Author: Elon Mark

When Anthropic last year became the first major AI company cleared by the US government for classified use—including military applications—the news didn’t make a major splash. But this week a second development hit like a cannonball: The Pentagon is reconsidering its relationship with the company, including a $200 million contract, ostensibly because the safety-conscious AI firm objects to participating in certain deadly operations. The so-called Department of War might even designate Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” a scarlet letter usually reserved for companies that do business with countries scrutinized by federal agencies, like China, which means the Pentagon would…

When was the last time a strategic partnership still felt strategic six months after launch? For many organizations, the honest answer is: not often. Alliances that seemed transformational in the press release become sources of friction. Vendors who promised seamless integration add complexity. Joint ventures stall. The problem usually isn’t the strategy; it’s the negotiation. When leaders focus on deal terms without laying the groundwork for collaboration, they create agreements that seem strong on paper but struggle in practice. Yet, strategic partnerships are vital. As venture capital investment rebounds and organizations become increasingly interconnected, companies rely on external partners for…

United States prosecutors and federal law enforcement spent over a year examining ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Customs and Border Protection officers stationed in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), according to documents recently released by the Department of Justice.As The Guardian and New York Times have reported, emails, text messages, and investigative records show that Epstein cultivated friendships with several officers, entertaining them on his island and offering to take them for whale-watching trips in his helicopter. He even brought one cannolis for Christmas Eve. In turn, Epstein would bring certain officers his complaints about his treatment at the hands…

Emmanuel Aniemeke was drawn to medicine from a young age. Growing up in Nigeria, he experienced firsthand how limited access to medication affected his community. He became fascinated by the healing power of a small pill. That early curiosity evolved into a calling. After immigrating to the United States with his family in the early 2000s, Aniemeke earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston, later completing a doctoral degree in pharmacy at Texas Southern University. He began his career as an intern, steadily advancing while earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In 2024, he became the director…

The Department of Homeland Security struck a $1 billion purchasing agreement with Palantir last week, further reinforcing the software company’s role in the federal agency that oversees the nation’s immigration enforcement.According to contracting documents published last week, the blanket purchase agreement (BPA) awarded “is to provide Palantir commercial software licenses, maintenance, and implementation services department wide.” The agreement simplifies how DHS buys software from Palantir, allowing DHS agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to essentially skip the competitive bidding process for new purchases of up to $1 billion in products and services from…

The Rhine barge freight market during 9–13 February moved decisively away from the hydrology-driven tightness seen earlier in the year. Rapidly improving water levels, particularly at Kaub and Maxau, shifted the balance of power back toward charterers, even as spot activity remained limited throughout the week. Despite a modest increase in deal flow midweek, freight rates largely stabilized at lower effective levels, with only minor adjustments on select Upper Rhine routes. The dominant theme was not demand growth, but the restoration of full intakes, which fundamentally changed market psychology. 1. Freight Rates: Stable Start, Gradual Repricing Upstream 9 February: The…

Zuckerberg repeatedly fell back on accusing Lanier of “mischaracterizing” his previous statements. When it came to emails, Zuckerberg typically objected based on how old the message was, or his lack of familiarity with the Meta employees involved. “I don’t think so, no,” he replied when directed to clarify if he knew Karina Newton, Instagram’s head of public policy in 2021. And Zuckerberg never failed to point out when he wasn’t actually on an email thread entered as evidence.Perhaps anticipating these detached and repetitive talking points from Zuckerberg—who claimed over and over that any increased engagement from a user on Facebook…

The ARA barge freight market during 9–13 February was rather quiet in terms of traded volume, as market participants attended IE week in London. While activity recovered in the second half of the week, the overall tone remained soft, with freight rates trending lower across both middle distillates and light ends. Despite intermittent increases in traded volume, barge availability remained sufficient, and at times abundant, limiting operators’ pricing power. 1. Freight Rates: Calm Start, Broad Downtick Midweek 9 February: The week opened with extremely limited activity, with traded volume reaching its lowest level in quite some time. IE Week kept…

After years spent finding and investigating data breaches, Greg Pollock admits that when he comes across yet another exposed database full of passwords and Social Security numbers, “I come to it with some fatigue.” But Pollock, director of research at the cybersecurity company UpGuard, says he and his colleagues found an exposed, publicly accessible database online in January that appeared to contain a trove of Americans’ sensitive personal data so massive that his weariness lifted and they sprang to action to validate the finding.The UpGuard researchers point out that not all of the records represent unique, valid information, but the…

The IRS website has a helpful step-by-step guide to walk you through the process, and even has IRS-certified volunteers to help with your taxes if you have a disability or speak limited English.Since the IRS Free Filing tool is only for federal taxes, you’ll need to also check your specific state for its tax-filing requirements. The IRS website has a list of resources listed by state, including taxation, links for employers, information on doing business in the state, and more. Although this list hasn’t been updated since 2023, it’s also a good jumping-off point to find tax resources and forms…