The Guardian
Uber Ordered to Pay $40M After Arbitrator Decides It's a Taxi Company, Actually
Arbitrator rules Uber is a transportation company, which is news to Uber, which has spent years insisting it's just an app with a dream.
2026-09-19
The Guardian
2026-09-06
TechCrunch
Travis Kalanick's Atoms Might Be Getting Into the Robotaxi Business, Because Why Not Revisit Old Haunts?
Travis Kalanick's Atoms raises $1.7B, hints at robotaxi ambitions, and chats with Uber - because apparently, old habits die hard.
2026-09-02
BBC World
Uber Decides Nigeria and Uganda Are No Longer Worth the Traffic Jams
Uber bids farewell to Nigeria and Uganda, citing 'difficult decision' - drivers cite impossible economics - while the company trims 10% of its workforce globally.
BBC Business
Uber to Cut 3,000 Jobs in Restructuring, Because Too Many Layers Slows Down the 'Biggest Opportunities Ahead'
Uber cuts 3,000 jobs to streamline, making it leaner and meaner, while investors cheer and employees wonder if they're the ones getting streamlined.
2026-08-24
TechCrunch
Uber Faces Nearly $1B Fine for Letting a Computer Fire People, Which Is Fine Because Computers Are Great at That
Uber gets a €825 million GDPR fine for letting algorithms fire drivers; company says it's unfair, regulators say computers shouldn't play god, and everyone's favorite tech blogger weighs in.
2026-08-23
TechCrunch
Waymo Builds Custom Chip, Because Apparently Off-the-Shelf Brains Weren't Fancy Enough
Waymo builds a custom chip to handle its data deluge, while Uber gets fined, diversifies, and expands its robotaxi empire - because apparently, one autonomous vehicle story a week isn't enough.
2026-07-24
TechCrunch
Waymo Reportedly Shopping Around for a Less Complicated Relationship Than Uber
Waymo and Uber's robotaxi partnership is on the rocks, with Waymo planning to go solo in Austin and Atlanta by 2028 after a series of public spats over driving behavior.
2026-07-22
TechCrunch
Travis Kalanick's Robotics Company Raises $1.7B, Because Nothing Says 'New Leaf' Like a16z and Uber's Money
Travis Kalanick raises $1.7B for his robotics firm Atoms, with Uber and a16z signing on - because second acts in tech are apparently a thing.
2026-07-16
The Guardian
Uber Driver's Bad Day: Kills Dog Walker, Also Tries to Off Landlord
Uber driver Dawood Safi, already convicted of killing a dog walker, adds attempted murder of his landlord to his resume - because when you're having a psychotic episode, why stop at one victim?
2026-07-14
TechCrunch
Lucid Motors Insists It's Not Going Bankrupt, Despite Stock Doing Its Best Impression
Lucid Motors denies bankruptcy rumors after stock tanks 50%, insists it has enough cash to survive, and blames everything on an overactive rumor mill.
2026-06-10
TechCrunch
Top Lucid Motors Exec Departs, Because Apparently Running an EV Company Is Like an Elevator - Full of Ups and Downs
Lucid Motors loses a top exec just as it tries to launch a cheap EV and robotaxis, because what's a leadership shakeup without a little extra drama?
2026-06-03
TechCrunch
Uber's Lost & Found Index Goes Robotic: Dentures, Squishmallows, and 'I Heart Hot Dads' Bags Abound
Uber’s annual lost-and-found index goes robo: dentures, Squishmallows, and an 'I Heart Hot Dads' bag are just the beginning of what passengers leave behind in driverless taxis.
2026-05-24
The Verge
Nuro Argues That Being Fashionably Late to the Robotaxi Party Is Actually a Genius Strategy
Nuro, the delivery robot company turned robotaxi wannabe, argues that being fashionably late to the party lets it learn from Waymo's mistakes while Uber and Lucid handle the boring logistics.
2026-05-21
The Verge
Uber Puts Its Own Self-Driving Cars Back on Road, Promises Not to Kill Anyone This Time
Uber is putting self-driving cars back on the road, but this time humans will do the driving while the cars just take notes for robotaxi startups.
2026-05-10
TechCrunch
Lime Files for IPO, Reveals It Has a Billion-Dollar Hole in Its Pocket and a Pothole Problem
Lime finally files for IPO, revealing $1 billion in liabilities and a deep concern about potholes, because nothing says 'ready for public markets' like a broken scooter in a crater.
2026-05-06
TechCrunch
Nuro Gets California's Blessing to Test Driverless SUVs, Promises Not to Get Too Excited
Nuro gets to test driverless SUVs on California roads, but don't worry - they'll take their sweet time before actually doing it.
2026-05-05
TechCrunch
Volkswagen Overtakes Amazon as Rivian’s Top Shareholder, Because Nothing Says ‘EV Future’ Like a German Takeover
Volkswagen muscled past Amazon to become Rivian's top shareholder, pumping billions into an EV joint venture that's heavy on software and light on profits - because nothing says 'automotive future' like a German takeover and a delayed profitability…
2026-05-02
TechCrunch
Uber Wants to Turn Your Toyota Into a Self-Driving Data Hoarder
Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into rolling sensor networks for self-driving car companies, because why not squeeze a little extra data out of that commute?
The Good Times
News in your inbox.
One sardonic roundup, delivered on your schedule. Free. Unsubscribe whenever your tolerance for wit runs out.
Already subscribed but we never reach your inbox? Check your spam folder and hit 'Not spam' (or 'Remove from spam') to bust us out of junk-mail purgatory. You'll be helping everyone else too.