SMARTER IN 10

Polymarkets Betting Line on Peace Deal with Iran...58% by June 30th

April 17, 2026

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1. Polymarkets Betting Line on Peace Deal with Iran…58% by June 30th

Polymarket

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2. China EV Exports +124%

Sherwood News

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3. Home Sellers vs. Buyers Biggest Gap Ever

Barchart

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4. Diamond Prices Hit Record Low as Lab Grown Eats the Middle Market

Torsten Slok - Apollo

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5. Tax Refunds +11% this Year

Tax Refunds Climb Ahead Of April 15, IRS Data Show

April 13, 2026 • Medora Lee

The number of tax returns the IRS has received so far this tax season continue to lag last year's pace, but refunds are up more than 11%, IRS data show.

The average refund through Apr. 3 was $3,462, up 11.1% from $3,116 at the same time in 2025 while total returns received fell 1.6%, the IRS said. Total returns received was just over $99.8 million, down from more than $101.4 million a year ago.

 

Given the earliest filers tend to be the lowest income, refunds in the final week to the April 15 deadline the average payout could get another small boost, analysts said.

That should be encouraging news to Americans who are struggling under the weight of elevated prices and a slowing job market, analysts said.

"Tax refunds appear to be mitigating the gas price surge so far as both discretionary and nondiscretionary spending remain strong," said Christopher Horvers, analyst at JP Morgan.

“As the tax season progresses, the middle-income-plus consumer should see a strong lift given the SALT (state and local tax) portion of the OBBB," or One Big Beautiful Bill, he added.

Average refunds are big. How to get them faster?

"Combining direct deposit with electronic filing is the fastest way to receive your refund," the IRS said. Most refunds are issued in less than 21 days for taxpayers who filed a flawless return electronically and chose direct deposit.

Nine out of 10 taxpayers already receive their tax refunds by direct deposit, but to boost that closer to 100%, the IRS began phasing out paper checks last September.

"Paper checks are over 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen, altered, or delayed than electronic payments," the IRS said. "Direct deposit also avoids the possibility that a refund check could be returned to the IRS as undeliverable."

How do I know when my refund’s coming?

Through the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool, you can track when the IRS received your tax return, when it approved a refund and when it issued the refund. The money should land in your account within five days from the date the IRS approves your refund.

If you mailed a paper return and expect a refund, it could take four weeks or more to process your return, the IRS said.

Since refunds for Americans who claimed the EITC/ACTC can’t be released until mid-February for early filers, those taxpayers may have to wait until around March 3 to see their refunds in their bank accounts or on debit cards, if they chose direct deposit and there are no issues with the tax return.

If you don’t have a bank account, find one through the FDIC website or the National Credit Union Administration using their Credit Union Locator Tool. Usually, people can open a bank account pretty quickly. You can also ask your tax preparer if they offer other electronic payment options.

Otherwise, you might be able to deposit your refund onto a reloadable prepaid debit card or mobile app. Many reloadable prepaid cards and mobile apps have routing and account numbers, which may be different from the card number. Check with your financial institution to make sure your card or app can receive the deposit and double-check the routing and account numbers.

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6. Inflation in Car Insurance

Wolf Street

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7. Peptides Moving to FDA Reviews

ChartR

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8. Russian Blogger Gets 20m Views—“The People are Hurting”

Kremlin acknowledges criticism after blogger warns Putin 'squeezed' Russians could erupt

  • Summary

  • Blogger tells Putin Russian people are suffering

  • Accuses officials of misinforming him about problems

  • Video appeal gets more than 20 million views

  • Kremlin responds and says issues are being addressed

MOSCOW, April 16 (Reuters) - The Kremlin took the unusual step of ​publicly acknowledging sharp criticism of the authorities from a celebrity blogger on Thursday, saying work was under ‌way to address a slew of problems identified by social media influencer Viktoria Bonya.

Bonya, who is well known inside Russia for her appearances on reality TV shows and other programmes, has a huge social media following, and a video appeal she made to President Vladimir Putin this week was ​watched more than 20 million times and liked over 1 million times on Instagram.

In her video appeal, Bonya - who ​lives outside Russia - said she supported Putin, but said that officials were not telling him the ⁠truth about the country's real problems, that the Russian people were suffering, and that they were being squeezed so hard ​by corrupt officials that they might one day erupt.

"You know what the risk is?" she said. "That people will stop being afraid ​and they're being squeezed into a coiled spring and that one day that coiled spring will shoot out."

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9. Iran Central Bank $507m in Tether…Iran Hormuz Toll Booth Paid in Crypto

Perplexity.ai

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10. Harvard 7 Secrets to Happiness

Natan Mohart

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