German national airline Lufthansa axed up to 2,000 flights it was initially planning to run between May and October while, over in North America, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada have all made similar cuts.

The total number of cuts amounts, for most airlines, somewhere between 3% and 8% of the total flying schedule. Some of Delta's recent summer suspensions include flights from New York's JFK to St. Louis, Memphis and Houston as well as a nonstop route between Raleigh-Durham and Las Vegas.

American Airlines cuts multiple summer flights to California

The latest carrier to confirm six routes that will be suspended this summer is Dallas-based American Airlines. The axed flights, as first spotted by watchdog Ishrion Aviation, include routes to Washington Dulles, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus from LAX and Charlotte from Sacramento International (SMF) and Ontario International Airport (ONT) in California.

The six flights will be suspended for the period between Aug. 5 to Oct. 5, with American intending to restart them in the fall.

Related: Another low-cost airline cancels all flights for two weeks

"American has seasonally adjusted service on select routes in August and September as the airline refines its capacity growth for 2026," the airline said in a statement. "American is not suspending any routes indefinitely as part of this adjustment and will continue to proudly offer an industry-leading network with more flights than any other U.S. airline."

How to get a refund on a canceled American flight

As per the airline's regular policy on cancelations, any travelers who booked travel before the route was called off will be contacted with the option to either rebook or receive a refund to the original method of payment.

Travelers could also initiate this process independently through American's website and their flight booking. Travelers whose fare class would otherwise not allow for refund are entitled to one in cases where the route is suspended by the carrier.

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While recent ebbs show some potential for improvement, jet fuel prices currently sit as $4 per gallon which is a spike of 80% from a year ago. American CEO Robert Isom had previously said that it expects nearly $4 billion more in additional expenses related to the price of jet fuel.

Along with cancelations to optimize the use of jet fuel, airlines are also forced to keep flights that run to the Middle East suspended indefinitely due to the volatile security situation. At the end of May, American also once again pushed back the restart of its flights between Philadelphia International (PHL) and Hamad Internatinoal (DOH) in Doha and JFK and Tel Aviv International (TLV) until at least 2027.

The Doha route was suspended in March 2026 after the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran while resumption of service has been pushed back multiple times as the war with Iran continued to expand into a regional crisis.

Related: 118-year-old transportation company files for bankruptcy

Now some, myself included, are receiving what appear to be legitimate replacement Medicare cards in the mail. Given the long history of Medicare-related scams, many recipients are understandably wondering whether the mailing is genuine.

The answer appears to be yes.

Approximately 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries are being issued new Medicare cards with new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers, or MBIs, following a data security incident and fraud concerns, according to Medicare advocacy organizations, state aging agencies and industry groups tracking the reissuance effort.

The new Medicare numbers became effective April 14, 2026, and replacement cards have been arriving in mailboxes nationwide.

"I am not aware of any current mass mailing of this nature, but this is consistent with the letter and instructions that were sent in April to people whose Medicare numbers were compromised during a CMS hack," said Casey Schwarz, counsel for education and federal policy at the Medicare Rights Center.

Why Medicare is replacing the cards

The reissuance effort follows a Medicare.gov security incident disclosed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

According to CMS, unauthorized individuals used legitimate beneficiary information between 2023 and 2025 to create Medicare.gov accounts. The information included MBIs, dates of birth, ZIP codes, last names and Medicare coverage start dates.

Once those accounts were created, attackers may have been able to access additional information, including mailing addresses, provider information, dates of service, diagnosis codes, services received and Medicare plan premium details.

CMS said it responded by deactivating fraudulently created accounts, blocking the creation of new Medicare.gov accounts from foreign IP addresses, monitoring claims activity for suspicious activity and replacing Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers for affected beneficiaries.

The agency said it is not aware of any reports of identity theft or fraud resulting directly from the incident.

CMS did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication.

How to tell whether the mailing is legitimate

The arrival of replacement cards has created confusion because Medicare scams often involve claims that beneficiaries need a new card or Medicare number.

Diane Omdahl, president and founder of 65 Incorporated, said recipients should remain cautious but look for key signs that distinguish a legitimate mailing from a scam.

"People should always be skeptical of mailings that ask them to 'confirm' or 'activate' their new Medicare number. This mailing does not do that," Omdahl said.

Related: How does Medicare IRMAA work?

