The Dow and S&P 500 are riding eight straight weekly gains. The Nasdaq has notched six positive weeks in a row. This year, the Dow closed at 57 all-time highs, the S&P at 52, and the Nasdaq at 64. That is an all-time record for the Nasdaq. (CNBC)

The largest solar power plant in Oregon has begun operation. The power will be sold to Apple through a long-term power purchase agreement. The farm is outside Prineville.  The plant can produce 56 megawatts and will produce 140,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to what 13,000 Oregon households use in a year. The capital expenditure for the plant is pegged at $120 million. (PBJ)

According to the think tank HumanProgress.org the world consumes some 50 million tons of beef a year. Unfortunately, cows need to roam (land), eat (corn) and evacuate (green-house gases). And then, of course, there is the killing of the poor creatures themselves. A solution to the ethical, economic and environmental problems may be around the corner. Thanks to human ingenuity, we may soon be able to enjoy an affordable lab-grown meat that will taste and nourish just like the real thing.  

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.