Tesla said Wednesday that it has begun production of "a more affordable model."
Why it matters: The automaker has long promised a cheaper EV, but has said little about it recently, fueling speculation that CEO Elon Musk had lost interest.
Emmy-nominated actor Ike Barinholtz is in talks to portray Elon Musk in a new film described as a "comedic drama" about the firing and rehiring of Sam Altman at OpenAI, Deadline reports.
Barinholtz is known for shows like "The Mindy Project" and "The Studio."
Zoom in: The film, which is under development by Amazon MGM Studios, would also feature Andrew Garfield and "Anora" actor Yura Borisov.
It's not clear who would portray Altman, who has become Musk's real-life nemesis since they've clashed over OpenAI's ambitions.
💠Nathan's thought bubble: The days of Hollywood lionizing Elon Musk as a partial inspiration for "Iron Man" feel like ancient history.
U.S. automakers may not sell a lot of cars in Japan, even aftera new trade pact between the two countries — but they're definitely worried about how the deal might disadvantage them at home.
Why it matters: President Trump's promise to strengthen the U.S. auto sector often runs counter to his trade and policy actions, leaving automakers feeling frustrated and confused.
Boeing continues to benefit from trade diplomacy, securing global deals as U.S. partners make concessions in tariff talks with the Trump administration.
Why it matters: It's a decisive turn for a company recently beset by business and regulatory disasters caused by quality troubles, legal problems, labor issues and trade walls.
President Trump doesn't want federal government agencies to contract with former adviser-turned-foe Elon Musk's xAI, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
Why it matters: If Trump directs his administration to cut xAI out of any federal contracting, the company would miss out on huge financial opportunities with the government.
Publishers are racing to readjust their businesses as the threat of "Google Zero" — a world where Google no longer distributes meaningful traffic to publishers — looms large.
Why it matters: Traffic referrals from chatbots aren't expected to come close to offsetting traffic from traditional search.
OpenAI's tools are coming to Canvas, the learning platform used by more than 8,000 schools worldwide, OpenAI and ed tech company Instructure announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: OpenAI — like Apple and Google before it — is taking aim at student users because early exposure can lead to lifelong lock-in.
The U.S. is reportedly closing in on a trade agreement that would impose 15% tariffs on goods from the European Union.
Why it matters: The framework — details of which were reported by Reuters and the Financial Times on Wednesday — would be the latest that implements hefty tariffs on a key ally.
Two years ago, when we took a cross-country trip in a Kia electric vehicle, finding public charging stations required a lot of advance planning.
It's a totally different story today now that Tesla Superchargers are open to other EV brands.
Why it matters: Having access to Tesla's nationwide Supercharger network removes much of the charging anxiety associated with long road trips, as my family discovered on our trip.
🚖 Uber is adding Lucid electric vehicles equipped with Nuro's self-driving technology to its growing robotaxi network, and is buying a stake in both companies. (Axios)
🇯🇵 Detroit automakers aren't happy about a new U.S.-Japan trade deal that could leave tariffs lower on cars imported from Japan than those built in North America. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the deal. (CNBC)
💠Thought bubble: Don't be fooled, though. Nobody expects U.S. carmakers to start selling right-hand-drive pickup trucks in Japan.
🥤The Tesla Diner & Drive-In, Elon Musk's long-awaited restaurant that blends retro nostalgia and futurism with the automaker's fast-charging network, officially opened this week in Hollywood. (TechCrunch)
Tesla Diner & Drive-In in Hollywood, Los Angeles. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
I had to climb down a lot of slippery rocks to snap this photo of the Bass Harbor Head Light Station at the southwest tip of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park, but the view was well worth it.
Six months ago, the prospect of a 15% tariff on all goods from a major trading partner like Japan — vastly higher than seen in modern times — would likely have spooked financial markets and caused a wave of economic worry.
Now it brings relief.
Why it matters: President Trump shifted the trade war psychology. Financial markets and manufacturers alike have come to accept that double-digit tariffs are the new reality. And they've concluded that it's not so terrible, considering it could be worse.
As a newcomer to the auto industry, Rivian finds itself at a critical juncture.
Sales of its pricey R1 models are headed in the wrong direction, but it's pinning a lot on next year's release of a smaller, $45,000 SUV, the R2, followed later by an even cheaper R3.
But first, the company has to get through 2025.
Why it matters: Electric vehicle sales have stalled in the U.S., and President Trump's tariff and tax policies will further stifle growth.
Astronomer, a relatively unknown dataops startup, became one of the most talked-about companies of the summer after a video of its CEO Andy Byron and chief people officer Kristin Cabot embracing during a Coldplay concert went viral.
Why it matters: It's the type of scandalous scenario that few communication teams would have in their crisis playbook.
Every road trip is an adventure, but this summer I learned that a cross-country trek in an electric vehicle is a lot less daring than it seemed just a couple years ago.
Many EVs now have a driving range of 300 miles or more — about the same as a gasoline car — and high-speed charging is a lot easier to find, too, now that Tesla Superchargers are open to other brands.
Why it matters: Solving range anxiety is an important hurdle for potential EV buyers.
Over the course of five days, roughly 1,400 news articles about Astronomer drove more than 125 million readers, according to Memo data shared with Axios.
Driving the news: Readership peaked around 60 million on July 18, two days after CEO Andy Byron and chief people officer Kristin Cabot were cast across the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert.
Every time there is a bull market in crypto, there is a new wrinkle, and this time that wrinkle is that you can buy exposure to altcoins in your brokerage account, through publicly traded companies that have gone all in on some cryptocurrencies.
The big picture: You might know that Tesla has some bitcoin and Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) has all the bitcoin, but did you know that publicly traded companies are swiftly pivoting to buying and holding lots of othercryptocurrencies?
The phrase "altcoin season" may start popping up in your timeline, and that's because other cryptocurrencies are rising in value much faster than bitcoin.
The big picture: It's starting to look like one of those frothy times when a good trader can make massive gains making bets on cryptocurrencies most people have never heard of.
News stories or content generated by external sources like journalists, influencers, customers, or the general public are the top sources for AI bots like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, a new Muck Rack report finds.
Why it matters: AI is increasingly being used for search, and how a brand, company or public figure shows up in AI-generated responses could impact their ability to attract customers, investors and talent.
OpenAI is finding that financing and building the massive data centers it needs to meet its ambitions is easier said than done.
Why it matters: There's no limit on AI builders' hunger for computing capacity.
Many advances in generative AI have come from dramatically boosting the computing power applies to model training, while new approaches and increased adoption mean that running those models demands more and more data centers, too.
President Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. notched a trade agreement with Japan that would see 15% tariffs on all goods imported from one of the nation's key trade partners.
Why it matters: A U.S.-Japan trade deal would be the most significant since the White House threatened to impose sharply higher tariffs on much of the globe.
As important as exercising: noticing that you are.
Why it matters: Instead of going on autopilot, maintaining an active mindset comes with major benefits for well-being — that's according to Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer, who's been called "the mother of mindfulness."
