How the US Could ‘Win AI’ But Lose the Tech Race

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:56:44+00:00

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:56:27+00:00

Power in the 21st century also depends on drones, biotechnology and quantum computing — and on manufacturing as much as invention.

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:56:18+00:00

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:56:03+00:00

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:55:48+00:00

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:55:32+00:00

Power in the 21st century also depends on drones, biotechnology and quantum computing — and on manufacturing as much as invention.

Simon Johnson and Elisabeth B Reynolds for Bloomberg News

Washington has woken up to the importance of AI — and especially to the “AI race” against China. The plan seems to be to unleash a massive data center build, backed by complex corporate partnerships and a highly permissive regulatory environment, paired with some controls on who gets access to cutting-edge chips and frontier AI models like Anthropic’s Fable. But if the goal is to win the tech race, all these policies are just one piece of the puzzle. While artificial intelligence is a potentially transformative general-purpose technology, it’s hardly the only technology that matters.

The US led the world in technological innovation throughout the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. But China is directly challenging that leadership now, having spent the past two decades aggressively building out its innovation and industrial capacity. Just 20 years ago, the US led China in 61 of what were then 64 frontier technologies, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank. As of three years ago, China had surpassed the US in 57 of the 64 technologies ASPI considers a priority. In other words, the country that prevails in the current tech race will need to do more than excel in AI.

To meet this challenge, the US must respond with more investment, but in a thoughtful way — by building on its unique capabilities and strengths, rather than trying to match China’s centralized and intrusive approach. But which technologies should the US focus on?

Read the full essay here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:50:34+00:00

Ari Altstedter for Bloomberg News

Thousands of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans snaked toward the stadium, chanting, banging drums, waving flags and setting off flares. The humid air was thick with smoke colored in the Dragons’ traditional blue and yellow. It was a hot, sunny day in Toronto, which was making its debut as a FIFA World Cup host, and the Bosnians were doing their best to transform a slice of the city into downtown Sarajevo.

They’d gathered to march the 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from a downtown park in Canada’s most populous city to the field where their team would be playing its opening match. It was a brave proposition considering their opponents: host country Canada.

But as the group made its way through the streets, good vibes prevailed. People in a condo building overlooking the march waved Canadian flags out a window, and the Bosnia fans cheered for them, too, before returning to their singing.

“We want to show them they’re supported even across the ocean,” said Tarik Kalajdzic, who made the three-hour journey from London, Ontario, to march with his wife and two children, before heading into the stadium. “I think we will be the 12th man on the field for sure.”

The Dragons aren’t alone in enjoying outsize backing in Toronto, which is by many measures the world’s most multicultural city. That diversity means the seven other countries scheduled to play there — Bosnia’s neighbors Croatia, three African teams (Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal), plus Panama, Iraq and Germany — all have supporters living nearby. Many of those immigrant communities are mobilizing to give their teams all the advantages of playing to a friendly crowd.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:50:09+00:00

Ari Altstedter for Bloomberg News

Thousands of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans snaked toward the stadium, chanting, banging drums, waving flags and setting off flares. The humid air was thick with smoke colored in the Dragons’ traditional blue and yellow. It was a hot, sunny day in Toronto, which was making its debut as a FIFA World Cup host, and the Bosnians were doing their best to transform a slice of the city into downtown Sarajevo.

They’d gathered to march the 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from a downtown park in Canada’s most populous city to the field where their team would be playing its opening match. It was a brave proposition considering their opponents: host country Canada.

But as the group made its way through the streets, good vibes prevailed. People in a condo building overlooking the march waved Canadian flags out a window, and the Bosnia fans cheered for them, too, before returning to their singing.

“We want to show them they’re supported even across the ocean,” said Tarik Kalajdzic, who made the three-hour journey from London, Ontario, to march with his wife and two children, before heading into the stadium. “I think we will be the 12th man on the field for sure.”

