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The six-episode final season was reduced to a 90-minute finale after Neil Gaiman stepped down.

Expect things to tighten up when the Wild and Avs meet in Game 5.

Donovan Mitchell is starting to heat up for the Cavaliers.

Bet $20, Get $200 in Bonus Bets with Fanatics Sportsbook with promo code NYPOST.

“Politico’s Josh Gerstein illustrated precisely” this week how, if Democrats “try to pack the Supreme Court, the media would run cover for the enterprise,” flags National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke.

Sometimes you find a game plan that works so well you just have to keep rolling with it.

Newton-John and Travolta met for the first time during a screen test for "Grease" before it started filming in 1977.

Newton-John and Travolta met for the first time during a screen test for "Grease" before it started filming in 1977.

The woman accused of opening fire on Rihanna’s Beverly Hills mansion with a high-powered rifle was ruled competent to stand trial on attempted murder charges during a bizarre court appearance in Los Angeles Wednesday. A lawyer for Ivanna Ortiz, 35, had requested earlier in the day that she undergo an additional mental-health check before a judge made...

Get the scoop on un-fur-gettable coverage.

"There was a loud noise, like breaking metal, it's so specific. A crunch of metal," says the source.

"There was a loud noise, like breaking metal, it's so specific. A crunch of metal," says the source.

Iran Claims 80% Of Bombed-Out Areas Of Tehran Restored, Amid $270BN War Loss Compensation Demand

Iran has been seeking to prove its unity and defiance to the world in the aftermath of the 38-days of heavy US-Israeli bombing it endured throughout the Trump-ordered Operation Epic Fury.

Along with fast seeking to rearm and recover its missile capability after the bombardment which heavily targeted above and below-ground missile silos, it is also rapidly rebuilding bombed-out parts of the capital city Tehran.

Getty Images

In what sounds like a surprising and perhaps high estimate, about 80% of war-damaged sites in Iran's capital have been repaired, the state Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reports.

"More than 60,000 residential and commercial units in Tehran province were hit by American-Zionist attacks during the third imposed war," Deputy Governor of Tehran Seyyed Kamaleddin Mirjafarian was quoted in the report as saying.

The 80% claim might be met with a lot of scrutiny and doubt, given that many neighborhoods and buildings seemed to suffer damage so immense in scale, that it should take at least months if not years to rebuild.

But there has been some clear evidence that Iranian construction teams and engineers have worked around the clock to repair and replace vital infrastructure, like bridges for example.

The US and Israel had struck bridges and rail lines to cripple Iran's national transport network. Israel especially adopted attacks against key civilian infrastructure as a battle tactic, in hopes that eventually there would be a groundswell of anti-Tehran anger domestically, leading to government overthrow.

Also, "ports and railway networks, universities and research centers, and several power plants and water desalination plants were directly hit, while a large number of hospitals, schools and civilian homes were also damaged or destroyed," Al Jazeera describes.

By mid-April, Iran had put a price on the damage, while demanding compensation from Washington:

Iran has also raised the idea of compensation for damages to come through a Strait of Hormuz protocol, which would include a tax on ships passing through the waterway.

An early estimate indicates that Iran has suffered about $270bn in direct and indirect damages since the start of the US-Israel war on February 28, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said during an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, published on Tuesday.

She did not provide further information, such as a breakdown of the damages, but said the issue of compensation was discussed in last week’s negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Pakistan, and will be raised in any potential future talks with the US and mediators.

President Trump himself repeatedly threatening to bomb bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure to send Iran "back to the Stone Age." He's reportedly mulling the resumption of full military operations, amid stalled or non-existent peace talks.

