Welcome back to your daily memorandum talking tech, business, AI, markets, and more. 🗞️

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🛡️ CrowdStrike & Google dismantle a botnet targeting open source software devs.
🎥 YouTube will now auto-label AI videos without creator input.
📱 Meta rolls out IG, FB, & WhatsApp subscriptions with AI plans coming.
🚀 The FAA orders SpaceX to investigate a Starship booster crash in the Gulf.
🚨 Kuwait faces a missile & drone attack as the Iran war ceasefire wavers.

TECHNOLOGY

• CrowdStrike & Google dismantle botnet targeting open source software developers (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Firstpost, TOI}}

  • CrowdStrike, Google, and Shadowserver took down the Glassworm botnet used to steal passwords from open source developers.

  • The cybercriminals had spent two years targeting the open source software supply chain to push malware to companies.

  • CrowdStrike warned compromising a single developer can cascade into supply-chain attacks affecting thousands of downstream organizations.

• YouTube will now auto-label AI videos without creator input (MacRumors)
  ^{_{More: Engadget, TechCrunch, Variety}}

  • YouTube is introducing automatic AI detection and labeling for videos with significant photorealistic AI use.

  • Creators can dispute incorrect AI labels in YouTube Studio, but disclosures for AI-native tools are permanent.

  • The AI label will appear below the video player on long-form videos and as an overlay on Shorts.

• Tech CEOs are losing touch with reality over AI hype (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, Inc.}}

  • Box founder Aaron Levie says CEOs are uniquely prone to overestimating what AI can do.

  • Executives play with AI and build prototypes, then wrongly assume agents can handle the full workload.

  • CEOs lack visibility into last-mile work but still make sweeping decisions based on that blind spot.

BUSINESS

• Meta rolls out Instagram, Facebook, & WhatsApp subscriptions with AI plans coming (WSJ)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Straits Times, France 24}}

  • Meta is rolling out global subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, with AI and creator plans in testing.

  • Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus cost $3.99/mo, WhatsApp Plus costs $2.99/mo, unlocking customization, super reactions, and story insights.

  • The new tests will be branded as 'Meta One,' which will house all of the company's subscription offerings.

• FAA orders SpaceX to investigate Starship booster crash in the Gulf (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, TechCrunch, The Hill}}

  • The FAA ordered SpaceX to investigate why its Starship booster crashed into the Gulf of Mexico last week.

  • The May 22 Flight 12 mishap involved the Super Heavy booster after stage separation, with no public injuries reported.

  • The FAA will oversee the SpaceX-led investigation, be involved in every step, and approve the final report.

• Airbnb backs WeRoad's $58M raise for its U.S. expansion (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, Tech Buzz}}

  • WeRoad raised $58M in a Series C led by Airbnb, bringing total funding to around $100M.

  • The Milan-based group travel startup will use the funds to expand into the U.S., starting in Austin.

  • WeRoad is positioning itself within the 'IRL economy,' targeting younger consumers seeking real-world connections.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Kuwait faces missile & drone attack as Iran war ceasefire wavers (AP)
  ^{_{More: WTOP, Boston Globe, The Hill}}

  • Kuwait announced it faced a missile and drone attack on Thursday as the shaky Iran ceasefire faltered again.

  • The attack followed U.S. strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory response, though no group has claimed responsibility yet.

  • Tensions remain high as Tehran-Washington negotiations stall and the Strait of Hormuz has yet to reopen.

• South Korea holds interest rates as hawkish split emerges within board (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: CNA, Reuters, Yahoo!}}

  • The Bank of Korea kept its benchmark rate at 2.50%, with two of seven members voting for a hike.

  • The hawkish split signals an imminent turn toward tighter policy to curb inflation and support the weakening won.

  • The central bank raised its 2026 inflation forecast to 2.7% and growth forecast to 2.6% after strong Q1 expansion.

• Disabled Argentines risk losing essential services under President Milei's austerity push (AOL)
  ^{_{More: AP, Seattle Times, Yahoo!}}

  • Milei's austerity cuts threaten therapy programs supporting an estimated 5M Argentines with disabilities.

  • The government has frozen payments to organizations providing therapeutic and educational services for the disabled.

