Hello, again. Leaked audio shows Amazon CEO Andy Jassy discussing company issues, and we're introducing you to a retro-themed gaming console.
Let's dive in.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app – click here for iOS and here for Android.
1. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addresses some of the company's most pressing issues. In a leaked recording, Jassy discussed Amazon's response to unionization efforts and its commitment to becoming "Earth's Best Employer" — but dodged employees' concerns about low pay.
- It was an odd omission, given compensation has become a hot-button issue at Amazon in recent years, as Insider previously reported, and employees said pay was top of mind for many people at the meeting.
- The all-hands meeting, which only comes twice a year, left some employees feeling unsatisfied with what they felt were "awkwardly disingenuous" or not "authentic" responses.
- "At the scale of Amazon, we should have much better mechanisms to address the concerns of employees," one employee said.
What else we learned from the recording.
In other news:
2. Tesla beat its first-quarter earnings expectations. The automaker's revenue is up 81% year-over-year, while earnings per share more than doubled. Get the rundown on Tesla's blockbuster quarter.
3. Elsewhere, Elon Musk said Tesla hopes to produce a robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals in 2024. During the automaker's earnings call on Thursday, Musk said the vehicle would be "optimized for autonomy." Here's more on Tesla's taxi plans.
4. Apple retail workers in Atlanta filed for a union election. If a vote with the National Labor Relations Board is successful, it would make the location the first Apple store to unionize. What we know so far.
5. The "Great Resignation" is causing pay disparities between new hires and current employees. Tech workers, managers, and others with insight into compensation told Insider new hires at firms like Google and Amazon are being paid significantly more than their long-term counterparts, sparking tensions and an onslaught of departures. Inside the tech firm pay discrepancy.
6. Four Amazon drivers are suing the company after they were caught in the warehouse wrecked by a tornado. According to a lawsuit, two drivers say they tried to go home but were threatened with termination by warehouse staff. Get the rundown on the complaint.
7. A small-town mayor made his own delivery app and transports orders himself. The 35-year-old mayor of Berthoud, Colorado, developed the app once the pandemic hit, and has delivered thousands of meals since. Here's how he did it.
8. A Russian YouTuber interviews civilians to create a transparent representation of their beliefs. By asking questions like "Are you brainwashed?" and "Do you want Ukraine to become part of Russia?" Daniil Orain is trying to give viewers a sense of how Russians view the world, and more recently, the war in Ukraine. Get a look at how he runs his channel.
Odds and ends:
9. There's a new game console on the market: Playdate. The retro-themed handheld console has a metal crank to help users play games that involve surfing, puzzles, and alien abductions. Read our full review of the Playdate.
10. We outlined six of the coolest new EVs at the New York auto show. This year's auto show is packed with interesting new electric vehicles, from an up-and-coming supercar that can hit 250 miles per hour, to Kia's futuristic concept car. See our favorites here.
What we're watching today:
- Snap, AT&T, and others are reporting earnings today. Keep up with earnings here.
- POLITICO is hosting its AI and Tech Summit in Brussels.
- PAX East gaming convention starts today in Boston.
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 Michael Cogley in London.