Top media leaders across print, digital and broadcast warned about AI's impacts on journalism at the inaugural Status Summit last week.
Why it matters: News publishers recognize that they need to embrace AI to survive the transition to an agentic web, but they refuse to broker deals with companies they feel are illegally scraping their content.
What they're saying: Speaking onstage to Status founder Oliver Darcy last Wednesday, New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said large language model developers "as far as we see it ... have engaged in theft of intellectual property and creative expressive work on a scale that is unprecedented."
As it relates to the Times, they've "stolen our stuff," she said.
The Times, which has sued OpenAI and Microsoft in a landmark copyright lawsuit, has struck partnerships with AI firms, such as Amazon, when they believe terms are equitable.

#darcy #york

With a market cap of $27.1 billion, DTE Energy Company (DTE) is a diversified energy company engaged in energy-related businesses and services across the United States. Its operations include electric and natural gas utilities serving millions of customers in Michigan, along with businesses focused on custom energy solutions, renewable energy, and energy marketing and trading.
Companies worth more than $10 billion are generally labeled as "large-cap" stocks and DTE Energy fits this criterion perfectly. DTE Energy is also committed to accelerating carbon reduction, supporting community development, and promoting economic progress through philanthropy, education, employment initiatives, and volunteerism
Billionaire Charlie Munger, Who Died at 99, Skipped Insurance on His Mansion Since He Could Just Write a Check to Rebuild — 'All Intelligent People Do It My Way'
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Just Dropped Huge News for This Cybersecurity Stock
How to Play GME Stock as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Buys $20.3 Million in Shares

#energy #billion #businesses #states

Lady Gaga wrapped her Mayhem Ball tour at New York City's Madison Square Garden on April 13 before largely retreating from the public eye. Now, a new report is shedding light on what was happening behind the scenes.
Rob Shuter reported in his Naughty But Nice Substack on Saturday, September 12, that the 40-year-old singer quietly pulled back from public life while preparing for one of the biggest changes of her life: becoming a mother.
"People close to her felt completely blindsided," a source told Shuter. "Not because they were upset, but because she managed to keep something this big hidden for so long. In Hollywood, that's almost impossible."
As In Touch previously reported, Gaga welcomed her first child with fiancé Michael Polansky. The couple, who began dating in 2019 and became engaged in 2024, have not confirmed their baby's name or date of birth.
MEGA

#gaga #reported #life #mayhem

Jeff Arcuri credits cruise ship gigs and social media for helping launch his comedy career
He and wife Katie Thurston are navigating her stage 4 cancer diagnosis while pursuing IVF and surrogacy plans
Arcuri incorporates their personal journey into his comedy and praises Thurston as his muse and biggest supporter
Three years ago, comedian Jeff Arcuri would never have predicted he'd be where he is today: a celebrated stand-up, married with a dog and a new homeowner of a fixer-upper in Brooklyn.
He also never thought he'd be navigating the pitfalls of cancer; his wife, Bachelorette star Katie Thurston, 35, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last March, just months after they were engaged. Her cancer has since developed to stage 4.

#cancer

Lady Gaga and fiancé Michael Polanskysecretly welcomed their first child into the world together recently.
On September 11, the couple, who have been engaged since 2024, were spotted taking a relaxing stroll in Northern California, alongside her agent Alexandra Trustman.
The singer was seen holding their newborn baby close to her in a beige baby sling across her chest.
The duo recently welcomed their first child (@ Getty Images)
The star kept her look casual with white sweatpants, a cozy gray cardigan, black shades and a low bun.

#baby #september

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California labor leader behind a proposal to tax billionaires has been accused of harassing and intimidating several women who work for an affiliated union.
The allegations against Dave Regan, president of the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, are detailed in an investigative report commissioned by SEIU California and obtained Friday by The ******* ociated Press. It includes interviews with several current and former SEIU members and others who say Regan tried to intimidate union leaders into supporting the billionaires' tax, which goes before voters in November.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to report on the allegations.
The report also includes allegations that Regan physically ******* aulted an SEIU leader more than 15 years ago amid a political dispute and that more recently he engaged in harassing behavior against other women who work for the organization.
Regan acknowledged using curse words with union leaders but denied the physical ******* ault allegation.

