Archives for April 2021

Daily Mail owner files antitrust suit against Google in US

The owner of the Daily Mail website, Associated Newspapers, is suing Google, saying the tech company’s dominance in online advertising has harmed its business.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court in New York, says Google punishes publishers’ search results if they don’t sell enough ad space through Google and that its control over the ad market depresses prices for publishers.

“Google wields its monopoly search engine to entrench its ad-tech dominance,” the suit alleges, citing instances when Daily Mail’s traffic from search fell unexpectedly.

The company says that since the beginning of 2021, its U.S. search traffic to its website, known for celebrity photos and tabloid stories, has dropped by more than 50%.

Google said in an emailed statement that the Daily Mail’s claims are inaccurate and that use of its ad tech tools “has no bearing” on a publisher’s search results in Google. The company said it will defend against the claims.

Google commands about 29% of the U.S. digital ad market, according to eMarketer. Facebook takes 25% of it and Amazon, 10%.

Federal and state antitrust authorities have sued Google. The Justice Department alleges that Google abuses its dominance in online search and advertising.

It’s also not the first time Google has faced an antitrust suit from a publisher. A West Virginia newspaper company, HD Media, sued Google and Facebook in January.

The newspaper industry has been on a long decline with the advent of the internet, and online ad revenues have not offset print-ad losses. That’s led to newsroom cuts and publications thinning out and shutting down. Newer, online-only news sites like BuzzFeed and Vox have also faced pressure, and companies have been merging in recent years.

Associated Newspapers Ltd., a British media company, owns the Daily Mail tabloid in the U.K. and its website, which is known as MailOnline in the U.K. Its U.S. headquarters in New York opened in 2011. The company says its website has 225 million monthly readers, with 75 million in the U.S.

The Latest: Hawaii eases virus rules for inter-island travel

HONOLULU — Hawaii officials are moving forward with a plan to allow people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements for flights between islands.

The rule, for now, is only for people who have received vaccinations in Hawaii and for travel within the state.

The plan does not change anyone’s ability to travel and avoid quarantine by testing, but adds another option for those who have received the shots

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— EU regulator OKs warning labels for J&J vaccine

— ‘No place for you’: Indian hospitals buckle amid virus surge

— Learning to breathe: German clinic helps COVID-19 long haulers

— Tulips, bluebells, cherry blossoms in bloom with fewer admirers

— Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is extending travel restrictions that make it mandatory for air travelers to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada.

He’s also thanking the country’s two major airlines for extending a voluntary suspension of flights to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until May 21. The measures were first announced in January.

Trudeau is reiterating that now is not the time to travel. He says Canada’s strict travel, testing, and quarantine measures are extremely important. But he notes international travel directly accounts for a small amount of cases in Canada and those restrictions are just one tool to fight the pandemic.

Canada is seeing a third wave of infections particularly in Ontario where Premier Doug Ford was slow in re-imposing lockdown restrictions.

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NEW YORK — General Motors is joining the growing list of companies that will provide more flexible work options for its employees as more people get vaccinated amid the coronavirus pandemic.

GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a post on LinkedIn on Tuesday that the automaker will allow its employees to have the flexibility to work where they can have the greatest impact on achieving the company’s goals, as long as the job lends itself to such a situation. Called “Work Appropriately,” GM says its approach is based on the belief that its employees are “capable of making smart decisions without overly prescriptive guidance.”

The announcement comes a month after Ford Motor Co. told about 30,000 of its employees worldwide who have worked from home that they can continue to do so indefinitely, with flexible hours approved by their managers. Ford plans to use a work-office “hybrid”: employees will commute to work mainly for group meetings and projects best-suited for face-to-face interaction.

Aside from Ford, Salesforce, Facebook, Google and other tech firms have said they’ll continue work-from-home policies indefinitely.

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ROME — Italy has opened its latest coronavirus vaccination hub in one of Rome’s most iconic cultural spots: The Cinecitta film studios where “La Dolce Vita,” “Ben Hur” and other gems of Italian cinema were made.

