Top of the morning. Tech companies are responding to the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, and we've got the latest on a man who scaled Salesforce Tower yesterday.
Let's get started.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app – click here for iOS and here for Android.
1. Tech companies are pushing back against reproductive rights restrictions. With the US Supreme Court apparently poised to overturn the abortion-rights ruling under Roe v. Wade, companies like Amazon, Apple, and Yelp are expanding support for workers seeking abortions.
- The surprise Supreme Court draft opinion is especially pertinent for companies with employees in places like Texas and Oklahoma, in which abortions are likely to be immediately banned if Roe is struck down.
- Amazon's initiative to support employees will cover up to $4,000 per year in travel costs related to non-life threatening medical treatments, including elective abortion.
- Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft had previously pledged support for transportation for people seeking abortions, and will pay the legal fees of drivers sued for transporting passengers to receive abortion services.
See a full list of companies and their responses.
In other news:
2. Elon Musk could take Twitter public in just a few years. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk has told potential investors he plans to stage an IPO within just three years of buying the company. Read the full report.
3. Travis Kalanick's CloudKitchens is facing lawsuits from three women. Two former employees are alleging labor violations, and one customer is alleging deceptive business practices. Everything we know about the lawsuits.
4. Twitter is testing a feature that will let you share tweets with just "select people." Twitter Circle will let users choose 150 people with whom to share their tweets, rather than sharing tweets with the masses. Here are the details on Twitter Circle.
5. We popped by Instagram's Met Gala party, which drew high-profile celebs from tech and media. Inside an opulent Upper East Side mansion, Instagram execs mingled with TikTok stars, NFT artists, and meme creators for the company's Met Gala after party. Take a look inside Instagram's extravagant soirée.
6. A man scaled Salesforce Tower yesterday. In what he said was a protest against abortion rights, the man climbed San Francisco's 1,070-foot tower, and was later arrested. What we know about the climber.
7. Surging gas prices are crushing the supply of gig economy drivers. During a conference call with analysts, Lyft execs cited gas prices and the lingering pandemic as headwinds for driver supply — and its stock plunged 26% after the comments. Here's the latest.
8. Facebook — now Meta — implemented a hiring freeze on certain engineers amid a spending trim. According to people familiar with the situation, Facebook paused hiring for engineers at levels E3 (considered entry level at the company) and E4 (mid-level). More on the rare hiring pause from the social-media giant here.
Odds and ends:
9. Outlining the pros and cons of the new Kia EV6. Insider's transportation reporter drove the $53,000 electric Kia and came away with four reasons to buy the car (like its super-fast charging) — and two ways it fell short (like its minimal cargo space). Read his main takeaways.
10. A new Google feature lets you search using images and text at the same time. Google Multisearch can help with online shopping and making tricky searches you're not sure how to describe — here's how it works.
What we're watching today:
- eBay, Uber, and others are reporting earnings today. Keep up with earnings here.
- The Federal Open Market Committee is set to make a decision on interest rates.
- Today is International Star Wars Day.
Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock in London.