Yahoo Movies
Mayim Bialik on new sitcom 'Call Me Kat' and 'Blossom' reboot
Mayim Bialik talks to Yahoo Entertainmnebt about her new Fox sitcom Call Me Kat and reveals whether or not she'd want to do a Blossom reboot.
Mayim Bialik talks to Yahoo Entertainmnebt about her new Fox sitcom Call Me Kat and reveals whether or not she'd want to do a Blossom reboot.
The "Europe Aircraft Floor Panel Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Aircraft Type, Material Type, Sales Channel, and End User" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
Stock futures added to losses Wednesday evening after a selloff during the regular session.
Village life in rural Scotland may have had its drawbacks growing up, but Janice Hopper’s home town of Whiterashes has come into its own during the pandemic
Private investors using online chatrooms have led to a trading frenzy in some unexpected shares.
The "Asia Pacific Beer Market (China, Vietnam, South Korea & India): Insights & Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2020-2024)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The deep economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic gives the United States an opportunity to rebuild a more equitable economy, President Joe Biden's nominee to head the White House Council of Economic Advisers told senators on Thursday. Princeton University economist Cecilia Rouse said in prepared testimony for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee that COVID-19 has caused too many Americans to lose economic security.
The head of PR firm Edelman said polls showed an initial wave of trust in government as the pandemic hit had now faded.
Video game retailer GameStop’s stock price has increased dramatically due to the actions of users on the WallStreetBets subreddit. Other stocks with a similar profile to GameStop - firms that have struggled in the pandemic - have also soared in value. The general reason for this is because the stock market is subject to wild speculation that can deem companies like Tesla, for example, more valuable than the nine largest automakers combined.
Covina CA, Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global cyber security market accounted for US$ 161.2 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 352.7 billion by 2029 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 9.3%. Cyber security and protection of internet-connected systems including data, software, and hardware against cyber intrusions and attacks undertake greater significance in today’s digital changing landscape. The major players in cyber security market are focused on the product up gradation and establishing partnerships to operate in emerging markets. The demand for real-time solutions and services to safeguard and maintain data, information, program, and networks is projected to boost the global cyber security market in the forecast period. The report “Global Cyber Security Market, By Component (Solution and Service), By Solution (Data security & privacy service offering, Governance, risk, & compliance, Identity & access management (IAM), Infrastructure security, Unified vulnerability management service offering and others), By Service (Professional and Managed Security), By Security (Application Security, Cloud Security, Data Security, Endpoint Security, Infrastructure Protection, Network Security and others), By Deployment (Cloud-based and On-premise), By Organization (Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Large Enterprise), By End-Use Application (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Defense/Government, Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail, and others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa) - Trends, Analysis and Forecast till 2029”. Request a Free Sample Copy of this Business Intelligence Report @ https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-sample/4588 Key Highlights: In January 2021, Quick Heal has invested US$ 2 million in Israel based cyber security startup L7 Defense to acquire customers in telecom, financial, and IT industries across the US and Europe.In April 2020, Investcorp Technology Partners acquired Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG, which is a cyber-security solution provider to bring its decades of experience to accelerate growth in the cyber security and antivirus industry Analyst View Cyber security and protection of internet-connected systems including data, software, and hardware against cyber intrusions and attacks undertake greater significance in today’s digital changing landscape. Moreover, the rapid increase in cybercrimes, malware, phishing threats, frauds, and vulnerabilities brings the business organization to adopt different cyber security solutions and services which is likely to drive the market growth. The emerging threats landscape in defense, retail, IT, banking, and manufacturing sectors is considered being a prominent factor for the development of cyber security market during the forecast period. Ask for a Discount on the Current Pricing @ https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-discount/4588 Key Market Insights from the report: The global cyber security market accounted for US$ 161.2 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 352.7 billion by 2029 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 9.3%. The global cyber security market is segmented based on the