A mix of defense-tech weirdness, market jitters, and political fallout defines the day's money and power news.

• Palmer Luckey (Oculus founder) launched a startup called Warhound that raised around $200 million, including from Sequoia Capital and Cathie Wood's ARK Invest, to breed genetically enhanced military dogs fitted with tech gear; it's tied to a broader defense project involving Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich.
• Meta's stock dropped sharply after heavy AI spending pushed its free cash flow negative, rattling investors who are growing wary of how much tech companies are pouring into AI with uncertain near-term payoff.
• Leaked documents allege Jared Kushner was involved in over $700 million in transfers tied to deals with Middle Eastern figures; Kushner denies the claims as false and unsupported.
• SpaceX is reportedly in talks to take over tens of thousands of cell sites for a new network, another step toward Musk's push into telecom alongside his other ventures.
• Inflation is picking up in Japan and consumer confidence in the UK has slumped sharply, signs that cost-of-living pressure is a global, not just American, story.

Outlook: Expect continued scrutiny of Big Tech's AI spending and its effect on stocks, plus more fallout as the Kushner financial allegations and investigations unfold.