This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How the Pentagon is adapting to Chinas technological rise Its been just over two months since Kathleen Hicks stepped down as US deputy secretary of defense. As the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history, Hicks shaped US military posture through an era defined by renewed competition between powerful countries and a scramble to modernize defense technology. Over the past three decades, Hicks has watched the Pentagon transformpolitically, strategically, and technologically. In this conversation with MIT Technology Review, Hicks reflects on how the Pentagon is adaptingor failing to adaptto a new era of geopolitical competition. She discusses Chinas technological rise, the future of AI in warfare, and her signature initiative, Replicator, a Pentagon initiative to rapidly field thousands of low-cost autonomous systems such as drones. Read the full story. Caiwen Chen The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Donald Trumps trade war could trigger a global recessionInvestors are sounding the alarm as markets struggle to react to his tariffs. (Economist $) + Unsurprisingly, the President has doubled down on his tariffs. (BBC)+ Its all part of his plan to reset global trade. (Politico)+ Trumps tariffs will deliver a big blow to climate tech. (MIT Technology Review)2 The White House was just hours from announcing a TikTok deal Until the Chinese government insisted on tariff negotiations first. (WP $)+ The two countries now seem likely to descend into tit-for-tat restrictions. (WSJ $)+ The President has extended the sale deadline by another 75 days. (NBC News) 3 DeepSeek is working on self-improving AI modelsIts working with Tsinghua University to reduce its models training needs. (Bloomberg $) + China is narrowing the AI dominance gap between it and the US. (Wired $)+ How DeepSeek ripped up the AI playbookand why everyones going to follow its lead. (MIT Technology Review)4 X is flourishing under the Trump administration Elon Musk appears to be positioning the platform as a new media outlet. (NYT $)+ X is cracking down on parody accounts. (BBC)5 A shingles vaccine could help lower the risk of developing dementiaWe might have to overhaul the way we treat neurodegenerative diseases. (Vox) + It may help to treat them like viruses. (NYT $)+ Dementia content gets billions of views on TikTok. Whose story does it tell? (MIT Technology Review)6 San Franciscos mayor is trying to convince tech leaders to come back He may be willing to offer tax breaks as an incentive. (TechCrunch)+ Some of his supporters arent in favor of his new upzoning plan. (SF Standard)7 TikToks algorithm promotes live streams of begging children While taking fees and commission of up to 70%. (The Guardian)8 Chinas EV makers are locked in intense competitionAnd consumers are spoilt for choice. (FT $) + Argentina has lifted tariffs on EVs. (Rest of World)+ Chinas EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots. (MIT Technology Review)9 This version of video game Quake was created using AI Microsoft has opened a demo up to Copilot users. (The Verge)+ How generative AI could reinvent what it means to play. (MIT Technology Review)10 Tracking celebrity heights is an internet obsession Is anyone actually 511? (The Guardian) Quote of the day Wed like to put this chapter behind us. Sean Murphy, executive vice president of policy at trade group the Information Technology Industry Council, tells the Washington Post how the tech industry is desperate to see the tariffs that affect it reversed as quickly as possible. The big story The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity In the early 2010s, electricity seemed poised for a hostile takeover of your doctors office. Research into how the nervous systemthe highway that carries electrical messages between the brain and the body controls the immune response was gaining traction. And that had opened the door to the possibility of hacking into the bodys circuitry and thereby controlling a host of chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and diabetes, as if the immune system were as reprogrammable as a computer. To do that youd need a new class of implant: an electroceutical. These devices would replace drugs. No more messy side effects. And no more guessing whether a drug would work differently for you and someone else. In the 10 years or so since, around a billion dollars has accreted around the effort. But electroceuticals have still not taken off as hoped. Now, however, a growing number of researchers are starting to look beyond the nervous system, and experimenting with clever ways to electrically manipulate cells elsewhere in the body, such as the skin. Their work suggests that this approach could match the early promise of electroceuticals, yielding fast-healing bioelectric bandages, novel approaches to treating autoimmune disorders, new ways of repairing nerve damage, and even better treatments for cancer. Read the full story. Sally Adee We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + The internet is hating on the Beatles biopics before theyre even outbut why?+ Do you know the last time all of humanity was on Earth?+ The new Naked Gun film looks suitably unhinged.+ Heres some simple bits of advice to help make each day that little bit happier.