Google Lawsuit, Stock Crash, & Best Science Photos.

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Adam Rogers
August 06, 2024

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A federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws to keep its monopoly in online search.

Judge Amit P. Mehta said that Google abused its position to remain the top search engine. The ruling is significant as it's the biggest tech antitrust case since the Microsoft case in the 1990s. It shows that current antitrust laws can be applied to digital age companies and that factors beyond customer price can prove monopolistic behavior.
The case began in 2020 when the DOJ and several states sued Google for illegal dominance in online search, mostly on devices defaulting to Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers. Google argued that its decisions were to provide the best consumer experience, not to force people to use its search engine. Rivals like Microsoft and DuckDuckGo claimed Google’s dominance made it impossible for smaller companies to compete.
Judge Mehta's ruling only addresses liability, not the consequences Google will face. Google is expected to appeal the ruling. The case is just one of many antitrust battles against big tech companies. Another trial against Google's advertising technology is set for September, and the DOJ also has a case against Apple. The Federal Trade Commission is pursuing cases against Meta and Amazon.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned after weeks of deadly anti-government protests, ending her two+ decades in power.

Thousands of demonstrators stormed Hasina’s official residence after she fled the country, a day after unrest caused 100 deaths. Hasina's departure threatens to create more instability in a nation already facing high unemployment, corruption, and climate change issues. The military chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, announced plans to form an interim government and investigate the deadly crackdown on student-led protests.
The protests began peacefully with students demanding an end to an employment quota system favoring those connected to the prime minister’s party. However, the demonstrations quickly escalated into a broader challenge to Hasina's rule. She was elected for a fourth consecutive term in a January vote boycotted by her main opponents. Many opposition members were jailed before the polls.
Despite Hasina’s resignation, protests continued, with people storming her residence and looting. The Supreme Court had ruled to cut the quota system, but government attempts to quell protests with force resulted in nearly 300 deaths since mid-July.

Wall Street had its worst day in almost two years after a global stock sell-off ignited fears of a U.S. recession.

Key stock indices like the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq Composite dropped significantly. The S&P 500 fell by 3%, the Dow by 2.6%, and the Nasdaq by 3.4%. The drop happened after a long period of market growth and record highs.
The sell-off began in Asia, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 12.4%, its worst day since 1987. European markets also dropped, with Britain’s FTSE 100 experiencing a major decline. The sell-off was driven by concerns about the U.S. economy, especially after a weak jobs report and the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady.
Tech stocks, including Apple and Nvidia, were hit hard. The market value of major tech companies, known as the Magnificent Seven, fell by about $800 billion. Despite recent turmoil, experts believe a "soft landing" for the US economy is still possible, though the risk of a recession has increased. The Federal Reserve might cut rates sooner if market instability continues.

A man from Virginia has been charged with making death threats against Vice President Kamala Harris. Frank Lucio Carillo, 66, from Winchester, posted 19 violent threats about Harris last month on the conservative social media site GETTR, using a fake name. Carillo is being temporarily detained pending a court hearing scheduled for Thursday. (More)

The UN says nine staff members from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees might have been involved in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The UN is planning to fire all nine employees after investigating the claims made by Israel. (More)

In 2021, the U.S. spent about $43 billion on initial cancer screenings. Most of this money (88.3%) came from private insurance, while Medicare and other government programs covered the rest. The biggest part of the cost was for colorectal cancer screenings, with colonoscopies making up more than half of that expense. (More)

A suspected rocket attack on Monday hurt several U.S. personnel in Iraq. The attack hit Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq. It’s not clear who did the attack, but Iranian-backed militants have recently threatened U.S. forces in Iraq. Last week, U.S. jets attacked these militants because they were getting ready for drone or rocket attacks. (More)

Tropical Storm Debby hit Florida with heavy rain and strong winds, causing at least four deaths. The storm is moving toward the East Coast and could flood historic Southern cities. The National Hurricane Center said up to 30 inches of rain could cause flash flooding. Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, are at risk. (More)

Mercury may have a layer of diamonds beneath its surface.

Clothes are banned in this Spanish town.

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