Business
VIX Surges Over 11 Percent as Traders Brace for Heightened Market Uncertainty
NEW YORK — The VIX, Wall Street’s widely followed “fear gauge,” jumped sharply Tuesday, climbing above 19 as investors priced in greater near-term uncertainty amid shifting economic signals and geopolitical developments.
The Cboe Volatility Index rose 2.03 points, or 11.75 percent, to 19.31 in morning trading. The move marked one of the larger daily percentage gains of the year and reflected increased demand for portfolio protection.
The VIX, which measures implied volatility in S&P 500 options over the next 30 days, often rises when equity markets face pressure or uncertainty. Tuesday’s increase coincided with broader market caution as traders assessed mixed economic data and corporate earnings flows.
Analysts noted the spike follows a period of relatively subdued volatility. The index had traded in lower ranges earlier in the month before recent moves pushed it higher. Such jumps frequently signal shifting sentiment among options traders hedging against potential downside.
The rise comes against a backdrop of ongoing attention to Federal Reserve policy expectations, corporate earnings momentum, and global events. While equity benchmarks have shown resilience in recent sessions, underlying concerns about inflation trends, growth prospects, and international tensions have kept participants on edge.
Market Context and Drivers
Volatility products saw heightened activity as the VIX climbed. Options trading volumes increased, with participants adjusting positions to account for potential swings in the coming weeks. The move reversed some of the calm that had characterized markets earlier in June.
Cboe data showed the VIX futures curve maintaining a contango structure, though the spot index’s rapid rise narrowed some spreads. Market participants monitor these dynamics closely for signals about expected persistence of volatility.
The S&P 500 and other major indexes traded with modest changes amid the volatility pickup. Technology and growth shares faced some pressure, while defensive sectors saw relative strength. Bond yields and currency markets also reflected shifting risk appetites.
Historically, VIX levels around 19 indicate moderate concern but remain well below peaks seen during periods of acute stress. The index has ranged from the mid-teens to over 30 in recent years, with spikes often tied to specific catalysts.
Broader Implications
A higher VIX typically corresponds with increased hedging costs for equity investors. Portfolio managers may adjust allocations, reduce leverage, or purchase protective options when the gauge rises. The move could influence sentiment heading into upcoming economic releases and corporate reports.
Analysts caution against overinterpreting single-day moves. The VIX often experiences sharp swings that later moderate as new information emerges. Sustained elevation above 20 would signal more entrenched caution, while a quick retreat might indicate the spike was largely technical.
The current environment features several crosscurrents. Strong corporate earnings in select sectors contrast with softening indicators in housing and consumer spending. Central bank officials continue signaling data-dependent policy approaches, adding to uncertainty.
Geopolitical factors also contribute. Developments in trade relations, energy markets, and international conflicts can quickly influence risk perceptions and drive volatility higher. Traders remain attuned to potential flashpoints.
Historical Perspective and Strategy
The VIX has averaged in the mid-teens during periods of market calm but can surge rapidly during corrections or crises. Notable spikes occurred during past events such as the 2008 financial crisis, 2020 pandemic volatility, and more recent banking sector stresses.
Investors use VIX-related products, including futures, options, and exchange-traded notes, to express views on volatility or hedge portfolios. These instruments require careful management due to their complex pricing dynamics and potential for rapid value changes.
Financial advisers often recommend maintaining diversified portfolios and avoiding reactive decisions based solely on volatility readings. Long-term investors have historically been rewarded for staying the course through periods of elevated uncertainty.
Market strategists suggest monitoring upcoming data points, including inflation readings, employment figures, and Federal Reserve communications. These releases could influence whether the recent VIX increase proves temporary or signals a broader shift in sentiment.
Looking Forward
As trading continues, attention will focus on whether the VIX sustains its higher levels or retreats toward recent averages. Options expiration cycles and major economic events often drive short-term movements in the index.
The spike serves as a reminder of markets’ sensitivity to changing conditions. While not yet at levels indicating panic, the move underscores the importance of risk management in the current environment.
Participants across Wall Street will continue watching the VIX alongside other indicators for clues about the market’s evolving risk-reward balance. The coming sessions could provide further insight into whether this volatility pickup marks the start of a more turbulent period or remains an isolated development.
Business
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Business
Hydration tracking: Should you be tracking your water level?
Flouris is a little sceptical of sweat-sensing.