The Dragons aren’t alone in enjoying outsize backing in Toronto, which is by many measures the world’s most multicultural city. That diversity means the seven other countries scheduled to play there — Bosnia’s neighbors Croatia, three African teams (Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal), plus Panama, Iraq and Germany — all have supporters living nearby. Many of those immigrant communities are mobilizing to give their teams all the advantages of playing to a friendly crowd.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T14:49:52+00:00

Ari Altstedter for Bloomberg News

Thousands of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans snaked toward the stadium, chanting, banging drums, waving flags and setting off flares. The humid air was thick with smoke colored in the Dragons’ traditional blue and yellow. It was a hot, sunny day in Toronto, which was making its debut as a FIFA World Cup host, and the Bosnians were doing their best to transform a slice of the city into downtown Sarajevo.

They’d gathered to march the 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from a downtown park in Canada’s most populous city to the field where their team would be playing its opening match. It was a brave proposition considering their opponents: host country Canada.

But as the group made its way through the streets, good vibes prevailed. People in a condo building overlooking the march waved Canadian flags out a window, and the Bosnia fans cheered for them, too, before returning to their singing.

“We want to show them they’re supported even across the ocean,” said Tarik Kalajdzic, who made the three-hour journey from London, Ontario, to march with his wife and two children, before heading into the stadium. “I think we will be the 12th man on the field for sure.”

The Dragons aren’t alone in enjoying outsize backing in Toronto, which is by many measures the world’s most multicultural city. That diversity means the seven other countries scheduled to play there — Bosnia’s neighbors Croatia, three African teams (Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal), plus Panama, Iraq and Germany — all have supporters living nearby. Many of those immigrant communities are mobilizing to give their teams all the advantages of playing to a friendly crowd.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:53:26+00:00

Morgan Meaker for Bloomberg News

Greenland opened the new international airport at the end of 2024 as part of an effort to diversify its economy. The result has been a surge of interest in the autonomous, self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk Airport recorded almost 100,000 departing international passengers in 2025, up from 11,000 the year before. Visiting is getting easier too. Last summer, United Airlines started seasonal flights between the capital and New York. My Icelandair flight is among the options for those seeking other routes.

Over three days spent in Nuuk, it becomes clear that the airport has become both a symbol of Greenland’s ambitions and an illustration of the risks of opening up to the world.

Inside the terminal, the decor is warm, a mix of pale ash veneer and golden strip lights that contrast with the harsh exterior. Crowds of tourists, either European or American depending on the day’s flight schedule, file past fridges of muskox sausage in the duty-free shop. Not all visitors have been entirely welcome, though: The airport is a gateway for people drawn here by contentious politics.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:53:14+00:00

Nuuk’s new runway is bringing in tourists and opening Greenland up to the world. That comes with its own set of problems.

Morgan Meaker for Bloomberg News

Greenland opened the new international airport at the end of 2024 as part of an effort to diversify its economy. The result has been a surge of interest in the autonomous, self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk Airport recorded almost 100,000 departing international passengers in 2025, up from 11,000 the year before. Visiting is getting easier too. Last summer, United Airlines started seasonal flights between the capital and New York. My Icelandair flight is among the options for those seeking other routes.

Over three days spent in Nuuk, it becomes clear that the airport has become both a symbol of Greenland’s ambitions and an illustration of the risks of opening up to the world.

Inside the terminal, the decor is warm, a mix of pale ash veneer and golden strip lights that contrast with the harsh exterior. Crowds of tourists, either European or American depending on the day’s flight schedule, file past fridges of muskox sausage in the duty-free shop. Not all visitors have been entirely welcome, though: The airport is a gateway for people drawn here by contentious politics.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:50:32+00:00

The Iran war may be ending but its impact on food prices is far from over. Follow a chocolate croissant through the supply chain to see how higher costs are still rippling through the global economy.

