"Really Bright Future": Wall Street's Big Bet on Booming Red America Escalates

The Barbell Economy: Why The Middle Is Vanishing Authored by Tamuz Itai via The Epoch Times, There’s a pattern quietly reshaping daily life, work, and society itself. Economists now call it the “barbell economy.” Value, growth, and opportunity concentrate at the two extremes—ultra-cheap utility on one end, premium experience and status on the other—while the broad, reasonable middle thins out. Once you start noticing it, you can’t unsee it. And the data show it isn’t a fleeting trend. Start with something as ordinary as dinner. Fast-food drive-throughs, delivery apps, and value menus...

Iran Believes It Can Outlast US Based On 'Munitions, Markets, & Midterms'; Trump 'Not Open' To Tehran's Latest Proposal As 'Tank Tops' Loom Summary Trump doesn't appear open to Iran's proposal which hinges on US naval blockade ending & nuclear issue being pushed to future negotiations (CNN). First crude-laden Japanese tanker from Saudi port exits Hormuz Strait successfully without Iranian interference. Iranian analyst describes that Tehran believes it can outlast Trump & the standoff with US in Hormuz, citing "munitions, markets, and the midterms." Will Donald Trump announce that the United States blockade of the Strait...

French Gambling Regulator Orders ISPs To Block Polymarket Authored by Zoltan Vardai via CoinTelegraph.com, France’s Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ), or the National Gambling Authority, has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket. Prediction websites are considered illegal gambling, the ANJ said in a Friday press release. The regulator said that Polymarket’s operations are not authorized in France and that advertising unauthorized gambling sites constitutes a criminal offense with fines of up to 100,000 euros ($114,000). Prediction markets allow users to buy and sell contracts tied to the outcomes of future events, from...