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The former NYPD sergeant is expected to be sprung from Elmira Correctional Facility this afternoon, according to sources.

Get ready to refresh your makeup drawer and skin care routine.

Get ready to refresh your makeup drawer and skin care routine.

Comer said on "Fox & Friends Weekend" that when he first heard about the disappearances, they sounded like "some kind of crazy conspiracy theory."

My years-tested routine is now on sale.

Pentagon Releases Video Of Marines Landing On Iranian Ship

By Monday morning US Central Command had released fuller video showing the dramatic night vision footage of Sunday's capture of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, after it refused to follow US orders to withdraw from its planned passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon soon after the interdiction and boarding released a very brief, limited clip of a US warship firing on the vessel from afar - or also what might have been a warning shot. Later it released short footage of the actual Marine boarding, which occurred in the dead of night:

The footage shows American special forces helicopters surrounding the stricken vessel as an elite team of Marines rappel onto its deck. The ship has since been identified as the Touska, already under Washington sanctions. The vessel could now become the "spoils of war" as the US effectively takes control of its contents.

CENTCOM in releasing the footage described in greater detail: "U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period."

The boarding operation went down a little after midnight in Iran, and the particular destroyer that initially fired on the Touska was the USS Spruance. It has used its 5-inch (127 mm) MK 45 gun to hit the ship's engine room.

The Iranian vessel tried to cross from the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz and was headed to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas when it was intercepted.

On Sunday President Trump had written on social media, "Our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room."

As of Monday, Trump is warning that he could order renewed major attacks and bombardment of the Islamic Republic, if it refuses to negotiate or if it doesn't compromise in talks, especially on the contested enriched uranium issue. Tehran has vowed never to transfer its stockpile to the US or outside the country.

* * *

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:30

Is it shock for shock’s sake?

"They have a female with a gunshot wound to the face saying the assailant left the scene," the dispatcher says in the call.

Saylor's Strategy Holdings Top 800,000 Bitcoin After 3rd Biggest Purchase In History

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public Bitcoin holder, has blasted past 800,000 BTC in total holdings after announcing its latest purchases.

Strategy acquired 34,164 Bitcoin for $2.54 billion between April 13 and 19, according to an 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

As Helen Partz reports for CoinTelegraph.com, the buy ranks as Strategy’s third-largest Bitcoin acquisition on record by coin count, behind purchases of 55,500 BTC and 51,780 BTC in November 2024.

Holding around 780,897 BTC after a $1 billion purchase just a week ago, the company now holds 815,061 BTC, purchased for $61.56 billion.

Source: SEC

The new acquisition was made at an average price of $74,395 per coin, slightly below the company’s average acquisition price of $75,527.

Strategy’s STRC funds more than 85% of the purchase

Similar to a few recent acquisitions, the majority of Strategy’s latest purchase has been funded through Stretch (STRC), the company's perpetual preferred security.

According to the filing, STRC generated $2.18 billion, or about 85.7% of total proceeds, while sales of Class A common stock (MSTR) contributed $366 million.

Source: SEC

Last week marked several new records for STRC, including the company’s largest single-day buying spree through its at-the-market, or ATM, program.

On April 13, STRC set a new estimated daily record of about 7,741 BTC, based on the sale of 11.9 million shares through its at-the-market, or ATM, program, generating more than $1 billion in trading volume, according to STRC Live.

The stock set another record the following day, with an estimated 9,364 BTC tied to 14.4 million shares sold through its at-the-market, or ATM, program. The two days combined brought an estimated 17,204 BTC, marking a 518% surge versus the four-week average.

Strategy co-founder Saylor had teased the purchase on Sunday, signaling another large bitcoin acquisition ahead of the announcement. The company also disclosed on Friday plans to pay STRC dividends twice monthly.

“If we were to move forward with paying STRC semi-monthly, we would be in category one, the only preferred in the world that pays semi-monthly dividends. We think this is unique and attractive,” Strategy CEO Phong Le said.

Market-Cap/NAV Nears 1 Again...

Finally, recent gains for Strategy stock have lifted its market cap above $54 billion...

Pushing it closer and closer back towards its net asset value (value of BTC holdings).

For many, a shift for Market-Cap/NAV back above 1 is the greenlight for stability and a sustained recovery in MSTR's stock.

