Senate Democrats and the White House reached a deal to avert a government shutdown Thursday evening.

The deal will temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as Democrats demand a slate of reforms following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, including requiring federal agents to use body cameras and barring them from wearing masks. They are also seeking to mandate that the agents adhere to use-of-force policies used by local police and create stricter warrant standards.

To avoid a shutdown, the Senate and House would need to vote on the funding plan ahead of tonight’s deadline. But the House is in recess until next week, making at least a partial shutdown likely.

President Donald Trump named former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh as his choice to replace Jerome Powell as chairman of the central bank, ending months of uncertainty. Warsh must still be confirmed by the Senate, the path for which may not be straightforward, as key GOP lawmaker Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who sits on the Senate’s Banking Committee, has said he will block any Fed nominees until the Justice Department resolves its probe into Powell.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI are considering merging, Reuters reported, ahead of SpaceX’s massive planned IPO this year. The merger could boost xAI as it faces fierce competition in the artificial intelligence race, allowing the company to launch satellites or AI data centers into space.

Speaking of the AI race, Amazon is reportedly considering investing $50 billion in OpenAI, according to the Wall Street Journal, potentially valuing the company as much as $830 billion. The investment could make Amazon the largest contributor to OpenAI’s ongoing fundraising round.

Microsoft’s stock........

© Forbes