General Business
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans on Saturday, ushering in a new era in commercial space travel and putting the United States back in the business of launching astronauts into orbit from home soil for the first time in nearly a decade.
NASA’s Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode skyward aboard a white-and-black, bullet-shaped Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, lifting off at 3:22 p.m. from the same launch pad used to send Apollo crews to the moon a half-century ago. Minutes later, they slipped safely into orbit.
“Let's light this candle,” Hurley said just before ignition, borrowing the historic words used by Alan Shepard on America's first human spaceflight, in 1961.
The two men are scheduled to arrive Sunday at the International Space Station, 250 miles above Earth, for a stay of up to four months, after which they will come home with a Right Stuff-style splashdown at sea, something the world hasn't witnessed since the 1970s.
The mission unfolded amid the gloom of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 100,000 Americans, and racial unrest across the U.S. over the case of George Floyd, the handcuffed black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police.
NASA officials and others expressed hope the flight would lift American spirits and show the world what the U.S. can do.
“We are back in the game. It’s very satisfying,” said Doug Marshburn, of Deltona, Florida, who shouted, “USA! USA!" as he watched the 260-foot rocket climb skyward.
President Donald Trump, who came to Florida to watch, proclaimed: “Today we once again proudly launch American astronauts on American rockets, the best in the world, from right here on American soil.” He...
US President Donald Trump warned Saturday that his government would stop violent protests over police brutality "cold," blaming the extreme left as thousands began to appear on the streets of major US cities and threatened another night of unrest. "We cannot and must not allow a small group of criminals and vandals to wreck our cities and lay waste to our communities," Trump said following another night of widespread looting and arson in Minneapolis. The US leader said the rioters were dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, the African American who died on Monday after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes and who has become a fresh symbol of police brutality against blacks.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek officials said Saturday that the country will not limit arriving airline passengers next month to people coming from 29 countries but that travelers who departed from places that aren't on the initial list will be subject to mandatory testing for the coronavirus upon arrival and a quarantine period of one or two weeks.
The two-tiered policy, which revised information the Greek government issued Friday, will be applied during June 15-30, although officials left open the possibility of maintaining entry restrictions after the end of June.
High-ranking tourism ministry officials said the government needed to clarify the purpose of the 29-country list during the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's website. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the issue was politically sensitive.
According to the officials and the foreign ministry document, a limited number of international flights will continue only being allowed to land at Athens International Airport until June 15. Per European Union policy, every arriving passenger must be tested for the virus and stay overnight at a designated hotel.
Visitors who test negative are required to self-quarantine for 7 days, while the ones who test positive must spend 14 days under a supervised quarantine.
Greece is taking steps to welcome more visitors in time for the summer vacation season. Starting June 15, international flights also can land in Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city. Those from the 29 designated countries, the majority of them in Europe, will be subject to random tests.
Passengers from all other countries will have to continue getting tested, staying overnight at specific hotels, and...
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
TOP OF THE HOUR:
— Greece won't limit tourists but will do testing.
— Alaska to require COVID-19 testing for air travelers coming into the state.
— New York governor signs bill granting death benefits to families of health workers and other public servants who have died from COVID-19.
— Istanbul's Grand Bazaar gets a cleaning as country prepares to lift restrictions.
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ATHENS — Greek officials said Saturday said that the country will not limit incoming tourists to those from a list of 29 nations, but travelers from countries not on the list will be subject to mandatory testing on arrival and a period of quarantine depending on test results.
The policy will only be applied during the final two weeks of June, although Greek authorities left open the prospect of additional restrictions after that date.
The list announced Friday includes Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.
Arrivals from those countries will be tested randomly.
The list was drawn up based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy says travelers to Alaska will have to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a plane to the state, or submit to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
Out-of-state travelers...
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The massive protests sweeping across U.S. cities following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota have sent shudders through the health community and elevated fears that the huge crowds will lead to a new surge in cases of the coronavirus.
Some leaders appealing for calm in places where crowds smashed storefronts and destroyed police cars in recent nights have been handing out masks and warning demonstrators they were putting themselves at risk.
