Air travel is bracing for disruptions as Congress races against tonight's federal funding deadline to avert a shutdown.
Why it matters: The U.S. Travel Association told Congressional leaders in a letter sent last Thursdaythat a shutdown would cost the U.S. economy $1 billion per week and affect millions of travelers.
The website for the Department of Housing and Urban Development is greeting visitors with a pop-up message that blames the "Radical Left" for the looming government shutdown Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: This marks a new turn in how the Trump administration is willing to use taxpayer-funded resources to advance political messaging.
President Trump signed an order Tuesday directing his administration to invest $50 million in AI-driven pediatric cancer research.
Why it matters: The move is part of a broader embrace of artificial intelligence across federal agencies but comes as the administration is slashing biomedical research spending and pausing grants.
The Walt Disney Company last week sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI demanding the personalized AI chatbot developer immediately stop using its copyrighted characters without authorization, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: In the letter, Disney emphasizes its main concern isn't just financial, but that Character.AI's platform weaponizes Disney characters in a way that could damage its brand long term.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday sent a letter to the heads of Google, TelevisaUnivision and Telemundo urging all parties to reach distribution agreements to avoid risking a Spanish-language blackout on YouTube TV, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: YouTube TV is one of the largest pay-TV providers in the U.S., with more than 8 million customers.
OpenAI is launching a social video app powered by its generative AI video tool, Sora, which can generate AI videos featuring copyrighted material unless rights holders explicitly opt out, per Axios' Ina Fried.
Why it matters: The opt-out feature suggests OpenAI is willing to take an aggressive stance toward testing the limits of copyright law in an effort to win the short-form video attention battle.
House Democrats emerged from a closed-door meeting Tuesday talking more in terms of what to do if the government shuts down than about how to prevent the shutdown itself.
Why it matters: Not only are the two parties far apart in their positions on government funding with fewer than 10 hours to go until the shutdown deadline — they're not even really negotiating, lawmakers say.
The assailants in several recent mass shootings left behind messages inscribed on bullet casings, posing a dilemma for journalists who want to inform the public without inspiring copycats.
Why it matters: Media outlets don't typically publish manifestos from shooters, but extremism experts warn the messages on the bullets may play the same role.
President Trump and Pfizer announced a deal on Tuesday to lower certain drug prices and move towards the president's "most-favored nation" pricing plan.
Why it matters: Trump has been pushing prescription drug manufacturers to lower U.S. prices, and the commitment from Pfizer could prompt more companies to sign on.
Wendy's is rolling out "Tendys" — crispy chicken tenders — to restaurants nationwide, in a move that could ignite the next chapter of the fast-food chicken wars,
Tony Haile, the founding CEO of both media analytics company Chartbeat and Scroll, a news startup that sold to Twitter, has raised $10.7 million in seed funding to launch Filament, an invite-only professional conversations platform.
Why it matters: Haile believes professional networking is shifting from open feeds on platforms like LinkedIn to closed spaces where executives can have more private conversations.
Politicians are poised to put the hot IPO market on ice, as D.C. hurtles toward a government shutdown tomorrow.
The big picture: Companies need the Securities & Exchange Commission to bless their registration documents before going public. If the SEC is closed, no blessings.
Electronic Arts is the latest video game giant to be acquired, as the sector still wrestles with post-pandemic headwinds, such as slower sales, franchise fatigue and inflationary impacts on consumer spending.
Why it matters: Analysts are bullish on the gaming sector long term, but they see most of the new growth coming from companies that focus on tools and tech serving the sector, not large studios that bet on content.
President Trump couldn't really alter coal's pathhis first time around, but officials are trying new approaches in 2025 — and the landscape has changed, too.
Why it matters: The expanding federal push to boost mining and power has implications for CO2, traditional air pollution, and power markets amid rising demand.
Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek, who has led the audio giant for almost 20 years, is stepping aside and will transition to a new role as executive chair beginning next year, the company said in a statement.
Zoom in: Two co-presidents, Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, will become co-CEOs, reporting to Ek. They will serve on the board of directors, subject to shareholder approval.
An aviation startup called Otto Aerospace says it has designed an ultra-efficient business jet and has already attracted its first fleet customer.
Why it matters: Aviation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and the industry will need innovative aircraft and fuels to achieve its net-zero goals by 2050.
A conservative media network is peppering local households with newspapers designed to look like an impartial news source.
Why it matters: The papers and their accompanying websites are from Metric Media, a partisan, Missouri-based media company that has a history of targeting swing districts in election years, per the New York Times.
Saudi Arabia's $925 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) is backing the largest buyout ever, in a deal that speaks to the kingdom's renewed ambitions to become a cultural powerhouse.
Why it matters: The deal, for video game maker Electronic Arts, is the latest U.S. entry point for Riyadh, as the oil-rich nation aims to diversify its economy — in large part by investing in industries with outsized male audiences, from console gaming to combat sports.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday night to pause mass layoffs at the agency that oversees Voice of America.
Why it matters: U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth's ruling means that U.S. Agency for Global Media acting CEO Kari Lake can't lay off 532 people, most of its staff, on Tuesday as scheduled amid a wider legal battle.
A mass shooting and suspected arson at a Michigan church during a packed Sunday service killed four people and injured eight others, officials said.
The big picture: An FBI official leading the investigation called the incident at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc an "act of targeted violence," after officials said the suspect, who later died, drove a pickup truck into the building before opening fire and then lighting the fire.
The U.S. government seized 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts that were "illegally smuggled" into the country, prosecutors announced Monday.
The big picture: A federal court in Maryland granted a default judgment completing the forfeiture of the artifacts that included a limestone statue valued at around $6 million, per a post on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore.
One of the most popular PBS shows is back with fresh episodes, a new host and celebs spreading some literacy love.
Why it matters: "Reading Rainbow"emerged as one of public television's most viewed programs and it's returning some two months after Congress voted to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides critical support to PBS and NPR.
