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The Federal Communications Commission on Friday announced it adopted new rules banning U.S. sales and imports of new Huawei and ZTE telecommunications devices out of national security concerns.

Why it matters: The ban is the latest escalation in U.S. policy toward Chinese telecom equipment makers, which began during the Obama administration and accelerated during the Trump administration.

Other companies affected by the action include Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Dahua Technology.

Driving the news: "Today, the FCC takes an unprecedented step to safeguard our networks and strengthen America’s national security," Brendan Carr, the FCC's commissioner, tweeted on Friday.

"Our unanimous decision represents the first time in FCC history that we have voted to prohibit the authorization of new equipment based on national security concerns," he added.

Huawei said it had no comment. ZTE did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

The big picture: Huawei and ZTE are two of the world's biggest suppliers of telecom equipment.

Countries including Canada, Britain and Australia have ramped up restrictions against the use of 5G technologies from Huawei and ZTE in recent years.

Huawei executives have previously said the company does not give data to the Chinese government and that its equipment is not compromised.

The company’s chief security officer Andy Purdy has also argued that a ban would hurt American jobs because it spends over $11 billion a year from American suppliers.

Flashback: The FCC was required to vote on the order within a year of the passage of the Secure Equipment Act, which President Biden signed into law on Nov. 11, 2021.

That law required the FCC to ban equipment sales by companies that pose an "unacceptable risk to the national security" of the U.S.

Carr in March 2021 called on the agency to close the so-called "Huawei loophole" which allowed companies to use private sector money to buy equipment from the firm because the FCC still authorized sales of its devices.

FCC poised to ban all U.S. sales of new Huawei and ZTE equipment

FCC commissioner says government should ban TikTok

FCC bans U.S. sales of Huawei and ZTE equipment over national security concerns

The ban is the latest escalation in U.S. policy toward Chinese telecom equipment makers.

Illustration of a telecommunications tower with red "ban" signs over the satellite dishes

Telecom

Technology

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his decision earlier this year to invoke emergency powers to quell protests against the country's COVID-19 public health restrictions while testifying before a public inquiry on Friday.

Driving the news: The protests had began in Ottawa as opposition to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers, but since expanded to include general opposition to public health restrictions and spread to other provinces.

Trudeau's invocation of the emergency powers in February was the first time Canada's Emergencies Act had ever been invoked. 

Trudeau revoked the powers less than two weeks later, after he said the situation was "no longer an emergency."

State of play: The emergency powers were invoked after Trudeau and his cabinet determined that the protests had met the threshold of constituting "threats of serious violence," CBC News reported.

The purpose of it was "to be able to give us in special temporary measures, as defined in the Public Order emergency act, that would put an end to this national emergency," he said. 

Asked what led to the conclusion that there were threats of serious violence, Trudeau cited the "weaponization of vehicles," with cars ramming into other cars and trucks with "unknown interiors." 

"There was the use of children as human shields, deliberately," he added, adding that there were weapons at some of the protests and that police enforcing laws were met with "active resistance."

What they're saying: “There wasn’t a sense that things were dissipating,” Trudeau said, Al Jazeera reported.

“We were seeing things escalate, not things get under control," he added.

The big picture: Friday marks the final day of the six-week inquiry by the Public Order Emergencies Commission.

Earlier this week, David Vigneault, the head of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), told the inquiry that he had believed invoking the Emergencies Act to be necessary and had advised Trudeau to do so, Global News reported.

Trudeau defends use of emergency powers to quell trucker protests

“We were seeing things escalate, not things get under control."

Justin Trudeau testifies before the Public Order Emergency Commission public inquiry on November 25. Photo: Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images

Justin Trudeau

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

There's nothing novel about a child coming home from school in November with a runny and stuffy nose or a cough. But for parents, the stakes feel especially high right now: Is it just a cold? The flu? Or are these tell-tale signs of RSV or COVID? 

Why it matters: Some of the symptoms of the flu, the respiratory virus and the coronavirus are relatively similar, making it difficult for parents to distinguish between the illnesses as cases are spiking nationwide.

