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Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube’s Trump settlement a bribe?

Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube’s Trump settlement a bribe?

In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, five Senators — Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) — asked for details about any settlement talks between those companies and the Trump administration. They’re interested in whether Google secured favorable treatment as a result of the payout, including leniency in multiple ongoing antitrust lawsuits, something they warn could constitute an illegal bribe.

The deal between Trump and YouTube settles a lawsuit Trump filed in 2021 after he was suspended from the platform. It’s raised eyebrows thanks to the weak legal rationale (courts have all but unanimously declared social media companies can ban users) and the fact that YouTube’s parent company would benefit greatly from winning Trump’s favor.

Google is entangled in multiple antitrust suits

Google recently appeared in court to determine how a judge should neutralize its monopoly in the ad tech sector — with the Department of Justice arguing for a dramatic breakup. The government could still choose to settle that case with far less drastic remedies. Google is also entangled in a search antitrust suit, where a judge proposed milder remedies than the preceding Biden administration asked for, and the Trump administration will be in charge of deciding how hard to push an appeal.

“The public deserves to know whether YouTube’s settlement will influence the Trump Justice Department’s decision regarding whether to appeal and seek the stricter remedies DOJ had originally sought against Google,” the letter says. If YouTube settled a “legally dubious lawsuit” to avoid those remedies, “the company and its executives may have run afoul of the law,” it says, citing the federal anti-bribery statute as well as California’s Unfair Competition Law.

The vast majority — $22 million — of YouTube’s payment was earmarked to support the construction of a new White House ballroom. Trump is reportedly scheduled to hold a fundraising dinner for the ballroom later today, according to CBS News.

Several of the senators previously wrote to Google and YouTube in August, before the settlement was announced, warning them against paying for favorable treatment. As noted in this latest letter, the companies responded saying they’d had “no discussion tying any potential settlement of the case to any official action or to any pending or potential future matters involving Alphabet or any of its affiliates, and there will be no such discussions.” The lawmakers are pushing to determine whether this was the truth.

YouTube isn’t the only company that has settled a spurious Trump lawsuit. The president extracted $16 million from Paramount as it sought merger approval from the government, and Xand Meta respectively paid “about $10 million” and $25 million to settle suits similar to the YouTube ones. Earlier this year, Warren said that the Meta settlement “looks like a bribe.”

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The last-gen 360 Vis Nav offers a whopping 65 air watts of suction, allowing it to pull dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets impressively well. In her brief time testing the robovac, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy said the Dyson “demolished a pile of dry oatmeal in seconds,” adding that she briefly worried it might even suck up the tassels on her large rug (it didn’t). By comparison, many robot vacuums — including Dyson’s new $1,200 Spot + Scrub AI — require multiple passes to fully eradicate the same kind of mess on your floor.

What’s more, the robovac’s small, D-shaped design and the location of its ultra-fluffy brush allow it to dig into edges and corners more effectively than many of the more roundish robot vacuums, while its lower profile lets it easily get under most beds and sofas. The roomy 500ml dustbin also means you likely won’t need to empty it too often, while Dyson’s built-in handle and terrific quick-release button make removing said bin a relatively simple task when it’s time to do so.

While it is undeniably powerful, it’s worth noting that the 360 Vis Nav lacks a few features found on some of its more modern rivals. Although its navigation worked well enough during our testing, it lacks AI-powered obstacle avoidance and doesn’t come with a self-emptying dock. Battery life is also relatively short at around 65 minutes per charge. Nonetheless, if your top priority is quickly removing dust, dirt, and pet hair from carpets without multiple passes, the Dyson remains an option worth considering, especially at this discounted price.

