“Pod Save America” host Dan Pfeiffer railed against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s accusations that the Obama administration led a “treasonous coup” over the 2016 election.
“I don’t think we should call this a scandal,” said Pfeiffer, a former adviser to President Obama, in a Friday episode of the podcast. “Like I don’t know what else to call it, a crock of s—“
“They can’t even explain the allegation. It makes no sense,” he continued. “This is the most easily debunked thing in the world.”
Last week, Gabbard released a report claiming that the Obama administration manipulated intelligence to create a false narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
Gabbard then doubled down on the accusation and unsealed a formerly-classified House Intelligence Committee report on Wednesday that cast doubts on the European country’s interest in the 2016 election and his desire to aid President Trump.
She called the Obama administration’s reported actions “the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.”
Several intelligence reviews have concluded that Russia sought to influence the contest and that President Vladimir Putin favored Trump in the election.
Gabbard, at a White House press briefing on Wednesday, claimed that the evidence pointed to Obama as the main instigator of the efforts and said she was looking into possible criminal implications.
President Trump backed Gabbard, calling the intelligence assessment “irrefutable proof that Obama was seditious.”
“I guess the crime is the creating a false narrative,” co-host Jon Favreau, former Obama speechwriter, said on the Friday episode. “I didn’t think a false narrative could be a coup.”
The podcast hosts join fellow Democrats in criticizing Gabbard, particularly as fervor grows surrounding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which Democrats — and even some Republicans — have called to be released.
“It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a statement.
Favreau, on Friday’s episode, pondered whether the the administration can “will this scandal in to existence by repeating ‘treasonous coup’ over and over again.”
(Reuters) -U.S. defense contractor L3Harris Technologies raised its annual forecast and beat Wall Street expectations for second-quarter results on Thursday, driven by resilient demand amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Shares of the company rose 2% in premarket trading.
Demand for arms and military equipment has ballooned in the face of a protracted Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Middle East, boosting sales at L3Harris and rivals.
The company, which makes solid rocket motors on the anti-tank Javelin missile system, expects about $21.75 billion in annual revenue, up from its prior forecast of between $21.4 billion and $21.7 billion.
It projected an adjusted profit of between $10.40 and $10.60 per share for the year, up from its previous expectation of $10.30 and $10.50.
The company’s adjusted profit of $2.78 per share in the second quarter topped expectation of $2.50, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The defense contractor posted a revenue increase of 2.4% to $5.43 billion, beating estimates of $5.32 billion.
(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
This week, I take a look at the surprisingly strong state of Google, Meta gets a new chief AI researcher, and more. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this week’s Decoder episode about deepfakes and where they are headed.
Also, do you use an AI coding tool like Cursor or GitHub Copilot? I’d love to know what works and what doesn’t…
“I think we are doing very well through this moment”
After spending time with Google executives during the company’s I/O conference in May, it was clear that they were feeling confident. Now, I’m beginning to see why.
ChatGPT is not making Google Search obsolete. If anything, AI is making Google stronger than before.
During Google’s earnings call this week, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that AI Overviews in search results “are now driving over 10-percent more queries globally for the types of queries that show them, and this growth continues to increase over time.” Put simply, when Google works like ChatGPT, people use it more. Pichai noted that this is particularly true for younger people, a demographic that the 10-blue-links version of Google had been losing relevance with for a long time.
ChatGPT doesn’t appear to be curbing the growth of the Gemini app, either. Pichai said that daily prompts to Gemini increased by over 50 percent from the previous quarter. Gemini now has more than 450 million monthly users, up from 350 million in March. Google processed nearly a quadrillion AI tokens across all its products last month, which is more than double the number it processed in May.
Another telling sign of confidence has been Google’s reaction to the AI talent wars. “I look at both our retention metrics as well as the new talent coming in, and both are healthy,” Pichai said on the earnings call. “I do know individual cases can make headlines. But when we look at numbers deeply, I think we are doing very well through this moment.”