Referring to various unnamed devices that analyse sweat, which he has evaluated in the lab, he says, “Most of these products that we’ve tested do not show the level of accuracy that you would expect.” The results of his experiments are as-yet unpublished.
Sweat sensors, Flouris suggests, work best when worn during long bouts of physical activity – such as a marathon. But they struggle when the exertion is more varied and intermittent. Think a footballer switching from walking to suddenly running very quickly.
In response, Ghaffari says he and his colleagues have published peer-reviewed papers, external on the accuracy of Epicore Biosystems’ gadgets.
He acknowledges that analysing sweat loss over short intervals up to 20 minutes long “can be challenging” but says his company’s products appear effective for 30-minute, or longer, workouts.
Perhaps the most common hydration-focused products available are the smart water bottles that remind you to take a sip throughout the day.
“We try to make it fun,” says Cem Bakiş, head of business development at WaterH, which has a glowing ring that blinks in order to prompt its owner to take a drink. “You can add friends, you can earn points.”
Some smart water bottles work by estimating the weight of liquid in them, and how that changes over time as the drink inside is consumed. But WaterH takes a different approach.
Sensors detect when the water bottle is tipped at an angle, and also the flow rate of fluid as it leaves the vessel. The water bottle will immediately recognise when you’ve had a sufficient quantity of liquid, stresses Bakiş.
I point out that, while some reviews online are positive, other comments criticise the accuracy of these measurements. This is often an issue with how the device is calibrated, and easily rectified, responds Bakiş.
If you don’t want to take instructions in hydration from a water bottle, though, you always have the option of asking your toilet how things are going.
Vivoo makes a urine-analysing gizmo that sits on the rim of a toilet bowl, promising to help you understand your hydration “like never before”.
The device uses optical sensors to work out your “urine specific gravity” – a measure of urine’s density compared to clean water. The denser it is, the more dehydrated you are, generally. Small print on Vivoo’s website emphasises that its products are not intended to provide medical diagnoses.
Urine-based measurements are used to evaluate hydration in scientific studies, says Flouris. Though he notes that there can be some delay between a person entering a dehydrated state, and this becoming detectable in their urine.
Business
Forrestdale lead-acid battery recycling plant opens
Scrap metal dealer Paul Owens has opened a new $12 million recycling plant focused on traditional lead-acid batteries in Perth’s southern suburbs.
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Dollar hits 13-month high as rate-hike bets, stock rout boost demand

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Thanks to SpaceX, Index Funds Won’t Track Each Other as Closely. One Pro’s Advice.
In the pre-SpaceX days, it didn’t really matter which major index benchmark an investor chose, whether it was constructed by Standard & Poor’s, the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP), or FTSE Russell. They all returned essentially the same amount.
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Getty Images Jumps Following OpenAI Partnership
Shares of Getty Images more than doubled after the company disclosed a display agreement with OpenAI. The stock jumped 104%, to $1.23 a share Monday. Through Friday’s close, Getty Images shares had lost more than half of their value since the beginning of the year.
Under the partnership agreement, Getty said its licensed content libraries will appear across OpenAI search and discovery experiences within ChatGPT, enabling the use of Getty’s content within the artificial-intelligence platform.
Business
NYT Connections #1109 Answers for June 24, 2026 Revealed
Wednesday’s edition of The New York Times’ popular word-grouping game served up a grid built around classic rock bands, wedding traditions, and a clever color-themed character category that lured solvers toward an early, incorrect grouping before the actual answer revealed itself.
How the Game Works
Connections by The New York Times is a unique daily word game that fans can enjoy online for free. The puzzle challenges players to sort a given set of 16 words into groups of four. Each group features a hidden theme that connects the four words that belong in it. Players get only four guesses to find out how the words are connected and categorize them accordingly. The game also provides a “one away…” pop-up as a hint whenever a player chooses three out of the four correct words in a group. The four groups, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, are divided according to the level of their difficulty, with Yellow being the easiest to sort and Purple featuring the trickiest theme to figure out.
Wednesday’s Four Categories
The themes and answers for the June 24, 2026, NYT Connections puzzle were as follows:
Yellow Group: Prog Bands — GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, RUSH.
Green Group: Classic Wedding Gifts — CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY, TOASTER.
Blue Group: Red Characters — CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN, MR. KRABS.
Purple Group: Rhyming Compound Words — CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, MUMBO JUMBO.
The Color Trap That Caught Solvers Off Guard
Puzzle number 1109 features some heavy misdirection, with several words seemingly fitting into different themes before revealing the true groupings. Watch out for the red herrings today. At first glance, words like Pink and Deadpool look like they could fit into a simple color theme, but committing to that group early will cost you lives.
