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So there was extra attention around this year’s “Mr Irrelevant” – Desjuan Johnson, a defensive lineman out of the University of Toledo drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as the 259th and final pick. “Just be getting picked, final pick, first pick, middle pick, everything [is] unique,” Johnson said, according to ESPN. “My dad was on my mind today,” said Johnson, who was just four years old when his father died, according to his university website. “Just to learn from him, from watching film and now get to sit next to him and just take notes, I’m going to just be like a newborn,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be like a newborn, trying to take as much in [and trying] to learn under him.”

☆ Return on I Bonds Drops to 4.3%, but They May Now Be a Better Long-Term Investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Imani Moise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There’s an investment that’s 100% backed by the U.S. government, never loses its value and is paying more than 7% interest a year. So, why haven’t most Americans heard of Series I Savings Bonds? Photo: TNS/Zuma PressThe interest rate on I bonds is 4.3%, down from 6.89%, the Treasury Department said Friday. This rate will apply to I bonds purchased now and for the next six months. Preview SubscribeThough the new rate is less than half the 9.62% offered last year, when the inflation-adjusted savings became so popular investors crashed Treasury’s website, financial advisers say they may now be a better bet for the long term.

☆ U.S. Arms Warplanes With ‘Bunker Busting’ Bombs in Message to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An A-10 Warthog warplane at Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. Photo: reuters photographer/ReutersThe U.S. military is for the first time putting 250-pound “bunker busting” bombs on attack aircraft recently sent to the Middle East, American officials said, in the latest move to deter Iran. The decision to put more powerful weapons on a squadron of A-10 Warthogs was designed to give pilots a greater chance of success in destroying ammunition bunkers and other entrenched targets in Iraq and Syria, where U.S. forces have been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed fighters, the officials said.

☆ Iran Ships Ammunition to Russia by Caspian Sea to Aid Invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illustration: Todd Johnson/ Charlie StewartRussian ships are ferrying large quantities of Iranian artillery shells and other ammunition across the Caspian Sea to resupply troops fighting in Ukraine, Middle East officials said, posing a growing challenge for the U.S. and its allies as they try to disrupt cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Over the past six months, cargo ships have carried more than 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition from Iran to Russia, according to the officials and documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Intelligence about the shipments has been shared with the U.S., people familiar with the matter said.

☆ Fed Rethinks Loophole That Masked Losses on SVB’s Securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | Rachel Louise Ensign | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which held $200 billion in assets, has sent shock waves through Wall Street and Main Street. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains what this means for investors and everyday Americans worried about a broader, systemic problem in the U.S. banking system. Illustration: Preston JesseeWASHINGTON—The Federal Reserve may close a loophole that allows some midsize banks to effectively mask losses on securities they hold, a contributing factor in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Led by vice chair for supervision Michael Barr , the Fed is considering ending an exemption that allows some banks to boost the amount of capital they report for regulatory purposes, according to people familiar with the matter. Capital is the buffer banks are required to hold to absorb potential losses.

☆ The Labor Market Might Be Bending; It Isn’t Breaking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The latest U.S. jobs report gives important context on what comes next for how American companies are managing growing fears of a recession. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains. PHOTO: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg NewsThe U.S. job market isn’t at a rolling boil anymore. It is hardly tepid. That is good news for the economy, but less good for any investors hoping the Federal Reserve won’t raise rates at its meeting next month, much less embark on an easing campaign anytime soon.

☆ Celine Dion announces new music amid her health battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After announcing in December that she has a rare neurological disorder that affects her singing, Celine Dion is debuting new music. On Thursday, a post on the singer’s legacy verified Instagram account shared the news that Dion’s single, “Love Again,” is now out. It’s the title track to the forthcoming film of the same name starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan. The lyric video features scenes from the movie in which Dion makes her film acting debut. She revealed just months ago that she is living with stiff-person syndrome, which affects “something like one in a million people,” Dion said at the time.

☆ The Real Story About Inflation: Unpacking March’s CPI Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dion Rabouin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E56Jobs, the Credit Crunch and Recession Fears: 3 Things to Watch As recession fears grow, new data on jobs and consumer credit will provide some timely updates. The data will also offer some clarity on inflation and what the Fed will do next. Here's what to watch for this week. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

☆ Israel’s Efforts to Expand Arab Relations Slow Over Recent Turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM—Israeli police raids on Jerusalem’s holiest mosque, army operations against West Bank militants and anti-Palestinian comments by officials have drawn condemnation from Arab leaders—putting a chill on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s effort to deepen ties with Middle East neighbors. When Mr. Netanyahu returned to office in December, he said it would be a priority to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, after Israel normalized ties in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates and three other Muslim-majority nations in deals known as the Abraham Accords.

☆ U.S. Sends Submarine to Middle East in Show of Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. military said Saturday that it has sent a guided-missile submarine into the Red Sea in a public show of force in response to the recent attacks on American positions by Iran-aligned militants across the Middle East. The USS Florida, which can carry more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles, moved into the region as part of a broader move by the Pentagon to beef up its forces in the region to deter Iran-backed forces from carrying out more attacks on the U.S. and its allies.

☆ Israel and Palestinian Militants in Gaza, Lebanon Exchange Fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM—Israel called up reserve soldiers, moving additional troops and firepower to its northern and southern borders after carrying out strikes early Friday in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as the United Nations and others tried to prevent the situation from deteriorating. Israeli jet fighters carried out airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon targeting Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza, which Israel said was one of the groups responsible for a major rocket barrage from Lebanon on Thursday. The militant rocket fire and Israeli strikes had mostly died down, but the situation remained tense on Friday afternoon.