#Dysons #powerful #Vis #Nav #robovac #limited #timeDeals,Gadgets,Smart Home,Tech,Verge Shopping">Dyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to 9.99 for a limited timeIf you’re tired of running your vacuum multiple times just to get the dirt and debris out of the carpets in your living room, Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav is worth a look. It’s one of the more powerful robot vacuums currently available, and now through May 11th (or while supplies last), it’s on sale at Woot for an all-time low of 9.99 (9 off) with a full two-year warranty.The last-gen 360 Vis Nav offers a whopping 65 air watts of suction, allowing it to pull dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets impressively well. In her brief time testing the robovac, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy said the Dyson “demolished a pile of dry oatmeal in seconds,” adding that she briefly worried it might even suck up the tassels on her large rug (it didn’t). By comparison, many robot vacuums — including Dyson’s new ,200 Spot + Scrub AI — require multiple passes to fully eradicate the same kind of mess on your floor.What’s more, the robovac’s small, D-shaped design and the location of its ultra-fluffy brush allow it to dig into edges and corners more effectively than many of the more roundish robot vacuums, while its lower profile lets it easily get under most beds and sofas. The roomy 500ml dustbin also means you likely won’t need to empty it too often, while Dyson’s built-in handle and terrific quick-release button make removing said bin a relatively simple task when it’s time to do so.While it is undeniably powerful, it’s worth noting that the 360 Vis Nav lacks a few features found on some of its more modern rivals. Although its navigation worked well enough during our testing, it lacks AI-powered obstacle avoidance and doesn’t come with a self-emptying dock. Battery life is also relatively short at around 65 minutes per charge. Nonetheless, if your top priority is quickly removing dust, dirt, and pet hair from carpets without multiple passes, the Dyson remains an option worth considering, especially at this discounted price.#Dysons #powerful #Vis #Nav #robovac #limited #timeDeals,Gadgets,Smart Home,Tech,Verge Shopping

Woot for an all-time low of $279.99 ($919 off) with a full two-year warranty.

The last-gen 360 Vis Nav offers a whopping 65 air watts of suction, allowing it to pull dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets impressively well. In her brief time testing the robovac, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy said the Dyson “demolished a pile of dry oatmeal in seconds,” adding that she briefly worried it might even suck up the tassels on her large rug (it didn’t). By comparison, many robot vacuums — including Dyson’s new $1,200 Spot + Scrub AI — require multiple passes to fully eradicate the same kind of mess on your floor.

What’s more, the robovac’s small, D-shaped design and the location of its ultra-fluffy brush allow it to dig into edges and corners more effectively than many of the more roundish robot vacuums, while its lower profile lets it easily get under most beds and sofas. The roomy 500ml dustbin also means you likely won’t need to empty it too often, while Dyson’s built-in handle and terrific quick-release button make removing said bin a relatively simple task when it’s time to do so.

While it is undeniably powerful, it’s worth noting that the 360 Vis Nav lacks a few features found on some of its more modern rivals. Although its navigation worked well enough during our testing, it lacks AI-powered obstacle avoidance and doesn’t come with a self-emptying dock. Battery life is also relatively short at around 65 minutes per charge. Nonetheless, if your top priority is quickly removing dust, dirt, and pet hair from carpets without multiple passes, the Dyson remains an option worth considering, especially at this discounted price.

#Dysons #powerful #Vis #Nav #robovac #limited #timeDeals,Gadgets,Smart Home,Tech,Verge Shopping">Dyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to $279.99 for a limited time

If you’re tired of running your vacuum multiple times just to get the dirt and debris out of the carpets in your living room, Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav is worth a look. It’s one of the more powerful robot vacuums currently available, and now through May 11th (or while supplies last), it’s on sale at Woot for an all-time low of $279.99 ($919 off) with a full two-year warranty.

The last-gen 360 Vis Nav offers a whopping 65 air watts of suction, allowing it to pull dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets impressively well. In her brief time testing the robovac, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy said the Dyson “demolished a pile of dry oatmeal in seconds,” adding that she briefly worried it might even suck up the tassels on her large rug (it didn’t). By comparison, many robot vacuums — including Dyson’s new $1,200 Spot + Scrub AI — require multiple passes to fully eradicate the same kind of mess on your floor.

What’s more, the robovac’s small, D-shaped design and the location of its ultra-fluffy brush allow it to dig into edges and corners more effectively than many of the more roundish robot vacuums, while its lower profile lets it easily get under most beds and sofas. The roomy 500ml dustbin also means you likely won’t need to empty it too often, while Dyson’s built-in handle and terrific quick-release button make removing said bin a relatively simple task when it’s time to do so.

