SENATE PASSES BILL TO BOOST US TECH INDUSTRY, COUNTER RIVALS

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill that aims to boost U.S. semiconductor production and the development of artificial intelligence and other technology in the face of growing international competition, most notably from China.

GLOBAL WAR ON RANSOMWARE? HURDLES HINDER THE US RESPONSE

Foreign keyboard criminals with scant fear of repercussions have paralyzed U.S. schools and hospitals, leaked highly sensitive police files, triggered fuel shortages, and, most recently, threatened global food supply chains.

SCIENTISTS HAIL GOLDEN AGE TO TRACE BIRD MIGRATION WITH TECH

A plump robin wearing a tiny metal backpack with antenna hops around a suburban yard in Takoma Park then plucks a cicada from the ground for a snack.

GERMANY STARTS ROLLING OUT A DIGITAL EU VACCINATION PASS

Germany on Thursday started rolling out a digital vaccination pass that can be used across Europe as the continent gets ready for the key summer travel season.

STARTUP LORDSTOWN MOTORS WARNS IT MAY NOT STAY IN BUSINESS

Startup commercial electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors says it may not be in business a year from now as it tries to secure funding to start full production of an electric pickup truck.

OWN AN ECHO? AMAZON MAY BE HELPING ITSELF TO YOUR BANDWIDTH

Do you own an Amazon smart device? If so, odds are good that the company is already sharing your internet connection with your neighbors unless you’ve specifically told it not to.

FERRARI TAPS EUROPEAN CHIP-MAKER EXECUTIVE AS NEW CEO

Luxury sports carmaker Ferrari has tapped Benedetto Vigna, an Italian executive at Europe’s largest semiconductor chipmaker, as its new CEO, the company announced this week.

EYING DEAL, GM SOFTENS ON TOUGH STANDARDS FOR CAR POLLUTION

The nation’s largest automaker said Wednesday it can support greenhouse gas emissions limits that other car manufacturers negotiated with California — if they are achieved mostly by promoting sales of fully electric vehicles.

CHINA SAYS US REVOKING OF CHINA APPS BAN A ‘POSITIVE STEP'

China’s Ministry of Commerce said that a U.S. move to revoke the Trump administration’s executive orders intended to ban apps like TikTok and WeChat was a “positive step,” amid strained relations between the two countries.

JAPAN'S VACCINE PUSH AHEAD OF OLYMPICS LOOKS TO BE TOO LATE

It may be too little, too late.

IN POST-PANDEMIC EUROPE, MIGRANTS WILL FACE DIGITAL FORTRESS

As the world begins to travel again, Europe is sending migrants a loud message: Stay away!

SUPREME COURT LIMITS PROSECUTORS' USE OF ANTI-HACKING LAW

The Supreme Court limited prosecutors’ ability to use an anti-hacking law to charge people with computer crimes.

SHOPPERS GO BACK TO STORES, BUT RETAILERS FACE CHALLENGES

Americans are going back to one of their favorite pastimes: store shopping.

GOV'T USE OF CHINESE DRONES IN LIMBO AS CONGRESS WEIGHS BAN

More than a year after the U.S. Interior Department grounded hundreds of Chinese-made drones it was using to track wildfires and monitor dams, volcanoes and wildlife, it’s starting to look like they won’t be flying again any time soon — if ever.

TWITTER STARTS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE IN CANADA, AUSTRALIA

Twitter is rolling out a subscription service, starting in Canada and Australia, that offers perks like an undo button for subscribers.

TECH CALMS DOWN, BUT STILL STRONG AS THE WORLD GOES DIGITAL

Technology company stocks are in rest mode this year, but what may seem like weakness as the economy recovers is really just dormancy.

IN VISIONS OF POST-PANDEMIC LIFE, ROARING '20S BECKON AGAIN

History repeats itself. But do decades duplicate?

EU PLANS DIGITAL ID WALLET FOR BLOC'S POST-PANDEMIC LIFE

The European Union unveiled plans for a digital ID wallet that residents could use to access services across the 27-nation bloc, part of a post-pandemic recovery strategy that involves accelerating the shift to an online world.

EU GIVES TIKTOK A MONTH TO RESPOND TO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

The European Commission said it has given the Chinese-owned video app TikTok one month to answer complaints from a European consumer group over its commercial practices.

DAIMLER TRUCK TO SHIFT SPENDING TO BATTERY, HYDROGEN RIGS

Daimler’s truck and bus division says it plans to shift most of its vehicle development resources to zero-emission vehicles by 2025 and predicts that battery and hydrogen-powered trucks could be competitive with diesels on cost later this decade.

HOW VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL WILL WORK

Boarding pass, suitcase, passport and ... digital vaccination certificate?

RUSSIAN TO BE DEPORTED AFTER FAILED TESLA RANSOMWARE PLOT

A Russian man was sentenced to what amounted to time already served and will be deported after pleading guilty to trying to pay a Tesla employee $500,000 to install computer malware at the company’s Nevada electric battery plant in a bid to steal company secrets for ransom.

NBC HOPES FOR MORE INDYCAR AS CONTRACT COMES TO AN END

NBC Sports heads into its third Indianapolis 500 not ready to wave the checkered flag on its partnership with Roger Penske’s open-wheel racing series.

EUROPEAN PRIVACY GROUPS CHALLENGE FACIAL SCAN FIRM CLEARVIEW

Privacy campaign groups filed legal complaints Thursday with European regulators against Clearview AI, alleging the facial recognition technology it provides to law enforcement agencies and businesses breaches stringent European Union privacy rules.

WHATSAPP SUES INDIAN GOVERNMENT OVER NEW INTERNET RULES

The messaging app WhatsApp has sued the Indian government seeking to defend its users’ privacy and stop new rules that would require it to make messages “traceable” to external parties.

OPRAH, PRINCE HARRY HOST DISCUSSION WITH GAGA, GLENN CLOSE

Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry are continuing their mental health series with a virtual town hall featuring Lady Gaga, Glenn Close and others.

FLORIDA LAW SEEKS TO REIN IN LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act exempts websites from being sued for removing content deemed to be “obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable” as long as the companies are acting in “good faith.”

EU BEEFS UP DISINFORMATION CODE TO PREVENT DIGITAL AD PROFIT

European Union officials unveiled plans to beef up the bloc’s code of practice on online disinformation, with the aim of preventing digital ad companies from profiting off of “fake news.”

GM'S NEWEST VEHICLE: OFF-ROAD, SELF-DRIVING ROVER FOR MOON

General Motors is teaming up with Lockheed Martin to produce the ultimate off-road, self-driving, electric vehicles — for the moon.

BEST BUY RAISES 2021 COMPARABLE STORE SALES EXPECTATIONS

Three months after saying that comparable-store sales may actually fall in 2021, Best Buy on Thursday released a much more optimistic outlook after reporting booming sales in the first quarter.