The US Spends More On 'Defense' Than The Next 8 Countries Combined

US Gas Prices Hit Highest Level In 4 Years, Analyst Says Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The average price for a gallon of gasoline hit its highest level in four years on Tuesday as the cost of a barrel of oil remains elevated amid the conflict with Iran, according to a prominent analyst. Customers pump gas at a gas station in Miami on April 13, 2026. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The national average price for a gallon of gas was $4.17, “the highest level since 2022,” and surpassed the...

Amazon Drops After AWS Growth Misses Whisper Estimates As Capex Soars In our preview of Amazon's earnings, we summarized sentiment as "Bullish, But Concerns Remain" with JPM noting that client "conversations were heavily AWS-skewed with investor focus on degree of acceleration and cloud $ re-capture driven by core workloads, AI, & new partnerships. Still, some concerns remain on broader AI positioning/strategy, Trainium traction, & gap to Azure/Google Cloud growth. Strong Stores execution expected, with N. America margin expansion. But higher fuel costs raise questions on consumer demand & operating margins." They...

China Panics, Urges Ceasefire To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz As Beijing Is Addicted To Cheap Iranian Crude Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at Tuesday's regular press briefing in Beijing that all parties in the Iran conflict must ensure the safe transit of commercial shipping through the critical maritime energy chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz. "China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid escalating tensions, and safeguard the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," spokeswoman Ning said. We've briefed readers that China is heavily exposed to...