Enrique Abeyta:

Amazon Is Laying Off 16,000 Employees As AI Battle Intensifies

Amazon is laying off 16,000 employees, the company’s second round of large-scale job reductions in three months as it fights to improve its standing in the battle for AI supremacy.

In a blog post Wednesday, the company said it needed to reduce red tape to increase its decision-making speed.

“We’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” said Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people.

Amazon in late October announced it was cutting 14,000 corporate employees, following a directive from CEO Andy Jassy’s vision of operating like the world’s biggest startup. He wants the company to remain nimble so it can adapt and change quickly as AI upends the technology sector.

Amazon is America’s second-largest private employer, behind Walmart. It has over 350,000 corporate employees, according to a 2024 survey filed to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The culmination of both the recent rounds of cuts represent about 9% of the company’s overall office staff.

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Davis Wilson:

Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates Steady at Its First FOMC Meeting of 2026

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it is leaving its benchmark interest rate unchanged, marking the central bank's first pause after three consecutive rate cuts last year.

The Fed maintained its federal funds rate – what banks charge each other for short-term loans – in its current range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The decision matched expectations from Wall Street economists, according to financial data service FactSet. 

The central bank is grappling with two potentially troubling economic trends: A softer labor market and an inflation rate that remains well above the central bank's annual target of 2%. At the same time, the U.S. economy continues to expand at a fast pace, with the country's third-quarter growth rising at a 4.4% annual rate, far outpacing economist forecasts. 

"The Fed is likely on an extended pause with strong activity data and signs of stabilization in the labor market suggesting little need to take out further insurance," said Kay Haigh, global co-head of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, in an email after the announcement.

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Chris Campbell:

Google Unleashes AI in Chrome with ‘Auto Browse’

Last year, Google fueled up its Chrome browser with its Gemini AI model. Now it’s pressing on the gas in what the company is calling a “new era of browsing.” 

Google is introducing a slew of new features that further embeds its Gemini 3 model into its browser, now with a side panel capable of multitasking, integration with Google Apps, and a feature called “auto browse” that can navigate the web on a user’s command.

Google’s preferred headliner for the announcement is its new side panel, which keeps Gemini on screen as a browsing assistant across tabs. The company said that users would be able to perform separate tasks in the sidebar while keeping the browser tab open to their primary focus.

In a demonstration for the press, Google’s Vice President of Chrome, Parisa Tabriz, described the use of the sidebar. “I can have my assistant side-by-side with the content I see in my screen,” she said. “But most importantly, I can actually go ahead and start a completely new conversation on a different tab if I wanted to.”

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