Axios C-Suite: What Jim learned for the week of June 6

🚨 '28 intrigue: Ignore the Vance-isn't-running for POTUS speculation. He is.

• Yes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is surging in prediction markets (and often in President Trump's mind). But Rubio is doing nothing in terms of prep (staff, donor chats, base appeasement). Vice President Vance is.
• IF Rubio were to run, the MAGA base would torch him for pushing Trump into the Iran war. Steve Bannon and others blame him, even though it was Trump's call against the advice of Vance and others.

💰 An AI reality check, via Bain: Only 7% of companies report using AI agents operating fully autonomously, the key to AI investment truly juicing profits.

• I'm skeptical the numbers are even that high, beyond easily automatable work. (More on this below.)

🛢️ Price shock: Lots of oil execs are back-channeling alarm to Trump and the White House that oil prices will soon surge.

• Oil majors are depleting strategic reserves to hold down prices, but are running out of options.
• Their warning: $150+ per barrel is WEEKS away if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed.

🤷‍♂️ Sign of the times, flagged by Ben Sasse in the WSJ: 60% of 6-year-olds have access to internet-connected tablets. Yet 58% of kids that age aren't allowed to play unsupervised in their yards.

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