Daily Brew // Morning Brew // Update

May 30, 2026

Hi there. It’s time to get cracking on that thing you said you’d only do once in a blue moon, because tomorrow night, we’re getting one. And not just any blue moon, but an even rarer blue micromoon—because it’ll be not only the second full moon this month, but also the most distant full moon of the year (making it look smaller and dimmer). As usual, a blue moon is best enjoyed with an orange slice.

—Matty Merritt, Dave Lozo, Molly Liebergall, Sam Klebanov, Abby Rubenstein, Holly Van Leuven

In today’s newsletter, we’ll look at:

Dell as the latest AI winner
A judge temporarily blocking Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund
Why companies now want workers using less AI

MARKETS

Nasdaq

26,972.62

+0.21%

S&P

7,580.06

+0.22%

Dow

51,032.46

+0.72%

10-Year

4.453%

+0.0 bps

Bitcoin

$73,308.00

-0.07%

Snowflake

$255.55

+6.84%

Data is provided by

*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET. Here's what these numbers mean.

Markets: This May, traders got their flowers—stocks closed out a banner month by going up yesterday, giving the S&P 500 its ninth winning week in a row for its best streak since 2023. Software stocks bounced back from concerns that AI would be the end of them, clinching their best month since 2001.

DUDE

Dell is doing very well thanks to AI

Joan Cros/NurPhoto, Getty Images

Dell blew Wall Street’s expectations out of the water with the force of a grown man’s overly ambitious cannonball. The company’s share price soared over 35% yesterday, closing 32% up, thanks to its AI-fueled earnings beat late Thursday. And Friday’s record stock jump wasn’t an anomaly—the company’s share price has increased by over 225% this year.

Dell doesn’t care that you prefer a Mac. The tech company reported an 88% year over year increase in fiscal first-quarter sales, which rose to $43.8 billion, above analyst expectations of $35.5 billion. The company said it generated $16.1 billion in AI server revenue alone, surpassing its PC sales of $14.6 billion in the previous quarter.

Why is the PC-maker an AI player? Companies like CoreWeave and Nscale that rent computing power to run AI programs have been buying Dell’s servers at a rapid pace:

AI sales have been so lucrative for Dell that it is raising its 2027 full fiscal year revenue estimates to $167 billion, up from $140 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Dell predicts $60 billion of that will be from AI server sales.

Dell’s politics may have also helped

CEO Michael Dell has worked closely with President Trump since his first term. And more recently:

Dell and his wife, Susan Dell, announced in December that they would donate $6.25 billion to US children through the Trump Accounts program. This aligns with the Dells’ past philanthropic focus, but it’s notable because they used their personal fortune rather than their foundation.
On February 10, Trump invested $1 million to $5 million in Dell shares before saying “go out and buy a Dell” at the recent White House’s Mother’s Day event. The White House has said Trump’s assets are in a trust controlled by his children.

The icing on the…political synergy happened this week…when the Pentagon awarded Dell a $9.7 billion contract to provide software for the US military, which also contributed to its stock’s blockbuster day. But some government watchdogs questioned whether Trump’s stock purchases mean he could benefit from the deal.—MM

Sponsored By Money.com

Vet bills add up—protect your pet

Can you swing $10k when your furry friend has an emergency? Most of us can’t, which is why Money.com found a range of pet insurance plans that can reimburse you for up to 90% of your bill, starting at just $10 a month.

Compare and contrast these marquee plans from Money.com to find the best fit for you and your furry friend—so you’re prepared when it matters most.

After all, your pet is family.

WORLD

Tour de headlines

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Trump’s $1.8b “anti-weaponization” fund temporarily blocked. Anyone hoping for a payout from the $1.776 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged weaponization of the Justice Department will have to wait. Yesterday, a federal judge overseeing a legal challenge to the fund barred the government from setting up the fund or moving money out of it—at least until a hearing in the case in June. The lawsuit was brought by individuals who claim they were targeted by the DOJ under Trump, but expect not to be paid from the fund. Later in the day, a different federal judge reopened the president’s case against the IRS, which the fund had been part of a deal to resolve. The judge scheduled a hearing on whether the case should be reopened to determine if “the court was the victim of a fraud” because of how the deal was struck.—AR

Trump held off making “final determination” on Iran deal. Before heading into a nearly two-hour Situation Room meeting with advisors yesterday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wanted to make a “final determination” about a proposal to extend the Iran war ceasefire for 60 days, but no conclusion was reached. Iran’s chief negotiator said on X yesterday that the country has “no trust in guarantees or words” from the US, and that “no step will be taken before the other side acts.” Also yesterday, NBC News reported that Iran may have used a Chinese missile to shoot down the American F-15E fighter jet in April.—HVL

