- wbur: AI is bringing old nuclear plants out of retirement (Dec 9, 2025)
Palisades Nuclear Station, closed in 2022, is being recommissioned to restart in early 2026—the first U.S. plant to return after decommissioning—backed by state funding. Restarts like Palisades and Three Mile Island aim to supply low‑carbon power for AI. - WSJ: The Political Skirmish Over Trump’s AI Order Is Just the Beginning (Dec 14, 2025)
President Trump signed an executive order preempting state AI laws, a win for Big Tech that drew criticism from populists and progressives worried about job losses and concentrated power. The clash highlights a federal-versus-state regulatory fight as policymakers grapple with AI’s economic stakes and competition with China. - NY Times: Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order (Dec 11, 2025)
President Trump signed an executive order to override state A.I. laws, empowering the attorney general to sue states and directing federal regulators to withhold funds to enforce a single national framework aimed at U.S. A.I. dominance. Critics say it undermines safety and child-protection rules and will face legal challenges. - WSJ: Trump Signs Executive Order to Curtail State AI Laws (Dec 11, 2025)
President Trump signed an order to preempt state AI laws, letting the Justice Department punish restrictive state rules and establish a single federal standard favored by Silicon Valley. Critics—Democrats and some Republicans—say it would erode protections, and the order also prompts SEC, FTC, and DOJ reviews of proxy-adviser firms. - WSJ: U.S. Investors Are Going Big on China AI Despite Concerns in Congress (Dec 10, 2025)
Despite growing U.S.-China tensions over artificial intelligence, American investors are increasingly pouring money into Chinese AI companies and tech-focused exchange-traded funds as Chinese AI models demonstrate competitive capabilities. - Reuters: OpenAI agrees to acquire AI startup Neptune to boost model training capabilities (Dec 3, 2025)
OpenAI is acquiring Neptune, a startup specializing in AI model training tracking tools for a cool $400m. - WSJ: OpenAI Ends ‘Vesting Cliff’ for New Employees in Compensation-Policy Change (Dec 13, 2025)
OpenAI told staff it is ending its “vesting cliff” rule that required employees to work at least six months before equity begins to vest, removing the initial waiting period for new hires. - WSJ: The Eerie Parallels Between AI Mania and the Dot-Com Bubble (Dec 13, 2025)
The market shows strong parallels to the 1999–2000 dot‑com bubble: rich valuations (forward P/E, cash‑flow metrics, CAPE, Fed model) driven by investor betting on a new technology—now AI—delivering outsized profit growth. - NY Times: Meta’s New A.I. Superstars Are Chafing Against the Rest of the Company (Dec 10, 2025)
Meta’s established leaders want to use AI to improve Meta’s social media products. Wang’s team at TBD Lab is focused on developing a powerful superintelligence, creating an “us-versus-them” dynamic. - NY Times: These Travel Influencers Don’t Want Freebies. They’re A.I. (Dec 9, 2025)
“Mr. Morris of New Media has seen a substantial increase in spending on A.I.-generated photos, captions, and social media avatars by hotel and other travel clients in the United States, Europe, and Asia.” - WSJ: The Everyday Investors Hedging Against an AI Bubble (Dec. 10, 2025)
Some investors, concerned about a potential bubble in AI stocks, are selling their tech holdings and moving into assets like gold. While everyday investors have eagerly bought into AI companies, experienced investors and those nearing retirement are becoming more cautious, citing fears of overspending and unsustainable valuations.