise Clause violations.

Lower Court Rulings

District Court (2024): After a bench trial, it largely sided with the state on the nondiscrimination requirement but enjoined enforcement as to religious affiliation (due to certain program preferences). It found no broader First Amendment violation.
10th Circuit (Sept. 30, 2025): Unanimously affirmed for the state. It held the rule is a neutral, generally applicable law under Employment Division v. Smith (1990), so rational-basis review applies (and the rule survives). The court called Colorado’s approach a “model example” of balancing nondiscrimination with religious accommodation efforts, distinguishing it from recent Supreme Court precedents like Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, and Carson v. Makin (which bar explicit religious-status discrimination in public benefits). No evidence of anti-religious hostility (unlike Masterpiece Cakeshop).

The 10th Circuit joined a minority position in a circuit split on when exemptions or discretion undermine a law’s “general applicability” under Smith. As the Epoch Times notes, the appeals court held that Colorado’s secular exemptions and discretion “did not undermine general applicability” - applying a Supreme Court precedent known as Employment Division v. Smith (1990). By doing this, the appeals court threw its lot in with the minority position in a circuit split regarding what kinds of exemptions and discretion are considered to undermine general applicability, the petition said.

The case is expected to be heard in the court’s next session, which begins in October.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 23:50

Europe Bets On Newsom To Reverse Trump's America - And Save Its Own Model

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:10:00 +0000

Europe Bets On Newsom To Reverse Trump's America - And Save Its Own Model

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

America remains a country of high social mobility and upward opportunity—something we no longer see on today’s European continent. It may sound kitschy to many Europeans, yet its vibrant economic centers, high geographic mobility, and the flexibility of its people still create the conditions for this unique phenomenon.

Admittedly, the narrative of the “land of unlimited opportunity” may sound exaggerated today—something akin to self-promotion. Yet at its core, it still holds true. Can one still make something of oneself there? Donald Trump’s deregulation program, combined with tax cuts for businesses as well as small and medium incomes, has in any case helped to revive this promise of upward mobility.

Trump’s policies go hand in hand with the elimination of fiscal privileges and subsidies. His goal: the systematic dismantling of the fiscally secured and media-backed strongholds of power of a socialist apparatus that reflects the spirit of European regulatory policy.

Put simply, under Trump, American nationalism and a rejection of ideological engineering have returned to the political agenda. With intense competition and market-driven policies at home, alongside a trade and tariff strategy reminiscent of presidents like Alexander Hamilton and William McKinley, this forms a clear countermodel to his predecessors. They had significantly advanced the European model of climate socialism as a tool of power consolidation.

For the record: it was President Barack Obama who, in 2009, identified carbon dioxide as a lever of power, integrated European regulatory frameworks, and began systematically undermining the traditional American values of individual liberty, mobility, free markets, and minimal government.

The public outrage over Trump’s reversal in key questions of political power architecture stems largely from the fact that too many had grown comfortable in a world of subsidies, NGOs, and public sector employment. European climate socialists now pin their hopes on California Governor Gavin Newsom. In two and a half years, he is expected to enter the White House and initiate a return to the status quo ante.

In Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and London, they are likely already counting the days until a possible political shift in Washington.

Trump has fallen out of favor with Europeans because his agenda of prioritizing American national interests mercilessly exposes the ideological contradictions and intellectual weakness of European socialism. Whether in foreign policy—where the U.S. asserts itself forcefully toward countries like Venezuela or Iran—or in its confrontation with the climate lobby and the left-wing NGO complex, Trump’s policies reflect the will of many Americans to finally address the consequences of globalist policies and draw the logical conclusion: dismantling this socialist overreach.

It is telling that his migration policy meets fierce resistance in the strongholds of Democratic Party power. Where migration and poverty industries have taken root, the immigration authority ICE encounters near civil-war-like resistance.

Yet it is not Trump’s fault that the European social model lies in ruins.

Europe suffers from a lack of self-criticism and a general unwillingness to confront its own ideological failures. Meanwhile, nuclear cooling towers are demolished, coal seams flooded, and gas infrastructure dismantled. The politics of ideological immaturity collide with Washington’s hard-nosed approach and the necessary repair work on a deeply damaged social and economic body.

No matter whom the Republican Party nominates as Trump’s potential successor—be it J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio—the German press has already made its choice. It longs for America’s return to European-style climate socialism: more comfortable, more predictable, and promising continued access to public funding—even for its own future. To underline this, the German weekly WirtschaftsWoche recently published a guest article by Gavin Newsom.

Newsom seeks to persuade foreign governments to view California as an independent economic entity—the world’s fifth-largest economy, still embodying the spirit of boundless opportunity.

The implicit message is clear: California’s economic stagnation is not the result of high taxes or aggressive climate policies in the European mold—nor of its war on oil and gas—but solely the fault of Donald Trump’s tariff policy.

California is Europe in miniature—a shadow of the Old Continent cast across the United States. It now finds itself exposed by Washington’s market-driven reforms, which throw its model into stark contrast. The results are increasingly visible: one system succeeds, the other falters.

In his guest contribution, Newsom naturally avoids addressing the consequences of California’s climate policies. As in Europe, CO₂ costs are placing enormous strain on industry. Companies are leaving—just as they are in Germany—and relocating to states like Texas or Florida, where industrial production is still valued.

Newsom’s socialist course, which began in 2019, is evident not only in rising public debt. More striking is the emergence of a full-fledged poverty management industry. Years of open-border policies enabled the development of a deeply corrupt system of dependency management. California has become a magnet for illegal migrants, drug addicts, and other lost individuals; at the same time, the political framework sustains an extraction economy similar to what we observe in Germany’s migration sector. The parallels are striking.

The Sunshine State, once a place of aspiration for so many, now resembles—especially in its urban centers—the kind of social decay familiar from Europe’s migration-driven slums.

Hardly a model to be proud of—yet, for WirtschaftsWoche, seemingly the ideal form of postmodern urbanity.

Newsom frequently points to the success of Silicon Valley, the powerhouse of digital innovation. Yet this engine of growth quite literally fell into his lap; he has contributed nothing of substance to enhancing the state’s innovative capacity. Silicon Valley existed before Newsom—and it will exist after him, if necessary in a different location, in new form, after escaping the suffocating grip of bureaucratic overreach.

A final word on those Europeans who hope for Trump’s failure: with Newsom and a return of the United States to European climate socialism and mass immigration, capital flight from the EU might temporarily slow. It is entirely possible that European leadership could buy time by pointing to a faltering America. But it would change nothing about Europe’s decline—only delay the inevitable.

About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 23:10

37 Senate Democrats Urge USPS To Refuse Trump's Vote-By-Mail Executive Order

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 02:10:00 +0000

37 Senate Democrats Urge USPS To Refuse Trump's Vote-By-Mail Executive Order

Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times,

Thirty-seven Senate Democrats sent a letter Monday to the U.S. Postal Service’s board of governors calling on the agency to refuse to implement a March 31 executive order that directs the USPS to use state-submitted lists to determine which voters may receive mail-in and absentee ballots.

The order specifically mentions U.S. citizenship as a key element for eligibility.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led the effort alongside three ranking committee members: Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee; and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Executive Order 14399, signed March 31 by President Donald Trump, directs the Postmaster General to initiate a rulemaking within 60 days establishing uniform standards for mail-in and absentee ballot processing.

Under the order, USPS would be prohibited from transmitting mail-in or absentee ballots to any voter not enrolled on a state-submitted eligibility list, which the order calls a “Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.” A final rule must be issued within 120 days of signing.

The order also directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile federal citizenship records into state-by-state voter eligibility lists, drawn from Social Security Administration and immigration databases, and transmit those lists to state election officials at least 60 days before each federal election.

The senators argued that the order unconstitutionally transfers authority over federal elections to the executive branch, noting that the Constitution vests authority over the ’times, places, and manner' of federal elections with the states, subject to alteration by Congress.

“The Constitution provides no role for the President in regulating federal elections,” the Democratic senators wrote. “And no statute delegates to the President any authority to regulate elections or voter eligibility either, including via USPS. By issuing the executive order, however, the President is attempting to unconstitutionally consolidate power to personally regulate American elections.”

The senators said the order would effectively ban mail-in voting in any state unwilling to submit its absentee voter lists to the USPS, and would give the postal agency power to determine which voters’ ballots get delivered to election officials at all.

The senators also pointed to language in a December 2025 USPS rule on postmarking procedures, in which the agency described its limited role in elections.

“While the Proposed Rule contains information of potential relevance to election officials and to citizens who choose to vote by mail, the Postal Service does not administer elections, establish the rules or deadlines that govern elections, or determine whether or how election jurisdictions utilize the mail or incorporate our postmark into their rules,” the rule noted. “The Postal Service also does not advocate for or against any particular voting practices (including mail-in voting).”

The order has generated legal battles on two fronts.

