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The actress exclusively told Page Six that she underwent a procedure during a spa trip to Austria with pals.

The actress exclusively told Page Six that she underwent a procedure during a spa trip to Austria with pals.

Hats off to these gift ideas (and the graduates, of course).

Maryland Blames Data Centers For $1.6 Billion Power Bill Shock, Omits Green Energy Mess

Maryland's Office of People's Counsel released a new report warning that homeowners in the state could face $1.6 billion in additional power bill costs over the next decade to subsidize transmission line upgrades, largely due to data center demand outside Maryland, more specifically from data centers in Northern Virginia.

OPC filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) arguing that PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator, is forcing Maryland power customers to shoulder costs for grid expansion projects that feed into Northern Virginia. The complaint was titled "OPC complaint challenges PJM cost rules for unfairly assigning $2 billion in data center-driven transmission costs to Marylanders."

People's Counsel David Lapp said Maryland residents neither caused the need for the transmission line projects nor will they meaningfully benefit from them:

"Without FERC action, Maryland customers face paying billions for transmission infrastructure that PJM is advancing to benefit data centers. PJM's cost allocation rules are broken. Maryland customers have neither caused the need for these billions in new transmission projects nor will they meaningfully benefit from them."

The complaint comes as the Mid-Atlantic region, specifically Maryland, is locked in a power bill crisis, with a confluence of bad "green" energy policies colliding with the AI data center boom.

Not mentioned by the OPC or the one-party-ruled state of Democratic Party kings and queens is that Maryland is structurally dependent on imported power through PJM. It does not produce enough electricity inside the state to cover its own load, which makes power customers more exposed to regional grid costs, transmission upgrades, electricity price spikes, and data-center-driven demand growth outside of Maryland.

How did Maryland get to the point where it has to import roughly 24 million megawatt-hours of electricity a year, using 2024 EIA data, or about 40% of in-state electricity demand?

It is due to poor state-level management by politicians and their 'green' energy policies, which led to the early retirements of coal power plants and to a failure to prioritize new, reliable power to increase baseload.

Local outlet Fox Baltimore recently quoted Ed Hale, the Republican candidate for governor, who blamed the state's green energy policies and the early retirement of fossil-fuel power plants for the power bil mess. 

"We have a lot of fossil fuels here that burn a lot easier and cleaner than in the old days," Hale said earlier this year. "I'm thinking that we have to do better, and we have to reopen the plants that have been not torn down, and just get them open again and reenergize them."

Beyond Maryland, but still in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, there is a hidden cost to the AI buildout: surging carbon prices are pushing up CO2 costs across the region past California levels, raising the prospect of higher energy costs for consumers, according to Bloomberg.

The price to emit a so-called short ton of CO2 into the atmosphere under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a market covering 10 states, including New York, jumped 12% on Monday to $53.50, adding to a 31% gain last week. Traders are betting that Virginia's planned return to the market in July will boost demand for permits, as the state is the world's largest hub for data centers.

Whether through misguided green policies at the state level, such as charging companies for CO2 emissions, the prior 'everything green' framework has miserably failed consumers.

If the U.S. wants to win the AI race, progressive states like Maryland must build out new power generation and consider reactivating coal plants, while recognizing that becoming 'greener' could result in becoming poorer - Europe is finding that out (read here).

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/08/2026 - 14:00

Ancient Settlement Older Than The Pyramids Discovered; Rewrites North American History

Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news,

An ancient Indigenous settlement unearthed near Sturgeon Lake in Saskatchewan is challenging long-held views about early human presence in North America.

Dating to around 11,000 years ago and predating Egypt’s Great Pyramid by more than 6,000 years, according to the official timeline, the site provides evidence of long-term habitation rather than temporary camps.

Archaeologists working with Sturgeon Lake First Nation uncovered stone tools, fire pits, toolmaking materials, and remains of the extinct Bison antiquus. Charcoal layers point to controlled fire management, aligning with oral traditions. The findings suggest a sophisticated society with advanced hunting strategies, including buffalo jumps.

Experts found a Native American settlement older than the pyramids…

North America’s earliest inhabitants formed stable communities far earlier than previously believed.

