Good morning. In this edition:

• 🥊 A tussle over AI chip controls
• 🚁 The US Army is reinventing itself
• 🧠 Test your knowledge with our weekly news quiz

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.72-minute read (1,256 words).

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"Listen to what you know instead of what you fear."

–Richard Bach (b. 1936)

Mom, the AI giants are fighting again. Nvidia and Anthropic this week clashed over US export controls related to artificial intelligence chips, with each finding themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum.

• Anthropic, an Amazon-backed AI startup, published a blog post on Wednesday advocating for tighter US controls and enforcement when it comes to the tech, accusing Chinese companies of smuggling tactics that involve chips hidden in “prosthetic baby bumps” and “packed alongside live lobsters.”
• In response, an Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC: “American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in ‘baby bumps’ or ‘alongside live lobsters.’"

Top of mind: The “AI Diffusion Rule,” a measure created during former President Biden’s term to restrict global access to advanced artificial intelligence chips for national security reasons, is set to take effect May 15 (though President Trump is reportedly considering an update). The goal? Prevent rival nations like China from gaining ground in an escalating AI arms race.

Worth mentioning: When it comes to D.C. and Beijing, Nvidia is like a monkey in the child’s game—stuck in the middle. 13% of the chipmaker’s revenue comes from China, while ~50% is derived from the US.

And when the parents fight, the kids feel it—the company estimates it’ll take a $5.5 billion revenue hit as a result of separate export controls introduced by the Commerce Department last month that apply to its previously compliant chips.

Looking ahead…Should tighter US export controls be introduced, analysts say it could prompt Chinese companies, such as tech giant Huawei, to focus on developing better AI chips vs. buying them elsewhere. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also said this week that while China may be behind the US in the AI arms race—it’s not that far behind (see: Deepseek).

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you prefer tighter or looser US export controls when it comes to artificial intelligence chips?

• Tighter export controls
• Looser export controls
• Unsure/other

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Like a monotone professor, the US Army wants to keep droning on. The military branch is reportedly embarking on its largest overhaul since the end of the Cold War, with plans to heavily increase its use of drones across all combat divisions.

The move, which draws heavily on lessons from the war in Ukraine, is the product of over a year of experimentation at US military bases, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.

Entering the drone zone

The Army’s plan involves equipping each of its combat divisions with ~1,000 drones and simultaneously getting rid of outmoded weapons and other equipment.

If the strategy is enacted, the Army’s 10 active-duty divisions would heavily shift their tactics to emphasize unmanned aircraft, using them for surveillance, various attack strategies, and more.

• Upgrading to drones would cost ~$36 billion over five years.
• But, rather than increasing its budget, the Army instead plans to reduce spending on legacy programs like Humvees, M10 Booker light tanks, and some Apache helicopters.

Ukraine is a major inspiration. Analysts say the widespread use of drones has transformed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in recent years, due to their cheap costs, ability to send live video feeds to the rear, and potential to attack in swarms and overwhelm defenses. To learn from Ukraine’s drone capabilities, US officers have reportedly debriefed the country’s military personnel and consulted with drone contractors that have been used.

But…The Army’s drone overhaul requires congressional support before it can be fully enacted.

A first-of-its-kind expedition plans to take climbers to the icy summit of Mount Everest in just a single week thanks to an unexpected strategy—inhaling xenon gas. Or, as The Rolling Stones would say: “Climbing mountains fast, it’s a gas.”

• The expedition represents an ambitious step up from other guided Everest ascents, which typically last six-to-eight weeks due to the need for altitude acclimation.

The 411 on xenon

Studies have suggested the odorless gas can protect vital organs from altitude sickness by boosting production of erythropoietin, a hormone that increases the body’s capacity to transport oxygen.

• When used alongside other at-home acclimatization methods, xenon gas can make the human body capable of withstanding Everest’s extreme altitudes almost instantly, according to Austrian Everest guide Lukas Furtenbach.

How it works: Furtenbach’s process started with him and his clients flying to a hospital in Germany a few weeks ago before they traveled to Everest, where they donned diving-bell-like masks to inhale carefully controlled doses of xenon. The main goal: reduce climbers’ risk of being caught in bad weather, avalanches, or getting sick by allowing them to summit Everest faster.

Looking ahead…The expedition could start any day now. Furtenbach is using advanced forecasting tools to track the weather conditions on Everest and determine the best time to climb.

Imagine having a companion who knows hidden histories and untold stories for every location you hike or travel. That’s Autio, the app that immerses you in your surroundings like never before.

• Features 23,000+ location-based stories narrated by famous voices like co-founder Kevin Costner and more
• Hands-free listening that autoplays so you can focus on the experience

This isn’t just a tour guide app—Autio offers depth, unique perspectives, and a storytelling approach that blends historical depth, geological significance, and local folklore.

