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☆ Starbucks considers next moves in China — Cramer says new CEO 'is not fooling around'
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The coffee giant's statement was in response to a Bloomberg report that Starbucks is considering selling a stake in its China operations. According to Bloomberg, such options could spur investment from Chinese companies or private equity firms to help Starbucks navigate the domestic coffee market. "There's a reason why Starbucks stock hasn't gone down from when Niccol was picked," Jim argued, touting Niccol's successful six-years-plus leading Chipotle . Niccol started as Starbucks CEO in September, replacing Laxman Narasimhan who was ousted after just 17 months on the job. An employee services in a Starbucks coffee truck at Wuhan International Plaza on October 6, 2022 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

Persons: Brian Niccol, Bloomberg, Brian, Niccol, Jim Cramer, Jim, Niccol's, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Starbucks, Bloomberg, Elliott Investment Management, U.S, CNBC, Wuhan International Plaza, Getty Locations: China, U.S, Wuhan, Hubei province

☆ Aryna Sabalenka defeats home favorite Zheng Qinwen to win third straight Wuhan Open title
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Aryna Sabalenka secured her third straight Wuhan Open title with a hard-fought victory over Zheng Qinwen on Sunday. In a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final, the world No. 2 defeated home favorite Zheng 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to pick up her second WTA 1000 title of the season and the seventh of her career. Sabalenka, the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times, extends her unbeaten run at the tournament to 17-0 while improving to 4-0 in her head-to-head against Zheng. “I felt like I just lost a little bit of focus and I let her come back in the match,” Sabalenka said, per the WTA.

Persons: Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Zheng, Sabalenka, “, ” Sabalenka, Wuhan “, ” Zheng, Li, Iga Organizations: CNN, Wuhan, Australian, WTA Locations: China, Wuhan, Paris, Cincinnati, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

☆ Baidu's robotaxi unit is exploring expansion into global markets in the 'near future'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese tech company Baidu announced Monday it can sell some robotaxi rides without any human staff in the vehicles. BEIJING — Chinese tech company Baidu 's robotaxi unit, Apollo Go, is in talks with several firms to expand into overseas markets in the "near future," according to a source familiar with the matter. Baidu is one of the major operators of robotaxis in China. Regulators in parts of Beijing and cities such as Wuhan — Apollo Go's largest operating region — have allowed companies to commercially operate self-driving taxis after years of just permitting internal testing. Tesla is scheduled to hold its widely anticipated robotaxi event on Thursday.

Persons: Tesla Organizations: Baidu, Regulators, Apollo Locations: BEIJING, robotaxis, China, Beijing, Wuhan

☆ Elon Musk is ready to make his biggest pitch yet that Tesla is more than just a car company
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has a big task this week: convincing investors that Tesla is more than just a car company. It may do so once again as Elon Musk prepares to use the studio lot to tell another story: that Tesla is more than just a car company. The long-awaited event — originally scheduled for August — is meant to give weight to the electric vehicle maker's pitch that it is a tech company first and a car company second. Meanwhile, in July, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives claimed the "Tesla AI story could be worth $1 trillion-plus and is the most undervalued AI name." Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesHowever, what's critical to note is the timing for Tesla's robotaxi push.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Tesla's, —, Musk, Sam Altman, Andrej Karpathy, Dan Ives, Michael Macor, Caspar Rawles, Rawles, Donald Trump, Elon, Ross Gerber, Gerber, Uber, it's, Cruise, Paul Miller, Forrester Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Elon, Robotaxi, EV, San Francisco, Getty, Elon Inc, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Twitter, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth, Investment Management, Baidu, GM Locations: Burbank, California, Tesla's, Palo Alto, Elonville, Chinese, China, Wuhan

☆ Coco Gauff makes history after cruising to China Open title
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US tennis star Coco Gauff stormed to victory in the China Open final on Sunday, sweeping past Karolina Muchová 6-1 6-3. The straight-sets victory makes the 20-year-old the first American to win the tournament since Serena Williams back in 2013 – she now has eight WTA titles to her name. Gauff also made WTA history in the process, becoming the first woman to win her first seven hard-court finals in the Open era. It was an impressive performance from Gauff who wasted no time in stamping her authority on the final as she wrapped up the first-set in 30 minutes, a remarkable feat given Muchová’s recent run. Gauff will play the Wuhan Open next, as she continues to rise up the rankings once again.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Karolina Muchová, Serena Williams, Gauff, Karolina, It’s, ” Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Muchova, Matt Daly, Brad Gilbert, Gilbert Organizations: CNN, US, Wuhan Locations: China, American, –, Czech, Cincinnati, Washington