And many Americans may be too COVID-fatigued to fret about the reality of a "tripledemic," Axios' Adriel Bettelheim reports.

Zoom out: Care could also be impacted by the national shortage of health care workers, which continues to exacerbate hospitals’ workloads.

Here's an overview of symptoms of RSV, the flu and COVID-19 in children — and what parents should know. 

RSV is very contagious and a common illness in children, with most having had an RSV infection by their second birthday, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The symptoms include a runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing, per the CDC. 

Most RSV infections go away within a week or two, but the CDC recommends parents call their healthcare provider if their child "is having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, or experiencing worsening symptoms." 

The symptoms of RSV usually come on gradually and they show up within 4 to 6 days after becoming infected.

Symptoms of the flu typically come on suddenly, which is perhaps its biggest distinction from RSV, per Health Partners.

Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, feeling tired and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea, per the CDC.

Flu symptoms typically develop about 1 to 4 days after being exposed to a sick person, per HealthyChildren.org.

"Even healthy children can get very sick from flu," the CDC warns.

The CDC says that parents should take their children to the emergency room if they are experiencing fast or trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, ribs pulling in with each breath and chest pain, among other symptoms.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children include fever and cough, but children can also experience sore throat, headache, fatigue or gastrointestinal symptoms, per the CDC.

Be smart: One of the best ways to protect your family is to stay up-to-date on your flu and COVID shots.

The CDC also recommends parents get their child tested if they develop symptoms, as that is the best way to know whether it is the flu or COVID-19.

Go deeper... Threat of "tripledemic" looms with RSV, COVID and flu

What parents should know about looming “tripledemic” and their kids' health

Symptoms of the flu typically come on suddenly, which is perhaps its biggest distinction from RSV.

A girl has her temperature measured at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Times Square, New York, the United States, on June 22, 2022.

A girl has her temperature measured at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Times Square, New York, on June 22. Photo: Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images

COVID-19

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

A shooting at a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia on Tuesday night left six people dead and four people injured, Chesapeake Police said Wednesday. 

The latest: The suspected shooter in the attack purchased a pistol on the morning of the mass shooting and left a note on his phone that outlined his plan to target some of his colleagues, according to city officials.

The suspected shooter was identified as Andre Bing, 31. He used a 9mm handgun in the attack, per city officials.

The gunman had no criminal history, city officials said. 

"My God forgive me for what I’m going to do…" the note said, per images shared by city officials on Twitter.

Two of the victims and the shooter were found deceased in the break room of the Walmart, Chesapeake officials wrote on Twitter. One victim was found toward the front of the store.

The city released the victims' names Wednesday evening: Lorenzo Gamble, Brian Pendleton, Kellie Pyle, Randall Blevins and Tyneka Johnson. 

City officials on Friday also confirmed the death of 16-year-old Fernando Chavez-Barron, who had been unidentified because he was a minor.

Officials did not include additional details, but Walmart spokesperson Robert Arrieta confirmed that all six victims were Walmart associates.

Details: The shooter died from what officials believe to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Chief Mark Solesky said Wednesday.

Bing was identified as an overnight team lead who had worked at Walmart since 2010, the company said in a statement.

Chesapeake Police believe that there were at least 50 people in the store at the time of the shooting, per a media release on Wednesday afternoon.

"Investigators are actively working to learn more about the suspect's background and what may have motivated the shooting," per the release, 

The Chesapeake SWAT team executed a search warrant at the suspect's house.

The Walmart store is expected to be closed for several days while detectives investigate the crime scene, according to Chesapeake Police. 

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, Solesky said. "There is no clear motive at this time," he said.  

The big picture: The gun violence at Walmart comes just three days after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs left five people dead.

There have been more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to Gun Violence Archive — which defines a mass shooting as having at least four people injured or killed, not including the shooter.

What they're saying: "The devastating news of last night's shooting ... at the hands of one of our associates has hit our Walmart family hard," Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said in an update Wednesday evening. 

"My heart hurts for our associates and the Chesapeake community who have lost or injured loved ones."

"We are here for them today and in the challenging days ahead they will have our support," McMillon added, thanking Walmart associates, first responders and local officials providing help on site. 

