Los Angeles

Waymo can now charge for robotaxi rides in LA and on San Francisco freeways

Waymo received approval Friday afternoon from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Peninsula and on San Francisco freew

Los Angeles demands robotaxi rulemaking powers

Mayor Karen Bass says Los Angeles — not a state agency — should have the power to decide how robotaxi companies expand in the city. The impact of the mayor's calls may extend well beyond LA.

Robotaxis ‘do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,’ lawmaker says

Robotaxi oversight is now a priority at Los Angeles City Hall. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez told Waymo and Cruise that their robotaxis are not welcome. “Th

Robotaxi pushback grows in Los Angeles as Cruise loses permits

Less than a month after Waymo’s Los Angeles County expansion, labor organizers and an LA lawmaker are calling for new autonomous-vehicle regulations. On Tuesday, the office of LA Councilmember H

Waymo to test driverless rides with employees in Los Angeles

Waymo will begin testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Paces without a human safety operator in Los Angeles in the next couple of weeks. This is the company’s next step on its path to commercializing

Hackers claim ransomware attack on Los Angeles housing authority

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, or HACLA, has confirmed it is investigating a cybersecurity incident shortly after the LockBit ransomware gang claimed responsibility for a cyberatta

Micromobility in limbo: Takeaways from Paris and LA

Shared electric scooters came onto the scene five years ago with a promising vision of getting people out of cars and on to greener modes of transportation. Yet despite billions in VC money and plenty

Movio wants to make your marketing videos with generative AI

Generative AI is suddenly everywhere. Over the past year, you’ve probably seen people showcasing impressive AI-generated artworks, thanks to progress in text-to-image algorithms introduced by gr

Kim Kardashian becomes a private equity dealmaker in collab with ex-Carlyle partner

America’s favorite reality star is leveling up her repertoire and levering up businesses. Kim Kardashian, who passed the “baby bar” exam in preparation to become a lawyer last year,

MEDU takes in $4M to develop reusable personal protective equipment

MEDU aims to reduce hospital garment waste and replace single-wear items with its line of sustainable, virus-resistant reusable pieces.

Star-studded digital avatar startup Genies launches NFT fashion marketplace

Digital avatar startup Genies, known its for high-profile partnerships with celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Migos and Cardi B, has just released its long-anticipated NFT storefront, “The Ware

Aero raises $65M for its semi-private airline

Aero Technologies, which describes itself as a “next-generation air travel company” which currently operates on a limited number of routes in the U.S. and Europe, today announced that it h

Nothing negative about Positive Food’s meal expansion plan after $7M investment

Positive Food is going after the $34 billion fresh prepared foods market with its take on salads, heat-and-eat prepared meals and vegan overnight oats.

Boulevard books $70M to help beauty and wellness salons with their bookings

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but when it comes to getting ahold of an appointment for your hair or another treatment…that’s a different story: The bespoke nature of a lot of t

Why an Atlanta-based Black influencer collective swapped their collab house for a studio

From Los Angeles to Silicon Valley, a trend emerged among social media influencers and startup founders alike: move into a mansion with 10 or so collaborators, work day and night together to build fam

a16z-backed Shein challenger Cider is growing rapidly

Shein has shown the world how combining social media marketing, data analytics and China’s well-oiled supply chain has created a $100 billion fast-fashion behemoth. Its success naturally spawns

Holey Grail Donuts bites into $9M for Los Angeles retail expansion

The Hawaii company's taro donut is fried in organic, fair trade coconut oil and comes with over 60 different flavors.

Ghost appears with new funding, marketplace to match buyers with unsold products

Ghost created a marketplace, similar to eBay, that provides a way for brands to get rid of excess inventory and will handle all of the posting, sales and shipment of goods sold.

Down bad

Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we talked about layoffs and the Winklevoss rock gods. This week, we’re looking at a new layer of crypto doom and gloom. Get this newsletter in your inb

How the myth of the ‘girlboss’ harms emerging women in tech

On Lafayette Street in SoHo, young, fashionable women lined up around the block to enter a minimalist, millennial oasis, the most perfect Instagram feed brought to life. Staff members glided around th
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