Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal Faces Backlash

Top officials in the Trump administration walked back elements of the President’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s Palestinian population and redevelop the territory under U.S. control. The plan, announced during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, faced international condemnation, with critics calling it a violation of international law. Trump’s officials insisted that the U.S. would not deploy troops or fund the project. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan rejected the idea outright, warning against forced displacement. Right-wing Israeli politicians welcomed the plan, seeing it as a way to neutralize Hamas without recognizing Palestinian statehood.

Source: The New York Times

Trump Signs Executive Order Restricting Transgender Participation in Women’s Sports

President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," which bans transgender girls and women from competing in female sports categories. The order interprets Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education, to restrict participation in women's sports to individuals whose sex was assigned female at birth. Schools and athletic organizations that fail to comply risk losing federal funding and face legal action. The order also directs federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, to enforce these mandates. Advocates of the policy argue it ensures fairness and safety in women's sports by addressing perceived biological advantages of transgender athletes. Critics view the move as part of a broader effort to limit transgender rights.

Sources: The New York Times, CBS News, White House

USPS Reverses Decision To Block Parcels from China

USPS reversed its decision to halt parcel services from China and Hong Kong, which had been suspended a day earlier following new trade policies. The suspension was tied to President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese imports and ending the "de minimis" exemption, which previously allowed duty-free imports under $800. USPS is now working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to implement systems for collecting tariffs while minimizing delivery disruptions. The reversal aims to balance compliance with trade regulations and the needs of businesses and consumers reliant on Chinese imports, particularly in e-commerce.

Sources: The New York Times, NBC News

Ford Earnings Report

Ford Motor Company reported strong fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, surpassing Wall Street expectations with $48.2 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings per share of $0.39, compared to forecasts of $43 billion and $0.33, respectively. For the full year, Ford achieved record revenue of $185 billion and adjusted EBIT of $10.2 billion, but its cautious 2025 guidance projects a decline in profits, with adjusted EBIT expected to range between $7 billion and $8.5 billion, below last year’s results and some analyst expectations.

The company cited market challenges such as pricing pressures and lower wholesale volumes as key factors influencing its conservative outlook. Additionally, Ford’s electric vehicle division, Model e, reported a $5 billion loss in 2024 and is expected to incur similar losses in 2025. Despite these challenges, Ford aims to reduce costs by $1 billion this year and continues to focus on its Ford+ transformation strategy, emphasizing quality improvements and operational efficiency.

Sources: CNBC, Yahoo Finance

Alphabet's $75 Billion AI Investment Boosts Nvidia and Broadcom Shares

Shares of Nvidia and Broadcom surged on Wednesday following Alphabet's announcement of plans to invest up to $75 billion in capital expenditures for 2025, primarily focused on expanding AI infrastructure. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the company’s commitment to strengthening its AI capabilities, including data centers and servers, while maintaining a strong partnership with Nvidia, whose chips power much of Alphabet’s AI operations. Broadcom, which designs custom AI chips for Alphabet and other tech firms, also saw significant gains in its stock price.

The announcement aligns with broader trends in Big Tech, as companies like Microsoft and Meta have also pledged tens of billions of dollars toward AI infrastructure this year. Nvidia shares rose 4%, while Broadcom gained nearly 6%, reflecting renewed investor optimism about the growing demand for AI-related hardware and services.

Source: Investopedia

Google Releases Gemini 2.0 AI to Everyone

Google has officially released Gemini 2.0, its latest and most advanced AI model suite, marking a significant step in the ongoing AI race. The suite includes Gemini 2.0 Flash, designed for high-frequency tasks, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, optimized for coding, and Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite, a cost-efficient version. Pricing for developers varies, with Flash costing $0.10 per million tokens and Flash-Lite at $0.0075 per million tokens. Google’s move aligns with its broader strategy to develop agentic AI, capable of handling complex multistep tasks autonomously. Competitors such as OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Anthropic are also investing in similar AI advancements, with OpenAI launching Operator and Anthropic developing AI capable of using computers like humans.

Source: CNBC