Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Apple is tossing another $100B into the U.S. manufacturing pot, bringing its total stateside bet to $600B — announced, no less, alongside President Trump.

It’s a high-stakes move to rein in a sprawling global supply chain and dodge rising tariffs. But while the move may steady iPhone supply, one question lingers: Will Apple users foot the bill?

In today’s tech rundown:

• Apple’s $600B deal with Trump

• Eye drops to replace reading glasses

• DoorDash rides a $100B high

• WhatsApp removes 6.8M scam accounts

• Quick hits on other major tech news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

APPLE

🍏 Apple’s $600B deal with Trump

Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown

The Rundown: Apple just ramped up its U.S. industrial ambitions in a big way, unveiling a fresh $100B investment to boost domestic manufacturing and supplier partnerships, and of course, sidestep looming tariffs on imported chips and devices.

The details:

• The expansion, announced alongside President Donald Trump, brings Apple’s total U.S. commitment to $600B over the next four years.

• The move comes as Trump threatens a 100% import tariff on computer chips, but offers exemptions to companies committed to producing in the U.S.

• It’s a win-win for the White House and Apple — Trump gets a headline achievement for his trade agenda, while Apple future-proofs against tariffs.

• Apple will use $2.5B to ensure every iPhone and Watch cover glass is made by Corning in the U.S., and inked multi-year contracts with domestic chipmakers.

Why it matters: Despite the massive investment, Apple isn’t committing to full U.S. iPhone assembly — final device manufacturing will mostly stay overseas for now, with domestic focus on components, glass, chips, and datacenter buildouts. Nvidia, Intel, and IBM have also announced huge domestic investments spurred by tariff pressures.

BIOTECH INNOVATIONS

👁️ Eye drops to replace reading glasses

Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown

The Rundown: The FDA has greenlit Vizz 1.44% eye drops, which could be a game-changer for anyone squinting at a menu or reaching for reading glasses after 45. Powered by aceclidine, this is the first once-daily drug of its kind targeting presbyopia.

The details:

• The Vizz drops contract the iris sphincter muscle, shrinking the pupil to under 2mm and creating a “pinhole effect” reminiscent of a camera lens.

• The result? Extended depth of field — sharper near vision — without that myopic “zoomed-in” side effect seen with older, less selective drops.

• Clinical trials found that a single dose of Vizz kicks in within 30 minutes, delivering 10 hours of crisp close-up vision.

• Safety data from 30K-plus treatment days showed only mild, transient effects like brief dim vision or eye irritation.

Why it matters: The real innovation with Vizz is its tech-forward “selective miotic” strategy compared to previous topical treatments. Available in single-use vials and slated to hit the U.S. market by late 2025, Vizz is poised to disrupt the $100B vision correction market just as presbyopia accelerates for millions of aging digital natives.

DOORDASH

🥡 DoorDash rides a $100B high

Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown

The Rundown: DoorDash is dropping earnings this week as a company reborn. What started as a scrappy food delivery startup out of Palo Alto now commands a whopping 67% of the U.S. market, leaving Uber Eats and Grubhub eating its dust.

The details:

• DoorDash now boasts $10.7B in annual revenue and a market cap north of $100B, with 2024 its first profitable year after 12 years of business.

• By scaling rapidly during the COVID lockdowns, the company became a fan favorite with millions of new users, many of whom became repeat customers.

• Its early bet on expanding to smaller cities and suburbs paid off, creating new markets and insulating itself from hyper-competitive large cities.

• Now, DoorDash is moving aggressively to become a comprehensive last-mile logistics platform, partnering with thousands of local retailers.

Why it matters: With profit now on the books and a growing premium subscription model boasting 22M members, DoorDash is shifting from disruptor to industry leader. The company is expanding its reach, eyeing every restaurant, convenience store, and consumer impulse as part of its expansive logistics network.

WHATSAPP

🔒 WhatsApp removes 6.8M scam accounts

Image source: Meta

The Rundown: WhatsApp’s fight against digital fraud escalated this year, as parent company Meta announced the removal of 6.8M accounts tied to global scam rings, with many operating by organized crime rings using forced labor in Southeast Asia.

The details:

• Meta said many of these accounts were linked to scam centers operated by organized crime groups that relied on forced labor in guarded campuses.

• Many scam operations are run out of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, where trafficked workers are initially lured through fake job ads.

• The rings use psychological manipulation at scale: building trust with victims via chats, then luring them into bogus crypto and investment schemes.

• The campaigns have become more sophisticated, using generative AI to craft recruitment pitches before moving victims onto channels like Telegram.

Why it matters: The targeted takedown, carried out in partnership with OpenAI, marks a new phase in Meta’s fight against hyper-organized, cross-border digital fraud. The company has also deployed early-warning tools for WhatsApp, including alerts for suspicious group invites and direct messages from unknown contacts.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

OpenAI unveiled GPT-5, its latest flagship AI model, available to all its 700M users, including those on the free tier.

Elon Musk announced that X will start inserting ads into responses from its Grok AI chatbot, aiming to revive the platform’s troubled advertising business.

Cognition, the AI coding startup that just acquired Windsurf, is giving remaining staff a choice between severance or staying for a new 80-hour/six-day in-office workweek.

Donald Trump on Thursday demanded the resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, alleging that Tan’s position and ties to China present conflicts of interest.

Tinder plans to roll out Gen Z-focused tools and a redesign to boost engagement and encourage more users to pay for its service after seeing a 7% dip in paying users.

Pinterest reports that it has a growing user base of male audience, now accounting for 171M users, driven by Gen Z's interest in wellness, AI, and fatherhood content.  

Linda Yaccarino, who resigned as chief executive of Elon Musk’s X in July, has been appointed CEO of eMed Population Health, the Miami-based telehealth startup.

Mars is partnering with biotech firm Pairwise to use CRISPR gene-editing technology to quickly develop hardier cocoa plants resistant to disease and climate challenges.

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team