The company had said in a statement Tuesday that it was working with law enforcement in their investigation.

"We are shocked at this tragic event ... We are focused on doing everything we can to support our associates and their families at this time."

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) tweeted early Wednesday: "Sickened by reports of yet another mass shooting, this time at a Walmart in Chesapeake. I'll be monitoring developments closely."

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) tweeted: "Tragically, our community is suffering from yet another incident of senseless gun violence just as families are gathering for Thanksgiving. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones."

President Biden expressed his condolences in a statement: "Jill and I grieve for those families, for the Chesapeake community, and for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which just suffered a terrible shooting at the University of Virginia this month."

"Because of yet another horrific and senseless act of violence, there are now even more tables across the country that will have empty seats this Thanksgiving. There are now more families who know the worst kind of loss and pain imaginable," Biden said.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Chesapeake shooting suspect wrote "death note" before massacre

Alexandra Bernier listens to a prayer during a vigil at St. Thomas Episcopal Church for those killed in a fatal shooting at a Walmart on November 23, 2022 in Chesapeake, Virginia

Alexandra Bernier listens to a prayer during a vigil at St. Thomas Episcopal Church for those killed in a fatal shooting at a Walmart on November 23 in Chesapeake, Virginia. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Mass shootings

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

The Black Friday chaos we used to see in storefronts and shopping malls has moved to logistics centers and warehouses all over the world: 

Hundreds of thousands of employees work long hours — often in tough conditions — to get through the holiday rush.

The big picture: E-commerce's growing share of the retail market, continued COVID precautions and an extended holiday shopping season means we might see shorter lines and smaller crowds in stores on Black Friday. 

But the type of strain Black Friday used to place on in-store retail workers hasn't gone away. It's simply moved out of public view.

By the numbers: In-store traffic on Black Friday last year was down a staggering 28% from pre-pandemic levels, CNBC reports.

Online shoppers outnumbered in-store shoppers 88 million to 67 million on Black Friday 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. 

The stakes: The barrage of holiday orders creates a surge in demand for short-term labor, said Tom Vickers, who leads the Work Futures Research Group at Nottingham Trent University.

 "The evidence suggests that if anything things are getting worse for workers not better," Vickers said.

What they're saying: Amazon told Business Insider, ""We are proud of the great working conditions, wages and benefits, and career opportunities we provide for our associates all year round."

What to watch: Retailers are rapidly adding cutting-edge automation to warehouses. But instead of making workers' lives easier, the machines could push them to work even faster, experts say.

"People have to fit in with the machines," Vickers said. "But human beings are not standardized."

The bottom line: Black Friday sales are projected to hit $942 billion this year, up 6% from last year, per CBS News. 

As consumer demand for deals and speed grows, online retailers, will continue to mobilize hundreds of thousands of workers and machines to meet that demand.

Go deeper: Amazon can't get enough human workers — so here come the robots

The hidden cost of Black Friday

Warehouse injuries increase during the holidays.

Illustration of a small man carrying a giant holiday gift

Amazon

Retail

Elon Musk announced Thursday a "general amnesty" for suspended Twitter accounts from next week, "provided that they have not broken the law" or engaged in "egregious spam."

Why it matters: Online monitoring groups have reported a rise in racism, anti-Semitism and other hate speech on Twitter since free speech advocate Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of the social media company last month, though the billionaire said Thursday it has declined.

A screenshot of an Elon Musk tweet saying "the people have spoken" after his unscientific poll results showed most who voted wanted an amnesty for suspended Twitter accounts.

Activists warn the situation would get much worse if people like former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke were welcomed back following permanent bans for hate speech.

Driving the news: Musk tweeted his decision after 72.4% of over 3.1 million voters backed the amnesty in an online poll, which AP notes is an unscientific method that's vulnerable to the influence of bots.

It comes days after Musk reinstated the Twitter accounts of prominent users including former President Trump, who was banned in 2021 following the U.S. Capitol riot, and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, whose page was restricted last month due to antisemitic tweets.

What they're saying: "Superspreaders of hate, abuse and harassment will be the only people to benefit from this latest decision by Twitter," said Imran Ahmed, CEO of campaign group the Center for Countering Digital Hate, to the Guardian.