Minnesota’s governor said Saturday that too many protesters weren’t socially distancing or wearing masks after heeding the call earlier in the week.
But many seemed undeterred.
“It’s not OK that in the middle of a pandemic we have to be out here risking our lives,” Spence Ingram said Friday after marching with other protesters to the state Capitol in Atlanta. “But I have to protest for my life and fight for my life all the time.”
Ingram, 25, who was wearing a mask, said she has asthma and was worried about contracting the virus. But she said as a black woman, she always felt that her life was under threat from police and she needed to protest that.
The demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee into his neck, are coming at a time when many cities were beginning to relax stay-at-home orders.
That’s especially worrisome for health experts who fear that silent carriers of the virus who have no symptoms could unwittingly infect others at gatherings with people packed cheek to jowl and cheering and jeering without masks.
“Whether they’re fired up or not that doesn’t prevent them from getting the virus,” said Bradley Pollock, chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of...
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Workers in white coveralls and face masks swept Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar with disinfectant Saturday as Turkey prepared to lift many remaining coronavirus restrictions, including the suspension of domestic flights.
Turkish Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoglu said flights between Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and Trabzon would resume Monday and others gradually added after that.
The 15th century Grand Bazaar has been closed since March 23 and got its floors scrubbed before other parts of business and social life restart in Turkey on Monday.
Fatih Kurtulmus, chairman of the bazaar’s board of directors, said shoppers would have their temperatures checked for fevers upon entry and the number of people allowed in at one time would be restricted.
In preparation for the end of some restrictions and the introduction of new operating rules, officials were dispatched across the country to check the spacing of restaurant tables and sun loungers at beach resorts.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Turkey had 983 new coronavirus cases between Friday and Saturday evening, taking the national total to 163,103. The country also reported 26 more virus-related deaths, for a total of 4,515 since the pandemic started.
Turkey imposed a range of measures after recording its first case on March 11, including weekend and holiday curfews, travel bans and closures of restaurants, bars and cafes.
A weekend lockdown was reimposed in 15 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara. A stay-at-home order for people age 65 and older and minors also remains in place.
A limited number of mosques held communal prayersFriday, a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said announced the reopening of many businesses starting Monday and a return to work for most public sector workers.
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. auto industry’s coronavirus comeback plan was pretty simple: restart factories gradually and push out trucks and other vehicles for waiting buyers in states left largely untouched by the virus outbreak.
Yet the return from a two-month production shutdown hasn’t gone quite according to plan. For some automakers, full production has been delayed, or it’s been herky-herky, with production lines stopping and starting due to infected workers or parts shortages from Mexico and elsewhere.
“There’s a lot that can go wrong in bringing people back into the plants to try to build very complicated assemblies,” said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry and labor at the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank.
Most automakers closed factories in mid-to-late March when workers began to get sick as the novel coronavirus spread. The factories started to reopen on one or two shifts in mid-May as state stay-home restrictions eased, with automakers touting safety precautions that include checking workers’ temperatures, certification by workers that they don’t have symptoms, social distancing, time between shifts and plastic barriers where possible to keep workers apart.
Still, some workers got COVID-19, although it’s not known where they were infected. In some cases they still came to work, forcing companies to close plants temporarily for cleaning. In at least one case, a worker at a seat-making plant near Chicago got the virus, forcing a shutdown and cutting off parts. General Motors had to delay adding shifts at truck plants because the Mexican government wouldn't allow full parts factory restarts until June 1.
Ford seemed to be hit the hardest, pausing production a half-dozen times in Dearborn, Michigan; Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri; to disinfect equipment and...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced that he would withdraw funding from the World Health Organization, end Hong Kong’s special trade status and suspend visas of Chinese graduate students suspected of conducting research on behalf of their government, escalating tensions with China that have surged during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump has been expressing anger at the World Health Organization for weeks over what he has portrayed as an inadequate response to the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in China’s Wuhan province late last year.
The president said in a White House announcement Friday that Chinese officials “ignored” their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the organization to mislead the public about an outbreak that has now killed more than 100,000 Americans.
