🕶️ TikTok drama: from ban to back in just 12 hours

Six bullets of updates

1. 🤑 Trump's meme coin $TRUMP hits $11B market value, surging from $10 to $52.71 as crypto fever sweeps the family.

2. 🚀 Enterprise VCs eye AI solutions for specific tasks in 2025, focusing on reliability and AI infrastructure.

3. ⚡ Pentagon teams with AI giants like OpenAI, speeding up threat response while keeping humans in the decision loop.

4. 🕵️ FTC flags potential antitrust issues with big tech and generative AI, like Microsoft-OpenAI tie-ups.

5. 🤖 Epoch AI criticized for belatedly disclosing OpenAI funding, raising concerns about benchmark transparency.

6. 🔐 Failed startups' workers risk data theft via old Google logins; 116K domains from defunct firms up for grabs.

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TikTok drama: from ban to back in just 12 hours

TikTok came back online in the U.S. just over 12 hours after it went dark due to uncertainty surrounding a law that could have forced its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban. The law, set to take effect Sunday, also prohibited U.S. companies from supporting TikTok's operations. Facing potential penalties, TikTok's service providers needed assurance to continue their support, leading to the app's temporary shutdown. However, Donald Trump announced he would issue an executive order delaying the ban, allowing TikTok to restore its services and ensuring providers wouldn’t face liability. Despite this, the app remained absent from app stores for some time, and concerns about its future persisted.

President Trump indicated that his preferred solution would involve a joint venture with new or existing owners, granting the U.S. a 50% stake in the company. TikTok expressed its willingness to collaborate with Trump to establish a long-term solution for staying in the country. However, not all lawmakers welcomed the development, with Republican Senator Tom Cotton warning of potential legal consequences for companies aiding TikTok, calling it "communist-controlled".Despite the political tension, the app resumed functionality for many users, though its fate remains uncertain as discussions about ownership and national security concerns continue.

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Entrepreneur First Bangalore - Core | Deadline: Feb 11 | India

2. Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator | Deadline: Feb 11 | NYC

3. Techstars New York City Accelerator | Deadline: Feb 11 | NYC

4. Y Combinator | Deadline: Feb 11 | Silicon Valley

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Trump back in charge, plans to shake things up

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president inside the Capitol Rotunda on a freezing January day, marking his return to the White House after an eight-year hiatus. In his inaugural address, he called for a "revolution of common sense" and vowed to sign numerous executive orders to reshape the political landscape. The ceremony, usually held outdoors, was moved indoors due to extreme weather. The event was attended by outgoing President Joe Biden, prominent business leaders like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, and foreign dignitaries including Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. At 78, Trump became the oldest president to take office and the first U.S. president with a felony conviction, though he faced no penalties. Vice President JD Vance, 40, was also sworn in as one of the youngest in history.

Trump's return to power comes with promises of sweeping policy changes, including mass deportations, strict border controls, and aggressive new tariffs on foreign imports. He reiterated his intention to pardon supporters convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which occurred in the very Rotunda where he was sworn in. While his inauguration symbolized a peaceful transition of power, Trump continues to claim he was wrongfully denied reelection in 2020.

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Reddit: The Hidden Power Behind ChatGPT

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