component, solution, service, security, deployment, organization, end-use application, and region.By component, the global cyber security market is segmented into a Solution and Service. Service segment is expected to dominate in terms of revenue share.By solution, the target market is segmented into Data security & privacy service offering, Governance, risk, & compliance, Identity & access management (IAM), Infrastructure security, Unified vulnerability management service offering, and others.By the service, the target market is segmented into Professional and Managed Security. Managed security service segment is estimated to register high growth rate owing to rise in threat from conventional rebellious activities.By the security, the target market is segmented into Application Security, Cloud Security, Data Security, Endpoint Security, Infrastructure Protection, Network Security, and others.By the deployment, the target market is segmented into Cloud-based and On-premise. Cloud based deployment segment is estimated to register high CAGR during forecast period.By the organization, the target market is segmented into Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Large Enterprise.By the end-use application, the target market is segmented into BFSI, IT & Telecom, Defense/Government, Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail, and others. Defense/Government application segment is expected to dominate the market.By region, North America is the worldwide leader in the cyber security market, due to the presence of prominent cyber security vendors along with an increase in stringent policies and standards of government for maintaining data security and privacy in the region. The market is developing steadily mainly in the U.S. and Europe. To know the upcoming trends and insights prevalent in this market, click the link below: https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Global-Cyber-Security-Market-4588 Competitive Landscape: The prominent player operating in the global cyber security market includes Accenture Inc., Broadcom (Symantec Corporation) Inc., Capgemini SE, Cognizant, IBM Corporation, L&T Technology Services Limited, McAfee, LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Wipro Limited, and many other players. The market provides detailed information regarding the industrial base, productivity, strengths, manufacturers, and recent trends which will help companies enlarge the businesses and promote financial growth. Furthermore, the report exhibits dynamic factors including segments, sub-segments, regional marketplaces, competition, dominant key players, and market forecasts. In addition, the market includes recent collaborations, mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships along with regulatory frameworks across different regions impacting the market trajectory. Recent technological advances and innovations influencing the global market are included in the report. About Prophecy Market Insights Prophecy Market Insights is specialized market research, analytics, marketing/business strategy, and solutions that offers strategic and tactical support to clients for making well-informed business decisions and to identify and achieve high-value opportunities in the target business area. We also help our clients to address business challenges and provide the best possible solutions to overcome them and transform their business. Some Important Points Answered in this Market Report Are Given Below: Explains an overview of the product portfolio, including product development, planning, and positioningExplains details about key operational strategies with a focus on R&D strategies, corporate structure, localization strategies, production capabilities, and financial performance of various companies.Detailed analysis of the market revenue over the forecasted period.Examining various outlooks of the market with the help of Porter’s five forces analysis, PEST & SWOT Analysis.Study on the segments that are anticipated to dominate the market.Study on the regional analysis that is expected to register the highest growth over the forecast period Key Topics Covered Introduction Study DeliverablesStudy AssumptionsScope of the Study Research MethodologyExecutive Summary Opportunity Map AnalysisMarket at GlanceMarket Share (%) and BPS Analysis, by RegionCompetitive LandscapeHeat Map Analysis Market Presence and Specificity Analysis Investment AnalysisCompetitive Analysis CONTACT: To know more Contact Us: Sales Prophecy Market Insights 1860 531 2701 Email- sales@prophecymarketinsights.com
Data-driven investment addresses social determinants, $0 cost-share for insulin and diabetic suppliesBaltimore, Md./Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) announced it will invest over $10.5 million to improve health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities who have a diagnosis or are at higher risk of developing diabetes throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The multi-year initiative will focus on addressing the root causes of diabetes, especially the economic, environmental, and social conditions that shape unequal health outcomes in neighborhoods to improve affordability, accessibility, quality and overall patient care in communities. “To combat diabetes, CareFirst is engineering a shift in the healthcare landscape, placing greater emphasis on population health outcomes, value-based care, and addressing social determinants of health to