Aug 21, 2017

Companies are losing $700 million as workers watch the eclipse

Erica Pandey

AP

The cost of lost productivity as American workers turn their attention to the solar eclipse for just 20 minutes Monday afternoon is $700 million, per Reuters.

But that's nothing compared to the price companies pay for Cyber Monday or March Madness. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimated that 87 million people will be working during the eclipse. They multiplied that figure by the approximate viewing time and the U.S. average wage to generate their cost ballpark. Here are the events that cost companies big money, along with their price tags:

  • March Madness Opening Week: $615 million per hour spent fixing brackets
  • Monday after the Super Bowl: $1.7 billion per hour spent debriefing
  • Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving: $1.9 billion per hour spent online shopping
  • James Comey's testimony: $3.3 billion for viewing the whole event
  • Amazon Prime Day: $10 billion for the day of deals

Go deeper

Bob Herman

Hospitals are starting to get their coronavirus cash infusion

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

The federal government is sending $64 billion to hospitals, post-acute facilities and other medical providers to help cope with the coronavirus fallout.

Yes, but: Even though more funding is coming, safety net and rural hospitals fear they are getting a raw deal from the way some of the money is being distributed.

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Health
Alexi McCammond, Margaret Talev

Biden, Sanders work toward truce on big issues

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Joe Biden isn’t about to become Bernie Sanders, but he’s signaling that there’s potential for more common ground on issues such as health care, student debt, climate change and more in the weeks ahead.

What to watch: As Biden courts Sanders' endorsement, their teams will hold policy discussions in the next few weeks with the expectation that Biden will incorporate some elements of Sanders' agenda, a person familiar with those plans tells Axios.

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Politics & Policy
Jonathan Swan

Some Trump aides eye May 1 start to coronavirus reopening

President Trump was flanked at yesterday's briefing by HHS Secretary Alex Azar (far left), Vice President Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump's aides, encouraged by virus data showing fewer deaths than once projected, are working behind the scenes to deliver on his vow to reopen America "sooner rather than later."

What to watch for: A senior White House official said there’s a lot of internal energy pushing for May 1, because that's the end of the White House's "30 Days to Slow the Spread."

Go deeperArrow3 hours ago - Politics & Policy