All-In E175: Google fires protestors, NPR chaos, Humane's AI Pin, Startup tax crisis, sports betting scandal

Google Fires Protesters

• Google fired 28 employees who staged protests at offices in Sunnyvale and NY over Project Nimbus, a $1.2B cloud contract with Israel
• Nine employees were arrested after refusing to leave CEO's office during sit-in
• Google's VP of Security was direct in stating such workplace disruption won't be tolerated
• Discussion centered on whether Google's historically permissive culture enabled this behavior
• Panel debated merits of workplace protests vs proper channels for expressing dissent

NPR Leadership Crisis

• New CEO Katherine Mar faces backlash after suspending editor Uri Berliner who wrote critical op-ed about NPR's left-leaning bias
• Berliner resigned after 25-year career following suspension
• Panel discussed NPR's government funding model and whether it should continue given perceived partisan stance
• Consensus that NPR has always leaned left, recent controversy not surprising

Humane AI Pin Launch

• High-profile AI wearable device getting harsh reviews, called "worst product ever reviewed" by tech reviewer MKBHD
• Device costs $700, has battery/performance issues
• Panel discussed challenges of hardware startups and deep tech investing
• Debate over whether criticism helps or hurts innovation in Silicon Valley
• General agreement that founders should focus on improving product rather than criticism

Startup R&D Tax Crisis

• New tax law requires R&D expenses to be amortized over 5 years instead of immediate deduction
• Creating cash flow problems for startups that are breaking even
• Bipartisan fix stalled in Senate due to child tax credit debate
• Panel emphasized urgency of resolving issue to protect innovation
• Discussion of potential impact on U.S. competitiveness

Sports Betting Scandal

• NBA player Jontay Porter banned for life for manipulating prop bets
• Discussion of broader implications of legalized sports betting
• Stats show 2/3 of college students have placed bets
• Panel shared personal experiences with gambling and addiction risks
• Debate over societal impact of widespread access to sports betting

The episode concluded with an entertaining discussion of teenage business ventures and schemes the hosts ran in their youth, including fake IDs, bootleg movies, and various other entrepreneurial endeavors.