Author: Money Mechanics

Data centers are gobbling up land, driving up electric bills, and becoming a lightning rod for public discontent over big tech’s power in society.Maine’s legislature recently passed a data center ban in the state (but failed to override the governor’s veto). According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 14 states spanning the political spectrum from Oklahoma to New York are considering legislation that would ban or pause new data centers, as public opinion on AI has increasingly shifted to the negative.Still, despite the qualms of the public and politicians, there’s a torrent of capital for building new data centers.…

India’s internet users already rely heavily on voice notes, voice search, and multilingual messaging. Turning those habits into a scalable AI business, however, remains difficult because of the country’s linguistic complexity, mixed-language usage, and uneven monetization patterns. Wispr Flow is betting the opportunity is worth the challenge. The Bay Area-headquartered startup, which builds AI-powered voice input software, says India is now its fastest-growing market, even though voice-based AI products remain early and fragmented in the South Asian nation. That growth has pushed Wispr Flow to expand more aggressively for Indian users, beginning with Hinglish — a hybrid mix of Hindi…

(World Oil) –  Oil prices will continue to fluctuate wildly until it’s clear whether Iran and President Donald Trump will strike an agreement to end the war, according to Citigroup Inc.’s global head of commodities research. “It’s very difficult to predict” if Iran is going to do a deal, Citigroup’s Max Layton said Thursday. “In that environment where you basically don’t know if there’s going to be a deal or not—very difficult to predict with this new leadership in Iran—you know you’re going to be subject to news and you’re going to be moving around like crazy.” Oil trading this week…

Couple looks over finances while sitting at a table in their home. Relying to heavily on saving money and not investing, could make it challenging to stay on track for long-term goals like retirement.GettyMost people think the biggest risk to their retirement is a market crash. However, it’s often much quieter than that — it’s the money that never makes it into the market in the first place.I’ve sat across from plenty of families who did everything “right.” They saved consistently, avoided debt, and lived within their means. And yet, when we looked at the numbers, they were behind. Not…

The first thing Sharon Hoggatt noticed on the morning of Tuesday, April 28, was that her home’s deadbolt was locked. She and her husband, Dutch, never lock the deadbolt. Second, she saw an empty black planter. The ground around it was wet. She was the last one to leave the house at 8 a.m., and she hadn’t seen that when she left. As a professor, Dutch left earlier for his classes at Harding University, and he didn’t typically come home until the afternoon.Just to check, she dialed him and asked if he’d been home since then.He hadn’t. But someone else had.…

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House on April 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed multiple executive orders including one to expand retirement account access for workers. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Getty ImagesSenator Ted Cruz recently dropped what he called a “dirty little secret” about Trump accounts at the Milken Institute Global Conference: “Conservatives in America, for 50 years… have been trying to do Social Security personal accounts. Here’s the dirty little secret: Trump Accounts are Social Security personal accounts.” Treasury…

The St. Regis Bal Harbour is well known for its very exclusive, very chic private residences, with water views for miles and ultra luxury amenities. But one particular unit inside this elite Florida property stands out above them all.The owner of the 17th floor gem, who is the former CEO of a Fortune 500 company, loved the lifestyle that the exclusive high rise had to offer so much that he bought two units in the building and combined them, creating a staggering 9,500-square-foot palace in the clouds that he recently put on the market for the sky-high price of $20…

The FDA’s late 2025 approval of hydrogen peroxide as a direct food additive for multiple uses, including as an antimicrobial and bleaching agent is a watershed regulatory moment for us. We are now engaged with significant partners, including Danone and Nestle and are actively winning bids, both directly and through service providers. SteraMist iHP is demonstrating real-world efficacy across a wide range of food processing environments. We are actively pursuing a food contract notification or FCN and have identified 2 specific opportunities to enhance our efforts on a tailored FCN for powdered infant formula, which comes at the request of…

As of May 9, the US-Iran conflict has reached its seventieth day, with no clear indication of a potential peace agreement. Even in developed economies, households are reducing savings to sustain living standards, as increased costs associated with the Iran conflict are being directly transferred to consumers.Despite the fresh exchange of fire, President Donald Trump maintained that a fragile ceasefire remains in effect. However, the military action underscores the volatility surrounding the “Project Freedom” initiative to open the Strait and the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes on the vessels Sea Star III and Sevda…

The 85-inch TV used to be the king of big-screen home theaters. While it’s been outclassed by 98-inch and even 115-inch cousins, it’s still one of the best choices for most living rooms. With enough screen real estate to give you fine details, bold colors, and crisp contrast, an 85-inch TV can be a great upgrade if you’re looking to create a more cinema-like experience at home.Also: Samsung Micro RGB vs. QLED vs. OLEDFor our May update, we’ve replaced the LG G4 OLED with the LG G6, as it’s the latest flagship release from the brand and offers a refreshed…