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Today’s top stories

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is stepping down following reports of his extramarital affairs, the company’s board announced. The company’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has been appointed interim CEO. The company launched an investigation after allegations surfaced that Huang had an affair with one of its clients, who U.S. intelligence officials concluded had been recruited by China’s top spy agency. In an email to Nvidia staff, Huang admitted to cheating on his wife and promised to cooperate with the investigation. Nvidia’s share price fell sharply Wednesday after the news of his second affair with an Nvidia executive came to light. Huang was widely considered an important business leader in the U.S. and had close ties to President Trump.

• 🎧 Huang was the face of Nvidia, but Kress has also played a prominent role, NPR’s John Ruwitch tells Up First. She is well-known within the company and among investors and business partners. Taking over during a crisis presents immense challenges, especially since Nvidia is a key player in the AI economy. The company produces the most widely-used chips powering the AI revolution, Ruwitch says. Kress must balance the short-term fallout from Huang’s downfall while navigating Nvidia’s long-term strategy. The strong demand for Nvidia’s products is expected to continue as AI usage rises. Ruwitch says one remaining question is how much trust and flexibility the board will give Kress in her leadership.
• 🎧 Huang’s resignation may also have consequences for the U.S. government. NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben says the scandal is raising questions for the White House and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Commerce handles imports and exports, and Kurtzleben says one big question is whether the U.S. should have more tightly restricted the chips it exports. Lawmakers from both parties want to know when Lutnick knew that Huang was in contact with a suspected Chinese asset, and what he did or didn’t do in response.

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been busy this week working on a new security framework between Russia and Europe and seeking to end the war in Ukraine. They led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then traveled to Ireland to meet with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

• 🎧 During their visit with Putin, both sides noted progress on the humanitarian track of negotiations, according to NPR’s Charles Maynes. Kushner sees potential for a new security framework between Russia and Europe to help end the war, but Putin remains unyielding in public comments. Putin has accused Europe of prolonging the conflict through military support for Ukraine and ruled out European peacekeepers as part of any deal. Despite this, Witkoff said Putin had agreed to include Europeans in future talks, though the Kremlin didn’t confirm it.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has announced he will challenge New York’s Chuck Schumer for the Senate majority leader position. Following recent midterm victories, Van Hollen said voters desired a “change from the status quo.” Elected to the Senate in 2016 after more than a decade in the House, the 67-year-old progressive gained national attention last year for lobbying for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after his wrongful deportation to a prison in El Salvador. His announcement comes as progressive activists and some Democrats push for the 75-year-old Schumer’s replacement. Schumer has been in the role since 2017 but faced criticism from the Democratic base for failing to confront Trump vigorously during a funding dispute in early 2025.