theverge--2020-04-30--Reddit removes chat room feature after one day due to site-wide bug

Remember how Reddit announced just yesterday that it was introducing built-in subreddit chat rooms ?
Yeah , never mind on that .
Alex Le , Reddit ’ s vice president of product and community , said on Thursday in multiple comments that the feature has been “ rolled back 100 % .
” Le said that the platform “ made several errors ” in the process of releasing the function ( called “ Start Chatting ” ) and apologized for the confusion the rollout caused .
One bug , in particular , caused the button to appear on all subreddits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do anything when clicked or tapped .
“ If you dismiss the banner in 3 communities where the feature is active on desktop web or android , then the small button you ’ re seeing appears on all communities .
But importantly , for all support communities , the button does nothing .
Your users could never enter chats for this feature even in the rare case they saw the button , ” Le wrote .
“ We are actively fixing this now .
The feature is being rolled back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the button will be removed.
” The announcement comes after a slew of Redditors protested the introduction of the “ Start Chatting ” button to their communities .
Reddit initially said that the feature would roll out to around 50 percent of SFW subreddits to start and that companies “ particularly vulnerable to abuse ” would not be included .
“ As Moderators , we are unpaid volunteers who work to build a community which reflects our values and vision.
” However , subreddit moderators were not given the opportunity to opt out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chat rooms , according to their community rules , with the responsibility going to Reddit ’ s own administrators instead .
A number of moderators protested Reddit ’ s approach and criticized it for putting subreddits , especially those that give voices to victims of sexual assault and other vulnerable communities , at risk by potentially opening up chat features to trolls and those eager to commit fraud or abuse .
“ As Moderators , we are unpaid volunteers who work to build a community which reflects our values and vision , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message to Reddit admins .
“ In the past , we have always been promised control over shaping that community by the site Admins , and despite missteps at points , it is a promise we have trusted .
Clearly we were wrong to do so , as this has broken that trust in a far worse way than any previous undesired feature the Admins have thrust upon us.
” A moderator of r/personalfinance and r/Debt also requested that both subreddits be removed : “ We already have major problems with scammers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are already in financial crisis and we can ’ t even get Reddit to ban those people after repeated reports ( not that it would be hard for someone to change accounts considering that it takes weeks or months for reports to be examined ) .
Even our unofficial IRC chatroom is better moderated than anything that is possible on Reddit.
” Le stated that Reddit received largely positive feedback from early tests of the chat room feature .
“ Please keep in mind that many users are using the feature and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not always the ones who will share their feedback in comment threads , ” Le wrote .
His comment also notes that Reddit plans to alter Start Chatting ’ s interface to make the feature more distinct from its affiliated subreddit , and will allow moderators to remove the button from their communities .
Reddit confirmed to The Verge that it disabled the feature .
“ Given the issues and concerns expressed by our users and moderators throughout the last 24 hours , we ’ ve made the decision to disable Start Chatting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evolve the product to meet the needs of our community , ” a Reddit spokesperson says .
Update April 30th , 5:29PM ET : Added confirmation and statement from Reddit on the removal of the chat room feature .

Remember how Reddit announced just yesterday that it was introducing built-in subreddit chat rooms? Yeah, never mind on that.
Alex Le, Reddit’s vice president of product and community, said on Thursday in multiple comments that the feature has been “rolled back 100%.” Le said that the platform “made several errors” in the process of releasing the function (called “Start Chatting”) and apologized for the confusion the rollout caused. One bug, in particular, caused the button to appear on all subreddits, even in the event it didn’t do anything when clicked or tapped.
“If you dismiss the banner in 3 communities where the feature is active on desktop web or android, then the small button you’re seeing appears on all communities. But importantly, for all support communities, the button does nothing. Your users could never enter chats for this feature even in the rare case they saw the button,” Le wrote. “We are actively fixing this now. The feature is being rolled back in a matter of a few hours and the button will be removed.”
The announcement comes after a slew of Redditors protested the introduction of the “Start Chatting” button to their communities. Reddit initially said that the feature would roll out to around 50 percent of SFW subreddits to start and that companies “particularly vulnerable to abuse” would not be included.
“As Moderators, we are unpaid volunteers who work to build a community which reflects our values and vision.”
However, subreddit moderators were not given the opportunity to opt out and did not have oversight to run the chat rooms, according to their community rules, with the responsibility going to Reddit’s own administrators instead. A number of moderators protested Reddit’s approach and criticized it for putting subreddits, especially those that give voices to victims of sexual assault and other vulnerable communities, at risk by potentially opening up chat features to trolls and those eager to commit fraud or abuse.
“As Moderators, we are unpaid volunteers who work to build a community which reflects our values and vision,” wrote a moderator of r/AskHistorians in a message to Reddit admins. “In the past, we have always been promised control over shaping that community by the site Admins, and despite missteps at points, it is a promise we have trusted. Clearly we were wrong to do so, as this has broken that trust in a far worse way than any previous undesired feature the Admins have thrust upon us.”
A moderator of r/personalfinance and r/Debt also requested that both subreddits be removed: “We already have major problems with scammers using chat and PMs to swindle people who are already in financial crisis and we can’t even get Reddit to ban those people after repeated reports (not that it would be hard for someone to change accounts considering that it takes weeks or months for reports to be examined). Even our unofficial IRC chatroom is better moderated than anything that is possible on Reddit.”
Le stated that Reddit received largely positive feedback from early tests of the chat room feature. “Please keep in mind that many users are using the feature and enjoying it, and these people are not always the ones who will share their feedback in comment threads,” Le wrote.
His comment also notes that Reddit plans to alter Start Chatting’s interface to make the feature more distinct from its affiliated subreddit, and will allow moderators to remove the button from their communities.
Reddit confirmed to The Verge that it disabled the feature. “Given the issues and concerns expressed by our users and moderators throughout the last 24 hours, we’ve made the decision to disable Start Chatting so we can reassess our rollout plan and evolve the product to meet the needs of our community,” a Reddit spokesperson says.


theverge--2020-04-30--Amazon says it’ll spend $4 billion or more dealing with COVID-19

Amazon expects to spend $ 4 billion or more — the predicted operating profit for the company ’ s entire coming quarter — just on COVID-19-related expenses .
In a quarterly earnings release today , Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the expenses will come from spending on personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , cleaning for facilities , “ higher wages for hourly teams , ” and expanding its own COVID-19 testing capabilities .
Many of the changes have been put in place already and came in response to pressure over treatment of workers during the pandemic .
Amazon is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have publicly criticized working conditions ; it fired six tech employees who took a sick day in protest of Amazon ’ s treatment of workers , and there has been backlash against the company for reportedly using a heat map to track Whole Foods stores that are at risk of unionizing .
Bezos ’ note tries to make Amazon sound serious about “ keeping employees safe , ” telling shareholders to “ take a seat ” while the company ramps up this spending .
“ The best investment we can make is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of employees , ” Bezos writes .
One of the more interesting bits from Bezos ’ statement was that Amazon has a team of current employees that are working to build “ incremental testing capacity.
” So far , the team has built a lab to pilot tests for its frontline employees , and it pledges to share any progress the team makes to the greater effort against COVID-19 .
Amazon ’ s Q1 2020 performance fell in line with its guidance from late last year , with $ 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales were at $ 75.5 billion , which outpaced the growth that it expected last quarter .
AWS , its cloud computing services , saw a huge increase year over year , bringing in $ 10.2 billion this quarter , which is up from $ 7.7 billion in the same quarter in 2019 .
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic , these numbers reveal that Amazon — at least so far — is rolling with the punches and keeping up with the unprecedented demand seen for orders around the globe .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of money toward COVID-19 efforts is notable as well .
Although Amazon is on a hiring spree to keep up with demand — no doubt a good thing for people in need of work — it doesn ’ t overshadow the controversy surrounding its treatment of employees during this difficult time .