She noted that CMS has issued replacement Medicare cards in the past when fraud concerns or security issues have been identified. Beneficiaries who question whether a mailing is legitimate can verify it by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or checking their Medicare.gov account.

Omdahl also recommends monitoring Medicare claims activity for signs of unauthorized use.

Marcia Mantell, founder of Mantell Retirement Consulting, said reports of beneficiaries receiving replacement Medicare cards have surfaced in multiple parts of the country.

"It seems to be causing many folks a lot of confusion," Mantell said.

Mantell said beneficiaries receiving a legitimate replacement card will not be asked to activate it or take additional steps before using it. She also noted that the replacement card arrives as a paper card rather than a plastic one.

Beneficiaries with concerns should contact Medicare directly, seek assistance from their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or review their MyMedicare account for any communications related to their situation.

"The letter looks official and it did come in snail mail," Mantell said. "It does seem legit."

What affected beneficiaries should do

CMS recommends that beneficiaries:

• Review Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits statements for unfamiliar services or charges.
• Report suspicious activity to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
• Check annual credit reports for signs of identity theft.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission or local law enforcement if identity theft is suspected.

CMS said Medicare coverage and benefits are not affected by the issuance of a new Medicare number. The agency's primary goal is to protect beneficiary information and reduce the risk of future fraud involving compromised Medicare identifiers.

Related: Fidelity sends strong message on major Medicare worry

Xiaomi will be unveiling its next flagship lineup, presumably the Xiaomi 18, later this year. Like every time, there will be multiple models, including the Ultra variant, which will arrive at a later date. Our focus for today will be the vanilla Xiaomi 18, whose key specs, including display and battery, have surfaced on Weibo.

Xiaomi 18 will reportedly arrive with a larger 6.4-inch 2K display and 7,000mAh+ battery

Tipster Digital Chat Station, who has a reliable track record with leaks, is the source yet again. Though he doesn’t explicitly mention any names, fingers on the web point towards the Xiaomi 18. Considering it’s indeed the Xiaomi 18, here’s what the leak says. The phone will reportedly sport around a 6.4-inch flat display, which, according to him, is close to a mid-sized display that many users were hoping for. In comparison, the Xiaomi 17 (review) has a slightly smaller 6.3-inch screen.

Furthermore, he adds that it’ll feature a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, large-radius corners, and ultra-narrow and symmetrical bezels. The flagship will apparently offer an effective 2K resolution panel for some crisp visuals. It seems Xiaomi will be giving some notable upgrades to the standard Xiaomi 18 later this year.

The lineup may also get a dual 200MP camera upgrade

The leak also talks about the Xiaomi 18 Pro. It’ll reportedly debut with an exclusive new display technology. But he hasn’t explained it in detail. The lineup is said to bring notable improvements to photography with dual 200MP cameras. This will take the Xiaomi 18 series close to current flagships from OPPO and Vivo.

As for the battery department, Digital Chat Station notes the battery capacity would begin in the 7,000mAh range. Although we don’t know the exact capacity, this is a notable jump from the 6,330mAh cell on the predecessor (Xiaomi 17 Pro). The battery is likely to power both the Xiaomi 18 and 18 Pro.

That’s about it for the latest leak from Digital Chat Station. In a related development, tipster Smart Pikachu on Weibo recently claimed that Xiaomi is exploring AI-powered desktop features for secondary screens, including on the Xiaomi 18 Pro and the cover screen of the upcoming Xiaomi foldable. For context, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to keep the rear display, first seen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro.

The post Xiaomi 18 Leak Reveals Display and Battery Upgrades appeared first on Android Headlines.

The post The Pocketbook Inkposter vs Bloomin8 first appeared on Good e-Reader.

The post Radxa Dragon Q8B is a single-board PC with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, PCIe 3.0 and dual 2.5 GbE LAN appeared first on Liliputing.

Aside from the major carriers in the US like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, there are a bunch of smaller regional carriers and MVNOs, catering to the local population who might not need all the bells and whistles and prices associated with the major carriers. But it looks like we have one less player in the field. In a press release, Noble Mobile is announcing that it is acquiring by Helium Mobile.

Noble Mobile acquires Helium Mobile

For those unfamiliar, Noble Mobile launched in 2025. It was founded by Andrew Yang, a former US presidential candidate. Yang’s pitch for his carrier has always been simple: wireless service costs too much. The carrier charges $50 per month for an unlimited plan, and one of its selling points was that it pays customers back for data they don’t use.

