California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Golden State had managed to secure a monthly supply of 200 million N95 respiratory and surgical masks, opening up the possibility of helping other states struggling to secure protective supplies.
"We decided enough is enough. Let's use the power, the purchasing power of the state of California, as a nation-state," he told Rachel Maddow Tuesday night. "We did just that. And in the next few weeks, we're going to see supplies, at that level, into the state of California and potentially the opportunity to export some of those supplies to states in need."
Instead of competing for supplies against states, the federal government, or other nations, the fifth largest economy in the world decided to secure a supply of masks itself, he explained.
"We're not waiting around any longer and we're no longer interested in the progress that we were seeing in the past," the governor said. "We're not looking at competing against others. We're not looking at gouging, the fraud, and the abuse in this space, competing against other states."
Newsom said the state had inked deals with "a consortium of nonprofits" and a California manufacturer to supply the protective equipment and open the door to help other states as well. He said the masks, most of which will be of the more effective N95 type, will be produced overseas.
Up until now, the state had distributed 41.4 million N95 masks across the state, one million of which were from the federal government. "That's not an indictment. That's not a cheap shot. At the end of the day, they don't have the masks at the national stockpile," Newsom said.
On the federal level, the administration is attempting to secure 600 million N95 masks for the nation, but the ramp-up could take months.
As explosions and gunfire thundered outside, Sudanese huddled in their homes for a third day Monday in the capital Khartoum and other cities, while the army and a powerful rival force battled in the streets for control of the country.
Norwegian battery startup Freyr is planning its next factory in an Atlanta suburb because a new U.S. clean energy law offers generous tax credits for local production.
Next month, the IRS will release the first in a series of reports looking into how a publicly run system might be created.
Without citing a reason, the Delaware judge overseeing a voting machine company’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News announced late Sunday that he was delaying the start of the trial until Tuesday.
“This has been an unspeakable week of tragedy for our city,” said mayor Craig Greenberg.
The Supreme Court said Friday it was temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge.
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children will be able to apply for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchanges.
Anyone who wants to buy a gun in Michigan will have to undergo a background check, and gun owners will be required to safely store all firearms and ammunition when around minors under new laws signed Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In Ireland this week, well-wishers have lined the streets to catch a mere glimpse of President Joe Biden. Photos of his smiling face are plastered on shop windows, and one admirer held a sign reading, “2024 — Make Joe President Again.”
A Massachusetts Air National Guardsman has appeared in court, accused in the leak of highly classified military documents.
