As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
Hot news for December 2-6 included: Merck will invest $57 million to expand its vaccine manufacturing campus in Wilson; Greek battery manufacturer Group Olympia is investing $6.5 million to establish a new distribution center in Greensboro; Raleigh unicorn Prometheus Group is continuing to expand as it acquired its second company; economists expect NC will add fewer jobs in 2020 as the economy slows; ChannelAdvisor Co-Founder Scot Wingo resigned as the firm’s executive chairman; a survey says Raleigh executives are among the most stingy with increasing year-end bonuses.
Also, in a new report, CompTIA ranked Raleigh as the No. 2 “Tech Town” in the U.S., as Charlotte fell from 1st to 6th place. Read more analysis here and here.
- Check out TechWire’s comprehensive resource package for Triangle startups.
And, some national news: Cyber Monday brought in $9.4 billion in sales; Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin both stepped down from executive roles at Alphabet; vaping-related lung injuries are continuing to hit all 50 states; the defamation suit against Elon Musk went to trial; Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders proposed a plan to invest $150 billion in high-speed broadband.
Keeping with our Monday tradition, here’s a look back at 74 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY December 2 Headlines:
- Boom times over? NC to add fewer jobs in 2020 as economy slows, forecast says
- Cyber Monday is having its biggest days ever with around $9.4B in sales
- Elephant shopping: Warren Buffett is struggling to spend his money – $128 billion
- Facebook to allow users to ‘share data’ across other services
- From ‘tech washing’ to diversity: Trends for execs to embrace in 2020
- Here’s a guide to 100+ meetups to help you plug in to Triangle tech economy
- Hundreds of thousands still dying from AIDS as search for vaccine continues
- NC Dec. event headliners: Charlotte Economic Outlook, Venture 15, Wilmington Tech-Con + 51 more
- NC IDEA aims to put into practice lessons learned from Ecosystem Summit
- Raleigh unicorn Prometheus Group makes another acquisition
- TechWire rewind: $73M Q2 Solutions deal; PlantResponse $77M funder; medical robotics + more
- Triangle Dec. event headliners: Innovate Durham Demo, Cleantech Innovation + 50 more
- Triangle Startup Guide adds more support, funding & mentorship info for local entrepreneurs
- ‘Uniting our tech community:’ Wilmington groups to host ‘Tech-Con’
- Virtual reality startup Lucid Dream goes on hiring spree to meet demands of healthcare market
- 2020 is almost here: First look at 47 events & more across NC for your Jan. calendar
TUESDAY December 3 Headlines:
- ChannelAdvisor co-founder Scot Wingo resigns as firm’s executive chairman
- Charlotte falls to No. 6 from No. 1 in Tech Town report – here’s why
- Elon Musk to testify as defamation suit over ‘pedo guy’ tweet heads to court
- Here’s one way you can help life science startups find new cures
- Here’s what Tech Town report says about No. 2 Raleigh market
- IBM embraces carbon tax, says climate change ‘warrants meaningful action’
- League of Legends parent to pay millions to settle gender discrimination case
- National law firm forms new life sciences patent group in Raleigh
- Pesticides and solvents found in 60% of tested CBD vape liquids, local study reveals
- Prometheus Group CEO on acquisition: ’Our goal is to continue on our growth trajectory’
- Raleigh is No. 2 ‘Tech Town’ in US behind Austin; Durham ranks 13th
- SAS teams up with NC State, its founder’s alma mater, to solve food supply shortages
- Tech Town report: Durham ‘creating a reputation for itself as a top startup ecosystem’
WEDNESDAY December 4 Headlines:
- Cary CEO organizes free airfare to send dozens of military personnel home for the holidays
- CED lands JP Morgan as top sponsor for 2020 venture conference
- ChickTech: Raleigh workshop introduces women to STEM careers
- Duke researchers discover possible breakthrough therapy for those with advanced prostate cancer
- Fall is a time for feasting on Triangle startup events’ talent shows
- Fired Google workers say they will fight dismissals
- Google’s co-founders Page, Brin stepping down from exec roles
- MCNC’s CEO Jean Davis steps down after five years
- Merck to invest $57M, add more jobs at Wilson vaccine plant
- Musk: ‘Pedo guy’ tweet was meant to be an insult, not statement of fact
- New UNC Health Care app helps patients navigate campuses, access health data
- Raleigh software startup Allstacks raises nearly $5M, plans to expand
- Tech services firm Carolinas IT now part of rapidly growing Logically
- Virtual reality could help stroke survivors with therapy sessions, study finds
THURSDAY December 5 Headlines:
- As ecommerce booms, what’s driving sales? How can brick-and-mortar shops survive? Here’s a look
- Brit suing Elon Musk calls ‘pedo guy’ tweet disgusting
- Diveplane, founded by former Epic Games CEO, wins kudos for its AI platform GEMINAI
- Duke University physicians perform first ‘reanimated’ heart transplant
- GM, partner to build $2.3B electric vehicle battery plant in Ohio
- Google Fiber goes ‘all in’ on gigabit, stops offering lower speed service
- Greek battery manufacturer to invest $6.5M in distribution center, creating 46 jobs in Greensboro
- GSK-owned ViiV Healthcare seeks FDA approval for new HIV drug
- How can small businesses compete in surging world of ecommerce with Amazon, others? Here’s how
- IBM AI-powered robotic assistant returns to space with ability to read astronauts’ emotions
- NC tech headlines: BioCryst, 410 Medical, WF School of Medicine, DisposeRx, VeraSci, Evecxia, Aruna Bio
- Once-a-month birth control? Scientists report breakthrough in Gates Foundation-funded project
- Raleigh startup AppSmart (formerly NeoCloud) acquires Charlotte tech consultancy
- Republic Wireless launches Relay Pro, a push-to-talk, wearable device that keeps workers in the loop
- Study: Head, neck injuries from walking while texting, distracted driving skyrocket
- Vaping-related lung injuries spread to all 50 states; death toll at 47
FRIDAY December 6 Headlines:
- Airbnb bans ‘open invite’ parties as part of crackdown after Calif. shootings
- Broadband politics: Sanders proposes $150B investment in high-speed Internet
- Cary-based entertainment firm Bold Crayon raises around $2.3M in equity and options
- Celebration time: Here’s our exclusive roundup of holiday parties & events across NC
- Duke researchers help create machine learning scorecard for seizures that’s saving lives
- Expecting a package from Amazon? It may be late, ecommerce giant says
- Medical supplier Medline and STEM RTP among Cleantech Innovation Award winners
- Merck’s growing investments in North Carolina reflect drug giant’s ‘commitment’
- Musk’s legal team argues ‘pedo guy’ tweet didn’t harm UK hero
- NC IDEA launches internship program for under-represented students
- New decade means more tech – but at what costs to jobs, our relationships?
- Raleigh AI startup Diveplane builds out C-suite with new chief commercial officer
- Raleigh bosses play Scrooge with year-end bonuses – only 41% plan to up the dollars
- Raleigh startup Virtue Labs wins top honors for its ‘breakthrough’ high-tech hair color solution
- Uber reports more than 3,000 sexual assaults – including 235 rapes – in 2018
