fortune--2020-06-01--Fact check: Trump claim of saving space program off base

President Donald Trump is making claims on space that are off course from reality.
Over the weekend, he took full credit for the government’s role in the launch of SpaceX, the first-ever private spacecraft to attain orbit with astronauts on board. Trump also asserted that he saved the space program after President Barack Obama had ruined it and suggested that a Mars mission with astronauts was imminent.
Those statements are exaggerations.
TRUMP: “With this launch, the decades of lost years and little action are officially over. …Past leaders put the United States at the mercy of foreign nations to send our astronauts into orbit. Not anymore. Today we once again proudly launch American astronauts on American rockets.” — remarks Saturday.
THE FACTS: It’s not true that government’s role in SpaceX’s launch is due all to Trump. The path to a commercial launch was paved over more than 10 years, spanning both the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Under Bush, NASA began an effort to commercialize space following the shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, which killed its crew of seven. In 2006, he started a program to get commercial companies to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. The Obama administration “pushed it harder, much harder,” said Syracuse University space policy professor Henry Lambright.
By 2012, a robotic SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station for the first time.
Meanwhile, with the Space Shuttle program winding down, the Obama administration worked to broaden the space commercialization effort, giving money to private companies to develop spacecraft that could carry astronauts to orbit.
In a briefing with reporters last month, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine specifically acknowledged the work of Charles Bolden, Obama’s NASA administrator, who he said helped make the SpaceX launch possible.
“This is a program that demonstrates the success when you have continuity of purpose going from one administration to the next,” Bridenstine said.
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TRUMP: “When I first came into office three and a half years ago, NASA had lost its way … The last administration presided over the closing of the Space Shuttle … People were crying. They were devastated. But now it’s the greatest of its kind anywhere in the world.” — remarks Saturday.
THE FACTS: He’s falsely suggesting that Obama shuttered the space shuttle program. Actually, it was Bush.
After the Columbia disaster, Bush decided the remaining shuttles were too dangerous to continue with present missions and would be retired.
“The shuttle’s chief purpose over the next several years will be to help finish assembly of the International Space Station,” Bush said on Jan. 14, 2004. “In 2010, the space shuttle, after nearly 30 years of duty, will be retired from service.”
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TRUMP: “For every citizen who has eagerly waited for America to reignite those engines of will, confidence and imagination that put a man on the moon, I stand before you to say you need wait no longer. For NASA’s Artemis program, the United States is preparing for a crewed mission to Mars.” — remarks Saturday.
THE FACTS: NASA is not currently preparing for a mission to Mars with astronauts.
The Trump administration has continued NASA’s long-term goal of sending astronauts to Mars, but has changed the short-term goal to a return to the moon first (Obama favored a visit to an asteroid instead of the moon). The Trump administration is trying to accelerate NASA’s plan for returning people to the lunar surface. It’s hoping to make a moon mission possible by 2024.
Mars would come a decade after that, maybe longer.


fortune--2020-06-01--Independent autopsy finds George Floyd was asphyxiated by sustained pressure

What history can teach us about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic

An autopsy commissioned for George Floyd’s family found that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression when a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck until he stopped breathing, ignoring his cries of distress, the family’s attorneys said Monday.
The autopsy by a doctor who also examined Eric Garner’s body found the compression cut off blood to Floyd’s brain, and weight on his back made it hard to breathe, attorney Ben Crump said. He called for the third-degree murder charge against Officer Derek Chauvin to be upgraded to first-degree murder and for three other officers to be charged.
The family’s autopsy differs from the official autopsy as described in a criminal complaint against the officer. That autopsy included the effects of being restrained, along with underlying health issues and potential intoxicants in Floyd’s system, but also said it found nothing “to support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
Floyd, a black man who was in handcuffs at the time, died after Chauvin, who is white, ignored bystander shouts to get off him and Floyd’s cries that he couldn’t breathe. His death, captured on citizen video, sparked days of protests in Minneapolis that have spread to cities around America.
The official autopsy last week provided no other details about intoxicants, and toxicology results can take weeks. In the 911 call that drew police, the caller described the man suspected of paying with counterfeit money as “awfully drunk and he’s not in control of himself.”
Crump said last week that he was commissioning the family’s own autopsy. Floyd’s family, like the families of other black men killed by police, wanted an independent look because they didn’t trust local authorities to produce an unbiased autopsy.
The family’s autopsy was conducted by Michael Baden and Allecia Wilson. Baden is the former chief medical examiner of New York City, who was hired to conduct an autopsy of Eric Garner, a black man who died in 2014 after New York police placed him in a chokehold and he pleaded that he could not breathe.
Baden also conducted an independent autopsy of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri. He said Brown’s autopsy, requested by the teen’s family, didn’t reveal signs of a struggle, casting doubt on a claim by police that a struggle between Brown and the officer led to the shooting.
Chauvin, who was also charged with manslaughter, is being held in a state prison. The other three officers on scene, like Chauvin, were fired the day after the incident but have not been charged.
The head of the Minneapolis police union said in a letter to members that the officers were fired without due process and labor attorneys are fighting for their jobs. Lt. Bob Kroll, the union president, also criticized city leadership, saying a lack of support is to blame for the days of sometimes violent protests.
When asked to respond, Mayor Jacob Frey said: “For a man who complains so frequently about a lack of community trust and support for the police department, Bob Kroll remains shockingly indifferent to his role in undermining that trust and support.” Frey said Kroll’s opposition to reform and lack of empathy for the community has undermined trust in the police.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Sunday that Attorney General Keith Ellison would take the lead in any prosecutions in Floyd’s death. Local civil rights activists have said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman doesn’t have the trust of the black community. They have protested outside his house, and pressed him to charge the other three officers.
Freeman remains on the case.
___
Associated Press writer Doug Glass contributed.


fortune--2020-06-01--Facebook workers slam Mark Zuckerberg over Trump’s inflammatory posts. Here’s what they said

Facebook employees took a public stand against the company’s decision to leave President Trump’s recent inflammatory posts about the Minneapolis protests on the service.
On Monday, many Facebook employees, most of whom are working remotely during the pandemic, staged a virtual walkout in which they paused their work and set up auto responses to any emails they received. This came after a number of employees had posted critical messages on Twitter over the weekend about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s handling of Trump’s posts.
On Thursday Trump said on Facebook, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” referring to protests over the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis resident who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck. Trump also said that he would send in the National Guard to “get the job done right.”
Many people complained that the President’s posts encouraged violence and that Facebook should remove them.
Zuckerberg on Friday said that he had decided against removing Trump’s post because he’d considered it a “warning about state action.” Unless a post causes “imminent risk of specific harms or dangers,” he said, Facebook sides with free expression.
The decision highlighted a big divide between how Facebook and Twitter moderate posts by politicians on their services. In contrast to Facebook, Twitter had obscured Trump’s comments behind a warning label explaining that the tweet had violated its rules against “glorifying violence.”
Angered by Zuckerberg’s decision, some Facebook employees spoke out in a rare show of public dissent by staff. The walkout, joined by an unknown number of employees, followed.
In a statement, Facebook said of the walkout: “We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we’ll continue seeking their honest feedback.”
The following are some of the comments employees posted on Twitter about Facebook’s response to Trump’s posts.
Sara Zhang, a Facebook product designer, said last week on Twitter: “Internally we are voicing our concerns, so far to no avail. I will personally continue to bring it up until something has changed.” On Monday, she followed up by posting these additional tweets:
@Facebook's recent decision to not act on posts that incite violence ignores other options to keep our community safe. The policy pigeon holes us into addressing harmful user-facing content in two ways: keep content up or take it down. — Sara Zhang (@superrrsara) June 1, 2020
David Gillis is a director of product design at Facebook:
I believe Trump’s “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet (cross-posted to FB), encourages extra-judicial violence and stokes racism. Respect to @Twitter’s integrity team for making the enforcement call. — David Gillis (@davegillis) May 31, 2020
Jake Blakeley is an augmented reality product designer for Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality unit. He backed Gillis with the following comment:
David said it much better than I could and reflects how many @Facebook employees feel right now https://t.co/mAW0NJIe1a — Jake Blakeley (@Blake_Jakely) May 31, 2020
Similarly, a Twitter user named Josiah, a Facebook product designer, according to the user’s account, also backed Gillis:
I agree with Dave and I’m gravely concerned that if we’re only willing to enforce our standards based on (presumed) intended meaning, and never on apparent meaning, we’re always giving bad actors room to play the “I didn’t mean it that way” card. A very slippery slope. https://t.co/5qAyGIr0FV — Josiah 🖤 (@jgulden) June 1, 2020
Andrew Crow is the head of design for Facebook’s videoconferencing device, Portal:
Censoring information that might help people see the complete picture *is* wrong. But giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable, regardless who you are or if it’s newsworthy. I disagree with Mark’s position and will work to make change happen. — Andrew (@AndrewCrow) June 1, 2020
Jason Toff is director of product management at Facebook:
I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we’re showing up. The majority of coworkers I’ve spoken to feel the same way. We are making our voice heard. — Jason Toff (@jasontoff) June 1, 2020
Jason Stirman is a Facebook design manager:
I don't know what to do, but I know doing nothing is not acceptable. I'm a FB employee that completely disagrees with Mark's decision to do nothing about Trump's recent posts, which clearly incite violence. I'm not alone inside of FB. There isn't a neutral position on racism. — Stirman (@stirman) May 30, 2020
Nate Butler is a Facebook product designer:
I've shared others posts, but I need to be clear–FB is on the wrong side of this and I can't support their stance. Doing nothing isn't Being Bold. Many of us feel this way. — Nate Butler 🖤 (@iamnbutler) June 1, 2020
Ryan Freitas is a director of product design at Facebook:
Mark is wrong, and I will endeavor in the loudest possible way to change his mind. — Ryan Freitas (@ryanchris) June 1, 2020
Lauren Tan is a software engineer at Facebook:
Facebook's inaction in taking down Trump's post inciting violence makes me ashamed to work here. I absolutely disagree with it. I enjoy the technical parts of my job and working alongside smart/kind people, but this isn't right. Silence is complicity. — Lauren Tan ✨😷✨ (@sugarpirate_) May 29, 2020
Brandon Dail, a user interface engineer at Facebook, expressed his dissent and then called on other employees to do the same:
Disappointed that, again, I need to call this out: Trump's glorification of violence on Facebook is disgusting and it should absolutely be flagged or removed from our platforms. I categorically disagree with any policy that does otherwise. — Brandon Dail (@aweary) May 29, 2020
I am calling out my colleagues at Facebook who remain silent on our policy of allowing Trump to incite violence and spread misinformation on our platform. You are the one missing the context and making uniformed blanket statements. — Brandon Dail (@aweary) May 30, 2020
Dail also responded to Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s head of AR/VR, who tweeted his support for the black community on Sunday. Here’s that exchange:
We need Facebook to prevent misinformation and enforce our policies about inciting violence before it hurts the Black community more than it already has. — Brandon Dail (@aweary) June 1, 2020
We are both complicit as employees. I hope you can take a stand and use your influence to change our harmful policies. — Brandon Dail (@aweary) June 1, 2020
Trevor Phillippi is a product designer for Messenger:
FB’s position is wrong and an insult to black people. — Trevor Phillippi (@trevorphillippi) May 31, 2020
Nick Inzucchi, product designer, criticized Zuckerberg after another had weighed in:
Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand state violence. https://t.co/UfaVSlrvtO — Nick Inzucchi (@ninzucchi) May 30, 2020


