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• President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order on AI oversight this week, but the event was postponed.
• “I didn’t like certain aspects of it,” Trump said, adding that he worried the order might slow US efforts to beat China in AI.
• A draft of the unsigned executive order, obtained by POLITICO, emphasizes that government AI reviews would be voluntary.

POLITICO has obtained a draft of the executive order on artificial intelligence that President Donald Trump had been expected to sign Thursday afternoon, only to abruptly postpone the event.

The document — available here — was meant to address concerns that advanced AI products from companies such as Anthropic could unleash devastating cyberattacks and wreak other havoc if they fell into the wrong hands. It called for creating a voluntary oversight system in which developers of advanced AI models could submit their products to a review by federal agencies as much as 90 days before releasing them, POLITICO previously reported.

Among other details, the seven-page draft emphasizes that the government AI reviews would be voluntary: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the creation of a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release, or distribution of new AI models, including frontier models.”

Despite such assurances, former Trump AI czar David Sacks raised concerns that the voluntary reviews may one day become mandatory, a senior White House official told POLITICO on Thursday.

The draft also includes language aimed at bad actors. It directs the attorney general to enforce the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and “other applicable Federal criminal laws against anyone who utilizes AI to illegally access or damage a computer without authorization, or who utilizes AI while engaged in such illegal access to further any other crime.”

Administration officials had briefed major tech companies about the order’s contents this week, and top AI industry executives had been invited to attend a Thursday signing ceremony at the White House.

But Trump told reporters he hit the brakes.

“I didn’t like certain aspects of it,” the president said, adding that he worried the order might slow U.S. efforts to beat China in the race to dominate AI.

The administration has not said what changes might be made in the order or when the signing might be rescheduled.

Jacob Wendler contributed to this report.

This story originally ran in POLITICO and appears on Business Insider through the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. The network publishes major stories from the Axel Springer network of publications, a worldwide group of news outlets that includes Business Insider.

• I often praised my children to others instead of to them directly.
• My upbringing made it hard for me to express encouragement openly.
• A painful conversation with my son changed how I parent adult kids.

Several years ago, while driving behind a car with a “my-child-is-an-honor-student” bumper sticker, I said to my oldest son, sitting in the passenger seat, “I always wanted one of those.”

He, then a college student, replied, “Why? It doesn’t mean anything.”

He was right. In the greater scheme of things, achieving honor roll in elementary or middle school is not a significant accomplishment. Nor is it a predictor of future success. Even so, I still wanted one!

None of my five children was an academic superstar. They rarely achieved honor roll for more than one quarter of any school year, and none was named to the Dean’s List in college. Nevertheless, I’ve always been exceedingly proud of each one. In fact, I’m constantly singing their praises to anyone who’ll listen.

The problem is, I rarely commend them directly.

My parents did not praise me

Maybe that’s because my parents were not generous with praise. Their generation was not hardwired for affirmation, so I did not learn from experience how formative praise is.

I was a well-behaved kid, a decent student, and a pretty compliant daughter. I didn’t need positive reinforcement to motivate me, although it would have been nice to receive some occasionally.

Growing up in the mid-20^th century, the expectation for most girls like me was to earn an MRS, not an MBA. So, when in my senior year of high school, I was accepted into all five colleges I applied to, my parents were not over the moon with excitement.

The day the fifth acceptance letter arrived from my first-choice school, I couldn’t wait to share the news with my dad. I’d hoped he’d be as happy as I was. If he was, he didn’t show it, and to this day, I still feel disappointed that he didn’t give me a big hug and tell me he was proud.

It shouldn’t be so hard to say ‘well done’

I was effusive with praise when my kids were small. We celebrated each milestone from learning to use the toilet to tying their shoes to riding a bike. But as they’ve grown, I’ve been a much quieter cheerleader.