"The choice for advertisers has never been starker: stick around and back Elon Musk, or protect their brands and ensure their marketing dollars aren’t used to enable the spread of hate, abuse and disinformation."

Hopewell Chin'ono, an award-winning Zimbabwean journalist, tweeted that the move would be "a major disaster especially in Africa where State sponsored Ghost accounts were suspended for endangering human rights activists & journalists!"

"You would have allowed vile people to put our lives in danger as journalists! You will have blood on your hands @elonmusk," added Chin'ono in a warning ahead of the poll closing.

Between the lines: Alejandra Caraballo, clinical instructor at Harvard Law's cyberlaw clinic, told the Washington Post that Musk's planned action was "existentially dangerous" for marginalized communities.

"It's like opening the gates of hell in terms of the havoc it will cause," Caraballo said.

"People who engaged in direct targeted harassment can come back and engage in doxing, targeted harassment, vicious bullying, calls for violence, celebration of violence. I can’t even begin to state how dangerous this will be."

Caraballo said Apple and Google should seriously consider "booting Twitter off the app store."

The big picture: Groups like the Center for Countering Digital Hate have reported a rise in racism on Twitter since Musk took over, including research indicating it failed to act on "99% of racist abuse" of soccer players in the leadup to the men's World Cup in Qatar.

Many advertisers have slowed or paused their purchases on the platform or left altogether. Musk blamed Twitter's "massive drop in revenue" this month on "activist groups pressuring advertisers."

Meanwhile, a European Union report published on Thursday found Twitter removed 45.4% of hate speech tweets it was notified about from March to May, down from 49.8% for the same period the previous year.

Between the lines: Though this was before Musk took over Twitter, his new policy could put it on a collision course with the EU — where laws like the Digital Services Act put more responsibility on platforms to police and remove content deemed illegal, such as hate speech, with fines for failure to comply.

Worth noting: Musk pledged to concerned advertisers after taking over Twitter that the platform would not become a "free-for-all hellscape" and tweeted Thursday that hate speech had declined on the site following a "spike."

"I have half a mind to wag my finger at the 1500 accounts that caused the spike, but I shall forebear," he said.

Musk said last week he'd deemphasize "hate" or "negative" tweets while also having previously suspended accounts reinstated.

The intrigue: While Musk had yet to indicate which banned users may be affected by the planned amnesty, he last week flatly ruled out reinstating the Twitter account of far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

A screenshot of a tweet by Elon Musk saying hate speech has declined.

Go deeper: Rivals see opening in Twitter's chaos

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Musk, details of the EU report and further context. 

Musk's Twitter "amnesty" plan for suspended accounts alarms activists

"You will have blood on your hands @elonmusk," said award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin'ono.

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10.

Elon Musk gestures during a February event near Boca Chica Village, Texas. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter

Elon Musk

Big Tech

China has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, as Beijing authorities lock down more areas this week — including parts of the central city Zhengzhou, where Apple's main iPhone factory is located.

The latest: China hit a new daily record for a second straight day on Friday as authorities moved to enforce restrictions in an attempt to control outbreaks across the country, per Reuters.

State of play: Beijing eased some pandemic measures earlier this month, including reducing quarantine periods, in an attempt to cause less disruption to the world's second-largest economy.

However, authorities are now moving to cordon off major cities "block by block" and introducing other curbs while conducting mass testing in an attempt to curb surging COVID cases, Bloomberg reports.

It's triggered panic-buying in parts of Beijing, and grocery stores the capital's largest district, Chaoyang, have stopped accepting orders due to delivery apps being inundated with requests, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, some 6.6 million Zhengzhou residents were affected by five-day stay-at-home orders that began Thursday — including the area where Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory is located and where police in hazmat suits clashed with workers following a pay dispute Tuesday and Wednesday, AP reports. 

Of note: Chinese President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy has already increased wait times for Apple's newest iPhone 14 Pro models as fresh restrictions in China hamper production during the tech giant's most crucial time of the year, the holiday quarter, Axios' Hope King writes.

