For the Sussexes, the sole recognition of the business aspect of the journey was found at the conclusion of a five-page pre-tour briefing. It stated: “As with numerous visits of this kind, a limited number of private engagements are included to bolster wider commercial, charitable, and community aims.”
Producers of memory chips are projected to satisfy only 60 percent of demand by the conclusion of 2027.
Producers of memory chips are projected to satisfy only 60 percent of demand by the conclusion of 2027.
As reported by Nikkei Asia, while suppliers are increasing DRAM output, manufacturers are only anticipated to fulfill 60 percent of demand by 2027’s end. The chairman of SK Group indicated that these shortages might persist until 2030.
The leading memory producers — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — are actively working on expanding their manufacturing capacity, but barely any of it will be operational before at least 2027, if not until 2028. SK inaugurated a fab in Cheongju in February, but that marks the sole production increase among the trio for 2026.
Nikkei asserts that there needs to be a 12 percent annual increase in production during 2026 and 2027 to satisfy demand. However, Counterpoint Research indicates that only a 7.5 percent increase is being planned.
The new facilities will primarily concentrate on creating high-bandwidth memory (HBM), utilized in AI data centers. Given that these companies are already prioritizing HBM over typical DRAM used in computers and smartphones, it remains uncertain how effectively these new fabs will alleviate the pricing pressures experienced by consumer electronics. Everything from smartphones and laptops to VR headsets and portable gaming devices have experienced price hikes due to the RAM deficit.
“Everything is interconnected as one large, costly, and highly intricate entity, essential for the National Security and Military Operations of the United States of America!” he noted, mentioning that the subterranean facility would feature bomb shelters and healthcare amenities.
The Chicago Land Facebook Group for ICE Sightings, along with its developer Eyes Up, successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against the government.
The Chicago Land Facebook Group for ICE Sightings, along with its developer Eyes Up, successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against the government.
Jorge L. Alonso, a judge in the federal district court for the Northern District of Illinois, stated that the Trump Administration breached the First Amendment when it pressured Facebook and Apple into removing ICE-monitoring groups and applications. Judge Alonso issued a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs, Kassandra Rosado, who operates the ICE Sightings – Chicagoland Facebook group, and the Kreisau Group, developers of Eyes Up.
Judge Alonso referenced a unanimous Supreme Court ruling from a 2024 case where the NRA challenged the former head of the New York Department of Financial Services, Maria Vullo. In that scenario, the court determined that “[g]overnment officials cannot attempt to coerce private entities to punish or suppress beliefs that the government finds unfavorable,” when Vullo urged firms to sever ties with the NRA. Alonso’s ruling continues, stating, “In this case, [Pam] Bondi and [Kristi] Noem did precisely that. They contacted Facebook and Apple and insisted, rather than asked, that Facebook and Apple silence Plaintiff’s speech.”
With regard to the ICE Sightings Facebook group, former Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed on X that an unnamed group “being utilized to dox and target” ICE agents had been eliminated after the DOJ communicated with Meta. Eyes Up, ICEBlock, Red Dot, and other analogous applications have also been removed from app stores, following pressure from the DOJ and public threats of prosecution, including against CNN simply for reporting on the app’s existence.
It is probable that the government will contest this ruling, and the battle will persist. However, the unanimous precedent established by the Supreme Court in 2024 indicates that the Trump administration is likely to encounter significant challenges.
Derek Sylvester’s father established the family’s first Chevrolet dealership single-handedly on Main Street in rural Peckville, Pennsylvania, in 1972.
Since then, the store and family have been a cornerstone of the village, just outside Scranton. That was until late last month when Sylvester and his family finalized a transaction to sell Sylvester Chevrolet to a dealer group based in New York.
“As a family, we made the decision that this might be the right time,” said Sylvester, who at 67 has been considering retirement. “Unless you own a larger store, a significantly larger store, it can be somewhat challenging to generate profit. … It’s all about scale.”
Many of Sylvester’s family members intend to remain at the dealership, but he mentioned they did not feel equipped to continue leading the business given the rapidly transforming automotive retail landscape in the U.S. The industry is encountering a chaotic embrace of fully electric vehicles, technological advancements like artificial intelligence, and increasing pressures from automakers.
