All posts tagged: Surges

How Hyrox became the everyday athlete’s Everest as global participation surges

How Hyrox became the everyday athlete’s Everest as global participation surges

Published by Sam Flores

When Jessica Thompson walked into Hyrox Atlanta last October, she felt intimidated by the sea of fit bodies. She had spent months training for the fitness race, but now, watching muscled men and women sprint and squat, she questioned signing up. “I was terrified,” she said. “I almost turned around and walked out.” But as she ran through Hyrox’s signature start tunnel, she felt calm and confident. She was competing that day as an adaptive athlete. After surviving a car crash nearly 20 years earlier, she had limited movement in her left arm and struggled with balance. But she loved a challenge. And as she moved through the race, she was buoyed by cheering spectators. “I was used to being told everything I couldn’t do,” Thompson, 39, said. Showing herself that she could do a Hyrox, she said, was “life-changing.” Since Hyrox first began in Germany in 2017, the events have exploded in popularity. Races sell out in minutes, and in some cities, they have waiting lists of thousands. More than 1.5 million people in …

Sources: Cursor in talks to raise B+ at B valuation as enterprise growth surges

Sources: Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges

Published by skeptic

AI coding startup Cursor is nearing new funding in which the four-year-old company would raise at least $2 billion in fresh capital, according to four sources familiar with the matter. Returning investors Thrive and Andreessen Horowitz are expected to lead the financing at a $50 billion valuation, prior to the new capital injection, the people said. Battery Ventures, a new investor, may also participate in the financing, according to two sources. Strategic investor Nvidia is also expected to write a check, one person said. Although the round is already oversubscribed, the deal terms are not final and may still change. The financing, if completed, would nearly double Cursor’s previous $29.3 billion post-money valuation, achieved six months ago. Despite fierce competition from other AI-coding offerings, such as Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s revamped Codex, Cursor’s revenue continues to climb rapidly. Cursor forecasts ending 2026 with an annualized revenue run rate of more than $6 billion, two people said. This trajectory implies the company expects to at least triple its annualized revenue over the next 10 months. …

Rory McIlroy surges six clear and sets Masters record after stunning display

Rory McIlroy surges six clear and sets Masters record after stunning display

Published by Sam Flores

McIlroy sounded without fear about the prospect. “I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point. I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas,” he said. “Don’t protect it. Go out and play freely, keep swinging. A big part of the lesson from the 2011 Masters to the 2011 US Open was: don’t get protective. Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible.” McIlroy knows his pursuers well. In fact, he knows Patrick Reed only too well. The divisive American saw off McIlroy in the last pairing in 2018 to don his Green Jacket. And then, three years ago, McIlroy took a little revenge over Reed at the Dubai Desert Classic in an almighty ding-dong that involved the American throwing a tee at the Northern Irishman and a feud developing through the media. It could still be delicious and following his 69, Reed agreed. “It’s one of those golf courses that if you go …

Coachella Chaos? As Demand Surges, So Do Prices and Rental Rumors

Coachella Chaos? As Demand Surges, So Do Prices and Rental Rumors

Published by Daniella Wilson

The gates are open and Bieberchella, er Coachella, is officially underway. The 2026 edition of the Coachella Valley’s iconic music festival kicked off in the desert Friday with as many as 125,000 people expected to attend each day of the event, headlined by Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G. In all, more than 100 acts are set to perform across eight stages. That means lots of news is expected out of Coachella this weekend but even before the first beats hit the speakers, social media algorithms were in overdrive with festival chatter, gossip and controversies. One of the narratives that emerged in recent days came from content creators who claim their Airbnb reservations were abruptly canceled, presumably so owners could rebook the properties for thousands of dollars more due to increased demand amid the popularity of acts like Bieber. Based on the number of posts, it seemed like it was becoming something of a greedy trend. The comments sections under each video quickly filled with others claiming to have experienced the same shock days …

Inflation surges to highest in nearly two years : NPR

Inflation surges to highest in nearly two years : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Gasoline prices jumped more than a dollar a gallon in March, pushing inflation higher. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images The U.S. war with Iran and the resulting spike in energy prices have pushed inflation to its highest level in nearly two years. A report from the Labor Department Friday showed consumer prices in March were up 3.3% from a year ago. That’s the biggest annual increase since May of 2024. Prices jumped 0.9% between February and March, with higher gasoline prices accounting for nearly three-quarters of that increase. Gas prices have jumped by more than a dollar a gallon, on average, since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran. Pump prices have remained high this week, despite a tentative ceasefire. Higher jet fuel prices also contributed to a jump in the cost of airline tickets last month, although food prices were flat, as rising costs for restaurant meals offset a decline in grocery prices. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called “core” inflation was 2.6% in March. Inflation …

