Jun 20, 2017

South Korea teams up with a Hyperloop startup to build ultra-fast trains

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) said on Tuesday that it has signed a licensing deal with a handful of South Korean organizations to jointly develop a full-scale version of the ultra-fast train. HTT is one of several several startups working to develop these trains based on a concept devised by Elon Musk in 2013.

South Korean government's department of technological innovation and infrastructure, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Hanyang University, and other organizations signed a deal in January to develop a hyperloop system that will be called HyperTube Express (HTX)

Global competition: HTT competes with a few other startups also building hyperloop train systems, and many have struck deals to build prototypes and full-scale systems around the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Europe, and the U.S.

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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5:45 p.m. ET: 5,763,122 — Total deaths: 358,235 — Total recoveries — 2,389,735 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5:45 p.m. ET: 1,715,811 — Total deaths: 101,337 — Total recoveries: 391,508 — Total tested: 15,192,481 — Map.
Public health: The mystery of coronavirus superspreaders.
Congress: Pelosi slams McConnell on stimulus delay — Sen. Tim Kaine and wife test positive for coronavirus antibodies.
Education: Science fairs are going virtual, and some online elements may become permanent.
Axios on HBO: Science fiction writers tell us how they see the coronavirus pandemic.
🏃‍♀️Sports: Boston Marathon canceled after initial postponement, asks runners to go virtual.
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Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Axios

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Minnesota activates National Guard amid fallout from George Floyd death

A portrait of George Floyd hangs on a street light pole in Minneapolis. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

George Floyd, 46, moved to Minnesota to improve his life and become his "best self," but instead, he is dead because of Minneapolis police.

The latest: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency and activated the state's National Guard in response to violent clashes over the past two days between police and protesters in the Twin Cities.

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Axios

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump signs executive order targeting protections for social media platforms

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday designed to limit the legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for the content users post on their platforms.

What they're saying: "Currently, social media giants like Twitter receive an unprecedented liability shield based on the theory that they are a neutral platform, which they are not," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We are fed up with it. It is unfair, and it's been very unfair."

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