Sales of dealerships like Sylvester Chevrolet are happening nationwide at an astonishing rate, as the car sales business, once regarded as the domain of small family-owned shops, has morphed into a profitable trillion-dollar industry that has seen an influx of consolidation and heightened attention from Wall Street and investors in recent times.
While the National Automobile Dealers Association, or NADA, indicates that a vast majority of its U.S. franchised dealers are independent business owners like Sylvester with fewer than six locations, the leading retailers in the country have considerably expanded.
The top 150 dealers were responsible for 27% of all retail and fleet new vehicle sales in 2025, an increase from 24.3% in 2021 and 21.2% in 2015, according to Automotive News’ annual ranking of leading automotive retailers. They additionally controlled about a quarter of dealerships last year, rising from under 20% a decade prior, as stated by the trade publication.
At the same time, top publicly traded dealers such as Lithia Motors and AutoNation have escalated to market caps exceeding $6 billion each. Even online pre-owned vehicle retailer Carvana — boasting a $74 billion market cap, which exceeds the value of most automobile manufacturers it represents — has subtly begun acquiring new vehicle franchises without revealing its plans for the future.
“There’s a substantial amount of capital eager to enter the industry,” Brian Gordon, president of dealer advisory and brokerage Dave Cantin Group, informed CNBC. “Generally, the industry is somewhat unified on how to assess these assets. That fosters a favorable environment for [mergers and acquisitions].”
Multibillion-dollar dealerships have surged during a long-term consolidation that has instilled a grow-or-die mentality for numerous U.S. automotive retailers.
NADA, a trade organization representing franchised dealers, states that the average dealership owner operates between two and three stores, though the most significant growth sector over the last ten years has been in medium-sized dealerships that operate between six and 25 locations.
NADA reports that 90.5% of its nearly 17,000 dealers own between one and five stores, down from 94.4% in 2016. Conversely, 0.2% of dealers possess 50 stores or more, an increase from 0.1% during that same period.
“It’s evident that the industry is consolidating, and it’s an industry that will persist in consolidation,” Gordon remarked. However, he added that this is occurring at all tiers, particularly the transition of mom-and-pop operations to larger entities.
Dave Cantin Group — the advisor for Matthews Auto Group, the dealer group that acquired Sylvester Chevrolet — executes numerous such deals annually and predicts that the momentum of consolidation and mergers and acquisitions will rise this year.
Matthews Auto Group is among many regional dealership firms that have opted to expand. The family-owned business commenced in Vestal — located in central New York, south of Syracuse — in 1973 with a single Chrysler-Plymouth outlet and has since evolved into an approximate $800 million enterprise with 18 locations and 800 employees.
Rob Matthews, a second-generation owner and CEO of Matthews Auto Group, explained that the company’s pursuit of growth is ongoing, aiming to enhance profitability and better compete in its existing markets of New York and Pennsylvania.
“I believe that serves as a distinct competitive edge. Remaining static is likely not the wisest strategy. You are witnessing ongoing expansion,” Matthews stated. “The trend indicates that consolidation will persist to maintain competitiveness.”
This is also why Sylvester expressed his desire to sell his business, insisting on keeping the store’s numerous employees — a component of Matthews’ acquisition strategy.
“There are numerous aspects that, due to our scale, we believe we can truly enhance a store like his,” Matthews shared. “I genuinely find it thrilling as we seek to provide them with additional resources and ensure everyone can continue their work moving forward.”
Wall Street has noticed how profitable and well-protected franchised dealerships are in the U.S. The franchised dealer framework, which exists to sell new vehicles to consumers instead of automakers marketing their vehicles directly, is distinctive and heavily regulated.
“I perceive endless potential. The opportunity for expansion within our company is limitless,” Sonic Automotive President Jeff Dyke conveyed to CNBC during a recent interview. “I believe that having mom-and-pop dealers is advantageous for the industry. However, those mom-and-pop dealers must adapt their mindset.”
Sonic Automotive, a publicly traded company valued at over $2 billion, has expanded from 96 franchised dealership locations in 2015 to 134 by the end of the previous year. The company has also undergone massive growth in its EchoPark used vehicle stores and Sonic Powersports, with revenue surging 58% to $15.2 billion last year.
