The News John Thune took criticism from President Donald Trump, agitated online conservatives, and occasionally frustrated some of his own members this year. Yet his next leadership election is looking smooth compared with the past couple of bouts to lead the Senate GOP. In fact, Thune may actually run unopposed ...
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African energy’s ‘Big Bang’ momentAfrican energy’s ‘Big Bang’ moment
Alexis’s view The Iran war is shaping up to be the catalyst of a seismic shift in Africa’s energy sector. And, in the case of the continent’s richest man Aliko Dangote, the conflict has proven the old adage that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Dangote’s mega-refinery on ...
A poet’s account of ‘life at point zero’A poet’s account of ‘life at point zero’
by Artur Dron, translated by Hanna Leliv. One of several recent Ukrainian-language books that have been translated into English, Dron’s “is a visceral, gripping account of life at point zero, being wounded, and losing friends,” a Ukrainian author wrote for Literary Hub. Dron, a poet who volunteered for his country’s ...
OpenRouter challenger closes seed roundOpenRouter challenger closes seed round
The Scoop Investors are pouring cash into a hot new sector of the AI economy: model routing — a practice allowing developers and companies to easily switch between different AI models. Startup TrustedRouter, which launched publicly six weeks ago, is among a growing crop of model-routing firms looking to cut ...
Why the AI bubble fears are overblownWhy the AI bubble fears are overblown
Reed’s view Fear is rising that the AI bubble is about to burst under the weight of mounting debt, as my colleague Liz Hoffman detailed yesterday, including this great quote from an unnamed data-center financier: “We’re not an ATM for your dystopian future.” Perhaps lenders have grown tired of funding ...
Ecommerce confronts AI shopping agents ahead of holiday seasonEcommerce confronts AI shopping agents ahead of holiday season
This coming holiday season, brands will have a new type of shopper to court: AI agents. Cheq, a cybersecurity company that verifies AI shopping agents, says it recorded a 100x surge in agentic traffic over a 45-day period following the release of consumer AI agents like Instinct and Meta’s Muse. ...
Lowball retention bonuses doomed Perella-Piper Sandler mergerLowball retention bonuses doomed Perella-Piper Sandler merger
The Scoop A merger between two Wall Street boutique firm collapsed after senior bankers balked at their retention bonuses. The deal between advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners and investment bank Piper Sandler envisioned paying Perella’s highest producers $2.5 million in shares of the combined company to stay on for as ...
AI infrastructure debt costs soar amid investor concernsAI infrastructure debt costs soar amid investor concerns
Yields on a key cloud provider’s bonds rose further, one of a number of signs of investors souring on AI infrastructure investment. The cost to insure CoreWeave’s bonds has also risen 150% from a year ago, while its stock at one point fell 28% this week. It is not the ...
Trade talks between the US, Mexico in jeopardyTrade talks between the US, Mexico in jeopardy
The US appeared to step back from progress on a trade deal with Mexico. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s reported insistence that steel, aluminum, and car levies remain in place with Washington’s biggest commercial partner has thrown the negotiations into question. An expert warned that further undoing the countries’ trilateral ...
Tesla and Porsche unveil new models as competition with China heats upTesla and Porsche unveil new models as competition with China heats up
Two major Western car makers announced new flagship vehicles as they vie to keep up with Chinese challengers. Tesla unveiled its Roadster, first touted almost a decade ago, while Porsche revealed its first car under its new boss, who has vowed to turn the automaker’s fortunes around after years of ...