Mission Everywhere

JK Rowling at the "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" World Premiere in March 2022. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images JK Rowling says she chose not to participate in HBO Max's Harry Potter reunion special. "I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly," she told Graham Norton. Speculation swirled at the time that she wasn't asked to be included in the special over past anti-trans comments. When "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" debuted on HBO Max earlier this year, speculation swirled that Harry Potter creator JK Rowling wasn't asked to participate because of her past anti-trans comments. The reunion special instead used archival footage of interviews with the author, with an on-screen note that said they were filmed years earlier. But in an interview this week with Graham Norton , Rowling struck down that speculation, saying that she chose not to participate. When Graham said that Rowli...

Bosch said Wednesday it will invest more than $200 million into its South Carolina factory to build fuel cell stacks that will power hydrogen-powered electric commercial trucks in the United States. The South Carolina project is part of Bosch’s plan to invest more than $1 billion globally to develop fuel cell technologies by 2024. Capital upgrades to the campus will include dedicating about 147,000 square feet of floorspace to manufacture the fuel cell stack as well as support the clean room and climate-controlled environments required for quality-critical processes, the company said. Production of fuel cells at the facility is expected to begin in 2026. The German auto supplier said about 350 new jobs will be created. Bosch said its fuel cells will be used power electric heavy trucks, including a version of Nikola’s Tre electric semi-truck that is expected to go into production by the end of 2023. Bosch, which invested at least $100 million in the Nikola in 2019, said last year i...

Masha Bucher Contributor Share on Twitter Masha Bucher is the founder and general partner of Day One Ventures , an early stage venture capital firm that backs customer-focused startups and leads their communications. The contracting private tech markets are driving down the pricing and frequency of funding rounds, while inflation cuts into companies’ runways, meaning they are able to build less product and acquire fewer users with the money they raised. It’s true that VCs are doing more diligence and being more cautious with their decisions. Some want to make sure their existing founders have enough runway to weather this storm so they are prioritizing these companies. At the same time, there are hundreds of millions earmarked for early-stage companies , and firms such as Lightspeed, Collaborative Fund, CoinFund and Menlo Ventures have announced new funds in the last few weeks. Later-stage capital is now being redirected to earlier stages to avoid being exposed to one- t...

Just how lucrative is the buy now, pay later (BNPL) market? New data from Klarna and recent earnings results from Affirm make it clear that building a global business in the fintech space is far from inexpensive. The two companies, Affirm American and Klarna Swedish, are among the most valuable players in the BNPL market today. Both recently reported financial results. Today we’re looking at Affirm’s earnings for the second calendar quarter of 2022 and Klarna’s for the first half of the same year and asking ourselves what we can glean from each dataset. (And, listen, this is a bit of a slog. If you want to trust our math and skip the currency conversions, just scroll on down to the “Why does BNPL lose so much money?” section.) The Exchange explores startups, markets and money. Read it every morning on TechCrunch+ or get The Exchange newsletter every Saturday. Keep in mind that Klarna was recently repriced all the way down to $6.7 billion in its latest funding round. Today bef...

Nishika de Rosairo , the founder and chief executive of HumanQ , has a vision for employee coaching that disagrees with some of the biggest, and most valuable startups out there. Instead of one-to-one coaching, which venture-backed companies like BetterUp and Sounding Board offer employees and managers, HumanQ wants to make group coaching an impactful alternative. “We believe that organizations and individuals’ growth is not about the individual’s agenda and what they need – it’s about the organization’s agenda relative to groups of people who are going to have to collaborate together,” she said. Betting on the collective mindset has landed HumanQ a $2 million seed round led by Kindred Ventures, with participation from angel investors including Toast CFO Elena Gomez, Natus Medical CHRO Lisa Paul and Google Head of Engineering Dinesh Chahlia. De Rosairo declined to provide the company’s valuation, but said that it ultimately was “really great and fair.” This is the company’s first t...

Don’t you hate it when they give everything away in the headline? So, a belated spoiler warning that, indeed, the iPhone 14 is almost certainly going to be the big headline announcement at Apple’s September event. A few other things seem close to certain, as well, including the Apple Watch Series 8. As ever, there may be one or two wildcards at the event. It will be interesting to see precisely how much Apple ends up announcing next week. The company was more than happy to spread announcements across events, in the two+ years when everything suddenly went online. The simple truth is it’s a lot easier to ask people to drop everything to cover your event when it involves sitting in front of a computer instead of flying across the U.S. This one, on the other hand, is most likely going to be worth the flight (I mean, I hope — no refunds on the tickets). Go for launch. Tune in for a special #AppleEvent on September 7 at 10 a.m. PT.  Tap the and we’ll send you a reminder on event ...

