Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping retail, but not in the ways consumers might immediately notice. The biggest transformation may not be flashy virtual try-ons or chatbot shopping assistants, but in how decisions are made behind the scenes: how products surface in search results, how inventory moves through supply chains, how engineers ship code faster, and…

Some Macs are hundreds of dollars more expensive today than yesterday.

2 days left to lock in your spot at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 and save up to $190 before Early Bird rates expire on June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register here.

The Department of Transportation wants to remove the brake-pedal requirement for vehicles "designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems."

Europeans are baking under their second heat wave of the summer.

We spoke to Darren Blanchard, the man arrested while speaking out against data centers at a community meeting. He's sharing the bodycam footage of his arrest for the first time with 404 Media.

Colossal Biosciences will be biobanking tissues from all of them as well.

Adobe said that it will integrate Topaz Labs' tools across its apps.

Enterprise Document Intelligence [Vol.1 #7C] - One LLM call ranks the candidates with reasons. The output is one typed object your auditor can defend The post An LLM as arbiter in RAG retrieval: picking the right candidate with reasons appeared first on Towards Data Science.

"There is no natural explanation," says paleoanthropologist John Hawks.

Erin Woo / The Information: Sources: Google expands the scope of its months-old AI coding strike team to “midtraining” to try to catch up with Anthropic, after major executive departures  —  Google is reorganizing its recently launched strike team working on AI coding tools to try to catch up with Anthropic …

Lily Mae Lazarus / Fortune: Sail, whose software optimizes how AI models run on existing chips, emerges from stealth with $80M in seed and Series A led by Kleiner at a $450M valuation  —  For months, Kleiner Perkins partner Aditya Naganath had been mulling over his investing thesis that the next wave of AI wasn't going to be a chatbot …

A wave of public offerings is rippling through robotics, AI and the larger tech industry.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images JPMorgan gave its biggest clue yet as to who might succeed longtime CEO Jamie Dimon. Investment bank co-CEOs Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh will become the firm's new co-presidents. Dimon, who turned 70 in March, has been JPMorgan's boss for two decades. JPMorgan has named two new co-presidents in its biggest hint yet as to who might replace longtime CEO Jamie Dimon. On Thursday, the finance giant said Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, who are currently the co-heads of JPMorgan's investment bank, would become co-presidents effective immediately. Alongside becoming co-presidents, Petno will become the sole CEO of JPMorgan's investment banking arm, while Rohrbaugh will become CEO of its commercial and community banking division. JPMorgan directly tied the moves to succession planning, saying they were part of a "process to ensure continued exceptional leadership at the highest levels of the company." "The changes announced today mark an important step in our Board's thoughtful process around succession planning and development of our top leaders," Dimon said in a press release, praising their "extraordinary leadership capabilities." Dimon, who turned 70 earlier this year, has been JPMorgan's CEO since 2006 and steered the bank through the 2008 financial crisis. He has presided over its reign as the biggest bank in the US, with over $4.4 trillion of total assets. This is a developing story. Read the original article on Business Insider

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: Apple says “the rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage”; the MacBook Neo rises from $599 to $699  —  Apple Inc. took the extreme measure of raising prices of all Macs, iPads, home devices and the Vision Pro on Thursday …

