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

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

🔒 Samsung teases pixel-level privacy display controls for Galaxy S26
🤖 ADL study finds AI models generate antisemitic content, Claude ranks highest
🥇 Tether accumulates over a billion dollars of gold monthly to back stablecoins
🍎 Tim Cook urges de-escalation after Minnesota violence, citing dignity and respect
💼 LinkedIn introduces verified vibe coding skills via AI development partners

TECHNOLOGY

• Android's full desktop interface leaks: New status bar, Chrome Extensions, more (9to5Google) 

  _{^{More: Engadget, Android Authority, GSMArena}}

  • Google's desktop Android build leaked via a bug report showing a revamped status bar and interface.

  • Screenshots reveal the Chrome Extensions button and Android 16 build running on Chromebook hardware for testing.

  • Desktop windowing resembles ChromeOS, with minimize, fullscreen, and close buttons in the top-right corner.

• ADL report finds major AI models generate antisemitic content, Claude performs best (Cleveland Jewish News) 

  _{^{More: Jewish Insider}}

  • Claude earned the highest score of 80 out of 100 for recognizing and rebutting antisemitic content.

  • The study tested 17 models using ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Llama, and Grok, and they scored significantly lower overall.

  • Models are better at detecting traditional antisemitism than anti-Zionist tropes, according to ADL research findings.

• Samsung confirms Galaxy S26's insane 'pixel level' privacy feature (SamMobile) 

  _{^{More: Business Standard, GSMArena, Tom's Guide}}

  • Samsung teases pixel-level privacy display technology that limits visibility from side angles.

  • The feature will be highly customizable with adjustable visibility levels and app-specific automatic triggers enabled.

  • Technology based on Flex Magic Pixel OLED was showcased at MWC 2025 and is expected to be on the S26 lineup.

BUSINESS

• Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs globally in broader restructuring (CNBC) 

  _{^{More: Bloomberg, CBS News, NBC News}}

  • Amazon announces 16,000 layoffs following 14,000 cuts in October, bringing the total to 30,000 job reductions.

  • CEO Andy Jassy cites removing bureaucratic layers and reducing post-pandemic bloat as primary reasons.

  • Layoffs coincide with Amazon's record $125B capital expenditure forecast for 2026 AI infrastructure.

• Tether is buying up to $1B of gold per month (CoinDesk) 

  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance}}

  • Tether now holds 140 tons of gold, worth $24B, in a Swiss nuclear bunker.

  • Company buying more than one ton weekly, outpacing most central banks except Poland last year.

  • Gold backs USDT reserves and the gold-backed stablecoin XAUT, which currently has a $2.7B market capitalization.

• SpaceX weighs June IPO timed to planetary alignment and Elon Musk's birthday (Financial Times) 

• ^{_{More: Irish Times, Bloomberg, Mobile World Live}}

  • SpaceX targeting mid-June IPO to coincide with Jupiter-Venus conjunction and Musk's birthday, June 28th.

  • The company seeks to raise $50B at a $1.5T valuation, surpassing Saudi Aramco's record.

  • CFO Bret Johnsen holding talks with investors since December; BofA, Goldman, JPMorgan, and Morgan are leading the deal.

• Explore the essential startup reading database*

  • Learning from the best is how you become the best. We've curated a list of top-notch articles, blogs, and readings that are pivotal for startup founders.

  • And here's the kicker: we've organized it all in a user-friendly Notion database for easy access and tracking. Double win!

  • As aspiring leaders and innovators, we use this list as a bridge to absorb the knowledge that has propelled others to success.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Tim Cook says he's heartbroken by events in Minnesota, calls for de-escalation (WSJ) 

  _{^{More: MarketWatch, QUARTZ, Yahoo News}}

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an internal memo expressing heartbreak over the Minneapolis ICE shooting deaths on Tuesday.

  • Cook discussed concerns with President Trump, calling for dignity and respect for all people nationwide.

  • Minnesota CEOs from Target, Best Buy, and General Mills signed a joint letter urging immediate de-escalation of tensions.

• China gives green light to importing the first batch of Nvidia's H200 AI chips (Reuters) 

  _{^{More: CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Firstpost}}

  • China approves several hundred thousand H200 chips for ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, primarily on Tuesday.

  • Approval granted during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's China visit this week amid policy shifts.

  • H200 delivers six times the performance of the H20 chip and has over 2 million units previously ordered.

• Trump threatens Iran with 'far worse' attack (Axios) 

  _{^{More: CBS News, AOL, Al Jazeera}}

  • President Trump warns Iran of an attack far worse than the June nuclear facility strikes on Monday.

  • USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group deployed to the Persian Gulf with accompanying warships ready.

  • Trump demands that Iran negotiate the nuclear deal immediately, referencing the destruction of Operation Midnight Hammer previously.

FUTURISM

• To avoid accusations of AI cheating, college students are turning to AI (NBC News) 

  • Students are using AI humanizer tools to modify essays and avoid false positives from detectors.

  • Some students are dumbing down writing, tracking keystrokes, or leaving intentional errors to prove authenticity.

  • Liberty University student Brittany Carr left school after failing grades despite showing revision history.

• LinkedIn will let you show off your vibe coding expertise (Engadget) More: _{^{TechCrunch, Yahoo Tech}}

  • LinkedIn partners with Replit, Lovabl, Descript, and Relay app for vibe coding skill verification.

  • Companies assess users' proficiency levels, which update dynamically as users' experience on the platform grows.

  • The feature now allows professionals to showcase AI-assisted coding abilities directly on their LinkedIn profiles.

• What a big study of teens says about social media (Platformer) 

  • The Manchester University study of 25,600 teens found no evidence that social media increases mental health problems.

  • Research challenges Jonathan Haidt's claims about social media causing a teen anxiety and depression epidemic.

  • The study's longitudinal design tracked the same children from 2021 to 2023, but critics note methodological limitations remain.

CONTENT

• Running a Newsroom in Minneapolis + How to Make a Game of Thrones For Less (Channels with Peter Kafka)

  • Peter Kafka examines how regional newsrooms operate sustainably while navigating shrinking budgets and evolving audience expectations.

  • Media leaders discuss producing high-quality scripted entertainment with constrained resources, drawing on lessons in cost discipline from prestige television.

  • The episode highlights how business models, technology, and creative trade-offs increasingly shape the viability of modern media and its cultural influence.

• Is AI Killing Software? — With Bret Taylor (Big Technology Podcast)

  • Bret Taylor explores how generative AI is reshaping software creation, distribution, and the role of traditional applications.

  • The conversation covers platform shifts, productivity gains, and why incumbents may struggle adapting to AI-native development models.

  • Broader implications emerge for startups, enterprise software margins, and how users interact with technology going forward.

• OpenAI Showed Up At My Door. Here’s Why They’re Targeting People Like Me (More Perfect Union)

  • Tyler Johnston recounts that OpenAI representatives demanded communications as part of an escalating campaign of scrutiny against AI critics and watchdogs.

  • The video outlines tactics for issuing subpoenas, political pressure, and how major AI firms are expanding their lobbying strategies.

  • It raises concerns about corporate power, transparency, and the future relationship between regulators, activists, and AI companies.

EXTRAS

• Snap specs smart AR glasses new subsidiary (The Verge) 

  _{^{More: The Verge, Reuters, TechCrunch}}

  • Snap creates Specs Inc., a subsidiary for AR glasses, to attract external investment more easily on Tuesday.

  • New subsidiary will launch consumer Specs in 2026, lighter and smaller than developer models.

  • Snap invested over $3B across 11 years developing AR glasses to compete with Meta.

• Bluesky roadmap 2026 feeds live event features (The Verge) 

  _{^{More: TechCrunch, Business Standard, Ground News}}

  • Bluesky reveals a 2026 roadmap focused on improving the Discover feed and overall content recommendations.

  • Platform planning real-time features, live discussion tools, and enhanced custom feed visibility and curation.

  • Third-party app integrations are expanding with Live Now badges, and Atmosphere app profile connections are rolling.

• These billion-dollar AI startups have no products, no revenue (WSJ) 

  • A wave of AI ‘neolabs’ is raising billions for research without products or revenue plans yet.

  • Safe Superintelligence raised $3B at a $32B valuation, and Flapping Airplanes raised $180M recently.

  • Critics suggest slim odds of profit as startup valuations soar into the tens of billions.

AND MORE

• India and the European Union finalized a landmark free trade agreement after nearly 20 years of talks, which will affect about one-third of global trade.

• Ukraine releases video claiming destruction of over $1B in Russian aircraft by drone strikes.

• European Union broadens global trade partnerships amid shifting geopolitical ties.

• Officials in Paris and Brussels debate future NATO roles amid calls for increased European defence capabilities.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers.*

• Iranian authorities intensify internet blackouts to limit communication about protests nationwide.

• The United States officially withdraws from the Paris climate agreement, effective January 27, 2026, reigniting global climate policy debate.

• Reuters reports global markets reacting to economic shifts and AI earnings forecasts today.