CATEGORIES

FRANCE DEPLOYS $8.8 BILLION TO RESCUE AILING CAR INDUSTRY

France’s government is injecting more than 8 billion euros ($8.8 billion) to save the country’s car industry from huge losses wrought by virus lockdowns, and wants to use the crisis to make France the No. 1 producer of electric vehicles in Europe.

41 MILLION JOBS LOST; HOMEBOUND GEAR UP TO GET OUT, WAY OUT

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments related to the national and global response, the workplace, and the spread of the virus.

IN PANDEMIC, USING DRONES TO DROP MEDICAL SUPPLIES FROM SKY

With a loud whir and a whoosh, a fixed-wing drone slingshots out of a medical warehouse, zips through hazy skies at 80 mph, pops open a belly hatch, and drops a box of medical supplies. Slowed by a little parachute, the box drifts downward and lands with a plop, less than 8 minutes after launch.

BRANSON'S VIRGIN ORBIT FAILS ON FIRST ROCKET LAUNCH ATTEMPT

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit failed Monday in its first test launch of a new rocket carried aloft by a Boeing 747 and released over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California.

ORDERS FOR US BIG-TICKET FACTORY GOODS DROP 17.2% IN APRIL

U.S. orders for big-ticket factory goods plunged for the second straight month in April as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy.

PANDEMIC A BOON FOR THE BICYCLE AS THOUSANDS SNAP THEM UP

Joel Johnson hadn’t owned a bicycle since he was 15, but the pandemic changed all that.

PATRONS UNDER PLASTIC: RESTAURANTS GET CREATIVE IN VIRUS ERA

Dining at a table where each person is enclosed by a clear plastic shield might look and sound futuristic, but it could be one way for some restaurants to reopen. It also might help out if your companion orders escargots, heavy on the garlic.

VANISHING JOBS FOR YOUNG COULD CREATE ‘LOCK-DOWN GENERATION'

Bashar Ali Naim used to work in a perfume and accessories store in Baghdad, earning $480 per week on average. About three months ago, the coronavirus outbreak swept into Iraq, and the 28-year-old father of two has been out of work ever since.

WORRY, HASTE, RETAIL THERAPY: WHAT HAVE WE BOUGHT AND WHY?

Between technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy, and sheer amnesia, something has happened to shopping during the pandemic that can be summed up thusly: rubber chickens.

Airbnb Laying Off 1,900 Employees Due To Travel Decline

Airbnb says it is laying off 25% of its workforce as it confronts a steep decline in global travel due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

Beaches, Nightclubs? Europe Mulls How To Get Tourists Back

The Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa is known for its boisterous parties. Each summer, thousands of young foreign tourists pack the dance floors of its nightlife district after a day at the beach.

AstraZeneca Secures Orders For Virus Vaccine Under Testing

Drug maker AstraZeneca said Thursday it had secured its first agreements for 400 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine it is testing, bolstered by an investment from the U.S. vaccine agency.

AT&T To Drop Misleading ‘5G' Marketing For Non-5G Networks

AT&T says it will stop advertising its wireless network as “5G Evolution” after a division of the Better Business Bureau determined that its language was misleading. The network AT&T branded this way is not, in fact, 5G — a new technology for fast wireless data.

Q&A: SAFETY A BIG CONCERN AS WORKERS RETURN TO THEIR JOBS

With more businesses across the country easing back to life, the new challenge will be how to keep workers safe during the pandemic.

POMP AND MASKS: GRADUATIONS DRAW THOUSANDS DESPITE PANDEMIC

High schools nationwide have canceled or postponed traditional graduation ceremonies to avoid worsening the spread of the new coronavirus, but some plunged ahead with fullfledged springtime commencement exercises as usual, with tweaks to account for health concerns.

TECHNOLOGY GAP CAUSES DIFFICULTIES FOR RURAL ALASKA STUDENTS

Some rural Alaska students participating in distance learning because of the coronavirus are experiencing difficulties caused by technology limitations.

SURVEY SHOWS EFFECT OF VIRUS ON FOOD SCARCITY, RENT PAYMENTS

More than 10% of U.S. households in a survey last week said they could not get enough of the food they needed some of the time or often, and almost a quarter of respondents said they will have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage or will defer payments, according to survey results released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

PRIVACY GROUPS: TIKTOK APP VIOLATING CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Privacy watchdogs say that the popular TikTok video app is violating a children’s privacy law and putting kids at risk.

LAWMAKERS: FAA CERTIFICATION OF NEW PLANES NEEDS AN OVERHAUL

The Federal Aviation Administration outlined steps to change how it approves new passenger planes, but lawmakers said they will push ahead with legislation to change the current system that lets aircraft makers including Boeing play a key role in the certification process.

Travel Crushed By Virus; Mortgage Availability Worsens

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unrecedented speed. Following are developments related to national and global response, the workplace and the spread of the virus.

SPACE AGENCY: HUMAN URINE COULD HELP MAKE CONCRETE ON MOON

The European Space Agency said that human urine could one day become a useful ingredient in making concrete to build on the moon.

TWITTER TO LABEL DISPUTED COVID-19 TWEETS

Twitter announced it will start alerting users when a tweet makes disputed or misleading claims about the coronavirus.

STUDY: WECHAT CONTENT OUTSIDE CHINA USED FOR CENSORSHIP

Documents and images shared by users outside China on WeChat, the country’s most popular social media platform, are being monitored and cataloged for use in political censorship in China, a new report says.

GOOGLE AFFILIATE SCRAPS PLAN FOR TORONTO SMART CITY PROJECT

Google abandoned its smart-city development in Toronto after more than two years of controversy over privacy concerns and amid economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

DUBAI AIRPORT CEO: GLOBAL TRAVEL STILL UP IN AIR OVER VIRUS

The CEO of the world’s busiest airport for international travel wants to get the globe flying again, but even he acknowledges everything remains up in the air during the coronavirus pandemic.

HOSPITALS TURN TO ONLINE MATCHMAKERS TO SWAP SUPPLIES

Facing shortages of protective equipment, two New England hospital systems tried the latest twist in internet matchmaking: online swap meets.

BOEING GOES ANOTHER MONTH WITHOUT A SINGLE AIRLINER ORDER

Boeing failed to sell a single commercial airplane but saw orders for 108 planes canceled in April as a sharp drop in air travel erased any demand among airlines for new jetliners.

Zoom Buys Security Firm Keybase

Zoom Video Communications is buying security firm Keybase in an effort to shore up security for its video meetings.

‘U Ok?' Virus-Era Friendships Can Be Both Crucial & Fraught

A single mother hunkering down at home with a teenage daughter, Sharon Litwin sees her friends, like most people these days, only virtually. Even so, they’ve been a crucial lifeline.

FILM FESTIVALS TEAM UP TO OFFER FREE GLOBAL FEST ON YOUTUBE

Film festivals worldwide are teaming up to launch “We Are One: A Global Film Festival,” which will play out over 10 days and be available for free on YouTube.