Businessman, engineer, and CEO shaping SpaceX, Tesla, and more
Moonshot AI has released Kimi K3, a 2.8-trillion-parameter open-weight model that has overtaken several leading U.S. systems on blind coding benchmarks and ranked competitively on broader tests. The model is scheduled to publish its weights on July 27. The launch is jolting tech markets, raising questions about pricing, open models and U.S.–China AI competition.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk are trading blunt exchanges as Apple accuses OpenAI of stealing trade secrets. Musk intensifies with taunts about SpaceX’s future IPO and Altman counters with notes on GPT-5.6 Sol’s benchmarks, amid OpenAI’s confidential IPO plans.
Since mid‑July 2026, US and European coverage has shown electric‑vehicle demand recovering despite the end of federal tax credits. Higher fuel prices, state rebates such as California’s $270m programme, and new low‑cost models from startups and legacy brands have driven a sequential rise in US Q2 EV sales, stronger used‑EV prices and renewed industry activity.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has carried out a surprise cabinet reshuffle that has removed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and nominated Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister. The move has prompted nationwide protests, resignations in the military, and has led Zelenskyy to name SBU chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defence minister while parliament prepares confirmation votes.
Developing coverage follows Rupert Lowe's Dunblane remark on Joe Rogan. Scottish politicians condemn the description as deeply insulting; the controversy puts renewed focus on the UK’s gun laws and the Snowdrop legacy.
SK Hynix has raised $26.5bn by selling 177.9m American depositary receipts at $149 each, in the largest-ever US share sale by a foreign company. Its ADRs have begun trading on Nasdaq under temporary ticker SKHYV and will convert to SKHY; the company is using proceeds to expand fabs, packaging and EUV capacity as AI-driven memory demand surges.
Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey has earned a rapturous reception, with Matt Damon as Odysseus delivering a trauma-haunted homecoming. Samantha Morton’s Circe and a star-studded cast anchor a three-hour IMAX epic that reframes heroism, war, and the cost of return. Audience reactions praise scale, visuals, and emotional gravity.
A proposed U.S.-led AI standards body could require frontier models to pass tests before deployment, with industry funding and a board of independent experts. DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis argues for robust, ongoing testing to curb cyber, bio and nuclear risks as the AI race intensifies.
Global funds are increasingly turning to alpha-capture programs, blending internal and external ideas to fuel investing engines as AI narrows edge opportunities. Firms like Citadel, Point72, Millennium, and Marshall Wace are expanding partnerships with external managers, while some are building their own human PM teams to trade across sectors.
SpaceXAI’s Grok Build has uploaded far more customer data than required during coding tasks, potentially exposing API keys and other credentials. SpaceXAI says zero-data-retention applies and that data will be deleted; investigators seek to determine scope and impact.
Three robotics and automation startups have raised significant funding this week, underscoring a shift toward automated manufacturing across diverse sectors. Munich-based microagi has secured $55 million in a seed round led by Hummingbird, while Senra instrumentalizes wire harness automation in aerospace and defense with a $65 million Series B. The funding underscores a broader push to standardize and scale automated production amid labor shortages and reshoring pressures.
Banks have posted strong second-quarter earnings driven by robust investment banking fees and equity trading, led by Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citi, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The AI-backed activity has broadened beyond tech to infrastructure and lending, with SpaceX’s IPO and rising deal volumes underpinning a bullish backdrop for the sector.
AI industry leaders are facing intensified threats as public sentiment turns against AI. Attacks on executives and facilities have prompted heightened security measures, while policy discussions on wealth sharing and regulation intensify.
Ukraine has removed a reform-minded defence minister six months into his term, prompting protests and questions about military leadership. Zelenskyy vows unity as political shake-ups continue amid ongoing war.
SpaceX's stock has retraced after its historic IPO, sliding below the $135 IPO price and signaling cooling investor enthusiasm. The run-up saw a peak valuation above $2 trillion, but subsequent weeks have brought wild swings as analysts reassess fundamentals amid AI-spending concerns and macro uncertainty.
The Representation of the People Bill is under debate as MPs push to tighten rules on political donations and spending. The debate comes amid revelations of large crypto-linked contributions to Reform UK and scrutiny of foreign influence, with Labour urging a universal, tight cap on donations. The government has introduced a moratorium on crypto donations while considering new checks on donor legitimacy.
