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International

Trump Plans Another 10% Tariff on Products From China
The U.S. plans next week to impose an additional 10% tariff on imports from China over its role in the fentanyl trade and move forward with 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico, President Trump said Thursday, setting up a pivotal week for his protectionist trade agenda.

The China move, slated to take effect Tuesday along with the Canada and Mexico actions, doubles up on the previous 10% additional tariff Trump placed on Chinese products this month.
China tells its AI leaders to avoid US travel over security concerns
Chinese authorities are instructing the country's top artificial intelligence entrepreneurs and researchers to avoid travel to the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The authorities are concerned that Chinese AI experts traveling abroad could divulge confidential information about the nation's progress, the newspaper said. Authorities also fear that executives could be detained and used as a bargaining chip in U.S.-China negotiations, the Journal said, drawing parallels to the detention of a Huawei executive in Canada at Washington's request during the first Trump administration.
EU launches €100 billion-plus clean energy plan
The European Union (EU) has launched the Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Action Plan, which dedicate at least €100 billion towards boosting industry, manufacturing and speeding up the rollout of renewables and energy storage.

The EU’s executive body the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal and, within it, the Affordable Energy Action Plan, yesterday (25 February). The former is more focused on manufacturing and industry, while the latter focuses on the energy sector and getting more clean energy online, and has more relevance for the stationary energy storage industry.
UAE market declines amid global trade war jitters
Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates declined on Friday, in line with oil prices, as the prospect of higher U.S. tariffs revived concerns about an escalating global trade war, dampening market sentiment.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico would come into effect on March 4 - not April 2 as he had suggested a day earlier - and said goods from China would be subject to an additional 10% duty.

USA

U.S. Economy Shows Signs of Strain From Trump’s Tariffs and Spending Cuts
The United States economy is starting to show signs of strain as President Trump’s abrupt moves to shrink federal spending, lay off government workers and impose tariffs on America’s largest trading partners rattle businesses and reverberate across states and cities. Funding freezes and firings of federal workers combined with the prospect of costly trade wars are souring consumer sentiment, raising inflation expectations and stalling business investment plans, according to recent economic surveys.
Amazon joins quantum race with 'cat qubit' powered chip
Amazon has become the third tech giant in as many months to announce a breakthrough in quantum computing - a technology that promises vast processing power but is beset by technical difficulties.

The firm has unveiled Ocelot a prototype chip built on "cat qubit" technology - an approach that derives its name from the famous "Schrödinger's cat" thought experiment.

The chip seeks to address one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the development of quantum computers - making them error free.
Meta in talks for $200 billion AI data center project
Meta Platforms (META.O), is in discussions to construct a new data center campus for its artificial intelligence projects, with potential costs exceeding $200 billion, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Meta executives have informed data center developers that the company is considering building the campus in states including Louisiana, Wyoming or Texas, with senior leaders having visited potential sites this month, the report said.
6 big companies ditching DEI — and 6 that are sticking with it
Companies from Disney (DIS) to Walmart (WMT) are ditching DEI as the Trump administration has put a chill on such efforts by eliminating it from federal programs.

While the headlines are alarming, employment law firm Littler surveyed 350 C-suite executives and found that nearly half (49%) of C-suite leaders are not considering new or further rollbacks of their DEI programs as a result of Trump executive orders targeting DEI. Only 8% are seriously considering changes.

“Despite the increased scrutiny, many companies seem to be taking a measured approach,” the firm says.
KPMG Wins Approval to Launch First US Law Firm for Big Four
KPMG gained approval to practice law in Arizona, making it the first Big Four accounting, tax, and consulting company set to operate a law firm in the US.

The Arizona Supreme Court today granted KPMG a license to operate a so-called alternative business structure. KPMG Law US will be an independent law firm operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.

The law firm will provide legal services that include integrating legal contracts and tech systems after corporate mergers, KPMG has said. KPMG’s tech capabilities, scale, and pricing structure give it an advantage over traditional law firms, Stuart Bedford, the company’s global head of legal services said in an interview earlier this month.

Texas

Apple to open 250,000 square foot factory in Texas and invest $500B in the U.S.
The tech giant Apple announced on Monday that it is taking another step in the artificial intelligence race, as it plans on building a quarter-million-square-foot factory in Houston, Texas, by 2026 to build and house its AI servers.

The move from Apple is just the latest from the tech giant in recent months to push forward into the world of AI. The company shared that along with the new factory, it will be looking to add about 20,000 research and development jobs across the United States.

The factory and jobs are a part of Apple’s plans to spend $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. However, that figure also includes purchases from U.S. suppliers and filming of its television shows and movies for its Apple TV+ service.
Startup wants to power Texas data centers with small nuclear reactors
Last Energy, a startup developing small modular nuclear reactors, has embarked on its biggest project yet, securing early approval to build 30 units on the open plains of North Texas that will power energy-hungry data centers across a wide swath of the state.

The startup announced early Feb. 28 that it has obtained "site control" to erect its small modular reactors, or SMRs, on a 200-acre site in Haskell County, about three and a half hours west of Dallas by car. It has asked the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for grid connection approval and is seeking an early site permit approval with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Core Scientific, CoreWeave plan $1.2B expansion in North Texas
Austin-based Core Scientific Inc. is continuing its expansion from its initial bitcoin mining efforts to data centers for high-performance computing.

