President Donald Trump clarified his stance on Elon Musk and his companies, stating publicly that he does not intend to dismantle Musk’s enterprises despite their recent clash over government subsidies and legislation. Posting on Truth Social, Trump emphasized his support for American business success, writing, “I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before!”
Google is pursuing agreements with national news outlets to license their content for artificial intelligence development, signaling a major shift in its relationship with the media industry. The initiative aims to involve around 20 major publishers in a pilot program designed to support Google’s AI tools, including its search-integrated AI Overviews.
Netflix posted massive second-quarter earnings, reporting $11.08 billion in revenue and an operating income of $3.8 billion, with a strong 34.1% margin. These numbers not only exceeded Wall Street expectations but also reflected a dramatic improvement over last year. The company credited higher subscription prices and low customer churn for the surge in profit margins.
Two years after Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, the brand continues to struggle, posting dismal sales over what should have been its most profitable holiday weekend. Despite favorable July 4th weather and strong performance from Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (ABI) other labels, Bud Light remains a “clear laggard,” according to industry data.
Amazon’s move to stretch Prime Day from two to four days is facing sharp criticism after new data revealed a staggering 41% plunge in Day 1 sales compared to 2024’s event. The report, released by Momentum Commerce and cited by Bloomberg, tracks 50 brands across categories and shows that extending the mega-sale backfired as consumer urgency evaporated.
A new AI-powered website called LooksMapping is turning heads in the restaurant world by ranking eateries based on the attractiveness of their customers, not their cuisine. Targeting 9,800 restaurants in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the site rates diners on a scale of 1 to 10 using profile photos pulled from millions of Google reviews.
Veteran-owned construction software firm BuildOps has selected Raleigh, North Carolina, for its latest expansion hub, turning down Austin in favor of $2.8 million in incentives. The company plans to hire 291 employees over five years, offering average salaries of $110,000—well above Wake County’s current average of $76,643.
Autonomous taxi company Waymo has suspended operations in parts of downtown Los Angeles after five of its vehicles were set on fire during violent anti-ICE riots over the weekend. The company, owned by Alphabet Inc., confirmed it pulled vehicles from the area “out of an abundance of caution” after the attacks.
Klarna, the buy now, pay later (BNPL) giant, has reported a sharp increase in losses as more customers struggle to repay loans. The company’s first quarter net loss surged to $99 million—double last year’s $47 million loss—driven by a 17 percent spike in consumer credit defaults, which hit $136 million. Klarna’s BNPL model allows shoppers to split payments into installments, but it profits from fees charged to merchants and customers who miss payments.
