WASHINGTON—The Senate appeared poised to pass legislation aimed at helping the U.S. maintain its lead in technology amid rising competition from China and other nations. The Senate bill—which has emerged as one of the few big bipartisan legislative efforts so far this year—began moving toward final passage after a 68-30 vote to proceed Thursday afternoon. […]
Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG 0.38% Google is nearing a settlement of an antitrust case in France alleging the company has abused its power in online advertising, and is likely to pay a fine and make operational changes, people familiar with the matter said. The French case is one of the most advanced in the world looking […]
Facebook Inc. FB -1.21% has ended its ban on posts asserting Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured, a policy shift that reflects a deepening debate over the origins of the pandemic that was first identified in Wuhan, China, almost 18 months ago. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that three researchers from China’s Wuhan Institute of […]
Nearly two years ago, SoftBank Group Corp. 9984 3.66% sought to part ways with WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann when it bailed out the shared-office company. It hasn’t been an easy divorce. Securities filings from earlier this month show WeWork in February gave Mr. Neumann an enhanced stock award worth roughly $245 million, a benefit that […]
Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.22% said it has agreed to acquire the Hollywood studio MGM in a deal that the e-commerce company is betting can jump-start its Prime Video streaming platform and position it to compete with industry heavyweights including Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. The purchase, which was unveiled Wednesday morning, has an equity […]
Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG 0.38% Google and national hospital chain HCA Healthcare Inc. HCA 0.51% have struck a deal to develop healthcare algorithms using patient records, the latest foray by a tech giant into the $3 trillion healthcare sector. HCA, which operates across about 2,000 locations in 21 states, would consolidate and store with Google data […]
Ford Motor Co. shares rose to their highest level in nearly five years, after the auto maker outlined a tech-centric strategy to electrify much of its vehicle lineup and sharply grow its commercial truck and van business. Ford said it plans to boost spending on electric-vehicle development to $30 billion by 2025, roughly one-third more […]
Facebook FB 1.55% and Instagram will begin allowing users to hide “like” counts on their posts, even after pilot tests of the feature didn’t show meaningful impact on how people use the platforms or feel about themselves. The “like” button, which first appeared on Facebook in 2009 in the form of a thumbs-up symbol, has […]
Scientists are making dramatic strides toward a goal that once seemed almost unimaginable: Restoring limited vision to people affected by a previously irreversible form of blindness caused by an inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. In a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers working with the Paris-based company GenSight Biologics SA reported […]
I’ve worn earbuds more over this past year than any other. Between video calls and workouts at home, it felt like I was constantly putting some sort of implement in my ear. Wireless earbuds have become essential—as has noise-canceling technology to drown out the sounds of housemates. If you’re looking for a new pair, and […]
