All posts tagged: spending

Anthropic takes B from Amazon and pledges 0B in cloud spending in return

Anthropic takes $5B from Amazon and pledges $100B in cloud spending in return

Published by skeptic

Anthropic announced on Monday that Amazon has agreed to invest a fresh $5 billion, bringing Amazon’s total investment in the company to $13 billion. Anthropic, for its part, has agreed to spend over $100 billion on AWS over the next 10 years, obtaining up to 5 GW of new computing capacity to train and run Claude. The deal echoes an agreement Amazon struck with OpenAI just two months ago, when it joined a $110 billion funding round — contributing $50 billion — that valued the ChatGPT maker at a $730 billion pre-money valuation. That deal, too, was structured partly as cloud infrastructure services rather than straight cash. At the heart of this deal is Amazon’s custom chips: Graviton (a low-power CPU) and Trainium (an Nvidia competitor and AI accelerator chip). The Anthropic deal specifically covers Trainium2 through Trainium4 chips, even though Trainium4 chips are not currently available. The latest chip, Trainium3, was released in December. On top of that, Anthropic has secured the option to buy capacity on future Amazon chips as they become available. …

Ethical Spending Without Losing Your Mind

Ethical Spending Without Losing Your Mind

Published by Sam Flores

After talking with Harvard Business School’s Nien-Hê Hsieh about moral gray zones in leadership, Tom and Amber zoom in on the everyday gray zones most of us face: What do you do when ethical clothing costs twice as much? Should you switch banks if yours funds fossil fuels? How much label-scanning is too much? From private school garage sales as a surprisingly ethical hack to choosing a local community bank over a national giant, they explore creative “third ways” that move beyond cynicism or naïveté. Tom introduces the idea of a spending “shot clock” – a time limit to keep values-driven decisions from turning into analysis paralysis. Grounded in listener questions and ancient wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, this episode offers practical guidance for the conscious consumer – and helps us let go of the illusion that any purchase can ever be perfect. Source link

Reeves in talks over ‘war bonds’ to fund defence spending

Reeves in talks over ‘war bonds’ to fund defence spending

Published by Sam Flores

Rachel Reeves is considering issuing war bonds to fund increased defence spending, The Telegraph has learnt. Members of the public and financial institutions would be able to buy bonds to raise money that would be ring-fenced for national security. The Chancellor is reviewing whether this could solve the impasse over how to raise £17.6bn to meet the Government’s pledge to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2029-2030. A poster from 1918 promotes the sale of Victory Bonds John Healey, the Defence Secretary, is understood to be interested in the idea, which has been raised with him privately in recent weeks. Issuing bonds would be less politically problematic than funding defence by cutting the welfare budget, which military chiefs and some Cabinet ministers have backed in recent weeks. Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to explain how his Government will achieve its flagship spending target amid mounting criticism of the state of the military. Lord Hain, a Labour peer who was a Cabinet minister in the Brown and Blair governments, has argued …

Politics Home | Labour MP Calls For Pension Triple Lock Reform To Fund Defence Spending Boost

Politics Home | Labour MP Calls For Pension Triple Lock Reform To Fund Defence Spending Boost

Published by Sam Flores

4 min read19 min A Labour backbencher has called for the pension triple lock to be reformed to help fund a rise in defence spending. Graeme Downie, who was elected as the Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar in 2024, wrote in The House this weekend that the government should be brave enough to ask older people who “benefited financially from peace” to make a greater contribution to future national security.  “If there is to be a true whole of society approach to defence, and younger people could be expected to die, what are older people willing to sacrifice?” he wrote. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to expedite plans to raise defence spending amid warnings that international conflicts pose an increasing threat to the UK. As things stand, the government is committed to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2027, with the target of reaching 3 per cent in the next parliament. Starmer has recently indicated that he is willing to go further, but is facing growing calls, including from senior Labour figures, to detail how he will …

Defence spending should not be a choice of welfare or warfare | Military

Defence spending should not be a choice of welfare or warfare | Military

Published by Sam Flores

I was pleased to see your editorial challenging the rightwing narrative from George Robertson, who is demanding less welfare and more warfare (The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump?, 14 April). Why not extend the argument about the purpose of UK defence strategy to Nato more generally? The role of Nato is tied to the declining power of the US, as we can see when Donald Trump resents paying for it, but then expects support when he lashes out at other nations such as Iran. The fact is the Nato “alliance” has always been about an extension of American military power, a threat which triggers the increased militarism of other nations as a response. All the grand talk of alliance obligations will amount to nothing if the US opposes the action, something we will see for ourselves if Israel extends its regional wars to Turkey (a Nato member). Does anyone really believe the UK will be going to war against Israel if Turkey invokes the mutual defence agreement?Joe HartneyLondon …

