Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Sets Course for Popular Social Media Site

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Now that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has spoken publicly about the firm's data controversy, the chief question remains whether the changes he outlined will be enough to restore the public's trust in the social media giant.   In a series of media interviews this week, Zuckerberg went into full damage control mode about how the company handled user data when it discovered in 2015 that 50 million users' data had been shared with Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy that advises political campaigns, thus breaking the company's rules.   He apologized. He called the recent controversy "a major breach of trust."   What now?   Congressional leaders have already called on Zuckerberg to testify in Congress — something that Zuckerberg appeared willing to do, according to the interviews, if he was "the…
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Black Identity, Technology in US Celebrated at Afrotectopia Fest

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Being black and working in the tech industry can be an isolating experience. New York nonprofit Ascend Leadership analyzed the hiring data of hundreds of San Francisco Bay-area tech companies from 2007 and 2015 and issued a report last year, detailing the lack of diversity in tech. Based on data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Ascend found that the black tech professional workforce declined from 2.5 percent in 2007 to 1.9 percent in 2015. The outlook was even bleaker at the top. Despite 43 percent growth in the number of black executives from 2007 to 2015, blacks accounted for 1.1 percent of the total number of tech executives in 2015. "You're one in a sea full of people that just don't look like you," said Ari Melenciano, a…
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US Core Capital Goods Orders, Shipments Jump in February

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New orders for key U.S.-made capital goods rebounded more than expected in February after two straight monthly declines and shipments surged, which could temper expectations of a sharp slowdown in business spending on equipment in the first quarter. The Commerce Department's report on Friday could prompt economists to raise their economic growth estimates for the first three months of the year. They were slashed last week after data showed retail sales fell in February for the third month in a row. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday painted an upbeat picture of the economy when it raised interest rates and forecast at least two more increases for 2018. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, jumped 1.8 percent last month. That was the…
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Russia Eyes Restrictions on US Imports in Response to Tariffs

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Russia will likely prepare a list of restrictions on imported products from the United States in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, Moscow's trade ministry said on Friday, according to Interfax news agency. The announcement came after China threatened to retaliate to U.S. President Donald Trump's measures, stoking fears of a looming global trade war. "We will prepare our position, submit it to the Economy Ministry and apply to the WTO [the World Trade Organization]," Russia's Deputy Trade Minister, Viktor Yevtukhov, said, according to Interfax. "We will probably prepare proposals on the response measures. Restrictions against the American goods. I think that all countries will follow this path," Yevtukhov added. The United States has said the tariffs are needed to protect its national security and therefore do not…
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Fearing Trade War, Some US Farmers Worry About Trump China Tariffs

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a memo paving the way for major tariffs on Chinese imports. It's part of Trump's plan to crack down on China's theft of intellectual property. But many U.S. farmers are worried the tariffs will prompt China to retaliate against their products. VOA's Kane Farabaugh and Bill Gallo report on what some fear could be just the start of significant trade friction between Washington and Beijing. ...
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Toys R Us Founder Charles Lazarus Dies at 94

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Just a week after the empire he started announced it is shutting down, Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus died at 94. "There have been many sad moments for Toys R Us in recent weeks and none more heartbreaking than today's news about the passing of our beloved founder," the company said Thursday. No cause of death was given. Lazarus, a World War II veteran, started Toys R Us in 1948 as a single store in Washington, D.C., selling baby furniture. At customer requests, he soon expanded his line to include toys and began opening large stores the size of supermarkets, devoted to toys and bicycles. Toys R Us and its massive selection became a favorite of suburban American families. Toys R Us opened stores all over the world before…
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Zuckerberg Apology Fails to Quiet Facebook Storm

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A public apology by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg failed Thursday to quell outrage over the hijacking of personal data from millions of people, as critics demanded that the social media giant go much further to protect user privacy. Speaking out for the first time about the harvesting of Facebook user data by a British firm linked to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, Zuckerberg admitted Wednesday to betraying the trust of its 2 billion users and promised to "step up." Vowing to stop data leaking to outside developers and to give users more control over their information, Zuckerberg also said he was ready to testify before US lawmakers — which a powerful congressional committee promptly asked him to do. With pressure ratcheting up on the 33-year-old CEO over a scandal that has wiped $60…
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Trump Launches Action Toward Imposing Tariffs Against Chinese Imports

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U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday initiating actions to consider imposing tariffs on a long list of nearly 1,300 Chinese imported products worth about $60 billion. The move could limit China's ability to invest in the U.S. technology industry, setting the stage for a possible trade war with Beijing. The decision to take action is a result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. trade representative to determine whether Beijing's trade practices may be "unreasonable or discriminatory" and may be "harming American intellectual property rights, innovation or technology development." After a seven-month investigation, the USTR's office found the policies were in violation. At the signing ceremony, Trump said, "We have a tremendous intellectual property theft going on." He said the U.S. wants reciprocal trade and tariff deals…
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Stocks Dive on Trade War Fears After China Sanctions

