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TSMC and Trump Announce $100 Billion Investment In U.S. Chip Manufacturing

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

President Donald Trump and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced a $100 billion investment plan in the United States on Monday after meeting at the White House.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• TSMC and Trump announced a $100 billion investment to build five new chip facilities in Arizona.
• The expansion aims to boost U.S. semiconductor production and create over 40,000 jobs.
• TSMC now commits $165 billion to U.S. operations amid rising costs and geopolitical tensions.

According to Reuters , TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, will build five more chip facilities in Arizona to boost domestic production and create over 40,000 construction jobs. Three of these facilities will focus on chip fabrication, while the other two will specialize in advanced packaging.

“This $100 billion in new investment will go into building five cutting edge fabrication facilities in the great state that we just discussed, Arizona, and will create many thousands of jobs—high paying jobs,” said Trump.

The new investment aims to reduce U.S. reliance on Asian semiconductor production. TSMC had previously committed to expanding its U.S. operations—announcing in April 2024 an expansion of facilities in Arizona and increasing investments from $25 billion to $65 billion to establish a third facility by 2030. However, the company has faced delays as production costs in the U.S. are significantly higher compared to Taiwan.

“Higher costs are definitely a concern for TSMC,” said Andrew Tsai, chairman of Taiwan consulting firm Capital Investment Management Corp.

With the new investment, TSMC commits to a total of $165 billion, strengthening its ties with the current U.S. administration and American companies, amid tariff tensions, chip technology restrictions with China, and intensifying market competition.

In November 2024, the U.S. government ordered TSMC to halt shipments of AI chips to China after one of the company’s advanced AI chips was found in a Huawei AI processor, potentially violating the strict export controls imposed by the U.S. government.

“We must be able to build the chips and semiconductors that we need right here,” said Trump on Monday. “It’s a matter of national security for us.”

Meanwhile, OpenAI and TSMC have been reportedly collaborating since last year to develop custom AI chips, with plans to launch their models by the end of 2025.

Image by DC Studio, from Freepik

D.C. Power Broker Caught In Global Hacking Scandal

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A Washington, D.C. power broker is entangled in a global hacking scandal, with U.S. prosecutors alleging that a lobbying campaign orchestrated cyberattacks on environmental activists, according to an exclusive Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• Operation Fox Hunt targeted environmentalists and opponents of Exxon Mobil.
• Investigator Amit Forlit faces extradition on conspiracy and hacking charges.
• Exxon denies involvement and cut ties with DCI in 2020.

Justin Peterson, a key player in the lobbying firm DCI Group, allegedly masterminded “Operation Fox Hunt” starting in 2015, with the goal of undermining opponents of the oil giant, as reported by WSJ.

Peterson, who has represented powerful entities like Exxon, Microsoft, and Walmart, is said to have hired Israeli private investigator Amit Forlit to conduct a covert operation.

WSJ reports that according to U.S. prosecutors, this involved hacking into the email accounts of environmental activists and other Exxon critics. In a 2015 email, Peterson referred to the plan, stating his desire to “operationalize the research on the bad guys.”

While Peterson has not been directly charged or accused of hacking, court documents detail his involvement in commissioning the illegal activities, reports WSJ.

These documents are part of an ongoing U.S. criminal case against Forlit, who faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and computer hacking. Forlit, arrested in London in 2024, is currently fighting extradition to the U.S.

Peterson’s firm, DCI Group, cooperated with authorities in 2020 but has since had no contact with prosecutors, according to a DCI spokesperson.

“No one at DCI directed or was involved in any hacking alleged to have occurred a decade ago,” the spokesperson stated, adding that the firm believes the hacking allegations are part of a larger conspiracy narrative by “radical anti-oil activists,” as reported by WSJ.

Exxon, which severed ties with DCI in 2020, also denied involvement in the alleged hacking. An Exxon spokesman condemned any hacking activities, stating, “If there was any hacking involved, we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” reports WSJ.

Forlit’s alleged role in the hacking operation is tied to a campaign that began in 2015 as Exxon’s climate change controversies gained traction. The hacking effort, according to prosecutors, was designed to gather damaging information about environmental groups and leak it to the press or use it in litigation, said WSJ.

Forlit employed hackers based in India to breach email accounts, and the stolen information was allegedly shared with Peterson and Exxon. Lee Wasserman, director of the Rockefeller Family Fund, which was among the targets, expressed frustration with the slow pace of justice.

“The wheels of justice are turning awfully slowly in this case but it’s heartening to know they are still rolling toward accountability at the heart of these crimes,” he said, as reported by WSJ.

The case also sheds light on Peterson’s behind-the-scenes influence. A former member of President Trump’s Puerto Rico oversight board, Peterson’s business flourished under Trump’s presidency, said WSJ.

He worked on campaigns for major corporations and political figures, cementing his position as a key player in Washington’s power circles. WSJ reports that the investigation reveals a range of tactics employed by Peterson and Forlit, including the theft of private communications and the targeting of influential climate activists.

These actions were allegedly part of a broader strategy to discredit Exxon’s critics and shift public opinion in favor of the oil industry.

WSJ says that a U.K. court is expected to rule soon on the U.S. request to extradite Forlit. Meanwhile, the broader implications of Peterson’s actions continue to unfold, drawing attention to the murky intersection of lobbying, hacking, and corporate influence in today’s political landscape.