“We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act,” the president said. “Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating the relationship.”
The U.S. is the largest source of financial support for the WHO, and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organization. Trump said the U.S. would be “redirecting” the money to “other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs,” without providing specifics.
He noted that the U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body while China provides about $40 million.
Congressional Democrats said in April, when the president first proposed withholding money from the WHO, that it would be illegal without approval from Congress and that they would challenge it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday called the move “an act of extraordinary senselessness.”
Other critics...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced what he said are “significant actions” regarding U.S. relations with Hong Kong. But the measures are still just a warning, at least for now. He said he would direct his administration to begin eliminating the policies that give the semi-autonomous Chinese territory a distinct trade and legal relationship with the United States. But he didn't say when. He also mentioned there would be a “few exceptions” but he didn’t take any questions at his announcement Friday. So, while tensions are high, the status quo seems to hold.
A look at where things stand:
WHAT EXACTLY DID TRUMP ANNOUNCE?
The president, in a brief Rose Garden appearance, announced a series of moves that included withdrawing U.S. financial support for the World Health Organization, in protest of its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and the suspension of visas for some Chinese graduate students suspected of gathering research on behalf of their country's military.
He said he would direct his administration to “begin the process of eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment” in its relations with the U.S. Trump said this would “affect the full range of agreements” between the U.S. and Hong Kong. Trump specifically mentioned only the extradition treaty that dates to Hong Kong's days as a British colony, and technology export controls and said there would be “few exceptions.”
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WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW?
Trump came into office with a hostile view of China and an oft-stated desire to overhaul U.S. trade policies that he believes have hurt the American economy. Some of that eased in January when he signed a trade deal with China. But the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan province and...
NEW DELHI (AP) — India is extending its lockdown in containment zones until June 30 but will allow economic activities to restart outside these areas even though coronavirus cases continue to rise in major cities.
The home ministry said Saturday that places of worship, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services, and shopping malls will be allowed to reopen outside all containment zones on June 8. Subways, schools and colleges will remain shuttered nationwide.
India reported another record single-day jump of 7,964 coronavirus cases and 265 deaths on Saturday.
India, which started easing lockdown restrictions earlier this month, has confirmed 173,763 cases of the coronavirus, including 4,971 deaths.
More than 70% of the cases are concentrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an open letter marking the first year of his government’s second term, said India was on the path to victory in its battle against the virus. He said India will set “an example in economic revival” and asked the nation to show a “firm resolve.”
Modi also acknowledged the “tremendous suffering” of millions of migrant workers who had lost their jobs during the lockdown and have been forced to make grueling and dangerous trips back to their hometowns.
The federal government is expected to issue a new set of guidelines this weekend, possibly extending the lockdown in worst-hit areas.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
— DOZENS OF NEW CASES IN SOUTH KOREA: South Korea on Saturday reported 39 new cases of the coronavirus, most of them in the densely populated Seoul area where officials have linked scores of infections to warehouse workers. Figures from South Korea’s Centers for...
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As if trips to the grocery store weren’t nerve-wracking enough, U.S. shoppers lately have seen the costs of meat, eggs and even potatoes soar as the coronavirus has disrupted processing plants and distribution networks.
Overall, the cost of food bought to eat at home skyrocketed by the most in 46 years, and analysts caution that meat prices in particular could remain high as slaughterhouses struggle to maintain production levels while implementing procedures intended to keep workers healthy.
While price spikes for staples such as eggs and flour have eased as consumer demand has leveled off, prices remain volatile for carrots, potatoes and other produce because of transportation issues and the health of workers who pick crops and work in processing plants.
In short, supermarket customers and restaurant owners shouldn't expect prices to drop anytime soon.
“Our biggest concern is long-term food costs. I believe they will continue to go up,” said Julie Kalambokidis, co-owner of Adriano's Brick Oven, a restaurant in Glenwood, Iowa.
Tamra Kennedy, who owns nine Mexican-inspired fast food franchises in Iowa and Minnesota, joined Kalambokidis on a call set up by Iowa U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne and said sometimes even getting essential ingredients is difficult.