While Mark Zuckerberg has managed to poach talented researchers from DeepMind, my sources say that Pichai and Demis Hassabis have been resistant to bidding wars and amenable to letting most people go. Contrast this with the mood at OpenAI, where research chief Mark Chen compared Meta’s poaching to the feeling of a home invasion.
There’s an industry-wide belief that DeepMind’s bench is deep enough to withstand defections and that the company can quickly make reverse acquihire moves, such as its recent Windsurf deal, as more AI startups seek refuge from the money-intensive game that only Big Tech seems capable of truly playing.
“Meta right now is not at the frontier,” Hassabis said in an interview with Lex Fridman this week. “Maybe they’ll manage to get back on there, and it’s probably rational what they’re doing from their perspective because they’re behind and they need to do something.” Implicit in that statement is the idea that Google is operating from a position of strength in the AI race, a notion with which all the major players I’ve spoken with privately agree.
Google is by no means unassailable. GPT-5 is coming soon and could blow past Gemini. ChatGPT is the Kleenex of chatbots, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Meanwhile, Google is sending fewer clicks to websites, which threatens the give-and-take model that has fueled its business to this point. There’s a real chance that Google’s business may be broken up by the US government. At the very least, it will probably have to stop paying Apple for default status on the iPhone.
Even still, AI so far isn’t the threat to Google’s business that many thought it would be. Instead, it’s increasingly looking like Google is stronger than ever.
“This is the enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value.”
– Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a public memo to employees acknowledging recent layoffs and the company’s climbing stock price.
“Unfortunately, I think ‘No bad person should ever benefit from our success’ is a pretty difficult principle to run a business on.”
“If we can make intelligence accessible everywhere, affordable to everyone, and easy to understand, we can drive the biggest opportunity engine the world has ever seen and help more people live better lives.”
“I was given an offer that would explode [the] same day.”
– Windsurf’s second hire, Prem Qu Nair, on X, describing the way Google hired away the startup’s core engineering team.
Some interesting career moves this week:
Mark Zuckerberg has found a chief AI scientist for his new Superintelligence AI lab: Shengjia Zhao, who co-created ChatGPT and GPT-4 at OpenAI. He’ll report to Alexandr Wang.
Over at Microsoft, AI chief Mustafa Suleyman landed several recruits from Google DeepMind (his former employer), including the VP of engineering for Gemini, Amar Subramanya. Meanwhile, Jacob Andreou, a former Snap exec, is leading product and growth for Suleyman’s org.
Speaking of Snap: Its SVP of revenue products, Darshan Kantak, is leaving just ahead of earnings, which is usually not a good sign.
Anthropic CPO Mike Krieger and Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn are joining the board of Figma just ahead of its IPO.
Instacart CPO Daniel Danker is joining Walmart as “head of global AI acceleration,” reporting to CEO Doug McMillon.
Tom Conrad is officially the permanent CEO of Sonos. Fix the app, Tom!
Graham Thorpe was a mainstay in the England cricket set-up for many years
There were failings in the care of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe in the months before he died, a coroner said as he recorded a conclusion of suicide.
Thorpe was not perceived by healthcare professionals to be in a “crisis situation” after they were told he had asked his wife “for help to end his life” weeks before he died, Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking heard.
The 55-year-old, regarded as one of the best English players of his generation, died on 4 August 2024 after being struck by a train at Esher railway station in Surrey.
Coroner Jonathan Stevens said there had been “shortcomings” in Thorpe’s care, but they did not amount to gross misconduct.
The court heard Thorpe had “spiralled into depression” after losing his job as a batting coach, and had tried to take his own life on another occasion.
After he missed an appointment with the community mental health team on 28 June, care co-ordinator Katie Johnson spoke to his wife Amanda on the phone, who said her husband was “constantly asking for help to end his life”, the court heard.
