• Through the last week in October, California has issued 1.1 million new stimulus checks and most are expected to be mailed starting November 1
• The payments have a total valuation of $857 million and a total of 750,000 checks, according to the California Franchise Tax Board

California man left in critical condition after shooting at Sacramento Walmart

• In a shooting that occurred at a Walmart in Sacramento, California, one man was left in critical condition and taken to a local area hospital where he will undergo surgery
• The shooting occurred on Halloween, October 31, at around 8:30 pm, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
• California officials have stated that they are unsure of whether the shooting occurred in or out of the store and are currently conducting an investigation

Malibu Mansion purchased for $177 million, a record in the state

• As of November 1, 2021, Marc Andreessen, a billionaire venture capitalist, has a purchased a mansion in Malibu, California for $177 million
• This estate purchase is a new record for California which was previously set by Jeff Bezos in 2020

Landscapers in California angered by ban on gas-powered lawn mowers

• In Governor Gavin Newsom’s effort to achieve 100% zero emissions, he has signed a new bill that bans the sale of small off-road engines by 2024
• Landscapers and other small business owners who depend on some off-road engines now have to transition to electric powertrains
• According to the California Air Resources Board, there are 16.7 million small engines in California with approximately 77% used for residential lawn and garden equipment

Teacher put onto paid leave for not wearing mask at school

• A teacher from Ponderosa High School named Micheal Wilkes who was placed on paid leave for not wearing a mask at school is speaking out against California’s strict COVID-related mandates
• In a statement on a news broadcast, Wilkes said,”We need to unite with people that are like-minded and stand up across the board and simply say no to these mandates in order for them to stop,”

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• The government has issued a new batch of $1,400 stimulus checks, bringing the total number of payments to almost 167 million, or about $391 billion
• This tranche included more than 1.8 million payments worth more than $3.5 billion
• Most of the payments were prompted by tax returns recently processed by the IRS

• Best Buy reports that their sales have grown 36% in the first quarter of this year as shoppers’ stimulus-fueled spending spree included consumer electronics
• The retailer has raised its forecast for the year after seeing demand continue into the second quarter
• CEO Corie Barry said the strong housing market has inspired consumers to invest in technology and appliances

• Gap and Walmart will launch a new brand, Gap Home, with bedding, bath, and décor
• The initial collection will debut on Walmart’s website June 24 and eventually be available in the discounter’s stores
• With the multiyear deal, Walmart aims to drive more online sales and Gap wants to strengthen its brand among shoppers

• Ford CEO Jim Farley largely met Wall Street’s expectations during his first investor day leading the automaker
• But Ford didn’t deliver on everything investors were hoping to have answered during the event
• Shares of Ford have roughly doubled under Farley’s leadership, including an 8.5% increase on Wednesday

Biden Budget explained – Where will the $5T go over the next 10 years?

• President Joe Biden will propose $5 trillion in new federal spending over the next decade on Friday as part of his fiscal year 2022 budget request
• The new spending would fund Biden’s sweeping domestic agenda: Expanding the social safety net for working families and modernizing America’s infrastructure
• It would be paid for in part by $3.6 trillion in additional revenues over the same period and would result in a net deficit of $1.4 trillion
• Biden’s budget also projects that inflation will reach no more than 2.3% annually over the next 10 years

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• There are thousands of Southern Californians who breathe higher levels of air pollution and face increased risk of illness from living near warehouse distribution centers
• Southern California air quality officials are set to vote on rules that for the first time would hold warehouses in the nation’s smoggiest region accountable for pollution from the diesel trucks they attract
• Approval of the measure would mark a big step toward curbing the environmental impacts of a booming goods-movement industry

• In another dramatic sign of how rapidly California is recovering from COVID-19, the state recorded its lowest hospitalization rate since the first few weeks of the pandemic
• Across the region, COVID-19 has receded rapidly which has allowed for large a large reopening of the economy and hope of returning to some kind of normalcy 
• California is now a the bottom of the nation when it comes to Coronavirus case rates 

• The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it supports waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines
• The waiver could remove obstacles to ramping up the production of vaccines in developing countries
• The move comes as coronavirus infections surge to their highest levels in countries that have struggled to procure or distribute vaccines
• The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it supports waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines, as countries struggle to manufacture the life-saving doses
• Stocks of major pharmaceutical companies that have produced vaccines, including Moderna, BioNTech and Pfizer, dropped sharply after news of the potential waivers first broke
• The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America expressed pointed opposition to the Biden administration’s support for waiving IP protections

• Scientists experimenting in the lab have found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is capable of infecting two types of brain cells — neurons and astrocytes.
• COVID-19 is best known as a respiratory disease, but for many victims, it also triggers an array of problems including memory lapses, fatigue and a certain sluggish, fuzzy feeling often referred to as “brain fog”

• A new set of $1,400 stimulus checks has been sent, bringing the total number of payments issued to 164 million, or about $386 billion
• The new payments mark the eighth batch sent since Congress approved the checks in March
• Payments are for up to $1,400 per individual, as well as $1,400 per eligible dependent, so long as recipients fall under certain income thresholds and meet other requirements

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