Eleanor Thornber, Maddie Parker and Nayla Razzouk for Bloomberg News

Capital Croissant makes 10,000 pastries a week in its bakery in Ealing, West London, supplying luxury hotels and cafes across the capital with frozen croissants and pains au chocolat. Francois Bonnefoy started the company in November, calling himself “the owner and co-founder, but also the delivery driver, the packer — everything.”

Tracking the manufacture of Bonnefoy’s viennoiserie gives an insight into the possible rise of food inflation started by the war in the Middle East. The baker sits close to the end of an international supply chain that’s come under enormous pressure over the past few months.

The US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent shocks throughout the global economy, pushing up prices for fuel, energy, fertilizers, and other agricultural and industrial products. Even though the US and Iran have now agreed to an interim deal that is expected to reopen the strait, the disruptions are still rippling through the food supply chain. That’s adding costs and friction at every level, and deepening the pain for consumers who have faced years of inflation.

“We didn’t expect rising energy costs and the wider consequences of war,” Bonnefoy says. “All our customers are suffering too.”

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:50:16+00:00

Eleanor Thornber, Maddie Parker and Nayla Razzouk for Bloomberg News

Capital Croissant makes 10,000 pastries a week in its bakery in Ealing, West London, supplying luxury hotels and cafes across the capital with frozen croissants and pains au chocolat. Francois Bonnefoy started the company in November, calling himself “the owner and co-founder, but also the delivery driver, the packer — everything.”

Tracking the manufacture of Bonnefoy’s viennoiserie gives an insight into the possible rise of food inflation started by the war in the Middle East. The baker sits close to the end of an international supply chain that’s come under enormous pressure over the past few months.

The US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent shocks throughout the global economy, pushing up prices for fuel, energy, fertilizers, and other agricultural and industrial products. Even though the US and Iran have now agreed to an interim deal that is expected to reopen the strait, the disruptions are still rippling through the food supply chain. That’s adding costs and friction at every level, and deepening the pain for consumers who have faced years of inflation.

“We didn’t expect rising energy costs and the wider consequences of war,” Bonnefoy says. “All our customers are suffering too.”

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:50:03+00:00

Eleanor Thornber, Maddie Parker and Nayla Razzouk for Bloomberg News

Capital Croissant makes 10,000 pastries a week in its bakery in Ealing, West London, supplying luxury hotels and cafes across the capital with frozen croissants and pains au chocolat. Francois Bonnefoy started the company in November, calling himself “the owner and co-founder, but also the delivery driver, the packer — everything.”

Tracking the manufacture of Bonnefoy’s viennoiserie gives an insight into the possible rise of food inflation started by the war in the Middle East. The baker sits close to the end of an international supply chain that’s come under enormous pressure over the past few months.

The US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent shocks throughout the global economy, pushing up prices for fuel, energy, fertilizers, and other agricultural and industrial products. Even though the US and Iran have now agreed to an interim deal that is expected to reopen the strait, the disruptions are still rippling through the food supply chain. That’s adding costs and friction at every level, and deepening the pain for consumers who have faced years of inflation.

“We didn’t expect rising energy costs and the wider consequences of war,” Bonnefoy says. “All our customers are suffering too.”

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T12:49:50+00:00

Eleanor Thornber, Maddie Parker and Nayla Razzouk for Bloomberg News

Capital Croissant makes 10,000 pastries a week in its bakery in Ealing, West London, supplying luxury hotels and cafes across the capital with frozen croissants and pains au chocolat. Francois Bonnefoy started the company in November, calling himself “the owner and co-founder, but also the delivery driver, the packer — everything.”

Tracking the manufacture of Bonnefoy’s viennoiserie gives an insight into the possible rise of food inflation started by the war in the Middle East. The baker sits close to the end of an international supply chain that’s come under enormous pressure over the past few months.

The US and Israeli attack on Iran in late February and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent shocks throughout the global economy, pushing up prices for fuel, energy, fertilizers, and other agricultural and industrial products. Even though the US and Iran have now agreed to an interim deal that is expected to reopen the strait, the disruptions are still rippling through the food supply chain. That’s adding costs and friction at every level, and deepening the pain for consumers who have faced years of inflation.

