Technology

News Brief: Vaccine Vote, Lawsuits Against Facebook, Relief Aid Debate

5:37am December 10, 2020

The FDA will vote on whether to clear Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Two lawsuits question how Facebook got so big. Plus, lawmakers on Capitol Hill debate a COVID-19 relief package.

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing in 2019.

48 AGs, FTC Sue Facebook, Alleging Illegal Power Grabs To 'Neutralize' Rivals

10:02pm December 09, 2020

The state and federal officials say Facebook's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram violated competition laws and served to stifle rivals by giving the social network an unfair advantage.

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday apologized to the company in the aftermath of the dismissal of a prominent Black artificial intelligence researcher.

National

Google CEO Apologizes, Vows To Restore Trust After Black Scientist's Ouster

8:55pm December 09, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

Sundar Pichai addressed employees in an internal email after thousands of them publicly criticized the tech giant for pushing out a top artificial intelligence researcher.

National

Uber Sells Its Autonomous Vehicle Research Division

5:52pm December 08, 2020

by Camila Domonoske

Uber has sold its autonomous vehicle research division to a startup named Aurora. It's a major shift for a company that once saw self-driving technology as a core investment for its future.

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Former cybersecurity chief Christopher Krebs says he was defamed by the Trump campaign and attorney Joseph diGenova.

Politics & Government

Former Cybersecurity Chief Sues Trump Campaign and Others, Charging Defamation

4:04pm December 08, 2020

by Brian Naylor

Christopher Krebs argues critics' public statements amounted to calling him a "traitor" for stating the 2020 presidential election was "the most secure in American history."

Detroit election workers count absentee ballots for the 2020 general election at TCF Center on Nov. 4. Election offices around the U.S. say they couldn't have carried out this year's challenging election without help from a nonprofit tied to Facebook CEO

How Private Money From Facebook's CEO Saved The 2020 Election

3:41pm December 08, 2020

After Congress failed to aid local election offices, a nonprofit backed by Mark Zuckerberg gave $350 million in crucial funds that helped the presidential election run surprisingly smoothly.

A federal judge in Washington has fully blocked the prohibitions the Trump administration sought to enact against the hugely popular video-sharing app.

U.S. Judge Halts Trump's TikTok Ban, The 2nd Court To Fully Block The Action

8:44pm December 07, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

A federal judge in Washington found that the administration's proposed ban was "arbitrary and capricious" and the president overstepped his authority in using emergency economic powers.

IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives by Chris Stedman

Books
Arts

'IRL' Author Says It's OK That We're Spending So Much Of Our Lives Online

1:14pm December 07, 2020

In a new book, Chris Stedman asks what it means to be real in a time when humans are interacting in digital spaces more than ever.

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Tyler Skluzacek (right) helped develop a smartwatch app to help disrupt his father Patrick's nightmares. The app recently won approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

He Designed A Smartwatch App To Help Stop His Dad's Nightmares

1:47pm December 06, 2020

by Martha Ann Overland

Patrick Skluzacek suffered from PTSD-related nightmares, which were ruining his life. His son, Tyler, created a smartwatch application to disrupt them. The app recently won FDA approval.

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Science

Researcher Cites Uptick In COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation

4:56pm December 05, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Claire Wardle, U.S. director of the non-profit First Draft News, about online misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.