US private employers hire fewer people, Ford to cut 1,400 jobs


A man walks past a sign ‘Now Hiring’ in front of a store in Arlington, Virginia. Agence-France-PresseWASHINGTON: US private employers hired fewer workers than expected for a second straight month in August, suggesting that the labour market recovery was slowing as the COVID-19 pandemic drags and government money to support workers and employers dries up.

Large businesses accounted for the bulk of the job gains shown in the ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday, with small enterprises posting a modest increase. A $600 weekly unemployment supplement expired on July 31, while a programme that gave businesses loans that can be partially forgiven if used for employee pay has also lapsed.

Private payrolls increased by 428,000 jobs last month. Data for July was revised up to show hiring gaining 212,000 jobs instead of the initially reported 167,000. The revision still left the July tally out of alignment with the 1.462 million rise in private employment reported by the government last month.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private payrolls would increase by 950,000 in August.

The ADP report, jointly developed with Moody’s Analytics, has fallen short of the government payrolls count since May because of methodology differences. The ADP report is based on active employees on company payrolls.

The labour Department’s Bureau of labour Statistics (BLS) counts a worker as employed if they received a paycheck during the week that includes the 12th of the month.

When businesses were shuttered in mid-March, millions of workers were either laid off or furloughed. Some economists believe that the return of furloughed workers when most businesses reopened in May boosted the employment numbers reported by the government.

Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi told reporters he expected the gap between the ADP and BLS private payrolls narrowed in August. The government is scheduled to publish August’s employment report on Friday.

According to a Reuters survey of economists, private payrolls probably increased by 1.265 million jobs in August after rising 1.462 million in July. Such a gain would result in nonfarm payrolls advancing by 1.4 million jobs last month after increasing 1.763 million. That would leave nonfarm payrolls about 11.5 million below their pre-pandemic level.

Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday despite lackluster US employment data, adding to records amid bullish investor sentiment for equities.

About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.6 percent at 28,821.09.

The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.6 percent to 3,546.94, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.7 percent to 12,026.86.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished at records Tuesday, riding a wave of positive sentiment based on expectations for a solid US economic recovery from the coronavirus.

The data comes ahead of Friday’s much-anticipated government employment report for August.

The moderation in job growth suggested by the ADP report is in line with other labour market indicators. Weekly new applications for unemployment benefits are hovering around 1 million. Data from Kronos, a workforce management software company, showed an increase in shifts in August, but the rise was heavily influenced by the late summer return to school.

Adjusting for back-to-school seasonality, weekly shifts fell on average. Data from Homebase, a payroll scheduling and tracking company, showed little change in employment in August from July.

Large businesses accounted for 298,000 jobs last month, while small business payrolls increased 52,000.

Most of the increase in employment last month was in industries directly impacted by the pandemic, including restaurants, leisure and hospitality. There were also gains in temporary help, reflecting the uncertain economic environment. Ford to cut 1,400 jobs: Ford Motor Co. will offer early retirement incentives with hopes of cutting its US white-collar workforce by 1,400 more positions.

Kumar Galhotra, the company’s president of the Americas, told employees about the offers Wednesday morning. The company says they’re part of an $11 billion restructuring plan that started more than a year ago.

Most of the reductions would take place in the area of Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford has its headquarters and large product development and engineering operations.

A spokesman says Ford expects to meet its goals with the offers. If it doesn’t, then it may consider involuntary separations.

Republicans Open Probe Into 'Left-Wing Violent Extremists' in D.C., Accuse Mayor Bowser of 'Inaction'

BY RAMSEY TOUCHBERRY ON 9/2/20

Top congressional Republicans are blaming the mayor of Washington, D.C., for recent skirmishes in the nation's capital involving protesters demanding racial justice—and the lawmakers want answers.

The ranking Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees—Jim Jordan (Ohio) and James Comer (Ky.), respectively—want D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to produce documents pertaining to how the city has handled what the Republicans described as "left-wing agitators," according to a letter the GOP duo sent to the Democratic mayor on Wednesday that was obtained by Newsweek.

"Like other Democrat-run cities, the District of Columbia (D.C.) under your leadership has allowed radical left-wing violent extremists to commit senseless acts of violence and destruction," the letter stated. "By your inaction in response to their mayhem, these left-wing agitators have become emboldened to be even more aggressive and more dangerous."


Jordan and Comer requested copies of all documents and communications related to the city's response to any unrest that has occurred since June 1, and information about whether any "perpetrators" of violent confrontations were "paid or otherwise induced to commit these acts" by a third party.

