Tootfinder

Sources: Amazon is in talks to invest $10B in OpenAI at a $500B valuation, with OpenAI using AWS Trainium chips; Microsoft keeps rights to sell OpenAI models (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-talks-raise-least-1…

OpenAI in Talks to Raise At Least $10 Billion From Amazon and Use Its AI Chips
Amazon is in talks to invest $10 billion or more in OpenAI, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The valuation would be higher than $500 billion, one of the people said. The Amazon investment would help OpenAI afford some of the commitments it has made to rent servers from ...

The #FOSS4G Europe 2026 Call for Papers for the general track is open now! https://talks.osgeo.org/foss4g-europe-2026/cfp

FOSS4G Europe 2026
Schedule, talks and talk submissions for FOSS4G Europe 2026

Plans for a massive new #Oracle datacentre in the US state of Michigan have been left in limbo after funding talks with its key financial partner broke down.
https://www.comput…

Oracle datacentre plans uncertain after key funding talks collapse
Plans for a massive new Oracle datacentre in the US state of Michigan have been left in limbo after funding talks with its key financial ...

SEC filing: WBD says the Ellisons offered David Zaslav a compensation package of several hundred million dollars, which Zaslav said was inappropriate to discuss (Todd Spangler/Variety)
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ins

Inside the Fractious WBD-Paramount Deal Talks Between Ellison, Zaslav
WBD presented a chronology of events and meetings that occurred, leading to its deal to sell Warner Bros. studios and HBO Max to Netflix, following by David Ellison’s hostile takeover bid and the WBD board’s official rejection of the $30/share bid on Dec. 17.

George Pickens’ Agent Sets Timeline for Cowboys Contract Talks https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi/news/george-pickens-agent-sets-timeline-dallas-cowboys-contract-talks

Fitzpatrick declines to turn off ACA discharge petition as amendment talks drag on (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/12/16/congress/fitzpatrick-declines-to-turn-off-aca-discharge-petition-as-amendment-talks-drag-on-00694065
http://www.memeorandum.com/251216/p142#a251216p142

Talks on reparations loan for Ukraine continue as key summit approaches: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/16/talks-on-reparations-loan-for.html

TALKS > Online Buddhist Studies Events (Dec 16 - Jan 21) https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20135341/talks-online-buddhist-studies-events-dec-16-jan-21

Many people seem to think that war with Iran is close... It is may be a bit cynical but Trump could use a diversion with the dramatic situation inside the US and his terrible approval ratings....
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/18/iran-war-trump-military-strikes-n…

Trump moves closer to a major war with Iran
There's little public debate about what could be the most consequential U.S. military action in a decade.

Roblox in talks with Russia to restore access after platform ban sparks backlash https://therecord.media/roblox-in-talks-with-russia-to-restore-access-ban

"Fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber most delegations at COP30 climate talks in Brazil"
#Brazil #FossilFuels #Climate

One in 25 COP30 attendees is a fossil fuel lobbyist, analysis finds
Analysis finds 1,600 fossil fuel representatives at UN climate summit in Brazil, outnumbering almost every country delegation.

WBD sets March 20 as the date for a special shareholder meeting to vote on the proposed $83B Netflix deal, which its board "continues to unanimously recommend" (Todd Spangler/Variety)
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/war

Warner Bros to Engage With Paramount but Recommends Netflix Deal at March 20 Shareholder Vote
Warner Bros. Discovery's board will engage in M&A talks with Paramount Skydance to 'seek clarity' on its 'best and final offer' while also recommending WBD shareholders vote for Netflix deal at March 20 meeting.

