Sep 27, 2025

I recently learned that state jobs data has been released, showing a continued slowdown in growth, with three states plus DC now losing jobs. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order increasing the H-1B Visa fee from $1,000 to $100,000 per year per employee, aiming to make it harder for companies to hire foreign workers.

In a new book titled “Jemaah Islamiyah, ISIS and Beyond,” scholar Kumar Ramakrishna sheds light on the future shape of emerging security threats in Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region, moving beyond past iterations of terrorism and violent extremism. The book emphasizes the evolving threat of terrorism and violent extremism as a serious concern that warrants policy attention and resources.

Billionaire hedge fund founder David Einhorn expressed concerns about the trillion-dollar spending on AI infrastructure, warning that it may lead to capital destruction despite transforming society. He also highlighted a potential economic contraction based on faltering U.S. job growth and productivity.

Deal dollars in 2025 have increased compared to the same period in 2024, while the number of deals has decreased. This trend benefits bigger buyers in the deals market but may not necessarily result in a larger return on investment. Additionally, TikTok U.S. is being valued at around $14 billion as part of a U.S. government-brokered sale by China’s ByteDance to an investor group led by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, marking a significant deal in the tech industry.

I recently heard about several companies raising significant amounts of funding. Healthier Capital and Blue Venture Fund led a $20 million Series A funding round for a company, while Brightmind Partners, Sequoia Capital, and Insight Partners invested $16 million in a New York-based endpoint protection platform. Additionally, Resbiotic Nutrition, based in Birmingham, Ala., raised $8 million in Series A funding, and Bonsai Health, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based health-care workflow automation platform, secured $7 million in seed funding.

Stay Well!