Q&A with AOL founder Steve Case on his prediction that tech companies will flourish in the US heartland, the current investment slowdown, J.D. Vance, and more (Steven Levy/Wired)

Jordan Middler / Video Games Chronicle:
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer says Sony opposes the Activision Blizzard acquisition to “protect its dominance” and grows by “making Xbox smaller”  —  In the latest war of words over its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s Gaming CEO has claimed …

Helen Li / Wired:
A look at the fintech startups serving small and large US-based cannabis retailers in an industry dominated by cash, as Visa, Mastercard, and others steer clear  —  In dispensaries, cash is king—and it’s a nuisance for business owners and buyers.  Fintech players are entering the fray.

Steven Levy / Wired:
Inside Meta’s Oversight Board after two years: $150M funding through 2025, ~2M appeals, 28 rulings, and 119 recommendations, as it begins to win over critics  —  Mark Zuckerberg set up the panel to investigate how his company handles controversial posts.  Now its members want to transform how social platforms work.

Danny Hakim / New York Times:
Russia’s RT, banned by major platforms in March 2022, has found an audience on Thiel-backed Rumble, often pushing Russian propaganda about the Ukraine invasion  —  An interview of captive Americans done “under duress” appears on a web platform backed by J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel.

New York Times:
China has let dating apps flourish amid its crackdown on tech; data.ai: the number of dating apps with 1K+ downloads is up from 81 in 2017 to 275 in 2022  —  China has cracked down on many tech companies, but has allowed dating apps that provide social connections to flourish.

Matt Burgess / Wired:
Analysis: multiple major Russian cities appear to have faced widespread GPS disruption during the past week, as part of efforts to evade Ukraine’s drone attacks  —  Navigation system monitors have seen a recent uptick in interruptions since Ukraine began launching long-range drone attacks.