fortune--2020-06-01--CEO of Coach parent Tapestry forcefully says ‘black lives matter’ in emotional post to staff

As one of only four black chief executives in the Fortune 500, Jide Zeitlin rejected the earnest but safe tone found in many corporate statements about the weekend’s unrest, offering instead a raw, heartfelt assessment of the problem of racism in the United States.
Zeitlin, the CEO since September of Coach and Kate Spade owner Tapestry, said in a wide-ranging LinkedIn post to staff on Monday that it had taken him several attempts to write the note because of how close the topic of racial disharmony is to him.
“I sat down several times to write this letter, but stopped each time. My eyes welling up with tears. This is personal. Over this weekend, over this last week, over a lifetime punctuated by sweltering summers of discontent,” wrote Zeitlin. That included time in the late 1980s as a Harvard Business School graduate when he worked in apartheid South Africa to help labor groups assist black miners and witnessed firsthand the suppression of black aspirations.
Zeitlin noted that a number of his company’s stores had been vandalized and pillaged over the weekend in different U.S. cities and mused about what kind of despair would lead people to do that, but said those concerns were secondary.
“We can replace our windows and handbags, but we cannot bring back George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Emmett Till, and too many others. Each of these black lives matter,” wrote Zeitlin of some prominent black victims of police brutality and racism at the hands of fellow citizens over the decades.
In his post, he noted that two of the most recent egregious cases of racism had taken place in Minnesota and New York—proof, he said, that this is part of an “American narrative,” not limited to any one region.
Ultimately, he said, U.S. corporations can’t progress until the country reaches fuller equality and inclusion. Pointing to Tapestry’s brands, which also include Stuart Weitzman, he said they were all founded in New York and molded by that city’s diversity and the “random intertwining of divergent people and ideas,” something the whole country needs.
“We cannot succeed if the ideal that is America does not succeed, including in different and diverse ways globally. We cannot attract and engage talented colleagues. We cannot design beautiful and functional products. We cannot authentically engage with consumers around the world,” wrote Zeitlin.


fortune--2020-06-01--Here’s where things stand on ‘round 2’ stimulus checks

It sounds like more stimulus checks could be on the way, after all.
On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that Congress is “taking a careful look” at another coronavirus relief package to help the millions of American households and businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic.
While GOP lawmakers balked at Democrats’ initial proposal for additional stimulus, McConnell’s comments indicate that his side of the aisle is open to one more “final bill,” as he put it, that would likely yet again include direct stimulus payments to Americans.
Though it’s still early days (McConnell said the decision on another stimulus package would be made “in about a month”), here’s what to know about a potential “round 2” of stimulus checks—and how you can to ensure that you get yours pronto.
Democrats suggest bigger payments—but GOP hints at more “narrow” scope
If the Democrats’ $3 trillion HEROES Act proposal is anything to go by, the next round of checks cut by the government would be even fatter than the first.
Like the CARES Act, the HEROES Act calls for direct payments of up to $1,200 for Americans earning up to $75,000 per year and $2,400 for couples earning up to $150,000 annually. But it also would boost payments for families with children and other dependents—to the tune of $1,200 per dependent, for up to three dependents. That would mean a married couple earning less than $150,000 annually, with three or more children or dependents in their household, would be eligible to receive $6,000 from the government.
But such generous payments appear unlikely to draw the support of Republicans on Capitol Hill. McConnell himself noted that any new stimulus bill “will be narrowly crafted” and “designed to help us where we are a month from now—not where we were three months ago.”
File your taxes (if you haven’t already)
The IRS may have extended this year’s income tax filing deadline to July 15 amid the coronavirus pandemic—but if you’re among the Americans who have yet to declare your 2019 income, you should probably get around to it soon.
Because as with the CARES Act’s stimulus checks, any new direct payments would most likely be determined by one’s 2019 income tax filing. And if that isn’t available, the IRS would almost certainly resort to using the income declared on one’s 2018 tax filing instead.
So if your earnings declined last year, or you got married or had children, it would be wise to give the IRS the most up-to-date picture on your financial situation via your 2019 income tax filing. Otherwise, you could get shortchanged on your stimulus check—and may have to wait until filing your 2020 tax return to receive what you’re owed.
Make sure the IRS has your bank account info
The best way to ensure you receive any stimulus payment from the federal government as soon as possible is to provide your bank account’s direct deposit information to the IRS. Otherwise, you may have to wait weeks, if not months, for a paper check (or prepaid debit card) to arrive in the mail.
If you haven’t already given that direct deposit info to the IRS (as many do, in order to receive their refund electronically), then heading to the IRS’s “Get My Payment” portal is the way to do so. Yes, the website has been beset by technical issues since its launch in mid-April—but if you can access the portal, the IRS enables you to share your bank account and routing numbers so that it can transmit funds to you via direct deposit.


fortune--2020-06-01--The Coronavirus Economy: A private jet cabin host on what to expect when flying during a pandemic