“You can pick an ingredient and I can tell you there are shortages,” she said.
Big fluctuations in food prices began in March, when the coronavirus pandemic began to sink in for U.S. consumers.
The Labor Department reports that the 2.6% jump in April food prices was the largest monthly increase in 46 years. Prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs increased the most, rising 4.3%. Although the 2.9% jump in cereals and bakery products wasn't as steep, it was still the largest increase the...
ROME (AP) — A court in Milan has ordered the appointment of a judicial administrator to oversee Uber Italy for one year after determining the company's food delivery service exploited workers, according to Italian news reports.
The decision on Friday came amid an ongoing investigation into Uber’s activities in Italy.
Italian news agency ANSA quoted the court saying that Uber’s treatment of delivery workers was similar to the “caporalato” system used by organized crime groups to pay desperate migrants a pittance to do farm or construction work off the books.
In a statement carried by ANSA, Uber said it condemned “every form of capolarato” and complies with Italian laws. Uber said it would “continue working to be a true, long-term partner in Italy.”
Uber has faced opposition before in Italy. The company is only allowed to offer its higher-end Uber Black service after Italy’s taxi lobby protested the ride-sharing service in 2017.
The Italian General Confederation of Labor vowed to stand by the food delivery riders and said the issue of inadequate pay showed “we are in the presence of a digital caporalato.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Twitter tangled over truth and consequences this past week as the social media giant flagged the president's tweets for spreading false information and potentially inciting violence.
The episode left Trump fuming and threatening reprisals against the platform he uses constantly to hint at or lay out policy, talk up his record, sound off on critics and spread conspiracy theories and misinformation.
And in the same week that Twitter gave Trump a pass on his baseless innuendo about a broadcaster, the organization was left juggling fraught questions about freedom of expression and when and how to gag a president.
On and off social media, Trump stretched the facts or shredded them as he tried to make the best of a U.S. death toll surpassing 100,000 from the coronavirus, misrepresented his predecessor's record on drug prices and toyed with the dangerous idea of taking insulin just because.
Here's a look back:
100,000 DEATHS
TRUMP: “For all of the political hacks out there, if I hadn’t done my job well, & early, we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People, as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number.” — tweet Tuesday, before the toll of known deaths passed 100,000.
THE FACTS: This opinion comes from his ego, not science, and evades the fact that the U.S. has experienced far more known sickness and death from COVID-19 than any other country. Well-documented failures in U.S. testing and gaps in containment in the crucial early weeks contributed to the severity of the crisis.
Early in the U.S. outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the death toll could have reached or exceeded 2 million if no steps had been taken to contain the disease. That is to say, if public health...
BERLIN (AP) — German flagship airline Lufthansa agreed Saturday to a compromise worked out between the government and the European Union, overcoming a major hurdle toward final approval of a 9 billion-euro ($10 billion) bailout from Berlin.
Lufthansa said in a statement it had agreed to the compromise worked out between Germany and the EU in which the airline will have to give up several prized landing slots at Munich and Frankfurt airports. The dpa news agency reported the German government had also agreed to the compromise.
The government announced the aid package on Monday to help Lufthansa, which, like most airlines, has been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
The EU imposed conditions, however, saying that bailouts must include measures that would maintain a level playing field for other companies.
Specifics on the EU’s demands weren’t announced, but Lufthansa said the scope of commitments it agreed to had been reduced compared to initial plans, dpa reported.
Under the agreement, the airline must remove up to four aircraft from the two airports, equivalent to three daily take-off and three landing rights per aircraft, to allow competitors to take the slots, the airline said.
The slots will be re-allocated through a bid process. Discount airlines Ryanair and easyJet are both thought to be interested.
Lufthansa’s supervisory board now needs to approve the full rescue package, including the conditions, and the German government needs to finalize its plans with the European Commission.
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
TOP OF THE HOUR:
— Two United Nations peacekeepers serving in Mali have died of COVID-19.
— New Orleans likely to reopen more slowly than rest of Louisiana.
— Russian government acknowledges deaths of likely COVID-19 victims.
— New York City to begin reopening on June 8, governor says.
