Welcome to the Tech Brew Ride Home for Friday, August 15th, 2025. I'm Brian McCullough today.

Will the U.S. government take a stake in Intel? Why was meta letting spicy conversations happen with their AI bots?

What does it mean if Foxcon's AI business is now bigger than its iPhone assembly business.

And of course, the weekend long read suggestions.

Here's what you miss today in the world of tech.

Sources are telling Bloomberg that the Trump administration is in talks with Intel

to have the

U.S. government potentially take a stake in that company. Quoting Bloomberg, a deal would help

shore up Intel's planned factory hub in Ohio, said the people who asked not to be identified

because the deliberations are private. The company had once promised to turn that site into

the world's largest chipmaking facility, though it's been repeatedly delayed. The company had once promised to turn that site into the world's largest chip-making

facility, though it's been repeatedly delayed. The size of the potential stake isn't clear.

The talks come just a week after President Donald Trump had called for the ouster of Intel

chief executive officer Lip Butan, accusing him of being, quote, highly conflicted because of concerns about his earlier ties to China.

The plans stem from a meeting this week between Trump and Tan, the people said, while the

details are still being sorted. The idea is for the U.S. government to pay for the stake,

one of the people said. Another caution that the plans remain fluid. The talks could still end without an

agreement. Any agreement would bolster Intel's finances at a time when the company has been

slashing spending and cutting jobs. It also suggests that Tan will remain at Intel's helm.

It's the largest direct intervention by Trump into a key industry. The administration reached an

agreement to receive a 15% cut of certain semiconductor sales to China and took a so-called golden

share in United States steel as part of a deal to clear its sale to a Japanese rival.

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