Another Kind of Artificial Intelligence

Politics

Another Kind of Artificial Intelligence

What’s going on: Yesterday, President Donald Trump named former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s acting replacement, and of course, it’s a man. (Though after seeing what happened to Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi, that’s no surprise.) Bill Pulte, currently a housing official and the chairman of mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will take over as acting leader of the nation’s spy agencies. It’s a pretty dramatic promotion: Pulte will go from running federal housing finance to supervising the CIA, NSA, and 16 other intelligence agencies. His recent work included helping the administration gather information for investigations involving Trump’s perceived political enemies. Alias never prepared us for this.

I’ve got a million questions: Join the club. But all roads to Pulte’s acting appointment lead back here: He has no known intelligence or security experience; instead, Trump pointed to Pulte’s business credentials on social media. Because Pulte will serve in an acting capacity, he can take the job without Senate confirmation and remain in the role for up to 210 days. It’s also still unclear whether Trump plans to nominate him for the position permanently. Pulte is one of Trump’s most visible loyalists online, and as acting director, he’s expected to focus on Trump’s priorities, including efforts to prove the false claim that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election. Whatever Pulte does on the job, he certainly shares the president’s flair for social media and a vibes-based approach to capitalization. Rarely has someone tweeted their way into a job this important.

Related: Trump’s Social Media Posts, in Chart Form (NPR)

The News in 5

🗞️ Tuesday’s primaries dealt a high-profile blow to President Donald Trump’s endorsement streak. Meanwhile, the LA mayoral race was exactly as dramatic as the finale of The Hills.

🗞️ President Trump blamed “vandals” for this act at the National Mall after an event celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Spill, baby, spill?

🗞️ In the race to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the candidate she endorsed just advanced to the November election. For Pelosi, it’s about keeping women “at the table.”

🗞️ Well, it didn’t take long for another airline to challenge Spirit’s reputation for customer service (or lack thereof).

🗞️ It seems our paper straws are actually doing something. We’ve apparently averted “the worst climate future once thought possible.”

Tech

The Belle of the Stock Market Ball

What’s going on: Anthropic and OpenAI have spent years battling for AI dominance. Now they may race toward Wall Street, too. Anthropic moved the starting line on Monday, with a surprise filing for an initial public offering (IPO), amid skyrocketing costs. If you’ve seen Bridgerton, think of an IPO like a Regency debutante ball but for tech bros. It’s a private company’s formal presentation to society. It gets dressed up, its finances are inspected, and influential people are invited to meet it. The goal: Go public and sell shares on the stock market. Anthropic’s filing remains confidential while the Securities and Exchange Commission reviews it, but it’s the first step toward beating its rival to the dowry (aka more funding).  

There’s a catch (for the rest of us): Anthropic still has a long road ahead, but this is a notable — and earlier-than-expected — move. Neither it nor OpenAI was expected to begin trading until fall. And while going public will benefit these companies and their financial portfolios, the payoff for everyone else is less clear. As analysts for The New York Times note, regular investors shouldn’t expect these companies to generate meaningful returns anytime soon. Yet, many people could end up with a stake in AI whether they want one or not. If you own certain mutual funds, there’s a good chance you could eventually own shares of these companies, too. Anthropic was recently valued at almost $1 trillion — that’s 12 zeros. However, critics wonder if all the money being poured into AI is worth it… or whether the bubble will burst. The beginning of this AI IPO cycle could offer answers. Still, Lady Whistledown would agree: It’s too soon to call Anthropic the “diamond of the season.”

Related: Trump Has Plans for “Voluntary” Vetting of AI Models Pre-Release (The Guardian)

Men At Work

Non-Trad Dads

What’s going on: Remote work didn’t just reshape life for working moms. It’s changing fatherhood, too. A new study found college-educated dads now spend more time at home and less time at work than they did pre-pandemic. One dad told The Wall Street Journal that he’s saving big on childcare after transitioning to a WFH role — and it was well worth the 30% pay cut. He's not alone. The analysis also showed that dads with degrees work six hours fewer a week and spend about four of these extra hours caring for the house and kids. Before you reach for the participation trophy, women still perform 15 more hours (on average) of the invisible work. After all, the dishwasher isn’t going to unload itself.

Let’s normalize WFH dads: The trend arrives at a strange moment. Traditional gender roles have made a comeback in some corners of the internet, from tradwife influencers to manosphere personalities. At the same time, real life keeps pushing families in the opposite direction. Most households rely on two incomes, in part because daycare costs a fortune. Parents spend about $300K to raise a kid over 18 years, and the $17K spent on childcare annually isn’t pocket change. Even Trump doesn’t want to deal with it. Instead, parents are left to raise the kids and pay for them with WFH gigs. If only CEOs got the memo.

Related: Who Knew Financially Supporting Mothers Would Benefit Their Babies? (The New York Times Gift Link)

Quick Hits

🎙️ Former First Lady Michelle Obama name-dropped her favorite podcast guest and explained why he’s one of the smartest men on the planet. Barack may want a recount.

💻 Here’s another (more serious) reason to close all those open tabs on your browser. 

🍵 Turns out a cozy cup of this is actually much better for your brain, heart, and gut health than green tea.  

🖌️ We need the name and number of the PR genius responsible for giving the least popular paint shade of 2026 a major glow-up.

👜 The summer “it” bag you didn’t know you needed has room for… an entire rotisserie chicken? Sometimes snack tins aren’t enough.

⭐ And we have pitch perfect news about the adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Will “Cups” be on the soundtrack?

We Needed This

On Our Calendar

Wednesday, June 3

🏀 NBA Finals start 

Game one between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs is at 8:30 pm ET. And just like that, history repeats. 

🍿 The Tribeca Festival starts 

It’s the 25th anniversary edition of the entertainment festival, which includes a screening of the much-anticipated-by-us Katie Holmes-Joshua Jackson movie, Happy Hours. 

🏃‍♀️ Global Running Day 

Try for a 5K — this one’s virtual and free through June 7. 

Psst…this is just the preview: Subscribe to theSkimm app and never miss a moment.

Products You Should Know About

Ali, Senior Commerce Director, here. I get a lot of emails about new product launches, bestsellers, and trending brands. And since part of my job is carefully sorting through to find what’s worth it, here are the few things I’ve bookmarked lately:

• Quay’s newest launches, particularly this pair under $100

• Free shipping at Supergoop!, with a free gift on orders overs $60

• The exfoliating pads that are cleansing my skin and preventing whiteheads 

• The whitening strips I’m using before a wedding in July

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Jessica Prois, Marina Carver, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.