#regan #seiu #report #harassing

Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford met his wife, Ally McBeal actress Calista Flockhart, in 2002.
The couple got engaged in 2009 and tied the knot over a year later. Ford, who is a dad to four children from his two previous marriages, also adopted Flockhart's son, Liam.
They've been supporting each other's careers over the years, with color-coordinated red carpet appearances and sweet shoutouts in acceptance speeches.
Back in 2002, Harrison Ford wasn't on Calista Flockhart's radar. "I remember loving him on Mosquito Coast, but I really didn't think about him," the actress said of Ford at the time. But that all changed after they met at the 59th Golden Globes with a meet-cute straight out of a '90s rom-com. Ford officially caught Flockhart's attention when he accidentally spilled wine on her dress mid-conversation. The comical moment apparently sealed the deal for Flockhart, and the two began dating from that point on.
"I'm in love. Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love, and I think there is a potential for it at any stage of your life," Ford said in a 2003 interview, a year after meeting Flockhart. "I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn't surprised that I did."

#ford #actress #think #surprised

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Pop music star Lady Gaga has given birth to her first child with her fiance, entrepreneur Michael Polansky, according to multiple media reports.
Page Six, People.com and EW.com confirmed the news Friday as photos of the singer carrying the baby in a sling across her chest, as she walked in California, circulated online.
The child's ******* , date of birth and name have not been disclosed to the public.
The couple have been dating since 2019 and engaged since March 2024.
They have not commented on the baby news.

#gaga

Will Forte has been married to Olivia Modling since 2021.
The couple first met at a friend's party in 2018 and got engaged over the holidays the following year.
Forte and his partner, who works in business development, share two daughters.
Will Forte isn't just a celebrated comic actor—he's also a husband and father.
The Coyote vs. Acme star and his wife, Olivia Modling, first met at a friend's party in 2018. They got engaged over the 2019 holiday season and tied the knot in 2021, holding a surprise wedding for family and friends.

#engaged #coyote

On Saturday, Lazio will be aiming to preserve their perfect Serie A record when they host fellow undefeated AC Milan.
This will be Gennaro Gattuso's biggest test to date as Biancocelesti manager, as he prepares to host the club he called home for 14 years. The Calabrian will be engaged in a thrilling tactical battle against his opposite number Ruben Amorim, who is enjoying a positive start to his maiden year in Italian football. Nevertheless, the outcome will be determined by the 22 men on the pitch.
Hence, it's time to take a closer look at some of the most interesting duels that are expected to take place all over the pitch when Lazio and Milan lock horns at the Stadio Olimpico.
Among Lazio's seven summer signings, Danilho Doekhi was probably the least exciting arrival, as the fanbase was quick to label him as a depth player rather than a protagonist. Perhaps this will be the case once Josip Sutalo is up and running, but in the meantime, the Dutchman has been solid at the back, forming a good understanding with Oliver Provstgaard.
Danilho Doekhi (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

#lazio #take

A leaked phone call that appears to feature Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her ex-husband, Ryan Anderson, has raised serious questions about a private conversation the former couple allegedly had while he was working at a school. The ****** ually suggestive audio appears to capture Blanchard and Anderson discussing whether he could participate in an intimate phone exchange from inside the building. Anderson has since pushed back against the speculation, insisting in a TikTok video that he "never" engaged in ****** ual activity at the school.
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA
The audio, which has circulated on social media, begins with Anderson asking Blanchard what she is wearing, but she seemingly brushes off the question. "Oh fine, tomorrow," Anderson responds.
The former couple can then be heard giggling before Anderson appears to express concern about getting caught. "I wish; I don't want to get in trouble," he says.
Blanchard responds by suggesting he would be able to remain quiet. "If you didn't make a sound at your mom's, you're not gonna make a sound at school," she is heard saying.