Tehran municipality repairs over 40,000 war-damaged apartments free of charge

Gisoo Misha Ahmadi reports from Tehran

Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/LWoNSpkc2J pic.twitter.com/bsAteHKajf

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 7, 2026

While vital infrastructure and even energy sites have indeed in many cases been obliterated, the lights are still on across the country, save for the persisting government-imposed internet blackout. The internet blackout is now approaching 80 days.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:45

Jane Street Slashes Bitcoin ETF Holdings, Adds Ether Funds In Q1 2026

Authored by Helen Partz via CoinTelegraph.com,

Wall Street market maker Jane Street reduced its exposure to Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the first quarter of 2026 while increasing positions in Ether funds.

Jane Street cut major Bitcoin ETF holdings in Q1 2026, including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), according to a 13F filing published Tuesday.

IBIT holdings fell about 71% from Q4 2025 to roughly 5.9 million shares valued at about $225 million, while FBTC dropped about 60% to around 2 million shares worth roughly $115 million.

At the same time, Jane Street increased its exposure to Ether (ETH) ETFs, nearly doubling its position in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) and sharply raising its stake in Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH), adding about $82 million combined across the two products over the quarter.

The move comes amid early signs of institutional Ether ETF buying in early 2026, including increased exposure reported at Wells Fargo. The filing points to a reshuffling of Jane Street’s reportable crypto-linked holdings at quarter-end, though 13F disclosures do not show the market maker’s full trading book or net exposure.

Bitcoin exposure weakens further as Strategy stake falls

Jane Street’s Bitcoin-linked exposure weakened further in Q1 2026 as it reduced its stake in Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) alongside major ETF cuts.

In Q4 2025, the firm held about 968,000 MSTR shares worth roughly $145.9 million. By Q1 2026, the common stock stake fell to about 210,000 shares valued at roughly $27 million, a decline of about 78% quarter-over-quarter.

Jane Street increased its Strategy (MSTR) position by 473% in Q4 2025. Source: TheBTCTherapist

Strategy selling followed significant buying in the previous quarter as Jane Street reportedly increased MSTR position by 473% in Q4 2025.

In Q1 2026, the company also trimmed exposure across several Bitcoin mining stocks, including IREN, Cipher Mining, TeraWulf and Core Scientific.

Increased exposure to Coinbase, Galaxy and Riot

Despite broad downside pressure on Bitcoin-related assets, Jane Street increased exposure to several crypto-linked equities over the quarter, suggesting more selective positioning in crypto-related equities rather than a broad exit from the sector.

Jane Street raised its stake in the crypto mining company Riot Platforms (RIOT) to about 7.4 million shares, up from 5 million, increasing its value to roughly $91 million from $63 million.

It also increased its position in Coinbase (COIN) to about 888,000 shares from 778,000, with the value rising to about $155 million from $176 million in the prior quarter.

Galaxy Digital (GLXY) saw the sharpest expansion, jumping to about 1.5 million shares from just around 17,000, lifting its value to roughly $28 million from around $380,000.

Jane Street posted a record $16.1 billion in Q1 trading revenue, according to Reuters, as volatile markets and gains tied to artificial intelligence-related investments boosted financial results.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:25

Not quite as worrisome as hantavirus — but still, cruise enthusiasts have another reason to sound the alarm.

GOP Lawmakers Leery Of Trump's Billion-Dollar Ballroom-Security Package

Wary of the terrible election-year optics, some federal Republican legislators are less-than-enthusiastic about approving a request for a billion dollars in security funding relating to President Trump's White House ballroom project. Some of them shared those feelings with reporters after they received a Tuesday afternoon closed-door briefing by Secret Service Director Sean Curran. 

When he first rolled out the 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, Trump repeatedly emphasized that the project would cost $200 million and be funded entirely with private donations. Now the ballroom itself is projected to cost $400 million -- still privately-funded -- but with another $1 billion in federal funding being poured into security provisions.

