Trump DOE confirms it’s canceling over $700M in manufacturing grants
The Department of Energy said it was canceling grants to build new factories in places like Alabama and Kentucky. Three startups are affected.
Government & Policy
FTC removes Lina Khan-era posts about AI risks and open source
One post, authored by Khan’s staff, was published on January 3, 2025 with the title “AI and the Risk of Consumer Harm.” It noted that the FTC was “taking note of AI’s potential for real-world instances of harm – from incentivizing commercial surveillance to enabling fraud and impersonation to perpetuating illegal discrimination.”
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie steps onto the Disrupt stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, October 27-29 at Moscone West, in a homecoming of sorts for both tech and the city that helped define it. Register now to save and catch this live discussion.
Final Countdown: Only 7 days until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 and ticket prices increase
7 days until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 officially kicks off at San Francisco’s Moscone West and ticket prices increase. Save up to $444 now, and get 60% off a second ticket.
The man betting everything on AI and Bill Belichick
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts is making big bets on AI and Bill Belichick, and he sounds like a Silicon Valley CEO while doing it.
The White House is already one of the most blocked accounts on Bluesky
The Trump administration is taking its social media attacks on Democratic opponents to an unlikely platform, with the White House and numerous other government agencies joining Bluesky on Friday.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apologizes for saying National Guard troops needed in San Francisco
Marc Benioff, co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, appears to be walking back his controversial comments calling for the National Guard to patrol San Francisco.
Senate Republicans deepfaked Chuck Schumer, and X hasn’t taken it down
The video was posted Friday on the Senate Republicans X account. According to X’s policies, the platform prohibits “deceptively shar[ing] synthetic or manipulated media that are likely to cause harm.” Harmful content includes media that could “mislead people” or “cause significant confusion on public issues.”
Trump DOE decides to keep at least one Biden-era energy program
The loan guarantee will backstop $1.6 billion for AEP, one of the nation’s largest utilities, as it seeks to modernize a portion of its transmissions lines.
Should AI do everything? OpenAI thinks so
Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development. On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility […]