Apple, Intel said to reach preliminary chip deal

 Apple Inc. and Intel Corp. have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to produce some of the chips in Apple devices, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The iPhone maker and the US chip giant have held intensive talks for over a year and finalized a formal framework in recent months. It remains unclear which Apple products would use Intel-made chips. On Tuesday, reports on Apple approaching both Intel and Samsung about potential chip production caused Intel's stock to jump 10%.

Intel's shares skyrocketed 18.26% to sell at $129.64 apiece at 1:04 pm ET. Meanwhile, Apple increased 1.59% to $292 at the same time.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Apple-Intel-said-to-reach-preliminary-chip-deal/66256152

Trump: 3-day ceasefire is start of Ukraine war end

 United States President Donald Trump stated on Friday that the three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, which he said would start on May 9, represents the "beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War."

"This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that the peace talks are continuing and "getting closer and closer every day."

Meanwhile, the Russian president previously announced that the ceasefire would start on May 8 and last two days, while his Ukrainian counterpart said that the ceasefire would start on May 6.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump:-3-day-ceasefire-is-start-of-Ukraine-war-end/66256411

Maryland Blames Data Centers For $1.6 Billion Power Bill Shock, Omits Green Energy Mess

 Maryland's Office of People's Counsel released a new report warning that homeowners in the state could face $1.6 billion in additional power bill costs over the next decade to subsidize transmission line upgrades, largely due to data center demand outside Maryland, more specifically from data centers in Northern Virginia.

OPC filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) arguing that PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator, is forcing Maryland power customers to shoulder costs for grid expansion projects that feed into Northern Virginia. The complaint was titled "OPC complaint challenges PJM cost rules for unfairly assigning $2 billion in data center-driven transmission costs to Marylanders."

People's Counsel David Lapp said Maryland residents neither caused the need for the transmission line projects nor will they meaningfully benefit from them:

"Without FERC action, Maryland customers face paying billions for transmission infrastructure that PJM is advancing to benefit data centers. PJM's cost allocation rules are broken. Maryland customers have neither caused the need for these billions in new transmission projects nor will they meaningfully benefit from them."

The complaint comes as the Mid-Atlantic region, specifically Maryland, is locked in a power bill crisis, with a confluence of bad "green" energy policies colliding with the AI data center boom.

Not mentioned by the OPC or the one-party-ruled state of Democratic Party kings and queens is that Maryland is structurally dependent on imported power through PJM. It does not produce enough electricity inside the state to cover its own load, which makes power customers more exposed to regional grid costs, transmission upgrades, electricity price spikes, and data-center-driven demand growth outside of Maryland.

How did Maryland get to the point where it has to import roughly 24 million megawatt-hours of electricity a year, using 2024 EIA data, or about 40% of in-state electricity demand?

It is due to poor state-level management by politicians and their 'green' energy policies, which led to the early retirements of coal power plants and to a failure to prioritize new, reliable power to increase baseload.

Local outlet Fox Baltimore recently quoted Ed Hale, the Republican candidate for governor, who blamed the state's green energy policies and the early retirement of fossil-fuel power plants for the power bil mess. 

"We have a lot of fossil fuels here that burn a lot easier and cleaner than in the old days," Hale said earlier this year. "I'm thinking that we have to do better, and we have to reopen the plants that have been not torn down, and just get them open again and reenergize them."

Beyond Maryland, but still in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, there is a hidden cost to the AI buildout: surging carbon prices are pushing up CO2 costs across the region past California levels, raising the prospect of higher energy costs for consumers, according to Bloomberg.

The price to emit a so-called short ton of CO2 into the atmosphere under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a market covering 10 states, including New York, jumped 12% on Monday to $53.50, adding to a 31% gain last week. Traders are betting that Virginia's planned return to the market in July will boost demand for permits, as the state is the world's largest hub for data centers.

Whether through misguided green policies at the state level, such as charging companies for CO2 emissions, the prior 'everything green' framework has miserably failed consumers.

If the U.S. wants to win the AI race, progressive states like Maryland must build out new power generation and consider reactivating coal plants, while recognizing that becoming 'greener' could result in becoming poorer - Europe is finding that out (read here).