Ms Johnson said she then spoke to Thorpe who told her he “hadn’t been out for a while” and “didn’t see the point of being here”, but had no immediate plans to act on suicidal thoughts.
‘Shortcomings in care’
The coroner said that the last time the cricketer had been seen in person by healthcare professionals was on 20 March.
“In my judgment, there were shortcomings in the care that should have been provided to Graham in the last four months or so of his life,” Mr Stevens said.
“If he had been seen in those last four months, particularly after that incident on 28 June, I cannot say whether it would or would not have made any difference.”
An investigation was carried out by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust after Thorpe’s death.
Dr Shriti Burgul, a consultant psychiatrist who reviewed the investigation’s report before it was finalised, told the court one of the findings was “it was noted Mr Thorpe’s presentation at his appointment on 28 June 2024 was in keeping with previous presentations and not perceived by the team as a crisis situation”.
Asked if arranging an appointment in two weeks was an appropriate response, Dr Burgul said that in the absence of a patient expressing “active intent” or an “active plan” it would be appropriate to allow two weeks.
She told the court that Thorpe was not at the level of requiring intervention from the home treatment team.
The psychiatrist was asked if there was any evidence that there would have been a different outcome if there had been an in-person assessment. She replied, “no”.
The investigation noted a letter from when Thorpe was discharged from a private hospital in July 2022, which said a neuropsychologist should be identified to provide further support, the inquest heard.
‘A real shock’
Given the conversation was over the phone, the psychiatrist was asked if it would have been appropriate to arrange to see Thorpe quickly.
She told the court: “In the wisdom of hindsight, then yes, a home visit would have been clinically indicated.”
This was never done by the private provider or the GP, and a risk panel advised it should be explored in June 2024, Dr Burgul told the court.
Asked whether there was any neuropsychological impact that could have affected the cricketer’s ability to engage in appointments, given he missed some, the psychiatrist said: “It’s a possibility, yes”.
Thorpe’s cause of death was recorded by a pathologist as multiple injuries, the coroner said.
His widow said the termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board had been a “real shock to Graham”, which was the “start of the decline of his mental health”.
Briony Leyland/BBC
Lawyer Mark McGhee, Amanda Thorpe (wife of Graham Thorpe) and Mr Thorpe’s father, Geoff
Mrs Thorpe described her husband as her “best friend and soulmate”.
Following the conclusion of the inquest, she issued a statement that said: “We will never get over the tragic loss of Graham and we miss him everyday.
“Next Friday would’ve been Graham’s 56th birthday and we plan to celebrate his life at the Oval.”
Mrs Thorpe said the family would gather with the charity Mind to raise funds to help people affected by mental health illness.
“We would like to reduce the stigma and shame felt by sufferers, especially middle-aged men,” she added.
She said the event was to also raise awareness of people who are supporting families and friends living with mental health issues.
Getty Images
Thorpe was a left-handed batter who had played for Surrey County Cricket Club.
He was a mainstay in the England set-up for many years, first as a batter between 1993 and 2005, before spending 12 years in coaching roles.
During a distinguished international career, Thorpe struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats.
During his role with the England and Wales Cricket Board, he mentored players Ben Stokes and Joe Root.
‘One of England’s greatest cricketers’
The ECB described Mr Thorpe as “one of England’s greatest cricketers” and was a “deeply admired and much-loved person”.
A spokesperson for the board said: “His generosity, warmth, and passion for the game left a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
“His untimely death is a profound tragedy, and his loss is felt deeply across the cricketing community and far beyond.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his wife, children, his father, and all those who loved him.”
They added Mr Thorpe’s passing was a “stark reminder” of the challenges many face with mental health.
“We hope the upcoming ‘Day for Thorpey’ at the Kia Oval will both honour his memory and encourage others to seek the help,” they said.
Additional reporting by PA Media.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.
South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman (R) is expected to file is candidacy Friday to become his state’s next governor.
“America has a businessman in the White House, and I believe we need a businessman as Governor of South Carolina,” a statement on Norman’s campaign website reads.
