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Xi Jinping Applauds Kim’s ‘Socialist Cause’ In Warm North Korea State Visit

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Xi Jinping Applauds Kim’s ‘Socialist Cause’ In Warm North Korea State Visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warmly greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang Monday, kicking off Xi’s two-day state visit to the internationally isolated country – which is his first trip there in seven years.

Xi has called for deepening “strategic coordination and cooperation” with North Korea shortly after receiving a lavish, red carpet welcome at the airport. The two sides should inject “powerful momentum” into their ties, Xi said according to a readout released by Chinese state media Xinhua.

Xinhua/ZUMA Press

The Chinese leader spoke of a friendship that was ‘generational’ with the DPRK, in advancement of the ‘socialist cause’.

There is plenty that is ideological found within the official readout in the wake of the two leaders’ initial meeting, per Xinhua:

No matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese party and government’s firm stance on highly valuing China-DPRK traditional friendship will not change, the firm support for General Secretary Kim in leading the DPRK’s socialist cause will not change, and the firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment will not change, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that, in the face of the profound changes unseen in a century that are accelerating across the world, the two sides should take a broad and long-term view, build on past achievements and open up a new future, draw wisdom from the development process of the relations between the two parties and the two countries, seize opportunities in the prevailing trend of human history, inject new contemporary connotations and strong impetus into the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, and open up a brighter prospect for the socialist cause of the two countries as well as regional peace and development.

This cooperation is expected to be on several fronts, including economics and trade, agriculture, health, construction, as well as science and technology, Xi underscored.

Kim along with his first lady, Ri Sol Ju, enthusiastically greeted Xi and were shown clapping as the Chinese presidential plane touched down earlier in the day. Huge portraits of Xi and Kim have been installed over Pyongyang’s main Kim Il Sung Square, where Xi’s motorcade was also greeted with big displays of pageantry, including a mounted cavalry escort.

NBC has some interesting commentary which points out that Kim is in a rare position of strength based on some recent firm, anti-West geopolitical stances taken and maintained:

But the North Korean leader is playing host from a position of rare strength, and his country has come a long way since Xi Jinping’s last visit seven years ago.

Kim’s backing of Russia’s war with Ukraine has paid dividends, his weapons program has cemented North Korea’s status as a de facto nuclear state, and an economy that buckled under the pressure of pandemic isolation and sanctions has since rebounded.

Indeed, Kim has of late been aggressively hyping his country’s nuclear modernization and expanse program. There’s not doubt he’s also closely following and taking notes on the Iran crisis. 

Iran, which does not yet have nuclear weapons status, has been attacked by the United States and Israel – and so Pyongyang sees its nuclear expanse path as more justified than ever at this point, also given Washington still views North Korea as a ‘pariah’ state.

Another interesting development mentioned in state media relates to efforts to open borders: “Xi called on both sides to leverage the opportunity of the full reopening of border crossings and the resumption of civil aviation flights and international passenger trains to increase people-to-people exchanges and foster mutual interaction,” wrote Xinhua.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 18:50

Researchers Identify World’s Largest Scorpion That Roamed Earth 415 Million Years Ago

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Researchers Identify World’s Largest Scorpion That Roamed Earth 415 Million Years Ago

Authored by Maria Mocerino via Interesting Engineering,

The University of Manchester has discovered that the world’s largest scorpion, which lived 415 million years ago, was hiding in the museum’s collection for 150 years.

Since the 1870s, researchers have debated the identity of the strange fossil remains lurking in the Manchester archives. They possessed tiny fragments recovered from sites in England and Wales that puzzled them, but they could not piece them together. Was it a large woodlouse-crustacean?

Life reconstruction of Praearcturus gigas.Franz Anthony High Res

In the 1980s, some research suggested that a scorpion might be the source of the fossil remains. However, this hypothesis faced challenges due to a lack of fossil evidence of its most distinctive feature: its tail.

To resolve the debate, paleontologists conducted a study of the remains using modern imaging and analytical techniques, according to a press release from the University of Manchester. They were “able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting.”

The 3.3-foot-long Praearcturus gigas scorpion now joins the ranks of Earth’s ferocious prehistoric beasts, boasting pincers 6.2 inches long. As it roamed the Earth over 400 million years ago, researchers sought to understand the factors that allowed this prehistoric predator to grow to such an astonishing size.