As for Helium Mobile, it launched in 2023 with a similar philosophy. It combined T-Mobile’s 5G network with the Helium Network, a decentralized infrastructure of roughly 137,000 consumer-operated hotspots across the US. Individuals running those hotspots earn crypto token rewards when their hardware offloads mobile data traffic. As part of this deal, Noble has also agreed to use the Helium Network going forward, which expands its coverage footprint.

Speaking to Fierce, Helium COO Frank Mong said, “Noble Mobile was the right fit because of our alignment in values, and the people leading the organization.” He adds, “It was important for us to select a partner that would continue to prioritize our subscribers and, together, push for wireless affordability and accessibility.”

What is acquisition means for customers

So, what does this acquisition of Helium Mobile by Noble Mobile mean for existing customers? Well, the good news is that for now, things should remain more or less as it is. Both companies say service continuity is the priority.

On the Noble Mobile Helium side, existing Noble customers also stand to benefit. They’ll gain access to the Helium Network, which reportedly serves millions of users daily. For a carrier barely a year old, that’s quite an expansion. And they did all this without building a single tower.

That being said, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for Helium. The carrier recently ended its free plan for subscribers. This led to quite a bit of user backlash, and only time will tell whether Yang’s Noble Mobile can win that audience back.

The post Andrew Yang's Noble Mobile Snaps Up Helium Mobile in Affordable Wireless Bet appeared first on Android Headlines.

Google could launch with eight Googlebook models later this year. The company teased the new laptop at The Android Show | I/O Edition last month, saying that the first hardware would be available this Fall, and even name-dropped a number of its partners. Now, according to a new report, we know that Google could release at least eight Googlebooks this year.

According to Chrome Unboxed, which has spotted these Googlebooks through various repositories, these are expected to be powered by Intel chips based on Panther Lake architecture. That’s the codename for Intel’s Core Ultra 300 series chips. However, the code does not reflect which OEMs are using these devices, only the chipsets being used to power them.

Intel isn’t the only chipset powering these new Chromebooks either. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips are also set to be used in a few devices. This could be Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon X Plus rather than the newer X2 Plus and Elite. Which would make sense, as it’ll help keep the price down, and because Googlebooks don’t need as much power as a Windows laptop.

MediaTek had also announced that they were on board with Googlebooks and working with Google and their partners. But their processors haven’t been seen in these repositories just yet.

What is the Googlebook?

For many people, the Googlebook is a bit confusing. As we already have Chromebooks, which Google says they are committed to supporting and keeping around. And as far as we know, from what Google has told us, Google Books is essentially built on Android with a Chrome OS skin on top. Which explains the name a little bit.

Google has already named virtually every PC maker as a partner for Googlebooks. This includes Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. We’ve seen leaks of a Samsung Googlebook, but they were not explicitly named by Google.

The post Google's About to Drop a Whole Library of Googlebooks This Fall appeared first on Android Headlines.

According to a new report, the European Parliament could ditch Google as its default search engine. This is all a part of the initiative to become less reliant on American tech.

The European Parliament decided to ditch Google Search in favor of Qwant

The European Parliament will allegedly stop using Google as the default search engine on its in-house computers. The information comes from Politico, by the way. Searches made via the address bar on Firefox and Edge will be made via the French alternative Qwant.

Qwant will be the new default search engine starting on June 4, so, tomorrow. Workers will still be able to go to another search engine’s website or change the default search engine, which kind of defeats the purpose of this move, but there you go.

It is said that officials are making the change “in line with the Parliament’s commitment to digital sovereignty and the protection of users’ personal data.” This quote is pulled from an email that was sent to the staff. Qwant is mentioned as a “privacy-focused European search engine.”

It’s all a part of the initiative to reduce reliance on foreign tech

The European Commission is expected to reveal a sovereignty package which is designed with the goal of reducing the EU’s reliance on foreign technology. That is supposed to happen at some point today.

France has been on the forefront of all this. It is planning to switch government workstations from Windows to Linux, and ditch both Zoom and Microsoft Teams in the process. It will use Vision, a local alternative, for video calls.

It is worth noting that thanks to Google’s hardcore AI push, DuckDuckGo installations soared. DuckDuckGo provides users the option to ditch generative AI search results altogether. Yesterday, DuckDuckGo said that it broke its all-time single-day search traffic record on June 1.

