The head of Uber's AI labs is latest to leave the company

Ina Fried
Mar 8

Featured

The head of Uber's AI labs is latest to leave the company

Jeff Chiu / AP

Gary Marcus, a research scientist who joined Uber four months ago as director of its AI labs, is leaving the company, according to sources. Uber bought Marcus' startup, Geometric Intelligence, in December, using its 15 employees to form a new artificial intelligence unit.

Marcus joins a long list of recent exits from the troubled company, with Uber's most future-leaning efforts especially hard hit. Other notable departures include product head Ed Baker, self-driving car engineer Raffi Krikorian and famous car hacker Charlie Miller, who is joining Chinese rival Didi.

Why it matters: Today's Uber is all about matching riders and drivers, but the company's future efforts in self-driving cars and machine intelligence require a type of talent in short supply. Uber, already facing a lawsuit from Google and its ongoing harassment investigation, may have a tough time replacing those who leave.

Update: Marcus has confirmed the move in a Facebook post, saying is moving back to New York and will be a "senior advisor" to Uber.

Amy Harder
5 hrs ago

Column / Harder Line Featured

Wall Street is starting to care about climate change

Rebecca Zisser / Axios

A record number of investors are pressuring fossil-fuel companies to reveal how climate change could hit their bottom lines.

Efforts by shareholders to push resolutions on the risk related to carbon regulations are reaching a tipping point, with almost half of investors in fossil-fuel and utility companies backing resolutions, according to a new analysis by nonprofit group Ceres not yet published publicly. Activist shareholders of publicly traded companies have been pushing resolutions on climate change for years and now the effort is going mainstream with new support from institutional investors.

Why it matters: With the U.S. government retreating on climate policy under the leadership of President Trump, corporate America is emerging as the central battleground. The increased support for climate-related resolutions show that mainstream investors are taking the issue more seriously than ever despite Trump.

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"Investment risk is increasing, and investors care – not because they believe or don't believe in climate change – but because they care about the value of their investments," said Kevin Book, managing director of the independent research firm ClearView Energy Partners. "The issue doesn't go away just because Trump came to Washington."

Shareholders of publicly traded companies cast votes every spring on resolutions of all kinds, including on climate change. The resolutions Ceres analyzed, which saw an average of 45% support this year, asked companies to report regularly on what kind of impact regulations cutting carbon emissions would have on their operations. The percentage iin favor is up from just 21% in 2014 and 34% last year.

Notable votes

Resolutions by shareholders of ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and utility PPL Corporation saw the most striking increase in support, passing the 50% threshold for the first time.

BlackRock, the largest investment firm in the world, said it backed the climate resolutions at Exxon and Occidental — a first for the investor — because the companies weren't addressing the issue enough. "Our patience is not infinite," the firm wrote in a note outlining its engagement strategies with companies for this year and next, which includes climate change.

Out of 16 votes cast by shareholders of utility and fossil-fuel companies this year on carbon risk resolutions, just two decreased (slightly) from last year: Noble Energy, from 25% to 24%, and power company AES Corporation, where the vote dropped from 42% to 40%, according to data tracked by Ceres. Here are highlights of support for carbon-related shareholder resolutions:

Data: Ceres. Figures rounded to nearest whole percentage; Chart: Lazaro Gamio / Axios

Symbolism matters: The resolutions aren't binding and have no legal force, but that doesn't make them empty proposals. Occidental said it would provide more disclosure about how it manages climate risk, and while Exxon hasn't said so as explicitly, there's an expectation it will, according to interviews with industry officials familiar with the process.

"Sometimes it takes these symbolic kind of gestures to prompt actual change," said Michael Ferguson, director of U.S. energy infrastructure at S&P Global Ratings, one of the world's biggest credit rating agencies. "I don't think shareholders see climate as a fleeting issue, so even if these resolutions aren't binding for the moment, policies are going to shift."

The concern for climate change is spreading to ratings agencies, which influence how investors assess companies. Moody's Investors Service announced in June 2016 it would consider the carbon-reduction pledges in the Paris climate deal when it rates fossil-fuel companies, and it has been issuing reports on the risk since the climate deal was struck in November 2015. An executive at another major credit agency, Fitch Ratings, said that firm is now discussing to what extent to consider carbon risk more explicitly in its processes.

To be sure, by repealing Obama-era regulations on climate change and withdrawing from the Paris deal, Trump is taking away explicit policies for credit agencies to use in their ratings.

"To the extent that climate change policies become a reality and something that's deeply entrenched, it's something we have to consider more explicitly," Ferguson said.

What's next? Investors, including BlackRock and Vanguard Group, two of the world's biggest investment firms, are set to issue reports by the end of August explaining how and why they voted on proposals.

Andrew Logan, director of oil and gas at Ceres, said the ultimate goal of these symbolic resolutions is to show fossil-fuel based companies their current investments won't work in a carbon-constrained world.

