Techflier

Attorney General Merrick Garland. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images If DOJ decides to indict Trump, it will likely wait until after the midterms, Bloomberg reported. The move would be in accordance with longstanding policy that bars prosecutors from taking overt steps that could affect the outcome of an election. AG Merrick Garland also recently introduced new restrictions to "maintain public trust" in the DOJ. If federal prosecutors decide to charge former President Donald Trump with a crime, they'll wait until after the November midterm elections to do so, Bloomberg reported , citing people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department is currently investigating if Trump violated three federal laws , including the Espionage Act, when he improperly moved government records to Mar-a-Lago upon leaving office and resisted turning them over for more than a year after. Prosecutors are also said to be zeroing in on Trump as part of a separate, ongoing investi

Spencer Platt/Getty Images US stocks fell Wednesday to mark a fourth consecutive session of declines. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester says policy makers should raise rates beyond 4% and deliver no rate cuts in 2023. Wall Street's major indexes closed August in the red. US stocks fell Wednesday, locking in losses for the month of August, as investors weighed the prospect of the Federal Reserve continuing to raise interest rates into 2023 to bring down high inflation.  Wall Street's major indexes fell for a fourth consecutive session. All but one of the S&P 500 industry sectors lost ground. The energy group fell alongside oil prices, which were under pressure after factory activity in China, a major oil importer, contracted in August. The Nasdaq Composite paced the August declines as it lost about 4%. Stocks pulled back from hefty gains in July that allowed indexes to pare their severe losses for the year.  Investors rounded off August considering the view

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Amazon/Biolite Energy/Allbirds Labor Day is on Monday, September 5 and retailers are already kicking off their celebratory deals. From outdoor gear to jewelry, you can find plenty of products on sale.  Some of the best sitewide sales include REI, ThermoWorks, J.Crew, and more. Labor Day is more than just a three-day weekend — it's also a great time to score some deals. It's the unofficial end of summer, and the last major savings event before the rush of holiday discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Though it's still a few days before the holiday weekend kicks off, we're already seeing several discounts from retailers and brands that we recommend. We've gathered all of them below, and we'll update this story with more Labor Day discounts as additional deals go live. Early Labor Day deals: Editors' picks Note: For more savings, see our coverage for bes

You know the feeling; you’re on a dating app, and you start a conversation with someone, and things don’t seem like they add up completely. You’ve seen The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, and you’re suddenly wondering: Is someone about to ask me for money? The team at video dating site Filter Off decided to take a novel approach: Every detected scammer got added to a side-pool of dating hopefuls that only contained their own chatbots posing as adorable singles, and other scammers. As you might expect, hilarity ensued. As a platform, Filter Off is a video-first dating app, launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns. As dating shifted from bars and galleries and picnics to being more chat- and video-first, the company took off, offering virtual speed-dating events around various topics; Harry Potter date night, dog lovers date night, New York City date night — you name it. The platform has hundreds of thousands of users, and as its popularity grew with humans looking for love, th

The NBER researchers found that the shrinking availability of "matched jobs," or jobs that require a college degree, is responsible for millennials' worsening financial prospects over the years. Andy Sacks/Getty Images Millennials have higher college attainment than Gen X, but get less value out of a degree.  That's because of higher tuition costs, and fewer available jobs that require a college degree.  It also explains why more millennials are living with their parents.  Millennials may be the most educated generation , but a college degree is doing much less for them than it did for their parents and grandparents.  That's according to a new working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which found that the class of 2013 had worse financial outcomes than the class of 1996.  Members of the college class of 2013 are millennials in their early 30s who graduated nearly a decade ago. They have a higher unemployment rate than their p

JK Rowling at the "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" World Premiere in March 2022. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images JK Rowling says she chose not to participate in HBO Max's Harry Potter reunion special. "I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly," she told Graham Norton. Speculation swirled at the time that she wasn't asked to be included in the special over past anti-trans comments. When "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" debuted on HBO Max earlier this year, speculation swirled that Harry Potter creator JK Rowling wasn't asked to participate because of her past anti-trans comments. The reunion special instead used archival footage of interviews with the author, with an on-screen note that said they were filmed years earlier. But in an interview this week with Graham Norton , Rowling struck down that speculation, saying that she chose not to participate. When Graham said that Rowli

