Zelensky Claims Ukrainians Will ‘Never Forgive’ the US If Forced to Cede Donbas to Russia

Seven Pipeline Projects That Could Break Iran's Grip On Hormuz Chokepoint Brent crude futures topped $100 a barrel (Read RBC note) as disruption at the Strait of Hormuz spread to Bab el-Mandeb in the southern Red Sea. Combined with intensifying Black Sea fighting between Russia and Ukraine, the widening chokepoint crisis has put the energy complex and broader global commodities market on edge. "The curve on Brent and WTI is getting again very steep backwardated compared to when the diplomatic route to solve the Middle East conflict was on the table...

OpenAI Secures Record $110 Billion Funding Round Backed By Amazon, Nvidia, & SoftBank OpenAI has closed a new funding round that could total $110 billion, valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion pre-money and potentially putting it on course for an IPO in the second half of the year, according to a new Financial Times report. The three investors in the deal are Nvidia, Amazon, and SoftBank. People familiar with the deal say this opens the pathway to the public markets at the end of this year. Breaking down funding numbers by...

Waste Of The Day: Stolen Education Grants Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations, Topline: A North Dakota woman was convicted last month of five counts of theft for stealing $131,000 in state grants meant for after-school programs. Key facts: Faith Dixon, 47, was one of the top recipients of $2 million that the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction awarded in October 2021 for its Out of School Time program to support children impacted by school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her nonprofit, Faith4Hope, instead sent the funds to her then-husband's food stand,...