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/maryland-blames-data-centers-16-billion-power-bill-shock-omits-green-energy-mess

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filings Increase 42%

 by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

There were 644 commercial Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in April 2026, a 42 percent yearly increase, according to a May 6 statement from the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy seeks to reorganize a company’s debts, with the aim of keeping the business operational and, eventually, becoming solvent. This is the most common type of bankruptcy filing made by businesses.

Within the 644 commercial Chapter 11 filings last month, 301 were made by small businesses, up 46 percent year over year, ABI said.

Overall commercial filings, including Chapter 11 and other types of bankruptcies, rose 21 percent during this period to 3,060 filings this April.

Chapter 12 filings, which concern family farms and fisheries, surged 130 percent to 62 in April 2026, the highest monthly total since February 2020, according to the institute.

“Rising inflation, higher borrowing costs, and geopolitical uncertainty are intensifying the financial strain on families and businesses,” ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss said.

ABI “appreciates the momentum building in Congress to permanently expand access” for distressed small businesses looking to file bankruptcies for restructuring under Chapter 11, she said, referring to the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026.

The Act, introduced in March, seeks to permanently raise the small-business Chapter 11 bankruptcy debt threshold to $7.5 million, according to a March 5 statement from Rep. Ben Cline’s (R-Va.) office. The threshold is the maximum debt limit a small business owner can have while applying for such bankruptcy.

The higher limit will allow more small businesses to access a “faster, more cost-effective bankruptcy process” while they negotiate with creditors.

“The Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act will give small businesses the certainty they need to reorganize, restructure, and keep operating when challenges arise,” Cline said.

“By permanently raising the eligibility threshold, we’re ensuring more job creators can access a streamlined and affordable bankruptcy process that helps them stay open, protect paychecks, and meet their obligations. Just as importantly, this bipartisan bill maintains the integrity of our bankruptcy system by keeping it self-supporting and fair for all who rely on it.”

Economic Indicators

While bankruptcy numbers are increasing, other economic indicators, such as employment and business sector activity, are giving mixed to positive signals.

For instance, the initial unemployment weekly claims for the week ending May 2 stood at 200,000. While this was an increase of 10,000 claims compared to the previous week, the four-week moving average of the claims fell by 4,500 during this period.

In a May 7 statement, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said that its April jobs report indicates “softening” in the employment market.

The organization’s Small Business Employment Index declined for the second straight month in April. However, “even in a month with a weaker Employment Index, over half of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire,” NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg said.

Regarding business activity in the United States, five of seven sectors tracked by S&P Global registered higher activity in April than the previous month, according to a May 5 statement from the company.

In April, the health care, consumer goods, industrials, basic materials, and consumer services sectors grew month over month, while technology and financial sectors posted declines. Health care and consumer goods were the two top-performing sectors.

“The latest increase in Consumer Goods production was the steepest since April 2022,” S&P said. “This partly reflected advanced purchasing and customer stock building in response to expected price hikes, as the rate of new order growth surged to its highest since August 2021.”

As for the country’s overall economic growth, the first quarter 2026 U.S. GDP growth was 2 percent, up from 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to an April 30 estimate by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

In late April, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that U.S. growth was “really solid” across the economy.

“Some of that is that consumer spending is hanging in pretty well; the most recent data are good. And some of it is just the apparently insatiable demand for data centers all over the United States,” Powell said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/chapter-11-bankruptcy-filings-increase-42

Another Wall Street Giant Plotting Escape From Mamdani's NYC

 It looks like Citadel isn’t the only Wall Street giant looking for the exits as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) continues his commie Robinhood thing on the city’s richest.

Fox Business Network’s Charles Gasparino reported Wednesday that the Manhattan-headquartered private equity giant Apollo is preparing to establish what insiders describe as a “second headquarters” in either Florida or Texas. A formal announcement on the location is expected within weeks.

The move would build on Apollo’s earlier internal memo to employees signaling plans for significant future growth outside its longtime New York base, amid a broader migration of financial firms toward business-friendly states in the South.

