Welcome back to your daily memorandum talking tech, business, AI, markets, and more. 🗞️

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

📝 Threads adds 10,000-character blog attachments with rich formatting.
👥 Anthropic blocks AI sales to Chinese-owned firms, citing security.
🖥️ Atlassian acquires The Browser Company for $610M in cash.
⚖️ Warner Bros. Discovery sues Midjourney over unauthorized AI-generated images.
🌍 Afghan quake kills 800+, aid hindered by Taliban restrictions.

TECHNOLOGY

• You can now attach 10,000-character blogs to your Threads posts

  • Threads now lets users append up to 10,000 characters to posts, replacing screenshot workarounds.

  • A new editor with formatting tools supports bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough for deeper expression.

  • Text attachments appear as expandable blocks beneath posts, ideal for article previews or extended messaging.

• OpenAI announces AI-powered hiring platform to take on LinkedIn

  • OpenAI is launching the Jobs Platform in mid-2026 to match candidates with employers using AI.

  • The project will include specialist tracks for small businesses and local government recruitment.

  • OpenAI also plans to launch certifications in late 2025 via its Academy, aiming to certify 10 million Americans.

• Facebook is trying to make ‘pokes’ happen again

  • Facebook revived pokes via a visible profile button that notifies recipients and logs ‘poke counts.’

  • Users can now monitor poke history with friends via facebook.com/pokes and dismiss unwanted nudges.

  • The feature, gamified with icons like fire or ‘100,’ appeals to younger users familiar with engagement mechanics.

BUSINESS

• Anthropic to stop selling AI services to majority Chinese-owned groups

  • Anthropic immediately halts AI service sales to groups majority-owned by Chinese firms and other U.S. adversaries.

  • The move targets companies like ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba, including indirect cloud-based access pathways.

  • Expected to cost low hundreds of millions in revenue as Anthropic prioritizes democratic interests and national security.

• Atlassian to acquire The Browser Company for $610 million

  • Atlassian is acquiring The Browser Company in cash to boost its AI browser capabilities for knowledge workers.

  • The Browser Company will remain independent, focusing on its AI-driven Dia browser over consumer features.

  • The deal shifts attention from Arc to Dia’s productivity potential, integrated with Atlassian tools and workflows.

• Warner Bros. Discovery sues Midjourney for alleged copyright infringement

  • Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney, claiming its AI generated unauthorized images of characters like Superman and Bugs Bunny.

  • The lawsuit alleges that even vague user prompts resulted in heavily recognizable content, profiting from Warner’s IP.

  • The studio demands an injunction, damages, and implementation of stricter copyright protections in Midjourney’s tools.

MARKETS

WORLD

• After the Afghan Quake, Many Male Rescuers Helped Men but Not Women

  • Cultural restrictions prevented many male rescuers from assisting injured women, worsening survival chances in devastated villages.

  • Volunteers reported heartbreaking scenes where trapped women waited for female medics who were too few.

  • Aid groups are pressuring Taliban authorities to allow broader rescue access, especially in conservative eastern provinces.

• European leaders press Trump in Paris to define postwar Ukraine support

  • Twenty-six nations pledged land, sea, and air guarantees for Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression.

  • Leaders urged Trump to clarify the U.S. commitment, fearing a weak settlement could embolden Moscow again.

  • Several countries offered training and weapons, though troop deployment remained contingent on post-conflict stabilization.

• Ex-premier Thaksin departs Thailand ahead of PM vote amid mounting turmoil

  • Thaksin Shinawatra fled Thailand by private jet before a crucial parliamentary vote on the next leader.

  • His daughter’s ouster destabilized the ruling party, fueling factional disputes and parliamentary uncertainty.

  • A pending court ruling threatens prison return, heightening political unrest across an already fragile Thai democracy.

CONTENT

• Anthropic Raises $13BN & OpenAI Buys Statsig for $1.1BN All Stock

  • Harry Stebbings interviews investors and Canva’s Cliff Obrecht on Anthropic’s record $13B raise and OpenAI’s $1.1B acquisition.

