Walmart to finally start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  August 21, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Walmart to finally start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay: Are pigs flying? Walmart has finally caved on its refusal to support Apple Pay and Google Pay. Read More Private equity firm Apollo confirms data breach amid hacking wave targeting financial giants: The private equity giant confirms a breach, weeks after Google researchers said hackers were targeting financial companies. Read More Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles: Tesla and eight other automakers will install warning labels that help occupants identify the often hard-to-find manual door releases. Read More The Best Disrupt 2026 Discount Ends Soon AI has made it faster than ever to bring an idea from concept to launch.   But it hasn't made it easier to build something durable.     Disrupt 2026's programming is built around that challenge, delivering practical sessions on what actually holds up and how to build it. Ticket prices increase at midnight PT Friday, so grab yours before then!  Register Now Morning Must-Reads Starcloud raises $250 million for orbital data centers as launch options dry up: There's about to be a big fight to secure access to space. Read More Tesla, Uber, and Waymo all get the OK to operate thousands of robotaxis in Nevada: Together, these permits would allow up to 8,000 robotaxis to be deployed over the next 12 months. Read More Oura faces lawsuit accusing it of misleading consumers about sleep-tracking accuracy: The lawsuit alleges that Oura rings are unable to measure any of the physiological signals needed to assess sleep quality or determine sleep stages. Read More ChatGPT can now send texts for you with new Apple Messages plug-in: Ever wanted someone else to do your texting for you? ChatGPT is being offered up as an automated text scribe via a new Apple Messages integration. Read More Mark buys a castle: Mark Zuckerberg just bought a cozy abode somewhat close to Meta’s international headquarters in Ireland. Read More Get Your Startup in Front of the Disrupt Crowds Not everyone needs a keynote slot to make noise at Disrupt 2026. Sometimes the best way to meet investors, customers, and partners is by exhibiting directly in the Expo Hall. And by exhibiting, you get 10 passes to Disrupt to share with your team! Learn More Last but Not Least Senator asks US government watchdog to review how feds use hacking tools: Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. federal watchdog requesting a comprehensive review of how the FBI, DEA, ICE's HSI, and the Secret Service use hacking tools and spyware against Americans. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Grok keeps sending gibberish responses to users

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  August 20, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Grok keeps sending gibberish responses to users: Affected users told TechCrunch they were using Grok Lite, and noticed the issues as early as Wednesday morning. Read More Mark buys a castle: Mark Zuckerberg just bought a cozy abode somewhat close to Meta’s international headquarters in Ireland. Read More A third of web pages published since ChatGPT's launch show signs of AI authorship, study finds: ChatGPT and other AI models are now authoring and editing much of the new web. Read More Afternoon Must-Reads US says hackers are targeting vulnerable water systems with the help of AI: Hackers are targeting internet-connected Siemens controllers used in water facilities around the United States. Read More Someone targeted security researchers using a fake crypto conference as a lure: A hacker pretending to work for a leading cryptocurrency news website targeted several cybersecurity professionals using Google Docs as a way to deliver malware. Read More Castelion hits $13B valuation to mass-produce hypersonic missiles: Founded in 2022, Castelion set out to manufacture hypersonic weapon systems at a lower cost and at faster speeds than traditional defense primes. Read More Meta brings Pocket, an app that lets you vibe-code and share games, to US users: Meta is bringing Pocket, its experimental AI-powered app for creating and sharing interactive games, to users across the U.S. after quietly testing it in Brazil. Read More Early Cerebras investor Adit Singh joins Mayfield as infrastructure partner: At Mayfield, Singh will focus on semiconductor, cybersecurity, and physical AI investments. Read More Last but Not Least The 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 is here — see who made the cut: We’re thrilled to unveil the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, our annual handpicked list of the 200 most promising early-stage startups from around the world. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107