On the voter data side, the federal government sued 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to hand over voter registration records to federal officials, and at least five federal judges have ruled against that effort.
On the mail-in ballot side, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed a lawsuit on April 1, arguing that the order restricts Americans’ ability to vote by mail. A coalition of 12 Republican state attorneys general filed motions on April 20 in Massachusetts and Washington to defend the order against that challenge.

The White House and USPS did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

The letter was addressed to USPS Chairwoman Amber McReynolds, Vice Chairman Derek Kan, Governors Ronald Stroman and Daniel Tangherlini, and Postmaster General David Steiner.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 22:10

Rep. Luna Wants Pardon For Soldier Arrested In $400K Maduro Raid Insider Bet

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:44:00 +0000

Rep. Luna Wants Pardon For Soldier Arrested In $400K Maduro Raid Insider Bet

Federal authorities arrested a US Army special forces soldier Gannon Van Dyke on Thursday for allegedly using classified insider information from the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to place winning bets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on Polymarket - the first known instance of the Department of Justice prosecuting insider trading on such a platform.

According to the DOJ, feds claim that Van Dyke - who took part in the January 2026 "Operation Absolute Resolve" that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores - wagered approximately $33,933 across four Polymarket contracts in the hours before President Donald Trump publicly announced the success of the raid. The largest single bet, $32,537, was placed on Maduro being out of office by January 31. When the operation succeeded and Maduro was taken into US custody, the soldier pocketed more than $404,000 on that contract alone, for a total profit exceeding $409,881.

An active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, a military base in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Van Dyke had signed nondisclosure agreements promising never to divulge classified or sensitive information relating to military operations. The indictment claims that starting around December 8, 2025, and continuing through at least January 6, 2026, he was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, giving him access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about the raid.

I’ve been crystal clear: anyone who engages in insider trading in any of our markets will face the full force of the law. Today, the @CFTC took parallel action with @SDNYnews to charge an individual with insider trading involving event contracts.

The @CFTC won’t tolerate…
— Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) April 23, 2026

Meanwhile Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has called for Van Dyke to be pardoned, saying "Unless the DOJ plans on going after all the crooks in congress currently insider trading, this is simply skewed justice."

Maybe not a popular take but I am calling for this guy to be pardoned. Unless the DOJ plans on going after all the crooks in congress currently insider trading, this is simply skewed justice. There is no “justice” when guys like this get the book thrown at him yet members are… https://t.co/b5hFXY3Ryp
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 23, 2026

Rest assured, the feds are coming for betting markets with hammer and tongs.The Commodities Exchange Act prohibits federal employees or agents from trading on confidential government information, but applying those rules to anonymous, crypto-based prediction markets presents novel challenges for prosecutors. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton noted in March that his office was actively examining "laws similar to insider trading laws" for these platforms. One former federal prosecutor described the Maduro bets - which came when the market priced intervention at just 6% - as bearing “all the hallmarks of an insider trade.”

The arrest follows earlier public scrutiny of suspiciously timed Polymarket wagers, including large profits on US strikes against Iran and the removal of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In February, Israeli authorities charged an army reservist and a civilian with using classified information to bet on Polymarket.

Prediction markets have drawn massive Wall Street and institutional interest, highlighted by Intercontinental Exchange (owner of the NYSE) committing up to $2 billion to Polymarket and Coatue Management leading Kalshi’s $1 billion funding round (valuing it at $22 billion), with participation from Paradigm, Sequoia, a16z, Founders Fund, and General Catalyst. Quant giants Susquehanna and Jump Trading are providing deep liquidity and equity stakes, while Goldman Sachs is actively exploring the sector and prime brokers now route hedge-fund orders into these platforms.

French Riggers?

Meanwhile across the pond, French cybercrime police are examining claims that someone deliberately heated a Météo-France temperature sensor at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport to trigger artificial spikes and cash in on high-stakes weather wagers, according to Le Monde.

AFP/Getty

The inquiry began after Météo-France filed a formal complaint citing "physical findings on one of our instruments and the analysis of sensor data." Unusual temperature jumps coincided with large bets on the exact temperature in Paris on dates including March 12 and April 16. More than $500,000 was at stake on some days, according to the On April 15, for example, an unexpected 5°C evening spike to 19°C allowed three separate wallets to profit more than $280,000 combined. One anonymous trader placed a last-minute bet and walked away with $21,000; the same wallet also held positions on weather in Seoul and Toronto,

On Polymarket Discord channels, bettors openly joked about the anomalies. One shared an AI-generated image of a man aiming a hairdryer at a weather station near an airport runway. Another asked: "What did you do to the temperature sensor at Paris airport yesterday? Was your weapon of choice a hairdryer or a lighter?"

So, absolute idiots all around.

In response, Polymarket has stopped using the Charles de Gaulle sensor for its Paris temperature markets and switched to data from Paris-Le Bourget airport.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 21:44

FAFO: Ken Griffen Fed Up With Leftist NYC Mayor Mamdani's Political Stunt

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:40:00 +0000

FAFO: Ken Griffen Fed Up With Leftist NYC Mayor Mamdani's Political Stunt

Play foolish socialist games, and watch New York City crumble.

That may be the lesson far-left NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is about to learn, as Citadel's Ken Griffin appears to be losing patience with the mayor's latest political stunt.

Recall that, in a video posted last week by the NYC Mayor's Office, Mamdani unveiled the city's first-ever pied-à-terre tax: an annual fee on luxury properties whose owners do not live in NYC full-time. The video was filmed outside 220 Central Park South, the building where Griffin owns a four-floor penthouse he purchased in 2019 for $238 million.

Happy Tax Day, New York. We’re taxing the rich. pic.twitter.com/Wky2LFXC9W
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) April 15, 2026

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday afternoon that an internal memo from Citadel's COO said its massive redevelopment of 350 Park Avenue, a $6 billion project that would produce 6,000 construction jobs and more than 15,000 permanent jobs, might be halted.

"We are about to commence the redevelopment of 350 Park Avenue, creating 6,000 highly paid construction jobs and supporting the creation of more than 15,000 permanent jobs in mid-town New York," wrote Gerald Beeson. "The project -- if we move forward -- will entail more than $6 billion dollars of spending."

Beeson sent the letter to employees of Citadel, Citadel Securities, and Griffin's other businesses. Let's not forget that Griffin relocated his company from crime-ridden Chicago to Miami. Beeson said the mayor's video suggested that the mayor doesn't appreciate how people like Griffin contribute to the greater good.

"It is shameful that he used Ken's name as the example of those who supposedly aren't carrying their fair share of the burdens associated with New York City's often costly and wasteful spending," Beeson continued. "In doing so, the mayor has once again manifested the ignorance and disdain of the elite political class towards those who have been consistently committed to building one of the greatest cities in the world."

"We have nearly 2,500 colleagues who have chosen to build their careers here," he said. "We understand that our hard work and success will, on occasion, make us targets for political rhetoric. But it should not diminish the pride we take in building firms that will continue to help New York City thrive for decades ahead."

In all seriousness, Griffin has little reason to waste time dealing with mounting political hostility from the far-left mayor when that same redevelopment capital could be deployed in a more business-friendly state where capitalism, property rights, and law and order are still upheld. Mamdani is bad for business - part of a broader unhinged class of socialist politicians, from Baltimore to New York City, who seem more interested in abusing taxpayers than properly governing. Why take the abuse?

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 21:40

DOJ Settles Surveillance Abuse Lawsuit With Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:10:00 +0000

DOJ Settles Surveillance Abuse Lawsuit With Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page

Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Justice told the U.S. Supreme Court on April 22 that it has settled a lawsuit filed by former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page over alleged surveillance abuses.

Page had served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

He sued several top federal law enforcement officials, alleging his constitutional rights were violated through illegal surveillance carried out under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as part of an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The settlement moots, or makes legally irrelevant, Page’s lawsuit against the federal government, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in a new brief filed with the nation’s highest court.

Page had filed a petition with the Supreme Court in December 2025 to appeal a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling that affirmed dismissal of the lawsuit by a lower court.

The appeals court ruled that he had waited too long to initiate his lawsuit.

Page is a longtime contributor to the United States’ national security efforts as an “operational contact” of the Central Intelligence Agency. Despite his years of service, he was a target in the FBI’s investigation known as Operation Crossfire Hurricane that probed suspected Russian influence on Trump’s 2016 campaign. He has denied having any improper ties to Russia and was not charged with wrongdoing, according to the petition.

“Through deliberate lies and incomplete factual assertions, the FBI convinced the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) that there was probable cause to believe that Dr. Page was an intermediary between Russia and Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign’s chair,” he said in the petition.

The FBI filed for four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants to surveil Page and the court granted all four. Before the final renewal application was filed, two members of the operation conspired to leak information from the secret FBI surveillance of Page to the media to damage his public image and the Trump campaign. Anonymously sourced media reports falsely insinuated that Page was an agent of Russia, according to the petition.

Because Page knew he wasn’t a Russian agent, he inferred from the media reports that he had been unlawfully surveilled and shared his belief with Congress and the public, according to his petition. However, foreign intelligence investigations are carried out in secret, so his suspicions could not be verified no matter what steps he took.

