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U.S. economy adds 1.8 million jobs in July
The U.S. added 1.8 million jobs last month, while the unemployment rate fell to 10.2% from 11.1% in June, the Labor Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: The pace of job growth slowed significantly, suggesting a stalled recovery as coronavirus cases surged and states pulled back on reopening plans.
The big picture: Private sector data — including credit and debit card spending and other indicators — pointed to signs of a hiring slowdown after June’s 4.8 million job gain.
- There was a rush of hiring after initial lockdown orders were lifted, but the U.S. labor market remains in the hole: roughly 21 million jobs were lost between March and April.
Elon Musk is starting to sound more like Henry Ford
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has spent more than a decade trying to disrupt the traditional auto industry, is sounding more and more like the man most closely associated with it: Henry Ford.
Why it matters: In his quest to build affordable electric cars for the masses, Musk is starting to embrace many of the ideas pioneered by Ford's founder — things like vertical supply chains and an obsession with manufacturing efficiency. A century ago that approach helped to popularize the American automobile by lowering the cost of the Model T.
What's happening: Musk is making batteries, computer chips and many vehicle components in-house — and securing supplies of raw materials.
- He's either bucking the prevailing industry trend that favors outsourcing to lower-cost global supply chains — or coming full circle.
Like Henry Ford in the early 20th century, Musk was ridiculed at first. But even Tesla skeptics are surprised by the leaps the electric vehicle company has made in its manufacturing capability and efficiency.
- Two years ago, after taking apart a Tesla Model 3, "I couldn't believe how bad the body was [put together]," says Sandy Munro, a former Ford Motor engineer whose consulting firm, Munro & Associates, specializes in reverse-engineering and competitive analysis for the auto industry.
- "Everything else blew me away," he tells Axios, referring to Tesla's electric power train.
- Now, after poring over every inch of a disassembled Model Y, its newest product, Munro says Tesla's improvement is remarkable.
Details: Tesla still has work to do on paint quality and fitting body panels together, but several engineering innovations stood out, says Munro, whose findings are summarized in this video.
- Tesla's new proprietary computer chip. Designed in-house to one day enable full self-driving capability, the new chip is manufactured in Texas by Samsung.
- The "mega-casting" of the car's body. The entire rear of car is shaped from a single aluminum casting, rather than hundreds of pieces of steel welded together. That translates into better quality, less weight and easier assembly.
- Tesla's unique materials. By inventing its own aluminum alloy, Tesla eliminated multiple steps in the body manufacturing process.
What to watch: With Tesla adding factory capacity on three continents (including Austin, Texas, next year) and competitors entering the EV space, too, demand for batteries is increasing, and raw materials could become an issue.
- Last month, on a call with investors and analysts, Musk dangled the possibility of a "giant contract for a long period of time" to nickel miners that can boost production.
- Others are speculating that Tesla will invest in its own lithium mine.
- "All of a sudden, you can make a battery 30% cheaper because you control the materials," notes Munro.
Flashback: Henry Ford's mission was to build a simple, reliable and affordable car that average Americans could afford. Efficient manufacturing was the key.
- Aside from inventing the moving assembly line in 1913, his biggest idea was an "ore to assembly" manufacturing complex that became Ford River Rouge.
- "He bought all the different elements so that the raw materials would go into one side of the Rouge and 28 hours later come out as a finished automobile," said Ford Motor corporate historian Ted Ryan.
One other similarity: Like Henry Ford in the 1930s, Elon Musk has a history of anti-union behavior.
The bottom line: A century apart, these two automotive pioneers shared many of the same ideas.
Who Joe Biden might put on the Supreme Court
In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, Democrats are compiling lists of Black women they want Joe Biden to consider for the bench if he's elected — with an eye toward people from outside the traditional legal establishment.
Why it matters: Supreme Court appointments are one of the most consequential parts of any president's legacy, and a President Biden would need to find picks who could try to wrangle liberal victories from a solid conservative majority.
Where it stands: Biden has stayed silent on who he might appoint to the Supreme Court, and has said he won't release a list of potential nominees, the way President Trump did in 2016.
- But he has pledged to select a Black woman if elected and presented that opportunity.
What we're hearing: Ketanji Brown Jackson, a district court judge in D.C., is an obvious contender. She was on President Obama's shortlist to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and has all the standard qualifications for modern nominees — Harvard Law, prominent clerkships and a spot on the federal bench.
Yes, but: Many progressive advocates told Axios they want Biden to think differently about a potential nominee — to not only add sex and racial diversity, but to also inject some different life experience and professional background into the court.
Names they're discussing:
- Leondra Kurger, a justice on the California Supreme Court
- Leslie Abrams Gardner, a federal district judge in Georgia (and Stacey Abrams' sister)
- Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
- Melissa Murray, a professor at NYU Law who clerked for Justice Sonia Sotomayor and is would likely follow Sotomayor's model of judging
- Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, an academic teaching at Princeton and an author and activist on racial justice
- Barbara Ransby, who teaches history at the University of Illinois-Chicago and is a longtime political and civil rights activist
Between the lines: All of the current justices graduated from Harvard or Yale law school. All but one were promoted to the Supreme Court from federal appeals courts. None of them have advocacy backgrounds, or have ever run for office, or served as public defenders, or on a state Supreme Court.
"The big thing to me that is missing from the Supreme Court is the understanding that the working class of America is getting screwed," said Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' former campaign manager and current adviser.
- "On a lot of these core economic justice issues, the court would be behooved by individuals who not only understand that pain and suffering, but come from that pain and suffering," Shakir added.
And Biden would have plenty of opportunities to add more diversity to the court if progressives get their other big wish — an expanded Supreme Court. Biden hasn't endorsed that idea, but it's quickly gaining traction on the left.
- “There’s going to be incredible pressure to add justices,” said Jeff Hauer, the director of the Revolving Door Project. “The Democratic base is going to demand retaliation on the theory that bullies are not deterred by acquiescence.”
Go deeper: Democrats' Armageddon option
California imposes limited stay-at-home order for 94% of residents
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that the majority of the state will be under a limited stay-at-home under as of Saturday due to rising coronavirus cases nationwide.
The big picture: The order will impose a monthlong curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for residents in 41 counties, covering roughly 94% of the state population. Newsom said earlier this week he was pulling an "emergency brake," halting further reopening plans, tightening restrictions on indoor businesses and strengthening mask mandates.
- California recently moved more than 20 counties into its purple tier, meaning more than seven new cases each day per 100,000 residents, or a positivity rate higher than 8%.
- COVID-19 cases in the state have steadily increased over the last few weeks. Many other states have taken more rigorous action to restrict the spread of the virus.
- Newsom caught flack last week for holding a private dinner that did not adhere to state guidelines.
What they're saying: "Non-essential work and gatherings must stop from 10pm-5am in counties in the purple tier," Newsom tweeted Thursday afternoon. "This will take effect at 10pm on Saturday and remain for 1 month. Together--we can flatten the curve again.
- “These immediate actions will help reduce community spread, protect individuals at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19, and prevent the state’s health care delivery system from becoming overwhelmed,” Erica Pan, California's acting public health officer, said in a statement.
Zoom out: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Nov. 12 announced a stay-at-home advisory and a 10-person cap on social gatherings to combat a surge in new COVID-19 infections.