Global aluminum manufacturer Norsk Hydro ASA is beginning to pick up the pieces after a ransomware attack forced the company to revert to manual operations when its system was locked. The company is expected to have many functions restored today, but the problems caused by the attack are far-reaching, as only a handful of firms in the aluminum industry are capable of the technical finesse Norsk Hydro provides.
A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management finds 48% of respondents say their organization has experienced workplace violence, compared with 36% in 2012. Meanwhile, 45% of respondents say their organization has an initiative aimed at preventing violence, and 49% of respondents say their organization offers training on how to respond if violence occurs.
⋅ EdSurge
Actor Ashton Kutcher discussed education reform, drawing on his experiences as a student and a business investor, during his keynote discussion at ASCD Empower 19. Kutcher encouraged school leaders to let students engage in purposeful, project-based work that matters to them.
The US and China hope to sign a trade agreement toward the end of April at a summit at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, a US official says. Talks reportedly have stalled amid dissent over some issues, but US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will go to China next week with the aim of finalizing a deal.
Giant Eagle will now allow fuelperks rewards points to be used on a wider range of items, including for grocery discounts. The fuelperks plus program is getting a gradual rollout starting in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland markets.
⋅ Reuters
A panel of gene-editing experts from the World Health Organization has called for development of a central registry for all research related to human genome editing. "The committee will develop essential tools and guidance for all those working on this new technology to ensure maximum benefit and minimal risk to human health," said Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist.
The Facebook Journalism Project Community Network was unveiled Monday to help publishers share ways to cultivate audience relationships and build a community atmosphere. Facebook is accepting grant proposals for community-building activities tied to local news and will cover the cost of the grants.
With the need for ship space high due to the thriving economic conditions in the US, ocean carriers have little reason to offer bargains to shippers -- a change from previous years, when shippers could demand lower rates, writes Robert J. Bowman. Some concerns remain, such as tariff disagreements and increasing costs from a switch to low-sulfur fuels by 2020.
Alphabet's Google is launching a browser-based video game streaming service, Stadia, that will allow a player to run a game on a server and stream the video feed to a device. Google also announced that Jade Raymond, former executive at Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, will head Stadia Games and Entertainment.
AdvaMed and other stakeholders have submitted comments on the FDA's draft guidance on cybersecurity management for premarket submissions, calling for the amendment or elimination of a proposed two-tiered approach to identifying cyberrisk in medical devices. AdvaMed recommends the agency "remove the two-tiered approach in favor of a single risk-based approach that addresses the Agency's cybersecurity expectations based on the exploitability of a device vulnerability and the severity of patient harm (if exploited), as outlined in the Agency's postmarket cybersecurity guidance."
A jury in a US federal court in San Diego ruled that Apple violated three Qualcomm patents in the iPhone 7, 8 and X and awarded Qualcomm $31.6 million in damages. The fight isn't over though since the companies are due back in a San Diego court April 15 in what is expected to be a much more intense face-off over patent licenses and royalties.
California, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico have completed a Colorado River drought contingency plan that is heading to Congress for consideration. The plan takes the states through 2026 and calls for them to voluntarily give up water to preserve certain lake borders.
Speaking at CERAWeek in Houston, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the oil and natural gas industry to assist the US in using its energy riches to reduce the geopolitical influence of China, Russia and Iran, as well as promote American values such as free trade and democracy. "The more we can spread the US model of free enterprise, of the rule of law ... the more successful the US will be," Pompeo said.
Alaska Airlines has a history of using technology to enhance the passenger experience, from being the first to implement kiosks and mobile check-in to offering inflight Wi-Fi and virtual reality experiences. "We know that our travelers care very much about technology, so we're looking at ways to be creative," said Annabel Chang, vice president for the Bay Area at Alaska Airlines.
Marriott says it will open more than 1,700 hotels over the next three years, adding between 275,000 and 295,000 rooms. The increase in rooms is expected to boost fee revenue by $400 million.