The post The European Parliament Ditches Google Search — Qwant Swoops In appeared first on Android Headlines.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Joining me now is Tim Rouse, the Executive Director of the Spark Institute, and Larry McQuaid. He is with SS&C Technologies and he's also a co-chair of the Retirement Income Committee for the Spark Institute.

Gentlemen, welcome to the program this morning.

Tim Rouse, The SPARK Institute

Oh, thanks for having us, Jeff.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah, it's a lot to say, but look, we're always appreciative of having Spark, which in my opinion, having been in our industry for over 30 years, it is the preeminent advocate for retirement security. And I'm not just saying that, I really believe that. And I think more people should check out what Spark is doing because they are really advocating for financial security.

And today we're going to talk about retirement income. Tim, I want to come to you first because you kind of oversee everything. Why did Spark create the Retirement Income Subcommittee?

Tim Rouse, The SPARK Institute

Well, Jeff, we created the Retirement Income Committee because plan sponsors and their advisors consistently told us they needed real help feeling more confident when evaluating and selecting retirement income products. These solutions can be very complex and every provider presents information differently, which creates hesitation on the part of consumers. So our main goal in creating this committee was to give plan sponsors and advisors practical, standardized tools that allow them to compare options objectively and make better purchasing decisions with greater confidence.

Because we know from any consumer study that when the consumer feels more confident in the decisions that they're making, they're significantly more likely to buy and then recommend a product. And consumers that recommend, a consumer recommendation is far more powerful than any sales effort. So ultimately, our goal is to assist American employers and their workers achieve better retirement outcomes.

And this committee is helping to do that.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah. And Larry, I mean, Spark has a rich history. I think I'll go back to 403b regs, the RFP of groups coming together to do exactly what Tim said, which is uniformity across the industry and really help with the selection process.

But let me ask you, you're a co-chair, what's the mission for the Spark Retirement Income Subcommittee?

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

You know, Tim really sets us up great. I mean, he touched on a lot of topics, but when we looked at these products and we looked at the passage of the SECURE Act, we knew that the popularity of these products was going to increase. These, as Tim mentioned, are extremely complex products.

You're bringing together three industries, right? Retirement, asset management, and insurance. Each has their own rules, their own regulations, and most challenging, their own language.

So we're looking across the board, how can we stay in this? How can we help record keepers, plan sponsors, advisors, and ultimately have them help the participants that can use these products because they are very important in helping them achieve their goals to retire with dignity. Now, the first deliverable we looked at was around data.

You know, years ago, Spark put together a Spark file, the data file, and we wanted to look at that and say, okay, how can we help record keepers understand what data points are most important when they're placing these products on their platforms? Because their platforms weren't set up to handle these products. So we put together the Spark workbook, the retirement income Spark data workbook, which highlighted the data points and how they're going to be used, whether you're creating that annual statement, whether you're supporting the product within the participant views, or whether you're, you know, going through the drawdown phases.

So we highlighted those, we parsed those out, and there's a nice workbook that a record keeper can work through to help them when they're setting up their own retirement income programs. The next was the framework around the evaluation guidelines. We felt this was extremely important, and as Tim mentioned earlier, this was designed to really help people look at retirement income products side by side and do an evaluation for them.

Going forward, we're looking at guidelines around requests for information so that record keepers, plan sponsors, advisors can understand what products to pick. And then we're also working on the most challenging part, which really is a lexicon, trying to, you know, understand, you know, terminology and acronyms that are used in retirement and how that relates to insurance, because they can sometimes be the same word, but have completely different meanings. So the mission really is to help record keepers, plan sponsors, and advisors, and ultimately the participant, understand these products so they can use them to help them to retirement dignity.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

You know, you mentioned jargon, and ours is an industry filled with jargon, and you're right, different terms mean different things in different contexts. Let me ask you, is that part of the bigger challenge for retirement plan advisors, investment consultants, plan sponsors, fiduciary, people around the table? They're not experts in our field, but what are the challenges for the selection of these product types?

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

I think the challenges are, you know, understanding, you know, retirement market, as well as insurance and asset management. So you bring up a really good point there and a really difficult question. So how can you, you know, look at different products and compare them side by side and understand, you know, the difference between a GLWB, a GMWB, a DIA, a SPIA, a QLAC, and what is appropriate for you and your marketplace.