‘Why Is He Doing It Like That?!’: Hegseth Talks Tough About ‘Putting Hands’ on Recruits, Then a Cringe Workout Clip Completely Hijacks the Conversation
https://atlantablackstar.com/2026/01/15/hegseth-talks-tough-about-putting-hands-on-recruits-then-a-cringe-workout-clip-completely-hijacks-the-conversation/

Reading Yegge’s rant and the much shorter and more polished https://siddhantkhare.com/writing/ai-fatigue-is-real (“AI fatigue is real and nobody talks about it”), I keep coming back to this, which I published in 2020 and is sort of at the center of my thinking about everything:

AI fatigue is real and nobody talks about it | Siddhant Khare
You're using AI to be more productive. So why are you more exhausted than ever? The paradox every engineer needs to confront.

New on homepage: Homilien als »lebende« Texte https://www.vonstockhausen.org/talks/jena_gk Upcoming talk on 24/08/2026 at “Tagung »Autonomie heteronomer Texte im Dialog der Disziplinen«”

Sources: AI legal software startup Legora is in talks to raise $400M at a $5B valuation, after raising $150M in October 2025 at a $1.8B valuation (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2026/02/17/legal-…

Legal AI Startup Legora Eyes $400 Million Raise At $5 Billion-Plus Valuation
As investors double down on the promise of automating legal work, the company is in talks to raise $400 million following two rounds in late 2025.

Danish official says ‘fundamental disagreement’ over Greenland remains after US talks
https://ground.news/article/danish-official-says-fundamental-disagreement-over-greenland-remains-after-us-talks_ad6577

Danish official says ‘fundamental disagreement’ over Greenland remains after US talks
A top Danish official said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with President Donald Trump after talks in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Netherlands in talks to supply new missiles and bombs for Ukraine’s F-16s: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/16/the-netherlands-in-talks-to.html

French government always talks about technological sovereignty…
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/12/15/us-tech-firm-palantir-extends-deal-with-french-intelligence-agency_6748523_7.html

My hero, Patton Oswalt, talks about 10 classic movies - the very best & the very worst.
▶️ Patton Oswalt Critiques Sci-Fi Films (Top 5 & Bottom 5) | GQ
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ifRzEiNJ10E&si=2WdExDREQI0T0kJ_

Did COP30 Fail Animals And The Food System? #AnimalRights

Did COP30 Fail Animals And The Food System?
Looking back one month after this year's UN climate talks, a British charity says that COP30 failed to protect animals and the food system

It's time for #12Clouds at Cloud Austin. @… kicking things off prior to something like 15 (!) lightning talks tonight. Including one by me.

I am seeking speakers for my @… & @… meetups. We prefer in-person presentations in Frankfurt or the Mannheim area, but remote talks are also an option.
If you have anything interesting to share with us, let us know. We'd be …

Tomorrow we have a Symposium at the Advanced Medical BIOimaging core facility #AMBIO of the @… , to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. There will be lots of great talks about microscopy stuff (single-molecule spatial omics, multi scale microscopy, light sheet,…

"Tesla’s driver-assistance features can steer, brake and navigate a vehicle, but drivers are supposed to be ready to take over at any moment."
Funny how no one ever talks about driver reaction time as a real weakness in this protocol. And that's assuming the driver is actually paying attention while not doing any of the driving, a questionable assumption at best.
Calif. DMV ready to block Tesla sales if 'Autopilot' issue not solved

"Tesla’s driver-assistance features can steer, brake and navigate a vehicle, but drivers are supposed to be ready to take over at any moment."
Funny how no one ever talks about driver reaction time as a real weakness in this protocol. And that's assuming the driver is actually paying attention while not doing any of the driving, a questionable assumption at best.
Calif. DMV ready to block Tesla sales if 'Autopilot' issue not solved

🔊 #NowPlaying on #BBCRadio3:
#SaturdayMorning
- Kazuki Yamada in conversation
Tom Service talks to composer Brett Dean and mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, and to conductor Kazuki Yamada.
Relisten now 👇
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002prfg

Sources: OpenAI is in advanced talks to hire OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger and several team members; Steinberger would likely work on personal agents (Nick Wingfield/The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/openai-advanced-talks…