The year my third son’s Little League team won the championship I consoled him when he struck out but did not high-five him for hitting the line drive that clinched the series. When another son sang a solo during a school concert that was so beautiful it silenced the audience, I was too stunned to tell him he’d done an amazing job.

Now that they’re adults, each of my children is achieving great things. One’s an artist in high demand. Another’s a photographer whose work is published internationally. My youngest son, a UX designer, was recruited by a top tech company halfway through his junior year of college. My second son, who works in finance, created a unique investment vehicle that has launched his career into the stratosphere.

Each of their successes is extraordinary, which is all the more reason I should tell them I’m proud.

My kids want to know I’m proud of them

Of course, I’m more than willing to tell friends, colleagues, and even mere acquaintances about all my kids accomplish. I post to Zoom chats and populate Slack channels with proud mama moments all the time. I share links to the Google alerts I’ve set up and forward their Reels from Instagram. I’m constantly sending photos in group chats, but I rarely send them texts to say how thrilled I am for them.

I’m trying to figure out why I’m so reluctant. Maybe it’s because I’m overwhelmed by their success. Where did the talent come from? Certainly not from me. Regardless, as their mother, I should congratulate them for all they’re doing.

I didn’t realize just how important that is until my third son confronted me with an email I’d written years before about a photo essay he’d published. Instead of complimenting his work, I critiqued the composition. He was devastated by my comments. He’d worked hard on the project and had hoped I would recognize its value. Instead, I wrote about its flaws.

When he read my words back to me, I was shocked. Not only did I not remember writing them, but I also had a hard time figuring out why I was so negative. I was ashamed I’d hurt him. At that moment, I realized no matter their age, my kids want my praise. Since then, I’ve been working really hard to tell each one just how proud of them I truly am.

They’re extraordinary people, and they should hear that often from their mother.

• The newly public SpaceX S-1 reveals how closely Elon Musk’s companies are connected.
• Last year, SpaceX was involved in more than $660 million worth of payments, goods, and services with the ventures.
• Here’s a look at how SpaceX is intertwined with Tesla, The Boring Company, and more.

Step right up to Elon Musk’s financial merry-go-round.

Tucked more than 200 pages into SpaceX’s S-1 paperwork, which the company filed on Wednesday, is an outline of how interconnected Musk’s various companies are, including through more than $660 million in payments, goods, and services involving SpaceX and his other ventures last year.

Musk has his hands in many pots. In addition to being the CEO of aerospace company SpaceX, he’s the CEO (and “Technoking”) of electric carmaker Tesla, the founder of tunneling business The Boring Company, the cofounder of brain chip firm Neuralink, and was the CEO of xAI, until it merged with SpaceX in February. In various ways, the companies are all intermingled.

SpaceX said in the filing that there may be “conflicts of interest,” but ultimately, they benefit investors.

It’s not uncommon for companies with certain ties to do business with one another and to spell out these relationships in a prospectus filing when they plan to go public. The breakdown in SpaceX’s S-1 is the first look we’re getting at some of its connections, including SpaceX’s deals with The Boring Company or its purchase of Tesla Cybertrucks.

The biggest expenses between the companies fell under the banner of “commercial, licensing, and support.”

Last year, SpaceX paid Tesla $144 million under such agreements, a figure significantly higher than in years past. xAI, then a separate entity, spent more, paying Tesla $506 million last year. xAI, then a separate entity, spent more, paying Tesla $506 million last year, while also bringing in $2 millon in revenue from Tesla.

The majority of SpaceX’s cumulative $650 million in spending with Tesla was for Megapack products, Tesla’s battery storage system. SpaceX also bought $131 million worth of Cybertrucks, which, at a starting retail price of $69,990 a pop, would be as many as 1,871 vehicles.

Additionally, Tesla paid $4 million last year to advertise on X.

