After announcing joint regional action to close casinos, gyms, and theaters along with neighboring states Connecticut and New Jersey, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Monday announced an uptick in the state's coronavirus cases and issued a spate of new rules.
Cuomo revealed that there are now 950 confirmed cases in New York with 158 hospitalizations and seven deaths and pleaded with the federal government to provide nationwide plans and guidance. Specifically, he asked for the deployment of the Army Corps of Engineers to work with states to build temporary medical facilities, like the ones seen in China as it struggled to contain its own coronavirus outbreak. Yesterday, Cuomo made that plea in an op-ed.
“I want federal guidance,” he said. “You can’t have one state taking action that is different from other states.”
Among the emergency regulations announced Monday are a mandatory reduction in local government staffing and the addition of new drive-through testing sites.
He announced that after success in New Rochelle, more drive-through sites will open on Long Island, Staten Island, and in Rockland County.
To help ease the virus’ spread, restaurants, bars, and wineries in the state will be barred from hosting dine-in guests. The State Liquor Authority will adjust its rules to allow eateries to operate takeout service. Cuomo said the measures are being enacted throughout the tri-state region to prevent individuals from heading to neighboring states if they are unhappy with their own state’s rules or closures.
As the state, and the nation, stays home in efforts to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, Cuomo made the assessment that he does not think the New York area can flatten the curve enough to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system
“I don’t think of a curve. I think of a wave. And a wave is going to break, and the wave is going to break on the hospital system,” he warned.
To combat what is likely to be dramatically increased pressure on the public health system, Cuomo asked local governments to immediately identify beds in available facilities. He called for 5,000 additional beds in NYC, 1,000 in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and 2,000 in Westchester County, where the New Rochelle cluster is located. Additionally, he said Department of Health regulations will be suspended to allow hospitals to add space and is considering banning non-critical elective surgeries.
“They don’t build extra ICU beds ‘just in case.’ They don’t build a wing of ICU beds that sit empty for 10 years on the off chance there’s going to be a public health emergency and you’re going to need them,” he declared. Without federal guidance and funds, the state plans to organize the National Guard, building unions, and private developers to convert facilities with “basic configuration that could be retrofitted” like dorms and former nursing homes.
For those who are not yet sick, Cuomo said he will waive state park fees to encourage spending time outside in less densely packed areas.
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
