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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Monday, August 24, 2020. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Pool Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has ruled out a 2024 Senate run, her spokesperson told Politico. AOC has been regarded as one of Senator Kristen Gillibrand's strongest possible challengers. "She is not planning to primary Gillibrand," her spokesperson said. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has closed the door to a 2024 Senate run, according to her spokesperson. "She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024. She is not planning to primary Gillibrand," Lauren Hitt, Ocasio-Cortez's spokesperson, told Politico . AOC's possible candidacy was one of the only roadblocks to Gillibrand sailing to reelection, The Hill reported. With the superstar New York Representative declining to challenge the Democratic senator, one of Gillibrand's strongest possible challengers is no longer a threat to her campaign. In 2021, Ocasio-Cor...

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco and — if you don’t already know — it’s the startup world’s big tent. It draws founders, investors, CEOs, tech professionals, scientists, policy makers, researchers and entrepreneurs. It’s where you’ll find inspiration, gain knowledge, forge new relationships and discover tools to help you build your business. Shameless, but helpful, plug: Buy your pass now for significant savings. Prices increase on May 12 at 11:59 p.m. PDT . Who doesn’t like to save money? Pivotal partners at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 We’re fortunate to partner with some of the startup world’s leading companies to help make magic at Disrupt. We say fortunate because they’re passionate, thoroughly engaged and hands-on. They consistently deliver highly relevant content, educational expertise, resources and connection to the event. Their participation elevates, engages and supports early-stage founders. Our partners also come to Disrupt to conne...

Left: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10, 2023. Right: Mickey Mouse and friends take part in a cavalcade parade on Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. Scott Olson/Getty Images/Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Disney lawyers argue Governor DeSantis is retaliating against the company for protected speech. A legal expert told Insider precedent was set in the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case. Democrats have criticized the ruling since 2010 but may now benefit from its power against the GOP governor. When the Supreme Court in 2010 handed down its ruling on Citizens United v. FEC , Democrats were scandalized. Then-President Barack Obama warned it would "open the floodgates" to corporations influencing politics by diminishing restrictions on corporate speech. But now, as Disney v. DeSantis has become an actual legal battle — with the Walt Disney Corporation suing the Florida governor for retali...

BRIAN SNYDER/Reuters Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 GOP candidate , said he wants to shut down the FBI. It was a "head-scratcher" for MSNBC's Chuck Todd, who spoke with Ramaswamy on Sunday. Ramaswamy, an " anti-woke " biotech millionaire, has also suggested cutting other federal departments. A relatively little-known Republican presidential candidate wants to shut down the FBI and replace it with a new bureau that sounds a lot like the FBI. If you're confused about 2024 GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy 's proposal, you're not alone.  MSNBC's Chuck Todd called Ramaswamy's plan to shutter the FBI "a bit of a head-scratcher for me" during an interview with the candidate on Sunday's "Meet the Press."  "I didn't say defund the FBI. I said shut down the FBI and replace it with something new," said Ramaswamy, an " anti-woke " biotech millionaire. "I think it's a new apparatus built from scr...

Building officials concluded that all three levels of the nearly 100-year-old garage either completely or partially collapsed on April 18. Mary Altaffer/AP NYC building officials have inspected 78 buildings so far since the collapse of a three-story parking garage in April. Officials closed four NYC parking structures over safety concerns, AP reported. They reported finding serious deterioration in garages underneath two Manhattan apartment buildings. New York City officials are cracking down on the safety of parking garages after the collapse of a nearly 100-year-old structure left one dead earlier this month. City building officials said they closed down four parking garages in a safety sweep of about 78 structures, the Associated Press reported . Inspections began not long after a three-story garage in lower Manhattan effectively imploded and killed its manager during the April 18 collapse. "This work was done in the interest of public safety, and out of an abundance...

Sen. Bernie Sanders. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Bernie Sanders said that despite "strong differences," Biden was the "clear" choice to be the Democrats' nominee. It may be a 2020 election rematch against Trump, but Sanders said Biden has the opportunity to "win in a landslide." Biden announced his official bid for re-election last week. Sen. Bernie Sanders is once again asking you to support President Joe Biden.  Despite a history of political differences and campaign challenges, the Vermont senator is backing Biden's 2024 re-election campaign. "If you believe in democracy, and you want to see more people vote, not fewer people vote, I think the choice is pretty clear, and that choice is Biden," Sanders said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.  Sanders first endorsed Biden on Tuesday, almost immediately after the president officially announced his candidacy for 2024. The launch of Biden's campaign c...