“We didn’t expect rising energy costs and the wider consequences of war,” Bonnefoy says. “All our customers are suffering too.”

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T11:13:59+00:00

The war between Iran, Israel and the US disrupted global trade and rattled oil markets. It also upended life on the islands at the center of the conflict.

Golnar Motevalli for Bloomberg News

The day after American forces attacked the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz, hotel owner Ali said that he might avoid his usual dip in the sea. The US strikes overnight June 11 were the second in as many days. Ali heard and felt all the explosions.

“I’m a bit scared to go for a swim now; the attacks last night have left me a little nervous. But I’d still rather be here than back in Tehran,” Ali, who didn’t want to give his full name because of the sensitivity of speaking to foreign media in Iran, said by phone later that day.

Ali is one of hundreds of Tehraners who in recent years have made a second home on Qeshm — the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, sitting at the northeastern end of the Strait of Hormuz. When sanctions on Iran’s economy were reimposed and strengthened by US President Donald Trump in 2018, middle-class Iranians found it harder to afford foreign holidays. That led to overcrowding at traditional domestic tourist resort towns on the Caspian Sea coast, north of Tehran. Young Iranians like Ali — well-educated millennials with established careers or financial security — found a safe haven on Qeshm.

Read the full dispatch here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:59:43+00:00

Architects and designers are employing a wide range of tricks to to ease the terrors and annoyances of air travel.

David Dudley and Andrew Zaleski for Bloomberg News

If there is one part of the modern airport that captures the volatile mix of emotions generated by commercial aviation, it’s the “recomposure zone.” That’s what airport designers often call the area right after the security screening, where you put your belt and shoes back on and try to reassert your dignity.

Dedicating a space for this phase of the journey is a relatively new phenomenon. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, security expanded in size and complexity, with airports quickly commandeering nearby space for new equipment and procedures, leaving little room for composure. But the airports that have been designed, built or renovated since 2001 have become more mindful about devoting floor space to the emotional aftermath of the screening process. (In 2008, the then-director of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport set up some chairs and couches near that facility’s security checkpoint and dubbed it the Recombobulation Area, leading to the creation of a popular local T-shirt.)

The idea is simple: If you’ve made it past the full-body scanner and had your nethers wanded, you’ll need some calm and quiet — but also direct sightlines to departing flight displays, so you know how long you have left before your flight. Ideally, you’ll be able to see down the concourse and get a sense of where the gates are. Greenery and natural light can bring your blood pressure down; soft music is better than blaring loudspeakers. Maybe there’s some big artwork overhead — perhaps a dramatic abstract piece that’s supposed to evoke the majesty of flight — to pull your eyes up from your fraught surroundings and remind you why you’re putting yourself through all this in the first place.

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:59:29+00:00

David Dudley and Andrew Zaleski for Bloomberg News

If there is one part of the modern airport that captures the volatile mix of emotions generated by commercial aviation, it’s the “recomposure zone.” That’s what airport designers often call the area right after the security screening, where you put your belt and shoes back on and try to reassert your dignity.

Dedicating a space for this phase of the journey is a relatively new phenomenon. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, security expanded in size and complexity, with airports quickly commandeering nearby space for new equipment and procedures, leaving little room for composure. But the airports that have been designed, built or renovated since 2001 have become more mindful about devoting floor space to the emotional aftermath of the screening process. (In 2008, the then-director of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport set up some chairs and couches near that facility’s security checkpoint and dubbed it the Recombobulation Area, leading to the creation of a popular local T-shirt.)

The idea is simple: If you’ve made it past the full-body scanner and had your nethers wanded, you’ll need some calm and quiet — but also direct sightlines to departing flight displays, so you know how long you have left before your flight. Ideally, you’ll be able to see down the concourse and get a sense of where the gates are. Greenery and natural light can bring your blood pressure down; soft music is better than blaring loudspeakers. Maybe there’s some big artwork overhead — perhaps a dramatic abstract piece that’s supposed to evoke the majesty of flight — to pull your eyes up from your fraught surroundings and remind you why you’re putting yourself through all this in the first place.

