Tesla isn't the only company in Elon Musk's portfolio to have issues with sexual harassment. Women who previously worked at SpaceX, including mission engineer Ashley Kosak and four others speaking to The Verge, have accused the company of doing little to stop sexual harassment. Male staff reportedly made numerous unwanted advances, lewd comments and physical contact. Kosak claimed one coworker went so far as to visit her house and insist on touching her, while former intern Julia CrowleyFarenga (who sued SpaceX in 2020) said a male employee blocked her from getting hired after she reported his controlling behavior.

SpaceX was allegedly reluctant to take significant action. While the women did report incidents to SpaceX's human resources, the company appeared to be more interested in keeping the company's plans on track than on dealing with harassment. HR asked Kosak to propose solutions to sexual harassment, but there was no follow-up — and both HR lead Brian Bjelde as well as company president Gwynne Shotwell were apparently unaware of her allegations when she met them.

We've asked SpaceX for comment. In an email The Verge obtained, however, Shotwell was aware of Kosak's web essay on the matter and said HR would conduct both in-house and independent audits of its practices. She also reiterated SpaceX's "no A-hole" policy and that targets of harassment should still report incidents to HR or managers. Shotwell didn't touch on concerns of retaliation, though, and the news came just as six more Tesla workers sued over sexual harassment claims.

All of the affected women pinned the problems on a leadership and company culture that prioritized the mission over workers' wellbeing. Elon Musk sees engineers as a "resource to be mined," Kosak said, rather than people to be cared for. Throw in an overwhelmingly male workforce that leaves women isolated (one complainant likened it to a "boys' club") and women may have little chance of meaningfully addressing harassment. If that's the case, any long-term solutions may require management and policy changes, not just better enforcement of the policies that exist.

A UK appeals court has reversed a previous ruling that Wikileaks founder shouldn't be extradited to the US due to mental health concerns, the Associated Press has reported. The decision opens the door for Assange to be extradited to the US, where he'd face charges of espionage over Wikileaks' publication of government documents. 

Lower court Judge Vanessa Baraitser originally ruled that the US criminal justice system presented a risk to Assange's physical wellbeing. "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man, who is genuinely fearful about his future," the judge ruled in January. "For all of these reasons I find that Mr. Assange’s risk of committing suicide, if an extradition order were to be made, to be substantial."

In its appeal, however, the US government argued that Assange had no history of "serious and enduring mental illness" that would suggest any risk of self-harm. US lawyers also told British judges that if they extradited Assange, he could serve his US prison sentence in his home country of Australia. 

The High Court in London decided that those assurances were enough to guarantee Assange would be treated humanely. The final decision for his extradition is now in the hands of the UK home secretary, though Assange has the option of appealing. Assange's camp has argued that his work constitutes journalism and so his extradition would be a violation of press freedom.

The US government indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges along with one charge of computer misuse over Wikileaks' publication of leaked military and diplomatic documents. The maximum penalty is 175 years in prison, though US lawyers said "the longest sentence ever imposed for this offense is 63 months." Assange was denied bail for risk of flight and is being held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison.

In the midst of multiple lawsuits and investigations over allegations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard, an employee on Wednesday made a public statement about the abuse she says she's experienced over her four-year career at the studio. Christine works for Blizzard, the group responsible for games including Overwatch and Diablo, and she stood outside the studio's headquarters in Irvine, California, with her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, by her side. 

Through tears, Christine said she experienced years of sexual harassment at Blizzard, even though it had started out as her "dream job."

"I was so excited to be a part of a community that seemed to care so much about their employees," Christine said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen to me. Since I've been employed at Blizzard, I've been subjected to rude comments about my body, unwanted sexual advances, inappropriately touched, subjected to alcohol-infused team events and cube crawls, invited to have casual sex with my supervisors, and surrounded by a frat-boy culture that's detrimental to women."