OpenAI in Advanced Talks to Hire OpenClaw Founder, Team
OpenAI is in advanced talks to hire Peter Steinberger, the founder of the popular open-source personal agent project OpenClaw, and several team members. The team would likely work on personal agents at OpenAI. They are also discussing setting up a foundation for the existing OpenClaw project. Meta Platforms is also aggressively courting Steinberger. Steinberger said he has not made a final

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #MorningShow
Eaves Wilder:
🎵 Everybody Talks
#EavesWilder
https://eaveswilder.bandcamp.com/track/everybody-talks
https://open.spotify.com/track/7mqTdRDE6VeMJBKAiHyef2

One thing I keep seeing is code that talks to an API and just assumes that the response will be a 200 with a body that matches the form it expects.
I would love to have that confidence.

#phpugmrn meetup on Dec 11th - save the date!
We have scheduled talks abot HTMX & PHP 8.5. Do not miss!
Sign up here: https://www.meetup.com/phpug-rhein-neckar/events/30547833…

PHPUGMRN 06/25, Thu, Dec 11, 2025, 7:00 PM | Meetup
**Agenda:** 19:00 CET - Doors open 19:30 CET - Intro 19:45 CET - Create reactive web applications with (almost) no JavaScript (HTMX), Thomas Bley 20:30 CET - Break 20:45 CE

Senate ACA funding talks fizzle as higher premiums for millions take effect for 2026 (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-aca-funding-talks-fizzle-higher-premiums-take-effect-millions-rcna254227
http://www.memeorandum.com/260116/p66#a260116p66

Sources: French studio Mediawan is in advanced talks to merge with Peter Chernin's North Road Company; the deal values North Road between $700M and $1B (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-16/-ford-…

ok so newsletter is out, and i’ve finally posted my PyCon UK keynote with additional material to my homepage.
if you wanna know what took me so long: check out my latest newsletter ;)
back to sauna!
https://hynek.me/talks/python-superpower/

Python’s True Superpower
Python appears to be everywhere nowadays! How did it happen, that a language that almost died in the Python 2 to 3 process is now the lingua franca a default choice when people talk about programming? There must be some secret superpower and I think I found it!

George Pickens Gives Cowboys Clear Timeline for Contract Talks: Report https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/george-pickens-contract-news-nfl-combine/

Don't miss today's packed Metacurity for the most critical infosec developments you should know, including
--US drops China Telecom, TP-Link router, and other data security bans before trade talks,
--Crypto-funded transactions for human trafficking soared in 2025,
--Prosecutors confirm former defense contractor exec stole and sold spy tools,
--APT hackers use Gemini AI to support all stages of an attack,
--Apple fixes zero-day exploit in sophisticated att…

US drops China Telecom, TP-Link router, and other data security bans before trade talks
Crypto-funded transactions for human trafficking soared in 2025, Prosecutors confirm former defense contractor exec stole and sold spy tools, APT hackers use Gemini AI to support all stages of an attack, Apple fixes zero day exploited in sophisticated attack, much more

Pete Carroll on the Texans, Ashton Jeanty and more https://www.raiders.com/video/pete-carroll-texans-ashton-jeanty-nfl-week-16

TALKS > Online Buddhist Studies Events (Dec 16 - Jan 21)
https://ift.tt/Vde2PbA
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://ift.tt/D5RGrP…

Berlin talks: Zelenskyy makes important statement on peace plan: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/15/berlin-talks-zelenskyy-makes-important.html

Coastal First Nations Call on Carney to Defend B.C. Tanker Ban in Pipeline Talks
Coastal First Nations President KΓšwšziɫ Marilyn Slett said she called on Prime Minister Mark Carney in a meeting Tuesday to maintain and protect the oil tanker moratorium in his government’s pipeline talks with Alberta, saying afterwards that “it would take just one spill to destroy our way of life.”
#bcpoli

RE: https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/@cbcworld_mirror/116091795080981500
As predicted by most experts talks aren't going anywhere, meanwhile Trump is not willing to put any extra pressure on Putin while Ukraine bleeds...

“Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat on about 10am Friday,” wrote the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
“I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.”
US officials also indicated the talks in Oman will go forward.
They will take place amid a massive buildup of US naval and airpower in the region and appear to be a last chance for Tehran to avert a US strike against the country’s leadership and nuclear …

🔊 #NowPlaying on #BBCRadio3:
#PrivatePassions
- Peter Purves
TV presenter Peter Purves shares his musical passions with Michael Berkeley, and talks about his career on Blue Peter, Doctor Who and Crufts.
Relisten now 👇
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002przl

TALKS > Online Buddhist Studies Events (Dec 16 - Jan 21)
https://ift.tt/dEiJWuI
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://ift.tt/BCTGpe…

J.J. McCarthy Talks About Offense's Big Night In Victory Over Cowboys https://www.vikings.com/video/j-j-mccarthy-talks-about-offense-s-big-night-in-victory-over-cowboys

Sources: Yann LeCun is in early talks to raise €500M for his startup at a ~€3B valuation, and plans to name Alexandre LeBrun as CEO, ahead of a January launch (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/d88729c0-c44f-4530-b888-bafa29ee0446

US, Russia to hold talks on Ukraine war in Miami this weekend (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/17/us-russia-ukraine-war-miami-00695305
http://www.memeorandum.com/251217/p110#a251217p110

US, Russia set to hold talks in Miami this weekend, Politico reports: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/18/us-russia-set-to-hold.html

Sources: Apple is in preliminary talks with India's CG Semi, which offers chip assembly and testing services, to assemble and package chips for the iPhone (Dia Rekhi/The Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/t

Domestic firms may chip in for the iPhone
Exploratory conversations have taken place between Murugappa Group-owned CG Semi, which is building an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat. It’s the first time Apple is evaluating the prospect of having certain chips assembled and packaged in India.

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #VarietyMix
Eaves Wilder:
🎵 Everybody Talks
#EavesWilder
https://eaveswilder.bandcamp.com/track/everybody-talks
https://open.spotify.com/track/7mqTdRDE6VeMJBKAiHyef2

Sources: Standard General hedge fund founder Soo Kim has been in talks with a major WBD shareholder over potentially buying or investing in the WBD TV networks (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/2edd5517-ee6c-41e6-ae3c-c0aedb433e98

US increases military pressure on Iran ahead of high-stakes talks (CNN)
https://cnn.com/2026/02/16/politics/us-iran-military-buildup-pressure
http://www.memeorandum.com/260217/p3#a260217p3

Cowboys could reset kicker market as Brandon Aubrey nears extension talks https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi/news/dallas-cowboys-could-reset-kicker-market-brandon-aubrey-nears-extension-talks

❗️Peace talks – followed by shelling: the pattern of Russian "diplomacy" #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/14/peace-talks-followed-by-shelling.html

Each week, Metacurity offers our free and premium subscribers a weekly digest of the best long-form (and longish) infosec-related pieces we couldn't properly fit into our daily news crush.
This week's selection includes,
--A journalist's talks with an Iranian hacking leader ended with murder,
--Hackers attacked Aeroflot's still-insecure infrastructure,
--The war on disinformation has been dismantled,
--Trump's DOJ uses Americans' own data …

Best infosec-related long reads for the week of 12/6/25
A journalist's talks with an Iranian hacking leader ended with murder, Hackers attacked Aeroflot's still-insecure infrastructure, The war on disinformation has been dismantled, Trump's DOJ uses Americans' own data to limit voting rights, The Wassenaar Arrangement can help limit spyware exports

Sources: General Intuition, which trains AI agents in spatial reasoning, is in late-stage talks to raise several hundred million dollars at a $2B valuation (Alex Heath/Sources)
https://sources.news/p/a-new-world-model-startup-is-quietly

A new world model startup is quietly raising big money
General Intuition is building a general-purpose AI agent and world model.