“I have a vision for South Carolina – one where we fix our roads, improve our schools, and get South Carolina prepared for a tremendous opportunity. But that won’t happen if we don’t fix a system that is rotten to its core. I am running for Governor to shake things up, clean up Columbia, and knock down the corrupt political establishment once and for all,” he added.
While in Congress, Norman, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has supported President Trump’s push to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts from higher education and the government, decrease federal spending and impose tougher policies on immigration.
Although Norman has helped champion the president’s agenda, during last year’s campaign trail he backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R). She was the last of President Trump’s GOP challengers to bow out from the race.
Haley and Norman served alongside each other in the state House beginning in 2005 and have remained allies since.
Haley has not yet shared who she will endorse in South Carolina’s gubernatorial race as Norman gears up for a packed GOP primary with Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) as challengers.
“We wish Congressman Ralph Norman the best of luck today as he announces his run for Governor,” Mace said in a Friday statement on X.
The state’s current leader, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is term limited and will complete his tenure in 2026.
The inexplicably popular trades that were the darlings of 2021 made headlines this week as self-proclaimed “degenerate” investors piled into unassuming stocks, like Krispy Kreme. The embattled doughnut and coffeehouse chain hit a record of over 100,000 contracts traded Tuesday, and if that sounds like a lot for a company with deliciously cheap treats, it is: it’s equivalent to 71 times its average daily volume over the past four years. Elsewhere, the price of Kohl’s miraculously doubled, and Opendoor kicked off the week with triple-digit-gains. It’s the latest episode in the meme-stock saga that has perplexed financial advisors and has retail investors living by the motto: “donut kill my vibe.”
“These are appealing to investors for the two oldest reasons in the book,” said Zoltan Pongracz, a CFP and cofounder of Third View Private Wealth. “Although the meme craze is new, fear (of missing out) and greed still are the underlying drivers.”
Meme stocks are largely driven by social media forums, most notably Reddit’s Wall Street Bets. While they generally get a bad rap because they’re based on social media influence, not the underlying fundamentals, modern markets are increasingly driven by narratives, said Adam Patti, CEO of the asset manager VistaShares. “These momentum-driven stocks are appealing because in many cases it is a form of gambling,” he said. “The ironic thing is that sophisticated investors straight up to institutional traders often do the same.”
Clients are generally attracted to the potential for sudden, dramatic gains, which can trigger rushes of dopamine, the brain’s “feel good” hormone, said Brandon Galici, CFP and founder of Galici Financial. “Few clients have asked me directly about meme stocks, but when they do, I begin by asking about what they are ultimately trying to accomplish,” he said. If a client insists, Galici shifts the conversation to risk management, asking: “If this stock goes to zero, how would you feel?” The question usually helps reframe the discussion around their long-term goals.
Crypto Kreme. For most advisors, it’s a good time to have an educational conversation about what these rallies are and what they aren’t. They can either stay the course and avoid the volatility, or treat it like, “entertainment capital: money you can afford to lose,” Pongracz said. “Otherwise, you’re the exit liquidity.”
If clients are adamant, make sure they have the staying power to survive volatile market cycles. Pongracz likened it to some high-flying crypto traders who were completely “out of the game” when the crypto winter hit and were left on the sidelines during Bitcoin’s impressive rally this year. “It’s the most hated rally ever,” he said. “Sometimes it’s about the risks you don’t take.”
This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials, subscribe to our free Advisor Upside newsletter.
Hedaya al-Muta’wi’s 18-month-old son Mohammed suffers from malnutrition due to famine and weighs just 6kg.
He suffers from fatigue and can no longer stand or sit up. She told the BBC “my husband was killed in the war and I don’t have a breadwinner, except God”.
She said she works hard and labours to provide her son with baby formula milk, but can’t provide for him properly because she is alone.
Hulk Hogan’s wife, Sky, posted a Friday homage to the professional wrestler, reflecting on his life and legacy.
