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President Donald Trump commuted the criminal sentence of Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson on Friday, just hours before Watson was due to begin serving a 116-month prison term for a multi-million-dollar scheme that included falsely claiming the start-up had deals with Google and Oprah Winfrey, a senior White House official said.

Watson had expected to surrender Friday afternoon to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, before he received word of Trump granting him executive clemency, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Trump also commuted the sentence of one year of probation imposed on Ozy Media for the defunct news and entertainment company’s conviction in the same case.

Trump’s actions remove the criminal penalty imposed on Watson and Ozy.

Watson, 55, was convicted at trial in Brooklyn federal court last July of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced in December.

In February, a federal judge ordered Watson and Ozy to pay almost $60 million in forfeiture and more than $36 million in restitution.

Watson’s defense attorney, Arthur Aidala, declined to comment Friday when contacted by CNBC.

A spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted Watson, also declined to comment on the commutation of his sentence.

Glenn Martin, a criminal justice reform advocate, in a tweet on Friday wrote, “We did it,” above a photo of him and Watson.

“President Trump commuted the sentences of Ozy Media and Carlos Watson hours before his surrender,” the tweet said.

″@CarlosWatson is not going to prison today,” Martin wrote.

“First and foremost, thank God for His grace, mercy and the power of redemption. A very special note of appreciation to @AliceMarieFree,” he added, referring to his fellow criminal justice reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson.

“Your advocacy, compassion, and relentless pursuit of fairness have made this moment possible for people like Carlos.”

When Watson was sentenced, then-Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said, “Carlos Watson orchestrated a years-long, audacious scheme to defraud investors and lenders to his company, Ozy Media, out of tens of millions of dollars.”

Prosecutors said that Watson and his co-conspirators between 2018 and 2021 defrauded investors by misrepresenting Ozy’s financial performance, its ongoing business relationships and its acquisition prospects, as well as its contract negotiations.

Ozy abruptly shut down in October 2021, after The New York Times reported that the company’s chief operating officer, Samir Rao, had impersonated a YouTube executive on a conference call with Goldman Sachs.

The investment bank was considering a $40 million investment in Ozy at the time.


This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect Americans from ‘exploitive ticket scalping’ in the concert and entertainment industry, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The president signed the order Monday evening in the Oval Office. Kid Rock joined the president for the signing ceremony. 

The president’s executive order directs the Federal Trade Commission to work with the attorney general to ensure that competition laws are enforced in the concert and entertainment industry. 

The order also enforces the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) act and promote its enforcement by state consumer protection authorities. 

The president’s order also ensures price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchasing process, including through the secondary ticketing market; and will evaluate, and, if appropriate, take enforcement action to prevent ‘unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct’ in the secondary ticketing market.

The president’s order also directs the attorney general and Treasury secretary to ensure that ticket scalpers are operating in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and other laws. 

Under the order, the Treasury Department, DOJ, and the FTC will deliver a report within 180 days summarizing the actions taken to address the issue of unfair practices in live concert and entertainment industry and will recommend additional regulations or legislation needed to protect consumers. 

The order comes after President Trump, on the campaign trail, vowed to work to combat high ticket prices. While campaigning, the president described the current system where fans are priced out as ‘very unfortunate.’ 

A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president is ‘committed to making arts and entertainment that enrich Americans’ lives as accessible as possible.’ 

The official said that America’s live concert and entertainment industry has a total nationwide economic impact of $132.6 billion and supports 913,000 jobs. 

‘But it has become blighted by unscrupulous middle-men who impose egregious fees on fans with no benefit to artists,’ a White House official said. 

‘Ticket scalpers use bots and other unfair means to acquire large quantities of face-value tickets, then re-sell them at an enormous markup on the secondary market, price-gouging consumers and depriving fans of the opportunity to see their favorite artists without incurring extraordinary expenses,’ a White House official said. ‘By some reports, fans have paid as much as 70 times the face value of a ticket price to obtain a ticket.’ 

The official added that when this occurs, the artists ‘do not receive any additional profit—it goes solely to the scalper and the ticketing agency.’ 