"The end game is to make the changes they need in their business plans so when a low-carbon future arrives, they'll be ready for it," Logan said.

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Scheduling note: Harder Line is taking a break next Monday during the week of July 4.

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David Nather
4 mins ago

Featured

Trump's backup plan for a health care failure

What will President Trump do if the Senate can't pass the health care bill? It's pretty obvious from this morning's tweet:: Blame Democrats for whatever happens next.

Between the lines: Remember that Trump threatened the same thing after House Republicans pulled their bill from the floor — before they revived and passed it. But it's also a reminder that the Affordable Care Act does need support from the administration in power, including funding and encouragement for insurers to stay in the markets. The Trump administration has been trash-talking the ACA for so long that they'll have no interest in doing that if repeal fails.

Alayna Treene
25 mins ago

Featured

Trump’s new Obama accusation: “he colluded or obstructed”

Evan Vucci / AP

President Trump blasted Barack Obama on Twitter Monday morning for having "colluded or obstructed" justice, following a Washington Post timeline Friday on the Obama administration's handling of Russian interference in the November presidential election:

"The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win... and did not want to "rock the boat." He didn't "choke," he colluded or obstructed, and it did the Dems and Crooked Hillary no good. The real story is that President Obama did NOTHING after being informed in August about Russian meddling. With 4 months looking at Russia... under a magnifying glass, they have zero "tapes" of T people colluding. There is no collusion & no obstruction. I should be given apology!"

Haley Britzky
49 mins ago

Featured

New test can diagnose mysterious infections

Keith Srakocic / AP

Researchers have created a brain test that can discover the source "of virtually any neurological infection," according to Scientific American.

For example, the test helped doctors to diagnose a brain tapeworm in a man from Nicaragua by identifying its DNA. The patient didn't have symptoms of the infection typically picked up by MRI scans.

How it works: Rather than look for a particular infection with a specific test, all of the DNA and RNA in a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is analyzed in order to identify foreign genetic material from viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. The challenge, researchers say, is "making sense of the output," but they've developed procedures for doctors to determine the most-likely cause of infection from the genomic data.

Coming soon: The researchers who developed the test at U.C. San Francisco will begin offering the test "as a custom-ordered service" to hospitals and labs across the U.S. on July 1.

Shane Savitsky
1 hr ago

Featured

Takata files for bankruptcy, selling assets to Michigan company

Shizuo Kambayashi / AP

Takata, the Japanese auto parts manufacturer whose defective airbags have led to at least 14 deaths and 70 million recalls in the United States alone, announced the sale of its factories and operations to a Chinese-American rival, Key Safety Systems, and filed for bankruptcy in both the U.S. and Japan, per the NYT.

Think back: After denying that its airbags were faulty and fabricating test results to hide the issue, Takata agreed to pay fines and compensation totaling more than $1 billion earlier this year following a Department of Justice investigation.

The ramifications: Pending regulatory approval, the bankruptcy deal might short Takata's creditors — including some of the world's largest automakers, like Honda — out of millions of dollars.

Stef W. Kight
1 hr ago

Featured

Ivanka Trump: "I try to stay out of politics"

Susan Walsh / AP

Ivanka Trump — President Trump's daughter and a White House senior advisor — told Fox News this morning that she tries to "stay out of politics" and that it's normal for she and her father to "not have 100% aligned viewpoints on every issue."

Top quote: "I feel blessed just being part of the ride from day one and before. But he did something pretty remarkable. But I don't profess to be a political savant."

Why it matters: Ivanka has an office in the West Wing. She was influential in President Trump's decision to bomb Syria, worked with her husband Jared Kushner on LGBT rights, and many climate activists saw her as a hope for fighting climate change and staying in the Paris Agreement (although her dad left anyway). This all doesn't seem to back up her claim of staying out of politics.

Axios
2 hrs ago

Featured

NYMag cover brings back Watergate

"Just wait: Watergate didn't become Watergate overnight, either" — New York mag cover story, by Frank Rich:

"For all the months of sensational revelations and criminal indictments... a Harris poll found that only 22 percent thought Nixon should leave office. Gallup put the president's approval rating in the upper 30s, roughly where our current president stands now — lousy, but not apocalyptic. There had yet to be an impeachment resolution filed in Congress by even Nixon's most partisan adversaries. ... [A]fter Nixon hit a new low of a 27 percent approval rating in November 1973, he spiked to 37 in a Harris poll a month later. ... Looking back on it all, Elizabeth Drew would write, 'In retrospect, the denouement appeared inevitable — but it certainly didn't feel like that at the time.'"

Go deeper: The timelines of Watergate vs the Russia probe, side by side.

Mike Allen
2 hrs ago

Featured

D.C. on edge: rumors of new Supreme Court vacancy swirl

Fred Schilling / AP

White House sources think Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court's ideological fulcrum, may announce his retirement today, as the justices gather on the bench for the last time this term.

If that happens, Day 158 instantly becomes President Trump's biggest moment.

