Communication breakdown: Unlike Trump's first term when Jared Kushner provided a reliable back channel to China's ambassador, current negotiations between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng have stalled due to their limited experience with each other, while China's purge of well-connected diplomats and Trump's gutting of the National Security Council have eroded expertise on both sides.

Failed intermediaries: Potential business go-betweens like Elon Musk and Jensen Huang lack sufficient closeness to both leaders to be effective conduits, and deep divisions within the Trump administration between security hawks and tech leaders—exemplified by the backlash against Huang for criticizing "China hawks"—leave Chinese officials confused about who actually speaks for the president.

Mismatched negotiating styles: Trump relies on personal magnetism and direct dealmaking while Xi demands procedural preparation and clear agendas set in advance, meaning that even if the two leaders meet in South Korea, any agreement will likely be limited to small transactional issues and risk quickly unraveling without functional back channels.

AI-powered browsing integration: OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, a web browser with an "Ask ChatGPT" button that opens a companion sidebar on every webpage, enabling users to create summaries, ask questions, and complete tasks without switching tabs, while memory features personalize the experience over time.

Agent mode and market impact: Plus and Pro users can access agent mode, which autonomously completes tasks like booking reservations, shopping, and editing documents, putting OpenAI in direct competition with Google's Gemini-embedded Chrome and Perplexity's Comet browser—news that sent Alphabet shares down 2% and marks what CEO Sam Altman calls "a rare once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about."

To learn more, visit: https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-atlas/

Historic decline after record highs: Gold plunged 6% on Tuesday from Monday's record high of nearly $4,400 to around $4,120 per troy ounce—its biggest one-day percentage drop in 12 years and largest dollar decline ever—while silver fell over 8% to $48.40, dragging gold mining stocks down with the Van Eck Gold Miners ETF dropping 9.4%.

Shifting sentiment on safe-haven demand: The selloff followed Citi Research's note suggesting that a potential end to the three-week U.S. government shutdown and a possible Trump-Xi trade deal at their upcoming meeting could ease uncertainty, prompting investors to cash in on gold's 57% and silver's 68% year-to-date gains, though Citi maintains a near-term $4,000 price target as markets await clarity and Friday's delayed inflation report.