There is currently no evidence to suggest any protesters were paid. The pair of lawmakers said the information they requested should be provided by September 16.

Bowser's office did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speaks to Ranking Committee Member James Comer (R-KY) during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on slowdowns at the Postal Service ahead of the November elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on August 24.PHOTO BY TOM BRENNER/POOL/AFP/GETTY

The Republicans cited recent events in D.C., including one last Thursday night, when protesters heckled outdoor diners and attendees of President Donald Trump's Republican National Convention speech at the White House.

Jordan, one of the president's closest allies on Capitol Hill, and Comer cited three specific confrontations involving protests that were spurred by the shooting of a Black Wisconsin man, Jacob Blake, in the back seven times by a white police officer that left Blake paralyzed.

On August 24, Black Lives Matter protesters confronted D.C. diners seated outside. A viral video appeared to show a protester demanding a restaurant patron raise her fist in solidarity. Bowser condemned the events, and encouraged diners and restaurants to call the police in the future.

"What I saw in those videos was highly inappropriate," Bowser told reporters. "And more importantly, I don't think it had anything to do with demands for social justice."

After Trump's acceptance of the Republican presidential nomination at the White House Thursday—an event that drew some 1,500 guests and included prominent government officials and lawmakers—attendees departing the grounds were harassed by protesters.

Some, such as Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his wife, required police escorts, while others like Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) briefly stopped to respond to their shouting questions and demands to condemn recent high-profile police shootings of Black men and women and back criminal justice reform.

"Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House," Paul wrote in a tweet. "Thank you to @DCPoliceDept for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob.

Rand Paul just got chased by a crowd back to his hotel, after leaving the White House from Trump’s Republican Party Nomination #DC #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/h1kPcZG1jh— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 28, 2020

Protesters outside the White House gates also put a life-size Trump doll in a guillotine.

Over the weekend, five people were arrested in D.C. and several police officers were injured after violent confrontations with demonstrators who started fires and vandalized property. The protests caught Trump's eye, who tweeted Sunday that Bowser "should arrest these agitators and thugs! Clean up D.C. or the Federal Government will do it for you. Enough!!!"


Bowser later said the agitators were outsiders who "came together to create havoc" and were separate from the peaceful March on Washington that took place on the National Mall Friday.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill about HR51, legislation to make Washington, DC a state, on June 16 in Washington, DC.PHOTO BY BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY

"What we're certainly not going to do is stand by and allow outside agitators to come to our city to distract us from the work of D.C. residents," Bowser said. "We know the President considers himself Mr. Law and Order... We are for law and order, too."

In their letter to Bowser, Jordan and Comer accused the mayor of surrendering the nation's capital to "violent left-wing extremists."

"Your choice to surrender the streets of D.C. to violent left-wing extremists and agitators so that they can intimidate, coerce, and assault innocent people places at risk all who live, work, and patronize businesses in the District," the letter said. "Your actions also highlight the wisdom of the Founders to ensure that the seat of the federal government is not beholden to a particular state."

https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-open-probe-left-wing-violent-extremists-dc-accuse-mayor-bowser-inaction-1529180?piano_t=1

Trump campaign spokesman flails as CNN host corners him on president’s promotion of conspiracy theories

Published September 2, 2020 By Brad Reed

Hogan Gidley and CNN host Jim Sciutto. (Screenshot)

Trump campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley on Wednesday got into a heated exchange with CNN host Jim Sciutto, who repeatedly cornered him on President Donald Trump’s embrace of QAnon conspiracy theories.

During the interview, Sciutto asked Gidley to comment on the president’s recent rant about antifa agents filling up an entire airplane and flying together to spread anarchy throughout the United States.

“The president has been sharing a whole host of unfounded conspiracy theories, many of them sourced from QAnon, which I know you’re well aware of,” Sciutto said. “I just wonder, does the president actually believe some of these theories or is he just trying to keep the support of QAnon people?”

Gidley at this point tried to plead ignorance

“I’m confused, what things?” Gidley asked. “What theories?”

Sciutto then recited some of the conspiracy theories the president has pushed, and Gidley said that he hadn’t actually spoken with the president about any of them.

“QAnon, as you know, started with the conspiracy theory that Democrats and Hollywood stars are running a child sex ring out of a pizzeria here in Washington,” he said. “Does the president believe that QAnon conspiracy theory?”

“Again, not to my knowledge,” he replied. “I’ve had no conversation with him about that, we’re not focused on that here.”

