By John Towfighi, CNN

New York (CNN) — Gold has been considered a store of value for thousands of years. In 2026, it’s been trading more like a meme stock than a safe haven.

Investors often flock to gold when crises hit, inflation spikes or stocks slump as a way to preserve their money’s worth.

But gold prices have been extraordinary volatile, smashing through record highs before posting their biggest single-day drop on record last month. Gold is now up roughly 12% this year.

Gold has had monster rallies before: Its best year on record was 1979, rising 144% as the US economy experienced rampant inflation and geopolitical tensions surged. And prices rallied 24% in 2020 as the pandemic upended the global economic status quo.

This time, gold is benefiting from rising geopolitical tensions. And as traders bought more, the gains gathered steam, resulting in skyrocketing prices.

Investing in metals is easier than ever before: Traders can buy and sell exchange-traded funds that track the price of gold and silver just like buying and selling stocks. The SPDR Gold ETF — a popular fund that tracks the performance of physical gold — in August saw its biggest monthly inflows on record, according to FactSet data.

US markets in recent years have experienced bouts of so-called meme stock mania, where traders pile into a hype-fueled rally to try and ride a surge in a stock’s share price. Analysts say a similar theme is playing out in the metals market: Gold and silver have been trading like meme stocks.

A golden opportunity

Gold rose 27% in 2024 and 67% in 2025. The yellow metal hit $4,000 a troy ounce for the first time in October before eclipsing $5,000 in January.

“I think there was a wide range of different hedgers, speculators, hedge funds, retail traders, they were all kind of moving aggressively in and actually driving the prices higher than we would have expected and beyond the point where it was sustainable to hold,” said Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist and head of US public policy at the World Gold Council.

Despite posting its biggest single-day drop on record on January 30, gold is still up this year. But the recent volatility has made some analysts wonder if gold still has the same luster as an investment.

Meanwhile, bitcoin has dropped 50% since hitting a record high above $126,000 in October. Traders that had chased bitcoin’s rally could have shifted focus to metals, analysts say, helping fuel the volatility.

“It is distorting gold’s historic role as a haven. It’s now trading like a momentum-driven market at the extremities of the risk asset spectrum,” David Scutt, market analyst at Forex.com, said in an email.

The fundamental outlook remains positive for gold, economists say. JPMorgan Chase expects gold prices to hit $6,300 a troy ounce by the end of 2026.

While traders are trying to cash in on the rally, geopolitical uncertainty persists, boding well for gold prices.

Historic volatility

The Cboe Gold Volatility Index surged this month to its highest level since the Covid pandemic in 2020, reflecting the intensity of the metal’s recent volatility.

“It’s hard to justify calling something a hedge when it has double-digit swings … on a daily basis,” Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, told CNN. “Your hedges are not supposed to be the most volatile portion of your portfolio.”

“When you see these kind of declines, they’re spectacular, they’re painful,” he added, “but they’re in some ways the natural outcome of hyper-aggressive speculation.”

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By Kathryn Squyres, CNN

(CNN) — Among the people running to fill the seat vacated by former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of her former staffers, Jim Tully. Introducing himself on a local conservative radio show in January, he didn’t mention his connection to Greene until asked by the host.

Tully said Greene’s departure left “a glaring loss in the district,” adding that he announced his campaign almost immediately after Greene’s November announcement of her resignation to give voters a chance to “start over.”

“I couldn’t leave families wondering what was next,” he said. “I had to give them some hope.”

Other candidates are more pointed about their former congresswoman.

James Marty Brown, a former firefighter and paramedic, says Greene “divided a lot of people” with her approach to politics.

“She’s the cat chasing that little dangling feather, a little shiny object, instead of sitting back and looking to see what the big picture of what’s going on is,” he told CNN recently.

There’s a clear pattern in how the Republicans running to replace Greene address her resignation and her split with President Donald Trump. Those who are better known due to their prior involvement with local GOP politics strike a balance between showing loyalty to Trump and respect to Greene, while newcomers have less hesitation about taking shots at her.

CNN spoke with or reviewed the public comments of 12 of the 16 Republicans who launched campaigns to replace Greene in a March 10 primary likely to lead to an April runoff.