The trap centers specifically on Pink Floyd’s inclusion in the yellow prog-rock category, since the word “Pink” on its own could plausibly suggest a color-based grouping alongside the actually correct blue category of red-colored fictional characters. One solver described falling into exactly that confusion while working through the grid: “Not being familiar with the work of Kool-Aid Man put me at a disadvantage today and was the reason for my single mistake. While I knew that Clifford of Big Red Dog fame, Deadpool and Mr. Krabs favored the color red.”
Breaking Down the Categories
The yellow category gathered four influential progressive rock bands, bringing together Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Rush — a relatively straightforward grouping for fans of classic rock, though the inclusion of Pink Floyd specifically created the color-based misdirection that tripped up several solvers elsewhere in the grid.
The green category required players to think about traditional gift-giving customs, linking China, Luggage, Money, and Toaster as classic items associated with wedding registries and gift lists.
The blue category, despite its color-based misdirection trap, ultimately gathered four fictional characters who all happen to be red in appearance: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Deadpool, the Kool-Aid Man, and Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Purple Category’s Wordplay Challenge
As is typical for Connections puzzles, the purple category delivered the day’s most inventive twist, built around compound phrases that rhyme internally. The category brought together Chick Flick, Helter Skelter, Humpty Dumpty, and Mumbo Jumbo — four well-known rhyming compound terms that required solvers to think specifically about phrase structure rather than shared meaning or category.
Strategic Advice From Puzzle Outlets
Ahead of revealing the solution, several outlets offered general guidance for navigating Wednesday’s grid. We recommend looking closely at proper names and word structure first. Separating band names from characters and common terms will make the remaining words significantly easier to manage.
Other strategists emphasized broader habits worth building into a daily Connections routine. Before submitting a set of words, you should always check whether they fit somewhere else too. If you hit a dead end, use the shuffle button at the bottom of the grid — placing the words in different positions can spark new connections and act as a mental refresh, helping new patterns emerge that may not have been obvious in the original layout.
A Moderate Difficulty Rating
Despite the color-based misdirection built into the puzzle, early tester feedback suggested Wednesday’s challenge landed closer to the middle of the difficulty spectrum overall. NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2.5 out of 5, putting it in the medium difficulty level — a rating that aligns with the mixed reactions from solvers who successfully avoided the Pink Floyd trap versus those who fell for it.
The Game’s Continued Popularity
Connections is one of the most popular online word games from The New York Times, closely trailing behind Wordle. The puzzle presents players with a 16-word, four-by-four grid that has helped cement the game’s status as a daily ritual for millions of solvers since its 2023 launch.
Where to Find More Puzzle Help
Besides Connections, other puzzles that fans can play on The New York Times Games collection include Wordle, Strands, Pips, the NYT Crosswords, and Sudoku, among others. Wednesday’s slate also included Wordle puzzle number 1831 and Strands puzzle number 843, giving puzzle enthusiasts a full menu of additional daily challenges beyond the standard Connections grid alone.
With Wednesday’s puzzle now solved by players who successfully navigated the Pink Floyd color trap and identified the rhyming compound words hidden in the purple category, attention turns to Thursday’s edition, puzzle number 1110, when a fresh sixteen-word grid and an entirely new set of hidden categories — and likely a fresh round of cleverly placed red herrings — will once again test the Connections community’s pattern-recognition skills before their four guesses run out.
Business
Rubio kicks off Middle East trip as allies seek answers on Iran

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Trump touts Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs during Mack Trucks visit
President Donald Trump said over 2,000 manufacturing jobs were created in Pennsylvania in recent months during a speech at the Mack Trucks facility in the state.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday visited the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, to tout his economic agenda in a battleground district ahead of this fall’s midterm elections.
Trump spoke to a crowd at the Mack Trucks facility while accompanied by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., who represents the Keystone State’s 7th congressional district where the plant is located. Mackenzie is running for reelection and will face Democratic challenger Bob Brooks this fall.
The president touted the impact of his economic policies on Pennsylvania, saying that they’ve helped boost job creation in the commonwealth with a particular focus on manufacturing jobs.
“More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country. And we’ve created over… 32,000 new jobs just starting in Pennsylvania alone. But you have to get credit for that,” Trump said. “And in the last few months alone, we’ve added 2,600 Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, and that number’s going to go much higher as the factories start to open.”
