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Violence between Israelis and Palestinians worsened Tuesday as the rest of the world (with the possible exception of the U.S) calls for a ceasefire. |
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Ceasefire fallout: Fighting and bombing intensified in the Middle East on Tuesday as mounting pressure for a ceasefire threatens U.S. credibility around the world for refusing to reign in Israel. The U.N. Security Council met for the fourth time Tuesday with the U.S. once again vetoing a ceasefire proposal that it claims will do little to stabilize conditions on the ground in the embattled region. But now the proposals are coming from U.S. allies as France and Egypt are pushing the U.N. to issue statement calling for a ceasefire. China also favors the deal and is criticizing the U.S. for inaction. "We do not judge that a public pronouncement right now will help de-escalate," U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield said of the decision. Although the U.S. has publicly called for a halt to the violence on both sides and President Joe Biden has expressed an interest in a joint statement, it has yet to sign off on a formal ceasefire agreement and continues to support Israel's right to defend itself. But images of exploding buildings and civilian casualties are hard sells as defense. FIND OUT THE CONDITIONS THE U.S. SEEKS IN A CEASEFIRE
Hit and run: It appears we may all be in the wrong business. If you don't have any moral objections to the job, computer hacker could be the most lucrative career this side of pro athlete or lottery winner. Research into the DarkSide group has revealed it received over $90 million in bitcoin as ransom payments for unlocking companies' hijacked computer systems. Best known for its recent hack of the Colonial Pipeline, which paid over $5 million in bitcoin to Darkside, the Russian-based group collected an average heist of $1.9 million. Not bad for pushing a few buttons, if they get away with it. The group has already proven to be smarter than the average criminal by disbanding operations after the big haul. But greed usually gets the best of even the craftiest crooks, so a clean getaway isn't assured. Otherwise, the hacks disprove the old adage that crime doesn't pay. SEE HOW DARKSIDE GOT AWAY WITH A $90 MILLION SCORE
Lightning Joe: A lifelong car enthusiast and supporter of environmental causes, Biden got to see both passions come together in the form of a futuristic Ford F-150 on Tuesday. Sporting aviator sunglasses, Biden looked like a kid in a candy shop peaking out from behind the wheel of Ford's new electric truck. He took the EV for a test spin and gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "We're at a great inflection point in American history," he said at the Michigan factory. "The future will be built right here in America." At 78, Biden is the oldest person ever elected to the White House but at the wheel he acted more like a giddy teenage driver. "This sucker's quick," the president said, even joking about running over a reporter for interrupting his fun time with a tough question. HERE'S HOW TO WATCH TODAY'S ROLLOUT OF THE FORD EV
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Markets
| DJIA | 34,060.66 | -0.78% |
| S&P 500 | 4,127.83 | -0.85% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 13,303.64 | -0.56% |
| Japan: Nikkei 225 | 28,033.24 | -1.32% |
| UK: FTSE 100 | 7,034.24 | 0.02% |
| Crude Oil Futures | 64.72 | -1.18% |
| Gold Futures | 1,865.90 | -0.11% |
| Yen | 109.00 | 0.11% |
| Euro | 1.22 | -0.03% | | * As of market close |
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Retail revival
Economists had high hopes that the latest round of stimulus checks would give the brick-and-mortar retail industry a much-needed boost. Less than two months since those payments started going out to millions of Americans, it appears the infusion of cash is hitting the right targets. Three U.S. retail giants with diverse customer bases -- Walmart, Macy's and The Home Depot -- reported strong first quarters and optimism about the future. They are crediting the infusion of stimulus dollars for the bump. "We're encouraged by traffic and grocery market share trends," said Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon, acknowleding that the stimulus payments "had an impact" on the promising 6% increase in quarterly sales. "In the US, customers clearly want to get out and shop." The Home Depot and Macy's also topped estimates, with executives also pointing to a lift from widespread vaccinations. They also credited mass vaccination programs for store reopenings and the desire for customers to return to some semblance of normal for the upswing in sales. SEE WHY RETAILERS HAVE EVEN MORE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
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Amazon power play
In an entertainment and media industry that is increasingly becoming a go-big-or-go-home proposition, Amazon is considering a bold move that would challenge Netflix and Disney+ for streaming-service superiority. Amazon is making a bid to buy MGM to make the e-commerce giant a major player in the streaming service boom that hit during the pandemic and is expected to remain a hot commodity heading into the new normal. The proposed $9 billion deal would shake up the still-emerging market. By bolstering its current Prime Video offering, which already has over 200 million members worldwide, Amazon is investing its resources to build up a catalog of shows, movies, music and more. The company spent $11 billion on entertainment offerings in 2020 -- a bump of 40% from 2019. Amazon could significantly increase those numbers by adding MGM's catalog of titles to its library. MGM claims to own one of the world’s “deepest libraries†of premium film and TV content with around 4,000 film titles in its collection, including popular movie franchises like “James Bond,†“RoboCop,†“Rocky,†“Hobbit,†and “Pink Panther†and TV series such as “Shark Tank,†“Teen Wolf,†“The Voice,†and “The Hills.†FIND OUT WHAT THE MOVE WOULD MEAN FOR SHOW BUSINESS
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Let there be rock
It's not just the sights of people peeling off their masks and returning to normal daily life that let's you know things are turning around. It's also the sounds we haven't heard for more than a year, like the roar of the crowds at an outdoor music festival -- and even those are returning this summer. The concert event of the year (at least until the COVID crisis pulled the plug on the 2020 event), Lollapalooza announced Tuesday that the four-day, eight-stage show will return to Chicago's Grant Park July 29-Aug. 1. The outdoor show draws big names from pop music, including this year's headliner Foo Fighters (the full lineup comes out today). Large crowds of tightly packed revelers annually, but this year's will see some restrictions. “In alignment with our public health guidance, the world-class festival returns to the city later this summer. However, full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test will be required to enjoy the festivities,†the city stated. Lollapalooza isn't the only big-time music festival ready to crank it up again in 2021. Other festivals including Rolling Loud, Bonnaroo, Pitchfork, Firefly, Austin City Limits and the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience. CHECK OUT THE REACTIONS OF MUSIC FANS READY TO ROCK
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Big gig
What artist served as the opening act at the original Woodstock festival? Tuesday's answer: The five permanent member nations of the U.N. Security Council are the U.S., U.K., France, China and Russia. SEND YOUR ANSWER HERE TO SHOW OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE
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