Bloomberg Opinion

The “Golden Dome” that is some day supposed to make North America safe from incoming enemy missiles has now made it into the One Big, Beautiful Bill wending its way through Congress, with a budget ask for a relatively small ante ($25 billion) into a pot that will eventually grow into the hundreds of billions. The idea sprung out of Donald Trump’s own golden dome, and the president, in presenting it this week, seemed appropriately effulgent. The question is whether this astronomically ambitious missile-defense shield — which will require sensors, interceptors, satellites, software, lasers and more, all of them stitched together seamlessly with artificial and human intelligence — is a good idea. I don’t just mean financially, but strategically: Would it make America (and possibly Canada) safer? (Read the whole column with this GIFT LINK) Bloomberg Opinion https://bit.ly/3HoqklC

New York Governor Kathy Hochul appears to have struck a deal with President Donald Trump to lift her state’s opposition to new gas pipelines in exchange for him restoring permission for an offshore wind farm. He may now shift his sights to New England. New England already sports the highest electricity prices in the Lower 48. It’s grid faces elevated risks during winter as gas is diverted to heat homes. A big build out of offshore wind is a key element in the region’s plan to decarbonize power while electrifying transportation and heating. But offshore wind power was a struggling even before Trump showed up with his personal vendetta against turbines. Boston may be his next stop. Read about it here at Bloomberg Opinion https://lnkd.in/eXrwVPVJ

Corporate boards are a black box by design; shareholders rarely know the full story of what goes on around the boardroom table. That includes director departures. The tacit agreement for board members is that when you go, you go quietly. When Christine Day quit the Kohl's board earlier this month, she didn’t follow that unspoken rule. Instead, she went scorched earth. On her way out the door, she made clear in a string of emails the company filed with the SEC that she had been “continually disappointed with the level of governance.” Some describe this as a “noisy withdrawal.” It’s exceedingly rare in corporate America. But it shouldn’t be. Directors going public with their reasons for quitting is an effective governance tool — a way to alert shareholders to internal problems board members feel cannot be mended by their continued service. But right now, the incentives are all aligned for directors to keep things quiet. My latest for Bloomberg Opinion. https://lnkd.in/dCs-bvNf

🍕 15 years ago today, a Florida man paid 10,000 Bitcoin for two large Papa Johns pizzas. In today’s dollars, that’s roughly $1.1 billion, which is nearly enough to buy Papa Johns the company. So happy Bitcoin Pizza Day! And subscribe to Jessica Karl's free daily newsletter to get charts like this directly in your inbox: https://lnkd.in/e5CWFw5p

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman 🤝 Former Apple legend Jony Ive: This formidable new Silicon Valley bromance made a $6.5 billion, all-stock deal for OpenAI to acquire Ive’s io. It’s a bet that the 58-year-old can repeat his greatest feat: develop an era-defining product that changes the game just as the iPhone did when it was launched in 2007. It’s a bet they can do all this before Apple gets its own #AI house in order. And Dave Lee thinks it’s a bet with long odds. Read why: https://lnkd.in/g4vxN64n 📷️: OpenAI

Assistance to low-income Americans isn't spending on people and as much as investment in them, says columnist Kathryn Anne Edwards. Read why the GOP tax bill ignores that: https://lnkd.in/eU89f2Qx

My latest Bloomberg Opinion column, in which I argue that it’s easier for Apple to catch up AI than it is for Jony + Sam to make an iPhone killer. #jonyive #openai #ai

Here's what's inside the GOP's budget proposal — and its potential impacts. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter for the latest coverage and more: https://lnkd.in/eVEp-KBU

We just can't stop talking, posting, writing or reading about Ryan Coogler's Sinners. Film historian Jason Bailey says the continued success of the unique and unpredictable #film is heartening for many reason. Chief among them is a reason that deserves more attention given the current state of #Hollywood: the picture has proven to be a word-of-mouth hit. Click the Bloomberg Opinion gift link to read more

Japan is facing an economic crossroads. So why is its election stuck in the past? Despite looming threats from AI disruption and global tariffs, July's upper house race is already being dominated by tired arguments over the country’s consumption tax. Populist calls to slash or eliminate the tax sound appealing and enjoy broad support. But for all its flaws, the consumption tax is on the books — and Japan doesn’t have the time to rehash this debate yet again. Policymakers must resist the pull of populism and offer a bold new economic vision instead. My latest for Bloomberg Opinion, free to read for the next week: https://lnkd.in/ga_Nmhbw