achieve health equity by leveraging analytics that drive impact,” said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO. “In collaboration with Socially Determined, a D.C. based healthcare analytics firm, a range of social risk factors were analyzed, including economic climate, food insecurity, health literacy, violence exposure, housing instability, transportation barriers, and coronavirus (COVID-19) vulnerability. These findings support CareFirst’s selection of six pilot communities for social risk and clinical interventions.” CareFirst will launch their efforts in a phased approach, prioritizing better health outcomes and health equity in three communities in 2021 including Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., Baltimore City and Prince George’s County in Maryland along with three additional communities in 2022. CareFirst will collaborate with anchor institutions and grassroots organizations to enhance upstream, community-driven interventions and preventive care techniques that include a multi-sector, multi-level, and multi-disciplinary approach including, but not limited to: Expanding engagement and relationships with select Local Health Improvement Coalitions, health departments and businesses to promote investments in community wellness and improve health care accessibility.Implementing culturally relevant community-based programs that address health literacy for residents speaking a language other than English in the home to reduce health disparities in historically underserved communities.Developing health literacy training for providers, care managers and community health practitioners to assist with identification of social needs and appropriate interventions like prediabetes screenings, and disease self-management training, and improved access to healthy foods. “Zip codes are a greater predictor of health than our genetic code,” said Stacia Cohen, R.N., Executive Vice President of Health Services at CareFirst. “Health begins in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. Place and geography matter, but equally important are the grassroots initiatives in those areas. CareFirst is proud to work with organizations on the ground in the communities we serve.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 120 million adults have diabetes or prediabetes, and diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. While this epidemic is alarming, it is also a preventable clinical condition when care addresses a person’s whole health. This is especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the challenges of managing diabetes effectively. “The health and economic challenges of the pandemic are intensified for individuals living with or at risk for diabetes. More than medical intervention is needed to address these significant health inequities,” said Dr. Destiny- Simone Ramjohn, Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact at CareFirst. “We must intervene in the social, economic and physical factors that drive health status in the places where our neighbors live, learn, work, and play. Place-based interventions that build on the skills, knowledge, and assets within communities to address complex chronic conditions like diabetes are a promising approach to achieving sustainable health improvements.” CareFirst will invest in collective impact initiatives that foster cross-sector collaboration and strengthen communities in other areas throughout the organization’s Mid-Atlantic region, including the Eastern Shore, as the program matures. Funds will be available through request for proposals (RFP). For more information about RFP guidelines, please contact community@carefirst.com. This initiative builds on CareFirst’s ongoing commitment to take a stand against diabetes and focus initiatives on preventative healthcare to improve the overall health of members. To advance its mission to provide affordable access to health coverage, CareFirst began offering preferred brand insulin and diabetic supplies coverage to members on January 1, 2021, at $0 out-of-pocket, before meeting a deductible in 2021. Non-preferred brand insulin will be capped at $50 for a one-month supply. Visit CareFirst’s website and transformation page to learn more about this new benefit. About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield In its 83rd year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, is a not-for-profit healthcare company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and employers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2019, CareFirst invested $43 million to improve overall health, and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of healthcare throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram. CONTACT: Media Relations CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield 1-800-914-6397 mediarelations@carefirst.com