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Fatiha Ouchan has been in aviation for almost nine years and has served as a cabin hostess for private plane charter VistaJet for nearly three years. Originally from Morocco but now splitting her time between Belgium and Dubai, she began her career as a flight attendant with an international airliner in the Middle East, mostly serving the business and first-class cabins. Since she joined VistaJet, she has traveled to more than 90 countries around the world, and she says her job has enabled her to “truly live my dream.”
Fortune spoke with Ouchan for a new series, The Coronavirus Economy, to ask about how the outbreak has affected her work and her thoughts on the future, and to get a sense of how she has been handling this news, both emotionally and financially.
Fatiha Ouchan has served as a cabin hostess for private plane charter VistaJet for nearly three years. Courtesy of VistaJet
The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Fortune: What is your day-to-day role like?
My main aim is to ensure that our passengers have the best onboard experience possible. VistaJet customers fly for different reasons. Some fly for business, others for leisure. It’s my role to understand the client’s needs and ensure the flight is as comfortable and stress-free as possible, so they can arrive to their destination in the best possible condition.
Before each flight, I make sure the cabin is thoroughly cleaned and prepared, the catering is ready as requested, all the onboard amenities are available, and all special requests are taken care of. I also work with client services, operations, and the pilots to ensure the flight is smooth, safe, and all elements of the client’s travel are confirmed. And after each flight, I again take excellent care of the cabin cleanliness and check the aircraft is well stocked and fully ready for the next customer.
When did COVID-19 first affect how you conduct your role as a cabin host on a private jet?
Our management team has ensured that we have been equipped with the necessary information and support, so we feel safe and confident to carry out our work. VistaJet has taken the COVID-19 crisis seriously and adapted very fast so we—[the entire] crew—and our passengers are able to travel safely.
Early in February, all crew were made aware of the risks, and new procedures were put in place, way before the “stay at home” orders were implemented. To protect clients’ and crews’ safety, we were sent masks and disposable gloves to wear, thermometers to take our temperatures, and given instructions to be mindful of personal space and eliminate unnecessary contact with the passengers, such as the customary handshake to welcome them before they board.
I even took a few extra precautions just to be extra safe. For example, in addition to the VistaJet-issued thermometers, I carried my own personal thermometer and would be sure to check my temperature regularly. The clients really appreciated the changes and considered these actions as highly professional.
What does travel during a pandemic look like now, especially for private planes versus commercial ones?
The biggest difference is that VistaJet is still flying everywhere it is safe to do so, while most commercial routes are not currently available. Since our fleet is global and privately operated, we don’t have a home base, so we can be much more flexible and reactive and have VistaJet aircraft fully available for any customer who needs to travel. We’re not flying as often as before the outbreak, but we have always remained ready and available to go. And we continue to be fully available for those who need to travel.
What kinds of unexpected passenger requests have you received? What other last-minute travel unknowns should fliers possibly expect?
Our standards have adapted to prioritize maximum safety over luxury, and it has become harder to welcome some requests that we would have been able to accommodate in normal times, since many suppliers are closed. I know our operations team has been working so diligently to help make the impossible possible every day. Permits have been taking longer, and each flight is assessed on a case by case basis. We have a dedicated team whose responsibility is to ensure that we are updated in as timely a way as possible with the daily—often hourly—changes on any travel restrictions. Customers have been really understanding of the situation and have worked with us to make each flight possible under the current conditions.
How has the guest experience changed on private jets?
We are trying to maintain the same level of guest experience as before the outbreak. However, we had to change certain elements of how we provide that experience. For example, clients are always offered onboard dining. For their meal, we normally prepare the dining table with formal place settings: linen tablecloth and napkins, Christofle china, cutlery, and glassware.
In some cases, because of COVID-19, customers now prefer disposable crockery, and they are very thankful that we have considered this and are able to offer this on board should that be their preference. All of our traditional offerings such as cashmere and tech items are available upon request if needed. The experience is almost the same, just adjusted in consideration for health and safety.
How do you expect it will continue to change?
I expect new regulatory standards will require more testing and safety protocols to be implemented on board. Currently, we clean the aircraft interior surfaces after each flight with a professional grade disinfectant that destroys viruses and remains effective for 10 days. To further enhance safety, the aircraft undergoes a deep clean and enhanced sanitization cycle every week, and we have worked with our suppliers to incorporate additional protective measures to heighten the safety of food and all products coming into the cabin.
We have implemented new passenger screening processes and tightened our certification requirements. As countries begin to open back up and travel increases, particularly international travel, there will be heightened awareness and demand from passengers to have more peace of mind for safety.
Are there going to be more requirements imposed on passengers as well as crew, such as requiring the use of face masks?
It is mandatory for VistaJet crew to wear masks and gloves and to take our temperatures twice daily, for our own safety and for that of our clients.
For the passengers, wearing a mask is optional. When a client is on board, we try to create a safe and comfortable environment; we want passengers to feel like the cabin is their “home away from home.” Some locations require passengers to wear a face mask as they go through the terminal—even private gateways—but when they reach our cabin, if they want to wear a face mask, it’s their choice. If not, we do not enforce it.
Is social distancing even possible on a private plane?
It depends on the number of passengers and the size of the aircraft. VistaJet operates super midsize and large cabin jets. If you have three or four passengers on our smaller aircraft, or up to seven on our largest planes, social distancing is very possible. More than that, the social distance recommendation of six-feet radius decreases.
As crew members, we are very aware of giving passengers their space. We try to operate fast and efficiently so as to minimize any unnecessary interactions, and we make sure to ask them their preference on how often we visit the cabin.
On a personal note, how are you faring amid all this? How are you coping with these adjustments, and how can one stay positive while traveling during this (pardon the pun) turbulent time?
Honestly, I feel really good considering the circumstances. With all the safety protocols VistaJet has implemented, I know my work environment is safe, so I don’t feel endangered or at risk.
All the clients understand the unusual situation stemming from the pandemic, so they just want to get to their destination as quickly and as safely as possible. As a result, onboard requests have not been very demanding, and we can concentrate on the new safety requirements.
To ease my mind, I’ve brought my schoolbooks to read and study. I’m currently enrolled in courses on international relations and have to prepare for my exams. It’s been a pleasant distraction from all the unfortunate news and devastation caused by COVID-19.
What’s worked for me to stay positive is getting exercise and fresh air. Whenever I have to go to the supermarket or grocery store for supplies, I make it a point to walk so I can get both. For me it’s uplifting and energizing. I also practice yoga; it provides me with a sense of clarity and calmness. But if you’re not into yoga, I recommend meditation. It provides similar benefits without the physical elements.
I’m hopeful the pandemic will soon end, and I look forward to continuing my travel journeys with VistaJet and welcoming our clients on board again very soon.


fortune--2020-06-01--Citigroup, Netflix, and Microsoft among companies making statements in support of Black lives and ju

Citigroup, Netflix, and Microsoft among companies making statements in support of Black lives and justice

This is the web version of raceAhead, Fortune’s daily newsletter on race, culture, and inclusive leadership. To get it delivered daily to your inbox, sign up here.
People took to the streets for a fourth day and night to demand justice for George Floyd and a better country for everyone. Here is a special dispatch of raceAhead to help you get ready for your week.
After four days and nights of protest, it’s time to go back to work. And some of the country’s biggest companies are making public statements decrying racism in support of Black lives.
Michael Corbat, the CEO of Citigroup, sent a letter to employees, shared with raceAhead, that stated his support and suggested that anyone who wants to be an effective ally should listen to the lived experiences of Black people:
“The tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this week and the ensuing unrest are glaring reminders of the progress we need to make to have a truly equal and just society. I know many of you have experienced racism in your everyday lives in ways that are sometimes subtle and other times more overt. I want you to know that your colleagues and I will always stand with you.
While I can try to empathize with what it must be like to be a Black person in America, I haven’t walked in those shoes. But I can learn a lot from those who do, like my friend and colleague Mark Mason. Mark wrote a post on our blog, which I encourage you to read. I think you will find it to be an honest and uplifting perspective on how we all can do our part to make the United States fairer and more just.“
Mason’s post is personal, wrenching and on point, and I do encourage you to read it all. But here’s the heart:
“Even though I’m the CFO of a global bank, the killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky are reminders of the dangers Black Americans like me face in living our daily lives,” he writes. “These systemic problems will not go away until we confront them head on. So we must continue to speak up and speak out whenever we witness hatred, racism, or injustice. I know I will—and I hope you will too.”
Many in the entertainment industry used social media to get their messages out. Amazon Studios, Starz, HBO, Hulu, Disney, ViacomCBS, Warner Bros., A24, BET, FX Networks, Fox Entertainment, AMC, and Alphabet’s YouTube (right, I know) all issued statements of support. “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators, and talent to speak up,” Netflix tweeted.
In his note to U.S.-based employees, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna was clear-eyed. “We cannot lose sight of the fact that racism is tearing our communities apart. One lesson we should all learn is that silent carriers help spread racism,” he shared on LinkedIn. “This is why it falls on all of us to do away with the legacy of bias, prejudice, and racism that has led to these unspeakable events.”
He is precisely right. And that’s where new and very difficult conversations come in.
Black and brown people in the U.S. are exhausted and putting white people on notice that they need to get into this fight.
“I used to hate it when someone who was interested in being an ally to me and other members of the Black community asked me ‘what can I do?’, ‘what do you need from me?’,” writes Microsoft’s Megan Carpenter on LinkedIn. “I used to see it as a tax.” Not now. “With each news story, each new video I attempt to untangle the two—my identity and my job—and I fail…I am too tired to carry this alone, now I am ready to put people to work.”
What has become crystal clear in this moment is that if diversity work isn’t policy work, then it’s no work at all.
“The Black community is used to the institutional racism inherent in education, the justice system, and jobs,” writes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in this searing opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times. “But COVID-19 has been slamming the consequences of all that home as we die at a significantly higher rate than whites, are the first to lose our jobs, and watch helplessly as Republicans try to keep us from voting. Just as the slimy underbelly of institutional racism is being exposed, it feels like hunting season is open on Blacks.”
Encouraging individual growth through bias mitigation, inclusive talent practices, and accountability is important. It will create some behavior change at scale, and will likely drive innovation and boost corporate bottom lines. It’s vital that Black and brown employees feel safe at work every day but, specifically today, free to acknowledge that these events are personal.
Right now, they’re asking—we’re asking—everyone to do more. And that means re-writing the code that makes the U.S. a racist institution. Big corporations have a role to play here, and I’ll be digging into that going forward, along with many of my Fortune colleagues.
But, let’s start with today. I’ve put together some resources below, a semi-random list of very helpful things to help you navigate these difficult moments in the here and now.
In her post, Carpenter shared a promise to any and allies that felt like the right one for this moment in time.
“I will give you grace if you give me effort.”
Ellen McGirt
@ellmcgirt
Ellen.McGirt@fortune.com
On point, the ally edition
Today's mood board


fortune--2020-06-01--Music industry calls for ‘Black Out Tuesday’ in response to George Floyd’s death