Almost all are claiming that they will be Trump’s best local ally. More than half said they regularly hear from voters about Greene, including from people who say they felt confused and betrayed by her resignation in the middle of her third term.

David Guldenschuh, an attorney in Rome, Georgia, who hosts a weekly conservative talk show on WLAQ-AM, notes that Georgia’s 14th District is one of the most pro-Trump districts in the country, particularly in its northern counties on the Tennessee and Alabama borders well away from the Atlanta suburbs.

“President Trump is extremely popular here, so of course you’re going to see the candidates try to, as I said, out-Trump each other,” said Guldenschuh, who is also the past chair of the Floyd County Republican Party.

Trump this week endorsed Clay Fuller, who resigned his role as a local district attorney to run in the special election. Fuller said recently that he would ultimately back the president even when the administration disagreed with him.

“If they say, ‘This is what we’re going with,’ they have a very strong perspective on what’s best for the American people,” he said on Guldenschuh’s show. “So I’d be willing to listen … and assist them with it because when I’m up there, I’m going to have the president’s back.”

Greene wrote on X in November that she would not be endorsing a successor.

A balancing act for some candidates

As a senior district representative for Greene, Tully said that he worked as Greene’s “eyes and ears” in the district, relaying local sentiments to her office.

Still, he spent most of a recent interview on Guldenschuh’s show pitching listeners on his connection to the district.

“When we found ourselves so enamored with Congresswoman Greene at points, and all of the sudden, here we are just disillusioned at some points, sometimes very mad, folks needed to know that there was somebody there that cared enough to say, ‘Wait a minute, I’m not gonna let that happen,’” he said.

Brian Stover, a former county commissioner and bus

Story by Francesca Street. Video by Max Burnell

(CNN) — Niki Ghofranian surveyed the view from atop the stone walls of Dunstaffnage Castle, hoping, against the odds, to find a way out.

The walls stood some 60 feet above the grass below. Jumping would be ill-advised, perhaps fatal.

In the distance: hills, lochs, islands. Nearby: forest, greenery, water. Not a person in sight.

The views were undeniably beautiful. Breathtaking — the picture-perfect Scottish landscape that American tourist Niki had always dreamed of seeing.

“There are worse places to be trapped,” she thought to herself.

It was after hours. The 14th-century gate was padlocked shut. And Niki and her sister Ritta Nielsen were stuck in a Scottish castle.

An unforgettable trip

It was June 5, 2019, and Niki and Ritta were on a special vacation to mark their birthdays — Niki’s 55th and Ritta’s 66th. The symmetry felt worth celebrating.

“We thought, ‘Okay, let’s do something spectacular,’” Niki tells CNN Travel today.

The two had always wanted to go to Scotland.

“We have Scottish blood in us from our mom’s side,” explains Niki.

They’d long daydreamed about seeing rolling hills, dramatic lochs and imposing mountains. And, of course, Scotland’s array of ancient castles.

They arrived in Oban, in the west of Scotland, excited to explore Dunstaffnage Castle. Parts of the fortress date back to the 13th century. Once the stronghold of the MacDougall clan, the castle was captured by warrior king Robert the Bruce in 1308. In the 18th century, young Scotswoman Flora MacDonald was held at Dunstaffnage for aiding in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Today, it’s all imposing stone walls, ruined turrets and formidable views over the water. One section is covered up, but it’s largely open to the elements.

“It was beautiful ruins,” says Nikki.

“When you approach the castle, it’s sitting on this huge mound of a rock,” says Ritta. “It’s very imposing looking.”

The sisters arrived by taxi mid-afternoon — later than planned, but Scotland’s known for its long summer daylight. The day still seemed to stretch ahead of them.

They stood outside for a moment or two, admiring the first glimpse of the castle standing over the water. Then they headed to the visitor center to buy tickets.

“It’s about 150 yards or so away from the actual castle itself,” recalls Niki. “When we walked in, the woman told us about the castle, and she took our money, and then she says, ‘We close at six.’”

It was about 4 p.m. Plenty of time.

“And I’m an American,” says Niki. “When places close here, they tell you they’re closed. They don’t just close.”

