Oct 4, 2019

Coinbase is in acquisition talks with rental startup Omni

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios 

Coinbase is in early acquisition talks with peer-to peer rental startup Omni, Axios has learned. The discussions appear to be focused on acquiring engineers, according to a source. Coinbase declined to comment.

Why it matters: Coinbase, which provides a variety of digital token services, previously said that 12% of its product and engineering employees came through acquisitions. Omni's engineering employees already have experience with digital tokens: After cryptocurrency company Ripple invested in the company, Omni later began allowing customers to earn its cryptocurrency, XRP, for renting out their possessions.

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Axios
Updated 8 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 30,911,999 — Total deaths: 959,059— Total recoveries: 21,147,903 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30p.m. ET: 6,796,384 — Total deaths: 199,474 — Total recoveries: 2,590,671 — Total tests: 95,108,559 — Map.
  3. Politics: Testing czar on Trump's CDC contradictions: "Everybody is right" — Ex-FDA chief: Career scientists won't be "easily cowed" by political vaccine pressure.
  4. Education: What we overlooked in the switch to remote learning.
  5. Health: The dwindling chances of eliminating COVID-19 — 7 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week.
  6. World: England sets £10,000 fine for breaking self-isolation rules — The countries painting their pandemic recoveries green.
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Rebecca Falconer, Jacob Knutson
33 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Arrest over letter to Trump containing poison ricin

President Trump returning to the White House from Minnesota on Sept. 18. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

A suspect was arrested for allegedly "sending a suspicious letter" after law enforcement agents intercepted an envelope addressed to President Trump containing the poison ricin, the FBI confirmed in an emailed statement to Axios Sunday.

Details: The suspect, a woman, was arrested while trying to enter New York from Canada, law enforcement forces said.

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Alayna Treene
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump campaign goes all in on Pennsylvania

Trump poster in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

The president's campaign is placing more importance on Pennsylvania amid growing concern that his chances of clinching Wisconsin are slipping, Trump campaign sources tell Axios.

Driving the news: Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, twice Wisconsin's number, actually has been trending higher in recent public and internal polling, a welcome development for the campaign.

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