Amazon CEO says ‘beautiful’ new Alexa hardware is coming this fall Amazon is gearing up to launch new hardware to go along with its AI-upgraded Alexa. During an interview with Bloomberg, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company has a “brand new lineup of devices that are coming in the fall that are beautiful.” On Wednesday, Amazon revealed Alexa Plus, a more conversational version of the

Meta’s AI chatbot will soon have a standalone app Meta is planning to launch a dedicated app for its AI chatbot, according to a report from CNBC. The Verge can also confirm that Meta is working on the standalone app. The new app could launch in the second quarter of this year, CNBC says, joining the growing number of standalone AI apps, including OpenAI’s

Kia’s next EV is the affordable, long-range EV4 sedan Kia is launching a new EV4 sedan and hatchback with promising range figures for an affordable electric car. The vehicle was announced at Kia’s 2025 EV day event in Spain today, where the company also revealed an urban-focused EV2 small electric SUV concept and the PV5 electric passenger and cargo van. The EV4 sedan was

Judge Orders Trump Officials, Including a DOGE Member, to Testify Over Musk Team’s Activities Judge John D. Bates previously ruled in the same case to allow members of Elon Musk’s government-overhaul team to continue accessing some sensitive federal records.

Air Traffic Control Trainees to Get Raise, in Nod to Cost of Living Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the increase to almost $23 an hour is intended to boost recruitment and retention.

Stunned U.S.A.I.D. Workers Return to Clean Out Their Desks Democrats said a review mandated by executive order was “not a serious effort or attempt at reform.”

With Trump, Alliances Come With Strings Attached President Trump has little use for America’s traditional alliances, and tends to evaluate U.S. relationships according to whether countries are contributing economically to the United States.

Boris Spassky, Chess Champion Who Lost ‘Match of the Century,’ Dies at 88 When Mr. Spassky, a Russian, played Bobby Fischer, an American, in Iceland at the height of the Cold War, the media attention reduced them to pawns in a wider drama.

Former L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley Appeals Her Dismissal The appeal came less than a week after Mayor Karen Bass removed the chief from her job. She blamed her for a lack of preparation as a blaze destroyed the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World Here are some of the 5,800 contracts the Trump administration formally canceled this week in a wave of terse emails.

Number of Trans Troops Far Lower Than Estimated, Pentagon Figures Show The Defense Department said 4,240 service members, or about 0.2 percent of those in uniform, have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Previous estimates had put the number at triple that figure.

‘Epstein Files’ Release, Hyped by Pam Bondi, Falls Short of Expectations The release of flight logs and Jeffrey Epstein’s contact list by the attorney general was met with criticism from those who had expected the documents to reveal new information.

Mexico Releases Cartel Operatives, Including Rafael Caro Quintero, Into U.S. Custody The handover of so many significant cartel figures was one of the most important efforts by Mexico in the modern history of the drug war to send traffickers to face charges in U.S. courts.

Crypto for Advisors: DeFi and On-chain Finance Will 2025 drive growth in the adoption of yield-bearing assets like staking, liquid staking, restaking and liquid restaking in DeFi?

U.S. Treasury’s New Crypto Point Person Says Stablecoin Law a Good First Goal Tyler Williams, an ex-industry lawyer hired as crypto counselor for Treasury Secretary Bessent, said there’s a ton of inside work to be done in the department.

Illicit Crypto Volume in 2024 Hit a Record $40B in 2024: Chainalysis Criminals are no longer using BTC, but instead choosing stablecoins, the report revealed.

Blackbird, Blockchain Restaurant Loyalty App, Goes Live With Flynet Mainnet Blackbird’s layer-3 mainnet, Flynet, is built on Coinbase’s Base chain. The team claims that building a layer-3 for its program benefits the restaurant industry because it eliminates middlemen and reduces transaction costs.

Olas’ Mech Marketplace Enables AI Agents to Hire Each Other for Help Crypto and AI firm Olas is making it easier for AI agents to collaborate.

SEC Plans to Drop Enforcement Suit Against ConsenSys’ MetaMask, CEO Joe Lubin Says The SEC accused the company’s wallet tool of being an unregistered securities broker.

Crypto Trading Platform BitMEX Is Looking for a Buyer: Sources BitMEX appointed boutique investment bank Broadhaven late last year to assist with the sales process, according to sources.