Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / Getty Images
Zelensky meets with Trump, who wants to set a meeting with Putin. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House yesterday, this time bringing a group of European leaders, wearing a suit, and getting a warmer reception from President Trump. The meeting happened after Trump met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine—but one that would involve Ukraine giving Russia land it had seized in its invasion, which Zelensky has said he will not agree to. After yesterday’s meeting Trump said he had begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, and had discussed it with the Russian leader during a phone call, with a trilateral meeting to follow. Although no specific plan emerged, Trump also said the US could provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
Democrats return to Texas, clearing the path for GOP redistricting. State lawmakers— who fled Texas two weeks ago to block their Republican colleagues from using their majority to implement a new election map requested by President Trump that could add five Congressional seats for the GOP in the House—returned yesterday. This allowed the Texas House to have a quorum to meet for the first time in weeks. Republicans are now expected to pass the redistricting plan, after Gov. Greg Abbott, who accused the Democrats of having run “away from their responsibility,” called a second special legislative session for them to “finish” it. But the returning lawmakers said they were now “more dangerous,” having provoked a national conversation that included the governor of California’s threat to redraw his state’s map to counterbalance Texas.
US government mulls 10% stake in Intel as Softbank invests $2b. Negotiations are ongoing, but Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the government is considering becoming one of the beleaguered chipmaker’s biggest shareholders by converting grants the company was given under the Biden-era Chips Act into an equity stake. At Intel’s current valuation, a 10% stake would be worth ~$10.5 billion—though the exact size of the stake and whether the government will move forward with the plan remains to be determined. Meanwhile, over in the private sector, Softbank agreed to buy $2 billion worth of Intel stock, giving it a ~2% stake. Intel has been trying to turn itself around after losing ground to other semiconductor companies.—AR
No comments:
Post a Comment