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April 25, 2026

 

TechCrunch Top 3

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Palantir posts mini-manifesto denouncing inclusivity and ‘regressive’ cultures: Palantir's ideological bent has come under more scrutiny as it's worked with ICE and positioned itself as a defender of "the West." Read More

Unauthorized group has gained access to Anthropic's exclusive cyber tool Mythos, report claims: Anthropic told TechCrunch it is investigating the claims, but maintains that there is no evidence that its systems have been impacted. Read More

Microsoft offers buyout for up to 7% of US employees: If a worker's years of service at Microsoft plus their age equals 70 or more, they will be eligible for a voluntary retirement buyout. Read More

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This Week's Must-Reads

Meta's loss is Thinking Machines' gain

Meta's loss is Thinking Machines' gain: Meta has been poaching talent from Thinking Machines Lab. But it's a two-way street. Read More

Google to invest up to $40B in Anthropic in cash and compute: Google plans up to $40B investment in Anthropic as AI rivals race to secure massive compute capacity, following the limited release of its powerful, cybersecurity-focused Mythos model. Read More

OpenAI releases GPT-5.5, bringing company one step closer to an AI 'super app': OpenAI says its latest model offers increased capabilities across a broad variety of categories. Read More

Two college kids raise a $5.1 million pre-seed to build an AI social network in iMessage: Series, a social networking app that's grown popular on college campuses, announced a $5.1 million pre-seed round from some big names in tech. Read More

Steve Ballmer blasts founder he backed who pleaded guilty to fraud: 'I was duped and feel silly': Steve Ballmer wrote a fiery letter in the sentencing of disgraced founder Joseph Sanberg documenting all the harm that's befalling him as an investor. Read More

A message from TechCrunch Events

StrictlyVC San Francisco takes off on April 30

StrictlyVC kicks off the event series in SF in less than a week. Join unfiltered fireside chats on fundraising, what it takes to build a physical AI breakthrough, and more with industry leaders like Eclipse Ventures co-founder Lior Susan, Replit co-founder Amjad Masad, and more. Make high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited.

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Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

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Last but Not Least

Duolingo is now giving users access to advanced learning content

Duolingo is now giving users access to advanced learning content: Duolingo is opening up its advanced language learning content offering to free users, allowing them to acquire skills that were previously reserved for paid subscribers. Read More

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