Hackers stole millions of US military personnel records during months-long data breach

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  September 30, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Hackers stole millions of US military personnel records during months-long data breach: The Department of Defense notified millions of current and former U.S. military personnel that their personal information had been stolen in a months-long breach. Read More BMW built the same car for gas and electric. The EV is $4,400 cheaper.: The new BMW 3 Series shows just how quickly EVs have caught up to fossil fuel vehicles on pricing. Read More Factory CEO just accused his VC board advisor of spying for Cognition: VC Chris Degnan and former board advisor to Factory AI has taken a job as chief revenue officer for Cognition. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Get your Disrupt pass and get 50% off a second The Disrupt experience is better shared. Get one pass at regular price and a second at 50% off for a co-founder, partner, colleague, or peer. Make more connections, gain fresh insights, and discover the next wave of tech together. This offer ends when Disrupt begins Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. PT. Register now Afternoon Must-Reads AI voice startup ElevenLabs doubles valuation to $22B: The $300 million employee tender was co-led by Wellington and T. Rowe Price. Read More Pledge signed by President Trump and top AI leaders misspells the United States: On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and top AI leaders announced a signed pledge called a “Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities” — a voluntary promise to implement more controls and safety measures as the rapid development of artificial intelligence continues. But there seems to be a catch. Read More Reddit is killing RSS feeds and ending public API access because of AI bots: Reddit is ending support for RSS feeds, as the company continues tightening access to its trove of user-generated content. Read More Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K comes with an actually good remote: Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K is slimmer and faster, but its biggest upgrade may be the thing you’ll actually hold in your hand: a redesigned remote that’s easier to use, especially in the dark. Read More The ugly economics of consumer AI: There’s a reason frontier labs have gotten gun-shy about consumer AI — and it’s not because the tech isn’t good enough. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events 3 days left to book exhibit table at Disrupt Put your startup at the heart of the global startup ecosystem. Secure your exhibit table to showcase your breakthrough to 10,000+ founders, investors, and decisionmakers across three days at Disrupt. Generate valuable leads, connect with VCs, and put your startup in front of your next opportunity. Book by Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Book now Last but Not Least Airbnb adds AI search, more social features: Airbnb is also launching new services such as meal delivery and laundry in select locations. 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

Apple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines

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

View this email online in your browser  September 30, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Apple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines: Some of India's largest banks are holding off on supporting Apple Pay initially. Read More Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K comes with an actually good remote: Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K is slimmer and faster, but its biggest upgrade may be the thing you’ll actually hold in your hand: a redesigned remote that’s easier to use, especially in the dark. Read More Pledge signed by President Trump and top AI leaders misspells the United States: Pledge signed by President Trump and top AI leaders misspells the United States. Read More A message from Spin Analytics RISKROBOT. One platform. An international growth opportunity. SPIN Analytics is advancing its expansion across international markets and the US. The focus: bringing AI-driven regulatory credit risk modelling to more financial institutions. Discover how regional presence and partner distribution support the next phase of growth. This company is part of Santander X 100, global community of Santander X. Explore our expansion Morning Must-Reads Airbnb adds AI search, more social features: Airbnb is also launching new services such as meal delivery and laundry in select locations. Read More Instagram rolls out an AI video editor for creators: This conversational AI assistant is intended to provide personalized feedback to creators, rather than generic advice. Read More WhatsApp adds new parental controls for teen accounts: Parents can limit how teens use channels, whose Status they can see, who can see their Status updates, and control who can add teens to groups. Read More Google launches Fitbit Air in India, though its high price might deter the masses: Fitbit Air costs around $146 in India, roughly $47 more than its U.S. pricing. Read More Two Google alumni raise $11.3M to back AI startups that enterprises will actually pay for: BAG Ventures announces close of a $11.3M Fund I to invest in all things AI. Read More A message from RoMADE Inside the federation powering Romania's creative tech The Romanian Creative Industries Business Federation (FEPIC) connects studios, developers and founders across the country. Its Romanian Creative Week, 12 days in Iasi each May and now a Bucharest edition each October, runs a dedicated tech and innovation track that helps turn early ideas into companies. See how it feeds Romania's startup pipeline. Meet FEPIC Last but Not Least Restate lands $20M as the need for durable infrastructure increases with AI agents: Founded by Apache Flink veterans, the startup is taking on workflow heavyweight Temporal. 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