Tootfinder

Trump jokes Biden would use autopen to sign autographs at Easter celebration (Asher Notheis/Washington Examiner)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4517534/trump-biden-autopen-easter-celebration/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260406/p65#a260406p65

Not sure I agree w/this whole article, but interesting perspective. “…any systemically important market can be shut down not by force but by…withdrawal of…institutional trust layer that enables…function…mechanism is substrate-agnostic…operated in…repo market in 2008…is operating in…Strait of Hormuz in 2026…will operate again, in…different domain…next time verification costs invert transaction economics in…concentrated market structure w/o adequate government backstop.”

The Invisible Siege: How Insurance Markets, Not Missiles, Closed the Strait of Hormuz
And Why the Disruption Will Last Four to Sixteen Months Longer Than Any Model on Wall Street Currently Prices

Palo Alto Networks agrees to acquire Portkey, which develops AI gateway tech to manage and secure AI agents; sources say the deal values Portkey at $120M-$140M (The Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiati…

Palo Alto Networks to acquire AI infra firm Portkey; valuation may double to $140 million
Cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks is acquiring AI infrastructure startup Portkey to bolster its defences for autonomous AI systems. This move aims to provide enterprises with a centralised control plane for managing and securing AI agents. The acquisition is expected to close in Palo Alto Networks’ fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, subject to approvals.

Excellent analysis on China. "Europe's door to Chinese tech investment is still ajar"
https://www.cer.eu/insights/europes-door-chinese-tech-investment-still-ajar

Europe's door to Chinese tech investment is still ajar
Europe has learned to block Chinese acquisitions of strategic assets. Chinese factories in Europe now pose harder economic security challenges.

Mumbai-based digital payments processor BillDesk agrees to acquire the Indian business of Worldline for an equity value of ~$70M, set to close in H2 2026 (The Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/t

Billdesk to acquire Worldline’s India operations; deal values business at $70 million
Billdesk is set to acquire the India payments business of French payment giant Worldline for an estimated equity value of $70 million. In a press release Worldline said that it will be entering into a long-term technology and software pact with Billdesk, through which Worldline’s software stack will continue to remain operational in India. At an enterprise level the value of the deal was pegged at $43.6 million.

🪨 Diversifying lithium-rich mineral sources with petalite
#lithium

Diversifying lithium-rich mineral sources with petalite
Demand for lithium is surging, as the world transitions to renewable energy and adopts new technologies. Lithium-ion batteries play a central role in this shift, powering everything from cars to portable electronics. To meet the increasing demand, companies are recycling lithium from old batteries and also looking for new sources and better ways to extract it. While recycling supports a circular economy, experts agree that recycled lithium alone will not meet projected future needs.

Talks kick off Monday between U.S. and Mexican trade officials.
The North American economies could agree to renew the
US-Mexico-Canada Agreement,
or USMCA as it is for another 16 years
— a prospect that appears unlikely.
Or they could keep working on ways to improve it;
Under a convoluted renewal process, they have until 2036 to reach an agreement
Much of this bustling cross-border commerce is duty-free, thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, that Do…

Tricky negotiations begin Monday to renew a trade pact between the United States, Mexico and Canada — The Associated Press
Every day more than $4 billion worth of goods cross the United States’ borders with Canada and Mexico – U.S. auto parts headed for car factories in northern Mexico, cartons of Mexican avocados bound for California supermarkets, Canadian aluminum destined to become cans of Campbell Soup.

Deutschland baut ein Digitalministerium, weiß aber nicht, wofür es sein Digitalgeld ausgibt.
Milliarden fließen quer durch Ministerien, doch niemand hat den Überblick, vieles wird nur umgebucht statt neu investiert.
Ein Staat, der Digitalisierung predigt, aber seine eigenen Ausgaben nicht versteht, wird sie kaum gestalten.
ZEIT-Bericht auf Basis ZEW-Studie und Agora Digitale Transformation

Sen. Bernie Sanders has co-sponsored a bill that would cut taxes on families making under $92,000 and increase taxes on the wealthy.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two pillars and allies of the progressive movement, are in disagreement.
Democrats have in recent months proposed a variety of tax cut proposals, seemingly in response to President Donald Trump’s popular “no tax on tips and overtime” policies.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen wants to eliminate inco…

Democrats’ Tax Cut Plans Are Splintering Progressives
Could new proposals from Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Cory Booker to cut taxes come at the expense of expanding social programs? Progressives don’t agree.

Kai Trump gets heat for bringing Secret Service during Erewhon trip in video (Asher Notheis/Washington Examiner)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/entertainment/4485763/kai-trump-secret-service-erewhon-video/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260309/p100#a260309p100