As Meat Plants Stayed Open to Feed Americans, Exports to China Surged

NEW YORK TIMES

Smithfield Foods was the first company to warn in April that the coronavirus pandemic was pushing the United States “perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply.” Tyson Foods also sounded the alarm, saying that “millions of pounds of meat will disappear” from the nation’s supply chain as plants were being forced to close because of outbreaks.

That same month, Smithfield sent China 9,170 tons of pork, one of its highest monthly export totals to that market in the past three years. Tyson exported 1,289 tons of pork to China, the most since January 2017. read more »

Businesses ask patrons to waive right to sue if they get ill

AP NEWS

As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19.

Businesses fear they could be the target of litigation even if they adhere to safety precautions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials. But workers’ rights groups say the forms force employees to sign away their rights should they get sick. read more »

Apple's App Store, Apple Pay targeted by EU antitrust regulators

REUTERS

Apple is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators over its App Store and mobile payment system Apple Pay as the bloc turns up the heat on gatekeepers of online platforms on which thousands of companies depend for business.

The European Commission said its investigation would look into Apple’s requirement forcing app developers to sell to customers using its own in-app purchase system and rules preventing them from informing users of cheaper products elsewhere. read more »

$10.9 million settlement reached after Tacoma foundry accused of providing faulty steel for Navy subs

SEATTLE TIMES

The U.S. Justice Department has reached a $10.9 million settlement with a defense contractor accused of producing substandard castings for Navy submarines at a Tacoma foundry and falsifying test results to cover it up, according to settlement documents filed Monday in U.S. District Court of Western Washington.

The settlement is being paid by Bradken Inc, a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery, that is the U.S. Navy’s leading supplier of high-yield steel that is designed to be tough enough to withstand extreme circumstances such as a submarine collision. read more »