House Democrats on the Oversight Committee called Saturday for the Department of Homeland Security to explain how it has surveilled people protesting the killing of George Floyd.
Driving the news: The committee's probe follows a Drug Enforcement Administration memo, first obtained by BuzzFeed News, that granted the agency temporary heightened powers to "enforce federal criminal laws in the wake of protests arising from the death of George Floyd."
The robotics industry is looking to copy the successful software-as-a-service (SaaS) model as use of robots accelerates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it matters: A major challenge to the spread of industrial robots has been their high initial cost. A model that charges companies regularly for robots based on use can offer better returns for robotics companies and widen their potential customer base.
New research suggests that synthetic bacterial spores programmed with DNA barcodes could be used to track objects through a supply chain.
Why it matters: Each year, there are an estimated 48 million cases of food-borne illness in the U.S., causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. The technology could make it easier to trace a product's path from supplier to customer in the event of food-borne contamination.
The Twitter app saw 677,000 new downloads from around the world on Wednesday, the company's best single-day performance, Barron's reports in a cover story citing app tracker Apptopia.
The state of play: "Twitter also set a record for active daily users, Apptopia notes, with 40 million people using the app in the U.S."
Facebook removed roughly 190 accounts linked to white supremacy groups that reportedly planned to encourage members to attend ongoing protests prompted by the death of George Floyd, and in some cases with weapons, AP writes.
Why it matters: Facebook has long been the target of complaints from conservatives for allegedly trying to censor their content on the platform. Facebook is presently facing internal criticism for failing to act against controversial messages posted by President Trump.