Romans getting their shots Tuesday were treated to posters of movie stars and inspirational messages (“Be happy!”) from the likes of Sophia Loren and Roberto Benigni surrounding them in the waiting room of the vast studio-turned-vaccine center.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini was on hand for the opening, saying Cinecitta held a “glorious place” in the history of Italian film but also an important place for the present and future of Italian movie-making post-COVID.

The Cinecitta studios now join Rome’s main train station, auditorium and conference center as hubs for vaccinations in the Eternal City, part of the government’s effort to rapidly increase the pace of shots in the onetime epicenter of Europe’s outbreak.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Two national drugstore chains say they have largely finished the job of delivering COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff of most long-term care locations.

CVS and Walgreens started sending teams of health care workers to nursing homes, assisted-living locations and other sites in December. They have delivered a combined total of 7.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses so far.

COVID-19 caused more than 646,000 cases and 131,000 deaths in long-term care facilities. But weekly totals for new cases have declined more than 90% since the vaccination program started, according to the American Health Care Association, which represents most nursing homes.

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JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister says he is planning a new round of vaccinations in six months, possibly involving children.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Pfizer and Moderna have agreed to supply an additional 16 million vaccines to Israel. He says, “So prepare your arms, muscles for those who want, and the children as well. Our estimate is that by then, there will be approved vaccines for children.”

Many health experts believe people who are vaccinated may need to receive boosters to maintain their immunity levels.

Israel carried out an aggressive vaccination push in which nearly 90% of the adult population has either been inoculated or recovered from COVID-19. This has allowed the government to reopen schools, stores, restaurants and its main airport in recent weeks. This week, the government said people no longer must wear masks outdoors – ending a year-long restriction.

Israel has come under criticism from U.N. officials and human rights groups for not sharing more of its vaccines with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel says that under previous diplomatic agreements, it is not responsible for vaccinating the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority has been working to secure its own vaccine supplies, in large part through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, but lags far behind Israel.

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly half of Iowa’s counties have turned down shipments of COVID-19 vaccine because of a lack of demand, state officials said while trying to drum up interest in the shots with a public information campaign.

The state Department of Public Health has told counties to decline doses when they can’t ensure they can use them all, said spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand.

The state reported Tuesday that 43 of Iowa’s 99 counties declined additional shipments of the vaccines. Of the 43, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 12 as having a high rates of coronavirus infections.

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MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador got a coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday.

López Obrador got a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine from a military nurse at his daily morning press conference.

“It doesn’t hurt, and what is more, it protects us all,” says López Obrador, urging all Mexicans over age 60 to get vaccinated.

The president had said in March he would hold off on getting the shot because he still had antibodies after being infected in January. But he later changed his mind upon the recommendation of his doctor to get vaccinated. He also said he wanted to set an example for others to get the shot.

The 67-year-old president was scheduled to get his shot in the first week of April, along with other over-60s in central Mexico City.

While López Obrador sought to set an example with the vaccine, he has expressed disdain for masks. He’s refused to make them mandatory in public spaces, saying it would violate individual liberties.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia’s daily coronavirus cases have soared to their highest peak in over eight months at 1,070 infections, even as the kingdom accelerates its mass vaccination campaign.

The surge comes as Saudi Arabia marks the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a holiday rooted in gatherings of families and friends in mosques, malls and streets.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the government is allowing only vaccinated worshippers to enter the Grand Mosque in Mecca, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Mosques are banned from serving public fast-breaking evening meals known as “iftar” and predawn suhoor meals.

Saudi Arabia, a country of some 34 million, has administered more than 20 vaccine doses made by Pfizer or AstraZeneca for every 100 residents.

There’s been 407,000 confirmed cases and 6,846 confirmed deaths in the country, according to government figures.

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ATHENS, Greece — The Church of Greece says it will allow the faithful to attend next week’s Orthodox Easter services, holding them earlier to conform with a government curfew, and with crowd limits. Worshippers were not allowed to attend last year’s Easter services because of concerns it would spread the pandemic.

The decision Tuesday comes despite the country’s high number of COVID-19 infections and deaths — both much larger than a year ago — while hospitals are struggling to cope with unprecedented numbers of intubated patients.