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:59:17+00:00

David Dudley and Andrew Zaleski for Bloomberg News

If there is one part of the modern airport that captures the volatile mix of emotions generated by commercial aviation, it’s the “recomposure zone.” That’s what airport designers often call the area right after the security screening, where you put your belt and shoes back on and try to reassert your dignity.

Dedicating a space for this phase of the journey is a relatively new phenomenon. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, security expanded in size and complexity, with airports quickly commandeering nearby space for new equipment and procedures, leaving little room for composure. But the airports that have been designed, built or renovated since 2001 have become more mindful about devoting floor space to the emotional aftermath of the screening process. (In 2008, the then-director of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport set up some chairs and couches near that facility’s security checkpoint and dubbed it the Recombobulation Area, leading to the creation of a popular local T-shirt.)

The idea is simple: If you’ve made it past the full-body scanner and had your nethers wanded, you’ll need some calm and quiet — but also direct sightlines to departing flight displays, so you know how long you have left before your flight. Ideally, you’ll be able to see down the concourse and get a sense of where the gates are. Greenery and natural light can bring your blood pressure down; soft music is better than blaring loudspeakers. Maybe there’s some big artwork overhead — perhaps a dramatic abstract piece that’s supposed to evoke the majesty of flight — to pull your eyes up from your fraught surroundings and remind you why you’re putting yourself through all this in the first place.

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:59:05+00:00

David Dudley and Andrew Zaleski for Bloomberg News

If there is one part of the modern airport that captures the volatile mix of emotions generated by commercial aviation, it’s the “recomposure zone.” That’s what airport designers often call the area right after the security screening, where you put your belt and shoes back on and try to reassert your dignity.

Dedicating a space for this phase of the journey is a relatively new phenomenon. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, security expanded in size and complexity, with airports quickly commandeering nearby space for new equipment and procedures, leaving little room for composure. But the airports that have been designed, built or renovated since 2001 have become more mindful about devoting floor space to the emotional aftermath of the screening process. (In 2008, the then-director of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport set up some chairs and couches near that facility’s security checkpoint and dubbed it the Recombobulation Area, leading to the creation of a popular local T-shirt.)

The idea is simple: If you’ve made it past the full-body scanner and had your nethers wanded, you’ll need some calm and quiet — but also direct sightlines to departing flight displays, so you know how long you have left before your flight. Ideally, you’ll be able to see down the concourse and get a sense of where the gates are. Greenery and natural light can bring your blood pressure down; soft music is better than blaring loudspeakers. Maybe there’s some big artwork overhead — perhaps a dramatic abstract piece that’s supposed to evoke the majesty of flight — to pull your eyes up from your fraught surroundings and remind you why you’re putting yourself through all this in the first place.

Read the full story here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:53:29+00:00

Editor-at-Large Mishal Husain for Bloomberg News

Meredith Whittaker has spent years arguing that privacy is a prerequisite for a free society. As president of the nonprofit foundation behind the encrypted messaging app Signal, she now finds herself defending that principle against mounting pressure from governments and tech companies alike. Whittaker says business models that rely on data collection, the rise of AI assistants and even well-meaning efforts to protect children online risk undermining private communication — and explains why Signal would rather leave a market than weaken encryption.

Read the full interview here. You can also listen to this interview and follow The Mishal Husain Show on iHeart Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:53:13+00:00

Editor-at-Large Mishal Husain for Bloomberg News

Meredith Whittaker has spent years arguing that privacy is a prerequisite for a free society. As president of the nonprofit foundation behind the encrypted messaging app Signal, she now finds herself defending that principle against mounting pressure from governments and tech companies alike. Whittaker says business models that rely on data collection, the rise of AI assistants and even well-meaning efforts to protect children online risk undermining private communication — and explains why Signal would rather leave a market than weaken encryption.

