JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1217

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains affected after the disastrous eye poke that ended his UFC 321 title bout with Ciryl Gane. Hospitalized Saturday, Aspinall was ruled a no-contest—the first in UFC title-fight history—after Gane accidentally poked both eyes in the first round. On Tuesday, his father and coach, Andy, said in a video on Aspinall’s YouTube channel the 32-year-old sees 'just gray' in the right eye and about 50% in the left; further tests are underway, though bone damage was avoided. Aspinall has stayed quiet. UFC CEO Dana White intends to rebook the fight pending recovery.

Microsoft closed up 2% at $542.07, lifting its market value to $4.04 trillion and returning it to a small club that includes Nvidia—and briefly, on Tuesday, Apple. The gain followed OpenAI’s move to convert into a public benefit corporation after Delaware and California attorneys general said they would not oppose the plan. OpenAI also signed a new agreement granting longtime backer Microsoft roughly a 27% stake in its new for-profit corporation. The sky-high valuations highlight investor frenzy around artificial intelligence.

Four boats off Mexico’s Pacific coast were struck by the U.S. military, leaving 14 dead, in an operation the Pentagon said occurred Monday in international waters. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attacks, pressed for adherence to treaties, and ordered talks with the U.S. ambassador. Mexico’s navy searched for a lone survivor after initial reports of a rescue. The Pentagon withheld coordinates and evidence about the targets. The strikes mark a broader campaign against alleged traffickers that has drawn regional outrage, even as Sheinbaum navigates sovereignty concerns alongside U.S. tariff negotiations.

Standing beside President Trump in Israel’s parliament, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed victories over Hamas and Iran’s axis, even as critics said he failed to translate them into peace. Israel faces intense condemnation over the Gaza war that followed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which Israeli authorities say killed 1,144 people; Gaza health officials report more than 68,000 Palestinians killed. Analysts warn U.S. backing is eroding. The Abraham Accords held, business ties quietly persist, and a shaky ceasefire saw new fighting as Israel accused Hamas of firing, prompting 'forceful' strikes in Gaza City.

Hundreds protested near the US embassy shouting "No Trump!" while others rallied "No China!"—a snapshot of the delicate week as President Lee Jae-Myung hosts US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping. Talks could seek a trade-war breakthrough, yet US–Korea negotiations remain unsettled after tariffs, investment pledges, and a Georgia immigration raid at a Hyundai plant that detained hundreds of South Koreans. Polls show strong pro-US sentiment but skepticism toward China; anti-CCP rallies persist as Lee pushes a bill curbing hate rallies and eases visas for Chinese tour groups. Analysts say Seoul aims for center ground.

In Tokyo, President Donald Trump cast his visit as a victory lap, bonding with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and touting Japanese investment in the U.S. His administration reported up to $490 billion in commitments toward a $550 billion goal, including $100 billion each for Westinghouse and GE Vernova nuclear projects. The leaders signed a “golden age” alliance framework and a critical minerals pact, addressed U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington, and traded gestures from “Japan is Back” caps to 250 cherry trees and talk of Toyota’s $10 billion.

Utah and California are pushing AI transparency, passing laws that require businesses—and in California, police departments—to disclose when AI is used, including chatbots and report-writing tools. Supporters, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, say labeling lets people opt out and drags AI use out of the shadows; San Francisco now publicly reports agency AI use. Critics warn mandates could chill innovation: a White House official decried a “state regulatory frenzy,” and a think tank cautions disclosures may drive customers away. Some citizens welcome a slowdown; one Washington homeschool teacher even changed email providers over unwanted AI summaries.

The Trump administration is moving to override state consumer protections on credit reporting, with the CFPB drafting an interpretative rule under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to preempt state bans on reporting debt to Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. The move would undo Biden-era measures that let states like New York and Delaware block medical debt reporting, even after the bureaus stopped listing balances under $500 in 2023. Citing Congress’s intent for national standards, the agency advanced the change as Americans hold an estimated $220 billion in medical debt. The CFPB did not immediately comment.

WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda, best known as IRS, has been placed in hospice care, according to multiple reports. The update came from his former tag partner and brother-in-law Barry Windham, who called it “kinda tough,” and was echoed by former WWE star Leilani Kai, who shared a photo from earlier this year. Rotunda, 67, found fame in WWE and WCW with The U.S. Express and Money Inc., and was inducted with Windham in 2024. The family previously lost his son Windham Rotunda, known as Bray Wyatt, at 36.

Stocks notched records Tuesday as investors crowded into the AI trade ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow set all-time intraday highs, with Nvidia jumping about 5% after unveiling moves at its GTC event, including a $1 billion stake in Nokia to help fund its AI plans. Microsoft rose roughly 2% and, with Apple, topped $4 trillion; OpenAI said its recapitalization is complete, positioning Microsoft’s roughly 27% stake for a windfall. Earnings remain strong—83% of S&P companies reporting beat estimates—while markets eyed an expected Fed cut and easing U.S.-China tensions before a Trump–Xi meeting.