China's AI Chatbots Are Advanced and Versatile — and Begging for More Users
Chinese tech giants are turning AI chatbots into transaction hubs, pouring over $1.1 billion into Lunar New Year promotions to spark user adoption. The giveaways drove record daily active users—Qwen hit 73.5 million on Feb 7 and Doubao surged past 144 million during the televised gala. These bots are embedded in super‑apps like Douyin, WeChat and Alipay, allowing users to order food, book travel, and pay bills within a single conversation. However, activity has tapered off after the holiday, highlighting retention challenges.
He Wants Children's Bikes Made in the U.S.A. — and Tariffs Against His Rivals
Guardian Bike Company, based in Seymour, Indiana, now produces about 2,000 children’s bicycles daily using robots and a $1.2 million fiber laser, pricing them between $150 and $400. CEO Brian Riley is lobbying the Trump administration to extend the 50 % steel...
Why a Small Town in Tennessee Is at the Center of a Renewed Global Arms Race
BWXT, a nuclear‑technology firm, secured a $1.6 billion federal contract to expand a munitions plant on the outskirts of Jonesborough, Tennessee, to refine depleted uranium for nuclear weapons. The project, which would emit up to 250 pounds of radioactive dust per year,...
This Tax Season, There's a New Deduction for Interest on Car Loans
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduces a tax deduction for interest paid on auto loans tied to new cars bought in 2025. To qualify, the vehicle must be newly purchased, assembled in the United States, and used for personal purposes, with a maximum...
Congress and the White House Are Taking Different Paths to Address Housing Prices
U.S. housing prices have more than doubled since 2000, prompting simultaneous action from Congress and the White House. President Trump signed executive orders to ease mortgage lending rules and trim construction regulations, while the Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan housing...
Pentagon Tightens Controls over Stars and Stripes After Calling It "Woke"
The Pentagon issued a memo on March 9 tightening editorial control over the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes, citing the need to align content with "good order and discipline." While the paper is promised editorial independence, the memo bans wire‑service...
Desperate for Skilled Workers, a Furniture Maker Looks to Apprenticeships for Relief
Virco Manufacturing in Arkansas is using a three‑year, paid apprenticeship program to upskill internal workers like tool‑and‑die apprentice Caleb Moss, addressing a growing shortage of skilled labor in U.S. manufacturing. The Trump administration’s 2025 executive order targets 1 million active apprenticeships,...
Egg Prices Have Taken a Beating. What's Behind the Drop?
Egg prices have plunged to roughly $2.50 per dozen, a 42% drop from a year ago, as avian‑flu outbreaks receded and an additional nine million hens returned to production. Meanwhile, the wholesale price paid to farmers has slumped more than...
China Slams Trump's Trade Investigation, as It Approves a 5-Year Economic Plan
China’s foreign ministry condemned the United States’ newly announced trade investigation into excess capacity as political manipulation, while the U.S. Trade Representative positioned the probe as a tool to protect American firms after a Supreme Court ruling nullified prior tariffs....
Zuckerberg Grilled About Meta's Strategy to Target 'Teens' And 'Tweens'
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in Los Angeles as part of a high‑profile social‑media addiction trial, facing questions about internal documents that show the company deliberately targeted users as young as ten. Plaintiffs highlighted memos from 2015‑2018 that set goals...