“The FBI has declared QAnon a domestic terror threat,” Sciutto continued. “Why would the president share stories from the group that the FBI has deemed a domestic terrorism threat?”

“What do you mean share stories?!” asked an exasperated Gidley, even though Sciutto had already given him multiple examples of the president sharing QAnon conspiracy theories.

Trump Spread Multiple Conspiracy Theories on Monday. Here Are Their Roots.

Davey Alba and Ben Decker,
The New York Times•September 2, 2020


In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday night, President Donald Trump spread multiple conspiracy theories about the protests that have erupted across the nation. Many of his unfounded claims can be traced back to narratives that have been swirling online for months.

Here are three of the baseless conspiracy theories that Trump spread and where they came from.

A plane ‘loaded with thugs’ headed to the Republican convention.

During the interview with Ingraham, Trump claimed that “we had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that.”- ADVERTISEMENT -


Trump then alleged that the people were headed to Washington, D.C., to disrupt the Republican National Convention.

There is no evidence of a flight matching Trump’s description. But the claim is similar to a baseless allegation that appeared online as early as June, when a wave of cities and towns became alarmed by unsubstantiated rumors that the loose collective of anti-fascist activists known as antifa was being sent into their communities to disrupt the peace.

On June 1, a man from Emmett, Idaho, posted on Facebook: “Be ready for attacks downtown and residential areas. At least a dozen males got off the plane in Boise from Seattle, dressed head to toe in black.” He claimed, “One had a tattoo that said ‘Antifa America’ on his arm.” The post was shared nearly 4,000 times.

That same day, the local sheriff’s office posted that there was no merit to the rumor. “The Payette County Sheriff’s Office has not had contact with and has not verified that antifa is in Payette County,” it said. “The Payette County Sheriff’s Office has not given any specific warnings to our citizens about antifa or other organizations.” It was shared only 716 times on Facebook.

The idea resurfaced prominently again last week when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., spoke about protesters who confronted him at the Republican convention.

“You just think, ‘Oh, these are some normal hoodlums from a big city.’ I promise you that at least some of the members and the people who attacked us were not from D.C.,” Paul said, according to Politico. “They flew here on a plane. They’ve all got fresh, new clothes.”

Paul did not offer any evidence to support this assertion.

Some ‘very stupid rich people’ are bankrolling racial justice protests across the U.S.

In the same Fox News interview, Trump said he believed “some very stupid rich people” had been financing the racial justice protests that took place in Washington last week and around the country in recent months.

The unsupported idea echoes claims spread online for months that George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor, was funding protests against police brutality.

Soros has for years been cast as an anti-conservative villain by a loose network of activists and political figures on the right and has become a convenient boogeyman for many different conspiracies, including that he “owns” antifa and Black Lives Matter groups.

Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic organization that Soros founded, has donated to Black Lives Matter in the past. But so have many other public figures, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Prince, just weeks before he died.

The false notion that a shadowy cabal of Democratic elites like Soros pulls strings behind the scenes and controls the world with money is a main pillar of the far-right extremist conspiracy theory QAnon.

‘People that you haven’t heard of’ are controlling Joe Biden

This rumor, too, is a pillar of the baseless internet conspiracy QAnon. The theory states, falsely, that the world is run by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles that is plotting against Trump while operating a global child sex-trafficking ring.

QAnon followers, who number in the millions, believe that this clique includes top Democrats like Soros, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And they believe that real and actual political power resides not with public candidates like Joe Biden but with these individuals exercising their secret power beyond any immediately visible public link.

Since the start of the pandemic, as people in lockdown turned to the internet for entertainment, membership in 10 large Facebook QAnon groups grew more than 600%, a recent article by The Wall Street Journal said. This year, QAnon has been a main faction fueling false information about COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 election. Followers have also attached themselves to anti-vaccine and anti-child-trafficking movements, helping expand their ranks.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

© 2020 The New York Times Company

The energy jobs that Gen Z wants
Ben Geman, author of Generate

Data: Morning Consult; Chart: Axios Visuals


Members of Generation Z are far more interested in careers in renewable energy than nuclear power or fossil fuels, new Morning Consult polling shows.

Why it matters: The new data underscores a much-discussed problem facing the oil-and-gas and nuclear sectors: Attracting young talent.

How it works: Morning Consult polled 1,000 people ages 13–23 about whether they were interested in careers in the industries listed above.

"When Gen Zers do look to the future, it seems that participating in sectors whose emissions contribute to climate change holds little appeal," they report.
Nuclear power also holds much less appeal than renewables, even though it's a zero-emissions generation source.

Of note: The poll's margin of error is ±3%.

