**Taiwan is set to invest $250B in US semiconductor manufacturing, while the US imposes significant tariffs on Nvidia and AMD AI chips headed to China**; meanwhile, there's scrutiny over a "precise" US cyber-op disrupting Venezuelan electricity, **Iran’s internet shutdown continues amid protests, and US senators demand answers from big tech on sexualized deepfakes, with Trump Mobile failing to deliver preordered phones and the FTC settling a data-sharing order against GM**.
Spotify raises its subscription prices for the third time, impacting users who are also navigating controversies around iOS 26 Liquid Glass and a "WhisperPair" hack affecting Google Fast Pair Bluetooth devices, while driving an EV in challenging races highlights practical user experiences.
NASA completes its first medical evacuation from space with a successful splashdown, while a key Senate staffer urges NASA to accelerate commercial space station development, and Indian SpaceX rival EtherealX sees a 5x valuation jump as it prepares engine tests.
**Microsoft taps India’s Varaha for durable carbon removal offtake, demonstrating enterprise commitment to sustainability, while a startup uses prebiotics to ease the copper shortage** by enhancing microbial extraction from ore.
**Pharma executives express strong annoyance at RFK Jr.’s attacks on vaccines**, joining doctors in rebuking his anti-vaccine agenda after previously avoiding conflict with the Trump administration.
**Star Trek: Starfleet Academy tries a different approach, earning a positive initial reaction, while the Bully Online mod was abruptly taken down shortly after launch, and a British redcoat's lost memoir resurfaces** to shed light on historical reintegration.