JOHNSON & JOHNSON TO INVEST $1B IN PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURING FACILITY

President Donald Trump touted manufacturing jobs in his Pennsylvania speech at a Mack Trucks facility on Tuesday. (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Trump also praised the role of Mack Trucks, which is owned by Volvo Group of Sweden, in supporting both the regional and national economy with its production.
“For more than 100 years, this legendary company has been making trucks right here in Eastern Pennsylvania, building the heavy machinery that keeps our economy rolling on, factories moving and our industries rolling all across the nation,” Trump said.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLVLY | VOLVO AB | 32.4 | -0.92 | -2.76% |
| NOK | NOKIA OYJ | 13.70 | -0.73 | -5.06% |
| LLY | ELI LILLY & CO. | 1,107.08 | +5.00 | +0.45% |
TRUMP GREENLIGHTS U.S. STEEL DEAL, PROMISING $11B INVESTMENT AND 100,000 AMERICAN JOBS
He also said that his move to roll back the Biden administration’s fuel emissions regulations, arguing that those more stringent standards would’ve raised costs on consumers and created problems for companies like Mack Trucks.
“I terminated Biden’s disastrous fuel emission standards that would have crushed Mack Trucks here,” Trump said. “It was the most insane environmental regulation ever conceived of by men. It was totally unreasonable and ridiculous, and you can sell trucks for much less money, that are much better trucks that work, that actually work.”

President Donald Trump at the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa., Tuesday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
TRUMP ORDERS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO PRIORITIZE AMERICAN-MADE GOODS AND CURB WAIVER USE
Trump’s speech also referenced other notable investments in the region’s manufacturing industries, including the pharmaceutical, medical products and chip-making sectors.
“Eli Lilly has just announced — great company, by the way, drug company — a $3.5 billion investment in a brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility right down the road that’s going to create over a thousand jobs. Just that one,” Trump explained.
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“Nokia is investing $30 million to expand its semiconductor testing and packaging operations, thousands of jobs,” he added. “And B. Braun has announced a $20 million expansion of its medical device manufacturing operation in Allentown.”
Business
Miles McBride partners with 1800 Tequila to honor Knicks championship
Former Modell’s Sporting Goods CEO Mitch Modell discusses his return to business with MitchModell.com, where he is selling New York Knicks-themed T-shirts, on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
The first New York Knicks NBA championship in 53 years has the entire city still in rapture days after beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
This special moment in Knicks history is something the players have not taken for granted, and one of them is working alongside 1800 Tequila to commemorate the moment in special fashion.
Miles “Deuce” McBride teamed up with the tequila brand to gift his teammates with custom New York-themed bottles of 1800 Milenio Tequila, which is the brand’s luxury expression made for legendary milestones like the Knicks had this season.
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Miles “Deuce” McBride teamed up with 1800 Tequila to create 30 exclusive bottles to commemorate the team’s NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs. (1800 Tequila)
The bottles were designed specifically for the championship season by local illustrator and longtime Knicks fan Fefi. They feature New York City iconography, hometown sayings, and have visual nods to the grit, pride and energy that have been seen throughout this historic playoff run all around the bottle.
There were only 30 bottles created and gifted to the roster and several staff members from McBride, with each one being a personal keepsake to remember this signature moment in New York sports history.
KNICKS’ FANATICS CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR FLYING OFF THE SHELVES IN RECORD FASHION
“I’d say legacy means so much to me. The legacy of 1800 [Tequila] being passed down, it just correlates really well with everything in my life, everything New York, and everything Knicks,” McBride said.

Miles “Deuce” McBride with New York illustrator Fefi, who delivered the artistry for 1800 Tequila’s 30 commemorative bottles for the Knicks’ championship. (1800 Tequila)
The Knicks made 1800 Tequila the official tequila of the team, and that partnership was on full display during the playoff run. While having sold-out Knicks limited edition bottles, it also launched Row 18(00), which was a campaign featuring New York-based content creators that gave real Knicks fans who may have gotten priced out of attending playoff games at Madison Square Garden the chance to watch from Row 18 inside the arena.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, which marked the first finals game at MSG since 1999, had an average sale price around $7,683, according to Vivid Seats earlier this month. The cheapest ticket to attend was $3,940, and those four-figure prices were also seen earlier in the playoffs.

Jordyn Woods, the fiancee of Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, looks down at 1800 Tequila bottle commemorating the Knicks’ championship. (1800 Tequila)
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