Microsoft announced fresh commitments to unbundle its Teams communication app from the Office 365 and Microsoft 365 software suites. This move aims to address antitrust concerns raised by European regulators about Microsoft’s bundling practices, which some believe unfairly tie Teams to popular productivity tools like Word and Outlook. The European Commission, the executive branch of…
Category: News
xAI Blames Rogue Employee for Grok Controversy as Musk’s Chatbot Sparks Political Backlash
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, confirmed that a “rogue employee” was responsible for recent controversial responses made by its chatbot, Grok. The bot, which is integrated into Musk’s social media platform X, unexpectedly responded to user questions with unfounded theories about “white genocide” in South Africa. These responses were triggered by unauthorized modifications made to…
Charter and Cox Merge in $34.5 Billion Deal to Compete With Streaming and Wireless Rivals
Two leading cable companies in the United States, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, have agreed to merge in a landmark deal amid the ongoing transformation of the media industry. The deal, which values Cox at \$34.5 billion including debt, highlights the growing pressure on traditional cable providers as consumers shift toward more affordable streaming platforms…
Federal Student Loan Collections Resume as SAVE Plan Stalls and Borrowers Face Renewed Confusion
The U.S. Education Department has resumed involuntary collections on defaulted federal student loans, potentially impacting about 5.3 million borrowers through wage garnishment. At the same time, legal challenges and administrative delays have created widespread confusion, especially around income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Advocates like Natalia Abrams from the Student Debt Crisis Center have criticized the complexity…
Japan’s Economy Shrinks as Export Slump and Trump-Era Tariffs Undermine Recovery Hopes
Japan’s economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released by the Cabinet Office. This marked the first economic shrinkage in a year, with a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 0.2%. The downturn was more severe than economists had anticipated, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the Japanese economy amid…
Nissan Keeps Sunderland Plant Alive with EV Plans and Possible Dongfeng Production Deal
Nissan’s new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, confirmed that the company’s Sunderland factory in the UK will remain operational despite a sweeping global restructuring plan. The Japanese carmaker recently announced it would close seven factories and cut 20,000 jobs due to significant financial losses. However, Sunderland, which employs 6,000 people and is Britain’s largest car plant,…
U.S. and UAE Launch 10-Square-Mile AI Campus to Build Middle East Tech Powerhouse
The United States and the United Arab Emirates have announced a major collaboration to develop a massive artificial intelligence campus in Abu Dhabi. Touted as the largest AI facility outside the U.S., the project is being led by the Emirati firm G42 and will include participation from various American companies. The AI data center will…
Walmart Beats Earnings Forecasts but Warns of Tariff Impact and Economic Uncertainty
Walmart posted a mixed earnings report for its first quarter, with revenue rising 2.5% year over year to $165.6 billion, slightly below Wall Street expectations of $166.02 billion. However, the company beat adjusted earnings forecasts, reporting $0.61 per share versus the estimated $0.58. U.S. same-store sales rose 4.5%, outperforming expectations, largely driven by strength in…
Coinbase Breach Exposes User Data in $400M Insider Attack as Company Rejects Ransom Demands
Coinbase disclosed a significant cybersecurity incident in which cybercriminals bribed overseas support contractors to steal sensitive customer information. The attackers gained unauthorized access to customer support systems and extracted data for a subset of users. Although private keys and passwords were not compromised, the data obtained included names, contact information, partial Social Security numbers, government…
NJ Transit Warns Commuters as Rail Strike Threatens to Paralyze Travel Between New Jersey and NYC
NJ Transit issued a critical advisory urging hundreds of thousands of commuters to reach their destinations before midnight Thursday due to an imminent rail strike. Engineers with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are expected to walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Friday amid stalled contract negotiations. This strike, the first in over…