As the number of unemployment claims continues to rise, states are turning to big tech companies for help, and Rhode Island is working with Amazon Web Services on the issue.
"They stepped into the crisis and really helped us out in real-time," Director of the Rhode Island Labor Department, Scott Jensen told Cheddar.
In "normal" times, Jensen explained that the state's system worked just fine, but said this is not "normal times." Amazon's cloud-based solutions have helped the state handle the recent spike in traffic that the state has seen as unemployment numbers rise.
"Old infrastructure isn't going to handle it … and that's where Amazon stepped in for Rhode Island and helped us supply in a couple of really smart ways," he said.
Stocks fell in the opening session Tuesday as earnings reports continued to pour in and as investors brace for the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision on Wednesday.
A flow of recent data from the U.S. government has made one thing strikingly clear: A surge in consumer spending is fueling strong growth, demonstrating a resilience that has confounded economists, Federal Reserve officials and even the sour sentiments that Americans themselves have expressed in opinion polls.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and caregivers not to buy or serve certain pureed fruit pouches marketed to toddlers and young children because the food might contain dangerous levels of lead.
