MGM Resorts lays off 18,000
MGM Resorts is laying off 18,000 people as an unchecked pandemic leaves economic scars across a broad swath of U.S. industries, particularly those that rely on healthy crowds of people.
The layoffs at MGM, which amount to about a quarter of its U.S staff of about 70,000, caps a wave of job cuts and buyouts this week across a broad array of industries.
Economists warn that sizable layoffs will continue and any recovery is likely to falter as long as the virus rages and Congress doesn’t come up with additional financial aid for the unemployed, as well as desperate state and local governments.
MGM furloughed 62,000 of its 70,000 employees when casinos in Nevada were forced to close on March 17. Many of them opened again in early June, but mandated capacity controls are in place.
MGM, with properties in Mississippi, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and overseas in Macao, has brought back workers, but with 50% capacity limits, fewer workers are needed. Two properties, one in New York and one in Las Vegas, are still closed.
Chrysler recalls Ram pickups
Fiat Chrysler is recalling over 186,000 Ram pickups and is telling owners to take them to dealers because floor mats can interfere with the gas pedals.
The recall covers certain 2019 and 2020 model-year trucks with factory-installed mats, mainly in North America.
The company said Friday that owners should remove the all-weather mats if there’s not enough space between them and the gas pedals, or if they can’t get to a dealer quickly. Also covered are more than 43,000 mats sold after trucks were purchased.
Fiat Chrysler said a customer reported that a mat interfered with the gas pedal while a truck was being driven, and the driver couldn’t get it to decelerate. The customer stopped the truck by stepping on the brake. All FCA vehicles since 2011 have brake-throttle override, which cuts the throttle and allows the brakes to overcome acceleration if both pedals are pushed at the same time.
Fiat Chrysler said it has no reports of crashes or injuries. The company says about 1% of the recalled vehicles will have the problem.
Owners will be notified by mail in mid-September, and dealers will modify the mats until shipments of reconfigured replacement mats arrive.
WGN America adds News Nation
WGN America, the erstwhile home to Bozo and Andy Griffith, is set to reinvent itself as a cable news network with the Tuesday launch of “News Nation,” a prime-time newscast that pledges to deliver unbiased reporting.
The mission is to take a bite out of CNN, MSNBC and Fox.
Delayed but not derailed by the pandemic, WGN America has assembled a 150-person newsroom and has been making dry runs for several weeks of its nightly three-hour newscasts from extensively remodeled Chicago studios.
“We’ve got to deliver,” said Sean Compton, 46, executive vice president of WGN America. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re not alienating any of our audience, that everyone feels they’re getting fair, accurate reporting of the news.”
Nexstar Media Group bought WGN America last year as part of its $4.1 billion acquisition of Chicago-based Tribune Media – the former broadcast parent of Tribune Publishing – which created the nation’s largest local TV station group. In January, Nexstar announced plans to turn the former superstation into a prime-time cable news network.
Boeing 787 has more defects
Boeing has found manufacturing defects on some of its 787 long-range airliners in areas where parts of the fuselage are joined together, the latest setback for the aircraft maker whose 737 Max is still grounded after two deadly crashes.
The company said Friday that eight planes must be inspected and repaired before they are allowed to fly, and it contacted the airlines, which removed those planes from service.
Boeing declined to identify the airlines involved, but United Airlines, Air Canada and Singapore Airlines confirmed that each has one plane grounded for inspection.
Boeing Co. said that it discovered “two distinct manufacturing issues” toward the rear of certain 787s that means the planes don’t meet design standards. The company said it notified the Federal Aviation Administration and is trying to determine the cause of the problem.