Boeing leaders leaving: Boeing announced earlier this week that its CEO, Dave Calhoun, plans to step down at the end of this year. The departure comes as the aircraft manufacturer has had multiple safety-related incidents with its planes over the past few months. Other leaders leaving their positions include both the company’s board chair and its commercial airplanes division president. This is not the first time a Boeing CEO has exited during troubled times, as Calhoun’s predecessor was fired in 2019 after plane crashes that left 346 people dead. Full story.
Microsoft’s billion-dollar deal: After hiring Inflection AI founders last week, new exclusive insight on Microsoft’s deal with the tech startup revealed its billion-dollar value. Between Microsoft’s initial $620 million purchase of Inflection AI’s model, an additional purchase of a $33 million waiver, and employee compensation, the deal likely totals upwards of $1 billion. With two of Inflection AI’s founders now spearheading Microsoft’s consumer AI division, more of the startup’s employees have decided to join Mircosoft as well. Full story.
Neuralink draws congressman’s concerns: Elon Musk’s neurotech company Neuralink carried out human trials of its brain chip last week, livestreaming on Musk’s X platform its first human patient using the chip to control a computer mouse. Following this, a U.S. health policy lawmaker wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration expressing concerns. In the letter, he questioned the FDA’s approval of Neuralink’s human trials, calling the federal agency out for ignoring animal testing violations going five years back. The FDA publicly emphasized that it found no issues when inspecting Neuralink’s human trials, and the agency plans on responding to the congressman directly. Full story.
Baltimore bridge collapse: A bridge in Baltimore crumbled after being struck by a cargo ship early Tuesday morning, sending vehicles and people into the water beneath it. With crucial rescue efforts underway, the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports for vehicle shipments in the country, closed down. This closure could quickly affect many aspects of the shipping industry, including imports, exports, vessel schedules, bunker fuel prices, and more. As the port will remain out of use until further notice, companies within the shipping industry could encounter minor or major setbacks to their businesses. Full story.
Trump’s social stock surge: Truth Social, Donald Trump’s social media platform that launched more than two years ago, went live on Nasdaq Tuesday, with shares rising 40%. Trump’s increased fortunes aside, a new study finds that Truth Social might not translate to political usefulness for the former president. A lecturer in media and communication not involved with the study believes that for Trump to reach a vast audience, he might need to go back to X. Full story.
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