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As of October 2025, OpenAI's valuation surged to $500 billion following a $6.6 billion secondary share sale by current and former employees to investors including SoftBank, Thrive Capital, and MGX. Despite not yet turning a profit, OpenAI has secured massive AI infrastructure deals with Oracle, Nvidia, and AMD, fueling rapid growth and complex partnerships across Silicon Valley's AI ecosystem.
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Apple's latest iPhone 17 series, launched in September, has outperformed previous models in key markets, with demand rising sharply. Meanwhile, the company is scaling back production of the iPhone Air due to slow sales, and shifting some manufacturing to Vietnam amid geopolitical and supply chain adjustments. The move reflects broader supply chain diversification efforts.
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US employment increased by 119,000 jobs in September, exceeding forecasts, but underlying weaknesses persist. Rising layoffs, hiring decoupling, and economic risks continue to shape the labor market outlook as analysts debate AI's impact and recession signals.
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U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000, close to expectations. The four-week average rose slightly, and total continued claims decreased, indicating a mixed but generally stable labor market amid ongoing economic uncertainties.
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Since July, U.S. corporations have reported significant tax savings due to new Republican laws, reducing federal revenue by about a third. Meanwhile, Texas and Hawaii face budget challenges, with debates over tax cuts for high earners and new initiatives for children. Recent political moves highlight ongoing fiscal and ideological conflicts.
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The Justice Department is investigating companies over their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, using the False Claims Act to argue that discriminatory practices may violate federal law. Google and Verizon are among those under scrutiny, amid broader efforts to enforce civil rights through financial investigations.
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December's US jobs report shows employers added 50,000 jobs, below expectations and marking the slowest growth since 2020. The unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, but revisions and data gaps suggest ongoing labor market softness amid mixed economic signals. The report influences Federal Reserve policy and political debates.
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A major Verizon network outage on January 14, 2026, caused widespread service disruptions across the US, affecting calls, data, and emergency services. The company is working to resolve the issue, while competitors like T-Mobile highlight their network stability during the outage.