Pulse
Original reporting by Pulse, synthesizing breaking news from multiple sources with AI-powered analysis. Each story combines insights from leading publishers, expert commentary, and real-time data.
Meta's $2 B Manus Deal Stalled After China Detains Executives
Meta's planned $2 billion purchase of AI startup Manus was blocked after Chinese regulators detained Manus CEO Xiao Hong and chief scientist Ji Yichao in Beijing. The move highlights rising geopolitical friction that can derail high‑value cross‑border deals.
Amazon Names Veteran Matt Wood Chief AI and Technology Officer
Amazon has hired longtime AWS executive Matt Wood as its new chief AI and technology officer. The move underscores Amazon’s push to tighten AI product architecture and compete more aggressively with rivals like Microsoft and Google. Wood’s return comes as...
Exadel Acquires UK Design Firm Tangent to Fuse AI Engineering with Experience Design
Exadel, the Tampa‑based software services firm owned by Sun Capital, announced the acquisition of London‑based digital experience consultancy Tangent. The deal, terms undisclosed, integrates Tangent’s UX and MarTech expertise into Exadel’s AI‑native engineering practice, creating a single‑contract offering for enterprise...
Appian CRO Mark Dorsey Buys 5,227 Shares, Signaling Confidence in Low‑Code Strategy
Appian chief revenue officer Mark Dorsey bought 5,227 shares of the company's common stock on May 13, 2026, at a weighted average price of $19.13 per share—about $100,000 total. The purchase marks his first open‑market acquisition and a 59.6% rise...
Meta’s $200 B AI Data Center Redraws Rural Louisiana Real‑Estate Map
Meta Platforms is pouring more than $200 billion into Hyperion, a 5‑gigawatt AI data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana. The project will host up to 7,500 construction workers and reshape a swath of farmland the size of Manhattan, prompting a dramatic...
Legora and Datasite Launch Generative AI-Powered Due Diligence Platform
Legora announced a partnership with virtual data‑room provider Datasite to embed generative AI due‑diligence tools into the Legora platform. The integration lets users pull documents from Datasite VDRs and run AI‑driven analysis without leaving the workflow, preserving existing data permissions.
Stryker to Pay Up to $835 Million for Amplitude Vascular, Expanding Lithotripsy Portfolio
Stryker Corporation agreed to acquire Amplitude Vascular Systems for as much as $835 million, adding a next‑generation hydraulic intravascular lithotripsy platform to its vascular portfolio. The deal, announced on May 19, 2026, signals Stryker’s push to broaden options for treating calcified...
Intel and Qualcomm Eye Tenstorrent in AI Chip Consolidation Push
AI accelerator startup Tenstorrent has entered early-stage acquisition talks with Intel and Qualcomm. The interest reflects mounting pressure on major silicon vendors to secure more efficient AI processing technology and to counter Nvidia's dominance.
Anansi Watch AI Platform Launched to Combat Procurement Fraud Across Africa
Swedish‑Ugandan AI entrepreneur Abby James Tumusiime announced the launch of Anansi Watch, a sovereign AI intelligence platform designed exclusively for African governments to uncover procurement fraud and hidden beneficial ownership. The tool arrives as the African Union estimates the continent...
Coursera Launches $500M Share Buyback After Udemy Merger, Intensifying MOOC Rivalry
Coursera announced a $500 million share repurchase, funded by cash and operations, as its stock rose 4.27% to $5.50. The move follows the platform’s recent merger with Udemy and signals confidence in its combined scale. Analysts see the buyback as a...
Google’s ‘Remy’ AI Agent Triggers Enterprise Security Concerns
A leak of Google’s internal Remy AI agent, a Gemini‑powered personal assistant, has enterprise architects questioning the security and integration of autonomous agents. Experts warn that long‑running workflows demand new infrastructure and governance, reshaping how enterprises will adopt AI stacks.
SurfaceGX Unveils AI Visibility Repair Platform to Fix Brand Misrepresentation in LLMs
SurfaceGX launched its AI Visibility Repair Infrastructure platform, a tool that not only monitors but also diagnoses why brands are missing or misrepresented in large language model answers and delivers concrete remediation. The solution targets the fragmented AI observability stack,...
