Axios

The Democratic National Committee sent a notice to Democratic candidates advising them to not use phones or devices produced by ZTE or Huawei, which intelligence leaders, including the FBI, NSA, and CIA Director, have labeled a national security threat, CNN reports and a Democratic source confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: The DNC sent the notice after it learned a Democratic organization was considering buying ZTE phones for staffers, per CNN. Candidates and campaigns typically don’t have a lot of resources to commit to cybersecurity expertise while running tight budgets. Although concerns have been raised about Chinese phone makers, thus far no one has shown any improper use of data on phones from Huawei or ZTE.

Google is in talks with major Chinese companies Tencent and Inspur to bring its cloud business to China, Bloomberg reports.

The big picture: Google is eager to tap into the Chinese market. Partnering with China's domestic champions would lock in powerful allies if Google has to lobby the Chinese government to let it operate in the country.

Apple briefly topped $1 trillion in market cap, becoming the first U.S. company to do so. In and of itself, it's an arbitrary and not terribly meaningful milestone. But Apple's size really does matter.

The bottom line: A trillion dollars in market cap means Apple has both the cash and stock to buy anything it wants. That will be very important if the company decides to venture further into areas like self-driving cars or video content. (This NYT interactive graphic puts $1 trillion in perspective, showing all the things that amount would buy.)

Estonia has become the first country in the world to offer free public transport to all its residents, a move the Baltic state says will not only reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, but also foster commercial activity in its city centers, according to the World Economic Forum.

Why it matters: The metro can be a touchy subject (just ask D.C. residents), and for good reason. Public transportation is a huge factor in making major cities affordable and convenient to live and work in. Combine rapid urbanization with crumbling infrastructure, and you’ve got a tricky and expensive problem to solve.

Kevin McCarthy sent a letter Thursday to the chairman of a powerful House committee to ask that he publicly grill Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey over recent allegations that the platform limits the reach of some conservative accounts.

Why it matters: Republican politicians are embracing anger among conservatives who say online platforms are censoring their voices. Majority Leader McCarthy also needs the backing of more conservative lawmakers if he wants to replace Paul Ryan as speaker of the House should Republicans keep the chamber in November.

Comcast is partnering with Amazon to bring its video service, Amazon Prime video to its X1 service, which is a Pay-TV package that integrates on-demand and live programming through a combined hardware product and software platform.

Why it matters: Cable and satellite providers are competing with the big subscription video on-demand (SVOD) companies, like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, to retain customers, but they also need those companies to retain their Pay-TV subscriber base with marketing deals.

Apple on Thursday became the first-ever U.S. company to have its market cap hit $1 trillion, when shares briefly touched $207.05. It’s a largely symbolic milestone, but also a reminder that between its giant market cap and massive cash holdings, Apple could buy almost anything it wants.

The bottom line: A billion dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A trillion dollars.

As autonomous vehicle companies conduct more tests of robotaxis and autonomous shuttles, they are also experimenting with what business models will best support them. Waymo is testing trips funded by third-party businesses, Via and EasyMile are looking to city buses, and Lyft is piloting an autonomous ride option.

The big picture: Autonomous vehicles can become an on-the-road reality only when they become a business with paying customers. Finding these customers is one of the key questions raised by this potentially transformative technology.