Apple on Thursday reported quarterly earnings slightly ahead of expectations, lifted by stronger-than-expected revenue from its services business.
Why it matters: The earnings reports come amid concerns over how the company will be affected by trade tensions with China and just after a scathing ruling from a federal court over its App Store practices.
The White House's reaction to reports that Amazon was planning to itemize tariff pricing — which Amazon later denied — shows how tricky the current political landscape is for American businesses.
Why it matters: This kerfuffle highlights the potential blame game between corporations and the administration, should prices rise.
Corporate America will continue to serve two antitrust masters, after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) yesterday backed off a plan to remove the FTC's antitrust authority and consolidate (most of) those powers in the Justice Department.
Why it matters: This illustrates how antitrust politics have changed in the past 100 days.
Soon online shoppers will be able to make purchases straight from their chatbots, which could drive the biggest shift in shopping since Amazon or the iPhone.
Why it matters: Shopping has fueled every internet boom from the dot-com to mobile to social.
World, the eyeball-scanning identity management platform co-founded by Sam Altman, is bringing its technology to the U.S., while announcing partnerships with Match Group, Razer and others.
Why it matters: The move opens up one of the biggest and most lucrative technology markets for World, which says its biometric verification system is the key to proving humanity in a world where people and bots operate side-by-side.
Apple must stop levying 27% commissions on sales that take place when apps point users to websites beyond Apple's App Store, a federal judge ordered Wednesday.
The intrigue: In a scorching ruling that called Apple's response to a previous order "an obvious cover-up," Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple's behavior to federal prosecutors to investigate whether to bring criminal contempt of court charges.
Shares of Microsoft and Facebook owner Meta Platforms jumped Wednesday after the companies separately delivered strong earnings reports despite concerns about the economy.
Why it matters: Economic uncertainty stemming from President Trump's trade war is hovering over the stock market as investors look for signs of how increased tariffs are affecting businesses.
Gemini AI will be a part of paid agreements with other companies to feature Google's products, just like Google Search has been, CEO Sundar Pichai said in federal court Wednesday.
Driving the news: Pichai testified in a federal court in Washington, D.C., as part of the DOJ's search antitrust case against the tech giant.
To ensure America's continued leadership in the global economy, it's essential to harness the power of open source AI, which democratizes access to cutting-edge technology and empowers workers and businesses to innovate and thrive.
MAGA media erupted over a reported plan by Amazon, which the retailer denied, to display tariff costs on its website — just as Big Tech is working to align itself more closely with President Trump.
Why it matters: Tuesday's hullabaloo shows that deep skepticism of Big Tech remains a potent force within Trump's movement.
In an era of global warfare and burgeoning alliances, U.S. tunnel vision on the Indo-Pacific risks missing "important pieces of the puzzle," according to Saab Inc. chief executive Erik Smith.
"I think it's dangerous to look at a specific region of the world," he told Axios in an interview. "It's an interconnected web out there right now, with both seen and unseen connections."
Why he matters: Smith leads a growing U.S. subsidiary of an international defense and aerospace company.
Lockheed Martin wants to superchargeits F-35 and F-22 fleets with technologies it cooked up while competing for the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance contract, CEO Jim Taiclet said.
Why it matters: The resultant aircraft would be what Taiclet coined "fifth generation plus" — stealthier and able to sense and strike at greater ranges.
"We're basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari," he said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.
Aeon is developing launchers and smart, rocket-powered projectiles that can pack an explosive punch against armor or deliver life-saving medical supplies to a trench otherwise out of reach, company executives told Axios.
The big picture: "I grew up by Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, California.Talking to Marines, I learned they were still dependent on unguided rockets, and that blew my mind," founder and CEO Naweed Tahmas said in an interview.
"No warfighter in the modern era should have their lives depend on anything that's unguided."
A cadre of moms on social media is using TikTok activism around wellness causes to amplify HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s calls to clean up America's food supply.
Why it matters: At a time when "bro-casters" like Joe Rogan are helping drive the political narrative, Kennedy has tapped into the following of these "mom-fluencers" to further his agenda, which has included narratives that aren't scientifically sound.
The U.S. is hurtling toward a reckoning over teen use of artificial intelligence, with both the government and the tech industry promoting AI adoption in schools while child safety advocates demand better safeguards for chatbots.
Why it matters: Kids and parents who have barely begun to get familiar with the new technology are getting mixed messages about the opportunities and threats of AI use.
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