Some expenses were driven by pure practicality: Tesla paid SpaceX $2 million to use its aircraft, X leased office space from The Boring Company for $1 million, and xAI rented space from the billionaire’s umbrella company, Musk Industries LLC, for $2 million last year. SpaceX also spent $4 million on a security company owned by Musk for his personal security, as Tesla has done, per its filings.

Other expenses were mind-scratchers. SpaceX paid The Boring Company $1 million in connection with the construction of tunnels in Bastrop, Texas. These could be the tunnels connecting his facilities reported by local outlets, or they could be related to the chip facility SpaceX is building there.

Tesla and SpaceX’s relationship is more than transactional

Musk’s companies plan to continue doing business together, particularly Tesla and SpaceX, which, the company said, have a “strong and constructive partnership.”

Tesla owns nearly 19 million shares of SpaceX stock. While that represents less than 1% of the company, at a target valuation of $1.5 trillion, those shares would be worth about $4.1 billion.

SpaceX and Tesla also have major projects in the works. The pair is developing Macrohard, an agentic AI platform, and, along with Intel, has partnered on Terafab, a manufacturing initiative that creates chips for Tesla’s robots and vehicles, as well as SpaceX’s orbital compute infrastructure.

The projects are set to be the beginning of a long relationship.

“We plan to explore other areas of strategic collaboration with Tesla in the future,” the document says.

• Mark Zuckerberg’s email struck an empathetic tone. He also said he didn’t expect more companywide layoffs in 2026.
• Layoff anxiety can hurt worker productivity and morale, thereby carrying a real business cost.
• Workplace observers say his focus on stability suggests he recognizes the impact of prolonged uncertainty.

Mark Zuckerberg is signaling that Meta employees can stop looking over their shoulders.

After long emphasizing cost-cutting, management flattening, and “Year of Efficiency” rhetoric, the Meta chief struck an empathetic tone in his post-layoff email to employees on Wednesday — emphasizing stability, conceding communication failures, and promising to “do right by people along the way.”

In his internal email to staffers, he thanked the roughly 8,000 workers who were being let go and emphasized his desire to provide “as much stability as possible” to those who remained.

It was a reminder that layoff anxiety carries a real business cost.

To that point, Zuckerberg said that he doesn’t expect further companywide layoffs in 2026.

While that doesn’t rule out smaller-scale cuts, the message followed weeks of grueling uncertainty for staffers waiting to learn whether they still had jobs.

Zuckerberg’s email — a shift away from the more hard-charging tone he adopted post-pandemic — suggested he recognizes that prolonged uncertainty can weigh on employees and, ultimately, the company itself, workplace observers told Business Insider.

“You do need to try to create some psychological safety for people who are there, because layoffs are extremely distracting,” said Amii Barnard-Bahn, a C-suite coach and consultant.

‘We won’t always get this balance right’

Wednesday’s cuts were the latest challenge for a workforce that has spent years navigating repeated rounds of layoffs, heightened performance scrutiny, and persistent questions about whether AI would take their jobs.

It’s a theme that has played out across tech, as companies increasingly tie cuts to AI and leaders warn about a white-collar bloodbath.

In 2025, the CEO told staffers in an all-hands meeting to “buckle up” for an “intense” year ahead. Some of Meta’s layoffs have come with an added sting: Last year, the company also said it was cutting some 4,000 workers who had failed to meet expectations.

By the time the latest round arrived, the accumulation of uncertainty had drained some employees and left them wishing they were let go.

Meta didn’t respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Zuckerberg’s Wednesday message hit on the toll that uncertainty around staffing levels can take: “We won’t always get this balance right, but I care deeply about this so we’ll keep adjusting and work hard to do right by people along the way,” he wrote.

It’s not clear how effective Zuckerberg’s softer tone might be, though he had little choice but to try to reassure those left standing, said Pav Stojkovic, an HR consultant and former chief people officer at several companies, including The Athletic.

Zuckerberg’s approach is a departure from one he’d used previously. In 2022, for example, Zuckerberg told Meta staff he was upping performance goals to get rid of employees who “shouldn’t be here.”

