Albertsons Cos. Inc. and CVS Health Corp. projected higher profits as more consumers came to the chains’ pharmacies for Covid-19 vaccinations and over-the-counter tests, executives said. Supermarket operator Albertsons said its stores benefited from vaccine demand and higher pricing, lifting profits and sales for the Boise, Idaho-based company’s latest quarter. Albertsons’ results for the period, … Read more
Small restaurants are heading back to Congress for help, saying their challenges are worsening as the Omicron variant drives a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country. Nearly two years into the pandemic, U.S. restaurants and bars are dealing with higher costs, accumulating debts and customers fearful of the latest virus variants, according to a … Read more
A chronic shortage of workers has more employers turning to artificial intelligence to supercharge recruiting efforts, seeking an edge in an increasingly pitched battle to fill job openings. By automating previously manual tasks—like pre-screening job applicants for basic qualifications, checking for professional credentials and licenses, or scheduling follow-up interviews—employers hope to streamline the hiring process … Read more
Deliveroo PLC, a food-delivery company based in the U.K. and backed by Amazon.com Inc., plans to open its own pizza parlor in London in an effort to better understand restaurateurs. The drawbacks to the delivery experience have become familiar: Helmet-clad drivers and cyclists form knots at restaurants as they wait to pick up orders, doors … Read more
An NHS chief executive says it ‘beggars belief’ people took pictures of empty corridors. Source link
Dec. 18, 2020 — ICU capacity dipped to zero in Southern California’s 11 counties on Thursday, according to the California Department of Public Health, as coronavirus cases continued to climb and public health experts warned that the worst is yet to come. As of Dec 16, total confirmed cases in the state had increased … Read more
PARIS—French supermarkets are still selling pajamas for children under four years old. Clothes aisles for older kids are cordoned off. You can buy pots and pans, but silverware—classified as table decoration—is restricted. Computers remain on store shelves. Gaming consoles don’t. Newspapers? Yes. The books section? Off limits. An effort by the government to spread the … Read more
The coronavirus pandemic is splitting the restaurant industry in two. Big, well capitalized chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Domino’s Pizza Inc. are gaining customers and adding stores while tens of thousands of local eateries go bust. Larger operators generally have the advantages of more capital, more leverage on lease terms, more physical space, … Read more
Iran reported its highest daily Covid-19 death toll and its largest single-day rise in infections on Monday, as the country imposed a second lockdown of its capital to contain a resurgent outbreak. The government over the weekend ordered a shutdown of schools, movie theaters, beauty salons, coffee shops, mosques and other businesses and institutions in … Read more
PARIS—Two people were seriously wounded in a knife attack near the former office of Charlie Hebdo that prosecutors are investigating as a possible terrorist act, more than five years after gunmen opened fire in the satirical magazine’s newsroom. The assault began late Friday morning when a man wielding what appeared to be a butcher’s knife … Read more