In late 2019, the Office of the Inspector General published a report spelling out “the FBI’s repeated and thorough surveillance abuses against Dr. Page,” stating that the first warrant application contained “seven significant inaccuracies and omissions.” The FBI also excluded information exonerating Page from warrant applications, including statements by Page “that were inconsistent with its theory” that “Page was an agent of Russia.” The office also “identified 10 additional significant errors in the renewal applications,” the petition said.

A Justice Department spokesperson commented on the settlement.

“No American should ever face covert and unlawful surveillance based on their political views,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“The investigation into Carter Page—a man never charged with a single crime—relied on inherently flawed and uncorroborated information, proving it was a political sham from the get-go. The targeting of American citizens for political purposes constitutes a severe violation of civil liberties,” the spokesperson continued.

“This Department of Justice is committed to dismantling the weaponization of government and today’s settlement represents one of many initiatives to provide justice to those abused by rogue actors.”

The Epoch Times reached out for comment to Page’s attorney, Gene Schaerr of Schaerr Jaffe in Washington. No reply was received by publication time.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 21:10

Iran Announces First Hormuz Toll Fees Successfully Transferred To Central Bank

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:45:00 +0000

Iran Announces First Hormuz Toll Fees Successfully Transferred To Central Bank

President Trump has repeatedly said that Iran "better not" collect tolls from ships seeking to traverse the Hormuz Strait waterway, as both warring sides have initiated their own rival blockades of different sectors of the strait.

Just last week, Trump had flatly rejected the possibility of Tehran imposing fees - reportedly $2 million or perhaps even more - when a reporter asked about the prospect of restrictions or tolls managed by Iran for strait passage. "Nope. No way. No. Nope," Trump had responded. He said there can't be tolls along with restrictions, suggesting that a future system could perhaps be worked out, even of some kind of toll-sharing scheme. "No, they’re not going to be tolls."

The Central Bank of Iran. Source: Iran International

Earlier this month the president had even stated of tolls, "We're thinking of doing it as a joint venture" - in reference to Washington and Tehran, which of course raised eyebrows. "It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people. It’s a beautiful thing."

"We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well," Trump had later separately written on Truth Social. "I feel confident that it will."

But after all this, on Thursday Iran has publicly announced for the first time that initial toll payments have been successfully transferred to the state-operated Central Bank of Iran (CBI):

The Iranian authorities have received revenue from tolls for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz for the first time, Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Hajibabai said.

"The first revenue received from tolls in the Strait of Hormuz has been transferred to the Central Bank's account," the Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

A specific monetary amount was not given, but this week has seen reports that several Iranian tankers, with transponders off, have made it past the US Navy's blockade - which the Pentagon has denied. State media says:

IRAN RECEIVED HARD CURRENCY PAYMENT FOR HORMUZ TOLL: FARS

According to Drop Site News:

Iran formally codified the toll system in its “Strait of Hormuz Management Plan,” passed by parliament on March 30-31. The IRGC charges up to $2 million per vessel, with fees running approximately $1 per barrel of crude cargo — meaning a fully loaded supertanker could pay $2 million per transit.

🔺 Iran’s second deputy parliament speaker Hajibabaei announced Wednesday that the first revenues collected from Strait of Hormuz transit tolls have been deposited into the Central Bank of Iran, according to Mehr News Agency — marking the first public confirmation that Iran’s… pic.twitter.com/qURuWTpzbk
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 23, 2026

Also, the US side has said that dozens of international vessels have been approved for safe passage and have made it out. The US is halting and intercepting any vessel connected with Iranian ports, whether they be inbound or outbound, and especially if they are under sanction.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 20:45

Judge Blocks Trump Admin's Move To Halt Wind, Solar Approvals

Tyler Durden — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:20:00 +0000

Judge Blocks Trump Admin's Move To Halt Wind, Solar Approvals

Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to halt federal approvals for wind and solar projects.

Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on April 21, sought by a coalition of renewable energy groups.

The injunction blocks five specified agency action measures, including Interior review rules, a wildlife permitting ban, land-use limits, an Army Corps memo, and a legal opinion that had tightened permitting and slowed wind and solar approvals.

The judge said the plaintiffs were “likely to succeed on the merits of their claims” that the Interior Department and other agencies adopted policies that violate the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how U.S. agencies make and justify policy decisions.

Her ruling applies to members of the plaintiff organizations, which include RENEW Northeast and Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

“This is an undeniable victory for members of our coalition and the broader clean energy industry, as well as American households and businesses,” the groups said in a joint statement.

The Interior Department said in a statement that while it does not comment on litigation, “America sets the global standard for energy production.”

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump pledged to maximize U.S. oil and natural gas production and suspended offshore wind leases.

On April 20, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to issue a series of memorandums focused on strengthening coal supply chains, natural gas transmission, and liquefied natural gas capacity.

The president also signed memos aimed at boosting domestic petroleum production, enhancing grid infrastructure, and expanding the deployment of “large-scale energy” and related infrastructure.

In a post on X, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the memos would allow the Energy Department to use funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to strengthen the country’s “grid infrastructure and unleash reliable, affordable, secure energy.”

The Defense Production Act is a ⁠Cold War-era legislation that grants the president authority to expand and expedite the supply of materials from the domestic industrial base for national security purposes.

In April 2025, the Trump administration ordered a halt to the development of Norway-based company Equinor’s Empire Wind project, which the Biden administration approved in 2023. However, the stop-work order was lifted a month later, and construction was allowed to resume.

The Trump administration’s actions are a significant shift from the Biden administration’s effort to expand wind-power leasing, which aimed to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 and another 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind power by 2035.

According to legal firm Latham & Watkins, Foreign Entity of Concern rules, strengthened by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aim to block the Chinese regime’s influence in the solar and renewable energy supply chain by denying clean energy tax credits to projects that involve entities linked to the regime.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the BBC in September 2025 that the Trump administration had “serious concerns” about Europe’s reliance on Chinese renewable technologies.

“It looks like the Chinese could control what’s going on with your energy system,” he said.

Wright also claimed in a Sept. 2, 2025, post on X, “Even if you wrapped the entire planet in a solar panel, you would only be producing 20 percent of global energy.”

“One of the biggest mistakes politicians can make is equating electricity with energy,” he added.

Trump, a vocal critic of wind energy, particularly in the UK, has described it as “the most expensive energy ever conceived.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 20:20

Mercuria, Goldman, JPMorgan See Major Aluminum Market Shock

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:55:00 +0000

Mercuria, Goldman, JPMorgan See Major Aluminum Market Shock

Analysts at Mercuria, the Geneva-based Swiss commodities trading firm, are sounding the alarm on the global aluminum market after severe disruptions in the Gulf region, adding to a growing list of trading desks and research teams warning of a deepening supply shock.

"The scale of the supply shock we're seeing in the aluminum market is probably the largest single supply shock a base metals market has suffered in the post-2000 era," Mercuria commodities analyst Nick Snowdon told Reuters on the sidelines of the Financial Times Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Snowdon then told Reuters, "We are already in a 'black swan' event. No one could have foreseen something on this scale."

Mercuria is a Swiss commodities trading house based in Geneva. Its traders sell, ship, store, and finance physical commodities across markets such as oil, gas, power, LNG, and metals.

Snowdon's alarm over the global aluminum market is mainly because the Gulf region accounts for 9% of world supply, and with major smelters already declaring force majeure and the Hormuz chokepoint blocked for much of this week, this is shaping up to be one of the most memorable shocks in the metal market in decades.

Aluminum prices have already surged to a four-year high, and Mercuria estimates the market could face at least a 2 million-ton deficit by the end of the year, potentially worse if the US-Iran conflict drags on and alumina flows through Hormuz chokepoint remain heavily constrained.

"That shortfall compares with about 1.5 million tons of visible inventory and just over 3 million tons of total global stock, including non-visible units, leaving the market with limited buffers," Snowdon said, adding that a larger deficit is possible.

He warned that the most exposed supply chains to the Gulf shock are in the US and Europe. He noted both regions rely heavily on Middle Eastern aluminum imports and already have low stockpiles.

Last week, JPMorgan analysts warned that the aluminum market is descending into a black hole, or a "metaphorical point of no return," where the "global aluminum market will face a serious and prolonged supply outage," even if vessel flows through the Hormuz chokepoint resume in the near term.

Separately, Goldman commodity specialist James McGeoch recently warned clients, "Hard to think of a bigger metal supply shock: High degree of expectation this was where it was heading, but the initial reaction was to fade the uncertainty yesterday. That should be replaced by fresh length if history is a guide."

