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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🧠 Nadella calls 15K job cuts the ‘enigma of success’ as AI reshapes Microsoft.
📱 Gemini app now plays AI audio summaries natively on Android and iOS.
💻 AI agents flunk new coding benchmark, highlighting serious dev tool gaps.
🎬 FCC approves Skydance’s $8B Paramount deal with political strings attached.
🚨 Thailand hits Cambodia with F‑16s as border violence escalates near disputed zone.

TECHNOLOGY

• Microsoft CEO addresses ‘enigma’ of layoffs amid record profits and AI investments

  • Nadella acknowledged that despite strong profits and heavy AI investment, about 15,000 jobs have been cut this year.

  • He described the situation as the ‘enigma of success,’ urging employees to embrace AI transformation amid uncertainty.

  • The memo signals a pivot from traditional sales toward AI-powered roles, with ongoing reassignments across the company.

• Gemini app rolls out native Audio Overviews player on Android and iOS

  • Gemini now supports inline playback of AI‑generated audio summaries within its Android and iOS apps, no browser required.

  • Features include skip, rewind, playback speed choices, timeline scrubber and direct download controls in‑app.

  • Rolling out in version 16.27, the new design makes podcast‑style AI experiences feel integrated and user‑friendly.

• New AI coding challenge results underscore current limitations of developer tools

  • Benchmark reveals most AI agents still struggle with real-world coding tasks involving logic and multi-step workflows.

  • Even high-performing systems fail to match human developers on context-switching or maintaining code accuracy.

  • The results suggest significant improvements remain necessary before AI tools can reliably support professional coding.

BUSINESS

• Trump tours Federal Reserve amid renovation controversy

  • President Trump visited the Fed building on July 24 and sparred with Chair Powell over the reported $2.5 billion renovation cost.

  • During the tour, Powell fact‑checked Trump’s statements on project expenses, creating a tense exchange on financial oversight.

  • The visit raised concern over possible political interference and prompted congressional attention on Fed independence.

• FCC approves $8 billion Paramount‑Skydance merger after lengthy review

  • The FCC voted 2‑1 to approve Skydance Media’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global following over 250 days of scrutiny.

  • As conditions, Skydance committed to appointing an ombudsman, eliminating DEI programs, and promoting ideological viewpoint diversity.

  • Paramount recently settled a lawsuit with Trump for $16 million, fueling criticism that political pressure influenced regulatory approval.

• Alphabet reports strong Q2 growth driven by Google Cloud an AI investments

  • Alphabet delivered 14 % revenue growth in Q2 to $96.4 billion, with Google Cloud revenue up 32 % to $13.6 billion.

  • Profit rose to $28.2 billion while capital expenditures surged 70 % to $22.45 billion to support AI infrastructure scale‑up.

  • Cloud divisional margin doubled to over 20 %, offsetting plunge in free‑cash flow and reinforcing long‑term AI ambition.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Thailand–Cambodia clashes intensify with deadly airstrikes and border skirmishes

  • Thailand launched F‑16 airstrikes after Cambodian rockets hit border regions near a disputed temple zone.

  • At least nine civilians died and over 100,000 were displaced as both sides escalated the conflict.

  • Leaders traded blame while emergency crews struggled to reach affected villages under ongoing fire.

• U.S. pulls out of Gaza hostage negotiations after Hamas stalls peace talks

  • The U.S. withdrew its delegation after Hamas issued vague, delayed terms on a potential ceasefire deal.

  • Israeli officials warned a hostage release remains unlikely as trust erodes and talks stall.

  • American diplomats pledged continued humanitarian support but said no breakthrough appears imminent.

• Zelenskyy retreats on anti‑corruption agency overhaul after mass protests

  • President Zelenskyy reversed course on a bill centralizing control of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption agencies.

  • Widespread protests and foreign pressure led to a redraft preserving agency independence and transparency standards.

  • The move aims to repair trust with reform advocates and keep Ukraine on track for EU membership.