An artist's rendering of Trump's ballroom, which is now projected to cost $400 million before $1 billion in security add-ons (via White House)

“I think the timing and the optics are really bad,” North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters Monday. “This time last year, roughly, maybe a little bit before, we were all impressed with the fact that this $400 million building was going to be paid for out of the generosity of donors, and now we’re hearing 2½ times that is necessary for some other aspect of the project.” The ballroom funds are supposed to be part of the ICE and Border Patrol bill that's considered as a GOP must-have. 

In his briefing to legislators, Curran provided an itemization of the big-ticket items comprising that $1 billion request. “He walked through the various categories,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. “So it was a good back-and-forth, a good discussion, and obviously we had a lot of questions that were asked by our colleagues, just to get the details and precision as much as possible about how dollars will be used.”

According to the Washington Post, the categories include: 

• $200 million for "hardening" the party room, from both above and below; finishes include bulletproof glass, and systems to detect chemical weapons and drones
• $180 million for a new White House visitor-screening setup
• $175 million for training Secret Service agents and improving "protectee security"
• $150 million to ward off "emerging threats" to include bioweapons and airborne attacks
• $100 million to secure high-profile national events

Following the briefing, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, who routinely votes as Trump wishes, was non-committal. “I still got some more questions, and they’re going to send us more information...I'm undecided." Similarly, Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, said he has "a lot" of questions of his own, adding that "One of the biggest concerns on our side is adding to the deficit." 

TRUMP: "We have a ballroom that's under budget. It's going up right here. I doubled the size of it because we obviously need that."

REPORTER: "The price has doubled..."

TRUMP: "I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. I doubled the size. You are not a smart person." pic.twitter.com/iC03NPPEye

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 12, 2026

Others were more candid. "Not happening here," said Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, when asked if the House was likely to approve the funding. Asked if he'd personally vote for it, he gave reporters a blunt "no." Asked about how the price tag looks to Americans being hammered at the gas pump by the fruits of the Trump-Netanyahu war on Iran, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski replied, "Not good." 

The ballroom project increasingly seems like a midyear election gift from a tone-deaf Trump administration to Democratic candidates across the nation. In a recent poll, Americans oppose it by a lopsided 56%-to-28% margin. More than the cost itself, it's the juxtaposition of what looks like a vanity project against increasing financial hardships being imposed on everyday Americans by the war on Iran and Trump's tariffs.  

On Tuesday, Trump handed more such campaign fodder to Democrats when -- asked if Americans' financial woes were a motivator for making a peace deal with Iran -- Trump said, "Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation." Though he was clearly trying to emphasize the (dubious) security narrative behind the war, his failure to express empathy for struggling families turned his remark into a political weapon. 

President Trump is asked how much he considers Americans' financial situation when negotiating with Iran:

"Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters is they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans’ financial situation. I don't think about anybody." pic.twitter.com/BFxqVtZgQr

— The American Conservative (@amconmag) May 12, 2026 Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:05

Cam Young takes none of it for granted because of the grind it took to get here.

Senate Confirms Kevin Warsh As Fed Chair In Most Partisan Vote Ever

Update: In a largely party-line vote, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh to a 14-year term as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, succeeding Jerome Powell whose term as chair ends this Friday.

The 54-45 vote was the slimmest confirmation margin ever for a head of a central bank, reflecting fears that he'll be Trump's puppet. 

Trump has made no secret that he expects rates to lower under Warsh after repeatedly slamming Powell for monetary policy Trump feels is too restrictive. 

Steve Bannon, however, doesn't think so...

Ahead of the vote, Trump ally Stephen K. Bannon used his “War Room” podcast to prepare supporters for disappointment. The former Trump strategist said fresh inflation data made it “highly unlikely” that Warsh would have “the flexibility to cut rates in June,” when he will chair the central bank’s policy meeting for the first time.

“This makes it very difficult for Warsh,” Bannon said Tuesday, hours after the Labor Department reported that April inflation had jumped to 3.8 percent.

His guest, conservative commentator Eric Bolling, projected no rate cuts through the end of the year and ventured that the Warsh-led Fed may even need a modest rate hike to curb inflation. -WaPo

Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to support Warsh. 

