AI Seating Chart Released | Rewire News Morning Brief
Trump Releases AI Policy Seating Chart, Musk and Otto Mann Not Included. Sanders to Freeze All Data Centers, Four Institutions Jointly Push Recession Probability above 30%.
1|Trump Forms AI Power Cabinet, Musk and Otto Mann Lose Out
The White House on Wednesday announced the first 13 members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Zuckerberg, Huang Renxun, Ellison, Andreessen, Brin, Su Zifeng, Safrà Katz, Michael Dell were all selected. Sachs and Clazios co-chaired, focusing on AI policy.
The list does not include Musk or Otto Mann. Musk is busy with DOGE and SpaceX's IPO, and his influence channel does not need to go through PCAST. Otto Mann is preparing for OpenAI's IPO transition, and on the same day, his company dropped Sora. The reasons for the absence of the two are different, but the signal is the same. PCAST does not want independent voices, but rather executors willing to bet the entire AI infrastructure on U.S. soil.
The common feature of the selected individuals is very clear. Huang Renxun sells computing power, Ellison builds data centers, Zuckerberg is set to spend $115 billion on AI infrastructure this year, Andreessen has invested in half of Silicon Valley's AI companies. Coinbase co-founder Ersam is also on the list, giving digital assets a formal seat at this table. This is not an advisory committee, but a wartime cabinet for the AI industry.
(Source: White House / WSJ / Fortune / Reuters)
2|Sanders to Freeze All New Data Centers, Three Lines of AI Policy Fracture
Senator Sanders and Representative AOC introduced the "AI Data Center Pause Act" on Wednesday. Until federal AI security legislation is passed, all new data centers are prohibited from being built across the U.S. This is the first federal-level data center freeze proposal. The bill aims to protect workers' rights, consumer privacy, the environment, and civil rights, arguing that the economic benefits of AI should not only go to the tech giants.
The reaction was immediate. Senator Warner at the Axios AI Summit directly called it "idiotic," stating that suspending construction is equivalent to handing the AI race over to China. The Data Center Alliance warned that this would "constrain internet capacity and eliminate hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs."
Meanwhile, another legislative line is advancing in parallel during the same week. Senator Slotkin's "AI Fence Act" aims to prohibit the Pentagon from using AI for large-scale domestic surveillance and unauthorized lethal autonomous weapons. Senator Hif is drafting complementary legislation to codify the military red lines in Anthropic contracts into federal law, aiming to embed them in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. AI policy is fracturing in three directions: data centers, military ethics, and industrial power.
(Source: Wired / Axios / Sanders.senate.gov / The Verge / The Hill / NBC News)
3|Meta Layoffs 700 on the Same Day It Grants $9.21 Billion in Options to 6 Executives
Meta began laying off about 700 employees on Wednesday, focusing on the Reality Labs, Recruiting, and Facebook departments. On the same day, the company disclosed a new stock incentive plan, where 6 executives (including CTO Bosworth, CPO Cox, CFO Lee) could receive up to $9.21 billion in options within five years, contingent on increasing the market cap from $1.5 trillion to $9 trillion by 2031. This year's AI infrastructure budget is no less than $115 billion.
The 700 layoffs and $9.21 billion options are not contradictory. The human structure of the AI race is restructuring, requiring not more people, but more expensive people.
Another signal on the same day. After 40 hours of deliberation, a California jury ruled for the first time that Meta and YouTube were negligent in a case of children's social media addiction, awarding $3 million in damages. While not a large amount, this is the first such ruling in U.S. history. Punitive damages are yet to be determined, and multiple states across the U.S. are watching for follow-ups.
(Source: CNBC / Bloomberg / NYT / Fortune / TechCrunch)
4|Four Institutions Push Recession Probability Above 30% This Week, Larry Fink Says There Is No Middle Ground
Moodys pushed the U.S. recession probability for the next 12 months to 49%. Goldman Sachs to 30%, EY-Parthenon to 40%. The usual baseline probability is 15%-20%. The U.S. unexpectedly lost 92,000 jobs last month, and economic indicators were weakening even before the Iran war.
BlackRock CEO Fink gave the most straightforward framework to the BBC. The Iran war has only two extreme outcomes: either global acceptance of Iran back to the market, oil prices drop to $40 a barrel, and growth and prosperity return. Or, if the conflict prolongs, oil prices stay above $100 to $150, leading to a "sharp recession." "There will be no middle ground."
Europe is also preparing for the worst-case scenario. ECB President Lagarde stated on the same day that they are "ready to raise rates at any time." Brussels is working on a carbon price brake mechanism, as the energy cost surge due to the Iran war is already squeezing European industry. Moody's Chief Economist Zandi's assessment is most specific – if oil prices stay elevated until Memorial Day, a recession is inevitable.
(Source: Fortune / Moody's Analytics / Goldman Sachs / CNBC / BBC / FT)
Worth Knowing ↓
Iran rejects U.S. 15-point plan and proposes its own 5 conditions for a ceasefire. On the same day, a drone attack on Kuwait International Airport's oil depot caused a large fire. The U.S. is deploying an additional 82nd Airborne Division with 1,000 paratroopers and 5,000 Marines to the Middle East. The White House stated that Iran must either accept defeat or face "hell on earth." The 26-day war has resulted in over 1,500 Iranian casualties, 20 Israeli casualties, and 13 U.S. military casualties. (Source: Fortune / Al Jazeera / Gulf News) (Continued from last night)
Google's TurboQuant compresses AI work memory by 6 times, achieving up to an 8x performance improvement on the Nvidia H100. KV caching compressed to 3 bits without precision loss. The internet collectively refers to it as the "real-world Pied Piper." Currently still in the lab stage. (Source: TechCrunch / Tom's Hardware)
CSIS Report: Chip export controls are accelerating China's semiconductor localization. The control's original intent was containment, but the result is driving domestic development. China's chip industry is accelerating indigenous substitution with the dual impetus of policy and funding. (Source: CSIS)
You may also like