The Church’s governing body says after a virtual meeting that worshippers “must by no means be deprived of participation,” in the Orthodox Easter, which is the most popular date on Greece’s religious calendar.

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LONDON — The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said that it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and recommended a warning be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.

The European Medicines Agency made its determination Tuesday after examining a small number of clot cases in people vaccinated in the U.S. It said these problems should be considered “very rare side effects of the vaccine.”

J&J immediately announced it will revise its label as requested and resume vaccine shipments to the EU, Norway and Iceland.

In March, the EMA, which oversees the use of pharmaceutical products in 27 countries across the continent with a combined population of about 448 million, likewise recommended a label change for AstraZeneca’s vaccine after finding a link between it and rare blood clots.

In both cases, the agency said the benefits of being immunized against COVID-19 outweigh the very small risks of developing the unusual clots.

The EMA’s executive director, Emer Cooke, said that no unusual blood clot cases connected to the J&J vaccine had been reported in Europe and that the agency will require further studies from the company as its vaccine is rolled out.

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NEW YORK — Schools can continue serving free meals to all students through June 2022 under more flexible rules that began during the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’s offering alternative meal pick-up options and the ability to serve meals in non-group settings. The flexibilities are intended to give schools a degree of certainty as they plan for the school year ahead, said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The USDA’s national school meal programs have long been a vital source of free and low-cost food for students. Families normally need to meet income requirements to qualify for free breakfasts and lunches. But as schools closed during the pandemic, the USDA eased restrictions so schools could distribute meals to all students at pick-up and drop-off locations.

To help schools get back to meeting the nutrition guidelines, the USDA says it is boosting the amount schools are reimbursed for each meal served.

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HELSINKI — Estonia will ease existing coronavirus restrictions and lockdown measures in two stages in the next few weeks, including partly lifting restrictions on stores, restaurants, schools and certain sports activities.

The Estonian government says the improved COVID-19 situation will allow instructed outdoor sports activities for up to 10 people to resume on April 26.

Restrictions on shops, eateries and schools would be partly lifted from May 3.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says the COVID-19 situation in small nation of 1.3 million “is better, the spread of the virus has slowed down” largely due to lock-down measures imposed in March.

Estonia daily coronavirus cases have decreased to about 300-500 from around 1,500-1,900 in late March and early April.

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TOKYO — Japan’s western metropolis of Osaka has decided to ask the government to declare a state of emergency in the region after ongoing alert measures failed to control the spread of a more contagious coronavirus variant.

The decision by Osaka’s governor to request a third state of emergency comes just 50 days after a weaker state of emergency ended. A new state of emergency, under a law toughened in February, would allow authorities to issue binding orders for business owners to close or shorten service hours.

Measures for the general public, including mask wearing and staying at home, would remain non-mandatory requests. Osaka is expected to close theme parks, shopping malls and other commercial facilities to drastically reduce public activity for a few weeks.

Japan has recorded 537,317 confirmed cases and 9,671 confirmed deaths. Those are low numbers overall, but worse than some other Asian countries.

Update on the latest in business:

FINANCIAL MARKETS

Stocks fall as earnings reports start to flow

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks have been mostly lower in afternoon trading as investors started digesting company earnings reports that are steadily coming out this week. On average, analysts expect quarterly profits across the S&P 500 to be up 24% from a year earlier, according to FactSet.

Banks and technology stocks were the biggest weights on the market as investors pulled back into a more defensive posture. Utilities and a mix of companies that make consumer goods and household products did better than most of the market.

Kansas City Southern rose 15% after another Canadian railway company made an offer for the railroad, which will likely start a bidding war.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-JOHNSON & JOHNSON-VACCINE

EU agency links J&J shot to rare clots, says odds favor use

LONDON (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulatory agency says it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.

The European Medicines Agency announced its findings after a very small number of vaccine recipients in the United States were reported to have developed blood clots. It said these rare blood disorders should be considered “very rare side effects of the vaccine” and it recommended a warning on package labels.

The agency oversees the use of pharmaceutical products in the 27 EU countries.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON-RESULTS

Johnson & Johnson Q1 profit, sales jump, beat Street views

UNDATED (AP) — Big jumps in sales of prescription drugs and medical devices helped Johnson & Johnson boost first-quarter profit nearly 7%, blowing past Wall Street forecasts.

