Unusual Whales

Venice has launched the world’s first tourist entry fee, with day trippers needing to pay a charge of 5 euros (US$5.40) to enter

Venice has launched the world’s first tourist entry fee, with day trippers needing to pay a charge of 5 euros (US$5.40) to enter. Municipal workers were observed checking the tickets of day-trippers outside Venice's Santa Lucia railway station, located in the delicate lagoon city. Signs

Daily users of marijuana are reshaping the consumer economy by buying more frozen food, and they’re also ordering on delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats more than average

Daily users of marijuana are reshaping the consumer economy by buying more frozen food, and they’re also ordering on delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats more than average, per Blooberg. A study of nearly 6,000 cannabis consumers, conducted by Numerator, a data and technology company, revealed

Commercial foreclosures jumped 117% year-to-date in March

The commercial real estate market continues to face challenges, highlighted by a significant increase in property foreclosures. According to real estate data provider ATTOM, foreclosure activity surged by 117% year-over-year in March, with 625 foreclosures reported. This marks a stark contrast to the pandemic lows, when foreclosures hit a bottom

Calculator app reportedly coming to the Apple, $AAPL, iPad this year

In addition to introducing new artificial intelligence capabilities, Apple's upcoming OS updates are rumored to bring significant enhancements to the Calculator app. Several reports suggest that Apple is planning to enhance the Calculator app's functionality, add math features to Apple Notes, and introduce the Calculator app

TikTok creators fear for their livelihoods after U.S. lawmakers pass bill that could lead to ban

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed a bill mandating the separation of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Failure to sell TikTok could result in a U.S. ban for the app. The bill, passed by the Senate on Tuesday, was part of a larger package providing aid to

New York City’s congestion pricing program, the first in the U.S., will go into effect June 30

New York City’s congestion pricing program, the first in the U.S., will go into effect June 30, the MTA has announced. It will cost a $15 fee for most drivers entering the busiest part of Manhattan, south of 60th Street during daytime hours, per NYT. The program, enacted

Biden administration drops plan to ban menthol cigarettes

Biden administration drops plan to ban menthol cigarettes, per WSJ. "This rule has attracted significant attention, and the public comment period has generated a large amount of feedback, including from various civil rights and criminal justice groups," stated Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in a Friday

McKinsey faces a US criminal investigation over opioid industry work

McKinsey & Co is currently the subject of a criminal investigation in the United States regarding allegations that the consulting firm played a significant role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic. Federal prosecutors are focusing on McKinsey's advisory work for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drug manufacturers, according

The U.S. is drafting sanctions that threaten to cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial system

The U.S. is drafting sanctions that threaten to cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial system. The United States has had preliminary discussions about imposing sanctions on certain Chinese banks but currently does not have a concrete plan to do so, a U.S. official told Reuters

Fed swaps no longer fully price in rate cut before December

Fed swaps no longer fully price in rate cut before December The swap market is no longer fully factoring in a rate cut by the Federal Reserve before December. This shift reflects a change in market sentiment regarding the monetary policy of the U.S. central bank. Previously, the market

8% mortgage rates are coming, per Bruce McNeilage, the CEO and co-founder of Kinloch Partners

8% mortgage rates are coming, per Bruce McNeilage, the CEO and co-founder of Kinloch Partners Bruce McNeilage, Co-Founder and CEO of Kinloch Partners, recently shared insights on Yahoo Finance regarding the impact of rising mortgage rates on homebuyers and the housing market. McNeilage predicts that mortgage rates could reach 8%

South Korea prepares new monitoring system to detect illegal stock short selling

South Korea's financial market watchdog announced on Thursday that it is reviewing the effectiveness of a new monitoring system designed to identify illegal short-selling of domestic stocks before lifting a ban on such transactions. The Capital Markets Act in South Korea prohibits 'naked' short-selling of stocks,

More than half of Gen Zers want to be full-time influencers

More than half of Gen Zers want to be full-time influencers, per MorningStar. About 53% of Generation Z individuals view becoming an influencer as a legitimate career choice, with a similar percentage willing to leave their current jobs to become influencers if it could support their lifestyle. Additionally, three in

FCC votes to restore net neutrality

FCC votes to restore net neutrality. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all internet traffic equally, without discriminating against different types of content by blocking, throttling, or prioritizing traffic for payment. To enforce this principle, the FCC reclassified ISPs as common carriers under Title

US 30-year mortgage rates have hit 7.29%

US 30-year mortgage rates have hit 7.29%. On Wednesday, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.29 percent, the highest level since November, as reported by Mortgage News Daily. This increase followed the release of new consumer price index inflation data for March, which slightly exceeded economist expectations.

Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs JPMorgan Chase have helped push New York City’s return-to-office rate to almost 80% of its pre-pandemic levels

Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs JPMorgan Chase have helped push New York City’s return-to-office rate to almost 80% of its pre-pandemic levels, per BBG. According to the Nationwide Office Building Index by Placer.ai, RTO rates in 2023 for the two East Coast cities were the highest among

Tesla, $TSLA, will have 85,000 Nvidia, $NVDA, h100 GPUs training AI by end of year, per Elon

Tesla, $TSLA, will have 85,000 Nvidia, $NVDA, h100 GPUs training AI by end of year, per Elon. esla’s Q1 2024 earnings brought a mix of results for the EV company and its investors. CEO Elon Musk provided additional insights during the earnings call, particularly regarding Tesla's

The wealthy are building “passport portfolios” — collections of second, and even third or fourth, citizenships — in case they need to flee their home country

The wealthy are building “passport portfolios” — collections of second, and even third or fourth, citizenships — in case they need to flee their home country, per CNBC. Wealthy families in the U.S. are increasingly seeking second citizenships and national residences as a financial safety net, according to a prominent law

This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court

TikTok has said: This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court... The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. The legislation was introduced due to concerns that TikTok

A record share of renters in the U.S. are spending more than 30% of their income on housing

A record share of renters in the U.S. are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The positive side is that rent growth is slowing down after two years of rapid increases. This means that renewing your current lease or signing a new one may not lead

The Department of Transportation has issued a new rule requiring airlines to give you an automatic refund if your flight is canceled or delayed or if they lose your bags

The Department of Transportation has issued a new rule requiring airlines to give you an automatic refund if your flight is canceled or delayed or if they lose your bags. "Passengers should receive refunds promptly and hassle-free when airlines owe them," stated US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Under

The Department of Labor has raised the overtime threshold

The Biden-Harris administration has announced a final rule that expands overtime protections for millions of lower-paid salaried workers by increasing the salary thresholds required to exempt certain employees from federal overtime pay requirements. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary threshold will increase to an annual salary equivalent to $43,888,

U.S. Senate approves $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

U.S. Senate approves $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The Senate has moved forward with a $95 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine and other US allies under siege, setting the stage for final approval by Congress. According to a White House official, the Defense Department

The FTC just banned non-compete agreements

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 on Tuesday to prohibit noncompete agreements that restrict tens of millions of employees from working for competitors or starting similar businesses after leaving a job. The FTC estimates that around 30 million people, or 18 percent of the U.S. workforce, are subject

A 'Buy Bitcoin' sign flashed behind Janet Yellen during Congressional testimony back in 2017 is fetching bids of almost $140,000 in an online auction

A legal pad bearing the words "Buy Bitcoin" scribbled on it is currently attracting bids of nearly $140,000 in an online auction. The hastily written message became a rallying cry for cryptocurrency supporters after it was displayed behind then-Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen during Congressional testimony almost