Christine said she brought these negative experiences to her supervisors and they were brushed aside. According to her statement, her superiors said the men harassing her were "just joking" and that she should "get over it." She was told not to go to HR. She was told her abusers had done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law.

Christine said that after she complained about the sexual abuse she was experiencing, she was demoted and faced retaliation. She said she was denied shares in the company and full profit-sharing, and she received minimal raises.

In her statement, Christine said her mental health was shattered by these events, but she was going public in order to fight for a safe work environment for all Activision Blizzard employees.

"Blizzard has some amazing people that work for them, but we need to feel safe and supported by people in leadership roles, and hold people accountable for their actions," she said.

Activision Blizzard is facing multiple investigations and lawsuits regarding its alleged frat-boy culture. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is suing the studio after an investigation uncovered years of discriminatory hiring practices, a systemic failure to treat sexual harassment seriously, and a culture that encouraged abuse. The result, according to the DFEH report, was a studio where just 20 percent of employees were women, and leadership roles were held only by white men.

Lisa Bloom, Christine's lawyer, made a statement of her own after the employee spoke.

"We are here because sexual harassment victims at Activision Blizzard have been ignored," Bloom said. "They are still suffering and it's time that they are prioritized."

Following an investigation by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year, Activision Blizzard was ordered to establish an $18 million fund to compensate victims of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the studio. Bloom argued that this amount is far too low, considering there are hundreds of victims. She also pointed out that Activision Blizzard has already missed critical deadlines when it comes to distributing this money.

"I think we can all agree that the $18 million number is woefully inadequate," Bloom said.

Bloom then outlined three demands. She first said Activision Blizzard should establish a streamlined, fair and fast process for all victims to resolve their legal claims, and asked for a fund exceeding $100 million. Second, Bloom said the studio should deliver a real apology to Christine and the other victims, and third, she demanded a review by a neutral third party of the career damage employees like Christine have endured, with the goal of remedying any discriminatory decisions.

Bloom has ample experience in this legal arena, most recently representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein.

Activision Blizzard employees have staged a handful of walkouts in protest of the studio's response to these allegations, which has been dismissive and generally terrible. More than 800 workers in November signed a petition calling for CEO Bobby Kotick to resign, considering he's held that position for 30 years and has overseen the alleged culture of harassment and discrimination the entire time. Kotick's tenure at the studio and his power over the board is also likely why he hasn't yet been forced out.

A Canadian hacker named Gary Bowser (yes, like Mario's nemesis) has agreed to pay the company $10 million to settle a civil piracy lawsuit. Bowser, who was part of Switch hacking group Team Xecuter, was accused of being part of a "cybercriminal enterprise that hacked leading gaming consoles," as Eurogamer notes. Nintendo argued Bowser violated the company's copyright and it seems the hacks were not in another castle.

News of the settlement emerged several weeks after Bowser pleaded guilty to multiple federal hacking charges. He was fined $4.5 million in that case and faces up to 10 years in prison. Bowser, who was arrested in the Dominican Republic in October 2020 and deported to the US, admitted to having "developed, manufactured, marketed, and sold a variety of circumvention devices" that let people play ROMs on consoles. 

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum hasn't been open much since the pandemic started, but it's already poised to shut its doors again — if for more positive reasons. The Washington Postreports the Smithsonian is closing its flagship National Mall building for at least six months of renovations starting March 28th, 2022. The move will maintain the "continued safety" of visitors while the museum finishes work on its first new west wing galleries.

The closure is part of the first phase of a seven-year renovation poised to cost over $1 billion. The Smithsonian is staggering closures to keep at least some physical museum spaces open during that period, including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia (which will remain open). Some parts of the collection have relocated to other relevant museums in the meantime, such as the Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian.

The wait could be worthwhile. Eight west wing exhibits should launch when the main museum reopens, including "One World Connected" (shown above) and spaces touching on the Wright brothers, planetary exploration and the Moon.

Some parts of the renovation are still far from completion. The museum will start "deinstallation" of the east wing in March and won't complete its upgrade until sometime in 2025. If you can live with those limitations, though, the Air and Space Museum may soon be more relevant and engaging than in the past — even if you've visited relatively recently.

