Mandelson-Epstein Fallout, Kirk Shooter Manhunt, Europe's IPO Push

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) When Peter Mandelson was appointed the UK’s ambassador to the US in February, many in the British government predicted it would end in a scandal. Mandelson, a political operator once known as the “Prince of Darkness” for his capacity for political intrigue and spin, was fired by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday after Bloomberg published a series of emails between Mandelson and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which cast new light on their relationship. (2) The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk slipped behind a building, braced himself on the roof and swung off the edge, hitting the ground hard and leaving behind palm smudges and a single shoe print. He bolted across a patch of grass, cut through a parking lot and vanished into the trees. (3) NATO is preparing a defensive military measures in response to the drone incursion in Poland to strengthen deterrence across the alliance’s eastern flank, according to a person familiar with the matter. (4) OpenAI said it’s closer to converting into a more traditional for-profit company — nearing the resolution of painful negotiations with top shareholder Microsoft Corp. and outlining terms of at least $100 billion in equity for its nonprofit arm. (5) European Central Bank policymakers are convinced that no further interest-rate cuts are needed to deliver 2% inflation, despite new economic projections pointing to an undershoot over the next two years, according to people familiar with their thinking. Podcast Conversation: Photo-Editing Tools May Be AI’s Killer App: Catherine Thorbecke See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.