Everything Old Is New Again
Meanwhile, Dana and Barry highlight the changing dynamics of major world conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine. Barry points out why technology and AI will play a major role in the future of foreign affairs and in transforming society on American soil.
I Wish Someone Had Told Me: A new poll shows that the Democratic Party remains in turmoil, but will a rising Democratic star be the one to shift the scales?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US Senator Sanders favors Trump plan to take stake in Intel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday threw his support behind Republican President Donald Trump's plan to convert up to $10.9 billion in U.S. grants for Intel into a government stake in the company. "If microchip companies make a profit from the generous grants they receive from the federal government, the taxpayers of America have a right to a reasonable return on that investment," Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in a statement to Reuters. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
French firm teams up with JetZero on hydrogen-powered flight
By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) -A French technology startup unveiled plans on Wednesday to work with clean-aircraft venture JetZero to explore a potential hydrogen-powered variant of its futuristic all-wing design. The move by SHZ Advanced Technologies is likely to rekindle a debate over the potential for zero-emission flight, six months after Europe's Airbus put the brakes on plans to develop the world's first hydrogen-powered airliner. California-based JetZero aims to challenge the traditional duopoly of Airbus and Boeing by developing a so-called blended wing-body aircraft, which it claims will be able to cut fuel consumption - and therefore carbon emissions - in half. JetZero and SHZ now plan to work together under a NASA research programme to design systems capable of storing and distributing liquid hydrogen fuel, which could eliminate carbon emissions altogether and evolve into a variant of JetZero's Z4. Hydrogen is prized for its carbon-free emissions and high energy related to mass, which makes it lighter than normal fuel. However, it also takes up much more volume and must be cooled to -253 degrees Celsius, making storage a significant challenge. JetZero's blended wing-body design features a V-shaped fuselage that acts as a wing and reduces friction in the air, rather than the familiar wings and cylindrical fuselage. "Due to the wider fuselage, the airframe is far more compatible with (liquid hydrogen) fuel tanks without sacrificing passenger seating, as a 'tube and wing' airplane would," SHZ Advanced Technologies said on Wednesday. Airbus said in February it was slowing down efforts to produce a hydrogen-powered regional plane and dropped a target date of 2035, blaming a lack of supporting infrastructure. Boeing, by contrast, has been cool on the commercial viability of hydrogen flight altogether. The concept of a blended wing-body design has been around since the 1940s and led to the U.S. B-2 bomber, as well as the X-48 research project between Boeing and NASA some 18 years ago. JetZero is revisiting such designs as the aviation industry struggles to meet a target of net-zero emissions by 2050. Airbus has argued that combining such radical changes to the shape of a plane with an entirely new propulsion system would be too ambitious, and is focusing instead on hydrogen-based fuel cells inside a normal tubular aircraft configuration. But SHZ Advanced Technologies' co-founder Eric Schulz - a former senior executive at Rolls-Royce and Airbus - said JetZero would approach the task in two phases with the initial focus on a conventionally powered all-wing plane. Any hydrogen-based variant would come in a second step, he told Reuters. The French firm says it has developed hydrogen tanks that save space by avoiding the usual cylindrical shape needed for pressurised vessels and can fit more easily into the flowing contours of the Z4's fuselage. JetZero, whose backers include United Airlines, said in June it was on track to fly a full-scale prototype of the revolutionary 250-passenger airplane in 2027. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US retailers split on holiday prospects amid consumer caution
By Juveria Tabassum and Savyata Mishra (Reuters) -Mixed sales and profit forecasts from major U.S. retailers such as Target and Home Depot have prompted investors to question if this year's crucial holiday season will yield the windfall typically associated with a year-end shopping surge. Rising costs driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's import tariffs and subdued consumer spending have given rise to fresh worries about the resilience of the American shopper. "We are planning cautiously for the back half of the year, given continued uncertainty and volatility," Target's Chief Commercial Officer, Rick Gomez, said on Wednesday. Consumer and retail companies have also been among the worst hit by tariffs. The unpredictable nature of Trump's trade policies has contributed to a decline in U.S. consumer sentiment, as shoppers expect tepid economic growth and higher inflation in the coming months. Overall inflation in the United States has been trending higher and economists are concerned that higher prices could be in store for consumers after a recent spike in wholesale-level inflation. Over the past few weeks, Adidas said it could launch new products at higher prices in the U.S., Levi Strauss said it would cut back on promotions, while Under Armour is considering bumping up prices for consumers who have the pricing power to tackle tariffs. "We are learning a lot about the health of the consumer. They are still interested in spending, but not splurging. Some of the comments companies gave months ago about not hiking prices due to tariffs... (are) proving to be more lip-service than reality," Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management said. While the broader stock market has performed well in 2025 - the S&P 500 is up more than 8% - consumer discretionary stocks have lagged, gaining only about 1%. On the other hand, TJX, parent of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, touted a "strong start" to the second half of the year. Home Depot posted disappointing quarterly results, citing consumer hesitation on big-ticket purchases, but maintained its forecasts. "Value is very top of mind for consumers right now. They're looking to stretch their budget; they're looking to navigate inflation and uncertainty around tariffs," Target's incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke said. Target reiterated that it would hike prices as a "last resort," while Lowe's said it would remain "price competitive". Target shares slumped nearly 8% on Wednesday after the company named Fiddelke as its new CEO and kept its forecasts intact. Lowe's managed to beat earnings estimates but acknowledged that home improvement demand remains soft due to high borrowing costs. The company will continue to face challenges in the back half of the year due to high mortgage rates and cautious consumers, executives said in a post-earnings call. The Reuters global tariff tracker shows that of the more than 300 companies that have reacted to the tariffs in some manner since February 1, about 38 consumer companies have withdrawn or cut their forecasts, while about 42 have mentioned price hikes.