Others, including Lithia Motors, have adopted even more aggressive growth strategies. The Medford, Oregon-based firm outpaced longstanding dealership group AutoNation to claim the title of top U.S. new vehicle franchised dealer in 2022.
Lithia, with a market cap of $6.3 billion, has implemented a bold growth strategy, seeing its revenue jump from $8.7 billion in 2016 to $37.6 billion last year. The company has nearly tripled its new and used store count from 154 locations to 455 during that period.
John Murphy, a veteran automotive analyst and managing director of strategic advisory at buy-sell advisory firm Haig Partners, asserts that dealerships remain an exceptionally profitable niche for investors, despite a slight cooling phase after businesses enjoyed inflated profits during the Covid pandemic.
“Structurally, there remains significant potential for growth, and there’s increasing interest from existing capital in the dealership sector, particularly from outside participants, private equity family offices, and other financial resources focused on this limited pool of dealers,” he noted. “The upward potential in earnings is growing, and there’s escalating interest, or demand, from the buying side of the market.”
All these factors culminate in a scenario where many mom-and-pop dealerships are primed for acquisition or expansion.
“There are numerous elements complicating competition for a small mom-and-pop dealership,” remarked Talon Fee, a managing director at Dave Cantin Group who facilitated the sale of Sylvester Chevrolet to Matthews Auto Group. “This does not imply that small mom-and-pop dealerships cannot persist and flourish, but they must possess a strategy.”
Fee and others have identified the primary reasons for owners choose to sell, which include a lack of succession planning, increasing competitiveness in the changing industry, and a waning commitment to reinvest in their businesses.
“A significant amount of external capital has found ways to infiltrate the market, particularly since one must be an active operator to gain approval from manufacturers,” explained Gordon from Dave Cantin Group.
Nevertheless, the industry is evolving in various ways, as new automakers like Tesla, Rivian and Lucid strive to circumvent the franchised dealer system and directly market vehicles to customers.
These companies have persistently challenged state regulations to enable such sales, with Rivian recently securing a victory against car dealerships in Washington state by threatening to take its case to voters with a ballot initiative to permit direct sales.
This contributes to the shifting U.S. automotive retail environment that owners like Sylvester and his wife, who also worked at the dealership, have not had to confront in the past. It’s also an aspect that Sylvester and many other small mom-and-pop stores won’t need to contend with upon selling their businesses.
“I have enjoyed a wonderful life, make no mistake. However, everything has its time,” expressed Sylvester, who intends to devote his retirement to managing a 92-acre farm in Pennsylvania. “We earned a decent living. We contributed positively to the community.”
For its initial three decades, Nvidia was not recognized by most unless they were part of the gaming community. Presently, some of its early supporters feel neglected as artificial intelligence has elevated the chipmaker to being the most valuable company globally.
“The gaming sector is no longer the primary engine for the company. There was a time when it indisputably was,” stated Stacy Rasgon from Bernstein Research.
Nvidia pioneered the graphics processing units, or GPUs, that facilitate high frame rates and rendering necessary for optimal video game experiences.
When Nvidia launched its inaugural GPU in 1999, the GeForce 256, they dismissed most employees and faced bankruptcy to accomplish this. Gamers eagerly adopted this new form of processor, reviving Nvidia from near failure.
Currently, as AI demand skyrockets, nearly all of Nvidia’s earnings stem from products catering to that field, shifting away from gaming. With AI chip production limiting the available memory supply, Nvidia has had to navigate difficult choices regarding its focus areas.
In an environment constrained by memory, it is understandable that Nvidia would prioritize its significantly more lucrative data center GPUs like Hopper and Blackwell.
Nvidia’s operating profit margins in its compute and networking segment have averaged 69% over the past three years, in contrast to a 40% margin for the consumer-oriented graphics division.
“I get that they’re going to pursue that. And that saddens me,” remarked Greg Miller, co-founder and host of the widely popular gaming podcast Kinda Funny Games Daily during an interview with CNBC.
“Stick with those who supported you. Gamers have helped you reach this point,” Miller added.
If analyst forecasts are on point, 2026 will mark the first occasion in thirty years that Nvidia does not unveil a new generation of its consumer-oriented GeForce graphics processing units.
Gamers are “extremely significant” to Nvidia, as per an email the company sent to CNBC, clarifying that it is “constantly innovating, assessing, and releasing” new technologies focused on gaming.