Sources: DAZN is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in US regional sports broadcaster Main Street Sports Group, formerly Diamond Sports Group (Lauren Thomas/Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/bus…

Russia and Ukraine resume U.S.-mediated talks in Geneva: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/17/russia-and-ukraine-resume-usmediated.html

Sources: Google is in talks with broadband operator Radiate to set up a JV to hold their fiber assets; Stonepeak Partners will invest $1B to support the deal (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-16/goo…

Trump insists Greenland is crucial for national security after Denmark talks (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/14/greenland-us-trump-talks-denmark
http://www.memeorandum.com/260115/p2#a260115p2

Nice, open talks... , the delegation from Denmark and Greenland has to excercise self-control i think.... "U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that NATO should help the U.S. acquire Greenland and anything less than American control is unacceptable, hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks."

Trump says anything less than American control over Greenland ‘unacceptable’
U.S. President Donald Trump said “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”

Ukrainian MP says peace talks are stalled by Russia’s unacceptable demands.: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/14/ukrainian-mp-says-peace-talks.html

Memo: after Sinclair bought an 8% stake, Scripps says it's exploring stations sales with "many" broadcasters but talks with Sinclair didn't lead to an agreement (Al Tompkins/Poynter)
https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025…

Scripps tells staff a Sinclair takeover is unlikely despite surprise stock purchase - Poynter
A memo to staff from CEO Adam Symson downplayed Sinclair’s intentions, even as Scripps shares surged nearly 40%

Sources: AI chipmaker Cerebras is in talks to raise ~$1B, valuing the startup at $22B before the new investment, up from an $8.1B valuation in September 2025 (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/chipmaker-cerebras-tal…

Chipmaker Cerebras in Talks to Raise $1 Billion at a $22 Billion Valuation
AI chip startup Cerebras Systems is in talks to raise about $1 billion, valuing the company at $22 billion before the new investment, as the chipmaker prepares to go public this year, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. That’s a big jump from its last private valuation of $8.1 ...

Ukrainian delegation to visit US for peace talks on Dec. 19-20, Zelensky says: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/18/ukrainian-delegation-to-visit-us.html

Senators talk last-minute Obamacare extension (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/12/15/congress/senators-obamacare-extension-talks-00692316
http://www.memeorandum.com/251215/p131#a251215p131

Mailbag: Players' involvement in contract talks? https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/mailbag-players-involvement-in-contract-talks

Sources: Blue Owl Capital will not invest in Oracle's $10B, 1GW data center in Michigan after funding talks stalled due to concerns over debt terms and delays (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/84c147a4-aabb-4243-8298-11fabf1022a3

WBD says Paramount informed WBD on February 11 that it would pay $31 per share, up from $30, if the sides engaged, and that $31 was not its best and final offer (Jill Goldsmith/Deadline)
https://deadline.com/2026/02/warner-bros-discovery-s…

Warner Board Says Paramount Agreed To Raise Offer To $31 A Share Or More If Two Sides Engaged
Warner Bros. Discovery said Paramount agreed to raise its $30 a share cash offer if WBD agreed to talks, which it has.

Zelensky visits Germany for talks with US, European officials amid peace push: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/14/zelensky-visits-germany-for-talks.html

Sources: Armadin, launched by Mandiant's founder Kevin Mandia to fight AI hacking, raised a $24M seed and is in talks to raise $100M at a $600M valuation (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/this-buzzy-cyber-startup-wants-…

Mailbag: Players' involvement in contract talks? https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/mailbag-players-involvement-in-contract-talks

Fermi CEO Toby Neugebauer says Amazon canceled a $150M advance for a Texas AI data center campus; FRMI fell 34% on Dec. 12 after saying a tenant had canceled (Dakin Campbell/Business Insider)
https://www.businessinsider.com/fermi-america-amazon-tenant-t…

Mystery solved: Amazon is the prospective tenant in talks with data center developer rocked by stock plunge
"The lead negotiator for Amazon called me on Thursday," Fermi CEO Toby Neugebauer told Business Insider. The deal would pay more than $20 billion over the next 20 years, he said.

