A Monumental Milestone: Amazon's Market Capitalization Soars Past $2 Trillion Mark

In yet another testament to American ingenuity and free-market capitalism, e-commerce behemoth Amazon reached a staggering milestone yesterday - surpassing a whopping $2 trillion in market capitalization! This remarkable feat solidifies Amazon's position alongside industry titans like Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, and Alphabet as one of just five publicly-traded entities boasting valuations exceeding this astronomical figure.

Under the visionary leadership of Chairman and Founder Jeff Bezos, Amazon's impressive ascent saw its stocks soar to unprecedented heights, reaching a historic high-water mark of approximately $193 per share – representing a gain of roughly 3.5%. As investors continue to flock toward innovative technologies driving growth, particularly Artificial Intelligence-powered solutions offered through AWS, it comes as little surprise that Amazon finds itself basking in the warm glow of Wall Street adoration.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Phoned Russia (First Time This Year!)

In a rare display of diplomatic effort, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin engaged in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, marking the first high-level contact between the two nations' top military officials since April 2023.

According to Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, Sec. Austin took the initiative to reach out to the Russians. “The secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.”

It appears that recent events may have prompted this sudden desire for dialogue. Last weekend saw tensions escalate when Ukraine launched an audacious missile strike using American-supplied ATACMs targeting the occupied Crimean Peninsula - still recognized internationally as sovereign Ukrainian land despite being annexed by Moscow nine years ago. This brazen move defied Washington's explicit ban on firing long-range munitions onto Russian soil.