Tech
This Is the Next Wave of Political Fundraising
On Monday, streamer and content creator Hasan Piker helped raise more than $56,000 in one stream for Oliver Larkin, a former Bernie Sanders campaign staffer who is seeking to primary Jared Moskowitz, a moderate Democratic congressman from Florida. It was the most the campaign had raised “in a single day,” Larkin said on X shortly after the stream ended.
Over the past few years, creators have become an essential piece of campaign messaging strategy. But Piker’s recent stream for Larkin is the latest sign that online influence is being leveraged for direct fundraising as well.
Piker isn’t alone. Trisha Paytas, a YouTuber with more than 5 million subscribers and a long history of provocative stunts, isn’t known for her political activism, but in February she donated more than $10,000 to a campaign called Creators Against ICE. The campaign, organized by the creator collective Creators for Peace, is just one in a string of fundraisers organized by coalitions of creators turning social media followings into political fundraising machines.
Unlike traditional fundraising models like super PACs that pool funds from publicly reported donors, these creator collectives pool audiences and leverage social networks and off-the-shelf tools like Shopify and Tiltify to convert followers into donors. Creators for Peace is one of the most prominent groups in a line of creator coalitions mobilizing around causes from Gaza relief to immigration aid—establishing a model that could reshape grassroots fundraising ahead of the midterm elections.
“There are a lot of creators that I think recognize the power of having a platform,” says Hassan Khadair, one of the Creators for Peace organizers. “There’s more of a call to action culturally with creators than I think there’s ever been before.”
Creators for Peace was established in 2024 by Nikki Carreon in an Instagram group DM with a handful of other creators to raise money for Gaza relief. That group chat expanded into a more than 120-person Discord server that included influencers with millions of followers on platforms like Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. People like Kurtis Conner, Hasan Piker, and the Try Guys, who collectively boast more than 15 million followers on their primary platforms, got involved. Members shared infographics with their audiences and organized a livestream. By the end of the campaign, the group had raised more than $1.6 million.
“We largely start from zero on each new campaign. I will individually reach out to several creators, we’ll get something out, and then once we allow that to catch fire on its own, a bunch of creators will reach out to us,” says Khadair. For the Creators for Peace immigration fundraiser, Khadair says, “we really wanted to try and move out of the leftist bubble just a little bit, because a lot of our audiences tend to align with us on these issues.”
By connecting with more apolitical creators like Paytas, the Creators Against ICE campaign has raised nearly $140,000 for the National Immigration Law Center, according to the group’s Tiltify fundraiser.
Creators have come under fire for remaining silent on political issues for years. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, audiences began demanding that influencers creating content on anything from fashion to food publicly speak out and take sides on political issues. In these online spaces, silence is often seen as complicity.
Groups of Democratic political influencers, like UnderTheDeskNews, have also started raising funds for whistles to alert communities about the presence of ICE agents and community watch support as well. In February, around 80 creators were part of an anti-ICE merch fundraiser tied to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, selling T-shirts, hats, and stickers featuring the singer’s Sapo Concho mascot. The campaign raised more than $100,000 for immigration legal defense funds.
Tech
30% Off With Our Nike Promo Codes and Discounts for May 2026
In the midst of our reporting on Nike’s turbulent year, we failed to emphasize one fact: Even as Nike’s corporate leadership flails in a post-Covid world, the company’s shoes and athletic apparel still make up a huge market segment and are still the leading performance models in the industry. Every marathon shoe is just a copy of the iconic Nike Vaporfly, and the Air Force 1 is still one of the top-selling sneakers in the world. You can restock on your own iconic styles with a Nike promo code. Here’s how.
Score 15% Off App Orders With Our Nike Promo Code
Members get rewarded for shopping directly on the Nike app. Once you log on to the app, you’ll automatically become a member. And if you use Nike promo code APP15, you’ll get 15% off your first app purchase and free shipping on orders of $50 or more. So whether you’re in the market for a new pair of Air Jordans or some new leggings for training for your next Marathon, you’ll want to take advantage of this deal.
Celebrate With Nike Coupons For Your Birthday and Member Discounts Everyday
Nike offers a 10% birthday discount when you sign up on the website. You must be a Nike member and logged into your Nike account in order to redeem the discount. The minimum purchase is $100 and applies to the first $500 of a qualifying purchase. You can use it in combination with the Nike free shipping promo codes only. Nike members also receive exclusive access to certain products and member-exclusive sales and discount codes.
Remember earlier when I said Nike members get rewarded? Be sure to become a Nike Member before your birthday month to receive a special birthday Nike discount. Not only will you get that birthday perk, but as a Nike member you’ll also get free shipping on orders of $50 or more, a free 60-day Wear Test to ensure the purchase is right for you, and returns with receipts.
