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Shares in major quantum computer companies were on the rise again in premarket trading on Tuesday, highlighting what has been a volatile couple of weeks for a nascent industry that continues to captivate. Here’s what’s driving the latest news: D-Wave announces Advantage2 By far, Palo Alto-based D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE: QBTS) is seeing the biggest boost in premarket trading, with its stock up more than 12% as of this writing. This boost follows a 7% increase in D-Wave shares on Monday. Investors are likely excited by news on Tuesday morning in which D-Wave announced the general availability of its sixth-generation Advantage2 quantum computing system, which the company says has a demonstrated ability to solve deeply complex problems that classical computers can’t. “Its what everybody aspired to achieve, and were quite excited about it,” CEO Alan Baratz told Fast Company in March, when the company announced that it had achieved “quantum supremacy” using the Advantage2. Although some researchers have challenged D-Wave’s claims, investors appear to be on board for now. Shares in D-Wave are up 36.84% year to date. Quantum Computing Inc rises, falls, and rises again Hoboken-based Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT) has seen some volatility since it released its first-quarter 2025 earnings report last Thursday. The company swung to a profit, reporting net income of $17 million, versus a net loss of $6.4 million last year. Shares surged double digits on Friday after the report, but then fell more than 8% on Monday, possibly due to some profit taking from investors who wanted to lock in their gains. Now, in premarket trading on Tuesday, QUBT is back on the rise again, with the stock up almost 9% as of this writing. Who can keep up? Rigetti Computing Inc: Along for the ride? Shares in Rigetti Computing (Nasdaq: RGTI) were also on the rise in premarket trading Tuesday, up nearly 6% as of this writing. The Berkeley-based company has not announced any news this morning that would impact the share price, so it’s possible that investors are just showing a bit more excitement for the quantum computing space. Experts believe the space has the potential to transform computing as we know it, although debates persist about how far we are from widespread practical uses for quantum computing. It’s worth noting that while all three of the above quantum computing companies are enjoying a rally this week, shares in Quantum Computing Inc. and Rigetti are both down significantly year to date: 36.94% and 39.75% respectively. Only time will tell if these three stocks will continue on their upward path this week and into the future. For now, enjoy the quantum leap.
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden’s administration had “rushed through” the approvals. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that is one-third complete.Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure. He also expressed appreciation to New York’s governor, New York City’s mayor, members of Congress and labor groups, as well as Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government owns a majority stake in Equinor.“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” Opedal said in a statement.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it took countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, and the involvement of labor and business interests, to emphasize the project’s importance and get Empire Wind back on track. Equinor is building Empire Wind south of Long Island, New York, to provide power in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York homes.“New York’s economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New Yorkand we got it done,” Hochul said in a statement Monday.The Interior Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday.Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has struggled to grow in the U.S. due to high costs, difficulties growing a supply chain for materials and the lengthy permitting process.Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since returning to the White House. One of his first acts was ordering a pause of offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. But the administration’s targeting of Empire Wind, a project already underway, took that a step further.White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement Friday that while unleashing America’s energy dominance, Trump “paused certain wind projects that are detrimental to our beloved wildlife including birds and whales.”There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While wind turbines can pose a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say they support the responsible development of offshore wind because climate change is a bigger threat.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Monday that lifting the stop-work order is welcome news. Empire Wind will greatly benefit the economy on Long Island and the environment for all New Yorkers, he said in a statement.Offshore wind advocates also celebrated the decision. It’s a win for workers, the industry and companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, the Oceantic Network said in a statement.Equinor said on May 9 it would be forced to abandon Empire Wind within days unless the administration relented on its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $50 million per week and had 11 vessels on standby.Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, during Trump’s first term. The federal government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024.New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York is getting some wind power from the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork that opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
An appeals court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.The Friday ruling came after the Trump administration asked for an emergency pause on a judge’s order blocking enforcement at roughly three dozen agencies and departments.A split three-judge panel in the nation’s capital sided with government lawyers in a lawsuit filed by unions representing federal employees. The majority ruled on technical grounds, finding that the unions don’t have the legal right to sue because the Trump administration has said it won’t end any collective bargaining agreements while the case is being litigated.Judge Karen Henderson, appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush, and Justin Walker, appointed by Trump, sided with the government, while Judge Michelle Childs, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, dissented.The government says Trump needs the executive order so his administration can cut the federal workforce to ensure strong national security. The law requiring collective bargaining creates exemptions for work related to national security, as in agencies like the FBI.Union leaders argue the order is designed to facilitate mass firings and exact “political vengeance” against federal unions opposed to Trump’s efforts to dramatically downsize the federal government.His order seeks to expand that exemption to exclude more workers than any other president has before. That’s according to the National Treasury Employees Union, which is suing to block the order.The administration has filed in a Kentucky court to terminate the collective bargaining agreement for the Internal Revenue Service, where many workers are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union. They say their IRS members aren’t doing national security work.Other union employees affected by the order include the Health and Human Services Department, the Energy Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Communications Commission. Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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