Wednesday's podcasts stories
Affirm CEO Max Levchin on today's IPO and the future of fintech
Affirm, a “buy now pay later” company led by PayPal co-founder and former CEO Max Levchin, went public today at a valuation of nearly $15 billion — and then saw its share price more than double.
Axios Re:Cap goes deeper with Levchin, to discuss the IPO, why he believes credit cards are “flawed” and the growing centrality of fintech.
State capitols go on high alert
The FBI has warned of armed protests planned at all 50 state capitols and in D.C. next week, leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Now, officials in states like Michigan are increasing security measures and requesting the National Guard to keep their cities safe.
- Plus, how our digital lives feed mob mentalities.
- And, LA’s crucial week for COVID-19.
Guests: Axios' Sara Fischer — Lansing, Michigan City Council president Peter Spadafore — and L.A. Times coronavirus reporter Ron Lin.
Credits: "Axios Today" is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Dan Bobkoff, Carol Wu, Cara Shillenn, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Naomi Shavin and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected].
Go deeper:
The fall of Parler
Parler, the social media platform for conservatives and far-right extremists, is currently offline after being booted from Amazon's cloud hosting service. The move came just days after Parler was also removed from the Apple and Android app stores, for allegedly violating terms of service related to violent threats its platform.
Axios Re:Cap digs into what happened at Parler, including how most of its public posts and metadata were scraped and archived, with New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth.
Corporate America's political power
As Congress moves forward with impeachment proceedings, corporate America is pulling the plug on political donations.
First, it was Big Tech banning President Trump from social media sites. Now large companies like BP, Dow and Marriott International are cutting off political donations. Some like Dow and Marriott said they won’t donate to lawmakers who voted to object to the Electoral College certification. Others like BP are pausing all political contributions.
- Plus, how to navigate a new rule on hospital prices.
- And, car buying moves into the 21st century.