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Stocks plunged Thursday after the Trump administration slapped sanctions on goods and investment from China. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 700 points as investors feared that trade tensions between the world's largest economies would escalate. The planned sanctions include tariffs on $48 billion worth of Chinese imports as well as restrictions on Chinese investments. Trump said he's taking those steps in response to theft of American technology, and the Chinese government said it will defend itself. Investors are worried that trade tensions would hurt U.S. companies and harm the world economy. On Thursday they fled stocks and bought bonds, which sent bond prices higher and yields lower. With interest rates falling, banks took some of the worst losses. Technology and industrial companies, basic materials makers and health…
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Experts: Uber SUV’s Autonomous System Should Have Seen Woman

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Two experts say video of a deadly crash involving a self-driving Uber vehicle shows the sport utility vehicle's laser and radar sensors should have spotted a pedestrian, and computers should have braked to avoid the crash. Authorities investigating the crash in a Phoenix suburb released the video of Uber's Volvo striking a woman as she walked from a darkened area onto a street. Experts who viewed the video told The Associated Press that the SUV's sensors should have seen the woman pushing a bicycle and braked before the impact. Also, Uber's human backup driver appears on the video to be looking down before crash and appears startled about the time of the impact. "The victim did not come out of nowhere. She's moving on a dark road, but it's an…
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Fed Signals at Least Three More Rate Hikes in 2018

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U.S. Federal Reserve officials voted to raise the central bank's benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percent this week, signaling perhaps three or more rate hikes this year as economic conditions improve. But as Mil Arcega reports, rising rates mean higher borrowing costs for consumers, many who have yet to see a significant increase in wages. ...
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Live Screening and Q&A – Beyond the Unicorn

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Silicon Valley is less than 3% black, with an even smaller numbers of Africans. The race gap is actually much larger than the gender gap, and it’s growing. Join us for a live screening of "Beyond the Unicorn," a VOA documentary about the issue, followed by a Q&A session from Silicon Valley, the capitol of the U.S. technology sector. ...
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Trump Expected to Turn Up the Heat on China in Looming Trade War

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U.S. President Donald Trump is expected at any time to fire a salvo directly at China in what could escalate into a full-scale trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Trade actions against China, partly in response to the theft and improper transfer of American technology to Chinese companies, are expected to be announced by Trump as soon as Thursday. His schedule includes a midday signing of a memorandum “targeting China’s economic aggression.” On the anticipated eve of the measures, U.S. officials spoke to reporters about their monthslong investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 of Beijing’s trade practices. China has long been considered by many in the international community to have contravened fundamental principles of global trade, despite joining the World Trade Organization in 2001.…
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US Congress Races to Pass $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill

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U.S. congressional leaders have reached a deal on a $1.3 trillion spending bill as a budget deadline looms. Lawmakers now have until midnight Friday to approve it and prevent the year's third government shutdown. Passage of the massive bipartisan effort seems certain. The bill, which will keep the government funded until the end of September, has President Donald Trump's support, the White House said in a statement released Wednesday. "The president had a discussion with (House) Speaker (Paul) Ryan and (Senate) Leader (Mitch) McConnell, where they talked about their shared priorities secured in the omnibus spending bill," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Deadline late Friday The bill will give Trump a huge budget increase for the military, including a 2.4 percent pay raise for military personnel. It…
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EXCLUSIVE: Kaspersky Lab Plans Swiss Data Center to Combat Spying Allegations: Documents

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Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab plans to open a data center in Switzerland to address Western government concerns that Russia exploits its anti-virus software to spy on customers, according to internal documents seen by Reuters. Kaspersky is setting up the center in response to actions in the United States, Britain and Lithuania last year to stop using the company’s products, according to the documents, which were confirmed by a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The action is the latest effort by Kaspersky, a global leader in anti-virus software, to parry accusations by the U.S. government and others that the company spies on customers at the behest of Russian intelligence. The U.S. last year ordered civilian government agencies to remove the Kaspersky software from their networks. Kaspersky has strongly rejected the…
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Nestle Provides Lifeline for Struggling Kenyan Coffee Farmers

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When Nestle executive Stephan Canz attended the German school in Nairobi in the early 1980s, it was surrounded by lush coffee farms. Today, the trees have long since been uprooted and replaced by a shopping mall and upmarket homes, driving a sharp drop in production of Kenya's premium beans. "The coffee has disappeared," said Canz, who co-manages Swiss-based Nestle's partnerships with coffee farmers globally. "You have to go almost to the slopes of Mount Kenya to find coffee." Kenya accounts for just 1 percent of the global crop, but its high-quality arabica beans are sought-after for blending with other varieties. Alarmed by a steep drop in the country's production, Nestle, which buys 10 percent of the world's coffee and has the leading packaged coffee business, is working with farmers to…
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French Protests to Cause Widescale Train Disruption on Thursday

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French commuters face major train service disruptions on Thursday due to an unexpectedly large walkout by railway workers angry at the government's plans to shake up the state-owned and highly indebted SNCF rail company. Labor unions said last week they would launch rolling strikes in early April, but France's transport minister said many were planning to join a wider day of public service protests on Thursday, reducing rail services by 50 percent. "There will ultimately be serious disruption tomorrow," Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said. Unions are on a collision course with the government over its plans for the biggest shake-up of SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer) since the nationalization of the railways in the 1930s. Among the government's plans are the trimming of benefits received by SNCF's 260,000…
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New Technology Being Developed for Pacemakers

