The truce is only temporary. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a brief halt in fighting during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, after a deadly airstrike killed hundreds in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.

The truce followed mediation efforts by countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, and weeks of increasingly intense attacks that have reportedly hit civilian population centers:

Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar and Kabul on Feb. 26, accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban government of backing militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, including a Feb. 6 suicide bombing that killed more than 30 people. Earlier this month, it also targeted Taliban operations at Bagram Air Base, a former US-run facility.

How long will the ceasefire last? It’s not clear, as the pause is intended as a short-term de-escalation measure. Officials on both sides said it is temporary and conditional, and that fighting could resume if tensions continue.

🌎 Why does this matter? With the Iran war already raging in the Middle East, escalating violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan raises the risk of wider regional instability, which can spill into higher energy costs and make everyday essentials more expensive for Americans.

The Fed is the only place where doing nothing means everything. In line with expectations, the Federal Reserve voted almost unanimously on Wednesday to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75% for the second straight meeting.

The Fed’s statement after this week’s meeting was almost a copy-and-paste of what it said back in January. Policymakers at the central bank said two main factors drove the decision to keep rates steady:

Why do those affect interest rates? Persistent inflation means prices are still rising faster than the Fed wants, so cutting rates too soon could make things even more expensive for everyday people. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions (particularly the war in Iran) can have an unpredictable effect on the US economy, so the Fed is keeping rates steady to avoid adding more instability while things are already uncertain.

Will there be a rate cut soon? The Fed’s “dot plot,” which shows policymakers’ future rate expectations, looked the same as it did in December, meaning it now seems even more likely that there will be just one quarter-point rate cut this year, with another potentially coming in 2027.

🌎 Why does this matter? The Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady means borrowing costs for things like credit cards, car loans, and mortgages will likely stay relatively high for now. At the same time, the Fed signaling fewer rate cuts means relief on those elevated costs may take longer.

Ecuador is “at war” with cartels, so, naturally, the US showed up to help. Ecuador, in collaboration with the US, has launched a major nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking groups, as part of a broader effort to combat cartel activity.

While it’s not immediately clear if the US would directly participate in the operation, officials say the campaign will target some of the country’s most violent regions, which have become major transit routes for cocaine moving from neighboring countries.

The operation marks a shift toward a more militarized strategy against drug gangs, which have fueled rising violence in the country, and its scale is not to be underestimated:

Why is the US backing this? Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, is a close ally of Donald Trump and took office in 2023, aiming to combat cartel violence. Noboa is also part of a new US-led anti-drug alliance, and the FBI recently announced plans to open an office in Ecuador to help local police fight crime and corruption.

Ecuador has become a major transit point: About 70% of cocaine shipments from Colombia and Peru pass through the country, and violence is rising fast, with murders up more than 30% between 2024 and 2025, largely tied to cartels.

🌎 Why is this important? Ecuador’s crackdown can directly impact Americans through increased drug availability, crime pressures, and more aggressive US border and enforcement policies. It also entrenches deeper US involvement in Latin America’s security efforts, meaning more taxpayer dollars could potentially go toward international policing, anti-drug operations, and investment in the region.

That’s what NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang just said about the AI boom, even calling it “the largest infrastructure buildout in human history.”

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Turns out “see and avoid” wasn’t the best plan in crowded airspace. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued new rules requiring air traffic controllers to use radar to separate helicopters and airplanes, affecting more than 150 major airports.

The rule change comes amid doubts about current safety protocols after several near misses and last year’s fatal midair collision near Washington, DC:

Not to mention the near misses… The FAA says near misses are common, citing an incident as recent as this month, where a small plane was mistakenly cleared to land at Hollywood Burbank Airport, forcing a helicopter to veer off course. An eerily similar event was reported in San Antonio last month.

Air traffic controllers will now use radar-based separation to keep helicopters and planes at safe distances, rather than relying on pilots to quite literally “see and avoid” each other. But why radar?

The update significantly expands earlier restrictions that were first put in place after last year’s deadly crash in Washington, DC, and hopes to make air travel safer by setting clear, consistent standards for how aircraft stay apart, especially in busy areas.

🌎 Why should you care? Besides reducing the risk of deadly midair collisions, the new, stricter rules could lead to more flight delays or routing changes (especially in busy airspace), impacting travel schedules and potentially increasing costs for passengers.

So that’s why I see a Planet Fitness every two miles. Commercial real estate in the US is being dominated by service-based businesses, like gyms, spas, and wellness centers, which are increasingly replacing traditional retail stores.

For the first time ever, service-based businesses (like gyms, spas, and wellness centers) made up more than half of US retail space last year, surpassing stores that sell physical goods.

The boom is for two reasons:

The combination reflects a broader transformation in consumer behavior, where spending is moving further away from products (like clothes, electronics, and trinkets) and more toward experiences and services.

It’s a bad mix for retailers: Fitness, health, and personal-care businesses are rapidly expanding and require more physical locations that can’t easily be replaced by e-commerce, unlike traditional retailers who have dwindled due to online competition. Plus, service businesses thrive on in-person demand, making them more reliable tenants for landlords.

🌎 Why is this important? For landlords, service tenants can provide more stable occupancy and foot traffic, while for consumers, it means retail spaces are becoming more centered around activities rather than shopping (meaning you’re less likely to waste $50 at a boutique store).

> A 66-million-year-old Triceratops skeleton named “Trey” is heading to auction with a price tag of up to $5.5 million amid the booming (and controversial) market for dinosaur fossils.

> Vinyl record sales have surpassed $1 billion in the US for the first time since 1983, largely driven by Taylor Swift’s album “The Life of a Showgirl.”

> Scientists discovered a new proton-like particle after smashing particles together at nearly the speed of light at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider, shedding light on the forces that hold atomic matter together.

> A 7-ton meteor travelling at roughly 45,000 mph streaked across the sky in Ohio, producing a sonic boom felt across multiple states (see video).

> Legendary actor Val Kilmer, who died of pneumonia in April, will digitally appear in the upcoming film "As Deep as the Grave" after his estate granted permission.