Hurricane cleanup: In Florida this morning, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said he fears hundreds of people may have been killed by Hurricane Ian, which slammed into Florida’s southwest coast around Fort Myers yesterday. Today the storm has moved across the state and is now hitting the northerly part of the state’s Atlantic Coast with tropical force winds and heavy rain. An estimated 2.5 million people were without electricity this morning in Florida and as flood waters recede the cleanup effort is getting underway. President Biden declared that a major disaster exists in Florida and ordered federal aid, including financial assistance for the recovery effort.
Coolio dies: Grammy award-winning rap performer Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., has died in Los Angeles at age 59. The cause of death was not immediately made known. He was found unconscious on the floor of a bathroom at a friend’s house.
Release of Sirhan sought: A lawyer for Sirhan B. Sirhan, the man who assassinated Robert Kennedy, has filed papers in state court in California asking that he be freed from prison. A parole board had decided that Sirhan could be released but California Gov. Gavin Newsom overruled the parole board. The court is now being asked to overrule Newsom and release Sirhan.
Another North Korean missile fired: Vice President Harris has ended her trip to South Korea and North Korea marked the occasion by firing another missile. The North Koreans had fired two missiles into waters off the country’s East Coast to protest Harris’ visit before she arrived.
Amazon raises some pay rates: Amazon has announced pay increases for various U.S. employee groups that will total nearly $1 billion over the next year. The company also announced a new benefit that enables employees to collect their pay at any point during the month. Average starting pay for Amazon employees in customer fulfillment and transportation is increasing from $18 per hour to more than $19 per hour, with actual rates ranging from $16 to $26 per hour depending on the employee’s job title and location in the U.S.
Bed Bath & Beyond financials: Bed Bath & Beyond today reported a 28% drop in second quarter 2022 sales compared with second quarter 2021 sales. The company took in $1.4 billion in this year’s second quarter compared with $1.9 billion for the comparable period last year. Bed Bath & Beyond’s second quarter net loss was $366 million compared with $73 million in the second quarter of 2021.