Developing...

* * *

Authored by Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times,

Kevin Warsh will be returning to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

 

The U.S. Senate voted 51–45 to approve Warsh’s nomination to a 14-year term on the central bank’s board on May 12, joining six other members. Four senators did not file a vote.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) crossed party lines to support President Donald Trump’s nominee.

Warsh’s tenure as Fed governor will run until 2040.

He previously served on the board from 2006 to 2011, when he resigned over differences regarding the leadership’s post-crisis quantitative easing program.

Governors serve 14-year terms to prevent political pressure.

Their roles consist of voting on monetary policy, supervising and regulating the financial system, and overseeing the Fed’s 12 regional banks.

The vote also marked the end of Stephen Miran’s brief tenure on the board.

Miran, who previously served as head of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, was nominated by the president last summer to fill the seat vacated by Adriana Kugler. It is unclear if he plans to return to the Trump administration.

Senators will next vote on Warsh’s confirmation as head of the Federal Reserve, which could happen as early as May 13.

Walking a Minefield

Warsh’s return to the Fed could be marred by challenges, mainly due to the 11-week-old Iranian conflict reviving price pressures across the U.S. economy.

April’s annual consumer inflation rate accelerated to 3.8 percent, the highest level since May 2023 and above consensus forecasts.

The war has lifted global energy prices, forcing drivers to pay more at the pump.

The national average for a gallon of gasoline—as of May 12—is parked at $4.50.

Structural inflation could also be under threat.

Twelve-month core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food prices, edged higher to 2.8 percent, topping estimates.

Warsh has been a frequent critic of the Fed’s policy decisions.

He has argued that the central bank can lower interest rates as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom would be disinflationary and reduce business and consumer prices.

At the same time, Warsh has stated that the Fed should scale back its balance sheet use.

A point of contention is whether Warsh will maintain Fed independence.

He has reaffirmed his support for monetary autonomy. But it does not mean it is under threat if elected officials weigh in on policy, he said.

Kevin Warsh (L), U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for Chair of the Federal Reserve during his Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs confirmation hearing in Washington on April 21, 2026.  Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“I do not believe the operational independence of monetary policy is particularly threatened when elected officials—presidents, senators, or members of the House—state their views on interest rates,” Warsh said in his opening remarks in front of the Senate Banking Committee.

Despite his clarification on Fed independence, there are still questions surrounding how he would navigate policy, says Rebecca Homkes, an economist and former fellow at the London School of Economics Center for Economic Performance.

“Warsh’s over-bullishness on AI’s impact on productivity should be more of a discussion, as we need the next Fed Chair to be working to steer a policy approach of better, robust data and research to understand this technology,” she told The Epoch Times.

“What’s raising more eyebrows is his insistence on his reform agenda, including changes to responsibilities, press briefings, and what topic areas they cover.”

Warsh has teased a series of changes he could bring to the Fed: updating long-standing economic models, reforming how the central bank communicates with the public, and potentially how the Fed targets inflation.

Lawrence Gillum, chief fixed-income strategist at LPL Financial, says Warsh’s approach to monetary policy would likely be far more traditional than the approach practiced over the past 20 years.

“Rather than leaving heavily on intervention and detailed promises about the future path of rates, Warsh has consistently argued for restraint, humility, and a greater reliance on incoming data,” Gillum said in a note emailed to The Epoch Times.

If confirmed, Warsh would head the June 16 to June 17 Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting.

Investors have priced in the expectation that the Fed will not lower interest rates at all this year. A growing chorus of traders has started forecasting a rate hike sometime in 2027.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 15:02

First-round leader bets are always a little chaotic, but that’s also where the value can live.

Stars from shows like Vanderpump Rules, Too Hot to Handle, Love Island and Love is Blind are looking for love in Perfect Match Season 4.