We're never going back to the old economy, Fed Chairman says – - Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell doubled down on his remarks that the economy as we know it is over during a virtual appearance Tuesday at the Bay Area Council Business Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony. "We're not going back to the same economy, we're going back to a different economy," Powell said, echoing comments he made at the European Central Bank's Forum on Central Banking last week. The pandemic has accelerated ongoing trends, including the increasing use of technology, automation and telework, Powell said last Thursday. And while these changes will be beneficial for some, they will hurt certain groups in the short-term. On Tuesday, Powell also reiterated that people in lower-income jobs hadn't recovered as much as others and that workers in the services industry might need more help going forward. "The recovery is incomplete," he said, warning of near-term risks surrounding the resurgence of Covid-19 infections. "We have a long way to go." The central banker has repeatedly said that more fiscal and monetary stimulus was likely needed to help with the recovery. The Fed slashed interest rates to near zero in March and launched a series of lending programs to support the recovery since the crisis started. Meanwhile, Powell said it wasn't the right time to worry about the fiscal health of the United States, even as the government is spending trillions to help boost the economy. Rather, that issue should be addressed when unemployment is low again and tax revenues are rolling in. "That's the time to really focus," he said.
Here Comes More Fed Easing- JPMorgan Expects Fed To Extend QE Maturity In December Meeting -- Over the weekend we showed in simple terms why the Fed will have to adjust - and expand - its QE: as the following BofA table makes abundantly clear, in a time when foreign demand for US Treasurys continues to decline (with China's current account moving into a deficit, it will be far more focused on finding its own foreign investors rather than funding US deficits), the US is set to issue a net $2.4 trillion while the Fed will monetize less than $1 trillion of this, a stark reversal from 2020 when Jerome Powell is purchasing every dollar of debt sold by Mnuchin. So unless the Fed is prepared to allow Treasury yields to rise far higher in order to create the required excess demand for US paper to fund the massive 2021 deficit, it will be up to the Fed to aggressively increase its QE, although it may need another "crisis" as a catalyst to announce this expansion.And while a crisis is unlikely to take place before the next FOMC meeting on December 16, JPMorgan is already taking the next step of projecting that in an interim step extending the duration envelope of QE, and now sees the Fed to extend the maturity of its Treasury purchases. Here is what the bank's chief economist Michael Feroli wrote this morning: "We now look for the Fed to extend the maturity of its $80 billion monthly purchases of US Treasuries at the December FOMC meeting." The recent surge in virus case counts presents a considerable downside risk to the near-term economic outlook. While markets are more focused on the medium-term outlook, where vaccine hopes are rising, recent Fed rhetoric has indicated growing concern about the months between now and when a vaccine is widely available. Moreover, the apparent success of the monetary and fiscal response this spring is a reminder that minimizing short-run risks can lessen the degree of longer-run damage to the economy. At the most recent post-FOMC meeting press conference, Chair Powell indicated that the Committee thought the degree of accommodation they were providing was appropriate. However, the accelerating spread of the virus may be changing that assessment, and last Thursday Powell indicated that this spread implies that Congress and the Fed will likely need “to do more.” While that cover the bulk of Feroli's revised forecast, he padded it with the following: There are a number of ways the Fed can try to do more, but we believe the approach which is most likely to gain consensus on the Committee is the one offered by Boston Fed President Rosengren: leave the notional monthly purchase pace unchanged but lengthy (sic) the weighted average maturity of their Treasury purchases. The rationale for such a move is simply to put more downward pressure on longer-term interest rates and thereby encourage more interest-sensitive spending.In other words, take the already biggest asset bubble in the world and make it bigger:
Congresswoman Katie Porter Tells the Fed that It’s Got a “Big Problem” -- Pam Martens - Last Thursday, during the House Financial Services Committee hearing with federal regulators of banks, Congresswoman Katie Porter of California told the Vice Chairman for Supervision of the Federal Reserve, Randal Quarles, that the Fed has a “big problem.” Porter has a Harvard Law degree and was previously a law professor at the University of California Irvine School of Law. If Porter believes the Fed has a legal problem, it is highly likely it does.Here’s how the exchange between Porter and Quarles went:
- Porter: “The Fed is largely responsible for dispensing the $500 billion Congress provided as a bailout for corporate America – the biggest bailout in our country’s history, potentially. Using taxpayer dollars to buy bank debt was never part of that plan. In fact, the Federal Reserve stated explicitly in this document [holds up document] that it would not be purchasing bank debt. What happened?”
- Quarles: “We haven’t bought bank debt in those facilities.”
- Porter: “What’s an Exchange Traded Fund, Mr. Quarles?”
- Quarles: “As I was getting ready to say. We have purchased Exchange Traded Funds at the very beginning of the process in order to jumpstart the reignition of the economy and we stopped purchasing Exchange Traded Funds several months ago.”
- Porter: “Exchange Traded Funds, for everyone who is watching, those are just baskets of stocks [or corporate bonds] issued by a variety of companies. And, is it not correct that the Fed bought $1.3 billion in ETFs.”
- Quarles: “That number sounds right.”
- Porter: “My question for you is how much of that was bank debt – in the Exchange Traded Funds.”
- Quarles: “I can get that information for you. I don’t have the numbers in front of me.”
- Porter: “Well, it was a lot…these are companies like JPMorgan Chase, their debt is in there, and it’s a big problem that you did this. A white paper published by the Yale School of Management showed that, in fact, 15 percent of all those ETFs purchased was for big banks…This is a headline from Bloomberg: ‘Despite Stated Exclusion, the Fed Is Buying Bank Debt.’ Would you like to revise your earlier statement…?”
After some back and forth, Porter asks Quarles who is the world’s largest issuer of ETFs. Quarles hesitates and Porter says “BlackRock.” Stating that it “seems beyond belief to me,” Porter then asks Quarles if the Fed hired BlackRock to buy up BlackRock’s own ETF products. As the bell rings indicating that Porter’s allotment of time for questioning has run out, she holds up a news article from the Wall Street Journal with this bold headline from September 18: “Fed Hires BlackRock to Help Calm Markets. Its ETF Business Wins Big.”
Was reboot of this Fed crisis-relief program a bust? - One of the main spigots of cash the Federal Reserve opened to fight the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, has delivered only a relative trickle of financing. As of the end of October, the Fed had funneled about $3.7 billion in loans through TALF to bond investors at rock-bottom rates, a fraction of the $100 billion the central bank had committed. Narrowing spreads have made the program less lucrative than expected, limiting participation to a handful of investors. With TALF set to expire at year-end, it seems likely to be shelved, right? Hold on, say policy experts who argue the program has had some less noticeable — but real — stabilizing effects on secondary markets in general. With the sharp rise in new COVID-19 cases this fall, those observers and funds participating in TALF are urging policymakers to extend the program into 2021. "Because the market did find its footing before TALF became operational, the economics are borderline for the deals in TALF,” said Kristi Leo, president of Structured Finance Association, which represents a variety of participants in the bond markets. Yet “it really gave a backstop and some confidence to the market." Investors participating in TALF use the program’s cheap financing to buy securities backed by commercial mortgages and loans to small businesses, students and a variety of others. The idea was to provide a backstop to the market so that money would continue flowing through these investment companies to lenders that provided badly needed credit as social-distancing measures went into effect and businesses shuttered. Scores of investment firms began building up special investment funds to jump into the program. Many of them had netted massive profits from the original TALF in the 2008 financial crisis by scraping up the difference in what the risky subprime mortgage bonds yielded and the rate the firms had to pay on the Fed loans. However, 79% of the program’s loans this time around have landed at just two investment firms: Belstar Management Company and MacKay Shields. The reason can be found in a key indicator in the securities market that started to wobble in early March as the pandemic unfolded. The credit spread on triple-A-rated commercial mortgage-backed securities, which is the difference in interest offered to investors to buy the bonds compared to what they would gain from ultrasafe Treasuries, began spiking around March 12, according to research from Neuberger Berman. Higher spreads are a sign of rising risk that bond investors want to be paid a premium to shoulder. The spread climbed from below a 50 basis-point difference in the middle of March to almost 350 basis points by the time the Fed announced there would be a new round of TALF on March 23 along with a menu of other stimulus measures. But before the Fed could publish the specifics of the program like which securities would qualify for purchase by participating investors, in April, spreads on highly-rated CMBS had settled back to about 200 basis points by that point and have deflated since.
Third GOP senator comes out against controversial Trump Fed nominee - Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said on Monday that he opposes Judy Shelton's nomination to the Federal Reserve board, but he won't be in Washington this week to vote against her. “I oppose the nomination of Judy Shelton because I am not convinced that she supports the independence of the Federal Reserve Board as much as I believe the Board of Governors should. I don’t want to turn over management of the money supply to a Congress and a President who can’t balance the federal budget," Alexander said in a statement. Alexander, who is retiring at the end of his term, is the third GOP senator to oppose Shelton. GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitt Romney (Utah) have also said they will vote against her. But a spokesman for Alexander noted that he will be out of Washington, D.C., this week due to family matters, meaning he won't be in the Senate chamber to cast his vote. Alexander's opposition comes after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) teed up a vote on Shelton's long-stalled nomination for this week. That vote is expected to take place Wednesday. With Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announcing on Thursday that she would support Shelton's nomination, Trump's Federal Reserve pick appeared to be on a path to confirmation after being stuck in limbo for months. Shelton’s nomination faced fierce headwinds amid bipartisan opposition over her previous support for returning to the gold standard and using inflation as a tool to make U.S. exports more competitive. Even as McConnell decided to move forward on her nomination, she has a razor-thin margin for getting confirmed with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority. In addition to Alexander's absence, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) announced over the weekend that he would quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also routinely misses Senate floor votes. A spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday about if she would return to Washington to vote against Shelton. If Alexander, Scott and Harris are absent, and everyone else votes, that would put Shelton's confirmation at 49-48, just over the simple majority required. If Harris returned to vote against Shelton's nomination, Vice President Pence could still break a 49-49 tie.
Shelton's nomination to the Federal Reserve blocked in senate - Judy Shelton's nomination to the Federal Reserve Board was blocked in the Senate Tuesday, a stunning defeat for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a blow to President Donald Trump's drive to reshape the U.S. central bank before he leaves office. After Covid-19 exposure forced two Republican senators into quarantine, the GOP was left short of enough votes needed to overcome united Democratic opposition. Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins joined Democrats in a 50-47 vote against advancing Shelton's nomination. Once the outcome was clear, McConnell switched his vote to no, a tactical move that would allow him to bring the nomination up for reconsideration later. McConnell's plans to confirm Shelton were blown up Tuesday morning when Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley announced he would be in quarantine after exposure to someone who tested positive for Covid-19. GOP Senator Rick Scott of Florida also is in quarantine. Both were expected to back Shelton. Shelton, 66, a former informal adviser to Trump, was long known for her advocacy of a return to the gold standard, ultra-hawkish views on inflation and opposition to federal deposit insurance. She provoked further controversy and opposition by abandoning those views and calling for interest-rate cuts to align herself with Trump as she emerged as a candidate for a Fed post.
Treasury wants CARES Act programs to expire. Fed says not so fast — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called on the Federal Reserve Thursday to let several of its emergency lending programs expire at yearend, and return unused funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to backstop the facilities. But in a statement, the Fed argued for letting the programs continue. “The Federal Reserve would prefer that the full suite of emergency facilities established during the coronavirus pandemic continue to serve their important role as a backstop for our still-strained and vulnerable economy,” the central bank said. In a letter to Powell, Mnuchin said returning the unused money backing credit programs established under the Fed's 13(3) emergency authority “will allow Congress to re-appropriate $455 billion.” The Fed, along with Treasury, established nearly a dozen emegency lending programs after the onset of the coronavirus to grease the wheels of credit markets and ensure banks were still able to lend to their customers. The programs are largely set to expire at the end of next month, but some have called for the Fed and Treasury to extend them. If the Fed returns the CARES Act funds, it would shut down the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility, the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility, the Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility, the Municipal Liquidity Facility and the Main Street Lending Program on Dec. 31. Mnuchin said that was legislators' intention. “I was personally involved in drafting the relevant part of the legislation and believe the congressional intent … was to have the authority to originate new loans or purchase new assets (either directly or indirectly) expire on December 31, 2020,” Mnuchin said. Mnuchin also asked that the Fed approve a 90-day extension of the Commercial Paper Funding Facility, the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility, the Primary Dealer Credit Facility and the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility, all of which were funded without CARES Act appropriations. The move comes after Powell made remarks earlier this week suggesting that he didn’t believe the Fed should shut down its emergency facilities just yet. “I don’t think the time is yet, or very soon," he said about closing the 13(3) programs at an event hosted by the Bay Area Council. However, Mnuchin did say he would be open to restarting any of the facilities if the conditions were warranted. “In the unlikely even that it becomes necessary in the future to reestablish any of these facilities, the Federal Reserve can request approval from the Secretary of the Treasury,” he wrote. The back and forth between Fed and Treasury comes amid heightened attention to whom President-elect Joe Biden picks to be his Treasury secretary. On Thursday, Biden indicated he was close to announcing his decision. Fed Gov. Lael Brainard is rumored to be among the leading candidates.
Congress splits along party lines over move to end Fed facilities - Lawmakers split along party lines on U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s move to shutter a number of Federal Reserve emergency-lending facilities that relied on his agency’s backing. “Ending emergency programs specifically intended to support the economy through this crisis is irresponsible and misguided,” Democratic Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement. “The Covid recession is not over. Millions of workers remain without jobs, and the futures of businesses across the country continue to hang in the balance.” By contrast, Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a member of the congressional panel monitoring pandemic relief funds at the Treasury and Fed, said in a Bloomberg TV interview that the facilities have served their purpose to stabilize markets and are no longer needed. “These were always meant to be very temporary facilities,” he said Friday. “I’m not surprised that a central bank would like to keep more power and more tools, but that doesn’t make it right.” Mnuchin, in a letter to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell released by the Treasury on Thursday, ordered the sunsetting of five of the central bank’s facilities designed to buffer the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while asking for four others to be extended for 90 days. The Fed then released a statement underlining its preference for the “full suite” of measures to be maintained into 2021. Democratic Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, said the facilities that will no longer be able to purchase new assets beyond December were “part of a comprehensive set of tools Congress gave the Federal Reserve to combat the pandemic-related economic crisis.” Clyburn asked Mnuchin to rescind his request, and suggested congressional Democrats may encourage President-elect Joe Biden’s Treasury chief to reestablish the programs next year. Toomey said that he doesn’t believe a Biden administration would have the legal power to extend the facilities on its own, but that Congress could re-authorize the lending programs if economic conditions worsened. The congressional watchdog monitoring the Fed and Treasury’s relief efforts divided last month over whether one of the programs Mnuchin has ordered to be ended, which supports the municipal-debt market, should continue. The panel’s two Democrats wanted the Municipal Liquidity Facility not only extended, but its terms adjusted to make it more favorable for bond issuers. State and local governments also lobbied to expand the program. But Republicans on the oversight commission said the program, which had made only two loans at that point, had served its purpose to restore liquidity to the municipal bond market.
Fed to return lending-backstop funds to Treasury as requested- The Federal Reserve said Friday it would comply with a Treasury Department request to return unused funds meant to backstop five emergency lending programs, moving to tamp down a public rift that arose a day earlier. “We will work out arrangements with you for returning the unused portions of the funds allocated to the [Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economc Security] Act facilities in connection with their year-end termination,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin posted on the central bank’s website. Mnuchin on Thursday sparked a conflict between his agency and the central bank when he said he wouldn’t agree to extend the facilities enabled by the Cares Act, passed by Congress in March. The law appropriated funds to act as loss-absorbing buffers that enabled the Fed to stabilize financial markets and make loans to companies and municipal debt issuers. Mnuchin says the programs are no longer needed, and the money should be returned to Congress and put to better use elsewhere. The Fed had responded on Thursday with its own statement, saying it “would prefer that the full suite of emergency facilities established during the coronavirus pandemic continue to serve their important role as a backstop for our still-strained and vulnerable economy.” The move drew swift criticism from Democrats. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team spokeswoman, Kate Bedingfield, on Friday blasted Mnuchin’s move as “deeply irresponsible.” On Friday, Powell conceded the Treasury’s authority in the matter, saying in the letter that the CARES Act “assigns the Treasury secretary sole authority to make certain investments in Federal Reserve emergency lending facilities, subject to limits specified in the statute.” Some officials, including a Democrat sitting on the commission supervising spending under the CARES Act, have said the Fed wasn’t legally required to return funds already transferred to it by the Treasury. But the Fed made clear it would not escalate the spat and would return the funds. Powell, in his letter, also appeared to urge the Treasury to consider using other funds held by Treasury to reauthorize at least some of the programs that will now be unable to make new loans after Dec. 31. “As you noted in your letter, non-CARES Act funds remain in the Exchange Stabilization Fund and are, as always, available, to the extent permitted by law, to capitalize any Federal Reserve lending facilities that are needed to maintain financial stability and support the economy,” Powell wrote.
