Another week, another ceasefire. After a wave of back-and-forth attacks, the US and Iran yet again agreed to suspend military actions and restart discussions over the Strait of Hormuz and other key issues.

At multiple points over the weekend, the peace deal between the two nations appeared to be at risk of collapsing as ongoing disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz continued:

While talks aren’t dead… they definitely aren’t where they should be. The fighting delayed a second round of talks in Switzerland that were scheduled over the weekend and has pushed back key discussions.

So, where do things stand now? Iran has since said that it alone will determine who can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a claim US officials disagree with, and has warned that any attempt to challenge its authority could lead to renewed violence. However, anonymous sources told The WSJ that the US has since proposed holding a new round of talks in Qatar.

Why is this important? The fighting has revived concerns that tensions could once again disrupt global energy shipments, which would raise everyday prices for consumers, including gas. While oil prices fell after the earlier ceasefire was announced, analysts say even limited disruptions could spike fuel prices worldwide since so much of the global energy market depends on uninterrupted access through the strait.

Follow this story as it evolves with NextGen+. Click the button below to see its status, momentum, and other key developments.

Even Uncle Sam is a bit worried. Chinese AI systems can now reportedly match some of the US’s best models in cybersecurity tasks, raising big concerns among US national security officials.

It was announced over the weekend that China’s Zhipu AI can, in select cases, match Anthropic’s powerful Mythos model, which the US government forced offline earlier this month.

While China hasn’t quite caught up to America’s AI heavyweights just yet, its extremely loose regulations on AI are allowing it to gain an edge. US policy isn’t helping either:

It’s already having an effect, as the trend may be spreading to major tech companies. According to reports, Microsoft is already exploring how Chinese AI models could be offered to users across its platforms.

Unlike many US models, most of China’s AI systems are open-weight, meaning users can download, modify, and run them independently. While that’s good for companies seeking cheaper and more flexible AI tools, it also makes them a great tool for hacking:

The US is scared to let powerful models run free: Although Anthropic’s Mythos was allowed to come back online for “certain trusted partners” on Thursday, OpenAI’s newest model, GPT-5.6, was only released to a few select companies vetted by the government the same day.

Why does this matter? As Chinese labs continue to catch up to American dominance in the AI industry, analysts say US infrastructure is deeply vulnerable to a new wave of highly automated, foreign-fueled cyberattacks like we have never seen before.

At a time when housing affordability is at record lows, new research shows that millions of homeowners may be overpaying on their mortgages because of a common—and relatively easy—overlook.

When mortgage rates are high (like they are now), housing experts say one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of buying a home is to “shop around” for the best mortgage… but people don’t do it.

According to new Bankrate research analyzed by the WSJ:

How does that happen? Those who accept the first loan they receive and don’t shop around often end up paying a “hidden ownership tax,” as even a fraction of a percent of extra interest adds up significantly over 30 years, thanks to how interest costs accumulate.

This isn’t just a problem for first-time buyers: Higher-income and older borrowers are actually the least likely to shop around and pay more in hidden ownership fees.

Housing experts interviewed by the Journal say the simplest way to lower long-term housing costs is to…

Our News+ members received additional context on how borrowers are overpaying and what housing experts recommend doing about it. To get our full briefings with deeper context and analysis on major stories going forward, subscribe below.

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I guess even Apple isn’t immune to inflation. The tech giant announced it would start implementing significant price hikes across much of its product lineup last week, blaming soaring costs for memory and storage chips.

While some of Apple’s devices were immune to price changes, a majority of its laptops and tablets saw large markups between 15% to 25%:

The company is mad for you: An Apple spokesperson said the changes were “not welcome news,” and that they’ve never seen hardware costs balloon “this much, this quickly.”

The tech giant attributed the price hikes to the soaring costs of memory and storage chips, which have further increased thanks to the AI boom:

Consumers already feel the impact of higher memory prices: Microsoft said console storage costs have increased more than two and a half times, contributing to Xbox price hikes of $100 or more, while Sony raised prices on some PlayStation 5 consoles by $100. Major PC manufacturers are also forecasting price increases of 15% to 30%.

Learn more about how AI is driving up gadget prices here.

How does this affect you? While iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods were spared from this round of increases, analysts warn that additional price hikes across the electronics industry may be on the way as soon as this fall.

Starting tomorrow, Medicare will begin covering obesity medications for the first time, giving millions of Americans access to popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo with monthly out-of-pocket costs as low as $50.

While Medicare already covers some obesity medications to help treat certain health disorders, this will mark the first time the program will specifically apply to weight-loss treatments.

It’s been a soft launch: Despite the program's potential impact, experts worry many Medicare recipients are unaware the benefit exists; however, that’s mostly by design. Pharmacies and doctors need time to flesh out the details of the program before demand gets too heavy (no pun intended).

How long will the program last? It’s slated to end by December 2027, but there have already been talks about extending its run.

Why is this important? Federal data show that more than 56 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Part D, while roughly 38% of older adults are classified as having obesity, meaning the landmark Medicare expansion will offer life-changing medical relief to millions of older Americans at a fraction of the typical cost.

> The Hacky Sack is making a comeback in the US, as searches for the small bean bag have skyrocketed over 5,000% on Google in the past month and over 7,000% on TikTok in the past year.

> Humans and great apes share remarkably similar rhythmic patterns when giggling; researchers suggest the behavior could date back at least 15 million years.

> Astronomers have discovered two giant planets that are lighter than cotton candy despite being nearly the size of Jupiter, making them the “puffiest worlds” ever found.

> Over 10,000 Vespa riders from around the world descended on Rome this weekend, parading past the Colosseum to celebrate the iconic scooter’s 80th anniversary.

> A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea, becoming the latest of more than 34,000 North Koreans who have defected since 1998, according to South Korean data.