Ukrainian delegation arrives in U.S. for Miami peace talks on security guarantees and economic aid: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/17/ukrainian-delegation-arrives-in-us.html

Zelensky warns of new Russian strikes on Ukraine as Geneva peace talks resume: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/16/zelensky-warns-of-new-russian.html

Zelensky says Ukraine ready to refrain from strikes on Russia amid Geneva talks: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/18/zelensky-says-ukraine-ready-to.html

Sources: OpenAI has held preliminary discussions with investors about raising tens of billions of dollars, and as much as $100B, at a valuation of around $750B (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-discuss…

OpenAI Has Discussed Raising Tens of Billions at Valuation Around $750 Billion
OpenAI has held preliminary discussions with some investors about raising new funding at a valuation of around $750 billion, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. It could raise tens of billions of dollars, and as much as $100 billion, according to two of the people. Talks ...

Ukraine war latest: Drones strike oil, chemical plants in Russia as fresh peace talks begin in Geneva: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/17/ukraine-war-latest-drones-strike.html

Ukraine military chief says more arms, sanctions key as 'Coalition of the Willing' holds security guarantees talks: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/18/ukraine-military-chief-says-more.html

Emmitt Smith Talks All Things Cowboys From SBLX Radio Row https://www.si.com/nfl/video/emmitt-smith-talks-all-things-cowboys-from-sblx-radio-row

T.J. Hockenson Talks Starting Fast on Offense, First Downs, Challenges of Facing Cowboys Defense https://www.vikings.com/video/t-j-hockenson-talks-starting-fast-on-offense-first-downs-challenges-of-facing-cowboys-defense

Howard Stern signs a new three-year deal with SiriusXM, after a report earlier this year suggested that his show was about to be canceled (Alex Weprin/The Hollywood Reporter)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/howard-s…

Howard Stern Inks New Deal to Stay With SiriusXM
The radio host had been in talks with the satellite radio company for months, after a report suggested he would be exiting his post.

Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal says the Indian edtech startup's valuation has fallen from its $3.5B peak three years ago to less than $500M, and confirms M&A talks (Jagmeet Singh/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/10/unac

Unacademy's founder says startup is now worth less than $500M, confirms M&A talks | TechCrunch
Unacademy's valuation has dropped by over 85% from its pandemic-era peak price tag of $3.5 billion, its founder said.

Sources: Live Nation-US DOJ settlement talks divide the Trump admin; DOJ antitrust boss Gail Slater is sidelined as Live Nation lobbies against a March trial (Semafor)
https://www.semafor.com/article/02/08/2026/live-nation-settle…

Exclusive: Live Nation settlement talks are dividing Trump’s DOJ
Ticketing giant Live Nation has been negotiating with senior DOJ officials outside the antitrust division to avert a trial over whether the company is operating an illegal monopoly, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sources: Thinking Machines lacks a clear product or business strategy and has been struggling over the last couple of months to raise a new round of financing (Alex Heath/Sources)
https://sources.news/p/thinking-machines-is-nothing-without

Thinking Machines is nothing without its people
More Thinking Machines employees are in talks to join OpenAI. Also: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on ACCESS and the Sources Live @ Davos lineup.

Macron pushes small-group European talks with Putin, rejects U.S. lead: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/11/macron-pushes-smallgroup-european-talks.html

Source: Lambda, which rents access to AI chips and is backed by Nvidia, is in talks to raise $350M led by Mubadala Capital, ahead of an IPO planned for H2 2026 (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/nvidia-back…

Nvidia-Backed Cloud Provider Lambda in Talks to Raise $350 Million Ahead of IPO
Lambda, an upstart cloud provider that rents out Nvidia AI chips—and whose biggest customer was recently Nvidia itself—is trying to raise at least $350 million before a potential initial public offering this year, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Mubadala Capital, which ...