Amazon expects to spend $4 billion or more — the predicted operating profit for the company’s entire coming quarter — just on COVID-19-related expenses. In a quarterly earnings release today, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the expenses will come from spending on personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning for facilities, “higher wages for hourly teams,” and expanding its own COVID-19 testing capabilities.
Bezos’ note tries to make Amazon sound serious about “keeping employees safe,” telling shareholders to “take a seat” while the company ramps up this spending. “The best investment we can make is in the safety and well-being of our hundreds of thousands of employees,” Bezos writes.
One of the more interesting bits from Bezos’ statement was that Amazon has a team of current employees that are working to build “incremental testing capacity.” So far, the team has built a lab to pilot tests for its frontline employees, and it pledges to share any progress the team makes to the greater effort against COVID-19.
Amazon’s Q1 2020 performance fell in line with its guidance from late last year, with $4 billion in operating income. Its net sales were at $75.5 billion, which outpaced the growth that it expected last quarter. AWS, its cloud computing services, saw a huge increase year over year, bringing in $10.2 billion this quarter, which is up from $7.7 billion in the same quarter in 2019.


theverge--2020-04-30--Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a good sign for cross-gen gaming on Xbox One and Xbox Series X

Assassin ’ s Creed Valhalla — the new viking-based iteration of the popular franchise — will support Microsoft ’ s upcoming Smart Delivery program for cross-generation games between the Xbox Series X and Xbox One , in one of the most encouraging signs of cross-generation gaming yet for the upcoming console .
Smart Delivery is what Microsoft calls its free upgrade program for the Xbox Series X that automatically upgrades owners who own the Xbox One version of the game to the Xbox Series X version for free .
( It also works the other way — buy the Xbox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll get the Xbox One version . )
Effectively , it means that players will only ever need to buy a Smart Delivery game once , instead of buying separate copies to be able to play it on both consoles .
Xbox fans will only need to buy Valhalla once Fans won ’ t have to wait long to see Valhalla in action on the Xbox Series X , either — Microsoft will be showing it off on May 7th in its gameplay reveal showcase for its upcoming console , along with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first game to support Smart Delivery — Microsoft has already pledged that all its first-party Xbox Game Studios games that support both consoles will get the feature , and CD Projekt Red has promised that the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 will get the free upgrade , too — Ubisoft ’ s support for the feature marks the biggest third-party developer to jump on board .
That ’ s a very encouraging thing to see because Smart Delivery is optional : developers can give players the free upgrade , but they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world in which Ubisoft could have forced players to buy separate Xbox One and Xbox Series X versions of Valhalla , like we saw years ago with the cross-generation release of Assassin ’ s Creed IV : Black Flag on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 .
For now , though , the free upgrade is just for Xbox One / Xbox Series X. Sony hasn ’ t said that it ’ ll be offering free upgrades for cross-generation PlayStation 4 games to an enhanced PlayStation 5 version at this time .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the upcoming consoles gets revealed , of course .
But Sony could choose to keep the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of cross-generation games like Valhalla or Cyberpunk separate , if it wants .
And that could force players to choose between a graphically worse PlayStation 4 version that ’ s future-proof or a PlayStation 5 version — with unknown benefits in graphics or gameplay , especially in these early days when the differences on cross-generation titles will be slimmer — that won ’ t work on older hardware .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be relevant for too long .
If past console generations are any indication , developers will eventually start shifting toward exclusively making games for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X sooner rather than later .
But it ’ s a problem that Microsoft is smartly avoiding by simply giving players the best experience for a given game no matter which console they own , instead of trying to squeak out a few more sales from having two copies of it .
But hopefully , now that Ubisoft and CD Projekt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major developers — and perhaps even Sony — will continue to follow suit with free cross-generation upgrades , too .

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla — the new viking-based iteration of the popular franchise — will support Microsoft’s upcoming Smart Delivery program for cross-generation games between the Xbox Series X and Xbox One, in one of the most encouraging signs of cross-generation gaming yet for the upcoming console.
Smart Delivery is what Microsoft calls its free upgrade program for the Xbox Series X that automatically upgrades owners who own the Xbox One version of the game to the Xbox Series X version for free. (It also works the other way — buy the Xbox Series X version, and you’ll get the Xbox One version.) Effectively, it means that players will only ever need to buy a Smart Delivery game once, instead of buying separate copies to be able to play it on both consoles.
Xbox fans will only need to buy Valhalla once
Fans won’t have to wait long to see Valhalla in action on the Xbox Series X, either — Microsoft will be showing it off on May 7th in its gameplay reveal showcase for its upcoming console, along with other titles.
While Valhalla isn’t the first game to support Smart Delivery — Microsoft has already pledged that all its first-party Xbox Game Studios games that support both consoles will get the feature, and CD Projekt Red has promised that the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 will get the free upgrade, too — Ubisoft’s support for the feature marks the biggest third-party developer to jump on board.
That’s a very encouraging thing to see because Smart Delivery is optional: developers can give players the free upgrade, but they don’t have to. There’s a world in which Ubisoft could have forced players to buy separate Xbox One and Xbox Series X versions of Valhalla, like we saw years ago with the cross-generation release of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
For now, though, the free upgrade is just for Xbox One / Xbox Series X. Sony hasn’t said that it’ll be offering free upgrades for cross-generation PlayStation 4 games to an enhanced PlayStation 5 version at this time.
That could change, especially as more information about the upcoming consoles gets revealed, of course. But Sony could choose to keep the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of cross-generation games like Valhalla or Cyberpunk separate, if it wants. And that could force players to choose between a graphically worse PlayStation 4 version that’s future-proof or a PlayStation 5 version — with unknown benefits in graphics or gameplay, especially in these early days when the differences on cross-generation titles will be slimmer — that won’t work on older hardware.
It’s likely a problem that won’t be relevant for too long. If past console generations are any indication, developers will eventually start shifting toward exclusively making games for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X sooner rather than later. But it’s a problem that Microsoft is smartly avoiding by simply giving players the best experience for a given game no matter which console they own, instead of trying to squeak out a few more sales from having two copies of it.
But hopefully, now that Ubisoft and CD Projekt Red have gotten on board, other major developers — and perhaps even Sony — will continue to follow suit with free cross-generation upgrades, too.


theverge--2020-04-30--Rep. Adam Schiff pushes YouTube and Twitter on coronavirus misinformation

Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) sent a letter today to Google , YouTube , and Twitter urging the platforms to explicitly notify users when they ’ ve engaged with misinformation about the coronavirus .
Schiff wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai , YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki , and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey , saying it ’ s not enough to remove or downgrade harmful or misleading content about the pandemic , but that it ’ s critical to ensure that users who saw the content have access to correct information as well .
“ Though the best protection is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage with it , that is not always possible , ” Schiff wrote in his letter to Pichai and Wojcicki .
“ As you are likely aware , Facebook recently announced plans to display messages to any users who have engaged with harmful coronavirus-related misinformation that has since been removed from the platform and connect them with resources from the World Health Organization.
” Guy Rosen , Facebook ’ s vice president of integrity , outlined its plans for handling coronavirus misinformation posts in an April 16th blog post .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Feed to people who have liked , reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed , ” Rosen wrote .
“ These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including ones we ’ ve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm.
” As The Verge ’ s Casey Newton noted , however , the notification process isn ’ t as simple as telling duped users that they ’ ve been duped .
While Facebook is putting the correct information into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s labeling the information with a message that reads “ Help friends and family avoid false information about COVID-19 , ” without necessarily reminding the user they were duped by said false information : It then invites them to share a link to the WHO ’ s myth-busting site , as well as a button that will take the user to the site directly .
The goal of this type of approach is to make people less defensive about the fact that they may have been wrong , and try to smuggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making them feel dumb about it .
How such notifications would work on YouTube or Twitter in practice isn ’ t totally clear , but both companies have taken steps toward actively moderating coronavirus content on their platforms .
Just this week , YouTube announced it would add informational panels with information from its fact-checkers to videos in the US , an expansion of a program it launched in India and Brazil last year .
“ Since early February , we ’ ve removed thousands of videos violating our COVID-19 misinformation policies — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or transmission of COVID-19 as described by local health authorities , or that promotes medically unsubstantiated methods to prevent or cure COVID-19 in place of seeking medical treatment , ” a YouTube spokesperson said in an email to The Verge , “ and have seen over 20 billion impressions on our information panels for COVID-19 related videos and searches.
” Twitter introduced its COVID-19 content policies earlier this month , which require users to remove tweets with content that includes misinformation about coronavirus treatments or misleading content meant to look like it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently updated to encompass tweets that may “ incite people to action and cause widespread panic , social unrest or large-scale disorder , ” such as burning 5G towers .
YouTube and Twitter both have the framework , potentially , to build a notification process similar to Facebook ’ s , but neither has announced plans to do so thus far .
A Twitter spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company had received Schiff ’ s letter and was in regular contact with the congressman and his staff “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But the practical challenges of notifying users about misinformation are further complicated when the president is the one spreading it , as The New York Times points out .
After President Trump suggested at a briefing last week that bleach and ultraviolet light might be used to treat people with the virus , Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube threaded the needle and said since the president didn ’ t direct people to try the ( very dangerous ) treatment options , they wouldn ’ t remove posts that included his statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the companies that he recognized the complexities that misinformation presents to online platforms .
“ As we all grapple with this unprecedented health situation , I hope you will consider this suggestion for keeping users better informed , ” he wrote .

