HARD NUMBERS: Measles on the rise, Tariffs drive steel layoffs, US consumer confidence drops, Tesla targeting investigated

572: Cases of measles in Ontario have risen to 572, an increase of over 100 in the last week. Forty-two people are in hospital, including two in intensive care. The outbreak is concentrated in the southwestern part of the province, including the Waterloo region. In the United States, Kansas now has 23 reported cases, and the Texas outbreak continues to grow. There are now 17 states with outbreaks of the potentially fatal disease, the highest level of cases in a single year since 2019.

100,000: US President Donald Trump’s 25% steel and aluminum tariffs, in place since March 12, have triggered hundreds of layoffs in Canada in the metal workers sector, with more expected to come. Marty Warren, national director of the United Steelworkers, says that 100,000 jobs are at risk for the union’s 225,000 members after “full-blown” tariffs hit on April 2.

92.9: The Conference Board’s US consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, short of its expected reading of 94.5 and its lowest level since January of 2021. Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business, and employment also plunged 9.6 points to 65.2, the lowest reading in 12 years and well below the threshold of 80, considered an indicator of a possible recession.

1,000: Police in Washington, DC, are offering a $1,000 reward for information about the recent defacing of Tesla vehicles in the city. A police statement also indicated that they are “investigating these offenses as potentially being motivated by hate or bias,” which is a broader category in DC than in most cities: “Political affiliation” is listed alongside race, sex, and religion as categories of bias for hate crimes and carries higher penalties than other crimes.