TechCrunch Top 3

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1. The Deel drama continues: The HR tech startup wants the Irish courts to force rival Rippling to hand over potentially compromising information. Specifically, Deel wants eyes on unredacted versions of witness affidavits, including those of former Rippling employee Keith O'Brien, who admitted to being a spy for Deel. Read More

2. Silicon Valley Mafia: What do Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Palmer Luckey have in common? Aside from being filthy rich, they've all managed to plug their employees, allies, and associates into federal agencies that regulate and award business to their companies or companies they invest in. Read More

3. Now hiring: YC-backed startup Firecrawl has placed three new ads seeking AI agent employees, and is willing to pay $1 million to make it happen. One of the jobs is for a content creation machine that "never sleeps and always ships" to constantly produce SEO-pleasing blog posts. Great… Read More

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Morning must-reads

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Logistics on demand: Uber is tapping its vast network of drivers to crack India's growing B2B logistics market. The company is extending its partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce, allowing it to market itself as a logistics provider alongside rivals Shiprocket, Shadowfax, Porter, and Loadshare. Read More

Misinformation factory: Grok has moved on from its 'white genocide in South Africa' and is now testing the waters of Holocaust denial. Grok claimed it was "skeptical" that 6 million Jews were murdered by Nazis because "numbers can be manipulated for political narratives." Read More

Double your fun: TC got the scoop that the world's only net-positive fusion experiment – run by the team at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Ignition Facility – has been steadily ramping up the amount of power it produces. That power's not making it back to the grid yet, but it's a good sign for controlled nuclear fusion. Read More

Immerse in it: Immersive video startup VUZ has raised $12 million as it doubles down its presence in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and expands into Africa, Asia, and the U.S. The IFC led the round, making it a rare bet on consumer tech for a fund that usually invests in financial infrastructure and logistics. Read More

The risks of crypto apparently go beyond losing a ton of money on make-believe. Now, crypto execs and investors with significant wealth from their holdings are beefing up their personal security as they fear a rising threat of violent abductions. Read More

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HSBC Helps Evolectric Transition Vehicles to 100% Electric

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Around the web

Everybody needs to chill with the review bombing of "The Last of Us." People have been taking to online review sites to smack talk the zombie TV show, not for its plot, but for its casting of Ellie. People don't even seem to be upset about her acting, just the way she looks, per The Standard. Read More

The empire strikes back: Reuters reports that China is urging the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrongdoings" and stop its discriminatory measures after the U.S. warned companies not to use Chinese advanced computer chips, including Huawei's Ascend AI chips. Read More

Before you go

Fat tires FTW: I tested and reviewed Heybike's Alpha fat-tire all-terrain e-bike ($1,699), and it was an absolute dream.The best part was the mid-drive motor, which gave it a natural biking feel despite the powerful motor. Tariffs are likely to make this Chinese bike more expensive, so consider getting yours sooner rather than later! Read More