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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🎓 Trump targets Harvard, proposing to revoke tax perks and ban foreign students.
🛰️ Zelenskyy accuses China of arming Russia, escalating tensions.
🧠 OpenAI drops Cursor, eyes $3B Windsurf deal to dominate AI coding tools.
📚 Wikipedia and Kaggle release structured dataset to support safer AI model training.
📱 Screenshots become the next frontier input for smarter, privacy-focused AI.

TECH

• OpenAI Pursued Cursor Maker Before Entering Into Talks to Buy Windsurf for $3B

  • OpenAI explored acquiring Cursor maker Anysphere before turning its attention to Windsurf, a top-performing coding assistant.

  • Windsurf, formerly Codeium, generates $40M in ARR and could be OpenAI’s largest deal if the $3B sale proceeds.

  • The move highlights OpenAI’s push to dominate the AI coding tools space through major strategic acquisitions.

• Wikipedia Partners With Kaggle to Create AI-Ready Dataset

  • Wikipedia and Kaggle are releasing structured article data to reduce scraping and help AI developers train language models.

  • The open dataset includes summaries, infoboxes, image links, and more for English and French Wikipedia entries.

  • It’s part of Wikimedia’s broader strategy to collaborate with researchers while protecting its servers and content integrity.

• Screenshots Are Becoming a Key Input for AI Assistants

  • Tech firms like Google and Nothing are turning screenshots into context-rich inputs for smarter AI assistant behavior.

  • Screenshots provide user-curated data that combines content, context, and source in one highly useful visual input.

  • The approach offers a lightweight, privacy-conscious alternative to data scraping or continuous real-time monitoring.

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BUSINESS

• UnitedHealth Stock Loses $120 Billion in Value, Worst Day Since 1998

  • UnitedHealth shares plunged over 22% after cutting its annual profit forecast due to rising care costs and Medicare issues.

  • The drop erased $120 billion in value and triggered the Dow Jones’ steepest one-day loss of the year.

  • Analysts flagged missed revenue targets and unexpected losses at its Optum unit as major red flags.

• Netflix Is Revamping Search With AI to Improve Discovery

  • Netflix is testing an AI-powered search upgrade in Australia and New Zealand to better surface shows and films.

  • The tool aims to improve discovery by interpreting vague or conversational queries more accurately than standard search.

  • Alongside this, Netflix is rolling out a new homepage layout to streamline navigation and highlight content.

• Chinese Shopping App Taobao Joins DHgate in Top 5 on US App Store

  • Taobao jumped from rank 461 to top 5 on the U.S. App Store after a viral TikTok trend promoting Chinese direct-buying.

  • Users are drawn to low-cost products and alternatives to Shein and Temu, who face rising U.S. tariffs.

  • The surge underscores shifting shopper habits as price-sensitive consumers explore lesser-known e-commerce platforms.

CONTENT

• Can Meta Afford AI?

  • Meta may spend up to $65B in 2025, raising doubts over its ability to fund Llama’s growth without new monetization.

  • Occidental acquires Holocene Climate Corp., deepening its investment in direct air capture and climate tech M&A.

  • OpenAI’s $3B Windsurf talks follow failed Cursor acquisition, while Shein and Temu announce U.S. price hikes post-tariff.

• The Next Computer? Your Glasses

  • Google’s Shahram Izadi unveils Android XR, an AI-powered smart glasses platform with real-time translation and memory recall.

  • The demo shows how wearable AI can summarize books, locate lost items, and enhance day-to-day cognitive tasks.

  • Google envisions a seamless, screen-free future where AI interfaces are ambient, discreet, and visually integrated.

• AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Work: Ian Beacraft Explains Why Jobs Are Dead

  • Futurist Ian Beacraft says the real disruption isn’t AI—it’s outdated leadership and rigid job structures holding teams back.

  • He predicts job titles will fade as companies embrace fluid roles powered by AI copilots and digital twins.

  • The future of work, he argues, is about unleashing human potential through adaptable, AI-augmented collaboration.

WORLD

• FDA Layoffs Raise Alarms Over Food Safety and Inspection Capacity

  • The FDA is cutting dozens of staff roles while hiring contractors, raising concerns about inspection delays and oversight gaps.

  • Though safety inspectors remain, experts warn support staff cuts could shrink inspection volume and weaken field operations.

  • The FDA already performs 36% fewer inspections than pre-COVID levels, and morale within the agency continues to drop.

• Trump Threatens Harvard’s Tax-Exempt Status Over Student Policies

  • Trump proposed stripping Harvard of tax-exempt status and banning international students in response to campus activism.

  • The move follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with federal demands on antisemitism, diversity rules, and disciplinary changes.

  • Legal experts say academic freedom is protected and the IRS cannot be politically directed to penalize specific schools.

• Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Has Evidence China Is Supplying Russia With Weapons

  • President Zelenskiy accused China of sending weapons and materials to Russia and claims verified intelligence backs the claim.

  • Ukraine sanctioned three Chinese companies alleged to be aiding Russia's war effort by manufacturing arms and supplies.

  • China has not officially responded, but the accusations could escalate diplomatic tensions and draw wider global scrutiny.

• Luigi Charged With Homicide and Could Face Death Penalty

  • Luigi Mangione faces the death penalty after being indicted for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

  • His legal defense fund has raised over $925,000 as supporters cite political bias and systemic healthcare frustrations.

  • Prosecutors call the act premeditated; Mangione's team argues the grand jury was swayed by inflammatory public comments.

AND MORE…

• Elon Musk’s SpaceX Leads Bid for Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense System

  • SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir are top contenders to build a satellite-based defense shield under Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” project.

  • The system may include over 1,000 satellites, some armed with lasers or missiles, to intercept threats in real time.

  • Musk says SpaceX hasn’t formally bid but is open to helping if asked, while the Pentagon debates control and costs.

• Google’s Antitrust Defeats Are Piling Up

  • A U.S. judge ruled Google illegally monopolized ad tech, one of many global rulings against the company in recent years.

  • The decision could lead to forced divestitures, echoing past penalties from regulators in Europe and Asia.

  • Google plans to appeal but faces mounting pressure to reform how it runs its digital advertising business.

• Shein and Temu Warn Tariffs Will Raise Prices in US

  • Shein and Temu will increase prices starting April 25 after new U.S. tariffs target Chinese imports and end duty exemptions.

  • A 145% tariff and scrapping of the $800 de minimis rule will affect millions of daily low-cost shipments from China.

  • Both platforms are also cutting U.S. ad spending, possibly limiting future visibility in the American market.