Manhattan Beach Police, using a loud speaker in their truck, alert people to Los Angeles Countys decision to close all county beaches, March 27, 2020. Restrictions have increased across many cities in the U.S., even after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared his policy of safer at home, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, people have been coming to the beach. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
As some see promising returns from California’s early shelter in place orders, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday a growing number of cases and hospitalizations in the state as a record number of Californians file for unemployment.
More than 150,000 residents filed for unemployment yesterday, Newsom said. That is a single-day record and brings the total number of Californians who have applied for unemployment due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic to more than 1.6 million.
Newsom also announced that there were 7,482 cases of the illness and 150 deaths in the state. The 1,617 people currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19 represent a 13 percent increase since yesterday, and the 657 in ICUs represent a 10 percent increase.
The governor also announced an initiative called "Stay Home. Save Lives. Check In" to help seniors dealing with social isolation.
The state is seeing small signs that its early shelter in place orders may be aiding its fight against coronavirus, but Newsom said the five-day average of hospitalizations and ICU beds is “reinforcing the importance of preparation in meeting this moment.” Based on current models, he said he does not expect the peak of coronavirus cases to come until May.
“Success is defined by buying us time to prepare,” he said of the state’s stay-at-home order. Health officials in the Bay Area have already extended their stay-at-home order through May 3 and the Santa Clara County public health officer Dr. Sara Cody said “the incredible sacrifice that everyone has made, I believe it is starting to bend the curve. But it’s not enough and it hasn’t been in place long enough.”
Meanwhile, the state, like most others nationwide, is scrambling to increase the supply of its ventilators. Newsom said California currently has nearly 4,500 but needs 10,000 total. He said today that the company Virgin Orbit, in the Long-Beach area, is prototyping devices not as “nuanced and comprehensive” but “can meet the moment.”
Also echoing reports the CDC may begin advising all individuals to cover their faces when outside, Newsom said the state is considering adopting a guideline to wear masks. “We have a team that’s considering” the issue, he said but cautioned against taking masks that healthcare workers need. “We want to be cautious,” he added.
Since announcing the California Health Corps yesterday, Newsom said more than 25,000 medical professionals had volunteered and that he does not expect California will need to bring in health care workers from other states. Newsom said he was “inspired” by medical professionals “willing to put their lives back on the line."
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
