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Meet the Silicon Valley Donors Backing California's Redistricting Push
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Meet the Silicon Valley Donors Backing California’s Redistricting Push

by admin September 1, 2025


In the latest sign that Silicon Valley titans are increasingly throwing their weight behind political issues, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings has contributed $2 million to support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50 campaign.

The move is the latest underscoring how Silicon Valley’s deep-pocketed executives are increasingly wielding influence in California politics and beyond.

The November ballot measure would scrap California’s independent redistricting commission, returning map-drawing authority to the state legislature, where Democrats hold firm majorities.

Backers argue the change would counterbalance GOP-led gerrymanders in states like Texas and Florida, potentially netting Democrats half a dozen U.S. House seats in 2026.

Hastings’ donation highlights the growing role of tech fortunes in political fights. The Netflix co-founder has long been a high-profile donor, previously giving $3 million to Newsom’s 2021 recall defense. He has also funded statewide education reform initiatives and donated heavily to national Democratic causes.

Other Silicon Valley figures are joining him

Ron Conway, one of the Valley’s most prolific angel investors, has pledged support, and Y Combinator’s Paul Graham gave $500,000. Their involvement echoes a broader trend: Tech executives are increasingly channeling personal wealth into shaping policy outcomes, often through ballot measures where their dollars can have an outsized impact.

California has been a testing ground for such efforts.

In 2020, Uber, Lyft and DoorDash collectively spent more than $200 million to pass Proposition 22, rolling back state labor rules that threatened their business models. More recently, venture capital and crypto executives have funded campaigns to resist new taxes and regulations.

Tech money is increasingly flowing into politics

The pattern isn’t limited to California. At the national level, technology money has become a major force in politics.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former crypto billionaire, spent more than $40 million on congressional races in 2022 before his collapse. Some estimates put his total political contributions at more than $70 million across 18 months, reflecting his ambition to exert influence at the federal level

Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet remain among the top corporate spenders on lobbying in Washington. These interventions have helped shape debates ranging from antitrust reform to AI regulation.

According to Axios, in the first quarter of 2025, Meta spent $8 million lobbying, followed by Amazon at $4.3 million, with Microsoft at $2.4 million. OpenSecrets reports Amazon’s total federal lobbying for 2025 (first half) at $9.35 million, and Alphabet (Google’s parent) at around $7.81 million

For critics, Proposition 50 represents another instance of wealthy tech donors tilting the political playing field.

Opponents, including GOP donor Charles Munger Jr., who has already committed $10 million to defeat it, say dismantling the independent redistricting system voters approved in 2008 is a naked power grab. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has also jumped into the fray, casting the measure as an effort by Democrats and their Silicon Valley allies to “rig the map.”

Are Silicon Valley tycoons the kingmakers yet?

What makes the fight especially significant is its national impact.

California, with 52 House seats, remains the biggest single prize in congressional redistricting. Even a small shift in district lines could determine control of the House in 2026. For Democrats, aligning with wealthy tech donors offers a way to keep pace with Republican fundraising networks that have long used redistricting to their advantage.

Whether Hastings and his peers can sway voters remains uncertain. Early polls show Californians split on Proposition 50, reflecting skepticism about giving lawmakers more control. But the torrent of Silicon Valley money ensures that by November, voters will be hearing arguments on both sides at near-constant volume.

If successful, the campaign would further cement Silicon Valley not only as an economic powerhouse but also as a decisive political player, with ambitions that stretch far beyond California’s borders.



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September 1, 2025 0 comments
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ConcernedApe announces Stardew Valley 1.7 update is happening

by admin September 1, 2025



Stardew Valley isn’t going anywhere. ConcernedApe just announced he’s working on even more content for the mega-popular game, confirming a 1.7 update is indeed in the works.

Despite having been released over nine years ago now, Stardew Valley only grows more popular with each passing day. Just this July, it made history by becoming Steam’s top-rated game of all time.

While a full-fledged sequel has been considered, updates to the base game are what maintain and even grow the cozy game’s community. The occasional quality of life tweak is one thing, but for solo dev ConcernedApe, a new update means a whole lot more.

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Following the release of the jam-packed 1.6 update, many assumed Stardew Valley was finished once and for all, but now we have confirmation that’s not the case. A 1.7 update is in the works and here’s what we know.

Stardew Valley 1.7 update confirmed

ConcernedApe took to the stage in Seattle, Washington, on August 30, 2025. This night kicked off the second Stardew Valley world tour for the Symphony of Seasons. It was here that he announced plans to continue supporting the game.