Japan Plans Massive Bond Issue to Fund Gasoline Subsidies, JGB Yields Spike to 2.8%
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama to draft a supplementary budget that will be financed by a multi‑trillion‑yen sovereign bond issuance for gasoline subsidies. The move sent Japan’s 10‑year government bond yield to 2.8%, its highest level...
BioHarvest Q1 Revenue Up 8% as COO Bar Dichter Drives Operational Scaling
BioHarvest reported $8.5 million in Q1 2026 revenue, an 8% year‑over‑year increase, while COO Bar Dichter highlighted a two‑lens reporting structure and a new manufacturing facility aimed at scaling CDMO services. The company also guided CDMO revenue of $12‑$14 million and D2C...
LG UltraGear 25G590B Sets New Standard with World's First Native 1000 Hz Full‑HD Gaming Monitor
LG Electronics introduced the UltraGear 25G590B, the first consumer monitor to deliver a native 1000 Hz refresh rate at Full‑HD resolution. The 24.5‑inch panel is built for FPS titles, promising ultra‑fast visual response and reduced motion blur, a move that could...
Berkshire Hathaway’s Cash Pile Swells to $397 B After Q1, Raising Questions on Large‑Cap Capital Use
Berkshire Hathaway announced a $397.4 billion cash and short‑term Treasury balance at the close of Q1 2026, adding $24 billion from the prior quarter. The surge reflects continued equity sales and a disciplined, counter‑cyclical capital strategy under new CEO Greg Abel, and...
ACA Enrollment Falls 5‑6 Million, Prompting Insurers to Eye Further Premium Hikes
Health insurers are preparing for another wave of premium hikes after new data show ACA enrollment has slipped by 5‑6 million people. The drop, driven by the expiration of enhanced subsidies and rising deductibles, threatens market stability and could push more...
Justice Dept. Launches $1.776 Billion Anti‑weaponization Fund After Trump IRS Settlement
The Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion “anti‑weaponization” fund to compensate individuals who claim they were politically targeted, as part of a settlement that ends former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Democrats and watchdog groups denounce the move as...
Starbucks Korea CEO Fired After "Tank Day" Promo Sparks Gwangju Uprising Backlash
Shinsegae Group dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Son Jung-hyun after a "Tank Day" tumbler promotion referenced the 1980 Gwangju military crackdown. The misstep provoked nationwide outrage, a wave of boycott calls and a 5.5% fall in E‑Mart shares, underscoring CMO‑level brand‑safety...
BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust Dumps 2,221 BTC, Triggering Market Sell‑Off
BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust transferred 2,221 Bitcoin, worth roughly $170 million, to Coinbase Prime on May 18, halting a six‑week buying spree that had amassed nearly $3 billion. The outflow coincided with a 4.6% drop in Bitcoin, underscoring shifting sentiment in the premier...
India’s 4% Fuel Price Hike Fuels Rupee Slide and Market Volatility
India raised retail petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3.91 per litre (about 4.4%), the smallest increase among major economies. The move came as the rupee slumped to a fresh all‑time low near ₹96.40 per dollar and equity markets swung wildly, underscoring the...
FBI Plans $36 Million Nationwide License‑Plate Reader Data Purchase, Sparking Privacy Concerns
The FBI announced a $36 million procurement to obtain nationwide access to automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) data, targeting the agency’s Directorate of Intelligence. The effort, detailed in recently released procurement records, has ignited debate among federal CIOs, privacy advocates, and vendors...
Stellantis to Roll Out Small Affordable EVs in 2028, Expands China Partnerships
Stellantis said its first small, affordable electric cars will begin production in 2028, marking a new European‑made EV offering. The automaker also unveiled expanded joint ventures in China with Dongfeng and Leapmotor, underscoring a dual‑track strategy to capture both European...
Novastra Appoints Jarett Poll as CFO as OAP-101 Moves Toward Global Trials
Novastra Therapeutics announced the appointment of Jarett Poll as its fractional chief financial officer. The hire comes as the biotech ramps up preparation for global development of its lead cancer immunotherapy, OAP-101, aiming to secure new investor and partner relationships.
