Evening digest: US flight chaos, SoftBank’s Nvidia exit, Google’s $6.4B Germany bet

It’s been a busy day across the business and tech world, and not the calm kind.

US airlines are struggling with mass flight cancellations as the government shutdown drags on, while SoftBank shakes up markets by selling its Nvidia stake to focus on AI.

Google’s making a major bet on Germany’s cloud scene, and CoreWeave’s stock is reeling after delays hit its data center expansion plans.

Here's a glance at the major developments on Tuesday.

US flight chaos deepens amid shutdown

US airlines had another rough day on Tuesday, canceling nearly 1,200 flights as the government shutdown dragged on.

It’s now the fifth consecutive day with more than a thousand cancellations, and things could worsen before they improve.

The FAA has started cutting back on flights because of staffing shortages among air traffic controllers.

On Tuesday, the agency ordered a 6% reduction in flights, with that number set to rise to 8% on Thursday and 10% by Friday across 40 major airports.

The ripple effects have been brutal: long delays, planes stuck on the tarmac, and crews timing out while aircraft end up in the wrong places.

Airlines are warning that if the shutdown doesn’t end soon, the chaos could spill into the holiday travel season and even start taking a toll on the broader economy.

SoftBank dumps Nvidia to double down on AI

SoftBank made a big move on Tuesday as it sold off its entire Nvidia stake, cashing in about $5.8 billion.

The timing raised eyebrows since it comes right before founder Masayoshi Son ramps up his next wave of massive AI investments.

Earlier this year, SoftBank had quietly built up roughly a $3 billion position in Nvidia, and that bet paid off big.

The company’s Vision Fund gains helped it post a huge ¥2.5 trillion ($16.2 billion) profit last quarter, its best in years.

Now, Son’s turning his attention to what he calls the “AI revolution.” SoftBank’s portfolio already includes names like OpenAI and Oracle, and its stock has soared 78% over the past three months, its best run since 2005.

The firm’s also planning a stock split and doubling down on some huge AI projects, including a potential $30 billion investment in OpenAI and a $1 trillion AI manufacturing hub in Arizona.

Google bets big on Germany’s cloud

Google is making a big bet on Germany as the tech giant plans to pour about €5.5 billion (roughly $6.4 billion) into expanding its cloud and data center operations there over the next few years.

The investment includes building a brand-new data center in Dietzenbach, near Frankfurt, and expanding an existing one in Hanau, both in the state of Hesse.

Each site is expected to create around 100 direct jobs and spark as many as 9,000 indirect jobs in the area, thanks to the broader economic boost.

For Germany, this is more than just a tech upgrade.

The government is calling it a strong signal for the country’s business climate, especially as it pushes to modernize the economy, and notably, Google’s doing it all without any state subsidies.

CoreWeave slumps on data center delays

CoreWeave’s stock took a hit, sliding more than 14% after the company trimmed its full-year revenue forecast.

The reason? Delays in getting new data center capacity online, and it’s not entirely their fault. The holdup came from a third-party developer responsible for delivering some of CoreWeave’s powered shells.

Even though demand for CoreWeave’s AI infrastructure remains strong, those delays forced the company to lower its 2025 revenue outlook to between $5.05 billion and $5.15 billion, slightly below its earlier range of $5.15 billion to $5.25 billion.

On top of that, CoreWeave cut its full-year capital spending plans pretty sharply, now expecting to spend between $12 billion and $14 billion, down from the previous $20 billion to $23 billion.

The company says most of the construction and delivery setbacks should be cleared up by early 2026, but for now, investors are clearly losing patience.