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“I revealed this at the concert last night and now the cat’s out of the bag,” he later shared on X (formerly Twitter). “There will be a Stardew Valley 1.7 update. No release date, no estimate. But it’s happening.”

Okay, I revealed this at the concert last night and now the cat’s out of the bag, so I will confirm for everyone: There will be a Stardew Valley 1.7 update. No release date, no estimate. But it’s happening pic.twitter.com/RnNgc3ERER

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) August 30, 2025

Beyond mere confirmation, any other details are being kept close to the chest. There’s no quite telling just yet whether this update will introduce new areas, characters, items, secrets, and the like, or moreso focus on additional features and refinements.

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If we were to hedge our bets, though, we’d bet the house on there being plenty of new content for long-time fans to get excited about.

When could the 1.7 update release for Stardew Valley?

As ConcernedApe made clear from the jump, there is no release date or even a rough release window at this point in time. The 1.7 update will simply be ready when it’s ready.

Given he works alone to this day, these things take time. From new music to pixel art and, of course, the coding itself, ConcernedApe is doing it all. Thus, it’d be safe to assume we’re still a ways out.

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For context, below is a quick overview of when all the previous major Stardew Valley updates were released over the past decade.

Timeline of past Stardew Valley updates:

  • 1.0 – February 26, 2016
  • 1.1 – October 3, 2016
  • 1.2 – April 24, 2017
  • 1.3 – August 1, 2018
  • 1.4 – November 26, 2019
  • 1.5 – December 21, 2020
  • 1.6 – March 19, 2024

As you can see, the biggest gap yet was between 1.5 and the most recent update in 1.6. While we wouldn’t expect 1.7 to take another three and a bit years, it’d be wise not to hold your breath based on this trend.

However, it is worth noting that the game itself launched in full back in February 2016. Thus, February 26, 2026, marks the 10-year anniversary of Stardew Valley. There’s no guarantee, of course, but this would certainly be a great occasion to tease new details about the 1.7 update.

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Will it impact ConcernedApe’s other game Haunted Chocolatier?

Like millions of fans, you might be wondering how the continued development of Stardew Valley might impact ConcernedApe’s next game, Haunted Chocolatier. We’ve known about the next game since 2021, with the dev confirming he’d been working on it from as early as 2020.

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There’s still no release date in sight for Haunted Chocolatier, and with the 1.7 update now on the agenda too, it could hold it back even longer.

ConcernedApe was quick to assure fans on social media, that won’t be the case. “My plan is that this will not hinder Haunted Chocolatier development,” he said.

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My plan is that this will not hinder Haunted Chocolatier development

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) August 30, 2025

The best laid plans can always change, of course, so do take the comment with a grain of salt for now. At the time of writing, there’s no quite telling when we might see either the 1.7 update or Haunted Chocolatier, but rest assured ConcernedApe is toiling away.





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September 1, 2025 0 comments
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Stardew Valley is getting yet another surprise update

by admin August 31, 2025


We may not have a date for Stardew Valley‘s next major update, but we have confirmation that it’s happening. Eric Barone, the developer behind the hit farming sim, announced that there will be a 1.7 update during the Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons concert in Seattle, later confirming the news with a post on X. Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, didn’t reveal a release date, nor any teasers about content.

Considering the numbered update, we’re expecting more than just a patch and something similar to the fresh content added in the 1.6 update. The previous update released in March of last year and delivered a ton of free content, including the Meadowlands Farm, a new three-day festival, more crops and novel NPC interactions.

Fans will always welcome more content for Stardew Valley, but some expressed concern about how this will impact the release timeline for Barone’s upcoming title, Haunted Chocolatier. The developer revealed the standalone title in 2021 and told PC Gamer in April of this year that he wouldn’t work on any more Stardew Valley updates until he’s done with Haunted Chocolatier. To offer some reassurance, Barone replied on X that the 1.7 update “will not hinder Haunted Chocolatier development.”



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August 31, 2025 0 comments
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Eric Barone smiling and talking about Stardew Valley
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Bless him, Eric Barone cannot stop updating Stardew Valley, has announced version 1.7 is coming

by admin August 31, 2025



“I’m committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I’m done with Haunted Chocolatier,” Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone told us earlier this year. And that commitment lasted all of four months, I guess.

