CATEGORIES

A YEAR IN 60 SECS: TIKTOK LISTS TOP VIDEOS, CREATORS OF 2020

From skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac to learning Cardi B’s rump-shaking choreography, TikTok users got creative in a pandemic year with new songs, dances, and memes in 60 seconds or less.

A Punk Drummer's Life Upendended In 'Sound of Metal'

The film “Sound of Metal” starts with the uncomfortably loud noises of guitar feedback and ends two hours later with absolute silence. The trip through those extremes is a worthy one, if sometimes exasperating.

HOSPITALS CAN CARE FOR MEDICARE PATIENTS AT HOME IN PANDEMIC

Hospitals will be allowed to care for Medicare patients in their own homes during the pandemic under a government program announced Wednesday to help hospitals deal with the latest surge.

PENGUIN TO BUY SIMON & SCHUSTER, CREATE PUBLISHING GIANT

German media giant Bertelsmann said that its Penguin Random House division is buying rival Simon & Schuster in a megadeal that would reshape the U.S. publishing industry.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DENIES PLANNED MINE NEAR ALASKA FISHERY

The Trump administration on Wednesday effectively killed a contentious proposed mine in Alaska, a gold and copper prospect once envisioned to be nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon and could produce enough waste to fill an NFL stadium nearly 3,900 times — all near the headwaters of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.

THE PANDEMIC IS CHANGING HOLLYWOOD, MAYBE FOREVER

“No New ‘Movies’ Till Influenza Ends” blared a New York Times headline on Oct. 10, 1918, while the deadly second wave of the Spanish Flu was unfolding.

GOOGLE FACES UK SCRUTINY OVER NEW ADVERTISING DATA REVAMP

Google faces fresh regulatory scrutiny in Britain over plans to revamp its ad data system, after an industry lobbying group complained to the competition watchdog that the changes would cement the U.S. tech giant’s online dominance.

TWEET ON SPARE CHANGE GENERATES BIG MONEY FOR VIRUS AID

Andy Larsen is a sports writer, but with so many games scratched during the pandemic he has spent a lot of time digging into coronavirus data and its sobering implications.

EUROPEAN REGULATOR MOVES TO CLEAR BOEING 737 FOR FLIGHT

European regulators took a step closer to letting the Boeing 737 Max fly again, publishing a proposed airworthiness directive that could see the aircraft cleared within weeks after being grounded for nearly two years over deadly crashes.

CHINA DEMANDS INDIA RESCIND APP BAN AMID BORDER TENSION

China on Wednesday demanded India rescind a ban on more Chinese mobile phone apps amid tension between Beijing and other governments over technology and security.

EUROPE SIGNS $102M DEAL TO BRING SPACE TRASH HOME

The European Space Agency says it is signing a 86 million-euro ($102 million) contract with a Swiss start-up company to bring a large piece of orbital trash back to Earth.

Empty Desks: Coronavirus Robs US Classrooms Of Teachers

In July, fourth-grade teacher Susanne Michael was ecstatic as she celebrated the adoption of a former student from a troubled home and two of the girl’s brothers. For the festivities, Michael dressed them and her other children in matching T-shirts that read “Gotcha FOREVER.”

Apple To Cut App Stor Fees as Legal Scrutiny Intensifies

Apple will cut its app store commissions in half for most developers beginning next year amid an intensifying debate about whether the iPhone maker has been using the fees to unfairly fatten its profits and stifle rivals competing against its own music, video, and other subscription services.

SPACEX CAPSULE WITH 4 ASTRONAUTS REACHES SPACE STATION

SpaceX’s newly launched capsule with four astronauts arrived Monday at the International Space Station, their new home until spring.

SORRY, GRINCH. VIRUS WON'T STOP NORAD FROM TRACKING SANTA

Children of the world can rest easy. The global pandemic won’t stop them from tracking Santa Claus’ progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve.

EU AUDITORS: ANTITRUST PROBES TOO SLOW TO CURB TECH GIANTS

The EU’s efforts to rein in the power of big tech companies such as Google and Facebook through antitrust investigations have taken too long, dulling their effectiveness, a report said Thursday.

PFIZER: COVID-19 SHOT 95% EFFECTIVE, SEEKING CLEARANCE SOON

Pfizer said this week that new test results show its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, is safe and also protects older people most at risk of dying — the last data needed to seek emergency use of limited shot supplies as the catastrophic outbreak worsens across the globe.

MAZDA NO. 1 IN CONSUMER REPORTS 2020 AUTO RELIABILITY SURVEY

Mazda beat traditional winners Lexus and Toyota to win top honors as the most dependable auto brand in Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey.

HUAWEI SELLING HONOR PHONE BRAND IN FACE OF US SANCTIONS

Chinese tech giant Huawei is selling its budget-price Honor smartphone brand in an effort to rescue the struggling business from damaging U.S. sanctions imposed on its parent company.

TIKTOK ASKS COURT TO INTERVENE AS TRUMP ORDER LOOMS

The popular video-sharing app TikTok, its future in limbo since President Donald Trump tried to shut it down earlier this fall, is asking a federal court to intervene.

US NUCLEAR LAB PARTNERING WITH UTILITY TO PRODUCE HYDROGEN

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded just under $14 million for an attempt to build a hydrogen-energy production facility at a nuclear power plant in Minnesota with the help of a nuclear research lab in Idaho.

ONLINE SHOPPING SURGE COULD LEAD TO HOLIDAY DELIVERY DELAYS

Retailers and carriers are preparing for an online holiday shopping surge that could tax shipping networks and lead to delivery delays.

COLDER MONTHS CAN BE PERFECT TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH GARDENS

The coronavirus has led more people to spend time outdoors, and many find themselves walking the same paths and gazing at the same trees or shrubs day after day.

WALMART TEAMS WITH GM TO TEST AUTONOMOUS DELIVERIES

Walmart is teaming up with the General Motors’ autonomous vehicle unit to test driverless delivery in Arizona.

NEW BMW HAS CLASSIC GRILLE BUT FOR SENSORS, NOT AIRFLOW

German luxury automaker BMW on Wednesday gave an early look at a new battery-driven SUV that illustrates the company’s future plans for electric-powered driving.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS REJECT REVAMP TO PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM

California voters rejected a proposal to partially dismantle the state’s 42-year-old cap on property taxes, a move that would have raised taxes for many businesses in a pandemic-hobbled economy.

NEW DEVICE PUTS MUSIC IN YOUR HEAD — NO HEADPHONES REQUIRED

Imagine a world where you move around in your own personal sound bubble.

APART BUT TOGETHER: TIPS FOR A COZIER ZOOM THANKSGIVING

We all know Thanksgiving is going to look different this year.

AIRLINE ALLIANCES URGE TESTING OVER QUARANTINES

Three global airline alliances are urging governments to put into practice common guidelines for passenger testing and digital health pass technology, to help people start flying again.

Alibaba Revenue Up 30% as Virus Drives Demand for E-Commerce

China’s biggest e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday reported a 30% jump in quarterly revenue, as China recovers from the virus and online shopping demand remains high.