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter today to Google, YouTube, and Twitter urging the platforms to explicitly notify users when they’ve engaged with misinformation about the coronavirus.
Schiff wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, saying it’s not enough to remove or downgrade harmful or misleading content about the pandemic, but that it’s critical to ensure that users who saw the content have access to correct information as well.
“Though the best protection is removing or downgrading harmful content before users engage with it, that is not always possible,” Schiff wrote in his letter to Pichai and Wojcicki. “As you are likely aware, Facebook recently announced plans to display messages to any users who have engaged with harmful coronavirus-related misinformation that has since been removed from the platform and connect them with resources from the World Health Organization.”
Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, outlined its plans for handling coronavirus misinformation posts in an April 16th blog post. “We’re going to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed,” Rosen wrote. “These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including ones we’ve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm.”
As The Verge’s Casey Newton noted, however, the notification process isn’t as simple as telling duped users that they’ve been duped. While Facebook is putting the correct information into people’s News Feeds, it’s labeling the information with a message that reads “Help friends and family avoid false information about COVID-19,” without necessarily reminding the user they were duped by said false information:
It then invites them to share a link to the WHO’s myth-busting site, as well as a button that will take the user to the site directly. The goal of this type of approach is to make people less defensive about the fact that they may have been wrong, and try to smuggle some good information into their brains without making them feel dumb about it.
How such notifications would work on YouTube or Twitter in practice isn’t totally clear, but both companies have taken steps toward actively moderating coronavirus content on their platforms. Just this week, YouTube announced it would add informational panels with information from its fact-checkers to videos in the US, an expansion of a program it launched in India and Brazil last year.
“Since early February, we’ve removed thousands of videos violating our COVID-19 misinformation policies — such as content that disputes the existence or transmission of COVID-19 as described by local health authorities, or that promotes medically unsubstantiated methods to prevent or cure COVID-19 in place of seeking medical treatment,” a YouTube spokesperson said in an email to The Verge, “and have seen over 20 billion impressions on our information panels for COVID-19 related videos and searches.”
Twitter introduced its COVID-19 content policies earlier this month, which require users to remove tweets with content that includes misinformation about coronavirus treatments or misleading content meant to look like it’s from authorities. The policy was recently updated to encompass tweets that may “incite people to action and cause widespread panic, social unrest or large-scale disorder,” such as burning 5G towers.
YouTube and Twitter both have the framework, potentially, to build a notification process similar to Facebook’s, but neither has announced plans to do so thus far. A Twitter spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company had received Schiff’s letter and was in regular contact with the congressman and his staff “on these and a number of issues.”
But the practical challenges of notifying users about misinformation are further complicated when the president is the one spreading it, as The New York Times points out.
After President Trump suggested at a briefing last week that bleach and ultraviolet light might be used to treat people with the virus, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube threaded the needle and said since the president didn’t direct people to try the (very dangerous) treatment options, they wouldn’t remove posts that included his statements.


theverge--2020-05-01--The Verge’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2020

Trying to decide on a gift for a parent or significant other can be difficult even during the best of times .
So with the help of The Verge ’ s staff , we ’ ve come up with a list of things we think would make great Mother ’ s Day gifts or might give you some inspiration for your own unique gift idea .
These are things that have either served the staff well or things they wish they had .
Compiled below is a list of eight items , ranging from Hario V60 gooseneck kettle ( $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around $ 400 ) , that would be great gifts for any parent .
For years , Amazon ’ s Kindles have ruled the e-reader space .
And for nearly as long , the Paperwhite has been the model that nearly everyone should get .
With an integrated light , a crisp display , and a virtually endless battery life — and only slightly more expensive than Amazon ’ s entry-level model — it ’ s not just the best e-reader ; it ’ s almost better than physical paper .
Price : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got an iPhone , there ’ s basically one smartwatch to get : an Apple Watch .
The latest model has an always on display , works well even when you don ’ t have your iPhone handy , and can track basically all your fitness activities right from your wrist .
Price : ~ $ 399 Buy on : Apple Best Buy B & H If there ’ s one single pot that can transform your kitchen , its Lodge ’ s cast-iron combo cooker .
It takes a little more work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case iron pot is perfect for making everything from casseroles to stews to homemade sourdough , while the lid actually doubles as its own cast iron pan .
It ’ s two great pots for the price of one !
Price : ~ $ 45 Buy on : Amazon Keeping track of your health has never been more important , and the latest Fitbit Charge 4 is the best that company offers in one tiny tracker .
You can use it to control Spotify songs , make contactless payments , and track your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Price : ~ $ 150 Buy on : Best Buy There are many cheaper vessels for hot water , but Hario ’ s V60 Gooseneck kettle heats quickly , and rarely needs to be cleaned .
What ’ s best , though , is that it delivers a perfect , measured pour so you don ’ t get carried away with a delicate drink .
Price : ~ $ 45 Buy on : Amazon Smart watches may be all the rage , but a good mechanical watch will outlast them all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ classic design that looks good with nearly everything , while the Swiss-made movement will keep ticking without any batteries , chargers , or even solar panels — just wind it and you ’ re good to go .
It ’ s the kind of watch that lasts a lifetime , instead of just until the next hardware refresh .
Price : ~ $ 255 Buy on : Amazon Beloved by Silicon Valley startups , Allbirds are basically the internet ’ s favorite shoes .
But if you can get past all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left is actually a really comfortable , easy-to-clean pair of shoes that are great for the office or a walk in the park .
Price : ~ $ 95 to $ 135 Buy on : Allbirds This leather tote bag not only offers ample room for all your everyday stuff , but is also big enough for carrying a laptop while still having room to spare .
Then if things happen to get a bit too cumbersome you can attach the shoulder strap for additional support or just to free up your hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on : Madewell Nordstrom Vox Media has affiliate partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see our ethics policy .
Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting .

The Verge’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2021
Some ideas for relieving the day’s stresses
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement .
It’s been a very hard year for us all — but especially for moms, who have had to deal with not only the worry about the pandemic itself, but its effect on their work schedules, their kids’ schooling and socialization, and all of the other issues that have come up over the past year. So for Mother’s Day this year — which is Sunday, May 9th — it could be a good idea to give mom a gift that will allow her to relax, if only for a few hours.
(Incidentally, check out The Verge’s Father’s Day Gift Guide 2021 to find some more great gifts for either parent!)
We’ve put together a list of about 30 possible gifts that might give your mom — or you — a short vacation from stress. They include Apple AirPods and Jabra earbuds for listening to soothing music, a Logitech gaming mouse for a short virtual vacation, and hot chocolate bombs to give the tastebuds a boost. Have a look, and see if any of these work for you or at least give you some ideas of the ways that you, your family, and your friends can take a break.


theverge--2020-05-01--Xbox Series X still set to launch on schedule, but games could be delayed

Microsoft ’ s Xbox chief , Phil Spencer , says the company ’ s next-gen Xbox Series X console is still on schedule for later this year , but game production is a little more of an unknown .
In an interview with CNBC , Spencer notes that there could be “ some impact ” to Xbox Series X schedules , but that “ the teams are doing a very good job with keeping our hardware on track ” and “ overall we ’ re in line with where we thought we would be.
” Microsoft hasn ’ t provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series X beyond holiday 2020 .
Several official Xbox sites listed a launch date of “ Thanksgiving 2020 ” back in March , but Microsoft said this was inaccurate and the company was still committed to launching in holiday 2020 .
If Microsoft was planning to launch the Xbox Series X as soon as November , the company ’ s vague holiday 2020 schedule gives Microsoft some wiggle room either way .
While the hardware is still on track , things are less clear on the game front .
Microsoft has only officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xbox Series X , but even this title and other first-party games won ’ t be exclusive to the new Xbox .
“ I ’ d say the bigger unknown is probably the game production , just being honest , ” says Spencer .
“ Game production is a large scale entertainment activity now , you have hundreds of people coming together , building assets , working through creative.
” Xbox game developers are now mostly working from home , creating and sharing assets that are often gigabytes in size over US home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ On the game production side , we ’ re learning every day , ” admits Spencer .
“ I still feel good about it , but I also need to make sure that the security and safety of the teams is the most important thing , and not unduly push when things just aren ’ t ready.
” Microsoft teased Halo Infinite two years ago , and provided more glimpses of Master Chief in a five-minute video last year .
We still know very little about the game , beyond that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and appears to be an open-world version of Halo .
Microsoft has also been building a new Slipspace Engine to power the game .
Microsoft has already delayed Wasteland 3 and Minecraft Dungeons due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , and there are fears Halo Infinite could see some form of delay , too .
Spencer said last month that “ things right now aren ’ t easy , ” in an interview with IGN .
“ Things are stretched .
I can feel it in the teams — they are stretched.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ games for the Xbox Series X during an online event next week .
The software giant will show third-party titles , and will hold back its own Xbox Game Studios titles , like Halo Infinite , for an event in the summer .
Next week ’ s event will give us a first good look at how game developers are optimizing for the Xbox Series X.
It ’ s likely that most early games we see will be enhanced for the Xbox Series X in a similar way that titles were optimized for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch .
Expect to see a big focus on frame rates , load times , and ray tracing .
It ’ s also a chance to see how many games will take advantage of Microsoft ’ s upcoming Smart Delivery program for cross-generation games between the Xbox Series X and Xbox One .
Smart Delivery allows you to buy an Xbox One version of a game and get the upgrade to the Xbox Series X version free of charge .
Assassin ’ s Creed Valhalla — the new viking-based iteration of the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is an encouraging sign for the next generation of consoles .

