THE DAILY SEAT | Monday Morning Rundown
Monday, October 6, 2025
By K.W. Hampton
Good morning, everyone — it’s Monday, October 6th. Grab your coffee, because the week isn’t starting quietly.
Breaking: OpenAI just announced a massive deal with AMD — only two weeks after Nvidia agreed to invest up to $100 billion in Sam Altman’s A.I. giant. We’ve got the details below.
And while Washington stays shut down for the sixth straight day, one corner of government is clocking in: the Supreme Court, which opens its new term today. This docket could redefine presidential power, reshape the Fed, and set new rules for business.
Let’s take a seat and get into it.
⚡ The Big Story — OpenAI doubles down on chips
AMD + OpenAI = a trillion-dollar power grab. Shares of AMD jumped 27 percent pre-market after unveiling an expansive partnership that gives OpenAI a warrant for up to 160 million shares — roughly a 10 percent stake.
Altman says the company will start deploying AMD Instinct GPUs in the second half of 2026 across new data centers separate from its massive Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Midwest builds. Total compute draw: six gigawatts — roughly the power used by every household in Massachusetts.
This comes hot on the heels of OpenAI’s $100 billion deal with Nvidia, meaning Altman’s now powering his empire with both rivals. The move jolts the whole semiconductor field — we’re watching Intel, Micron, and Broadcom for sympathy moves and possible partnership news.
Fun fact: Lisa Su (AMD’s CEO) and Jensen Huang (Nvidia’s CEO) are distant cousins. Silicon is thicker than water.
Altman called the deal “a major step in building the compute capacity needed to realize A.I.’s full potential.” Translation: OpenAI’s spending like a sovereign state.
⚖️ Washington — The government’s still closed, the Court’s open
Day six of the shutdown, and not an inch of progress.
- Senate Democrats won’t back the GOP’s short-term funding bill without health-care subsidies.
- Senate Republicans call it “progressive nonsense.”
- The House is on recess while Speaker Mike Johnson prays that “Democrats come to their senses.” They need five Democratic senators to flip.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is back in session — and this one could be historic.
- Tariffs: Justices will test the constitutionality of Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed under emergency powers.
- Fed independence: A January case will decide whether the president can fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook.
- Agency authority: December’s hearings could shrink the autonomy of regulators like the FTC.
As one court watcher put it, “Hard to imagine bigger tests of presidential power than these once-in-a-century battles.”
Breaking: Supreme Court will not hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of Epstein abetting conviction
🏛 Shutdown fallout
Negotiations? None. Finger-pointing? Plenty. Trump advisers keep threatening federal layoffs if Democrats don’t budge. Active-duty troops are on track to miss their first paycheck by October 15. Betting markets now see the shutdown lasting 20 to 25 days.
And yes — Trump did hand out “Trump 2028” hats in last week’s meeting. He can’t legally run again, so call that what it is: performance art.
🌍 Global View — Israel, Hamas, and the business backlash
Talks resume today in Egypt, with the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt mediating. President Trump says, “Move fast.” But in Europe, companies are feeling the heat:
- Italian dockworkers blocked the Israeli cargo ship ZIM Virginia from docking in Livorno.
- Dutch pension giant ABP dumped €387 million in Caterpillar stock over its equipment use in Gaza.
- Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign fund made a similar move earlier this summer.
- Some EU nations are even threatening sports boycotts if Israel stays in global competitions.
Despite all that, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange hit a new high yesterday, and the shekel rallied after Trump’s Gaza peace proposal.
🚗 Muskland & The Machines
Down in Memphis, Elon Musk’s xAI is finishing its Colossus 2 super-data center, running partly on temporary gas turbines critics call unpermitted. He calls it “building the future.” And Tesla’s teasing a new car reveal tomorrow — possibly the long-awaited affordable model.
Add to that: Google just broke ground on its $4 billion West Memphis data center, the biggest in Arkansas history. The AI factory buildout continues.
🛰 Aerospace & Defense
The Pentagon’s urging contractors to double missile output after a tense summer. Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman all stand to benefit. The aerospace sector’s quietly outperforming everything in Washington right now.
📈 Markets — green, but gently
Dow opens ↗ up four-tenths, S&P ↗ three-tenths, Nasdaq ↗ five-tenths.
Oil $62 and change (+1.7 %), Gold +1.5 %, 10-year yield 4.14 %.
Energy’s leading, utilities steady, Bitcoin ~ $125 K (+2.1 %).
☕ Trivia Break
Question: AMD and Nvidia are led by two CEOs who also happen to be family. What’s their relationship?
(Answer at the bottom.)
👀 What We’re Watching Today
- 3 p.m. ET — Senate meets to vote on funding bills (again).
- 9:30 a.m. ET — AMD’s Lisa Su and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman on CNBC.
- Tesla event tomorrow; keep an eye on auto stocks today.
- Supreme Court arguments schedule release.
- Constellation Brands earnings after the bell.
That’s your Monday Seat: Washington stuck, the Supreme Court awake, OpenAI printing deals, and Musk building cities of servers.
Stay sharp. Stay grounded. And if you need a reason to smile — Taylor Swift’s new concert film just did $33 million this weekend. Some things in America are still open.
— Kala & The Press Co.
Trivia Answer: Lisa Su and Jensen Huang are distant cousins. The chip wars really are a family affair.
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