‘Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years, no matter what your politics are, knows it is a conundrum,’ Kid Rock said Monday. ‘If you buy a ticket for 100 bucks by the time you check it out, it’s 170. You don’t know what you can charge for it, but more importantly, these bots you know, they come in to get all the good tickets to your favorite shows you want to go to, and then they’re relisted immediately for sometimes a 4 or 500% markup.’ 

Kid Rock explained that the artists ‘don’t see any of that money.’ 

President Trump, upon signing the order, said that the move is ‘a big step to getting this stopped.’ 

In a statement late Monday, Live Nation said it supports the president’s action: ”Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on. We support any meaningful resale reforms — including more enforcement of the BOTS act, caps on resale prices, and more.’

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino posted on X, thanking President Trump and Kid Rock for ‘taking ticket-scalping head on.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

AI stocks have been hammered in recent weeks, part of which is related to the macro headwinds, but some of it, at least, is due to concerns of an AI slowdown ahead.

But recent data continues to dismiss such fears as inflated. In fact, if anything, the demand for compute has only gone up in 2025, according to a senior Bernstein analyst, Stacy Rasgon.

“The only ones that seem worried about it are the investors. The companies that are actually doing the spending, it seems like it’s full steam ahead,” he argued in a CNBC interview last week.  

DeepSeek is driving demand for compute

Part of the reason why investors are questioning if 2026 could still be a growth year for artificial intelligence is DeepSeek.

The Chinese startup rolled out an AI model in February that it claimed required significantly less computational resources to achieve results comparable to ChatGPT.

However, demand for compute has only gone up since DeepSeek’s launch, Rasgon added.

We’ve seen CAPEX numbers go up. We’ve head stories of GPU shortages as they’re starting to deploy this stuff.

It does actually look like it’s driving demand, not curtailing it.

Still, the iShares Future AI & Tech ETF is currently down nearly 25% versus mid-February.

Nvidia continues to see strong demand ahead

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang echoed a similar view at the annual GTC event this month.

In his keynote speech, the industry veteran said DeepSeek’s R1, while efficient, is a reasoning model that actually requires 100 times more computational power than non-reasoning AI models.

This was contrary to initial market assumptions that DeepSeek’s advancements would reduce overall compute demand.

“I’m of the belief that cost reduction, in general, is good – it drives demand. That’s been true in semiconductors over the course of five or six decades.” Rasgon told CNBC last week.

Bernstein’s view on Nvidia stock for 2025

Rasgon’s belief that concerns of an AI slowdown are, in fact, overblown keeps him bullish on the sector darling, Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA).

His outperform rating on the artificial intelligence chips giant is coupled with a price target of $185, which indicates potential for a nearly 70% upside from current levels.

The Bernstein analyst agreed that semiconductor stocks tend not to do well during a recession, but added:

Some of the spending on AI, particularly related to productivity savings and cost reductions, and things like that may prove more resilient in a recession than discretionary spending.

Nvidia itself guided for continued momentum ahead in February.

For Q1, the AI chips behemoth expects $43 billion in revenue, which translates to about a 65% year-on-year increase. Analysts, in comparison, were at $41.78 billion only.

The post Has DeepSeek really lowered compute demand in 2025? appeared first on Invezz

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to back out of a rare earth deal with the U.S., adding if he does that he is going to have ‘some problems.’

‘I think Zelenskyy, by the way, he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, he’s got some problems – big, big problems,’ Trump said while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. ‘We made a deal on rare earths, and now he’s saying, ‘well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.’ He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that, so, if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.’

Zelenskyy said last month that Ukraine is ready to sign an agreement on minerals and security with the U.S. at any time, noting that the agreement is seen as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees.

Zelenskyy’s statement came after a visit to the White House where the two leaders were expected to sign an agreement on rare Earth minerals. But the visit turned sour, and Zelenskyy was kicked out of the president’s home with no deal in hand.

While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he and his team were making progress on a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia.

One reporter asked if Trump would say his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin was at its lowest point.

The president said no, adding he did not think Putin was going to go back on his word for a partial ceasefire. He also said deals are made with people whether you like them or not.

Trump explained that Putin had said some things over the last few days about Zelenskyy not being credible, adding he was not happy about that. But, Trump added, he thinks Putin is going to be good. He also said he would not want to put secondary tariffs on Russia.

The U.S. put secondary tariffs on Venezuela, which Trump said has had a ‘very strong impact.’