#heard

Kelsey Asbille and filmmaker Miles Joris-Peyrafitte got engaged during a trip to Sicily
Joris-Peyrafitte sparked engagement rumors by sharing photos of Asbille wearing a ring in September
Asbille, known for keeping her personal life private, rarely discusses her relationship publicly
Kelsey Asbille is set to marry her longtime boyfriend, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte!
The Yellowstone actor, 35, is engaged to Joris-Peyrafitte, 34, PEOPLE has learned. Us Weekly was first to report the engagement, sharing that the two got engaged while in Sicily.

#asbille #kelsey #sharing #september

Taylor Frankie Paul was briefly engaged to California-based lifeguard Doug Mason
The former couple met on her unaired season of The Bachelorette
Paul discusses their relationship and breakup in season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 5, now streaming on Hulu.
Taylor Frankie Paul and Doug Mason were briefly engaged after meeting on her unaired season of The Bachelorette.

#mason #bachelorette

Five years into her engagement to Danny Fujikawa, Kate Hudson has a surprisingly relatable reason for why she's still not ready to walk down the aisle.
On the September 8 episode of her Sibling Revelry podcast with brother Oliver Hudson, she openly discussed the issues she's having with organizing a wedding to her long-time fiancé. And it's not about cold feet whatsoever.
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"I still am not married. I'm just engaged, and I keep thinking about the wedding, like, 'What are we gonna do?'" Hudson explained. "And then every time we start thinking about who we have to invite, Danny's like, 'I just want a small wedding.' I'm like, 'Our family alone is like 50 people.' There's a million kids. There's a million uncles and aunts and cousins."

#surprisingly #still #time #million

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee welcomed two kids during their three-year marriage
Sons Brandon and Dylan were born in 1996 and 1997, respectively
Anderson and Lee split up in 1998
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee welcomed two sons during their three-year marriage in the '90s.
The Rosebush Pruning actress and the Mötley Crüe drummer met on New Year's Eve in 1994. Six weeks later, they met up in Cancun, Mexico, got engaged three days later and tied the knot on Feb. 19, 1995.

#three #welcomed #marriage #brandon

DeepSeek has engaged CITIC Securities to prepare for an initial public offering on Shanghai's STAR Market, according to Reuters, citing two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Hangzhou-based AI startup aims to begin the IPO process this year, according to Reuters. The timing of a potential offering, the amount DeepSeek could seek to raise, and its target valuation have not been determined. DeepSeek and CITIC did not respond to requests for comment.
In China, firms pursuing a mainland listing are generally required to retain a securities company for pre-IPO tutoring before they can file an application, Reuters notes. The previously undisclosed arrangement with CITIC suggests DeepSeek is making concrete progress toward a public offering.
The IPO push comes as DeepSeek seeks capital to fund computing infrastructure, model development, and talent retention amid competition from rival Chinese and U.S. AI firms. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Liang Wenfeng sees the IPO as a way to build a compensation structure capable of holding onto the startup's most important engineers and researchers. The company has lost talent to rivals including ByteDance and Xiaomi.
According to Reuters, DeepSeek is currently raising a new funding round at a valuation of 500 billion yuan ($75 billion). In June, the startup closed a round of roughly $7.4 billion at a post-money valuation exceeding $50 billion, with Liang Wenfeng personally contributing 20 billion yuan. Tencent Holdings and battery company CATL contributed 10 billion yuan and 5 billion yuan, respectively, becoming the largest external shareholders, according to Reuters.