Here are five stats from this past week that made our team go “whoa.” Hopefully you will, too.

• 📈 Philip Morris sold 223.4 million cans of Zyn last quarter, up 50% compared to the same period in 2024.
• 🚀 Nearly 25% of Google's Q1 net income reportedly came from its SpaceX investment, which added ~$8 billion in unrealized gains.
• 🤖 Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said as much as 30% of the company’s code is now written by AI.
• 🇨🇦🇺🇸 25% of Canadians consider the US to be an ally or friendly, while 74% of Americans think the same about Canada.
• ⛪ The percentage of Americans who identify as Christian decreased ~23% from 2007-2022, but has risen ~5% from 2022 through today.

+Editor's note: Moving forward, we'll be running this section (By the Numbers) on Fridays instead of Stat of the Day.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📊 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +0.6%; Dow: +0.2%; Nasdaq: +1.5%). | Chef Boyardee was sold to a private equity firm for $600 million.
• 📝 McDonald’s reported its largest US same-store sales decline since Q2 2020. | Apple posted quarterly earnings that beat analysts' expectations, but warned of a potential big hit ahead due to tariffs. | Amazon also topped estimates, offered lighter-than-expected guidance.
• 🚫 The de minimis exception, which allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free, officially ends today. | Chinese companies Shein and Temu recently raised prices, sometimes as much as 100%+; Bloomberg ($) found Shein jacked up the cost of thick kitchen cleaning towels by 377% .

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Surfshark

• 🎭 The 2025 Tony Award Nominees were released; Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her, and Maybe Happy Ending received the most nods.
• 🎮 The Nintendo Switch 2 launch has been delayed until 2026 in multiple countries across Central America and the Caribbean.
• 🐎 Time to don a fancy hat and start horsing around: The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, the longest continuously held sporting event in the US, takes place tomorrow.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 📋 Diabetes deaths fell to their lowest levels in years in late 2024, per new preliminary CDC data; in 2021, the condition was the eighth leading cause of death in the US. | Dance battle needed: Ronan, a trained sea lion, can keep a beat better than humans, a new study suggests.
• 🤖 Visa is partnering with AI chatbot-makers to make your credit card work with AI agents. | BBC Studios worked with Agatha Christie Limited to create a writing course led by an AI version of the famed detective story author.
• 👁 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will debut his biometric eyeball-scanning cryptocurrency World in six US cities.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

in partnership with Your Everyday Heroes

• 🏛️ President Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and instead nominated him as US ambassador to the UN; it comes a month after Waltz accidentally included a journalist in a Signal group chat discussing a sensitive military operation.
• 🧑‍⚖️ A federal judge ruled the Trump admin’s use of the wartime Alien Enemies Act to detain and deport alleged members of a foreign gang is unlawful.
• 🙏 Sister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and teacher who was the world’s oldest person, died this week at the age of 116 years, 326 days.

*From our partners: 🎉🏝️ From waste to wonder: Alejandro’s plastic legacy… "I recycle because it feels good," says Alejandro, whose homemade shredder turns Santa Teresa's plastic waste into community treasures instead of ocean pollution. See the full story and video here at Your Everyday Heroes.

☝️ A Texas highway was shut down for 14 hours on Tuesday after millions of dimes (~$800,000 worth) burst free from an overturned semi-truck; the bulk of the cash was ultimately retrieved using heavy machinery.

🤔 Did You Know? The oldest known living tree in the world is a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California, which scientists have dated to be ~5,078 years old.

📰 Worth a Read: How “Gibson’s law” makes it hard to trust experts

🖱️ Clickbait: Professors staffed a fake company entirely with AI agents—and you'll never guess what happened

🦒 The Maryland Zoo has finally named their month-old baby giraffe after holding a contest for the covetted title. The winning name? Titali, which means butterfly in the Bulu language. 

🚙 A British man unkowingly bought back his own car after it was stolen out of his overnight parking spot.

🍎 Ashlie Crosson, an English teacher at Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County High School, won the title of 2025 National Teacher of the Year.

Our weekly news quiz is live. How well did you pay attention this week? Let’s find out.

Below are three lists of ingredients. Your job is give us the completed dish they make.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• Ground beef
• Thick and chunky salsa
• Black beans
• Fire roasted corn
• Beef broth

✌️ Recipe #2:

• Cooking spray
• Dark brown sugar
• Butter
• Pineapple slices
• Maraschino cherries
• Yellow cake mix
• Eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Water

3️⃣ Recipe #3:

• Chicken breasts
• Garlic salt
• Seasoned salt
• Black pepper
• Canola oil
• Shredded cheese
• Cooked bacon
• Green onions

☝️ Recipe #1: Tortilla soup

✌️ Recipe #2: Pineapple upside-down cake

3️⃣ Recipe #3: Loaded chicken breasts