While it is undeniably powerful, it’s worth noting that the 360 Vis Nav lacks a few features found on some of its more modern rivals. Although its navigation worked well enough during our testing, it lacks AI-powered obstacle avoidance and doesn’t come with a self-emptying dock. Battery life is also relatively short at around 65 minutes per charge. Nonetheless, if your top priority is quickly removing dust, dirt, and pet hair from carpets without multiple passes, the Dyson remains an option worth considering, especially at this discounted price.

#Dysons #powerful #Vis #Nav #robovac #limited #timeDeals,Gadgets,Smart Home,Tech,Verge Shopping
Parker, a well-funded startup offering corporate credit cards and banking services for e-commerce businesses, has filed for bankruptcy and is widely reported to have shut down.

The startup was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2019 cohort, and its Series A was led by Valar Ventures. 

Parker came out of stealth in 2023, touting a corporate credit that it said was designed for use by e-commerce companies. At the time, co-founder and CEO Yacine Sibous said the startup’s “secret sauce” was an underwriting process that could properly assess e-commerce cash flows. 

“We imagined building better financial products for e-commerce founders with the mission of increasing the number of financially independent people,” Sibous told TechCrunch.

Parker’s website is still up and doesn’t mention any shutdown. Instead, a banner at the top boasts that the company has raised more than $200 million in total funding, including a $125 million lending arrangement.

However, multiple social media posts state that Parker’s credit card partner Patriot Bank sent a message to customers this week confirming the shutdown. Parker’s competitors seemed to jump on the news with their own posts seeking to lure over the startup’s former customers.

And Parker’s troubles seem to be confirmed in its May 7 filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The filing states that the company has between $50 million and $100 million in assets, with liabilities in the same range. It also states that Parker has between 100 and 199 creditors.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

Fintech consultant Jason Mikula recently claimed that Parker had been in negotiations for a potential acquisition, with the failure of those talks ultimately leading to the startup’s abrupt shutdown. Mirkula added that this “has left small business customers in a tough spot” and also raised “questions about [banking partner] Piermont’s and Patriot’s oversight of the program.”

Parker did not immediately respond to an email from TechCrunch. 

The company’s CEO Sibous has not explicitly acknowledged the shutdown or bankruptcy on LinkedIn, and in a recent post, he repeated the $200 million funding figure, adding that the company had reached $65 million in revenue. But he also said that if he started over, he’d do some things differently, such as: “Avoid over-hiring, reactive decisions, and doomsayers.”

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Fintech #startup #Parker #files #bankruptcy #TechCrunchParker,Valar Ventures,Y Combinator,Yacine Sibous">Fintech startup Parker files for bankruptcy | TechCrunch
Parker, a well-funded startup offering corporate credit cards and banking services for e-commerce businesses, has filed for bankruptcy and is widely reported to have shut down.

The startup was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2019 cohort, and its Series A was led by Valar Ventures. 







Parker came out of stealth in 2023, touting a corporate credit that it said was designed for use by e-commerce companies. At the time, co-founder and CEO Yacine Sibous said the startup’s “secret sauce” was an underwriting process that could properly assess e-commerce cash flows. 

“We imagined building better financial products for e-commerce founders with the mission of increasing the number of financially independent people,” Sibous told TechCrunch.

Parker’s website is still up and doesn’t mention any shutdown. Instead, a banner at the top boasts that the company has raised more than 0 million in total funding, including a 5 million lending arrangement.

However, multiple social media posts state that Parker’s credit card partner Patriot Bank sent a message to customers this week confirming the shutdown. Parker’s competitors seemed to jump on the news with their own posts seeking to lure over the startup’s former customers.

And Parker’s troubles seem to be confirmed in its May 7 filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The filing states that the company has between  million and 0 million in assets, with liabilities in the same range. It also states that Parker has between 100 and 199 creditors.

	
		
		Techcrunch event
		
			
			
									San Francisco, CA
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													October 13-15, 2026
							
			
		
	


Fintech consultant Jason Mikula recently claimed that Parker had been in negotiations for a potential acquisition, with the failure of those talks ultimately leading to the startup’s abrupt shutdown. Mirkula added that this “has left small business customers in a tough spot” and also raised “questions about [banking partner] Piermont’s and Patriot’s oversight of the program.”

Parker did not immediately respond to an email from TechCrunch. 