Nike Student Discount Code: 10% Off
All students over 16 in the US, whether you’re in high school, college, or a university, get 10% off at Nike, Nike.com. and in the Nike app. To get the Nike discount code, you’ll just need to verify your student status. To do this, you need to fill out a verification form, verify age, and you may need to provide documentation to verify your status. Once your status is successfully verified, you’ll be sent a single-use Nike promo code for 10% off most items. You’ll just need to make sure you’re signed in to your Nike Member profile while using your Nike promo code. This 10% Nike discount code can be used on all sorts of the best Nike apparel and shoes, including the bestselling Nike Vomero Plus men’s running shoes that are full-stack, with ultra-soft max cushioning for enhanced comfort while running.
Nike Discount Programs: Teachers, Military, and Healthcare Works Get 10% Off
There are also other Nike discounts, like 10% off for military and spouses, first responders and medical professionals, and teacher discounts after verification. Check to make sure the items you’re shopping are covered by the discount; certain products, like Nike By You, gift cards, select launch and SNKRS products, and Apple products, are not valid.
Teachers get rewarded with 10% too, just follow the steps for verification status. All military personnel, including active, reservist, veteran, retired US military, and spouses and dependents of active personnel also get 10% off at Nike as a thank you for service. Plus, medical professionals and first responders are also eligible for 10% discounts; that means doctors, nurses, technicians, medical researchers, EMTs, firefighters, and law enforcement.
To get any of these discounts, you’ll need to verify with SheerID, where you’ll receive a single-use promo code that can be used once every seven days. Just be aware, the code expires after two weeks, but you can re-verify your identity to receive a new one.
Trending Nike Styles to Score on Sale Today
Nike still outfits some of the top athletes in the world. If you’re a basketball player, I would say skip the Nike Dunks and get a pair of Kobe Protros like Caitlin Clark. If you’re a runner, Nike recently updated the classic running shoe, the Pegasus. If you’re looking for a low-key street shoe that’s not an Adidas Samba, get the Nike Blazers.
There are tons of Nike’s bestselling shoes on sale right now, including: Nike Dunk Low and Dunk Low Retro SE at 24% off (including multiple under $100 options), 24% off Zoom Vomero 5, 32% off Nike Free Metcon 6, and custom Metcon 10 for as low as $155. Plus, classics are also on sale, with Air Max 270 for up to 30% off, up to 33% off Air Force 1 Low Retro, or Air Force 1 ‘07 LV8 for under $80. Be sure to check out these heavy discounts on tons of Nike styles, from classic to contemporary.
Other Nike Products on Our Radar
Nike got its start as a running company and it still makes the best running apparel on the market. My particular favorites are the firm support, high-waisted ⅞ running leggings (because I’m short) and the running rain jacket, which is also understated enough to wear as an everyday rain jacket.
Be sure to check Nike often, with tons of upcoming launches soon to be released. One we’re most excited about is the Team US Collection, inspired by the upcoming Olympic games, with tons of sick US team Olympic apparel. Another hot new release is the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro x Bronx Girls Skate, a cool design inspired by urban landscapes and skate culture, which became available in late January 2026.
Support the US Soccer Team With Official Nike Gear
Show off your soccer pride this season with the Team US Soccer x Nike collab. Merchandise from this showy collaboration includes solid, striped, and patterned jerseys for women, men, and children, as well as replica shorts and jerseys from a multitude of favorite players.
Don’t Miss the Nike Skims Collection
For better or worse, Kim Kardashian is everywhere. Her body contouring undergarment and shapewear line, Skims, has quickly exploded and become one of the top, most sought-after shapewear brands in the world. The new Nike Skims line has been highly anticipated, blending the shapewear women love with the versatile athletic brand Nike. With styles for everything from ballet to HIIT workouts to running, the Nike Skims collection seamlessly blends style and athleticism.
Tech
How Elon Musk Squeezed OpenAI: They ‘Are Gonna Want to Kill Me’
Elon Musk returned to the witness stand on Wednesday to continue telling his side of the story in his legal battle against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. Under cross-examination from OpenAI’s lawyers, Musk was pressed on all the ways he tried to squeeze the organization over a 2017 power struggle that he ultimately lost. Around this time, Musk tried to hire away OpenAI researchers and stopped sending it funding he had previously promised, according to emails presented as evidence in the case.
As the cross-examination began, tension rippled through the courtroom. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers started the day by reprimanding someone in the gallery for taking a picture of Musk. OpenAI president and cofounder Greg Brockman sat behind his lawyers with a yellow legal pad in his lap, giving Musk a cold stare as he testified. Musk grew visibly frustrated on the witness stand, pausing frequently to tell OpenAI’s lawyer, William Savitt, that he saw his questions as misleading. Meanwhile, Savitt’s cross-examination was derailed by objections, technical issues, and Musk continuously claiming he doesn’t recall key details of OpenAI’s history.
Savitt showed the courtroom emails from September 2017 between Musk, Brockman, and researcher Ilya Sutskever discussing the formation of what would become OpenAI’s for-profit arm. In the thread, Musk demanded the right to choose four members of its board of directors, giving him more voting power than his cofounders, who would be left with three in total. “I would unequivocally have initial control of the company, but this will change quickly,” said Musk in one message. Sutskever wrote back rejecting the idea because he said he feared it would give Musk too much power.
