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1. Boeing CEO out following 737 Max fiasco, will be replaced by current board chairman
Boeing’s CEO Dennis A. Muilenburg is CEO no longer, the company announced today. Effective January 13, 2020, current Board Chairman David L. Calhoun takes over the top executive officer spot at the aerospace company, and becomes president, as well.
This isn’t exactly a surprising decision: Boeing’s year has been marked primarily by its handling of the 737 Max issues it faced, which stemmed from aircraft failures that resulted in crashes and the deaths of passengers.
2. Tesla lands $1.4B from Chinese banks to build out its Shanghai gigafactory
Tesla has reportedly secured over $1.4 billion in financing in the form of loans from multiple Chinese banks in order to help fund the construction of its new gigafactory in Shanghai. First Reuters and now Bloomberg reported the funding, with an official announcement supposedly scheduled for sometime this week.
3. TikTok’s national security scrutiny tightens as U.S. Navy reportedly bans popular social app
According to a notice published by the U.S. Navy this past week, TikTok will no longer be allowed to be installed on service members’ devices, or they may face expulsion from the military service’s intranet. This is just the latest example of the challenges facing the extremely popular app.
4. Whatever happened to the Next Big Things?
So what’s next? Jon Evans runs through some candidates for Next Big Thing and wonders whether something has to be next at all.
5. India’s HomeLane raises $30M to expand its one-stop shop for interior design
HomeLane helps property owners furnish and install fixtures in their new apartments and houses. The company has established 16 experience centers in seven Indian cities so that consumers can touch and see materials and furniture.
6. 2019’s 10 defining moments in venture capital
These last 12 months have been replete with scandals, new and interesting upstarts, fallen CEOs and big fundraises. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
7. This week’s TechCrunch podcasts
On the latest episode of Equity, Alex and Kate discuss some new venture funds. And on Original Content, we review Netflix’s “Marriage Story,” as well as the latest Star Wars movie “The Rise of Skywalker.”