The health care giant today raised and narrowed its 2021 financial forecasts. It reported a small drop in consumer health sales versus 2020’s first quarter, when consumers stocked up on over-the-counter medicines as the coronavirus pandemic set in and lockdowns began.

KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN-BIDDING WAR

CN bids $33.7B for Kansas City Southern, tops $25B proposal

UNDATED (AP) — A bidding war is breaking out for Kansas City Southern, with Canadian National Railway making a $33.7 billion cash-and-stock offer for the railway. The bid trumps a $25 billion cash-and-stock proposal made by Canadian Pacific last month.

Shares of Kansas City Southern jumped more than 14% in Tuesday premarket trading. CN’s stock fell 7.7%.

CN said its offer is worth $325 per Kansas City Southern share. Kansas City Southern shareholders would receive $200 in cash and 1.059 shares of CN common stock for each share. But any deal could face tough scrutiny from regulators who haven’t approved a major railroad merger since the 1990s.

CYBERSECURITY-ELECTRIC SYSTEM

US takes steps to protect electric system from cyberattacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is taking steps to protect the country’s electric system from cyberattacks through a new 100-day initiative combining federal government agencies and private industry.

The initiative was announced by the Energy Department. It encourages owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to bolster their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put into use technologies so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time.

The effort underscores the heightened concern about the prospects for cyberattacks that disrupt the nation’s power supply. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says it’s up to government and industry “to prevent possible harms.”

DAILY MAIL-GOOGLE

Daily Mail owner files antitrust suit against Google in US

UNDATED (AP) — The owner of the Daily Mail website is suing Google, saying the tech company’s dominance in online advertising has harmed its business.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court in New York, says Google punishes publishers’ search results if they don’t sell enough ad space through Google.

Federal and state antitrust authorities have sued Google. The Justice Department alleges that Google abuses its dominance in online search and advertising.

A West Virginia newspaper company, HD Media, also sued Google and Facebook in January. Google said the Daily Mail’s claims are inaccurate and it will defend itself against them.

BOEING-SHAREHOLDERS

Boeing extends CEO’s term, chief financial officer to leave

UNDATED (AP) — Boeing is lifting the company’s retirement age for CEO David Calhoun, potentially allowing him to lead the troubled aircraft builder for several more years.

Boeing said today that its board pushed the standard age-65 retirement age to 70 for Calhoun, who is 64. At the same time, the company announced that its 54-year-old chief financial officer will retire in July. Greg Smith has been with Boeing for 30 years.

The announcement comes as Boeing conducts it annual meeting online. Shareholders voted to re-elect all members of Boeing board, even though a shareholder advisory firm has recommended against two of them.

NEW DISTILLERY-TENNESSEE

Ex-Jack Daniel’s distiller to make new whiskey in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The former top distiller at Jack Daniel’s is opening a new distillery near the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

Former Jack Daniel’s master distiller Jeff Arnett and several partners announced the plan to open Company Distilling in Tennessee. Later this year, they will open a 4,000-square-foot tasting room and restaurant in Townsend. A 20,000-square-foot main distillery in Alcoa and a tasting room in Thompson Station, closer to Nashville, will follow next year. The distillery will make straight bourbon whiskey finished with maple wood.

Arnett left Jack Daniel’s late last year after a nearly 20-year stint with the powerhouse whiskey maker.

ELECTION LAW-GEORGIA-BOYCOTT

Church leaders seek Home Depot boycott on Georgia voting law

ATLANTA (AP) — A group of religious leaders is calling for a boycott of Georgia-based Home Depot, saying the home improvement giant hasn’t done enough to oppose the state’s new voting laws.

African Methodist Episcopal Bishop Reginald Jackson says the company has remained “silent and indifferent” to his efforts to rally opposition to the new state law pushed by Republicans. Jackson had a meeting last week with Georgia-based executives to urge them to oppose the voting law, but says he’s been unable to contact Home Depot.

The company didn’t immediately respond to an email Tuesday.

Boycotts have aimed to pressure business leaders to push elected officials to change.

