President Trump on Wednesday announced he is granting a "full and unconditional PARDON" to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who was indicted last year on conspiracy and bribery charges, which he denies.
Why it matters: Trump has granted clemency to several formerDemocratic elected officials, but it is an extremely unusual move for the Republican president to pardon a sitting Democratic member of Congress.
As AI technology transforms the economy, the government will need to step in and retrain the workforce, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told a conference on Wednesday.
Why it matters: While some business leaders have played down the danger of AI taking jobs, the Anthropic CEO has been vocal in warning that we should be expecting it —and that the government has a role to play in helping the economy transition.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said his company is the only one in the world whose business model is fully driven by technology, rather than by social media or advertising, he said on a new episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience."
Why it matters: Huang is emphasizing his company as the central player in the AI race as competition heats up.
President Trump last week commuted the seven-year prison sentence of private equity investor David Gentile, who served only 12 days behind bars.
The big picture: Trump isn't pardoning Gentile for his crimes, which included wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Instead he's arguing that Gentile isn't deserving of prison time or major fines, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claiming that Gentile's trial was a "weaponization of justice" by former President Biden.
Early holiday retail data looks a lot like the rest of the economy: fine on the surface, with potentially dangerous cracks underneath.
Why it matters: The consumer is the engine of the U.S. economy — an engine many fear will start to sputter amid tariff pressure, a weak labor market and tariff-driven price increases.
Waymo boasts that deploying robotaxis to new cities has become "routine." But in at least a half dozen of the markets it's targeting for expansion, it may have underestimated the policy roadblocks and political headwinds it faces.
Why it matters: Misreading local politics could foil Waymo's ambitious growth plans, erasing the giant lead the Alphabet-owned company has over competitors.
Starting Wednesday, six Walmart stores on the outskirts of Atlanta are offering drone delivery as an option for those last-minute purchases.
Why it matters: Shifting small package deliveries to the sky could help ease road congestion and cut tailpipe emissions — not to mention enabling shoppers to get their purchases delivered quickly, right to their doorstep.
Wall Street insists AI is not a bubble. But with some clients not convinced, HSBC is steering them toward emerging markets for cheaper, diversified AI exposure.
Why it matters: With high valuations making stocks expensive in the U.S., there may be better deals abroad, the bank says.
Investing in international stocks may pay off monetarily, but market pros say that's sometimes a hard sell with clients focused on domestic performance.
Why it matters: This is an example of the so-called career risk and home bias trumping market fundamentals. Money managers may prefer to keep clients happy by owning U.S. stocks, even if it could mean lower returns.
Archer Aviation plans to create an electric air taxi network in south Florida by linking regional airports with properties owned by Miami Dolphins owner and real estate developer Stephen Ross.
Why it matters: Traffic in Miami, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the U.S., can be a nightmare.
