Good morning readers. It looks like Snoop may have pulled a fast one on us by declaring he was done with "smoke". He was actually championing a smokeless fire pit from Solo Stove. The internet did a double-take when the maestro of marijuana hinted at a smoke-free lifestyle on Instagram, only to unveil his new role as 'smokesman' for the outdoor company. The cheeky move is classic Snoop—keeping his green credentials intact while promoting a cleaner burn. Clever? Absolutely. Smoke and mirrors? Just the Snoop Dogg way.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Over 700 employees threaten to leave OpenAI

• Headline Hustle: Federal court tries to weaken Voting Rights Act, Amazon launches free AI classes, SEC sues Kraken crypto exchange

• College students struggle with making small talk, networking

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

OpenAI plays musical chairs, and Microsoft's holding the record

Like a reality TV show hitting its peak season drama, the corridors of OpenAI are buzzing with the kind of suspense that could make a Netflix thriller seem tame. In a twist no AI could've predicted, over 700 employees are on the verge of dropping their badges and walking out. The reason? It seems the board played their hand too close to the chest in firing CEO Sam Altman, and now, the hive is swarming.

Nadella to the rescue

The drama unfolded with Microsoft's Satya Nadella rolling out the red carpet for the disgruntled OpenAI crew, offering a new home for Altman and co. faster than you can say “machine learning.” This brouhaha isn't just about hurt feelings; it's about the enigmatic jigsaw of Altman's dismissal, which has everyone from the break room to the board room scratching their heads. And after attempts to bring Altman back failed, the board went and hired Emmett Shear, ex-CEO of Twitch.

Altman, who’s been in hot water before for juggling too many Silicon Valley plates, found his plate smashing on the ground this time. The board's silent treatment over the sacking has the rumor mill spinning at warp speed, and trust? Well, that's as scarce as a dial-up modem in the OpenAI offices now.

What's at stake? A whopping $90 billion valuation on OpenAI, pinned on Altman's vision, now hanging by a thread. This saga isn't just corporate intrigue; it's a masterclass in the high-wire act of balancing non-profit ideals with Silicon Valley's glittering gold. As OpenAI's future hangs in the balance, it's clear: In the world of tech, transparency isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the linchpin of trust and stability.

Headline Hustle

🇺🇸 Federal court moves to drastically weaken Voting Rights Act. In a decision that might as well have come with a "shocker" alert, the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has just thrown a curveball at voting rights, declaring that regular voters can't sue over discrimination in election rules. Only the big guns at the DOJ have that privilege now. This 2-to-1 ruling, penned by a Trump appointee, sideswipes years of court decisions and could rewrite the playbook on how voting rights are defended. With legal experts and Republican AGs at odds over the implications, the path forward could lead to the Supreme Court, leaving voter rights advocates bracing for an uphill battle in defending the foundational right to vote.

🤖 Amazon launches free AI classes. Amazon's stepping up its AI game with "AI Ready," a new program aimed at training a cool two million folks by 2025. This isn't just any old upskill hustle—it's a strategic play to buff up its AI talent muscle and catch up with Microsoft and Google. The free online courses are open to all, from newbies to tech veterans, and are Amazon's way of saying AI's the future and they're here to prep the workforce to harness it. The company’s betting big that democratizing AI smarts isn't just good for them but for everyone looking to stay ahead of the tech curve

🪙 SEC sues Kraken crypto exchange. Kraken, a crypto giant, finds itself in hot water as the SEC sues it for operating an unregistered securities exchange. This suit is a piece of SEC Chair Gary Gensler's grand plan to stretch federal securities laws to include digital assets. Kraken, undeterred, is ready to throw down in court, arguing that it's up to Congress, not the SEC, to set crypto rules. Despite the legal drama, Kraken assures its 10 million clients it's business as usual. This case echoes the SEC's ongoing tussles with other crypto heavyweights, pushing for fines and compliance while Kraken stands by its operations.

EDUCATION

Schmooze or lose: Colleges tackle the soft skills shortage

It seems the age-old adage "It's not what you know, but who you know" is tripping up today's graduates more than the usual suspects of exams and essays. A professor from a certain Floridian liberal arts college has spotted a gap bigger than what SparkNotes can fill—soft skills, the bread, and butter of the job hunt. To combat this, she's whipped up a Job Market Boot Camp, complete with alumni mixers where students can practice the art of schmoozing, much to the terror of many who find chatting up strangers scarier than a pop quiz.

Despite many students' self-assured nods to their own communication savvy, employers are raising an eyebrow, or two. A survey from a notable national employment association throws some shade on this self-assessment, showing a mismatch that's got more gaps than a poorly planned study guide. Across the land of the free, professors are stepping up their game, tossing the traditional curriculum a curveball, weaving in networking how-to’s and cover letter crafting skills to polish their students' professional prowess.

The bottom line. The academic world is waking up to the fact that knowing how to talk the talk is just as crucial as acing that algorithm test. From teaching the art of using someone's name in a conversation without making it weird, to showing how not to write a cover letter that screams "me, me, me," professors are on a mission. They're bridging the soft skills gap, proving that in the age of AI and VR, the good old human touch is still king in the job market.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster for undisclosed information on ticket pricing and fees after a previously unannounced probe.

• Federal regulators have instructed Toyota Motor's auto-lending arm to pay $60 million in fines and provide consumer redress for allegedly obstructing borrowers from canceling product bundles that increased their monthly loan payments.

• The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly pursuing over $4 billion from Binance Holdings as part of a proposed resolution for a lengthy investigation, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News.

• Citigroup has initiated a significant round of layoffs and organizational changes as part of CEO Jane Fraser's efforts to streamline the global bank's operations.

• Italy's largest mafia trial in decades concluded on Monday with over 200 individuals being convicted for their involvement with or collaboration with the 'Ndrangheta, the country's most powerful and wealthiest crime syndicate.

• Apple is preparing to launch its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset in March, a delay from its originally planned January release.

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