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Inflation Nation: US Manufacturing Grew, Input Costs Soared Before Iran Attack (Bloomberg)
US manufacturing expanded in February but input prices soared at the fastest pace since 2022, stoking fears of an inflation resurgence even before this weekend’s attacks on Iran.
The Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of prices paid for manufacturing inputs jumped 11.5 points to 70.5, the highest level since overall inflation peaked nearly four years ago.
The figures out Monday reflected responses ahead of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran this past weekend. The war has all but halted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude prices sharply higher.
Fed Watch: Former Treasury Secretary Yellen Sees Fed ‘Even More on Hold’ Given Iran Conflict Risk (Bloomberg)
“I think the recent Iran situation puts the Fed even more on hold, more reluctant to cut rates than they were before this happened,” Janet Yellen, who’s also a former Fed chair, said via video to a conference Monday.
Inflation is already running about a percentage point above the Fed’s target, Yellen noted. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have contributed around half a percentage point of the current 3% pace, she said.
EU Arms Race: France to Increase Nuclear Arsenal With US Commitments in Doubt (Bloomberg)
President Emmanuel Macron said France will increase its number of nuclear weapons in an effort to bolster Europe’s atomic deterrent as US security commitments to the continent waver.
The French president's comments come days after Sweden’s defense minister signaled readiness to allow nuclear weapons on the nation’s territory in wartime.
Media Watch: Paramount to Combine HBO Max and Paramount+ to Challenge Netflix (Bloomberg)
Paramount Chief Executive Officer David Ellison said the plan is to maintain HBO as a brand even after the company combines the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming platforms.
AI Impasse Explained: How Talks Between Anthropic and the Defense Dept. Fell Apart (New York Times)
In the end, the talks between Anthropic and the Department of Defense were undone by weeks of building frustration between men who had differing philosophies about A.I. and who did not like one another.
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2026 Women of the Year Profile: Emma Bloomberg Could've Done Anything. She Chose to Help the Underdogs (USA Today)
Coinciding with Women's History Month, USA Today is out with their 2026 Women of the Year list, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact in their communities and beyond. Emma Bloomberg is among this year's honorees.
Every Fourth of July, Emma Bloomberg had a tradition when she was growing up. She and her little sister, Georgina, would stand before their father and recite the Declaration of Independence.
The ornate, English Roundhound script wasn’t easy for a young reader. “I remember it really being a slog,” she says. It got more manageable with time; as she got older she’d roll her eyes at the exercise like any teenager would. Now she realizes how much it shaped her worldview.
Coming Soon to NYC: Broadway’s ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ Adds Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe as Producers (Deadline)
The musical reimagining, in which Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running Broadway hit Cats is set in New York’s underground LGBTQ+ ballroom scene, premiered at Perelman Performing Arts Center | PAC NYC in 2024, with the production extended three times due to audience demand. Previews are set to begin Wednesday, March 18, ahead of a Tuesday, April 7 opening night. Tickets are on sale now
here.
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