A big-headed turtle TOLGA AKMEN/AFP Scientists in Hong Kong are trying to save three species of turtles, CNN reports.  The turtles are being hunted for medicinal purposes and to keep as pets. Scientists wanted to keep their numbers under wraps but they're now speaking out to spread awareness. Although bustling metropolitan centers aren't always associated with wildlife conservation — and are sometimes seen as a barrier to it — a team of researchers in Hong Kong say the city is the last hope for certain species of exotic turtles in the region, CNN reports. Small turtles, including the Beale's eyed turtle, the Big-headed turtle, and the Golden coin turtle, are often illegally poached by hunters looking to sell the animals for medicinal purposes or to sell as rare pets. Each species is native to southern China and Southeast Asia and lives near freshwater habitats. The Big-headed turtle, a dark-green, nocturnal amphibian with a head so wide it cannot fit in its shel...

The Writers Guild of America West offices in Los Angeles, California. Union members are prepared to go on strike as their contract expires on May 1. Mike Blake/Reuters Writers Guild of America members are set to go on strike as their contract expires on May 1. The union is seeking better pay and regulation on the use of AI, among other demands. "It's a very regular-degular, working-class existence," one writer told The New Yorker.  A 28-year-old writer for FX's award-winning series "The Bear" said he's looking for jobs at movie theaters as members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) prepare to go on strike  Tuesday to demand better pay from studios. Alex O'Keefe, one of seven writers for the comedy starring Jeremy Allen White, told The New Yorker that writing for an acclaimed show has not translated into a glitzy Hollywood lifestyle. "It's a very regular-degular, working-class existence," O' Keefe, who has also worked a...

Hey, TechCrunch people. If you’re looking for a recap of the week’s news in tech, you’ve come to the right place. It’s Week in Review (WiR) , TechCrunch’s regular recap column. Glad to have you. Before we get on with the meat of it, a PSA that tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 are available now. Disrupt, of course, is TechCrunch’s flagship in-person event, focused on founders, investors and the future of tech year after year. In San Francisco on September 19–21, expect to hear from thought leaders in the fields of AI, fintech, hardware, sustainability, SaaS, security and more. It’ll be well worth the trip. In the nearer term, tune into the next TechCrunch Live show, which will spotlight Cambrian BioPharma, a startup billing itself as a pharmaceutical outfit with a revolutionary approach to managing drug development. Founder James Peyer will be joined by Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures, who invested in Cambrian’s Series A, B and C rounds. Now, without further ado! most read E...

Different brands of beer. Noam Galai/Getty Images Bud Light and its parent company faced boycott calls for partnering with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. But a new poll found a majority of American beer drinkers favor brands partnering with trans influencers. A majority of beer drinkers also favored brands hiring more inclusive talent, per Morning Consult . Despite a recent backlash, a majority of US beer drinkers appear to approve of brands partnering with transgender personalities.  That's according to a new poll by Morning Consult that surveyed 4,401 people two weeks after trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney announced her partnership with Bud Light on April 1. Some right-wing groups – who have made transphobia a key part of their national message – immediately vilified Mulvaney , Bud Light, and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, calling for mass boycotts .  Yet of the monthly beer drinkers surveyed by Morning Consult, 53% responded that they had a very favorab...

Elon Musk acquired Twitter on October 27. Getty Images Twitter users could soon have the option to pay to read individual articles rather than subscribe to a news outlet. Elon Musk said Saturday that a feature allowing publishers to charge for one article would roll out next month. Other details, like which accounts are eligible for the feature, are not immediately clear. Media publishers may soon be able to charge Twitter users to read individual articles shared on the platform rather than require them to purchase a subscription to a paywalled outlet.  Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced Saturday that the company plans to roll out the feature next month, allowing news outlets to "charge users on a per article basis with one click."  "This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article," Musk tweeted. "Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & th...