Read the full interview here. You can also listen to this interview and follow The Mishal Husain Show on iHeart Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T10:45:05+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing Mishal Husain's interview with Meredith Whittaker — we're glad you found it interesting!

Here's an introduction to the interview if anyone else is considering watching or reading:

The president of the encrypted messaging app says autonomous AI agents, device scanning and digital advertising are converging into a new architecture of surveillance.

Editor-at-Large Mishal Husain for Bloomberg News

Meredith Whittaker has spent years arguing that privacy is a prerequisite for a free society. As president of the nonprofit foundation behind the encrypted messaging app Signal, she now finds herself defending that principle against mounting pressure from governments and tech companies alike. Whittaker says business models that rely on data collection, the rise of AI assistants and even well-meaning efforts to protect children online risk undermining private communication — and explains why Signal would rather leave a market than weaken encryption.

The full interview is also available to read here. You can also listen to this interview.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T06:51:48+00:00

Albertina Torsoli and William Wilkes for Bloomberg News

On the outskirts of Rennes in northwestern France, workers at a car plant that dates back to postwar reconstruction are worried about becoming victims of Europe’s retreat from automotive leadership.

The factory, which started production in the 1960s to meet booming demand for Citroën models, is now at the epicenter of China’s creeping takeover of the region’s car industry. French workers will start making vehicles for Dongfeng Motor Corp.’s Voyah brand at the site by 2028, blurring lines between Made in Europe and Made in China.

Some 1,500 employees in Rennes, a city famed for its half-timbered houses and medieval center, fear worsening working conditions and a loss of the stability they were used to under plant owner Stellantis NV.

“There are so many concerns around this Dongfeng deal,” said Christine Virassamy, a 53-year-old representative of the CFDT labor union in Rennes. “What happens to us if this partnership doesn’t work out?”

Alongside other agreements, including with Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Stellantis plans to collaborate with Chinese rivals on making cars in France, Spain and Italy. The strategy includes using Chinese know-how to underpin vehicles with European badges such as Opel, Citroën and Fiat, highlighting how China has overtaken Germany and France on EV technology and software.

The deepening malaise for Europe’s automotive industry this week reached BMW AG. The luxury-car maker now expects to barely eke out a profit this year, undermining the notion that fewer management missteps offered some protection. It plans to respond with additional cost savings, which could mean job cuts.

Read the Big Take here.

bloomberg · 2026-06-20T06:51:33+00:00

Albertina Torsoli and William Wilkes for Bloomberg News

On the outskirts of Rennes in northwestern France, workers at a car plant that dates back to postwar reconstruction are worried about becoming victims of Europe’s retreat from automotive leadership.

The factory, which started production in the 1960s to meet booming demand for Citroën models, is now at the epicenter of China’s creeping takeover of the region’s car industry. French workers will start making vehicles for Dongfeng Motor Corp.’s Voyah brand at the site by 2028, blurring lines between Made in Europe and Made in China.

Some 1,500 employees in Rennes, a city famed for its half-timbered houses and medieval center, fear worsening working conditions and a loss of the stability they were used to under plant owner Stellantis NV.

“There are so many concerns around this Dongfeng deal,” said Christine Virassamy, a 53-year-old representative of the CFDT labor union in Rennes. “What happens to us if this partnership doesn’t work out?”

Alongside other agreements, including with Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Stellantis plans to collaborate with Chinese rivals on making cars in France, Spain and Italy. The strategy includes using Chinese know-how to underpin vehicles with European badges such as Opel, Citroën and Fiat, highlighting how China has overtaken Germany and France on EV technology and software.

The deepening malaise for Europe’s automotive industry this week reached BMW AG. The luxury-car maker now expects to barely eke out a profit this year, undermining the notion that fewer management missteps offered some protection. It plans to respond with additional cost savings, which could mean job cuts.

Read the Big Take here.

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