Gasparino reports:

The new outpost could eventually become home to as many as 1,000 employees over time – in line with Apollo’s current headcount in New York, the sources said. The buyout firm currently employs more than 6,000 worldwide.

Apollo paid a whopping $1.276 billion in income taxes in 2025, up from $1.062 billion the year before. While filings don’t break down how much of that went to the Big Apple, the city stands to lose a hefty revenue stream as the firm looks to expand elsewhere.

Apollo – headed by billionaire CEO Marc Rowan – is currently scouting out space in Miami and in Palm Beach, where Apollo already has a small presence, according to the sources. In Texas, office space in Austin is also under consideration, the insiders said.

News of Apollo’s plans come after billionaire Citadel CEO Ken Griffin said Mamdani’s push for higher taxes on second homes has reinforced his firm's commitment to Miami - and even led the firm to scale up its planned headquarters there.

During a Tuesday interview at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Griffin confirmed that Citadel decided to enlarge its Miami office project after Mamdani publicly referenced his $238 million Central Park South penthouse while promoting a new pied-à-terre tax proposal.

“We went to Miami and revised our building plan to make it a bigger office building,” the high-profile investor said. “What the mayor of New York has made clear to my partners, and principally my New York partners, is that we need to double down on our bet in Miami.”

Griffin also said he watched Mamdani’s video three times, branding it “creepy and weird.”

The Citadel boss added that the situation brought back memories of his departure from Chicago, where he previously criticized local leadership before moving Citadel and Citadel Securities to Florida.

“Looking at what Mamdani did to me and more broadly is doing to the city of New York is triggering the trauma I went through in Chicago,” he explained.

Griffin’s announcement is part of “a troubling pattern taking shape” in the Big Apple, according to Steve Fulop, who leads the pro-business lobby organization. Partnership for New York City.

“The solution is that the administration needs to have a real pro-business agenda that has support of the broader business corporate community,” Fulop told Gasparino. “We haven’t seen this yet and there is a sense of urgency to getting this going. It is a competitive landscape and without a strategy companies will look to more friendly places.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/another-wall-street-giant-plotting-its-escape-mamdanis-new-york-city-report

Amphastar falls after flat revenue

 

Amphastar Q1 EPS falls 43% on flat $171.2M revenue, misses estimates, cuts BAQSIMI outlook but keeps 2026 growth guidance

• Q1 2026 non-GAAP EPS was $0.42 (-43% YoY) with net income $6.4M on $171.2M revenue (+0% YoY), missing estimates.
• Gross margin compressed to 71% of revenue from mix shift, BAQSIMI pricing and higher costs, contributing to EPS decline.
• BAQSIMI units grew 8% YoY, but revenue declined 15% on higher rebates and 340B discounts.
• Management cut BAQSIMI 2026 outlook to flat or low-single-digit growth, citing ongoing pricing pressure.
• Overall 2026 sales unit growth guidance maintained at mid-to-high single digits despite BAQSIMI reset.
• New ipratropium bromide (AMP-007) launch, currently sole generic, expected to be 2026’s largest growth driver.
• Primatene MIST demand solid with store-level sales up 6.5% YoY, with no visibility yet on generics.
• Glucagon injection sales fell 56% YoY, with further declines expected but at a slower pace.
• Late-stage insulin aspart biosimilar and GLP-1 ANDA remain targeted for 2027 commercialization.
• Investor focus remains on BAQSIMI economics, AMP-007 ramp, and regulatory paths for key pipeline assets.
• Main concern is sustainability of BAQSIMI profitability amid rebate and 340B pressures and broader pricing headwinds.
• Quarter was mixed, with BAQSIMI pricing headwinds offset by new product launches and a resilient base portfolio.
• Company filed its Q1 2026 report with the SEC today, disclosing updated financial details.

https://finviz.com/quote?t=AMPH&p=d

Traws potential clinical candidates for treatment, prevention of hantavirus uses existing antiviral assets

 Traws Pharma to rapidly advance potential clinical candidates for treatment and prevention of hantavirus infections using existing antiviral assets

https://finviz.com/quote?t=TRAW&p=d