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Homer Gere is the only child of "Pretty Woman" actor Richard Gere and "Law & Order" alum Carey Lowell.

Kiké Hernández was still in an anesthetic haze when he woke up from the elbow operation he underwent in the offseason, so forgive him if the details of this story aren’t entirely accurate. But as far as he could recall, when he came to, his surgeon told him his injury was the worst of its...

First Andreessen, Now Goldman CEO Shuts Down AI Job-Apocalypse Doomerism Narrative

Amid the flood of AI doomerism, from Pope Leo XIV's Monday warning that AI and the digital transformation of the economy could unleash "new forms of slavery" and mass job losses, to Bernie Sanders and unhinged socialists calling for a halt to data centers buildouts, a move that would conveniently cede compute power to communists in Beijing, a growing and emerging chorus of dystopian futurists is now trying to frame the AI boom as an existential labor-market crisis rather than the next productivity supercycle that arrives just in time as a demographic winter unfolds.

Adding to recent comments from Netscape co-founder and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) co-founder Marc Andreessen, who argued that AI-related job-loss fears are merely hysteria and that AI is actually arriving at the moment the nation needs it most:

"We're going to have AI and robots precisely when we actually need them [with populations shrinking] to keep the economy from actually shrinking."

...none other than Goldman Sachs CEO and occasional weekend DJ in the Hamptons, David Solomon, penned a recent opinion piece in The New York Times asserting that the AI-related "job apocalypse and mass unemployment ahead" hysteria is "overblown."

"I'm the C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs. The A.I. Job Apocalypse Is Overblown," Solomon titled the NYTimes op-ed, likely aiming for maximum media exposure with such an eye-catching headline.

Solomon's framing of the headline appears to be a direct response to growing resistance not only to AI chatbots but also to data centers nationwide, a backlash wave we pointed out many months ago as alarm bells ring loudly from the tech bro community. As AI infrastructure becomes the backbone of the next economic cycle, the anti-data-center movement is quickly gaining steam and becoming a political weapon by the doomerism community.

Solomon argues that AI will not eliminate jobs at an apocalyptic scale. Instead, he says it will allow workers to become more productive, shift to higher-value tasks, and create new roles focused on managing, implementing, validating, and regulating AI systems.

However, Solomon does acknowledge that there will be labor market disruptions:

Absolutely. This transition, like other significant moments in our history, will entail new challenges, especially as A.I. separates labor from productivity in magnitudes we haven't seen before.

He pointed out that the U.S. economy has seen this story before: it has repeatedly absorbed technological shocks, from electrification to automobiles to computers, while overall employment and living standards continued to rise.

Solomon said AI will likely follow the same pattern as previous technological shifts, eliminating some jobs while expanding others, such as the explosion in construction jobs tied to the $700 billion in capex that hyperscalers are set to deploy this year alone.

Solomon cites his economists, who recently forecast that AI could automate 25% of current work hours over the next decade, with white-collar sectors such as banking, law, accounting, software, and customer service most exposed.

Solomon said that if AI destroys jobs at an unprecedented scale, there should be a "joint effort" between the corporate world and government to help workers and institutions adapt to the new labor market.

"The U.S. economy can and will adapt to major advances in technology," he emphasized.

Solomon's comments were similar to those made earlier this year by venture capital guru Andreessen, who argued that fears of an AI-driven jobs apocalypse are overstated.

In his view, automation and robots are entering the picture at exactly the moment economies need them to offset labor shortages and prevent stagnation.

Read:

• Marc Andreessen Calls AI Job-Loss Fears 'Fake', Expects Employment Gains

• If You're Freaking Out About A Future Jobless AI Dystopia...

Elon Musk has been among the loudest and most vocal voices warning about the demographic winter consuming not only the Western world but many other countries as well. He has framed his Optimus robot as "great for Japan" because it could help offset a shrinking workforce.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/25/2026 - 21:40

The reality stars were involved in a cheating scandal in 2024.

The reality stars were involved in a cheating scandal in 2024.

"Put simply, homes are not moving in these markets. That's down in part due to ample supply but also anemic demand at current prices and interest rates."

Messi has not stated officially whether he will play in the World Cup and Argentina has not announced its final roster yet prior to the June 1 deadline set by FIFA. 

Arab States Voice Outrage Over New 'Illegal' Embassy Opening In Jerusalem

Via The Cradle

Fifteen Arab and Islamic countries condemned on Sunday the decision of the breakaway region of Somaliland to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Mauritania denounced the move in a joint statement on Sunday.

The countries condemned "in the strongest terms the illegal and unacceptable step taken by the so-called 'Somaliland' region in opening a purported 'embassy' in occupied Jerusalem," according to the statement.

