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Monday, June 8, 2026

NY lawmakers refuse to get ticking time bombs off the streets

How many violent assaults does it take before New York can get ticking time bombs off the streets?

Sunday night, a deranged man went on a stabbing spree just after 7 p.m. in Penn Station. Details on his background are still to come, but it’s a painfully safe bet he was already known to “the system,” which had probably released him multiple times until this explosion of violence.

After all, just last week disturbed Bronx resident Diana Smith was arrested for ripping out a chunk of another straphanger’s hair as she ranted “Jews are eating kids”; she’d had at least six run-ins with the police.

Earlier in the week Shawnee Moore allegedly stabbed a 75-year-old Brooklyn woman in the neck; Moore, 36, had three priors, including an arrest trying to set someone’s face on fire last year.

The judge had denied prosecutors’ request for bail, putting her on supervised release, which is all release with no real supervision.

Last month saw at least three similar cases:

Rhamel Burke, 32, had been arrested four times since February and was released from Bellevue hours before he allegedly pushed Ross Falzone down subway stairs to his death.

Rafael Escobar, with 41 previous arrests, was busted for shoving a Bronx subway rider onto the tracks— yet then got supervised release.

Jonathan Fernandez stands accused of murdering his girlfriend, Eryka Caldwell; his long rap sheet, including drug, assault, and robbery charges, dates back to 2015.

Part of it is the no-bail law; part of it is a mental-health system that doesn’t want to deal with the hard cases.

Behind it all, though, sit the Legislature’s Democratic majorities, which ruthlessly oppose the idea of jailing or committing blatantly dangerous individuals; just last month, they buried the PROTECT Act in committee, though it would simply let judges consider public safety and a defendant’s “dangerousness” at arraignment.

Every other state has a “dangerousness” standard, and New York in effect did too, until the 2019 “reforms” nuked it — and the Legislature’s resisted every subsequent effort to restore sanity.

Our lawmakers insist on putting their ideology ahead of your safety.

https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/opinion/ny-lawmakers-refuse-to-get-ticking-time-bombs-off-the-streets/

Mamdani-backed candidate peddled crackpot COVID-19 claim pushed by Chinese communists

A far-left congressional candidate backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani peddled a crackpot COVID-19 theory that said the virus originated in France – and quoted a Chinese communist propaganda organ as evidence.

Candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier spewed the bizarre claim in an unearthed tweet from 2020, citing as her source the Qiao Collective, a known propaganda organ for China.

“So you mean that once again it was PoC who intervened and stopped the spread of a European plague? Wow. Shocked,” Avila Chevalier said in a May 10, 2020 tweet, apparently referring to “people of color.”

Qiao said earlier that day that “Hospitals in France confirmed that France had COVID-19 outbreaks in November, a month before China.”

Collective describes itself as “a grassroots media organization of Chinese diaspora writers, artists, and researchers dedicated to challenging Western media narratives and U.S. aggression against China.”

“We seek to be a bridge between the U.S. left and China’s rich Marxist, anti-imperialist political work and thought in order to foster critical consideration of the role of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics in contemporary geopolitics.”

The group said a majority of its members are diaspora Chinese people living in the West.

The France first theory has been widely debunked.

There’s a wide consensus in the scientific and intelligence communities that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China — whether from a wholesale market or a lab leak in close proximity in Wuhan.

Avila Chevalier, 32, is seeking to topple veteran Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th House district that covers the northern Manhattan neighborhoods of Morningside Heights, Harlem, Washington Heights/Inwood and the northwest Bronx.

She is endorsed by Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America.

State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, an Espaillat backer, said Avila Chevalier is not ready for prime time after hearing of her peddling a COVID-19 conspiracy theory during the peak of the pandemic.

“These are serious times. We need serious people. This not an example of a serious thinker. This is not evidence of a serious person,” Jacobs said.

“Adriano Espaillat has established himself as a serious legislator working to improve people’s lives.”

Jacobs said it “doesn’t make sense” for Mamdani or any other politico not to be standing with Espaillat, 71, who is seeking a sixth term and is chairman of the House Hispanic Caucus..

The revelation of DAC peddling Chinese Communist Party propaganda comes as the CCP tries to make inroads in New York City and the United States writ large through spies and an elaborate network of affiliated or sympathetic left wing groups.

The Avila Chevalier campaign had no immediate comment.

