War is over if you want it 🎶 — and good news for stocks

Plus, a family is suing ChatGPT for failing to stop the mass shooting involving their daughter

Author

Matt Davis
March 11, 2026

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Happy Wednesday, !

And now for some news you really N2K…

Matt Davis — Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

What’s the stock market up to, eh?*

Companies mentioned in today’s newsletter

War is over if you want it 🎶 — and good news for stocks

SATIRICAL AI IMAGE created by the editor using Google’s Nano Banana Pro. It’s supposed to look like John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous “Bed Peace” protest. What do you think?

Wall Street is playing a waiting game. After Brent crude lurched from nearly $120 per barrel down to $82.90 yesterday $BZG23 ( 0.0% ) — a 16% plunge in hours — investors are hunting for any signal on how long the Iran war might last. The catalyst? President Trump telling CBS he thinks "the war is very complete, pretty much." Markets exhaled. Oil tumbled. Asian and European indexes soared — South Korea jumped 5.3%, Hong Kong 2.2%.

Then reality intervened. Trump's later comments were murkier. Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared that "Iran will determine when the war ends." New attacks hit Israel and Gulf Arab states Tuesday.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the flashpoint. A fifth of global oil typically flows through the waterway off Iran's coast — now effectively blocked. Trump threatened to hit Iran "TWENTY TIMES HARDER" if they stop oil flow entirely.

"The outlook for oil right now is about as binary as it gets," said Hakan Kaya of Neuberger Berman, talking to the Associated Press. "Either the Strait of Hormuz reopens and you see a massive unwind of the risk premium, or it stays shut and we are looking at the largest supply disruption in modern history. There is no middle ground."

The stakes extend beyond portfolios. Prolonged high oil prices threaten stagflation (stagnant growth paired with stubborn inflation) squeezing already stretched household budgets.

Parents sue ChatGPT for hoarding info on mass shooting

ChatGPT: It’s in legal trouble over a mass shooting in Canada.

A landmark lawsuit is forcing uncomfortable questions about AI's role in real-world violence. The parents of Maya Gebala, a girl critically wounded in a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, filed a civil lawsuit Monday alleging that OpenAI knew its chatbot was being used to plan the attack — and did nothing.

The legal claim, filed in British Columbia Supreme Court, alleges that OpenAI had "specific knowledge of the shooter utilizing ChatGPT to plan a mass casualty event like the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting."

The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of the AI as more than a tool. It claims ChatGPT "was used by the shooter as a trusted confidante, collaborator, and ally" and that the chatbot "behaves willingly to assist users such as the shooter to plan a mass casualty event."

The human cost of the alleged behavior is devastating. Maya was shot three times at close range — once in the head, once in the neck, and a third bullet grazing her cheek. She now faces a catastrophic brain injury, leaving her with permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Quote of the Day

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Low-cost carriers don't have that cushion, which means their passengers will bear the full brunt.

How could rising oil prices affect air fares?

Pictured: You paying for your vacation airfare this summer?

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through the travel industry, and your summer vacation plans could feel the impact. Since hostilities began on February 28, oil prices have swung wildly, and jet fuel costs surged more than 58% in just one week.

For context, when oil prices jumped over 40% following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, airfares climbed 28 percent. What can travelers expect this time?

United Airlines $UAL ( ▲ 0.2% ) CEO Scott Kirby warned the New York Times that higher fuel costs would "probably start quick." Industry analyst Henry H. Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group noted: "The second he said it, that gave airlines permission to increase fares."

"Budget airlines such as Spirit $SAVEQ ( ▲ 0.43% )  and Frontier $FRONT ( ▲ 1.62% )  are in the toughest position," said Julian Kheel of Points Path. "Low-cost carriers don't have that cushion, which means their passengers will bear the full brunt."

What should you do? Scott Keyes of Going.com advises booking sooner rather than later — but choose refundable fares. That way, "if you're concerned about the price dropping later, you're not out of luck."