Months before these negotiations started, Musk had halted payments to OpenAI, which was particularly difficult for the organization because he was then its main source of funding. Since 2016, Musk had been sending $5 million payments to OpenAI quarterly as part of a broader $1 billion pledge he made at the organization’s launch. But in the spring of 2017, he stopped sending the money. In another email from August 2017, the head of Musk’s family office, Jared Birchall, asked Musk if he should continue withholding it. Musk responded simply, “Yes.”
Around the time Musk lost the power struggle, emails show that he held discussions with executives at Tesla and Neuralink, his brain-computer interface company, about hiring OpenAI employees. At the time, Musk was still a board member of OpenAI.
Musk sent an email to a Tesla vice president in June 2017 about hiring an early OpenAI researcher, Andrej Karpathy. “Just talked to Andrej and he accepted as joining as director of Tesla Vision,” Musk wrote. “Andrej is arguably the #2 guy in the world in computer vision … The openai guys are gonna want to kill me, but it had to be done.”
On the stand, Musk argued that Karpathy was already interested in leaving OpenAI when he tried to recruit him to Tesla. “Andrej had made his decision. If he’s going to leave OpenAI, he might as well work at Tesla,” Musk said.
In October 2017, Musk also wrote to Ben Rapoport, a cofounder of Neuralink. “Hire independently or directly from OpenAI,” said Musk. “I have no problem if you pitch people at OpenAI to work at Neuralink.”
When pressed about this by Savitt, Musk argued that it would have been illegal for him not to allow Tesla and Neuralink to hire from OpenAI. “It’s illegal to restrict employment. It would be illegal to say you can’t employ people from OpenAI. You can’t have some cabal that stops people from working at the company they want to work at,” Musk said.
Tech
Emergency First Responders Say Waymos Are Getting Worse
Emergency first-responder leaders told federal regulators in a private meeting last month that they were frustrated with the performance of autonomous vehicles on their streets—that city firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and paramedics are forced to spend time during emergencies resolving issues with frozen or stuck cars. One fire official called them “a safety issue for our crews as well as the victims.” WIRED obtained an audio recording of the meeting.
Officials from San Francisco and Austin, where Waymo has been ferrying passengers without drivers for more than a year, said the vehicles’ performance is getting worse. “We are actually seeing something interesting: backsliding of some things that had improved upon,” Mary Ellen Carroll, the executive director of San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management, told officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which oversees self-driving vehicle safety in the US. “They are committing more traffic violations.”
“We’ve seen some behavior we haven’t seen in a few years … Waymo is frequently now blocking our fire stations from access,” added Chief Patrick Rabbitt, the head of the San Francisco Fire Department. “Their default is to freeze.” The situation can prevent firetrucks from responding to emergencies in a “timely and appropriate” way, he said.
In Austin, first responders have been frequently stymied by Waymos “freezing up,” said Lieutenant William White, head of Highway Enforcement Command at the Austin Police Department. White said that, contrary to what Waymo had told first responders, the vehicles often fail to recognize or respond to officers’ hand signals, which can lead to cascading delays during emergencies or unusual road incidents.
“I believe the technology was deployed too quickly in too vast amounts, with hundreds of vehicles, when it wasn’t really ready,” White said. NHTSA did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
The complaints come as Waymo embarks on an ambitious expansion across the US and the world. Today, the company offers driverless rides in parts of 10 US cities, with plans to launch service in 10 more before the end of the year, including London. Waymo said last month that it’s now providing 500,000 paid rides weekly—a figure that’s still dwarfed by human-powered ride-hail services (Uber provides some 400 times that number weekly) but has grown tenfold since last year.
But these comments from cities where the service is already operating threaten to slow the rollout of driverless technology, which, according to Waymo’s data, reduces serious crashes compared to human-driven cars. Waymo is already facing political opposition, especially from organized labor, in several dense, blue, and potentially lucrative cities, including Boston, New York City, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
In a statement, Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina wrote: “We deeply value our partnership with first responders and our shared commitment to safety. Their ongoing feedback has been instrumental in driving impactful improvements to the Waymo service.” The company says it has conducted in-person training for more than 35,000 emergency responders across the country.
Public Comment Periods
The comments made in the private meeting are blunter than what government officials have generally said in public. But they reflect long-simmering and sometimes vocal frustrations expressed by city leaders since at least late last year. Since autonomous vehicle operations are regulated in California and Texas by state rather than city officials, local first-responder departments and those who represent them can generally only request that developers like Waymo make specific changes to their operations.
On Wednesday, Austin first responders appeared before the City Council to discuss Waymo’s response to an incident last month in which a driverless vehicle blocked an ambulance for two minutes that was responding to a shooting in the city’s downtown, which killed three people and injured at least 14. Though officers were able to connect quickly with Waymo operators to move the vehicle, they reported that it had taken up to three minutes to connect with a remote agent in the past. They reiterated that Waymos don’t always respond well to hand signals, especially ones from police mounted on motorcycles.
Waymo declined to attend the meeting, and two front-row chairs labeled “RESERVED FOR: WAYMO” remained empty throughout the two-hour session.
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