Microsoft’s Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, says the company’s next-gen Xbox Series X console is still on schedule for later this year, but game production is a little more of an unknown. In an interview with CNBC, Spencer notes that there could be “some impact” to Xbox Series X schedules, but that “the teams are doing a very good job with keeping our hardware on track” and “overall we’re in line with where we thought we would be.”
Microsoft hasn’t provided an exact release date for the Xbox Series X beyond holiday 2020. Several official Xbox sites listed a launch date of “Thanksgiving 2020” back in March, but Microsoft said this was inaccurate and the company was still committed to launching in holiday 2020. If Microsoft was planning to launch the Xbox Series X as soon as November, the company’s vague holiday 2020 schedule gives Microsoft some wiggle room either way.
While the hardware is still on track, things are less clear on the game front. Microsoft has only officially committed to launching Halo Infinite alongside the Xbox Series X, but even this title and other first-party games won’t be exclusive to the new Xbox.
Halo Infinite arrives in holiday 2020.
“I’d say the bigger unknown is probably the game production, just being honest,” says Spencer. “Game production is a large scale entertainment activity now, you have hundreds of people coming together, building assets, working through creative.”
Xbox game developers are now mostly working from home, creating and sharing assets that are often gigabytes in size over US home internet connections — an obvious challenge. “On the game production side, we’re learning every day,” admits Spencer. “I still feel good about it, but I also need to make sure that the security and safety of the teams is the most important thing, and not unduly push when things just aren’t ready.”
Microsoft teased Halo Infinite two years ago, and provided more glimpses of Master Chief in a five-minute video last year. We still know very little about the game, beyond that it continues the current storyline after Halo 5, and appears to be an open-world version of Halo. Microsoft has also been building a new Slipspace Engine to power the game.
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X games event.
Microsoft has already delayed Wasteland 3 and Minecraft Dungeons due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and there are fears Halo Infinite could see some form of delay, too. Spencer said last month that “things right now aren’t easy,” in an interview with IGN. “Things are stretched. I can feel it in the teams — they are stretched.”
Microsoft is now planning to showcase games for the Xbox Series X during an online event next week. The software giant will show third-party titles, and will hold back its own Xbox Game Studios titles, like Halo Infinite, for an event in the summer.
Related Microsoft to demo Xbox Series X games on May 7th
Next week’s event will give us a first good look at how game developers are optimizing for the Xbox Series X. It’s likely that most early games we see will be enhanced for the Xbox Series X in a similar way that titles were optimized for the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro launch. Expect to see a big focus on frame rates, load times, and ray tracing.


theverge--2020-04-30--ICANN votes down controversial .org sale proposal

The organization that oversees internet domain names has rejected a proposal to transfer management of the .org top-level domain from a nonprofit to a private equity group .
ICANN said it wouldn ’ t approve the sale of .org operator Public Interest Registry because it would create “ unacceptable uncertainty ” for the domain , citing concerns about debt and the intentions of the for-profit firm Ethos Capital .
In a blog post , ICANN ’ s board said the sale would have given up the current focus of PIR in favor of “ an entity that is bound to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and which has no meaningful plan to protect or serve the .org community.
” It also noted that the sale would leave PIR with a $ 360 million debt that could destabilize its operation in the future .
PIR was founded by the Internet Society ( or ISOC ) to handle the .org domain in 2003 .
But in late 2019 , ISOC announced that it would transfer control of .org to Ethos in exchange for a $ 1 billion endowment .
The move immediately drew criticism from advocacy groups like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some original members of ICANN , including its first chair Esther Dyson .
Opponents took issue with the prospect of an equity firm managing nonprofit domains , despite promises that it wouldn ’ t implement price hikes or act as a censor .
The .org controversy has put a generally low-profile organization in the spotlight , especially as ICANN ’ s decision has been delayed multiple times as it requested more information about the deal .
Earlier this month , California ’ s attorney general Xavier Becerra urged ICANN to reject the sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk the operational stability of the .org registry.
” The board echoed Becerra ’ s complaints in its decision .
The EFF praised ICANN ’ s move , calling it “ a major victory for the millions of nonprofits , civil society organizations , and individuals who make .org their home online .
”

The organization that oversees internet domain names has rejected a proposal to transfer management of the .org top-level domain from a nonprofit to a private equity group. ICANN said it wouldn’t approve the sale of .org operator Public Interest Registry because it would create “unacceptable uncertainty” for the domain, citing concerns about debt and the intentions of the for-profit firm Ethos Capital.
In a blog post, ICANN’s board said the sale would have given up the current focus of PIR in favor of “an entity that is bound to serve the interests of its corporate stakeholders, and which has no meaningful plan to protect or serve the .org community.” It also noted that the sale would leave PIR with a $360 million debt that could destabilize its operation in the future.
PIR was founded by the Internet Society (or ISOC) to handle the .org domain in 2003. But in late 2019, ISOC announced that it would transfer control of .org to Ethos in exchange for a $1 billion endowment. The move immediately drew criticism from advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as some original members of ICANN, including its first chair Esther Dyson. Opponents took issue with the prospect of an equity firm managing nonprofit domains, despite promises that it wouldn’t implement price hikes or act as a censor. In its decision, ICANN described seeing “significant opposition” to the deal from politicians and organizations and “virtually no counterbalancing support” from anyone except the parties involved and their advisors.
The .org controversy has put a generally low-profile organization in the spotlight, especially as ICANN’s decision has been delayed multiple times as it requested more information about the deal. Earlier this month, California’s attorney general Xavier Becerra urged ICANN to reject the sale, warning that it “may place at risk the operational stability of the .org registry.” The board echoed Becerra’s complaints in its decision.
Ethos and ISOC condemned the choice. “Today’s action opens the door for ICANN to unilaterally reject future transfer requests based on agenda-driven pressure by outside parties,” said Ethos in a statement. “Although the Internet Society respects ICANN’s role in supporting the Internet’s technical coordination functions, we are disappointed that ICANN has acted as a regulatory body it was never meant to be,” said ISOC. “Despite ICANN’s decision, our work to connect the unconnected and strengthen the Internet will continue.”
Others, however, celebrated. The EFF praised ICANN’s move, calling it “a major victory for the millions of nonprofits, civil society organizations, and individuals who make .org their home online.” A group of lawmakers including Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward Markey (D-MA) as well as Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) also commended the choice. “This deal would have saddled the .org registry with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, putting it in an unstable position during this current economic crisis, solely to enrich a private equity firm at the expense of users and nonprofits,” said Wyden.
May 1st, 11:30AM ET: Added statements from ISOC and Ethos.


theverge--2020-04-30--Coronavirus causes worst smartphone market contraction in history

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the smartphone market to suffer its fastest ever first-quarter year-on-year decline , according to new data from analyst firms .
Counterpoint Research and Canalys both put the overall drop in global shipments at 13 percent , though Counterpoint says the drop in China alone was 27 percent while Canalys calculates it at 18 percent .
Whichever numbers you look at , the situation is clear : it ’ s the first time shipments have come under 300 million since 2014 , with a precipitous collapse in China preceding falling demand around the world .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as COVID-19 started to spread to other regions , and lockdowns of varying severity were imposed , the pendulum of disruption started to swing from supply to demand , ” Counterpoint ’ s team of analysts writes in a statement .
Samsung , Huawei , and Apple are still the top three vendors , with Apple seeing the smallest decline in shipments year on year .
Both Canalys and Counterpoint rank Xiaomi fourth , cracking 10 percent of global market share for the first time .
“ Demand for new devices has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben Stanton .
“ In February , when the coronavirus was centered on China , vendors were mainly concerned about how to build enough smartphones to meet global demand .
But in March , the situation flipped on its head .
Smartphone manufacturing has now recovered , but as half the world entered lockdown , sales plummeted.
” “ From the consumer standpoint , unless replacing a broken phone , smartphones are mostly a discretionary purchase , ” says Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak .
“ Consumers , under these uncertain times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discretionary purchases .
This means the replacement cycles are likely to become longer.
” The true impact of the pandemic is yet to be felt .
“ Most smartphone companies expect Q2 to represent the peak of the coronavirus ’ impact , ” says Stanton .
“ It will test the mettle of the industry , and some companies , especially offline retailers , will fail without government support .
”

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the smartphone market to suffer its fastest ever first-quarter year-on-year decline, according to new data from analyst firms. Counterpoint Research and Canalys both put the overall drop in global shipments at 13 percent, though Counterpoint says the drop in China alone was 27 percent while Canalys calculates it at 18 percent.
Whichever numbers you look at, the situation is clear: it’s the first time shipments have come under 300 million since 2014, with a precipitous collapse in China preceding falling demand around the world. “By the end of the quarter, as COVID-19 started to spread to other regions, and lockdowns of varying severity were imposed, the pendulum of disruption started to swing from supply to demand,” Counterpoint’s team of analysts writes in a statement.
Samsung, Huawei, and Apple are still the top three vendors, with Apple seeing the smallest decline in shipments year on year. Both Canalys and Counterpoint rank Xiaomi fourth, cracking 10 percent of global market share for the first time.
Counterpoint Research: Quarterly Market Monitor Q1 2020
“Demand for new devices has been crushed,” says Canalys senior analyst Ben Stanton. “In February, when the coronavirus was centered on China, vendors were mainly concerned about how to build enough smartphones to meet global demand. But in March, the situation flipped on its head. Smartphone manufacturing has now recovered, but as half the world entered lockdown, sales plummeted.”
“From the consumer standpoint, unless replacing a broken phone, smartphones are mostly a discretionary purchase,” says Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak. “Consumers, under these uncertain times, are likely to withhold making many significant discretionary purchases. This means the replacement cycles are likely to become longer.”


