Video game union announces first contract with Microsoft

Unionized quality assurance testers at video game holding company ZeniMax announced Friday that they have reached a tentative contract agreement with Microsoft, which acquired ZeniMax in 2021. This represents Microsoft’s first union contract in the United States. It’s been a little over two years since approximately 300 QA testers announced that they were unionizing through […]

4 days to go: TechCrunch Sessions: AI is almost in session

Artificial intelligence has no shortage of visionaries—but the ones who matter are executing. In 4 days, TechCrunch Sessions: AI brings those builders, researchers, funders, and enthusiasts under one roof at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall. This isn’t a parade of AI hype or a string of over-edited keynotes. It’s a single day designed for clarity, candor, […]

Update: Lumber Prices Up 17% YoY

This is something to watch again. Here is another monthly update on lumber prices.SPECIAL NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023.  I switched to a physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022.  Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available. This graph shows CME random length framing futures through August 2022 (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red).On May 30, 2025, LBR was at $593.00 per 1,000 board feet, up 17% from a year ago. Click on graph for larger image. There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year.Last year, prices bottomed in July at $449.00 per 1,000 board feet.Note that the pickup in early 2018 was due to the Trump lumber tariffs in 2017.  There were huge increases during the pandemic due to a combination of supply constraints and a pickup in housing starts.The recent year-over-year increase might be due to the tariffs.  http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2025/06/update-lumber-prices-up-17-yoy.html

Billionaire David Tepper Bought More Shares of This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock That Could Join Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia in the $3 Trillion Club by 2030

The artificial intelligence (AI) market continues to grow rapidly. With many companies competing for supremacy in the field, investors have numerous options to choose from today. It’s not a bad idea to look to famous names on Wall Street for investing inspiration, either. Consider David Tepper, the billionaire founder of Appaloosa Management, a hedge fund.During the first quarter, Tepper and his team decreased the fund’s stake in several high-profile AI players, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. Meanwhile, positions in Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), increased during the period. Here’s why investors looking to cash in on AI should follow Tepper’s lead and purchase shares of Meta Platforms.Image source: Getty Images.Continue readinghttps://www.fool.com/investing/2025/06/01/david-tepper-bought-more-shares-of-this-ai-stock/