VENMO-BITCOIN

Venmo is into crypto, allowing users to buy Bitcoin, others

NEW YORK (AP) — Venmo will allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on its app, the latest mainstream financial platform to wade into alternative currency like Bitcoin.

In addition to Bitcoin, Venmo said Tuesday that trading in Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash will be allowed, too. Venmo crypto buyers will be able to publish their purchases or sells on the app’s social feed as well.

Bitcoin has attracted massive interest, particularly in the last 18 months. Its price has held steadily above $50,000, and the value of other cryptocurrencies has been on the rise.

Venmo will only allow users to buy, sell or hold crypto currencies.

DOGECOIN TAKES OFF

Dogecoin has its day, as cryptocurrency fans push it up

NEW YORK (AP) — Dogecoin (DOHJ’-koyn) is having its day. Fans of the cryptocurrency are touting April 20 as “Doge Day” and imploring each other to get its value up to $1. That would be an astonishing ascent from the roughly half of a cent that a Dogecoin was fetching at the start of the year.

Supporters are trying to help Dogecoin shed its image as a joke cryptocurrency. It’s also attracting buyers who want to get in on the next “meme” investment after watching GameStop soar earlier this year. But critics say people buying Dogecoin now are likely setting themselves up for pain.

THUNDER-ARENA-NAME

Chesapeake Energy terminates naming rights deal with Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chesapeake Energy has terminated its arena naming rights agreement with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The move is effective immediately, though the team said the name will remain until a new partner is found.

The original 12-year agreement was announced in 2011. The Thunder became a Western Conference power while playing home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The arena known locally as “The ’Peake” hosted the 2012 NBA Finals and three Western Conference Finals under that name.

The move was made as part of a restructuring of the company.

SUBARU-RECALLS

Subaru recalls vehicles to fix engine, suspension problems

DETROIT (AP) — Subaru is recalling nearly 875,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. because the engines can stall or a rear suspension part can fall off. The stalling recall covers more than 466,000 Crosstrek SUVs from 2018 and 2019 and Impreza cars from 2017 through 2019. The company says in government documents that a computer can power the ignition coil after the car is shut off, causing a short circuit.

Dealers will update the software, replace ignition coils and if necessary install a new front exhaust pipe. The recall is to start May 28.

The suspension recall affects more than 408,000 2018 and 2019 Crosstreks and 2019 Foresters. Some rear stabilizer bar bolts can loosen and detach, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will tighten bolts and replace any missing ones starting May 14.

Tuesday’s Transactions

BASEBALL
Major League Baseball
American League

BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Activated OF Austin Hayes from the 10-day IL. Optioned OF Ryan McKenna to alternate training site.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Purchased the contract of RHP Alex McRae from alternate training site. Optioned RHP Zack Burdi to alternate training site.

HOUSTON ASTROS — Activated DH/OF Yordan Alvarez, 3B Alex Bregman, INF Robel Garcia and CC Martin Maldonaldo from the IL. Optioned C Garrett Stubbs to alternate training site and placed on taxi squad. Returned OF Ronnie Dawson and INF Alex De Goti to alternate training site. Placed INF Taylor Jones on the IL.

MINNESOTA TWINS — Placed OFs Kyle Garlick and Max Kepler and LHP Caleb on the COVID-19 IL. Activated OF Brent Rooker from the 10-day IL. Recalled INF Travis Blankenhorn and LHP Lewis Thorpe from alternate training site. Selected the contract of RHP Luke Farrell from taxi squad.

NEW YORK YANKEES — Recalled INF Mike Ford from alternate training site.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Reinstated OF Stephen Piscotty from paternity list. Designated OF Ka’ai Tom for assignment. Reinstated LHP Reymin Guduan from the IL.

SEATTLE MARINERS — Activated OF Kyle Lewis from the 10-day IL. Optioned OF Braden Bishop to alternate training site.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Placed RHP T.J. Zeuch on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 19. Recalled INF Santiago Espinal from alternate training site.