☆ How Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains changed the world of rail travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

This was the dawn of Japan’s “bullet train” era, widely regarded as the defining symbol of the country’s astonishing recovery from the trauma of World War II. A map of Japan's high-speed rail lines. Japan’s high-speed rail revolutionFast train: Japan's distinctive Shinkansen "bullet trains" have been plying the country's high-speed railways since 1964. Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Image TGV: France's answer to the Bullet Train, the Train à Grand Vitesse, began operating between Paris and Lyon in 1981. Mehdi Fedouach/AFP/Getty Images China's rail expansion: China has now eclipsed the rest of the world when it comes to high-speed rail.

Persons: Yoshikazu Tsuno, Jiji Press, Toru Yamanaka, Mehdi Fedouach, Wang He, ”, Christopher P, Hood Organizations: CNN, Olympic Games, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mount, Getty, Mount Fuji, Tokyo, Lions, Hulton, Keystone, Jiji, West Japan Railway, Ltd, Fuji, Vitesse, Lyon, JR EAST, Eurostar, JR EAST Japan, “ Locations: Tokyo, Osaka, Japan, Shin, Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagano, AFP, North America, Europe, Korea, Russia, Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, Sanrio, Paris, China, France, Spain, Belgium, South Korea, United Kingdom, Morocco, France’s, Bordeaux, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, India, Thailand, Wuhan, Western Europe, Nagoya, British

☆ The shipbuilding empire fueling China's naval rise is a juggernaut, but tough questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

China's massive shipbuilding industry is key to its military's naval modernization. But military corruption and future maintenance issues raise questions about long-term sustainability. AdvertisementChina's shipbuilding industry is at the core of its efforts to modernize its navy, producing new warships at astonishing speeds. This important national ambition gives tremendous support to China's shipbuilding empire. Over the years, there have been signs of extensive corruption documented within the shipbuilding industry, as well as other parts of China's defense industry.

Persons: —, Gerald R, it's, it'll, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaoile, Funaoile, That's, Mike Sweeney, Sweeney Organizations: Service, of Naval Intelligence, Navy, Department of Defense, US Navy, Ford, Pentagon, Liberation Army Navy, Getty, Jiangnan Shipyard, Zhonghua Shipyard, China Power, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty Images, CSIS, Business, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Planet Labs PBC, U.S . Navy, Maxwell, Defense Locations: China, Fujian, Jiangnan, Getty Images China, Dalian, Huangpu Wenchong, Hong Kong, Hudong, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan

☆ China’s newest nuclear-powered submarine sank earlier this year, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China’s newest nuclear-powered submarine sank pierside in the spring and the Chinese Navy tried to conceal the loss, according to two US defense officials. The attack submarine was the first of its new Zhou-class line of vessels, the official said, under construction at a shipyard near the city of Wuhan. “It’s not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pierside,” said the senior US defense official. According to the latest China military power report from 2023, the PLA Navy operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines. The PLA Navy has 370 platforms, which includes 234 warships, according to CRS, while the US has 219 warships.

Persons: The Zhou, Zhou, It’s, ”, Tom Shugart, “ I’ve, ” Shugart, Shugart Organizations: CNN, Chinese Navy, Maxar Technologies, PLA Navy, Center, New, New American Security, People’s Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, US Navy, Street Journal, Congressional Research Service, Navy, CRS Locations: Wuhan, The, New American, Beijing, United States, China, Washington ,

☆ A new first-in-class Chinese attack submarine sank at a Wuhan shipyard in a pier-side accident
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One of China's newest attack submarines sank at a shipyard in Wuhan. China's shipbuilding industry is massive and at the core of its naval modernization efforts. AdvertisementOne of China's newest nuclear-powered attack submarines sank in a Wuhan shipyard, a US official told Business Insider, confirming earlier reporting. Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe submarine's sinking comes as China's shipbuilding industry continues to fuel its naval modernization plans. The Pentagon has long identified China's shipbuilding industry as key to its naval buildup, which is occurring at a rapid pace.

