Pollstar: Live events industry lost $30B due to pandemic
Pollstar on Friday said the live events industry should have hit a record-setting $12.2 billion this year, but instead it incurred $9.7 billion in losses.
Little about the next legislative session will be normal—maybe not even when it starts
Republican leaders are confident the General Assembly can meet safely and still let the public have input, but Democrats are skeptical.
Indiana’s COVID-19 enrollment dip driven by 10K fewer preschoolers, kindergartners
The trend could have significant repercussions for thousands of Hoosier children who are missing out on early education that experts say is crucial to developing the social and self-regulation skills to thrive in school.
Congress stuck as McConnell resists state aid in COVID-19 deal
An emerging $900 billion COVID-19 aid package from a bipartisan group of lawmakers all but collapsed Thursday after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republican senators won’t support $160 billion in state and local funds as part of a potential trade-off in the deal.
Public health department says Marion County schools can reopen Jan. 4
County schools can reopen for in-person instruction 11 days sooner than the previously set date of Jan. 15, the Marion County Public Health Department announced Thursday.
U.S. panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; FDA expected to act quickly
The advisory group, in 17-4 vote with one abstention, concluded that the shot appears safe and effective against the coronavirus in people 16 and older.
U.S. budget deficit up 25.1% in first 2 months of budget year
The deficit—the shortfall between what the government collects in taxes and what it spends—reflected an 8.9% jump in outlays, to $886.6 billion, and a 2.9% decline in tax revenues, to $457.3 billion.
Economic relief talks descend into disarray as congressional bickering intensifies
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested on Thursday that discussions over emergency legislation could stretch beyond Christmas, even though multiple critical programs expire at the end of this month and there are fresh signs the economy is weakening.
Warehouses luring more cash than offices in pandemic-fueled flip
Investors have poured money into industrial properties in 2020, spending more on U.S. warehouses than office buildings for the first time as social-distancing pushes even more consumers to e-commerce.
COVID-19 deaths continue to mount as state surpasses 400,000 cases
The state has reported an increase of 556 deaths due to COVID-19 over the past seven days, an average of 79.4 per day. That’s up from 454 the previous week, an average of 648.6.
CVS to give Eli Lilly therapy to COVID-19 patients at home
The medication will be provided by the U.S. government, which paid Indianapolis-based Lilly $375 million for an initial two-month supply of 300,000 doses as part of the Operation Warp Speed program.
Jobless claims jump nationally, in Indiana amid resurgence of virus
The latest figures coincide with a surging viral outbreak that appears to be weakening the job market and the economy and threatening to derail any recovery.
Top Indiana GOP lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston has been experiencing mild symptoms and is quarantining at home, his office announced Thursday morning.
Lawmakers act to avert shutdown, buying time for COVID relief talks
Amid the uncertainty, the House easily passed a one-week government-wide funding bill Wednesday that sets a new Dec. 18 deadline for Congress to wrap up both the COVID-19 relief measure and a $1.4 trillion catch-all spending bill that is also overdue.
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine faces last hurdle before U.S. decision
Thursday’s meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel is likely the last step before a U.S. decision to begin shipping millions of doses of the shot, which has shown strong protection against the coronavirus.
Indiana set to receive more than 55,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, the state’s chief medical officer, said the state has been told it will receive 55,575 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week.
UPDATE: Holcomb directs state’s hospitals to delay non-emergency procedures
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday said he was directing hospitals across the state “to postpone or reschedule non-emergent procedures done in the in-patient hospital setting” from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3 to ensure they are not overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purdue, IU call off Old Oaken Bucket football game
The schools announced a mutual agreement to cancel Saturday’s scheduled football game due to rising COVID-19 numbers. The game, which was first played in 1891, has taken place every year since 1920.
Vaccines herald return to offices, but most workers don’t want to go
More than half of U.S. employees currently working from home say they’d like to keep their remote arrangements beyond the pandemic, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday.
Indiana reports 5,853 new COVID-19 cases, 98 more deaths
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 slipped slightly, from 3,250 on Monday to 3,244 on Tuesday.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 Indiana State Department of Health Indy Chamber Rapid Response Hub Small Business Administration The SBA is making low-interest loans for working capital available to Indiana small businesses. Indiana Unemployment Information Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard Critical Industries Hotline(for business and industry only)
877-820-0890
covidresponse@iedc.in.gov State’s virus-related executive orders State plan to reopen Indiana