NEW: Exclusive: "Nature Is Nonpartisan" Wants To Unite Americans Around Conservation

PREVIOUSLY:

→ Exclusive: Imagine Operation Warp Speed, But For Every Drug

AND DON'T FORGET! Subscribe to the Sphere Podcast on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

Palantir Likes The AI Action Plan

Well, it's not really surprising, but it's still worth noting. Palantir has published a post on the AI Action Plan praising it and highlighting key policy areas they feel should be particularly prioritized, and offering specific recommendations to make it more actionable.

Such as:

Prioritize Commercial Item Preference in Federal Procurement: Palantir commends the plan's push for agencies like the DoD and Homeland Security to favor commercially available AI tools. They recommend streamlining the Authority to Operate (ATO) process with clear guidelines, risk-based approvals, and expanded use of Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) for faster procurement from innovative vendors. This would "provide a fair, flexible, and efficient mechanism for procuring cutting-edge technologies from non-traditional vendors, while still ensuring appropriate degrees of transparency and public accountability." Amen.

Expand Existing Operational Platforms: Instead of starting from scratch, agencies should scale proven systems already in use. (This would include Palantir's own products, naturally.)

Enhance AI Testbeds for Deployment: Palantir endorses the plan's focus on testbeds; they suggest integrating NIST standards, simulating real-world scenarios (in areas such as cyber defense or logistics), and involving private-sector partners in biannual meetings at the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (the new and revamped version of the AI Safety Institute which had been obliterated by DOGE). With testbeds, "new AI systems can be prototyped, validated, and deployed in secure, controlled settings that accurately simulate real-world conditions. This approach reduces risk while accelerating the transition from concept to operation."

Set Ambitious Timelines for Leadership: To make the plan effective, Palantir calls for clear implementation pathways and deadlines. That would indeed be a very good thing.

SEE ALSO: Our interview with AI economist and entrepreneur Sebastien Laye on the Sphere Podcast (Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts)

Subscribe to the Sphere Podcast on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

Policy News You Need To Know

#ItsTheEconomyStupid — The Trump economy keeps defying economists and analysts by posting strong numbers: Initial Jobless Claims fell, beating expectations. The number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance for the first time fell to 227,000, versus a forecast number of 236,00. Initial jobless claims are considered a leading economic indicator, closely watched for early signs of labor market shifts. The four-week moving average for claims has also been trending downward, reinforcing the signal of ongoing labor market strength.

#Trade — Huge news: a new EO ends the de minimis shipping exemption globally, effective August 29, 2025. This exemption previously allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. tariff-free, impacting 1.36 billion annual shipments as per 2024 U.S. Customs data. It basically made possible the business model of giant importers of junk from China like Temu and Shein. Recent reports have also linked the exemption to fentanyl trafficking, with a source reporting that 90% of cargo seizures of fentanyl in 2024 originated from de minimis shipments. This is very very good news.

#Trade — Announcement from President Trump: "I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea. The Deal is that South Korea will give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President. Additionally, South Korea will purchase $100 Billion Dollars of LNG, or other Energy products and, further, South Korea has agreed to invest a large sum of money for their Investment purposes. This sum will be announced within the next two weeks when the President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, comes to the White House for a Bilateral Meeting. I would also like to congratulate the new President on his Electoral Success. It is also agreed that South Korea will be completely OPEN TO TRADE with the United States, and that they will accept American product including Cars and Trucks, Agriculture, etc. We have agreed to a Tariff for South Korea of 15%. America will not be charged a Tariff. I would like to thank the Trade Representatives who came forward today. It was an Honor to meet them, and talk about the Great Success of their Country!"

#Judiciary — From Margot Cleveland at The Federalist: "Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, will introduce on Thursday a short two-page bill designed to — as the legislation’s preamble explains — 'restore executive power to appoint United States attorneys.' The move comes following two high-profile fights between the Department of Justice and federal courts that refused to acquiesce in the president’s pick for U.S. attorney." Because there has been a delay in President Trump's nominations, in some cases, district courts are allowed to appoint an acting US attorney after a 120-day period. According to constitutional tradition and logic, they should appoint the President's choice, since the attorneys are part of the executive branch and courts do not have legitimacy to name prosecutors. But in at least two high profile cases, they have refused to do so.

#Judiciary — Speaking of the judiciary going awol. The Supreme Court in theory killed universal injunctions. However, they left some pretty significant loopholes. Predictably, district court judges have been driving semi trucks through those loopholes. At RealClearInvestigations, Benjamin Weingarten gives us the lay of the land.

#Judiciary — Speaking of speaking of, the great Adrian Vermeule has a good essay at The New York Times whose title says it all: "Someone Is Defying the Supreme Court, but It Isn't Trump." Indeed.

#AI #Manufacturing — Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, a rising leader in the Senate, with a new and very interesting op-ed: "Use AI to Improve Navy Shipbuilding"

#AmericanManufacturing — Speaking of, very interesting and telling headline from CNBC: "Apple opens manufacturing academy in Detroit as Trump ramps up pressure to invest in U.S." The Apple Manufacturing Academy will be located in downtown Detroit and will be administered by Michigan State University; it will offer workshops on manufacturing and artificial intelligence to small and medium-sized businesses.

#HigherEd — Very interesting: Texas’ Supreme Court is questioning whether the ABA should have a monopoly on the accreditation of law schools. The ABA has shown more and more partisan liberal drift over the years. But more broadly, it has been a cartel, making it very hard to create new law schools or to do it "like Lincoln" and pass the bar after doing an apprenticeship. More from George Leef at NR.

#Medicaid — Speaker Johnson's office has published a manifesto of sorts, somewhat back-handedly praising Medicaid as "an important safety net for pregnant women, single mothers, low-income seniors, and Americans with disabilities," (de facto, it's also been an important safety net for a lot of poor people, including working people.) and highlighting the issue of Medicaid fraud as showing the necessity to reform the program. While it's somewhat disingenuous to paint the OBBBA's Medicaid cuts are purely fighting fraud, we are perfectly willing to believe that it's a real problem. Speaker Johnson certainly makes a strong case that it is. Judge for yourself.