Spotify raises its subscription prices in the US again

Spotify raised prices for its subscription plan in the U.S. for the third time in three years, as it hiked the monthly plan from $11.99 per month to $12.99 per month.

How one startup is using prebiotics to try and ease the copper shortage

Transition Metal Solutions is applying a special cocktail to coax microbes into unlocking more copper from ore.

US senators demand answers from X, Meta, Alphabet, and others on sexualized deepfakes

In a letter to the leaders of X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit, and TikTok, several U.S. senators are demanding the companies provide proof that they have “robust protections and policies” in place, and how they plan to curb the rise of sexualized deepfakes on their platforms.

Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and others

The AI partnerships allow companies to access the org’s content, like Wikipedia, at scale.

OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs

Merge Labs is a “research lab” dedicated to “bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability.” OpenAI wrote the largest check in Merge Labs’ $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation.

Iran’s internet shutdown is now one of its longest ever, as protests continue

Iran’s government-imposed internet shutdown enters its second week as authorities continue their violent crackdown on protesters.

The US imposes 25% tariff on Nvidia’s H200 AI chips headed to China

The Trump administration formalized its 25% cut of H200 chip sales in China with a tariff that applies to certain semiconductors.

Taiwan to invest $250B in US semiconductor manufacturing

The U.S. struck a trade deal with Taiwan as the country looks to help boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

AI video startup, Higgsfield, founded by ex-Snap exec, lands $1.3B valuation

Higgsfield says it’s on a $200 million annual revenue run rate. So it opened its previous Series A round back up and sold another $80 million in shares.

AI journalism startup Symbolic.ai signs deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp

The startup claims its AI platform can help optimize editorial processes and research.