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Getty Images Seaborne shipments of Russian oil hit their lowest level since March last week, according to Bloomberg.  Flows to Asia are down by about 500,000 barrels per day for the week ending August 26.  Half of Russia's crude exports have been going to customers in Asia since the war in Ukraine began.   Russian shipments of crude oil sent by sea to Asia have fallen to their lowest level since March, according to data from Bloomberg.  Shipments fell by 500,000 barrels a day for the week ending August 26, with flows to Asia sinking to 1.59 million barrels per day.  Total shipments sank to 3.04 million barrels per day over the same period compared to 3.62 million barrels per day a week earlier.  Asia had stepped up purchases of Russian crude in the wake of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, which allowed buyers like India and Chin to snap up oil at a discount as Europe moved away from Russian flows. Russian crude exports to the reg

It’s an exciting day for Studio Ghibli fans — fans in the United States and Canada, that is. The majority of Studio Ghibli’s film catalog has just been released to major digital rental platforms, such as Apple TV , Amazon , Google Play , Microsoft  and Vudu, a report by Variety confirms. For the first time, Studio Ghibli’s films can finally be rented digitally in North America. Critically acclaimed titles like “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and the award-winning “Spirited Away” will be available to rent for as low as $3.99. However, although Google Play lists the titles at a $5.99 price point, it has a sale where the titles are available to rent for just $3.99 at present. All films will be available in HD, and customers can rent original Japanese-language or English-dubbed versions. Other titles now available to rent are “Castle in the Sky,” “Ponyo,” “When Marnie Was There,” “Princess Mononoke,” “The Cat Returns,” “The Tale of The Princess

Attorney General Merrick Garland tightened Justice Department policies to prevent political appointees from attending partisan events. Drew Angerer/Getty Images A new memo prevents all Justice Department employees from attending partisan political events. The policy coincides with Donald Trump alleging that partisan bias motivated the Mar-a-Lago raid. Merrick Garland said the new policy would help prevent even the appearance of political bias. Attorney General Merrick Garland put new restrictions Tuesday on the political activities of Justice Department appointees, preventing them from attending fundraisers or campaign events as the 2022 midterms near and former President Donald Trump publicly claims partisan bias drove the FBI's recent search of his South Florida home. In a memo , Garland said the tightened restrictions were aimed at helping the Justice Department "maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in fact and appearance — does not compromise or

Kate Anthony started in the Lone Star State. It was there, in 2019, that she launched her app Euphoria , seeking to provide information and resources on gender-affirming care. She knew the stakes were going to be high, and as the state passed anti-trans legislation, she and her company were forced to flee. Settling in Denver, Anthony made a plan on what to do next. She decided to maintain business as usual while the fight for trans rights continues. She’s not alone in that decision. Many apps, if not all, that service the trans community are hyperexposed, under fire and seemingly undeterred. TechCrunch conducted a vibe check to see how trans entrepreneurs servicing their communities are navigating this moment. The Human Rights Campaign told TechCrunch that legislators in state houses have introduced 344 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this session, with more than 140 specifically targeting the trans community. “We will not allow these anti-trans people to bully us into giving information.” Ayd

New Apple Watches are coming. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Apple is hosting an event on September 7, where three new Apple Watches are anticipated to be announced. If you're looking to buy a new Apple Watch, we recommend you wait for the new models to be announced. We expect the Series 3 to be discontinued, but it's unclear what will replace it as a budget option. If you're planning on buying a new Apple Watch, hold off. Apple is hosting an event on September 7, where we expect the company will unveil new Apple Watch models.  Apple's September events are primarily known for new iPhone reveals , but the company also announces new Apple Watches during this time. Last fall, Apple only announced the Series 7, but this year is shaping up to be a mega event for the Apple Watch where three new models will be debuted, including the new Series 8, a "Pro" version of the Seri