Treasury Snapshot: 10-Year Note at 0.88% - The yield on the 10-year note ended November 18, 2020, at 0.88%, the 2-year note ended at 0.16%, and the 30-year at 1.62%. Here is a table showing the yields highs and lows and the FFR since 2007. The chart below shows the daily performance of several Treasuries and the Fed Funds Rate (FFR) since the pre-recession days of equity market peaks in 2007. A log-scale snapshot of the 10-year yield offers a more accurate view of the relative change over time. Here is a long look since 1965, starting well before the 1973 Oil Embargo that triggered the era of "stagflation" (economic stagnation with inflation). Note the 1987 closing high on the Friday before the notorious Black Monday market crash. The S&P 500 fell 5.16% that Friday and 20.47% on Black Monday.Here's the latest 10-2 spread. Typically, the spread goes negative for a period and then out of the red prior to recessions. The lead time for recessions is quite a range - after going negative, recessions have begun anywhere from 16 to 62 weeks later. We also can see a false positive in 1998 where the spread went negative for a short period. In the last recession, the spread went negative a couple of different times before rising. If we use the first negative spread date as our starting point, the average number of weeks leading up to a recession is 37, or about 9 months. If we use the last positive spread date after being negative before a recession, the average is 17 weeks, or 4.25 months and the median is 14 weeks, or 3.5 months. Note, though, that we only have 3 data points as this treasury data only goes back to 1990.
Fed’s Powell Says Rising Coronavirus Cases Pose Threat to Economy – WSJ -- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the increased spread of the coronavirus posed an important risk to the economy in the months ahead and said it was too soon to say how a potential vaccine would change the outlook. “With the virus now spreading at a fast rate, the next few months may be very challenging,” Mr. Powell said during a virtual question-and-answer session Tuesday. “We’ve got a long way to go.” While recent news about successful vaccine trials was “certainly good news, particularly in the medium term, in the near term there are significant challenges and uncertainties,” Mr. Powell added. “Even in the best case, widespread vaccination is months into the future.” The spread of the coronavirus is ‘the near-term risk that we’re most focused on.’ — Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Promising reports about the efficacy of new vaccines have propelled stocks to records this week. But the pace of improvement in the labor market has slowed in recent months and a report on October sales at U.S. retailers showed growth posted the smallest monthly rise since May, when spending rebounded from sharp declines in the initial phase of the pandemic. The spread of the coronavirus is “the near-term risk that we’re most focused on,” Mr. Powell said. As case counts climb and hospitalizations rise, more states are beginning to impose restrictions on commercial activity. “The concern is that people will lose confidence in efforts to control the pandemic, and…we’re seeing signs of that already,” he said. Separately, Mr. Powell obliquely addressed the fate of a suite of emergency lending programs established jointly with the Treasury Department after the pandemic convulsed financial markets this spring. The Treasury hasn’t indicated whether it supports renewing the programs, which are set to expire on Dec. 31. “The Fed will be strongly committed to using all of our tools to support the economy for as long as it takes until the job is well and truly done,” Mr. Powell said. He hinted it would be premature to wind down the lending programs. “When the right time comes, and I don’t think that time is yet or very soon, we will put those tools away,” he said. Mr. Powell said Tuesday he expected the economy would require more support from the Fed and from fiscal policy makers in Congress and the White House. The Fed’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Dec. 15-16. The Fed leader also warned about the dangers that large institutions face from eroding faith and trust from the public. Mr. Powell said the Fed had “greatly increased our interactions” with members of Congress to promote transparency and accountability. “If you’re not doing those things and aggressively seeking transparency and accountability, you’re courting trouble in this world, where surveys show that generally you’re losing faith,” he said.
Q4 GDP Forecasts --Most economists are revisiting their Q4 forecasts, and many are not releasing weekly updates. In their previous forecasts, many assumed some additional disaster relief in Q4, and many underestimated the current surge in COVID. Depending on further delays in disaster relief, and the impact of the current COVID surge, we might see some significant Q4 GDP downgrades soon. It appears activity was solid in October, and that would suggest PCE growth of close to 4% in Q4, even if November and December see no month-over-month growth. No one expects a lockdown like at the end of March and in April, but it is possible that activity will decline in December.It is also possible Q1 will start very weak. Merrill Lynch economists noted this morning: "We estimate that the expiration of federal UI programs—PUA and PEUC—alone could be a drag of 1.5pp in 1Q. Cutoff of other provisions will be added headwinds at the start of the year." The high level of uncertainty over the next few months makes forecasting extremely difficult. The automated approaches (below) do not capture this uncertainty.From the NY Fed Nowcasting Report: The New York Fed Staff Nowcast stands at 2.86% for 2020:Q4. [Nov 20 estimate] And from the Altanta Fed: GDPNow: The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in thefourth quarter of 2020 is 5.6 percent on November 18, up from 5.4 percent on November 17. [Nov 18 estimate]It is also important to note that GDP is reported at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). A 3.3% annualized increase in Q4 GDP, is about 0.8% QoQ, and would leave real GDP down about 2.7% from Q4 2019. The following graph illustrates this decline.This graph is through Q3 2020, and real GDP is currently off 3.5% from the previous peak. For comparison, at the depth of the Great Recession, real GDP was down 4.0% from the previous peak.
JPMorgan: Economy will shrink in first quarter due to COVID-19 spike --The U.S. economy is set to shrink in the first quarter of 2021 as a result of the out-of-control spread of COVID-19, which is forcing state and local governments to reimpose restrictions, according to an analysis by JPMorgan. “This winter will be grim, and we believe the economy will contract again in 1Q, albeit at 'only' a 1.0% annualized rate,” the forecast headed by economist Michael Feroli found. The current stage of the pandemic has seen case counts rise to record levels, averaging over 160,000 a day, well above the earliest peaks in March and April. While early action from Congress helped prevent an even worse economic meltdown, the recovery has slowed as Congress has failed to pass further relief. “By a wide margin, the course of the virus has been the most important factor shaping the outlook. But fiscal policy has been firmly in second place,” the report noted. Expectations that a relief deal worth $1 trillion will be reached in early 2021, alongside renewed hopes that highly effective vaccines will be widely distributed by mid-year, led JPMorgan to forecast an economic resurgence that will see annualized growth in the third quarter hit an annualized 6.5 percent, and full year growth at 3.4 percent. But the double dip recession means the outlook remains worse than it would have had the virus been kept under control. “Alas, some lasting damage still seems inevitable,” the analysis said.
Biden urges Congress to pass Democrats' COVID-19 relief package -President-elect Joe Biden on Monday urged Congress to pass a coronavirus relief package, touting legislation House Democrats passed earlier this year that is opposed by Republicans. "Right now, Congress should come together and pass a COVID relief package like the HEROES Act that the House passed six months ago," Biden said during remarks in Wilmington, Del. "Once we shut down the virus and deliver economic relief to workers and businesses, then we can start to build back better than before." House Democrats passed a $3 trillion version of the HEROES Act in May and passed a $2.2 trillion, slimmed-down version of the package in October. Both versions of the package include money for state and local governments, enhanced unemployment benefits, and a second round of stimulus payments. Republicans have criticized the Democratic packages, arguing that they are too expensive. Biden urged Democrats and Republicans to work together, saying he thinks the public wants politicians to cooperate. "The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control. It's a conscious decision. It's a choice that we make," he said. "If we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate."
Twelve million to lose unemployment benefits in December - Without congressional action in the next month, over 12 million people will lose federal unemployment benefits provided in the CARES Act at the end of the year according to a new report. The sudden elimination of much-needed funds for millions of jobless workers portends a further collapse in the health, safety and well-being of millions of people and their families. On Dec. 26, the day after Christmas, unemployment researchers Andrew Stettner and Elizabeth Pancotti with the Century Foundation estimate that 7.3 million workers will lose their benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, while 4.6 million workers will lose access to monies through the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. This is over half of the estimated 21.1 million people in the US currently on some form of unemployment compensation, according to the researchers, who also found that another 4.4 million people, the equivalent of roughly every person in the state of Kentucky, have already used up all of their benefits. For the millions who already have used up their yearly benefits, and the thousands more that will join them in the coming weeks, having to wait until next year is no guarantee they will begin receiving payments again. Byzantine state unemployment systems across the country continue to confound and frustrate hundreds of thousands of workers who have yet to receive their due payments. Both the PEUC and the PUA program were created with firm deadlines and restrictions in mind. The PEUC program was designed to provide up to an additional 13 weeks of payments to people who had already exhausted their state unemployment benefits, which in some states provide 26 weeks worth of payments, although several are less, with Georgia and Nevada providing only 12 weeks. The PUA program was designed for so-called “gig” or “contract” workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, or the self-employed, such as artists, musicians and other independent contract workers who are normally not eligible for unemployment benefits. This program is supposed to provide up to 39 weeks of payments, but for thousands of applicants, like Howard Booker in Las Vegas, months of trying to get what’s rightfully theirs has been frustrating and futile.
Grassley, Wyden criticize Treasury guidance concerning PPP loans - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Thursday criticized new Treasury Department guidance about the tax treatment of expenses related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, asking the department to revisit its approach. "We encourage Treasury to reconsider its position on the deductibility of these expenses, and the timing of those deductions, to provide relief to the small businesses that need it most,” Grassley and Wyden said in a statement. The PPP is a coronavirus relief program under which small businesses received loans that can be forgiven if the proceeds are used to maintain payroll. The legislation that created the PPP includes a provision stating that the loan forgiveness is not considered taxable income. Under guidance Treasury and the IRS issued late Wednesday, if a business hasn't had its PPP loan forgiven at the end of the year but expects the loan to be forgiven in the future, the company cannot deduct expenses related to the loan, even if the business hasn't yet filed for forgiveness. The guidance follows a notice Treasury and the IRS issued in the spring stating that expenses associated with loan forgiveness under the PPP are not deductible. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Wednesday that the new guidance gives taxpayers more clarity. “These provisions ensure that all small businesses receiving PPP loans are treated fairly, and we continue to encourage borrowers to file for loan forgiveness as quickly as possible,” he added. But Grassley and Wyden said in their statement that the new guidance, along with the guidance issued earlier this year, goes against lawmakers' intention that small businesses receiving PPP loans be able to take deductions for ordinary and necessary business expenses. “Regrettably, Treasury has now doubled down on its position in new guidance that increases the tax burden on small businesses by accelerating their tax liability, all at a time when many businesses continue to struggle and some are again beginning to close," the senators said. "Small businesses need help maintaining their cash flow, not more strains on it." .
Hundreds of Companies That Got Stimulus Aid Have Failed – WSJ -About 300 companies that received as much as half a billion dollars in pandemic-related government loans have filed for bankruptcy, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of government data and court filings. Many of the companies, which employ a total of about 23,400 workers, say the funds from the Paycheck Protection Program weren’t enough to keep them going as the coronavirus and lack of additional stimulus payments weighed on their businesses. The total number of companies that failed despite getting PPP loans is likely far higher. The Journal only analyzed the big borrowers from the program, which accounted for about half of the overall loans though only about 13.5% of the total participants. And many small businesses simply liquidate when they run out of cash rather than file for bankruptcy. The government awarded a total $525 billion in PPP loans to 5.2 million companies since April, according to the Small Business Administration. The SBA has only released data on the largest borrowers, which the Journal linked to bankruptcy filings. The total amount lent to companies that went bankrupt is between $228 million and $509 million—the government publishes a range for the loan amounts. Half of the 285 firms identified by the Journal have filed for bankruptcy since August. Dozens of recipients, which come from nearly every state, cited the pandemic as a primary reason for entering bankruptcy. The hospitality industry was the hardest hit among companies getting PPP loans. Restaurants and hotels that filed for bankruptcy employed nearly 6,600 workers, the most of any industry. There is growing evidence that the government’s policy of lending money with few questions asked has allowed fraud and abuse among borrowers, according to the SBA’s inspector general. The government also didn’t focus on the risk of bankruptcy for the companies getting loans as it sought to quickly get cash to workers hit by coronavirus shutdowns. The loans were guaranteed by the SBA as long as the money was spent on qualifying expenses such as payroll, so the government will likely suffer significant losses. Most small businesses in bankruptcy don’t have enough cash to fully repay creditors, according to Thomas J. Salerno, a partner with Stinson LLP in Phoenix. “That loan is going to be a general unsecured claim,” he said. “If [unsecured creditors] get 5 cents on the dollar, that’s what the SBA gets.” Companies that received PPP funds before filing for bankruptcy should generally be protected against any attempt to claw back those funds, said Howard Berkower, a partner at law firm McCarter & English LLP. The exception is where there is clear evidence of fraud. “If you took the money and bought a Lamborghini, they’re going to find you,” he said
Biden landing team for Pentagon announced - President-elect Joseph Biden has announced his landing team for the Department of Defense, and it contains a number of well-known names. The team is led by Kathleen Hicks, who served as both principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, as well as deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans, and forces in the Obama administration. She is currently the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' International Security Program. Also included on the list is Christine Wormuth, director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center. Wormuth held a number of roles in the Obama administration, culminating as undersecretary of defense for policy from 2014-2016. Both Hicks and Wormuth were seen as contenders for top DoD jobs, perhaps deputy secretary of defense, before today’s announcement. The full list:[…] Overall, 15 of the 23 members of the Pentagon landing team are women. The D.C. think tank scene is well represented: Blume, Burke and Ratner all have ties to the Center for a New America think tank, founded by Michèle Flournoy, widely expected to be Biden’s pick for secretary of defense. Hicks, Dalton and Sawyer have ties to CSIS, while Pettyjohn, Tanielian and Wormuth are all tied to RAND. Other names of note from the other landing teams include Madylen Creedon, a formerdeputy administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration who is likely to be on any shortlist to lead the nuclear warhead agency, as part of the Department of Energy team and Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs who is on the State Department team. Vince Stewart, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who led the Defense Intelligence Agency and was the deputy director of U.S. Cyber Command, is the co-lead for the intelligence team.
Biden names pro-war think tank and former Pentagon officials to transition team- Last week, President-elect Joe Biden named key members of his Department of Defense transition team. Eight of Biden’s 23 team members are from pro-military think tanks. Kathleen Hicks, senior vice-president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington D.C. think tank with close ties to the US military and intelligence agencies, will head Biden’s Pentagon transition team. Hicks is also “Henry A. Kissinger chair” and director of the International Security Program at the CSIS. The CSIS gets significant funding from war contractors such as General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. According to Hicks’ profile on the CSIS website, her areas of specialization include Asia, climate change, counterterrorism and homeland security, the defense industry, defense strategy and capabilities, NATO and weapons of mass destruction proliferation. She is a member of the board of trustees of the Aerospace Corporation and sits on the board of directors of the US Naval Institute. She has received distinguished service awards from three secretaries of defense and a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hicks was a high-ranking Pentagon official in the administration of President Barack Obama during the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. She served as principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy in the Defense Department. She also held the post of deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces. The CSIS has supplied several other individuals chosen for Biden’s Pentagon transition team. Melissa Dalton was a Pentagon official from 2007 to 2014, a period that spanned the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Her focus is the Middle East. Another member of Biden’s defense transition team is Andrew Hunter, who served in the Pentagon from 2011 to 2014. “The DC think tank scene is well represented” on Biden’s military transition team, states Defense News. According to a 2016 New York Times investigative piece (“How Think Tanks Amplify Corporate America’s Influence”), the CSIS functions as a de facto lobbying arm of the defense industry, using its connections with corporations and the government to promote the sale of weapons of war. “Think tanks,” states the Times, “have power in government policy debates because they are seen as researchers independent of moneyed interests. But in the chase for funds, think tanks are pushing agendas important to corporate donors, at times blurring the line between researchers and lobbyists.” Other members of the team, Ely Ratner and Susanna Blume, were most recently employed by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a think tank that is likewise heavily funded by military contractors, as well as oil conglomerates. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s foreign policy team during the presidential campaign was also drawn from this think tank.
Army Whistleblower Says Fort Hood Officials Told Soldiers To “Kill Themselves” -- The US military’s toxic culture has been getting unprecedented public exposure in the past year. Many new recruits across the US military’s numerous branches are traumatized before they even reach the battlefield.This has been an open secret for a long time, but since the death of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen, who also experienced sexual assault while in the military, the issue has been getting a bit more attention. The military base where Vanessa Guillen was stationed, Fort Hood, in Kileen, Texas, is one of the most dangerous bases in the country. In fact, according to a 2018 RAND study, Fort Hood had the highest number of reported sexual assaults and rapes of any US military facility worldwide, based on data from 2014. After the death of Vanessa Guillen, the dangerous and criminal activity taking place at Fort Hood began making headlines on a regular basis, as more mysterious deaths were reported.Last week, Sgt. 1st Class Cory Wrieden, who is currently serving with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, began posting videos on TikTok about an attitude of brutality among the leadership at the base, which is likely contributing to the dangerous environment there. In fact, Wrieden said that authority figures at the base told soldiers to kill themselves, in the midst of a suicide epidemic among soldiers and veterans. Some of the mysterious deaths that have taken place at the base were ruled as suicides.Wrieden also says that leadership has retaliated against him for speaking out, and he now believes that his career is over. He tried for months to get one of his superiors to take him seriously, but then decided he had no choice but to go public when he was ignored.
Trump Pursues Last-Minute China Crackdown To Hem In Biden Administration -- Axios' Jonathan Swan reports that in Trump's final weeks in office the president plans to unveil a series of "hardline policies" on China with the ultimate aim of making it "politically untenable for the Biden administration to change course." Very much akin to 'maximum pressure' on Iran, where the administration has also slapped any and all sanctions possible in order to try and make a Biden presidency's attempt to restore US participation in the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) near impossible, Trump wants to hem in the coming Biden administration and the ability for a Sino-US relations detente on a range of things like the Taiwan issue to China's intervention in Hong Kong to human rights to Chinese tech as a backdoor for spying. Swan writes, "He'll try to make it politically untenable for the Biden administration to change course as China acts aggressively from India to Hong Kong to Taiwan, and the pandemic triggers a second global wave of shutdowns." While according to Axios' sources it won't necessarily entail dramatic moves like further closures of Chinese consulates in the US, it will likely take the form of a continued pressure campaign detailing in public "China's nefarious actions" in the US: "Watch for National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe to publicly describe in granular detail intelligence about China's nefarious actions inside the U.S.," writes Swan.Further the administration plans to spotlight Chinese labor practices and pervasive human rights abuses, and move more hawkish policy officials into key US government positions. The White House is also said to be already mulling the expansion of last week's published list that was subject of an executive order banning Americans from investing in 31 Chinese companies which support in some way China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot summarized the political end goal of Trump's China actions to Axios: "Unless Beijing reverses course and becomes a responsible player on the global stage, future U.S. presidents will find it politically suicidal to reverse President Trump’s historic actions," he said.
