Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become one of America's biggest return-to-work cheerleaders, but some of his employees aren't as super stoked about going back to the factory. After winning a public standoff with California's Alameda County officials, Tesla will reopen its Freemont factory Monday so it can start making cars again. Musk essentially dared county officials to arrest him for defying stay-at-home orders. Alameda capitulated. "I don't feel Elon has those Tesla workers' best interest in his...

(CNN)Within weeks of the Grand Princess cruise ship arriving off the California coast -- an early harbinger of the coming coronavirus pandemic -- Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the first statewide mandatory restrictions in the United States. He ordered California's nearly 40 million residents to stay home to help combat the outbreak, but he didn't stop there. While many states scramble for desperately needed equipment and supplies, Newsom this week announced a deal for millions of masks for health...

The California Air National Guard dropped off test kits by helicopter Thursday after learning that the first person to die of the virus in the state had previously traveled on the Grand Princess. Medical officials collected samples for testing from 45 people aboard after some showed symptoms. The samples were flown to a lab in Richmond, the cruise line said. The ship must remain at sea as it awaits test results, expected Friday, said Mary Ellen Carroll of the San Francisco Department of...

Consolidation in our industry suddenly seems to have reached a tipping point. We begin the new year with just one main wholesaler for the book trade and another for libraries, as Baker & Taylor departs from the retail sector; not just new ownership but a new guiding philosophy at our nation’s largest bookstore chain; and Amazon’s near-monopoly dominance of the online bookselling arena—well, that’s probably past the tipping point. The largest publishing houses are seeking higher profits based...

Pest control workers were using the spread as bait as they installed rat traps -- 340 of them -- throughout the mile-long homeless encampment after infrared video from a sheriff's helicopter revealed a major rodent infestation. "I think it's sad and overwhelming," said pest control technician Matt Dougherty of the conditions for more than 200 homeless residents. "We're here just to make it better for them." The rat problem could hardly have been a surprise. Trash and human waste had been...