Daily English Article — August 19, 2026

Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss is actively opposing the potential sale of her family's ownership stake in the NBA franchise. Her attorney, Adam Streisand, sent a letter to law firms representing her five siblings — Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse — asserting that Jeanie has not agreed to any sale and that any vote purporting to authorize one is legally void under a 2017 court order that established her as controlling shareholder.

The letter argues that the JAB Trust's 17.8% ownership interest in the Lakers cannot be sold without approval from all three co-trustees: Jeanie, Janie, and Joey Buss. Streisand further warned that any attempt by the co-trustees to proceed with a sale — or by anyone assisting them — would constitute a breach of trust, a breach of fiduciary duty, and potentially contempt of court, signaling that Jeanie is prepared to pursue aggressive legal action if necessary.

The dispute emerged after ESPN reported that the Buss family had collectively decided to sell their remaining stake to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner. The five other siblings released a joint statement on Tuesday confirming they 'made the decision to sell the family's remaining stake' and declared they remain 'united in that decision,' pledging to move forward through the appropriate process.

This family conflict follows a broader deal announced last week, in which Iger and Kushner agreed to purchase a majority stake from Mark Walter, valuing the entire Lakers franchise at $12.5 billion. Including the Buss family's 17.8% share, the acquisition would have given the two buyers approximately 83% of the storied franchise. However, Jeanie's opposition now casts significant legal uncertainty over whether that portion of the deal can proceed.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Jeanie Buss does not wish to sell her family's stake at this time, citing both the financial value of holding the asset and her desire to maintain her role as the team's governor. The situation highlights a deep rift within the Buss family over the future of a franchise that Jerry Buss, their late father, built into one of basketball's most celebrated dynasties. The legal battle is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation startup launched in 2021 with ambitions to rival Zapier, is officially shutting down. Founder and CEO Jacob Bank announced that paying customers will lose access to the platform on September 14, while free users had already been cut off as of August 15. The closure was first announced in July. The shutdown marks the end of a company that aimed to transform how businesses handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks through intelligent automation.

Jacob Bank, who previously spent over six years at Google, will now rejoin the tech giant as Vice President of Product for Google Chrome. In this new role, he will oversee both the product and developer relations teams for Chrome. Bank shared the news on X, writing that he has spent his entire career 'building tools that help people get more done with AI, without sacrificing their personal creativity or insights,' and described joining the Chrome team as an ideal next step in that mission.

Bank first joined Google in 2015 after his earlier startup, a scheduling application called Timeful, was acquired by the company. During his initial tenure at Google, he served as product lead for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat — high-profile products used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. He later left to found Relay, which offered productivity enhancements through workflow automation, helping businesses streamline tasks such as document drafting, copyediting, and project management.

Bank hinted at ambitious plans for integrating AI more deeply into Chrome, describing the browser as 'a perfect place to collaborate with agents.' While specific details remain undisclosed, the move aligns with Google's broader strategy of embedding its Gemini AI across its product ecosystem. Gemini has already been integrated into Google Search, fundamentally reshaping the company's core product, and has also been added to Chrome as an optional in-browser assistant available to users.

Google's AI integration efforts appear to be gaining significant momentum. The company recently reported that Gemini has surpassed one billion users, underscoring the scale of adoption for its AI tools. Bank's appointment as VP of Product for Chrome signals that Google intends to push even further in making the browser a central hub for AI-assisted productivity. For users, this could mean increasingly seamless interactions with AI agents directly within their everyday browsing experience.