Citing evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in an attack against civilians outside of Damascus last week, Secretary of State John Kerry said the Obama administration would hold the Syria responsible for “indiscriminate slaughter of civilians” on Monday. Kerry’s words seemed to indicate that the United States and its allies are moving closer to military intervention in the three year old conflict between Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebels calling for his ouster. The uncertainty over future conflicts has already impacted the markets, driving oil prices in the U.S. and Europe to a five-month high Tuesday morning. And, investors have been buying U.S. dollars as a kind of safe haven.

From Urban Outfitters to Oreo Cookies, a growing number of brands are experimenting with Vine to interact with their customers. The app lets users shoot-and-share six-second videos, and now it’s at the center of a new marketing campaign from Airbnb. The travel accommodations website is asking people to help make the first-ever short film using Vines.

At a private school in Texas, an investment club gives students practice managing a stock portfolio. But unlike so many other student portfolios that are essentially the fantasy football leagues of the stock market, students at the Greenhill School in Dallas have set up a portfolio that uses real money. Yes, real money — as in 100,000 actual dollars, chipped in by board members and other stakeholders.