NEW YORK — Within hours of Amanda Gorman's reading of the inaugural poem last week, bookstores were hearing from their customers. “Hopefully this will be a bridge that brings a lot of people to poetry,” says Mike Wysock, who manages The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois. Interest in the 22-year-old Gorman and demand for her work has not slowed down since much of the world discovered her and “The Hill We Climb,” a highlight of the ceremony marking President Joe Biden's assuming office. Two books scheduled for September, the picture story “The Change We Sing” and a poetry collection featuring “The Hill We Climb," have occupied the top two spots on Amazon.com for the past week. The release of the fourth-ranked book, a standalone edition of “The Hill We Climb,” has been moved up from April 27 to March 16 and will include a foreword from Oprah Winfrey. Each of the three books have announced first printings of 1 million copies, Penguin announced Thursday, numbers that virtually no poet would dare even fantasize about. Gorman, who at 17 became the country's National Youth Poet Laureate, is a longtime Los Angeles resident who credits poetry with helping her work on a speech impediment. “The incredible attention Amanda is receiving as a poet is entirely unprecedented,” says Jennifer Benka, president and executive director of the Academy of American Poets, which saw traffic on its website soar after the Jan. 20 inaugural. “Her poem and presentation has provoked a response to a poet we’ve never seen.” Gorman's life has become unusual for a poet in other ways too: She has signed a deal for fashion and beauty endorsement with IMG Models, where other clients include model Kate Moss and tennis star Naomi Osaka, and she will soon be appearing at another global event: She will read an original poem Feb. 7 at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, where she will offer tribute to three people — educator Trimaine Davis, nurse manager Suzie Dorner and Marine veteran James Martin — for their contributions during the pandemic. Gorman is by far the youngest of the poets to read at presidential inaugurations since Robert Frost was invited to John F. Kennedy's in 1961. The only inaugural poem to approach the popularity of “The Hill We Climb” is the late Maya Angelou's “On the Pulse of the Morning,” which she read at the 1993 ceremony for President Bill Clinton. A bound edition went on to sell more than 1 million copies, though Angelou at the time was already famous for her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Gorman had never published a book before this year, When Gorman read last week, she wore a caged bird ring given to her by Winfrey, a friend of Angelou's. Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne has refused to apologise after telling vaccine sceptics to 'persist' with their campaign against coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Chinese-Canadian singer says a Chinese corruption charge against her mother, who has been held in custody for six years, has been withdrawn but she remains in detention. Wanting Qu, 36, who has lived in Canada since she was a teenager, shared a social media post by her aunt saying that prosecutors in Harbin had withdrawn the charge of embezzling $54 million (350 million yuan) in 2019, but that her mother has still not been released. A representative of Qu’s management company confirmed the post. Qu’s mother, Zhang Mingjie, was the vice chair of the development and reform commission of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in China’s northeast. Zhang went on trial in 2016 in a case widely reported by state media, but has not been convicted. Qu has repeatedly sought an end to her mother's trial. Phone calls to the Harbin People’s Intermediate court were not answered. Qu is known across China for her hit song “You Exist in My Song.” She also made headlines for dating Vancouver's former mayor. Last Wednesday, Qu shared a post written by her aunt, Zhang Mingkun, saying that the corruption charge against her mother had been withdrawn. Qu's aunt did not respond to a request for an interview on her social media account. ___ Associated Press researcher Chen Si in Shanghai and entertainment writer Juwon Park in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Huizhong Wu, The Associated Press
“The Office” is settling in very well at Peacock, according to NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell, who said Thursday that he thinks the beloved NBC sitcom has better “usage” among Peacock customers than it did when it was on Netflix. “Very pleased with how [‘The Office’] is doing. Our usage, among our customers, [is] actually higher than we think the usage was among Netflix customers,” Shell said during NBCU parent company Comcast’s earnings call Thursday. “And more importantly, what’s happening is, we’re seeing that people who are watching ‘The Office’ on Peacock are watching lots of our other comedies. So it’s really driving ‘Parks & Rec’ and really drivings ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ amongst others. So there’s kind of an ecosystem effect.” “‘The Office’ has really worked,” he added. Also Read: 'The Office' Seasons 3-9 Will Be Paywalled When Show Moves From Netflix to Peacock Representatives for Netflix and NBCU did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on Shell’s remarks about “The Office” usage on Netflix and Peacock. “The Office” left Netflix at the end of 2020, launching on NBCU’s Peacock Jan. 1. The first two seasons of “The Office” are available for free to Peacock users. But to get access to Seasons 3-9, you need to subscribe to either the all-inclusive Peacock Premium tier for $4.99 a month or the all-inclusive and ad-free level, Peacock Premium Plus for $9.99. Since Nielsen began measuring viewing on streaming services last August, “The Office” did not come in lower than fifth on Nielsen’s weekly Top 10 list throughout the end of 2020 and averaged more than 1 billion minutes viewed for each of the final eight weeks of the year. (As with all streaming measurements, it’s impossible to determine how that translates into traditional viewers-per-episode on broadcast TV.) Additionally, the Steve Carell-led sitcom appeared on Netflix’s self-curated Top 10 list for TV shows 178 times, the most of any show last year, according to data from Realgood, a streaming service search engine. More to come… Read original story NBCU Chief Thinks ‘The Office’ Usage Is ‘Actually Higher’ on Peacock Than It Was on Netflix At TheWrap
