Welcome back!

Here’s your must-read news this morning:


  • Iran lays mines in Strait of Hormuz

  • Robots build entire neighborhood

  • Hero NYPD chief speaks out


I’ve got all the most important stories for you, so let’s dive in.

— Josh

MARKETS

White House/Flickr

Trump Proves He Isn't Bluffing After Iran Lays Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Markets Roundup

🏦 ECONOMY

  • Editor’s Pick: IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves (WSJ)

  • The Washington State House passed a 9.9% tax on adjusted gross income above $1 million annually. (KIRO)

  • U.S. existing-home sales rose 1.7% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, its highest level since March 2022. (BN)

  • Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he will maintain his blockade on Trump's Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh. (CNBC)

  • U.S. regulators plan to release a Basel III Endgame draft that would reduce capital requirements for banks, potentially unlocking $175 billion in excess capital. (INV)

  • The Senate cleared a key procedural vote 89-9 to advance bipartisan legislation to curb housing prices by easing federal regulations. (RTS)

🏢 INDUSTRY

  • Editor’s Pick: "Biggest Deal Ever": Monster Refinery Announced – First New U.S. Plant in Nearly 50 Years (FBN)

  • New Mexico authorities launched a search at Jeffrey Epstein's former Zorro Ranch for the remains of two girls allegedly strangled to death. (DM)

  • Yamaha relocating part of its operations out of California after 47 years. (LAT)

  • Oracle shares jumped as much as 10% after fiscal Q3 results topped estimates, with adjusted EPS of $1.79 beating $1.70 consensus and revenue of $17.19 billion. (CNBC)

  • A look at the secret life of Chinese tycoon Chen Zhi, an alleged online scam kingpin whom the U.S. accused of laundering billions. (BBG)

  • Odor at Disney park triggers hazmat rush backstage and hospitalizations. (KATV)

💰 PERSONAL FINANCE

  • Editor’s Pick: Tricks Millionaires Use to Pay Less Tax (YF)

  • CNBC Select outlined five steps to lower auto loan payments. (CNBC)

  • The Motley Fool spotlighted the credit card with one of the longest 0% intro APR windows available, making it a strong option for paying down debt faster. (MF)

  • Yahoo Finance highlighted eight tax deductions for homeowners under the One Big Beautiful Bill. (YF)

📈 HOT STOCK TIPS

  • Editor’s Pick: Tech Mega-Bull Shares Top Stock Picks for Weathering Geopolitical Turmoil (BI)

  • Seeking Alpha identified five Strong Buy energy stocks positioned to benefit from the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (SA)

  • The Motley Fool recommended three "monster stocks" to hold for the next 20 years. (MF)

  • Zacks highlighted its top growth stocks for March 2026. (ZCK)

🌕 CRYPTO

  • Editor’s Pick: U.S. on the Verge of Banning This Fed Orwellian Surveillance Tool (TB)

  • House Democrats introduced legislation to prohibit prediction-market contracts tied to war and death. (DEC)

  • Polymarket partnered with Palantir to crack down on insider activity. (CD)

  • Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan explains why Bitcoin reaching $1 million per coin is still plausible. (BM)

TECH

iStock/Baranozdemir

Inside the California Neighborhood Built Entirely by Robots

Tech Roundup

🧠 AI

  • Editor’s Pick: Inside The Billion-Dollar AI Startup Founded by Teenagers (WSJ)

  • Meta acquired Moltbook, a social network for AI agents to interact autonomously. (SA)

  • An inside account of how OpenAI is intensifying development of its Codex coding agent to close the gap with Anthropic's Claude Code. (WIR)

  • Microsoft urged a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk. (CNBC)

  • Mississippi regulators on Tuesday approved a permit for Elon Musk's xAI to build a natural gas power plant in Southaven. (DD)

  • A federal judge granted Amazon a preliminary injunction blocking Perplexity from using its Comet browser agent to make purchases. (BBG)

🤖 ROBOTS & DRONES

  • Editor’s Pick: The "Robot School" Where Humanoids Learn to Do Chores (EUN)

  • Anduril acquired missile tracking and intelligence firm ExoAnalytic Solutions as it moves to support Trump’s Golden Dome. (CNBC)

  • Washington County Sheriff's Office is trialing drones for first-responder emergencies. (OPB)

  • Amazon-owned Zoox plans to put its robotaxis on the Uber app in Las Vegas this year. (TC)

🤝 VENTURE CAPITAL

  • Editor’s Pick: Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Set To Close Fourth Growth Fund (TC)

  • Swedish legal AI startup Legora raised $550 million in a Series D round, led by Accel, tripling its valuation to $5.55 billion. (BBG)

  • Healthcare finance startup Translucent raised $27 million in Series A funding, led by GV. (FOR)

  • Sandbar raised $23 million in Series A funding, co-led by Adjacent and Kindred Ventures, to develop its AI-powered smart ring. (UPM)

FREEDOM

NYPD News/X

Hero NYPD Chief Who Chased Down “ISIS-inspired” Bomb Suspects Breaks His Silence

Freedom Roundup

🏛️ POLICY & CULTURE

  • Editor’s Pick: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Isn't a Fan of DEI (FOR)

  • The 9th Circuit reversed a lower court, ruling a first-grader's "Black Lives Matter" and "Any Life" drawing was protected First Amendment speech. (WEX)

  • Trump appointed Erika Kirk to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy. (FOX)

  • FCC Chairman Brendan Carr blasted James Talarico for falsely claiming censorship after CBS declined to air his interview on Stephen Colbert's show. (BN)

That's a wrap! You're officially caught up on all things tech, markets and freedom.

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DISCLAIMER: The CAPITAL newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The CAPITAL newsletter and its owner and operator, Josh Caplan, are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this information. The CAPITAL newsletter is solely owned and independently operated by Josh Caplan, separate from any employer affiliations.

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