National League

MIAMI MARLINS — Recalled OF Lewis Brinson from alternate training site. Placed OF Starling Marte on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 19.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Optioned LHP Damon Jones and LHP Cristopher Sanchez to the alternate training site. Recalled RHP Ramon Rosso and LHP Bailey Falter from the alternate training site. INF Neil Walker announced hie retirement.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — Reinstated LHP Jake McGee and RHP Logan Webb from the IL. Optioned LHP Sam Selman to alternate training site. Designated RHP Trevor Gott for assignment.

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Recalled RHP Brent Honeywell from alternate training site.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Recalled RHP Steven Fuentes. Optioned RHP Ryne Harper to alternate training site. Placed OF Juan Soto on the 10-day IL. Recalled OF Yadiel Hernandez from alternate training site.

Minor League Baseball
Atlantic League

HIGH POINT ROCKERS — Agreed to terms with OF Juan Perez on a one-year contract.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS — Agreed to terms with RHP Vin Mazzaro.

Frontier League

EVANSVILLE OTTERS — Signed RHP Tyler Spring.

GATEWAY GRIZZLIES — Signed RHP Clinton Hollon to a contract extension. Signed RHP Jorge Tavarez.

TROIS-RIVIERES AIGLES — Traded C Joe DeLuca and RHP Kevin McNorton to Washington.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — Signed LHP Tyler Brown.

WASHINGTON WILD THINGS — Signed RHP Kevin McNorton.

BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association

DENVER NUGGETS — Signed G Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract.

Women’s National Basketball Association

CHICAGO SKY — Signed G Lexie Brown to a training camp contract.

LOS ANGELES SPARKS — Signed F Jasmine Walker to a rookie scale contract. Announced G Tierra Ruffin-Pratt cleared waivers.

SEATTLE STORM — Signed F Peyton Williams and G Brittany Brown to training camp contracts.

FOOTBALL
National Football League

NFL — Suspended Dallas CB Rashard Robinson two games for violating the NFLs policy on performance-enhancers.

CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed DT DaQuan Jones to a one-year contract.

CHICAGO BEARS — Re-signed S Tashaun Gipson to a one-year contract.

LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed P Corey Bojorquez to a contract.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed OL D.J. Fluker as an unrestricted free agent.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Signed C Will Clapp. Signed C Christian Montano to a one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Signed HC Mike Tomlin to a three-year contract extension.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Signed OG Kyle Fuller to an exclusive rights contract.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Re-signed QB Ryan Griffin.

HOCKEY
National Hockey League

BOSTON BRUINS — Reassigned G Dan Vlader from taxi squad to Providence (AHL).

BUFFALO SABRES — Signed F Lukas Rousek to a two-year, entry-level contract.

DETROIT RED WINGS — Reassigned G Kevin Boyle from taxi squad to Grand Rapids (AHL) and G Kaden Fulcher to taxi squad.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Recalled Cs Nate Schnarr and Brett Seney from loan to Binghamton (AHL).

SAN JOSE SHARKS — Reassigned LW Jayden Halbgewachs from the taxi squad to San Jose (AHL).

Minor League Hockey
American Hockey League

BELLEVUE SENATORS — Acquired G Mads Sogaard.

ONTARIO REIGN — Recalled Fs Jack Poehling and Nick Poehling from Greenville (ECHL).

East Coast Hockey Leahue

GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS — Released F Matthew Barnaby.

JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN — Signed G Logan Dracket and added to active roster. Placed G Logan Drackett on reserve.

ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS — Activated G Michael Lackey from reserve. Placed F Fabrizio Ricci on reserve. Placed G Clint Windsor on commissioner’s exempt list.

RAPID CITY RUSH — Signed F Brandon Magee and placed on reserve.

WHEELING NAILERS — Signed F Brendan Harris and F Jared Cockrell and added them to active roster.

WICHITA THUNDER — Activated Fs Peter Crinella and Charlie Combs from reserve to active roster. Placed Fs Stefa Fournier and Austin McIlmurray on reserve.

SOCCER
Major League Soccer

FC DALLAS — Acquired a 2021 international roster spot from Toronto FC in exchange for $225,000 in general allocation money. Named Ardy Vahidtari assistant physical performance coach and Kwan Lee assistant athletic trainer.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION — Named Rob Becerra director of youth development.