She’s already on the defensive about other tweets posted within the past five years that Espaillat highlighted in an attack ad — including one where DAC slammed black and Arab men for “fetishizing ugly colonizer women.”

Referring to former vice president and 2024 Democratic White House nominee Kamala Harris, DAC said, “I have no nuance to add. F—k Kamala Harris.”

As for former President Joe Biden, she said, “I will never give my vote to a rapist.”

Biden has vehemently denied allegations from a former Senate aide that he sexually assaulted her in 1993 and has never been charged with a crime over the allegations.

Avila Chevalier also joked about disrespecting the American flag.

“I forget to get napkins,” she said in another of many deleted social media posts. “So I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”

The statement was accompanied by a smile emoji.

https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/us-news/mamdani-backed-candidate-peddled-crackpot-covid-19-claim-pushed-by-chinese-communists/

Zealand Pharma shares drop 20% as obesity drug side effects raise concerns

Zealand Pharma’s ‌shares fell more ‌than 20% ⁠in early ⁠trade on Monday after trial data ⁠showed ⁠its obesity drug survodutide had worse ‌side effects ⁠and higher patient dropout ⁠rates ‌than ⁠rival treatments.

https://whbl.com/2026/06/08/zealand-pharma-shares-drop-20-as-obesity-drug-side-effects-raise-concerns/

Incyte to acquire Vega Therapeutics for $1.25 billion to expand its hematology portfolio.

Incyte announces a definitive agreement to acquire Vega Therapeutics for $1.25 billion to expand its hematology portfolio.

https://finviz.com/stock?t=INCY&p=d

Goldman And UBS Preview Apple's WWDC: AI Siri Takes Center Stage

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) begins this afternoon at 1 p.m. EST at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif.

Ahead of WWDC, Goldman analysts led by Michael Ng provided clients with a preview of what to expect, including the unveiling of a long-delayed AI-enhanced Siri and operating system version "27" across iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

The new AI-enhanced Siri will include many delayed features from WWDC24, such as on-screen awareness, personal context, and deeper integration across apps, including Messages, Calendar, Photos, and Notes.

"We view these new features as key demand drivers for the iPhone and other products, which should help extend the strong revenue momentum realized to date (e.g., iPhone revenue +23% YoY in F1H26)," Ng wrote in the note.

Expected WWDC announcements:

AI-enhanced Siri launch timing & feature details. After announcing AI-enhanced Siri at WWDC in 2024 and seeing subsequent delays, we expect Apple to share updated details on AI Siri's launch timeline and capabilities.
Launch timing: During Apple's F2Q26 earnings call, the company stated it expects to launch personalized Siri this year (C2026). We expect Apple to confirm AI Siri should launch with iOS 27 in September 2026 alongside the premium iPhone 18 family launch.
AI Siri feature details: First, AI-enhanced Siri should have greater on-screen awareness (e.g., using information across iOS Apps including Messages, Calendar, Photos, Notes), which should allow it to provide more detailed, personalized answers to queries/prompts. Second, Apple likely will announce that users will have the ability to choose between various model providers to power AI features (Siri, Image Playground, Writing Tools), per Bloomberg. Third, Apple likely will announce a new standalone Siri app for users to interact in a chatbot-like manner.
Additional AI-driven & ancillary features. Aside from AI Siri, per Bloomberg, Apple likely will announce more sophisticated AI photo editing tools on the Photos App (besides Clean Up) that allow users to (a) generate content within a photo (Extend), (b) enhance photo aspects, and (c) adjust photo framing (Reframe). Apple likely will also announce improved Visual Intelligence capabilities through the Camera app, which will be able to do things like scanning nutrition labels (to sync with the Health app to log food intake) or scan business cards to create new contacts. Lastly, Apple is also expected to announce the ability to make tab groups in Safari and create custom Wallet passes from physical tickets.

Ng noted that Apple's price action tends to be positive heading into WWDC, but shares often trade lower during the event.

Shares have traded up 19% since late April.

Ng remains "Buy" rated on Apple with a 12-month target price of $340.

Separate from NG's note, UBS analyst David Vogt does not expect WWDC26 to be a positive catalyst for shares.

