WASHINGTON — Strong financial support from the government and the Federal Reserve have spurred a solid recovery from the pandemic recession, but the rebound may falter without further aid, Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday. Powell said that government support — including expanded unemployment insurance payments, direct payments to most...
White House Staff, Secret Service Eye Virus With Fear, Anger
WASHINGTON — The West Wing is a ghost town. Staff members are scared of exposure. And the White House is now a treatment ward for not one — but two — COVID patients, including a president who has long taken the threat of the virus lightly. President Donald Trump's decision...
Candidates to Be Separated by Plexiglass Shield at VP Debate
SACRAMENTO — Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will be separated by a see-through barrier to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission at Wednesday's vice presidential debate. The Democratic campaign requested the plexiglass shield between the candidates, according to a campaign aide who was unauthorized to discuss the details publicly and...
Trump Leaves Hospital, Says ‘Don’t Be Afraid of Covid’
BETHESDA, Md. — Stepping gingerly, President Donald Trump walked out the military hospital Monday night where he has been receiving an unprecedented level of care for COVID-19, immediately igniting a new controversy by declaring that despite his illness the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than...
How the Pandemic Reshaped California Politics in 2020
It’s not easy to get work done during a pandemic. Even for the fortunate who kept their pre-pandemic jobs, productivity has taken it on the chin in 2020. The same goes for those in the lawmaking business. In March, just days after the governor instructed all Californians to shelter in...
Facing a Conservative Turn, Supreme Court Opens New Term
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with a remembrance of “a dear friend and a treasured colleague,” the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Chief Justice John Roberts paid tribute to Ginsburg, who died last month, as the court resumed its work via telephone because of the...
Trump, Moving to Show Strength, Aims for Monday Release
BETHESDA, Md. — President Donald Trump hoped for a Monday discharge from the military hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19, a day after he briefly ventured out while contagious to salute cheering supporters by motorcade — an outing that disregarded precautions meant to contain the virus that has...
Tesla Sales Surge as Global Demand Picks Up Speed
Tesla's third-quarter sales jumped 44% as global demand for its electric vehicles outpaced that of most other automakers. The company reported Friday that it had delivered 139,000 SUVs and sedans from July through September, compared with 97,000 deliveries during the same period a year ago. The sales topped even some...
Trump Going to Military Hospital After COVID Diagnosis
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital after contracting COVID-19, the White House said Friday, as the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government. Trump “remains fatigued,” his doctor said. Trump was to...
US Hiring Slows for 3rd Month in Sign of Struggling Economy
WASHINGTON — America’s employers added 661,000 jobs in September, the third straight month of slower hiring and evidence from the final jobs report before the presidential election that the economic recovery has weakened. With September’s hiring gain, the economy has recovered only slightly more than half the 22 million jobs...