Poland in talks to transfer MiG-29s to Ukraine in exchange for drone and missile technologies: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/10/poland-in-talks-to-transfer.html

Ukrainian delegation heads to Geneva for talks! Europe urges citizens to prepare for war!: https://benborges.xyz/2026/02/16/ukrainian-delegation-heads-to-geneva.html

Sources: Fluidstack, an AI cloud provider that is aiding Google's effort to expand access to its TPUs, is in talks to raise $700M led by Situational Awareness (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ai-cloud-pr…

AI Cloud Provider Aiding Google’s Chip Push Is in Talks to Raise $700 Million
Fluidstack, a cloud provider aiding Google’s AI chip push, is in talks to raise more than $700 million in new financing, according to two people with knowledge of the deal. A one-year-old investment fund started by ex-OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner is in talks to lead the financing, one ...

Zelensky outlines next steps in US-Ukraine talks to end the war: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/16/zelensky-outlines-next-steps-in.html

Sources: London-based 9fin, a data provider for debt markets, is in talks to raise as much as $150M at a pre-money valuation of $1B, about 20x its ARR of ~$50M (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-06/cred…

Credit Data Firm 9fin Seeks $1 Billion Valuation in Fund Talks
Debt intelligence provider 9fin Ltd. is in talks to raise fresh capital at a valuation of as much as $1 billion as it seeks to gain a stronger foothold in the highly competitive market for credit research.

UK opposes French and Italian push to restart talks with Kremlin: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/16/uk-opposes-french-and-italian.html

Zelensky sends Budanov and Umerov to the U.S. for peace talks on Ukraine’s peace plan: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/16/zelensky-sends-budanov-and-umerov.html

Sources: ByteDance is in advanced talks to sell game studio Moonton, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games for $6B to $7B (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific

Kremlin signals preemptive rejection of Trump’s peace plan ahead of Berlin talks: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/16/kremlin-signals-preemptive-rejection-of.html

Sources: Grafana Labs, which makes cloud and AI monitoring tools, is in talks to raise at a $9B valuation, up from $6.6B in 2024; its ARR hit $400M in Sept. (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/grafana-labs-talk-raise-9-billion-valuati…

Grafana Labs in Talk to Raise at $9 Billion Valuation
Grafana Labs, a software startup that helps companies monitor cloud and AI activity and spending, is finalizing a new funding round that would value it at about $9 billion, people familiar with the matter said. That’s up from $6.6 billion in a 2024 funding round. The funding talks follow Grafana ...

Sources: Marvell is in advanced talks to buy chip startup Celestial AI in a cash-and-stock deal that could top $5B; Celestial was valued at $2.5B in March 2025 (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/marvell-advanced-talks-b…

Marvell In Advanced Talks to Buy Celestial AI in Multibillion Deal
Marvell is in advanced talks to buy Santa Clara-based chip startup Celestial AI in a cash-and-stock deal worth multiple billions of dollars, according to people with knowledge of the deal. Under the deal they’re discussing, Marvell would pay several billion dollars upfront for the startup, which ...

Sources: AI legal software startup Harvey seeks to raise $200M led by Sequoia and GIC at an $11B valuation, up from $8B after raising $160M in December 2025 (Iain Martin/Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/20

Legal AI Startup Harvey In Talks To Raise $200 Million At $11 Billion Valuation
The startup, which develops AI software for lawyers and big law firms, is raising additional capital, increasing its valuation from $8 billion just two months ago.

Sources: Anthropic is in talks to buy developer tool startup Bun for low hundreds of millions, its first acquisition; Claude Code hit $1B in annualized revenue (Sri Muppidi/The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/an

Anthropic in Advanced Talks to Buy Developer Tool Startup in First Acquisition
Anthropic is in advanced discussions to buy Bun, a maker of software used to run and manage code more efficiently, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The artificial intelligence company is in talks to pay in the low hundreds of millions of dollars for the startup, which would be ...