From Mercuria to JPM to Goldman, traders and analysts at these mega institutions are all warning of a metal supply shock, with major risks that could curtail the production of anything from planes to tanks to cars and even power infrastructure.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 19:55

Trump Confirms Possible U.S. Takeover Of Spirit If 'Price Is Right'

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:29:00 +0000

Trump Confirms Possible U.S. Takeover Of Spirit If 'Price Is Right'

Summary:

Trump Confirms possible U.S. Gov't takeover of Spirit
WSJ says the Trump administration's possible $500 million rescue deal could leave the U.S. government with 90% control.
WSJ says Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is leading the effort in U.S.-Spirit talks.
BBG reported earlier on a potential $500 million rescue loan for Spirit.
News of a possible rescue loan for Spirit emerged last week.

Polymarket:

US takes a stake in Spirit Airlines by May 31?
Yes 36% · No 64%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Spirit Airlines shutdown/liquidation by May 31?
Yes 51% · No 49%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Trump Confirms Possible Taxpayer Takeover Of Spirit

In the Oval Office early Thursday evening, President Trump was asked by a reporter about a potential taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines.

A reporter asked Trump: "Is the government going to buy a stake in Spirit Airlines?"

Trump responded:

So, Spirit is an airline that's had some trouble. They were going to merge with People Express or one of them a number of years ago and Barack Hussein Obama decided it was a bad idea. How did that work out? It was bad for both of them. That would have been a natural merger—not United, American, but Spirit.

We're looking at helping them. We have 18,000 people that live in this country—some great people and great employees. We're thinking about doing it, helping them out—meaning bailing them out or buying them out.

We may just buy it! We'd be getting it virtually debt-free. They have some good aircraft and some good assets... and when the price of oil goes down, we could sell it for a profit. I'd love to be able to save those jobs. I want to be able to save an airline. You know, I like having a lot of airlines so it's competitive.

So we are looking at Spirit. It's in bankruptcy court. And we're looking, if we could get it for the right price, I'd do it to save the jobs. And we have somebody that wants to run it, do a good job. Smart person. And if they run it properly and if prices come down, all of a sudden it's a valuable asset. And some very good slots too which are pretty valuable.

🚨 JUST NOW: President Trump CONFIRMS the United States government is considering BAILING OUT Spirit Airlines, which is on the verge of collapse

Trump even said he already has a new CEO selected 👀

"We're looking at helping them. We have 18,000 people that live in this… pic.twitter.com/F0pukHTLY5
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 23, 2026

More Color on Potential Deal

Shortly after, The Wall Street Journal reported on the Trump administration's potential rescue package for bankrupt Spirit Airlines. Bloomberg followed with a report stating that the emergency deal to save Spirit could give the U.S. government the option to own up to 90% of the carrier after bankruptcy.

Both reports state that the draft deal could provide up to $500 million in financing in exchange for warrants tied to a large equity stake, although talks remain ongoing and no final agreement has been reached. Bloomberg reports that

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is leading the effort to save Spirit through an emergency agreement.

WSJ Breaks Story on Trump Admin Nearing Possible Rescue Loan for Spirit

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump administration is nearing a rescue deal for bankrupt Spirit Airlines that could include up to a $500 million loan in exchange for warrants that would give the federal government a potentially large equity stake.

The WSJ noted that the Transportation and Commerce Departments are involved in talks to help save struggling Spirit, which faces the risk of imminent liquidation.

*TRUMP ADMIN. NEARS ~$500M RESCUE DEAL FOR SPIRIT AIRLINES: WSJ
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 22, 2026

Last week, multiple news outlets reported that Spirit was flying on fumes as soaring jet fuel prices pushed the bankrupt airline deeper into turmoil. The carrier, in its second bankruptcy since 2024, had been set to exit bankruptcy this summer, but the jet fuel price shock clearly derailed those plans.

There was also a report late last week from aviation news website The Air Current stating that the airline had asked the Trump administration for "hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funding" to prevent liquidation by creditors.

Then on Tuesday, President Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box that the federal government could help Spirit.

"I don't mind mergers. I think I'd love somebody to buy Spirit, as an example. You know, Spirit's in trouble. ... Maybe the federal government should help that one out," Trump said.

🚨 PRESIDENT TRUMP JUST NOW: "I'd love somebody to buy Spirit, as an example. You know, Spirit's in trouble."

"And I'd love somebody to buy Spirit. It's 14,000 jobs. And maybe the federal government should help that one out!"

"You know, I tell my people. But with American, it's… pic.twitter.com/P488KMfox6
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 21, 2026

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy met with budget carriers later on Tuesday to discuss the impact of higher jet fuel prices on their businesses.

If the federal government provides Spirit with a rescue deal in exchange for a major stake in the airline, it would add the airline to the growing list of firms in which the Trump administration has taken stakes, including Intel, MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, Trilogy Metals, and others.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 19:29

Breakthrough: Trump Unveils 3-Week Extended Ceasefire In Lebanon, But Says 'All The Time In The World' To End Iran War

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Breakthrough: Trump Unveils 3-Week Extended Ceasefire In Lebanon, But Says 'All The Time In The World' To End Iran War

Summary

Trump unveils three week extended ceasefire in Lebanon, wants country to "protect itself from Hezbollah".
Israeli media says Iran Parliament Speaker resigns from negotiating team under IRGC pressure, oil spikes. Iran rejects report as completely false.
Trump orders US Navy 'shoot & kill' small Iranian boats amid concern over mines in Hormuz. Says US now "doesn't need a deal". Says he has "all the time in the world, Iran does not" - to end the war.
Overnight, US military intercepted two more Iranian oil supertankers that tried to evade the blockade And in Indian Ocean US conducted a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran.
Media sources confirm based on prior Trump post that US has extended the ceasefire indefinitely until 'unified proposal' can be brought forward by Tehran.
Iran announces first Hormuz tolls paid to the country's central bank. Also asserts US blockade breached & could build atomic bomb "if we wanted to".

US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?
Yes 56% · No 44%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

* * *

Lebanon Breakthrough Announced By Trump

A huge breakthrough in Lebanon, where President Trump has declared an extended ceasefire for three weeks - though there have still been reports of sporadic fighting involving Israel and Hezbollah - the latter which hasn't signed on to a ceasefire:

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following a meeting in the White House with top U.S. officials, President Donald Trump said Thursday.

“The Meeting went very well!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the extension of the temporary truce.

“The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump wrote, referring to the Iran-backed militia group.

“The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, that Iran timeline keeps getting more and more open-ended...

From a “little excursion” to “Don’t rush me. We were in Vietnam for 18 years.” https://t.co/xsWkT3ILN8
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 23, 2026

Reuters: Israel Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office Thursday

Trump: All the Time in the World

President Trump pushes back on claims he is anxious to end the war; says he has all the time in the world, Iran does not. However, consumer prices and at the pump could steadily rise and next fall's Congressional midterms might beg to differ. Here's some of what Trump said:

• Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is demolished, their Anti Aircraft and Radar Weaponry is gone, their leaders are no longer with us, the Blockade is airtight and strong and, from there, it only gets worse — Time is not on their side!

• A Deal will only be made when it’s appropriate and good for the United States of America, our Allies and, in fact, the rest of the World.

Iran Says Just a Drill, & Denies Reports That Ghalibaf Quit

The earlier reports of 'air defenses active over Tehran' was the result of a drill, Iran says. And more importantly, Tehran is rejecting Israeli media reports of a big shake-up centered on Iran's Parliament Speaker.

Iranian Journalist says "news that Ghalibaf has resigned is completely false." https://t.co/dsVB01TJqF
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 23, 2026

'Air Defenses Active' Over Tehran Reports: Oil Spikes to 2-Week High

Nour News says cause still unclear, and this could be another drill, or false alarm, or a mere lone drone. Israel is denying it has launched an attack. But oil immediately reacted:

Parliament Speaker Resigns after IRGC Intervention

Israel's N12 News has issued a breaking headline claiming that Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ghalibaf, who has appeared to run the day to day over the civilian government, has resigned from the country's negotiating team following the intervention of the IRGC. There have been rumors and unverified murmurings that he was even arrested.

Of course, given this comes via Israel - which is a party to the conflict - it should be taken with a grain of salt until verified; however Newsquawk notes it was enough to hit stocks and cause a spike in crude...

Meanwhile, Iranian social media accounts of Iran's two highest civilian officials have sought to push back against the current White House/MSM consensus that Washington is dealing with a fractured, divided Iranian nation when it comes to negotiations:

Same person controlling Iran's top X accounts: Pezeshkian and Ghalibab publish identical posts 1 minute apart pic.twitter.com/fTVMm6jB9i
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 23, 2026

Iran Asserts US Blockade Breached; Could Build Nuke "If We Wanted To"

US CENTCOM on Thursday announced its forces have redirected 33 Iran-linked vessels in the Hormuz Strait since the start of the blockade; however, Iranian state media is citing the below public source tanker data (in a Telegram post) to proclaim that four Iranian oil tankers successfully crossed the US blockade and enter Iranian waters.

According to the latest statements out of top Iran officials, Tehran is demonstrating "strength" in the strait, and also the foreign ministry has insisted that while the country is still not seeking nuclear weapons, it possesses the capability to create a bomb if needed. Via Al Jazeera: "We are not seeking to manufacture a nuclear bomb from our stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and if we wanted to, we could."