The current RTX 50 series of GeForce GPU was presented at CES in January 2025.
However, with 2026 CES and GTC behind, some express concerns that this year may not bring a new generation, although Nvidia frequently presents new hardware as late as September.
While this indicates a significant strategic shift, some gamers argue it isn’t detrimental to their financial plans.
“It’s tough to keep pace. Upgrading every year isn’t feasible, so having some time off and waiting for a vital generation seems to serve gamers well,” stated Tim Gettys, Miller’s co-founder at Kinda Funny Games.
Nvidia’s present phase of AI supremacy commenced two decades ago with the 2006 introduction of its CUDA software toolkit. Suddenly, developers were able to utilize GPUs for general computing tasks as opposed to solely for graphics.
Later, in 2012, Nvidia’s deep learning prowess was established during what many refer to as the pivotal moment for contemporary AI. Nvidia’s GPUs and CUDA were instrumental in creating a neural network known as AlexNet that outperformed all rivals during a notable image recognition competition.
While Nvidia continued producing gaming GPUs, it underscored a new commitment to AI-focused GPUs in 2020 when it acquired high-performance computing chip manufacturer Mellanox Technologies for $7 billion.
Since then, the company has been unveiling new iterations of high-end GPUs consistently, alongside full rack-scale systems for AI tasks such as the new Vera Rubin platform, which CNBC obtained an exclusive preview of in February.
Nvidia does not disclose pricing for its AI chips, yet experts indicate a single Blackwell GPU can be priced up to $40,000, while the Futurum Group assesses a complete Vera Rubin system may reach up to $4 million.
Conversely, Nvidia retails its RTX 50-series gaming GPUs within a range of $299 to $1,999.
During the cryptocurrency highs of 2018 and 2021, Nvidia’s GPUs were sold online at prices up to three times their listed prices as they were pivotal for mining Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Despite price drops when mining shifted in 2022, Nvidia’s current RTX 5090 GPU continues to sell online at prices up to double the retail cost.
Robust demand for last year’s generation may lessen Nvidia’s motivation to launch a new version this year.
However, the memory scarcity is a more probable reason for Nvidia’s gaming setback.
Industry speculations indicate Nvidia has intentions to cut output of its latest gaming GPUs by as much as 40% due to a significant shortage of the general-purpose memory required for GPU production.
Dynamic Random Access Memory, or DRAM, provides rapid, temporary data storage that allows the GPU to execute parallel tasks.
Personal computers, the destination for Nvidia’s gaming GPUs, have been particularly impacted by DRAM shortages. When memory costs increase, producing a GPU becomes more expensive, which eventually affects consumers.
Gartner anticipates that PC prices will rise by 17% this year, leading to a 10.4% decline in PC shipments.
“With how costly everything has become, it’s troubling to see gaming prices increase with no sign of coming down, while Nvidia is evidently pursuing a wholly different consumer segment,” Gettys stated.
If the entry-level consumer PC market collapses by 2028, as Gartner warns, the market for Nvidia’s entry-level gaming GPUs is likely to diminish as well.
Instead, Nvidia will probably conserve limited memory stocks for its AI chips, which carry higher costs and profit margins.
“If there are delays or alterations in the gaming pipeline, it’s likely because they might struggle to produce the cards due to memory shortages,” Rasgon explained. “Every bit of available memory is likely being allocated for AI computing needs.”
High-performance GPUs such as Blackwell and Rubin utilize dense assemblages of a unique DRAM type known as High Bandwidth Memory, or HBM. Rasgon mentioned it requires roughly four times the number of silicon wafers to produce a gigabyte of HBM compared to traditional DRAM types.
“This scenario is depriving the overall market of the kind of memory typically employed for more consumer-oriented applications. It’s simply not obtainable,” Rasgon remarked.
Nvidia informed CNBC that it continues to distribute all GeForce GPUs given robust demand, and is collaborating closely with suppliers to enhance memory accessibility.
“If they are earning threefold and shareholders are threefold more satisfied, then yes, I do believe they will shift away from gaming, despite it being their origin,” Gettys noted.
CEO Jensen Huang did make a significant gaming declaration at the start of his keynote presentation at Nvidia’s annual GTC conference in March, yet the gaming audience was less than thrilled.
