KEY POINTS NEW YORK — Spot gold surged roughly 4 percent on Wednesday, approaching $5,400 an ounce as investors sought refuge amid geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility. The rally extended into late January, drawing renewed interest in silver, platinum, and palladium, while traders weighed the Federal Reserve’s steady interest rate stance against the prospects for … Read more
KEY POINTS Austin, Texas — Tesla Inc. said Wednesday it plans to invest approximately $2 billion in Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI, signaling a strategic pivot toward autonomy and robotics as traditional vehicle sales face growing pressure. The announcement accompanies the discontinuation of Tesla’s long running Model S and Model X sedans, which Musk … Read more
KEY POINTS Microsoft reported stronger than expected quarterly earnings late Wednesday while revealing record spending on artificial intelligence hardware. Underscoring the scale and cost of its global AI expansion as investors question how quickly those investments will translate into sustained profit growth. The results, released Jan. 29, showed Microsoft continuing to outpace much of Big … Read more
KEY POINTS Meta Platforms Inc. reported stronger than expected fourth quarter earnings Wednesday and unveiled plans to spend as much as $135 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure in 2026, sending Meta stock sharply higher in after hours trading. The earnings report marked one of Meta’s most consequential financial updates in years, signaling both confidence in … Read more
KEY POINTS HUNTSVILLE, Ala., — Breeze Airways is expanding its US domestic network with new nonstop flights from Huntsville International Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and multiple routes from Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey. The airline said the Huntsville service will begin June 12, offering travelers direct access to South Florida. The Huntsville … Read more
KEY POINTS CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns agreed to hire Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their new head coach, a league source told UPI on Wednesday, marking a strategic shift for a franchise that struggled offensively over the past two seasons. Monken’s hiring is Cleveland’s latest effort to stabilize a franchise that posted … Read more
KEY POINTS JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America will each match a $1,000 federal deposit into so-called Trump accounts for eligible US employees who become parents. Expanding corporate participation in a new child investment program created under a federal tax and spending law signed by President Donald Trump in July 2025. The corporate matching decisions … Read more
KEY POINTS BARAMATI, India — A plane carrying Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed on Wednesday morning while attempting to land at Baramati Airport, officials said. Emergency teams responded immediately, with several passengers rushed to nearby hospitals. Authorities have confirmed multiple fatalities but have not released official details regarding … Read more
KEY POINTS WASHINGTON — Top White House aide Stephen Miller said Tuesday that federal agents in Minneapolis “may not have been following” protocol when they shot Alex Pretti. A marked shift from earlier administration statements that portrayed Pretti as a violent threat. The comments follow two deadly shootings of US citizens in Minneapolis this month … Read more
KEY POINTS A man was arrested after lunging toward US Rep. Ilhan Omar and attempting to spray an unknown liquid at her during a public town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. An incident that police said resulted in a third degree assault charge and raised renewed concerns about political violence. The confrontation occurred as … Read more
