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Here Comes COVID-19 Tracking Apps and Privacy Compensations
Many governments eager to reopen their partnerships are starting to bet on smartphone apps to help stop the coronavirus pandemic. But his decisions about which technologies to use highlight some awkward tradeoffs between privacy protection and public health. Early applications of this type collect user data and sometimes their location history to warn people of possible exposure to COVID-19. Such information could help authorities detect new outbreak hot spots, but could also be abused by police or immigration officers. Rather, Apple and Google are offering new software designed to support applications that will directly alert people to exposure, an increasingly popular approach in Europe.
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As the United States piles up debt to help the economy, even regular critics applaud
WASHINGTON (AP) – The US government. USA It has opened spigots and released nearly $ 3 trillion to try to rescue the economy from the coronavirus outbreak, a river of debt that would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. And yet the response, even from people who built careers as skeptics of the federal debt, speaks to the severity of the crisis: hardly anyone has blinked. Not yet, anyway. With the United States economy in a terrifying freefall, they say, the government has no choice but to invest billions in an emergency rescue operation. Doing less would risk catastrophe, a recession that could turn into a full-blown depression.
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Production stops reduce meat supplies in stores.
NEW YORK (AP) – US meat supplies USA They are declining due to production cuts related to the coronavirus. As a result, some stores like Costco and restaurants like Wendy’s are limiting sales. Beef and pork processing capacity in the United States is down 40% from last year. On Monday night, nearly 20% of Americans Wendy’s had no meat available on their online menus, according to an analysis by Stephens, an investment bank. Wendy’s confirms that it is seeing a temporary shortage. Meat production plants are gradually reopening. Meanwhile, some alternative meat companies like Impossible Foods hope to fill the gap.
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Texas eases underground oil storage rules, raising concern
NEW YORK (AP) – Texas regulators are relaxing rules about where companies can store oil underground. That raises great concern among environmentalists about possible groundwater contamination and other hazards. Members of the Texas Railroad Commission voted Tuesday to allow companies to store liquid hydrocarbons underground in places other than salt caves, which are considered better at preventing leaks than other geological formations. The change aimed to help oil producers whose wells are spewing far more oil than the world can use after the coronavirus pandemic destroyed global demand for jet fuel and gasoline.
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Detroit automakers push to restart plants within 2 weeks
DETROIT (AP) – Top US automakers USA They plan to reopen factories in North America in two weeks, which could put thousands of workers back on the assembly line as part of a gradual return to normality. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley said Tuesday that his company plans to start reopening factories on May 18, but that requires a reduction in government restrictions. For now, the Michigan home shelter order remains in effect until May 15. Detroit automakers will likely be on the same schedule because their workers are represented by the same union. The United Auto Workers union on Tuesday appeared to be on board.
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Disney profits sink amid closed parks, movies, and sports
NEW YORK (AP) – Disney reported a sharp decline in profits as many segments of its media and entertainment offerings stagnated during the coronavirus pandemic. Its second quarter profit fell 91% to $ 475 million. Overall, the company said COVID-19-related costs reduced Disney’s pre-tax profit by $ 1.4 billion. A bright spot was its Disney Plus streaming service, which contributed to a nearly $ 3 billion revenue increase for direct-to-consumer and international businesses. Overall revenue rose 21 percent to $ 18.01 billion, just below the $ 18.06 billion analysts had expected.
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America’s trade gap widens to $ 44.4 trillion as virus blocks trade
WASHINGTON (AP) – The US trade deficit widened in March when the coronavirus outbreak affected US trade with the world. The gap between what the United States sells and what it buys abroad increased 11.6% in March to $ 44.4 billion from $ 39.8 billion in February. US exports fell 9.6% to $ 187.7 billion, and imports fell 6.2% to $ 232.2 billion. .
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Coronavirus cuts “deep scars” through meatpacking cities
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The coronavirus is devastating the nation’s meatpacking communities, places like Waterloo and Sioux City in Iowa, Grand Island, Nebraska, and Worthington, Minnesota. In a few weeks, outbreaks around slaughterhouses have turned into large-scale disasters. The virus is killing, making sick and scaring workers and devastating their extended families.
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NEW YORK (AP) – Shares closed higher on Wall Street, but gave up nearly half of their initial gains in a late-afternoon selling episode. The S&P 500 rose 0.9% on Tuesday after rising 2% earlier. Foreign markets also increased as more countries relaxed business restrictions and housewife orders, raising hopes for a recovery from the historic downturn that is sweeping the global economy. Crude oil closed strongly higher, continuing its mini rally after falling to record lows late last month.
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The S&P 500 Index gained 25.70 points, or 0.9%, at 2,868.44. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 133.33 points, or 0.6%, to 23,883.09. The Nasdaq rose 98.41 points, or 1.1%, to 8,809.12. Shares of smaller companies on the Russell 2000 index rose 9.54 points, or 0.8%, to 1,273.51.