The T. Rex of Scorpions

According to the study authors, “Along with dinosaurs, mammoths, and other charismatic megafauna, giant arthropods are an iconic symbol of the Earth’s deep paleontological history in popular culture.”

Lead author Dr. Richard J. Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum in London, described the imagery often associated with giant arthropods: “Carboniferous rainforests filled with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects… but Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was just beginning.“

In other words, researchers may have identified the T. rex of arthropods nearly two hundred million years before the rise of the dinosaurs. The Praearcturus gigas lived during the Early Devonian period – a time when forests had not yet evolved – so this giant scorpion lived among small plants and fungi, as per the press release.

What Did It Eat?

Researchers were stunned: how did the scorpion grow to such a size, surrounded by relatively unassuming and unimposing neighbors? The answer lies in its lack of competition. As few large animals were present at that time, Praearcturus was free to become a predatory giant, according to the NYPost.

Furthermore, the “cool” creature, which might inspire a new figurine in a child’s toy collection, may have been partially aquatic, as suggested by its epimera – the descending lateral plates or flaps found on the bodies of crustaceans.

Dr. Howard stated in Live Science, “Without complex ecosystems to support Praearcturus on land, these animals probably spent part of their lives hunting in water.” The Praearcturus was even “before its time,” and its extraordinary size might be explained by one factor: water.

“This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans,” as per a press release.

“The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time,” Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, and co-author of the study, continued. “Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments.”

“It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land,” AOL concludes.

You can read the study here.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 18:25

House Report Finds Minnesota Officials Ignored Fraud To Avoid Racism Accusations

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House Report Finds Minnesota Officials Ignored Fraud To Avoid Racism Accusations

A House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report released Monday paints a devastating picture of both Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, finding that they both knew about widespread fraud in state social services programs and failed to act.

The report centers on the Feeding Our Future scandal, in which a Minnesota-based nonprofit systematically exploited federal COVID-19 relief funds intended to provide meals to children.

So far, more than 60 people have already been found guilty of fraud in connection with the scheme, the majority of whom are of Somali descent. Some defendants used stolen taxpayer money to buy luxury goods, while others funneled proceeds to a radical Islamic terrorist group operating in Somalia. At least $300 million in federal child nutrition funds were placed at serious risk, and approximately $9 billion in Medicaid losses resulted from the broader fraud environment state officials allowed to fester.

“Fraud warnings were elevated to the most senior levels of the Minnesota state government, meaningful corrective action was delayed or avoided, and payments continued long after credible signs of fraud emerged,” the report states.

Senior officials in Walz’s office and Ellison’s office knew about systemic fraud concerns as early as 2019 within the Minnesota Department of Human Services and, by April 2020, within the state Department of Education, the report says, directly contradicting Walz’s and Ellison’s public statements.

This matters because both men held legal authority to cut off payments to fraudulent operators. Neither exercised it, even though Walz was aware of the suspected fraud in Feeding Our Future by 2020, and the payments continued.

The fraudsters didn’t just know how to exploit the system for financial gain; they knew how to blackmail state officials to keep their scheme going. When workers inside the Department of Education tried to audit child care and nutrition programs, providers accused them of racism. The accusation worked. Officials backed down despite holding evidence that funds were being fraudulently diverted. Dozens of human services department staff were warned, explicitly, that raising fraud concerns would get them labeled as racists and damage the government’s reputation. Some were pulled into supervisory meetings. Others were excluded from the very internal discussions about the fraud they had flagged.

And the directive to look the other way from the fraud came from the top down. One Minnesota Department of Education official who first contacted the FBI about Feeding Our Future told investigators her supervisors pressured her to stop investigating “at every turn” and that she got her “hand slapped” for continuing to look into it. Staff feared reporting fraud to the Homeland Security Office of Inspector General because that agency would notify the Commissioner or HR, who would then retaliate against them. The internal culture the Walz administration built was one in which accountability was the threat, not the fraud.

Rather than combating the fraud, the Walz administration spent resources monitoring employees to keep them in line. The priority, the report shows, was getting ahead of press coverage about the fraud, not stopping it.

“Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison are responsible for one of the most stunning oversight failures this Committee has ever examined,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in a statement. “Today’s report is the culmination of months of investigative work and reveals hard evidence showing how the Walz Administration failed to stop widespread fraud, allowing criminals to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers. Billions of dollars were stolen because Minnesota state leaders turned a blind eye to rampant fraud and retaliated against state employees who dared to raise concerns. It is now clear the Walz Administration chose to protect the system rather than protect the taxpayer.”

The report makes clear that this fraud wasn’t some bureaucratic mistake or a problem that went unnoticed. Senior officials were repeatedly warned about what was happening. They chose not to act in order to preserve their political relationship with Minnesota’s Somali community, manage the fallout, and sideline the employees who were raising red flags and trying to stop it.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 18:00

On The Kavanaugh Anniversary, Democratic Leaders Swap Me Too For Maine

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On The Kavanaugh Anniversary, Democratic Leaders Swap Me Too For Maine

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

…on the eighth anniversary of the Kavanaugh nomination. It now appears that there are some women who are not to be believed… when the Senate may be in the balance..

“It’s clear the fix is in.”

Those words from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). came with her vote against confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Warren was outraged that her fellow senators refused to believe a woman who came forward with a decades-old allegation against Kavanaugh that lacked any corroboration.

It now appears that Kavanaugh’s former accusers are making the case that he was treated unjustly at their hands. At least they are now willing to swap “Me Too” for Maine.

Warren’s words were part of a mantra from Democratic members that either you believe women about sexual harassment and assault, or you are enabling abusers.

It was almost exactly eight years ago, in July 2018, that President Trump nominated Kavanaugh to fill the seat of retiring Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh, who was at first a very uncontroversial nominee, suddenly became the target of a well-financed, well-orchestrated campaign that would continue to resonate in that fall’s election campaigns. At the time, your failure to accept the word of Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh had assaulted her in high school was just proof that you and the system were sexist.

Long after the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh, the left continued to claim that his presence on the Supreme Court “rests on a mountain of misogyny.” In Ms. Magazine, actress Kathleen Turner reminded people that not believing women was furthering misogyny: “Survivors who come forward break the rules of silence a sexist society demands, and society expects them to pay a price.”

If you recall, the lack of evidence led to the Senate Judiciary Committee combing through Kavanaugh’s personal calendars. Denials that such a thing had ever happened, coming from childhood friends, were treated as still more evidence of sexism.

Screenshot/Judiciary Committee

There was Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who grilled Kavanaugh about using the term “boofing” (apparently referring to passing gas) with a high school friend as if it were a confession to a rape.

His inquisitorial barrage was something straight out of the McCarthy period.

Whitehouse expressed disgust that some would not take Ford’s word for it, declaring, “Today I stand with women who are brave enough to come forward with their stories of abuse and mistreatment. They deserve to be heard and credible allegations must be investigated. We must believe survivors, not bully them.”

Whitehouse is now a major donor and supporter of Graham Platner, the leading Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Maine.

He dismisses the New York Times accounts from women of Platner’s physically and mentally abusive behavior.

Instead of believing these women, he reportedly attacked Lyndsey Fifield, who “bravely” came forward publicly with her story at the request of Times reporters.

Whitehouse is quoted as saying that he was “unimpressed” by the allegations and the multiple women coming forward “seems like a lot of nothing.” He suggested that he is not prepared to believe a woman if she is a conservative. “I mean, the only one who had anything to say that seemed ‘unsettling’ was a woman who works for right-wing political operations,” he said.

That attack was picked up by others like writer Krystal Ball. She too had denounced those who did not believe Ford in the Kavanaugh controversy. In the past, she claimed at that time, “women just didn’t come forward. They knew they wouldn’t be believed.”

Now she cannot imagine why anyone would believe these women, particularly Fifield. “NYT published uncorroborated accusations against [Platner] of ‘unsettling’ and ‘toxic’ behavior that came from a Heritage staffer who previously worked for a conservative org that backs Collins,” she posted online.

Fifield, after sharing stories with the Times of Platner’s alleged abusive behavior, went public to complain that the newspaper had failed to include the corroboration she had provided. She posted that the paper not only failed to include that she has supported Democrats for office, but also asked, “Why does it say ‘nobody could corroborate’ when I offered them sources that COULD corroborate?”

She added, “The Times also failed to include any mention that I DID confide in multiple friends through the years that Graham had been abusive — long before he was running for office. Those friends confirm they told the Times so.”