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BEIJING — Around 400 German managers, workers and family members have begun returning to China aboard charter flights as multinational companies in the world’s second-largest economy seek to get their operations running again at full speed.
A pair of flights from Frankfurt to the Chinese business hubs of Tianjin and Shanghai were organized by the German Chamber of Commerce in China in cooperation with Germany’s diplomatic missions and airline Lufthansa and are the first repatriation flights from Europe to China for foreign nationals. China has largely banned all foreigners from entering China because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is an important step to reconnect China’s and Germany’s economies,” Jens Hildebrandt, executive director of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China, was quoted as saying in a news release. “It is our common interest to contribute in helping the economy return to normalcy and pre-virus levels.” More than 5,200 German companies operate in China, employing more than 1 million people. “We know there is a huge demand in the German business community to get more foreign employees back to China,” Hildebrandt was quoted as saying.
The first flight with 200 passengers was due to arrive shortly before...
On one side of this fraught moment: the president of the United States, facing multiple crises less than six months before the election. On the other: Twitter, the social media giant, which has grappled for years with how to handle its most prominent — and divisive — user. Caught in the middle: reality itself, and whose version gets heard over all the noise.
Twitter’s decision this week to stand up to President Donald Trump by attaching warnings to some of his many tweets has been years in the making, a culmination of American divisions playing out and being amplified across social media. It is fueled by some of the very elements that make modern American discourse so polarized, so fast-moving and — at the oddest of historical moments — so fragmented.
Twitter's assumption of a stronger referee role in its approach to Trump's tweets reflects a “pretty radical change,” said Josh Pasek, an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. “We really haven’t been at a place where social media companies were willing to take on this role.”
But it also heightens the dangers of polarization. “When you can’t agree on the state of the world, you open up opportunities for people to question the motives of others," Pasek said. He says that makes existing conflicts worse and de-legitimizes people with diverging views. “You make it easier to see those people who differ from you as less American."
For years, since long before he was president, Trump has used Twitter as a personal megaphone to build his personal brand, appeal to his supporters and attack his rivals of the moment. In the process, regardless of the facts at hand, he often creates his own version of reality — from birtherism to climate-change denial to exaggerations about voter fraud.
On Wednesday, Twitter...
NEW YORK (AP) — Following the arrest of a CNN crew on live television by police on Friday, an apologetic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz promised that journalists would not be interfered with in reporting on violent protests following the death of George Floyd.
CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and two colleagues were released within an hour after network chief executive Jeff Zucker called Walz to demand answers about why they were led away and held in a police van.
“We have got to ensure that there is a safe spot for journalism to tell this story,” Walz said.
Jimenez and colleagues Bill Kirkos and Leonel Mendez were doing a live shot for CNN's “New Day” shortly after 5 a.m. Central Time, describing a night of fire and anger in the wake of Floyd's death after a Minneapolis police office knelt on his neck. Fired officer Derek Chauvin was charged with murder in that case later Friday.
When first approached by officers, Jimenez, who is black, told them, “put us back where you want us. We are getting out of your way.”
After being told he was being arrested and his hands were tied behind his back, Jimenez asked why he was being arrested. He did not get an answer.
The Minnesota State Patrol said on Twitter that the journalists were among four people arrested as troopers were “clearing the streets and restoring order” following the protests. The patrol said the CNN journalists “were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”
It’s not clear why they were confused: Jimenez was holding what appeared to be a laminated ID card before his hands were secured, and his fellow crew members told police that they were from CNN and showing the scene live on the air.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” CNN “New Day” co-anchor John Berman...
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forbes magazine, which once declared Kylie Jenner a billionaire on its cover, says she no longer deserves the title, but Jenner is pushing back.
Forbes said in a story posted Friday that an examination of financial filings after the reality star and beauty mogul sold a majority share in her cosmetics company revealed that Jenner's worth was inflated. Jenner sold 51% of her Kylie Cosmetics company to Coty in a deal valued at $1.2 billion early this year.
"Kylie’s business is significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes, to believe," the magazine said in the story. “Forbes now thinks that Kylie Jenner, even after pocketing an estimated $340 million after taxes from the sale, is not a billionaire.”