#deepseek #according #company

Yellowstone star Kelsey Asbille is set to marry her longtime love, filmmaker Miles Joris-Peyrafitte.
The couple got engaged during a romantic trip to Sicily and shared the happy news with family and close friends, according to a Thursday, September 10 report by Us Weekly.
Joris-Peyrafitte dropped a none-too-subtle hint on September 2, posting a series of photos to Instagram captioned "Big Year." The last shot in the carousel shows a beaming Asbille, 35, holding a stack of papers — with a serious diamond ring sparkling on her left ring finger.
Miles Joris-Peyrafitte/Instagram
"HOLDDDDD UP!" one excited loved one wrote in the comments section, followed by floating heart emojis. "WHATTTTTTT???!!!"

#peyrafitte #sicily

It was an extra special weekend for Ree Drummond and her daughter Paige Drummond.
The Food Network star left her famed Oklahoma ranch and jet off to Dallas, where she and her newly-engaged daughter shopped for wedding dresses.
In addition to Paige, who got engaged to fiancé David Andersen last month after a year of dating, The Pioneer Woman founder and her husband Ladd Drummond are also parents to daughter Alex, 26, who is expecting her first child with husband Mauricio Scott, sons Bryce, 20, and Todd, 19, plus they welcomed Jamar, 20, into the family in 2018 after the couple became his foster parents.
Ree took to her blog over the weekend to write all about her day wedding dress shopping with Paige, with the help of her older sister Alex plus her fiancé David's mom and sister.
"It was every bit as fun as you'd think it would be," she wrote, endearingly sharing: "We 'ooohed, ahhhed,' sipped champagne, and did all the things we gals do in these kinds of settings."

#paige #engaged #wedding #husband

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter.
Humboldt Merchant Services, an independent sales organization that focuses on payment processing for gambling and adult entertainment, agreed Tuesday to pay $12 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging it handled payments for "sham merchant accounts."
Humboldt "processed payments for more than 1,000 merchants that were shell entities that served as fronts or pass-throughs for fraudulent companies engaged in unauthorized billing scams," the Federal Trade Commission said in a Tuesday press release announcing its lawsuit and concurrent settlement agreement.
Humboldt is the business name of 5967 Ventures, a company based in Tempe, Arizona, with an affiliated office in Troy, Michigan, according to the FTC's lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday against 5967 Ventures in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Michigan. The agency filed the settlement agreement at the same time for court approval.
In a statement Tuesday, Humboldt said the agreement "formalizes many processes and controls already put into place," and will close the matter "with no admissions of wrongdoing."

#humboldt #payments

Aaron Rodgers is dropping more clues about the woman he says he's married to.
During the Thursday, September 10, episode of the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, 42 — who has kept his wife, Brittani, entirely out of the spotlight — was asked if she actually existed given what's been said online.
"Yeah," Rodgers said, adding that he doesn't care about what others may think.
"In 2017, I met my wife, and at the time she was leaving the States and going back to Europe," he began. "And my biggest regret is not begging her to stay or just proposing right there because that sent me into a tailspin."
The Super Bowl champ had two failed relationships after that. He dated former pro race car driver Danica Patrick from 2018 to 2020, and then he was in a relationship with Shailene Woodley, whom he was engaged to in 2021.

#aaron #Football #steelers

One of Taylor Swift's longtime friends, who was also an attendee at her high-profile yet intimate wedding to Travis Kelce, revealed what she found to be the best part of them coming together for life.
Swift and Kelce, who became one of the hottest couples in the last three years, began dating in 2023 and made several notable outings together, be it Swift appearing at Chiefs games and the Super Bowl or Kelce joining Taylor onstage at Wembley Stadium in London during the European leg of the Eras Tour, among many others.
Their relationship grew from strength to strength before the couple got engaged in August 2025 and finally took their vows on July 3, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Their wedding was attended by a number of prominent celebrities, including American actress Mariska Hargitay, who happens to be a longtime friend of Swift and revealed what she found to be the best part of the wedding.
Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
The Law & Order: SVU star, who appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, revealed insider details about the wedding.

