Quantum computing stocks went absolutely feral on Thursday with D-Wave up 45% and Rigetti close behind, the Department of War dropped 161 declassified FBI UAP files through a new transparency portal, and the internet is losing its mind over a Fox News guest who may or may not have been wearing a hyper-realistic silicone mask.
Show Notes
Show Notes — 2026-05-22
# Hunchline: The Morning Line — Friday, May 22nd 2026
Quantum computing stocks went absolutely feral on Thursday — D-Wave Quantum up 45%, Rigetti up 42%, and a cascade of compute-adjacent names ripping double digits — while the Department of War dropped 161 declassified FBI UAP files through a new transparency portal called PURSUE, and the internet spiraled over footage of a Fox News guest who may or may not have been wearing a hyper-realistic silicone mask.
## In This Episode
- **Quantum Stock Mania** — D-Wave Quantum up 45%, Rigetti up 42%, and the whole quantum computing sector went parabolic Thursday with momentum pile-on dynamics
- **Authoritarianism Arrives With A Login** — ZeroHedge piece arguing that modern authoritarian control operates through digital identity infrastructure, not military coups
- **PURSUE Portal — 161 Declassified FBI UAP Files** — The Department of War released formerly classified FBI documents on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena through a new presidential transparency portal
- **Robert Harward Mask Footage** — Online communities obsessing over Fox News footage that appears to show a retired military official wearing a hyper-realistic silicone mask
- **43% of CEOs Plan to Slash Junior Roles** — Entry-level job pipeline being cut as AI takes over routine tasks, with structural implications for the next generation's career trajectories
- **Syria's Sharaa at G7** — Former ISIS-linked militant attending the G7 summit in France as a diplomatic guest for Syria's reconstruction
- **Pentagon-Beijing Talks Stalled** — US delegation visit to China held up over massive Taiwan arms package
- **Byron Allen Trending #1** — Media mogul in the news for a major business or legal development
## Market Board
| Ticker | Close | Change |
|--------|-------|--------|
| S&P 500 | $745.91 | +0.63% |
| NASDAQ | $718.45 | +0.74% |
| Russell 2000 | $283.45 | +1.28% |
| Bitcoin | $77,347 | -0.87% |
| Ethereum | $2,127.24 | -0.61% |
| Gold | $414.77 | -0.63% |
| Oil | $144.16 | -0.08% |
| D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) | $28.01 | +45.13% |
| Rigetti Computing (RGTI) | $24.08 | +42.65% |
| Intuit | $308.32 | -19.69% |
## Sports + Odds
**Scores — Thursday:**
- NBA: New York Knicks 109, Cleveland Cavaliers 93
- NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder 122, San Antonio Spurs 113
- NHL: Montreal Canadiens 6, Carolina Hurricanes 2
- MLB: Atlanta Braves 9, Miami Marlins 3
- MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates 6, St. Louis Cardinals 2
- MLB: Toronto Blue Jays 2, New York Yankees 0
- MLB: New York Mets 2, Washington Nationals 1
- MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Colorado Rockies 1
- MLB: Athletics 3, Los Angeles Angels 2
**Today's Odds:**
- NHL: Vegas Golden Knights @ Colorado Avalanche — Avalanche -192, Vegas +160
- MLB: Cleveland Guardians @ Philadelphia Phillies — Phillies -184, Cleveland +154
- MLB: Houston Astros @ Chicago Cubs — Cubs -142, Astros +120
- MLB: St. Louis Cardinals @ Cincinnati Reds — Reds -116, Cardinals -102
**Prediction Markets:**
- Strait of Hormuz traffic normal by end of month: 3.5 cents (very low probability)
- US-Iran permanent peace deal by May 31: 20 cents
- Bitcoin target price contract near $77,320 (live, sweating)
- Norway to win 2026 FIFA World Cup: 2.4 cents
## Google Trends Watch
1. **Byron Allen** — Media mogul trending amid ongoing legal/business developments
2. **Catalina Island** — Boat fire off the California coast sparked searches overnight
3. **Chud the Builder Bond** — Meme account announced a satirical financial product; internet lost it
4. **Jack Quaid** — Actor trending after press appearances and connection to Jack Ryan game announcement
5. **Andor** — Star Wars series season two continuing to generate weekly discourse
6. **JPEGMAFIA** — Experimental rapper dropped new content or announced shows
7. **search** — The Sean Penn film 'Search' trended; yes, 'search' trended on Google
8. **accident attorney** — Legal ad machine activated by local crash news
9. **The Last of Us** — Emotionally devastating episode aired; searches spiked
10. **Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War** — New video game announced in the franchise
## Chapters
00:00 — The Board
02:12 — Daily Thread
05:09 — Stonks + Crypto
08:25 — Sports + Predictions
12:31 — Google Trends
15:53 — Conspiracy Corner
20:23 — The Wrap
21:43 — Today's Morning Line
## Legal Notice
All parties mentioned in connection with legal proceedings — including Robert Harward, Byron Allen, and any ongoing litigation referenced — are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Legal outcomes are uncertain and nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.
## Links
- Hunchline: [https://hunchline.io](https://hunchline.io)
- Email: podcast@hunchline.io
- RSS Feed: [https://feeds.transistor.fm/hunchline-the-morning-line](https://feeds.transistor.fm/hunchline-the-morning-line)
- PURSUE Portal (UAP Documents): [https://www.war.gov/ufo/#release](https://www.war.gov/ufo/#release)
- Files.md (Obsidian alternative, HN #1): [https://files.md](https://files.md)
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*Hunchline: The Morning Line is AI-generated and for informational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing in this podcast constitutes investment, financial, legal, or betting advice. All market data is delayed and may not reflect current prices. Past performance does not guarantee future results.*
- (00:00) - The Board
- (02:12) - Daily Thread
- (05:09) - Stonks + Crypto
- (08:25) - Sports + Predictions
- (12:31) - Google Trends
- (15:53) - Conspiracy Corner
- (20:23) - The Wrap
- (21:43) - Today's Morning Line
What is Hunchline: The Morning Line?
A daily morning podcast covering the stock market, crypto, sports betting odds, prediction markets, Google Trends, conspiracy theories, and breaking news — delivered with meme-fluent energy and journalism-grade accuracy. Six AI hosts break down what moved overnight, what's trending today, and what the data actually says. All signal. No noise. Voices generated using AI text-to-speech. Scripts written by AI with human editorial oversight. New episodes every weekday morning. Explicit language.