theverge--2020-05-01--Boosted was developing two bikes and a super-powered electric skateboard

Sam Sheffer , a tech YouTuber and former staffer at The Verge , posted a video on Friday revealing some unreleased products from the now-defunct electric skateboard startup Boosted , whose assets have been acquired by scooter company Lime and most of the company ’ s remaining inventory was obtained by a retailer in San Francisco .
Sheffer shows images and photos of two bikes , a super-powered electric skateboard , a board with Tony Hawk ’ s Birdhouse brand , a board with an LED light ring around the edge , and more .
The two different bike models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ P2 , ” according to Sheffer , and they appear to be electric bikes .
However , it ’ s not clear what type of throttle the bikes used .
It ’ s also unclear what the differences were between the two models , though the Bullet looks to have a bigger battery than the P2 .
You can take a look at the bikes in the picture below : Sheffer also obtained what appears to be a mockup of a board called the “ Boosted Ultimate , ” which looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have four motors , one by each wheel , which would likely have given it fast acceleration and a high top speed .
And here ’ s a look at that Birdhouse-branded board , thanks to a picture obtained by Sheffer .
It looks kind of like a Boosted Mini , and I really like the blue trim and general design of the board .
Boosted was also working on a scooter called the “ Boosted Scoot.
” Sheffer put the Scoot next to last year ’ s Rev scooter in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear cosmetic differences , it ’ s hard to know exactly how the Scoot may have differed from the Rev , and Sheffer said he ’ s not sure if Boosted actually made any prototypes of the Scoot .
Sheffer also had images of the “ Boosted Little , ” which looks as if it may have been a smaller version of the Boosted V2 electric skateboard , and a Boosted board with a white LED light that runs around the edge of the board .
Sheffer shared a picture of that LED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you want another look , a photo of a Boosted board with a similar-looking red LED trim appeared on Reddit earlier this month .

Sam Sheffer, a tech YouTuber and former staffer at The Verge, posted a video on Friday revealing some unreleased products from the now-defunct electric skateboard startup Boosted, whose assets have been acquired by scooter company Lime and most of the company’s remaining inventory was obtained by a retailer in San Francisco. Sheffer shows images and photos of two bikes, a super-powered electric skateboard, a board with Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse brand, a board with an LED light ring around the edge, and more.
The two different bike models were called the “Bullet” and “P2,” according to Sheffer, and they appear to be electric bikes. However, it’s not clear what type of throttle the bikes used. It’s also unclear what the differences were between the two models, though the Bullet looks to have a bigger battery than the P2. You can take a look at the bikes in the picture below:
Image: Sam Sheffer
Sheffer also obtained what appears to be a mockup of a board called the “Boosted Ultimate,” which looks like a super-powered Boosted longboard. It seems to have four motors, one by each wheel, which would likely have given it fast acceleration and a high top speed.
Image: Boosted
And here’s a look at that Birdhouse-branded board, thanks to a picture obtained by Sheffer. It looks kind of like a Boosted Mini, and I really like the blue trim and general design of the board.
Boosted was also working on a scooter called the “Boosted Scoot.” Sheffer put the Scoot next to last year’s Rev scooter in the below photo. Although there are some clear cosmetic differences, it’s hard to know exactly how the Scoot may have differed from the Rev, and Sheffer said he’s not sure if Boosted actually made any prototypes of the Scoot.


theverge--2020-05-01--Fortnite is hosting a Diplo concert in its new party mode

Fortnite ’ s new no-guns “ party royale ” mode just launched on Wednesday , and the new map will @ @ @ @ @ live concert tonight at 9PM ET .
DJ and producer Diplo will be performing a @ @ @ @ @ and actor and performer Jordan Fisher will also be part of the show , according @ @ @ @ @ Games .
The concert will be held at the big , music festival-like main stage @ @ @ @ @ the island .
Because there are no weapons in the new mode , you shouldn @ @ @ @ @ about defending yourself , which may make it easier to just enjoy the show .
@ @ @ @ @ host to multiple Travis Scott concerts , which my colleague Andrew Webster found to be @ @ @ @ @ first show had 12.3 million concurrent participants , a record for a Fortnite live event @ @ @ @ @ s Marshmello concert , which had 10.7 million attendees .

Fortnite’s new no-guns “party royale” mode just launched on Wednesday, and the new map played host to its first live concert Friday evening. DJ and producer Diplo performed a live Major Lazer set, and actor and performer Jordan Fisher also made appearances before and after the show.
The concert was held at the big, music festival-like main stage on the east side of the island. Because there are no weapons in the new mode, attendees didn’t have to worry about defending themselves, which, for me, made it easier to just enjoy the show.
If you missed the event on Friday, there’s an in-game rebroadcast scheduled for Saturday at 10AM ET, according to Epic Games. You can also watch this full video of Diplo’s performance captured by GameSpot:
Last week, Fortnite played host to multiple Travis Scott concerts, which my colleague Andrew Webster found to be surreal and spectacular. The first show had 12.3 million concurrent participants, a record for a Fortnite live event, topping last year’s Marshmello concert, which had 10.7 million attendees.


theverge--2020-05-01--Was Elon’s Tesla Twitter meltdown illegal? An investigation