The music industry is planning to turn off the music and hold a day to reflect and implement change in response to the death of George Floyd and the killings of other black people.
Several top record labels organized Black Out Tuesday as violent protests erupted around the world sparked by Floyd’s death as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Music-based companies Live Nation and TikTok, as well as the Recording Academy, posted to social media that it planned to support and stand with the black community.
“On Tuesday June 2nd, Columbia Records will observe ‘Black Out Tuesday,’” the Sony label home to Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Adele and John Legend said in a statement. “This is not a day off. Instead, this is a day to reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity.”
“We continue to stand with the Black community, our staff, artists, and peers in the music industry,” the company continued. “Perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.”
Others that have joined Black Out Tuesday include the Sony imprints RCA Records and Epic Records; the Universal Music Group divisions Republic Records, Def Jam, UMG Nashville, Capitol Records and Island Records; and the Warner Music Group imprints Atlantic and Warner Records. Smaller, independent labels as well as music publishing companies and management firms have also signed on.
UMG’s Interscope Geffen A&M Records said that in addition to joining Black Out Tuesday, the label home to Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish would not release music this week — the first label to do so.
“Instead, IGA will contribute to organizations that help to bail out protesters exercising their right to peacefully assemble, aid lawyers working for systemic change and provide assistance to charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the Black community,” its statement read.
IGA postponed new music releases MGK, 6lack, Dylan, Jessie Ware, Smokepurp, Lil Mosey, Billy Raffoul, Max Leone and more in coordination with their partners Alamo, LVRN, The Darkroom, Bad Boy and more.
Musicians including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Post Malone and Harry Styles have spoken out on social media following Floyd’s death and the worldwide riots. Some musicians were spotted alongside crowds of protesters over the weekend, including Ariana Grande, J. Cole, Jamie Foxx, Chance the Rapper, Kehlani, Miguel, Tinashe, Lil Yachty and Halsey, who said she was hit with a pellet and a shrapnel shell in Los Angeles.
LL Cool J turned to music to show his outrage and passion, posting a lengthy rap to social media. “For 400 years you had your knees on our necks, a garden of evil with no seeds of respect,” he rapped. “In America’s mirror all she sees is regret, instead of letting blood live they begging for blood let.”
Jay-Z released a statement late Sunday calling for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute those responsible for killing Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck.
“I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon AG Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law. This is just a first step. I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have,” Jay-Z said. “I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right. Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves.”
Racial tensions were also running high after two white men were arrested in May in the February shooting death of black jogger Arbery in Georgia, and after Louisville, Kentucky, police shot Taylor to death in her home in March.
The R&B duo Chloe x Halle was originally set to release their sophomore album, “Ungodly Hour,” on Friday. They told the AP on Monday that will release the album at other time. The singers also posted a cover of the classic civil rights anthem and protest song “We Shall Overcome” to Instagram, hoping to offer the world some positive energy.
“This week has been very heavy for all of us. We’ve been trying to, not understand, because there’s no way to understand the terrible killings — we just have heavy hearts this week and are just trying to do everything we can to pray and lift each other up with our voices,” Halle said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday.
“With everything going on, we felt like music can be very healing, because it’s been that way for us in kind of keeping us sane during this time,” Chloe added. As much as we could, we just wanted to share our gift of song to even just lift spirits for even a few seconds.”


fortune--2020-06-01--Vladimir Putin reschedules postponed referendum that could allow him to remain in power until 2036

Russian President Vladimir Putin rescheduled a referendum for next month that would open a path for him to remain in power until 2036, as his government says the coronavirus crisis is receding.
The referendum, which was originally planned for April 22 before the epidemic forced a postponement, will be held July 1, Putin told officials on a videoconference from his residence outside Moscow Monday. Voting should be spread out over a week in order to ensure its safety, Russian election chief Ella Pamfilova said at the meeting.
“On the whole, we have managed to resolve the biggest problem, preventing the explosive nature of the situation from developing into a worst-case scenario,” Putin said at the start of the session. “This is allowing us to return to normal life.”
Still, Putin kept up the suspense during the televised meeting, calling a minister during the session to check on potential scheduling issues before giving the final sign-off.
“I’m very much counting on the citizens of Russia participating as actively as possible in the voting on determining the parameters of the basic law,” he said.
Kremlin rushing
With Russia slowly emerging from two months of a nationwide lockdown to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Kremlin is rushing to hold the vote. The restrictions, combined with the plunge in prices for oil, Russia’s main export, led to a decline in economic activity by a third, sending approval ratings for the president lower, according to the Levada Center and FOM polling services. According to a Levada poll, Putin’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest level in two decades.
Russia has the world’s third-highest number of COVID-19 infection cases. The total number of cases reached 414,878 on Monday, while the reported death toll remains relatively low at 4,855.
The referendum initially seemed to be a formality after parliament and the Constitutional Court took less than a week to rubber-stamp the changes endorsed by Putin in March that allow him to seek two more six-year terms when his current presidency ends in 2024.
A poll released May 30 by the state-run Vtsiom pollster found 61% of those surveyed who said they plan to vote would back the initiative.
July 1 may be declared a holiday in honor of the voting, the state-run RIA Novosti news service reported. The government will take the necessary steps to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus during voting, according to Pamfilova.
“It will be safer than participating in other events, and definitely safer than going to the store,” Pamfilova said, adding that the election commission will conduct temperature scans and provide disposable pens.
With assistance from Andrey Biryukov.


fortune--2020-06-01--SpaceX’s historic crewed rocket launch in photos

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Saturday carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station, marking the first-ever commercial launch of humans into orbit.
Astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken are also the first people to lift off into orbit from the United States since the last space shuttle flight in July 2011.
The mission, paid for by NASA, is expected to kick off the next major phase in the privatization of space, which has so far focused on satellite launches. Plans include the launch of private astronauts, the construction of a private space station, and possibly the creation of private missions beyond Earth.
Hurley and Behnken arrived at the ISS’s Harmony port on Sunday, docking at 10:16 a.m. EDT while the spacecraft was flying about 262 miles above the northern border of China and Mongolia. In 2014, NASA commissioned Elon Musk–led SpaceX and aerospace giant Boeing to build launch vehicles capable of carrying humans to the station. Boeing has fallen somewhat behind its rival, with its first mission expected next year if it can work out glitches with its Starliner capsule.
Scroll below to see the historic mission through photos.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft on board is illuminated on the launchpad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission, May 30, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Joel Kowsky/NASA
Astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken Courtesy of SpaceX
NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (left) and Bob Behnken emerge from the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Joe Raedle—Getty Images
Sitting in a Tesla, NASA astronaut Doug Hurley says goodbye to his wife, Karen Nyberg, and son, Jack, after leaving the Operations and Checkout Building and heading for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Joe Raedle—Getty Images
The successful takeoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a new era in human spaceflight as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from U.S. soil to low Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Courtesy of SpaceX
The Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Joel Kowsky/NASA
During the mission, the crew and SpaceX mission controllers will verify the performance of the spacecraft’s environmental control system, displays and control system, maneuvering thrusters, autonomous docking capability, and more. Bill Ingalls/NASA
NASA and SpaceX teams monitor the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Joel Kowsky/NASA
The Crew Dragon embarks on its 19-hour pursuit of the International Space Station. Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
According to NASA, the nine Merlin engines on the Falcon rocket’s first stage generate more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust as the vehicle climbs away from Florida’s Space Coast. At about one minute into the flight, the rocket passed through Max Q, the point of peak mechanical stress. Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft separates from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA TV
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrates the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the start of the commercial crew era of U.S. human spaceflight. Paul Hennessy—SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 crew members monitor their displays inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon during docking operations at the International Space Station on May 31, 2020. NASA TV


fortune--2020-06-01--The number of black CEOs in the Fortune 500 remains very low

