Google is partnering with the Department of Defense to fight cybercrime (GOOGL, GOOG)

* Google Cloud has landed a deal to help the Department of Defense combat cyber threats worldwide. * The deal will see Google's cloud division provide tools to the DoD's Defense Innovation Unit. * But it could also prove controversial. Google has seen backlash in the past over its military partnerships, and while this deal is unlike Project Maven, it could still prove contentious. * Do you work at Google? Contact this reporter using encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 628-228-1836) or email (hslangley@protonmail.com). * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Google has landed a deal with the Department of Defense to use its Cloud tools to combat cyber threats. In a statement, Google said its cloud tech would be used "to detect, protect against, and respond to cyber threats worldwide," as part of the contract with the DoD's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Google will provide a central control system that will allow the DIU to run its web services and applications across Google Cloud competitors including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. But it could also be a controversial move for Google: The company faced backlash from employees for its last partnership with the Pentagon called Project Maven. It would have used Google's AI and machine learning to analyze drone footage, but was abandoned in 2019 after thousands of Google employees signed a petition protesting the deal. As Google pulled back on its work with the Defense Department, other tech players have got ahead. This new deal comes just a few months after Microsoft secured the $10 billion JEDI cloud deal with the Pentagon. Google was initially racing for that same contract, but pulled out, saying it conflicted with the company's AI principles. Microsoft's win is also currently being challenged by competitor Amazon. While the specific value of the new Google Cloud deal is unknown, Axios says it is in the "seven figures." Earlier this month, it was announced that Josh Marcuse, previously executive director of the Defense Innovation Board, was joining Google as head of strategy and innovation for global public sector. Meanwhile former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has reportedly left the company entirely, but currently serves as chairman of the Department of Defense's Innovation Board. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak
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SpaceX has a 'go' from NASA to return 2 astronauts to Earth on Sunday as Hurricane Isaias threatens several Florida splashdown locations

* NASA on Saturday gave SpaceX a "go" to undock the company's first crewed space mission, called Demo-2, and land it on Sunday evening. * Hurricane Isaias complicated original plans to return two astronauts to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship in the Atlantic Ocean. * Elon Musk's aerospace company may now try to splash down NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in the Gulf of Mexico. * Two out of seven total landing sites near Florida must have good weather conditions, and NASA has until about 5 p.m. ET on Saturday to call off the undocking. * Should the weather worsen, NASA and SpaceX can try again a day later or some other date over the next two months. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have a "go" to return to Earth this weekend and wrap up an historic space mission for both NASA and SpaceX. Behnken and Hurley launched to orbit aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehic...

What an independent contractor actually is and how it's classified under California's Assembly Bill 5, the gig worker law Uber, Lyft, and others are fighting with a November ballot measure

* California's Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) went into effect in January, adopting a narrow definition of independent contractor that forces Uber and other gig economy businesses to choose between reclassifying workers as employees or risking significant liability for misclassification. * The law serves as a reminder to California businesses to be careful when classifying workers as contractors. * Classifying independent contractors falls into two main categories: the "right to control" test (often called the "IRS test") and the tougher "ABC test" recently adopted in AB5. * Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have recently poured $30 million into Proposition 22 — a ballot measure intended to exempt major ridesharing and food delivery companies from AB5. If California residents vote the measure into effect in November, Uber and Lyft can continue classifying drivers as contractors. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In September 2019, Californ...

PayPal parts with top advertising executive after shifting its marketing strategy during the pandemic

* PayPal's chief creative officer Steve Simpson, its top advertising executive, left the company after about a year. * The move came after PayPal shifted its marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, placing less emphasis on the brand and more on catering to small businesses, said a source with direct knowledge of the marketing operation. * Simpson's departure followed that of CMO and former Apple executive Allison Johnson in May. Both "decided to leave PayPal" as the company streamlines its global marketing functions, according to a PayPal spokeswoman. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. PayPal's highest-ranking ad executive Steve Simpson left earlier this month after just over a year as part of a restructuring of its global marketing business. Simpson, who was chief creative officer, was hired to make high-minded ad campaigns to help PayPal stand out from competitors like Square, Stripe, and Apple Pay. But this strategy chan...

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