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:15

Key Events This Week: Warsh Nomination Hearing, Retail Sales, Fed Blackout, Earnings

As the war in Iran enters its 8th week, Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid says that recent developments can be framed in two ways: either five steps forward towards peace and three back (seems more apt than three and two), or as evidence that the two sides remain far enough apart that a lasting deal will be extremely hard to achieve and markets have become far too optimistic. Reid leans more towards the former, but the comparison with recent history is uncomfortable. Remember the 10%+ S&P 500 rally in the early weeks of the war in Ukraine, when hopes briefly grew of an early negotiated settlement, only to be disappointed. That episode is a clear warning sign.

That said, the political calculus around Iran may be different. According to Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin, President Trump’s approval rating dipped notably after the war began but appears to have stabilised since the two-week ceasefire was announced on 7 April—possibly reflecting the subsequent fall in petrol prices. A renewed deterioration in negotiations would therefore be unlikely to help approval ratings if oil and gas prices were to rise again.

The headline news over the weekend was Iran stating that the Strait of Hormuz was shut less than 24 hours after indicating on Friday that it would reopen. Shipping through the strait has now again ground to a halt after picking up on Saturday. On Friday afternoon in London, Polymarket had priced the probability of Strait traffic returning to normal by the end of May as high as 84%. That has now fallen back to around 66%, close to last Thursday’s level, but still well above the 37% probability priced this time last week.

The current ceasefire is due to expire at some point on Wednesday. President Trump struck a more hawkish tone yesterday, posting that while his negotiators will be in Islamabad for talks tonight (with possible talks reported for Tuesday), if Iran does not accept the deal on the table the US will “knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran”. Iran’s state TV reported last night that Iran has “no plans for now to participate” in another round of talk with the US. Meanwhile, we heard that the US Navy had intercepted and boarded an Iranian cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, marking the first such seizure since the US announced its blockade of Iranian shipping.

So while all eyes will be focused on the middle east, in terms of the week ahead, in the US, the main event in a quiet week for data and for Fedspeak given the media blackout has now started, comes tomorrow morning at 10:00am ET, when Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee to become the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, appears before the Senate Banking Committee for his confirmation hearing. Although Warsh has said little publicly since being nominated, his earlier remarks offer important clues. He has previously argued that the US economy faces powerful disinflationary forces stemming from deregulation and the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence, a mix that should ultimately allow interest rates to move lower. That narrative is likely to feature prominently in his testimony. However, the economic backdrop has shifted in recent months, making the case for near term easing less straightforward. The labor market has stabilized, inflation measures such as PCE have surprised to the upside, and the conflict in Iran has introduced renewed upside risks to prices via energy channels. See our economists' latest forecasts here from the end of last week where they have removed the one cut in 2026 that they previously had.

While Warsh has spoken in favor of rate reductions over time, he is not generally viewed as structurally dovish. If anything, his instincts have historically leaned more hawkish than many of his peers’. The delicate balancing act on Tuesday will be how he frames a longer-term desire to lower rates while acknowledging that current conditions do not necessarily justify imminent cuts. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent comment that he would “understand if the Fed needs to wait on rate cuts” may give Warsh some political cover, allowing him to argue that temporary inflation risks require near term vigilance before policy can ease later on.

Beyond rates, senators are likely to probe Warsh on several other fronts. He has long been critical of the Fed’s balance sheet policies, though expectations of rapid change have faded, with consensus now favoring a gradual approach that first requires regulatory adjustments to reduce banks’ demand for reserves — a view shared by several current Fed officials. He is also expected to revisit his criticism of forward guidance, particularly its detailed use outside of crisis periods, potentially signalling a desire to simplify how the Fed communicates policy intentions. Fed independence will loom large too, especially at a time when inflation has remained above target for an extended period, oil prices have surged again, and political pressure to cut rates has intensified. Even assuming Warsh ultimately secures confirmation, risks remain, with Senator Thom Tillis reiterating that he intends to block progress on Fed appointments until the Department of Justice investigation into Chair Powell is resolved.

With Fed officials in their pre meeting communications blackout, economic data will do what it can to fill the void. Tomorrow also brings the most important release of the week in the form of March retail sales. Headline sales are expected to rebound by 1.2% month on month (DB forecast), up from 0.6% previously, helped by a recovery in auto sales. Excluding autos, sales are forecast to rise by a still solid 0.8%, compared with 0.5% last month, though much of that strength is likely to reflect higher petrol prices rather than a broad resurgence in discretionary spending. The retail control group, which feeds directly into GDP calculations, is expected to grow by a more modest 0.2%, down from 0.5% previously, suggesting that underlying goods demand remains steady but unspectacular.