Huang unveiled the next iteration of its rendering software named Deep Learning Super Sampling or DLSS, anticipated in the fall. It is renowned for enhancing frame rates by rendering games at lower resolutions and utilizing AI to upscale the visuals, improving gameplay on less powerful systems.
The contention surrounding the new DLSS 5 arises from gamers’ concerns that it employs generative AI to alter the aesthetics of the game. Huang revealed DLSS 5 with a promotional video showcasing photorealistically enhanced versions of characters from popular titles such as Resident Evil Requiem, Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy.
“I engage in video games because they’re a form of art. Thus, I appreciate seeing the creator’s imprint in the experience,” stated Miller of Kinda Funny Games. “This raised significant concerns among many in the gaming sector amidst widespread layoffs and numerous studio closures.”
As it faces a post-pandemic downturn, the gaming sector has encountered studio shutdowns, canceled projects, and extensive layoffs across major companies like Epic Games, Microsoft’s Xbox, and Sony’s PlayStation.
Gettys appreciated previous iterations of Nvidia’s DLSS for facilitating gaming accessibility on tighter budgets.
“This technology is astonishing in terms of enabling games to run on lower-end systems,” he remarked. “Yet, introducing this generative AI aspect feels extremely disrespectful.”
Gettys’ primary concern is that this leads toward entirely AI-generated games, which he perceives as “definitely the objective.”
Elon Musk has also addressed the potential for this. In a post on X from October, Musk indicated that his xAI gaming studio plans to launch “a remarkable AI-generated game” by the conclusion of 2026.
“You’re effectively modifying the art developed by the creators. And soon enough, you’ll be replacing the developers, resulting in studio closures,” Gettys commented.
Nvidia communicated to CNBC that “Games are an artistic medium that allow developers to share compelling narratives and immerse players in extraordinary worlds. Our RTX technologies serve as instruments enabling game creators to fulfill their imaginative goals – this encompasses rendering methods like ray tracing and path tracing, augmented by AI, such as DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Frame Generation, and DLSS 5, all collaboratively working to deliver superior performance and visual fidelity.”
During his GTC keynote, Huang asserted that AI will “transform how computer graphics are created.”
In a follow-up Q&A session, Huang addressed claims from the gaming community that DLSS 5 makes games appear uniform.
“They are entirely mistaken,” Huang replied.
He underscored that game developers will maintain control, able to “adjust the generative AI” to correspond with their artistic style.
Over the last ten years, Nvidia has provided cloud gaming through a service called GeForce NOW. The model has developed to offer various subscription levels — including a complimentary option — allowing users to stream games they own on platforms like Steam, utilizing Nvidia GPUs located in data centers rather than on individual devices.
“You observe Xbox and PlayStation, as well as other rivals attempting to bring cloud gaming to players in a logical manner. And Nvidia GeForce NOW has substantially figured that out,” Miller commented.
Gettys stated to CNBC that Nvidia’s streaming platform is far superior “by a vast margin.”
“It offers access to high-level gaming for millions more individuals, even those without the latest hardware. And it’s technology that is truly impressive,” he confirmed.
Advanced Micro Devices is Nvidia’s main competitor in the gaming sector, primarily with its Radeon GPU series.
However, the memory crisis poses a challenge for both entities.
“If Nvidia can’t secure the memory, AMD will struggle as well,” Rasgon stated. “From a sentiment perspective, both brands have their loyal followers and can inspire fanaticism.”
“There’s a clear preference,” Gettys remarked. “If you’re gaming on a PC, you’re inclined to choose an Nvidia card.”
Watch: How AMD evolved into a chip giant and ultimately caught Intel
Grinex, a Kyrgyzstan-registered cryptocurrency exchange under US sanctions, announced it is suspending operations after suffering a $13 million theft attributed to “western special services” hackers.
Researchers at TRM, which has validated the breach, estimated the stolen assets at $15 million after identifying roughly 70 emptied addresses — about 16 more than Grinex reported. Neither TRM nor fellow blockchain analytics firm Elliptic have explained how the attackers evaded Grinex’s security. Grinex said it has faced near-continuous attack attempts since its incorporation 16 months ago, and that the most recent incidents targeted Russian users of the platform.