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images Retailers such as Dollar General and Aldi plan major store expansions in the US in 2026. Store closures are outpacing openings so far, with over 2,000 closures announced for 2026. From Costco to Walmart, see what retailers have said about plans to open new stores. While some retailers are scaling back in 2026, others are expanding their footprints across the US. The success of discount retailers like Dollar General and Nordstrom Rack suggests that American consumers are rewarding retailers that can offer them deals over those that charge full price for groceries and apparel. Big box stores like Target and Walmart, and warehouse clubs like Costco, are also upping their investments in store remodels and openings for 2026 and beyond. For now, 2026 store closures appear on track to outpace openings, with over 2,000 planned closures announced so far, by Business Insider's count. In 2025, store closures reached over 4,100. While retailers like Macy's cut back on stores to focus on their digital footprint, these chains are spending money to expand their physical retail presence. See the list of major store openings below. Dollar General: 450 stores Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images On a December 4 earnings call, Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos told analysts that the company plans to open 450 new stores in 2026. It's a step down from the planned 575 in 2025, but Vasos said there's no need to race to fill the vacant retail space left by competitors. "Our competition today is really not opening a lot of stores," Vasos said on the call. "We don't feel compelled to have to rush to open a lot of stores. Aldi: 180 stores Kevin Carter/Getty Images Aldi kicked off its 50th anniversary year with an announcement of more than 180 new stores set to open across 31 states in the US by the end of 2026. With its expanded footprint, the grocer expects to operate nearly 2,800 stores by the year's end, bringing it closer to its goal of 3,200 locations by the end of 2028. Starbucks: 150 to 175 coffeehouses Starbucks is opening 150 to 175 US company-operated stores this year. Bloomberg/Getty Images After closing hundreds of cafés as part of a restructuring plan last year, Starbucks plans to add 150 to 175 net new company-operated coffeehouses in the US this year. The company reiterated the plans in an April earnings call. The coffee giant has also been renovating hundreds of locations with digital menu boards, warmer decor, and cushy seating. Ollie's: 75 stores Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Discount retailer Ollie's Bargain Outlet showed a strong performance in foot traffic and store openings 2025, and its growth appears to be continuing in 2026. The company said on a December earnings call that it's targeting 75 new stores for fiscal year 2026. Barnes & Noble: 60 stores Al Drago/Getty Images Barnes & Noble is set to open 60 new stores in 2026, and has attributed its success to its new decentralized strategy, Fox Business reported on December 23. "Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful," the company told Fox Business in a statement. The book chain was acquired by activist firm Elliott Management in 2019, which jumped at the opportunity to turn the business around as it faced competition from online channels like Amazon. Today, Elliott is reportedly eyeing an IPO along with the new stores openings in 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported. Aerie and Offline: 35 stores The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images Loungewear and athleisure companies Aerie and Offline are set to open 35 new stores and remodel 60 locations in 2026. In March, American Eagle Outfitters CFO Mike Mathias told analysts to expect a capital expenditure in the range of $250 million and $260 million for 2026, which will help finance the store changes. Target: 30 stores Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Target said in March that it plans to open 30 new stores this year on its way to 300 new locations by 2035. The 2026 expansion plans include a $5 billion investment in new stores, ongoing remodels, technology, and supply chain. "This new chapter of growth at Target is defined by clear choices and rooted in a deeper understanding of our unique lane in retail, the guests we serve, and the areas where we're distinctly positioned to win," CEO Michael Fiddelke said in a statement. Costco: 26 stores Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Costco is opening 26 net new stores in its 2026 fiscal year as part of its expansion plans, the company said on a May earnings call. Coming US locations include warehouses in Syracuse, Utah, and Pensacola, Florida, that are set to open in June. Several other locations are set for August openings: Albany, New York Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Otsego, Minnesota Mansfield, Texas Celina, Texas Stone Mountain, Georgia Lee's Summit, Missouri Walmart: 20 stores Brandon Bell/Getty Images Walmart's big plans for 2026 include remodeling about 650 stores and launching new ones. The company plans to open 20 stores in 2026 through early 2027. The retailer said the new stores and remodels would create jobs, from construction work during development to long-term roles in retail, pharmacy, and store leadership. Walmart's US CEO, David Guggina, said on a February earnings call that the company had opened 12 new stores and remodeled 674 stores over the previous 12 months. BJ's Wholesale Club: 16 stores Joe Raedle/Getty Images BJ's Wholesale Club, a membership-based retailer where shoppers buy in bulk, opened 14 stores in 2025, and isn't slowing down in 2026. CEO Bob Eddy boasted about the openings and told analysts on March 5 that it plans to close out 2026 with 25 to 30 new stores, including the ones it opened last year. "These clubs, as a whole, are delivering sales, membership, and profit that are well above expectations, and we're very excited for our continued accelerated club growth," Eddy said. Kroger: 14 stores Brandon Bell/Getty Images Grocery chain Kroger has been clear about its intention to open new stores over the past several months. It told investors in 2025 that it expects store openings to increase by 30% this year. So far, Kroger has confirmed plans to break ground on 14 new stores in 2026. Nordstrom Rack: 13 stores Kevin Carter/Getty Images In a series of press releases published in 2024 and 2025, discount apparel retailer Nordstrom Rack announced plans to open at least 13 new stores across the US throughout the spring and fall of 2026. The new locations include states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and California. Uniqlo: 11 stores Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto via Getty Images Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is expected to expand by 11 new stores in the US in 2026, according to an announcement obtained by Retail Dive in October. The openings reportedly include two new flagship stores in Chicago and San Francisco. "These new stores are not only a milestone of our growth, but a way of honoring the customers who welcomed us two decades ago and continue to inspire everything we do," Fuminori Adachi, Uniqulo's US CEO, said in a statement to Retail Dive. L.L. Bean: 8 stores : Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Outdoor lifestyle brand L.L. Bean announced on December 9 that it has plans for a "major retail expansion in 2026," which includes the opening of eight new stores across the US. The new locations will bring the brand's total stores to 76 nationwide. "We continue to see physical retail as an essential part of our growth strategy," said Greg Elder, L.L.Bean chief retail officer. "Our 2026 expansion reflects our commitment to reaching more people who share our love for the outdoors." Benihana: 2 locations Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images The One Group Hospitality, which acquired the Japanese restaurant chain Benihana in 2024, announced an agreement on December 29 that secured it the development rights to 10 Benihana or Benihana Express locations. The deal is expected to see two Benihana locations open in 2026 with the remaining locations to open over the next seven years. Read the original article on Business Insider