Later in the week, Thursday brings a handful of releases that will help round out the picture. Initial jobless claims are expected to edge up to 210,000 from 207,000, a move that will be watched closely as the data coincide with the survey window for April’s employment report. While monthly payroll numbers have been volatile, most broader measures point to a labor market that has largely stabilized over the past year and looks in better shape now than it did to many prior to the Iran War. The same day also delivers preliminary S&P Global PMIs, with manufacturing expected to ease slightly to 52.1 from 52.3, while services are forecast to recover to 51.4 from 49.8. Any commentary on supply chains or pricing pressures linked to Middle Eastern developments will be scrutinized, even if the surveys only partially capture the latest geopolitical shifts.
Across the globe, Thursday also sees the global flash April PMIs which will give a sense on how companies are viewing the current conflict, even if newsflow, net net, has improved of late. The prices paid components will be worth a watch.

There are plenty of indicators due in the UK, including labour market data tomorrow and March inflation on Wednesday. Our UK economist forecasts headline CPI to jump to 3.3% YoY, with core staying roughly steady at 3.2% (see full preview here). There will also be the March retail sales report and the April GfK consumer confidence indicator due Friday.

Sentiment data is also a theme for next week in the rest of Europe, with releases featuring the ZEW survey (tomorrow) and the Ifo survey (Friday) in Germany, as well as consumer confidence in the Eurozone (Wednesday) and France (Friday). Briefly turning to European political events, the list includes the EU leaders’ informal summit on Thursday and EU foreign affairs council meeting tomorrow. Elsewhere, March inflation will be in the spotlight in Japan on Friday when the national CPI is due. There will also be the March CPI report in Canada (today) and the Q1 CPI (tomorrow) in New Zealand.

Rounding out with corporate earnings, there will be a number of companies across defence (RTX and Lockheed Martin), energy (SLB, Baker Hughes and Halliburton) and the materials (Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan) sectors reporting, whose results and outlook will be of interest amidst the Iran conflict. A number of airlines also post results. Tech names for this week will include Tesla, SK Hynix, Intel and SAP. Other highlights are Procter & Gamble, General Electric, American Express and Blackstone. See the full day-by-day week ahead at the end for more.

Soruce: Earnings Whispers

Day-by-day calendar of events courtesy of DB

Monday April 20

• Data: Japan February Tertiary industry index, Germany March PPI, Eurozone February construction output, Canada March CPI
• Central banks: China 1-yr and 5-yr loan prime rates, BoC business survey

Tuesday April 21

• Data: US April Philadelphia Fed non-manufacturing activity, March retail sales, pending home sales, February business inventories, UK February average weekly earnings, unemployment rate, March jobless claims change, Germany April Zew survey, France March retail sales, Eurozone April Zew survey, New Zealand Q1 CPI
• Central banks: ECB’s Nagel, Guindos and Kocher speak
• Earnings: General Electric, UnitedHealth, RTX, Intuitive Surgical, Danaher, Interactive Brokers, Capital One Financial, ASM, DR Horton, MSCI,EQT, Halliburton, United Airlines
• Other: US-Iran ceasefire to expire, the Senate Banking Committee’s confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, EU  foreign affairs council meeting

Wednesday April 22

• Data: UK March CPI, RPI, PPI, February house price index, Japan March trade balance, Eurozone April consumer confidence
• Central banks: ECB’s Lagarde, Lane, Nagel and Sleijpen speak
• Earnings: Tesla, Lam Research, GE Vernova, Philip Morris, IBM, Texas Instruments, AT&T, Boeing, CME, ServiceNow, Boston Scientific, Moody's, CSX, Kinder Morgan, Sandvik, Southwest Airlines, Evolution
• Auctions: US 20-yr Bond (reopening, $13bn)

Thursday April 23

• Data: US, UK, Japan, Germany, France and the Eurozone April flash PMIs, US March Chicago Fed national activity index, April Kansas City Fed manufacturing activity, initial jobless claims, UK March public finances, France April business confidence, EU27 March new car registrations, Canada March industrial product, raw materials price index
• Central banks: ECB’s Nagel speaks
• Earnings: SK hynix, Intel, American Express, SAP, Thermo Fisher Scientific, NextEra Energy, Blackstone, Union Pacific, Honeywell International, Lockheed Martin, Newmont, Sanofi, Comcast, Freeport-McMoRan, Digital Realty Trust, Baker Hughes, Nokia, Orange, Nasdaq, DNB Bank, PG&E, Saab, Keurig Dr Pepper, Dassault Systemes, Dow, American Airlines
• Auctions: US 5-yr TIPS ($26bn)
• Other: EU leaders’ informal summit in Cyprus (through April 24)

Friday April 24

• Data: US April Kansas City Fed services activity, UK April GfK consumer confidence, March retail sales, Japan March national CPI, PPI services, Germany April Ifo survey, France April consumer confidence, Canada February retail sales
• Earnings: Procter & Gamble, HCA Healthcare, Keyence, Eni, SLB, Volvo, Yara

* * * 

Finally, looking at just the US, Goldman writes that the key economic data release this week is the retail sales report on Tuesday. Fed officials are not expected to comment on monetary policy this week, reflecting the blackout period ahead of the May FOMC meeting. Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh will have his nomination hearing on Tuesday. 