McConnell warns Trump against troop drawdown in Afghanistan --Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fired a warning shot Monday against withdrawing more U.S. troops from Afghanistan, even as the Pentagon is preparing an order to do so. McConnell, speaking from the Senate floor, warned that only a "small minority" in Congress would support a rapid drawdown and warned that a rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan "would hurt our allies and delight, delight, the people who wish us harm." "The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011. ... It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We'd be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan," McConnell said from the Senate floor. McConnell didn't directly criticize Trump in his speech. But his remarks come amid multiple reports that Pentagon officials anticipate Trump will as soon as this week order military officials to cut the number of troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 and the number of forces in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 by Jan 15. McConnell credited the Trump administration with gains made during the past four years, arguing that the United States was playing a "limited but important role" and that drawing down troops would "embolden the Taliban." "A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major success this administration has worked to compile," he said. McConnell added that while all wars end, "nothing about the circumstances we face today suggest that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone." McConnell's break with Trump comes as national security has been a rolling point of tension between Senate Republicans and the Trump White House. In 2019, the Senate included language, spearheaded by McConnell, in a foreign policy bill that warned the Trump administration from a “precipitous” withdrawal of U.S. troops in Syria and Afghanistan. An order to pull back troops comes after a leadership purge in the Pentagon and warnings from top defense officials that removing more troops prematurely could ultimately worsen the chances for peace in the country.
Trump Admin Issues Troop Draw-Down Order In Afghanistan & Iraq - As was expected, Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to accelerate a drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 in each nation, as the president works to deliver on his longtime pledge to exit from “endless wars” before he leaves office in January.Bloomberg reports that Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced the decision Tuesday at the Pentagon.In a memorandum issued on Monday, Miller said his goal was to “bring the current war to an end in a responsible manner that guarantees the security of our citizens.”Miller, a former Green Beret and White House counterterrorism coordinator, said in a memo Friday to all Defense Department employees that “ending wars requires compromise and partnership.”“We met the challenge; we gave it our all,” Miller said in the memo.“Now, it‘s time to come home.”The order would reduce troops from about 4,500 in Afghanistan and from about 3,000 in Iraq less than one week before President-elect Joe B iden takes office.
Patriots coach Belichick calls on US to take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for attacks on Armenians - New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called for U.S. action on behalf of Armenia in ongoing clashes along its border with Azerbaijan. Reporters at Belichick’s Wednesday morning press conference asked him for his reaction to a memo from acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller invoking the coach’s “Do Your Job” slogan. Miller had added to military personnel, "We are a team, and that should be our mindset." “Well, I really appreciate the kind words from Secretary Miller,” Belichick said in the video call, according to CBS Boston. “When you consider the type of leadership that he’s shown throughout his career serving our country, it really means a lot. I’m flattered by the reference that he made.” “I’ll just say, while we’re on the subject, I read his point about combating traditional threats. And I couldn’t help but think and hope that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, and I hope that our country will take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unprovoked and deadly attacks on Armenians,” Belichick continued. “We’ve seen that when a humanitarian crisis and things like that, like ethnic cleaning, go unpunished, that they just continue to happen. I hope that we can put a stop to that.” Belichick has weighed in on Armenian politics before, making similar comments in a video posted to Patriots director of football Berj Najarian’s Instagram profile in October. Nejarian himself has long spoken out on issues relating to Armenia and has urged the U.S. to recognize the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a genocide despite pressure from Turkey to not use the designation. Nejarian said he directly pressed then-President Obama on the matter when the team visited the White House in 2015. The Boston area has one of the country’s largest concentrations of Armenian immigrants and their descendants, with about 50,000, according to the Armenian Diaspora Survey, which tracks Armenian communities.
Trump Fires DHS Official Whose Agency Rebuffed Election Integrity Claims - President Trump has fired a top DHS official whose agency has been publicly contradicting doubts over election integrity since at least October. Chris Krebs, who ran the cyber arm of the Department of Homeland Security, was fired over 'highly inaccurate' statements regarding election fraud, according to a Tuesday evening tweet from the president."The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud - including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, “glitches” in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more," he wrote, adding "Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency."...votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020On Saturday, Krebs called on the public to ignore "wild and baseless claims...even if they're made by the president" regarding the election - while reportedly telling associates that he expected to be fired. Krebs' agency developed a "rumor control initiative" to, as the New York Times describes it "keep Americans from doubting the integrity of the election system."In the West Wing, Mr. Krebs’s agency is regarded as a deep-state stronghold, an antagonist that has contradicted Mr. Trump’s false claims that fraud was rampant, software mistakes were vast and the election was stolen. It did not help that as Mr. Krebs gave speeches and interviews around the country about election security, he rarely, if ever, mentioned Mr. Trump’s name. –NYT
Can Trump actually stage a coup and stay in office for a second term? - Joe Biden won the presidential election, a fact that Donald Trump and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge. There are worries the president and other Republicans will make every effort to stay in power. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said last week. William Barr, the attorney general, has also authorized federal prosecutors to begin to investigate election irregularities, a move that prompted the head of the justice department’s election crimes unit to step down from his position and move to another role. On Tuesday, Trump fired Christopher Krebs, the director of the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election and had pushed back on the president’s baseless claims of voter fraud. Yet, despite all of Trump’s machinations, it is extremely unlikely he can find a way to stay in power or stage a coup. Here’s why: The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and nearly every state uses the statewide popular vote to allocate its electors. Biden is projected to win far more than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president. His victory doesn’t hinge on one state and he has probably insurmountable leads in Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona. There is a long-shot legal theory, floated by Republicans before the election, that Republican-friendly legislatures in places such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could ignore the popular vote in their states and appoint their own electors. Federal law allows legislatures to do this if states have “failed to make a choice” by the day the electoral college meets. But there is no evidence of systemic fraud of wrongdoing in any state and Biden’s commanding margins in these places make it clear that the states have in fact made a choice.“If the country continues to follow the rule of law, I see no plausible constitutional path forward for Trump to remain as president barring new evidence of some massive failure of the election system in multiple states,” Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in elections, wrote in an email. “It would be a naked, antidemocratic power grab to try to use state legislatures to get around the voters’ choice and I don’t expect it to happen.” For lawmakers in a single state to choose to override the clear will of its voters this way would be extraordinary and probably cause a huge outcry. For Trump to win the electoral college, several states would have to take this extraordinary step, a move that would cause extreme backlash and a real crisis of democracy throughout the country.
The pandemic and Trump’s plots - Three events over the past three days cast light on the character of Trump’s post-election plots and the social and economic interests driving them. First, on Friday, reports were published in the media of an emergency meeting involving the CEOs of major American corporations in the early morning of November 6, three days after the election, to discuss Trump’s claim that he had won. According to the press reports, the meeting included the executives of Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Goldman Sachs and other Fortune 500 companies. One account published by the Financial Times (FT) over the weekend stated that the meeting “opened on a dark note, with a warning about the possibility of a ‘coup d’état’ from Timothy Snyder, the Yale historian and author of On Tyranny, who told the business leaders that democracies were almost always overthrown from the inside.” The meeting, held at 7:00 in the morning, demonstrates how seriously the possibility of a post-election coup by Trump to remain in power is being discussed in ruling circles. Many executives, according to the FT, resolved to back Biden out of concern that Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the election risked a social explosion. The FT quotes Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who organized the call, as stating that “there was great concern” that Trump’s response to the election “was leading to more cleavage in the country rather than less… They don’t want hostile workplaces.” Significantly, one of the most powerful representatives of financial capital, Stephen Schwarzman, the founder of hedge fund Blackstone, defended Trump. “Mr. Schwarzman,” the FT reported, “a Republican donor who has been one of Mr Trump’s most energetic supporters on Wall Street, sought to assuage such fears [of a coup], saying the president was within his rights to challenge election results and forecasting that the legal process would take its course.” The second event also came on Friday, when Trump made his first public remarks since the election at an event organized to claim credit for progress in the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Trump focused his remarks on the insistence that, as the pandemic is spiraling completely out of control and the death toll is rising, he will oppose any measures to stop the spread of the virus. “This administration will not be going to a lockdown,” Trump said. “Time will tell” who is in office after January 20, Trump said, “but I can tell you, this administration will not go to a lockdown… The cure cannot be … worse than the problem itself.” Trump connected this position directly to the rise on the stock markets. “I see the stock market’s up almost 400 points today again, and it’s ready to break the all-time record,” he said.
The New Coup Attempt - OK, I thought that the collapse of Trump’s lawsuits and the flight of his top lawyers was going to do in his coup attempt. But we now see a far more desperate effort going on, although with Trump still trying to stay at least marginally within legal boundaries, although not by much, and clearly trying every single thing he can do to block Biden’s victory. It is getting down to blocking certification of results in enough states so that even if he cannot get legislatures to approve pro-Trump electors, highly unlikely as illegal in all the swing states actually, but to have the situation undecided so that nobody goes from enough states so that when Electoral College votes on Dec. 14, Biden falls short of the necessary 270, which would then throw it to the House of Representatives, where Trump would win because a majority of the states have majority GOP representation, and the voting is by state. The last time the House determined the outcome was in 1824, when second-place John Quincy Adams defeated first place in both popular and electoral votes, Andrew Jackson, as Henry Clay threw his support to Adams in return for being appointed Secretary of State. The sign of how desperate Trump has become is that even though GOP Sec of State in Georgia Raffensperger has certified that Biden won Georgia, in the face of calls for his resignation and death threats, that needs to be signed by the GOP Governor Kemp, whom apparently Trump is calling and pressuring not to sign off, again, the effort to simply have things unresolved as of Dec. 14. Needless to say, the conspiracy theory pushed by Guiliani and Sidney Powell in yesterday’s insane press conference is completely off the wall, that there has been a nationwide conspiracy to use Dominion machines to add votes for Biden in certain major cities, with the program coming from Venezuela via some Antifa people where it was written originally to help keep Hugo Chavez in power. Wow. But only two GOP senators have stepped forward to denounce this nonsense: Romney and Sasse, with supposedly 70% of GOP voters still buying the story that the election was “stolen” from Trump, with this wild Venezuela theory the latest to support that, even as nearly all the legal cases have collapsed due to a total lack of any evidence.
Facebook censors IYSSE online meeting about Trump coup threat - An online meeting being hosted jointly by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University was blocked from being posted as an event page by Facebook on Monday. The virtual meeting, planned for Thursday, Nov. 19 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., is titled “Trump’s Electoral Coup and the Threat of Dictatorship.” When members of the IYSSE attempted to schedule the meeting as a Facebook event, they were blocked and a notice came up with the following message: “The event has been removed because it goes against our Community Standards. Go to your Support Inbox to learn more.” No further explanation of how the meeting violated Facebook’s community standards was provided. There was also no additional information in the Facebook account support inbox, as stated in the message. [Image: Facebook censorship of IYSSE event page] That the blocking of the event was an act of political censorship by Facebook—either by means of artificial intelligence or a human monitor—is proven by the fact that when the organizers changed the event to the generic title “IYSSE Meeting,” the warning message disappeared and the event was scheduled without any problems. The Facebook censorship against the IYSSE is an example of how the unprecedented suppression of political speech that was rolled out by the social media platforms prior to Nov. 3 has been intensified in the two weeks since the 2020 US elections.
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters condemns Twitter’s suspension of IYSSE account - Last week Twitter suspended the account of the US International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth and student group associated with the Socialist Equality Party. After a week, the account remains blocked with its posts and masthead invisible to its readers. The censoring of the IYSSE, at a time of growing interest in a genuine socialist perspective among young people has been met with an outcry and statements of protest across the United States and internationally. Roger Waters, the famed musician and co-founder of Pink Floyd, posted on his social media accounts Sunday, “Twitter has banned the International Youth and Students for Social Equality [IYSSE]. It is critical that people are informed of this effort to censor them.” In a reference to Jack Dorsey, the billionaire CEO of Twitter and Square, Waters concluded, “WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID of @JACK?” The text accompanied a photo of himself with tape over his mouth reading “Twitter.” His combined posts on Twitter and Instagram have received over 75,000 likes at the time of writing.
Establishment Elites, MSM Think Parler Is A "Threat To Democracy" Because Libertarians, Conservatives Get To Freely Post -After years of being censored on Facebook and Twitter, conservatives, libertarians, and other fans of free speech are making a mass exodus to new platforms. One that has really taken off since the election is Parler, which has been the most downloaded app in the country over the past two weeks.Unsurprisingly, the mainstream media and left-wing extremists are outraged. How dare the people who have been censored, deplatformed, and shut down on their social media sites move to a site that promises not to treat them like pariahs? (By the way, you can find me on Parler here: @daisyluther ) They go as far as to say it’s a “threat to democracy” because libertarians and conservatives get to post. I mean, seriously, we can’t be letting conservatives and libertarians post their opinions all willy-nilly, right? What will happen without the “fact-checkers?” Why on earth WOULDN’T people go to a different network?Personally, I haven’t had access to my own Facebook pages for more than a year and won’t unless I send them photos of my passport, a utility bill, and other identifying information – because they didn’t think my driver’s license was sufficient. As well, I voluntarily archived my thriving preparedness groups because of the threat of losing both my groups, my own personal account, and the accounts of all my moderators if we let through a post of which Facebook disapproved. I wrote more about it here.And remember when Twitter shut down Zero Hedge’s account for posting something about the coronavirus they deemed as misinformation that was later proven to be true? And how they put warnings on nearly anything the President posts? And how conservative and libertarian websites are being demonetized?I invite you to try posting anything on standard social media that questions vaccines, the outcome of the election, the COVID lockdowns, or is pro-gun. I’ll see you in Facebook jail.
Trump COVID Adviser: "The Only Way This Stops Is If People Rise Up" - Dr. Scott Atlas, a leading member of President Trump’s coronavirus task force, announced Sunday that “The only way this stops is if people rise up.” Atlas was responding to the decree of a new lockdown by Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Atlas tweeted out a thread with Whitmer’s announcement, and a graphic made by The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services highlighting what will be allowed to remain open and what will be forced to closed. Atlas encouraged people of Michigan to “rise up”, and added “You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp”: Leftists immediately accused the doctor of encouraging violence, and ‘endangering’ Whitmer’s life: Scott atlas has blood on his hands — ConcernedCitizenUSA (@bitch_snarky) November 15, 2020 Oh my f'ing god.... are you kidding me? Are you trying to make the calls for violence louder? Be a leader! — TRW (@TravisWarren8) November 15, 2020 Atlas clarified that he never endorsed violence of any sort:Hey. I NEVER was talking at all about violence. People vote, people peacefully protest. NEVER would I endorse or incite violence. NEVER!! https://t.co/LljvwMvjDV — Scott W. Atlas (@SWAtlasHoover) November 16, 2020 Whitmer responded to Atlas during an interview with CNN, stating “We know that the White House likes to single us out here in Michigan — me out in particular. I’m not gonna be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.”
Trump adviser calls for people to “rise up” against coronavirus restrictions - Less than two months after a fascist plot to kidnap and murder Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was broken up by state police and the FBI, a top White House aide has called on the people of Michigan to “rise up” against the Democratic governor. Dr. Scott Atlas, a leader of Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force, made the comments Sunday night on Twitter after Whitmer unveiled new public health measures against an upsurge of the pandemic. These included a three-week closure of bars, restaurants and other indoor gathering places, an end to in-person classes in high schools, and other restrictions. “The only way this stops is if people rise up,” Atlas tweeted. “You get what you accept.” Atlas was elevated by Trump as his top public health adviser, despite having no expertise in this area. He is a radiologist turned health policy commentator for the right-wing Hoover Institution. In calling for people to “rise up” against Whitmer, Atlas is well aware that he is echoing the language of the fascist militia gunmen who were arrested in September after they had staked out Whitmer’s vacation home, planning to kidnap the governor, put her on trial for supposed tyranny because of a previous coronavirus lockdown, and then execute her. He was also mimicking the tweets of Trump himself, who called on supporters to “liberate Michigan” after the earlier Whitmer executive orders closed schools, bars and restaurants during the first phase of the pandemic, which hit Michigan particularly hard.
'It's Even Worse on Video': Trump Adviser Welcomes Killing Loved Ones With Covid-19 as This May Be 'Their Final Thanksgiving' Anyway In his latest anti-science appeal to Americans, White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday night called on families to ignore the guidance of public health experts who say the holiday season should not include indoor gatherings—suggesting to Fox News that families should take the risk even for elderly or sick relatives this Thanksgiving because they will no longer be alive next year. "This kind of isolation is one of the unspoken tragedies of the elderly who are now being told, 'Don't see your family at Thanksgiving,'" Atlas, who has no public health expertise, told Fox host Martha MacCallum. "For many people this is their final Thanksgiving, believe it or not. What are we doing here?" Stanford University, where Atlas was a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution before joining President Donald Trump's coronavirus team, promptly distanced itself from the doctor's comments, while political observers expressed shock on social media. Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall wrote that for many Americans it will be their last Thanksgiving "because they're attending Thanksgiving." Protecting the elderly from Covid-19 is one of the main reasons infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and other officials have called on Americans to skip indoor family gatherings and traveling this year. Last week he advised Americans to wear face coverings at any gatherings they do have if they don't know the Covid-19 status of all attendees. Meanwhile, Atlas has falsely stated that face masks don't reduce transmission of Covid-19 and is a proponent of the U.S. government taking a "herd immunity" approach to the pandemic—encouraging people who are relatively young and healthy to go about their daily lives with no regard for mask-wearing, social distancing, or the existence of a virus that's killed more than 246,000 people in the U.S. this year, while using unspecified methods to separate them from people who are elderly or at high risk for severe Covid-19 infections. The "herd immunity" approach, euphemistically rebranded as "focused protection" by some proponents, has been denounced as "fringe" by seasoned public health officials.