Pope Leo speaks of ‘handful of tyrants’ spending billions on war : NPR

Pope Leo speaks of ‘handful of tyrants’ spending billions on war : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Pope Leo XIV leaves at the end of a meeting for peace at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, with the local community, April 16, 2026, on the fourth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. Andrew Medichini/AP hide caption toggle caption Andrew Medichini/AP LAGOS, Nigeria — Pope Leo XIV has delivered striking remarks in Cameroon, condemning global leaders who, he said, are “ravaging the world” by spending billions on war. The comments come amid a growing public dispute with President Trump over the ongoing war in Iran. In a speech in St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the Cameroonian city of Bamenda, the pope sharply criticized those who use religion to justify military actions. “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” he stated. “Blessed are the peacemakers!” he said. “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness …

Americans Have Mostly Stopped Buying These 3 Things, According To Data

Americans Have Mostly Stopped Buying These 3 Things, According To Data

Published by Jenni Sidey

Angelic Lagor, known on TikTok as @quittingdebt, shared a video about things Americans are no longer purchasing as frequently, if at all, because they’re just not worth the money. Since we’re all pinching pennies these days, her observations are spot on. She explained, “The problem is, people are making sacrifices, but because their wages aren’t keeping up with inflation, we’re really starting to see the pain point.” For decades, Americans have found themselves in a pattern of earn, spend, and repeat. Whether it’s buying the latest upgrade or repurchasing a well-used product, people shell out their hard-earned cash at every opportunity. However, this cycle is beginning to break. Here are 3 things that Americans have mostly stopped spending money on because they aren’t worth the price anymore: 1. Cars Standret | Shutterstock “Car sales have fallen for the first time since 2022, and I really feel like it’s accredited to the fact that there are now subscriptions tied to auto,” Lagor said. The costs of owning a car can add up extremely fast. Between lease …

“Never seen spending like this”: House Dems grill Vought on war spending

“Never seen spending like this”: House Dems grill Vought on war spending

Published by Sam Flores

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Vought faced harsh criticism over Iran War spending increases from a slew of Democratic lawmakers in the House on Wednesday. As the costs of the Iran War continue to rise, Vought faced an onslaught of questions about the Trump administration’s budgetary decisions. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., asked Vought if fighting “a war of choice” with Iran was more important than “economic development” in the U.S., including social welfare and education programs. Coleman chided Vought for being a part of a “narrative” around the war that “has nothing to do with reality.” “It’s not a war of choice,” Vought insisted. “It’s a security objective.” Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., pressed Vought on the “shocking surge of Pentagon spending” requested by the administration. “We have never seen funding like this,” Balint said, asking Vought if the asked-for $350 billion would “lower costs for Americans” while noting that the amount could fund the Affordable Care Act subsidies for a decade. Vought responded by praising Trump for having “led on …

BofA Sees Customer Gas Spending Jump 16%, But Discretionary Spending Holds Up

BofA Sees Customer Gas Spending Jump 16%, But Discretionary Spending Holds Up

Published by Jenni Sidey

The national average for 87-octane gasoline has remained above the politically sensitive $4-a-gallon level for two straight weeks after the largest monthly jump in AAA data going back two decades. The fuel shock has Wall Street analysts focused on whether surging pump prices will begin crowding out discretionary spending. Bank of America CFO Alastair Borthwick told analysts on a conference call earlier today that the fuel shock at the pump has not undermined overall consumer strength so far, though that could change if the Hormuz chokepoint is not resolved in the near term, according to Bloomberg.  The BofA presentation Alastair cited showed that, for the first quarter, consumer spending at the pump was up 3%. For March, gas spending soared 16%. However, no meaningful spending pullbacks were visible elsewhere: Entertainment, travel, and retail spending all remained healthy, with entertainment spending rising 12% in the quarter. BofA has joined a number of other firms, including Chime Financial, in disclosing gas-cost impacts on their customers. Chime’s CFO warned earlier this month that clients spent 25% more on fuel …

Expert tips on borrowing cash, from everyday spending to £20k loans | Borrowing & debt

Expert tips on borrowing cash, from everyday spending to £20k loans | Borrowing & debt

Published by Sam Flores

Until recently, if you wanted to buy something you couldn’t afford upfront, you reached for a credit card or took out a loan. Now, when you get to the checkout, you are likely to be faced with other options, including buy now, pay later (BNPL). With so many ways to borrow, the true costs and complexities aren’t always clear. Which option will actually save you the most money in the long run? And how might each option affect your credit score? We spoke to financial experts to get some answers. £100 At this level, the cost depends on how quickly you repay it, says James Caldwell, director of Clifton Private Finance. “If you use a credit card and clear the balance within the same billing cycle, it costs nothing,” he says. But if you take longer to repay, unless you have a 0% on purchases deal, the costs can rise quickly. With many credit cards typically charging interest at about 36% APR, you could end up paying £15 to £20 in interest on top of …