Archaeologists working near Sturgeon Lake in Saskatchewan have unearthed evidence of a sophisticated… pic.twitter.com/8kh38Cklrf

— Shining Science (@ShiningScience) May 7, 2026

The site, known as Âsowanânihk (“a place to cross” in Cree), lies about five kilometres north of Prince Albert along the North Saskatchewan River. It was first spotted by avocational archaeologist Dave Rondeau through riverbank erosion exposing artifacts.

Rondeau said: “The moment I saw the layers of history peeking through the soil, I felt the weight of generations staring back at me. Now that the evidence has proven my first instincts, this site is shaking up everything we thought we knew and could change the narrative of early Indigenous civilizations in North America.”

Dr. Glenn Stuart of the University of Saskatchewan added: “This discovery challenges the outdated idea that early Indigenous peoples were solely nomadic. The evidence of long-term settlement and land stewardship suggests a deep-rooted presence. It also raises questions about the Bering Strait Theory, supporting oral histories that Indigenous communities have lived here for countless generations.”

Prehistoric settlement discovery in North America older than Egypt's Great Pyramid rewrites human history https://t.co/PVQjzCRF63

— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) May 7, 2026

Excavations indicate the location served as a hub for organized activity shortly after the last Ice Age. Researchers compare its importance to iconic global sites like the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, and Göbekli Tepe.

The discovery includes evidence of bison pounds and kill sites, with hunters targeting massive Bison antiquus weighing up to 4,400 pounds. This points to coordinated community efforts and deep environmental knowledge.

Chief Christine Longjohn of Sturgeon Lake First Nation stated: “This discovery is a powerful reminder that our ancestors were here, building, thriving and shaping the land long before history books acknowledged us. For too long, our voices have been silenced, but this site speaks for us, proving that our roots run deep and unbroken. It carries the footsteps of our ancestors, their struggles, their triumphs, and their wisdom. Every stone, every artifact is a testament to their strength. We are not just reclaiming history, we are reclaiming our rightful place in it.”

The site, on Treaty 6 territory home to the Plains Cree, faces potential threats from logging and industrial activity. The Âsowanânihk Council, involving Elders, youth, educators, and archaeologists from the University of Saskatchewan and University of Calgary, is leading protection and further study efforts. Plans include a cultural interpretive centre.

Carbon dating of charcoal from a hearth places activity at about 10,700 years ago, roughly 1,000 years earlier than prior estimates for organized settlement in the region.

This find adds physical evidence to oral histories describing the area as a cultural and trade center, highlighting sophisticated land stewardship in post-glacial North America.

The discovery underscores ongoing collaboration between Indigenous communities and researchers to preserve and understand this chapter of human history. Further excavations and funding could yield more insights into early societal organization on the continent.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/08/2026 - 13:45

They’re collecting hefty checks without breaking a sweat. 

Five derms weigh in.

Spencer Pratt succeeded in Wednesday night’s debate precisely because he’s not a politician.

Procrastinators, rejoice.

Plus, her favorite "unbelievable" face masks and body butter that's like "vacation in a jar."

Plus, her favorite "unbelievable" face masks and body butter that's like "vacation in a jar."

Working with Advocus Partners, BPC polled 1,000 voters in late April and found broad support for congressional action on housing reform.

Intel Jumps To Record High On Deal To Make Chips For Apple, Following White House Pressure

Already looking like something right out of the dot com bubble, Intel stock soared even more moments ago, surging almost 20% and hitting a new all time high over $130 (it was trading at $80 a few days ago), after the WSJ reported that the White House-backed chipmaker has reached a preliminary agreement to manufacture some of the chips that power Apple devices. Which is ironic as just 6 short years ago Apple surprised the market when it announced it was parting ways with Intel, replacing the company's chips with its own, a move which was dubbed a huge success. Now, following intense White House pressure, it has decided to reverse this decision. 

While it is well known that talks between the two companies have been ongoing for more than a year - which has been one of the reasons for Intel's recent meteoric advance - they hammered out a formal deal in recent months. 

It’s still unclear which Apple products Intel would make chips for, if any, or if today's PR was just to plant the seeds for the US to sell its Intel stake after Trump was boasting recently how much money he made for US taxpayers since getting a big stake in the company last summer when it was trading below $20. 

Intel has two main business lines: designing chips and manufacturing them - both its own designs and external customers’ - in its Intel Foundry unit. Both businesses had been underperforming for years before Lip-Bu Tan took over as chief executive last spring vowing to revitalize them.  

Following our advice from August 7, 2025...