WHO Declares Congo-Uganda Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, citing over 300 suspected cases and more than 80 deaths. The rare Bundibugyo strain, for which...
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Wins $150 B Musk Lawsuit, Clearing IPO Path
A federal jury in Oakland rejected Elon Musk’s $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the claim was filed outside the statute of limitations. The verdict removes a major legal hurdle for Sam Altman and paves the way for OpenAI’s anticipated IPO,...
Saber Interactive Opens Hydra Live‑Ops Platform to All Developers
Saber Interactive announced that its proprietary Hydra live‑ops platform is now open to any developer. The battle‑tested service, which powers titles with over 30 million registered players, will be offered via a usage‑based pricing model, promising cost‑effective scalability for studios of...
Home Depot Q1 Earnings Miss as Profit Falls to $3.29 B, Revenue Climbs 4.8% to $41.77 B
Home Depot posted first‑quarter earnings of $3.289 billion, or $3.30 per share, down from $3.433 billion and $3.45 per share a year earlier. Revenue grew 4.8% to $41.765 billion, but the profit shortfall sparked concerns over margin pressure and future guidance.
NLRB Files Complaint Against Chicago History Museum for Illegal Union Retaliation
The National Labor Relations Board has lodged a formal complaint against the Chicago History Museum, accusing its former president and HR chief of firing, disciplining and demoting employees for supporting a union vote in April 2025. The complaint, filed in...
A24 Secures Global Rights to Jordan Firstman's ‘Club Kid’ in $17 Million Cannes Bidding War
A24 emerged as the high‑bidder for Jordan Firstman's debut feature ‘Club Kid,’ paying roughly $17 million for worldwide distribution rights after a heated Cannes bidding war that also attracted Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight and Mubi. The deal highlights the premium placed...
Morgan Stanley Forecasts New Growth Cycle for India Amid Geopolitical Risks
Morgan Stanley’s latest equity strategy predicts a new growth cycle for India, driven by policy stimulus and strong consumer demand, even as the country wrestles with a $690‑$697 bn foreign‑exchange squeeze and $50 bn of foreign portfolio outflows. The bank sees India...
Drone Strike Ignites Fire at UAE's Only Nuclear Plant, Oil Prices Spike
A drone strike set fire to the perimeter of the United Arab Emirates' only nuclear power plant on Sunday, prompting authorities to label the incident an “unprovoked terrorist attack.” The attack coincided with President Donald Trump's warning to Tehran, sending...
Trump Calls Off Planned Iran Strike, Sending Oil Prices Tumbling
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary halt to the Iran strike slated for Tuesday, prompting Brent crude to slip 1.6% and U.S. equities to rally. The move reshapes defense posturing in the Middle East and fuels speculation about a...
TBUX Beats TLT as Short-Term Bond ETF Outshines Long-Term Treasury Fund
The T. Rowe Price Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (TBUX) posted a 4.10% annualized return since its 2021 launch, far outpacing the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), which has logged a 10‑year average loss of 1.37%. The divergence reflects...
NextEra Energy to Acquire Dominion in $400B All-Stock Deal, Shares Jump and Slip
NextEra Energy agreed to buy Dominion Energy in an all‑stock transaction valued at roughly $400 billion, creating the largest regulated U.S. utility. Dominion stock surged 14.5% in pre‑market trading while NextEra fell about 4% after the announcement. The deal, which gives...
HSBC Lifts 2026 Silver Forecast to $75/Oz but Sets Lower Year‑End Target
HSBC raised its average silver price forecast for 2026 to $75 per troy ounce, up from $68.25, while setting a year‑end target of $70, below current spot levels. The bank attributes the mixed outlook to a rapidly shrinking supply deficit...
Klarna's Stock Slides 62% From IPO Peak as Profit Turns Positive
Klarna's shares have fallen 62% from their first‑day closing price a year after the 2025 IPO, while the Swedish BNPL leader posted its first net profit in Q1 2026, driven by higher merchant fees, a booming Fair Financing product and...