Kyle Bradshaw / 9to5Google : Q&A with Chris McKillop, former director of engineering for Google's Fuchsia project, on the past, present, and future of the OS, failures of Nexus Q, and more   —  The former director of engineering for Google's Fuchsia project, Chris McKillop, has shared with us some insights … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/iTncDuB

The Twitter app logo. Chesnot/Getty Images Just weeks after Elon Musk agreed to buy Twitter, the company reportedly scrapped plans for an OnlyFans copy. The Verge reports that an internal team found that Twitter does a poor job policing harmful sexual content. One former Twitter employee said Musk's focus on bots and not harmful sexual content was a "gut punch." This past May, just a few weeks after Elon Musk agreed to purchase Twitter, the company reportedly quietly shut down plans to build an OnlyFans copy, citing one main reason: Twitter's growing problem with harmful sexual content.  Through leaked internal memos and conversations with former employees, The Verge uncovered Twitter's plans to monetize adult content and found they were axed after an internal team concluded that "Twitter cannot accurately detect child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity at scale." OnlyFans, a subscription service  used primarily for pornographic  ...

Daniel Craig in "Glass Onion: A 'Knives Out' Mystery." Netflix Netflix will release 43 new movies to its service from September through December. Traditional Hollywood studios will put 35 movies in wide release in theaters during that time. Theaters are facing a movie drought after pandemic-related delays and a shift to streaming. Theaters are facing a movie drought as traditional Hollywood studios release fewer movies due to pandemic-related delays and a shift to streaming. Netflix doesn't have that problem. The streaming giant laid out its film slate for the remainder of the year on Tuesday, dating a total of 43 original movies to be released on the service to stream from September through December, including the "Knives Out" sequel "Glass Onion" and its expected Oscar competitor "Bardo." Meanwhile, 35 movies are slated for a wide release in theaters during that same time period as of Tuesday, according to Comscore. Pau...

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images California's state senate just passed a bill that would totally change how fast food is regulated in the state. The bill still has to be signed by California Gov. Newsom. Labor advocates say the bill will give workers a voice, while opponents say it could raise prices. The California state senate just passed a bill that could completely change how the fast food industry is regulated in the state.  If signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, AB 257, known as the FAST Recovery Act , will create a 10-member council of workers, company representatives, and government officials to set pay and safety standards across the state. The council would have the power to increase industry minimum wage to $22 next year, with jurisdiction over chains with more than 100 locations, including Starbucks, Chipotle, McDonald's, and others. The bill's supporters say it will give the more than half a million fast food workers in California a voice in setting in...

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Getty Images Seaborne shipments of Russian oil hit their lowest level since March last week, according to Bloomberg.  Flows to Asia are down by about 500,000 barrels per day for the week ending August 26.  Half of Russia's crude exports have been going to customers in Asia since the war in Ukraine began.   Russian shipments of crude oil sent by sea to Asia have fallen to their lowest level since March, according to data from Bloomberg.  Shipments fell by 500,000 barrels a day for the week ending August 26, with flows to Asia sinking to 1.59 million barrels per day.  Total shipments sank to 3.04 million barrels per day over the same period compared to 3.62 million barrels per day a week earlier.  Asia had stepped up purchases of Russian crude in the wake of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, which allowed buyers like India and Chin to snap up oil at a discount as Europe moved away from Russian flows. Russia...

Attorney General Merrick Garland tightened Justice Department policies to prevent political appointees from attending partisan events. Drew Angerer/Getty Images A new memo prevents all Justice Department employees from attending partisan political events. The policy coincides with Donald Trump alleging that partisan bias motivated the Mar-a-Lago raid. Merrick Garland said the new policy would help prevent even the appearance of political bias. Attorney General Merrick Garland put new restrictions Tuesday on the political activities of Justice Department appointees, preventing them from attending fundraisers or campaign events as the 2022 midterms near and former President Donald Trump publicly claims partisan bias drove the FBI's recent search of his South Florida home. In a memo , Garland said the tightened restrictions were aimed at helping the Justice Department "maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in fact and appearance — does not compromise or ...

New Apple Watches are coming. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Apple is hosting an event on September 7, where three new Apple Watches are anticipated to be announced. If you're looking to buy a new Apple Watch, we recommend you wait for the new models to be announced. We expect the Series 3 to be discontinued, but it's unclear what will replace it as a budget option. If you're planning on buying a new Apple Watch, hold off. Apple is hosting an event on September 7, where we expect the company will unveil new Apple Watch models.  Apple's September events are primarily known for new iPhone reveals , but the company also announces new Apple Watches during this time. Last fall, Apple only announced the Series 7, but this year is shaping up to be a mega event for the Apple Watch where three new models will be debuted, including the new Series 8, a "Pro" version of the Seri...

