Micron Taiwan Strike, Tesla-SpaceX Merger Talk, Apple Pro and Tell, and More

AI and Semiconductors

Micron’s Taiwan Plant Stages First-Ever Semiconductor Strike

Workers at Micron Technology’s Taoyuan plant in Taiwan launched a 24-hour strike on October 22, marking the first labor action in the history of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Eleven union cadres walked off the job at 9 a.m. local time, demanding that 15% of operating profit be shared with employees through a long-term profit-sharing mechanism.

Micron offered a one-time payout, which the union rejected. The company’s Taiwan chairman called the walkout “regrettable” and expressed willingness to continue talks. The actual impact on production has not been confirmed.

The stakes were limited by a separate deal struck the same day at the larger Taichung facility, where the union reached an agreement and avoided a walkout. The Taichung plant accounts for the bulk of Micron’s Taiwan output, so widespread supply disruption was averted.

Chip Stocks Tumble as Equipment Maker Warning Deepens AI Selloff

A supply warning from a semiconductor equipment maker rattled AI-exposed chip designers on October 22. 24/7 Wall St. reports that Marvell and AMD each fell about 8%, while Intel dropped 7%. Companies most dependent on AI data center demand took the heaviest losses.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) now sits roughly 14% below its October 5 high. According to Benzinga’s analysis, a hotter-than-expected inflation report revived rate hike fears and added further pressure to the sector.

Global chip sales through August surged 144.3% year over year, pushing year-to-date revenue past the $1 trillion mark, per the Semiconductor Industry Association. Revenue growth and stock price declines are proceeding in parallel.

Big Tech

Barclays Sees Possible Tesla-SpaceX Merger Announcement Before December

Barclays analyst Dan Levy published a research note suggesting that a Tesla-SpaceX merger could be announced before Tesla’s annual meeting deadline of December 6. He expects an all-stock deal with SpaceX as the acquirer, putting the combined entity’s value at roughly $3.6 trillion.

Under Levy’s scenario, Musk would hold approximately 37% of combined equity and 56% of voting power. He points to AI vertical integration as the key driver, with the shared Terafab chip project at the center of the rationale.

Neither company has announced a deal, formed a special committee, or filed an S-4 registration statement. Wedbush’s Dan Ives puts the odds of completion in 2027 at 80-90%, while prediction markets price a 2026 close at just 24%.

Apple Confirms ‘Pro and Tell’ Event for October 28 in Los Angeles

Apple has confirmed a ‘Pro and Tell’ event for October 28 in Los Angeles. Senior VP Greg Joswiak teased the event on X without disclosing specific products.

Bloomberg reports that the headliner will be a next-generation MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen and Dynamic Island. The models, codenamed K114 and K116, are said to be lighter than current versions. An M6-based iPad mini and iMac refresh are also expected.

According to Gadget Review, actual shipping is expected in November, and pricing may exceed that of the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro lineup. This would be Apple’s first touchscreen on a Mac.

Startups and Funding

ASI Raises $325 Million Series C at $3 Billion Valuation

Aerospace AI startup ASI closed a $325 million Series C led by Spark Capital, reaching a $3 billion valuation. Bloomberg reports that Craft Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and affiliates of Citadel Securities participated in the round.

ASI previously raised $34 million in a Series B. The jump in valuation reflects growing investor appetite for AI applications in the aerospace sector.

GM Leads $108 Million Investment in Sodium-Ion Battery Startup Peak Energy

General Motors led a $108 million funding round for sodium-ion battery startup Peak Energy. Bloomberg reports that Peak Energy is building a 4 GWh-per-year production facility in Sacramento, California.

Sodium-ion batteries offer lower raw material costs and fewer supply chain risks compared to lithium-ion alternatives. Peak Energy targets grid-scale energy storage, and its GM partnership gives GM exclusive cell manufacturing rights at its Michigan labs.

Tether Leads $15 Million Series A for AI Payment Startup Mural

Stablecoin issuer Tether led a $15 million Series A for Mural, an AI-focused payments startup. CoinDesk reports that Mural is building infrastructure enabling AI agents to execute payments autonomously.

As autonomous financial transactions by AI agents move closer to reality, investment in supporting infrastructure is picking up. Tether is leveraging its stablecoin market share to expand into the AI payment ecosystem.

Open Source

Battlefield 2 Reverse-Engineering Project Nears Public Release

A fan-built Battlefield 2 engine reconstruction, eight years in the making, is approaching public release under the GPLv3 license. Developer LifeCoder has been reverse-engineering the game since 2018, and MP1st reports that the project aims for full compatibility with existing clients, servers, and mods on modern systems.

Battlefield 2’s official servers shut down in 2014 alongside other GameSpy-powered titles. The community has kept the game alive through mods and alternative servers, but this project attempts a full engine-level reconstruction. The server component is complete, with client and map support still in progress.

No release date has been set. The project will be shared for free on Discord and GitHub, and does not include any of DICE’s original code.

Railtown AI Open-Sources Swift Agent Development Kit

Railtown AI released its Swift Agent Development Kit, called Railtracks, on GitHub under the MIT license. MarketScreener reports that the framework lets developers build AI agents natively in Swift.

Most AI agent development tooling targets Python or TypeScript. A dedicated ADK for the Swift ecosystem is uncommon, and this release lets Apple platform developers build agents without switching languages.

Gaming

One Piece: Grand Gourmet Launches Today Across Platforms

Bandai Namco and Kairosoft’s One Piece: Grand Gourmet launches today on Switch 2, Switch, PC (Steam), iOS, and Android at $19.99.

The restaurant management simulation features over 400 One Piece characters in pixel-art style. Players take on the role of a new staff member at the second Baratie, developing recipes alongside Sanji. Over 200 furniture and decorative items are available for restaurant customization.

First revealed at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, the game combines Kairosoft’s signature management simulation formula with the One Piece IP.

References

Taiwan’s first-ever chip workers strike begins at Micron plant — Nikkei Asia
Micron Taoyuan union announces Oct. 22 solidarity strike — Focus Taiwan
Taoyuan Union Launches 24-Hour Strike as Scheduled Despite Micron Reaching Deal With Taichung Union — TradingKey
Chip Stocks Fall as Supply Warning Deepens AI Selloff — 24/7 Wall St.
The Earnings Twist In The AI Chip Bubble Debate — Benzinga
Barclays Says a Tesla-SpaceX Merger Could Be Announced Before December — 24/7 Wall St.
Barclays Analysts See Rising Potential For SpaceX-Tesla Merger — TIKR
Apple teases ‘Pro and Tell’ event on October 28 — Macworld
Gurman: Apple Plans Touchscreen MacBook Pro Launch Oct. 27 — Gizchina
Apple Reportedly Set to Unveil First Touchscreen MacBook Pro on October 28 — Gadget Review
ASI Raises $325 Million, Reaches $3 Billion Valuation in Spark-Led Funding — Bloomberg
GM Leads $108 Million Funding Round for Sodium-Ion Battery Startup — Bloomberg
Peak Energy and GM Partner to Deploy Next-Gen Sodium-Ion Battery Storage — EnergyTech
Tether leads $15 million Series A for AI-focused payment startup Mural — CoinDesk
Battlefield 2 Is Unofficially Going Open Source, and Is Nearing Public Release — MP1st
Railtown AI Open Sources Railtracks Swift ADK — MarketScreener
One Piece: Grand Gourmet serves up a culinary adventure on 23 October 2026 — Bandai Namco
Bandai Namco and Kairosoft announce One Piece: Grand Gourmet — Gematsu