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[Misc] (HL-20200503~20200509) Weekly Headlines Review
최고관리자  |  20-05-01 03:49
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!!! Coronavirus Worldwide !!!

!!! A state-by-state breakdown of US coronavirus cases !!!

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(Mon) U.S. Supreme Court sidesteps major gun rights ruling
미 대법원, 총기소유 권리에 대한 판결 회피

The U.S Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a major gun rights ruling. The high court dismissed a challenge to New York City restrictions that limited handgun owners’ ability to transport their firearms outside of the home. For now, the Supreme Court - currently with a conservative majority - avoided entering into the long running battle over the 2nd Amendment, but that won’t last long. There are other cases looming in Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey that all have to do with widening gun rights and carrying firearms outside the home. The dispute in the New York case was rendered moot by the Supreme Court because the measure that was challenged by individual gun owners and the state's National Rifle Association affiliate was rolled back by the city last July. With that being the case, Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh did say in a concurring opinion that the court "should address that issue soon." President Donald Trump's administration had supported the NRA and gun owners in the New York case.

(Tue) French court upholds ruling restricting Amazon
프랑스 항소법원, 아마존 배송품목 제한 결정 재확인

A French court has rejected an appeal by U.S. online retailer Amazon. The ruling limits what the company can deliver during the lockdown. The e-commerce giant must restrict deliveries in France to IT products, health items, food and pet food. The Court of Appeal said that for every delivery not meeting this requirement, Amazon would face a 108,000 dollar penalty. The pandemic has sparked a surge in online orders. But it's also fueled protests by Amazon workers from America to Italy over its health and safety protocols. In France, these protests spiraled into a legal battle . The case highlights how companies may struggle to keep going while protecting their workers. Firms across Europe also need to figure out how to let staff safely return to offices and factories once restrictions are lifted. Confirming the initial ruling, the court said the restrictions must be put in place while Amazon improves its health measures. Amazon closed its six warehouses in France where it employs 10,000 people on April 16th. In a statement, the French subsidiary said it would now evaluate the consequences of the decision for its business, employees and customers.

(Wed) Facebook invests $5.7 billion in Reliance unit
페이스북, 릴라이언스의 자회사에 57억 달러 투자

The health crisis that has slowed M&A activity to a crawl around the world isn't stopping Facebook. The social networking company said Wednesday it'll spend $5.7 billion to take a nearly 10% stake in Jio Platforms, a company based in India helping take local grocery stores online. The deal is Facebook's biggest purchase since it shelled out $22 billion for WhatsApp six years ago. Jio Platforms is the digital unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries. JioMart will work together with WhatsApp. Together, they'll connect business owners, especially small neighborhood shops called kirana, with their customers. India's competitive grocery market already features foreign entrants such as Amazon's Pantry, Walmart's Flipkart, and Alibaba-backed Big Basket. But kirana stores operate for the most part outside the world of e-commerce. Analysts say the deal could eventually also include e-payment services. The deal also buys some breathing room for Reliance as its core oil and gas businesses suffer amid the pandemic. Shares in India's largest conglomerate closed up 10% Wednesday. Facebook shares shot up 5% in morning trading.

(Thu) For SoftBank's Son, vision turns into illusion
소프트뱅크의 손정의, 시련의 봄 맞이하나

The dream of a worldwide tech empire under Japan's SoftBank is unravelling. Founder Masayoshi Son built the company's $100 billion dollar Vision Fund over three years. It became the world's biggest fund for technology. It made bets on a spectrum of startups - from AI to ride-sharing apps. Son staked his reputation on the Vision Fund. Then came 2020. More than half the fund's capital is in startups as big as Uber and Lyft, which are now struggling under the crisis. And a Vision Fund partner speaking on the condition of anonymity says the economic hit has far exceeded what the fund expected early on. Softbank itself has already flagged a $17 billion loss for the year. Softbank-backed startups like DoorDash have pushed back plans to go public. And recently - Son's quote " intuitive " bet on the office space startup WeWork spectacularly imploded. With the Vision Fund's estimated losses analysts say its investments are now likely valued below cost. And the troubles leave Son's onetime plans to raise a second mega-fund in shambles. Many problems at portfolio firms like Softbank predate the crisis. But the economic meltdown has exposed a blind spot in what critics have long called an extraordinarily risky strategy: throwing big sums into unproven businesses - on the expectation that will help them dominate the markets. SoftBank declined to comment.

(Fri) Blue skies over megacities: can they last?
대도시의 푸른 하늘, 지속 가능할 것인가?

Blue skies over Beijing - a rare sight until lockdowns stopped people driving and closed its polluting factories. As the 50th Earth Day is marked around the world on Wednesday, air quality in China has improved dramatically in the first quarter of this year. But some in these smog-prone cities fear it'll be fleeting. "In the second half of the year, when the epidemic eases, the weather will slowly be worse after factories reopen. It's for sure . Try your best to enjoy the blue sky now, we will see in the second half of the year." Here in Shanghai, emissions have fallen by nearly 20 percent, with similar or even higher readings in other big cities. But environmentalists warn the Chinese government could see that as leeway to turn a blind eye to pollution as it cranks the economy back up again. That's a fear echoed across the globe. Skies have cleared over Buenos Aires too - one study says polluting gases have dropped by more than 60 percent. And this was Milan a few months ago, when thick smog forced the Italian city to impose car-free days. Compared to now, when you can even see the mountains in the distance. Economically, the shutdown has been devastating - and nowhere more so than in such big, industrial cities. But as Earth Day shines a light on the climate crisis, many want action to make this silver lining last once it's all over.