Slate Auto has unveiled a bare‑bones two‑seat electric pickup with a $24,950 base price and a two‑row SUV conversion starting at $29,950. The company has raised the base EPA range estimate to about 205 miles, is taking preorders with a $300 deposit, and plans production to begin in late 2026 with direct online sales.
Markets are stabilising after a stretch of high activity in tech options, with traders shifting focus as implied volatility cools. Small caps are leading potential next moves, while global equities reflect a policy-led, carry-friendly regime.
Ukraine’s mid-range, Starlink-enabled drones have expanded the front’s reach, pressuring Russia’s supply lines and Crimea’s energy hubs. Russia is countering with camouflage, jamming, and new tactics, while Ukraine trains fighters and pursues domestically produced drones to sustain the push.
New funding and product integrations are accelerating the deployment of humanoid robots globally. Investors back Zeroth in China, Unitree unveils an integrated Nvidia platform, and Morgan Stanley upgrades China’s market outlook as companies push from demos to real-world use.
California’s new budget averts large cuts while raising targeted revenue; debates intensify over a healthcare tax, software tax, film credits cap, Prop.36 funding and crime policy as Governor Newsom weighs a potential national bid.
WeWard has launched Walking Mode, a feature that locks social apps until users meet a walking goal. The feature aims to promote activity and reduce screen time. Venus Williams funds the project, with the app reporting 30 million users in 29 countries and a 25% increase in walking time on average.
Health authorities have reported at least 1,759 confirmed Ebola cases and about 600 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since mid-May, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain. The World Health Organization has enrolled the first patient in a trial testing MBP134 and remdesivir; treatment centres are strained and insecurity and funding shortfalls are hindering response.
SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell has donated a portion of SpaceX stock to the Trump Accounts for more than 2 million U.S. children, with emphasis on those in lower-income areas near central Texas. The move follows earlier pledges from Michael and Susan Dell and other tech giants, as the program seeds $1,000 per child and enables future retirement-style accounts. Officials say donations accelerate the accounts’ rollout.
Meta has released Muse Spark 1.1, a more capable agentic and coding-focused model, with public API access and aggressive pricing. The upgrade aims to close the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic, offering pricing at $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens, and promising stronger performance on coding tasks and multi-task workflows.
Federal and local probes have produced new findings and warnings about autonomous vehicles. The NTSB has reported that a Tesla driver manually overrode Full Self-Driving before a June crash that killed a 76‑year‑old in Katy, Texas. NHTSA has issued a directive demanding AV developers fix cases where driverless cars enter or block emergency scenes; Waymo and California regulators are under pressure over several incidents.
The Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is expanding, with increasing cases and deaths reported across multiple provinces. Health facilities face strikes over unpaid salaries, funding gaps hinder response, and transmission continues amid conflict and attacks on clinics. Several countries report cases and international partners have mobilised funds for the response.
A wave of new findings shows AI adoption is reshaping hiring and skill needs. High-intensity AI users are growing headcount, while AI-native firms are restructuring teams and boosting senior talent shares. Scottish businesses are adopting AI rapidly but face expertise and trust gaps. The evidence comes from Ramp/Revelio, Harvard/INSEAD, BCG, and national outlets.
Meta has discontinued Muse Image, its Instagram-linked AI image generator, following privacy concerns. The feature, which automatically enrolled public accounts for image generation, is no longer available. The move comes after swift criticism from creators, unions and privacy advocates, who argued the feature violated consent and risked non-consensual image manipulation.
NASA has outlined a campaign to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent outpost by 2030, shifting from a mission-by-mission approach to a sustained lunar program. Artemis II has demonstrated new capabilities and sparked debate over the logistics, funding, and strategic value of a long-term lunar presence.
Leverage ETFs tracking Samsung and SK Hynix have tumbled since late May listings, while a new wave of anti-Elon funds seeks to exclude Musk-associated companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, from Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 exposures.
Multiple deaths and injuries have followed a vehicle crash that plowed into stalls at a Chilean market. Authorities say the driver is in custody and investigations are underway; the casualty toll is evolving with six reported dead by local media.
Marine Le Pen has secured permission to run in France’s 2027 elections after a Paris appeals court shortened her electoral ban while maintaining her conviction for embezzlement. She must wear an ankle monitor during campaigning, and her bid remains subject to possible higher court review.
Eight men across multiple states have been charged in two conspiracies related to plans to provide material support to terrorists and to murder a federal official during a UFC event on the White House lawn. Investigators say they planned explosive drones and sniper attacks, targeting high-profile figures; arrests span Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington, California and West Virginia.