Mercedes-Benz could get banned from US under law aimed at Chinese cars. If a new law targeting Chinese vehicles that’s making its way through Congress passes in its current form, you may end up needing to make amends for all your friends driving Porsches. The bipartisan Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026 would keep vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz out of the US, due to the German automaker’s largest shareholder being China’s state-owned BAIC, CNBC reported yesterday. The legislation would bar “any direct or indirect equity interest by a foreign-adversary government,” including China, from selling or importing vehicles in the US.—AR

TOKEN RELAXING

Companies want workers to stop using so much AI

Niv Bavarsky

Like parents getting a big phone bill because their tween has been secretly playing a freemium game, companies are reeling from the sticker shock of their staff’s AI use. And now, many are looking for ways to bring down the cost of employees’ use of AI tools that have become mandatory at some jobs.

One culprit is toxenmaxxing, the practice of using as many AI tokens as possible to let everyone know you work somewhere that’s at the forefront of next-gen emailing methodologies:

Axios reported that one company recently spent $500,000 in a month because it didn’t put usage limits on Claude licenses for employees.
Uber COO Andrew Macdonald said this week that the “link is not there” between increased spend on tokens and results.
Amazon shut down an internal leaderboard designed to encourage token use. Other companies taking similar measures include Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, and DoorDash.

Looking ahead…one CEO told CNBC that the AI tech, which has not come down in price as expected, “costs the same as people,” and that the AI budget is coming at the expense of future headcount. Nearly all corporate AI usage is done on the most expensive models, the CEO also said, making it a priority to find cheaper options for less complicated tasks.—DL

READER POLL

Does your boss require you to use AI?

Yes, tokenmaxxing is the norm.
It’s not required, but it’s encouraged.
They used to, but the company is pulling back.
Nope, my company is old school.
I work for myself, so I get to decide.

This week’s question

What’s an absolute steal of a purchase you’ve made?

Sam’s answer to get the juices flowing: “A couple of years ago, I flew from New York to Berlin for $80. I thought I’d be seated in the cargo hold until the very moment I got on the plane.”

Submit your response here.

RECS

Cuckoo: A modern cuckoo clock inspired by minimalist Japanese design.**

Sip: Bartenders’ picks for the drink of the summer.

Travel tip: How to pick the fastest TSA line, according to science.

Eat: The restaurants that made North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Big first savings: You can get $140 off (plus free shipping) when you start altRx’s online GLP-1 weight loss program, if approved. Check eligibility and activate your plan today.*

A platform to grow on: Efficiency. Distinction. Growth. Excellence. MFS Advisor Edge® gives advisors the four-pillar platform to help them meet the moment.*

^{*A message from our sponsor. **This is a product recommendation from our writers. When you buy through this link, Morning Brew may earn a commission.}

PLAY

Brew Crossword: Your sample clue for our biggest puzzle of the week is, “It has four legs but only one foot.” Play the Crossword here.

Open House

Welcome to Open House, the only newsletter section with photos that are overwhelmingly green. We’ll give you a few facts about a listing and you try to guess the price.

Zillow

Today’s home is a luxurious English Tudor estate in Baltimore, MD. The mansion was built in 1932 and, despite all of its giant windows, has enough trees and shrubbery to block any nosy neighbors. Amenities include:

6 beds, 9 baths
Long, private driveway
Plethora of fainting couches

How much for a home you can forest-bathe in?

SHARE THE BREW

Share the Brew, watch your referral count climb, and unlock brag-worthy swag.

Your friends get smarter. You get rewarded. Win-win.

Your referral count: 0

Click to Share

Or copy & paste your referral link to others:
morningbrew.com/r/?kid=71df84e8

ANSWER

$2.6 million

Word of the Day

Today’s Word of the Day is: anomaly, meaning “something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified.” Thanks to Dara from Miami, FL, for a suggestion that stood out from the pack. Submit another Word of the Day here.

✤ A Note From MFS Investment Management

This paid content was created with our sponsor and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or point of view of Morning Brew.

ADVERTISE // CAREERS // SHOP // FAQ

Update your email preferences or unsubscribe .
View our privacy policy .

Copyright © 2026 Morning Brew Inc. All rights reserved.
22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011

☕️ Tokenmaxxed out