EU Weighs DUV Export Ban, Risks Kneecapping ASML to Spite Beijing
Brussels is considering a punitive ban on deep ultraviolet lithography exports to China after Beijing moved to restrict gallium and germanium. The idea is to crimp China’s chip ambitions, but the blast radius includes ASML’s fastest-growing market. Strategic autonomy is a lovely slogan until it means hobbling your crown jewel to teach your supplier a lesson.
White House Floats Code Cutoff to China, Global Tech Holds Its Breath
The Trump administration is weighing a ban on exports to China of products made with or containing U.S. software, a sweeping response to Beijing’s rare earth curbs. It is an all or nothing gambit that dares both sides to blink while the rest of the world wonders how many supply chains can be disrupted before the word chain loses all meaning.
Washington Eyes Equity in Quantum Startups, Government on the Cap Table
Fresh off an Intel stake, the administration is in talks to swap CHIPS Act money for equity in leading quantum firms, with at least 10 million dollars per company on the table. Call it government as venture capitalist, because when markets get weird, why not add quantum weirdness and a Commerce Department board observer.
The Boys Season 5: No Instant Messiah, Plenty of Blood and Bad Decisions
Showrunner Eric Kripke says Gen V’s Marie is powerful enough to threaten Homelander, but she is not a fully mastered, Captain Marvel-style deus ex. Season 5 picks up about six months after Gen V, with Marie, Starlight, and A-Train joining the fight against Vought without speedrunning God Mode. A direct Marie versus Homelander clash would likely end badly for her, and Billy Butcher is still first in the very long line of people eager to wipe that smirk off Homelander’s face.
GM Targets 2028 for Eyes Off Driving, Optimism on Autopilot
GM says it will deliver Level 4 capability by 2028, cars that can handle driving within defined conditions so you can pretend to be productive in the back seat. The plan leans on lidar, radar, cameras, machine learning, Cruise know how, and a lot of regulatory sweet talking. If it sticks the landing, expect fewer crashes and reclaimed commute time. If not, mark your calendars for another industry tradition, moving the goalposts with a straight face.
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