NTSB Launches Two-Day Hearings on UPS MD-11 Crash That Killed 15
The National Transportation Safety Board opened a two‑day hearing to investigate the November engine‑separation on UPS Flight 2976 that killed 15 people. Officials will hear from UPS, the FAA and Boeing about the cracked spherical bearing that led to the...
Bank of America Lifts Dell Target to $280, Marking Second Upgrade in Three Weeks
Bank of America raised its Dell Technologies price target to $280 on May 18, up from $246 and following an April 27 upgrade. The move reflects Dell's surging AI‑server backlog, record revenue growth and strong analyst consensus, even as UBS...
Amazon Opens $83 B Logistics Network to Rivals with New Supply Chain Services
Amazon has rolled out Amazon Supply Chain Services, offering its multimodal freight, warehousing and last‑mile delivery network to external merchants. Early adopters include Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End and American Eagle Outfitters, marking a shift that could pressure UPS,...
KT Leads South Korea's First Quantum-Resistant Defense Encryption Pilot
South Korean telecom giant KT announced it will deploy post‑quantum cryptography to the Ministry of National Defense’s smart‑unit, CCTV and drone systems. The pilot, part of a 2026 government‑backed project, aims to prove quantum‑resistant security for battlefield communications and could...
Zambuki Unveils AI-Focused Blog for Home-Services Contractors
Zambuki, a Florida-based digital marketing agency, launched a dedicated blog to deliver AI-powered lead generation and SEO insights for home‑services contractors. The platform aims to bridge the gap between complex AI tools and practical marketing tactics for service‑based businesses.
BuzzFeed Sells 52% to Byron Allen’s Allen Media for $120 Million
BuzzFeed agreed to sell a 52% controlling stake to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group for $120 million, providing liquidity after a cash‑flow warning. The deal makes Allen CEO of BuzzFeed and moves co‑founder Jonah Peretti into a new AI‑focused role.
Analysts Question $1.75 T SpaceX IPO as Valuation Expert Says $1.22 T Is More Realistic
New York University finance professor Aswath Damodaran estimates SpaceX’s worth at $1.22 trillion, contrasting sharply with the company’s own $1.75 trillion target for its upcoming IPO. The gap fuels a heated debate among investors about whether the launch‑service and satellite‑internet giant is...
BofA Lifts ServiceNow Target to $130 as Stock Jumps 8% Amid SaaS Turbulence
Bank of America restarted coverage of ServiceNow on May 18, upgrading the stock to Buy and raising its price target to $130. The note sparked an 8.8% rally, the biggest one‑day gain in weeks, as investors reassess AI’s impact on...
Kia to Test Boston Dynamics' Atlas Humanoid Robots at Georgia Plants Starting 2028
Kia President Song Ho-sung announced that Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid will be piloted at Hyundai Motor Group's Metaplant America in Georgia in 2028, followed a year later by a trial at Kia's Georgia factory. The rollout aligns with Hyundai's plan...
OpenAI Launches Account‑Linking Finance Tools for ChatGPT Pro, Targeting 200 Million Users
OpenAI unveiled personal‑finance tools for ChatGPT Pro on May 15, 2026, letting subscribers link bank, credit‑card and investment accounts through Plaid. The read‑only feature, priced at $100‑$200 a month, puts AI‑driven budgeting and portfolio dashboards within reach of its 200 million...
AI Flood Overwhelms Linux Security Mailing List, Experts Warn of New Threat Landscape
Linus Torvalds warned that a surge of AI‑generated vulnerability reports has rendered the Linux security mailing list nearly unmanageable. The warning comes amid a wave of AI‑enabled supply‑chain attacks, including a massive npm compromise affecting millions of downloads, and growing...
Stablecoin Market Could Hit $3 Trillion by 2030, Says Treasury Official
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the stablecoin industry, now valued at $300 billion, may swell to $3 trillion by the end of 2030. The projection fuels heightened activity from payment giants, banks and issuers seeking to lock in a share of...
LSEG and Broadcom Extend VMware Cloud Partnership with New Five‑Year Deal
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Broadcom have signed a new five‑year agreement to broaden their long‑standing VMware Cloud Foundation partnership. The deal will see Broadcom deliver VMware Cloud Foundation 9 and professional services to support LSEG’s private‑cloud infrastructure, giving...