Stanford faculty condemn Scott Atlas for 'view of COVID-19 that contradicts medical science' --Stanford University faculty on Thursday condemned the recent actions of Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the school's Hoover Institution who has been advising President Trump on coronavirus issues.A resolution introduced in the Faculty Senate passed with 85 percent of the vote. The resolution specified six actions that Atlas has taken that “promote a view of COVID-19 that contradicts medical science.""We call on university leadership to forcefully disavow Atlas’s actions as objectionable on the basis of the university’s core values and at odds with our own policies and guidelines concerning COVID-19 and campus life," the resolution said.Actions cited by the faculty include: misrepresenting knowledge and opinion regarding the management of pandemics, discouraging the use of masks and other protective measures, endangering citizens and public officials, and showing disdain for established medical knowledge.The Stanford resolution also specifically singled out a tweet from Atlas that called on the people of Michigan to "rise up" against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D) new public health measures. Atlas later clarified he was not trying to promote violence, but federal authorities earlier this year said they intercepted a plot by domestic terrorists in Michigan to kidnap Whitmer and bring her to a remote location outside the state to have her "stand trial" for the "crimes" they believed she had committed against citizens of the state and their freedoms. The resolution is the latest attempt by members of the university to distance themselves from Atlas, who is a neuroradiologist with no training in infectious diseases. In a statement issued Monday, the school said the views of Atlas are "inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic." According to the daily campus newsletter Stanford Report, Atlas was also criticized during the faculty senate meeting by Condoleezza Rice, the director of the Hoover Institution and former secretary of State under President George W. Bush. According to the Report, Rice called his tweet about Michigan “offensive and well beyond the boundaries of what is appropriate for someone in a position of authority, such as the one he holds.” Atlas joined the White House coronavirus task force over the summer after making numerous appearances on Fox News.
Michigan Republican announces positive coronavirus test -Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg (R) will self-isolate at home after testing positive for the coronavirus, he said in a statement Monday. Walberg, who represents Michigan's 7th Congressional District, said he was experiencing "mild" symptoms of the virus and would continue to work from home until he recovered. "I am appreciative of people's prayers and well-wishes," he added. France appears to have 'passed the peak' of second surge, health... House launches new COVID-19 testing program Michigan is facing a surge in new coronavirus cases experts say has been brought on by the fall weather bringing people indoors. The state recorded more than 9,000 newly confirmed infections in a single day for the first time earlier in November. More than 3,200 people are hospitalized with the virus across the state, a more than 100 percent increase over the last two weeks. The state moved Sunday to limit bars and restaurants to outdoor dining and moved college and high school classes to remote-only learning, while also implementing other restrictions on public life and businesses.
Bustos tests positive for COVID-19 --Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced on Monday she tested positive for COVID-19. The Illinois Democrat said she was tested after experiencing mild symptoms and will quarantine while working remotely. “I have tested positive for the COVID virus. I am experiencing mild symptoms but still feel well. I have been in contact with my medical provider and, per CDC guidance, am self-isolating. Consistent with medical advice, I will be working remotely from my home in Illinois until cleared by my physician. All individuals that I had been in contact with have been notified,” she tweeted. “Across the country and the Congressional District I serve, COVID case numbers are skyrocketing. We must all continue to be vigilant in following public health best practices: wear a mask, practice social distancing, get your flu shot and wash your hands," she added. "The only way we will get this pandemic under control is by working together.” In addition to Bustos, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) also announced on Monday he has tested positive for coronavirus.
House launches new COVID-19 testing program - The Capitol’s attending physician launched a new COVID-19 testing program for House lawmakers and staffers on Monday as many of them return to Washington for the first time since the election. Testing will not be mandatory. But Brian Monahan said he was issuing new coronavirus protocols in the Capitol due to a rapid rise in cases throughout the country and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) week-old order requiring people to get tested before and after they travel to the nation’s capital. “The overall direction to travelers is to obtain a COVID 19 test prior to traveling to Washington, DC, and obtain a second COVID 19 test, 3 to 5 days after your arrival. My office will provide your post arrival test,” Monahan wrote to lawmakers and staff Sunday night. “As a critical infrastructure worker, you may conduct your official business immediately on arrival in the District of Columbia.” Congressional spouses and children, who are not essential workers, are not eligible for the free testing in the Capitol and will need to be tested at regional testing sites, Monahan wrote. They also will need to quarantine during the period between their pre-travel COVID-19 test and their post-travel test in D.C. The testing program comes amid a spike in coronavirus cases nationwide as Americans have begun to relax their social-distancing habits and are spending more time indoors as the fall weather turns cooler. There were more than 135,000 new cases reported on Sunday, down from a record 181,000 cases two days earlier. Lawmakers and medical experts have been particularly concerned about a potential outbreak in the Capitol since many members travel — by air or rail — back and forth between their districts and Washington each week. There have already been several outbreaks in the White House, sickening the first family; chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former House member; press secretary Kayleigh McEnany; and other top staffers and Cabinet members. In the House, at least 20 lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to NPR's congressional COVID-19 tracker. The latest to come down with the coronavirus is 87-year-old Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the oldest member of Congress and the longest serving in the House. Rep.-elect Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), who flipped a Democratic seat in the Nov. 3 election, also has tested positive and is quarantining back home. On Monday, Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said he was quarantining at home after he spent two hours in the car with his 91-year-old mother, who later tested positive. Later in the day, two other Midwesterners, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), the head of the Democrats' campaign arm, said they had tested positive for COVID-19.
Senators clash on the floor over wearing masks: 'I don't need your instruction' - Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) quarreled on Monday over the necessity of wearing masks while on the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave the floor over to Brown, who opened his remarks by calling for Sullivan to wear a mask as a coronavirus prevention measure. “I'd start by asking the presiding officer to please wear a mask, as he speaks and people below him or, I can't tell you what to do but I know that," he said before getting cut off. Sullivan interjected, “I don’t wear a mask when I’m speaking like most senators. I don't need your instruction.” “I know you don't need my instruction but there clearly isn't much interest in this body in public health,” replied Brown. “We have a president who hasn't shown up at the coronavirus task force meeting in months. We have a majority leader that calls us back here to vote on an unqualified nominee.” Brown was referring to reports that President Trump has not attended a COVID-19 task force meeting in at least five months. Admiral Brett Giroir, a member of the task force, confirmed the reports on Sunday, saying he was “not concerned” that Trump was no longer personally attending the meetings. The Ohio senator continued his denunciation of the GOP senators by bringing up the staffers present. “At the same time to vote for judge after judge after judge, exposing all the people who can't say anything. I understand the people in front of you and the presiding officer and expose all the staff here,” he said.
Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus (AP) — Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, said Tuesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley, 87, had announced earlier Tuesday that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and was waiting for test results. On Tuesday evening, he tweeted that he had tested positive.“I’ll b following my doctors’ orders/CDC guidelines & continue to quarantine. I’m feeling good + will keep up on my work for the ppl of Iowa from home,” he tweeted. The Iowa Republican, who was in the Senate and voting on Monday, did not say how he had been exposed. His office said that he was not experiencing any symptoms and was isolating in his Virginia home.The announcement from one of the Senate’s most prominent members — and one of its oldest — underscored concerns across the Capitol about the safety of lawmakers, staff and other workers in the sprawling complex as cases have spiked across the country and members have traveled back and forth from their states. At least three members of the House have tested positive in the last week, and several more are quarantining.The increase in cases also threatens the progress of legislation and other work as the Republican Senate, in particular, tries to wrap up business in the remaining weeks of President Donald Trump’s term. Grassley’s absence on Tuesday helped Democrats block the nomination of Judy Shelton, Trump’s controversial pick for the Federal Reserve. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was also absent as he is in quarantine after an exposure.Grassley is the president pro tempore of the Senate, meaning he presides over the chamber in the absence of Vice President Mike Pence and is third in line for the presidency, behind Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The president pro tempore is the senator in the majority party who has served the longest, and Grassley has been a senator for 40 years.As pro tempore, Grassley opens the Senate each day. He did so on Monday, leading the Pledge of Allegiance alongside others on the floor and then giving remarks without wearing a mask. He also joined other senators on the floor later Monday evening for a procedural vote on a federal judge, that time wearing a mask but speaking to several senators at close distance.In his remarks, Grassley said it was “more important than ever to stop the surge” of the virus around the country and the world. “This virus is hitting rural and urban areas alike,” Grassley said. “No community is immune. I ask every Iowan to continue to do their part to keep their family and neighbors safe.”Although he was not wearing a mask while he spoke, Grassley encouraged Americans to “wash your hands, limit your activity outside your household, social distance, wear a mask.” Grassley also attended leadership meetings with other Republican senators on Monday, according to Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, another member of GOP leadership. Blunt told reporters Tuesday evening that he “was like 12 feet away” from Grassley in the meeting, which he said was in a large room.
Colorado Democrat Ed Perlmutter tests positive for coronavirus - Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D) announced Tuesday that he’s tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the latest House lawmaker to be diagnosed with the virus.Perlmutter said in a statement that he is currently asymptomatic and will isolate in his Washington apartment as he works remotely.“I’ve been taking precautions like so many Coloradans over the past eight months. This serves as an important reminder that this virus is highly contagious and should be taken seriously. As we enter the holiday season, I encourage everyone to continue to heed the warnings of no personal gatherings, social distancing, and wearing a mask,” he said. The Colorado Democrat marks just the latest in a string of dozens of lawmakers who have been infected with the coronavirus. Earlier on Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced he had tested positive. Others who have been diagnosed with the virus include Reps. Don Young (R-Ala.), Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Ben McAdams (D-Utah), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Tim Walberg (D-Mich.), along with GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.). Perlmutter’s diagnosis comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country. The Capitol’s attending physician launched a new testing program for members and staff on Monday amid the surge to try to ensure that a building that houses employees who travel across the district and country is not ravaged by a related flood of infections.
Sen. Rick Scott tests positive for Covid, says he has mild symptoms - Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Friday he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is working from home until he can safely return to Washington. Scott, 67, is the second Republican senator in a week to test positive for Covid-19: 87-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced his own diagnosis three days earlier. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate. Just a week earlier, Scott had campaigned in Georgia for GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both of whom face runoff elections in January that could determine which party controls the Senate. During that trip, Scott appeared in a crowded restaurant and spoke without wearing a mask before a crowd in which mask-wearing was reportedly minimal. Despite his own recent actions, Scott in a pair of tweets urged Americans to "do the right things" to protect each other from contracting the virus, such as wearing a mask and maintaining a safe social distance. "After several negative tests, I learned I was positive for COVID-19 this AM. I'm feeling good & experiencing very mild symptoms," Scott tweeted. "I'll be working from home until it's safe for me to return to DC. I remind everyone to be careful & do the right things to protect yourselves & others." "Wear a mask. Socially distance. Quarantine if you come in contact with someone positive like I did," Scott added. "We will beat this together, but we all must be responsible. I want to thank all the incredible health care workers who are working around the clock to care for patients." In the House, 87-year-old Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska announced last week he was being treated for Covid and is working from home. He was just re-elected to his 25th term.
Donald Trump Jr. tests positive for COVID-19 -Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, a spokesman confirmed to The Hill on Friday. The spokesperson said in a statement that Trump Jr. tested positive “at the start of the week” and has been quarantining. He’s been asymptomatic since his diagnosis and is “following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines.” Trump Jr. is just the latest person in the president's orbit to be infected by the coronavirus. News of his diagnosis came hours after Andrew Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani’s son and a White House staffer, announced that he had tested positive for the virus. The White House has already faced a number of outbreaks since the start of the pandemic, with the president, the first lady, the press secretary, the chiefs of staff to both the president and the vice president and senior advisers Stephen Miller and Hope Hicks, among others, contracting the virus at different times. The newest diagnoses come amid an alarming national spike in cases. The number of new cases reported each day routinely surpasses 150,000, and the U.S. tallied 2,015 new coronavirus deaths Thursday, marking the first time the country has hit more than 2,000 daily deaths since May. Experts have warned that the latest outbreak could be exacerbated during the coming winter months when social events move to indoor settings where the virus can be more easily spread.Trump Jr., echoing language used by other allies of the president, has downplayed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak, saying late last month that deaths are “almost nothing.” “We’ve gotten control of this, we understand how it works, they have the therapeutics to be able to deal with this,” he said on Fox News shortly before the election.
Ben Carson says he's 'out of the woods' after being 'extremely sick' with COVID-19 -- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said Friday he is feeling better after what appeared to be a serious bout of the coronavirus. In a Facebook post, Carson, who is a medical doctor, said he believes he is “out of the woods” after being “extremely sick” with the highly infectious virus, and that he believes an experimental treatment he took saved his life. “I was extremely sick and initially took Oleander 4X with dramatic improvement. However, I have several co-morbidities and after a brief period when I only experienced minor discomfort, the symptoms accelerated and I became desperately ill. President Trump was following my condition and cleared me for the monoclonal antibody therapy that he had previously received, which I am convinced saved my life,” he wrote, referring to a treatment that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor is a proven COVID-19 therapeutic. “President Trump, the fabulous White House medical team, and the phenomenal doctors at Walter Reed have been paying very close attention to my health and I do believe I am out of the woods at this point,” he added. “I am hopeful that we can stop playing politics with medicine and instead combine our efforts and goodwill for the good of all people.” Carson, 69, first announced earlier this month that he’d tested positive for the coronavirus. It was not immediately clear which monoclonal antibody treatment Carson received or if he received Regeneron’s experimental antibody treatment that Trump received when he had his own battle with the coronavirus.
52-year-old guardsman is military's 11th COVID-19 death - A 52-year-old Hawaii National Guardsman has died from COVID-19, marking the military’s 11th death from the disease. The Hawaii National Guard announced the death earlier this week, but the Pentagon first noted it in Friday’s update of the online chart the department maintains of coronavirus cases. “Sadly, the Hawaii National Guard lost a member of our ‘ohana and our heartfelt condolences and thoughts of Aloha are with the family and friends during this very difficult time,” Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, said in a news release this week. “This personal loss reminds us that Hawaii needs everyone to comply with safe practices to prevent further spread of this deadly disease.” The airman, who was also a part-time reservist assigned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, died Sunday after testing positive for the virus days earlier, according to the release. The death is the fourth from the National Guard. Additionally, six reservists have died from the disease. One active-duty service member has died from the coronavirus: Navy Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., a 41-year-old aviation ordnanceman. He died in April after being one of more than 1,000 sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier who contracted the virus. The Pentagon has seen a spike in virus cases in recent weeks in line with the national surge of the pandemic. Tuesday saw the military’s biggest one-day increase in cases since the start of the pandemic, with 1,314 new cases, according to CNN. The virus has also hit the upper echelons of Pentagon leadership again. The department announced Thursday night that newly installed acting policy chief Anthony Tata has tested positive for the virus. He participated in meetings last week with Lithuania’s defense minister, who also tested positive.
Dr. Fauci Warns US Likely To Cancel Christmas, Hints That Masks & Social Distancing Are Here To Stay - Across the US, millions of Americans are planning on scaled-back Thanksgiving dinners, with only members of their immediate family "bubbles" invited. Mayors of some of America's large cities, along with the governors of California, Oregon and Washington State, have asked residents to limit travel over the holidays.As angst about the spoiled Thanksgiving holiday simmers, Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged Sunday during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" that American families should probably prepare to skip Christmas dinner, too. While Dr. Fauci has repeatedly praised Pfizer and Moderna, and assured the American public that the FDA's first vaccine emergency-use authorization could be handed down within days, he cautioned during Sunday's interview that people should continue to wear masks and observe social distancing even after they've been vaccinated. It's just the latest unsettling hint that social distancing requirements could be here to stay. "I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you’ve been vaccinated,” Fauci said during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union. "Because even though for the general population it might be 90% to 95% effective, you don’t necessarily know for you how effective it is." Later in the interview, Dr. Fauci agreed, with some trepidation, with Jake Tapper's assessment that Christmas "is probably not going to be possible." Dr. Fauci responded that people "can't abandon fundamental public health measures" until the vaccine has been somewhat widely distributed. That might not be until the second or third quarter of next year. As the interview turned toward the "models" calling for massive numbers of COVID-19 deaths over the winter, Dr. Fauci claimed that calls for another 200,000 deaths in the US over the coming 4 months (a rate many times higher than where we are currently) could come to pass if people don't obey new COVID-19 restrictions (exactly what he said last time). At this time, Dr. Fauci said that while a national lockdown doesn't seem to be imminent, if the situation continues to worsen, anything might be possible.