Newly opened embassy in Jerusalem, via X

The countries issued the statement one week after Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Somaliland's first-ever ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, at the President's Residence in occupied Jerusalem. "This new and important partnership between our countries will lead to a future of cooperation in a variety of fields – for the benefit of both our peoples and the entire region," Herzog stated.

Seven countries have opened embassies in Jerusalem since the US, under President Donald Trump, recognized the city as Israel's capital in 2017.

The decision sparked widespread international condemnation, given that Israeli forces illegally occupied East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967, which Palestinians call the Nakba. Since then, Israel has colonized East Jerusalem in violation of international law by expelling indigenous Palestinian Muslims and Christians and facilitating the settlement of Jewish Israelis in their place.

The 15 countries rejected any unilateral measures to entrench "an illegal reality in occupied Jerusalem or conferring legitimacy on any entities or arrangements that contravene international law and relevant United Nations resolutions."

The statement reaffirmed the fact that "East Jerusalem has been occupied Palestinian territory since 1967" and said any measures seeking to alter its legal or historical status are "null and void."

The foreign ministers also expressed full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, rejecting any unilateral actions that undermine Somali sovereignty.

In April, Somalia condemned Israel's appointment of an ambassador to the breakaway region of Somaliland, calling the move a "breach" of its sovereignty and international law. "This action represents a direct breach of Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity," the Somalian Foreign Ministry said, adding that it "undermines the established international consensus." 

Mogadishu added that the decision violates its territorial integrity and contradicts the UN Charter and African Union principles. The ministry stressed that Somaliland “remains an integral part” of Somalia, rejecting any attempt to grant it diplomatic recognition outside federal authority.

On December 26, 2025, Israel formally recognized what it termed the Republic of Somaliland, marking a significant shift in its policy toward the Horn of Africa. The move altered the political equation along one of the world's most sensitive maritime routes.

It consolidates a four-party alignment linking Israel, India, the UAE, and Ethiopia. This emerging axis focuses on securing maritime chokepoints in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandeb, while laying the groundwork for an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in eastern Africa.

16 Arab Islamic Countries Condemn Somaliland’s Opening of Purported Embassy in Jerusalem

Doha | May 24, 2026

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of… pic.twitter.com/F7gsx4Elsf

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) May 24, 2026

The timing followed months of escalating regional pressure, including the 12-day Israeli–Iranian war in June 2025 and the Yemeni maritime blockade targeting vessels bound for Israeli ports following the beginning of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Securing these waterways became a core component of Israeli national security planning. Somaliland's geography explains its importance. Somaliland's territory overlooks one of the world's busiest maritime arteries, facilitating trade flows linking Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/25/2026 - 21:05

Few players in tennis provide more bang-for-your-buck than the mercurial Corentin Moutet.

Cleveland cares not for Celebrity Row.

Gavin Newsom –– driven by narcissism or delusion or both –– would spend millions of tax dollars to honor a handful of former living governors.  The soon-to-be-former gov (wink) has slipped a $20 million provision into his budget plan to create a “Governors’ Legacies Fund,” whatever that is. Evidently the millions would go unspecified projects...

An optimist can remember that the 2024 Mets were in an even worse spot and rallied to the playoffs. Or you could gaze at those players who may be coming off the crowded injury list and think if the Mets could just stay viable until then.

Debt Remembered And Debt Ignored

Authored by Greg Marasca via AmericanThinker.com,

Memorial Day compels Americans to confront a word we avoid: debt.

Not the financial kind that Congress pretends will magically resolve itself, but the older, heavier meaning — the kind carved into headstones at Arlington and cemeteries across the country.

It is the debt paid in full by those who gave their lives, so the rest of us could live free.

No interest rate can measure it. No budget line can contain it. It is final, irrevocable, and sacred.

Every year, we pause, as we should, to acknowledge that liberty is no accident. Its purchase price is steep. Many stood a post, walked point, climbed into a cockpit, or sailed into hostile waters so that we could enjoy the ordinary luxuries of American life: arguing about politics, grilling in the backyard, complaining about work, raising families in relative peace. The fallen paid the ultimate debt, while the rest of us live on the dividends of their courage.

There remains another debt that all Americans must face, one far less noble and far more self-inflicted: the national debt that at $39 trillion is growing faster than the economy and its current path is unsustainable with interest payments amounting to $1 trillion a year — a figure most cannot comprehend.

Unlike the solemn debt honored on Memorial Day, this one grows not from sacrifice but from avoidance, avarice and unaccountability. It is the bill we keep pushing onto future generations because those elected lack the discipline and forbearance to make the difficult choices.

