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2020: One heck of a year for tech

It's clear just how much we need our digital devices and networks — and how little we trust the corporate giants that provide them.

Latest Business Headlines

Mass. lawmakers oppose Comcast’s plan to charge home Internet users extra fees

The fees could hit households that are using much more data these days due to the pandemic.

Microsoft says suspected Russian hackers viewed source code

Microsoft Corp. said the suspected Russian hackers behind the stunning breach of numerous US government agencies also accessed the company’s internal source code, although no customer data or services were compromised.

Rare GOP rebuff of Trump in last days of chaotic Congress

Congress is ending a chaotic session like few others, a two-year political firestorm that started with the longest federal government shutdown in US history, was riven by impeachment and a pandemic, and now closes with a rare rebuff by Republicans of President Trump.

Baker administration hands out $67m to help struggling small businesses

Governor Baker hopes these grants can help small businesses endure the winter and survive until vaccines are widely available and COVID-19 case counts are low enough that state officials can relax some business restrictions.

Hedge fund Alden offers to buy Tribune, valuing it at $521 million

Hedge fund Alden, Tribune’s largest shareholder, has offered to buy the rest of the newspaper publisher at a price that values it at $520.6 million.
VACCINE TRACKER

The latest on COVID-19 vaccine front-runners

FDA allows emergency use of Moderna's vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech begin a mass distribution effort, Sanofi and GSK suffer a major setback, and more.

On the Street

Chelsea
In tackling the pandemic, Chelsea finds new strength
As a second wave of the pandemic rises, many people in Chelsea are starting to think about how to steer the city through the recovery that will someday come, and ensure that any rebound benefits those who most need support.

Brockton
Brockton offers a gateway to a new generation
The city’s resurgence has been a long time coming. As it arrives, many say it must make sure to include those who live in Brockton now.

Click here to explore the full series

More business headlines

MassDevelopment awards nearly $4.5 million in grants to improve the taxi and livery industry

The funds are intended to help those businesses become more competitive in the for-hire transportation space dominated by companies such as Uber and Lyft in recent years.

A year in heart break: staggering job losses from the pandemic

At one point in June, 654,000 people in Massachusetts were out of work as the virus-related closures tightened their grip on the economy

Claims for unemployment benefits in the US fell slightly to 787,000 last week, still 4 times pre-pandemic level

While at the lowest level in four weeks, the new figures released Thursday by the Labor Department are nearly four times higher than last year at this point before the coronavirus struck.

Nashville bombing spotlights vulnerable voice, data networks

The Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville led to phone and data service outages and disruptions over hundreds of miles in the southern US, raising new concerns about the vulnerability of US communications.

Here’s a look back at some of the strangest local business stories of 2020

Next year should inevitably be a better one, right? But don't expect the weirdness to end.

How Big Cardboard is handling the 2020 box boom

Boxes are piling up in homes across the country because of the explosive growth in e-commerce this year.

Prosecutors seek 9-year prison term for Samsung chief Lee

The case is a key element in an explosive 2016 scandal that triggered months of public protests and toppled South Korea’s president.

EU, China leaders seal long-awaited investment deal

According to the EU, the deal was brokered after China committed to pursue ratification of the International Labor Organization’s rules on forced labor.

database

See all the Mass. companies approved for PPP loans

A full list of the local companies and non profits that have been awarded money from the federal government’s small business loan program.
Most PPP money in Mass. went to a small number of companies What we know about PPP in the federal stimulus bill