Nikola gets $4 million pandemic loan, as patent lawsuit against Tesla continues

Image: Nikola

Electric big rig startup Nikola received a $4.1 million loan from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) meant to help small businesses keep people employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 15th filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It’s at least the third EV startup to receive money from the PPP, following Faraday Future (which got a $9.1 million loan) and Workhorse (which got a $1.1 million loan).

The loan, which can be forgiven as long as Nikola hangs on to most of its employees, comes a little more than one month after the startup received a $525 million investment and became a publicly traded company. That move made gave founder Trevor Milton a net worth of more than...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/22/21231758/nikola-sba-loan-pandemic-tesla-patent-lawsuit

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Samsung’s blood pressure measurement on smartwatches still a have long way to go

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 has taken another big step toward offering blood pressure monitoring, a feature Samsung has been promising since the original Galaxy Watch Active was released in 2019. This week saw Samsung’s Health Monitor app get regulatory approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), the first government agency to do so — but there’s a whole lot of caveats that bring to question how useful Samsung’s measuring will really be.

The first hurdle is that the app has only been approved in South Korea, meaning that users in other countries will still have to wait for it to be approved by their own governmental agencies. And even in South Korea, Samsung says that the app won’t be available until the...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/22/21229314/samsung-smartwatches-galaxy-active-2-blood-pressure-app-south-korea-regulatory-approval

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US vaccine expert says he was forced out of position for resisting hydroxychloroquine hype

Photo by YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Federal researcher and vaccine development expert Rick Bright says he was removed from his position in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after objecting to the agency’s efforts to push the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment.

“I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the Covid-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” he said in a statement to The New York Times.

Bright directed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) at HHS, which focuses on developing drugs for emergency situations like...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/22/21231746/federal-vaccine-expert-ousted-hhs-nih-hydroxychloroquine-trump

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Joe Biden looks to shore up climate credentials for Earth Day

John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Joe Biden won key environmental endorsements this week as the 50th anniversary of Earth Day focuses attention on climate change. Longtime proponents of climate action Al Gore and Jay Inslee announced today that Biden has their endorsement. The League of Conservation Voters endorsed Biden on April 20th, potentially unlocking tens of millions of dollars in funding if the group continues the big spending it’s put into previous elections. And more than 80 prominent scientists penned an open letter giving Biden their backing ahead of Earth Day. It’s a major show of institutional support for Biden, but it remains to be seen whether these endorsements will help Biden win over voters concerned about climate change, who have emerged as a key...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/22/21231757/biden-climate-change-environmental-endorsements-earthday-gore-inslee

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Viral texts about coronavirus lockdown were amplified by Chinese operatives, US officials say

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Chinese operatives helped amplify a viral text message that falsely claimed President Trump was going to instate a nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19, reports The New York Times. US officials said the operatives were engaging in disinformation tactics similar to the ones Russia used in 2016.

The rumor, which gained traction around mid-March, claimed to be coming from someone close to the White House. It said Trump was doing to lock down the country to stop the spread of COVID-19. “Please be advised,” one version of the text message began. “Within 48 to 72 hours the President will evoke what is called the Stafford Act. Stock up on whatever you guys need to make sure you have a two week supply of everything. Please forward to your...

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source https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/22/21231497/coronavirus-lockdown-viral-text-messages-chinese-operatives-disinformation

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