Persons: —, Planet Labs PBC Thomas Shugart, uWFjFFblrZ, Tom Shugart Organizations: Service, Business, Zhou, Wall Street, Planet Labs, Planet Labs PBC Thomas, Center, New, New American Security, People's Liberation Army, PLA Navy, Getty, Pentagon Locations: Wuhan, Wuchang, China, New American, Beijing

☆ These big shipyards are China's shipbuilding power players and are cranking out new warships at a breakneck pace
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewIt is no secret that China's shipbuilding capacity is unmatched on the world stage and that its shipyards are churning out new warships at a breakneck pace. China's shipbuilding industry has over 230 times the capacity of the US, according to recent estimates from the Office of Naval Intelligence, representing about 50% of the total global shipbuilding capacity. The shipyards building China's navyDalian is another significant Chinese shipyard and was site of production for the CNS Shandong aircraft carrier. The China Power Project at CSIS has carefully documented developments in Chinese shipbuilding, including work at the yards and new vessels. That push in military shipbuilding is propelled by China's political motivations and blue-water navy goals.

Persons: —, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaoile, It's, it's, Funaoile, Hart, Xi Jinping Organizations: Service, Business, of Naval Intelligence, Jiangnan Shipyard, Liberation Army's, Pentagon, US, PLAN, Shandong, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Fujian, Wuchang Shipyard, Fujian Maritime Safety, Zhonghua Shipyard, China Power, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Airbus, Getty, Communist Party, PLA Locations: Dalian, China, Huangpu Wenchong, Hong Kong, Jiangnan, Hudong, Shanghai, Bohai, Wuchang, Wuhan, Taiwan, Fujian, Zhonghua

☆ New analysis of samples from Wuhan animal market supports its role as a central site of early spread of Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The new findings add to strong, but circumstantial evidence that the SARS-CoV2 virus jumped from infected animals to humans and that the market was a central site of early spread. Of the animals present at the market, rabbits, dogs and raccoon dogs are known to be susceptible to Covid-19 infections. Their analysis shows that SARS-CoV2 virus present at the market emerged at the same time as the virus from the larger pandemic, suggesting they are one and the same. The pandemic virus would have an earlier birthdate. “A lab origin is a possibility.

Persons: “, ”, Kristian Andersen, Andersen, ” Andersen, Florence Debarre, ” Debarre, Debarre, there’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Wholesale, Scripps, Research, French National Centre for Scientific Research, National Institutes of Health, CNN Health Locations: Wuhan, China, Covid, La Jolla , California, United States

☆ Mega El Niño events may have caused planet’s greatest mass extinction
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The El Niño of 252 million years ago would have originated in the Panthalassic Ocean, a body of water much larger than today’s Pacific that could hold more heat, which in turn would have strengthened and sustained El Niño effects. The planet had experienced similar episodes earlier but they hadn’t triggered a mass extinction. A prolonged and intense El Niño also explained why extinctions had begun on land before they occurred in the ocean, the study said. This data showed how temperature rose at different latitudes as the mass extinction unfolded. El Niño events today are known to cause coral bleaching and mass mortality of fish, the study noted, but the ecological impact and future trajectory of El Niño events in a warming climate are unknown.

Persons: ”, Paul Wignall, David Bond, Paul Wignall El, Alex Farnsworth, El, ” Wignall, Niño, “, Yadong Sun, Niños, Wignall, Farnsworth, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Chiarenza, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, University of Leeds, El, University of Hull, UK’s University of Bristol, China University of Geosciences, University of Bristol, Royal Society Newton International, University College London’s, supervolcanoes Locations: what’s, Russia, United Kingdom, Ellesmere, El, Pacific, Wuhan

