The US just got a (long-term) leg up in the race for chip manufacturing: Samsung is building a USD 17 bn chip plant in Texas as the tech group responds to the US’ push to increase local semiconductor manufacturing amid the global chip shortage. The Texas plant will be the South Korean firm’s chance to increase its competitiveness against TSMC, the world’s largest foundry which manufactures chips for other companies. The global chip shortage highlighted the West’s weak spot when it comes to chip manufacturing, with a huge portion of the few available facilities located in Asia. The plant won’t be operational until 2H2024, meaning the US will continue to be dependent on these foreign firms for a bit longer. The Financial Times and BBC have the story.

Is English football ready for a radical change? A new government-backed report is calling for the creation of an independent regulator for English football that it deems necessary for the long-term financial stability of the game, the BBC reports. The suggestions include a proposal for Premier League clubs to pay a transfer tax on agreements to help support the English football pyramid, and giving the regulator the right to prevent changes in club ownership. The report also recommends that clubs create shadow boards of fans to be consulted on key decisions.

The Pentagon is taking UFO sightings seriously: The US Department of Defense has decided to launch a new program that will detect and identify unexplained flying objects — which it said are a “real threat” — close to sensitive military areas, Reuters reported. The US intelligence community recently released a report on 144 UFO (not necessarily extraterrestrial) sightings by Navy pilots since 2004, with intelligence officials unable to explain 143 of the sightings, but concluding they are likely real objects that could pose a threat to national security.