Despite years of diversity programs and pious pledges by corporate America, the ranks of African-American chief executives running a Fortune 500 company remain maddeningly very slim: There are only five black CEOs on the 2020 list, which debuted last month.
They include Marvin Ellison at home-improvement retailer Lowe’s (No. 44), Kenneth Frazier at pharmaceuticals maker Merck (No. 69), Roger Ferguson at financial services company TIAA (No. 81), René Jones at M&T Bank (No. 438) and Jide Zeitlin at Tapestry (No. 485), who became CEO of the company that owns Coach and Kate Spade in September. The only black woman to ever helm a Fortune 500 CEO was Xerox’s Ursula Burns, who stepped down in 2016. (Last year, after the 2019 list was published, Mary Winston served as interim CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond for several months.)
That means that black CEOs make up a tiny fraction—just 1%—of the Fortune 500 despite African-Americans representing 13.4% of the U.S. population, according to the most recent government estimates. In all there have only been 18 black CEOs on the Fortune 500 lists since 1999. The peak was six in 2012.
With social unrest, protests, mass arrests, and curfews rocking America’s largest cities in the wake of the most recent gruesome videos of treatment of blacks at the hands of police, Ellison and Frazier were among those to speak personally about the crisis.
Ellison, who had previously been CEO at J.C. Penney, tweeted about growing up in poverty in a small town near Memphis, raised by parents who had to endure the hardships inflicted by Jim Crow laws.
“I have a personal understanding of the fear and frustration that many of you are feeling. To overcome the challenges that we all face, we must use our voice and demand that ignorance and racism must come to an end,” Ellison wrote in a note to Lowe’s employees on Sunday.
My wife & I feel tremendous sadness as our hearts & prayers are with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor & all communities ripped apart by violence. As the father of a young black male, I can only imagine their pain & emptiness. Sharing my company message: pic.twitter.com/JTQaLUAC9W — Marvin Ellison, President & CEO of Lowe’s (@MarvinREllison) May 31, 2020
Merck’s Frazier, who in 2017 resigned from President Donald Trump’s manufacturing council, citing Trump’s tepid and widely criticized response to violence in Charlottesville, Va., when white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups descended on that city, also spoke in personal terms.
"Business needs to go to the seat of government not only for its own economic self interest in the short term but also to think about how to create a society that is going to actually be good for business. We can't have this toxic environment for much longer," says Ken Frazier. pic.twitter.com/oEMjsi13In — Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) June 1, 2020
“What the African-American community sees in that videotape is that this African-American man, who could be me or any other African-American man, is being treated as less than human,” Frazier told CNBC on Monday morning, referring to the video of George Floyd, an African-American man in Minneapolis, being fatally pinned down by a police officer’s knee for nearly nine minutes last week.
He also said social turmoil was ultimately bad for business and the economy. “We can’t have this toxic environment for much longer.”
Correction: This story originally omitted the CEO of M&T Bank in its list of Black CEOs.
For more coverage of this subject, subscribe to RaceAhead, Fortune’s newsletter covering corporate culture, diversity, and inclusion.


fortune--2020-06-01--Leading California’s reopening, Tom Steyer plans to reinvigorate the state’s economy in phases

The economy of California is the largest in the United States. The Golden State is home to the largest tourism industry, entertainment industry, and state school system, and it produces the most food in the country. It’s also facing a $54 billion budget deficit and a nearly 25% unemployment rate owing to COVID-19.
Reinvigorating the state and “reopening” its economy is an incredibly difficult undertaking, akin to reopening an entire country, and former 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer has been tasked with leading the way. As chair of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, Steyer is presiding over a group of 80 business, labor, and community leaders, former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen and Walt Disney Co. executive chairman Bob Iger among them, who are advising the governor on how to best lift restrictions.
Fortune sat down with the billionaire hedge fund founder and liberal activist to discuss how he is approaching the reopening of California and how he’s handling a state that defines what it means to contain multitudes, from the Redwood forest to Silicon Valley to farmland to Hollywood.
On reopening Hollywood
“California is the place where the film and television industry grew up. It’s an incredibly important part of our economy, and it’s something that everybody is focused on. But we need to make sure we reopen that in a way that’s safe and in a way that takes care of the safety of the working people involved, including the crew and performers. That’s something people are extremely focused on because it’s a huge part of the California economy and has been central to our history and to our future.
“In every single industry when you talk about protocols, you’re talking about distancing, masking, and all of the conditions to make sure that the virus doesn’t spread. In the case of the film and television industry, it involves how many people are around at a given time, who is on the set at a given time. It will be run differently than it was before when there was an ability to have as many people as you wanted doing anything, including filming a TV show or a movie.”
On tourism
“There’s the physical beauty of the state and people coming to go to the coastline or coming to go to Yosemite or coming to go to the Sierras, but there’s so much to do in California, too. This is where Disneyland started. This is where the first big theme parks started. People also come to California for the vibrant city life and all of the attractions. So not all of the things that people come to California for are opening at the same time, because of the protocols and timing: The phasing is being done based on health and safety.
“And so some of those things will open fairly shortly, and some of those things will be the last to open. People are working on opening state parks right now, but some of the huge gatherings, the big stadiums and rock concerts and things like that are at the tail end of opening up.”
On reopening Napa
“There are a lot of very small family vineyards where people have tasting rooms and where a lot of the sales are done by people coming around and tasting the wine and then ordering a couple of bottles or a case to bring home. That’s something that is being reviewed and something that is obviously subject to protocols, but that is something that will also be opening before, say, Coachella.”
On opening rural areas before cities
“We have 58 counties in California. Some of the counties will open up sooner than other counties based on the statistics. So it may be possible to do certain things in counties where the virus is declining and at a very low level. It’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all in terms of industry, but it’s also not going to be a one-size-fits-all in terms of county. It’s phasing, so it’s not that one day everything is opened up.”
On Tesla and Elon Musk
“I think that the story with Tesla is one that’s very much a reflection [of what’s happening in California]. I think [Elon Musk] was very upset. It turns out that Tesla worked through their issues with the health officials in Alameda County. They came to a mutual understanding of a safe way to reopen that plant. In fact, you haven’t heard anything negative from Elon Musk in a while.
“There’s always going to be tension between people operating businesses who are desperate to get their factories and workers back to work and health officials who are desperate to protect the safety and lives of California workers. And so that’s a normal thing. But we’ve had this positive leadership specifically from Governor Newsom and around the state. You work through those problems and come up with a solution that reflects what’s happening on the ground and protects the health and safety of workers and consumers foremost. That’s exactly what happened with Tesla.”
On using COVID-19 to address income inequality
“Our task force specifically has a mission statement that includes working towards a just, equitable, sustainable, green California and making sure that we have the interest of those under-resourced communities, those black and brown communities at large, at the front of our minds as we move forward and think about what we can do to come out as fast and as safely as possible.
“I think that essential workers, who are by and large people who make less than the median wage in California state, have been more exposed to getting sick from the virus, and people who make less than the median wage are much more likely to have been laid off as a result of the pandemic. They’re also much less likely to be able to work from home. So I think that as we start to look for a response to the pandemic, and start to look at where we do testing, COVID has exposed that inequality and exacerbated that inequality in a lot of ways, and it’s absolutely critical that we think about the policies that reflect a pushback against that inequality.”
On bridging the digital divide
“With the pandemic, the need to have schoolkids connected to the Internet has a new energy to it, because even though schools are scheduled to reopen, there’s a very high likelihood that it won’t be the same way it was in 2019. There may be some sort of blended learning that involves an online portion. So it’s urgent that all schoolkids be connected to high-speed Internet so they can participate in their own education.
“These are equity issues. If you think about how people are getting their medicine today in the time of COVID-19, I am seeing from our huge health care system in California that 80% of their doctor’s visits are over the phone or over Zoom. That means to feel the full extent of medicine, you’re going to have to be hooked up to high-speed Internet.”
On using COVID-19 to retrain the workforce
“I think there’s going to be a huge effort on retraining, reskilling, and upskilling. And I think that will have a huge impact on people across California. Because when you think about infrastructure, people tend to think about the 1930s and building physical things. That’s certainly part of what’s got to happen, but changes also need to be made to human infrastructure and health infrastructure. That will involve bringing people along and training them to participate in more skilled, better paid jobs going forward, coming out of this economic slowdown.”


fortune--2020-06-01--Can Facebook thread the needle?

Can Facebook thread the needle?

As protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis spread throughout the country and even abroad, the conversation has traveled into the realm of corporate America.
Calls to address racism came from the likes of Citigroup CFO Mark Mason and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Box CEO Aaron Levie placed part of the blame squarely on President Donald J. Trump’s shoulders: “He’s spent years stoking tensions that helped amplify today’s pain,” Levie wrote in a tweet.
Perhaps the most comprehensive call for action yet came from Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. In a pages-long letter to employees over the weekend, he called for a non-partisan commission to investigate and recommend restitutions for the African-American community. Tying the protests to wealth inequality, he also called for an overhaul of the tax system with higher estate and corporate tax rates.
“Many of these changes could be ‘bad’ for business in the short term, but because they represent long term investments in the people of our nation, I believe that we will collectively reap tremendous long-term benefits,” he wrote.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined the chorus, committing $10 million to groups working on racial justice. But his social-media platform is under pressure like no other. Twitter recently slapped a warning on a tweet from Trump laden with racist history about the protests, saying it violated rules against “glorifying violence.”
Zuckerberg, though, said Facebook is no “arbiter of truth” and does not plan to police Trump’s messages even if he personally disagrees with their sentiment. Trump’s message in question: “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” (That latter phrase was coined by a Miami police chief in the 1960s about cracking down on black neighborhoods.)
Zuck is trying to position his platform as a neutral pass-through for information amid criticisms from conservatives and progressives, with the executive has sought to massage the situation through soft power: He reportedly jumped on a call Friday with Trump to express concern about the message, per Axios—even after Trump signed an executive order to crack down on social media companies.
But does Facebook have an option, as social media platforms dictate more and more who sees what and how, and as some of the company’s own employees voice dissent over Zuckerberg’s decision?
Even executives in traditional sectors (and in what was Trump’s Manufacturing Council) have come to learn from Charlottesville—no response is not an option.
For some, Zuckerberg’s decision to play mediator is as good as a non-response.
Lucinda Shen
Twitter: @shenlucinda
Email: lucinda.shen@fortune.com
VENTURE DEALS
- Genor Biopharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical firm, raised $160 million in Series B funding. Hillhouse Capital Group led the round. Read more.
- Ligado Networks, a Reston, Va.-based provider of networks for Industrial IoT, raised $100 million in funding. The investors were not disclosed.
- Starling, a London-based digital bank, raised £40 million ($50 million) in funding. JTC and Merian Chrysalis Investment Company led the round. Read more.
- PlusDental, a Berlin-based telemedicine service focused on dentistry, raised €32 million in funding led by Ping An Global Voyager.
- Beam, a scooter startup in Singapore,, raised $26 million in Series A funding. Sequoia India and Hana Ventures led the round and were joined by investors including RTP Capital.
- Syapse, a San Francisco-based cancer analytics firm, raised $30 million in funding. Revelation Alpine led the round and was joined by investors including existing Amgen Ventures, Ascension Ventures, Intermountain Ventures, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Roche Finance, Safeguard Scientifics and Social Capital.
- OTTO Motors, a Ontario-based division of Clearpath Robotics, raised $29 million in Series C funding. Kensington Private Equity Fund led the round and was joined by investors including BMO Capital Partners, Export Development Canada (EDC), and previous investors iNovia Capital and RRE Ventures.
- Arterys, a San Francisco, Calif.-based medical imaging platform delivering AI products over the internet, raised $28 million in Series C funding. Benslie Investment Group and Temasek Holdings led the round, and were joined by investors including Fosun, Revelation Partners, Emergent Medical Partners, and Varian Medical System.
- Beacon, a London-based freight forwarding and supply chain finance company, raised $15 million in Series A funding from investors including Jeff Bezos and 8VC.
- Belvo, a Latin American API fintech startup, raised $10 million in funding. Founders Fund and Kaszek co-led the round. Read more.
- Orbita, a Boston, Mass.-based provider of conversational AI-powered voice and chatbots for healthcare, raised $9 million in Series A funding. Philips Health Technology Ventures and HealthX Ventures coled the round, and were joined by investors including Cultivation Capital and Newark Venture Partners.
- Quartz, a maker of construction site safety hardware, raised $7.75 million in Series A funding. Baseline Ventures led the round, and was joined by investors including Felicis Ventures, Lemnos and Bloomberg Beta. Read more.
- Cognosos, an Atlanta, Ga.-based IoT-based asset firm, raised $4.5 million in funding. Investors included current investors Cox Enterprises and Pete Kight.
- Floating Point Group, a Cambridge, Mass.-based provider of a platform for algorithmic cryptocurrency trading, raised $2 million in funding. The investors included AngelList founder Naval Ravikant, pif.vc, Algorand’s CEO Steve Kokinos, BoxOne Ventures and Seabury Global Markets.
- PickUp, a New York-based platform for media companies making sports content, raised $1.5 million in seed funding. KB Partners led the round.
PE
- KKR, Cinven and Providence made a bid to take MassMovil, a Spanish telecoms operator, private for 2.96 billion euro ($3.3 billion). Read more.
- United Group, a portfolio company of BC Partners, acquired Forthnet, a Greek telecoms and pay-TV provider. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
- China Youran Dairy Holding is seeking to raise $300 million and $400 million in a new funding round before a potential IPO. PAG and Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group hold 41% and 40% stakes respectively in the dairy producer, per Bloomberg citing sources. Read more.
- Avista Capital Partners agreed to acquire a stake in Vision Healthcare, a Belgium-based direct-to-consumer health-care products, for about €305 million ($336 million). Read more.
- Warburg Pincus is to inject more than £250 million into the merger of U.K.-based wealth managers Tilney and Smith & Williamson, per Sky News citing sources. Read more.
- IG4 acquired two hospitals through its recently formed OPY Health unit amid for 200 million reais ($38 million), per Reuters citing sources. Read more.
- LLR Partners invested in TrueLearn, a provider of online test preparation and data analytics to healthcare education and training institutions. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
- Eyesouth, backed by Shore Capital Partners, invested in Coastal Eye Associates, a Texas-based provider of eye care services. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
OTHERS
- Zynga (Nasdaq: ZNGA) agreed to acquire Peak, a Turkish mobile games company for $1.8 billion. The deal is the largest deal in the Zynga’s history.
- Beijing Kunlun Tech said a U.S. national security panel approved the $620 million sale of popular gay dating app Grindr to an investor group called San Vicente Acquisition LLC. The buyer is reportedly backed by Chegg.com founding member James Lu, investor Raymond Zage and Atlanta Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr., according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. Read more.
- Chondrial Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on rare diseases, went public via a reverse merger with Zafgen (Nasdaq:ZFGN). Deerfield Management Co. backs Chondrial. The combined company will be called Larimar Therapeutics and will list as “LRMR.”
BANKRUPTCIES, HANG UPS, AND BREAKUPS
- Beaumont Health ended plans to merge with Summa Health, a Akron, Oh. based hospital. Read more.
- Libbey, a Toledo, Oh.-based glassware maker, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Read more.
IPOs
- YEAHKA, a payment-based technology platform in China dubbed the “Square” of the country, listed in Hong Kong. It raised a net of $197 million (HK$1,528 million) minus fees in an offering of 98.7 million shares priced at HK $16.64 apiece. The company is backed by investors including Tencent, Recruit Holdings, Adams Street Funds, IVP Funds, and Greycroft.
- Tencent Holdings is in talks to buy a stake in Warner Music Group as part of its IPO, per the Wall Street Journal citing sources. Read more.
F+FS
- DCVC aims to raise $275 million for its second bio fund. Read more.
PEOPLE
- OMERS appointed Blake Hutcheson as President and CEO.


fortune--2020-06-01--Cleaning robots have their moment in the fight against COVID-19