If true, that is a strikingly different approach from the one taken by the media in reporting on the Kavanaugh allegations.

All the familiar faces are now attacking or dismissing these allegations.

That includes Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who campaigned for Platner this week. Khanna had previously pounded his chest in public over the Kavanaugh allegations: “I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.”

Some of the usual suspects are now quiet, and for good reason. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) dismissed Kavanaugh’s claims of innocence but later resigned from their respective offices after accusations of misconduct and harassment.

Of course, the sexual misconduct and mistreatment of women is not the only controversy surrounding Platner, who has reportedly ridiculed a wounded veteran, dismissed rape victims, and made other comments on his since-deleted Reddit account about Blacks and rural Mainers that would be considered disqualifying for most candidates. He made many other posts that were deeply offensive and some that were, frankly, gross.

Nevertheless, figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) would not even address the allegations, simply repeating awkwardly, “We’re going to … take back the Senate.”

Back in 2018, Schumer was proclaiming on the Senate floor, “For too long, when women have made serious allegations of abuse, they have been ignored. That cannot happen in this case.”

For her part, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) proclaimed her faith in any woman making such allegations in 2018. Now, she repeats, like Schumer, “I’m very optimistic we’re going to win Maine.”

In “A Man for All Seasons,” there is a scene where Sir Thomas More confronts Richard Rich, a former protege who lied in court to convict him in exchange for being named attorney general of Wales. As Rich passes by, More asks: “For Wales? Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world … but for Wales!”

The response by Democratic leaders today appears to be, “Well, yeah — not for Wales, but we’ll do it for Maine.”

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.“

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 17:40

Judge Blocks Trump’s $100,000 Fee For H-1B Visas

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Judge Blocks Trump’s $100,000 Fee For H-1B Visas

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas is not legal, a federal judge said on June 8.

President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Aug. 5, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The fee for visas for specialty foreign workers “imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress,” U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin said in a 42-page decision.

While the president is able to restrict noncitizen entry into the United States, Congress has the power to tax, and federal law does not delegate it, the judge said.

He also ruled that the fee violated a law called the Administrative Procedure Act because it was issued without allowing the public to comment before it took effect, and ordered officials to vacate the policy in its entirety.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts and 19 other states. They challenged the fee, which Trump announced in September as a way to reduce taxes and bring better people into the country.

A different judge in late 2025 had upheld the fee, finding that Trump had the authority to increase the fee from between $2,000 to $5,000 to the $100,000 level. An appeal is pending in that case.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 15:20

UBS Warns America’s Restaurants Locked In “Difficult Cycle” As Tax-Refund Sugar-High Fades

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UBS Warns America’s Restaurants Locked In “Difficult Cycle” As Tax-Refund Sugar-High Fades

There is certainly a growing consensus on Wall Street that the tax-refund sugar high is fading just as consumers’ financial profiles deteriorate. The latest read-through comes from UBS analyst Dennis Geiger, the bank’s U.S. restaurants equity research analyst, who warns that a toxic cocktail of macro pressures is likely to crimp restaurant spending in the second half of the year.

Geiger warned in a note that elevated gas prices at the pump appear to be offsetting tax-rebate benefits, while lower-income, younger, and Hispanic consumers remain among some of the weakest demand cohorts.

“Challenged traffic and sales trends likely largely reflect depressed consumer sentiment across several cohorts, elevated gas prices, and other macro headwinds,” the analyst said, adding, “We are more cautious on restaurant industry trends into 2H26, assuming near-term headwinds persist, rebate check benefits fade, and risk that gas prices stay elevated.”

He said that margin pressure will likely persist for restaurants through summer and into fall as commodity inflation remains a problem.

Despite the negative backdrop, he pointed out valuations for restaurant stocks look attractive:

Despite challenged fundamentals, negative investor sentiment, and valuation pressure, we believe restaurants are in a difficult cycle currently, rather than a longer-term structurally challenged position. Valuations appear attractive relative to history, but with shares likely needing a positive inflection in sales / demand trajectory or favorable macro developments / headlines to realize notable upside.

His top picks are Dutch Bros, Brinker International, and Yum! Brands, while his least favorite restaurant stocks are Cheesecake Factory and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

Geiger’s chartpack visualizing restaurant trends:

Sales Trends 

QSR Sales and Traffic Trends

Casual Dining Trends

Dismal Consumer Sentiment still a Problem 

The full chart pack can be viewed by Professional subscribers here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal.

