Axios

Intense fan resistance to an unpopular policy change proposed by Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast appears to have been successful.

Driving the news: Wizards is abandoning plans to create a new "1.2" license for use of its content by third-party creators, the company announced this afternoon.

Elon Musk met with several GOP congressional leaders this week, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Driving the news: Twitter majority owner Musk tweeted Thursday evening that he met with McCarthy to "discuss ensuring that this platform is fair to both parties."

Embattled Israeli spyware company NSO Group is trying to make a crime-fighting case in Washington, but it faces a near-impossible challenge to get skeptical U.S. lawmakers and human rights activists on board.

Driving the news: NSO chief executive Yaron Shohat spoke with Axios this week during a trip to Washington to push the narrative that the company's spyware tools are a boon in the fight against terrorism and crime.

A new advocate for bitcoin miners, Satoshi Action Fund, believes that securing the oldest cryptocurrency could be an effective way to finance a longstanding environmental problem in the United States: orphaned gas wells.

Why it matters: The Environmental Defense Fund released a map in 2021 of 81,000 wells with no owner of record. While there are federal funds available to aid in sealing these wells, it's still a daunting task.

The foundation responsible for overseeing the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp will soon offer technology-assisted remote tours for people who can't travel to Poland to visit in person.

Why it matters: As we've reported, surveys show Americans — particularly younger Americans — lack basic knowledge about the Holocaust. Meanwhile, there has been a sharp rise in racist and antisemitic social media posts and a jump in antisemitic violence across the U.S., as well as similar trends globally.

With a new law that bars TikTok from government employees' work devices kicking in soon, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wants details on how it will be enforced.

Driving the news: The TikTok ban, which Congress passed last December, is supposed to be implemented by Feb. 27, but it's not yet clear how the federal government will do so.

Kevin Rose, a serial entrepreneur going back to 2004's web pioneer Digg, got tricked into giving away a bunch of very valuable NFTs on Wednesday night.

Why it matters: The multi-part scheme that began with a seemingly mundane airdrop, is a reminder of how easily even the founder of an NFT-focused company could be lured into a trap.

Microsoft attempted to create some good vibes around its Xbox operations yesterday, with an online gaming showcase that included the surprise announcement — and release — of a new game.

Why it matters: The tech giant has had a stretch of glum gaming news, including layoffs, revenue decline and a drought of major new games.

Troubled chip giant Intel posted weaker than expected quarterly sales Thursday along with a financial outlook that fell well short of Wall Street expectations.

Between the lines: Intel is facing a confluence of challenges, including a slowing economy, decreased demand for PCs and internal execution challenges.

Michelle Chiu was among the roughly 950 people who were laid off from Coinbase in the firm's most recent round of cuts earlier this month. Just weeks later, Chiu tells Axios, "the stress and uneasiness" about her abruptly halted career has slipped off.

Why it matters: Chiu is one of the more than 29,000 people in crypto that have lost their jobs since April. The technology sector at-large is going through something of a reckoning, paying the price for recent over-hiring and adjusting to new economic realities.

The Department of Justice announced Thursday it has seized the computer servers and dark web sites associated with a prolific ransomware gang that's targeted U.S. hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure.

Driving the news: Members of the Hive ransomware gang put a notice on its website earlier today claiming the DOJ, FBI, U.S. Secret Service and international law enforcement seized their sites last night.

SAP is exploring a sale of its remaining 71% stake in Qualtrics, a Utah-based maker of survey and customer experience software, as part of a broader restructuring that includes 3,000 job cuts.

Why it matters: It would be the end of a complicated partnership that began in late 2018, when SAP agreed to buy Qualtrics for $8 billion in cash. At the time, it was the largest-ever acquisition of a VC-backed enterprise software company.

Hume AI, a small New York startup, has raised $12.7 million on the premise that it's not enough for AI systems to understand the world's information — they also need to understand human reactions.

Why it matters: AI startups are all the rage, but most are focused on mimicking humans' critical thinking rather than detecting their emotions.

In reinstating former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, Meta is also pushing Trump toward a moment of decision about the fate of his financially troubled social media app, Truth Social.

Why it matters: Trump raised hundreds of millions of dollars to create Truth Social after he got barred from many social platforms following the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Now he must decide between recommitting to his new company or reaping the benefits of getting back on Facebook and Instagram.