WEEX Bubbles App Now Live Visualizes the Crypto Market at a Glance
WEEX Bubbles is a standalone app designed to help users quickly understand complex crypto market movements through an intuitive bubble visualization.

Polygon co-founder Sandeep: Writing after the chain bridge chain explosion

Major Upgrade on Web: 10+ Advanced Chart Styles for Deeper Market Insights
To deliver more powerful and professional analysis tools, WEEX has rolled out a major upgrade to its web trading charts—now supporting up to 14 advanced chart styles.

Morning Report | Aethir secures a $260 million enterprise contract with Axe Compute; New Fire Technology acquires Avenir Group's trading team; Polymarket's trading volume surpassed by Kalshi

Why a Million-Follower Crypto KOL Chooses WEEX VIP?
Discover why top crypto KOL Carl Moon partnered with WEEX. Explore the WEEX VIP ecosystem, 1,000 BTC protection fund, and exclusive rewards for serious traders.

CoinEx Founder: The Crypto Endgame in My Eyes

Spark Coin (SPK): Explodes 73% as Aave Bleeds $15B, A Good Investment Now?
Spark coin (SPK) surged 73% as $15 billion fled Aave after the KelpDAO hack. This article explains what Spark is, why it’s pumping, and whether it is a good investment right now.

As Aave's building collapses, Spark's high-rise is rising

RootData: Q1 2026 Cryptocurrency Exchange Transparency Research Report

What Is Memecoin Trading? A Beginner's Guide to How It Works, the Risks, and 2026's Hottest Tokens
Memecoins surged 30%+ at the start of 2026 while Bitcoin was flat. RAVE spiked 4,500% then crashed 90% in days. MAGA jumped 350% overnight. This guide explains exactly how memecoin trading works — and how to not blow up your account doing it.

Trump Extends Ceasefire: Bitcoin Hits $79K — What Crypto Traders Need to Know Right Now
Bitcoin surged past $79,000 after Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely. We break down exactly what happened, how every major crypto reacted, and what traders should watch next — including the one level that could unlock an $85,000 BTC rally.

CHIP Crypto Price Prediction 2026: Can USD.AI's GPU Lending Token Reach $1?
CHIP's 24-hour trading volume hit $1.87 billion on a $236 million market cap — an 8x ratio that almost never happens on legitimate tokens. We explain what's driving it, what USD.AI actually does for GPU tokenization, and whether CHIP belongs in your AI crypto portfolio.

RootData: Q1 2026 Web3 Industry Investment Research Report

USDC is the only AI token

The voice of a senior Polymarket user: In fact, we have already been surpassed by our competitors

Transcript of Dr. Han, founder of Gate, speaking at the University of Hong Kong: Breaking the Matthew Effect and Winning in Asymmetric Competition

Who will replace AAVE as the new king?

Fu Peng 2026 First Public Speech: What Exactly Are Crypto Assets? Why Did I Join the Crypto Asset Industry?
WEEX Bubbles App Now Live Visualizes the Crypto Market at a Glance
WEEX Bubbles is a standalone app designed to help users quickly understand complex crypto market movements through an intuitive bubble visualization.
Polygon co-founder Sandeep: Writing after the chain bridge chain explosion
Major Upgrade on Web: 10+ Advanced Chart Styles for Deeper Market Insights
To deliver more powerful and professional analysis tools, WEEX has rolled out a major upgrade to its web trading charts—now supporting up to 14 advanced chart styles.
Morning Report | Aethir secures a $260 million enterprise contract with Axe Compute; New Fire Technology acquires Avenir Group's trading team; Polymarket's trading volume surpassed by Kalshi
Why a Million-Follower Crypto KOL Chooses WEEX VIP?
Discover why top crypto KOL Carl Moon partnered with WEEX. Explore the WEEX VIP ecosystem, 1,000 BTC protection fund, and exclusive rewards for serious traders.



