Unusual Whales

Ghislaine Maxwell is seeking a Trump pardon after second DOJ meeting

Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside questions about his former associate Jeffrey Epstein, as Epstein’s convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, met for a second consecutive day with a senior official from the Department of Justice in Florida. “I have nothing to do with the guy,” Trump said of Epstein, despite

White House says Trump to sign order pushing cities and states to remove homeless people from streets

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order aimed at giving state and local governments greater authority to remove homeless individuals from public spaces and redirect them to treatment and rehabilitation programs. The order, scheduled for July 24, represents a significant shift in federal policy regarding homelessness and

Trump is going to the Federal Reserve today

President Donald Trump made an unannounced stop at the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to tour the grounds of an extensive $2.5 billion renovation project involving two of the institution’s historic buildings. The visit marks a rare appearance by a sitting president at

DOJ made Donald Trump aware of decision not to continue investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein

According to the Wall Street Journal, Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, informed President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the federal government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein, which had been reviewed by the Department of Justice and the FBI. The Journal

House panel directs chairman to subpoena Bill and Hillary Clinton in Epstein probe

A House subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Justice Department for records tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, as GOP leadership continues to resist broader action on the matter. Democrats on the Oversight subcommittee forced the vote, with three Republicans—Reps. Nancy Mace (SC), Scott Perry (PA), and Brian Jack

Top employer in each state over time

Jobless claims in the U.S. fell for the sixth consecutive week, reaching the lowest level since mid-April. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for the week ending July 19 dropped by 4,000 to 217,000—below the 227,000 economists had forecast. Jobless claims are a key

Elon Musk: 'we’re bringing back vine, but in AI form'

Elon Musk has a knack for stirring up social media—and now he’s teasing the return of a once-popular video app. On Thursday morning, the Tesla (TSLA) CEO posted on X: “We’re bringing back Vine, but in AI form.” The eight-word post, lacking any further detail, quickly sparked

The AI bubble today is now bigger than the dot-com bubble

We’ve all had the eerie moment of realizing we’re talking to a bot online. Long before ChatGPT made chatbot interactions mainstream, bots were everywhere—from MIT’s ELIZA in 1966 to Microsoft’s infamous Clippy. But by the time of the 2016 election, bots took a darker turn

3 in 5 U.S. workers say they live paycheck to paycheck

Three out of five U.S. workers say they’re living paycheck to paycheck, according to PNC Bank’s second annual Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report. Additionally, 31% of over 1,000 surveyed employees said they want early access to their wages. Meanwhile, 78% of more than 500 U.

Trump has said he will not “destroy Elon Musk’s companies”

President Donald Trump on Thursday pushed back on claims that he intends to harm Elon Musk’s companies, amid scrutiny over whether he supports federal agencies partnering with the Tesla CEO’s ventures. “Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all,

The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Wednesday issued a congressional subpoena to Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, summoning her for a deposition scheduled to take place at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on August 11. “The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein’s cases

DOJ has told Donald Trump his name is in the Epstein files, per WSJ

ustice Department officials informed President Donald Trump earlier this year that his name was included in the so-called Epstein files, a set of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report. Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly notified Trump in May that his name appeared among

U.S. to remove mercury preservative from flu shots following RFK Jr. vaccine panel vote

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will officially mandate that vaccine manufacturers eliminate thimerosal from all vaccines, following a long-standing push from anti-vaccine activists. Thimerosal—a mercury-based preservative—has been a focal point of vaccine misinformation campaigns for decades. The debate reached a tipping point in June when

The US hiring slowdown is taking a toll on recruiting firms, with two filing for bankruptcy in recent weeks

The U.S. economy added 147,000 jobs in June, surpassing economists’ expectations, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.1%, after holding at 4.2% for the previous three months. Consistent job growth and a stable

Tulsi Gabbard announces she has officially referred Barack Obama to the DOJ for criminal prosecution

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has rejected allegations that he attempted to stage a coup, following President Donald Trump’s claim on Tuesday that Obama led a campaign to falsely tie Trump to Russia in an effort to sabotage his 2016 presidential bid. In a rare public statement, Obama’

Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan, JPM, says markets ignoring chance Fed will raise interest rates

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Thursday that financial markets may be underestimating the likelihood of U.S. interest rates rising further—a possibility he described as a "cause for concern." Last month, the Federal Reserve voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell

Subprime auto delinquencies have now surpassed 2009 levels, reaching a 15-year high

While economic headlines continue to highlight easing inflation and a strong labor market, underlying consumer financial stress is becoming more visible—particularly through rising auto loan delinquencies. Official data may paint a positive picture, but behavioral indicators are beginning to show early signs of distress. Recent data points to a

In California's latest housing report shows that in counties like San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Clara, single individuals earning up to $111,700 now qualify for low-income housing programs

New figures from a California state report reveal that individuals earning more than $100,000 annually can still be classified as “low income” in four Bay Area counties. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, a single person living in Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, or Santa

Uber, UBER, will let women drivers and riders request to avoid being paired with men starting next month

Uber is rolling out a new feature aimed at making women feel safer while using the platform. The ride-hailing giant is introducing “Women Preferences” in select U.S. cities — a feature that allows women riders and drivers to match exclusively with one another if they choose. The program will launch

Donald Trump says the US has agreed a 'massive' trade deal with Japan that will impose 15% tariffs on its goods

US President Donald Trump has declared that the United States has reached a “massive” trade agreement with Japan, one of its largest trading partners. According to Trump, the deal includes a $550 billion (£407 billion) investment from Japan into the US economy, as well as a 15% reciprocal tariff agreement.

ChatGPT usage linked to cognitive decline, according to MIT research quoted in the Hill

Relying on artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to write essays may weaken brain function, according to a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab. The researchers divided participants into three groups: one that used ChatGPT, another that used search engines, and a third group that wrote

Tariff revenues have totaled more than $113 billion since Trump entered office, helping to lead a budget surplus in June for the first time in nearly a decade

ariff revenue surged to an all-time high of $113 billion in the current fiscal year, according to Treasury Department data, as President Donald Trump ramps up his trade war by slapping new tariffs almost weekly on major global economies. In June alone, the U.S. collected more than $27 billion

Netflix, NFLX, admits it used generative AI in a big sci-fi hit to cut costs

Netflix has confirmed that it used generative artificial intelligence (AI) for visual effects in one of its original series—marking a first for the platform. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that AI was used to create a scene featuring a collapsing building in The Eternaut, a science fiction show set in

House GOP will subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell to testify before Congress

A House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Tuesday voted to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, as Republicans intensify efforts to force the release of more information tied to Epstein’s case. The move came during an unrelated subcommittee hearing, when Rep.

Mike Johnson shuts US House early to avoid Epstein vote

House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing back against mounting pressure to act on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opting instead to send lawmakers home early for their August recess, even as Republican lawmakers demand action and a vote on the matter. The Louisiana Republican said on Tuesday that he wants to