Elon Musk welcomes you to Meltdown May .
He is its mascot .
Today , Musk tweeted he ’ d sell “ almost all ” his physical possessions .
Well , all right .
Then , he tweeted that Tesla ’ s share price was too high , sending its shares down .
Then he tweeted part of “ The Star Spangled Banner , ” America ’ s difficult-to-sing national anthem .
He encouraged us all to “ rage , rage against the dying of the light of consciousness , ” which somewhat mangles the meter of Dylan Thomas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the musician Grimes , was mad at him .
What the fuck , indeed True , May only started today and Musk has been melting down all week .
For instance , there was the unhinged ranting on his earnings call about the “ fascist ” stay-home orders California implemented to slow the coronavirus spread .
“ We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area , and that should be identified as a serious risk , ” Musk began on the call .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelter-in-place orders affecting Tesla ’ s Fremont factory through May 31st , with only some minor relaxing of restrictions . )
Then he went on : “ The expansion of shelter-in-place , or as we call it , forcibly imprisoning people in their homes , against all their constitutional rights , is , in my opinion , breaking people ’ s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong , and not why people came to America and built this country .
What the fuck !
” What the fuck , indeed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been something of a Musk hobby lately .
For instance , he promoted a dubious paper on chloroquine , which was immediately ripped apart — the authors were blockchain hucksters , not medical researchers .
On March 6th , he called “ the coronavirus panic ” dumb ; on March 14th , he said that panic was worse than “ corona.
” On March 19th , he predicted “ close to zero new cases in US too by end of April.
” More than a million people in the US have been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 .
This is almost certainly an undercount , since these case numbers are artificially constrained by a lack of widespread testing for the illness .
So Musk spent March being wrong about COVID-19 .
Okay .
That ’ s not illegal .
But securities fraud is .
Ladies and gentlemen , my fellow dirtbags , and everyone else : the SEC disrespector has logged on .
“ His use of ‘ imo ’ also puts his statement into the realm of personal opinion , for which there is latitude.
” It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Tesla is overpriced is securities fraud , because I am not a lawyer .
So I called some .
“ I don ’ t see anything actionable here , ” says Evelyn Cruz Sroufe , a partner at Perkins Coie who specializes in corporate governance .
For today ’ s tweets to qualify as securities fraud , the SEC or a plaintiff would have to show that Musk would have profited from a drop in the stock price by — for instance — having a short position or a put .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounding off , ” she says in an email .
“ His use of ‘ imo ’ also puts his statement into the realm of personal opinion , for which there is latitude.
” Usually , when a company wants to convey to its shareholders that it may be overvalued , it does so by providing facts and risk factor , says Alma Angotti , a partner and co-head of the global investigations and compliance practice at Guidehouse who ’ s previously worked in enforcement at the SEC , among other agencies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can analyze those facts , ” she says .
“ There ’ s not a good reason for him to say he thinks it ’ s overvalued that I can think of , especially in an informal way.
” According to Angotti , market manipulation — that is , when someone takes steps to artificially affect the prices of a security — requires only intent .
“ He doesn ’ t need to benefit , though benefit is often how the government proves intent , ” she says .
And the SEC is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions .
“ It ’ s uncommon but not necessarily illegal for a public company CEO to essentially call on the market to mark down the value of his company ’ s stock.
” John Reed Stark , president of John Reed Stark Consulting , who previously worked in SEC enforcement , doesn ’ t see it the same way as Agnotti .
“ Intent is a hard thing to prove , ” Stark says .
Greg Shill , a law professor at the University of Iowa , told me bluntly that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as securities fraud or not .
“ It ’ s uncommon but not necessarily illegal for a public company CEO to essentially call on the market to mark down the value of his company ’ s stock , ” Shill says .
The worst circumstances for Musk would be if he were buying shares of Tesla , or the company were participating in a buyback program , says Steve Diamond , a law professor at Santa Clara University .
“ I assume neither is the case , ” Diamond says .
What about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Perhaps you recall , in the depths of very recent history , that on August 7th , 2018 , Musk tweeted : “ Am considering taking Tesla private at $ 420 .
Funding secured.
” Funding was not , in fact , secured , the SEC investigation found — Musk had a few meetings with Saudi Arabia ’ s sovereign wealth fund but hadn ’ t discussed a go-private transaction .
“ In truth and in fact , Musk had not even discussed , much less confirmed , key deal terms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source , ” the SEC wrote in its complaint .
Anyway , they settled , and then on February 19th , Musk tweeted a prediction for the number of Model 3s the company would make that wasn ’ t the same as Tesla ’ s official guidance .
One of the provisions of the settlement was that Musk have his tweets about Tesla pre-approved by an in-house lawyer .
And when the agency inquired whether this in-house lawyer had approved the February 19th tweets , the answer was that Musk had not had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After several weeks of jockeying , the two parties came to an agreement : Musk must have a company lawyer pre-approve tweets about Tesla ’ s financial health , sales , or delivery numbers .
Do the Meltdown May tweets violate that ?
The Wall Street Journal contacted Musk to ask if he was joking or if anyone had vetted his tweet before posting it .
“ No , ” Musk replied in an email .
“ If it was not vetted , he ’ s at risk of being hauled into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If it was not vetted , he ’ s at risk of being hauled into court again by the SEC , ” says Diamond .
“ The process was meant to catch these kinds of tweets before they went out .
If he did it spontaneously , I think he ’ s gon na have an issue.
” Jay Dubow , a partner at Pepper Hamilton who focuses on white collar litigation , thinks the SEC is in a tough position .
On the one hand , Musk is openly flouting their settlement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets approved .
On the other hand , if the SEC goes so far as to force Musk to dissociate himself from Tesla , that potentially hurts the shareholders who bought into the stock because they believe in him .
“ They ’ re going to have to react and do something , ” Dubow says .
“ Because this was a clear violation of the order and I don ’ t know how they ’ re going to let that go.
” Shill also views it as a challenge to the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SEC to request confirmation that the settlement agreement was complied with , ” Shill told me .
“ Right now he ’ s arguably delivering to Tesla shareholders what they want : a really unrestrained , unfiltered CEO .
When you buy Tesla , that ’ s arguably what you ’ re buying — but that ’ s not what the SEC settlement says.
” “ Right now he ’ s arguably delivering to Tesla shareholders what they want : a really unrestrained , unfiltered CEO.
” If it is a violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also implicated because the company was meant to control him , Angotti says .
Tesla ’ s board of directors may be held responsible for Musk ’ s actions — a trend in corporate governance is making sure the board is accountable for compliance at an organization , she tells me .
“ If they can ’ t control the CEO , they ’ re not ensuring a very good culture of compliance at that company , ” Angotti says .
“ They can say it all day but if they don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mean anything.
” Trying to hold Musk accountable may be awkward for the board , though .
Tesla has dropped its directors and officers liability insurance , it said in an April 28th regulatory filing .
This policy keeps companies , board members , and executives from having to pay their own fees for defense , settlement or judgement when they face lawsuits .
Instead , Musk will “ personally provide coverage substantially equivalent to such a policy for a one-year period.
” One more thing : while I was working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got back to us , because I guess everyone loves Meltdown May .
So earlier this week , Musk said on Tesla ’ s earnings call that the Tesla Model S Long Range should be the first electric vehicle to sport a 400-mile range .
The EPA rating , a range of 391 miles , happened after someone left the keys in the vehicle and the door open overnight , depleting 2 percent of the vehicle ’ s battery , Musk said on the call .
“ We can confirm that EPA tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed , and we are happy to discuss any technical issues with Tesla , as we do routinely with all automakers , ” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge .
Can ’ t wait to see what other government agencies decide to celebrate Meltdown May with us all .
And if you fear being tangled up in its grips , one good way to avoid it is dead simple : never tweet .

Elon Musk welcomes you to Meltdown May. He is its mascot.
What the fuck, indeed
True, May only started today and Musk has been melting down all week. For instance, there was the unhinged ranting on his earnings call about the “fascist” stay-home orders California implemented to slow the coronavirus spread. “We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area, and that should be identified as a serious risk,” Musk began on the call. (Six Bay Area counties jointly extended the shelter-in-place orders affecting Tesla’s Fremont factory through May 31st, with only some minor relaxing of restrictions.) Then he went on: “The expansion of shelter-in-place, or as we call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes, against all their constitutional rights, is, in my opinion, breaking people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong, and not why people came to America and built this country. What the fuck!”
More than a million people in the US have been confirmed to have COVID-19, as of April 28. This is almost certainly an undercount, since these case numbers are artificially constrained by a lack of widespread testing for the illness.
So Musk spent March being wrong about COVID-19. Okay. That’s not illegal. But securities fraud is. Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow dirtbags, and everyone else: the SEC disrespector has logged on.
“His use of ‘imo’ also puts his statement into the realm of personal opinion, for which there is latitude.”
It is not immediately obvious to me whether tweeting that Tesla is overpriced is securities fraud, because I am not a lawyer. So I called some. “I don’t see anything actionable here,” says Evelyn Cruz Sroufe, a partner at Perkins Coie who specializes in corporate governance. For today’s tweets to qualify as securities fraud, the SEC or a plaintiff would have to show that Musk would have profited from a drop in the stock price by — for instance — having a short position or a put. “This looks instead to be just Musk sounding off,” she says in an email. “His use of ‘imo’ also puts his statement into the realm of personal opinion, for which there is latitude.”
Usually, when a company wants to convey to its shareholders that it may be overvalued, it does so by providing facts and risk factor, says Alma Angotti, a partner and co-head of the global investigations and compliance practice at Guidehouse who’s previously worked in enforcement at the SEC, among other agencies. “You give facts so the market can analyze those facts,” she says. “There’s not a good reason for him to say he thinks it’s overvalued that I can think of, especially in an informal way.”
According to Angotti, market manipulation — that is, when someone takes steps to artificially affect the prices of a security — requires only intent. “He doesn’t need to benefit, though benefit is often how the government proves intent,” she says. And the SEC is already watching him because of his previous actions.
“It’s uncommon but not necessarily illegal for a public company CEO to essentially call on the market to mark down the value of his company’s stock.”
John Reed Stark, president of John Reed Stark Consulting, who previously worked in SEC enforcement, doesn’t see it the same way as Agnotti. “Intent is a hard thing to prove,” Stark says. Greg Shill, a law professor at the University of Iowa, told me bluntly that he doesn’t know if this counts as securities fraud or not. “It’s uncommon but not necessarily illegal for a public company CEO to essentially call on the market to mark down the value of his company’s stock,” Shill says.
The worst circumstances for Musk would be if he were buying shares of Tesla, or the company were participating in a buyback program, says Steve Diamond, a law professor at Santa Clara University. “I assume neither is the case,” Diamond says.
What about that SEC settlement and scrutiny, though? Perhaps you recall, in the depths of very recent history, that on August 7th, 2018, Musk tweeted: “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.” Funding was not, in fact, secured, the SEC investigation found — Musk had a few meetings with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund but hadn’t discussed a go-private transaction. “In truth and in fact, Musk had not even discussed, much less confirmed, key deal terms, including price, with any potential funding source,” the SEC wrote in its complaint.
Anyway, they settled, and then on February 19th, Musk tweeted a prediction for the number of Model 3s the company would make that wasn’t the same as Tesla’s official guidance. One of the provisions of the settlement was that Musk have his tweets about Tesla pre-approved by an in-house lawyer. And when the agency inquired whether this in-house lawyer had approved the February 19th tweets, the answer was that Musk had not had any of his tweets about Tesla pre-approved. After several weeks of jockeying, the two parties came to an agreement: Musk must have a company lawyer pre-approve tweets about Tesla’s financial health, sales, or delivery numbers.
Do the Meltdown May tweets violate that? The Wall Street Journal contacted Musk to ask if he was joking or if anyone had vetted his tweet before posting it. “No,” Musk replied in an email.
“If it was not vetted, he’s at risk of being hauled into court again by the SEC.”
“If it was not vetted, he’s at risk of being hauled into court again by the SEC,” says Diamond. “The process was meant to catch these kinds of tweets before they went out. If he did it spontaneously, I think he’s gonna have an issue.”
Jay Dubow, a partner at Pepper Hamilton who focuses on white collar litigation, thinks the SEC is in a tough position. On the one hand, Musk is openly flouting their settlement if he didn’t get his tweets approved. On the other hand, if the SEC goes so far as to force Musk to dissociate himself from Tesla, that potentially hurts the shareholders who bought into the stock because they believe in him. “They’re going to have to react and do something,” Dubow says. “Because this was a clear violation of the order and I don’t know how they’re going to let that go.”
Shill also views it as a challenge to the agency. “It would be prudent for the SEC to request confirmation that the settlement agreement was complied with,” Shill told me. “Right now he’s arguably delivering to Tesla shareholders what they want: a really unrestrained, unfiltered CEO. When you buy Tesla, that’s arguably what you’re buying — but that’s not what the SEC settlement says.”
“Right now he’s arguably delivering to Tesla shareholders what they want: a really unrestrained, unfiltered CEO.”
If it is a violation of the settlement agreement, Tesla is also implicated because the company was meant to control him, Angotti says. Tesla’s board of directors may be held responsible for Musk’s actions — a trend in corporate governance is making sure the board is accountable for compliance at an organization, she tells me. “If they can’t control the CEO, they’re not ensuring a very good culture of compliance at that company,” Angotti says. “They can say it all day but if they don’t enforce it, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Trying to hold Musk accountable may be awkward for the board, though. Tesla has dropped its directors and officers liability insurance, it said in an April 28th regulatory filing. This policy keeps companies, board members, and executives from having to pay their own fees for defense, settlement or judgement when they face lawsuits. Instead, Musk will “personally provide coverage substantially equivalent to such a policy for a one-year period.”
One more thing: while I was working on this story, the Environmental Protection Agency got back to us, because I guess everyone loves Meltdown May. So earlier this week, Musk said on Tesla’s earnings call that the Tesla Model S Long Range should be the first electric vehicle to sport a 400-mile range. The EPA rating, a range of 391 miles, happened after someone left the keys in the vehicle and the door open overnight, depleting 2 percent of the vehicle’s battery, Musk said on the call.
“We can confirm that EPA tested the vehicle properly, the door was closed, and we are happy to discuss any technical issues with Tesla, as we do routinely with all automakers,” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.