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Trump's first Court appointment, of Justice Neil Gorsuch, was a one-for-one ideological swap for the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Replacing Kennedy would be even more historic and consequential: a momentous chance to edge the Court right, since Kennedy is the center of the Court — the one most willing to listen to both sides. On a controversial case, both sides pitch to him. It's been called "Kennedy's Court."
No one's predicting: Court watchers say no one knows, and Kennedy has said nothing publicly. He could well wait one more year: The Court buzz is that it'll be this year or next.
Lyle Denniston, who has covered the Supreme Court for 58 years, headlines a post on his website, "High drama: Supreme Court term is ending": "[R]umors have continued to make the rounds that ... Kennedy, who will be 81 in July, could reveal plans [today] to end his career. ... The longest serving of the Justices, Kennedy joined the court more than 29 years ago."

Be smart: Few domestic developments could more instantly and decisively change the national conversation — blotting out almost everything else, and vastly reducing the sting for conservatives is healthcare tanks.

A Washington wise man emails: "With two court appointments and maybe one more, Trump's presidency will be consequential even if he has few legislative achievements. This week may well demonstrate both."

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Mike Allen
2 hrs ago

Featured

Scoop: Trump group gives Heller a 2nd chance on health bill

Scott Sonner / AP

Many Republicans wondered this weekend if it made sense for America First Policies, the outside group backing President Trump, to run attack ads against Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) for wavering on healthcare, when his vote is desperately needed.

"Does Trump team think it's smart to attack the most endangered GOP senator, from a state Trump lost?" asked a longtime lion of the GOP. "This is the second dumbest thing Trump has done since firing Comey."

Well, Axios has learned that the group is giving Heller a chance to modify his blast at the bill, before unleashing an advertising attack in his home state.

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The backstory: After Heller announced his surprise opposition to the Senate bill on Friday, the group said it planned a seven-figure buy in Nevada.
The drama: The attacks have not begun — and won't, if Heller retreats. The group could follow what it did with some wavering House members, and run ads of encouragement rather than opposition.
A Republican operative: "The content of the ad is really up to Senator Heller ... If [moderate] Congressman [Tom] MacArthur and [conservative] Congressman [Mark] Meadows can work together in the House to get to yes, I'd like to think Senator Heller could work with Leader McConnell to get to yes."
The arsenal: Phone banks that connect constituents with senators' offices are being run by America First Policies in the states of eight wavering senators: Ohio, Kentucky, Utah, Texas, Maine, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Alaska.
The longer game: Looking ahead to 2018, the group is running cable ads against Democrats in these eight states, starting this week: Michigan, Ohio, Montana, North Dakota, Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and West Virginia.

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Alayna Treene
2 hrs ago

Featured

Theresa May completes her deal to keep power

Virginia Mayo / AP

Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have signed a deal with North Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which will strengthen support of May's government as the UK continues to navigate Brexit talks, per AP.

Why it matters: The results of the UK's June general election shocked many, as May came up short of the strong majority needed to rally support for the Tories as they move into Brexit negotiations with the European Union. But with the DUP's backing, May will have the necessary backing on key votes, such as on the Queen's Speech and Budgets, which without would threaten the government's survival.

The caveats: The agreement only guarantees DUP support on votes needed to prevent the government from falling; there is no guarantee they will back other legislation proposed in parliament. Meanwhile, other UK devolved nations will be indignant about the large sums of money promised to Northern Ireland up front in order to secure the deal.

Ina Fried
3 hrs ago

Featured

John Deere quietly opens tech office in San Francisco

Photos: John Deere, Ina Fried/Axios; Illustration: Rebecca Zisser

John Deere has quietly opened an office in San Francisco as the agriculture machinery giant looks to expand its efforts in computer vision and machine learning. Leading up John Deere Labs, as the office is known, is Alex Purdy, a former Boston Consulting Group principal who joined Deere about a year ago.

Purdy aims to hire 8-12 people, though he recognizes the company may need to be flexible given the fierce competition in the areas in which Deere is hiring.

"We're going to be a little bit opportunistic," Purdy said.

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So why is Deere doing this? Though not well-known in the tech industry, Deere has been a pioneer in autonomous technology, having had tractors capable of moving themselves for years. Self-driving tractors free the farmer sitting on the rig to focus on more pressing tasks, such as monitoring where seeds and chemicals are getting placed, among other things.

Food needs are expected in the coming decade even as the amount of land devoted to farmland remains relatively stagnant. That means getting more productivity out of the same fields.

Why SF? Deere was already spending a lot of time in the Bay Area meeting with various partners. "We found ourselves renting hotel rooms quite a bit," said Purdy.

Ina Fried / Axios

By opening an office here, the company hopes to bring a little bit of the heartland to San Francisco, with plans to put a harvest simulator in the lobby.

"We've actually had three or four people knock on the glass," Purdy said, all asking "are you selling tractors here?"

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