Geiger’s caution for the restaurant industry adds to our theme of emerging consumer stress (read the latest here).

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 15:00

6.4 Magnitude Quake Rocks Western Cuba, Sends Tremors Into South Florida

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6.4 Magnitude Quake Rocks Western Cuba, Sends Tremors Into South Florida

The USGS reported that a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck just off the coast of Cuba around 2 p.m. ET, with residents across parts of Florida reporting feeling the shaking.

The offshore quake was detected near Pinar del Río, located in western Cuba. Initial reports did not indicate major damage or a tsunami threat.

NWS Miami reported “shaking across Southwestern Florida within the past 30 minutes.”

*Developing…

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 14:46

DOJ Asks Courts To Strip 17 Criminals Of US Citizenship

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DOJ Asks Courts To Strip 17 Criminals Of US Citizenship

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced it has asked courts across the country to strip more than a dozen people who have pleaded guilty or been convicted of crimes of their U.S. citizenship.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a press conference in Washington on April 27, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Filings in federal court requested judges revoke the naturalization of 17 individuals, including Jean Claude Alfred, a 68-year-old Haitian native who became a U.S. citizen in 1994.

Federal officials said that Alfred, who does not have a lawyer listed on the court docket, was convicted in 1996 of attempting sexual battery and indecent assault on his daughter, for conduct that began three years prior.

Alfred “concealed his crime throughout the naturalization process,” DOJ lawyers told the federal court in Miami.

Another man, 39-year-old Armando Mendoza of Mexico, received sexually explicit images of minors as early as 2009 and pleaded guilty in 2013. Mendoza failed to disclose the crime in his 2011 citizenship application and interview, which means his citizenship should be revoked, officials said in a separate filing in federal court in California.

Mendoza has not hired an attorney, according to the court docket.

“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin added that “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly.”

He said, “If you come here break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”

Developing…

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 14:40

Apple’s Long-Awaited AI Siri Fails To Impress As Shares Pump Then Dump During WWDC

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Apple’s Long-Awaited AI Siri Fails To Impress As Shares Pump Then Dump During WWDC

Summary: 

  • Market Reaction: Buy the rumor, Sell the news  
  • Apple Reveals Long-Awaited AI Siri 
  • CEO Tim Cook gives his final WWDC keynote speech
  • Goldman And UBS Preview Apple’s WWDC: AI Siri Takes Center Stage

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened WWDC26 with a keynote on artificial intelligence, software updates, and developer tools across the company’s ecosystem.

WWDC26 presentation centered on a broad rollout of Apple Intelligence features across its ecosystem, with the tech giant previewing a more conversational Siri, a dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence tools and new AI capabilities across Safari, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro and first-party apps.

The updated Siri will be available first in English, then expand to other languages. It is expected to work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, with deeper device context, back-and-forth conversations, and more integration with Spotlight and system files. Apple also showed a customizable Siri voice, revamped dictation, and a 3D Siri experience for Vision Pro.

Safari is getting AI-powered automatic tab grouping, along with a feature that monitors web pages and notifies users of changes. Apple also highlighted privacy messaging, taking a shot at rival AI browsers that track user activity.

Headlines from MacWorld:

1. Tim opens the show for the last time: Tim Cook is giving his usual intro talking about how great Apple’s devices and tools are and praising its developers. Show a pic of the Earth taken from the journey to the moon. Apple Intelligence and Siri starting things off!

2. Three areas of focus: Platform improvements, Trust and safety, Apple Intelligence, and Siri

3. A new version of macOS has been revealed, called Golden Gate

4. They’re not announcing features for each iOS (just yet), but rather talking about system-wide changes that affect all OSes. For example, there’s now a Liquid Glass slider as well as a unified menu bar. In macOS, sidebar icons will be clearer and more consistent. App icons will get a new Liquid Glass layer that add depth and refraction. System optimization is smooth, and “a lot” of things are faster. iPhone and iPad launch up to 30% faster.

5. Improved Search: iOS, iPad, and macOS rebuilt the foundation of search that powers Spotlight, Settings, and Mail. It’s more stable and more efficient, indexed immediately. This is the only thing I wanted and I can’t wait to try it out.