Meanwhile Iran's foreign ministry has commented on the freeze on Pakistan talks, saying it has not decided to participate as of yet, but emphasized too that it is "not an option" to transfer out of the country its highly enriched uranium.

Based on today's (2026‑04‑23) imagery, we have identified 9 Iranian tankers at Chabahar, Iran. There were 5 on 2026‑04‑21. HERO2 (9362073) and M.T HEDY (9212888) are back in Chabahar after exfiltrating the blockade line. DIONA (9569695), unmentioned below; has also returned. https://t.co/sx5KjSkAXN pic.twitter.com/6e1SQGzlxs
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) April 23, 2026

Iran Confirms First Hormuz Toll Payments to Central Bank

On Thursday Iran publicly announced for the first time that initial toll payments have been successfully transferred to the state-operated Central Bank of Iran (CBI):

The Iranian authorities have received revenue from tolls for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz for the first time, Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Hajibabai said.

"The first revenue received from tolls in the Strait of Hormuz has been transferred to the Central Bank's account," the Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

A specific monetary amount was not given - but it can go up to $2 million per tanker, officials have indicated. This week has seen reports that several Iranian tankers, with transponders off, have made it past the US Navy's blockade - which the Pentagon has denied.

Latest From Trump: 'Doesn't Need a Deal'

Talks have stalled, and don't appear to be any closer - despite some optimistic Thursday early headlines - as the two sides are as far away as ever on the nuclear issue. This is perhaps why Trump has agreed the US 'doesn't need a deal' to get what it wants from Iran. The president shared a Washington Post article wherein the author argues that Iran is running out of [oil] storage, money, and time.

The below fresh Truth Social commentary also generally reflects recent reporting and the outlook of WaPo's Marc Thiessen, of Iraq War infamy as a former longtime speechwriter for Donald Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush:

It should be noted that this is some of Marc Thiessen's prior content and 'reporting'. He's the most hawkish of all the hawkish pundits, lately also appearing on Mark Levin. And...

Mark Thiessen, in Mark Levin interview Trump urged all his followers to watch, makes the case for troops on the ground in Iran: "We have to get what Donald Trump correctly calls 'the nuclear dust.'"

Thiessen also tries to connect Iran to Al-Qaeda and 9/11. https://t.co/7u7fii1C80 pic.twitter.com/R4nJ6JHCZH
— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) March 29, 2026

Trump Orders Navy to Shoot & Kill

Despite a ceasefire still technically being on, President Trump has just ordered the US Navy to "shoot and kill" any small Iranian boat which poses a threat to the Strait of Hormuz, especially ones "putting mines in the waters" of the strait. This risks rapid escalation already amid tit-for-tat tanker seizures, and it means a shooting war could soon open up in the contested vital waterway.

Oil, and markets reacted immediately on the escalatory order from Washington:

Status of Stalled Pakistan Negotiations: 'Breakthrough' Soon?

US hours began with a somewhat optimistic headline, picked up by Reuters, which was strangely enough first issued by Chinese media. Iranian sources said preparations for Iran-US negotiations could produce a breakthrough "tonight or tomorrow," according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. However, this supposed 'breakthrough' speaks to merely getting to the table, which last weekend the sides failed to do in what was the planned, but canceled, second round.

Meanwhile a reported Pakistani proposal calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a partial lifting of sanctions on Iran.

Pakistani officials blamed the US blockade, not internal divisions in Iran, for the stalled talks, while President Trump apparently having extended the ceasefire indefinitely, citing what he described as "fractured" leadership in Tehran.

Trump has extended the ceasefire indefinitely. From a Tuesday Truth Social Post: "Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal."

Another US Boarding... in Indian Ocean

US forces conducted "a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean" overnight, the US Department of Defense said on X.

The statement said the vessel was operating within the area of responsibility of United States Indo-Pacific Command. "We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," it said. "International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain."

The interdiction video put out by US Central Command:

Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

We will continue global maritime enforcement to… pic.twitter.com/SWF6Jt9Ci4
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026

Latest Hormuz Intercepts

The Hormuz chokepoint standoff between Tehran and the US military has become the center of the nearly two-month conflict. This standoff marks the next phase following an extended ceasefire with Iran after a second round of peace talks was canceled in Pakistan earlier this week.

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is allowing Iran more time to respond to US demands, but expects Tehran to present a "unified proposal."

"So, again, the president's offering them a little bit of flexibility because we want to see a unified proposal to the president's very strong proposal. And he's made his red lines very clear," Leavitt said.

Iran has stated that it will not resume negotiations with US officials while a US naval blockade on its ports remains in place, and the US military said it intercepted two Iranian oil supertankers that tried to evade the blockade.

pic.twitter.com/N0H79ZG5rq
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026

This comes after Iranian forces seized two ships on Wednesday.

MOMENT masked Iran special forces STORM bridge of Epaminondas

1 of ships that 'endangered maritime safety by operating without necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems' https://t.co/nlLhdY4i9M pic.twitter.com/JssF4aYK5Q
— RT (@RT_com) April 22, 2026

In response to Trump's ceasefire extension, Iran's state TV cited the foreign ministry as saying it is monitoring developments and that the armed forces are ready for any threat.

With Hormuz effectively shut this week, roughly a fifth of global oil and LNG flows remain highly disrupted as the energy shock ripples from the Middle East to Asia, Africa, Europe, and finally the West Coast of the US.

A new Department of War assessment cited by The Washington Post said it would take US forces six months to clear the maritime chokepoint of mines deployed by Iranian naval forces.

Other overnight news includes Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announcing that Secretary John C. Phelan will be stepping down. "On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy," Parnell said in a statement. "We wish him well in his future endeavors."

Latest overnight headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):

Ceasefire Extension

US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely on Tuesday evening with no deadline for its expiry

Iran has said it will not resume negotiations while a US naval blockade on its port remains in place

Vice President JD Vance had been prepared to fly to Islamabad for peace talks, but Tehran says it has no plans to take part in negotiations imminently

Hormuz

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt on Thursday after Iran fired on commercial ships and seized at least two vessels

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the MSC Francesca and another ship identified as 'Epaminondes' on Wednesday

Iran has collected its first revenue from tolls imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Iranian lawmaker

Blockade

The US military intercepted two Iranian oil supertankers Hedy and Hero II that tried to evade its blockade earlier this week

At least two fully laden Iranian tankers sailed past a US blockade this week, ferrying roughly 9 million barrels of oil to market

Iranian gunboats fired on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday while two of its own oil supertankers tested the US blockade

Market Impacts

Energy prices are rising again due to the impasse and worsening tension over the Strait of Hormuz

Emirates is operating at 65% of capacity with about 13% of airports in its network still cut off

Honeywell's outlook assumes the conflict will last through the second quarter and decrease revenue by about $100 million to $150 million

Sweden may need to restrict energy use if supplies from the Middle East remain disrupted, with the government examining potential limits on fuel use

Chart of the Day (via UBS)

Commentary on energy markets from UBS analyst Catherine Gordon:

The UBS oil & gas team continues to argue the scale of disruption is underpriced in both oil and equities: the UBS base case had de-escalation in early April and gradual resumption of flows over 2Q26, keeping Brent at $100/bbl in 2Q26 and in the low to mid-$80s in 2H26, but this path requires actual improvements in flows very soon, rather than only a ceasefire.

Absent progress toward normalizing energy flows via the Strait of Hormuz within the next week or two, UBS warns the market risks a significant spike in oil and LNG prices, with longer disruption into May breaching recent highs of ~$120/bbl for front month and ~$150/bbl for Dated Brent.

Energy‑dedicated investors continue to focus on barrels versus rhetoric: each day of stalemate implies a forfeiture of roughly 12–15mb/d of production. The market is now moving into an energy “air pocket,” which should drive a convergence between dated and forward oil prices, or between divergent price expectations in the physical and paper energy markets.

From a trading perspective, broader equities have remained resilient on “de‑escalation” headlines, but the setup still feels very fragile, with technicals having done much of the work (CTAs slowing), positioning has caught up, and index‑level valuations are pricing in relatively little disruption.

Brent crude futures are trading at $103 a barrel.

*This is the running blog of the US-Iran conflict for Thursday.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 19:00

CIA-Backed AQ-Linked Syrian Leader Watching Dance Performance To Missy Elliott Song Goes Viral

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:40:00 +0000

CIA-Backed AQ-Linked Syrian Leader Watching Dance Performance To Missy Elliott Song Goes Viral

Via Middle East Eye

A video of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (previously, Abu Mohammad al-Julani) watching a dance performance to Missy Elliott's Work It has gone viral, sparking a mix of amusement and confusion on social media.

The performance took place on Monday at the recently reopened al-Feyhaa Sports Hall in Damascus, which Sharaa had inaugurated earlier that day before a Syria-Lebanon basketball match later that evening.

