text: On Thursday morning, the U.S. Labor Department reported that weekly jobless claims came in at 1.416 million, a figure that was much higher than the 1.3 million expected by economists. The figure represents the 18th consecutive week that initial jobless claims surpassed the 1 million mark. The latest economic data is one reason why the Senate and the White House are moving forward with a potential agreement to provide a new round of relief to American workers. This week, extended benefits that offer an additional $600 per week will expire. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Trump administration are aiming to keep a new round of stimulus under $1 trillion. That figure is much lower than the $3.4 trillion relief bill passed by Democrats in the House of Representatives.
  Johns Hopkins University reports that global COVID-19 cases have now surpassed 15 million. In the United States, cases are accelerating toward 4 million, with the number of official deaths now surpassing 142,500. In addition, California – the nation's most populous state – has surpassed New York with the largest number of confirmed infections. Governors across the country are now calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to implement a federal mask requirement to reduce the spread of the virus.
  Shares of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) popped 4% after the company beat earnings expectations again and showed profitability for the fourth consecutive quarter. During the quarterly conference call, founder and CEO Elon Musk said that the company is facing no shortage of demand. Musk said that the firm is facing shortages of parts and a variety of supply chain issues. That said, the average Wall Street price target is about half of where shares are trading today, and Robinhood investors continue to press shares higher.
  Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) gained 1% in pre-market hours despite news that the company reported a net loss of $915 million for the second quarter. The firm also said that it anticipates air travel to remain under pressure until someone creates a COVID vaccine. The news came at the same time that American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) announced it lost $2.1 billion during the second quarter.
  Uber, Airbnb, Slack, Pinterest, and Venmo have something big in common – something other than their big names. These startups were founded during the last recession. And now, some of the most iconic companies of our time could launch into Fortune 500s during days like today. Click here for details…