As US COVID-19 cases top 11 million, Biden aides reject new lockdown to save lives - The United States passed 11 million coronavirus cases Sunday, according to the most widely used tracker, from Johns Hopkins University. The grim milestone came amid warnings from public health authorities that the death toll, now nearing 250,000, could hit half a million by the spring. In state after state, governors have been compelled to issue emergency orders for the partial or complete shutdown of bars, restaurants, gyms and other facilities where people congregate. Michigan shut down all high school sports for three weeks and issued the strongest warnings against large gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday. One sphere, however, was entirely exempt from such restrictions: major corporate workplaces, including factories, warehouses and office buildings, where hundreds or thousands of workers are crammed together in defiance of social distancing and other public health considerations. The scale of the pandemic is far greater than it was last spring. According to Johns Hopkins, 45 states showed week-to-week increases in the number of infections, in contrast to the handful of states worst hit in March and April and the band of states across the South and Southwest that were the focal point during the summer. Every region of the country is affected, although the worst-hit states are now in the northern plains and upper Midwest—the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as Michigan. The most dangerous aspect of the new upsurge is the strain being placed on health care facilities. According to the COVID Tracking Project, there were a record 69,455 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Saturday, with the figure expected to hit 70,000 within days. In many areas, some urban, some rural, every available hospital bed has been filled with a coronavirus patient. As cases mount, necessary facilities will become unavailable and patients will begin dying in hallways, in emergency rooms, in ambulances and in their homes. All these strains will be compounded by the onset of the annual influenza season, which caused about 400,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths last year. The response of the Trump administration to the pandemic has been one of willful neglect, now openly proclaimed as the program of “herd immunity,” allowing the infection to run wild through the population while rejecting any public health measures that would impact corporate profits. But Biden is no more willing to impose burdens on corporate America than Trump. The members of his coronavirus task force, established last week, have made it clear that Biden rejects a lockdown of the economy, the only action that would prevent a winter of devastating death and illness while work on the development, production and distribution of a vaccine continued.
Biden, Pence both reject lockdowns to save lives as coronavirus pandemic explodes - At press conferences held only minutes apart Thursday afternoon, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence each flatly rejected any possibility of a lockdown of the US economy to save lives, despite the impending catastrophe from the coronavirus pandemic. The twin statements amounted to a joint, bipartisan declaration that hundreds of thousands of Americans must die rather than sacrificing the profits of Wall Street and giant corporations, which demand that workers stay on the job no matter how hazardous the workplace has become as COVID-19 spreads uncontrollably in virtually every American state. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden meets with residents of Kenosha at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Pence’s statement was merely the reiteration of the longstanding policy of the Trump administration. He appeared at the first public briefing by the White House coronavirus task force in many months, only in order to make it emphatically clear that there was no change in Trump’s policy of back-to-work and back-to-school. The timing of the press conference seemed to be determined by the announcement the day before that schools in New York City, the largest US school district, would end in-person instruction and revert to online instruction only because of a sharp increase in the positivity rate in COVID-19 tests administered to city residents. Pence declared that the policy of the Trump administration remained that all schools should reopen for in-person instruction, even though this will mean a horrific toll in disease and death among teachers, students and school workers. The Biden statement had more political consequence, since it was a declaration by what is still expected, by the media and corporate America, to be the next administration, one which was elected in large measure because of popular outrage over the indifference and callousness evinced in Trump’s handling of the pandemic. Biden was therefore at pains to demonstrate that he would be as obedient a servant of big business as Trump, so that there would be no reason for the financial aristocracy to seek to overturn Biden’s clear-cut victory in the Electoral College and the popular vote. Appearing side-by-side with his running mate Kamala Harris, Biden offered his usual mixture of vague and mushy responses to questions about economic policy, the transition process and Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. But on the lockdown question he was categorical and definitive. After an hour-long video conference with 10 Democratic and Republican state governors, largely dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Biden first acknowledged that the United States had reached “another tragic milestone, 250,000 deaths,” and the vast suffering this has caused. Biden then offered the victims of the pandemic only his prayers, while praising the governors for their bipartisan efforts to encourage mask wearing and restrict venues like bars and restaurants.
Sirota says possible Biden pick could raise prospect of Social Security cuts - David Sirota, Jacobin editor-at-large and founder of The Daily Poster, said Friday that if President-elect Joe Biden names top campaign adviser and deficit hawk Bruce Reed as head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), it could suggest that the administration would be "open to cutting programs like Social Security."Reed, who served as Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president, is a reportedcontender to lead OMB once Biden moves into the White House in January. Reed previously served as chief domestic policy adviser under former President Clinton, where he oversaw policies on education, crime and welfare reform.Sirota, a former senior adviser on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) presidential campaign, noted on Hill.TV's "Rising" that Sanders frequently highlighted Biden’s support in the 1990s for reducing funding for Social Security and other programs in order to lower the federal budget deficit.“Maybe he has changed,” Sirota said of Biden, while adding that a Reed appointment “would suggest that maybe he hasn’t changed.”"Bruce Reed is somebody who was part of that movement back in the 1990s and, frankly, into the more modern era of the 2000s and 2010s,” Sirota said. Biden has proposed various changes as president to try to shore up Social Security and extend the program's solvency, and has floated Social Security payroll taxes on those making over $400,000 to pay for the changes.
The Other America: The New Politics of the Poor in Joe Biden’s (and Mitch McConnell’s) USA --In the two weeks since Election 2020, the country has oscillated between joy and anger, hope and dread in an era of polarization sharpened by the forces of racism, nativism, and hate. Still, truth be told, though the divisive tone of this moment may only be sharpening, division in the United States of America is not a new phenomenon. Over the past days, I’ve found myself returning to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who, in 1967, just a year before his own assassination, gave a speech prophetically entitled “The Other America” in which he vividly described a reality that feels all too of this moment rather than that one: “There are literally two Americas. One America is beautiful… and overflowing with the milk of prosperity and the honey of opportunity. This America is the habitat of millions of people who have food and material necessities for their bodies; and culture and education for their minds; and freedom and human dignity for their spirits…“But tragically and unfortunately, there is another America. This other America has a daily ugliness about it that constantly transforms the ebulliency of hope into the fatigue of despair. In this America millions of work-starved men walk the streets daily in search for jobs that do not exist. In this America millions of people find themselves living in rat-infested, vermin-filled slums. In this America people are poor by the millions. They find themselves perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”. Today, in the early winter of an uncurbed pandemic and the economic crisis that accompanies it, there are 140 million poor or low-income Americans, disproportionately people of color, but reaching into every community in this country: 24 million Blacks, 38 million Latinos, eight million Asians, two million Native peoples, and 66 million whites. More than a third of the potential electorate, in other words, has been relegated to poverty and precariousness and yet how little of the political discourse in recent elections was directed at those who were poor or one storm, fire, job loss, eviction, or healthcare crisis away from poverty and economic chaos. In the distorted mirror of public policy, those 140 million people have remained essentially invisible. As in the 1960s and other times in our history, however, the poor are no longer waiting for recognition from Washington. Instead, every indication is that they’re beginning to organize themselves, taking decisive action to alter the scales of political power.
‘The Real Looting in America Is the Walton Family’: GAO Report Details How Taxpayers Subsidize Cruel Low Wages of Corporate Giants - Pinpointing a reality denounced as “morally obscene” by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a new government study shows how some of the nation’s largest and most profitable corporations—including Walmart, McDonald’s, Dollar General, and Amazon—feast upon taxpayer money by paying their employees such low wages that huge numbers of those workers throughout the year are forced to rely on public assistance programs such as Medicaid and food assistance just to keep themselves and their families afloat. According to a statement from Sanders’ office, the study he commissioned the Government Accountability Office to carry out—titled “Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs“—found that an estimated 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits. In addition, an estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018.Upon the study’s release Wednesday, Warren Gunnels, staff director and policy adviser for Sen. Sanders, tweeted: “The real looting in America is the Walton family becoming $63 billion richer during a pandemic, while paying wages so low that 14,541 of their workers in 9 states need food stamps—all subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. Yes. The Walton family is the real welfare queen in America.”According to the Washington Post:, based on the GAO report:Walmart was one of the top four employers of SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries in every state. McDonald’s was in the top five of employers with employees receiving federal benefits in at least nine states.In the nine states that responded about SNAP benefits—Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Washington—Walmart was found to have employed about 14,500 workers receiving the benefit, followed by McDonald’s with 8,780, according to Sanders’s team. In six states that reported Medicaid enrollees, Walmart again topped the list, with 10,350 employees, followed by McDonald’s with 4,600.In Georgia, for example, Walmart employed an estimated 3,959 workers on Medicaid—an estimated 2.1 percent of the total of non-elderly, non-disabled people in the state receiving the benefit. McDonald’s was next on the list, employing 1,480 who received Medicaid, or 0.8 percent of the total of non-elderly, non-disabled people on the program.“ “At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald’s are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year, they’re relying on corporate welfare from the federal government by paying their workers starvation wages,” said Sanders in a statement. “That is morally obscene.”
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos congratulates Biden as the president-elect packs his transition teams with servants of the corporate oligarchy - Amazon oligarch and COVID-19 profiteer Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, congratulated president-elect Joe Biden following the declaration four days after the November 3 vote that Biden had won the US presidential election. “By voting in record numbers, the American people proved again that our democracy is strong.” This sentiment was echoed on November 7 by the Business Roundtable, including Bezos as well as the chief executives of Apple, Cisco, Microsoft and Salesforce. “Business Roundtable congratulates President-elect Biden on his election as 46th President of the United States. We look forward to working with the incoming Biden Administration and all federal and state policymakers.” Last week, Biden’s transition team posted the names and most recent employers of members of its agency review teams on the website buildbackbetter.org. Given the composition of these teams, it is easy to see why Bezos and his fellow oligarchs are in a congratulatory mood. Amazon will have not one, but two seats on the transition teams. Tom Sullivan, Amazon’s director of international tax planning, will sit on Biden’s Department of State team. In addition to Sullivan, Mark Schwartz, an “enterprise strategist” for Amazon Web Services, will serve on the extremely powerful Office of Management and Budget (OMB) team. The OMB oversees the $5 trillion federal budget and exerts influence across a broad range of federal regulatory frameworks. In addition to figures from Amazon, Nicole Isaac, senior director of North American policy at LinkedIn, will sit on the Department of Treasury team. Brandon Belford from Lyft will serve on the Office of Management and Budget team, along with Divya Kumaraiah from Airbnb. Shara Mohtadi of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which is funded by the donations of billionaire oligarch Michael R. Bloomberg, will sit on the Council on Environmental Quality. And no less than four individuals, serving in various capacities, are drawn from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is co-owned by Facebook oligarch Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.
Biden State Media Appointee Advocated Using Propaganda Against Americans - Richard Stengel, the top state media appointee for US President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team (namely, the official US Agency for Global Media), has enthusiastically defended the use of propaganda against Americans. "My old job at the State Department was what people used to joke as the chief propagandist," Stengel said in 2018. "I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, and they have to do it to their own population. And I don’t necessarily think it’s that awful." Richard "Rick" Stengel was the longest serving under-secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs in US history. At the State Department under President Barack Obama, Stengel boasted that he "started the only entity in government, non-classified entity, that combated Russian disinformation." That institution was known as the Global Engagement Center, and it amounted to a massive vehicle for advancing US government propaganda around the world. A committed crusader in what he openly describes as a global "information war," Stengel has proudly proclaimed his dedication to the carefully management of the public's access to information. Stengel has proposed "rethinking" the First Amendment that guarantees the freedom of speech and press. In 2018, he stated, "Having once been almost a First Amendment absolutist, I have really moved my position on it, because I just think for practical reasons in society, we have to kind of rethink some of those things." The Biden transition team’s selection of a censorial infowarrior for its top state media position comes as a concerted suppression campaign takes hold on social media. The wave of online censorship has been overseen by US intelligence agencies, the State Department, and Silicon Valley corporations that maintain multibillion-dollar contracts with the US government. As the state-backed censorship dragnet expands, independent media outlets increasingly find themselves in the crosshairs. In the past year, social media platforms have purged hundreds of accounts of foreign news publications, journalists, activists, and government officials from countries targeted by the United States for regime change. Stengel's appointment appears to be the clearest signal of a coming escalation by the Biden administration of the censorship and suppression of online media that is seen to threaten US imperatives abroad.
Justice Department attorney tells appeals court the government can kill US citizens without judicial review - On Monday, an attorney with the Justice Department asserted in federal appeals court in Washington D.C. that the government can kill US citizens without judicial review on the basis of the “state secrets” privilege.Attorney Bradley Hinshelwood was arguing before the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a case brought by Bilal Abdul Kareem, a US citizen, and Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan, a Pakistani-Syrian. The two journalists are challenging their placement on the US “kill list,” compiled by the government at least since the early years of the Obama administration, to carry out extrajudicial political assassinations.Kareem claims he was targeted for death by the US government while he was in Syria reporting on the civil war there. He says that his interviews with Al Qaeda-linked militants resulted in his being placed on the “kill list.” In June and August of 2016, he maintains, the US targeted him five times, including a drone strike involving a US-made Hellfire missile.The government has refused to release any information regarding the two journalists on grounds of national security and the “state secrets” privilege in relation to alleged national security questions. In 2019, the FBI denied a Freedom of Information Act from WSWS International Editorial Board chairman David North on similar state secrets grounds. The FBI declared that acknowledging whether it had records on North would threaten national security and foreign intelligence. The FBI also refused to admit or deny whether it placed North on any lists.During the hearing, Attorney Bradley Hinshelwood declared that the government had the power to target and kill alleged national security threats, including US citizens, and that planning or committing such acts was not reviewable by the courts.The bald assertion of the government’s unlimited “right” to murder its own citizens evidently stunned Circuit Judge Patricia Millett, part of a three-judge panel hearing the case. She asked Hinshelwood, “Do you appreciate how extraordinary that proposition is?” She went on to paraphrase his claim as giving the government the power to “unilaterally decide to kill US citizens.” Kareem says that soon after the assassination attempts, a Turkish source told him he had been placed on a US target list at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where American drones are launched.
Justice Dept. schedules three more inmate executions for Trump lame-duck period - The Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday announced the executions of three federal death row inmates, with each slated to occur before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Alfred Bourgeois, Cory Johnson and Dustin John Higgs, charged with murdering a child, killing seven people, and kidnapping and murdering three women, respectively, are slated to be put to death on three different dates in December and January. Higgs, convicted of offenses against three D.C. women in 1996, will now be executed on Jan. 15, just days before Biden will take office. United States Attorney General William J. Barr’s announcement comes in the wake of news regarding three other planned executions also slated for Trump’s lame-duck period. Romney on Trump election tactics: 'Difficult to imagine a worse, more... Congress can help music creators survive the pandemic by passing... The wave of scheduled executions demonstrates hesitancy over Biden’s declaration that he will reverse the Trump administration’s resumption of capital punishment once he takes over the Oval Office and incentivize states to halt their executions. Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center Robert Dunham said executions during a White House transition period are extremely unusual, according to The New York Times. The DOJ did not respond to The Hill’s previous request for comment over the planned executions.
Immigration Officials Ordered To Not Communicate With Biden Transition Team - Immigration officials have been ordered to not communicate with Joe Biden’s transition team until Trump formally recognizes a winner of the election. In internal emails obtained by Buzzfeed, a message was sent out last Thursday to a group of policy staffers at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) telling them not to work with the Biden team on a transfer of power plan. The Biden administration has already begun picking staffers, and have appointed Ur Jaddou, a former lead USCIS official, to head the team responsible for reviewing the Department of Homeland Security as part of the transition. However, Jaddou is unable to do anything or coordinate with anyone who is currently in office until Emily Murphy, a Trump-appointed administrator of the General Services Administration, writes a letter of “ascertainment” recognizing the outcome of the election. While the COVID-19 public health crisis and its impact on the U.S. economy will preoccupy President-elect Joe Biden during his first weeks in office, the incoming Democratic administration is also expected to quickly start dismantling Pres. Trump's immigration agenda.pic.twitter.com/lIPoBzembE — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 11, 2020 The message read: “I am providing the information below to clarify where things stand regarding a potential transition of administration. The GSA Administrator has not yet announced ascertainment of an apparent winner of the presidential election. She will not do so until she deems the results ‘clear.’ Until then, we all remain in a pre-election posture which [means] that there should not be any communication with the team.” The message went on to instruct all employees to avoid any contact with the Biden team until they are told to. Former ICE Director, Tom Homan, calls Biden’s plan to reverse @realDonaldTrump's immigration policies dangerous for the country. @foxandfriends pic.twitter.com/fFP8BjsrGB Biden has signaled that he intends to make sweeping changes to immigration. Biden reportedly plans to implement a 100-day deportations moratorium and restrict who can be arrested and deported by ICE. A source familiar with Biden’s plans said new guidance would be designed to curb so-called “collateral arrests.” The incoming Biden administration also hopes to reinstate an Obama-era program that allowed at-risk children in Central America to request refugee or parole status and reunite with their parents in the US. He also intends to increase the cap of refugees from 15,000 to 125,000.
SEC Chairman Jay Clayton To Step Down At End Of 2020, Paving Way For Biden's Pick -- SEC chairman Jay Clayton is stepping down at the end of 2020, despite his term not expiring until June of next year. The changing of the guard will take place around the same time incoming President-elect Biden is set to be inaugurated. Biden, who would have been poised to make changes at the agency anyway, has already hinted that Gary Gensler or Preet Bharara could be his first two choices to lead the SEC. In a prepared statement, Clayton said: "The U.S. capital markets ecosystem is the strongest and most nimble in the world, and thanks to the hard work of the diverse and inclusive SEC team, we have improved investor protections, promoted capital formation for small and larger businesses, and enabled our markets to function more transparently and efficiently." As the New York Times noted, while Clayton was often criticized for not being tough enough, the SEC pursued 3,152 enforcement actions during Clayton's tenure. This total eclipsed the number of actions brought with his predecessor, Mary Jo White, in office. Clayton's SEC also helped rollback regulation, according to the NYT, including:
- It loosened rules governing the independence of corporate auditors.