As part of that, it expanded its deal with AI company CoreWeave, which is expected to add $1.2 billion in contracted revenue at Core Scientific's Denton data center. The expansion brings the Denton location to 260 MW of IT load.

The expanded contract is expected to increase projected revenue to $10.2 billion over 12 years, according to an announcement.

"By expanding our capacity in Denton, we’re building one of the largest GPU supercomputers in North America — reinforcing Core Scientific’s leadership in delivering high-density, high-performance digital infrastructure," Core Scientific CEO Adam Sullivan stated.
ERCOT approves $54 million plan to move CenterPoint’s mobile generators to San Antonio
“ERCOT approves $54 million plan to move CenterPoint’s mobile generators to San Antonio” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Texas’ main grid operator on Tuesday approved a $54 million plan to replace two aging natural gas-powered plants near San Antonio with the massive mobile generators that CenterPoint Energy came under fire for not deploying in the wake of Hurricane Beryl in July.
In Texas, ‘energy dominance’ is the solar industry’s new motto
Solar energy might be clean, cheap and slow the heating of the planet. But that’s not what the solar industry wants lawmakers to focus on.

Instead, solar leaders are at the Texas Capitol this week presenting their industry as a lucrative pathway toward American “energy dominance.”

On Wednesday, they pitched solar and battery storage to Texas legislators as a key source of jobs and rural renewal and — above all — the fastest possible way to get new electricity onto the state grid.

“We’re spreading the good news,” said Daniel Giese, Texas director for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), as he walked between legislators’ offices.
Texas Is the Low-Cost, High-Reward Darling of Big Tech
Texas notched another technology win this week when Apple said it is planning a new 250,000-square-foot factory in Houston to make servers for an artificial-intelligence system.

Tech investments are transforming the Texas economy, often via companies from California in search of lower taxes and fewer regulations on land use and labor.

Austin

Delta plans to launch nonstop flight to Mexico from Austin airport
Delta Air Lines will offer nonstop service to Cancun, Mexico, from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport later this year — marking the airline's first international flight from the Texas capital in over a decade.

The Atlanta-based airline said the daily service will begin Dec. 20 and run through mid-April 2026. The flight will operate on Delta’s Airbus A320 aircraft, according to a Feb. 28 announcement.

This is the first international route that Delta has operated locally since 2011 when it previously offered nonstop service to Cancun, according to KXAN News.
Round Rock isn't relaxing after legal win related to Dell incentives deal
Round Rock won a big court victory in December in its long-running effort to safeguard the lucrative, three-decade-old incentives deal with Dell Technologies Inc. that keeps its property taxes down and helped it grow into Austin’s largest, and perhaps most prominent, suburb.

But it isn’t lowering its guard.

That’s because the legal ruling can be appealed until March 3. And with the Texas Legislature in session, there’s also a chance a bill could be filed until the March 14 filing deadline that's aimed at upending the incentive agreement that brings in nearly $30 million annually for the city about 20 miles north of Austin. Even beyond that date, such efforts could be mounted in future legislative sessions.
Newly released renderings show the Austin Convention Center's upcoming transformation
A design for the Austin Convention Center expansion and redevelopment was revealed Tuesday.

The city expansion has been in the works for years and has been part of a nearly decade-long study to expand the convention center in an effort to become more attractive space for large events and conferences. Architects from LMN Architects and Page Southerland Page presented the new design to the Austin City Council during a work session.
Texas company pulls off first fully successful commercial landing on the moon
Firefly Aerospace's "Blue Ghost" lander dropped out of lunar orbit and swooped to a rocket-powered touchdown early Sunday, pulling off the first fully successful moon landing by a commercially-built and operated robotic spacecraft.

Flying above the far side of the moon in a circular 62-mile-high orbit, the squat lander fired its main engine at 2:31 a.m. EST, kicking off a white-knuckle 63-minute descent to the landing site in Mare Crisium -- the Sea of Crises -- in the northeast quadrant of the moon as viewed from Earth.
Austin City Council agrees to short-term rental code amendments
The Austin City Council has adopted changes to the city's short-term rental (STR) regulations.

At its meeting on Thursday, the council adopted amendments that better aligns the city with state regulatory changes and updates in technology.

The ratified amendments are:

  • STRs will be primarily regulated through Title 4 of the City’s code pertaining to business regulations and permit requirements, instead of the Land Development Code.
  • STRs will continue to be allowed in all residential areas, as long as the owner has a valid license.

Opportunities

Small-business grants you can apply for in March 2025
61 Grants, Loans and Programs to Benefit Your Small Business

Events

Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) Trade Mission to India, Singapore, and Hong Kong (March 2-8, 2025)
SXSW Conference & Festivals (March 7-15, 2025)

Solar + Wind Finance & Investment (March 16-19, 2025)
U.S. Mexico Supply Chain Summit in El Paso Texas (March 27, 2025)
ERCOT Innovation Summit (May 6th, 2025)
IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Expo (Oct 19 - 23, 2025)

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