#found

Bridgerton's first leading lady, Phoebe Dynevor, has said "I do" herself after marrying fiancé Cameron Fuller on Saturday, September 5, according to a report from The Sun.
The actress who famously plays Daphne Bridgerton in Netflix's Shondaland hit is poised to continue her romantic streak onscreen with the streamer's highly anticipated adaptation of Emily Henry's Beach Read. When it comes to Dynevor's own fairytale, her nuptials reportedly took place at Le Mas de Poiriers, an 18th-century farmhouse in Provence, France.
The property, which accommodates up to 250 guests, spans 65 acres, and among the crowd celebrating Dynevor and Fuller's big day were her mother, Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor, and her sister, Hattie. It's unclear if any of Dynevor's Bridgerton costars were in attendance at the shindig. The insider source for The Sun revealed that the event "ended up being absolutely perfect."
Dynevor and Fuller began dating in 2023 before becoming engaged to be married in 2024, when it was confirmed during her red carpet appearance at the Met Gala that year. The wedding follows Dynevor's "hen do," a.k.a. bachelorette party, which took place in August at the Broadwick Soho.
Amy Sussman / Getty Images

#actress #cameron

Justin Herbert already has the job millions of football fans would kill for.
He's an NFL quarterback, he's got the massive contract and he's one of the league's biggest young stars.
Then there's Madison Beer.
Herbert and Beer are engaged, and the pop star has quickly become one of the most recognizable celebrity partners around the NFL. The two have been spotted together at sporting events and around Los Angeles, while Herbert even appeared in Beer's "lovergirl" music video.
Now she's becoming a familiar face around the Chargers.

#around #beer #chargers #already

Sep. 5—SEATTLE — I've heard so much bellyaching about the irrelevance of Sunday's game, this Washington State-Washington duel should be branded: The Crab-Apple Cup.
For instance, a comment heard from a sports fan/friend not affiliated with either institution engaged in this achingly non-traditional Apple Cup football clash at Husky Stadium on Sunday afternoon:
"Seems kind of meaningless, doesn't it?"
Well, like so many things, it depends on your perspective.
I would argue that this game is one of the few things left in contemporary college sports that does have meaning beyond the dollar signs, and which, rarer still, continues to make sense.

#state

It may have taken a long time for ESPN Unlimited to finally come to YouTube TV, but sports fans are quickly discovering that it was worth the wait, especially for college football fans.
When Disney and Google engaged in a bitter carriage dispute last fall, ESPN access on YouTube TV was at the center of it all. It was the rare time that games were actually missed during the middle of the football season. But when the two sides finally came to an agreement, ESPN Unlimited access was granted to YouTube TV subscribers.
However, that access was delayed due to the technological challenges of integrating the entire ESPN Unlimited platform into YouTube TV and, likewise, the requirements on ESPN's side to grant web access directly on ESPN.
Thankfully, the full system is ready to go in time for the 2026 football season. And as the college football season kicked off in full on Friday night and Saturday, fans were amazed at what they were experiencing with a full library of live sports available in one place at one time.
YouTube TV has long been favored as the MVPD platform for sports fans because of the litany of sports options, multiview features, and ease of use. But the ESPN Unlimited integration takes it to a new level.

#unlimited #Football #access

WestEnd Capital Management, an investment advisor, released its Q2 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. WestEnd Capital Management's Core Strategy achieved a 16.3% net return in the quarter, surpassing the S&P 500's 15.0%. This performance stemmed from strong earnings generators and upward earnings revisions, showcasing U.S. companies' efficiency in converting sales into profits. S&P 500 net profit margins reached a decade-high of 14.8% in Q1 and are expected to remain above 14% in Q2 despite challenges like higher interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty. Technology remains a key focus in WestEnd's portfolio, along with investments in infrastructure, demographic shifts, financial innovation, and selective consumer opportunities. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, WestEnd Capital Management highlighted Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD). Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) is a US-based financial services company that provides a trading platform for stocks, exchange-traded funds, American depository receipts, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. On September 02, 2026, Robinhood Markets, Inc. closed at $106.99 per share. Robinhood Markets, Inc. returned 34.83% over the past month, and its shares have gained 18.84% over the past 52 weeks. Robinhood Markets, Inc. has a market capitalization of $96.19 billion.
WestEnd Capital Management stated the following regarding Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) has evolved well beyond the online brokerage platform many investors still ****** ociate with its early years. The company is building a broader financial services ecosystem that includes brokerage and retirement accounts, cash management, securities lending, advisory services, credit products, prediction markets, and international operations.
But its primary advantage is the strength of its customer relationship. Robinhood has built a large, highly engaged user base and can introduce new products through a single digital platform with relatively low incremental distribution costs. As customers consolidate more of their financial activity with the company, Robinhood can generate higher revenue per account and develop recurring revenue streams that extend beyond transaction-based trading..." (Click here to read the full text)