The Pentagon took a stake in US rare earth miner MP Materials... when will it do the same with Intel

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 7, 2025

... one week later, on August 14, the Trump administration struck a deal to convert nearly $9 billion in federal grants into Intel stock, giving the U.S. government a 10% stake in the chip-maker.

And the key bit from the WSJ report: the White House "played a key role in bringing Apple to the table."

According to the report, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has met repeatedly over the last year with high-ranking Apple officials, including CEO Tim Cook, as well as SpaceX chief Elon Musk and Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang, to try to convince them to get into business with Intel, some of the people familiar with the matter said.

And with the Apple deal, Intel has now signed partnerships with all three. Now it remains to be seen if any of the three will actually use Intel's chips for more than just press release bullet points. 

Over the last decade, Intel fell badly behind rivals such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics after a series of technical missteps, leadership changes and failed attempts at consolidation led outside foundry customers to pull or curb their business.

When Intel hired Tan in March 2025 to replace ousted CEO Pat Gelsinger, Trump raised concerns that Tan’s close ties with China would compromise him and called for his ouster.  But Tan won Trump over with a charm offensive, and the government announced its 10% investment in Intel shortly after. Following the investment, Intel’s share price rose sharply. On Friday morning it rose 7.5% to an all-time high of nearly $118 per share. 

Tan has been reshaping Intel’s top leadership ranks in recent months as well, including hiring former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing executive Wei-Jen Lo, a move that prompted a lawsuit from TSMC. 

The Intel CEO also ousted his head of product and hired new executives to lead the company’s data center processor and client computing units, as well as a newly formed custom silicon business. He has also invested heavily in Intel’s most-advanced manufacturing process, known as 14A.  

President Trump personally advocated for Intel to Cook in a meeting at the White House, according to people familiar with the matter.

“I like Intel,” President Trump said in January. He said the government had made “tens of billions of dollars” from the Intel deal, and that the government’s backing of the company had attracted important partners to Intel. 

“As soon as we went in, Apple went in, Nvidia went in, a lot of smart people went in,” President Trump said. 

Nvidia invested $5 billion in Intel in September and the two companies announced a partnership under which Intel would build custom data center CPUs for Nvidia. And last month, Elon Musk and Intel announced an ambitious plan to build a chip manufacturing plant in Texas as part of Musk’s  Terafab project to produce chips for Tesla, xAI and SpaceX. 

Apple relies on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing to make the chips it designs for iPhones, iPads, Macs and other devices, and is under pressure to find additional chip suppliers. On Apple’s last two earnings conference calls, Cook has blamed a lack of availability of advanced chips for Apple’s inability to meet customer demand for iPhones.

The constraints are expected to continue into the current quarter, affecting several Mac models, Cook said. “We think, looking forward, that the Mac Mini and the Mac Studio may take several months to reach supply-demand balance,” Cook said. Last Friday, the day after the earnings call, Apple raised the Mac Mini’s starting price.

TSMC’s manufacturing capabilities far surpass those of Samsung and Intel. Makers of other kinds of chips, for memory and storage for example, are more competitive with one another, giving Apple multiple sources of supply.

Apple has long been TSMC’s top customer, but skyrocketing demand for its manufacturing capacity from Nvidia and other designers of AI chips means Apple no longer has as much leverage to secure the supplies it needs. Starting in 2006, Apple used Intel-designed CPUs as the main processors for its personal computers, but switched to its own custom CPUs, based on a design architecture from Arm Holding, in 2020.

As for Intel stock, while we have enjoyed the recent meltup, the reversal - when it comes - will be painful.

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/08/2026 - 13:26

Take charge of your finances in 2026 with the Personal Finance Essentials course for $29.99

Shelton was notably absent when Stefani and No Doubt kicked off their residency at the iconic Las Vegas venue on Wednesday night.

Shelton was notably absent when Stefani and No Doubt kicked off their residency at the iconic Las Vegas venue on Wednesday night.

“I think about it once a week," the reality star admitted of her 2022 red carpet glam.

“I think about it once a week," the reality star admitted of her 2022 red carpet glam.

Japanese exporters are having to cope with President Trump’s tariff hikes and other higher costs that have been worsened by the war in Iran.

The one-time missionary of the Chi Alpha Campus Ministry referred to as "the holiest man alive" by other pastors was accused of sexually abusing two boys in the 2023 criminal case.