The renewable threat to biodiversity

Ben Geman, author of Generate

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Expanded mining for materials used in renewable power technologies and electric cars could harm vulnerable species and ecosystems absent better planning, according to a peer-reviewed paper in Nature Communications.

Why it matters: The tech needed to fight one threat to biodiversity — climate change — can create other big risks unless policymakers act "urgently" on the matter, the researchers found.
It's not a far-off threat either. A new Financial Times feature explores how increased mining in Indonesia for nickel, an electric vehicle battery component, will create more marine waste.

How it works: They looked at tens of thousands of "pre-operational, operational, and closed" mining sites for dozens of materials, many of which target supplies needed for clean energy applications.
It then draws a 50-kilometer radius around them to assess their "spatial coincidence with biodiversity conservation sites and priorities."
They find that mining "potentially influences" almost 50 million square kilometers.
8% of that overlaps with "protected areas," 7% with "key biodiversity areas," and 16% with "remaining wilderness."

Yes, but: Simon Evans of the climate news and analysis site Carbon Brief cautions via Twitter that the analysis assumes an extremely wide potential impact radius (again, 50 kilometers) around mining sites.
"[O]f course it's possible to think of potential impacts that can extend a long way, but as a default for all mines I don't think it is that meaningful," Evans tweeted.

The big picture: Greatly expanding climate-friendly energy and transport means much higher demand for materials like lithium, copper, cobalt and more.
As the International Energy Agency puts it, rising deployment is set to "supercharge demand for critical minerals."

The paper's authors, writing in The Conversation, cite World Bank estimates that demand for a suite of critical materials could grow by 500% by 2050.

The bottom line: "Careful strategic planning is urgently required to ensure that mining threats to biodiversity caused by renewable energy production do not surpass the threats averted by climate change mitigation and any effort to slow fossil fuel extraction and use," the paper concludes.
Lead author Laura Sonter of the University of Queensland in Australia tells the Guardian that the "good news" is “many of the required materials also exist outside areas important for conservation.”

THIRD WORLD USA
Half of Americans fear a health-related bankruptcy

Caitlin Owens, author of Vitals

Data: Gallup; Chart: Axios Visuals


The number of Americans who worry about bankruptcy if they have a serious health issue has spiked over the last year and a half — particularly among men, people of color and young adults, according to a new survey from West Health and Gallup.

Between the lines: Health care costs were a huge issue even when the economy was good and we weren't in a global pandemic. Now, millions of people have gotten sick, lost their jobs, lost their health insurance, or all three.

Details: 15% of adults said that at least one person in their household has medical debt that they won't be able to repay within the next year, including 20% of adults of color and 12% of white adults.
Unsurprisingly, a much larger percentage of lower-income households say the same, compared to higher-income households.
A quarter of adults say that they'd have to borrow money to pay a $500 medical bill.

The bottom line: The pandemic is making all of our existing health care problems worse.

Trump says Black Lives Matter is "discriminatory" and "bad for Black people"

President Trump during a news conference at the White House on Monday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump again denounced Black Lives Matter as a "Marxist organization" and said it was "discriminatory" during an interview with Fox News that aired Monday night.

What he's saying: "The first time I ever heard of Black Lives Matter, I said, 'That’s a terrible name.' It's so discriminatory," Trump told Fox News' Laura Ingraham. "It's bad for Black people. It's bad for everybody."

Here comes the real recession

Dion Rabouin, author of Markets AXIOS

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Economists are warning that the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic is now creating another recession: mass job losses, business failures and declines in spending even in industries not directly impacted by the virus.

Why it matters: The looming recession — a possible recession within a recession — is less severe than the coronavirus-driven downturn. But it's more likely to permanently push millions out of the labor force, lower wages and leave long-lasting scars on the economy.

What we're hearing: "As the recovery has slowed down we’ve seen a couple of metrics transform from something that was extraordinary and unique and that we’d only seen in this COVID recession to something that is much more in line with our historic experience with typical recessions," Ernie Tedeschi, a managing director and policy economist for Evercore ISI, tells Axios.

The warning signs he sees:

• The increasing number of layoffs that have gone from classified as temporary to classified as permanent.
• The increasing number of men who have lost jobs in recent months, a traditional recession dynamic and reversal of the trend that saw more women being laid off in early months.
• The rising rate of long-term unemployment, an unfortunate hallmark of the 2008 Great Recession.

"The longer this weakness persists the harder it is to recover later on," Tedeschi adds.