Monday, April 20 

• There are no major economic data releases scheduled. 

Tuesday, April 21 

• 08:30 AM Retail sales, March (GS +1.0%, consensus +1.2%, last +0.6%); Retail sales ex-auto, March (GS +1.1%, consensus +1.3%, last +0.5%); Retail sales ex-auto & gas, March (GS +0.1%, consensus +0.2%, last +0.4%); Core retail sales, March (GS +0.1%, consensus +0.2%, last +0.5%): We estimate core retail sales increased 0.1% in March (ex-autos, gasoline, and building materials; month-over-month SA), reflecting mixed alternative data and a headwind from potential residual seasonality. We estimate headline retail sales increased 1.0%, reflecting sharply higher gasoline prices and an increase in auto sales. On an inflation-adjusted basis, we forecast a 1.0% decline in headline retail sales and a 0.1% decline in the control group.
• 10:00 AM Business inventories, February (consensus +0.3%, last -0.1%)
• 10:00 AM Pending home sales, March (GS +0.5%, consensus -0.2%, last +1.8%)
• 10:00 AM Federal Reserve Chair nominee Warsh nomination hearing: Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh will give prepared testimony and answer questions from members of the Senate Banking Committee in a nomination hearing. A livestream of the hearing is expected. 

Wednesday, April 22 

• There are no major economic data releases scheduled. 

Thursday, April 23 

• 08:30 AM Initial jobless claims, week ended April 18 (GS 220k, consensus 210k, last 207k); Continuing jobless claims, week ended April 11 (consensus 1,820k, last 1,818k)
• 09:45 AM S&P Global US manufacturing PMI, April preliminary (consensus 52.5, last 52.3); S&P Global US services PMI, April preliminary (consensus 50.1, last 49.8)

Friday, April 24 

• 10:00 AM University of Michigan consumer sentiment, April final (GS 47.5, consensus 48.4, last 47.6); University of Michigan 5-10-year inflation expectations, April final (GS 3.4%, last 3.4%): We estimate that the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index ticked down to 47.5 and that the survey’s measure of long-term inflation expectations remained at 3.4% in the final April reading, reflecting roughly unchanged gasoline prices and the timing of the announcements of the US-Iran ceasefire and the subsequent US blockage of the Strait of Hormuz within the interview period for the final survey.

Source: DB, Goldman

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 10:05

"Critical Inflection Point" Reached As USA Rare Earth Expands With $2.8 Billion Serra Verde Buyout

USA Rare Earth Inc. is acquiring Brazil’s Serra Verde Group in a roughly $2.8 billion cash-and-stock deal, part of a broader push by the U.S. and its allies to secure independent supplies of critical minerals, according to CNBC and Bloomberg. 

The agreement includes $300 million in cash and a large share issuance, with the transaction expected to close in the third quarter.

The deal comes amid rising concern over China’s dominance in rare earths—a group of 17 elements essential for modern technologies ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles and military systems. As CEO Barbara Humpton put it, “The world has become too dependent on a single source and it’s high time to break that dependency.” She added that the acquisition provides “access to a producing mine that produces the four magnetic rare earths that are going to be serving our industry.”

Serra Verde’s asset is especially valuable because it can supply key magnet materials—neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—which are critical for high-performance permanent magnets. The mine is also backed by a long-term offtake agreement tied to U.S. government-related entities, covering 100% of production for those four elements.

Strategically, the acquisition accelerates USA Rare Earth’s goal of building a fully integrated supply chain spanning “mining, separation, metalization and magnet manufacturing.” It also reflects a wider industry shift following China’s export restrictions, which exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains.

Serra Verde CEO Thras Moraitis emphasized the broader stakes, describing rare earths as “a strategic nexus where national and energy security, and technological supremacy, converge.”

He noted that Western governments are increasingly stepping in to support the sector, as it reaches a “critical inflection point” in the effort to develop reliable, non-China sources—especially for scarce heavy rare earth elements.