Rolfe Winkler / Wall Street Journal: Apple raises Mac, iPad, and other product prices by 15%-25%, saying it has “never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly”; iPhone is unchanged  —  Increases come a week after Tim Cook said higher memory costs made them ‘unavoidable’

Jeff Kauflin / Forbes: Australian payments startup Airwallex raised $320M led by Lee Fixel's Addition at an $11B valuation, and is incubating blockchain payments startup Metal  —  Amid allegations of sharing customer data with China, Australian payments startup Airwallex, now valued at $11 billion, is gunning for Stripe and Ramp.

Steven Rosenbush / Wall Street Journal: Scaled Cognition, a reliability-focused lab that develops the Agentic Pretrained Transformer model, raised a $100M Series A led by Khosla at a $750M valuation  —  AI models can be ‘like schizophrenic geniuses,’ says CEO who raised $100 million in round led by Khosla Ventures

The author started making new friends after her divorce. Courtesy of Theresa Pickett After my divorce, I felt a loss of community. I decided to try Bumble BFF and make a real effort to build connections. Real friendship goes beyond surface-level activities, and that connection isn't built over an app. After I wrote about moving to the suburbs near Columbia, Maryland, for love — and the nostalgia that hit when I missed living in my hometown, Nashville, after that relationship ended — people began reaching out. They sent kind messages and suggestions for how I could get more involved locally. One reader even invited me to visit her church, which I happily accepted. The gesture was generous, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I hadn't found my people. I had built a life in Maryland over more than a decade, but it was centered on a relationship. When I got divorced, many things remained — the townhouse, the neighborhood walks — but the sense of belonging didn't. After my divorce, I tried dating, but I learned that it was more important to focus on building community after neglecting to do so for years. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that romance wouldn't create the support system I needed. So I did something different. I downloaded a friendship app. I downloaded a friendship app Creating a profile for friendship felt like a familiar exercise. With a background in marketing and copywriting, I approached it the way I would destination writing by describing what a day with me might look like. I uploaded photos that captured highlights from my life: a sunny day on a boat, a beach getaway. Then I started swiping. At first, I kept things simple with coffee, walks, and low expectations. One woman and I traded travel stories. Another invited me to go rock climbing, which I hadn't done since college. Saying yes to these friend dates reminded me of who I used to be, and who I still could be. Still, neither connection developed beyond that first outing. My calendar began filling quickly as I continued to meet more people, but activity alone wasn't the same thing as connection. Some conversations also never moved beyond the app; many of the women I connected with lived 20 to 30 miles away, and those matches rarely turned into in-person meetups for logistical reasons. I decided to adjust my approach. I invited people to work events, and it created deeper connections At the time, I worked in event marketing for a local hotel that hosted live music, seasonal gatherings, and community events designed to bring people together. Instead of simply promoting those experiences, I started inviting my matches. It changed everything. My job created a built-in setting for connection. What began as casual invitations to events I was already attending gradually turned into actual friendships. It taught me that connection can grow more naturally when you're inviting people into a life you're already living. Before long, I was sharing other plans and seeing who wanted to join. The friendships that lasted weren't formed during a single meetup. They grew through seeing each other repeatedly. There were small but vivid moments of joy, like going to rock concerts or salsa dancing with new friends. One night, I went dancing in Baltimore with someone I'd originally connected with through one of my after-work meetups in the suburbs. Going into the city together meant sharing the drive and navigating parking. It was a small thing, but it reminded me that friendship isn't built only through fun. Sometimes it's built through the logistics of showing up together. One of the most impactful moments was when a friend came through for me shortly after we met, as I navigated a dating situation. During a long conversation, she gently encouraged me to maintain firmer boundaries. I remember wondering whether I would have had the capacity to show up that way for someone else. Seeing her do it for me made me realize I did. Friendship became my priority At some point, I realized I didn't need to keep swiping to build a community around myself; I just needed to nurture the support system that was already forming around me. Instead of focusing on meeting more people, I started investing more deeply in the relationships already taking shape. Creating deep friendship requires showing up for each other, and in the early days after my divorce, I hadn't been ready for that. Over time, these new friendships helped me realize that I was. Columbia began to feel less like the place I had moved to for someone else and more like a place that belonged to me. At times, the city can still feel quiet. However, now I know I have people to call for a walk, a concert, or dinner. Making these friendships didn't happen all at once. It happened one conversation, one invitation, and one friendship at a time. Read the original article on Business Insider