Combination Will Provide Customers with a Continuous Listening Platform to Elevate Employee EngagementPLEASANTON, Calif., Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY), a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, and Peakon ApS, an employee success platform that converts feedback into actionable insights, have signed a definitive agreement under which Workday will acquire Peakon in an all-cash transaction. With Peakon, Workday will provide organizations with a continuous listening platform, including real-time visibility into employee experience, sentiment, and productivity, to help drive employee engagement and improve organizational performance. Turning Employee Insights into Actionable Plans, Better Experiences The events of this past year have changed the world of work as business leaders grapple with uncertainty while needing to support employees like never before. These circumstances have forced organizations to rethink HR strategies and continually adapt approaches to engage, support, and retain talent. This includes consistently cultivating a two-way dialogue to hear, understand, and respond to employees. To meet this moment, Workday and Peakon will come together with a continuous listening platform that will help customers capture real-time employee sentiment, facilitate ongoing feedback, and access personalized, prescriptive recommendations for actions. The combination will merge intelligent technology from Peakon that determines and distributes surveys and information to the right person at the right time, with the comprehensive employee insight in Workday, to help leaders continually discover and respond to evolving employee feelings, needs, and behaviors. For example, customers will be able to gain better insights and understanding on employee belonging, which will help them more confidently and consistently adjust plans to foster an inclusive workplace culture. Comments on the News“Peakon is on the cutting edge of helping organizations turn employee insights into more connected teams and stronger organizations,” said Aneel Bhusri, co-founder and co-CEO, Workday. “Bringing Peakon into the Workday family will be very compelling to our customers - especially following an extraordinary past year that has magnified the importance of having a constant pulse on employee sentiment in order to keep people engaged and productive.” “By joining forces with Workday, we’re able to accelerate our mission to help every employee drive the change they want to see,” said Phil Chambers, co-founder and CEO, Peakon. “We share Workday’s passion for putting people at the center of technology, and together, we’ll be able to provide customers with the employee insights they need to support rapid change and growth.” “Listening to employees has become one of the most urgent strategies to build agility, responsiveness, and growth,” said Josh Bersin, global industry analyst. “Workday’s acquisition of Peakon will enable Workday customers to deploy a highly targeted and integrated employee listening strategy, addressing a top priority in employee experience today.” Details Regarding Proposed Acquisition of PeakonUnder the terms of the definitive agreement, Workday will acquire Peakon for consideration of approximately $700 million in cash, subject to adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2022, ending April 30, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals. Orrick and Bech-Bruun are serving as legal advisors to Workday, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Osborne Clarke, and Highbridge are serving as legal advisors to Peakon and its shareholders. Additional Information Please visit the Workday Blog for more insight into Peakon’s approach to employee engagement: Workday to Acquire Peakon: Why Employee Engagement Matters About WorkdayWorkday is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, helping customers adapt and thrive in a changing world. Workday applications for financial management, human resources, planning, spend management, and analytics have been adopted by thousands of organizations around the world and across industries—from medium-sized businesses to more than 45 percent of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com. About PeakonFounded in Denmark, Peakon is an employee success platform that converts feedback into insights you can put to work. It makes the employee conversation quantifiable and actionable to increase employee engagement – not simply measure it. Peakon’s core belief is that work should work for people. With the largest standardized data set of employee feedback in the world, Peakon provides customized benchmarks and personalized insights to support its mission of helping every employee drive the change they want to see. To date, Peakon has helped organizations like Capgemini, The Adecco Group, Delivery Hero, Staples and easyJet make fundamental changes in how they operate to improve employee experience and drive better business results. Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements related to Workday, Peakon and the acquisition of Peakon by Workday. Statements other than statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, among other things, statements about the potential benefits and effects of the proposed transaction; Workday’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and the anticipated timing of closing of the proposed transaction. Risks include, but are not limited to: (i) the risk that the transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; (ii) failure to achieve the expected benefits of the transaction; (iii) Workday’s ability to implement its plans, objectives, and other expectations with respect to Peakon’s business and its ability to help drive employee engagement, improve organizational performance, foster an inclusive workplace culture, and support rapid change and growth; (iv) negative effects of the announcement or the consummation of the transaction on Workday’s business operations, operating results, or share price; (v) unanticipated expenses related to the acquisition; and (vi) other risks and factors described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2020, and our future reports that we may file with the SEC from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. Workday assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release. Any unreleased services, features, or functions referenced in this document, our website, or other press releases or public statements that are not currently available are subject to change at Workday’s discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase Workday services should make their purchase decisions based upon services, features, and functions that are currently available. © 2021 Workday, Inc. All rights reserved. Workday and the Workday Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Workday, Inc. registered in the United States and elsewhere. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Media Contact:Allison Kubota, Workday Media@Workday.com Investor Relations Contact:Justin Furby, WorkdayIR@Workday.com
The next GameStop? Reddit investor army takes battle global. Stocks across US and Europe that have been heavily shorted by hedge funds are being targeted
The nuclear industry expressed disappointment at the withdrawal of an application for a new power station in north Wales.
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell but remained at a historically high 847,000 last week, a sign that layoffs keep coming as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage. Last week’s claims dropped by 67,000, from 914,000 the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. Before the virus hit the United States hard last March, weekly applications for jobless aid had never topped 700,000. Tempering last week's bigger-than-expected drop in claims: The four-week moving average — which smooths out week to week gyrations — rose by more than 16,000 last week to 868,000, highest since September. Overall, nearly 4.8 million Americans received traditional state unemployment benefits the week of Jan. 16. That is down from nearly 5 million the week before and far below a staggering peak of nearly 25 million in May when the virus brought economic activity to a near halt. The drop suggests that some of the unemployed are finding new jobs and that others have exhausted state benefits. There is optimism that COVID-19 vaccines will end the health crisis and help stabilize the economy, but that effort is moving forward haltingly and right now, the job market is stressed. The United States is now recording just under 150,000 new coronavirus cases a day. That is down from nearly 250,000 a day early this month but still more than twice the levels seen from March until a resurgence in cases in late October. More than 425,000 Americans have died from the pandemic and health experts are warning the U.S. will hit 500,000 deaths. The virus has forced state and local governments to restrict operations of restaurants, bars and other businesses and has discouraged Americans from venturing out of their homes. Since February, the United States has lost 9.8 million jobs, including 140,000 in December. Americans who lost work because of the pandemic can get aid from extended relief programs, which now offer up to 50 weeks of benefits, or from a new program that targets contractors and the self-employed. Altogether, 18.3 million people were receiving some type of unemployment benefit the week that ended Jan. 9, the latest period for which data is available. A new government financial aid package provides, among other things, a $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit on top of regular state jobless aid. The new benefit runs through mid-March. Once vaccines become more widely distributed, economists expect growth to accelerate in the second half of the year as Americans unleash pent-up demand for travel, dining out and visiting movie theatres and concert halls. Such spending could boost hiring. But for now, the economy is floundering. Retail sales have fallen for three straight months. Restrictions on restaurants, bars and some stores, along with a reluctance of most Americans to shop, travel and eat out, have led to sharp spending cutbacks. The Ultimate Kronos Group, a company that provides time-tracking software to small businesses, said