It can be very confusing, and hopefully this framework will be a good starting block to help people begin that analysis.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Tim, I want to bring you back in here before I go back to Larry. Obviously you run, you're the Executive Director of the SPARC Institute. Are you seeing more interest from not only the members, but outside groups in the ecosystem around retirement income products?

Tim Rouse, The SPARK Institute

Absolutely. And that's one of the reasons why we've established the Retirement Income Committee itself, because we are hearing from plan sponsors and advisors the basic belief that these are important products. But for me to feel confident, like I said, in buying them, I need to be better educated.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah. And same question for you, Larry. I mean, as someone, you're in the trenches, in fact, your firm creates a lot of the middleware that helps kind of make this happen behind the scenes.

What's your estimation in terms of the greater adoption? Is there interest from the fiduciary community?

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

I think there's significant interest. And, you know, there were a couple barriers to entry before around availability and also the number of products that were available. And we're starting to see on our platform and across the industry, a real uptick in the assets in these products.

And we're seeing the demand go. We're seeing the conversation in the industry change from nice to have, to must have, to now, how are we executing?

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Let me ask you about the framework. How should, in your estimation, you know, and this comes from the mission, the view of the committee. This is not, by the way, this is not something that just happened overnight for those who maybe aren't in our industry.

These things take months and months and weeks and weeks to develop with many iterations. But for advisors and consultants that can download this framework, how should they use these tools?

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah, we see it as a starting block for them to begin their analysis, right? There is a lot of information here on the products, but it really allows you to look at the different products that are available, get an understanding of, you know, what the income capabilities are, spousal benefits, withdrawal rates, guaranteed payout rates, fees, etc. But it allows an advisor, a plan sponsor, to look at these side-by-side and do a comparison.

Once you understand what type of product you're going to select, then you can go through the workbook. You can look at the evaluation, line up three or four of them, and begin your analysis to meet your fiduciary requirements around safe harbor.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

You know, it's almost analogous to when I buy a car and I'm shopping one brand versus another. And a lot of the tools online allow you to kind of look at the kind of the pros and cons of each and their key features. So that would make a lot of sense to me as a reformed record keeper and now advisor.

Let me ask you about our friends at the Department of Labor released some new proposed regulations awaiting comment. The comment period, I think, ends shortly. How does this tool and the evaluation, these tools in the evaluation framework fit into these new proposed regulations?

I'm sure you guys in the committee had to take that into account.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah, very much so. Yeah, I believe the comment period ends June 1st. We'll go from there.

But as you looked at what they laid out around alternative investments, which is not just based on alternatives, but also products like this, but all investments in general, the fiduciary process, right, they have six areas that they need to work through, and the first being performance. So they need to be able to look at the performance of the products and make sure that they're comparing a reasonable number of products against each other. But they have to be like products.

The next is around fees. You know, it was pretty explicit in there that you don't have to pick the lowest fee, and that you need to do your due diligence around it, and it's expected that products like this that have retirement income components, they're going to be a little bit more expensive because of that guaranteed and that downside protection. The next is liquidity.

The product needs to meet the liquidity standards so that if a participant moves jobs or enters into retirement and needs to take withdrawals, that the product is liquid. It can be priced to accuracy. That's the second one is valuation.

It has to be priced timely and accurately. This could be a challenge for alternatives, not so much for retirement income products, but there are solutions for alternatives, which you're able to use in outside U.S. GAAP accounting standards at some firms, but you really need to have a third party evaluate those. And then the last, the next two areas are benchmarking.

You have to benchmark it against a reasonable index that coincides with the product, and then complexity. This is where it gets challenging, and this is where I think we help quite a bit, is the fiduciary has to be able to demonstrate that they have knowledge around the complexity of the product and fully understand its capabilities in the recommendation process. So that's how we think the evaluation sheets can help.

It is definitely not an end-all, but it definitely is a starting block to begin that analysis.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

So, Tim, obviously a lot of work that Larry and the subcommittee are doing. A lot of work has been done. A lot of work, I would imagine, to continue.

What, in your mind, what's next for, you know, obviously there's a decision-making process. You don't just get to arbitrarily make the decisions, but what's next for the Retirement Income Committee?