The game marks the first time Syria and Lebanon have played against each other since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Ahead of the game, a group of dancers took to the stage, performing a dance routine to Work It, a song containing sexually explicit lyrics, by US rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. Other performances reportedly included Rihanna's Rudeboy and Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl.

The Syrian leader is seen sitting in the audience with a deadpan expression on his face.

In light of Sharaa's background as a former militant and member of al-Qaeda, his attendance at a performance of a western song, featuring sexually explicit lyrics, stunned many social media users.

"The ISIS president of Syria Al-Sharaa vibing to @MissyElliott is not something I was ready to see this year", one person commented on X.

After Sharaa’s Islamist group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, seized Damascus on December 8, 2024, ousting longtime ruler Assad, Sharaa became Syria's interim president and rapidly transformed from a militant into a statesman.

The concept of a former terrorist Leader publicly jamming to "Work It" by Missy Elliott pic.twitter.com/i7Y7nXvVl3
— Moh (@Daimohnds) April 21, 2026

"Never thought I'd mention al-Sharaa and Missy Elliot in the same sentence, but then here we are. Not touching the lyrics (I doubt Sharaa knows what Missy E is singing about)... but damn, what a “flip it and reverse it” moment!", another person posted on X, in response to the video.

Shortly after celebrating his victory in December 2024, Sharaa warmly began embracing world leaders he once eschewed and appeared in western media outlets, where he spoke of Syria's "diversity as a strength" and of "unifying the country".

He also promised to pursue former government personnel and loyalists implicated in war crimes, trimmed his beard and lost his turban and thobe for a suit and tie.

The ISIS president of Syria Al-Sharaa vibing to @MissyElliott is not something I was ready to see this year. https://t.co/y19UVH3Bup
— Joel Jenkins (@boganintel) April 22, 2026

His attendance at the performance was seen by many online as a further sign of his departure from his past, albeit with raised eyebrows, given the swiftness of his transformation.

"Al Qaeda is dead and Missy Elliott is alive!" one user posted on X.

While Syria's transitional administration has initiated economic reforms, including public-sector employee reductions, tax system reforms, and the reopening of border crossings, several people have questioned the sustainability of Sharaa's transformation and pointed out that the Syrian leader has, to date, not publicly apologized for past actions.

His transition from head chopper to Missy Elliott fan has to be one of the most remarkable transformation stories ever. Yet we have heard virtually zero explanation as to his change, nor any apologies for his past actions
— Sheriff Detmer (@SheriffDetmer) April 21, 2026

"His transition from head chopper to Missy Elliott fan has to be one of the most remarkable transformation stories ever. Yet we have heard virtually zero explanation as to his change, nor any apologies for his past actions," a social media user commented on X.

* * *

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 18:40

PIMCO Privately Lends Over $10 Billion To Dollar-Strapped Gulf States

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:15:00 +0000

PIMCO Privately Lends Over $10 Billion To Dollar-Strapped Gulf States

Just days after the UAE hinted at a growing dollar shortage in the Gulf nation by requesting swap lines with the Fed, Bloomberg reports that as Iran's struggling neighbors scramble to build cash buffers to deal with any potential economic fallout from the Iran war, one large buyer has stepped in: the world's largest bond manager, Pacific Investment Management Co.

Since the start of the Iran war, Pimco has lent more than $10 billion to state-backed and government borrowers in the Gulf via so-called private placements. The $2.27 trillion asset manager has been a significant buyer of privately placed bonds issued by the governments of Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Kuwait, as well as by Qatar National Bank. Pimco also participated alongside other investors in several placements that boosted the size of existing Abu Dhabi bonds by a combined $2.5 billion.

In total, regional borrowers raised $13.8 billion from Feb. 28 to April 23, in privately placed bonds denominated in hard currency, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, with Pimco accounting for a majority of that lending.

Private placements offer trade-offs for issuers rushing to get to market: they can be more expensive than public debt (and thus soffer higher returns for buyers such as Pimco). In return, sellers are able to borrow faster, with more privacy and greater flexibility on deal terms.

The coupon on Qatar’s privately placed bond was 4.8%. That was about 0.3% higher than implied by the yield curve for the country’s public traded bonds, according to Bloomberg calculations. The actual yield for bondholders depends on the price at which they bought it from the issuer, which wasn’t disclosed.

“Not all countries have the option of borrowing at reasonable interest rates at a time of geopolitical uncertainty. It’s notable that the three Gulf nations with the strongest balance sheets are the ones tapping the market,” said Ziad Daoud, chief emerging markets economist at Bloomberg Economics. “And they’re resorting to private borrowing instead of public issuance. The latter probably requires more disclosure and higher transparency.”

To Pimco, which has been invested heavily in emerging market bonds, the Gulf scramble to find buyers for its bonds has been a boon. The Newport Beach-based fund opened an office in Dubai last year, joining a rush of investment companies seeking to deepen their presence in a region flush with sovereign wealth. Pimco said this move built on over 20 years of managing assets for investors in the Middle East.

Pimco intends to hold the bonds over the long term, a Bloomberg source said. Earlier this month, Pimco - which is rapidly emerging as a lender of last resort - bought all of a $400 million bond issued by a Blue Owl Capital, in an important vote of confidence for the private credit specialist.

Gulf bond markets have been among the busiest globally in recent years, with regional borrowers selling about $50 billion of public debt in the first two months of this year. But those markets have effectively shut since the conflict began.

Before a ceasefire between the US and Iran was agreed in early April, Gulf Arab states contended with thousands of missiles and drones over several weeks, intercepting the vast majority. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted energy exports — a key source of government revenue — prompting the International Monetary Fund to cut growth forecasts across the region.

Over the weekend, the WSJ reported that the UAE informally inquired about a currency swap, if the economic and financial impact of the war worsens. The Emirati ambassador to Washington signaled the country had no need for external financing, and Bloomberg Economics’ Daoud described the inquiry as “a call for confidence, not a call for help.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that many Persian Gulf allies had requested foreign exchange swap lines with the US, a day after President Donald Trump said an arrangement with the UAE is under consideration.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 18:15

Air Force Extends Use Of Iran Attack Plane A-10 'Warthog' To 2030

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:50:00 +0000

Air Force Extends Use Of Iran Attack Plane A-10 'Warthog' To 2030

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. Air Force said on April 20 that it would extend the life of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft—commonly referred to as the “Warthog”—for another four years beyond its previously stated retirement deadline of 2026.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink wrote on X that following consultation with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Air Force “will EXTEND the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform to 2030,” adding that this decision “preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.”

The A-10 is being deployed in operations in Iran, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which said in a March 25 post on X that it had been used to strike Iranian naval vessels during Operation Epic Fury.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine previously revealed at a March 19 Pentagon news conference that the craft was “now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz.”

According to an Air Force fact sheet, the Warthog was the first Air Force aircraft designed specifically to provide air support for ground forces. It can fly near combat areas for extended periods of time, and be used as an attack aircraft against ground targets, “including tanks and other armored vehicles.”

Former F-16 Thunderbird fighter pilot Ryan Bodenheimer, who runs the YouTube channel “Max Afterburner,” described A-10 in a March 15 video as “America’s flying tank.” He said it could be used to take down Shahed drones, as well as some of the fast-attack boats Iran still had in service at the time.

The Warthog is resilient, able to survive hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23mm, according to the Air Force.

However, they’re not invulnerable. On April 3, a pilot ejected from an A-10 after it was hit, with Iranian forces taking credit. The pilot parachuted to safety in Kuwait before the Warthog crashed.

Attempts to Retire the A-10

Some in the Air Force said that the A-10, which first flew in 1976, is too old, too slow, and too expensive to maintain, prompting calls for its retirement to free up funds to develop modern defense solutions such as hypersonic weapons. But those opposed to the retirement say that cutting the fleet before there is a suitable replacement could leave ground troops without adequate air support.

In 2021, then-President Joe Biden wanted to retire dozens of the aircraft to free up resources for modernization, but Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)—in whose state many of the craft are based—pushed back and secured language in defense legislation that blocked retirements.

Kelly argued that the aircraft should not be taken out of commission until a replacement is available.

That same year, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Nahom told a House of Representatives hearing that if the number of A-10s is not reduced, the Air Force will face a shortage of mechanics for newer planes.

An A-10 Thunderbolt II undergoes pre-flight inspections at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona on March 23, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jesse Shipps

The Warthog has some enthusiastic defenders outside the Pentagon.

Defense analyst Mike Fredenburg wrote in a March 24 opinion piece in The Epoch Times: “Despite Air Force claims that the A-10 has no place on the modern battlefield, a claim it has been making for decades, the A-10 is once again using its unmatched versatility and loitering capability to destroy fast-attack watercraft, drones, and enemy positions.

