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Art made by humanoid robot sells for $1 million at auction.
Hard Numbers: Meet the robot painter, Saudi money, Japan’s billions, the CHIPS Act wrap-up, Where’s the AI-generated beef?
100 billion: A new Saudi state initiative called “Project Transcendence” will devote $100 billion to invest in data centers, startups, and infrastructure to boost the country’s domestic AI sector. It’s part of an ongoing effort to diversify the oil-rich nation’s economy while also competing with neighboring United Arab Emirates.
$65 billion: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced he’ll devote $65 billion to the country’s artificial intelligence and semiconductor sectors over the next decade. TSMC recently opened a plant in Kumamoto, and Ishiba said he wants that investment to inspire future innovation in the country.
10 million: The Biden administration is planning on finalizing the last CHIPS Act awards — the semiconductor industry spending program that’s given millions to US and foreign companies to build in America. The final awards will reportedly go to TSMC, GlobalFoundries, and one other still-unknown chipmaker, each worth $10 million or more, as Biden pushes to wrap up the program before Donald Trump and his new Congress come in and potentially repeal the CHIPS Act in favor of a tariff-focused economic plan.
$1: The $1 Frosty deal at Wendy’s is a fast-food staple. But now the company is partnering with Palantir — the AI firm known for its military and defense contracts — to improve its supply chain and inventory management. One successful use case has been making sure that when Wendy’s offers the $1 Frosty promotion it can keep pace with surging demand.Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Windham, NH.
Hard Numbers: Trump’s bond, Saudis target Ethiopian migrants, missing in Maui, Ecuadorians’ pro-Amazon vote
200,000: Former President Donald Trump's bond in Georgia has been set at $200,000 ahead of a Friday deadline to turn himself in. As part of his release conditions, Trump, who is reportedly set to surrender for processing on Thursday, is banned from using social media to intimidate witnesses.
750,000: Saudi border guards have reportedly opened fire and launched explosives at Ethiopian migrants fleeing their country’s civil war in recent years, killing hundreds as they tried crossing into Saudi Arabia from Yemen, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. Some 750,000 Ethiopians now live in Saudi Arabia, the majority of them unauthorized.
850: That’s the number of missing people in Maui, Hawaii, following last week’s devastating wildfires. While 850 is far lower than the earlier estimates, which were closer to 2,000, officials are asking locals to give DNA samples to help with the sluggish victim recovery effort.
59: Ecuadorian voters failed to deliver a decisive win to any of the country’s presidential candidates on Sunday, paving the way for a runoff vote in October. But there was a clear win for the Amazon with 59% voting in favor of a referendum to reject all oil exploration in Yasuni National Park.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman immune from US civil case, US State Dept. says.
US: MBS immune from Khashoggi lawsuit
The fiancée of murdered journalist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi has been waiting four years for justice after he was killed at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul — a murder US intelligence says was likely ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Hatice Cengiz had filed a lawsuit against MBS and his alleged conspirators seeking unspecified damages. But the US State Department has determined that MBS has immunity thanks to his new role as Saudi prime minister. Cengiz responded to the news by tweeting that "Jamal died again today,” and human rights groups are up in arms.
While the arrest of MBS was probably never in the cards, the granting of immunity — which a judge must still confirm — is likely to embolden the Saudi royal. The fact that this is happening against a backdrop of political tensions between Washington and Riyadh, with Saudi’s cutting oil production despite overtures from President Joe Biden, won’t help reassure Khashoggi’s supporters that anyone will ever be held to account.
MBS Wants to Know: Where Is the Line?
Too soon for a comeback? For sure. Just weeks after being implicated in the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Crown Prince takes the stage to win some LOLs and skewer some hypocrites.
#saudiarabia #Khashoggi #mbs #trump #louisck #metoo