3.5 million: US troops leaving Afghanistan's Bagram airbase, nerve center of NATO's 20-year counterterrorism presence in the country, left behind 3.5 million catalogued items, ranging from doorknobs to combat vehicles. Within minutes of the US' abrupt exit, looters showed up to seize the spoils.
106: The Ever Given container ship is finally on its way out of the Suez Canal 106 days after it blocked the crucial waterway entirely for a full week, wreaking havoc on global maritime shipping. After months of haggling, the vessel's Japanese owners reached an agreement with the Egyptian canal authorities for an undisclosed amount in compensation.
10 billion: The Pentagon has cancelled a $10 billion contract with Microsoft to build a cloud storage system for the US military. Microsoft won the contract during the Trump administration, but the company's main rival, Amazon — considered the market leader in cloud services — sued to prove that its own bid was rejected because of Trump's personal animosity toward (now-former) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
3: Stefan Löfven, who last week stepped down as Sweden's prime minister after losing a no-confidence vote, got his old job back on Wednesday. MPs agreed to return Löfven to the post by a narrow 3-vote margin, ending Sweden's brief and very rare political crisis.At the 2026 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, GZERO’s Tony Maciulis asked Microsoft's Vickie Robinson what it will take to prepare economies for the age of AI and how quickly it needs to happen.
Physical AI is opening the door to massive economic potential. As intelligence moves into machines that can act in the real world, industries like robotics, mobility, and manufacturing are poised for transformation at global scale. Discover how AI is getting physical with Bank of America Institute.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Did the AI boom counteract the economic fallout of Trump's tariffs? And how long can that last?