Tim Rouse, The SPARK Institute

Well, you're right that Larry and his team have done a tremendous job in getting us to this point, and it was not an easy task, but they did a yeoman's job in getting us to the point that we're in right now, and I'm very thankful for that. So the next big thing that we're working on is an interactive web tool that we're calling the Retirement Income Solution Finder. It will let plan sponsors and advisors adjust approximately 10 slider bars representing various key buyer preferences, things like strength of the guarantee or liquidity needs, fees, portability, things that Larry mentioned earlier.

And based on the users who sets their priorities, the tool would then intelligently show them which specific products in our framework best match what they're looking for. So going back to what Larry had mentioned in terms of the steps that you would need to do with regard to the DOL guidance. And if that's successful, the next logical step is that we would then say, here are the five or six products that best align with your criteria.

Would you like a set of sample RFP questions to help you take the next step and actually select a provider? We're trying to build a smooth guided pathway that takes people from, I'm interested, but I don't know what I'm actually looking for, all the way to actually making the purchase and feeling good about the decisions that they made.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah, well, obviously a lot of work being done, a lot of work to do. I feel like the retirement industry, we're iterative. So you're constantly refining, making things better.

We're certainly different than we looked 40 years ago. And I'm bullish on the future. Tim, Larry, great to see you.

Thanks for joining us. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon.

Tim Rouse, The SPARK Institute

Thank you, Jeff.

Restaurant spending is declining, big-ticket appliance and home goods purchases are being delayed, and luxury travel has slowed to a crawl. But there is one area where consumers are actually spending more than ever: pet care.

In light of that, Tractor Supply is making a massive gamble that the pet spending trend will continue.

Vet care is one of the largest components of pet-care spending, accounting for 32.4% of total output in 2025, according to a report from the American Veterinary Medical Association. 

It’s also one of the most stressful parts of the pet-owning experience for many people. Approximately 75 million pet owners have skipped or declined vet care for their pets due to financial or accessibility barriers, the LA Times reports.

But Tractor Supply’s latest acquisition may finally make this piece of responsible pet ownership easier and more affordable.

Tractor Supply acquires VIP Petcare 

At the end of May, Tractor Supply, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., announced it had acquired veterinary services company VIP Petcare.

VIP Petcare is the largest provider of mobile veterinary services in the nation, operating 2,700 community clinics in retail locations across 39 states. In 2025, it served more than 1 million pets and their owners, at prices that are 50% less than a traditional vet visit.

Prior to the acquisition, VIP Petcare had an existing relationship with Tractor Supply with offices in 1,700 of the retailer’s locations.

“VIP Petcare has been a strong partner in helping us expand access to affordable pet care,” Tractor Supply CEO Hal Lawton said in a statement accompanying the announcement. 

“This acquisition builds on the unique combination of assets we have assembled across veterinary services, pet specialty, digital pharmacy and retail stores to better serve the millions of Tractor Supply customers who care for pets and animals,” he continued.

Like Lawton noted, the acquisition of VIP Petcare fills a notable gap in Tractor Supply’s pet care portfolio.

In 2024, the retailer bought Allivet, a leading online animal pharmacy. The move gave pet owners in rural areas access to next-day delivery for necessary medications. 

But up to this point, the retailer has not had a similar option for pet healthcare, something many of its consumers have long been looking for.

“Joining Tractor Supply gives our veterinarians, field teams and pet parents an even stronger platform to continue delivering high-quality, affordable veterinary care to communities across the country through Tractor Supply locations and our broader network of retail partners,” Ari Macerollo, head of veterinary services at VIP Petcare, said in a company announcement.

Tractor Supply is doubling down on an overlooked market

Rural America is an overlooked and underserved market.

There are approximately 46.2 million people, or 13.6% of the U.S. population, living in nonmetro areas, according to the USDA’s 2025 Rural America at a Glance report. 

Of those rural Americans, 71% own pets, according to data from the Pew Research Center, and nearly half (47%) own multiple pets. 

Yet access to veterinary care can be more difficult in rural communities, where clinics are often spread farther apart and pet owners may need to travel significant distances for routine appointments.

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Which is exactly where Tractor Supply’s latest acquisition comes in.

By offering veterinary services through VIP Petcare’s mobile clinics, community events, and retail locations, the company can bring preventative and emergency care directly to communities that may have fewer options than their urban counterparts.

