uber Uber Cuts 14% of Staff Amid COVID-19 Ridesharing Collapse Uber lays off 3,700 employees and closes dozens of driver support hubs as the pandemic causes ride volumes to plummet. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also waives his base salary for the remainder of the year.
apple Apple Shuts All Retail Stores Outside China to Slow COVID-19 Spread Apple temporarily closes all physical retail stores outside of Greater China until late March to maximize social distancing. The company continues online sales, pays hourly workers fully, and donates millions to pandemic relief efforts.
ninja van Logistics Startup Ninja Van Secures $279 Million in New Funding Round Southeast Asian delivery company Ninja Van raises $279 million in a funding round led by French logistics firm GeoPost. The investment highlights growing confidence in regional supply chain solutions.
coronavirus US Suspends Travel From Europe's Schengen Area Over Coronavirus Pandemic The US government implements a 30-day travel suspension for foreign nationals who recently visit Europe's Schengen Area amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The restriction does not apply to US permanent residents and does not halt trade or cargo.
broadway Broadway Theatres Shut Down Through April Over Coronavirus Fears New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders all Broadway theatres to close by 5 PM to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Broadway League confirms that performances will remain suspended until at least April 13.
amazon AWS Distinguished Engineer Tim Bray Resigns Over Amazon Worker Firings Amazon Web Services VP Tim Bray steps down from his role to protest the company's termination of employees who publicly criticized warehouse working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
apple Apple and Google Share Developer Tools and Strict Rules for COVID-19 Alert Apps Apple and Google provide sample code and user interface assets to help developers build COVID-19 exposure notification apps. The tech giants also enforce strict privacy policies, including a ban on location tracking and advertising data collection.
whatsapp Poynter Launches WhatsApp Bot to Debunk Thousands of COVID-19 Hoaxes The Poynter Institute introduces a new WhatsApp chatbot that allows users to fact-check over 4,000 coronavirus-related myths. The free tool relies on a global network of independent fact-checkers to provide accurate health information.
apple Apple and Google Share Sample Code for Coronavirus Contact Tracing System Apple and Google release sample code and interface concepts to help health agencies build COVID-19 contact tracing apps. The tech giants provide an API framework rather than building the applications themselves.
coronavirus Coronavirus Disrupts Global Travel, Sports, and Entertainment Industries The coronavirus pandemic halts European travel, suspends the NBA season, and forces Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks into quarantine.
silver lake Silver Lake Invests $747 Million in Jio Platforms at Premium Valuation Private equity firm Silver Lake invests roughly $747 million in Reliance Jio Platforms, securing a 1.15% stake at a $65 billion valuation that marks a 12.5% premium over Facebook's recent deal.
tesla Tesla Shares Drop After Musk Declares Stock Price Too High Tesla CEO Elon Musk causes a sudden drop in the company's stock price by tweeting that it is "too high," raising questions about a prior agreement with the SEC.
tesla Elon Musk Declares Tesla Stock Price Too High Amid Market Surge Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweets that his company's stock price is too high, causing an immediate drop in share value. The unusual public admission puzzles investors as Tesla's valuation continues to climb.
fda FDA Grants Emergency Authorization for Gilead's Remdesivir to Treat COVID-19 The Food and Drug Administration issues an emergency use authorization for Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, allowing doctors to administer the intravenous drug to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Clinical data shows the treatment shortens patient recovery time by an average of four days.
stock market Dow Suffers Record 2,000-Point Drop as Oil Price War Intensifies Market Chaos U.S. stocks experience their worst single-day point decline in history as a Saudi Arabia-Russia oil price war collides with growing coronavirus fears, triggering rare trading halts.