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New York is kicking off a broad, decade-long study to better understand how people across the state gamble and where support systems may be falling short. Governor Kathy Hochul says the effort is meant to bring clearer insight into addiction risks and how services can respond. Statewide study aims to track gambling behavior over time The project will reach adults 18 and older in every region, using surveys, interviews, and focus groups to paint a detailed picture of gambling habits, awareness, and addiction rates. The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports will run the study, and officials…

The United Arab Emirates delivered a major blow to OPEC by quitting the oil cartel, and the move could eventually bring gas prices down, according to CNN. Here’s why: The U.A.E. is OPEC’s third-biggest oil producer after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. OPEC production quotas limited the U.A.E.’s oil output to 3.2 million barrels a day, but it has the capacity to produce closer to 5 million barrels a day. The potential additional supply would meet around 1-2% of daily global oil demand. But don’t expect immediate relief at the pump. The national average U.S. gas price is around $4.23, and…

Strike CEO Jack Mallers announced a series of product updates and strategic moves Wednesday, including the launch of lending proof-of-reserves, a new “volatility-proof” bitcoin-backed loan structure built with Tether, and a $2.1 billion credit facility.  He also said he supports a proposal by Tether Investments to merge Strike with Twenty-One Capital and bitcoin miner Elektron Energy. Mallers said Strike’s bitcoin-backed loan and line-of-credit business has grown since launch, with users drawn to the ability to borrow against bitcoin rather than sell it.  He described bitcoin as a savings account for many customers and said Strike cut its rate tiers across…

Make CryptoSlate preferred on BlackRock’s digital assets franchise crossed a threshold in the first quarter, proving to Wall Street that it is a genuine fee line for the world’s largest asset manager.The firm’s digital asset products generated $42 million in investment advisory, administration fees, and securities lending revenue during the quarter. By almost every measure of its weight inside BlackRock’s economics, the number is relatively small.The ETF complex, which houses those products, generated over $2.4 billion during the same period. Digital assets accounted for nearly $60.7 billion of BlackRock’s $5.48 trillion in ETF assets under management, which is 1.11% of…

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have all set AI spending recordsCollectively, they’re up 71% on the same quarter last year.  (NYT $)+ Microsoft, Google and Amazon reported big payoffs from the splurge. (FT $)+ But Meta’s shares slid after its plans spooked investors. (BBC)+ What even is the AI bubble? (MIT Technology Review)2 The White House opposes Anthropic’s plan to expand Mythos accessIt’s concerned about the model’s cyber risks. (Bloomberg $)+ And worried that the government will lose compute access. (WSJ $)+ Anthropic is seeking funding…

Every sales call holds useful insight. In 2026, the difference between teams that hit quota and those that don’t usually comes down to visibility, not effort. If you don’t record sales calls, you lose buyer signals, objections, and intent from customer interactions the moment the conversation ends. Sales leaders don’t record calls only for storage. They use them to build a searchable library of actual conversations, improve go-to-market execution, enable real-time coaching, and close more deals faster. Learn how to record sales calls, apply best practices, and use the right features to turn conversations into revenue. What Is Sales Call…

Key Takeaways: Gemini secured a CFTC Derivatives Clearing Organization license on April 29, 2026, enabling in-house clearing of futures, options, and swaps. Gemini Olympus, LLC now gives the exchange end-to-end control, cutting reliance on third-party clearers like QC Clearing LLC. Gemini’s DCM plus DCO licenses position it against Kraken’s Bitnomial stack, with FCM registration expected next. Gemini Drops QC Clearing LLC After CFTC Registers Olympus as Derivatives Clearinghouse The CFTC registered Gemini’s affiliate, Gemini Olympus, LLC, as a DCO by Commission order on April 29, 2026. The license covers fully collateralized futures, options on futures, and swaps. Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder…

When Gary Gensler left the US Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2025, Bitcoin was trending higher, and many expected a more favorable regulatory backdrop to drive further upside. Instead, BTC has fallen sharply to a zone that complicates a once-popular narrative that regulation, or Gensler specifically, was the primary force holding the market back. Bitcoin’s Price May Be Saying More About Markets Than Regulators The market reaction to regulatory change hasn’t played out the way many expected. Analyst Benjamin Cowen has mentioned on X that when Gary Gensler stepped down from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in…

Uber customers in the United States can now book hotels directly through the app, one of several new features announced Wednesday that pushes far beyond the company’s original ride-hailing purpose and even deeper into its users’ lives. Uber announced the new hotel booking feature on Wednesday during its product-heavy annual Go-Get event in New York City. At launch, Uber customers will have access to more than 700,000 hotels worldwide through a partnership with Expedia Group, the travel company that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi led for 12 years. Uber said vacation rental inventory from startup Vrbo will be added to the…

The best HR consulting services become unavoidable the moment compliance breaks, benefits administration leaks time, and payroll decisions start carrying legal weight. If you lead people ops, finance, or a scaling business, you already know where things crack.