The company’s CEO Sibous has not explicitly acknowledged the shutdown or bankruptcy on LinkedIn, and in a recent post, he repeated the 0 million funding figure, adding that the company had reached  million in revenue. But he also said that if he started over, he’d do some things differently, such as: “Avoid over-hiring, reactive decisions, and doomsayers.”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Fintech #startup #Parker #files #bankruptcy #TechCrunchParker,Valar Ventures,Y Combinator,Yacine Sibous

Parker came out of stealth in 2023, touting a corporate credit that it said was designed for use by e-commerce companies. At the time, co-founder and CEO Yacine Sibous said the startup’s “secret sauce” was an underwriting process that could properly assess e-commerce cash flows. 

“We imagined building better financial products for e-commerce founders with the mission of increasing the number of financially independent people,” Sibous told TechCrunch.

Parker’s website is still up and doesn’t mention any shutdown. Instead, a banner at the top boasts that the company has raised more than $200 million in total funding, including a $125 million lending arrangement.

However, multiple social media posts state that Parker’s credit card partner Patriot Bank sent a message to customers this week confirming the shutdown. Parker’s competitors seemed to jump on the news with their own posts seeking to lure over the startup’s former customers.

And Parker’s troubles seem to be confirmed in its May 7 filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The filing states that the company has between $50 million and $100 million in assets, with liabilities in the same range. It also states that Parker has between 100 and 199 creditors.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

Fintech consultant Jason Mikula recently claimed that Parker had been in negotiations for a potential acquisition, with the failure of those talks ultimately leading to the startup’s abrupt shutdown. Mirkula added that this “has left small business customers in a tough spot” and also raised “questions about [banking partner] Piermont’s and Patriot’s oversight of the program.”

Parker did not immediately respond to an email from TechCrunch. 

The company’s CEO Sibous has not explicitly acknowledged the shutdown or bankruptcy on LinkedIn, and in a recent post, he repeated the $200 million funding figure, adding that the company had reached $65 million in revenue. But he also said that if he started over, he’d do some things differently, such as: “Avoid over-hiring, reactive decisions, and doomsayers.”

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Fintech #startup #Parker #files #bankruptcy #TechCrunchParker,Valar Ventures,Y Combinator,Yacine Sibous">Fintech startup Parker files for bankruptcy | TechCrunch

Parker, a well-funded startup offering corporate credit cards and banking services for e-commerce businesses, has filed for bankruptcy and is widely reported to have shut down.

The startup was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2019 cohort, and its Series A was led by Valar Ventures. 

Parker came out of stealth in 2023, touting a corporate credit that it said was designed for use by e-commerce companies. At the time, co-founder and CEO Yacine Sibous said the startup’s “secret sauce” was an underwriting process that could properly assess e-commerce cash flows. 

“We imagined building better financial products for e-commerce founders with the mission of increasing the number of financially independent people,” Sibous told TechCrunch.

Parker’s website is still up and doesn’t mention any shutdown. Instead, a banner at the top boasts that the company has raised more than $200 million in total funding, including a $125 million lending arrangement.

However, multiple social media posts state that Parker’s credit card partner Patriot Bank sent a message to customers this week confirming the shutdown. Parker’s competitors seemed to jump on the news with their own posts seeking to lure over the startup’s former customers.

And Parker’s troubles seem to be confirmed in its May 7 filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The filing states that the company has between $50 million and $100 million in assets, with liabilities in the same range. It also states that Parker has between 100 and 199 creditors.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

Fintech consultant Jason Mikula recently claimed that Parker had been in negotiations for a potential acquisition, with the failure of those talks ultimately leading to the startup’s abrupt shutdown. Mirkula added that this “has left small business customers in a tough spot” and also raised “questions about [banking partner] Piermont’s and Patriot’s oversight of the program.”

Parker did not immediately respond to an email from TechCrunch. 

The company’s CEO Sibous has not explicitly acknowledged the shutdown or bankruptcy on LinkedIn, and in a recent post, he repeated the $200 million funding figure, adding that the company had reached $65 million in revenue. But he also said that if he started over, he’d do some things differently, such as: “Avoid over-hiring, reactive decisions, and doomsayers.”

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Fintech #startup #Parker #files #bankruptcy #TechCrunchParker,Valar Ventures,Y Combinator,Yacine Sibous

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