NEW YORK RED BULLS — Acquired M Frankie Amaya in trade with FC Cincinnati for $950,000 in general allocation money, $500,000 in 2021 and $450,000 in 2022. Signed M Frankie Amaya to a three-year contract from 2022-24 with a team option for 2025.

COLLEGE

BROWN UNIVERSITY — Named Andy Parker assistant men’s soccer coach.

VICIS has top 3 helmets in survey including lineman model

VICIS has the top three performing helmets in the NFL/NFLPA’s seventh annual study, with a position-specific helmet tested for the first time and ranking second overall.

The VICIS ZERO2-R TRENCH, designed specifically for linemen, came in behind only the VICIS2-R MATRIX in the survey conducted by engineers who assessed in measured laboratory testing the performance of all helmets worn by NFL players in reducing head impact severity. The results released Tuesday are displayed on a poster shared with NFL players and team medical, training, coaching and equipment staffs.

Biomechanical engineers appointed by the NFL and NFLPA ranked 41 helmet models, including three new models never tested before by the league. All three new helmet models made the top 10 — suggesting continued significant improvements in helmet design.

“Players have more and better choices than ever before. Continued improvement in helmet design has raised the bar for top performing helmet models,” said Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president who oversees player health and safety. “The introduction of the first position-specific helmet is a promising development within the helmet industry to further customize helmets for the unique safety requirements of each position.

“The NFL and NFLPA have long supported critical innovation in helmet design through our research and innovation challenges and by providing necessary data to manufacturers, and we’re excited for that effort to yield tangible results.”

The other highly ranked helmets were the VICIS ZERO2-R, new to the survey like the other two top-rated VICIS products; Riddell SpeedFlex Precision Diamond; Riddell SpeedFlex Precision; Riddell SpeedFlex Diamond; Xenith Shadow XR; VICIS ZERO 1 (2018); Schutt F7N; Schutt F7 UR1; and Schutt F7 UR2.

In all, there are 20 helmets listed from laboratory tests in the better-performing category, all in green on the poster. Below them are six models in yellow that are not recommended for use, but not barred. Those six were introduced several seasons ago as top-performing helmets, but as a result of industry innovation, better-performing models have “raised the standard for what is considered a top-performing helmet,” the league said.

It’s expected that the 18% of NFL players who used those downgraded helmets will switch to those in the green category before the season begins.

The final category, in red, has three helmets that are newly prohibited: the Schutt Vengeance Pro, Schutt Air XP Pro Q10, and Schutt Vengeance Z10.

Eleven approved helmets worn by less than 1% of NFL players for the past two seasons have been moved to a list of legacy helmets and are still permissible.

The future for helmet development likely will target position-specific equipment.

“Our modular ZERO2 helmet allows us to uniquely adjust the target velocity and impact type by location,” said Jason Neubauer, VICIS vice president of product development. ” As we learn more about position specific impacts we will continue to evolve the system.”

Engineers already have a test methodology for quarterbacks’ helmets. Because those helmets have the coach-to-player communications systems, development of QB-specific helmets must come in conjunction with updates in communications technology.

As for other positions, it’s possible that data compiled for some of them can be used for others, such as wide receivers and cornerbacks.

“What we have really seen is the culture of changing helmets had really evolved,” said Dr. Kristy Arbogast, NFLPA engineering consultant and co-scientific director and director of engineering at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I think the information delivered via the poster, the partnership between the NFLPA and the league and the teams’ equipment managers have really demonstrated players are willing to change when given information on the reason why to change.”

Through its NFL Helmet Challenge, the league and the players’ union offer a multi-million-dollar innovation challenge to manufacturers. The idea is to spur the development of a football helmet that outperforms, based on laboratory testing, all helmet models currently worn by NFL players. Helmet Challenge submissions are due in July, and a $1 million prize will be awarded for a winning helmet which improves by more than 15% the performance score achieved by current top-performing helmets.

The poster also includes a warning that testing is “intended to represent NFL impacts and thus, the conclusions on helmet performance cannot be applied to collegiate, high school, or youth football.”

The tests were done by an independent lab in Canada.

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