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks to workers while visiting the Rosneft oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, southern Russia. AP/RIA-Novosti, Presidential Press Service, Alexei Nikolsky, Pool, File Russia's central bank said that new oil price and production goals proposed by the nation's finance ministry are too optimistic. In a new budget, the ministry sets the price of Russia's Urals crude at $60 a barrel and an output of 9.5 million barrels per day.  "The base price of oil and oil production seem to be too high to us," the central bank said in a note last week. Russia's central bank said that new oil production goals proposed by the finance ministry are too optimistic, adding that the nation would likely fall short of its planned price and production target in its new budget draft. The new budget, which was originally proposed in July, sets the price of Russia's Urals crude at $60 a barrel and an output of 9.5 million

Al Yankovic, the 62-year-old parody artist known as Weird Al, is getting his own equally weird biopic this fall. The trailer for “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story” gives a first look at the movie, exploring the wacky world of Weird Al, his hilarious cover songs and his Polka obsession. “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story” premieres on The Roku Channel on November 4. The film will arguably be Roku’s biggest-ever original film, with well-known stars like Daniel Radcliffe playing Weird Al, Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna and Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey. “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story” will be an ambitious move for the streamer. The Roku Channel has been eager to expand its original programming slate, and the upcoming Al Yankovic biopic will likely be a hit for the free streaming service. Weird Al is a highly successful musician, having sold over 12 million albums and won five Grammy Awards. When looking at Roku’s growth, the streaming service needs to pick up the p

Economist Mohamed El-Erian. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Fed Chair Powell "finally sent the correct message," to markets about inflation, Mohamed El-Erian said. Investors are taking notice as Powell mentioned inflation 45 times during his eight minute address Friday.  But Powell didn't address policy errors in his speech, the Allianz advisor said.  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has sent the right message to markets about the central bank's resolve in tamping down inflation, according to top economist Mohamed El-Erian who also Powell's Jackson Hole speech failed to address past policy mistakes. "He finally sent the correct message. He should have done that months ago," El-Erian said in a CNBC interview on Monday . "He was unambiguous. He was clear, he stuck to his script and he did it in eight minutes. And the market is starting to realize that when your Fed chair mentioned inflation 45 times in eight minutes, something is changing. That

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle developer under Alphabet, is opening up its driverless robotaxi service in downtown Phoenix to vetted local residents. People who have been accepted to Waymo’s “trusted tester” program are eligible to hail a driverless ride — meaning no human safety operator is behind the wheel — in a Jaguar I-Pace EV in downtown Phoenix. Waymo has branded these as “rider only” trip to denote that a human safety operator is not in the vehicle. Trusted testers sign non-disclosure agreements and cannot share their experiences on social media or with journalists. In May, Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said on stage at TC Sessions: Mobility that the company had started allowing employees to hail a driverless ride — sans human operator — in the downtown Phoenix area. Opening it up to trusted testers is the next step before a wider public release. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego posted a message (along with a video) on Twitter and Instagram marking the occasion. I had the opportun

I avoided a $65 carry-on fee by only bringing a backpack (left) and was surprised by how much I could fit inside. Hannah Towey/Insider I flew on JetBlue basic fare for the first time this past weekend from Cape Cod to New York City.  The $70 flight was a quick and easy alternative to the 5-hour drive, even though it was delayed. I avoided a $65 carry-on fee by bringing a backpack that held three outfits and one pair of shoes.  At first, I was hesitant to book a flight from Cape Cod to New York City instead of driving like I usually do when I visit my family. JetBlue planes Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images A friend who flew the same route this summer was delayed nine hours. Despite the cheap price, I wasn't sure if it was worth the risk of getting stranded. Departure flight board with cancelation at the Airport. Getty Images I took the gamble and booked the non-refundable, one-way flight from HYA to JFK for $70. It was an additional $65 to bring a c

A cadre of House Democrats celebrate after final passage of the party's Inflation Reduction Act at the Capitol on August 12, 2022. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky Democrats are feeling increasingly optimistic about holding the House this fall, per a WaPo report. The party been buoyed by the backlash to Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. A CNN report revealed that some in the GOP are predicting a smaller-than-expected House majority after November. Democrats increasingly see a pathway to hold the US House of Representatives or minimize seat losses, buoyed by opposition to abortion restrictions and a perception that voters will feel more confident about the economy when they cast ballots this fall, according to The Washington Post . After months of Democrats fearing that they would lose dozens of House seats as well as their Senate majority, many in the party have sensed that they have turned a corner, although they still face a challenging environment where the p