“And for the role it is performing in Operation Epic Fury, the Warthog is vastly superior to any F-35, F-15, F-16, or B-2, or even the most advanced drone in the U.S. arsenal.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 17:50

Texas Instruments Jumps Most Since Dot-Com On Upgraded Outlook; Goldman Sees Analog Recovery

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:25:00 +0000

Texas Instruments Jumps Most Since Dot-Com On Upgraded Outlook; Goldman Sees Analog Recovery

Shares of Texas Instruments jumped the most since the Dot-Com bubble era after the chipmaker issued a stronger-than-expected second-quarter forecast, signaling that demand is rebounding across industrial markets and data centers. Goldman analysts told clients the guidance suggests the "analog recovery is continuing."

Revenue guidance of $5 billion to $5.4 billion and profit guidance of $1.77 to $2.05 a share both came in well above the Bloomberg Consensus estimate of estimate $4.85 billion, while first-quarter results also beat expectations.

Here's a snapshot of first-quarter results (courtesy of Bloomberg):

EPS $1.68 vs. $1.28 y/y, estimate $1.38

Revenue $4.83 billion, +19% y/y, estimate $4.53 billion

Analog revenue $3.92 billion, +22% y/y, estimate $3.68 billion

Embedded processing revenue $723 million, +12% y/y, estimate $683 million

Other revenue $178 million, -16% y/y, estimate $168.7 million

Operating profit $1.81 billion, +37% y/y, estimate $1.54 billion

Capital expenditure $676.0 million, -40% y/y, estimate $689.9 millio

Free cash flow $1.40 billion, estimate $1.2 billion

R&D expenses $510 million, -1.4% y/y, estimate $530.7 million

Cash and cash equivalents $3.55 billion, +28% y/y, estimate $3.25 billion

CEO Haviv Ilan told analysts on an earlier call that the resurgence in demand for industrial components was broad-based across all geographies and segments. He added that while the company's revenue remains below its previous peak, that's only spurring optimism that upside momentum will continue.

"There is a lot of room to grow," Ilan said. "I saw it across all sectors in industrial."

Institutional commentary from Goldman analyst James Schneider had some very positive takeaways from earnings:

Key stock takeaways: We expect the stock to trade higher following a quarter and guidance that came in well above the Street. We believe expectations were somewhat elevated given management's constructive commentary at recent conferences, and based on our conversations we believe most investors were positioned more constructively ahead of the quarter.

We see the strong recovery in the industrial end market as a particularly encouraging read-across for the sector. Although we continue to see a recovery across the analog sector (including for TI), we believe peers have managed their inventory levels far more proactively — and hence we believe gross margins are likely to recover much faster for peers (along with significant upward earnings revisions) than for TI.

We continue to have a preference for peers (including Microchip, NXP, and Analog Devices) who are likely to see greater upward earnings revisions in the near term, and we retain our relative Sell rating on TXN given the ongoing gross margin headwinds we expect in the coming quarters.

Schneider continued:

Read-through to our coverage: We expect a positive initial reaction for the analog group, with the most direct read-across for MCHP (Buy) and ADI (Buy) given their relatively high industrial exposures.

He raised Goldman's 12-month price target to $200 from the previous $175 and maintained a "sell" rating:

Here's what other institutional desks are saying:

Barclays (raised to equal-weight from underweight, PT to $250 from $175)

Upgrade reflects multiple quarters of growth in the company's Industrial business
While a lot seems baked into the stock, "Industrial exposure is the place to be in Analog today"

BofA Global Research (raised to buy from neutral, PT to $320 from $235)

Upgrades rating after solid 1Q earnings on "industrial strength, data center power content, and US-based manufacturing"
"Pricing has not been a factor, but could offer incremental good news in 2H which we conservatively model below seasonal trends"

Truist Securities (hold, PT $225)

The results show broad-based upside, including "strong cash flow performance"
"Capital allocation was constructive for equity"
The outlook is better than expected

Bloomberg Intelligence

"Texas Instruments' 1Q results and 2Q outlook significantly beat consensus, solidifying a robust and broad recovery across its industrial markets, likely aided by new data-center sales"

Evercore ISI (outperform, PT to $316 from $270)

The results were better than expected, while the outlook is "above seasonal"

Citi (buy, PT to $280 from $235)

The results are strong, while the outlook is "well above seasonal"

Bloomberg Consensus Breakdown:

Traders rewarded Texas Instruments for its upgraded earnings outlook with buying panic mania on Thursday.

Shares in late-afternoon trading were up nearly 20%, the largest intraday move since the 24% gain on October 19, 2000.

Shares are in bluesky breakout territory:

Professional subscribers can read Goldman's TI takeaway here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 17:25

12 AGs Petition Court To Defend Trump's Executive Order On Citizenship Verification In Elections

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

12 AGs Petition Court To Defend Trump's Executive Order On Citizenship Verification In Elections

Authored by Janice Hisle via The Epoch Times,

Attorneys general from a dozen states on April 20 asked to intervene in two lawsuits that oppose President Donald Trump’s executive order on citizenship verification and other election integrity efforts.

The coalition of attorneys general filed motions in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, expressing support for the president’s March 31 executive order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.”

After Trump issued the order, “left-leaning activists and progressive states” immediately challenged it, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office said in a news release, “claiming it represents a federal intrusion on state authority over elections.”

She characterized Trump’s actions as “common-sense election integrity measures” in a statement and resolved to “defend every lawful step that promotes accurate [voter] rolls, secure absentee processes, and transparent administration.”

The president also issued a broader order in March 2025, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”

Both election-related orders have spawned numerous courtroom battles.

On April 17, a federal judge in Rhode Island became at least the fifth to rule against the Trump’ administration’s voter-roll-collection attempts. Some states agreed to turn over the requested data, but the Trump administration sued 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to do so.

Trump’s 2026 order requires federal agencies to compile a state citizenship list to assist state election officials in confirming which people are U.S. citizens, over 18, and residents of the state—all mandatory to be eligible to vote.

The order also instructs the U.S. Postal Service to improve security of mail-in ballots, using means such as barcodes that allow tracking of official election mail.

“Missouri and the other states are fighting for access to these resources and to work alongside the federal government in guarding the integrity of American elections,” Hanaway wrote.

Attorneys general who joined Hanaway’s coalition hail from Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (L) and President Donald Trump before signing an executive order on election integrity in the Oval Office on March 31, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The Washington lawsuit against Trump, filed on April 1 by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and other Democrats, frames Trump’s order as another attempt to “rewrite election rules for his own perceived partisan advantage.”

The lawsuit also calls provisions of Trump’s order “convoluted and confusing,” adding, “What is clear is that it dramatically restricts the ability of Americans to vote by mail, impinging on traditional state authority.”

In a separate action filed in the District of Columbia court on April 21, a grassroots organization, Common Cause, is asking a judge to stop what it calls “an illegal and unprecedented quest to stockpile millions of Americans’ confidential voter data.”

Common Cause requested the court to “hold unlawful, stay, vacate, and set aside” the national Voter Registration Nationalization Policy and to prohibit the Justice Department from “unlawful disclosure and use” of voter data.

The Massachusetts lawsuit, filed April 2, alleges that Trump’s order “violates the constitutional separation of powers because the president doesn’t have authority to set election rules. Only the states and Congress may do so,” a news release from the Brennan Center for Justice says.

The Brennan Center’s attorneys worked with lawyers from other groups to file the federal complaint on behalf of the lead plaintiff, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, and additional organizations.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 17:00

Intel Shares Soar On Strong AI-Fueled Outlook, Surpassing August 2000 Peak

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:46:31 +0000

Intel Shares Soar On Strong AI-Fueled Outlook, Surpassing August 2000 Peak

Chipmaker Intel, which less than a year ago was trading like a distressed company, and required a capital infusion from the US government, and earlier today hit a 90x forward PE...

... soared after hours after giving a strong sales forecast for the current period, signaling that the recently struggling chipmaker is finally beginning to benefit from the giant build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure. But before we get there, here is a quick look at what the company reported for the first quarter:

Adjusted EPS 29c vs. 13c y/y, beating estimate 1.0c
Revenue $13.58 billion, +7.2% y/y, beating estimates of $12.36 billion
- Intel Products revenue $12.78 billion, +8.7% y/y, beating estimate $11.53 billion
- Client Computing revenue $7.73 billion, +1.3% y/y, beating estimate $7.1 billion
- Datacenter & AI revenue $5.05 billion, +22% y/y, beating estimate $4.41 billion
- Intel Foundry revenue $5.42 billion, +16% y/y, beating estimate $4.81 billion
- All Other revenue $628 million, -33% y/y, beating estimate $605.3 million
- Intersegment eliminations revenue -$5.25 billion, -12% y/y
R&D expenses $3.38 billion, -7.3% y/y, beating estimate $3.18 billion
Adjusted gross margin 41% vs. 39.2% y/y, beating estimates of 34.5%
Adjusted operating income $1.67 billion vs. $690 million y/y, beating estimate $386.2 million
Adjusted operating margin 12.3% vs. 5.4% y/y, beating estimate 3.08%

The Intel Foundry Services division - the company’s factory unit - generated revenue of $5.4 billion, up 16%. That unit currently relies almost exclusively on Intel product divisions for orders, though it is seeking outside customers. Its PC chip division had revenue of $7.7 billion, and the data center unit posted sales of $5.1 billion. All of those totals topped Wall Street estimates. Gross margin was 41% on an adjusted basis. When Intel was at the height of its powers, it regularly reported margins north of 60%. It predicted a margin of 39% in the current period.

