14 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Terrence O'Brien

Terrence O'Brien

Weekend Editor

Weekend Editor

    More From Terrence O'Brien

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    Kalshi and Polymarket are trying to convince investors they’re worth $20 billion.

    Fresh off another round of controversial bets, accusations of insider trading, and general profiting off human suffering, the two biggest prediction markets are seeking fresh funds. According to the Wall Street Journal, both companies are trying to lure investors at a valuation of $20 billion, nearly twice last year’s.

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    “Until now, creativity has been stifled by the need to acquire playing skills.”

    The BBC’s hottest take in 1986 about kids making music on computers is, let’s say, questionable. But watching kids create a composition in this recently dug up clip on what appears to be a Yamaha CX5M and seeing how far music software has come is fascinating.

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    Bandcamp Friday is here again.

    The next one won’t be until May 1st, so if you’ve been itching to pick anything up, maybe today is the day. Let me know what you’re grabbing in the comments. I’m eyeing a few things, including the collab between Montreal rapper cropscropscrops and NYC producer Vaygrnt: We’ve Been After Each Other.

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    Apparently, there is a bottom to Polymarket’s depravity.

    The site seems to be drawing a line at betting on nuclear war. Even though Polymarket has allowed betting on whether or not there would be a nuclear detonation in a particular year previously, the possibility of a nuclear apocalypse in 2026 might be just a bit too real. According to 404 Media:

    For a few hours on Tuesday, Polymarket hosted a bet about the possibility of nuclear war in 2026. The market asked the question “Nuclear weapon detonation by …?” and racked up close to a million dollars in trading volume before Polymarket took the unusual step to remove the market from its website.

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos says he’s not pivoting to another studio after losing out on Warner Bros.

    In an interview with Bloomberg, he explained why he backed out of the deal and said Netflix pursued Warner because it was a unique opportunity. “We definitely wanted this asset. We didn’t need it,” he said, praising its “incredible IP” and long history. But he was clear the plan was to just move on:

    Is there a world in which you guys go after another studio in the next 6 to 12 months?

    Unlikely. We are builders, not buyers. All that is still true.

    So how are you going to use that $2.8 billion?

    Just keep investing in the business.

    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    Some people made a lot of money on suspiciously timed bets about bombing Iran.

    Every time there’s a major event, it seems like some people head to Polymarket to make a quick buck at just the right time. It happened with the Super Bowl, with Nicolás Maduro, and now with Iran. In total, over $529 million was traded related to the timing of the strikes, but according to Bloomberg:

    Six accounts on Polymarket made around $1 million in profit by betting on the US to strike Iran by Feb. 28, according to analytics firm Bubblemaps SA. The accounts were all freshly created in February and had only ever placed bets on when US strikes might occur. Some of their shares were purchased, in some cases at roughly a dime apiece, hours before the first explosions were reported in Tehran.