Activision Blizzard is facing increasing scrutiny from the government and the games industry over its handling of the ongoing sexual harassment scandal, and its latest effort might not help. As Kotakureports, the developer has formed a "Workplace Responsibility Committee" to help it implement new anti-harassment and anti-discrimination efforts. While that sounds useful at first, there's a concern the initial committee is more symbolic than functional.

The committee will launch with just two members, both of whom (chair Dawn Ostroff and Reveta Bowers) are existing independent board members. They, in turn, will report to the board and key Activision Blizzard executives — including CEO Bobby Kotick, who some argue is partly to blame for the scandal. The duo will work with an outside coordinator and a consultant following the company's settlement with the EEOC, but there's no mention of involving regular company staff or outsiders who weren't part of that court agreement.

As such, it won't be surprising if the committee does little to satisfy critics. Employees and others have called on Kotick to resign, among other more substantial changes. There's also low confidence in leadership's ability to police itself — Jennifer Oneal, Blizzard's first female leader, allegedly left her position feeling she was the target of discrimination by a seemingly irredeemable company culture. Bloombergnoted that some board members (including Ostroff) are Kotick's longtime friends and connections, for that matter. The committee might need to take aggressive steps if it wants to prove it's more than a superficial gesture.

Female employees at Tesla’s Fremont factory in California face “rampant sexual harassment,” according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. In a complaint with the state’s Superior Court in Alameda County, Jessica Barraza, a production associate with Tesla, said she was subjected to “nightmarish” working conditions over the past three years. Barraza’s lawsuit describes a factory floor that looks more like “a crude, archaic construction site or frat house” than the site of advanced EV production.

Barraza’s allegations against Tesla are numerous. In one incident, the suit alleges a male co-worker stuck his leg between her thighs when she went to punch in after a lunch break. Amid the harassment, Barraza says her complaints fell on deaf ears. In one instance, she says a supervisor did nothing when she complained of a co-worker staring at her breasts. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear shirts that draw attention to your chest,” her supervisor told her, according to the suit. Barraza told the man she was “wearing a work shirt provided by Tesla.”

“After almost three years of experiencing all the harassment, it robs your sense of security — it almost dehumanizes you,” Barraza said in an interview with The Washington Post, which was the first outlet to report on the suit. We’ve reached out to Tesla for comment. The company does not typically respond to media requests. 

The suit comes one month after Tesla was ordered by a federal court to pay $137 million to a Black employee who said they were subjected to daily racist abuse at its Fremont factory. “We continue to grow and improve in how we address employee concerns,” the company said at the time. “Occasionally, we’ll get it wrong, and when that happens we should be held accountable.” Tesla is appealing the award.

Tesla also isn’t the only EV-maker accused of fostering a toxic workplace for women. Just days before its IPO, Rivian was sued by Laura Schwab, one of its former executives. In her lawsuit, Schwab alleges the automaker fired her after she complained of a “toxic ‘bro culture’” that saw her excluded from meetings and more. “The culture at Rivian was actually the worst I’ve experienced in over 20 years in the automotive industry,” Schwab said at the time.

We reported on employees calling for Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick’s resignation earlier this week in TMA, but pressure continues to mount. Alongside more than 800 Activision Blizzard employees and contractors that have signed a petition calling for CEO Bobby Kotick to be removed, there have been responses from both the head of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, and Microsoft’s Phil Spencer.

In a memo obtained by Bloomberg, Spencer reportedly said he and other leaders at Xbox are “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” that reportedly took place at Activision Blizzard and that Microsoft was “evaluating all aspects” of their relationship with the game publisher.

-Mat Smith

Apple’s fully self-driving car ambitions reportedly still exist

The company may be narrowing its focus.

Bloomberg sources claim Apple is now shifting its attention to a fully self-driving car, not just a more conventional vehicle with semi-autonomous features. New project leader Kevin Lynch wants the very first model to drive itself, according to sources.