  • Discussion covers valuation sanity, SaaS earnings rebounds, and whether AI gains will erode traditional software margins long-term.

  • Guests debate $4 trillion AI projections, the future of venture returns, and looming investor regret pathways.

• Elon Musk X Update: We Have the World's Rich & Powerful

  • Farzad explores Musk’s X platform strategy, highlighting efforts to attract elite influencers and powerful political voices.

  • Analysis covers Musk’s Tesla leadership, X monetization challenges, and the potential political impact of centralized digital platforms.

  • He contextualizes Musk’s growing media ambitions within Tesla’s trajectory and his pursuit of influence beyond electric vehicles.

• Creative Structures w/ Becki DeGraw

  • Becki DeGraw discusses ‘off-menu’ financing terms like founder voting proxies and mandatory follow-on clauses in competitive deals.

  • She highlights risks in unusual board structures, resurging crypto financings, and the decline of thorough diligence processes.

  • Conversation emphasizes how investor FOMO pressures founders into accepting creative structures shaping startup governance.

FUTURISM

• Melania on AI in education: ‘The robots are here'

  • Melania Trump called for mandatory AI literacy in schools, arguing America’s competitiveness depends on early education reforms.

  • She launched the nationwide ‘Age of AI’ challenge, encouraging students and teachers to integrate generative AI into classrooms.

  • Critics noted her speech avoided addressing safety, ethics, or mental health risks tied to growing AI adoption.

• Stripe and Paradigm launch payments-focused blockchain Tempo

  • Stripe and Paradigm introduced Tempo, a layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin payments with enterprise-grade scalability.

  • The network promises over 100,000 transactions per second, ultra-low fees, and reliable fiat-denominated cross-border transfers.

  • Early partners include Anthropic, OpenAI, Shopify, and Visa, highlighting strong industry support for Tempo’s blockchain vision.

• Google Photos now lets you animate your camera roll with Veo 3 for free

  • Google Photos added Veo 3 integration, letting users animate static images into dynamic four-second video clips instantly.

  • Animations feature ‘Subtle movements’ or randomized effects, generating playful, silent motion previews directly within the gallery.

  • While still images are free, advanced audio options and additional generations remain locked to paid Pro or Ultra.

EXTRAS

• Trump’s Fed nominee says he’d remain White House aide even if confirmed

  • Stephen Miran would retain an unpaid White House role while serving on the Federal Reserve, raising independence concerns.

  • His dual position alarmed Democrats, who warned it politicizes the Fed and threatens its credibility.

  • Critics argue Miran’s continued alignment with Trump undermines central bank autonomy and investor confidence in economic policy.

• Boeing Defense plans to replace striking workers with new hires

  • Boeing Defense is seeking permanent replacements for striking union workers to maintain production of military aircraft.

  • The move follows the union’s rejection of a contract offer, heightening the labor dispute’s intensity and visibility.

  • Union leaders called Boeing’s stance mismanagement and urged renewed negotiations instead of sidelining experienced employees.

• The tech antitrust renaissance may already be over

  • Judge Mehta recognized Google as a search monopoly but imposed only modest remedies, not structural changes.

  • Critics labeled the decision weak, noting that generative AI advances were cited as a reason for a softer ruling.

  • The ruling triggered minimal disruption to Google’s business while reviving demands for tougher legislative antitrust enforcement.

AND MORE

• S&P 500 closes at a new record high amid steady rate-cut expectations.

• Fed’s Williams supports gradual rate cuts, deferring timing to data.

• Former U.S. President Biden had surgery to remove cancerous skin cells.

• Your brand deserves to be in front of people who actually make decisions. That’s Memo’s audience.*

• Jamaica’s Labour Party wins third term, pledging tax reductions.

• Congo declares a new Ebola outbreak three years after the last one.

• 26 nations vow to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine.

• OpenAI to launch its first AI chip in 2026, partnering with Broadcom.