Tesla May Get Another Year to Meet Employment Quota in N.Y.

The pandemic may buy Tesla Inc. more time to meet an employment quota for its state-subsidized solar factory in Buffalo, New York.

Officials are considering delaying state hiring targets for one year, according to a spokeswoman for New York’s economic development agency.

Tesla had until Thursday to employ 1,460 people at the plant to avoid paying a $41.2 million penalty. In a filing Thursday, the company said it had exceeded its obligations before New York issued its stay-at-home order, forcing the company to suspend most operations at the plant. Tesla also said it expected the state to push back its deadline.

The plant is crucial to Tesla’s solar business. It makes solar roof tiles, which the company has struggled to mass-produce. Tesla said Wednesday the plant reached a “significant milestone” last quarter and produced enough roof tiles for up to 1,000 homes in a single week.

CDC Issues Recommendations For Closed Smithfield Plant After Covid-19 Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued over 100 recommendations to the Smithfield Foods pork-processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota following a COVID-19 outbreak.

The South Dakota Department of Health requested an Epi Aid for assistance in developing strategies to help reduce SARS-CoV-2 infections among Smithfield Foods Sioux Falls pork processing plant employees.

The facility was closed earlier this month after more than 783 employee cases and 206 cases linked to employee contact were reported, according to state health officials.

Smithfield’s managers told the CDC it has a number of changes planned, including requiring facemasks for all employees, increasing the number of hand sanitizers and adding plexiglass barriers where workers can’t be spaced out.

The CDC has recommendations that fill nearly 11 pages of the report, which include staggering shifts, more flexibility in break times and physical spacing.

However, CDC has noted that the recommendations are discretionary and not required or mandated by the agency.

HBO Max Pacts With Hulu, Racking Up Another Distribution Deal Before Launch

WarnerMedia has set its latest distribution deal for HBO Max, setting a deal with Hulu for the forthcoming streaming service to be available to subscribers to Hulu’s live TV bundle.

The deal follows a series of agreements with Charter Communications, YouTube TV, Google and Apple ahead of the May 27 launch of HBO Max.

The vast majority of existing HBO on Hulu subscribers will get free access to the streaming service, which will retail for $15 a month. New and existing Hulu subscribers will be able to subscribe to HBO Max directly through Hulu for that $15 monthly rate.

The deal also shows that the streaming race has made strange bedfellows. Disney, a direct competitor with WarnerMedia in many businesses, including streaming, took full control of Hulu in 2019. WarnerMedia sold its 10% stake in Hulu to Disney at that point. Over prior years, since early in Hulu’s 13-year run, units of WarnerMedia had supplied programming to Hulu and its networks are distributed via Hulu’s live bundle.

Hulu with Live TV had 3.4 million subscribers as of February, according to Disney. The company will release updated numbers as part of its quarterly earnings report next week.

WarnerMedia has said it is targeting 75 million to 90 million subscribers globally by 2025. It already has direct access to AT&T platforms, including DirecTV, which will give it a substantial base at launch.

25-year-old man facing charges after driving along Deerfoot Trail with 3 tires

A 25-year-old man is facing charges after driving along Deerfoot Trail with only three tires on Thursday evening.

The black Nissan was leaving sparks in its wake as the car continued to cruise along the road without its left rear tire.

New York Schools To Remain Closed For Rest Of Academic Year Says Governor Andrew Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that schools in New York State will remain closed for the rest of the academic year due to coronavirus concerns.

The schools, including K-12 as well as college facilities, will continue to offer online programs. Summer school plans will be announced by the end of May. “In the meantime, meal programs will continue, the child care services for essential workers will continue,” Cuomo said at his daiy briefing.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced April 11 that the city’s public school buildings – for the biggest school district in the nation – would stay shut through the end of the school year but he and Cuomo are often and publicly at odds and the Governor undercut the Mayor then by saying all school closures in the state are under his jurisdiction.

Los Angeles Unified School Disrict superintendent Austin Beutner made it official Monday that all schools in the nation’s second-largest district will be physically closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic year and through summer school. The district has been shut down since March 16 because of the coronavirus crisis.

Cuomo said it was to early to made decisions about the next academic year.

On Thursday, 289 people in New York died from the coronavirus, which Cuomo called, “lower than it has been but still tragic and terrible.”

Lebanon signs request for IMF assistance

It is one of the main parts of a sweeping economic plan the government says will help save Lebanon from bankruptcy, but that was not enough to satisfy angry protesters.

Lebanon has officially signed a request for assistance from the International Monetary Fund to help fix the country’s crippling financial problems.

It is one of the main parts of a sweeping economic plan the government says will help save Lebanon from bankruptcy.

But as Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut, that was not enough to satisfy angry protesters.