theverge--2020-05-01--Congress is investigating cruise ship company Carnival over COVID-19 outbreaks

Congress has opened a probe into Carnival Corporation , the operator of the Princess Cruises line of cruise ships , over its handling of COVID-19 outbreaks , according to a report from Bloomberg .
Officials are now requesting Carnival turn over documents and communications about its coronavirus response and its plans for future improvement .
The investigation , led by the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , is specifically looking into how much Carnival executives were aware of the severity of the coronavirus outbreaks on its cruise ships and the lack of action it took during active cruises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 1,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases can be traced back to the company 's cruise ships , and dozens of Carnival customers and crew members have since died from the virus .
Carnival “ is still trying to sell this cruise line fantasy and ignoring the public health threat.
” The probe cites a damning Bloomberg feature story from writers Austin Carr and Chris Palmeri from last month that delves intricately into how Florida-based Carnival handled news of the COVID-19 outbreaks aboard nine of its ships .
The story itself , which everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featuring illuminating interviews with crew members and passengers and a lengthy sit-down with Carnival CEO Arnold Donald .
It paints the picture of a company that , even in early March as the threat of the novel coronavirus become abundantly clear worldwide , did not take action fast enough to order its passengers into self-isolation and dock its cruise ships .
Instead , many ships decided to let customers remain in extremely close contact with one another in swimming pools and in dining areas featuring buffets .
“ We would hope that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a renewed emphasis on public health and passenger safety , but frankly that has not been seen up to this point , ” wrote House member Peter DeFazio ( D-OR ) in the letter sent to Carnival announcing the investigation .
“ It seems as though Carnival Corporation and its portfolio of nine cruise lines , which represents 109 cruise ships , is still trying to sell this cruise line fantasy and ignoring the public health threat.
” Bloomberg reports that many of the customers who received refunds from Carnival were given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future cruise , and Carnival in some cases sweetened the deal by giving out free vouchers as well .
While the company suspended its cruises starting in March , some passengers and crew remain stuck on ships around the world .
“ Our goal is the same as the committee ’ s goal , ” Carnival said in a statement to Bloomberg , “ to protect the health , safety and well-being of our guests and crew , along with compliance and environmental protection.
” In addition to the House probe , Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into how Carnival handled the docking of one of its Princess ships , the Ruby Princess , in Sydney on March 19th .
The investigation is looking into whether Carnival officials misled Australian authorities about the COVID-19 outbreak aboard the ship , as Carnival customers at the time made up nearly one-third of all Australian deaths from the virus .

Congress has opened a probe into Carnival Corporation, the operator of the Princess Cruises line of cruise ships, over its handling of COVID-19 outbreaks, according to a report from Bloomberg. Officials are now requesting Carnival turn over documents and communications about its coronavirus response and its plans for future improvement.
The investigation, led by the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, is specifically looking into how much Carnival executives were aware of the severity of the coronavirus outbreaks on its cruise ships and the lack of action it took during active cruises after being informed of the risks. More than 1,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases can be traced back to the company's cruise ships, and dozens of Carnival customers and crew members have since died from the virus.
Carnival “is still trying to sell this cruise line fantasy and ignoring the public health threat.”
The probe cites a damning Bloomberg feature story from writers Austin Carr and Chris Palmeri from last month that delves intricately into how Florida-based Carnival handled news of the COVID-19 outbreaks aboard nine of its ships. The story itself, which everyone should go read, is astonishing, featuring illuminating interviews with crew members and passengers and a lengthy sit-down with Carnival CEO Arnold Donald. It paints the picture of a company that, even in early March as the threat of the novel coronavirus become abundantly clear worldwide, did not take action fast enough to order its passengers into self-isolation and dock its cruise ships. Instead, many ships decided to let customers remain in extremely close contact with one another in swimming pools and in dining areas featuring buffets.
“We would hope that the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic will place a renewed emphasis on public health and passenger safety, but frankly that has not been seen up to this point,” wrote House member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) in the letter sent to Carnival announcing the investigation. “It seems as though Carnival Corporation and its portfolio of nine cruise lines, which represents 109 cruise ships, is still trying to sell this cruise line fantasy and ignoring the public health threat.”
Bloomberg reports that many of the customers who received refunds from Carnival were given the option to receive the credit for a future cruise, and Carnival in some cases sweetened the deal by giving out free vouchers as well. While the company suspended its cruises starting in March, some passengers and crew remain stuck on ships around the world. “Our goal is the same as the committee’s goal,” Carnival said in a statement to Bloomberg, “to protect the health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew, along with compliance and environmental protection.”


theverge--2020-05-01--EVO 2020 will be an online-only event due to the pandemic

The annual Evolution Championship Series ( EVO ) fighting game tournament will be held as an online event this summer @ @ @ @ @ , the event ’ s organizers announced today .
EVO had been scheduled to take @ @ @ @ @ August 2nd at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas .
All tickets and hotel reservations will @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s EVO lineup was scheduled to include Street Fighter 5 : Champion Edition @ @ @ @ @ Ultimate , Dragon Ball FighterZ , an invitational tournament for the Dreamcast hit Marvel vs. @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s not clear if this online-only summer event will have the @ @ @ @ @ gaming events , including E3 , the Game Developers Conference , and Gamescom , have @ @ @ @ @ year because of the pandemic .
Many major tech events , including Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Build developer event , are also being held online .

The annual Evolution Championship Series (EVO) fighting game tournament will be held as an online event this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event’s organizers announced today. EVO had been scheduled to take place from July 31st to August 2nd at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. All tickets and hotel reservations will be refunded automatically.


theverge--2020-05-01--Mindy Kaling’s new teen sitcom Never Have I Ever is an empathetic exploration of grief

If you told everyone exactly how high school would play out , odds are many would opt the hell out .
High school in America is a bizarre and unkind time , a collective coming-of-age story that has as much room for variety as there are people who go through it .
Never Have I Ever , a new Netflix sitcom from The Mindy Project creator Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher , takes the broad strokes of high school and gives them new life by centering its story on an Indian-American girl .
It ’ s an absolute delight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can do right now .
That doesn ’ t mean the show is all sunshine — Never Have I Ever begins with a tragedy when protagonist Devi Vishwakumar ’ s ( Maitreyi Ramakrishnan ) father Mohan ( Sendhil Ramamurthy ) suddenly dies , and shortly after , Devi inexplicably loses the use of her legs .
( This is all in the first few minutes ) .
As Devi is starting to get used to life without her father and with her disability , her mobility returns , just as curiously as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the story of Devi ’ s attempt to return to a normal life , and Devi wants to return with a bang — literally , by losing her virginity to Paxton Hall-Yoshida ( Darren Barnet ) the hottest boy in school .
Perhaps this might not strike you as a healthy thing for someone , real or fictional , to do .
That would be the point : Never Have I Ever isn ’ t just an Indian-American take on the coming-of-age story , but also a story that takes teen rom-com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for exploring grief .
None of this ever takes a backseat to Never Have I Ever ’ s comedy or its earnest , empathetic storytelling .
The show strives to keep its stakes small and focused on Devi and her friends and family , but they ’ re surrounded by a cast of friends and family diverse and interesting enough to support a much bigger show .
While each character can ’ t have a subplot of their own , they ’ re all afforded the potential for depth .
Every character is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traumas in real time .
The central conflict of the show is Devi ’ s inability to see this , slowly realizing that the process of dealing with her own extraordinary grief blinds her to what others are experiencing , and that dealing with that grief poorly can also cost her the connections that will help her move on .
Again : Never Have I Ever is also a very good comedy that consistently delights .
There ’ s clever and fun narration from tennis superstar John McEnroe ( there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , danceable soundtrack that prominently features Robyn ’ s “ Dancing On My Own ” in the pilot and stays in that sonic milieu throughout ; and it features a cast of wonderfully charismatic young actors .
Never Have I Ever feels like what would have been a cult favorite in a previous generation of television , a Freaks and Geeks-style one-season wonder .
But times are very different now , and an Indian-American lead is a refreshing change for this type of show — especially one that might last .

