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1.	Disney and DirecTV Reach Tentative Deal to End Blackout By Martin Peers Source: The Information

Walt Disney Co. reached a tentative agreement with satellite TV operator DirecTV that will allow Disney's TV channels to be restored to DirecTV's lineup, the companies announced on Saturday morning. The agreement had blacked out Disney's ESPN during the US Open.

Under the "agreement in principle," DirecTV will pay "market-based terms" to carry Disney's TV networks and will get Disney's streaming services such as Hulu and Disney+ included in certain DirecTV packages "under a wholesale agreement," the companies said. That implies DirecTV will pay a cut rate per subscriber for the streaming services.

DirecTV will also get the right to distribute Disney's upcoming ESPN streaming service at no extra cost to its customers. DirecTV has a streaming service in addition to its satellite offering. The deal is the latest example of agreements between cable or satellite operators and TV companies that attempt to balance the need to expand streaming offerings without undercutting the older and still-lucrative cable channel businesses.

2.	Insight Partners Raises $10 Billion for Latest Fund By Laura Mandaro Source: The Information

Insight Partners has $10 billion in commitments from its investors for its latest fund to back private tech startups, according to a person briefed on its plans. While that's half the $20 billion it had originally targeted at the tail end of the 2021-2022 bull market, it's still a massive fund reflecting renewed investor appetite for the sector.

The New York investment firm, originally known for its private equity investments, raised increasingly huge funds to back hundreds of tech startups, with a particular focus on enterprise software and more mature companies. After tech stocks crashed, shutting the market for initial public offerings, it lowered its ambitions for its latest flagship fund to $12.5 billion to $15 billion.

It's also planning to buy about $1 billion in shares from its limited partners as part of its third continuation fund, according to the Financial Times, which first reported on the flagship fund raise. Insight is one of several VC firms that are using alternatives to public listings to return cash to their backers. The latest continuation fund holds shares of cybersecurity software firm Wiz, the FT said.

In recent months, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital and Index Ventures have also announced multi-billion funds. General Catalyst is in the processing of raising about $6 billion across several funds.

3.	White House Says It Will Crack Down on Trade Provision Used by Shein, Temu By Ann Gehan Source: The Information

The Biden administration said Friday it would move to significantly limit a trade provision used  by e-commerce companies like Temu and Shein, as part of an effort to crack down on illegal and unsafe goods entering the U.S.

The provision, known as de minimis, allows individuals to import up to $800 worth of goods each day tax-free. Shein and Temu have used this provision to ship items directly from manufacturers, typically in China, to shoppers in the U.S. without paying tariffs. As the sites have grown in popularity, the number of overall de minimis shipments has exploded—customs officials say the U.S. is on pace for roughly 1.5 billion de minimis shipments this year, compared to about 500 million in 2019.

The proposed changes would exclude most shipments of apparel and textiles from China from using the de minimis exemption, which could significantly increase costs for both retailers and shoppers. Both Shein and Temu have said previously that they do not rely on de minimis to make money. The White House also called on Congress to pass legislation with changes to de minimis, an effort lawmakers from both parties have attempted in recent months but have not yet been able to reach a consensus on.

4.	Alphabet's Waymo Expands Uber Partnership to Atlanta, Austin By Anita Ramaswamy Source: The Information

Alphabet's self-driving car business, Waymo, is expanding its robotaxi ride-hailing partnership with Uber to people in Atlanta and Austin next year. The two companies already operate a similar partnership in Phoenix, although in that city, Waymo also operates its robotaxi service through its own app. In the two new cities, Waymo won't offer service through its own app.

In San Francisco and Los Angeles, passengers can only request Waymo rides through Waymo's own app. Waymo has no plans to partner with Uber in either of those cities, a spokesperson told CNBC.

Uber, for its part, inked similar deals last month with robotaxi companies including General Motors subsidiary, Cruise, and London-based startup Wayve, although neither have been launched to riders yet.

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