#robinhood #hood #financial

On August 3, Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ:OCUL) reported second-quarter 2026 financial results that read as much like a regulatory update as an earnings report. Management confirmed that AXPAXLI, its lead retinal disease candidate, remains on track for a new drug application submission for wet age-related macular degeneration in the fourth quarter of 2026, a plan the FDA effectively signed off on during a Type C meeting held in May. That timeline, paired with new data suggesting patients could need far fewer injections, is the headline. The rest of the report shows what it costs to get there.
AXPAXLI's case rests on the SOL-1 trial, which Ocular describes as the first successful superiority study of a new agent against an approved anti-VEGF therapy since that drug class arrived two decades ago. The FDA's May 2026 meeting minutes confirmed that SOL-1's efficacy and safety data, along with an interim safety look at the SOL-R trial and supporting evidence on axitinib, will be enough to support the NDA filing, and Ocular plans to file under the 505(b)(2) pathway, which could shave up to 60 days off a standard review.
A post hoc ***** ysis of SOL-1 adds a practical argument for the drug: applying SOL-R's stricter rescue criteria, Ocular estimates patients could need up to 72% fewer injections through 60 weeks, or 56% once the two loading doses are counted, than a patient on a typical every-eight-week aflibercept regimen, a gap that matters given that up to 40% of wet AMD patients quit treatment within their first year.
Early market research backs that pitch: about 80% of surveyed retina specialists said they would likely prescribe a drug with AXPAXLI's profile, and more than 90% expect to adopt it within a year of approval. The company says every Tier 1 payer it has engaged, across Medicare Advantage and commercial plans, has floated premium pricing for a more durable option. Underpinning all of it is a cash balance of $598.6 million as of June 30, which management expects to last into 2028.
Getting AXPAXLI to market is expensive, and the quarter showed it. Research and development spending rose to $54.1 million from $51.1 million a year earlier, selling and marketing costs climbed to $17.3 million from $13.7 million, and general and administrative expenses jumped to $22.2 million from $14.3 million, all tied to trial costs and a growing commercial team ahead of a launch that still is not approved. Net loss widened to $78.8 million from $67.8 million in the same quarter of 2025.