BYD EV demand surges as drivers ditch gas amid rising oil prices

BYD EV demand surges as drivers ditch gas amid rising oil prices

Published by skeptic

BYD is already seeing a flood of new EV buyers as gas and oil prices surge amid rising tensions in the Middle East. BYD’s bet on EVs is paying off Since it stopped building vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engines (ICEs) in 2022, BYD has become the world’s largest EV maker. The Chinese automaker ranked sixth in global sales in 2025, surpassing Ford for the first time, with over 4.6 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold. While sales growth has slowed over the past few months amid new competition and shifting policies, BYD is seeing an uptick in EV demand as buyers seek alternatives amid rising oil and gas prices. Advertisement – scroll for more content At one dealership in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, demand is so high that it booked a month’s worth of orders in just the past two weeks. “Clients are replacing units in favor of EVs because of the oil price hikes,” Dominique Poh, a salesman at the dealership, told Bloomberg. And it’s not just BYD that’s …

Armor-Piercing Ammo Metal Up 557% As China Chokes Supply, War Demand Surges

Armor-Piercing Ammo Metal Up 557% As China Chokes Supply, War Demand Surges

Published by Jenni Sidey

Tungsten, used in missiles, tank rounds, armor-piercing ammunition, and some smaller-caliber munitions, has surged in price over the last year as China curbed exports and global supplies tightened. This is a major concern, as multi-front conflicts – from the Middle East to Eastern Europe – are depleting interceptor missile supplies. Bloomberg cites new data from commodity price reporting agency Fastmarkets showing tungsten prices have surged to $2,250 per metric ton this month, up 557% since Beijing added certain tungsten products to its export control list in February of last year. “In my 12 years working across the commodity space and dealing with a lot of weird and wonderful metals, I have never seen a market as tight as tungsten is right now, aside from maybe lithium in 2021,” George Heppel, vice president of commodity research, told Bloomberg. He warned, “This isn’t like lithium, where there was a huge pipeline of projects that could come online.” The problem with rare earth metals is that China dominates the global market. It controls roughly 79% of global tungsten …

Global EV sales hit 1.1 million – Europe surges while the US slides

Global EV sales hit 1.1 million – Europe surges while the US slides

Published by skeptic

Volkswagen Touareg FINAL EDITION (Source: Volkswagen) Global EV sales hit 1.1 million units in February 2026, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. But the global market is now splitting sharply by region. While Europe’s EV sales are surging, North America is seeing a steep slowdown, and China is adjusting to new policies at home. February’s total was down 11% year-over-year and 11% below January. For the first two months of 2026, global EV sales reached 2.2 million units, down 8% compared to the same period last year. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence says the global EV market is now showing increasingly sharp regional contrasts. Global EV sales – February 2026 Year‑to‑date EV sales for January–February 2026 compared with the same period in 2025: Advertisement – scroll for more content Global: 2.2 million (-8%) China: 1.1 million (-26%) Europe: 0.6 million (+21%) North America: 0.17 million (-36%) Rest of world: 0.37 million (+84%) Europe is currently the main growth engine, while North America is seeing a steep slowdown and China is adjusting to policy changes at …

Oil surges, stocks retreat on fears of prolonged Iran war

Oil surges, stocks retreat on fears of prolonged Iran war

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK: Oil prices jumped Thursday (Mar 12) with Brent crude settling above US$100 a barrel for the first time since August 2022, as Iran vowed to make the United States regret launching its war against the country. The price of Brent crude surged 9.2 per cent to US$100.46 a barrel, while its US equivalent, West Texas Intermediate, climbed 9.7 per cent to US$95.73 a barrel. Stocks retreated as fears of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East took hold, with US and Israeli strikes on Iran continuing and Tehran’s retaliation bringing trade through the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual standstill.  Markets were not assuaged by US President Donald Trump’s proclamation that stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon was more important to him than controlling oil prices. “Markets are certainly moving with oil prices and the ongoing concerns about energy disruptions,” said Angelo Kourkafas, a senior analyst at Edward Jones. “There is less belief compared to the last couple of days now, at least from an investor’s perspective, that there’s going to be …