At one of the recent Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons live concerts, Barone addressed the audience to say that after the 1.6 update he wasn’t sure if he’d ever do another, but more recently he’d changed his mind. “I wanted to share something with you tonight, it’s kind of a secret,” he continued. “There’s going to be another update.”

It was not a secret for long, and Barone confirmed on Twitter that 1.7 is definitely coming. “Okay, I revealed this at the concert last night and now the cat’s out of the bag,” he wrote, “so I will confirm for everyone: There will be a Stardew Valley 1.7 update. No release date, no estimate. But it’s happening”.


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Of course Haunted Chocolatier is still happening too, though. In the replies, Barone commented, “My plan is that this will not hinder Haunted Chocolatier development”.

We don’t know a huge amount about Barone’s next game, but we do know that Haunted Chocolatier will include the obvious chocolate-making and shop-simming, as well as archery, boss fights, books, and a larger world than Stardew Valley. And of course, there will be fishing. If Stardew Valley is anything to go by, it’ll probably be well-supported after release as well.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments
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Stardew Valley will be getting another update after all
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Stardew Valley will be getting another update after all

by admin August 30, 2025


Just months after revealing there’d be no more Stardew Valley updates until Haunted Chocolatier released, creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has confirmed that another update is coming to the fan-favourite farming sim.

Addressing fans at the Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons concert in Seattle, Barone himself took to the stage and revealed a “secret” to the excited attendees.

Let’s Play Stardew Valley Multiplayer – THE ONE WHERE JOHNNY EATS AN EGG!Watch on YouTube

As posted to TikTok by jillbobagginz (thanks, FRVR), Barone said: “After that [last 1.6] update, I was thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to make another update’. But I wanted to share something with you tonight, it’s kind of a secret… there’s going to be another update.”

We don’t know any details yet, of course, let alone timescales, but it’s great news to Stardew fans nonetheless, given Barone revealed in April that Stardew “pulls [him] away from devoting all [his] time to Haunted Chocolatier,” the follow-up game he’s also currently working on. Quite how this new update will impact the development of Haunted Chocolatier – if at all – remains to be seen, though.

Pixelated farming sim Stardew Valley first debuted almost a decade ago, and has since gone from strength to strength. Last year, Barone released Stardew Valley’s bumper 1.6 update, which essentially boosted the game to an almost 2.0 status, introducing a vast number of features to the base game such as new NPC dialogues, home renovations, and turtle pets.

As of December last year, Stardew Valley had sold in excess of 41m copies across platforms. Of those 41m, over half are on PC, with 26m copies sold. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch accounts for 7.9m Stardew Valley sales and though there’s been a handful of crossovers with other games during that time, Barone recently revealed he’s never made any money directly from in-game collaborations.





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August 30, 2025 0 comments
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Stardew Valley Headlines The PS Plus September Lineup
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Stardew Valley Headlines The PS Plus September Lineup

by admin August 27, 2025


The PlayStation Plus Essential tier gives subscribers free games every month, and recently, those games have been particularly excellent. Last month’s offerings included Lies of P, one of the best games of 2023, but the upcoming September lineup announced on the PS Blog manages to top even that; you’ll get Psychonauts 2, Viewfinder, and Stardew Valley, one of the most beloved indie games of all time.

Stardew Valley got a substantial 1.6 update last year, so if you haven’t played it in a while, you’ll be greeted by some new features, including new dialogue, new crafting recipes, hats for pets, and, for some reason, the ability to drink mayonnaise. I don’t know who’s out there saying, “I’d love to play Stardew Valley, but it’s a deal breaker that you can’t drink mayo straight from the jar,” but if that’s you, you’re in luck.

The other two games are nothing to sneeze at either. Psychonauts 2 scored a nine from us when it released back in 2021 and even made its way onto our top ten list from that year. It’s the long awaited sequel to Double Fine’s platformer from 2005, and we did a retrospective on the studio’s history back when it was featured on the cover of Game Informer issue 336. Meanwhile, Viewfinder is a delightful puzzle game from 2023 that reminds me of Portal in the best way – its photographic puzzle solving is incredibly creative game design.

All three games will be available for subscribers on September 2. You can still download August’s games (Lies of P, My Hero One’s Justice 2, and DayZ) until then.

Will you be checking these games out on September 2? Let us know in the comments!



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August 27, 2025 0 comments
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Creator of Stardew Valley doesn't charge for collabs with other games, does it to please players
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Creator of Stardew Valley doesn’t charge for collabs with other games, does it to please players

by admin August 22, 2025


The creator of Stardew Valley – Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone – has revealed he’s never made any money directly from in-game crossovers. Instead, Barone agreed to implement these updates because he’s a fan of the games, or thought players would like them.

