Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Anthropic Blindsides Its Business Partners — The Information
It’s far too soon to call a winner in the race, but fears that Anthropic was ramping up its efforts to compete with business customers intensified this week when it released a version of its long-awaited Mythos AI model but said it would silently degrade the model’s performance when customers try to use it for tasks related to developing their own advanced AI software or hardware. (Following public criticism, Anthropic on Wednesday backtracked slightly, saying it would start alerting customers when it uses a weaker AI model to handle those tasks.)
Ted Cruz and Ron Wyden try to fight censorship with bipartisan JAWBONE Act – Ars Technica
US Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced the JAWBONE Act, a proposed law that could fuel lawsuits against federal officials who try to coerce broadcasters or tech platforms into restricting speech.
Humanity & AI – by Dr. Astrid J. Scholz
Not coincidentally, this Manifest Destiny 2.0 tramples the same people and places that were displaced in the OG version, with data centers springing up in rural places including those inhabited by Native Americans, and tech bros citing the inevitability of their creation to justify the blatant disregard for the data sovereignty and (intellectual) property of so many people whose creative products feed the models.
Portland State Careers | Innovation Hub Director
The Hub Director will be responsible for planning and overseeing the many activities within the Hub, directing significant programs and operations through a team of 2-3 ecosystem navigators and program leads, interfacing with and managing an oversight board and regional convening function with 37+ regional partners, and working towards long term funding sustainability for the Hub and its partners. They will set Hub strategies and objectives in alignment with the overall strategy of the University and the hub Oversight Board. They will be accountable for managing and communicating long-term direction and achieving the strategies and metrics of the Hub as determined by funders and the Hub Oversight Board, and for ensuring that Hub programs are accessible and equitable to all communities in the region.
Oregon’s Aging Population Poses Challenges for Economic Revival — Oregon Journalism Project
Oregon now has the nation’s 11th-oldest population, and more Oregonians in their prime earning years move out of state than comparable newcomers move in.
A New App Offers a Walking Tour Through North Portland’s Musical Past
Arietta Ward, known professionally as Mz. Etta, has since become a celebrated singer in her own right, and she’s also now the voice of Soul Walk North—a new audio walking tour documenting the rich musical history and hopeful future of Portland’s Albina District. Using a free downloadable app, participants are guided on a milelong, 90-minute route through Albina, narrated by Ward, while also hearing the voices, stories, and musical selections of the neighborhood’s most storied elders.
Oregon’s Sen. Wyden brings back housing affordability bill • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Democratic members of Oregon’s congressional delegation on Thursday announced a plan to alleviate homelessness and improve housing affordability through tax credits and construction subsidies.
Trump’s AI security order acknowledges risks but stops short of regulating industry
As a professor who studies responsible AI, the questions the executive order raises for me are how its new reporting structure changes the governance of AI safety, and whether the order reflects what AI safety experts see as best practices.
Before You Cheer The IPO Window, Watch Where The Money Goes
Put together, this points to a concentration event rather than a broad reopening. A small number of funds and pre-IPO sellers get liquidity, three tickers absorb the available capital and attention, and the rest of the queue waits. If you run an early-stage company, the window reopening for SpaceX does very little for you directly.
The VC Doom Loop: Why Venture Capital Liquidity Is Drying Up
The easiest way to misunderstand the current crisis is to focus on the wrong metrics. Venture firms often highlight “paper gains” to describe performance, but these numbers don’t answer the only question LPs actually care about: How much cash has actually come back?
The Foundations of an Innovation Flywheel: How emerging startup ecosystems are building from scratch — ENGINE
But, as every emerging startup ecosystem can attest, it takes more than just the convergence of government resources, private funding, a talent pipeline and people building companies to generate enough momentum for a true, sustainable startup ecosystem. The innovation flywheel requires several dynamics that are much harder to quantify and even harder to legislate.
Homebrew 6.0.0
Today, I’m proud to announce Homebrew 6.0.0. The most significant changes since 5.1.0 are a new tap trust security mechanism, the new faster, smaller, default internal Homebrew JSON API, sandboxing on Linux, better defaults informed by our user survey, many brew bundle improvements, improved performance and initial support for macOS 27 (Golden Gate).
My AI Opinions – by Scott Alexander – Astral Codex Ten
I recently had a minor spat over someone misinterpreting my AI beliefs (see section marked “Update” at the bottom here), so I thought I would list them in one place, so I can refer people when they ask.
Doing nothing at work
Many engineers should be doing less work. I don’t necessarily mean producing less code or fewer changes, but literally working fewer hours in the day. When they do work, they should be working at a slower pace. I like to aim to be running at 80% utilization by default: unless I have a high-pressure project going on, I spend 20% of my workday away from the computer.
Musk Could be the World’s First Trillionaire. Can You Guess What $1,000,000,000,000 Looks Like? – WSJ
As it turns out, $1 trillion is such a large number and so far beyond the human imagination that we can’t wrap our minds around it.
Workshop: Digital Marketing Foundations Tickets, Sunday, July 26 • 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Eventbrite
Learn how to build a strong digital marketing foundation, prioritize limited time and resources, and create a simple, goal-driven marketing plan. Digital marketing strategist Jen McFarland will help founders and non-profits cut through the noise and focus on the marketing activities that actually drive results. Topics include Google Business Profile optimization, websites, email marketing, social media, content strategy, SEO basics, and using AI tools to work more efficiently. You’ll leave with a clear roadmap and actionable next steps to attract customers and grow your organization.
Portland Leather Goods was buried in social media messages. An AI startup helped them automate the process. – AOL
Last year, the 11-year-old manufacturer of handbags, wallets, passport covers, and other leather goods went on the hunt for a centralized, artificial intelligence-enabled social media tool that could consolidate all of these conversations and responses. Merkley told Business Insider that a daily necessity, plus a leadership mandate to infuse more AI into the leather goods maker’s business processes, led the Oregon-based company to collaborate with the Silicon Valley AI startup Nectar Social, which secured $10.6 million in venture capital funding in June 2025.
Write the Docs PDX: Casually Lunching @ WonderLove Food Carts, Sat, Jun 27, 2026, 1:00 PM | Meetup
Hey everyone! We’re planning to casually lunch at the WonderLove food carts on Saturday, June 27 from 1 – 3 PM. Come and go at any time to say hey, enjoy a snack and/or a beverage, and connect with your local community of documentarians.
