The AI Boom Could Be Over

WORD ON THE STREET 

• Disney Countersues DeSantis – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose bid for the White House is faltering, has tried to back off from his feud with Disney, saying it was time to “move on.” However, scenting blood, Big Mouse hit the governor’s Central Florida Tourism Oversight District with a suit, alleging breach of contract and seeking damages.

• Bidding War For Yellow Trucking – Old Dominion Freight Line has bid $1.5 billion for Yellow Trucking’s North American holdings. That’s $200 million more than Estes Express Lines – and raises the prospect of a full-scale bidding war.

• Cybertruck On Glacier In Iceland – Promotion incoming… a Tesla Cybertruck was spotted on a glacier in Iceland. If we eliminate the possibility that someone just got lost out there, which seems reasonable, we can assume it is filming for a new ad. Production has reportedly begun, though the Cybertruck still has some regulatory hurdles to overcome.

• Starbucks Pays Extra In Reverse Racism Suit – Remember when there was that huge media controversy a few years ago when Starbucks got in trouble for not serving two African-Americans who allegedly didn’t buy anything? Well, it gets worse for Starbucks. The company allegedly fired a white worker, even though she claimed she wasn’t even at the store that day. She claimed it was because she was white – and now, on top of winning $25.6 million in a wrongful termination suit, she gets about $2.7 million in back pay and damages. That’s a lot of coffee.

HOT SPOTS: What’s Going on in Geopolitics

• Bank Of China Disappoints Observers – It wasn’t enough for analysts hoping for more stimulus policy from the Chinese government. China’s central bank only cut its one-year loan prime rate and left the five-year rate untouched. Translation – the Chinese government is being cautious even as growth falls.
  

• Russian Lunar Mission Ends With A Crash – The Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon, dooming the quest to be the first to land on the south pole. Roscosmos claims there was an “abnormal situation” on Saturday – Russia’s first moon mission since 1976 has ended in failure. At least there was no one aboard.

• Chinese President Visits South Africa – Chinese president Xi Jinping visited South Africa, aiming to build up the BRICS economic group into a real alliance. China, along with Russia, is positioning itself as a champion of the Global South. However, major economic problems, as well as conflicts with India, make the trip seem less than triumphal.

CUTTING EDGE: What‘s Happening In Tech

• X Ending Blocks – Twitter/X is in chaos (so what else is new) after Elon Musk announced that the “block” feature would soon be ended. Competitor Bluesky almost crashed as users fled to look for a new platform. Musk’s move is likely prompted by the need to protect access to advertisers – which many users have been blocking.

• Microsoft Lists Food Bank As Tourist Destination – I know it’s tough out there but this is ridiculous. A Microsoft travel guide for Ottawa, Canada that built up content with “algorithmic techniques with human review” listed a food bank as a tourist destination. The catch came from The Verge, which has been critical of AI journalism.

• AI Art CAN’T Be Copyrighted – Well, so much for stock images. US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that copyright law doesn’t protect “works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding hand.” In other words, AI art isn’t getting copyright protection anytime soon.

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