German-American entrepreneur, investor and political activist
Two large budgets face significant cuts: Long Beach plans layoffs and service reductions, while New York City’s school district avoids broad cuts by offsetting deficits with state funds and debt management measures.
Abdul El-Sayed has won the Michigan Democratic Senate nomination in a closely watched primary, defeating Haley Stevens in a race that highlights anti-establishment sentiment and deep fundraising divides. The result may reshape the party’s strategy ahead of the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential contest.
The Guardians report on how Star Trek’s utopian roots collide with today’s political divisions and the franchise’s evolving status in a polarized media landscape.
Star Trek’s 60th anniversary is marred by debate over inclusivity and the franchise’s future. Multiple outlets report on cancellation of a Paramount+ series, with actors defending the franchise’s progressive values while critics question its current direction. Readers are watching closely as sponsors and fans weigh the franchise’s next moves.
Covenant has announced Anthem, a ground-launched cruise missile capable of carrying a 200+ kg payload. With multiple production sites and a goal of 5,000 missiles per year, the program aims to lower costs while expanding long-range reach, including Indo-Pacific defense considerations.
Palantir has appointed Lord Tom Watson as UK senior vice-president, expanding its UK leadership as it seeks to deepen public-sector work, including NHS and policing contracts. The move follows controversy over Palantir’s role in UK public services and amid ongoing legal and political scrutiny.
Pope Leo XIV has opened a four-day visit to France focused on defending the value of human life and meeting abuse survivors. The trip has prompted protests and fresh criticism: survivors and campaigners say the church has not provided timely justice and want transparent trials, while French reparations bodies have awarded hundreds of victims compensation.
A wave of new AI-focused funding signals a shift toward enterprise-ready solutions. BAG Ventures raises a new fund to back AI-native startups, Dorm Room Fund expands with a $50 million AI-aligned pool, and Ema secures growth funding to expand multi-agent workflows. Spellbook appoints a new CMO as the legal AI space grows. Together, these moves indicate a push toward integrated, outcome-driven AI in businesses.
Developing contests across the U.S. see heavy spending from national committees and super PACs. Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, and Kansas are among the states where ads and funding shifts aim to influence close races. The dynamic spending reflects a broader scramble to protect or seize Senate control as Election Day approaches.
Amazon has appointed Pedram Rezaei, a former Microsoft executive who spent two decades on training foundation models, as a Distinguished Engineer for its Agentic AI and Emerging Technologies group. Rezaei will focus on Quick and Kiro, respectively AWS’s AI assistant and an AI-powered coding tool, as Amazon accelerates its AI strategy.
Meta has created a new class of non‑voting Class C shares and agreed a deal with Mark Zuckerberg that will let him sell a portion of those shares to cover a potential California one‑time billionaire tax (Proposition 40) without losing voting control. The company has said the move will also raise capital for AI investment and keep Zuckerberg working near Meta's headquarters.
A campaign ad featuring Democratic candidate Amy Acton’s estranged mother has provoked bipartisan outrage and prompted Ramaswamy to halt its run. Republican polling reported by Axios has shown Acton opening an eight-point lead after the ad circulated; national Republicans and Ohio officials have criticised the spot for exploiting Acton’s traumatic childhood.
Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel has expressed skepticism about the Iran war, saying there were mistakes and that the US may be losing the soft power war. He remains supportive of Trump, while criticizing neoconservatives. The remarks come ahead of the US midterms as energy costs mount amid the Hormuz crisis.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has opened a renewed inquiry into Polymarket’s past safeguards to block U.S. users, focusing on location-detection and U.S. advertising. The probe is part of broader CFTC actions and follows previous settlements and later developments in the company’s US platform and marketing practices.