Entering the grounds, Niki and Ritta were blown away. History visible on every surface.

“Niki marched along the battlements with iPhone in hand, posting and envisioning a history she had read about, while I searched every nook and cranny,” recalls Ritta. “God, what a stunning structure!”

Time seemed to stand still. The two sisters had Dunstaffnage more or less to themselves.

After a while the two separated – Ritta heading outside of the castle walls to take photographs of the exterior, Niki climbing onto the ramparts. She stood there, taking in the choppy water and hills. There was no one else around, no noise, beyond the wind and water lapping in the loch.

“It was very peaceful and beautiful,” says Niki.

Niki exhaled, taking in the tranquility. Then, the silence was interrupted.

“All of a sudden I hear Ritta yelling at me,” she recalls.

‘We had made a blunder’

Ritta had wandered over to the castle entrance, tried the enormous door and realized the gate was shut.

Not just shut — “locked, with an impressive bolt system.”

The

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — For Laila Edwards, this year’s Winter Olympics is about far more than sport, and that’s something she’s getting comfortable with.

The 22-year-old may only be at the start of her career, but is already considered a trailblazer, becoming the first Black woman to feature in the US hockey team at a Winter Games.

Edwards made history when she took the ice at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on Thursday, where she helped Team USA beat the Czech Republic 5-1 in its first preliminary round match.

The American was greeted by loud cheers from the traveling US fans when her name was announced as a starter, but the occasion didn’t seem to faze the young athlete, who has taken on so much responsibility of late.

“It means a lot. I take a lot of pride in it,” she told reporters after stepping off the ice in Milan.

“I’m just going to embrace it because representation matters, no matter how uncomfortable it can be. It’s for the next generation.

“I could not do interviews and not talk about it, but then the story doesn’t get out there. Maybe a little girl doesn’t see me, who looks like her. That’s what’s really important.”

Before even traveling to Italy for this year’s Games, Edwards had already made history by becoming the first Black woman to play for the US women’s hockey team and becoming the youngest American to win MVP at the women’s hockey world championships in 2024.

But being the first to break through the status quo hasn’t always sat comfortably with Edwards, who is keen to be credited not only for the color of her skin but also for her athletic ability. And, in truth, what an incredible hockey player she is.

Despite just turning 22, Edwards has such a presence on the rink. Standing over six feet tall, she towers over most of her opponents and has a mentality that allows her to be at peace with pressure.

That much was clear when she provided the first assist for Team USA on Thursday, kicking off what proved to be a smooth victory in her first Olympic appearance.

But despite the attention around her, Edwards looked totally relaxed. She joked around with teammates before and after the win, performing choreographed handshakes and jokingly taking a swipe at the overhead camera when she walked back to the locker room.

She didn’t even seem fazed when a group of reporters huddled around her after the game, jostling to get their recorders close to her mouth to hear her answers.

“She’s incredible. If you put someone like her on the stands, she’s going to shine bright,” her US teammate Abbey Murphy told reporters after Thursday’s game.

“It’s been incredible to see her journey. She’s a great person off the ice, I wish everyone could get the chance to know her a little bit. She brings a lot of laughs. She’s killing it.”

Making of a role model

Before traveling to Milan, Edwards spoke to CNN Sports’ Coy Wire about how she is developing into one of the world’s most exciting young hockey players.

The Cleveland native was born into a sports-mad family, so she found herself competing with her siblings from a young age.

It’s an upbringing that she credits for her competitive nature, a trait that has seen her break through so many glass ceilings as an athlete.

“I hated to lose, whether that was a

By Anna Chernova, Lauren Kent, CNN

(CNN) — A Russian general was shot in Moscow and hospitalized, according to the country’s Investigative Committee.

An unknown attacker fired several shots at Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev in a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway in Moscow and fled the scene, the Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

The Russian Investigative Committee said its officers are at the scene and it has opened a criminal case into what it called the attempted murder of a high-ranking defense ministry official.

Alekseyev has been transferred to a city hospital, the Russian Investigative Committee statement said. He is in intensive care and in serious condition following the shooting, according to Russian state media.

Alekseyev is the first deputy head of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU, according to a 2025 report by the US Congressional Research Service.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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