Government

Huawei's revenue took a 29% hit in 2021 (via The Wall Street Journal), with the company blaming U.S. sanctions for its woes. Once the world's number one smartphone maker, the company has been reeling as a result of bans from the US and its allies. As recently as July 2020, Huawei was the top smartphone maker in the world, according to CNBC. Even then, however, most analysts knew it could not sustain that position, as sanctions were already taking their toll.

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Assuming the company gets permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), some future FedEx cargo planes may be equipped with anti-missile laser systems designed to help protect them from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The laser systems, should they be used, would work to disrupt a missile's ability to target these cargo jets.

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On January 13, President Biden gave an update on the government's plan to offer free at-home COVID-19 tests, including a timeline for when the companion website would launch. Biden said at the time that the website was on track to launch "next week," referring to the week starting on January 16, and it seems that estimate was spot-on. The online ordering portal is now live, though the public won't be able to submit their orders until later on in the week.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published its latest mask guidance update, stating that the public can wear high-filtration respirators like N95 and KN95 masks. The agency didn't go so far as to advise the public to specifically seek out and use these respirators, though it did note that these products offer the greatest level of protection from the virus.

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In December 2021, the Biden administration announced plans to launch an online portal through which anyone in the US can order free at-home COVID-19 tests. The new government service was revealed with an initial order of 500 million tests, a figure that will soon double, according to statements recently made by President Biden.

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NASA has a long and storied record achieving many of the greatest scientific and technological achievements in history. Most recently, it successfully launched and deployed the James Webb Space Telescope which seeks to unlock the secrets of the early universe, including the birth of stars and planets as well as the formation of galaxies. While there are numerous skills and professions involved in making incredibly complex machinery like Webb a reality, at its core, it is a project devoted entirely to scientific discovery. To be named NASA's chief scientist, then, is a tremendous honor and achievement, but also comes with substantial responsibilities.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a change to how long adults must wait before they can get the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. Starting immediately, individuals aged 18 and older can now get their booster shot after at least five months have passed since the completion of the primary series of the Moderna vaccine.

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High-speed 5G connectivity is about to roll out in the US in a major way, making it possible for far more consumers to access the faster data speeds increasingly supported by new devices. The White House has announced a major agreement between government agencies and the two largest carriers in the US, Verizon and AT&T, that should work in everyone's favor.

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As technology has advanced around the world, we've seen several instances of governments stepping in to ban certain things. When something is banned, the motivation behind those bans can sometimes be confusing, or the real reason can become obfuscated behind misleading stories. Here's the real reason why certain technologies have been banned in certain areas of the world.

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Earlier this week, the CDC recommended new quarantine guidelines for those who test positive for asymptomatic COVID or those who are exposed to someone with COVID. This new guidance came as the Omicron variant spreads quickly through communities, leaving some scratching their heads. The director of the CDC sat down for an interview with NPR to explain these new guidelines, and we learned that we might not even have a complete picture of how quickly Omicron is spreading because of a lack of testing.

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As we continue to move through the COVID-19 pandemic, our knowledge about the virus and how it spreads has been changing. This has led to guidance from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that changes periodically. Now, the CDC has announced new quarantine guidelines for those who have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have contracted asymptomatic COVID-19, and it may leave some people scratching their heads.

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Though travel has largely resumed despite the ongoing pandemic, there are a number of rules in place for those who wish to board a plane -- including, chiefly, the need to wear a mask. This simple requirement has resulted in a number of altercations, including some mid-flight, and now the TSA is warning such behaviors will come with additional consequences.

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