Cybercriminals allegedly hacked tens of thousands of Fortinet firewalls used by major companies all over the world

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  June 17, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Cybercriminals allegedly hacked tens of thousands of Fortinet firewalls used by major companies all over the world: An alleged Russian-speaking group of cybercriminals is reportedly compromising and targeting several major companies that use Fortinet Firewalls and VPNs through previously known passwords. Read More Roelof Botha joins SpaceX's board of directors: The former Sequoia Capital leader is filling an "existing vacancy" on SpaceX's board, days after the company went public in the largest IPO ever. Read More FTC lawsuit reveals how subscription scam networks evade app store enforcement: A new FTC lawsuit reveals how sophisticated subscription app operators can allegedly use shell companies and payment infrastructure to stay active on app stores despite mounting consumer complaints. Read More A message from PwC The next generation of tech companies is being built now.  From AI-native startups to next gen companies in industrials, healthcare and energy, today’s founders are navigating accelerated change and scaling faster than ever. PwC helps emerging companies prepare for growth through tailored audit, tax, and deals solutions. From fundraising and expansion to the public markets, be ready for what comes next.  Scale with confidence Afternoon Must-Reads Anthropic becomes first AI startup to join the Frontier carbon removal coalition: Anthropic has joined the Frontier coalition, which received another $915M in pledges to fund carbon removal projects. Read More Only 16 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact on society, a new study shows: Although Wall Street loves AI, every day Americans are significantly less optimistic about the industry, a new report from Pew Research shows. Read More After unveiling ridiculously expensive AR glasses, Snap's stock takes a dive: Snap's long-awaited smart glasses debut hasn't exactly done wonders for the company's stock. Read More SpaceX alum nabs $22M to turn rocket engines into geothermal power plants: Critical Energy is turning rocket engines into geothermal power plants, and it wants to build 300 GW per year by 2045. Read More World leaders want American AI. They just don't want America to be able to turn it off.: French President Macron and Indian PM Modi raised alarms at the G7 summit that the U.S. could cut off access to American AI overnight — a fear the Anthropic blackout just made real. Read More Last but Not Least The slowtech revolution is here to kill your phone addiction and rescue your attention span: “People just really want to take back control of their time, their lives, their attention... They’re down for whatever helps them do that.” 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

SpaceX alum nabs $22M to turn rocket engines into geothermal power plants

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

View this email online in your browser  June 17, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 SpaceX alum nabs $22M to turn rocket engines into geothermal power plants: Critical Energy is turning rocket engines into geothermal power plants, and it wants to build 300 GW per year by 2045. Read More Pinterest launches an experimental AI shopping app called 'Ask Pinterest': Pinterest has launched 'Ask Pinterest,' an experimental AI-powered shopping app that lets users seek recommendations and inspiration through a conversational interface. Read More Apple plans to change its Hide My Email privacy feature that could make it less effective: In the coming weeks, Apple will move anonymously generated emails addresses to a different domain. Read More A message from Fidelity Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.   Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.  Learn More Morning Must-Reads Android 17 launches with new multitasking tools as Google expands Gemini features: Google has released Android 17 and Wear OS 7, introducing new multitasking features, parental controls, security tools, and smartwatch upgrades. The launch is also accompanied by a Pixel Drop that brings Google’s latest AI models to its devices. Read More Uber will bring its premium robotaxi service to Houston in 2027: This will be the second market to have an Uber robotaxi service outfitted with Lucid EVs equipped with a self-driving system from Nuro. Read More Bug in FIFA World Cup internal system gave anyone ability to modify TV stream: A security researcher said a flaw in FIFA’s online platforms allowed her to access several internal systems, including one that could have allowed her to take control of the TV stream of every World Cup match. Read More Anthropic's latest feud with the Trump admin may actually help it, sales data suggests: Anthropic's popularity with business users is growing so well that the latest beef with the government might actually boost it, data from Ramp suggests. Read More SpaceX valuation balloons to $2.6T, briefly passes Amazon: SpaceX's valuation has increased by $1 trillion since its shares started trading on Friday. Read More A message from PwC The next generation of tech companies is being built now.  From AI-native startups to next gen companies in industrials, healthcare and energy, today’s founders are navigating accelerated change and scaling faster than ever. PwC helps emerging companies prepare for growth through tailored audit, tax, and deals solutions. From fundraising and expansion to the public markets, be ready for what comes next.  Scale with confidence Last but Not Least Pramaana Labs raises $27M seed round from Khosla Ventures to bring formal verification to AI: Pramaana will focus on highly sensitive verticals like law, drug discovery, and tax preparation — where errors can be costly and reliability is at a premium. 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