Jenner responded in a series of tweets, saying “what am i even waking up to. i thought this was a reputable site.. all i see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. i’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period.”
She later tweeted, “but okay, i am blessed beyond my years, i have a beautiful daughter, and a successful business and i’m doing perfectly fine. i can name a list of 100 things more important right now than fixating on how much money i have.”
Jenner’s business and social media prominence have made her stand out even in the exceedingly famous family behind “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” She is the younger daughter of Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, sister to Kendall Jenner and half-sister to Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.
In March 2019, Forbes featured Jenner along with the headline, “At 21, Kylie Jenner Becomes The Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Ever.”
On Friday, Forbes offered a starkly different headline:...
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Friday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.
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BY LAND AND BY SEA: Passenger traffic has resumed at the main airport in Slovenia after being suspended for more than two months of suspension as part of lockdown measures.
An Air Serbia flight from Serbia’s capital Belgrade was the first to land at the Ljubljana airport on Friday. Authorities say they expect most airlines to return by early July.
— Canada’s transport minister says large cruises will continue to be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until at least Oct. 31 because of the pandemic.
— May is likely to set an aviation milestone: For the first time, Chinese airlines will operate more flights than U.S. carriers, according to aviation data firm Cirium. Airlines in China have slowly added flights since mid-February, while U.S. airlines cut schedules more sharply when the coronavirus wrecked demand for air travel in the U.S. The Transportation Security Administration screened 321,776 people Thursday, down 87% from the comparable day a year ago.
— United Airlines said Friday it will cut 13 of its 67 senior-executive positions, with eight executives leaving Oct. 1 and five vacant jobs not being filled. The moves are part of United’s plan to cut management and support staff by at least 30% in October, the earliest it can do so under terms of $5 billion in federal aid it is getting to help cover payroll costs. American Airlines has announced a similar 30% cut in administrative jobs. United, American and other airlines are making early-retirement offers to cull workers.
DELIVERY DEMANDS: UPS is...
WASHINGTON (AP) — With new U.S. economic numbers highlighting the rough road ahead for a hoped-for rebound, President Donald Trump on Friday took aim at the World Health Organization and China, blaming both for their roles in the pandemic's devastation.
Trump announced that the United States will end its support for WHO, charging it didn't respond adequately to the health crisis because of China's “total control” over the global organization. Trump said Chinese officials “ignored” their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the agency to mislead the world when the virus was first discovered.
Earlier Friday, U.S. Commerce Department statistics showed a record-shattering 13.6% drop in spending in April, a day after a federal jobs report showed another 2 million-plus Americans went out of work last week. The depth of the spending drop is particularly damaging because consumer spending is the primary driver of the economy.
The bad economic news was echoed in Europe, where an extensive social welfare net was showing signs of fraying, as protests erupted for a second day in Spain against layoffs by French carmaker Renault and Italy’s chief central banker warned that “uncertainty is rife.”
Some U.S. states were going ahead with steps to reopen businesses and leisure activities needed to spur spending and restore jobs, but there were also reminders of the risks of moving too quickly.
In Missouri, officials said they were trying to notify “mass numbers of unknown people” after someone who attended crowded pool parties Memorial Day weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks tested positive for COVID-19. Video of the parties circulated widely online, with many people criticizing revelers for flouting social distancing guidelines.
Arkansas over the past week has seen a steady rise in active coronavirus...
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The ship master of a Singapore-registered vessel that spilled some of its cargo off the Australian east coast has been charged with damage of the marine environment and pollution.
The APL England was en route to Melbourne from China when rough seas caused 50 shipping containers to topple overboard last Sunday. The marine authority said the spill resulted from poor cargo loading.
On Saturday, ship operator ANL said the APL England’s crew had done well to maneuver the ship to safety amid poor weather conditions. The ship is now detained at the Port of Brisbane.
“This was an unnerving event, even for seasoned maritime professionals, and the captain and the crew have ANL’s full support,” the operator said in a statement.
