Axios

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is battling a series of major setbacks that portray the Pentagon as an agency in deep turmoil — including a fresh bombshell report on his use of Signal and the brutal defection of a one-time close ally.

Why it matters: The new revelations raise questions about Hegseth's ability to run the nation's largest government agency and who's been privy to typically secret Defense Department communications.

HavocAI will soon launch a 38-foot autonomous vessel to complement its smaller drone boats, which have already caught the Pentagon's eye.

Why it matters: There's a military hunger, at home and abroad, for all things unmanned.

Drew Maloney, the head of the American Investment Council, is leaving to serve as the next president and CEO of Edison Electric Institute, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: EEI, the trade association for investor-owned electric companies, is bracing for a potentially transformative time, as the industry works to provide power for AI data centers and EV charging stations.

International trade negotiations often impact deals, but never before have the two seemed so enmeshed.

The big picture: Pending transactions have become high-stakes bargaining chips, in at least three situations.

Meta says it wants to remove bias from its models, but that's harder — and more dangerous — than it looks.

Why it matters: Meta's anti-bias push appears to be an effort to cater to the right's war on "woke" AI and less about model neutrality, according to experts.

More than half of the top privately held AI companies based in the U.S. have at least one immigrant founder, according to an analysis from the Institute for Progress shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The Trump administration is hammering out its AI policies against the backdrop of intensifying global competition and its own "America first" program and strict border policies.

Influencers have typically thrived during shaky times, from the pandemic recession to sky-high inflation. But something is shifting.

Why it matters: The backlash against this industry — built on selling aspirational lifestyles — is gaining new momentum as economic uncertainty spikes.

The most popular U.S. botanical garden accounts on Instagram are in New York City, Philadelphia and Denver, according to data from Sprout Social.

What they're saying: "Eye-catching visuals draw users in, while educational videos and resources keep them coming back," Layla Revis, VP of social, content and brand marketing at Sprout Social, tells Axios.