What Vogt expects at WWDC:

Google Gemini integration: Apple is expected to rebuild its internal models utilizing Gemini, using a combination of Google's and its own in-house model to power Siri features. Apple is reportedly paying around $1 bn annually for access to the 1.2T model, which will run on its Private Cloud Compute servers.
Link to third-party models: Currently offered with ChatGPT, users will be able to choose which model they use through a feature called "Extensions", a potential tailwind to App Store revenue.
Dedicated Siri app: The app will function similarly to other AI apps, including a history of prior conversations and an interface for text, voice, and attachments. Chat syncing across devices with iCloud: User conversations will sync across devices with iCloud, potentially increasing its usage.
Personalization and on-screen awareness: Siri is expected to possess the ability to understand personal data and analyze on-screen content. Users have long awaited these features since they were originally announced at WWDC24

WWDC26 is set to be Apple's first major test of AI Siri.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/goldman-and-ubs-preview-apples-wwdc-ai-siri-takes-center-stage

Can AI Save More Energy Than It Consumes?

by Haley Zaremba via Oilprice.com,

Big law firm Duane Morris argues the energy sector's greatest AI-related risk is not surging power demand but failing to adopt AI tools fast enough to remain competitive.
MIT research challenges industry claims that AI efficiency gains will offset its enormous energy consumption, while new data centers continue to be approved at record pace.
AI shows genuine promise in clean energy applications - from nuclear fusion modeling to EV battery recovery - but the AI investment boom is simultaneously diverting capital away from next-gen energy research.

The artificial intelligence boom has created unprecedented pressure and anxiety in the energy industry. The public and private sector alike are expending enormous amounts of effort trying to quantify the amount of electricity that will be needed to power data centers in the near future, and get ahead of the skyrocketing energy demands headed for our already outdated and beleaguered electric grids. But the answer to the energy monster that AI is unleashing could very well lie in the application of AI tools.

A new article published by Biglaw firm Duane Morris argues that the most prescient AI-related risk for the energy industry is not the one posed by the demands of the sector itself, but the risk of falling behind in AI integration and application. The firm argues that the energy sector has an obligation to consider the ways in which large language models can be an asset, concluding that "AI should not be viewed only through the lens of risk avoidance."

"The risks of AI remain real and must be governed thoughtfully," the Energy Intelligence article goes on to say. "But in a sector responsible for critical infrastructure, the greater long-term risk may not be using AI too aggressively - it may be failing to use it enough."

Indeed, proponents of AI adoption argue that although training and operating large language models eats up an enormous amount of energy, not to mention other finite resources such as water, AI will be instrumental in making a wide array of industries significantly more energy-efficient. In fact, through these widespread efficiencies, some experts say that AI has the potential to save more energy than it consumes overall.

However, critics say that these claims are overblown and the result of wishful thinking rather than rigorous modelling. A 2025 report from MIT challenges such claims, pointing out that touted efficiency gains have not yet come to fruition, and may not be forthcoming. And while numbers on AI's efficiency gains - and even the amount of energy that AI is currently using - are still lacking, new data centers are being greenlit at lightning speed.

"AI's integration into almost everything from customer service calls to algorithmic 'bosses' to warfare is fueling enormous demand," the Washington Post wrote in an article published last summer. "Despite dramatic efficiency improvements, pouring those gains back into bigger, hungrier models powered by fossil fuels will create the energy monster we imagine."

Moreover, it is just this fear of "being left behind" that's fuelling the AI boom, arguably even more than actual demand. There is question as to whether rapid AI integration into everything from our energy grids to our electric toothbrushes - no, really - is going to create a more sophisticated and energy-efficient world, or whether it's just a resource-intensive bid to stay relevant in a rapidly changing global economy.

Wherever you stand on the issue of AI integration, it's increasingly clear that AI has some extremely promising applications in next-gen clean energy technologies. Researchers are using large language models to conduct "needle in a haystack" type inquiries to find the best methods and materials to advance nuclear fusion modelling, for example. In the renewable energy sector, AI is being used to improve forecasting of energy supply and demand for greater grid stability. And AI could even soon be used to give new life to dead EV batteries.

The massive energy needs of AI are also pushing increasing and intensified research efforts into cutting edge clean energy technologies such as nuclear fusion, advanced geothermal, and space-based solar power. But Big Tech is running on natural gas while it powers research into these clean energy ambitions. And, overall, research into next-gen energy is suffering from the AI gold rush as investors redirect their attention.

AI's role in the energy sector is anything but simple. And it's true that avoiding AI integration entirely won't solve the problem. But if the energy sector is going to eschew risk aversion and lean into the AI boom as Duane Morris suggests, it needs to have a strong policy foundation and a much smarter AI strategy going forward.

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/can-ai-save-more-energy-it-consumes

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