Nvidia leadership shakeup: CFO Kress replaces Huang

Nvidia board member Jensen Huang has stepped down as chief executive officer.

The company appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO in a move announced Wednesday. Nvidia launched a formal investigation after allegations surfaced that Huang had an affair with one of its clients. U.S. intelligence officials concluded that this client had been recruited by China's top spy agency. In an email to staff, Huang admitted to cheating on his wife and pledged to cooperate with the review. The news followed reports of a second affair involving an Nvidia executive, which caused the company's share price to fall sharply on Wednesday. Huang had long been viewed as a key figure in the U.S. business sector and maintained close ties to President Trump.

Kress has held a prominent role at Nvidia for years and is well known among investors and business partners. She now faces the challenge of leading a company that produces the most widely used chips powering the AI revolution. Analysts expect strong demand for Nvidia products to continue as AI usage rises. The board must now determine how much trust and flexibility Kress will receive while she manages the short term fallout from Huang's departure.

The scandal has drawn attention from the U.S. government, particularly the White House and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lawmakers from both parties are asking when Lutnick knew that Huang was in contact with a suspected Chinese asset. They also want to know what actions Lutnick took or failed to take in response. These questions raise broader issues about whether the U.S. should have more tightly restricted the chips it exports.

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also working on a new security framework between Russia and Europe. They led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and traveled to Ireland to meet with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the visit with Putin, both sides noted progress on the humanitarian track of negotiations. Kushner sees potential for a new security framework 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. Witkoff said Putin had agreed to include Europeans in future talks, though the Kremlin did not confirm this.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland 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. 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 Schumer's replacement. Schumer has held the role since 2017 but faced criticism from the Democratic base for failing to confront Trump vigorously during a funding dispute in early 2025.

The American Cancer Society has recommended routine prostate cancer screenings for the first time. The group says that blood tests, especially for high risk groups like Black men and those with a family history, could save lives.