** Other Latest Headlines **

* Pressure mounts on Joe Biden to address sexual assault claim

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is facing growing pressure to publicly address an allegation of sexual assault made by Tara Reade, a former aide to his Senate office. The former vice-president has remained silent about the accusation, a position that is seen as increasingly untenable in the wake of new reporting. Many major Democratic women’s organizations and prominent feminists have also declined to comment publicly on Reade’s claim that Biden, then a senator from Delaware, assaulted her in 1993. Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, said in a statement this month that “this absolutely did not happen”, but she has not commented further. Reade’s allegation emerged as Biden’s primary victories positioned him to face Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct and assault by more than a dozen women, in the general election. Now Democrats, who widely embraced the “believe women” ethos of the #MeToo movement, are grappling with how to respond. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that women’s rights activists are quietly pushing Biden to break his silence, urging him to make a statement before the end of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. According to the Times, some of the women’s groups involved drafted a public letter that they have not released, which praises Biden’s work as an “outspoken champion for survivors of sexual violence” while encouraging him to “model how to take serious allegations seriously”.

* Coronavirus antibody tests explained: what are they and do they work?

Health officials in Germany, the UK and the US are looking at antibody testing to figure out when and how their countries could open back up. Some authorities are even considering issuing “immunity passports” that would help key workers safely and quickly return to their jobs. But some early Covid-19 antibody tests, and the research that hinges on them, have been deeply flawed. Infectious disease experts warn that while reliable antibody tests could eventually reveal much about how the disease spreads and how deadly it is, it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions from screening studies.

What is an antibody test?

PCR tests, the diagnostic tests most commonly used to determine whether someone is currently infected with the coronavirus, looks for the virus’s genetic material in samples collected from patients’ throats or noses. Antibody tests, or serology tests, rather than looking for the virus itself, detect antibodies or proteins in the blood that our bodies develop in order to fight it off. “These tests tell you that you’ve been exposed to the virus,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at the Yale school of medicine. “Antibody tests can basically give us a history of the infection.”

What exactly are these antibodies that we’re testing for? 

An antibody is a bespoke weapon that our bodies develop to fight off a pathogen. Our bodies may make several types of antibodies uniquely engineered to fight off the coronavirus over the course of one or two weeks. “Think about those pictures of the coronavirus you’ve mostly commonly seen,” said Diane Griffin, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “You know those big, blobby spikes on the surface of the coronavirus? That’s the part of the virus particle that attaches to healthy cells to invade and infect them.” Antibodies to these spikes on the coronavirus glom on to them and coat them – leaving them unable to hijack our cells. Other types of antibodies may mark infected cells, so other cells can destroy them before the infection spreads further. Some of these antibodies will stick around in our blood long after the virus is gone, protecting us from future infections.

* As warmer weather beckons, NYPD to enforce social distancing

As warmer weather tempted New Yorkers to come out of quarantine, police dispatched 1,000 officers this weekend to enforce social distancing and a ban on congregating in public spaces. Officers set out on foot, bicycles and cars to break up crowds and remind those enjoying the weather of public health restrictions requiring they keep 6 feet away from others. “I believe with the warm weather people will come outside,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday. “You can’t stay indoors all the time. People will come outside and that’s great, go for a walk. But respect the social distancing and wear a mask.” The New York City Police Department has made 60 arrests and issued 343 summonses related to social distancing since March 16. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea issued a stern warning after a series of clashes this week between police officers and members of Orthodox Jewish communities over social distancing.

* The pandemic has made the US healthcare crisis far more dire. We must fix the system

When it comes to our current healthcare system, the waste, cruelty and dysfunction was glaringly obvious even before the horrific pandemic we are now experiencing. Today, as millions of Americans lose their jobs and their healthcare benefits that come with them, it is now virtually impossible for any rational person to defend a system – unique among wealthy countries – that ties healthcare to employment, and is designed only to make huge profits for the insurance industry and drug companies, while ignoring the needs of ordinary Americans. Before the pandemic, 87 million people were uninsured or underinsured in our country, and more than 30,000 people died every year because they couldn’t get to a doctor when they needed to see one. More than half a million families declared bankruptcy each year because of medically related debt. One out of five Americans could not afford the outrageously priced prescription drugs their doctors prescribed to them. And our healthcare outcomes, from maternal deaths to life expectancy to infant mortality, lagged behind most other industrialized nations. And for all of that, the United States still spends nearly $11,000 on healthcare for every adult and child – more than twice the average of other major countries. That was before the pandemic. The situation is far more dire now.

* Samsung won't seek family governance

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de-facto head of the country's most-powerful conglomerate, said Wednesday he will lead the changes needed to the group's web-like holding structure, vowing not to pass on the management to his children. "I will not pass the company's management on to my children. This was always my idea, but I've been hesitant to share and open up on it, because I think it's not right to talk about issues relating to management succession before a thorough evaluation of my managerial ability, as Samsung is facing an unfavorable business environment," Lee said in a nationally-televised statement from Samsung Seocho Tower in which he issued a formal apology. "I am offering my sincere apology to the public. Yes, Samsung and I have been criticized over succession-related issues. Specifically, I was the center of criticism over Samsung Everland and Samsung SDS issues. Also, hearings are going on because of alleged bribery related to the management succession," Lee said. "Much of the controversy about Samsung and myself originally arose from these issues. Let me be clear. There won't be any more controversies about management succession. There won't be any activities that break the law. There won't be any activities against ethics and there will be no favors. I will only focus on doing things to improve corporate value." The apology came after the Samsung Group's external compliance committee recommended Vice Chairman Lee announce details regarding improvements to group-wide management transparency.