What's Happening

Politics

A MAHA-MAGA Power Struggle

What's going on: A rift over radiation is growing inside the Trump administration. On one side: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is pushing for tighter federal radiation exposure rules, reviving long-debated theories critics say overstate the risks. On the other: President Donald Trump’s MAGA wing, which is eager to fast-track nuclear energy and relax reactor safety rules. Trump backs both camps — even as their agendas pull in opposite directions. The president’s 5G expansion and Trump Mobile launch further complicate matters for RFK Jr., who claims that everyday tech — from cellphones to power lines — can cause chronic illness and brain cancer.

What it means: Experts warn the administration’s mixed messaging could erode public trust in radiation safety. Current policy is already riddled with conflicting standards across agencies and states, leaving groups like pregnant people and minors vulnerable. Some analysts expect MAGA’s push for deregulation to have the edge in part due to federal science funding cuts — and even with resources, studying radiation’s health effects remains slow and complex. Meanwhile, federal agencies have yet to see the needle move on MAHA’s calls for stricter rules. As one expert noted: “MAHA has talked a big game… But so far it’s taken few meaningful steps.”

Related: From Japan, Trump Pitches Domestic Military Action (Politico)

Tech

Musk and Grok Are Taking on Wikipedia. What Could Go Wrong?

What's going on: Elon Musk got into a very public beef with Wikipedia after the internet’s favorite know-it-all included a photo of him mimicking a Nazi-like salute. In true billionaire fashion, Musk just launched his own website: Grokipedia. The site appears to use Grok (as in the same X chatbot that called itself “MechaHitler”) to generate content, and it doesn’t look like users will be able to edit entries or write their own. Ironically, Grok seems to be an avid Wikipedia user — going as far as copying some Wiki entries word for word. (Musk said he hopes Grok will stop doing that by the end of the year.) This may be the dupe of all dupes.

What it means: Critics say Grokipedia is another online platform for Musk to share his views with little oversight. Wired reports that when it logged on to the site, everything seemed fairly normal until it reviewed politicized topics. A Grokipedia entry on slavery in the US includes a section outlining multiple “ideological justifications,” and critiques of The 1619 Project. It also calls transgender women “biological males.” Musk is touting his latest work as a necessary step to “understanding the universe.” But it’s unlikely Grokipedia will be able to compete with Wiki anytime soon, with one expert saying, “Every major AI system trains on Wikipedia’s freely licensed knowledge.”

Related: Business Schools Are Likely Talking About OpenAI’s Restructuring in Class This Week (CNBC)

Retail

Shein, Meet the Guillotine

What's going on: The Thénardiers (of Les Mis “Master of the House” fame) are no longer the most reviled business owners ever associated with France…at least not according to the activists in Paris protesting Shein. The Chinese fast-fashion company — known for ultra-cheap clothes, labor abuse allegations, oh, and that Nazi necklace — is opening a permanent brick-and-mortar boutique inside one of Paris’s most famous department stores, BHV. Since the announcement, several brands have pulled out of BHV, and one longtime customer told NPR: “The store has sold its soul to the devil.” The move follows BHV’s sale to a property group that’s already teamed up with Shein in other French department stores — and says it wants to “attract a younger, more connected clientele.”

What it means: Activists say that a Shein store simply will not do in a country that prides itself on craftsmanship and couture. Lawmakers aren’t lining up for cheek kisses either. In June, the French Senate revised a climate bill to include a ban on ultra-fast-fashion ads. They also added an environmental tax, with some analysts wondering when the world will follow, even in this economy. All told, regulators have already fined Shein the equivalent of $46 million USD. So not exactly a warm welcome, even for France. Fast fashion may have moved in, but activists are already planning an eviction that could rival Marie Antoinette’s.

Related: Is Quiet Luxury Finally Dead? (The Guardian)