Oct 16, 2020 - Economy & Business

Scoop: Uber on the hunt for strategic alternatives for Uber Elevate

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Uber is seeking strategic alternatives for its Uber Elevate business, including strategic partnerships or a partial sale, Axios has learned from multiple sources.

Why it matters: This reflects Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's obsession with achieving profitability, as evidenced by partial sales of Uber's money-losing freight and self-driving units. A company spokesman declined comment.

The bottom line: Uber Elevate's goal is to develop a network of self-driving taxis, with its website suggesting a launch year of 2023.

  • It also had a helicopter service running in New York City, but suspended those operations during the pandemic. At last check, the unit had around 80 employees.

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Kyle Daly, Ina Fried
Oct 23, 2020 - Technology

Tech is learning that everything is politics

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

It's one political minefield after another for tech companies this year as the industry faces a rash of concerns including antitrust pressure, rampant misinformation and a pre-election tightening of screws from the Trump administration.

Why it matters: For much of Silicon Valley, politics has, over the past decade, gone from a non-consideration to a nagging occasional distraction to an all-consuming force that threatens some companies' very existence. New products and features, meanwhile, have gone from being all the buzz to largely an afterthought.

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: Ex-FDA chief: Pence campaigning after COVID exposure puts others at risk — Mark Meadows: "We are not going to control the pandemic"— COVID-19 looms over White House Halloween celebrations.
  2. Health: 13 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week — Fauci says maybe we should mandate masks if people don't wear them — U.S. reports over 80,000 new cases for second consecutive day.
  3. World: Italy tightens restrictions — Spain declares new state of emergency.
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Alayna Treene, Sam Baker
5 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Amy Coney Barrett's immediate impact

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

In her first week on the job, Amy Coney Barrett may be deciding which votes to count in the presidential election. By her third week, she’ll be deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act.

Where it stands: The Senate votes on Barrett’s nomination tomorrow. If she’s confirmed, Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to swear her in at the Supreme Court within hours, an administration official tells Axios.

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