March 9, 2026

What You Need to Know Today:

U.S. economy loses 92,00 jobs in February

The U.S. labor market lost 92,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Going into the report, economists had predicted that employers added 50,000 jobs last month.

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Is AI spending insane? Depends on what an AI monopoly is worth–and if there will be one

Is AI spending insane? Depends on what an AI monopoly is worth–and if there will be one

Journey back with me to the heady days of 1999 when another technology boom pushed stocks to record highs on the promise of revolutionizing everything. Why is this exercise important?Because it’s a real life example of the work on the role of monopolies in our economy by economists like Joan Robinson and Paul Sweezy. Their work begins with the extreme excess returns that companies with effective monopoly power generate–and points to the important role that monopolies play in the business cycle of boom and bust. And because monopoly economics are critical to deciding if the current generation of AI stocks are really going to be worth what investors now say they are.

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So how long will the Strait of Hormuz stay shut to oil tankers?

So how long will the Strait of Hormuz stay shut to oil tankers?

Are the moves by the Trump administration to assure owners of oil tankers to ship their cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz even vaguely enough?

The name of the game now for investors is projecting how long the war with Iran will go on. And how long the Strait of Hormuz will stay shut to oil tankers.

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Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the weeks ahead expect…

Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the weeks ahead expect…

I expect a big White House campaign with lots of talking heads to argue that the inflation increase we’re likely to see is just temporary. Unless the White House can convince American consumers, the bond market, and the Federal Reserve that the inflation that we all see and feel is only temporary the Trump/Warsh interest rate cuts are dead in the water. Look for rhetoric from the usual Trump administration sources, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent or White House economist Kevin Hassett, claiming that the coming spike in inflation is totally due to the Iran war. And that therefore it’s only temporary and will soon vanish. Which means that the Federal Reserve should go ahead and cut interest rates. Certainly as soon as President Trump’s Fed nominee, Kevin Warsh, takes over from Jerome Powell as chair of the central bank in May. (Assuming he wins Senate confirmation.)

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Restaurants show more consumers cutting back on spending–not a good sign for the economy

Restaurants show more consumers cutting back on spending–not a good sign for the economy

The restaurant industry is now seeing reluctance to spend spreading from lower-income consumers to include middle income consumers. Last year, most chains raised menu prices, and lower-income consumers were the first to cut back on eating out. By midyear, middle-income households and people ages 25 to 35–who tend to frequent restaurants like Sweetgreen or Chipotle–had also pulled bac

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Special Report: The Next Big Things and how to invest in them–Part 1 Quantum Computing; Part 2 Nuclear Fusion

Special Report: The Next Big Things and how to invest in them–Part 1 Quantum Computing; Part 2 Nuclear Fusion

A suggested quantum computing portfolio. If you want a piece of this Next Big Thing, but with less risk and less upside than a pure-play quantum stock, I’d suggest Alphabet/Google (GOOG). Among pure plays I’d include D‑Wave Quantum (QBTS), up about 235% year‑to‑date as of late 2025; Rigetti Computing (RGTI), up34% YTD by late December; and IonQ (IONQ), up around 25% year-to-date by late December.

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Special Report: 3 Stock Market Bubbles: When will they burst? What to do now? Part 1, the AI bubble, Part 2, the debt market bubble, and Part 3, the cheap money bubble

Special Report: 3 Stock Market Bubbles: When will they burst? What to do now? Part 1, the AI bubble, Part 2, the debt market bubble, and Part 3, the cheap money bubble

This is a very difficult stock market. Even as stocks climb to new record highs. On the one hand, even investors who are all in, maybe even overweight to the long side, worry that this rally isn’t sustainable for much longer. By most historical standards valuations are off the charts. I get a steady stream of stories and posts asking whether XYZ stock has climbed to faro fast. Volatility on somedays can be downright scary with relatively minor events leading to big market moves. It’s simply very hard to stay on board this rally. On the other hand, it’s very hard to get off the train. I see lots of Wall Street analysts cutting recommendations from “buy” to “hold” on valuation fears, but I see almost no one saying “sell.” FOMO–fear of missing out–is just too strong. Which is totally understandable. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 25.02% in 2024 and was up another 18.11% in 2025 to date through October 27. Market leaders have racked up even bigger gains. AI chip icon Nvidia (NVDA) was up 171% in 2024 and has gained another 39% in 2025 through October 27. It’s insanely difficult to walk away from those kinds of gains. So what’d you do?

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Special Report: How to invest in our 3 energy crises–First 8 picks JCI, BEPC, LNG, SMNEY, GNRC,  CCJ, EQNR and GVE

Special Report: How to invest in our 3 energy crises–First 8 picks JCI, BEPC, LNG, SMNEY, GNRC, CCJ, EQNR and GVE

You don’t need the Department of Energy or the Energy Information Administration to tell you we have an energy crisis. (Good thing since they’re shut down with the rest of the Federal government today.) All you need to do is look at your electricity bill. This summer monthly home electric bills jumped in Trenton, New Jersey, for a typical home by $26. In Philadelphia, it increased about $17. And in Columbus, Ohio, it spiked $27. And your monthly bill doesn’t capture the full damage. In California,residential electric rates are up 62% in five years. In Maryland residential rates are up 54% in five years. Most frustratingly–and most importantly for investors–those bills don’t explain the nature of the crisis.
Or more accurately “crises.” Because we’re the middle of three, overlapping and interlocking energy crises. That are playing out on different timeframes that range from NOW to the next 5 to 10 years. It’s that last point that’s critically important for investors. Because to make money–and let’s be clear: like in all crises there’s money to be made investing in these three crises–you’ve got to understand the nature of each crisis and buy into it at the right time. Not so early that you sell in disappointment because your profits haven’t arrived yet. Not so late that all themes tasty profits are gone. This Special Report is about untangling the 3 energy crises, giving you a timeline for investing in each, and then calling out 10 picks you cause to profit from theses crises. Ya, ready?

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Special Report: “10 better dividend stocks for a dangerous market”–Part 1 with 6 sells, Part 2 first buy COLD

Special Report: “10 better dividend stocks for a dangerous market”–Part 1 with 6 sells, Part 2 first buy COLD

You remember what The Rolling Stones sing? “You can’t always get what you want”?

In this historically expensive market with a slowing economy, with a falling dollar and a climbing government deficit, where no one knows what the Trump tariffs regime we lookalike in 60 days, and where stagflation where inflation rises even as the economy’s growth rate slows I know what I want: some safe dividend stocks to take some of the risk out of my portfolio, with tasty 8% dividend yields, with solid financials and low debt, and with relatively low exposure to any downturn in the economic cycle. Is that too much to ask? Well, apparently, Yes. Because I can’t find any stocks that fit the bill. Stocks paying anywhere near that yield, for example, come with more rick than I want to take on in this market and this economy. Especially because the last thing I want to do is add high-risk, go-for-broke dividend stocks to the “safe” side of my portfolio. But the Stones go on to advise “but if you try sometimes, you’ll find/You get what you need.” And that’s what this Special Report “10 better dividend stocks for a dangerous market” is all about.

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