By Emma Tucker

Employees from across the Department of Homeland Security are being summoned and hooked up to a polygraph machine. The setup is standard for government polygraphs, but the line of questioning is more unusual: Have they been sharing information with the media? In the corporate world, two CEOs kept their romantic relationship quiet for years as their businesses became intertwined. But it wasn't really hidden.

Today's Headlines

House GOP leaders and Republicans from high-tax states neared an agreement on the SALT deduction that could accelerate passage of the party's giant tax-and-spending bill.

President Trump is increasingly ratcheting up pressure on Republicans to fall in line and help him deliver tax cuts ahead of next year's midterm elections.

A Texas data center that the startup Crusoe is building for OpenAI has secured $11.6 billion in new funding commitments.

Ford is pulling back more on its electric-vehicle ambitions, letting rival Nissan use part of its flagship U.S. battery plant.

The streaming revolution is finally turning real profits for entertainment companies, but it has also produced a dizzying menu of options for consumers.

Live From The Markets

Medical-device maker Medtronic plans to separate its diabetes business into a stand-alone company.

Succession planning among the super wealthy ticked up this year.

Read It Here First

Kristi Noem's polygraph operation probes for leaks.

Polygraph exams have long been a routine tool used inside intelligence agencies, including DHS, as part of security clearances, job applications and certain investigations. But under the homeland security secretary's direction, they have been used to search for leaks of information that Noem and her top deputies consider disloyal or embarrassing, Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti report. The information the employees are accused of leaking often isn't classified.

Two CEOs mixed romance and business, leading to scandal.

For years, Ashley Buchanan and Chandra Holt, executives who have run major retail chains, kept their relationship out of view of many corporate leaders and board members. First at Walmart, then crafts retailer Michaels and, until recently, Kohl's. Meanwhile, they moved in together and their business interests became intertwined --until an employee raised red flags, Sarah Nassauer and Suzanne Kapner report.

Expert Take

Q: Can Google compete with AI chatbots?

Google kicked off its annual developers conference showcasing its latest AI developments, including real-time language translation, digital assistants that proactively take actions, and an "AI mode" for its search engine. The tech titan has unmatched reach, but that might not be enough, Dan Gallagher explains.

A: Google has been ubiquitous in internet search for more than two decades now; it was even added to the dictionary as a verb in 2006. That sort of mindshare has been valuable in helping the company command the lead when any other search engine is simply a click away.

But some internet users are starting to gravitate more toward generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT for their search activity. That, when combined with the loss of two federal antitrust cases that are seeking a breakup of the company, has investors worried that Google is facing its biggest existential crisis ever. Over the past 12 months, Google parent Alphabet's share price has been the only big-tech stock trading in negative territory.

That proved to be a difficult setup for the company ahead of its annual I/O developer conference. Google flexed its AI muscle well, spending two hours introducing many new tools and features across its platforms. But only time will tell if the company can defend against AI insurgents while also beating back the government's efforts to break it apart.

See The Story

Many small businesses can't quit China.

Trump's tariffs are designed, in part, to motivate companies to manufacture in the U.S. But many small businesses, such as puzzle company Le Puzz, are finding that to be nearly impossible.

Happening Today

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with Trump at the White House as he tries to reset deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Africa's largest economy.

Earnings: TJX Cos., Lowe's, Medtronic, Snowflake, Target

Number Of The Day:

>$150 million

The expected opening weekend box office sales for Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch" movie in the U.S. and Canada. The film was originally positioned as a family-friendly Memorial Day weekend alternative to Tom Cruise's big-budget "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." But its titular alien is such a Hollywood powerhouse that he has made Cruise an underdog at the box office. The new "Mission" is expected to gross around $80 million.

And Finally...

To Gen Z, everything is a recession indicator.

At first, it was higher egg prices, declining demand for cardboard boxes and empty dance floors. Now, it's low-rise jeans, flash mobs -- even Lady Gaga's return to pop music. The TikTok generation's search for signs of economic strain has expanded to include, well, just about everything.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 21, 2025 06:13 ET (10:13 GMT)

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