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 09:45

Mortensen released a lengthy statement, days after news broke that Paul will not face new charges over their alleged domestic violence incidents.

Mortensen released a lengthy statement, days after news broke that Paul will not face new charges over their alleged domestic violence incidents.

Muldoon attended an award show six weeks before he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Muldoon attended an award show six weeks before he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Kevin Durant got into a heated verbal exchange with a Lakers fan during Game 1 as the Houston Rockets fell 107-98 without their injured superstar.

“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump told The Post, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”

AST SpaceMobile Craters After Blue Origin Rocket Fails To Place Satellite In Correct Orbit

Shares of AST SpaceMobile plunged the most since February after Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket failed to place the company's BlueBird 7 satellite into its intended orbit during Sunday morning's launch.

Shortly after the successful launch of New Glenn from the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, early Sunday, Blue Origin said the rocket's payload, the BlueBird 7 satellite, was placed into an "off-nominal orbit."

pic.twitter.com/BMAUIwF5jk

— Dave Limp (@davill) April 19, 2026

In other words, "off-nominal orbit" means that the BlueBird 7 satellite is not at the correct altitude, speed, or trajectory it was supposed to be in.

We have official confirmation that $ASTS BlueBird 7 is powered on, but sitting in an off-nominal orbit. The teams are working the problem.

Before th overreacts, look at the underlying mechanics:
▪️​Payload survived and is
communicating.
​▪️New Glenn GS1 booster reuse was… https://t.co/exY3JtJF43 pic.twitter.com/sYWsnP4nUB

— Karol Kozicki (@k2__investment) April 19, 2026

AST SpaceMobile published a statement saying the satellite's incorrect placement is "too low to sustain operations" and that it would be deorbited in the near term.

However, New Glenn's first stage successfully returned to Earth and landed on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, marking a major accomplishment for Blue Origin's new era of reusable rockets.

pic.twitter.com/0WzaWjjjL9

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 19, 2026

William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma told clients, "AST gained experience integrating its satellite with New Glenn and working with the Blue Origin team," adding, "The silver lining is that there was only one satellite on board, whereas future New Glenn launches may have as many as eight of AST's BlueBirds."

AST SpaceMobile shares cratered in premarket trading in New York, down as much as 14%. If premarket declines hold into the cash session, this would mark the worst session since February 12's 15% drop. The decline would wipe out much of this year's year-to-date gains of about 18% as of Friday's close.

The good news is that two U.S. private companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, have achieved reusable rockets, something China's entire aerospace industry cannot.

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 09:15

P.K. Subban’s pants stole the spotlight during ESPN’s coverage of Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday. The former 13-year defenseman, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils, donned a pair of oversized wide leg pants and the internet had a field a day. “You could park...

3 LA County Residents Charged In Luxury Car Insurance Scam Involving Bear Suit

Authored by Dylan Morgan via The Epoch Times,

Three Los Angeles County residents were charged on April 16 with insurance fraud involving a bear suit and luxury vehicles.

A fourth awaits trial.

The California Department of Insurance said the defendants used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks on their luxury vehicles, then submitted fraudulent claims for payouts to insurance companies that totaled around $142,000.

“What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that—and now those responsible are being held accountable,” Insurance Department Commissioner Ricardo Lara said.

“My Department’s investigators uncovered the facts, exposed this scam, and helped bring these defendants to justice. Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate.”

The department said the investigation began when an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim where the defendants said a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead, California, on Jan. 28, 2024, and caused interior damage.

Alongside the claim, the defendants submitted security camera footage that showed a “bear” rummaging through the car’s interior and included photos of scratch marks on car doors and seats.

Department detectives determined the “bear” was a person wearing a bear costume.

Investigators later discovered two more fraudulent claims submitted to separate insurance companies with the same date and location, but tied to a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

These claims also included similar “bear attack” videos from security cameras shot in the same driveway of a “bear” going through the two Mercedes vehicles, and were also accompanied by photos of interior scratches.

The Department of Insurance said to further verify, it had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife review the video, who said the “bear” in the footage was clearly a human in a bear suit.

Detectives later executed a search warrant in the suspects’ home and found a bear suit.

The four Los Angeles County residents involved were arrested on Nov. 13, 2024, and charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. 

All three convicted defendants were sentenced to 180 days in jail to be served through a weekend jail program.

Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, was ordered to pay around $55,000 in restitution. Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, was ordered to pay around $52,000. Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, has yet to have his restitution set.

The fourth defendant, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, will have a preliminary hearing in court in September.

Tyler Durden Mon, 04/20/2026 - 09:00