the number of shifts worked by its clients dropped 2.5% in the second to last week of January from a month earlier. The drop was biggest — 4.3% — in the Southeast. “As we near the end of January, it’s clear that the national labour recovery is still struggling to return from the slow holiday season,' said David Gilbertson, vice-president at UKG. The data firm Womply reports that as of Jan. 21 spending at local businesses is down 23% from a year earlier and that 26% are closed, including 30% of restaurants and 42% of bars. Hotels report a 51% drop in revenue. President Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan that would provide, among other things, $1,400 checks for most Americans, which, on top of the $600 checks already being distributed, would bring the total to $2,000 per adult. The new plan would also make available $400 a week in federal benefits for jobless Americans and extend a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through September. Biden’s proposal will require congressional approval, and congressional Republicans are already balking at its size. “Additional fiscal stimulus and broader vaccine diffusion should support an improved labour market in the spring,'' economists Nancy Vanden Houten and Gregory Daco of Oxford Economics wrote in a research note. “But claims are expected to remain high in the near term as the pandemic continues to restrict activity, with new strains of the virus a concern.'' ___ AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report. Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press
The U.S. Government Accountability Office is making some new recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the vaccine rollout has not met expectations. The office has continued to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the pandemic. Its latest report examines the federal government’s continued efforts to respond to and recover from the pandemic. The GAO suggests that the Department of Health and Human Services develop and make publicly available a comprehensive national COVID-19 testing strategy that incorporates all six characteristics of an effective national strategy. The characteristics include a clear purpose, risk assessment and co-ordination. “Such a strategy could build upon existing strategy documents that HHS has produced for the public and Congress to allow for a more co-ordinated pandemic testing approach," the GAO wrote in its latest report. The HHS should also create an expert committee that includes knowledgeable health care professionals from the public and private sectors, academia, and nonprofits or use an existing one to systematically review and inform the alignment of ongoing data collection and reporting standards for key health indicators. In addition, the GAO reaffirmed the importance of the HHS, with the support of the Department of Defence, establish a time frame for documenting and sharing a national plan for distributing and administering the COVID-19 vaccine, and among other things, outline an approach for how efforts would be co-ordinated across federal agencies and nonfederal entities. The GAO initially made the recommendation in September but said that to date, it hasn't been fully implemented. The office also recommends that the Food and Drug Administration ensure drug manufacturing data obtained is complete and accessible. It says this can be done by working with manufacturers and other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans Affairs and, if necessary, seek authority to obtain complete and accessible information. GAO says the Small Business Administration should develop and implement portfolio-level data analytics across Economic Injury Disaster loans and advances made in response to COVID-19 as a way to detect potentially ineligible and fraudulent applications. The GAO has now made 44 recommendations since June, which includes its 13 new recommendations. As of January, 27 of the agency's 31 previous recommendations remained unimplemented. Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press
A Toronto man who pushed another man in front of a moving subway train told police he did so because he believed it was his landlord, court heard Thursday. An agreed statement of facts read in virtual court said John Reszetnik told a police officer he "freaked out" because he was getting evicted. "I murdered him. I don't know why they didn't arrest me on the platform, it's got to be on video," court heard Reszetnik told the officer shortly after he was arrested on an assault charge. "I freaked out. I imagined my landlord who, he's evicting me, and I can't find a place, and I'll be homeless. I really did it. It's no joke. I killed him, for God's sakes." Court heard the officer had previously told Reszetnik about his right to legal counsel and advised him he didn't need to say anything. Soon after, the officer received an update that the victim -- 73-year-old Yosuke Hayahara -- had died, and alerted Reszetnik that he would instead be charged with murder, court heard. The statement of facts said Reszetnik made the comments shortly after the June 2018 incident that killed Hayahara. Reszetnik pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder in connection with the incident. Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 to 25 years. A sentencing hearing will be held March 23. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2021. The Canadian Press