President Trump can remove Rebecca Slaughter from her role as Federal Trade Commission commissioner while the Supreme Court considers executive authority over independent agencies, the justices ruled in a majority decision on Monday.
Why it matters: The 6-3 ruling suggests the Supreme Court is poised to overturn a 90-year-old precedent that protects the heads of independent agencies from being fired by presidents when the justices hear arguments in the case in December.
In private, the leaders of some of the country's best-known companies say that a number of White House policies have been bad for their businesses — and possibly illegal, per the results of a survey from Yale School of Management, shared with Axios.
Why it matters: In public, business leaders are keeping relatively quiet, fearing retribution from President Trump — a stark contrast to corporate behavior during Trump 1.0.
Nike's long-anticipated collaboration with Kim Kardashian's Skims is finally set to debut this week, the companies announced on Monday.
Why it matters: The activewear collection's debut is good news for Nike, whose shares have experienced a rollercoaster ride this year, thanks at least in part to turmoil from Trump's trade war.
It's also a feather in the cap for Skims, which is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, per Inc., and was last valued at $4 billion in 2023.
A federal judge on Monday ordered that an offshore wind project off the coast of Rhode Island can resume construction, following the Trump administration's stop-work order last month.
Why it matters: Investors and New England lawmakers are closely watching the legal battle over the Revolution Wind project, which is jointly owned by Ørsted and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a memo this month cemented restrictions on when, where and how the military and Pentagon leaders can engage with the public, noting that past "external engagements have tended to canalize toward certain types of institutions."
Why it matters: It's the latest evidence of a Defense Department clampdown amid internal concern about leaks, palace intrigue and narrative control.
Why it matters: The over-the-counter drug is a critical product for Kenvue, anchoring the company's "self-care" segment, which brings in about 42% of its total revenue.
Nvidia is investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI, creating a powerful alliance in the ballooning AI economy.
Why it matters: Nvidia is the world's most valuable company, with a dominant position in the chips powering the AI revolution, and OpenAI is the innovating force behind market leader ChatGPT.
Cardless, a San Francisco-based branded credit card platform, raised $60 million in Series C funding led by Spark Capital.
Why it matters: The long-term bet is that all consumer financial services will mimic credit cards, in that they'll be branded by non-bank businesses and offer loyalty rewards.
The media landscape is undergoing a massive transformation as the AI era begins, streaming industry matures and political environment grows more divided.
Zoom in: In a new, exclusive report for Media Trends Executive members, we walk through the state of the media ecosystem and the major trends transforming the market.
Google DeepMind said Monday it has updated a key AI safety document to account for new threats — including the risk that a frontier model might try to block humans from shutting it down or modifying it.
Why it matters: Some recent AI models have shown an ability, at least in test scenarios, to plot and even resort to deception to achieve their goals.
TikTok's new U.S. entity would lease its algorithm from Chinese owner ByteDance under the terms of a proposed deal between the U.S. and China, a senior White House official tells Axios.
Why it matters: There had been some talk that ByteDance would be required to sell the algorithm in order to satisfy a 2024 law that demands TikTok be controlled by Americans or face a ban.
Vana, a startup spun out of MIT, is rolling out an app that works like a wallet for personal data that can be used to train AI.
Why it matters: Vana hopes people will use the app to control and pool their own data with others, shape how it's used and share in the value it creates.
Energy Secretary Chris Wrightsaid in an exclusive interview that freezing offshore wind projects doesn't make America a risky place to invest — but he wants Congress to overhaul permitting to make other infrastructure easier to advance.
Why it matters: Wright is powerful in Trump 2.0 — a point man for the White House "dominance" agenda on fossil fuels, powering AI data centers, and shredding Biden-era climate playbooks.
President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk met during Charlie Kirk's memorial service Sunday in Arizona, some three months after their public falling out.
The big picture: Two of the world's most powerful people were once close allies, but fell out over Trump's "big, beautiful bill," after Musk attacked the president's signature law — prompting the president to suggest he could cancel his former adviser and biggest political donor's government contracts.