By “turning up the heat a little bit,” Zuckerberg said at the time that he hoped some workers would “decide that this place isn’t for you, and that self-selection is OK with me.”

Last year, Meta directed managers to place a higher proportion of employees in its bottom review rankings. Zuckerberg has a long-standing history of ratcheting up the pressure at Meta, reinforcing a blunt, survival-of-the-fittest culture at the social media giant.

The billionaire CEO is far from alone in embracing a sink-or-swim philosophy as AI reshapes the workplace.

A focus on execution

Zuckerberg’s note comes at a transitional time for the industry. Excitement over the possibility of AI has mixed with fears over efficiency-driven job cuts and the encroachment of automation on workers’ livelihoods.

As Meta reshuffles roughly 7,000 employees to focus on new AI initiatives, Zuckerberg needs a workforce concentrated on execution amid the AI arms race.

“Success isn’t a given. AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes. The companies that lead the way will define the next generation,” he wrote.

Barnard-Bahn said it’s likely that productivity at the company took a big hit in the last month, as workers worried about whether they or their colleagues would be cut or reorganized.

By providing workers with a higher degree of job security for the next six-plus months, Zuckerberg might be offering employees something that Big Tech competitors have not.

“Meta has the talent, the infrastructure, the apps and distribution, and the business model,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We have a lot of work ahead, but what’s on the other side is going to be extraordinary.”

• Steve Wozniak gave a commencement speech at Grand Valley State University earlier this month.
• He was cheered after telling students they had AI, or “actual intelligence.”
• Students have booed some other execs who championed AI during their graduation speeches.

Somehow, Steve Wozniak did what other college graduation commencement speakers couldn’t this year: get applause when talking about AI.

The Apple cofounder took the stage during Grand Valley State University’s graduation ceremony earlier this month. During his speech, Wozniak offered reassurance to new graduates who are entering the workforce at the height of the AI revolution.

“You have AI — actual intelligence,” Wozniak said.

The remark garnered laughs and applause from the audience.

“It would take too long to go deeply into what I think about AI, but we’ve been trying to create a brain,” Wozniak said. “Is there a way we can duplicate a routine a trillion times and have it work like a brain? AI is one of those attempts.”

While Wozniak delivered his speech without interruption, the same can’t be said of some other AI-forward commencement speakers. In the weeks that followed, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and real estate executive Gloria Caulfield were both booed for their comments about AI at two separate graduate ceremonies.

AI is looming over new graduates as they enter the job market. The tech is changing the landscape, from the skills candidates need to how companies assess them. Its ability to automate many tasks has led some companies to conduct AI-related layoffs.

During his commencement address, Wozniak reflected on working at Apple and offered students some advice as they begin their careers.

“You should always try to think different,” he said. “Don’t follow the same steps as a million other people. Think, is there something I can do a little different?”

• Shania Twain is no stranger to daring fashion; she’s been rocking bold outfits since the ’90s.
• In the past, she’s worn cutout dresses, plunging necklines, and see-through looks.
• More recently, she’s opted for floor-length gowns and statement accessories.

Who would Shania Twain be without her daring wardrobe?

The country musician has been rocking eye-catching, envelope-pushing outfits since her career began in the 1990s. And she’s only continued to evolve her style over time.

These are the most daring looks she’s worn, from the stage to red carpets.

Shania Twain has always been a fan of daring fashion. Just look at the velvet cutout dress she wore in 1998.

The black gown was asymmetrical with a single strap, an uneven cutout across her waist, and smaller slits down its skirt that extended the length of her leg.

There’s also the corseted minidress she wore while performing at the 1998 Grammys.

She accessorized the bold look with crystal-lined gloves, a satin choker, semi-sheer tights, and knee-high boots.

Next, the musician took her daring style to the 2002 CMA Awards.

She wore a form-fitting halter dress that was most daring up top, with a plunging, scooped neckline.