“I wasn’t ready for this…and my heart is in pieces. He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time,” she wrote in the post on Instagram.
“This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart,” she added.
Hogan died on Thursday at the age of 71 in Florida. The longtime WWE challenger recently claimed his stake in politics with a memorable appearance during last year’s Republican National Convention backing President Trump’s reelection campaign.
“Hulk loved his fans so much and despite his growing physical discomfort, he did everything he could to show up, sign autographs, take photos, and connect with the people who supported him through it all. You meant everything to him,” Sky said on Friday.
“He was a believer in Christ, and I take comfort knowing his soul is at peace and he’s been welcomed home,” she added.
Multiple politicians mourned his Thursday death and shared their condolences for the family. Trump specifically lauded the celebrity for his “cultural impact” through various show appearances and engagements throughout his years of stardom.
“We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster,’” Trump said in a Thursday post on Truth Social shortly after news of Hogan’s death was confirmed.
“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart,” the president said.
During one Fox News appearance, Hulk Hogan said the president considered putting him in his administration.
CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) is a major American railroad company that has been at the center of the news this July. Earlier in the month, Cramer and co-host David Faber discussed whether the railroad industry in the US could enter a period of mergers due to the different conditions under the Trump administration. Right on cue, a report surfaced that railroad giant Union Pacific would either acquire CSX or Norfolk Southern. In this appearance, Cramer recalled a recent conversation with Faber for a potential acquisition:
“[On Cowen taking it to buy] David, don’t you think that one of these is going to merge? [Mimicks David Faber with arms crossed and a grim look with pursed lips] And that means yes.
CSX Corporation (CSX): “I Am In Charge Of The Rails,” Says Jim Cramer
FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock.com
Earlier, the CNBC TV host wondered whether Norfolk Southern or CSX would be vulnerable to an acquisition:
“I think that Norfolk Southern could be vulnerable. I’d like to think that Joe Hinrichs at CSX, no.”
While we acknowledge the potential of CSX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
If James loses her race to be fit, then who should replace her in the team will become a huge topic of debate, similar to that around the timing of Wiegman’s substitutions, which has dominated conversation this tournament.
The Dutch manager has faced calls to make changes earlier in games if things are going to plan, but she argued it is not that simple.
“It’s not a decision that we just make in the moment – when we name the squad, we talk about what me might need at certain moments in games. And what player will fit that,” she said.
“Of course it’s very nice that we have these players available as options to play for England.
“We have already thought of scenarios, what we might need at certain stages of the game, and which player will fit in that scenario.
“Before every game we sit down and talk through what we might potentially need in the game. And the ‘when’ [to make the change] is just a feeling – sometimes you might think ‘OK, we are doing better now in the second half, so lets keep it [the same], but then when you don’t create chances or a goal then you have to change something.
“Change the dynamics a little bit or make your opponent uncomfortable, make them adapt to a new player in the same position. It’s a feeling during the game, but of course a lot of preparation has been done before that moment.”
Two players pushing for starting berths are Chloe Kelly and 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang, who both played key roles from the bench to rescue England against Sweden and Italy in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
“It’s a nice one [problem] to have, but you mention those two [Kelly and Agyemang] because they have been coming on and scoring goals. But I think Grace Clinton has also made a great contribution – she had to play in Keira [Walsh’s] position when Keira had to come out, a very important position.
“Niamh Charles came in against Sweden and made a crucial header defensively. You can talk about more players who have made an impact coming on from the bench. It gives us headaches but I want to have those headaches.
“We look at what opponent we have in front of us and what would fit best when we start the game.”
Wiegman said “it’s really nice to feel the support,” after Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said that she is “not for sale at any price”.
That said, she would not be drawn on her future beyond the end of her current contract, which expires after the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
“I’m so ‘in’ these Euros – we play a final on Sunday and there is nothing else that I am thinking about,” Wiegman said.
