Mission Everywhere

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch : Anthropic announces the Model Context Protocol, an open source standard for connecting AI assistants to data sources   —  Anthropic is proposing a new standard for connecting AI assistants to the systems where data lives.  —  Called the Model Context Protocol, or MCP for short … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/nWOQf46

Katie Roof / Bloomberg : Austin-based anti-ransomware startup Halcyon raised $100M at a $1B valuation led by Evolution Equity Partners, bringing its total funding to date to $190M   —  - Texas-based security unicorn is backed by Bain, Evolution  — Halcyon is raising $100 million in funding from investors from Techmeme https://ift.tt/7U2SY4z

Reporters Without Borders : An investigation details how hack-for-hire Appin tried silencing at least 15 outlets over articles, newsletters, and podcasts covering Appin's “ethical hacking”   —  Whether based in the US, Switzerland, France or India, any media outlet investigating the “ethical hacking” of Appin … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/zL25B0K

David Pan / Bloomberg : A profile of Chris Maurice, CEO of US-based stablecoin startup Yellow Card, which operates in 20 African countries and has traded $3B+ worth of crypto in 2024   —  Cryptocurrencies that track the dollar are becoming a popular workaround for companies stymied by currency shortages on the continent. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/eNG8bng

The FTC is investigating Microsoft for anticompetitive practices. NurPhoto/Getty Images Microsoft's deals with the government may have breached antitrust laws, ProPublica reported. In 2021, Microsoft pledged $150 billion to the government over five years to upgrade its security. The deal included licensing agreements that may deter customers from switching to competitors. Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, said her agency plans to investigate Microsoft for anticompetitive practices in the cloud market. A recent  report from ProPublica found that the government itself might also have been a target of those anticompetitive practices. In the summer of 2021 — a little more than a year after news broke that the SolarWinds hack breached several government agencies — Microsoft pledged to give the government $150 billion over the coming five years to upgrade its digital security. Typically, the federal government needs to obtain services through a competi...

Steven Overly / Politico : Q&A with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on what happens to the CHIPS program under the Trump administration, the future of AI safety, and more   —  With a massive legacy program hanging in the balance, the Commerce secretary wants to get billions in microchip money out the door in the next two months. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/rnUceGT

President-elect Donald Trump nominated hedge fund manager Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary despite Elon Musk's public support for Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. Brandon Bell/Pool via AP Elon Musk has become one of Donald Trump's strongest political allies. Musk recently said his choice for the influential Treasury secretary role would be Howard Lutnick. Trump ultimately went with hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, however. As President-elect Donald Trump assembles the key players to drive his new administration's agenda, Elon Musk is rarely far away. From meetings at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to a weekend UFC match in New York, Musk has been a mainstay of Trump's political orbit in recent months. The Tesla CEO spent at least $119 million supporting the president-elect's 2024 campaign. Musk is poised to be a high-profile player in Trump's second term. He's expected to serve as a co-lead of the forthcoming Department of Government Efficiency ...