Facebook said Tuesday that it would allow some advertisers to run political issue and candidacy ads in Georgia, a change from its recent ban on political ads in the United States and just weeks before a major runoff election in the state could decide the future of the Senate.
Facebook said it would allow authorized advertisers to buy and run political ads targeted to people within Georgia. Only those previously authorized to run such ads on the platform will be permitted, a process that involves identity verification and other safety measures. Facebook's ban on political ads will otherwise remain in effect for the remaining 49 states.
"In recent weeks we've heard feedback from experts and advertisers across the political spectrum about the importance of expressing voice and using our tools to reach voters ahead of Georgia's runoff elections," Sarah Schiff, a Facebook product manager in charge of political advertising, said in a company blog post about the change. "We agree that our ad tools are an important way for people to get information about these elections."
Black colleges open Apple coding centers
Almost two dozen historically Black colleges and universities are becoming community coding centers through a partnership with Tennessee State University and Apple.
Apple and Tennessee State have been working together for the last two years to expand the initiative to bring coding and creativity experiences to all HBCUs and their communities. Tennessee State said its national coding hub is welcoming 23 new HBCUs as community centers, which means almost three dozen schools are now part of the initiative.
"This partnership with Apple will empower our HBCUs with the knowledge and skill sets now required for the technological workforce," Tennessee State President Glenda Glover said. "Coding and app development are a growing part of the global workforce, and we want to help make sure people of color, especially our students, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive, and successful."
Apple is supporting HBCUs with equipment, resources and professional development.
Eli Lilly expects 2021 improvement
Shares of Eli Lilly climbed Tuesday after the drugmaker laid out a better-than-expected revenue forecast and plans to buy a young company developing a potential Parkinson's disease treatment.
Lilly also projected a 2021 earnings range that brackets average Wall Street expectations.
The Indianapolis-based maker of diabetes treatments expects revenue ranging from $26.5 billion to $28 billion next year. That's due partially to an expected $1 billion to $2 billion in sales from COVID-19 treatments, one of which received U.S. government approval for emergency use last month.
The company also expects sales from products like the diabetes treatment Trulicity and the cancer treatment Verzenio to help revenue growth.
Lilly said earnings next year will fall between $7.75 and $8.40 per share. Analysts forecast, on average, $8.08 per share.