The company is reportedly speeding up its plans, too. Instead of a targeted launch in five to seven years, the sources said it was now aiming for 2025 — that’s just four years away.

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Canadian police arrest teen for stealing $36.5 million in cryptocurrency

It's one of the biggest crypto thefts involving a single person.

Police in Canada say they recently arrested a teen who allegedly stole $46 million CAD (approximately $36.5 million) worth of cryptocurrency from a single individual in the US.

The owner of the currency was the victim of a SIM swap attack. Their cellphone number was hijacked and used to intercept two-factor authentication requests, thereby allowing access to their protected accounts. Some of the stolen money was used to purchase a “rare” online gaming username, which eventually allowed the Hamilton Police Service, as well as FBI and US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, to identify the account holder. Police seized approximately $7 million CAD ($5.5 million) in stolen cryptocurrency when they arrested the teen.

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Nike is building its metaverse inside of 'Roblox'

Yes, there’s a product showroom.

Roblox

Nike announced a partnership with Roblox to offer a free virtual playspace called Nikeland. In its current iteration, Nikeland includes minigames such as tag, dodgeball and the floor is lava that players can check out with their friends. Mobile integration allows you to use your phone to translate real-life movement into the game. In that way, you can do things like long jumps and fast sprints.

Why did Nike team-up with Roblox? Because it’s huge. With more than 200 million estimated monthly active users, it’s one of the most popular games among kids and teenagers.

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Google's second-gen Pixel Stand is available for pre-order

It has a fan?

Google

The new Pixel Stand is both bigger and more powerful than its predecessor — even if it didn’t make it in time for the Pixel 6 launch. It can charge the Pixel 6 Pro at up to 23W (21W for the regular Pixel 6) and has a fan to keep everything cool, but also presumably make noise while you charge. And while it will charge many Qi-compatible devices at up to 15W, Google phone owners receive some extra perks. You can use the Pixel 3 and newer models as makeshift Google Assistant smart speakers, display personal data like calendars while unlocked or turn your phone into a photo frame.

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In late October, FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed expanding the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) to accept text messages via the 988 three-digit dialing code — akin to 911 — to "better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities." On Thursday, the full four-member board voted in favor of enacting the proposal which will take effect by July 16, 2022. 

Suicide was the second leading cause of death in the United States for ages 10 - 35 in 2019 (10th overall), per the NIMH. Nearly 45,000 people died by suicide in 2020, disproportionately impacting young people, black people, LGBTQ+ people, Veterans peoples, and disabled people. 

"Today’s action requires covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by routing text messages sent to 988 to the Lifeline’s 10-digit number, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)," Thursday's announcement stated. "The rules establish a process that will require covered text providers to support transmitting messages to 988 in additional text messaging formats that the Lifeline is capable of receiving."

Until next July rolls around, if you're struggling and need someone to listen, please, call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or webchat the Lifeline. 

Police in Canada say they recently arrested a teen who allegedly stole $46 million CAD (approximately $36.5 million) worth of cryptocurrency from a single individual in the US. According to authorities in Hamilton, Ontario, a city about one hour west of Toronto, the incident is the largest-ever cryptocurrency theft involving one person.

The owner of the currency was the victim of a SIM swap attack. Their cellphone number was hijacked and used to intercept two-factor authentication requests, thereby allowing access to their protected accounts. Some of the stolen money was used to purchase a “rare” online gaming username, which eventually allowed the Hamilton Police Service, as well as FBI and US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, to identify the account holder. Police seized approximately $7 million CAD ($5.5 million) in stolen cryptocurrency when they arrested the teen.

2021 has been a banner year for crypto thefts. In June, investors in South Africa lost nearly $3.6 billion in Bitcoin when the founders of one of the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges disappeared. That same month, police in the UK seized approximately $158 million in various digital currencies. At the time, it was the largest seizure of its kind in the country’s history.