The Download: carbon removal factories' funding cuts, and AI toys

Plus: OpenAI and Nvidia's circular deals are drawing some heat The US Department of Energy appears poised to terminate funding for a pair of large carbon-sucking factories that were originally set to receive more than $1 billion in government grants, according to a department-issued list of projects obtained by and circulating among federal agencies. One of the projects is the South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub, a facility that Occidental Petroleum's 1PointFive subsidiary planned to develop in Kleberg County, Texas. The other is Project Cypress in Louisiana, a collaboration between Battelle, Climeworks, and Heirloom. AI toys are all the rage in China--and now they're appearing on shelves in the US too Kids have always played with and talked to stuffed animals. But now their toys can talk back, thanks to a wave of companies that are fitting children's playthings with chatbots and voice assistants. It's a trend that has particularly taken off in China: A recent report by the Shenzhen Toy Industry Association and JD.com predicts that the sector will surpass ¥100 billion ($14 billion) by 2030, growing faster than almost any other branch of consumer AI.