Week in 5: Jun 1-7, 2025
Trump-Musk feud sank Tesla stock. Russia launched major strikes across Ukraine. Musk’s $5B AI funding effort stalls. North Korea mystery balloons float across the sky while Amazon trains more robots.
📰 Top 5
The week’s biggest headlines.
President Trump escalated his feud with Elon Musk by threatening to cut off federal contracts to Tesla and SpaceX, prompting Musk to fire back with threats to decommission a space capsule and accusations about Trump’s past. Tesla stock plunged 14%, wiping out $150 billion in value, as the spat spilled into public view and drew political concerns over its impact on pending GOP legislation. Meanwhile, Trump’s sweeping ban on foreign students attending Harvard triggered a legal challenge from the university, which called it politically motivated retaliation. AP
Russia launched one of its most intense aerial assaults of the war on Ukraine, killing at least six and injuring around 80, including emergency workers in Kyiv, as over 400 drones and 40 missiles struck six regions. The barrage followed Ukraine's own drone attacks deep into Russian territory and occurred hours after Trump said Putin warned of retaliation; peace talks remain stalled as Moscow rejects Kyiv’s ceasefire offer. AP
Trump said the Justice Department, not him, decided to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man wrongly deported to El Salvador. Garcia, who has a U.S. work permit and family in Maryland, now faces charges of smuggling migrants, which his lawyer calls bogus; he’ll stay in custody until his court hearing on June 13. Reuters
Elon Musk’s clash with Trump continued just as his bankers were pitching investors on a $5 billion loan for xAI. As Morgan Stanley laid out plans for new AI data centers and a booming future for Musk’s chatbot Grok, Musk was online accusing Trump of hiding ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The meltdown spooked investors and raised fears that the political fallout could derail the entire deal. WSJ
North Korea’s bizarre use of giant balloons to help recover a capsized warship after a failed launch attended by Kim Jong Un has left experts puzzled and raised questions about the country’s naval capabilities. The 5,000-ton destroyer tipped over on May 21, and while cranes did the heavy lifting, satellite images revealed about 40 large balloons floating nearby—possibly used to stabilize the wreck, block satellite views, or lift debris. Analysts say no modern navy uses balloons this way, suggesting North Korea may lack proper salvage equipment. WSJ
🚀 Next 5
The latest in science and tech.
Japan’s private lunar mission by ispace ended in failure Friday as its “Resilience” lander crashed during descent, marking the company’s second failed moonshot in two years. Communications were lost less than two minutes before touchdown, likely due to a faulty altitude sensor causing a hard landing; the mission carried a mini rover and a symbolic art piece. AP
Amazon is building a test facility to train humanoid robots for package delivery, aiming to have them ride in Rivian vans and autonomously drop off orders at customers' homes. The San Francisco-based “humanoid park” will simulate real-world scenarios for robots from companies like Agility Robotics and Unitree, part of Amazon’s broader push to automate logistics using advanced AI and robotics. The Verge
A groundbreaking study reveals that maternal iron deficiency can cause genetically male mouse embryos to develop female reproductive organs, challenging long-held assumptions about strictly genetic sex determination. The research shows that iron is essential for activating the Sry gene, which drives testis development, and without it, male embryos may develop ovaries or mixed gonadal tissue due to epigenetic repression. Link
Meta has signed a 20-year deal to purchase nuclear power from Illinois’ Clinton plant to support its energy-hungry AI operations, marking the first U.S. agreement of its kind with an active reactor. The agreement allows plant upgrades and relicensing without diverting power from the grid, as Meta uses the deal to offset emissions from its natural gas–powered data centers. WSJ
Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel, who runs the publisher behind major brands like People, Better Homes & Gardens, and Allrecipes, says media companies must prepare for a future with less Google traffic. As AI-generated answers reduce clicks, Dotdash—one of the largest digital and print media firms in the U.S.—is cutting platform dependence, partnering with OpenAI, growing direct reader connections, and redesigning content for a mobile-first, post-search era. Link
⚡️Fast 5
Quick hits from sports, culture, and beyond.
Aaron Rodgers, 41, is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers after two disappointing seasons with the Jets, aiming to fill the team’s quarterback void following the departures of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. NBC News
The U.S. Open heads back to Oakmont, one of golf’s toughest courses, with fast greens, deep rough, and no room for error. Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite, but stars like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are also in the mix as players face a brutally demanding setup. NBC Sports
Disney’s Lilo & Stitch live-action remake topped the box office for a third weekend with $32.5 million, while Ballerina, the John Wick spinoff starring Ana de Armas, underwhelmed with a $25 million debut. Despite decent reviews and audience scores, Ballerina fell short of expectations, raising doubts about expanding the franchise without Keanu Reeves. Variety
Even short AI-generated videos now demand huge energy—roughly the same as riding 38 miles on an e-bike or running a microwave for an hour. According to MIT Technology Review, the energy jump from early to newer video models has been more than 30-fold. MIT
Just weeks after installing a defibrillator at 20,000 feet on Everest, CPR advocate David Sullivan learned it saved a young French climber’s life, fueling his mission to expand access worldwide. BBC