The contrast is stark.

On one side are the young Americans who never hesitated when their country asked for everything. On the other, a political culture that bemoans over the smallest act of fiscal restraint. The fallen gave their lives, while Washington can’t forego a spending increase.

Memorial Day reminds us that debts must be paid.

The laws of economics will not suspend themselves out of patriotic courtesy. We borrow to fund today’s comforts while expecting tomorrow’s citizens, many of whom are not yet born, to pay the bill.

Imagine explaining this to a Marine who never made it home from Fallujah or a soldier who fell in the Korengal Valley. They understood duty in its rawest form. They lived by the credo that you don’t hand your problems over to the next guy.  You handle them.  You carry your weight.  You complete the mission.

The contrast is telling and that is the point.

Memorial Day should not be reduced to a political talking point; rather it should remind us of the standards we once held. The men and women we honor this day lived with a clarity of purpose that our national budget sorely lacks. They understood that freedom requires responsibility. They knew that choices have consequences. They accepted that service is putting the country’s needs ahead of one’s personal initiatives.

If we truly want to honor their memory, we can start by adopting even a fraction of that discipline. We can demand leaders who treat the national debt as a real threat, not a distant abstraction. We can stop pretending that borrowing without limit is a harmless national pastime. And we can remember that the freedoms secured by the fallen are weakened when the nation they died for is weighed down by obligations it cannot meet.

The debt paid by America’s fallen is unpayable, but it is not unteachable. It is written in sacrifice, in folded flags, in names etched into stone.

One debt was paid in blood. The other is being charged to our children. 

And if we forget the difference, then we have learned nothing from those who paid the first.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/25/2026 - 20:45

Knicks Nation took to the skies on Monday. 

'Guest safety and well-being are our top priority,' the cruise line said

Minter, who recorded a 1.59 ERA across 12 minor league appearances this season, would serve as another lefty alongside Brooks Raley and demoted starter Sean Manaea.

During the heated physical confrontation, the assistant police chief allegedly fired an accidental shot, but no one was struck.

US military “eliminated” two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats that were seen setting mines in the critical Strait of Hormuz — also took out a surface-to-air missile site. 

China Moves To Shut Down Offshore Stock-Trading Channels Used By Mainland Investors

Authored by Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times,

China’s securities regulator has opened enforcement actions against Futu, Tiger Brokers, and Longbridge Securities, accusing the offshore online brokerages of illegally serving mainland investors who used the platforms to trade U.S. and Hong Kong stocks.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said on May 22 that it had opened investigations and issued administrative penalty pre-notification letters against Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited, Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) Limited, Longbridge Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, and their related onshore and offshore entities.

The regulator said the firms conducted securities brokerage and margin-financing services in mainland China without approval and also “illegally” engaged in public-fund sales and futures brokerage activities.

The action was announced alongside a broader campaign by eight Chinese agencies to “comprehensively rectify” cross-border securities, futures, and fund operations.

The agencies involved are the CSRC, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, People’s Bank of China, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Financial Regulatory Administration, Cyberspace Administration of China, and State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

2-Year Wind Down

The eight-agency implementation plan sets a two-year rectification period to phase out unauthorized mainland-facing services by offshore securities, futures, and fund institutions. During that period, offshore firms are barred from providing existing mainland investors with buy orders or fund-inflow services; only one-way selling and fund withdrawals are permitted. After the period ends, the firms must shut down mainland websites, trading software, and supporting servers.

The CSRC said investor property safety would not be affected by the rectification campaign and that affected overseas institutions must communicate with mainland investors and arrange account handling.

The policy effectively turns affected mainland-facing accounts into exit-only vehicles—investors can sell positions and withdraw funds, but cannot buy new purchases or add funds. It does not amount to confiscation of client assets, but it closes a private, app-based route that had allowed Chinese retail investors to trade overseas securities more directly than through Beijing-approved channels.

The implementation plan also extends beyond the brokerages themselves. It targets offshore institutions, mainland affiliates and partners, intermediaries, internet platforms, apps, and online self-media accounts that publish account-opening tutorials or other promotional materials for unauthorized cross-border trading.

Futu, Tiger Disclose Penalties

Futu Holdings, which is listed on Nasdaq, said it received a notice of investigation and an administrative penalty pre-notification letter from the CSRC and its Shenzhen bureau. The company said the regulator proposed ordering related entities to rectify or cease the activities, confiscate illegal gains, and impose fines totaling about 1.85 billion yuan, or about $271 million. The CSRC also proposed a personal fine of 1.25 million yuan, or about $183,575, against Futu founder and CEO Li Hua.

