Monthly Archives: August 2022

This smart ring won’t hook you up on Tinder, but it will measure your mood

The power of artificial intelligence has let wearables evolve from measuring simple stats like step count or your pulse to broader concepts such as “readiness” or “alertness.” But why stop at health? What about your mood? That’s the concept behind the Happy Ring, a new gadget from Happy Health and Tinder founder Sean Rad –…

Russian crude production has been resilient since the war, but output will soon fall by over a million barrels a day, Rystad Energy says

AP Russian crude production has remained high, but that could soon change, analysts from Rystad Energy said. Lower demand from Asia and the impending EU ban could result in production falling by 1.1 million barrels a day. Combined with a price cap, the effects could be devastating for Russia’s economy. Russian crude production has stayed…

US stocks trade mixed as investors struggle to regain momentum ahead of Fed summit

Jackson Hole welcome sign. Matt Henry Gunther / Getty Images US stocks were little changed on Wednesday as investors await comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.Powell is scheduled to speak at the Fed’s Jackson Hole summit on Friday, though no interest rate decision will be made.Investors have been grappling with mixed inflation signals as the…

Israel’s natural gas production soars 22% amid plans to boost exports to Europe

EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum Tarek el-Molla, and Israeli Minister of Energy Karine Elharrar. KHALED DESOUKI / Getty Images Israel’s natural gas production jumped 22% in the first half of the year, Bloomberg data shows.  The nation’s royalties from gas, minerals, and fees…

Chuck Schumer urges Biden to go as big as possible on student-loan forgiveness in an 11th hour plea

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Chuck Schumer made a final plea to Biden, urging him to go as big as possible on student debt relief. Biden is expected to announce broad loan forgiveness today, along with a payment pause extension. Schumer and advocates have argued the $10,000 Biden is considering…

Zelenskyy says the Ukraine war woke up ‘weak, disunited, passive, sleepy’ Europe

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart in Kyiv on August 23, 2022. Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Russia’s war united Europe and the rest of the world. His remarks came on Ukraine’s Independence Day and the unprovoked war’s six-month anniversary.  To mark…

Russia eyes sales of yuan-denominated bonds as local trading in China’s currency soars

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit in Brasilia Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Russia is resuming sales of local bonds after a six-month pause, according to Bloomberg.  Moscow also wants debt backed by Chinese yuan to play a larger role sometime next year.  Yuan-ruble trading volumes have soared as Western sanctions…

The UK is not importing Russian energy for the first time on record, months ahead of the government’s timeline to phase out Moscow’s oil imports

Asian countries have been buying more Russian oil. SONGPHOL THESAKIT/Getty Images The UK had no imports of energy from Russia in June, the first such occurrence on record. Crude and refined oil and gas were among energy sources the UK has stopped importing from Moscow.  The UK has said it would phase out Russian oil…

You can now buy a Peloton bike on Amazon, thanks to a major new deal for the embattled fitness company

Cari Gundee rides her Peloton exercise bike at her home on April 6, 2020, in San Anselmo, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Peloton now sells its bikes, apparel, and workout accessories through Amazon. It marks a major strategy shift for Peloton, which has only sold its products directly until now. Peloton has had a tumultuous 2022…