☆ China is going after 'empty student' consultants, who help you graduate without attending a single class for a $2,800 'relationship' fee
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewChina's state broadcaster has aired a scathing report on consultants and vocational schools running "empty student status" services, which it said allow students to graduate without attending classes. According to the broadcaster, these consultants illegally registered students for three-year courses at vocational or technical schools. Several consultancy staff spoke to CCTV on camera, saying that they would use the $2,800 as a "relationship fee" for the schools. AdvertisementChina finds schools offering the same servicesThe broadcaster also published footage of staff from five schools in the same regions directly offering "empty student status." Another school's staff said the student could record their attendance through a mobile app.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, China, IT Locations: Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Henan, Weibo, China

☆ China's property woes and U.S. sanctions have hit some cities hard
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING — China's property struggles and U.S. sanctions have significantly affected some of its cities, even as others benefit from Beijing's tech push, Milken Institute's best performing cities China index showed Tuesday. Since 2015, the index has studied China's large- and mid-sized cities for their economic vibrancy and growth prospects. The index looked at a group of 33 large cities and a group of 217 small cities, then ranked them separately. Historically, Wong pointed out, having control of Zhengzhou, Hefei, and Wuhan have been critical to ensuring control of the country. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that there are 33 large cities and 217 smaller cities in the index.

Persons: Milken Institute's, Perry Wong, Wong Organizations: CNBC ., U.S, CNBC, Wuhan Locations: HANGZHOU, CHINA, China Vanke, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, BEIJING, Zhejiang, Zhuhai, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Dongguan, The, Shenzhen, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Henan province, Hefei, Wuhan, Anhui, Central China's Hubei

☆ ‘Sponge’ cities combat urban flooding by letting nature do the work
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationYu’s proposal is this: Create areas with porous earth where local plants can thrive with little or no maintenance. But whether this latest flooding crisis demonstrates the limitations of China’s sponge cities, or supports the case to expand them, is a matter of debate. Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationTurenscape planted 5,600 seedlings of 360 local species, including rare trees indigenous to Thailand’s central river basin. Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationThis may be another reason Yu’s services have been sought outside China. Last year, The Cultural Landscape Foundation awarded Yu the $100,000 Oberlander Prize in recognition of his pioneering work.

Persons: Kongjian Yu, Yu, ” Yu, Turenscape, Xi Jinping, Faith Chan, ”, Chan, Elizabeth Mossop, ” Mossop, “ Organizations: CNN, redwoods, UK’s University of Leeds, Research, Global Times, University of Nottingham, Thai, Arsomsilp, Environmental, Landscape Foundation, University of Technology Sydney’s School of Design Locations: Nanchang, China's Jiangxi, China, Qinghuandao, China's Hebei province, Wuhan, Hainan, Sanya, China's, Guangdong, Turenscape, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, ”, Bangkok

The fleet of 500 vehicles operating in the city belongs to Apollo Go, a unit of Chinese tech giant Baidu (BIDU). There have also been complaints from residents in Wuhan about traffic jams, as driverless cars fail to respond to traffic lights. Uncertainty over the safety and reliability of driverless cars has cast a long shadow over the industry in the US. Last week, authorities in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area started handing out licenses to driverless car operators, including Apollo Go and Alibaba-backed AutoX, according to state media China Daily. California-based startup Pony.ai, backed by Toyota and Saudi Arabia, was also given the green light to test driverless vehicles in the financial hub.

Persons: You’ll, ” Tu Le, robotaxi, Apollo Go’s, Apollo, Waymo, Elon Musk, Go Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Weibo, Baidu, Global Times, Sino, CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Apollo Go, United, GM, Department of Justice, McKinsey, Pudong New Area, Toyota, Beijing Municipal Bureau of, Information Technology, People’s Daily Locations: China, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Weibo, United States, United Arab Emirates, California, Beijing, Shenzhen, Pudong, . California, Saudi Arabia, Bao’an district, People’s

