Feb 20, 2018 - Technology

Albertsons to purchase what's left of Rite Aid

Photo: Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

Albertsons Cos., the owner of Safeway and other supermarket chains, is set to purchase the remainder of drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. that won't be sold to Walgreens, per the WSJ. The deal would create a company with a combined value of $24 billion and allow the privately-held Albertsons to go public.

Why it matters: Both companies cited Amazon as a key reason for their merger, noting the need for retailers to offer expanded offerings in the face of the tech giant's purchase of Whole Foods last year. The Albertsons-Rite Aid merger would combine the former's strengths in e-commerce and fresh food with the latter's expansive pharmacy benefits.

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Zachary Basu, Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

Updated 29 mins ago - World

U.S. sanctions Chinese officials over Uighur human rights abuses

Photo: Xinhua/Liu Jie via Getty Images

The Treasury Department announced Thursday that the U.S. has sanctioned four Chinese Communist Party officials and the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau for human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

Why it matters: The sanctions designations, pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Act passed by Congress in 2016, mark a significant escalation in the Trump administration's response to the Chinese government's detainment of over 1 million Uighurs in internment camps.

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Dave Lawler

53 mins ago - World

Mayor of Seoul found dead

Park at a conference in 2017. Photo: Aurelien Morissard/IP3/Getty Images

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has been found dead hours after his daughter reported him missing, prompting a massive manhunt, Yonhap news agency reports.

What we know: Park's disappearance came a day after allegations of sexual harassment against him were published in local media, according to the FT, which also reports that his daughter had found a "will-like message."

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Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

2 hours ago - World

Scoop: Chinese biotech giant's U.S. subsidiary received PPP loan

Chinese biotech company BGI Genomics provided mobile labs for conducting COVID-19 tests at a sports center in Beijing. Photo credit: Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao via Getty Images.

A U.S. subsidiary of Chinese genomics company BGI Group received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to data on the program released by the U.S. Treasury Department this week.

Why it matters: BGI's close ties to the Chinese government, which is constructing a massive genetics database of its population, have raised concerns among U.S. officials.