6. A new voice for Siri: Siri AI, as Apple is calling it, has a new customizable voice with sliders for pace and expressivity.

7. Siri does what other chatbots do: Apple is spending a bit of time demoing Siri doesn things that ChatGPT and Gemini already do, like making plans, messaging groups of friends, getting information from the web, create a menu on the iPhone. On the Mac, Siri is integrated into Spotlight, which could be trouble if Apple hasn’t fixed it like it said.

8. Siri, Siri, Siri: The Siri section is long as expected, but there’s not a lot here that wasn’t previewed back in 2024. And of course, other chatbots and AI platforms are already doing a lot of this stuff. It remains to be seen whether the deep integration with Apple products will be enough.

9. WatchOS: It took almost an hour, but Apple finally mentioned watchOS in the WWDC keynote. It will be getting a new app layout and some Apple Intelligence features including the new Siri.

10. Visual Intelligence gets new abilities: Visual Intelligence with Siri can understand more about what’s on your screen and will be able to get contextual answers about the things it sees around you and on your screen. I have to wonder how many of these features will elicit yawns from users. We’ll have to see how it works.

The market reaction was underwhelming.

Apple shares initially jumped as much as 3.3% when the AI features were unveiled, but went negative into late afternoon. 

Market commentary in Bloomberg’s live blog suggested investors were unimpressed, as many of the features should have been available years ago.

WWDC announcements under Tim Cook (courtesy of Tech Brew):

  • 2012 – Apple Maps
  • 2013 – iTunes Radio
  • 2014 – iOS 8 / OS x Yosemite
  • 2015 – Apple Music
  • 2016 – macOS rebrand
  • 2017 – HomePod
  • 2018 – iOS 12
  • 2019 – Pro Display XDR
  • 2020 – Apple silicon
  • 2021 – macOS Monterey
  • 2022 – M2 chip
  • 2023 – Apple Vision Pro
  • 2024 – Apple Intelligence
  • 2025 – Liquid Glass
  • 2026 – Siri AI Update?

“The WWDC 2024 version was pure vapourware but this looks more legit because Siri responses actually take a while to respond. After getting fined last time for false advertising, Apple can’t mess around with this Siri update,” tech journalist Trung Phan wrote on X.

Goldman And UBS Preview Apple’s WWDC: AI Siri Takes Center Stage

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) begins this afternoon at 1 p.m. EST at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif.

Ahead of WWDC, Goldman analysts led by Michael Ng provided clients with a preview of what to expect, including the unveiling of a long-delayed AI-enhanced Siri and operating system version “27” across iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

The new AI-enhanced Siri will include many delayed features from WWDC24, such as on-screen awareness, personal context, and deeper integration with apps like Messages, Calendar, Photos, and Notes.

“We view these new features as key demand drivers for the iPhone and other products, which should help extend the strong revenue momentum realized to date (e.g., iPhone revenue +23% YoY in F1H26),” Ng wrote in the note.

Expected WWDC announcements:

AI-enhanced Siri launch timing & feature details. After announcing AI-enhanced Siri at WWDC in 2024 and seeing subsequent delays, we expect Apple to share updated details on AI Siri’s launch timeline and capabilities.

  • Launch timing: During Apple’s F2Q26 earnings call, the company stated it expects to launch personalized Siri this year (C2026). We expect Apple to confirm AI Siri should launch with iOS 27 in September 2026 alongside the premium iPhone 18 family launch.
  • AI Siri feature details: First, AI-enhanced Siri should have greater on-screen awareness (e.g., using information across iOS Apps including Messages, Calendar, Photos, Notes), which should allow it to provide more detailed, personalized answers to queries/prompts. Second, Apple likely will announce that users will have the ability to choose between various model providers to power AI features (Siri, Image Playground, Writing Tools), per Bloomberg. Third, Apple likely will announce a new standalone Siri app for users to interact in a chatbot-like manner.

Additional AI-driven & ancillary features. Aside from AI Siri, per Bloomberg, Apple likely will announce more sophisticated AI photo editing tools on the Photos App (besides Clean Up) that allow users to (a) generate content within a photo (Extend), (b) enhance photo aspects, and (c) adjust photo framing (Reframe). Apple likely will also announce improved Visual Intelligence capabilities through the Camera app, which will be able to do things like scanning nutrition labels (to sync with the Health app to log food intake) or scan business cards to create new contacts. Lastly, Apple is also expected to announce the ability to make tab groups in Safari and create custom Wallet passes from physical tickets.