Foxconn issued a statement earlier this month that it was "operating at significantly reduced capacity."

By the numbers: China's National Health Commission said Thursday 31,454 local COVID cases were recorded within the past 24 hours.

That broke the previous record set in April when financial hub Shanghai was on lockdown when 29,390 COVID cases were recorded, AFP notes.

On Friday, Reuters reports that the NHC recorded 32,695 domestic infections.

The big picture: Nearly three years into the pandemic, China is the last major economy to have retained the strategy of trying to keep out the virus by imposing strict measures such as lockdowns and quarantines.

Outbreaks of defiance from citizens against the sustained strict measures first emerged earlier this year, with spasmodic protests erupting in the face of food shortages, family separations and lost wages from lockdowns.

It's also impacted the country's economy, along with global business, though China's gross domestic product grew 3.9% from a year earlier in the third quarter of the year.

Yes, but: Activity is slumping and growth is set to fall far short of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's 5.5% target, AP notes.

Go deeper: China's shifting economic storyline

China locks down key iPhone city as daily COVID cases hit record high

Chinese President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy is hampering iPhone production.

A cashier in PPE works in a supermarket in Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province Friday, Nov. 11.

A cashier in PPE works in a supermarket in Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province Friday, Nov. 11. Photo: Yu Hongen/Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images

China

Coronavirus

The co-owner of Club Q said last weekend's mass shooting at the Colorado Springs nightclub shows LGBTQ people now face a different kind of hate.

Driving the news: Nic Grzecka told AP in an interview published Thursday evening he believes the fact that the shooting that killed five people and wounded 17 others happened during a drag queen event is significant due to some conservative politicians and activists "[l]ying about our community."

What he's saying: "It's different to walk down the street holding my boyfriend’s hand and getting spit at [as opposed to] a politician relating a drag queen to a groomer of their children," Grzecka said. "I would rather be spit on in the street than the hate get as bad as where we are today."

Context: Grzecka noted to AP that some conservatives have created false narratives on the LGBTQ community when they have spoken of the sexualization' or "grooming" of children.

Zoom in: Following the Republican-led passage of  Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay," law, a Human Rights Campaign report found discriminatory and inflamatory words used online, such as "grooming," surged by over 400% across social media platforms.

Meanwhile, opponents of gender-affirming care have falsely said children are getting genital surgeries, which has snowballed into the far-right claiming that  "grooming" is happening, said Jack Turban, incoming assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, to Axios.

The bottom line: "Lying about our community, and making them into something they are not, creates a different type of hate," Grzecka told AP.

For the record: The suspect faces hate crimes charges and has yet to publicly comment on or enter a plea over the shooting.

Go deeper: Club Q a "haven" for Colorado Springs LGBTQ community

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Club Q co-owner: Shooting shows LGBTQ people face "different type of hate"

Nic Grzecka told AP the fact it happened during a drag queen event has ties to lies about the LGBTQ community.

Club Q co-owners Nic Grzecka (R) and Matthew Haynes listen to speakers during a press conference at the Police Operations Center on November 21, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

Club Q co-owners Matthew Haynes (L) and Nic Grzecka at the Police Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Nov. 21. Photo:  Scott Olson/Getty Images

Friday's top stories

FCC bans U.S. sales of Huawei and ZTE equipment over national security concerns

Trudeau defends use of emergency powers to quell trucker protests

What parents should know about looming “tripledemic” and their kids' health

Chesapeake shooting suspect wrote "death note" before massacre

The hidden cost of Black Friday

Musk's Twitter "amnesty" plan for suspended accounts alarms activists

China locks down key iPhone city as daily COVID cases hit record high

Club Q co-owner: Shooting shows LGBTQ people face "different type of hate"

Black Friday's surprise vanishing act

In an online world, we're thankful for real people

Dems spooked by Cheney's focus on Trump for Jan. 6 report

These counties have more turkeys than people

Two Americas Index: No politics at Thanksgiving, please

These stores and restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving

Axios Finish Line: A flood of gratitude from coast to coast

Murkowski beats Trump-backed opponent in Alaska's Senate race

Trump's new nemesis