JAXA has flown the RV-X, lifting it 11 metres and landing it upright 16 metres away at Noshiro, marking Japan’s first successful launch and landing of a rocket. China’s Long March-10B has achieved a sea-based net catch on its maiden flight, signaling a major step toward reusable launch technology. The stories show growing momentum in global efforts to reduce space-launch costs and expand access to space.
Enterprises are shifting budgeting to value over token costs as AI costs rise. Leaders argue for metrics based on useful work and task-level economics, with pilots testing open-weight and sovereign models.
Emergent has raised $300 million in a Series C, valuing the Bengaluru-based AI coding startup at $1.5 billion. The round, led by Creaegis and joined by Claypond and Sentinel Global, comes as India accelerates its AI ambitions amid growing investor interest and a larger ecosystem.
Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order pausing state permits for new "hyperscale" data centers using 50 megawatts or more for up to one year. The order directs regulators to produce a Generic Environmental Impact Statement covering energy, water, air and community benefits, and it signals potential changes to tax breaks and grid-costing for large AI facilities.
The AI industry has reached a tipping point as hyperscalers project rising returns from chips and data centers. New analyses forecast trillions in 2026 revenue to justify the AI build-out, even as token costs and cheaper models pressure profitability.
Frontier Airlines plans to equip its first Airbus with Starlink internet in early 2027, joining Indigo Partners’ Wizz Air and Volaris in a broader push toward high‑speed onboard connectivity. Starlink will offer gate‑to‑gate HD streaming and online gaming as part of a wider rollout across more than 1,000 aircraft.
Lucid Motors has denied bankruptcy or going-private reports. It says liquidity remains strong enough to fund operations into 2027, with AlixPartners reviewing the business to improve execution and focus on the Gravity SUV. The firm has undergone leadership and workforce changes amid ongoing restructuring.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney over claims that Elon Musk offered $1 million to voters to influence the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Prosecutors have 40 days to respond. Musk’s team argues the offers were free speech. The complaints cover three voters who received checks and a $100 incentive for signing a petition opposing activist judges. The case follows a record-breaking, $100 million-plus spending on the race, which Crawford won by 10 percentage points.
Stripe and Advent are pressing forward with a potential bid to jointly acquire PayPal, valuing the payments giant around $53-60 billion and backed by roughly $50 billion in bank financing. PayPal has not yet responded as discussions continue, with experts noting the deal would create a dominant dual-powered payments group.
Amazon has announced its first satellite internet agreement on the African continent, partnering with South Africa’s Herotel to launch a new service in a country of about 62 million people. The deal underscores a broader push into Africa, with Amazon Leo aiming to expand across the continent and to collaborate with Vanu Inc. The move comes amid public criticism from Elon Musk regarding South Africa’s regulatory environment.
xAI has filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against Terry Harwood, alleging he used Grok to convert non-sexual images into explicit, underage-focused material and attempted deepfake creation. The action marks one of the first AI-driven lawsuits by a company against a user over alleged CSAM, with prosecutors accusing Harwood of repeatedly subverting Grok safeguards.
Xi Jinping has urged international cooperation on artificial intelligence, arguing it should not be dominated by one country. At the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Beijing has highlighted WAICO and pledged to expand AI capacity-building for developing nations, while stressing that AI must remain under human control and guided by a people-centered approach.
Researchers warn wildfire smoke can damage lungs and trigger heart, brain, and pregnancy risks within days. Experts urge indoor protection and masks as smoke from Canadian wildfires spreads across the U.S. and dominates air quality headlines.
Protests erupt across Ukraine as President Zelensky removes Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, citing a government overhaul. Fedorov accuses Commander-in-Chief Syrsky of blocking reforms; Zelensky says unity requires change. Syrsky acknowledges past successes but signals ongoing strategic shifts amid a rapidly evolving war.
Iraq and Syria have signed preliminary deals at a Washington summit to rehabilitate the Kirkuk–Syria pipeline, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with Chevron involved and a stated capacity of 2 million barrels per day. The moves include collaborations with SpaceX’s Starlink and broader energy, healthcare, and tech investments worth over $60 billion.
SpaceX’s stock has fallen since its IPO last month. A failed Starship test flight led to a further drop, with shares trading below the IPO price and investors weighing the impact on SpaceX’s multi‑billion contracts and future launches.