Axios

Lawmakers trying to advance a bill to help domestic abuse survivors believe it’s been stymied by the wireless industry because of concerns it will cost them customers, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Victims of domestic abuse don't currently have a guaranteed way to leave family plans with their phone lines on a federal level. Strict contracts and fines may keep them trapped in plans where abusers can access phone records or control services.

Struggling fitness company Peloton is rolling out its new video game-style Lanebreak mode for users of the company’s exercise bikes.

Why it matters: Peloton, which found success during the pandemic and is now trying to retain users, is deploying the popular strategy of adding game-like experiences to its product.

Banking and corporate cards have become big business for startups and small businesses — with companies like Ramp, Brex, and Airbase all raising gobs of cash — but few (good) options exist for solopreneurs and businesses of one.

Driving the news: Found, a startup offering a "full-stack" financial services for self-employed workers, raised $60 million in Series B funding led by Founders Fund, the company tells Axios.

Google will help its Cloud users save energy and reduce emissions by providing new tools to let them manage energy use from their idle projects.

Driving the news: Google on Wednesday introduced the Carbon Sense suite. It's a collection of features that aims to help companies quantify and report their emissions, as well as reduce them.

Sequoia Capital last fall disclosed plans to blow up the traditional VC model, saying it would form a single fund to hold all of its U.S. and European investments (including publicly-traded shares).

Driving the news: Now it's laying out its next moves, including a $600 million fund focused on liquid crypto investments.

IBM will provide pro bono tech services and expertise to organizations serving communities vulnerable to climate change and other environmental hazards.

Driving the news: The tech giant's new IBM Sustainability Accelerator is live today with a public request for proposals from nonprofit and government organizations. The 2022 awards will focus on clean energy.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday accused the Securities and Exchange Commission of undertaking a "harassment campaign" in an effort to "chill his exercise of First Amendment rights."

Driving the news: "[T]he SEC seems to be targeting Mr. Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government," a lawyer for Musk said in a court filing.

Progressive organizations are going big on anti-monopoly messaging as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce defends Big Tech.

Driving the news: As the Chamber launches attacks on antitrust moves against tech’s biggest firms, the group Fight Corporate Monopolies is launching a new “War Room” campaign Thursday, per an announcement shared exclusively with Axios.

A nightmare scenario: A cutting-edge, life-changing device embedded in your body fails and the company behind it is all but gone.

It happened to more than 350 people who are blind around the world who received artificial eyes only to be abandoned by the company that invented them, Second Sight Medical Products, the technology journal IEEE Spectrum writes.

Facebook parent Meta is reorganizing its communications and public affairs team to combat an onslaught of negative press and try to repair its reputation.

Why it matters: The new structure, according to internal memos obtained by Axios, gives communications and public affairs executives more power across the organization to respond to public relations crises.

When Nathan Chen made his medal-winning jumps in team figure skating, viewers around the world knew exactly how high he was flying. That was thanks to new technology from Omega, which uses AI to break down each element of the skater's performance.

Why it matters: New technology helps athletes, judges and fans better understand the fast-paced action of the Olympics.

Donald Trump's spamming of Republican donors could kneecap party efforts to build a steady funding stream for future elections and compete with Democratic fundraising, top GOP officials are privately warning.

Why it matters: The former president's decision to bombard donors with numerous daily emails and texts is sucking up record sums. Four top GOP digital strategists tell Axios it's also imperiling efforts to build a sustainable, grassroots base of financial support for anyone not named Trump.