☆ China's robotaxi push sparks concerns about job security for drivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Wuhan is the largest operational region for Baidu's Apollo Go, one of the largest robotaxi operators in China. CNBC was unable to independently verify the document, which claimed the taxi company had to stop operating four of its 159-car fleet since April due to falling income. Ride-hailing drivers on the riseA surge of new companies and ride-hailing drivers have meanwhile prompted some local governments to restrict the industry. China had more than 7 million registered ride-hailing drivers as of the end of May, according to the Ministry of Transport. In comparison, the U.S. had nearly 400,000 taxi and ride-hailing drivers, shuttle drivers and chauffeurs in 2022, according to the latest available figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Persons: Baidu, robotaxis, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Baidu, Bloomberg, Getty, BEIJING, Weibo, CNBC, Ministry of Transport, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Wuhan, San Francisco, Phoenix , Arizona, Beijing, Guangzhou, robotaxis, China, Wuhan city, Guyuan, Ningxia, Guiyang, That's, U.S

☆ Finally, an answer to a mystery surrounding these 1,000-year-old trees
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A team of international academics successfully sequenced the genomes of each of the eight baobab species, examining their relationship with one another and concluded that they originated in Madagascar. "Avenue of the Baobabs" in Western Madagascar is one of the most spectacular collections of the unusual trees. Gavinevans/Creative CommonsOnly one baobab species is not included in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species: A. digitata, which populates mainland Africa. The likelihood of finding fossil evidence to rubberstamp the conclusions of the genetic data is slim, Dr. Wan conceded. So perhaps these majestic trees may retain some of their mystery after all.

Persons: ”, Wan Jun, Nan, Wan, Seheno, Andriantsaralaza, “, Dr, Organizations: CNN, Biologists, Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, University of Antananarivo, Queen Mary University of London, IUCN, USAID Locations: Madagascar, Africa, Australia, Wuhan, Hubei, China, baobabs, Queen, Western Madagascar, “

☆ China Is Testing More Driverless Cars Than Any Other Country
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The world’s largest experiment in driverless cars is underway on the busy streets of Wuhan, a city in central China with 11 million people, 4.5 million cars, eight-lane expressways and towering bridges over the muddy waters of the Yangtze River. A fleet of 500 taxis navigated by computers, often with no safety drivers in them for backup, buzz around. The company that operates them, the tech giant Baidu, said last month that it would add a further 1,000 of the so-called robot taxis in Wuhan. Across China, 16 or more cities have allowed companies to test driverless vehicles on public roads, and at least 19 Chinese automakers and their suppliers are competing to establish global leadership in the field. In addition to cities designating on-road testing areas for robot taxis, censors are limiting online discussion of safety incidents and crashes to restrain public fears about the nascent technology.

Organizations: Baidu Locations: Wuhan, China

Opinion Guest Essay Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points Illustration by Mike McQuade. Here’s what we now know:1 The SARS-like virus that caused the pandemic emerged in Wuhan, the city where the world’s foremost research lab for SARS-like viruses is located. Wuhan China Taiwan Laos South China Sea Thailand The pandemic started roughly 1,000 miles away, in Wuhan, home to the world’s foremost SARS-like virus research lab. Wuhan China East China Sea india Taiwan Myanmar Laos South China Sea philippines Thailand The pandemic started roughly 1,000 miles away, in Wuhan, home to the world’s foremost SARS-like virus research lab. In the United States, virologists generally use stricter Biosafety Level 3 protocols when working with SARS-like viruses.

Persons: Mike McQuade, Anthony Fauci, —, Shi Zhengli, Shi’s, Sarah Temmam et, Shi, coronavirus, EcoHealth, Peter Daszak, Biden, Daszak, Baric, Jesse Bloom, Fauci Organizations: Getty Images, National Institute of Allergy, Wuhan Institute of Virology, China East China, U.S, New York, Facebook Locations: United States, Wuhan, China, Yunnan, Southeast Asia, Laos, Yunnan province Taiwan Laos, Laos South China, Thailand, China East China, Taiwan Myanmar Laos South China, Laos philippines Thailand, Taiwan Laos South China, China East, philippines Thailand, Wuhan China Taiwan Laos South China, Wuhan China East China, China Wuhan East China, Covid, MERS

CNN —Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified on Monday at a House subcommittee hearing about the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the origins of the virus. The hearing was Fauci’s first public testimony on Capitol Hill since his retirement from government service. It turned contentious at times as Republicans grilled Fauci over a wide range of topics, including the basis for public health recommendations during the pandemic and email use by public health officials. Fauci said there was a “disconnect between the health-care system and the public health system” during Covid-19 in the US. That’s in large part why public health agencies emphasized the importance of people wearing masks to reduce the number of germs that could float in the air and make people sick.