Buck Ward helped build one of the world’s first commercial floor-cleaning robots, Robokent, in 1987. A tireless advocate for the potential of such automated cleaners, the entrepreneur has waited more than three decades for the technology to become mainstream.
Now Ward’s moment has finally arrived—courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic. “There’s an emphasis on hygiene that I’ve never seen before,” says Ward, who today runs Cyberclean Systems, a Virginia company that helps businesses deploy cleaning robots.
Being able to prove that an office, factory, or store is as germ-free as possible is seen as imperative for giving employees and customers alike the confidence to return. To provide that assurance, companies are cleaning much more frequently—and that in turn is driving demand for robots.
Unlike human cleaners, the robots never miss a shift, get tired or ill, or cut corners. And, yes, they can help firms cut cleaning bills by reducing labor costs. But the robots can’t clean everything. In fact, for the moment they just clean floors, which aren’t a huge vector for the coronavirus. Using the robots, however, can free up human cleaning crews to concentrate on high-touch surfaces such as door handles, elevator buttons, and light switches that robots can’t yet tackle.
Robots have a long association with home cleaning in the public imagination—from Rosie, the robotic maid in The Jetsons, to the Roomba vacuum cleaner, which debuted in 2002. But it is only in the past decade that advances in microelectronics and machine-learning software have made such systems powerful, reliable, safe, and cheap enough to catch on in commercial settings. The machines have also become much easier to deploy, Ward says, with it taking less than a day to train most floor-cleaning robots today compared to weeks-long mapping sessions that were required when he first started working with cleaning robots in the late 1980s.
Sales of Neo, a floor-cleaning robot made by Canadian startup Avidbots, were already doubling on an annual basis before the coronavirus hit—but now sales have doubled again, according to Faizan Sheikh, the company’s CEO. “People who were not even thinking about it are now eager to buy,” he says.
Brain Corp., a San Diego company whose software powers several kinds of autonomous robots, says use of its self-driving cleaning robots increased 24% in April, compared with the same month last year.
Robots driven by Brain Corp.’s software clean the floors at supermarket chain Kroger and at Walmart and other big-box retailers. Some of those customers—including Walmart—have ordered more robots since the coronavirus pandemic began and have asked to deploy them as fast as possible, Eugene Izhikevich, Brain Corp.’s CEO, says.
He says that the reason companies are cleaning the floors—and want robotic cleaners—has been transformed by the pandemic. “Before it was about aesthetics,” he says. “Now it is about safety.”
Two-thirds of the increase in autonomous cleaning hours that Brain Corp. has recorded in the first three months of 2020 have come during the daytime—which is not typically when the robots had been used previously.
Before the pandemic, companies had deployed the robots at the same time that human cleaning crews typically worked—at night or in the early morning hours, when few people were around to get in the way of the large, Zamboni-like floor scrubbers, and when tile floors would have time to dry without risking slip-and-fall injuries.
But since the pandemic struck, cleaning during the day—when more people are around—has taken on new importance. It’s about both hygiene and public relations, says Brian Cobb, the chief innovation officer at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which has been using Avidbots’ Neo since December. It initially used the Neo at night but has since shifted to nearly round-the-clock use of the robot. “The more it is out there, the better optics with the consumer,” he says. The robots’ presence is a visual indicator that the airport is “going above and beyond.”
Cobb says that the use of such cleaning robots is likely to increase too. While the need for cleaning has become greater, the airport’s ability to add more human cleaning staff is likely to be constrained by budget considerations: The airport is facing a huge loss of revenue from the pandemic.
The sudden popularity of cleaning robots hasn’t escaped notice from investors. Brain Corp., which had early backing from SoftBank’s Vision Fund and Qualcomm, secured an additional $36 million Series D investment round in late April to help it accelerate its growth. That round included ClearBridge Investments, a venture capital firm that specializes in helping tech firms as they prepare for an initial public offering, something that Izhikevich says may be on the cards for Brain Corp. in the next year.
Cleaning robots, depending on the make and model, cost $40,000 to $60,000 each and often require additional ongoing spending for maintenance and an autonomous-software subscription. Brain Corp., for instance, has several different pricing tiers, Izhikevich says, with $500 per robot per month being about average. But in terms of saving on human labor, if the robots are used 20 hours per week, they earn back their cost in 18 months, Avidbots’ Sheikh says. Now, with the increased cleaning due to the coronavirus outbreak, that break-even point has reduced to 15 months or less, he says.
The coronavirus pandemic has also sped advances in the way robots clean. Carnegie Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based robotics company that makes the autonomous systems for the Nilfisk Liberty SC50 Autonomous Scrubber, a popular robotic floor cleaner, is now testing an attachment that uses ultraviolet light to kill germs, including the coronavirus, as well as scrubbing the floor.
The attachment and sensors that guide the UV light came out of a system Carnegie Robotics originally developed for a U.S. military robot that could locate and neutralize buried improvised explosive devices and mines, says Daniel Beaven, the company’s chief financial officer.
The first of these UV-light-equipped self-driving floor scrubbers is now being used at Pittsburgh International Airport. Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny Airport Authority, which runs the Pittsburgh airport, says she’s always looking for ways to showcase at the airport the innovation taking place in Pittsburgh. The robotic floor cleaner, built by a local tech firm, seemed like a good way to do that. But when the coronavirus struck, the robot also became a way to highlight something else—that the airport was safe for staff and customers, she says.
Beaven says Carnegie Robotics, whose core team are veterans of Uber’s self-driving car efforts, has been considering ways they may be able to create robots that, by using articulated arms, would be able to use ultraviolet light to disinfect other surfaces besides just floors. But, he cautioned, such systems will take time to be developed and secure regulatory approval. Ultraviolet rays at the strengths needed to kill many types of germs can also cause permanent eye injury and increase cancer risk if humans are not properly shielded from the light.
Ward says he doesn’t think the clamor for cleaning robots, unlike, say, the spike in the demand for toilet paper, will fade once the coronavirus outbreak ends. “It is here to stay, and it is going to accelerate the sale and adoption of robots,” he says.
There is a sense in which robotic floor cleaners act as a “gateway drug” for other kinds of robotic automation: Once people get comfortable with the self-driving tile scrubbers, they start looking for other tasks that can be automated. “For a first-time entrance into the autonomous space, it really provides that level of experience and comfort,” Cobb, the innovation officer at the Cincinnati airport, says. Now, he says, the airport is considering whether other kinds of robots can assist with baggage handling and whether it can use self-driving vehicles to move passengers, especially those who have difficulty walking, around the airport.


fortune--2020-06-01--This moment needs better leadership

This moment needs better leadership

This is the web version of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.
On a painful morning in America, after the first night of curfew anyone can remember in San Francisco, the beating heart of Silicon Valley, I wish I could tell you something profound about what this all means for the technology industry.
I can’t.
Corporate leaders, some sincere and others less so, will profess their solidarity with the protesters. Venture capitalists will search their souls, [insert soulless VC joke here] about the lack of diversity among the entrepreneurs they fund. We can debate ad nauseum the different approaches Facebook and Twitter are taking to regulate the hateful and incendiary speech on their publishing platforms.
But it doesn’t add up to much. So-called social media may have provided the fuel, but it didn’t ignite the flames.
The country is ailing. Too few leaders are leading. And even when they do, including mayors who require their citizens to shelter in place to blunt a virus or curb the violence, their constituents can’t calmly agree to disagree about their intentions.
There’s plenty that’s exciting, interesting, new, lamentable, and otherwise noteworthy about what’s going on in tech today. Aaron will summarize a lot of it below.
I’m going to wait just a bit to see if any of it feels nearly as relevant as the public-health and societal tragedies unfolding around us.
Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam.lashinsky@fortune.com
This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman.
NEWSWORTHY
Somewhere only we know. The nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police moved some tech companies to action. Facebook offered $10 million and Google's YouTube and Intel pledged $1 million donations to social justice and anti-racism organizations. Apple said it would do the same, without naming a dollar amount.
I walked across an empty land. Meanwhile, what is going on with social networks and the president? New Street Research analyst and former FCC official Blair Levin probably had the smartest take on Trump's executive order issued last week: "It is not designed to change the law but rather, is designed to provide the President and the FCC an opportunity to 'work the refs' in the run-up to the November election." At Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke with Trump on Friday and "expressed concerns" but did not request anything specific from the president, Axios reports. Seemingly after the call, though without mentioning it, Zuck posted his own note about the controversy with a weird justification for why Facebook left up Trump's threatening post about Minneapolis. Some other top Facebook officials rejected that view.
I felt the earth beneath my feet. Shifting gears to some truly uplifting news, two NASA astronauts launched from Cape Canaveral on Saturday and arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The journey marked the first launch of humans into orbit by a private company ever and the first such launch from U.S. soil since the last Space Shuttle mission in 2011. In other positive flying news, electric flight startup Magnix successfully flew its all-electric nine-passenger Cessna airplane for 30 minutes last week. The flight marked the largest ever electric plane to make it into the skies.
Simple thing, where have you gone? Which jobs will be eliminated by A.I.? Apparently some in journalism. Microsoft let go about 50 editorial contractors last week and replaced them with an A.I. system to select news and headlines for the popular news section of MSN.com, Business Insider reports.
So tell me when you're gonna let me in. The government of India nixed a plan by Walmart-owned Flipkart to get into the food retail business. The online seller said last year that it wanted to get into food retail by connecting with tens of thousands of small farmers, but government officials said the plan did not comply with regulatory guidelines. Rivals Amazon, Zomato, and Grofers have secured permission to sell food online.
This could be the end of everything. It was the perfect anecdote to encapsulate the rise of online influencers, but it may not have been perfectly true. Forbes says it never should have added Kylie Jenner to its billionaires list because Jenner allegedly misled the magazine about the success of her cosmetics business. Still, after selling 51% the business to Coty for $600 million in January, Jenner is now worth approximately $900 million, the magazine says.
(Today's headline reference explainer video, on a day when we could all use something to rely on.)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
After the successful SpaceX launch on Saturday, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine made a short speech that ended with the thought that the mission could inspire kids to want to become the next Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Richard Branson. That struck Hackaday contributing editor Jenny List as a wrong-headed suggestion.
I was slightly shocked and saddened to hear this from the NASA administrator, because to my mind the careers of Musk, Bezos, or Branson should not be the ones first brought to mind by a space launch. This isn’t a comment on those three in themselves; although they have many critics it is undeniable that they have each through their respective space companies brought much to the world of space flight. Instead it’s a comment on what a NASA administrator should be trying to inspire in kids.
Ask yourself how many billionaire masters-of-the-universe it takes for a successful space race compared to the number of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, technicians, physicists, et al. From the anecdote of the NASA administrator it takes about three, but if he is to make good on his goal of returning to the Moon in 2024 and then eventually taking humanity to Mars it will take a generation packed full of those other roles.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Trump needs Twitter. Twitter needs Trump. Who needs who more? By Danielle Abril
Phone sales plummet amid the coronavirus lockdown By Aaron Pressman
Why the Upwork CEO believes the pandemic will lead to more work with freelancers By Rachel Schallom
How much of the bear market losses have been recovered? By Ben Carlson
Inside Tulsa’s underdog bid for Tesla’s next big factory By David Z. Morris
A WeWork rival gets ready for an IPO, even as offices stay shut By Lucinda Shen
(Some of these stories require a subscription to access. There is a 50% discount for our loyal readers if you use this link to sign up. Thank you for supporting our journalism.)
BEFORE YOU GO
The artist Christo, who installed thousands of orange gates in Central Park and wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin in grey fabric, died on Sunday. His final project, wrapping the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, will be completed in September. Amid a world torn by strife and violence, Christo brought beauty and new perspectives everywhere he went. We could all strive to do the same.
Aaron Pressman
@ampressman
aaron.pressman@fortune.com