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When you are watching a television show and see someone get their heart shocked back into a rhythm, you will see their entire body rise up in the air. That's what happens when a defibrillator is used, because the shock is that powerful. As VOA's Carol Pearson reports, scientists are now working on better, more effective, and less-shocking ways to get a heart to start beating once again. ...
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Peter Peterson, Billionaire and Philanthropist, Dies at 91

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Peter G. Peterson, a billionaire and business executive who became one of the most prominent voices to argue for entitlement reform and reducing the U.S. national debt, died of natural causes early Tuesday, his family said. He was 91. Born in the small town of Kearney, Nebraska, to Greek immigrants, Peterson was CEO of two major U.S. companies and co-founded one of the world’s largest private-equity firms. He was a national figure in business by the early 1960s, serving as chairman and CEO of Bell and Howell, one of the largest manufacturers of movie cameras at the time.   He left Bell and Howell to work for the Nixon administration in the early 1970s, eventually serving as secretary of commerce from 1972 to 1973. Lehman Brothers  He took over as…
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Egyptian Court Rules Uber, Careem Illegal; Appeal Expected

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An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered authorities to revoke the operating licenses of the Uber and Careem ride-hailing services and block their mobile apps and software. The government and the companies are expected to appeal the administrative court verdict, which would prevent it from being implemented until a higher court weighs in. The administrative court in Cairo ruled that it is illegal to use private vehicles as taxis. Both companies provide smartphone applications that connect passengers with drivers who work as independent contractors. In a brief statement posted on its Facebook account, Careem said it "hasn't been notified officially to stop its operations" and was operating normally. There was no immediate comment from Uber. Uber was founded in 2010 in San Francisco, and operates in more than 600 cities across…
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WTO Members Say US Actions Threaten Trade Body’s Credibility

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Nearly 50 countries expressed concern on Tuesday about the "serious threat" to the World Trade Organization posed by unilateral trade actions, a pointed reference to U.S. import tariffs that have caused a global outcry. Delivering concluding remarks after a two-day informal meeting of the WTO members in New Delhi, Indian Trade Minister Suresh Prabhu did not refer to the United States by name. He said members expressed deep concern over the "serious threat" posed to the credibility of the WTO, particularly on its principle of "non-discrimination" following the cycle of recent unilateral trade measures. "In some interventions, the need for WTO members taking urgent and coordinated action to address the underlying issues was highlighted," Prabhu said. "It was recognized by almost all the participants that it is the collective responsibility…
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EU Tightens Labor Laws Despite Polish, Hungarian Opposition

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The European Union said on Tuesday that the right of citizens from poorer member states to work in richer ones on a low salary would be limited to 18 months under a reform of the bloc's labor laws sought by France. The new law, promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron and backed by Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, among others, would rein in current rules on the so-called posting of workers, which richer EU states say undercut their labor markets. Poorer EU states from Spain to Poland have opposed the change, saying their citizens should be allowed to work in a wealthier state on a lower salary than a worker from the host country under the bloc's competition rules. The deal, which had been tentatively agreed earlier this month, also…
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Britain, US Probing Use of Facebook Data by British Voter Profiling Company

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Social media giant Facebook faced new investigations Tuesday in both Britain and the United States about the vast troves of information compiled by the company about their users and how that data has been deployed to influence elections by Cambridge Analytica, a British voter profiling business. British information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said she is seeking a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's London headquarters to see whether Facebook did enough to protect users' personal information about themselves and their friends.  Weekend reports said Cambridge Analytica had improperly used information about more than 50 million Facebook users, including $6 million in work to influence Americans to vote for real estate mogul Donald Trump in his successful 2016 run for the U.S. presidency. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is…
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Facebook Under Fire for Developer’s Data Mining

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The Facebook backlash is intensifying. Congressional leaders, regulators in the United States and Europe and state officials are putting pressure on Facebook to answer questions about fresh allegations over how the social networking giant was manipulated in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.   The Senate Commerce Committee has sent questions to the company about how a data consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, allegedly used 50 million Facebook users’ data to aid political campaigns.  British and U.S. lawmakers called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify.  The company is reportedly holding an employee meeting Tuesday to answer questions.   Among the tough questions the company faces is why it did not inform the affected users about the issue.  On Monday, the firm’s stock dropped nearly seven percent, losing $36…
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Crash Marks 1st Death Involving Fully Autonomous Vehicle

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A fatal pedestrian crash involving a self-driving Uber SUV in a Phoenix suburb could have far-reaching consequences for the new technology as automakers and other companies race to be the first with cars that operate on their own. The crash Sunday night in Tempe was the first death involving a full autonomous test vehicle. The Volvo was in self-driving mode with a human backup driver at the wheel when it struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg as she was walking a bicycle outside the lines of a crosswalk in Tempe, police said.   Uber immediately suspended all road-testing of such autos in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto. The ride-sharing company has been testing self-driving vehicles for months as it competes with other technology companies and automakers like Ford and…
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