Persons: Anthony Fauci, Fauci, ” Fauci, Morens, David Morens, ”, — Jeremy Farrar, Kristian Andersen, “, Debbie Dingell, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, National Institute of Allergy, Capitol, US Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, NIH, FOIA, Wellcome, Scripps Research, World Health Organization, Wuhan Institute of Virology, US Department of Energy, Democratic, CDC Locations: Covid, “, China

☆ Baidu’s robotaxi unit expects to turn profitable next year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A driverless robotaxi autonomous vehicle developed by Baidu Apollo driving along a street in Beijing. SHANGHAI — Chinese tech company Baidu said Wednesday its Apollo Go robotaxi arm expects to turn profitable next year. The projection comes as Elon Musk has emphasized his plans to build up Tesla's robotaxi efforts amid a decline in revenue. Baidu on Wednesday announced Apollo's 6th generation robotaxi will cost around 200,000 yuan ($28,169) — or less than half that of the prior generation, the company said. Others in the auto industry remain more skeptical about fully driverless cars, which require broad regulatory approval in order to operate.

Persons: Elon Musk, Apollo, Baidu, Brian Gu Organizations: Baidu, Wednesday, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xpeng Locations: Beijing, SHANGHAI, Wuhan, China

☆ U.S. Suspends Funding for Group at Center of Covid Origins Fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Benjamin Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration, under acute pressure from House lawmakers, moved on Wednesday to ban funding for a prominent virus-hunting nonprofit group whose work with Chinese scientists had put it at the heart of theories that Covid leaked from a lab. Republicans went further, demanding that Peter Daszak, the president of the nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance, be criminally investigated. For EcoHealth, which relied on federal funding to study the threat of wild animal viruses, the loss of funding is another twist in a saga that has long dominated discussions of how the pandemic began. In April 2020, under orders from the Trump administration, the National Institutes of Health terminated a grant to EcoHealth amid President Donald J. Trump’s feud with China over the origin of the coronavirus. had failed to give a proper cause for ending the grant, which supplied an average of roughly $625,000 per year.

Persons: Peter Daszak, Trump, Donald J, Trump’s Organizations: Biden, Department of Health, Human Services, Republicans, EcoHealth Alliance, National Institutes of Health Locations: Wuhan, China

☆ Chinese Woman Jailed for Reporting on Covid Set to be Freed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But in a sign of how eager the Chinese government remains to suppress public discussion of the outbreak, it was unclear on Monday evening whether Ms. Zhang, 40, had actually been set free. The lawyer who represented Ms. Zhang during her trial, Zhang Keke (the two are not related), said he could not reach her mother all day. The group, which gave Ms. Zhang a press freedom award in 2021, noted that journalists released from imprisonment in China are often kept under surveillance. Ms. Zhang was an early symbol of the mistrust that many Chinese harbored toward the government’s handling of the outset of the pandemic, and the hunger they had for unfiltered information. A former lawyer from Shanghai, she traveled in early 2020 to Wuhan, the city where the virus was first detected, as a self-styled citizen journalist.

Persons: Zhang Zhan, Zhang, Zhang Keke Locations: China, Shanghai, Wuhan

☆ Chinese journalist imprisoned for her Covid reporting due to be released after four years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —A Chinese citizen journalist who has been behind bars for four years over her reporting on the initial Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan is due to be released Monday after serving her sentence, according to supporters and a court verdict. Zhang is due to finish her sentence on Monday, according to the court verdict on her case obtained and published by human rights groups. In the lead-up to her expected release on Monday, supporters and rights groups have called on the Chinese government to free Zhang on schedule. Failing healthThe 40-year-old has been on multiple hunger strikes since being detained and her health conditions have sparked concerns from supporters and rights groups. During a previous hunger strike, Amnesty International alleged Zhang was shackled and force fed, treatment the group said amounted to torture.

Persons: Zhang Zhan, ”, Zhang, ’ ”, Zhang’s, “, ” Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Twitter, YouTube, Amnesty International, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CNN, Foreign Ministry Locations: Hong Kong, Wuhan, Shanghai, China

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