fortune--2020-06-01--Journalists are among those punished for prioritizing justice and truth above all

Over the past several days, protests and riots have erupted across the United States and beyond in response to the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25—the latest high-profile example of the countless black Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of police throughout history.
Videos and reports of violent policing of demonstrators have flooded news coverage and social media. Civilians and journalists have been arrested and attacked. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic persists, yet many across the world have determined that their duties as citizens or as reporters are too important to stay home. Many wear masks as they navigate crowded streets. Those who find themselves in police custody for their involvement face a greater risk of transmitting or contracting the coronavirus.
The events of the past week in the U.S. are just one example of journalists attempting to hold those in power accountable for human rights violations, gender inequality, corruption, incompetence, and more. Too often, individuals find themselves harassed, detained, or in the worst cases, killed for their efforts.
To call attention to this mistreatment, Fortune is part of a collective of media organizations that copublishes a monthly ranked list of the 10 most urgent press freedom cases. The lists are compiled by the One Free Press Coalition in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). (You can read last month’s list here.)
Yemeni journalists held five years and sentenced to death.
After death sentencing in April, June 9 will mark 5 years in detention for Yemeni journalists Abdulkhaleq Amran, Akram al-Waleedi, Hareth Hameed, and Tawfiq al-Mansouri. The Ansar Allah group, known as the Houthis, charged the four with spreading false news “in support of the crimes of Saudi aggression and its allies against the Republic of Yemen.” Their lawyer, who plans to appeal, has been allowed limited courtroom access. More than 150 organizations have called for the decision to be overturned.
Life sentence upheld in case of journalist jailed 10 years and in worsening health.
Last month a Kyrgyz court heard the final appeal and upheld a life sentence in the case of award-winning journalist Azimjon Askarov. June 15 will mark 10 years since the ethnic Uzbek was arrested on trumped-up charges that included incitement to ethnic hatred and complicity in the murder of a police officer. His wife, Khadicha Askarova, has written a letter to Kyrgyzstan’s President, pleading for Askarov’s release as his health deteriorates with limited access to medication.
Reporter missing for nearly two months.
Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco, a reporter and news presenter for Palma Community Radio, has not been heard from since April 7, when he left work in the northern Cabo Delgado province and texted a colleague saying he was “surrounded by soldiers.” Civil society organizations have sent a letter to Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi expressing concern about the deteriorating human rights situation exemplified by Mbaruco’s apparent military-enforced disappearance.
Journalist punished for writing about human rights violations against indigenous Crimeans.
In mid-May a Russian appeals court upheld charges against Nariman Memedeminov, a Ukrainian freelance journalist who was sentenced last October to two and a half years in prison. He had already served one and a half years in pretrial detention between his arrest in Russian-controlled Crimea and conviction for making “public calls to terrorism” in his reporting. His defense team plans to file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.
Writer imprisoned two years for writing on women’s rights.
June 6 will mark two years since Saudi blogger and postgraduate student Nouf Abdulaziz was arrested at her home, among a broad wave of activists silenced for their work relating to gender equality. In a pending trial the public prosecutor will present several charges including “contact with foreign entities.” Abdulaziz is being held in Riyadh’s al-Hair prison, one of 26 journalists imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, according to CPJ’s 2019 prison census, tying it with Egypt for the third-leading jailer of journalists.
Court date set for journalist held in pretrial detention for two years.
Journalist Wawa Jackson Nfor faces arraignment before a new judge on June 8, after more than two years held in pretrial detention on accusations of publishing secessionist information. A guilty verdict could carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. National gendarmes in Nkambe, a city in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest region, arrested Nfor without a warrant in May 2018.
Trial threatens imprisonment and revocation of journalist’s rights.
The director of Madagascar’s Ny Valosoa (The Reward) newspaper, Arphine Helisoa, faces trial for allegations of “incitement” and spreading “false news” regarding President Andry Rajoelina. Though she has been released since her April 4 arrest, a conviction could carry up to five years in prison and possible prohibition of additional rights, including voting, for up to 10 years. Helisoa was previously detained in 2019 for “defamation” for a report alleging improper use of military equipment.
Police investigate, harass, and intimidate photojournalist for images posted to Facebook.
Masrat Zahra, a freelance photojournalist in Kashmir, could face a fine or up to seven years in prison under a law permitting India’s counterterrorism police to detain suspects for extended periods without a formal charge. Police summoned her for questioning in April, opening an investigation of photographs posted on social media “glorifying anti-national activities” without specifying which images were deemed “an offense against the state.”
Calls persist for investigation into journalist’s high-profile, brazen murder.
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are reportedly working on new legislation to push the Trump administration to release secret findings on the full extent of Saudi Arabia’s role in Jamal Khashoggi’s death. In the time since the Washington Post columnist was killed inside Istanbul’s Saudi consulate in 2018, there has been no independent criminal investigation, and the U.S. executive branch ignored the mandated release of an intelligence report due Jan. 19, 2020.
Government obtained personal information from dozens of national and international journalists.
Media outlet Rutas del Conflicto, which is dedicated to documenting Colombia’s armed conflict, and its director, Óscar Parra, have been targeted by military intelligence officials in an extensive monitoring operation. The information collected on more than 130 individuals, 30-plus journalists among them, included personal information about their professional contacts, family, and friends, according to a May 1 report from Colombian newsweekly Semana titled “Las carpetas secretas” (“The Secret Files”).
Fortune would like to hear your voice. Email us at feedback@fortune.com.


fortune--2020-06-01--Ravaged by COVID-19, Russia plans major push this month for Avifavir, a fast-tracked antiviral treat

Ravaged by COVID-19, Russia plans major push this month for Avifavir, a fast-tracked antiviral treatment

Russia is preparing to provide hospitals with a coronavirus drug developed with the sovereign wealth fund’s backing after gaining initial approval from the Health Ministry amid a global race to find safe and effective treatments for COVID-19.
The medicine will be shipped to hospitals starting June 11 and exports may follow once domestic demand is met, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is producing the antiviral in a joint venture with the ChemRar Group.
The treatment, Avifavir, is based on a generic version of Fujifilm Holdings Corp.’s drug Avigan, which Japan’s government is still looking to approve for treatment of coronavirus. Final-stage clinical trials of Russia’s Avifavir involving 330 patients are continuing, according to the wealth fund.
As the coronavirus continues to spread, upending economies and life around the world, drug companies have been racing to develop treatments and vaccines. Clinical trials showed Avifavir helped reduce the number of days a person is infected and cut the period of high fever, according to the RDIF.
Russia now joins the U.S, China and Japan, which have drugs registered for use against coronavirus in hospitals, according to RDIF. Avifavir is the second drug, after Remdesivir, to show promising results against COVID-19 and ChemRar Group will deliver 60,000 doses this month, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on a conference call Monday.
On Saturday, Dmitriev called Avifavir “perhaps the most promising anti-COVID-19 drug in the world.” He praised the “unprecedentedly short period of time” in which Russia has prepared the medicine.
Companies around the world are considering producing versions of Avigan, or favipiravir, which in a non-randomized Chinese study in March resulted in faster clearance of the virus in comparison with an anti-HIV drug. Yohei Doi, the lead researcher on an Avigan trial, said last month that it’s too early to make a call on whether the drug works or not against COVID-19, and patients are still being enrolled.
Russia has recorded the world’s third-highest number of COVID-19 infection cases, according to Johns Hopkins University’s research center. Russian cases exceeded 414,878 on Monday, while the reported death toll remains relatively low among some of the world’s largest countries, at 4,855.