- It adopted a conduct standard for brokers that consumer advocates argued weakened protections.
- It proposed making most hedge funds exempt from publicly disclosing their stock holdings, which generated widespread opposition.
White House says it will nominate Brooks to be comptroller — Brian Brooks will be formally nominated to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the White House announced Tuesday night. Brooks, a former cryptocurrency lawyer who has led the agency in an acting capacity since May following the sudden resignation of former Comptroller Joseph Otting, would be the 32nd person in history to be confirmed to a five-year term leading the OCC. Yet it is still unclear if the Senate can vote quickly enough to confirm Brooks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office and the new congressional term takes effect in January. Even if Brooks is confirmed, it is unclear if he could stay on during the Biden administration. U.S. law states that that a comptroller serves a five-year term “unless sooner removed by the President." In a press release, Brooks said he would “work ceaselessly to ensure the agency continues to fulfill its critical mission and the men and women of this agency have the resources, training, [and] leadership they need to succeed in their duties." Before arriving at the OCC, Brooks served as chief legal office of Coinbase, a cryptocurrency custodian and exchange platform. Prior to that, he worked as an executive vice president and general counsel at Fannie Mae. Brooks also worked with Otting and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin at OneWest Bank in California. At the OCC, Brooks has been described by some as the country's first "fintech comptroller." In addition to pitching a national bank charter tailored to fintech payments companies, Brooks has also sought to promote the use of cryptocurrency and decentralized ledger technology among the nation's banks. He has also spearheaded an initiative to bring together community and business leaders to expand access to credit titled "Project REACh."
Trump’s 11th-hour pick to run OCC complicates Biden regulatory agenda— President Trump’s announcement that he picked acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks to fill the role on a permanent basis could complicate President-elect Joe Biden's bank regulatory agenda. It is still anyone's guess if the Senate, with just 16 calendar days left until the end of the term and more pressing matters on the docket, could confirm Brooks in time. And many legal experts agree that even if he is confirmed, Biden could fire Brooks after taking office and appoint a Democratic comptroller. But if the Senate can install a Republican-backed head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the twilight of the Trump administration, some say the Biden White House may be reluctant to remove him out of concern that GOP leaders will then block Biden nominees for the OCC and other positions. "To the extent that Trump regulators are able to outlast and eat into [Biden's] term, that helps defer any progressive new financial services regulatory policies," said Brandon Barford, a partner at Beacon Policy Advisors. With the OCC lacking a Senate-confirmed leader, the opening was seen as a way for the Biden administration to put its stamp on regulatory policy out of the gate. Many also predict the president-elect will try to replace the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following a Supreme Court decision making it easier to fire CFPB directors. But if Brooks is confirmed to a five-year term, Biden would take office with all the banking agencies led by a Trump-chosen, Senate-confirmed head, although the term of Federal Reserve Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles expires in 2021. “This basically just stymies Biden’s regulatory agenda because odds are particularly in financial services that he is not getting anything earth shattering in terms of new laws passed,” said Barford. “So he is going to have to rely on the regulatory process." However, legal analysts say that the head of the OCC, which is technically a bureau of the Treasury Department, generally serves at the "pleasure of the president." That means the Biden administration could quickly move to fire Brooks whether or not he is confirmed. In that case, Treasury can appoint a deputy who serves as acting comptroller until a permanent successor is nominated and confirmed.
OCC finalizes measure to eliminate ‘unnecessary’ licensing rules — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency finalized a measure aimed at eliminating certain licensing and merger requirements that the agency says are outdated. Among the core changes in the final rule unveiled Monday, more national banks will be able to use the OCC's expedited review process to approve certain corporate transactions. Banks will also be able to follow certain review procedures usually reserved for state-chartered banks when they are “not inconsistent with applicable federal statutes,” according to the rule. In addition, the final rule allows banks to apply to invest in enterprises not directly subject to OCC supervision and examination, provided the non-controlling investments “pose minimal risk to the national bank’s safety and soundness." The final rule amounts to “eliminating unnecessary requirements consistent with safe, sound, and fair operation of the federal banking system,” the OCC wrote in a press release. “It is part of the OCC’s continual effort to modernize its rules and reduce [unnecessary] regulatory burden.” Shortly after the proposal to eliminate outdated requirements was released in early March, some community advocates expressed concern that certain changes proposed within the context of the Community Reinvestment Act could make it more difficult for critics of bank mergers to raise their concerns in the public feedback process. In the March proposal, the OCC added more specific standards to determine when the agency can ignore “adverse comments” seeking to halt a bank merger on CRA grounds, notably by introducing the term “non-substantive” as a criteria to disregard public feedback. If the comment is “a generalized opinion … lacking factual or analytical support,” the OCC wrote, the agency would not consider the issue raised for any additional review. In the final rule, the OCC defended the new criteria from critics by citing several Supreme Court rulings that established the standards of evidence for administrative proceedings. “Accordingly, the OCC believes that the criteria for being ‘non-substantive’ set forth in the amendment provides a clear standard for when the OCC will consider a comment to be non-substantive and provides commenters with guidance on submitting views on a filing,” the agency wrote in the final rule. “Further, the OCC notes that if a commenter believes that the OCC inadequately considered a comment, they may have grounds to challenge the OCC’s licensing decision under the [Administrative Procedure Act].”
OCC seeks to bar banks from shunning disfavored industries — For years Republicans have criticized banks and the Obama administration for appearing to pick sides on hot-button issues such as gun violence and climate change, saying it is not a financial institution's place to deny services to politically sensitive sectors. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency took that criticism to a new level Friday, proposing a "fair access" standard for banks over $100 billion of assets that requires them to cater to any business that meets objective, quantitative criteria for receiving services. The proposal says banks effectively should be blind to any political or social-justice implications of serving one industry over another, and should instead just focus on the numbers. "Neither the OCC nor banks are well-equipped to balance risks unrelated to financial exposures and the operations required to deliver financial services," the agency wrote in the proposal. "For example, climate change is a real risk, but so is the risk of foreign wars caused in part by U.S. energy dependence and the risk of blackouts caused by energy shortages." The new framework, unveiled in the final months of the Trump administration, is consistent with the GOP repudiations of high-profile stands taken by banks on hotly debated issues. In March 2018, Citigroup announced it would restrict business with certain firearms companies, and in April of that year, Bank of America said it would stop lending to companies that designed military-style guns for nonmilitary use. Similarly, some companies such as Goldman Sachs and TD Bank Group announced steps to curtail certain ties with the fossil fuel industry. Such positions, which sparked criticism by some GOP lawmakers, would likely be banned by the OCC's proposal. The OCC's plan also follows outrage by conservatives over the Obama administration's Operation Choke Point. The Justice Department initiative, which ended during the Trump administration, intended to sharpen banks’ attention to risks of fraud and money-laundering. But banks claimed it compelled them to cut ties with legal but high-risk industries such as payday lenders. It is unclear whether the OCC, currently led by acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks, will be able to finalize the regulation. Some banks that see wading into social issues as a reputational priority may object to the proposed limitations. And while Brooks has been nominated to lead the agency, some have speculated President-elect Biden may seek to fire him soon after taking office in January. (Public feedback on the proposal is due Jan. 4.)
The Senate may not flip but Banking Committee is poised for shake-up — With Republicans close to holding Senate control, the status quo of a divided Congress is likely to remain in place even with a new president. But the Senate Banking Committee is poised for a leadership shakeup. If the GOP wins just one of the Senate runoff elections in Georgia, it will hold the majority. In that scenario, Sen. Pat Toomey will likely chair the Senate Banking Committee, with current Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, expected to lead a different panel. While Crapo has championed several industry causes — including the 2018 regulatory relief package — Toomey, a former banker, is seen as an even fiercer defender of the free market and a louder opponent of government intrusion. An early issue in Toomey's chairmanship could be whether Congress extends Federal Reserve pandemic relief programs, including the Main Street Lending Program. The Pennsylvania Republican has already indicated he wants the programs to expire at yearend. “Clearly Toomey would like to end the emergency authority granted to the Fed and Treasury to assist medium-sized businesses,” said Ed Mills, a policy analyst at Raymond James. “If that’s the first fight, that could certainly be a partisan fight from the get-go, especially if a Biden-chosen Treasury secretary is about to get access to that funding.” Observers said Toomey could forge deals with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on bipartisan issues such as cannabis banking reform. But if Toomey gets the gavel, many predict starker partisan differences between the two lawmakers than exists under Crapo. (If Democrats win both Georgia Senate races and seize the majority, Brown is then expected to become chairman. It is unclear who the Republicans' ranking member would be.) Toomey's staunch free-market views could clash with the comparably progressive views of Brown, according to some analysts. "It’s going to take on a new somewhat confrontational tone compared to what was a subdued and largely respectful relationship between the chairman and the ranking member,” said Isaac Boltansky, director of policy research at Compass Point Research & Trading. Toomey's statements in recent hearings calling for the Fed's emergency lending facilities to be wound down set up a potential clash with Democrats when the new Congress gets to work in January. He is also expected to conduct tough oversight of regulators appointed by Biden, and push back against progressive regulatory reforms advanced by the new administration. Former staffers and industry observers say that Toomey will likely be a backstop against a Democratic proposal, for example, requiring banks to conduct stress tests for climate change, as well as other proposals resulting in higher regulatory burdens.
Regulators grant relief to banks pushed past key asset limits by PPP - Federal regulators have granted relief to community banks that have ballooned in size during the coronavirus pandemic and were bumping up against any of several asset thresholds that trigger stricter supervisory requirements, according to an interim rule issued Friday. Balance sheets at some banks have grown by more than 25% during the pandemic as businesses turned to their local banks for Paycheck Protection Program and other emergency loans while local economies were shuttered to prevent the spread of the disease, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said. Under the agencies’ joint rulemaking, certain supervisory requirements involving debit interchange, capital, financial reporting and other matters generally will be based on a community bank’s asset size at Dec. 31, 2019. In some cases, the asset size from a later date can be used if it’s lower than the year-end 2019 figure. The rule defines community banks as those with assets of $10 billion or less. However, the relief — which will extend through the end of 2021 — applies to a series of regulatory requirements that kick in at various stages of a bank’s growth, including when assets reach $100 million, $500 million, $3 billion, $5 billion and $10 billion. Nine banks expanded beyond $10 billion of assets between the end of last year and the second quarter of 2020, an FDIC spokesman said late Friday. Banks above the threshold face pricing limits on debit interchange fees and other new regulatory requirements. Importantly, the rule does not relieve banks from supervision by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is also triggered at the $10 billion-asset mark. And the rule change does not apply to the Volcker Rule limits on proprietary trading, because banks already get a two-year grace period to come into compliance with the regulation and could shrink back in size before then, the agencies noted in their rule Friday. It was not immediately clear how many banks have already crossed the other key thresholds covered by the rule, or how many were in danger of surpassing any of them soon.
Banks aren’t done building credit reserves just yet - Bankers are bracing for a wave of loan delinquencies and defaults as forbearances on loans granted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire. Just a few months after signaling that provisions for loan losses had peaked, many banks now say they will need to continue adding to reserves into 2021, according to a survey released Thursday by IntraFi Network. Most banks have allowed borrowers to skip payments if their finances had been hit hard by lockdowns and other restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus, but many of those grace periods have recently expired or will expire by the end of the year. In the survey of 512 bank CEOs, presidents and chief financial officers, two-thirds of respondents said that they expect loans will need to be restructured for borrowers who are unable to make payments when their deferral periods end. The survey of executives at community banks, most with assets of less than $10 billion, took place during the first two weeks of October, before a rise in new COVID-19 cases threatened more lockdowns going into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Reserve builds were thought to have peaked in the second quarter, when stay-at-home orders ground much of the nation’s economic activity to a halt. By the third quarter, though, many banks were setting aside less for loan losses than previously anticipated, and some even began releasing reserves because many borrowers who had received forbearance were again making monthly payments. IntraFi’s survey indicated that bankers now see the timeline for an economic recovery being pushed out further into 2021 and perhaps 2022. “The longer [the pandemic] goes on there is more weariness and concern,” said Paul Weinstein, a senior policy adviser at IntraFi. “We’re at a point where people are settling in for the long haul." According to the survey, only 17% of executives said that they expect reserve builds to peak this year while 72% predicted that the peak would come sometime in 2021. One in 10 even predicted that their banks would need to keep adding to loan-loss reserves into 2022. There was some optimism in the survey around loan growth, which has been a source of heartburn for an industry that has seen its margins squeezed from low rates. Forty-six percent of respondents anticipated loan demand would improve over the next year, up 10 percentage points from second-quarter survey. Given how the dire economic conditions were at the start of the pandemic, Weinstein said he’s not surprised banks are somewhat more optimistic about loan demand. “I think it’s just more banks..refining their outlook more so than anything else,” Weinstein said. Executives were split on how long rates would remain compressed. While the Federal Reserve has indicated it would keep borrowing costs at record lows through 2023, executives were split on whether they believed the forecast. Forty-two percent of bankers said they think the Fed would move sooner and adjust rates before 2023, while 43% expect the central bank would keep them level through that time. Banks also had different expectations on how they would handle branch networks that have emptied during the pandemic. Nearly all bankers said they have seen foot traffic at their branches fall while mobile app users have increased, but 74% of respondents said they had no plans to cut their number of branches.
Congress about to relieve banks of a key AML burden— Banks are closing in on what may be their last legislative victory of the Trump presidency with the addition of a key anti-money-laundering measure to a must-pass defense spending bill. Democratic lawmakers hailed the insertion of the Corporate Transparency Act, which requires businesses to report their true owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at the point of incorporation, in the National Defense Authorization Act. Congress has yet to pass the spending package, but the inclusion of the beneficial ownership amendment signals it is near the finish line. The legislation would relieve banks of the burden of reporting their customers’ true owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, but small businesses and some Republicans have fought the measure, saying it will slow startup activity. “It should certainly save both time, human and capital resources, for banks,” said James Ballentine, executive vice president of congressional relations and political affairs for the American Bankers Association. “These are long processes that banks go through in order to determine who the true beneficial owners are. This is going to be important for them and important to law enforcement as well.” Analysts say lawmakers were likely convinced to add the measure to the spending bill because a beneficial ownership requirement for businesses is seen as benefiting law enforcement. “The real beneficiary of this law is law enforcement because it would help to pierce the corporate veil that presently exists in shell companies,” said Dan Stipano, a partner at Buckley. “This would make it harder for criminals to disguise who is really in control of the company and who really controls of the funds. Shell companies are commonly used by criminals to launder money.” The bill originally authored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., to crack down on anonymous shell companies passed the House last year as standalone legislation with all Democrats supporting the measure and roughly two dozen Republicans voting “Yes.” “This bill, which I’ve been working on for 12 years, will crack down on anonymous shell companies, which have long been the vehicle of choice for money launderers, terrorists, and criminals,” Maloney said in a press release late Thursday. “The bill will finally allow law enforcement to follow the money in their investigations, and will prevent terrorists, kleptocrats, and other bad actors from using the U.S. financial system to hide their dirty money. This bipartisan compromise was hard-fought.” Banks rallied behind the bill after Fincen issued a final rule in 2016 requiring banks to identify and verify the identity of the beneficial owners of companies opening accounts. The Customer Due Diligence Rule came with strong opposition from Republicans and the banking industry, claiming the requirement was overly burdensome. Banks pushed for their customers to report the information.
E-commerce surge rekindles debit fee fight between merchants and industry - As pandemic-scarred consumers increasingly shun traditional shopping experiences and make more purchases remotely, the long-simmering dispute between U.S. banks and merchants over debit card fees is intensifying. The latest flare-up stems from the nine-year-old federal rules that govern transaction routing, and how they should apply in an environment where e-commerce transactions account for an ever-larger share of debit card spending. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell said last month that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional attention to the issue of whether Visa, Mastercard and major card-issuing banks are circumventing the Fed’s rules, particularly in situations where debit-card users do not enter a four-digit personal identification number. The rules were designed to ensure that merchants have a choice of at least two unaffiliated networks over which transactions can be routed. Retailers usually prefer to send debit-card purchases over a network other than Visa or Mastercard because doing so is typically less expensive. But some large banks’ debit cards do not currently give merchants the choice of using a smaller network in situations where the shopper does not enter a PIN. The question for the Fed, which declined to comment for this article, is whether the requirement for routing choice should be enforced only when consumers swipe a piece of plastic at the cash register, or in a broader range of settings. (Aside from making purchases online, consumers also often use debit cards for telephone purchases and for recurring monthly payments, such as gym memberships.) Powell’s comments came in an Oct. 9 letter to Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. Durbin is an ally of the retail industry who authored the 2010 law that not only required routing choice, but also capped debit-card swipe fees at banks with more than $10 billion of assets. In the letter, Powell said that the Fed will continue to consider and evaluate the PIN-less debit issue, but he did not commit to any particular action. Powell was responding to a July 24 letter from Durbin and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., in which they asked the Fed to consider potential enforcement actions. The Democratic lawmakers also requested that the central bank play a coordinating role with other agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, that share jurisdiction in ensuring that financial institutions do not engage in anticompetitive practices. The FTC reportedly opened an inquiry into debit-card routing issues last year. Any government intervention would likely benefit not only retailers, but also smaller debit networks such as Star, NYCE and Pulse, while hurting Visa, Mastercard and some card-issuing banks.