• Darius Dale, managing director at Hedgeye Risk Management, tells Axios: "Our view is that the U.S. economy is transitioning from a depression to a recession and not a recovery."

But, but, but: It will be hard to see the recession in most data, because third quarter economic growth will be compared to the second quarter, which was the worst downturn in history.

• Absent another wave of lockdowns, Q3 GDP growth should be the highest ever — but largely because of pent-up demand and the simple fact that most U.S. business are allowed to operate.

Be smart: The new recession is exactly what policymakers were trying to avoid by passing the $2 trillion CARES Act in March.

• Congress has allowed enhanced benefits for the 27 million Americans receiving unemployment to lapse, and leading members of the Federal Reserve, conservative and liberal think tanks and economists of all stripes have been pounding the table, calling on legislators to pass more fiscal stimulus.
• Former Fed chair Janet Yellen wrote in in the New York Times: "The Senate is on vacation while Americans starve."

How it happened: "We had an uneven shutdown around the country and what that allowed the virus to do is really take hold and remain a force for economic outcomes," Constance Hunter, chief economist at consulting firm KPMG, tells Axios.

• Hunter also serves as president of the historically right-leaning National Association for Business Economics, which recently released a poll of its members that found two-thirds believe the economy is still in a recession.
• More than a third (37%) see a one-in-two chance of a double-dip recession — an occurrence that Hunter notes is "extremely rare."

The bottom line: The recession within a recession is giving economists flashbacks of 2008 and the long recovery needed to get many of the country's lower-income citizens back on their feet.

• The difference this time is that it follows an economic shock that caused at least three times the number of job losses as 2008, and has put four times as many people on government unemployment insurance

Biden-Harris campaign releases 'Animal Crossing' yard signs in digital push to young voters

According to Nintendo's latest earnings report, the game has sold over 22.4 million copies as of August.

By Lucas Manfredi | Fox News

The Biden-Harris campaign is stepping up its digital outreach to younger voters ahead of the November presidential election with new yard signs available to players of the hit Nintendo video game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons."

“Animal Crossing is a dynamic, diverse, and powerful platform that brings communities together from across the world. It is an exciting new opportunity for our campaign to engage and connect Biden-Harris supporters as they build and decorate their islands," Christian Tom, director of digital partnerships for the Biden campaign, told FOX News in a statement.

"Since today marks the start of fall in the game and the leaves start to change color, we are introducing a staple for the season: Team Joe yard signs. As we enter the final campaign stretch toward November, this is one way we are finding new creative and innovative ways to meet voters where they are and bring our supporters together."



Image 1 of 4
Photo courtesy of Biden campaign

The campaign has released four sign designs for players to download that they can place around their virtual island homes, including the official Biden-Harris logo, the Team Joe logo, the “Joe” Pride logo, and an image of aviator sunglasses shaded in red, white, and blue.

Players will be able to access the designs in-game by scanning the design QR codes through the Nintendo Switch Online app.

"This is just the start of how we plan to engage players ahead of November as we’re already looking forward to rolling out more digital swag, voter education tools, and organizing efforts on Animal Crossing and other platforms,” Tom added. 

Some users have taken to social media to complain about the campaign's latest tactic, arguing that they just want health care, affordable education and transparency and accountability from the DNC

A political campaign reaching out to voters through mobile apps is not entirely unheard of.




Back in 2016, then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign held an event at a Pokestop in Ohio, where Pokemon Go players could collect a free item within the game.

Clinton mentioned the app during a campaign rally, saying "I don't know who created Pokemon Go, but I'd try to figure out how to get them to have Pokemon go to the polls."

The Trump 2020 Campaign also put out an ad against Clinton at the time that utilized the game.

"Often found lying to the American people, rigging the system, and sharing TOP SECRET emails," the advertisement read. "Next evolution: unemployed."

The Trump campaign is not currently offering yard signs within Animal Crossing. However, supporters of President Trump can still customize their own campaign signs in the game if they wish to do so.
“This explains everything: Joe Biden thinks he’s campaigning for President of Animal Crossing from his basement," Samantha Zager, deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told FOX News in a statement. "The Trump campaign will continue to spend its resources campaigning in the real world with real Americans.”

Trump 2020 Communications Director Tim Murtaugh added that Trump yard signs, banners, and flags are "proudly displayed in abundance by real people in the real world," a measure of enthusiasm which he says Biden "can't touch."

According to Nintendo's latest earnings report, the game has sold over 22.4 million copies as of August. The game was released on March 20 and has surged in popularity as Americans stuck inside due to the coronavirus pandemic began downloading the game.