I’m going to wait until this whole Iran thing blows over before booking my trip to London for the summer, personally.

Goldman Sachs offers hedge funds new ways to bet against AI-threatened software companies

Goldman Sachs: Amazingly, the firm is sometimes criticized for making money off people’s misfortune.

Wall Street is gearing up for a potential wave of distress in the software industry, and Goldman Sachs $GS ( ▼ 0.37% ) is positioning itself at the center of the action. The investment bank has been pitching hedge funds on complex trading strategies to short corporate loans, particularly those tied to enterprise software companies facing existential threats from artificial intelligence advancements — reports the Financial Times.

Between 2020 and 2024, private equity firms poured hundreds of billions of dollars into acquiring enterprise software makers. Now, with AI rapidly transforming the technology landscape, many of these investments look increasingly vulnerable. Goldman's proposed solution? Total return swaps — derivatives that allow investors to profit when loan prices decline. The bank has received numerous client requests for these instruments in recent weeks, according to the report.

"There's more discussion than I've ever seen in my career about broker-dealers trying to assist and partner with hedge funds to short loans," revealed one portfolio manager with decades of Wall Street experience.

Goldman acknowledged its role cautiously: "As a market-maker, we obviously engage constantly with clients on facilitating the trading strategies they want to execute."

Which I think is the bank’s way of saying that it plans to get rich while Rome burns.

Song of the Day: Cameron Whitcomb, ‘You and Me’

"You and Me" is a soulful departure for Cameron Whitcomb, trading his usual grit for a sincere love anthem. It blends raw emotional honesty with a polished, melodic sound. The song captures the vulnerability of a deep connection, proving the former “American Idol” standout's versatility…just like this newsletter.

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Uber’s women-only option goes nationwide in the US

Uber $UBER ( ▲ 0.53% ) rolled out a new safety feature Monday allowing women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched exclusively with other women — a move aimed at addressing longstanding concerns about sexual assault on its platform.

The "Women Drivers" option lets female passengers request a woman driver through the app, reserve trips with women in advance, or set a general preference to increase their chances of being matched with female drivers. Women who drive for Uber can similarly opt to pick up only female passengers.

The feature comes after years of sexual assault reports from both passengers and drivers. In February, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who was raped by a driver.

Attorney Ann Olivarius, who specializes in sex discrimination cases, supports Uber's position: "Lowering a client's risk of rape — is that a business necessity? I would argue that it is a business necessity," she told the Associated Press.

San Francisco driver Melody Flores embraces the feature for her overnight shifts: "Especially when you work overnight, it's been nice to have that feature,” she said.

However, driver and industry blogger Sergio Avedian questioned its practicality given the limited number of female drivers, asking: "Are you going to sit there in front of the bar and wait an extra 20 minutes to get matched to a woman?"

I think my answer based on a quick Google would be “yes,” Sergio. But let us know what you think, Cheddfriends, in today’s poll of the day!

The rollout continues despite an ongoing California discrimination lawsuit from male drivers. Who else?

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👎️ 

No. It’s probably going to be the same answer for at least a few days here, honestly.

Poll of the day: Uber problematic?

You're a woman. You want an Uber. To quote one blogger; "Are you going to sit there in front of the bar and wait an extra 20 minutes to get matched to a woman?"

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Poll of the day: You’re not a fan of the shoes…

We asked: “Where should I send this pair of $145 Florsheim shoes?” since President Trump is reportedly obsessed with the shoes and buying them for all his male cabinet members. You answered:

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Straight to my home address, pal. I like a nice pair of Oxfords. (43)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Straight to the home of my worst enemy, with a bow on top. (59)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ I'm not gonna lie. I may feel different about the president, but that's still a nice pair of shoes. (58)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Regardless of what I think about the president's shoe choices I think he should be focused on other matters right now. (496)
656 Votes — via @beehiiv polls

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