The approach also gives Tractor Supply a way to get more customers through the door. VIP Petcare’s location-based clinics will encourage pet owners to visit stores regularly even when they aren't shopping for food, toys, or supplies.

As pet spending continues to rise (it’s set to grow by 4.4% to $165 billion in 2026, according to the American Pet Products Association), the company is positioning itself as a one-stop destination for everything from medications and supplies to routine veterinary care.

Related: Williams Sonoma CEO cuts to the chase on economy, customer behavior

Huawei’s upcoming tri-fold smartphone could change things up considerably. According to a new rumor, the phone could ditch the Z-shaped folding to adopt a G-shape folding style.

The Huawei Mate XT 2 could borrow the Galaxy Z TriFold’s folding style

If you’re confused by this, think of it this way: the Huawei Mate XT 2 could adopt the Galaxy Z TriFold’s folding style. That means that it will protect its display better when it’s folded, but it also introduces some limitations.

When G-shape folding is utilized, you lose the ability for that middle-of-the-road folding option. The Huawei Mate XT and XTs offer 6.4-inch, 7.9-inch, and 10.2-inch display sizes, depending on the folding level.

If Huawei ends up adopting G-shape folding, that 7.9-inch option will be gone. You’ll be able to choose between fully unfolded and fully folded options only, just like you can on the Galaxy Z TriFold.

Both styles have their pluses and minuses

We’re not sure how accurate this is, but it’s a trade-off no matter how you look at it. You’re getting better display protection for fewer folding options. The information comes from Fixed Focus Digital, by the way, a tipster.

This is all a matter of preference, of course. I, for one, love that 7.9-inch form factor, which essentially gives you a display size of a regular foldable. So having that option on a tri-fold device is kind of important for me.

I’ve noticed that many people don’t really care, and they only want to use the device in its fully folded or fully unfolded state. So, it’s all a matter of preference; there’s no wrong way to handle this.

Either way, the Huawei Mate XT 2 is expected to launch this year. The Huawei Mate XT arrived in September 2024, while the Mate XTs followed in September 2025. By that logic, the Huawei Mate XT 2 will land in September this year. One rumor did mention October as the launch month, though.

The post Huawei Mate XT 2 Could Fold Like the Galaxy Z TriFold — for Better or Worse appeared first on Android Headlines.

Su recently told graduates on Thursday, May 28, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that technical knowledge alone won't be enough in the AI era.

"The world does not just need people who know how to use powerful tools," she said. Instead, Su argued that future leaders will be defined by their purpose, judgment, courage, and ability to solve meaningful problems.

Her comments arrive at a pivotal moment for both the labor market and AMD's business. AI adoption is accelerating across industries, creating demand not only for AI skills, but also for the computing infrastructure that powers those systems.

And that's exactly where AMD is seeing significant growth.

Lisa Su says people will shape the future, not AI

Speaking to MIT's Class of 2026, Su emphasized that every major technological shift has transformed society.

The internet changed communication. Mobile computing changed how people live. Cloud computing transformed work.

Also Read: Latest NVDA News

But AI, she argued, could be even more impactful because it has the potential to accelerate breakthroughs across medicine, science, energy, and climate research. Still, she cautioned that technology itself does not determine outcomes.

AI can process information and generate answers, but it cannot decide which problems deserve attention or take responsibility for the consequences of those decisions. Those responsibilities remain firmly in human hands.

Su's message echoes similar comments from Jensen Huang and Sam Altman, both of whom have stressed the importance of judgment, creativity, and critical thinking in an AI-driven economy.

Why Su's thoughts on AI matter for AMD's business

For investors, Su's comments aren't just philosophical. They directly connect to AMD's growth strategy. Why? The company has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI boom.

In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported revenue of $10.3 billion, while Data Center revenue surged 57% year over year to $5.8 billion, according to AMD’s press release.

In the same statement, management also said demand for AMD EPYC processors and Instinct AI accelerators continued to accelerate. More importantly, the Data Center segment has become AMD's primary growth engine.

Related: AMD buys $6.5 million of surging tech stock

"Data Center is now the primary driver of our revenue and earnings growth," Su said during the company's earnings report.

That trend highlights a key reality. Every company racing to deploy AI needs enormous computing power. AMD supplies much of the hardware that enables those workloads.

As businesses invest in AI applications, demand for AMD's processors, GPUs, networking products, and software ecosystem could continue rising.

