Axios

The FDA this week approved a video game as a prescribable therapeutic for kids with ADHD.

Why it matters: The move marks the first time a video game can be legally marketed as a therapy for a health condition, and it shows the gradual progress of the wider field of digital therapeutics.

Generation Z is coming of political age as they join with thousands in protesting the police killing of George Floyd, and much of it is playing out online.

Why it matters: Generations that came before Gen Z went through similar awakenings. However, Gen Z is likely to continue engaging even after the protests end because of the power of smartphones and social media, per Axios’ Sara Fischer.

As the academic year ends across the country, millions of students are facing a summer with no laptops, tablets or WiFi access.

Why it matters: Without access to school-issued technology during the summer, low-income and minority students who are less likely to have reliable access to technology tools at home are at higher risk of experiencing a greater "summer slide."

The possibility of employing geoengineering could help break the political deadlock on a global climate change deal, according to a new paper.

Why it matters: Deliberately trying to engineer the climate to offset warming is risky and as yet untested. But with the effects of climate change compounding and further international agreements stalled, there may be no choice but to try — or at least threaten to do so.

A startup is rolling out automated weed cutters at a moment when COVID-19 has made farm work more dangerous for human beings.

Why it matters: Robots in all fields have received a lift from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and farming is no different. One of the oldest occupations in the world could be the next to be automated.

New and old machine-learning tools are helping scientists sift through the flood of research produced on COVID-19.

Why it matters: The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented wave of scientific publications on every aspect of the virus and potential treatments.

The Department of Homeland Security monitored Black Lives Matters protests in more than 15 cities with airplanes, drones and helicopters, according to Customs and Border Protection data obtained by the New York Times.

Driving the news: The Air Force inspector general said on Thursday it plans to investigate the use of a military reconnaissance plane used to surveil demonstrations in multiple cities held in the wake of George Floyd's killing.

Calls for advertisers to boycott Facebook grew this week, amid increased scrutiny around the tech giant for the way it moderates content.

Why it matters: Tension between advertisers and the tech giant have existed for years, but now — as the country faces a reckoning over longstanding systemic racism — marketers feel more compelled to take a public stand against companies that waffle on filtering hate speech.

Uber and Lyft both announced moves this week as they look for a profitable path forward.

The big picture: Both companies have been devastated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, delaying their efforts to achieve profitability. But they are adapting for the long haul.

After wide criticism, Snapchat apologized and withdrew a filter it offered users to commemorate Juneteenth by inviting users to "smile and break the chains."

The big picture: Users' complaints that they found Snap's feature offensive landed at a moment when the U.S. is reexamining racism in every corner of society, after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protest.

Apple announced Friday that 11 of its stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona will temporarily close this weekend after a spike in coronavirus cases in those states.

The big picture: The states where Apple is closing the stores saw some of the highest coronavirus case growth in the country over the past week, per an Axios analysis.

"The Last of Us Part II" is debuting Friday to rapturous reviews and towering expectations as the sequel to a landmark 2013 Playstation game. Its tale of a society shattered by an infection also turns out to be full of unplanned resonances in a season of pandemic and civil unrest in the U.S.

The big picture: Nintendo's "Animal Crossing," the video game hit of the spring, offered escapism as people hunkered down for an extended stay at home. "The Last of Us Part II," with a post-apocalyptic storyline full of moral quandaries, could become the game of the current moment.

Twitter labeled a video posted by President Trump of a black toddler and a white toddler — edited with a fake chyron that read "terrified todler runs from racist baby" — as "manipulated media" on Thursday night.

Why it matters, via Axios' Ina Fried: Although Twitter's label on the tweet is weaker than two other recent moves, it is sure to irk the president, who has already criticized Twitter and issued an executive order seeking to limit the legal shield protecting social media companies.