Reed’s view I made my first trip to Cannes Lions, the “festival of creativity,” this year. Naturally, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis wanted to talk about creativity. But that topic is a landmine. Where AI and the creative industries intersect, there are lawsuits and high emotion. A Google employee told ...
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Insurgent left becomes Democratic leaders’ next headacheInsurgent left becomes Democratic leaders’ next headache
The News After toppling establishment-backed candidates in three New York City primaries, Zohran Mamdani-backed challengers are already on to their next act: upending the lives of congressional Democratic leaders. The victories of Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier show the growing power of a progressive bloc that risks ...
Warnock and Talarico anchor an election-year boomlet for progressive ChristianityWarnock and Talarico anchor an election-year boomlet for progressive Christianity
David’s view Raphael Warnock and Mike Johnson sat down one-on-one this month for a reason that was bigger than their stated topic. Publicly, the Republican House speaker was requesting time with the Georgia Democratic senator after Warnock questioned how Johnson, a devout Christian, could “say a prayer” then vote to ...
Yuan’s growing clout undermines WashingtonYuan’s growing clout undermines Washington
The yuan’s growing clout is undermining Washington’s ability to impose sanctions on geopolitical rivals. Dollar transactions, which are settled by US banks that Washington can control, are used in about 80% of international trade finance. The White House’s Iran negotiations rely on the dollar’s leverage, but Tehran has blunted that ...
Chinese supercomputer declared world’s fastestChinese supercomputer declared world’s fastest
A Shenzhen supercomputer was declared the world’s fastest, giving China the crown for the first time since 2017 and further ratcheting up the transpacific tech rivalry. The LineShine computer is notable not just for raw speed — it is about 20% faster than the California-based El Capitan, which has topped ...
UK swelters in another record-breaking heatwaveUK swelters in another record-breaking heatwave
Schools are closing early and parents are buying air conditioning units for classrooms as the UK faces another record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures are expected to reach 39°C (102°F) this week. Britain is warming fast: Summer 2025 was the hottest on record, and this year has seen new spring peaks. But UK ...
US and Iran clash over peace talks narrativeUS and Iran clash over peace talks narrative
Washington and Tehran are battling to shape the narrative around peace talks, with both sides making contradictory claims about the proposed deal. US President Donald Trump said Iran agreed to full nuclear inspections; Iran said inspectors could not enter the most important sites. Vice President JD Vance said US and ...
Giant Qatari conglomerate bets on Syria reconstructionGiant Qatari conglomerate bets on Syria reconstruction
The Scene Power International Holding, the Qatari conglomerate that grew to touch nearly every aspect of daily life in the run-up to the 2022 men’s soccer World Cup, has made the pivot few analysts would have predicted for a contractor: expanding beyond its domestic market after Qatar’s sports-centered infrastructure boom ...
Countries grapple with China’s robotics leadCountries grapple with China’s robotics lead
Major economies have starkly different instincts in response to China’s lead in the embodied AI race. China installed a record 295,000 industrial robots in 2024 — 54% of the global total — as it looks to do with robotics what it already has with EVs and solar panels. In the ...
US and Iran disagree on deal termsUS and Iran disagree on deal terms
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that Iran had agreed to more UN nuclear inspections, rebuffing Tehran’s denial of such a commitment. “They’re wrong,” Trump said, with the disagreement raising fears that future talks would fail to yield a final resolution to the conflict, even as the US secretary ...