AMD is massively expanding its AI footprint

The company has spent the past several months deepening relationships with some of the world's largest technology companies.

AMD revealed major AI infrastructure collaborations with Meta Platforms, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Tencent.

One of the most notable developments came from Meta, which plans to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs and become a lead customer for AMD's next-generation EPYC server processors, according to AMD’s press release.

Related: Nvidia’s $150 billion bet trumps AMD

The company is also working with partners in India, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), South Korea, and telecommunications markets, as governments and enterprises build sovereign AI infrastructure.

As AMD reported, these projects could help support AMD's outlook for second-quarter 2026 revenue of approximately $11.2 billion, representing roughly 46% year-over-year growth.

How AMD compares with Nvidia

Many investors naturally compare AMD's AI opportunity with Nvidia's. This is because many understand AI through Nvidia (NVDA).

While Nvidia remains the industry's dominant AI hardware provider, AMD continues gaining traction.

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On May 20, Nvidia reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $81.6 billion, up 85% from a year ago, including record Data Center revenue of $75.2 billion, up 92% from a year ago. Those numbers underscore the enormous size of the AI market.

For AMD, the opportunity isn't necessarily about matching Nvidia's scale overnight. Instead, it's about capturing a growing share of a rapidly expanding market as customers seek alternative suppliers and diversified AI infrastructure.

In fact, the company's recent partnerships suggest that the strategy is gaining momentum.

AMD stock has also delivered exceptional returns

Investors have already benefited from AMD's AI-driven growth story.

As of June 1, 2026, AMD shares have dramatically outperformed the broader market:

• YTD return: 138.2% gain versus 11.0% gain for the S&P 500
• One-year return: 360.7% gain versus 28.6% gain for the S&P 500
• Three-year return: 327.0% return versus 80.1% gain for the S&P 500
• Five-year return: 531.3% return versus 80.9% gain for the S&P 500
  Source: Yahoo Finance

Those gains reflect growing confidence that AMD can remain one of the biggest winners from the AI infrastructure buildout.

Su's message to graduates was simple. Learning AI tools matters, but judgment matters more. That perspective aligns closely with AMD's position in the market.

As companies increasingly deploy AI, demand for advanced computing infrastructure continues to rise. AMD is supplying the processors and accelerators helping power that transition, while simultaneously benefiting from one of the strongest growth trends in technology.

For shareholders, the key question isn't whether AI adoption will continue. The focus is on whether AMD can keep converting that demand into sustained revenue growth, market share gains, and long-term profitability.

So far, the company's results suggest it is doing exactly that.

Related: Bank of America resets AMD stock price target

Smartphones with large batteries have become a growing trend in recent times, with HONOR pushing the envelope with its Win series that debuted a large 10,000mAh cell. Besides that, there are a handful of other models with battery capacities between 7,000 and 9,000mAh. According to a new rumor, OPPO might be next in the race with a large 10,000mAh battery.

OPPO is reportedly working on an A-series phone with a large 10,000mAh battery

Tipster Digital Chat Station, in a new post on Weibo, reports that OPPO is currently working on a new mid-range A-series device with a massive 10,000mAh battery (rated capacity of 9,700mAh). Although we don’t have a name yet, it will allegedly have a large LTPS OLED display with 1.5K resolution and flat edges. 

While he hasn’t explicitly mentioned the chipset the phone will feature, it’ll apparently be built on a 4nm process. Considering the A-series is OPPO’s mid-range segment, it may not be any high-end SoC. It’s widely speculated that it could be the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 or a Snapdragon 6 series chip. If it’s a MediaTek chip, it could be the Dimensity 7500 or 7400.

It’ll also be quite durable against drops

He further adds that the upcoming OPPO A-series phone will sport a plastic body. His exact words (translated) are, “made of high polymer drop-resistant materials.” OPPO usually promotes its A-series phones for their tough builds and enhanced durability. So the upcoming model appears to continue OPPO’s focus on durability.

Lastly, Digital Chat Station claims the OPPO phone will start at around CNY 2,000, which roughly translates to $296. That’s relatively affordable considering what’s on offer.  Unfortunately, the leak doesn’t reveal any other details about the phone at the moment. But the tipster’s upcoming posts in the coming days should have more info.

That said, the OPPO A-series phone may be exclusive to China. Even if it expands, it’ll be available only in select regions.

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