ANL also said it had contracted two companies to help with the cleanup, including the removal of debris and spilled containers. Only about 15 containers have been accounted for.
Marine authority operations general manager Allan Schwartz handed down the charges against the ship master on Friday, a decision he said was not taken lightly.
“This and other incidents remind us of the important role the ship’s master has in ensuring the ships that ply our waters are operated safely and do not damage our marine environment,” Schwartz said in a statement.
Cleanup efforts were concentrated on beaches around eastern Sydney and north to Newcastle, 160 kilometers (100 miles) away.
Business owners review a variety of business licenses when starting a new business venture. What the owner wants to achieve with the new venture defines what type of business license to obtain. Reviewing 10 reasons to incorporate in Delaware shows business owners how to launch a business with confidence.
1. Access to the Court of Chancery
With access to the court of chancery in Delaware, business owners won’t have to worry about complex disputes if a lawsuit is filed against them. The court can help the business owner find a better way to resolve the issues and prevent major damage to the business.…
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The modern world throws up many challenges for us to overcome and it often feels as though we are dealing with far more than we can handle. We juggle numerous projects and force ourselves to work crazy hours which is great if you can deal with it but the sheer volume of people that aren’t equipped with the tools to do so is vast.
We have to stay positive and motivated to stand a chance of being successful, no matter what your definition of the word is. We can all set our goals at different levels but the important thing is to reach those goals, to do this we have to be productive which is a real struggle when things are getting on top of us.…
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Even though people understand the importance of life insurance and its usefulness in protecting their family’s financial interests in their absence, there are very few who get insured. Most of them are either unaware or simply procrastinate, fearing the complexity of the process.
At the same time, many falsely believe that term insurance is too expensive. However, all you need to do is use a term insurance calculator to know that it isn’t! The truth is that insurance is not costly at all, especially if you start young. Moreover, when you know that the costs are rising consistently, how do you think your family will manage their lives in case something happens to you?…
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One result of the coronavirus outbreak is an increased awareness of cleanliness. People around the world are clearing store shelves of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer as they turn their focus toward relentless hygiene. In fact, as of March 7, 2020, hand sanitizer sales grew 470%, aerosol disinfectant sales grew 385.3%, and rubbing alcohol sales grew 253.8% since the same time last year.
People are buying up hygiene products and focusing on cleanliness now more than perhaps ever before. Companies need to recognize this and meet demands for clean facilities, especially as employees or customers may be returning to offices and stores.…
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If you run a business that deals with construction, then it’s important to learn more about insurance in general. Insurance is vital in a lot of cases. And when it comes to construction work in particular, it’s important to note that Builder’s Risk insurance is a vital necessity that you need to learn more about in depth to ensure the safety of your employees and the reputation of your business as well. We never know what could happen to set us back financially, but these unfortunate circumstances can be handled easily by having the right insurance policy.
One of the crucial insurance policies available has to be the builders risk insurance policy.…
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The digital age has brought businesses a number of technological advances that make it easier to store and share data, communicate, run a business, make purchases, and touch just about every other area of our lives. Unfortunately, this also raises the risks that the sensitive information contained within electronic documents can be accessed by unauthorized individuals.
We have seen numerous data breaches break headlines where thousands of people’s personal information was hacked or leaked. This guide demonstrates a few ways you can keep your electronic data safer, so you can better protect your vendors, employees, and customers.
Change Passwords Often
Anytime you get a new device or computer, the machine will come with a default username and password that has been set by the manufacturer.…
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With the recent economic struggles that people have faced, you may wonder how you can help your small business to improve during these times.
The last few months have certainly come with unforeseen struggles, forced businesses to pivot in their business models, make money in other ways, and be a bigger part of their community than ever before. But these challenges are not unique just to the last few months, businesses face challenges and growth opportunities all throughout their lifecycle while operating.
We’re here to give you five ways that you can grow your small business this year (and any year!)…
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No matter what kind of business you have, in today’s world acquiring clients through the web is just critical. These days, a lot of law firms have already started doing some online marketing, but there are areas in which they could seriously improve.
