Nvidia CEO steps down. And, Sen. Chris Van Hollen to run for majority leader

Up First briefing: Nvidia CEO; Ukraine-Russia talks; Chris Van Hollen Nvidia's chief financial officer has been appointed interim CEO after Jensen Huang stepped down from the role. And, Sen. Chris Van Hollen says he will challenge Chuck Schumer for majority leader.

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Jensen Huang gives a keynote address at the Nvidia Berlin GPU Technology Conference on Oct. 21, 2026.

🎧 Huang's resignation may also have consequences for the U.S. government. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says the scandal is raising questions for the White House and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Commerce handles imports and exports, and Kurtzleben says one big question is whether the U.S. should have more tightly restricted the chips it exports. Lawmakers from both parties want to know when Lutnick knew that Huang was in contact with a suspected Chinese asset, and what he did or didn't do in response.

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been busy this week working on a new security framework between Russia and Europe and seeking to end the war in Ukraine. They led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then traveled to Ireland to meet with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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