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Policy Whiplash: Trump loosens weed, preempts state AI rules, targets Indiana GOP leader; House rebukes on labor; U.S. Caribbean buildup; Broadcom cools silicon photonics; ‘faster’ resource reforms face fine print
Broadcom CEO: Silicon photonics unlikely to have a near-term impact
Broadcom CEO: Silicon photonics unlikely to have a near-term impact, as Hock Tan shrugs off datacenter laser dreams and points to the cash register instead—Broadcom is sitting on roughly $50 billion in custom AI accelerator orders and expects more. Translation: the money’s in bespoke AI silicon today; photonics can wait its turn.
Trump Proposes Easing Marijuana Restrictions
Trump Proposes Easing Marijuana Restrictions, moving to dramatically loosen federal rules by downgrading oversight of cannabis and its derivatives to roughly the level of some common prescription painkillers. In other words, from Schedule “absolutely not” to “take two gummies and call your lobbyist in the morning.” The War on Drugs may soon require a co-pay.
Trump forecasts primary loss for Indiana Senate Republican leader after redistricting vote
Trump forecasts primary loss for Indiana Senate Republican leader after redistricting vote, using the chamber’s failure to pass a GOP-favored House map to threaten Senate GOP Leader Rodric Bray with voter punishment. “I heard he was against it. He’ll probably lose his next primary whenever that is. I hope he does because he’s done a tremendous…” Trump said—turning mapmaking into yet another loyalty test with a ballot-shaped cudgel.
Resource Management Reforms Promise Speed and Savings, but Details Raise Questions
Resource Management Reforms Promise Speed and Savings, but Details Raise Questions, as the coalition moves to scrap the 30-year-old RMA and install two new laws—the Natural Environment Act and Planning Act—due to pass by late 2026 and take effect in 2029. The pitch: standardised zoning, national rules, and many more “permitted” activities so your humble pergola doesn’t cost more in paperwork than timber. The reality: a stronger tilt toward property rights than Labour’s RMA-lite blueprint, fewer than 70 bespoke plans cut to 17, and councils on a short fiscal leash nudged toward permissive zoning by the threat of compensating landowners for restrictive rules. Yes, small projects, home alterations, and new cafés should get faster and cheaper. But fewer consents and narrower consultation mean fewer avenues to object, fewer Environment Court appeals, and a higher risk of sprawl chewing up productive land. Likely winners: infrastructure developers and big business. Likely losers: iwi, local communities, councils with less say, and environmental and climate safeguards pushed to the back seat. As ever, you can have good, cheap, or fast—pick two. Wellington seems to be betting the country will applaud speed now and forgive the fine print later.
Trump signs order challenging state AI regulations
Trump signs order challenging state AI regulations, moving to impose a national standard that would curb states’ attempts to pass their own AI laws. Signed Thursday night, the executive order is pitched as a push for “unity”—with a nod to China’s centralized approach—because apparently the way to spur American innovation is to grade it on Beijing’s curve.
U.S. House passes bill to overturn collective bargaining limit in rebuke to Trump
U.S. House passes bill to overturn collective bargaining limit in rebuke to Trump, voting 231–195 to reverse his March order curbing bargaining rights for roughly a million federal employees at agencies stamped “national security.” In a rare bipartisan spine-sighting, 20 Republicans joined all Democrats, using a discharge petition to vault over Speaker Mike Johnson’s keep-off-the-floor sign. The bill, led by Democrat Jared Golden and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, would restore limited workplace bargaining—protections against retaliation and capricious firings, not strikes or pay hikes. Oversight Chair James Comer cried “accountability,” saying it’s too hard to fire poor performers; backers counter that shipbuilders and VA staff aren’t enemy combatants. Next stop: a Senate where 60 votes—and even a floor slot—are far from guaranteed.
Monitoring the U.S. buildup in the Caribbean
Monitoring the U.S. buildup in the Caribbean, an interactive satellite-driven map compiles Planet Labs and Sentinel-2 imagery to track deployments and infrastructure across the region—because when a footprint’s big enough to see from space, you might as well chart it. Built by academics who disclose no commercial ties.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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