Kate Anthony started in the Lone Star State. It was there, in 2019, that she launched her app Euphoria , seeking to provide information and resources on gender-affirming care. She knew the stakes were going to be high, and as the state passed anti-trans legislation, she and her company were forced to flee. Settling in Denver, Anthony made a plan on what to do next. She decided to maintain business as usual while the fight for trans rights continues. She’s not alone in that decision. Many apps, if not all, that service the trans community are hyperexposed, under fire and seemingly undeterred. TechCrunch conducted a vibe check to see how trans entrepreneurs servicing their communities are navigating this moment. The Human Rights Campaign told TechCrunch that legislators in state houses have introduced 344 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this session, with more than 140 specifically targeting the trans community. “We will not allow these anti-trans people to bully us into giving information.” Ayd...

Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch : A researcher says a huge Chinese database with up to 800M records was exposed for months, storing images of faces, license plates, resident ID numbers, and more   —  Another mass data lapse exposes new weaknesses in China's sprawling surveillance state  —  A massive Chinese database storing millions … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/hnDIHXJ

Sean Gladwell/Getty Images Europe's energy crisis is worsening and Bank of America analysts say they see "no end in sight." Supply constraints, weather, uncertainty from Russia, and Europe's own policies have made a perfect storm.  "This will be a multi-year challenge," a portfolio manager told Insider.   It's not just Russia's weaponization of energy that's hurting European markets. A perfect storm has hit the continent and led Bank of America analysts to conclude there's "no end in sight" for the worsening energy crisis.  The tumult reached new levels last week, with gas and power prices soaring to fresh records Friday.  However, Dutch TTF futures, the European benchmark for natural gas, dipped to 268 euros per megawatt hour on Monday after hitting a record 340 euros last week. Prices remain more than 1,000% higher than a year ago. Moscow's Gazprom is set to shutter Nord Stream 1  this week for a three-day mainte...

A UPS driver keeps a towel on his head while driving along Broadway during warm weather on July 6, 2012 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images UPS drivers are reporting heat as high as 150 degrees in their vehicles without air conditioning. Insider spoke with five drivers about what it's like to work in the summer heat. A spokesperson previously told Insider the drivers are trained to work in hot weather. Record-breaking summer heat is taking its toll on delivery drivers, and UPS drivers without air conditioning say their job is only getting more difficult.  In June, a 24-year-old UPS driver died on the job amid a heat wave in California. A month later, an Arizona homeowner shared a doorbell video of a UPS driver collapsing during triple-digit temperatures. It's an issue drivers say they've struggled with for decades, but it's only getting worse. A UPS spokesperson previously told Insider air conditioning would be ineffective in the vehicles, con...

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Coursera; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider Coursera is an e-learning platform with thousands of free courses and professional certificates. Topics range from computer science to psychology and courses are led by top colleges and companies . Below, find answers to Coursera FAQs, reviews, and other information about the company so far. For many, online learning can be an attractive alternative to obtaining in-person university degrees. Top e-learning platforms offer free courses from the best schools in the world , famous companies like Google run short-term job training programs , and coding bootcamps are quickly becoming a means to quick and lucrative career switches .  Coursera is one of the most popular online learning platforms out there, offering a wide range of free courses, short certificate programs, and even online master's degrees.  What is Coursera? Coursera is an o...

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images Corporations tied to Apple filed trademarks for "Reality One," "Reality Pro," and "Reality Processor." Bloomberg reports that the filings signal what the company could name its unreleased mixed reality headset. Apple and Meta are two tech giants vying to get ahead in the so-called metaverse race. We may have just gotten a hint at what Apple's new product could be called. According to trademark filings in a number of countries including the US, corporations associated with the company applied for the names "Reality One," "Reality Pro," and "Reality Processor," as Bloomberg reported Sunday. The filings are registered to a corporation called Immersive Health Solutions LLC which was incorporated in February, the outlet reported. A separate company called Corporation Trust Co. then registered Immersive Health Solutions. Trademark filings for the name "realityOS" were tie...

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Suzanne Tenner/FX "The Patient," starring Steve Carell, premieres August 30 on Hulu.  The psychological thriller follows a therapist who gets held prisoner by a dangerous patient.  Hulu plans start at $7 a month and go up to $13 a month for ad-free streaming. "The Patient'' is a new limited series starring Steve Carell. The first two episodes will debut August 30 exclusively on Hulu, and new episodes will follow every Tuesday through October 25.  The psychological thriller follows therapist Alan Strauss (Carell) who is held captive by one of his patients, Sam Fortner. Sam reveals to Alan that he is a serial killer and makes an unusual demand: Alan must find a way to suppress Sam's homicidal tendencies.  Check out the trailer for 'The Patient' "The Patient" stars Steve Carell as Dr. Alan Strauss and Domhnall Gleeson ("Harry Potter")...