‘You know that every ship just got out and left. A lot of them left. They dropped the hoses right into the ocean, and they left. They didn’t want to be there for a minute because they didn’t want those tariffs to catch on,’ Trump said. ‘But they didn’t want me to see them there. So, Venezuela and secondary tariffs, all secondary tariffs, are very strong, because essentially it says if you disobey our orders, you cannot do business in the United States of America, and that’s the catch.’

Trump said he plans to hit all the countries across the board with tariffs.

‘If you look at the history, and you look at what’s happened to us…take a look at trade with Asia, and I wouldn’t say anybody is doing it as fairly or nicely,’ Trump said. ‘We’re…going to be much more generous than they were to us.’

Trump also addressed questions about possibly running for a third term, which earlier in the day he said he was ‘not joking’ about.

Initially, Trump told reporters he was not looking at a third term, noting that people have spoken with him about a possible third term.

He said the 2020 election, in which he lost to now former President Joe Biden, was ‘totally rigged,’ but he would not take credit for a third try.

Trump also said his administration has had the best 100 days than any other president.

‘I was with some very important people today, and they said they’ve never seen turnaround as fast as this,’ he said.

As reporters continued to press him about a third term, though, Trump quickly shot them down.

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he told one reporter. ‘I don’t want to talk about a third term now. We have a long time. We have almost four years to go.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

American stocks have crashed this year, and are continuing to lag behind their global peers in countries like Germany, France, and China. This performance may continue next week when Trump implements his Liberation Day tariffs, triggering a trade war.

Investing in quality blue-chip ETFs can be a good way to prepare for these tariffs. This article highlights some of the best ETFs to buy and hold ahead of these tariffs, and what to expect. 

Blue-chip ETFs to buy ahead of tariffs

Some defensive ETFs will do well when Trump implements his tariffs. The most notable names are the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD), Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU), Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC).

SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD)

The GLD ETF is one of the best blue-chip ETF to buy as the trade war intensifies. It has already jumped by over 17% this year and over 38% in the last 12 months and is hovering near its all-time high. 

Gold will be a good asset to buy as more investors move to its safety because of the rising risks. Also, the ongoing tensions between the US, its allies, and foes will see more companies abandon the dollar and move to its safety. 

Further, the GLD ETF may do well when the Federal Reserve starts to cut interest rates later this year to deal with a potential recession.

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU)

Utilities are some of the best assets to invest in times of economic issues because customers always buy them. Homeowners will always pay for their water and electricity bills, meaning that many of these firms will keep doing well.

The VPU ETF is one of the best funds to invest in during a recession. It is a cheap ETF with an expense ratio of 0.09%, making it highly affordable. It tracks 69 companies and has an average P/E ratio of 20.2x. 

Most companies in the VPU ETF are in the electric utilities, followed by gas utilities, independent power producers, and water utilities. Popular names in the fund are NextEra, Southern, Duke Energy, Constellation Energy, and American Electric Power. The VPU ETF has a 3% yield and has jumped by 3.5% this year.

Read more: 5 Best Utility Stocks to Buy for Q1 2025

Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT)

The healthcare sector will always be a good defensive area to park your money because of the rising demand of drugs. Also, most people in the US don’t pay for medicine out of pocket. Instead, they rely on private insurance and the government. 

The VHT ETF is a cheap fund to invest in because of its exposure to the healthcare sector. It holds 413 companies spread across areas like biotechnology, healthcare equipment, managed health care, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare facilities. 

The biggest companies in the VHT ETF are Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth Group, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Intuitive Surgical. The fund will likely continue doing well this year. The risk, however, is that it has exposure to many biotech companies that are often volatile. It is also an expensive fund with a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)

The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) is another good fund to invest when Trump’s trade war starts. Companies in the consumer staples industry often do well in all market conditions since customers buy their products in market conditions. 

The VDC ETF tracks the biggest companies in the industry. The biggest category in the fund is merchandise retail, household products, soft drink & non-alcolic beverages. Some of the top firms in the fund are Costco, Walmart, P&G, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Philip Morris. 

Other ETFs to buy

There are other top blue-chip ETFs to buy when the trade war starts. The most notable ones are the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD), VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat (MOAT), and Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ).

Read more: COWZ vs CALF vs BUL: Which free cash flow ETF is better to buy?

The post Best blue-chip ETFs to buy as Donald Trump’s trade war escalates appeared first on Invezz

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (March 28) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading at US$83,780.06, a 3.7 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The day’s trading range has seen a low of US$83,609.35 and a high of US$85,503.88.

Bitcoin performance, March 28, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Deribit’s US$16 billion Bitcoin options expiry on Friday had US$75,000 max pain, down from the projected US$85,000, and a 0.58 put/call ratio. There was a high amount of call option open interest at the US$100,000 strike price.

Bitcoin’s subsequent decline indicates post-expiry market adjustments.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,875.25, a 6.4 percent decrease over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,866.54 and a high of US$1,900.19.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$129.44, down 6.9 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$129.17 and a high of US$131.56 on Friday.
  • XRP is trading at US$2.18, reflecting a 6.9 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.16 and a high of US$2.22.
  • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.49, showing a 9.7 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.49 and a high of US$2.56.
  • Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6961, reflecting a 5.2 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Friday was US$0.66925, with a high of US$0.7031.

Crypto news to know

SEC onboards Musk’s DOGE team members

Reuters reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun onboarding members from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team.

“Our intent will be to partner with the DOGE representatives and cooperate with their request following normal processes for ethics requirements, IT security or system training, and establishing their need to know before granting access to restricted systems and data,” said an email to SEC staff, according to Reuters.

Atkins questioned at Senate confirmation hearing

SEC nominee Paul Atkins testified before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday (March 27).

During the hearing, he was questioned by Senate lawmakers regarding the sale of his consulting firm, Patomak Global Partners, which advised bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

“Your clients pay you north of US$1,200 an hour for advice on how to influence regulators like the SEC, and if you’re confirmed, you will be in a prime spot to deliver for all those clients who’ve been paying you millions of dollars for years,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren during the hearing. She also requested that he disclose the firms potential buyers, whom she suggested may “buying access to the future chair of the SEC.’

Atkins said he will abide by the process of government ethics, but did not directly answer Warren’s question.

Senator John Kennedy also grilled Atkins about whether he will pursue the parents of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who Kennedy alleges may have been involved in and profited from his business affairs. Kennedy said if his position with the SEC is confirmed, he would “pounce on you like a ninja” to investigate the matter further.

UAE set to launch Digital Dirham CBDC

The United Arab Emirates is moving forward with its central bank digital currency (CBDC) plans, announcing that the Digital Dirham will be launched for retail use by the last quarter of 2025, the Khaleej Times reported.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has developed an integrated Digital Dirham platform that will support retail, wholesale and cross-border transactions.

The CBDC will be accessible through licensed financial institutions, including banks, fintech firms and exchange houses, and will be accepted alongside physical cash across all payment channels.

This initiative follows the United Arab Emirates’ efforts to regulate stablecoins and aligns with global trends, as countries like China, Russia and Sweden also push forward with CBDC pilot programs.

The United Arab Emirates’ Digital Dirham is expected to enhance financial security, streamline transactions and provide regulatory oversight beyond what private stablecoins can offer.

UK regulator plans to enforce stricter crypto authorization regime

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that it will introduce a new authorization framework for crypto firms in 2026, significantly increasing regulatory scrutiny in the sector.

Under the proposed ‘gateway regime,’ crypto companies, including major exchanges such as Coinbase and Gemini, will need to obtain authorization to operate beyond existing anti-money laundering (AML) requirements.

The FCA has been tightening its oversight, with only 50 out of 368 applicants successfully registering under its AML framework since 2020. Upcoming consultations will define which crypto activities require authorization, with a focus on stablecoins, trading platforms and staking services.

Industry participants have just over a year to prepare for these stricter compliance measures, which are expected to reshape the regulatory landscape for digital assets in the UK.

BlackRock expands Bitcoin ETP to Europe

BlackRock has launched its iShares Bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) in Europe, making it available on major exchanges like Xetra, Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris.

This expansion is a significant milestone for institutional Bitcoin adoption in the region, following the success of BlackRock’s US-based iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, which has accumulated over US$49 billion in assets.

However, analysts believe that demand for the European ETP will be more muted, citing differences in market structure, investor appetite and regulatory clarity.

While Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US have benefited from deep institutional participation, the European market is still developing. Experts suggest that BlackRock’s entry into Europe could encourage further institutional involvement, but widespread adoption may take time as regulatory frameworks evolve.

Nasdaq files to list Grayscale’s spot Avalanche ETF

Nasdaq is seeking permission from the SEC to list Grayscale Investments’ spot Avalanche ETF. The proposed AVAX ETF would be a conversion of Grayscale Investments’ close-ended AVAX fund launched in August 2024, which currently holds around US$1.76 million worth of assets under management.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The Federal Communications Commission has alerted the Walt Disney Company and its ABC unit that it will begin an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the media giant.

The FCC, the agency that regulates the media and telecommunications industry, said in a letter dated Friday that it wants to “ensure that Disney and ABC have not been violating FCC equal employment opportunity regulations by promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.”

“We are reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions,” a Disney spokesperson told CNBC.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who was recently appointed by President Donald Trump, began a similar investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal in early February.

The inquiry comes after Trump signed an executive order looking to end DEI practices at U.S. corporations in January. The order calls for each federal agency to “identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations” among publicly traded companies, as well as nonprofits and other institutions.

“For decades, Disney focused on churning out box office and programming successes,” Carr wrote in the letter to CEO Bob Iger. “But then something changed. Disney has now been embroiled in rounds of controversy surrounding its DEI policies.”

An FCC spokesperson didn’t comment beyond the letter.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and NBC News.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

As federal judges exceed records with an onslaught of nationwide orders blocking President Donald Trump’s orders, some have revisited how each was confirmed, and whether Republicans could have foreseen their rulings or done anything more to block them. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital in an interview, ‘This is why I think I voted against every Biden judge.’

He acknowledged that many of the judges in question were confirmed before his time, given he was first elected in 2018. 

‘People said to me, ‘Why don’t you ever vote for any of Biden’s judges?” he said. ‘This is why.’

‘Because if they’re not faithful to the rule of law, then you can bet they’ll just be looking for opportunities to intervene politically.’

Since Trump entered office, he has faced a slew of nationwide injunctions to halt actions of his administration, which exponentially outweighs the number his predecessors saw. So far in his new term, the courts have hit him with roughly 15 wide-ranging orders, more than former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden received during their entire tenures. 

Some of those who have ordered the Trump administration to halt certain actions are U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, Amir Ali, Loren AliKhan, William Alsup, Deborah Boardman, John Coughenour, Paul A. Engelmayer, Amy Berman Jackson, Angel Kelley, Brendan A. Hurson, Royce Lamberth, Joseph Laplante, John McConnell and Leo Sorokin. There are 94 districts in the U.S. and at least one district court in each state. These courts are where cases are first heard before potentially being appealed to higher courts. 

Several of these judges were confirmed in the Senate in a bipartisan manner, and some even prevailed with no opposition. There were others who were opposed by every Republican senator. 

One of the most controversial judges, Boasberg, known for blocking a key immigration action by the Trump administration, was confirmed by a roll call vote after being nominated by Obama in 2011. The vote was 96-0 and no Republicans opposed him. 

Former Trump attorney Jim Trusty told Fox News Digital, ‘I don’t think the Republicans ever expected quite the onslaught of lawfare that we’ve seen when President Trump is in office.’

‘The activist nature of some federal district court judges – issuing nationwide injunctions against the Executive Branch on a minute’s notice – is unfortunate and puts pressure on appellate courts, including SCOTUS, to fix these problems,’ he explained.

However, he said the real problem is ‘an army of lawyers’ who he said are trying to ‘bend and twist legal principles.’

‘They are spending their days devoted to stopping President Trump’s agenda even if it means siding with Venezuelan gang members who illegally entered the US,’ Trusty claimed. 

Andy McCarthy, a former assistant U.S. attorney and a Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital, ‘Republicans could have done a much better job blocking Biden’s judicial appointments.’

He pointed to Biden’s recent time as a lame-duck president, specifically referring to nominees that ‘squeaked by’ due to Republican absences. 

‘Biden’s nominees were very radical and should have been opposed as vigorously as possible,’ he said. ‘These are lifetime appointments and the progressives filling these slots will be a thorn in the nation’s side for decades.’

However, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo, made a point of saying, ‘There was no way to know how they would rule in future cases like these.’ 

He argued that senators can conduct their due diligence to the best of their abilities, but they can’t see into the future. 

‘The Senate has the right to reject nominees whom it thinks will interpret the Constitution incorrectly, but nominees also have an obligation not to promise how they might rule on cases once they join the bench,’ Yoo said. 

Thomas Jipping, senior legal fellow with the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, noted to Fox News Digital that senators ‘can’t use the filibuster to defeat the judge,’ which makes blocking controversial nominees even more difficult. 

‘The only way to actually defeat someone’s confirmation is to have the majority of the votes,’ he explained. ‘If Republicans are in the minority, there has to be at least a few Democrats voting against the Democratic nominee to defeat someone.’

Fox News Digital reached out to former Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to comment on how these judges were able to get confirmed. 

The senators were asked if they were still happy with how the judges were confirmed and their individual votes. They were also asked whether there was anything alarming in the judges’ records and if Republicans did enough to block certain confirmations. 

McConnell’s office pointed Fox News Digital to comments he made over the legislative recess at a press conference in Kentucky. 

‘The way to look at all of these reorganization efforts by the Administration is what’s legal and what isn’t… they’ll be defined in the courts,’ he told reporters in response to the legality of potentially shutting down the Department of Education. ‘I can understand the desire to reduce government spending. Every Administration – some not quite as bold as this one – have tried to do that in one way or another. This is a different approach… and the courts will ultimately decide whether the president has the authority to take these various steps. Some may have different outcomes, I’m just going to wait – like all of us in effect are going to wait, and see whether this is permissible or not.’

Grassley’s office pointed to a previous statement from the senator’s spokesperson, Clare Slattery. 

‘The recent surge of sweeping decisions by district judges merits serious scrutiny. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be closely examining this topic in a hearing and exploring potential legislative solutions in the weeks ahead,’ she said. 

The committee has notably slated a hearing on nationwide injunctions for next week. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) is failing to deliver the kind of returns that investors have come to expect of it in recent years. Year-to-date, the AI darling is down nearly 25% at the time of writing.

But there are other large-cap names that have significantly outperformed NVDA since the start of 2025, but have further room to the upside, according to Victoria Greene.

She’s the chief investment officer at G Squared Private Wealth.

Three of such names that she likes in particular are: Walmart, Altria, and Netflix Inc. Here’s what each of these have in store for investors this year.

Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT)

Greene is bullish on Walmart stock even though the retail behemoth issued muted guidance in February.

In fact, she sees the Bentonville headquartered firm as “a great place to hide out” from the new tariffs environment and the related economic uncertainty.

The G Squared expert agreed that WMT shares could consolidate for a while around the current levels, but said they’ll eventually claw their way back to over $100.

She’s projecting a more than 20% upside in Walmart stock from here as “if anybody is going to weather tariffs, it’s going to be WMT.”   

Plus, Walmart is a dividend stock that currently yields of 1.10% as well, which makes it all the more exciting to own in 2025.

Altria Inc (NYSE: MO)

Greene recommends loading up on Altria stock at current levels as she believes in its commitment to becoming more than a tobacco company.

“It wants to be everything to help stimulate you, calm you, relax you,” she told CNBC in an interview this week.

The chief investment officer finds MO shares attractive since the price-to-earnings multiple tied to them at writing is lower than the broader market.

Greene expects Altria stock to hit $70 by the end of this year that translates to about a 20% upside from here.

Additionally, a rather lucrative 7.0% dividend yield makes MO a must own amidst the rising economic uncertainty.

Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX)

Netflix has been a star performer amidst the broader rout in US stocks due to continued uncertainty coming out of the White House.

Still, it’s one that could rally the most in the coming months, as per Victoria Greene.

In fact, she sees NFLX as strongly positioned to weather any potential slowdown that may materialise in the back half of 2025.

Even if you’re beginning to have to reduce your budget, you’re going to keep Netflix in there because they’re so good at pricing.

Greene expects Netflix shares to eventually be worth $1,500, which indicates potential for another 50% upside from current levels.

Shares of the streaming giant do not currently pay a dividend, though.  

The post Skip Nvidia: these 3 stocks are set for stronger gains appeared first on Invezz