Barone shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) soon after the announcement of a crossover event with Infinity Nikki, in which a Junimo can be seen landing in Infinity Nikki. This makes sense, Junimo’s being adorable little spirits that fit quite well within the cute aesthetic of Infinity Nikki, but the collaboration was met with surprise and criticism from some Stardew players.

Stardew Valley crossovers are quite rare! Back in 2022 there was a Terraria crossover, and relatively recently Stardew Valley made an appearance in Balatro. But aside from that, the farming simulator has been happy staying in its own lane.

Check out the crossover trailer for Infinity Nikki x Stardew Valley here!Watch on YouTube

In response to Concerned Ape’s post on the matter, the official Infinity Nikki account shared the team’s view of working on this collaboration. It reads: “We really appreciate you sharing your feelings on this. Any unintended stress was the last thing we wanted. It was our way of saying thanks – a free love letter to Stardew Valley from our team and for the community. Working on it felt like we were all tending a little farm together. The care and detail you pour into your world is exactly why we want to make cosy games too. We’re still learning from you every day.”

Should Barone be making some money off these crossovers? Probably, yeah. Though it is his choice ultimately whether he wants to financially benefit off such endeavors. It’s not as though Stardew Valley has been hurting for sales after all. As of December 2024 it has sold over 41m copies. I should hope Barone isn’t too concerned about the money.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.



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August 22, 2025 0 comments
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Silicon Valley Throws $100M at AI-Powered Mattress With a Subscription

by admin August 21, 2025



In brief

  • Eight Sleep landed a $100M Series D from Founders Fund, Y Combinator, and F1 investors, pushing sales past $500M
  • It’s AI “Sleep Agent” system adjusts temperature and heart rate, but users gripe about leaks, glitches, and black-box data
  • Celebrity fan club includes Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Scarlett Johansson—while Reddit calls it a “glorified water bed”

Eight Sleep, a startup that sells $3,000 AI-powered mattresses with a monthly subscription fee, just raised $100 million in Series D funding, hoping to bolster a relatively novel idea within the consumer discretionary sector.

The round—led by Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Valor Equity Partners, and HSG (formerly Sequoia China)—also drew investments from F1 driver Charles Leclerc and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

The deal pushes the company’s valuation to about $500 million, with more than $500 million in Pod sales reported since launch.



Eight Sleep’s “Pod” system uses water-filled tubes in a mattress cover to adjust bed temperature between 55°F and 110°F (13-43 °C).

Built-in sensors track heart rate, breathing, and heart rate variability, which an AI system called Autopilot uses to tweak the environment in real time.

Prices start at $2,500 for the mattress topper, and climb over $4,000 for the whole system. Then there’s a $17–$25 monthly subscription for “advanced features”—because yes, even your mattress now needs a membership plan.

The company has amassed a high-profile fan base, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Scarlett Johansson swears by it, and biohacker Bryan Johnson, who spends $2M a year on anti-aging, is another user.

“This new funding enables us to accelerate the deployment of AI for sleep optimization, expand into medical applications like menopausal sleep and sleep apnea, and bring our technology to millions of people around the world,” CEO Matteo Franceschetti said in the announcement. The former lawyer, turned sleep obsessive, founded the company in 2014 after struggling with his own sleep issues.

But not all the feedback has been positive. On social media, users have shared stories about glitches that cause the system to stop working entirely, leaving them with an expensive, non-functional bed. Others have reported issues with water leaks and connectivity problems.

Woke up because my AI controlled bed is too cold. Went to adjust temperature and I can’t because the Eight Sleep app is currently broken. Can’t adjust by hand because I have a Pod3, not the upgraded Pod4 with physical controls.

Now I am stuck in a cold bed. This feels dystopian.

— Theo – t3.gg (@theo) June 16, 2025

The system’s AI has been called a “black box” by some users, who complain it does not provide transparent data.

Eight Sleep’s new funding will support the development of what it calls a “Sleep Agent,” an AI that will run thousands of nightly simulations to further refine a user’s rest. The company is also seeking FDA approval for medical applications of its technology, including treating menopausal hot flashes and sleep apnea..

The company says its AI models have processed over 1 billion hours of sleep data. With $100 million in fresh capital, the bet for Eight Sleep remains that its blend of hardware and software will continue to find a decent resting place, no matter the price.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments
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