Axios

U.S. online shoppers shelled out $7.9 billion across all retailers on the first day of Amazon's four-day Prime Day sale, up nearly 10% from last year, per Adobe data.

Why it matters: Prime Day is more than just a summer shopping event — it's a pulse check on U.S. consumer behavior, pricing power and retail strategy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat for an interview on Tuesday with the Nelk Boys, a team of pro-Trump YouTubers and podcasters known for their pranks and popularity among young men, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move by Netanyahu — who's in the U.S. this week for talks with President Trump — mirrors Trump's campaign strategy of reaching out to nontraditional, conservative U.S. media.

Nvidia's market cap entered uncharted territory Wednesday, briefly surpassing $4 trillion about a year after first passing $3 trillion.

Why it matters: It's the first time any public company has ever hit that benchmark, reflecting the feverish investor interest in the AI chips giant.

Elon Musk shared his thoughts Wednesday after his AI platform Grok faced backlash for repeatedly using antisemitic language in its replies on X.

• "Grok was too compliant to user prompts," he wrote. "Too eager to please and be manipulated, essentially. That is being addressed."

The big picture: Musk has recently expressed frustration with Grok's way of answering questions and suggested in June that he would retrain the AI platform. It's unclear how well that's going.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said Wednesday she is stepping down from her role.

Why it matters: Yaccarino was the first permanent CEO Elon Musk hired after buying the platform in 2022.

Samsung Wednesday revealed not just another step in its push to bring foldable phones mainstream but also the seeds of the hardware giant's still unfolding AI strategy.

Why it matters: Samsung, like the rest of the tech establishment, is trying to figure out just how the AI revolution will reshape its business and the industry.

The U.S. Space Force tapped Boeing to build at least two satellites to be used for nuclear weapons coordination.

Why it matters: The company bested Northrop Grumman for the nearly $3 billion Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) contract.

The U.S. Defense Department is assembling a counter-drone task force capable of coordinating actions taken by the often stovepiped military services.

Why it matters: The group has the blessing of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Trump administration's push to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth is having a chilling effect on health systems, prompting some to pull back on the services in states where they remain legal.

The big picture: Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Stanford Medicine and Pittsburgh's UPMC are among the facilities pausing or shutting down services following federal probes and concerns that funding could be at risk.

The people building AI are saying — subtly and unsubtly — that the technology is advancing more rapidly than the vast majority of people realize.

Why it matters: It’s likely we won't know how and how much AI will change the way we live, work and play until it already has.

A mischievous little monster with fangs is America's must-have toy — causing fans of all ages to line up and resale prices to soar.

• Meet Labubu, the spiky-eared collectible from China and star of the "cute horror" boom.

Why it matters: There were already concerns that President Trump's trade war would lead to toy shortages and higher prices for the holidays before Labubu became the runaway "hot toy."