If you told everyone exactly how high school would play out, odds are many would opt the hell out. High school in America is a bizarre and unkind time, a collective coming-of-age story that has as much room for variety as there are people who go through it. Never Have I Ever, a new Netflix sitcom from The Mindy Project creator Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, takes the broad strokes of high school and gives them new life by centering its story on an Indian-American girl. It’s an absolute delight, one of the most pleasant new binge-watches you can do right now.
That doesn’t mean the show is all sunshine — Never Have I Ever begins with a tragedy when protagonist Devi Vishwakumar’s (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) father Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy) suddenly dies, and shortly after, Devi inexplicably loses the use of her legs. (This is all in the first few minutes). As Devi is starting to get used to life without her father and with her disability, her mobility returns, just as curiously as it left. Never Have I Ever is the story of Devi’s attempt to return to a normal life, and Devi wants to return with a bang — literally, by losing her virginity to Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) the hottest boy in school.
Perhaps this might not strike you as a healthy thing for someone, real or fictional, to do. That would be the point: Never Have I Ever isn’t just an Indian-American take on the coming-of-age story, but also a story that takes teen rom-com tropes and turns them into a vehicle for exploring grief. None of this ever takes a backseat to Never Have I Ever’s comedy or its earnest, empathetic storytelling. The show strives to keep its stakes small and focused on Devi and her friends and family, but they’re surrounded by a cast of friends and family diverse and interesting enough to support a much bigger show.
While each character can’t have a subplot of their own, they’re all afforded the potential for depth. Every character is going through something, experiencing their foundational traumas in real time. The central conflict of the show is Devi’s inability to see this, slowly realizing that the process of dealing with her own extraordinary grief blinds her to what others are experiencing, and that dealing with that grief poorly can also cost her the connections that will help her move on.


theverge--2020-05-01--FDA authorizes experimental drug remdesivir for emergency use in COVID-19 patients

The Food and Drug Administration just authorized the emergency use of remdesivir , an experimental antiviral drug , to treat COVID-19 .
Emergency authorization does not mean that the drug is FDA-approved , a standard that only comes after a detailed review showing that a drug can safely and effectively treat a particular disease .
The agency can issue an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for unapproved medical products that may help treat a life-threatening disease when no approved alternatives are available , and that ’ s what it did here .
The authorization does not mean the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s usual benchmarks but that “ the known and potential benefits of remdesivir when used to treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of such products , ” according to the agency ’ s authorization letter .
Under the authorization , the drug can be used to treat patients who are hospitalized with a severe enough case of the disease that they need to be given supplemental oxygen or placed on a ventilator .
Pharmaceutical company Gilead , which makes remdesivir , previously announced that it plans to give away its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to treat over 140,000 patients .
Gilead said in a press release that the US government will be in charge of distributing remdesivir to hospitals , but it is still unclear when the company will start to ship the drug under the new authorization .
Research showing that remdesivir blocks the activity of the novel coronavirus in cells made it a leading candidate to treat it .
Gilead originally developed the drug to treat Ebola .
Prior to this authorization , doctors could treat COVID-19 patients with remdesivir by enrolling them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drug company under the FDA ’ s compassionate use policy .
Data from clinical trials of the drug has been mixed .
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) said this week that patients in its study who were treated with remdesivir recovered from COVID-19 four days faster than patients who were given a placebo .
Eight percent of the group given the drug died , compared to 11 percent of the placebo group .
The NIAID said it will release more detailed data on the study , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , leaving the findings difficult to critically analyze at this point .
Anthony Fauci , director of the NIAID , called the results “ good news.
” “ What it has proven is a drug can block this virus , ” he said in the White House this week .
Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb had a more reserved take on the results .
“ Evolutionary , not revolutionary , ” he tweeted .
However , a Chinese study also published the same day found that patients given the drug did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated with a placebo .
“ Unfortunately , our trial found that while safe and adequately tolerated , remdesivir did not provide significant benefits over placebo , ” the lead investigator of the study , Bin Cao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University in Beijing , told The New York Times .
Testing drugs is hard under normal circumstances and even more challenging during an active pandemic .
The novel coronavirus is killing thousands of people every day , and people all around the world are desperate for answers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inflating any positive signal .
No drug has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 , and research into remdesivir and other treatment candidates continues .

The Food and Drug Administration just authorized the emergency use of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug, to treat COVID-19.
Emergency authorization does not mean that the drug is FDA-approved, a standard that only comes after a detailed review showing that a drug can safely and effectively treat a particular disease. The agency can issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) for unapproved medical products that may help treat a life-threatening disease when no approved alternatives are available, and that’s what it did here.
The authorization does not mean the drug was proven to work by the FDA’s usual benchmarks but that “the known and potential benefits of remdesivir when used to treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of such products,” according to the agency’s authorization letter.
Under the authorization, the drug can be used to treat patients who are hospitalized with a severe enough case of the disease that they need to be given supplemental oxygen or placed on a ventilator.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead, which makes remdesivir, previously announced that it plans to give away its entire existing supply of the drug — enough to treat over 140,000 patients. Gilead said in a press release that the US government will be in charge of distributing remdesivir to hospitals, but it is still unclear when the company will start to ship the drug under the new authorization.
Research showing that remdesivir blocks the activity of the novel coronavirus in cells made it a leading candidate to treat it. Gilead originally developed the drug to treat Ebola. Prior to this authorization, doctors could treat COVID-19 patients with remdesivir by enrolling them in clinical trials or making individual requests to the drug company under the FDA’s compassionate use policy.
Data from clinical trials of the drug has been mixed. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said this week that patients in its study who were treated with remdesivir recovered from COVID-19 four days faster than patients who were given a placebo. Eight percent of the group given the drug died, compared to 11 percent of the placebo group. The NIAID said it will release more detailed data on the study, which included over 1,000 patients, later on, leaving the findings difficult to critically analyze at this point.
Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID, called the results “good news.” “What it has proven is a drug can block this virus,” he said in the White House this week. Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb had a more reserved take on the results. “Evolutionary, not revolutionary,” he tweeted.
However, a Chinese study also published the same day found that patients given the drug did not improve more quickly than patients who were treated with a placebo. “Unfortunately, our trial found that while safe and adequately tolerated, remdesivir did not provide significant benefits over placebo,” the lead investigator of the study, Bin Cao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University in Beijing, told The New York Times.


theverge--2020-05-01--Elon Musk lied about the EPA’s Tesla Model S test, agency claims

The Environmental Protection Agency denied Tesla CEO Elon Musk ’ s claim that the agency made a mistake in its test of the Model S sedan , which resulted in a lower range than Musk thought was deserved .
In an earnings call this week , Musk claimed that the Tesla Model S Long Range should be the first electric vehicle to sport a 400-mile range , and that the EPA ’ s 391-mile rating was the result of a snafu .
Musk said someone had left the keys in the vehicle and the door open overnight , causing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting for driver ” mode that depleted 2 percent of the vehicle ’ s battery .
This resulted in the slightly less than 400-mile range .
Not so , said the EPA .
“ We can confirm that EPA tested the vehicle properly , the door was closed , and we are happy to discuss any technical issues with Tesla , as we do routinely with all automakers , ” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge .
Here ’ s what Musk said during the earnings call : On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of model S and X yet again , this time to 391 miles for Model S and 351 miles for Model X .
Actually , we said that , actually , the model — the real Model S range is 400 miles , but when we did the last EPA test , unfortunately , [ EPA ] left the car door open and the keys in the car , so the car - and it did this overnight .
And so the car actually went into waiting for driver mode and lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result , it had a 391 test .
As soon as the EPA reopens for testing , we will redo the test , and we ’ re actually confident that we will achieve a 400-mile-or-greater range with the Model S. But to be clear , the Model S , for the past two months — the true range of the Model S for the past two months has been 400 miles .
A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Update May 1st , 5:20pm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s comments from the earnings call

On other technology fronts, we increased the range of model S and X yet again, this time to 391 miles for Model S and 351 miles for Model X. Actually, we said that, actually, the model — the real Model S range is 400 miles, but when we did the last EPA test, unfortunately, [EPA] left the car door open and the keys in the car, so the car - and it did this overnight.
And so the car actually went into waiting for driver mode and lost 2% of its range. And as a result, it had a 391 test. As soon as the EPA reopens for testing, we will redo the test, and we’re actually confident that we will achieve a 400-mile-or-greater range with the Model S. But to be clear, the Model S, for the past two months — the true range of the Model S for the past two months has been 400 miles.