Julia Black

New York

Signal: mjnblack.09 Email: [email protected]

Articles

Patrick Collison Dreams of an Abundance-Verse

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Julia Black

Nearly every summer in recent years, Patrick Collison, Stripe’s 36-year-old Irish billionaire co-founder, has hosted a multiday summit on the West Coast with a bold underlying intention: unlock a more abundant future. The very first such conclave happened in 2018 when Collison and several other co-founders, including his brother John and GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, gathered about 200 scientists, economists, investors and entrepreneurs in a Sebastopol, Calif., field.
Space Entrepreneurs Sign Open Letter Endorsing Jared Isaacman for NASA Role

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Julia Black

Source: The InformationTwenty-four aerospace industry founders, investors and executives are preparing to submit a letter of support for Jared Isaacman’s nomination as NASA Administrator, ahead of his appearance before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday. Signatories include Bessemer Venture Partners managing partner David Cowan, Varda Space Industries co-founder Delian Asparouhov, Hadrian CEO Chris Power and Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim.
The Lobbyists Silicon Valley Loves to Hire

Mar 29, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

In the second Donald Trump era, the separation between tech and politics appears vanishingly small. “Eight years ago, you’d never see a Tim Cook or Elon Musk in Mar-a-Lago. Now, you see them all the time,” said Brian Ballard, founder of Ballard Partners and one of the top lobbyists recommended to us by industry insiders. Federal lobbying spending hit a record high in 2024, with companies, nonprofits and other interest groups shelling out $4.4 billion to influence policymakers.
The Most Important Think Tanks for Tech to Know

Mar 8, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

In the new Trump era, Washington and Silicon Valley are increasingly merged together, with scores of the top tech talent decamping for the capital. And in this upended landscape, a new wave of think tanks has emerged as a critical player.
DOGE Cuts Hit Regulators Of Musk’s Neuralink

Feb 18, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

Source: ReutersThousands of probationary employees across the Department of Health and Human Services received termination notices over the weekend, part of the mass cuts imposed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The firings began Friday, the day after Robert F. Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate as the new health secretary.
The Tech People Helping the Trump Administration Shake Up Government

Feb 12, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

So far, most of the spotlight on Silicon Valley’s Washington invasion has focused on how Elon Musk and a band of young techies from his companies are scouring the federal government looking for waste. But a significant cohort of staff from other Valley firms are assuming outsize roles in the Trump administration as well. In fact, you could practically call this the Andreessen Horowitz administration.
As DOGE Shakeup Looms, a Thiel Protégé Looks to Disrupt U.S. Health Department

Feb 7, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

In November, virologist Beata Halassy announced to the world that she had cured her own breast cancer using a treatment developed in a laboratory she runs. Many in the medical community celebrated her breakthrough, which she says has allowed her to live cancer-free for over four years. But some bioethicists worried that overpublicizing the results of her self-experimentation could encourage others with less expertise to reject conventional cancer treatment.
The Tech Industrial Complex Greets Trump 2.0 With Galas and Sky-High Hopes

Jan 18, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

On Thursday, about 200 founders and investors tucked into seared sea bass and key lime pie at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach private club. The mood was celebratory, and the attendees talked about their hopes for a deregulatory boom in the nuclear and space industries. Each attendee received a black baseball cap emblazoned with the slogan “Make Nuclear Great Again,” courtesy of one of the startups attending, Valar Atomics.
Inside the DOGE Recruitment Drive

Jan 11, 2025 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

For decades, the path toward federal government employment has involved a long and winding journey for full-timers and contractors alike. The Department of Government Efficiency, the pseudo-governmental entity run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is doing things differently.
The Antichrist and the New Apostles

Dec 13, 2024 | theinformation.com | Julia Black

Worship at Epic Church in downtown San Francisco last Sunday began in a darkened room, on the second floor of a former factory building. The shades were drawn across the tall windows, while colored lights cast a theatrical glow on a band that sounded a bit like Arcade Fire—if Arcade Fire made worship music. A mostly millennial congregation swayed to the harmony, a sea of Apple Watch–clad arms raised to the heavens.