A sprawling legislative package aimed at lowering the cost of housing and spurring more home construction won broad bipartisan approval from Congress this week, but it’s hit a major roadblock in becoming law.

Although the White House supported the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, President Donald Trump canceled the housing bill signing ceremony on Wednesday. He says he won’t sign the measure until Congress passes separate election reform legislation. The delay could impact aspiring homeowners and renters at a time when many Americans are burdened by the cost of housing.

Tech entrepreneurs seek the next AI frontier

AI “world models” are the next frontier for computer scientists who see too many limitations in the AI language models behind popular chatbots. The field is attracting top scientists like “Godmother of AI” Fei-Fei Li and Yann LeCun.

They believe AI should learn the statistical structure of space and time. A growing number of AI entrepreneurs are dedicating themselves to models that teach AI systems how to react in a physical environment.

US stocks end mixed, weighed down tech

Stocks wavered to a mixed close on Wall Street as losses for several tech giants including Microsoft weighed on the market.

The S&P 500 fell 0.1% on Wednesday, even though more stocks rose than fell within the index. The Dow added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%. Another decline in oil prices helped ease concerns about inflation. Brent crude dropped 3.8%, bringing it closer to where it was before the war with Iran started.

Watchdog: IRS did better than expected

The national taxpayer advocate says the IRS did better than expected in issuing refunds during the 2026 tax season despite massive cuts to its workforce.

But taxpayers who needed human help were left behind, according to a new report from the IRS watchdog. The IRS workforce dropped from 102,000 to 74,000 during 2025 due to layoffs. Improved technology helped prevent a total meltdown, said National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins. But people who needed help by phone had a hard time getting through. Identity theft victims face particularly long waits for help. On average, it takes almost two years to resolve those cases.

Trump frustrated gas prices aren’t declining

U.S. gasoline prices decreased an average of 49 cents a gallon in the last month as expectations rose for an end to the war with Iran. But they’re not falling fast enough for President Donald Trump.

The president said on social media early Wednesday that he had tasked the Justice Department with investigating whether “customers are being ‘gouged.'”

Alibaba sues the US Defense Department

Alibaba has sued the U.S. Department of Defense, demanding removal from a list naming it a Chinese military company.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in California, argues the designation lacks factual or legal basis. This label, announced June 8, marks Alibaba as a national security threat, causing reputational damage.

Agility Robotics heads to Wall Street in $2.5B bet

Agility Robotics, a maker of humanlike robots, is planning to go public on Wall Street. The Oregon-based company announced a planned merger with an investment firm, valuing it at $2.5 billion.

The move would make Agility the first publicly traded company specifically focused on humanoid robots. Its product line, Digit, is designed to move heavy bins and totes in warehouses.