☆ The March Jobs Report’s Impact on Inflation and Recession Fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Dion Rabouin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TEL AVIV—Israel’s citizen soldiers, a pillar of the country’s identity, played a pivotal role in pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause a planned judicial overhaul that divided the nation. For weeks, military reservists took to the streets in large numbers, joining huge popular demonstrations against Mr. Netanyahu’s proposed changes, and, for some at least, imbuing the protests with a sense of patriotism and duty. Then some reservists began saying they would refuse to report for duty in protest.

Iranian-backed militias brushed aside U.S. warnings and mounted fresh attacks that brought two U.S. sites in eastern Syria under fire and injured an American service member, a U.S. official said Friday. The previous day, Iranian-backed groups mounted a drone attack that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded five service members and another contractor.

U.S. forces in Syria are coming under renewed pressure from Iran-backed militias, illustrating Washington’s challenges as it seeks to pull back from the Middle East while the influence of geopolitical rivals China and Russia is growing in the region. The latest series of tit-for-tat strikes began Thursday when militants carried out a drone attack on U.S. forces in northeast Syria, killing an American contractor and wounding six other Americans. The U.S. accused Iran of backing the attacks and sent two F-15Es to bomb sites it said were used by Iran-backed forces in Syria, the U.S. military said. Hours later, militants fired 10 rockets at a second U.S. base in eastern Syria, including one the military said missed by 3 miles and hit a house, injuring two women and two children.

DUBAI—Iran has agreed to halt covert weapons shipments to its Houthi allies in Yemen as part of a China-brokered deal to re-establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, U.S. and Saudi officials said, a move that could inject new momentum into efforts to end one of the region’s longest-running civil wars. For years, Saudi Arabia and Iran have backed opposing sides in the Yemen conflict, fueling a war that has had disastrous humanitarian consequences and spilled beyond the country’s borders as Houthi forces have launched missile and drone attacks on the Saudi kingdom.

☆ What Does SVB’s Collapse Mean for the Banking Sector? We'll Explain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Dion Rabouin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E50Big Companies Are Planning Record Stock Buybacks. Here’s Why. Companies are on pace to buy back more than $1 trillion worth of their own stock this year. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains why companies buy their own stock and why they’re choosing to do so now. Photo: Elizabeth Smelov

☆ China, Russia, Iran Hold Joint Military Drills in Gulf of Oman
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | Chun Han Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Warships in the Gulf of Oman during joint Iran, Russia and China military exercises in 2019. The nations are taking part in joint drills in the region again this week. China, Russia and Iran launched joint military exercises on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman in the latest sign of Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East. China’s Defense Ministry said the five-day exercise would deepen cooperation between the three nations, posing a growing challenge to U.S. interests in the region.

☆ The most iconic looks by Law Roach – the now-retired stylist of Zendaya, Eve Jobs, and Celine Dion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Law Roach is a 44-year-old Chicago-native known for dressing stars in daring looks, and pulling archival pieces from famous designers. The work of Roach (seen above at the 2021 Fashion Icon Award with actress Zendaya who wore in Vera Wang) has been seen on multiple red carpets, and he has appeared on several fashion TV shows as a judge – including "America's Next Top Model." Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

☆ Credit-Card Debt and Delinquencies Are Skyrocketing. Here’s Why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E49Investors Don't Believe the Fed’s Inflation Plan. Here’s How We Know. Fed funds futures show investors see about a 2% chance that the Federal Reserve does what it said it would do at its last meeting. That could have some serious consequences for investors and for the U.S. economy. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains.

[1/3] A truck drives through a flooded road after an atmospheric river storm system in Hayward, California, U.S. March 10, 2023. As much as 5 inches (13 cm) of rain has already fallen in some spots across the county, with some seeing as much as 7 inches. U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday declared an emergency in California, ordering federal assistance to help local, tribal and state officials respond to the severe weather. The heavy rains in northern and central California raised concerns that melting snow from a spate of blizzards in mid-elevation mountains could add to runoff and cause flooding downstream. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

President Biden in a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last year. Saudi Arabia is asking the U.S. to provide security guarantees and help to develop its civilian nuclear program as Washington tries to broker diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel, people involved in discussions between the two countries said. Striking a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia has become a priority for President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid a looming confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program and military aid to Russia during the Ukraine war. The Biden administration is deeply involved in the complex negotiations, the people said, and any deal would reshape the Middle East’s political landscape.

☆ Why ‘the Biggest Bear on Wall Street’ Expects Stocks to Sink Much Further
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Dion Rabouin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E49Investors Don't Believe the Fed’s Inflation Plan. Fed funds futures show investors see about a 2% chance that the Federal Reserve does what it said it would do at its last meeting. That could have some serious consequences for investors and for the U.S. economy. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains. Illustration: Rami Abukalam

[1/5] View of boats stuck in a sea with invasive green water hyacinth weed at the Hartbeespoort dam, informally known as "Harties", a small resort town in the North West Province of South Africa, February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Shafiek TassiemHARTBEESPOORT, South Africa, March 1 (Reuters) - The Hartbeespoort dam in South Africa used to be brimming with people enjoying scenic landscapes and recreational water sports. Now, the visitors are greeted to the sight of boats stuck in a sea of invasive green water hyacinth weed. Scientists and community members have, however, found a unique way to deal with the invasion by introducing a water hyacinth eating bug called Megamelus scutellaris. The insect army has previously reduced the expanse of water hyacinths to a mere 5% on the dam, Coetzee said.

☆ As Black-Owned Banks Steadily Fade Away, Investors Step In to Form One
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Dion Rabouin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As Black-Owned Banks Steadily Fade Away, Investors Step In to Form One A former Trump adviser and a daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. help lead the planned Redemption BankAshley Bell, a former Trump White House policy adviser, is to serve as the new bank’s chief executive. Photograph by Alyssa Pointer for The Wall Street Journal

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