“The digital footprints and nature of the attack indicate an unprecedented level of resources and technology available exclusively to the structures of unfriendly states,” Grinex said. “According to preliminary data, the attack was coordinated with the aim of causing direct damage to Russia’s financial sovereignty.”
“Because of the attack, the Grinex exchange is compelled to suspend operations,” Grinex added. “All available information has been handed over to law enforcement agencies. An application has been filed at the infrastructure’s location to initiate a criminal case.”
TRM said that TokenSpot, another Kyrgyzstan-based exchange, was also compromised. Two of that exchange’s addresses sent funds to the same consolidation address used by the affected wallets linked to Grinex. Moreover, both exchanges went offline on Wednesday, suggesting they were targeted by the same attacker.
TRM said TokenSpot was a front for Grinex, which the US Treasury Department sanctioned last year. The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control stated that Grinex was a rebrand of Garantex, an exchange it had sanctioned in 2022. At that time the department said Ganantex had “directly facilitated notorious ransomware actors and other cybercriminals by processing over $100 million in transactions linked to illicit activities since 2019.” Last year’s sanctions against Grinex came months after TRM said the exchange was likely a front for Ganantex.
The head of Sora, Bill Peebles, alongside the VP of AI for Science at the company, are leaving their positions.
The head of Sora, Bill Peebles, alongside the VP of AI for Science at the company, are leaving their positions.
Last month, OpenAI discontinued its Sora video generation tool, and on Friday, the leader of the Sora team, Bill Peebles, revealed his departure from the organization. OpenAI has been reorienting its goals as part of a strategy to steer clear of “side quests,” and Peebles’ exit is merely one of numerous recent adjustments as the firm aims to prioritize coding and enterprise applications.
In a note that Peebles shared on X, he stated:
I am profoundly appreciative of Sam, Mark, Aditya, and Jakub for creating a research atmosphere that enabled us to explore ideas beyond the traditional company roadmap. It’s easy to focus solely on the primary objective in life, but nurturing variety is essential for a research lab’s long-term success, and Sam truly comprehends this. Sora was a venture that could only have been realized at OpenAI, and I will always have deep affection for this establishment because of that.
Kevin Weil, who previously served as the VP of AI for Science and once held the position of chief product officer, is also leaving, with Friday marking his final day. He mentioned in a post on X that the group is “being decentralized into other research teams.” OpenAI’s Prism, a newly introduced research-focused “workspace for scientists” that Weil was overseeing, is being phased out, and according to Wired, OpenAI’s strategy is to integrate its functionalities into the Codex desktop application.
The mean tax return is 11.2% greater this year, compared to approximately the same time in 2025, based on the most recent IRS filing statistics.
As of April 10, the average refund amount for individual taxpayers stood at $3,397, increased from $3,055 roughly one year prior, as reported by the IRS on Friday.
The IRS figures represent around 114 million individual submissions received, out of roughly 164 million expected by Tax Day. The upcoming filing update is anticipated to feature data through the April 15 deadline.
President Donald Trump‘s 2025 legislation, renamed the “working families tax cuts,” served as a crucial discussion point for Republicans on Tax Day.
As the midterm elections in November draw nearer and Republicans aim to maintain narrow majorities in Congress, many GOP politicians have underscored Trump’s tax incentives and increased average refunds.
Simultaneously, issues of affordability have been at the forefront of concerns for many Americans in light of growing expenses for fuel, electricity, food, and various living costs.
Among those expecting a refund this year, nearly a quarter, or 23%, intended to apply the funds to decrease credit card debt, while the same percentage indicated they would save their refund, according to the CNBC and SurveyMonkey Quarterly Money Survey, published in April. The survey questioned 3,494 U.S. adults at March’s end.
“This has been an excellent tax period for the American populace,” many of whom have gained from Trump’s tax benefits, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a White House press conference on Wednesday.
Over 53 million tax filers took advantage of at least one of Trump’s “signature new tax cuts” — including deductions for tip income, overtime wages, senior citizens, and interest on auto loans, as the Department of the Treasury revealed on Wednesday.
Taxpayers who reported these deductions on Schedule 1-A experienced an average tax reduction exceeding $800, according to the Treasury. Tax reductions can lead to either an increased refund or lowered taxes owed, which varies based on the individual taxpayer’s context.