  • Nonprofits like Andar are now selling vehicles just to keep their day centers running.

FUTURISM

• Robinhood now lets AI agents trade stocks on your behalf (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Yahoo!, Forbes}}

  • Robinhood launched support for AI agentic trading alongside a new agentic credit card.

  • Users can create a separate account for their AI agents and connect it to a dedicated wallet.

  • Agents can read and analyze portfolios but only trade using the pre-loaded balance in the wallet.

• ElevenLabs' new music model can switch genres in the middle of tracks (The Verge)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Decrypt}}

  • ElevenLabs launched Music v2, a music-generation model that can switch genres mid-track and handle complex vocals.

  • The model moves from opera to heavy metal, delivers coherent rap, and adds non-musical sound effects to tracks.

  • Artists can build songs section by section, regenerate specific parts with prompts, and work reliably across languages.

• Bose's former head of sleep raises $7M for smart earbuds (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, MEXC}}

  • SOND, a Boston-based sleep tech startup founded by two MIT grads, has exited stealth with $7M in funding.

  • Its debut product, Dreambuds, captures 12 physiological signals in real time to actively improve sleep quality.

  • The raise was backed by E14 Fund, Crosslink Capital, Ubiquity Ventures, and Boston Scientific co-founder John Abele.

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CONTENT

• Marc Rowan on building Apollo & how private capital reshapes economies (a16z)

  • Marc Rowan recounts leaving Drexel with a cardboard box in 1990 and growing Apollo to $6B in a year.

  • The conversation covers private credit's rise and why private markets are becoming central to financing the real economy.

  • Rowan also discusses AI, data centers, and the intersection of venture-backed tech with large-scale private financing.

• Pete Koomen reveals how he built YC's internal AI agent infrastructure (Y Combinator)

  • YC's Pete Koomen shares how he built the firm's internal agent infrastructure from the ground up.

  • Giving agents unrestricted access to one shared database transformed how YC's teams work and operate.

  • Koomen explains self-improving skill loops and why this marks the personal computer moment for AI.

• Bobby Healy on how Manna completed 300k drone deliveries from Dublin (This Week in Startups)

  • Manna founder Bobby Healy explains how his Dublin drone company hit 300k deliveries while rivals still publish blog posts.

  • The 'Ryanair of drone delivery' raised $50M and plans to bring its low-cost airline economics to the U.S.

  • Theseus co-founder Ian Laffey also joins from Kyiv to share a drone guidance system using a camera and Google Maps.

EXTRAS

• Spotify now lets you clip & share moments from your favorite podcasts (CNET)
  ^{_{More: Spotify, TechCrunch}}

  • Spotify launched Podcast clips on Wednesday, letting users share favorite segments using a new scissors icon.

  • Users can trim, preview, and share clips through a link to the full episode, chapter, or timestamp.

  • The feature is timely as tech executives increasingly break news on podcasts instead of in traditional interviews.

• Remote grew revenue per employee by 50% without adding any headcount (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!}}

  • Remote, an Amsterdam-based payroll provider, surpassed $300M in ARR and became cash-flow positive after deep AI adoption.

  • CEO Job van der Voort runs five Claude instances daily, with employees building internal AI apps in Remote Labs.

  • The company launched Remote Build, deploying engineers to help clients create custom AI workflows inside their organizations.

• ICE agents & protesters clash outside Delaney Hall detention center (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: AP, Yahoo!, NBC}}

  • Protesters clashed with ICE agents outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey on May 26.

  • Hundreds of detainees inside are reportedly on a hunger and labor strike protesting alleged inhumane conditions at the facility.

  • ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have denied allegations of retaliating against detainees inside Delaney Hall.

AND MORE

• Here's why Google's AI still can't spell Google or anything else.

• U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan risks nuclear escalation, a new study finds.

• Explore all the tools and more here to outperform the competition.*

• Snowflake signs $6B deal with AWS for AI chips, boosting Amazon.

• Department of Justice launches criminal probe into writer E. Jean Carroll.

• Rivian will deliver its first R2 SUVs to customers on June 9.

• Talarico pivots from sunny primary message to attack Paxton's scandals directly.

• Triomics raises $22M to bring oncology-specific AI to U.S. cancer centers.