Ng noted that Apple’s price action tends to be positive heading into WWDC, but shares often trade lower during the event.

Shares have traded up 19% since late April.

Ng remains “Buy” rated on Apple with a 12-month target price of $340.

Separate from NG’s note, UBS analyst David Vogt does not expect WWDC26 to be a positive catalyst for shares.

What Vogt expects at WWDC:

  • Google Gemini integration: Apple is expected to rebuild its internal models utilizing Gemini, using a combination of Google’s and its own in-house model to power Siri features. Apple is reportedly paying around $1 bn annually for access to the 1.2T model, which will run on its Private Cloud Compute servers.
  • Link to third-party models: Currently offered with ChatGPT, users will be able to choose which model they use through a feature called “Extensions”, a potential tailwind to App Store revenue.
  • Dedicated Siri app: The app will function similarly to other AI apps, including a history of prior conversations and an interface for text, voice, and attachments. Chat syncing across devices with iCloud: User conversations will sync across devices with iCloud, potentially increasing its usage.
  • Personalization and on-screen awareness: Siri is expected to possess the ability to understand personal data and analyze on-screen content. Users have long awaited these features since they were originally announced at WWDC24

WWDC26 is set to be Apple’s first major test of AI Siri. 

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 14:19

Trump Admin Provided No Defensive Action For Israel Amid Iranian Missile Salvo

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Trump Admin Provided No Defensive Action For Israel Amid Iranian Missile Salvo

We’ve been documenting the apparent immense strain in the US-Israel relationship related to Iran policy and strategy. In this latest round of trading major blows, President Trump reportedly not only told Israel to immediately halt its response and to not retaliate, but gave no order for US forces to protect Israel, for example by manning and operating crucial anti-air defenses.

While Iranian ballistic missiles were inbound, “The US military didn’t take part in the Israeli attacks against Iran, the first since the ceasefire, and the Trump admin didn’t order any US defensive action to shield Israel from incoming Iranian missiles, per a US official” – according to CBS White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs.

If accurate, this marks a major change in US priorities and the Pentagon’s posture in the region. Going back to last year’s 11-day June war, as well as from the start of Operation Epic Fury, Washington has previously provided consistent cover and protection for Israel, especially on the anti-air defense front.

Source: picture alliance/CFOTO

The notable change and shift is also being reported by NBC, which writes Monday morning, “The U.S. military did not conduct any strikes against Iran with Israel, according to a U.S. official.”

“The U.S. did not shoot down or intercept any incoming Iranian missiles or projectiles during this recent volley between Israel and Iran,“ the report continues. “And the current U.S. assessment is that Iran was not targeting any U.S. personnel, assets, or locations during the strikes directed at Israel, the official said.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has however, affirmed it has been in contact with senior Israeli military officials, presumably to receive updates and briefings on the Iranian attacks of the prior 24 hours, as well as related to the latest on Israeli offensive actions.

While Washington is creating distance between itself and this renewed round of fighting, Iranian officials aren’t buying the narrative.

In a fresh message from Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, Tehran says that “Without a doubt … the actions of the Zionist regime in the region cannot be separated from U.S. policies.” Tehran is rejecting the US insistence that it is not behind Israel’s actions: “No one believes that the Zionist regime would carry out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States,” Baqaei added.

Meanwhile, President Trump declared in a Financial Times interview published on Sunday – “I call the shots” regarding actions against Iran, and not Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “won’t have any choice” but to accept an impending agreement between the US and Iran, Trump stated.

Mark Levin rages over lack of US defense for Israel:

At the same time, a US official told Axios on Sunday that Trump was “pretty adamant that we are close to a deal with Iran,” urging space to give diplomacy a chance.

Though Israel ultimately went ahead with a strike on Iranian territory following Sunday’s missile barrage, the situation is showing signs of a temporary pause on Monday. Iran’s military announced it had halted its operations, claiming it had successfully sent its intended message, even as Trump continued to publicly insist that both nations are actively looking to agree on an “immediate CEASEFIRE” (on Truth Social).

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/08/2026 – 13:40

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