CONTENT

• What it’s like to spend 24 hours with a billionaire who plays full out

  • Sam and Shaan share insights from time spent with billionaires like Hayes Barnard and Wade Foster.

  • They highlight work ethic, intense focus, and unique mindsets that separate ultra-successful founders.

  • Stories include behind-the-scenes business lessons, productivity habits, and relationship approaches from top operators.

• The 6 best AI agency niches to make $50k/mo

  • Greg Isenberg and Cody Schneider outline six productized AI service models, each built for recurring revenue.

  • Niches include med spa marketing, e-commerce ads, nutrition coaching, webinars, data analytics, and voice agents.

  • Each model is scalable, measurable, and driven by real client demand for consistent, AI-powered creative outputs.

• The U.S. Can’t Build AI Without These Materials

  • Turner Caldwell and a16z partners explain why AI infrastructure depends on domestic mining and critical minerals.

  • They discuss Mariana Minerals’ vision to vertically integrate U.S. mining using software-first processes.

  • Topics include permitting delays, supply chain strategy, refinery scaling, and the geopolitics of mineral access.

FUTURISM

• An Inventor Is Injecting Bleach Into Cancerous Tumors—and Wants to Bring the Treatment to the US

  • Xuewu Liu, a Chinese inventor who has no medical training or credentials, is injecting cancer patients with a toxic bleach solution.

  • The full treatment costs cancer patients $20,000 for access to an AI-driven but entirely unproven treatment.

  • He’s now working to bring the unproven treatment to the US.

• Trump signs executive order banning ‘woke AI’ in federal government

  • The order mandates federally used AI tools remain ideologically neutral and exclude diversity and equity frameworks.

  • It accelerates permitting for AI infrastructure by removing environmental and social responsibility requirements.

  • Critics fear it politicizes AI development and pressures companies to create restricted, censored models for government use.

• This industrial AI startup gains traction by assuring customers it won’t be acquired

  • Industrial AI startup CVector won trust by pledging long-term independence, avoiding common acquisition disruption risks.

  • Clients in utilities and chemicals value stability for critical systems and reject short-term, exit-focused startups.

  • The strategy helped CVector close funding and grow its customer base by emphasizing reliability over rapid scale.

EXTRAS

• UnitedHealth Group is cooperating with federal investigation of its Medicare business

  • UnitedHealth reversed its earlier denials and acknowledged cooperating with both criminal and civil DOJ investigations.

  • The probes focus on billing and diagnosis coding that may have been used to inflate government payments in MA plans.

  • The company reaffirmed confidence in its compliance history and initiated independent reviews of coding and managed-care practices.

• World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados after 20 years

  • Scientists found the Barbados threadsnake—just 3–4 inches long—under a rock, confirming its existence after nearly two decades.

  • The blind, burrowing snake feeds on termites and lays a single egg per season in a habitat with 98 % deforestation.

  • Its rediscovery is expected to spur conservation efforts to protect Barbados’ remaining fragmented forest ecosystems.

• If You See This Message, Your Amazon Account Is Under Attack

  • Amazon warned that a phishing campaign is impersonating the brand with fake messages urging users to secure their Prime account.

  • Scammers use fake refund notifications and urgent prompts to steal login credentials via deceptive email links.

  • Users are advised to verify activity only via the official app or website and never provide credentials via suspicious messages.

AND MORE

• Ukraine and Russia exchange air attacks on each other’s Black Sea coasts after stalled peace talks.

• Brazilian Supreme Court declines to arrest ex‑President Bolsonaro on isolated breach case.

• Thai F‑16 jets bomb Cambodian positions amid escalating border clashes, raising death toll.

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

• Starlink reports widespread network outage, impacting thousands of users.

• Irish consumer sentiment drops to near two‑year low amid cost‑of‑living concerns.

• AppSumo is the #1 marketplace for entrepreneurs to discover, buy, and sell software.*

• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations approves Mike Waltz as UN ambassador nominee.