Futu said the proposed penalty remains subject to further proceedings and final determination by the CSRC. The company said it is entitled to submit statements, present defenses, and request a hearing. It also said mainland Chinese accounts accounted for about 13 percent of total funded accounts at the end of the first quarter of 2026, while business operations outside mainland China remain normal.

UP Fintech Holding, the Nasdaq-listed parent of Tiger Brokers, said in a Form 6-K exhibit that certain subsidiaries received notices from the CSRC’s Beijing Bureau on May 22. The company said the bureau accused the subsidiaries of conducting unlicensed cross-border securities business and fund and futures activities in mainland China. UP Fintech said the bureau imposed administrative penalties totaling about 308.1 million yuan (about $45.34 million) and confiscation of income totaling about 103.1 million yuan (about $15.17 million). It also said CEO and controlling person Wu Tianhua received a warning and a 1.25 million yuan penalty (about $183,965).

UP Fintech said retail client assets in mainland China under its consolidated accounts represented about 10 percent of total client assets at the end of 2025. The company said it accepts the penalty, is cooperating with regulators, and will implement required rectification measures.

The CSRC stated it intends to confiscate all “illegal gains” from Tiger, Futu, Longbridge, and related entities, but its public announcement did not disclose a combined illegal-income figure for all three firms.

The announcement triggered sharp selling in Futu and UP Fintech shares. Futu closed at $89.76, down $34.09, or 27.5 percent, after trading as low as $73.02 intraday. UP Fintech closed at $4.36, down $1.49, or 25.5 percent, after trading as low as $3.18 intraday.

Years in the Making

The May 22 enforcement action marks an escalation of a campaign that began more than three years ago. In its official Q&A, the CSRC said it began rectifying cross-border operations by offshore institutions on Dec. 30, 2022, to bar such institutions from “illegally” soliciting mainland investors and opening new accounts for them.

The latest plan expands the campaign from individual enforcement to full-chain governance. The CSRC said the new requirements cover marketing, account opening, processing trading instructions, fund transfers, internet platforms, apps, and independent content creators that guide mainland investors into unauthorized offshore accounts.

The regulator said offshore institutions and related mainland entities “violate Chinese law” if they conduct securities, futures, or fund business in mainland China without state approval, whether directly or through affiliates and partners. It also said related violations involving cybersecurity, personal information protection, anti-money laundering, and foreign-exchange rules are included in the state’s “rectification campaign.”

Tech-Linked Brokers in the Crosshairs

Futu, Tiger, and Longbridge built their appeal by offering digital brokerage platforms that made it easier for Chinese-speaking retail investors to trade U.S. and Hong Kong securities.

Futu’s founder, Li Hua, was a former Tencent employee, and Tencent has been a major shareholder of the digital brokerage firm. Tiger Brokers was founded by Wu Tianhua, a former NetEase executive, and has counted Xiaomi as a strategic investor. Longbridge is a newer online brokerage with a founding and investor background often associated with China’s internet sector, according to Chinese state media.

The official allegation by the CSRC did not frame the action as a campaign against those technology companies. Still, the cases fit a broader pattern in which Beijing has brought app-based financial activity under tighter state supervision, especially where online platforms touch securities trading, fund flows, investor data, and cross-border transactions.

Capital-Control Signal

The CSRC described the campaign as a move to protect investors, maintain financial-market order, and guide outbound investment through lawful channels. In its Q&A, the regulator said investors can use routes such as Hong Kong Stock Connect, Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) products, and Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect (Cross-boundary WMC) for overseas investment.

Those channels are more limited than direct app-based trading in U.S. and Hong Kong stocks. Stock Connect covers eligible Hong Kong-listed securities rather than the full U.S. market. QDII products are managed through approved institutions and quotas. Cross-boundary WMC is limited by geography, product scope, and eligibility rules.

That makes the policy more than a licensing dispute. Beijing is not banning all offshore investment by mainland residents, but it is closing a private route that made foreign securities more accessible to ordinary investors. The structure of the rule pushes capital back toward channels that regulators can monitor, limit, and adjust.

On Chinese social media, some users reacted with frustration, saying the move narrows ordinary households’ ability to diversify outside China’s domestic markets. Others doubted that money previously invested through offshore brokers could be redirected toward mainland A-shares.

There is a broader concern among retail investors that Beijing is reducing access to overseas assets while China’s domestic stock market continues to struggle with investor confidence.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/25/2026 - 19:55

And as big as that one transaction turned out to be, it was dwarfed in New York by the fact that the Nets traded Kevin Durant to Phoenix the same day. It seemed like a perfectly fine, perfectly safe transaction.