Commenting on the results, CFO David Zinsner said that “we remain focused on maximizing our factory network to improve available supply and meet our customers’ needs throughout the year.“

CEO Lip-Bu Tan chimed in: “The next wave of AI will bring intelligence closer to the end user, moving from foundational models to inference to agentic. This shift is significantly increasing the need for Intel’s CPUs and wafer and advanced packaging offerings."

While Q1 results were solid, especially at the data center level, it was the Q2 forecast that caught the market's attention:

Revenue will be $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion in the quarter ending in June, beating estimates of $13 billion.
Adjusted EPS will be about 20 cents a share, also beating estimates of 9 cents.
Margin is projected to rise to 39.0%,

The upbeat outlook suggests that CEO Lip-Bu Tan is making progress on a challenging comeback plan. After lining up major investments in Intel last year which helped to strengthen the company’s balance sheet - Thursday’s results suggest he’s now delivering on a promise to improve its operations.

The earnings report shows that the need for data center chips to power the massive AI expansion is lifting demand for Intel’s flagship Xeon server processors. That type of generalist semiconductor is a renewed focus for companies trying to turn their AI software into services that bring in revenue.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Tan said Intel delivered a “solid result” that was ahead of its projections. He expects the strong demand for processors used in AI systems to expand and said the company is “laser-focused” on increasing output from Intel’s factories, which still can’t produce enough to fill all its orders.

“There is huge demand,” Tan said. “We are working very hard with our team to make sure we deliver, that we meet that demand but we are still short because the demand keeps increasing from the customers.

And, as Bloomberg notes, for now Intel has also been able to navigate another challenge the PC industry is facing: memory-chip shortages.

To be sure, the company has a long way to go to restore its former chip-industry glory. Its annual revenue of $53 billion last year was roughly $25 billion shy of the company’s peak revenue, achieved in 2021, when the stock was far lower. Wall Street projects 3% growth in 2026.

Red-hot demand for server products has lured memory suppliers into concentrating on the high-speed processors for those machines. That’s cut into production of standard products used in phones and personal computers, meaning fewer of those mass-market devices are being built and the prices are going up.

In addition to making progress on production, Tan has restored Intel’s balance sheet via outside investments - to the point where the company bought back part of a factory in Ireland that it had been forced to sell to raise cash. That purchase was seen as a sign of future confidence by investors. Adding to the optimism, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that he will use Intel technology as part of his effort to build an in-house chip manufacturing plant. Tan declined to provide further details on the relationship.

Finally, Intel said it would spend more than originally budgeted on capex, according to CFO Dave Zinsner. The company has plenty of factory space and will add more machines to fill it out, he said. Capital expenditures will now be about flat from where they were last year. Intel had earlier said it planned to reduce its outlay.

In response to the strong earnings and guidance, Intel shares rose 14% in extended trading. The stock had gained 81% this year before the results were released, closing at $66.78. This has now pushed the company's fwd PE well above 100x.

With the 14% surge after hours, Intel stock has finally surpassed its dot com bubble high of $74.88 hit in August of 2000.

As Shay Boloor writes, "all it took was a CPU shortage, AI agents, SpaceX + TSLA terafabs and a bit of help from the U.S. government + NVDA."

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 16:46

Israel Waiting For US Greenlight To Renew Iran War: New 'Targets Marked', Says Katz

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:40:00 +0000

Israel Waiting For US Greenlight To Renew Iran War: New 'Targets Marked', Says Katz

It should come as no surprise that the Netanyahu government is not happy with this current lull in the Iran war, as Trump's initially declared 3-5 day ceasefire extension has become more of an indefinite truce, with the Hormuz Strait blockade still on.

Israel is now preparing for the possibility of a return to fighting, the country's media is on Thursday reporting. Israel's leadership has consistently stated that it wants to see regime change or else total government and societal collapse, saying that only then would Iran never more be a 'threat to Israel.

Fresh remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz have made clear that "Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran. The IDF is prepared for both defense and offense, and the targets are marked."

But tellingly, he admitted a big obstacle stands in the way before the go ahead for a renewed bombing campaign can be given.

"We are waiting for the green light from the U.S., first and foremost, to complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty and to return Iran to the dark and stone ages by destroying Iran's major energy and power facilities," Katz said.

"This time, our strikes will be different and more deadly, and will deliver further devastating blows to the most painful places, which will shake and collapse the regime's foundations," he added.

Currently, the only place where Israeli forces are still actively engaged in combat related to the Iran conflict is in Lebanon. Technically a 10-day ceasefire, which is hanging by a thread, is still on.

But there has been ongoing fighting and shelling targeting Hezbollah in the south, and the last days have seen it grow more intense, per local reports.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to chair security consultations on Thursday evening, against backdrop of growing difficulties in the US-Iran talks, which appear to have been effectively frozen for the time being.

Israel says it is "prepared for any scenario" and is without doubt intensifying its intelligence-gathering and military preparedness, which includes the urgent restocking of its dwindled interceptor and missile arsenal.

Israel Defense Minister Katz:

Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran. Waiting on a U.S. green light. pic.twitter.com/MTGFSAe5wh
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 23, 2026

Al Arabiya, citing Israel Channel 13 is reporting that there's general anticipation in Israel that the war could resume "by the end of the week."

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 16:40

Euthanasia Is Now 6% Of All Deaths In The Netherlands

Tyler Durden — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:20:00 +0000

Euthanasia Is Now 6% Of All Deaths In The Netherlands

Via Remix News,

Euthanasia is now responsible for 6 percent of all deaths in the Netherlands, and this figure is increasing every year.

According to a report by the regional euthanasia review committee (RTE), cited by the news portal Hirado, 10,341 people died by euthanasia in 2025, and while three-quarters of the applicants were over 70 years old, one case involved someone between the age of 12 and 18.

The number of those choosing to die by euthanasia due to mental illnesses decreased by almost a fifth (174 cases), but more than 85 percent suffered from physical diseases such as cancer, nervous system disorders, and lung or cardiovascular diseases.

There were 499 cases of euthanasia performed on patients with dementia, and the RTE investigated 11 cases where the patient was no longer competent. In addition, 475 cases involved the co-existence of multiple age-related illnesses, and 278 cases involved “other reasons.”

Pro-life advocates have argued that these “other reasons” often include selfish human interests, such as family members pressuring or emotionally manipulating an older relative to go through with euthanasia in order to obtain inheritance faster. In these cases, euthanasia is often carried out even when, according to supporters, it could not be justified.

Another seven cases involved doctors who did not fully comply with the required standards of care, and these are under investigation.

Just recently in Spain, a 25-year-old woman, Noelia Castillo Ramos, ended her life, despite her parents waging a two-year legal battle, fighting until the last minute for their daughter’s life. Although a ruling by the Constitutional Court in Madrid states that euthanasia cannot be used in cases where the source of suffering is mental illness, since “the state has the duty to protect these individuals from the risk of suicide,” Castillo Ramos was nevertheless was allowed to go through with euthanasia.

According to the Christian Lawyers organization, which represented the woman’s parents at various levels during the legal battle, “this case highlights the failure of the euthanasia law, since it facilitates suicide without the individual having received prior mental health treatment,” meaning that they would have had a chance to recover and live a full and happy life.

Spain’s Catholic bishops warned that “euthanasia and assisted suicide are not medical acts, but deliberate interruptions of the bond of care, and represent a social defeat when presented as a response to human suffering.”

In Castillo’s specific case, they added, “we are not dealing with a fatal illness, but with deep wounds that cry out for attention, treatment and hope.” Their call was also significant because it could help prevent further cases that lead to the taking of innocent lives.

The Spanish bishops also reminded society that “the dignity of the human person does not depend on their state of health, their subjective perception of life or their degree of autonomy,” but rather “is an intrinsic value that must be recognized, protected and helped in all circumstances.” For this reason, the response to human suffering “can never be to cause death, but rather to offer closeness, accompaniment, appropriate care and comprehensive support.”

“When life hurts, the answer is not to shorten the path, but to walk it together. Only in this way can we build a truly just society, where no one feels alone or excluded,” they concluded.

A group of Dutch experts in the field of child psychiatry recently called attention to the need to be particularly careful when it comes to cases of young people under the age of 25 requesting euthanasia due to psychological suffering. Their research suggests that the decision-making abilities of members of this age group can be influenced by brain development and a number of external influences.

According to the professors cited, the condition of those under the age of 25 is less likely to be considered permanent than that of those older than them. In addition, they are more exposed to social pressure and online influences, which can cause significant damage and lead them to make a compulsive and short-sighted decision.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/23/2026 - 16:20