Some taxpayers who detail tax benefits have also gained from the heightened federal deduction cap for state and local taxes, often referred to as SALT. Trump’s legislation elevated that limit to $40,000, up from $10,000, for 2025.
The recent change to the SALT deduction limit is predicted to mostly assist higher income earners, according to a May 2025 analysis of multiple proposals from the Tax Foundation.
The Treasury has yet to provide statistics on how many taxpayers have utilized the SALT deduction throughout the 2026 filing period.
The White House hosted a meeting on Friday with CEO Dario Amodei, according to reports.
The White House hosted a meeting on Friday with CEO Dario Amodei, according to reports.
For almost two months, the Trump administration has been at odds with AI firm Anthropic. The administration has labeled the company a “RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY” filled with “Leftwing nut jobs” and deemed it a threat to national security. However, there are reports indicating thawing tensions between the two sides, attributed to Anthropic’s newly launched cybersecurity-focused model: Claude Mythos Preview.
The relationship between Anthropic and the Pentagon soured rapidly in late February after the company declined to compromise on two crucial issues: utilizing its technology for domestic mass surveillance or developing fully autonomous lethal weapons without human oversight. Previously, Anthropic’s technology had been significantly employed by the DoD, and it was the first firm whose models received clearance to function on classified military networks. The impasse resulted in public clashes on social media, Anthropic being classified as a “supply chain risk,” the firm filing a lawsuit challenging that classification, and a temporary injunction lifting its ban.
Anthropic has recently endeavored to mend its relationship with the US government, at least partially, through the introduction of Mythos Preview. And according to reports indicating that CEO Dario Amodei participated in a meeting at the White House on Friday, it may be having an effect. Anthropic acknowledged the meeting on Friday. “Today, Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei engaged with senior administration members for a fruitful discussion regarding how Anthropic and the US government can cooperate on key mutual interests such as cybersecurity, maintaining America’s lead in the AI race, and AI safety,” stated Anthropic representative Max Young. “This meeting demonstrated Anthropic’s continual commitment to collaborating with the US government on the advancement of responsible AI. We appreciate their time and are eager to continue these dialogues.”
Mythos Preview was launched to great fanfare concerning its abilities — notably its capacity to identify security vulnerabilities across nearly all major web browsers and operating systems. Anthropic asserts that this model represents its most advanced iteration to date, currently offered exclusively for private access. It is positioned as a tool for highlighting critical vulnerabilities within widely utilized internet infrastructure, allowing companies like Apple, Nvidia, and JPMorgan Chase — all of which have already opted to employ it — to address these issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The rollout of Mythos Preview has purportedly already sparked emergency discussions among US banking executives and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Are you currently or have you ever worked in the AI industry? Please reach out via Signal at haydenfield.11 on a non-work device with any tips.
The Trump administration also appears to be paying attention. In a statement regarding Mythos Preview, Anthropic noted that it had been engaged in “ongoing conversations with US government representatives about Claude Mythos Preview and its offensive and defensive cybersecurity functionalities.” Earlier this month, when The Verge inquired, Dianne Penn, a product management leader at Anthropic, verified that the firm had “briefed senior officials in the US government about Mythos and its capabilities,” asserting that the company remains “dedicated to collaborating with various government levels.” The company opted not to specify exactly whom had been briefed.
Additionally, Anthropic has reportedly recently brought on Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm associated with Trump, prompting further speculation that a potential agreement between Anthropic and the White House might be forthcoming.
On Friday, Axios reported that Amodei was slated for a meeting with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles later that day. Describing the reasons for the meeting, a source familiar with the discussions stated, “It would be exceedingly irresponsible for the U.S. government to deprive itself of the technological advancements offered by the new model” and emphasized that “it would be a boon for China.” The report also mentioned that “parts of the U.S. intelligence community, along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA, part of Homeland Security)” are testing Mythos Preview, while other departments and agencies are showing interest.
Should Amodei’s discussions lead to deeper integration of Anthropic’s Claude within governmental operations, it is conceivable that the DoD might revise its stance on Claude as well. This would mark a somewhat anticlimactic resolution to a contentious dispute surrounding national security — not the first instance of the administration abruptly altering its position.
