Philly weekly roundup: Election deepfakes legislation; Pitch at PACT; Carisma Therapeutics merger

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This week in Philly, an interactive map to find local donation sites, school robotics is struggling and more.

Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

• Philadelphia recently ranked in the top 15 startup ecosystems in the world, proving the success of the region’s tech coalition building. But, Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink wonders, why are people hesitant to acknowledge the win? [Technical.ly]

• New Jersey’s Transportation Needs Index provides data visualization about the state’s transit infrastructure. The tool helps leaders see where more investments need to be made. [Technical.ly]

• The Pennsylvania House approved a bill that bans the use of generative AI for deepfakes that would misrepresent election candidates. [PA House]

• Are you planning to raise capital in the near future? Apply to pitch at PACT’s annual Mid-Atlantic Capital Conference this fall. The deadline is July 31. [PACT]

•  The Shapiro Administration announced six new electric vehicle charging stations across the commonwealth, funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]

• Medtech startup Vesteck is developing a type of endosuture called Suture-Tight to reinforce repairs on aortic aneurysms. Read all about it and 16 other startups we’ve profiled this year. [Technical.ly/Technical.ly]

• Amazon plans to invest $20 billion in tech jobs and infrastructure in Pennsylvania, including two data centers. However, critics say there are drawbacks to this plan, including the amount of energy the data centers will use and a tax exemption for the tech giant. [Technical.ly/Spotlight PA]

• Penn Spinout Carisma Therapeutics entered a merger agreement with OrthoCellix. This deal comes shortly after the company laid off most of its staff earlier this year.  [Philly Biz Journal]

• Tech education org Hopeworks selected five honorees to recognize for their contributions to the program as part of its 25th anniversary celebration this fall. [LinkedIn]

• Small business resource org the Enterprise Center is shifting its strategy away from accelerators and incubators to focus on helping founders find capital. [Philly Biz Journal]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• DC215 is hosting its next open house meetup on July 4. [More info]

• If you like drones and food, join DC215 for its hacker BBQ potluck on July 5. [Details]

• Vote to choose the winner at Founders Live Philadelphia, a national pitch competition that will be in the city on July 8. [Register]

• Mark your calendars for Code for Philly’s July hack night. Join the civic tech group in person at Indy Hall on July 8. [Register]