🆕 Newsmakers — 4:30p ET, 2026-08-20 — new since last alert

📰 NEW MARKET THEMES: • Bessent's efforts in the Treasury market so far haven't worked. Here's what else he can try Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday he has a "big toolkit" to aid pressures in the government bond market. While he didn't name them specifically, Bessent has several options, including reducing duration of the government's holding, ramping up the bond buyback program… — cnbc.com · 08/20 4:09p https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/bessents-efforts-in-the-treasury-market-so-far-havent-worked-heres-what-else-he-can-try.html • Stocks Slump as Bond Yields Rise With Crude Prices Plus, Walmart sinks after reporting weak earnings. — wsj.com · 08/20 4:09p https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/stocks-slump-as-bond-yields-rise-with-crude-prices-c61f10d2 • Warsh faces Fed independence test as Bessent moves in on central bank's turf Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's efforts to influence the bond market could increase pressure on Warsh to define the Fed's role in Treasury-market policy. The Fed has historically intervened in bond markets only during clear emergencies, and there is no sign it plans to act no… — cnbc.com · 08/20 4:02p https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/bessent-warsh-fed-bond-market-treasury-yields.html • Attorney says he can ‘WITHOUT A DOUBT' prove that Mark Zuckerberg did this Attorney Mark Lanier joins Stuart Varney to analyze the Meta Platforms trial. A whistleblower testifies that the tech giant prioritized growth over child safety, designing addictive apps for teenagers. — youtube.com · 08/20 4:00p https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O512IJStlSo • National Grid Is Executing A High Growth Strategy National Grid plc is recommended as a long-term Buy, driven by a £70bn capital investment plan targeting 10% annual regulated asset growth through FY2031. UK Electricity Transmission is NGG's strongest growth engine, with £31bn allocated and significant exposure to rising data c… — seekingalpha.com · 08/20 3:55p https://seekingalpha.com/article/4938897-national-grid-is-executing-a-high-growth-strategy

📈 NEW GAINERS:

1. XRP +16% $13.79 (2.5B cap) XRP Price Prediction: Will XRP Recover By 2027? XRP has shed 35% since January while the legislation that could unlock institutional billions sits one Senate vote away from collapse. Two catalysts now stand between the token and its previous highs, and the odds on both are shifting fast. — 247wallst.com · 08/20 2:58p https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/08/20/xrp-price-prediction-will-xrp-recover-by-2027/

— new items only (already-sent headlines filtered). Full list in the 10am/3pm digest.