A flame burns on a gas stove. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images New York will ban gas stoves in new buildings as part of its new budget agreement. It represents a win for environmentalists who hope to reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuel. The GOP vilified similar propositions earlier this year, enlisting gas stoves into the culture wars. Gas stoves are out in New York.  New York lawmakers came to the agreement as part of a $229 billion state budget deal, which includes a plethora of modernizations to state laws, The New York Times reported. Among them is a ban on natural gas in new buildings, a proposition that previously led to a frenzy of right-wing panic . For environmental advocates, it represents a win as they aim to reduce the state's fossil fuel dependency. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the budget deal was a "race to the right results." The new budget is expected to be approved by a vote as early as next week.  "I know this ...

A refrain I hear from a lot of startups is that there’s “no need to rethink the gripper.” It’s something I appreciate from an economic standpoint. It’s expensive, resource intensive and both your time and money are probably best spent elsewhere when there are already so many effectors on the market. I also recently made an analogy to a claw machine during an interview — and got some pushback. I understand a bit better now why that’s the case — at least in part. Discussing its new approach to robotic gripping, MIT invokes the perennial arcade favorite, noting, “When manipulating an arcade claw, a player can plan all she wants. But once she presses the joystick button, it’s a game of wait-and-see. If the claw misses its target, she’ll have to start from scratch for another chance at a prize.” Image Credits: MIT If you think about that for a moment, you realize that you’re suddenly faced with something that comes up over and over again in this field of study: That’s not how humans a...

The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic portable system, but you’ll need a charger to keep its battery powered up. Insider The Nintendo Switch is the most popular gaming console on the market, even six years after release. And with a boatload of big games still on the way — including Pikmin 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Switch owners have plenty to play at home or on the go. But there are few things worse for a Switch owner than having the system's battery die while you're in the middle of playing. So you'll want a Nintendo Switch charger that can power up your console quickly, is easy to travel with, and won't fail when you need it most. Here are 11 fantastic Nintendo Switch chargers, running the gamut from AC adapters to portable power banks, that'll keep you playing for hours whether you're in your living room or out and about. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Will unofficial Ninten...

Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Nadia Sinh in "Citadel." Prime Video Amazon's ambitious new spy series, "Citadel," starring Priyanka Chopra, premiered today. Costing as much as an estimated $300 million, it stands to be one of the most expensive series ever made. It has a 56% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 41 reviews. Amazon has a lot riding on its new ambitious spy series, "Citadel," but so far critics are less than impressed. "Citadel," which premiered today exclusively on Prime Video and has already been green-lit for a second season, has gotten a 56% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 41 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes deems a 60% score or less to be "rotten." The audience has been far more positive, giving it an 87% rating, and scores often move up or down in the days after a series' premiere. "The time-bending plot certainly won't earn many points for originality, but it's the kind of meat-a...

The future is very much yet to be written about vertical farming. In many ways, the technology presents hope in the midst of rising food safety concerns, aging populations and potential environmental collapse. It’s also an intensely hard row to hoe, as it were. Early companies in the space are going to be the ones focused on driving down unit economics (hopefully) to a point where the technology makes sense from a price perspective. But sometimes being early to a party means you’re among the first to leave. Last January, we covered what looked to be an important next step for Upward Farms, as the company announced plans to open a 250,000-square-foot farm in Northeastern, Pennsylvania early this year. The Brooklyn-based firm recently announced , however, that it has closed up shop. “We found that vertical farming is almost infinitely complex — as we tackled challenges, new ones emerged,” founders Jason Green, Ben Silverman and Matt La Rosa said in an open letter. “Our team faced thes...

An aerial view of &quotThe One Bel Air&quot, a 105,000-square-foot mansion with a sky deck and putting green, night club, several swimming pools, a 50-seat theater, a four-lane bowling alley and more by Nile Niami of Skyline Development and designed by Paul McClean (McClean Design). The One is shown by court-appointed receiver Ted Lanes, who now controls the property and is in charge of finding a buyer and paying off the lenders and other creditors, gives a tour of The One, the 105,000 square foot house on sale in Bel Air. This is apparently the largest home for sale in the United States. The developer Nial Niami &quotlisted&quot it for $500 million but got into financial trouble and was foreclosed upon by Don Hankey. Photo taken in Bel Air on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021 in Beverly Hills, CA. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The One Bel Air is a 105,000-square-foot megamansion said to be the ...