Job Training for Robots: How China Is Getting Machines Ready to Join the Workforce
China is building a network of humanoid robot training centers where human instructors teach machines to perform factory, service and maintenance tasks. The effort is part of a broader state‑driven industrial policy that targets humanoid robotics as a strategic pillar through 2030. While robots currently rely on human guidance, data‑driven repetition enables them to eventually operate autonomously. Industry leaders, including Elon Musk, recognize China’s rapid scaling as a major competitive force.
Meta, Broadcom and Others to Launch $125 Million Semiconductor Research Hub at UCLA
Meta, Broadcom, Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries and Synopsys are investing $125 million to launch a five‑year Semiconductor Hub at UCLA's Samueli School of Engineering. The center will support research across chip design, equipment, software and manufacturing, aiming to accelerate AI‑powered chip innovations....
Two Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue Trump to Block $1.8B 'Lawfare' Fund
Two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the Department of Justice’s $1.8 billion “Anti‑Weaponization Fund,” which is intended to reimburse Trump allies alleging prosecutorial overreach. The complaint, filed in Washington, D.C.,...
Reebok Owner Authentic Brands Group Inches Closer to IPO, Taps Former Wynn Resorts Exec as CEO
Authentic Brands Group, the private equity‑style firm that licenses more than 50 consumer brands including Reebok and Champion, announced Matt Maddox—formerly CEO and CFO of Wynn Resorts—as its new chief executive. Founder Jamie Salter will move to the role of executive chairman,...
Fintech Firm Mercury Hits $5.2 Billion Valuation After Funding Round, up 49% in 14 Months
Fintech Mercury secured $200 million in a Series D round, lifting its valuation to $5.2 billion—a 49% increase over the prior round just 14 months earlier. The funding was led by TCV and included Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz and Coatue. Mercury also received conditional OCC...
Breakthrough Agreement in Housing Bill Gives Investors Wins
The U.S. House is set to approve a bipartisan housing‑affordability bill that limits institutional investors owning more than 350 single‑family homes from buying additional units, while still permitting them to construct new homes. The compromise, backed by the White House,...
Oil Prices Fall as Trump Postpones Iran Strike, Easing Supply Disruption Fears
Oil prices slipped on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced a delay to a planned strike on Iran, calming concerns of a supply shock in the Gulf. Brent July futures fell more than 2% to $109.15 a barrel, while WTI...
Trump Says He's Postponing 'Scheduled Attack of Iran Tomorrow' At Middle East Leaders' Request
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on May 18 that the scheduled large‑scale attack on Iran planned for Tuesday has been postponed after the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates asked him to hold off. Trump posted...
Asia-Pacific Markets Fall as Trump’s Iran Warning Stokes Fresh Oil Supply Fears
U.S. President Donald Trump’s blunt warning to Iran reignited fears of Middle‑East supply disruptions, pushing Brent crude above $110 a barrel and WTI past $107. The oil rally lifted global energy prices by more than 1%, prompting a sell‑off across...
Global Oil Stockpiles Could Hit Record Lows if Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Global oil inventories are sliding toward record lows as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut, with UBS forecasting stockpiles of 7.6 billion barrels by the end of May. JPMorgan notes that only about 800 million barrels are readily available without straining the...
Why J&J Thinks Its New Psoriasis Pill Could Be One of Its Biggest Drugs Ever
Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved oral psoriasis pill Icotyde targets the IL‑23 receptor, making it the first once‑daily tablet in a class dominated by injectables. The drug entered the market in March and logged roughly 1,500 prescriptions within its first...
Oil Prices Jump After Trump Says China Agreed to Buy U.S. Crude Following Xi Talks
President Donald Trump announced that China agreed to purchase U.S. crude following his meeting with Xi Jinping, sending Brent crude up 1.49% to $107.30 and WTI up 1.55% to $102.74. Beijing has not confirmed the deal, and officials declined to...
Bessent Sees 'Substantial Disinflation' Ahead as Warsh Takes over the Fed
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that despite April’s CPI rising 0.6 % and core inflation at 2.8 % YoY, he expects only one or two more hot inflation readings before a substantial disinflation period begins. He attributes the recent energy‑fed price...
It's Not Just Iran and Oil Raising Inflation. Prices Also Are Reaccelerating in These Other Areas
The U.S. consumer price index rose 0.6% in April, lifting the 12‑month inflation rate to 3.8%, the fastest pace in nearly three years. While higher oil prices tied to the Iran conflict remain a headline driver, price gains are spreading...
Google Races to Put Gemini at the Center of Android Before Apple’s AI Reboot
Google is embedding its Gemini AI model into Android as a foundational layer, rolling out new context‑aware features ahead of its I/O developer conference. Gemini can read screen content, automate multi‑step tasks such as building shopping carts or booking reservations,...