Twain donned the glittering, gold gown with diamond jewelry, long earrings, and her hair styled in curls.

By 2003, it was time for Twain to experiment with edgier looks, like the dress she wore to the American Music Awards.

Her black, long-sleeved dress was made from sheer mesh, but it was wrapped with opaque black fabric and matching straps. It also had a tulle piece attached to one side of its skirt that created a short train.

To complement the unique look, Twain also wore a crimped hairstyle and thigh-high lace-up boots.

The country star perfectly mixed glamour and drama that year when she performed at the Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show.

Her outfit included a crystal-covered bra, black shorts over fishnet tights, a sparkling black duster jacket, and a sequined white belt that wrapped around her waist and hips.

She also wore thigh-high leather boots.

She tried bold prints and colors at the 2003 CMA Awards months later.

Twain performed onstage in low-rise black cargo pants and a puffer vest buttoned only halfway.

The latter piece had a green, black, and pink swirled print that perfectly matched the design of her slouchy boots.

Fast-forward to 2012, Twain kicked off her Las Vegas residency in a semi-sheer catsuit.

The long-sleeved, high-neck piece was decorated from top to bottom with black beads in a tiger-stripe print, and her black gloves were lined with long, fabric fringe.

She wore the outfit with heeled, belted boots.

When she performed at the 2017 Grey Cup, Twain came prepared for Canada’s snowy weather.

She hit the stage in a red catsuit with a plunging neckline and a sparkling chainmail piece worn over it.

Twain also rocked furry boots, a matching jacket, and red leather gloves.

Last year, Twain put a new, daring twist on one of her most famous music-video looks.

She walked the People’s Choice Awards red carpet in a custom Rodarte dress. It had a sheer, long-sleeved bodice, a leopard-print bralette, and a floor-length velvet skirt with a waistline that dipped below her belly button.

The outfit — which seemingly called back to her ensemble from the “That Don’t Impress Me Much” music video — also included a leopard-print hood and shoulder piece.

Then, at the 2023 Grammys, Twain arrived with hair as red as the carpet and a hat as big as the event.

Harris Reed designed her black-and-white polka-dot look. It featured bell-bottom pants, a bustier top, and a blazer worn on top.

She returned to her country roots in a bold way at the 2023 CMT Music Awards.

She first walked the red carpet in a butterfly-print dress, but later changed into a sparkling purple Chanel set that included a crop top and matching shorts. 

When some people on social media criticized the look, particularly the cut of her shorts and the plunging neckline of her top, Twain defended her daring outfit.

“For me fashion is a powerful tool that helps to convey my personality and express my creativity,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “And other than getting to hang out with my friends for the night, it’s one of my favourite things about attending award shows!”

During a 2023 concert in North Carolina, Twain hit the stage in a vibrant outfit and equally bold accessories.

She wore a pink, loose-fitting top over what appeared to be a yellow leotard, and matching jelly sandals with straps that wrapped around her legs.

She then performed in Michigan while wearing a see-through leotard.

The black garment was covered in crystals, as were her fishnet tights and knee-high boots.

To complete the outfit, Twain also wore a pink-and-purple cape that flowed behind her and layers of chunky necklaces.

In 2024, Twain arrived at the People’s Choice Country Awards in sparkling denim.

In collaboration with Levi’s, Twain helped design her denim evening gown.

The halter piece had a form-fitting bodice, a mermaid skirt, a thick, pointed collar, and all-over crystal detailing.

She wore the dramatic dress with denim gloves, a chunky ring, and a ’60s-inspired hairstyle.

This year, she chose a statement silver gown for the Academy of Country Music Awards.

The silver, strapless gown was designed by Falguni Shane Peacock.

It was covered in silver and black sequins, the latter of which were arranged in the shape of a panther across its skirt.

The dress, which was accessorized with black leather gloves, also had satin strips that flowed from her waist.