#quarter #costs

By Mary Guzman
Apple's July 10, 2026 lawsuit against OpenAI, filed in the Northern District of California just five weeks after OpenAI's confidential Form S‑1 targeted a trillion‑dollar valuation, presents a governance case study with implications far beyond Silicon Valley. In Apple Inc. v. Liu, No. 5:26‑cv‑07078, Apple alleges that OpenAI Group PBC, OpenAI Foundation, io Products LLC, former Apple vice president Tang Yew Tan, and former Apple engineer Chang Liu engaged in a coordinated effort to obtain confidential Apple hardware designs, supply‑chain intelligence, and unreleased product specifications. Apple claims the misappropriation reached every level of OpenAI's hardware organization and seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions, compensatory damages, a reasonable royalty in the alternative, exemplary damages for willful misappropriation, and attorneys' fees*. OpenAI denies all allegations and points to Apple's allegedly lax exit procedures as the key negating factor.
From a governance perspective, the case highlights a recurring pattern: trade‑secret disputes that appear straightforward to the public often reveal deeper structural weaknesses inside the victim organization. The industry has seen versions of this before—emails encouraging departing employees to "bring what you know," or the more extreme mole scenario, as in Deel v. Rippling. These are not just operational failures; they are governance failures that should alarm any board member or investor expecting a clean exit or a stable competitive position.
The risk is accelerating. More than 1,500 federal trade‑secret cases were filed in 2025 – the highest ever – and still only a fraction of the true number. AI proliferation, high employee mobility, and limits on non‑competes ensure that trade‑secret litigation will continue to rise. Meanwhile, companies increasingly rely on trade‑secret protection (surpassing the long-favored patent-or-die approach) recognizing that patents disclose the playbook to competitors and nation‑state adversaries. In a world where competitive advantage is often driven by a process rather than the output it creates, trade secrets are often the most valuable and strategic IP ******* et.
But the governance question is always the same: Did the company actually have protectable trade secrets? That requires: a) legal ownership of the innovation, b) demonstrable uniqueness that creates value, and c) "reasonable measures" to protect it.

#confidential #case

WestEnd Capital Management, an investment advisor, released its Q2 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. WestEnd Capital Management's Core Strategy achieved a 16.3% net return in the quarter, surpassing the S&P 500's 15.0%. This performance stemmed from strong earnings generators and upward earnings revisions, showcasing U.S. companies' efficiency in converting sales into profits. S&P 500 net profit margins reached a decade-high of 14.8% in Q1 and are expected to remain above 14% in Q2 despite challenges like higher interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty. Technology remains a key focus in WestEnd's portfolio, along with investments in infrastructure, demographic shifts, financial innovation, and selective consumer opportunities. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, WestEnd Capital Management highlighted Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD). Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) is a US-based financial services company that provides a trading platform for stocks, exchange-traded funds, American depository receipts, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. On September 02, 2026, Robinhood Markets, Inc. closed at $106.99 per share. Robinhood Markets, Inc. returned 34.83% over the past month, and its shares have gained 18.84% over the past 52 weeks. Robinhood Markets, Inc. has a market capitalization of $96.19 billion.
WestEnd Capital Management stated the following regarding Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) has evolved well beyond the online brokerage platform many investors still ****** ociate with its early years. The company is building a broader financial services ecosystem that includes brokerage and retirement accounts, cash management, securities lending, advisory services, credit products, prediction markets, and international operations.
But its primary advantage is the strength of its customer relationship. Robinhood has built a large, highly engaged user base and can introduce new products through a single digital platform with relatively low incremental distribution costs. As customers consolidate more of their financial activity with the company, Robinhood can generate higher revenue per account and develop recurring revenue streams that extend beyond transaction-based trading..." (Click here to read the full text)

#westend

A hamstring injury cost Makai Lemon valuable training camp reps, but the Philadelphia Eagles weren't about to let their first-round pick spend the summer standing still. This is fascinating. According to reporting from Ed Kracz of Eagles On SI and Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Philadelphia's coaching staff developed several behind-the-scenes methods to keep Lemon involved. At the same time, he recovered from the injury that sidelined him for much of training camp.
The goal was simple: make sure the rookie receiver didn't fall so far behind that his development stalled before the regular season even began.
The Eagles have consistently spoken about Lemon's work ethic and desire to improve, and the reports from Kracz and Zangaro offer a glimpse into how the organization worked to maximize his learning opportunities even when he couldn't fully participate on the field.
Zangaro reported that wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead described the process as a collaborative effort involving coaches, players, and support staff throughout the organization. Since Lemon was unable to practice, the Eagles looked for creative ways to keep him engaged. Moorehead explained that Lemon continued participating in walkthroughs, breaking the huddle and moving to his ***** ignments even when he couldn't physically run the plays.
The objective was to keep him mentally involved in the offense and maintain familiarity with his responsibilities. One of the most important parts of that process centered on quarterback Jalen Hurts.

#lemon #zangaro #moorehead #injury