Toma is one of the most famous Italian cheeses. The name Toma is derived from the process of cheese making — "Toma" means cheese made by the farmer himself. Produced primarily in the Aosta Valleys and Piedmont regions of Northern Italy, Toma is made from Italian cow's milk and has excellent melting qualities. It has a deliciously creamy texture. In other words? It's just like this newsletter.
Today's cheddlines you need2know, meanwhile, are full of differences of opinion:
Two of technology's most prominent figures appear to be going against each other: Arm gesture enthusiast Elon Musk and OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman find themselves at the center of a public spat over the ambitious Stargate project, a venture that Donald Trump announced alongside Altman at the White House on Monday, following his inauguration.
Trump lauded Stargate as "a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential." The project, a joint venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, promises an initial investment of $100 billion, potentially scaling to $500 billion — but not everyone is convinced. Elon Musk took to X to write: "They don't actually have the money." Unfazed, Altman offered a direct rebuttal to Musk's claims: "wrong, as you surely know," he retorted, before extending an invitation to Musk to view the project's progress in Texas.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday dismissed Musk's criticism.
"That was a big announcement for our country, for our industries here at home, and also for the American people because this is going to create a minimum of 100,000 jobs here in the United States of America," Leavitt told Fox News. "The American people should take President Trump and those CEOs' words for it," she continued. "These investments are coming to our great country, and American jobs are coming along with them."
The dispute is not without history; Musk and Altman's friction traces back to their days on OpenAI's board. It was supposed to be a partnership initially aimed at advancing AI for public good. Then Musk left the board and has subsequently had legal battles with OpenAI, accusing it of straying from its nonprofit roots.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon slammed Musk on Wednesday, telling Politico Musk "brought in his own personal vendetta." "I've never seen action like this in my life," Bannon said, adding White House chief of staff Susie Wiles should "sit him down" and "sort it out immediately."Read More
2. Why This Wealth Management CEO Says his Clients Are Thrilled with Trump Back in the White House
Ty Young, CEO of Ty J. Young Wealth Management, is optimistic about the Trump administration's impact on the economy and financial markets. He believes that Trump's policies will lead to a "healthy economy" with "lower interest rates," "lower inflation," and "deregulation." He specifically cited deregulation in the energy sector as a driver of lower gas prices, which would translate to lower costs for goods and services across the board.
"We're already seeing the market... start to do very, very well," Young said. "We saw a surge. We continue to see the markets go up."
Young pointed to lower interest rates and government spending cuts as factors that would instill confidence in the markets. Young acknowledged that there are some potential downsides to Trump's policies, but he believes that the overall impact will be positive. "I don't see a lot of negative," he said. "Some may emerge, but I don't see a lot of negative from a job growth standpoint."
On the topic of the Federal Reserve, Young said that he expects interest rates to come down slowly, which he believes is a "healthy thing" for the economy. He also said that he believes that Fed chair Jerome Powell and Trump will be able to work together for the good of the country, despite their differences. Young also expressed optimism about the relationship between the Trump administration and the tech industry. He cited Trump's deal-making skills and his openness to working with companies that didn't necessarily support him in the past.
Overall, Young's outlook is positive, but he cautioned that investors should be of the potential for "black swan" events, which has nothing to do with that bad movie starring Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman. Instead, it's a rare, unpredictable event that has a significant impact, like, say, the world's richest man doing enthusiastic arm gestures onstage at the inauguration. Wait (checks notes) markets are up, regardless? Okay, a black swan event is something worse than that.
"We're very optimistic," he said. "We're positioned to win, but also positioned to be protected."Read More
From @cheddar
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Trevor Noah is reprising his role for the fifth straight year, known for his smooth delivery and ability to navigate the unpredictable waters of live television. He's also serving as a producer on this year's show. From the heart of the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2nd, Noah will not only guide us through music's biggest night but also help to shape the creative vision of the telecast.
The ceremony promises to be laced with a "renewed sense of purpose," according to recent announcements, following the L.A. fires. The spotlight will also honor the bravery and dedication of first responders to the fires. Tricky line to walk, that, but I think Trevor will figure it out.Read More
4. 'Emilia Perez,' 'Wicked' and 'The Brutalist' Lead Oscar Nominations
Jacques Audiard's groundbreaking film "Emilia Pérez" has not only topped the Oscar nods with an astounding 13 nominations but also marks a milestone as the most-nominated non-English language film in the history of the Academy Awards. The narrative woven by Audiard, a French director, delivers a power-packed cinematic experience anchored by a transformative performance from its lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, who also makes history as the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar. "This recognition is a celebration of the global world we live in," Audiard said.
The visually striking adaptation of "Wicked" by Jon M. Chu and "The Brutalist," directed by Brady Corbet, also got 10 nods each. The announcement of the nominations was delayed due to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, adding a somber backdrop to this year's proceedings. Despite calls to cancel the Oscars, the Academy is pressing forward with the ceremony, slated for March 2.Read More
5. Trump Puts Government DEI Hires on Leave
The Trump administration has issued sweeping mandates aimed at ending affirmative action in federal contracting and putting a halt to DEI initiatives within the federal government. All federal DEI staff are now on paid leave and will eventually be laid off. Trump's executive order goes as far as compelling agencies to take down all public DEI-focused webpages, cancel any DEI-related training, and call for a "reduction-in-force action" in DEI personnel.
The change is immediate and profound, upending previous directives that entailed agencies to develop diversity plans, promoted DEI-related training, and considered diversity goals in performance reviews.
One of the central debates surrounding Trump's executive order revolves around the tension between creating equitable opportunities and maintaining a merit-based system that disregards demographic factors. Critics of the DEI initiatives posit that such programs create reverse discrimination scenarios against non-minority groups, including white men. Advocates of DEI, however, assert that without these initiatives, systemic inequities and underrepresentation of marginalized communities will persist and go unaddressed.
The degree to which Trump's executive order will fundamentally alter federal DEI programs remains to be seen. While it signals a clear cultural shift in the administration's priorities and may placate certain factions of conservative critics, the practical implications of dismantling entrenched, historically significant programs are likely to be fraught with complexity and opposition — not to mention lawsuits.Read More
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