Online marketing is the number one way to engage with new clients and boost your law firm’s business. Whether you’re just starting out as a new law firm or looking to grow an existing practice, there are a variety of ways to acquire clients through the internet.
To help you build your online marketing strategy, this article is a guide on how to advertise online as a law firm.…
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Music has become an immovable staple in 21st century society. The days of music being restricted to our homes are long gone, and many people, if not everybody, have a pair of headphones so they can listen to their music on the go. With such a high demand for music and audio equipment, it is no surprise the market is saturated with an overabundance of audio devices and equipment.
With so much to choose from, it can be difficult to establish what is really necessary and what is most suited to your particular lifestyle and needs.
Now, whether you listen to rock ‘n’ roll, or favour slow jams, there will be a specific audio device catered to your needs; audio devices are not all created equally.…
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When it comes to your business’ page ranking, the details really matter and if you want to get bumped higher up the search rankings then this post is for you. Hiring SEO services isn’t something that every business has the finances to do, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible to increase the your organic page ranking, on the contrary in fact.
The key thing to understand about your search ranking is that the aim of the search engine’s algorithm, which monitors your site and fixes your ranking, is to give users the best possible results for their searches, and here is how you can ensure that you are the most relevant result.…
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Some of the finest homes in the Tri-Cities line the Pasco riverfront. Soon, well-heeled renters will be able to call the Columbia River shoreline home too. The first 60-unit phase of Columbia River Walk apartments is under construction at 2120 W. A St. in Pasco. The site could eventually support 200 units catering to “middle to high…
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The oft-delayed Comfort Suites Kennewick at Southridge will open June 1 after years of development. The 94-room value-oriented property is at 3703 Plaza Way in Kennewick. The $6.5 million hotel is owned by Kennewick Hotel Operations Inc. and managed by Spokane-based Hospitality Associates Inc. The project launched more than a decade ago under different ownership. The city of Kennewick approved building plans in 2009 but…
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West Richland’s Tapteal Elementary will not open as planned this fall after construction stopped when a worker tested positive for the new coronavirus, which causes the deadly COVID-19. The shutdown is sending a ripple through the Richland School District’s construction schedule. Fowler Construction, the Richland contractor for the $20 million project, had previously informed the…
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These are challenging times. Uncertain and troubling times. (Fill in your favorite adjective here) times. More than a quarter of a million people across our planet, including nearly a thousand in our state as of press time, have died from COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus. Our national, state and local economies are…
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Homebuilders and homebuyers appear undaunted by the COVID-19 crisis that has sidelined construction and much of the economy since March. Building permit activity dipped in April, but it is still solid for the year to date, according to new figures released May 7 by the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities. Local agencies authorized 437 single-family…
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A local union hopes the 1,450 workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Wallula will rethink collective bargaining after coronavirus spread through the workforce and killed at least one man. Teamsters Local 839 is “absolutely” interested in representing Tyson’s beef plant workers, said Russell Shjerven, secretary, treasurer and business agent. The union represents 55…
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By Wendy Culverwell & Kristina Lord The week of May 18 marks our ninth week working from our home offices for the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. It also marks more than 45 days of walks. Our daily WFH (working from home) routine includes a walk around the Tri-Cities—paved paths, sandy trails, bike routes, river…
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Tri-City hoteliers found creative and unexpected ways to stay relevant after a wave of cancellations washed over the industry on what one owner called Black Friday in March. “People are definitely thinking outside the box,” said Michael Novakovich, president and chief executive officer of Visit Tri-Cities, the region’s tourism marketing agency. He’s heard of only…
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An oft-used description of economics has been the “dismal science.” Most of us economists soundly dislike that nickname. After all, recent Nobel prize winners in economics have been rewarded for their insights into poverty alleviation (2019) and technological change (2018). But this month, I present some definitely dismal numbers. In a departure from prior columns,…
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Port of Pasco officials are delighted and perplexed by the $5.9 million they received from the $2.2 trillion CARES Act to support the Tri-Cities Airport during the coronavirus pandemic. Airport traffic is down more than 95 percent, casting its ability to pay the bills into chaos. The government money from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and…
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