TechCrunch Top 3

Watch this video of how a job interviewer exposes a North Korean fake IT worker: An apparent North Korean worker was caught visibly stumped during a remote job interview when asked to insult the country's leader. Read More

Google quietly launched an AI dictation app that works offline: Google's new offline-first dictation app uses Gemma AI models to take on the apps like Wispr Flow. Read More

Iran threatens 'Stargate' AI data centers: Iran said it will target U.S.-linked data centers with new missile strikes, as the war between the U.S. and Iran escalates. Read More

Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

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Afternoon Must-Reads

North Korea's hijack of one of the web's most used open source projects was likely weeks in the making: North Korean hackers pushed out malicious updates to a popular open source project by hacking a top developer's computer in a long-running campaign. Read More

Startup Battlefield 200 applications open: a chance for VC access, TechCrunch coverage, and $100K: Nominate your startup, or one you know that deserves the spotlight, and finish the process by applying. Selected 200 have a chance at VC access, TechCrunch coverage, and $100K for Startup Battlefield 200. Applications close on May 27. Read More

OpenAI’s vision for the AI economy: public wealth funds, robot taxes, and a four-day workweek: OpenAI proposes taxes on AI profits, public wealth funds, and expanded safety nets to address job loss and inequality, blending redistribution with capitalism as policymakers debate AI’s economic impact. Read More

Apple is taking its App Store fight to the Supreme Court — again: Apple plans to ask the Supreme Court to review its App Store fight with Epic Games, as it challenges a ruling limiting its ability to charge fees on external payments. Read More

Spain's Xoople raises $130 million Series B to map the Earth for AI: The company is also announcing a deal with L3Harris to build the sensors for Xoople's spacecraft. Read More

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Last but Not Least

Convicted spyware maker Bryan Fleming avoids jail at sentencing: The pcTattletale founder escapes a custodial sentence following the first successful prosecution of a spyware maker in the U.S. in over a decade. Read More