What will it take to boost SBA lending? -Seven weeks into a new fiscal year, the Small Business Administration’s flagship 7(a) program is off to a sluggish start. Volume through Nov. 13 was down 22% from a year earlier, at $1.9 billion, according to SBA data. The new fiscal year began Oct. 1. Industry observers are pointing to the pandemic, along with an ongoing standoff in Washington over more federal stimulus, to explain the decline. A turnaround largely hinges on the course of the pandemic or more aggressive governmental assistance, they said. Some are calling on Congress and the agency to slash 7(a) fees, increase loan guarantees and allow larger loans to qualify for SBA assistance. If the formula seems familiar, it’s because it was tried before, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, when it produced a spike in 7(a) volume. A similar response should spark another snapback in 2021, SBA participants said. The National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders has been “advocating for Recovery Act-like provisions,” said Tony Wilkinson, the group’s president and CEO, referencing the 2009 law that provided SBA with $730 million to temporarily reduce fees and boost the standard 7(a) guarantee from 75% to 90%. The guarantee reverted to 75% in 2011. “Many borrowers will find it difficult to access capital as we come out of the pandemic,” Wilkinson said. “Many small businesses will experience negative trends and find their business landscape has changed.” “If you want to spur SBA activity, go back to the 90% guarantee and waive” fees, said Arne Monson, president of Holtmeyer & Monson in Memphis, Tenn. “I’m even more [supportive] of that now that it appears we’re not going to have a stimulus,” Monson said. “There’s a big need. We’re getting calls every day from banks we haven’t heard from before. … Relief, if it can be offered through the 7(a) program, is the absolute way to go.” Total 7(a) approved jumped by 35% in fiscal 2010 from a year earlier, to $12.3 billion, largely because of governmental intervention. Reforms that followed the last financial crisis were critical in driving SBA volume, said Diane Gallion, who oversees 7(a) lending at the $33.3 billion-asset Western Alliance Bancorp in Phoenix. "It made the difference in 2010, when that came around," Gallion said. "I hope they'll find the right balance [now] to do the right thing in the go-forward strategy." Revamping the 7(a) program will likely become a significant topic of discussion for the incoming Biden administration, especially if stimulus talks remain deadlocked, said James Ballentine, executive vice president of congressional relations at the American Bankers Association. "If PPP is not reinstituted, I think you'll see more conversation around 7(a) and how you make it more usable for borrowers in challenging times," Ballentine said, adding that the ABA would support lower fees and an increased guarantee.
Synthetic identity fraud risks on the rise for credit unions - New research from SentiLink shows credit unions may be at greater risk of falling victim to identity fraud than they believe. A SentiLink analysis of nearly 1,600 known synthetic identities found one in seven had connections to a credit union, generally either a checking account or loan relationship. Synthetic identities utilize a mix of real and fake credentials to manufacture a new identity, though not all of those credentials may be associated with the same person. The company divides this sort of fraud into two categories, first- and third-party synthetic identities. First-party involves a real person manipulating information, such as a fictitious date of birth or social security number, while third-party fraud is an entirely fictitious person. For first-party fraud, while a consumer may have a driver’s license with a name, date of birth and an address matching the credit union’s field of membership, the social security number may be inaccurate. Credit unions aren’t checking closely enough to determine a genuine identity, said Max Blumeneld, co-founder of SentiLink. “In their minds, they’re checking this thing, which is, ‘Hey, this person is eligible, they must be real,’ and they let their guard down a little bit in that sense,” he said. Blumenfeld explained that if a consumer supplies the wrong combination of name, date of birth and social security number, credit bureaus simply create a credit record since no previous record with that combination exists. Instead, SentiLink recommends credit unions validate social security numbers either through W-2 forms or the Social Security Administrations eCBSV database. Using that database or an SSA-89 form to verify identity requires the consumer’s consent, said Blumenfeld, “but if you suspect something is synthetic, that would be a reasonable thing to ask for.” While institutions can fall victim to either first- or third-party fraud, said Blumenfeld, the latter is less common, in part because it’s more costly for the fraudster to pull off. Because first-party fraud is more prevalent, however, it often ends up being more costly to the creidt union in the long run.
FHFA issues capital rule, previews next steps on plan to release GSEs — The Federal Housing Finance Agency has finalized a rule imposing higher capital requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take effect once the companies exit their federal conservatorships. The capital framework, released Wednesday, is a prelude to steps the FHFA is expected to pursue to allow the mortgage giants to retain all of their earnings, senior FHFA officials said. However, the FHFA must agree with the Treasury Department on a new retained-earnings plan soon or it could face pushback from the incoming Biden administration. President-elect Biden is set to take office on Jan. 20. The final capital rule, which is similar to a proposal unveiled in May after the agency scrapped an earlier 2018 plan, is considered a huge step in freeing Fannie and Freddie from government control. It has been a central focus of FHFA Director Mark Calabria since he took office last year. “The final rule is another milestone necessary for responsibly ending the conservatorships,” Calabria said in a statement. The next step, according to senior FHFA officials, is for the FHFA and the Treasury Department to amend the preferred stock purchase agreements, which lay out the government’s ownership in Fannie and Freddie. Those changes would allow the companies to keep the entirety of their profits. They currently have a combined $45 billion cap on their retained earnings. Advocates of privatizing the GSEs have urged the government to end the so-called net worth sweep that requires the companies to deliver profits in excess of that cap to Treasury to repay taxpayers for the 2008 bailout. But the incoming Biden administration may favor a more cautious approach to the GSEs, and could push for maintaining the current status quo of keeping the companies in conservatorship. A pending Supreme Court case, meanwhile, is expected to give the new president greater power to fire Calabria. If the new capital requirements had been in place as of June 30, Fannie and Freddie would have had to maintain a combined $283 billion in adjusted total capital — compared to $263 billion if the May proposal had taken effect — or would risk restrictions on dividend and bonus payments. Part of the reason behind the increase is that the GSEs’ adjusted total assets have increased 9% since Sept. 30, as the companies have reported strong earnings thanks to low mortgage rates and a strong demand for refinancing. The jump in projected required capital can also be attributed to the FHFA raising the floor on the adjusted risk weight assigned to mortgage exposures from 15% to 20%, which adds about $12 billion in capital to the total requirement. That change was made after the Financial Stability Oversight Council said in September that capital requirements “materially less than those contemplated by the proposed rule” could put the GSEs and the financial system at risk. The final version of the rule better aligns the GSEs’ capital requirements with those of other market participants, the FHFA said.
Is GSE reform dead on arrival under Biden? - — The Trump administration in the last two years has laid the groundwork to free mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship without any congressional help. But following President-elect Joe Biden's victory, mortgage industry veterans predict those efforts will slow considerably or stop altogether. Some have speculated that the incoming Biden administration may not view reforming the government-sponsored enterprises with the same urgency as President Trump's appointees, and could view the status quo — the two companies remaining in conservatorship — as sufficient for the moment. To slow the Trump administration's progress, Biden's team could quickly seek to remove Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria, pending the outcome of a crucial Supreme Court case about the agency's leadership structure. A new FHFA appointee could then try to overturn Calabria initiatives, such as a rule on the GSEs' post-conservatorship capital levels finalized Wednesday. Even if Calabria stays on, he would likely face difficulty achieving his goals, observers said, because Biden appointees in the Treasury Department would have a different reform philosophy. “I can say with great confidence that a Biden administration will think about policy as it relates to the GSEs very differently than the way this administration has,” said Jim Parrott, the owner of Parrott Ryan Advisors and a former Obama administration official. Former Freddie Mac CEO Don Layton, a fellow at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, argued in a paper last week that the Biden administration shouldn’t make reform of the GSEs a priority at all, at least in the first two years in office. That view flies in the face of Calabria’s efforts to release the companies from government control. “The GSE reform question does not need to be totally ignored, but it does not seem to be worth pursuing in a manner that consumes major administration resources or political capital,” Since Calabria took the helm of the FHFA in April 2019, he has made clear his goal to eventually put the GSEs back into private hands. He has taken action to allow the companies to retain more of their earnings, a move designed to enable them ultimately to stand on their own. The final capital rule released Wednesday forces the GSEs to hold unprecedented amounts of capital once they reenter the private sector. But the incremental steps FHFA has taken to free the companies from conservatorship under Calabria may be in conflict with priorities of the incoming Biden administration, which could create some tension, Parrott said. “FHFA is driving the ship of housing finance at breakneck speed in one direction, and that is not the direction the Biden administration is going to want them to be heading in,” he said. “The question is, how and who turns the ship?”
MBA Survey: "Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases to 5.47%" -- Note: This is as of November 8th. From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases to 5.47%The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance decreased for the 11th week in a row from 5.67% of servicers’ portfolio volume in the prior week to 5.47% as of November 8, 2020 – a 20-basis-point improvement. According to MBA’s estimate, 2.7 million homeowners are in forbearance plans....“Declines in the share of loans in forbearance continued this week, with a significant increase in the rate of forbearance exits – particularly for portfolio and PLS loans,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “More than 76 percent of borrowers in forbearance are now in an extension, as we are well past the six-month point for most borrowers’ forbearance plans.” Added Fratantoni, “While the rate of new forbearance requests has declined and exits are increasing, homeowners who continue to be impacted by hardships related to the pandemic should contact their servicer for relief.”...By stage, 21.68% of total loans in forbearance are in the initial forbearance plan stage, while 76.46% are in a forbearance extension. The remaining 1.86% are forbearance re-entries.This graph shows the percent of portfolio in forbearance by investor type over time. Most of the increase was in late March and early April, and has been trending down for the last few months.The MBA notes: "Total weekly forbearance requests as a percent of servicing portfolio volume (#) decreased relative to the prior week: from 0.10% to 0.08%."There wsan't a pickup in forbearance activity related to the end of the extra unemployment benefits.
Black Knight: Number of Homeowners in COVID-19-Related Forbearance Plans Increased Slightly --Note: Both Black Knight and the MBA (Mortgage Bankers Association) are putting out weekly estimates of mortgages in forbearance.This data is as of November 17th. From Black Knight: Forbearances Tick Up After Two-Week Decline After falling by 273,000 (9 percent) over the past two weeks, forbearance volumes edged slightly upward this week. This week’s rise was a result of an increase of 15,000 forbearances among FHA/VA loans, along with 14,000 and 1,000 additional loans in forbearance among private label securities/bank portfolios and the GSEs, respectively.Despite these mild increases, there is still good news for the mortgage servicing market – the number of active forbearances remains down 7 percent from the same time in October. As of Nov. 17, there are 2.77 million active forbearances nationwide, down from a peak of 4.76 million in late May....Mid-month incremental increases have been common so far, with the strongest declines typically being seen early in the month as forbearance plans expire. 82 percent of active forbearance cases have had their terms extended.
No Payment, No Problem: In Rosy World of Forbearance, Official Delinquencies Plunge, Credit Scores of Delinquent Borrowers Jump - Wolf Richter: So what happens to debt when borrowers stop making payments on their mortgage, credit card debt, auto loan, or student loan, and the lender puts the delinquent loan into forbearance or into a deferral program, and notes the loan as “current,” despite past-due payments, because there is no payment due this month since the loan is now in forbearance? Well, the algo of credit bureaus, such as Equifax, sees that the borrower who was delinquent has “cured” the delinquency and has become “current,” and it then raises the borrower’s credit score. A brave new world, but here we are.Delinquent loan balances have plunged across all loan types, as these delinquent loans have been moved into forbearance or deferral programs, according to data from the New York Fed’s household credit report for the third quarter. The percentage of student loans that are 90 days past due plunged from 11% of total loan balances before the Pandemic to 6.5% in Q3 2020. And the percentage of newly delinquent student loans plunged from 9.4% of total loan balances before the Pandemic to 4.5%, by far the lowest in the data going back to 2004: Student loan forbearance – the program also included 0% interest on outstanding balances and cessation of collection efforts – was originally scheduled to end on September 30 but has been extended through December 31. Now among student loan borrowers, the hope of student-loan forgiveness has turned into a feeling of near-certainty, and to heck with the idea of making payments even after the forbearance programs ends. Auto loans are not backed by the government, and the deferral and forbearance programs have been implemented by private-sector lenders and loan servicers. Newly delinquent auto loan balances dropped to 5.8% of total auto loan balances, the lowest in the data going back to 2003. Note the delinquencies of auto loans during the prior crisis, when they exploded into the double digits. But this crisis now is the Best of Times: With auto loans there are two factors: Voluntary loan deferral programs by private-sector lenders and government cash sent to households. In terms of lenders, for example, Ally Financial reported last summer that in its second quarter about 21% of its auto-loan customers were enrolled in its deferral programs where they would not have to make payments for 120 days. The programs ended on September 30. For its third quarter, Ally reported that 8% of the borrowers exiting its deferral programs were 30 days or more delinquent. In terms of the government cash sent to households, this included the $1,200 per adult and $500 per child in stimulus checks, plus the extra unemployment benefits sent under federal programs, including the extra $600 a week through July, then the extra $300 a week starting in late August, plus the other special federal programs established under the CARES Act, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program that has been surrounded by fraud allegations. This government money helped many households keep their auto loans current.
MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest Weekly Survey -- From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey: Mortgage applications decreased 0.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 13, 2020. This week’s results do not include an adjustment for the Veterans’ Day holiday. ... The Refinance Index decreased 2 percent from the previous week and was 98 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 4 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 1 percent compared with the previous week and was 26 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage market activity was mixed last week, despite the 30-year fixed rate mortgage staying below 3 percent. The purchase market recovered from its recent weekly slump, with activity increasing 3 percent and climbing above year-ago levels for the 26th straight week. Housing demand remains supported by the ongoing recovery in the job market, and an increased appetite from households seeking more space because of the pandemic,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “The refinance index decreased last week – driven by sharp declines in FHA and VA applications – but remained a robust 98 percent above a year ago. The average refinance loan balance of $291,000 last week was the lowest since January. Many borrowers with higher loan balances may have acted earlier on in the current refinance wave.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($510,400 or less) increased to 2.99 percent from 2.98 percent, with points increasing to 0.37 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
Mortgage Rates and Ten Year Yield -- With the ten year yield at 0.89%, and based on an historical relationship, 30-year rates should currently be around 3.0%. Mortgage News Daily reports that the most prevalent 30 year fixed rate is now at 2.94% for top tier scenarios. So mortgage rates are about as expected. The graph shows the relationship between the monthly 10 year Treasury Yield and 30 year mortgage rates from the Freddie Mac survey. Currently the 10 year Treasury yield is at 0.89%, and 30 year mortgage rates were at 2.84% according to the Freddie Mac survey last week - close to expected. The record low in the Freddie Mac survey was 2.78% in the week ending November 5, 2020 (Survey started in 1971). Freddie Mac has a similar graph here with a linear fit (using data since 1990). Using their formula, 30 year rates would be around 2.77%.
NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increased to 6.85 million in October -- From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Jump 4.3% to 6.85 Million in October- Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 4.3% from September to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million in October. Overall, sales rose year-over-year, up 26.6% from a year ago (5.41 million in October 2019).... Total housing inventory at the end of October totaled 1.42 million units, down 2.7% from September and down 19.8% from one year ago (1.77 million). Unsold inventory sits at an all-time low 2.5-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 2.7 months in September and down from the 3.9-month figure recorded in October 2019.This graph shows existing home sales, on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis since 1993. Sales in October (6.85 million SAAR) were up 4.3% from last month, and were 26.6% above the October 2019 sales rate. This was the highest sales rate since early 2006. The second graph shows nationwide inventory for existing homes. According to the NAR, inventory decreased to 1.42 million in October from 1.46 million in September. Headline inventory is not seasonally adjusted, and inventory usually decreases to the seasonal lows in December and January, and peaks in mid-to-late summer. The last graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Since inventory is not seasonally adjusted, it really helps to look at the YoY change. Note: Months-of-supply is based on the seasonally adjusted sales and not seasonally adjusted inventory. Inventory was down 19.8% year-over-year in October compared to October 2019. Months of supply decreased to 2.5 months in September. This was above the consensus forecast.
October Existing-Home Sales: 5th Consecutive Month of Growth - This morning's release of the October Existing-Home Sales showed that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million units from the previous month's revised 6.57 million. The Investing.com consensus was for 6.45 million. The latest number represents a 4.3% increase from the previous month. Here is an excerpt from today's report from the National Association of Realtors. – Existing-home sales continued to trend upward in October, marking five consecutive months of month-over-month gains, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four major regions reported both month-over-month and year-over-year growth, with the Midwest experiencing the greatest monthly increases. Total existing-home sales,, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 4.3% from September to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million in October. Overall, sales rose year-over-year, up 26.6% from a year ago (5.41 million in October 2019). "Considering that we remain in a period of stubbornly high unemployment relative to pre-pandemic levels, the housing sector has performed remarkably well this year," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. [Full Report] For a longer-term perspective, here is a snapshot of the data series, which comes from the National Association of Realtors. The data since January 1999 was previously available in the St. Louis Fed's FRED repository and is now only available for the last twelve months.
Comments on October Existing Home Sales – McBride - Earlier: NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increased to 6.85 million in October. A few key points:
1) This was the highest sales rate since 2006. Some of the increase over the last few months was probably related to pent up demand from the shutdowns in March and April. There are going to be some difficult comparisons next year!
2) Inventory is very low, and was down 19.8% year-over-year (YoY) in October. This is the lowest level of inventory for October since at least the early 1990s.
3) As usual, housing economist Tom Lawler's forecast was closer to the NAR report than the Consensus.
This graph shows existing home sales by month for 2019 and 2020.Note that existing home sales picked up somewhat in the second half of 2019 as interest rates declined. Even with weak sales in April, May, and June, sales to date are up about 2.4% compared to the same period in 2019. The second graph shows existing home sales Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) by month (Red dashes are 2020), and the minimum and maximum for 2005 through 2019. Sales NSA in October (573,000) were 24% above sales last year in October (462,000). This was the all time high for October (NSA).
Housing Starts increased to 1.530 Million Annual Rate in October From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions Privately-owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,530,000. This is 4.9 percent above the revised September estimate of 1,459,000 and is 14.2 percent above the October 2019 rate of 1,340,000. Single-family housing starts in October were at a rate of 1,179,000; this is 6.4 percent above the revised September figure of 1,108,000. The October rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 334,000.Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,545,000. This is virtually unchanged (±1.3 percent)* from the revised September rate of 1,545,000, but is 2.8 percent above the October 2019 rate of 1,503,000. Single-family authorizations in October were at a rate of 1,120,000; this is 0.6 percent above the revised September figure of 1,113,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 365,000 in October. The first graph shows single and multi-family housing starts for the last several years.Multi-family starts (red, 2+ units) were unchanged in October compared to September. Multi-family starts were down 18% year-over-year in October.Single-family starts (blue) increased in October, and were up 29% year-over-year. This is the highest level for single family starts since 2007.The second graph shows total and single unit starts since 1968.The second graph shows the huge collapse following the housing bubble, and then eventual recovery (but still historically low). Total housing starts in October were above expectations, and starts in August and September were revised up, combined.
Comments on October Housing Starts --Earlier: Housing Starts increased to 1.530 Million Annual Rate in October - Total housing starts in October were above expectations, and starts in August and September were revised up, combined. The single family sectors has increased sharply, but the volatile multi-family sector is down year-over-year (apartments are under pressure from COVID).The housing starts report showed starts were up 4.9% in October compared to September, and starts were up 14.2% year-over-year compared to October 2019.Single family starts were up 29% year-over-year. Low mortgage rates and limited existing home inventory have given a boost to single family housing starts.The first graph shows the month to month comparison for total starts between 2019 (blue) and 2020 (red). Starts were up 14.2% in October compared to October 2019. Last year, in 2019, starts picked up towards the end of the year, so the comparisons were earlier this year. Starts, year-to-date, are up 6.7% compared to the same period in 2019. This is close to my forecast for 2020, although I didn't expect a pandemic! I expect starts to remain solid, but the growth rate will slow. Below is an update to the graph comparing multi-family starts and completions. Since it usually takes over a year on average to complete a multi-family project, there is a lag between multi-family starts and completions. Completions are important because that is new supply added to the market, and starts are important because that is future new supply (units under construction is also important for employment). These graphs use a 12 month rolling total for NSA starts and completions. The rolling 12 month total for starts (blue line) increased steadily for several years following the great recession - then mostly moved sideways. Completions (red line) had lagged behind - then completions caught up with starts- then starts picked up a little again late last year, but have fallen off the pandemic. The last graph shows single family starts and completions. It usually only takes about 6 months between starting a single family home and completion - so the lines are much closer. The blue line is for single family starts and the red line is for single family completions. Single family starts are getting back to more normal levels, and I expect some further increases in single family starts and completions on rolling 12 month basis.
New Residential Building Permits: Unchanged in October The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have now published their findings for October new residential building permits. The latest reading of 1.545M was unchanged from the September reading and below the Investing.com forecast of 1.560M.Here is the opening of this morning's monthly report, including a note regarding revisions: Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,545,000. This is virtually unchanged (±1.3 percent)* from the revised September rate of 1,545,000, but is 2.8 percent (±1.6 percent) above the October 2019 rate of 1,503,000. Single-family authorizations in October were at a rate of 1,120,000; this is 0.6 percent (±1.0 percent)* above the revised September figure of 1,113,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 365,000 in October. [link to report] Here is the complete historical series, which dates from 1960. Because of the extreme volatility of the monthly data points, a 6-month moving average has been included.
NAHB: Builder Confidence Increased to 90 in November, Record High The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the housing market index (HMI) was at 90, up from 85 in October. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. From the NAHB: Sales Growth Lifts Builder Confidence to New Record High:In another sign that housing continues to lead the economy forward, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased five points to 90 in November, shattering the previous all-time of 85 recorded in October, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Builder confidence levels have hit successive all-time highs over the past three months.“Historically low mortgage rates, favorable demographics and an ongoing suburban shift for home buyer preferences have spurred demand and increased new home sales by nearly 17% in 2020 on a year-to-date basis,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “Though builders continue to sign sales contracts at a solid pace, lot and material availability is holding back some building activity. Looking ahead to next year, regulatory policy risk will be a key concern given these supply-side constraints.”...All the HMI indices posted their highest readings ever in November. The HMI index gauging current sales conditions rose six points to 96, the component measuring sales expectations in the next six months increased one point to 89 and the measure charting traffic of prospective buyers rose three points to 77.Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast increased two points to 83, the Midwest jumped six points to 80, the South rose four points to 86 and the West increased four points to 94.This graph show the NAHB index since Jan 1985.This was above the consensus forecast.Housing and homebuilding have been one of the best performing sectors during the pandemic.
AIA: "Architecture billings remained stalled in October" -Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: Architecture billings remained stalled in October": While architectural billings failed to show much progress during October, signs of improving business conditions at firms have emerged, according to a new report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).The pace of decline during October remained at about the same level as in September, posting an ABI score of 47.5 (any score below 50 indicates a decline in firm billings). Meanwhile, firms reported a modest increase in new project inquiries—growing from 57.2 in September to 59.1 in October—and newly signed design contracts jumped into positive territory for the first time since the pandemic began, with a score of 51.7.“Though still in negative territory, the moderating billings score along with the rebound in design contracts and inquiries provide some guarded optimism,” “The pace of recovery will continue to vary across regions and sectors.”• Regional averages: West (50.4); Midwest (49.4); South (45.8); Northeast (44.9)
• Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (55.1); mixed practice (52.7); commercial/industrial (48.0); institutional (42.2)
This graph shows the Architecture Billings Index since 1996. The index was at 47.5 in October, up from 47.0 in September. Anything below 50 indicates contraction in demand for architects' services. Note:This includes commercial and industrial facilities like hotels and office buildings, multi-family residential, as well as schools, hospitals and other institutions.This index has been below 50 for eight consecutive months. This represents a significant decrease in design services, and suggests a decline in CRE investment through the first half of 2021 (This usually leads CRE investment by 9 to 12 months).This weakness is not surprising since certain segments of CRE are struggling, especially offices and retail.
Rents in top NYC shopping districts are crashing and dark storefronts are multiplying. A firesale sublease by Ralph Lauren on Fifth Avenue highlights the carnage. --Ralph Lauren has agreed to sublease a large store formerly occupied by its Polo brand on Fifth Avenue for just a fraction of the astronomical rent the fashion label pays for the space on what was once one of the world's priciest shopping corridors.The Spanish fast-fashion retail chain, Mango, has agreed to take the roughly 28,300-square-foot store on the corner of East 55th Street at 711 Fifth Avenue, two sources with direct knowledge of the transaction confirmed to Business Insider.According to other sources with knowledge of the terms of the deal, Mango will rent the space for around $5 million annually, less than 20% of the more than $27 million a year that Ralph Lauren pays for the space.Read More: Elite litigation firm Boies Schiller is looking to sublet its glitzy NYC office after a firm-wide restructuring and attorney exits.The deal offers a stark data point that illustrates the sharp decline of the brick-and-mortar store retail market amid the Covid pandemic and the yearslong advance of e-commerce."Ground floor rents on Fifth Avenue used to be more than $3,000 per square foot—in some cases a lot more—but today there's a growing sense that taking rents are more like one-third of that, in some cases even less," said Richard Hodos, a vice chairman at CBRE who focuses on retail leasing transactions. "We have retailers like Nordstrom saying that a third of their sales will now come online and we don't know where that ends, it could soon be 40% or 50%. All of that puts a tremendous downward pressure on brick and mortar space."The deteriorating economics for retail have been even more pronounced in places such as Fifth Avenue that depend heavily on tourist and dense foot traffic. The virus has virtually halted the roughly 60 million tourists that normally flood into the city annually and continues to diminish daily commerce and street life as employees in central business districts such as Midtown have largely chosen to remain at home as a third wave of the pandemic has erupted across the country.Retail asking rents across 16 major shopping districts in Manhattan fell during the third quarter, according to data from CBRE, marking four straight years of continuous decline. The average asking rent at the end of the quarter in these districts was $659 per square foot, 12.8% less than a year ago and 4.2% below the second quarter. There were a record 254 empty stores being offered directly by landlords in the districts, an increase from last quarter's 235 dark storefronts.Especially tourist-dependent markets have fallen even more precipitously. Times Square, for instance, saw an 18% decline in average asking rents, from $1,820 per square foot to $1,492 per square foot year over year.
NY Fed Q3 Report: "Total Household Debt Increased in Q3 2020, Led by Surge in New Credit Extensions" --From the NY Fed: Total Household Debt Increased in Q3 2020, Led by Surge in New Credit Extensions; Mortgage Originations, Including Refinances, Continue to Soar The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Center for Microeconomic Data today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which shows that total household debt increased by $87 billion (0.6%) to $14.35 trillion in the third quarter of 2020. The increase more than offset the decline seen in the second quarter of 2020 as total household debt has surpassed its 2020Q1 reading. The Report is based on data from the New York Fed's Consumer Credit Panel, a nationally representative sample of individual- and household-level debt and credit records drawn from anonymized Equifax credit data. This latest report reflects consumer credit data as of September 30, 2020.Mortgage balances—the largest component of household debt—rose by $85 billion in the third quarter, and sat at $9.86 trillion on September 30. Mortgage originations, which include refinances, were at $1.05 trillion, the second highest volume in the history of the series and second only to the historic refinance boom in 2003Q3. Balances on home equity lines of credit saw a $13 billion decline, their 15th consecutive decrease since 2016Q4, bringing the outstanding balance to $362 billion....Aggregate delinquency rates across all debt products fell again in the third quarter, indicating the ongoing effect of forbearances provided by the CARES Act or voluntarily offered by lenders. New transitions into early delinquency have also fallen across product type. The various forbearance offerings and uptake have largely protected borrowers' credit files from being marked delinquent from missed payments. As of September 30, 3.4% of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency, a 0.2 percentage point decrease from the second quarter, and 1.4 percentage points lower than the rate observed in 2019Q4. About 132,000 consumers had a bankruptcy notation added to their credit reports in 2020Q3, a decline from the previous quarter and a new historical low.The first graph shows aggregate consumer debt decreased in Q3. Household debt previously peaked in 2008, and bottomed in Q3 2013.
The second graph shows the percent of debt in delinquency. The overall delinquency rate decreased in Q3.
American Consumers Shun Plastic but Borrow More for Homes and Cars, Fed Report Shows – WSJ -Americans continue to shy away from adding onto their credit cards even as they borrow more to buy houses and cars, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Household debt overall rose by $87 billion, or 0.6%, to $14.35 trillion in the third quarter compared with the second quarter, the New York Fed said. But credit-card balances declined by $10 billion to $810 billion. That followed a $76 billion decline in the second quarter, the steepest drop in data going back to 1999. That drop reflects both lower levels of spending due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as an effort by consumers to use extra cash to pay down debt, according to the New York Fed. Many households benefited from a temporary boost of $600 a week to unemployment compensation as well as one-time payments of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child thanks to federal legislation enacted in March. Households on average used 34.5% of those one-time payments to pay down debt, according to a separate New York Fed report released in October. Consumer spending fell sharply in March and April, when much of the economy was locked down, and has only slowly recovered. In September, household expenditures remained 2% below the previous year’s level after adjusting for inflation, according to the Commerce Department. On Tuesday, the department reported that retail sales rose at a seasonally adjusted rate of 0.3% in October from September, a slower pace than in previous months. The March legislation allowed struggling households to delay payments for federally guaranteed mortgages and student loans, which freed up cash that could be used for everyday expenses or to bring down credit-card debt. Auto lenders also voluntarily offered forbearance to some borrowers. The provisions reduced the number of consumers with new foreclosure filings, according to the New York Fed data released on Tuesday. About 16,000 households went through a foreclosure in the third quarter, down from almost 24,000 in the second quarter and almost 75,000 in the first quarter. Mortgage balances rose by $85 billion to $9.86 trillion in the third quarter, the New York Fed said. Consumers took out $1.05 trillion in mortgages both for purchases and for refinances in the third quarter, the second highest volume in data going back to 2000. “Mortgage originations, including refinances, continued on their upward trend as homeowners continue to take advantage of the low interest-rate environment,” said Donghoon Lee, research officer at the New York Fed. Auto loan balances rose by $17 billion to $1.36 trillion, and student loans posted a $9 billion increase to $1.55 trillion in the third quarter.M
NYC Restaurants Face 'Double Whammy' Of New Restrictions And Old Man Winter - New York City restaurants face a double whammy of new coronavirus restrictions and the threat that cold weather will reduce patron activity for outdoor dining areas. Lately, the virus pandemic is on the rise in the NYC metro area, forcing Mayor Bill de Blasio to reimplement curfews and limit capacity at restaurants. Last weekend, NYPost said citywide restaurant revenues plunged as much as 30% because of the new measures. To make matters worse, the threat of cold weather next month could be disastrous for the city's beleaguered restaurant owners. WSJ reports many restaurant operators have stockpiled propane and electric heaters to keep patrons warm during the winter months while dining on outdoor patios or sidewalks. Some operators warned the cost of new heaters and their installation is "hard to stomach." "God forbid the mayor announces another shutdown now," said Philippe Massoud, the chef at Lebanese restaurant Ilili in Manhattan. "I think we would all march to our graveyards, business-wise." However, for the next couple of weeks, restaurants in the city will be blessed with warmer weather trends, something we outlined Monday as natural gas futures plunged on a warmer weather outlook report. But come December, temperatures may dive again, and compound colder weather with new restrictions, well, it may result in another wave of restaurant closures. In a recent report, Goldman Sachs points out that outdoor dining in the metro area has jumped from 10% to 40% between June and September. Goldman says below the 40°F mark, consumer activity would slump, producing the risk consumer spending would plunge. The indoor dining ban was dismantled in late September and remains limited to 25% capacity. New restrictions are forcing restaurants to now shutter operations by 10:00 pm. "Now our last reservation is at 8 pm," Garry Kanfer, owner of Japanese eatery Kissaki on Bowery, told NYPost. "At 9:45 pm, the check drops, and they are out by 10 pm. People are leaving, but they're upset, even though they know it's not our fault. One diner called to tell me his party would have ordered more food, but there wasn't enough time." A survey of more than 400 restaurants and bars via the industry group NYC Hospitality Alliance found 88% of them couldn't pay full rent in October. About 30% of respondents couldn't pay rent at all for the month.
Retail Sales increased 0.3% in October - On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.3 percent from September to October (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 5.7 percent from October 2019. From the Census Bureau report: Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $553.3 billion,an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous month, and 5.7 percent above October 2019. Total sales for the August 2020 through October 2020 period were up 5.1 percent from the same period a year ago. The August 2020 to September 2020 percent change was revised from up 1.9 percent to up 1.6 percent. This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline). Retail sales ex-gasoline were up 0.2% in October. The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993. Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 7.1% on a YoY basis. The increase in October was below expectations, however sales in August and September were revised up, combined.
U.S. Retail Sales Climbed at a Slower Pace in October – WSJ -- U.S. retail sales rose in October at their slowest pace since the spring, another sign the nation’s economic recovery is losing steam as coronavirus cases surge across the country. Consumer-spending data from private companies suggest shoppers turned more cautious this month, too, as last month’s jump in virus cases accelerated in November, prompting some officials to impose new restrictions, mask mandates and other mitigation strategies to slow its spread. “We’re going into a difficult winter,” Slowing payroll gains and waning government assistance mean “however you cut it, we should have weaker consumer spending over the next quarter or two than we had this summer,” Mr. Sweeney said. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in October from a month earlier. That was well below a 1.6% increase in September, and it marked the smallest monthly rise in retail sales since May, when spending rebounded from sharp declines in the early phase of the pandemic. While spending on vehicles, electronics and at home-improvement stores increased last month, sales slipped in key categories such as grocery store, clothing and restaurant spending. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s tracker of 30 million credit and debit cardholders recorded a 4% decline in spending from a year earlier in the week through Nov. 13. Online shopping continues to flourish. Sales increased 3.1% in October from the prior month at nonstore retailers, a category that accounts for online merchants, according to Tuesday’s Commerce report. Retailers pushed an early start to the holiday shopping season in October with promotional events such as Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Day. Walmart Inc. reported Tuesday that e-commerce sales in the U.S. jumped 79% in the quarter ended in late October. People are making fewer trips to Walmart stores, shifting more spending online and stocking up when they do go to stores, the company said. The retail giant’s comparable U.S. sales, those at stores or digital channels operating for at least 12 months, rose 6.4%—a slower pace than earlier in the coronavirus pandemic even as shoppers continued to buy up food and cleaning supplies and it pushed early holiday deals.
LA Area Port Traffic: Strong Imports, Weak Exports in October --Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container). To remove the strong seasonal component for inbound traffic, the first graph shows the rolling 12 month average.On a rolling 12 month basis, inbound traffic was up 2.2% in October compared to the rolling 12 months ending in September. Outbound traffic was down 0.4% compared to the rolling 12 months ending the previous month.The 2nd graph is the monthly data (with a strong seasonal pattern for imports). Usually imports peak in the July to October period as retailers import goods for the Christmas holiday, and then decline sharply and bottom in February or March depending on the timing of the Chinese New Year. Imports were up 25% YoY in October, and exports were down 5% YoY.
Industrial Production Increased 1.1 Percent in October; 5.6% Below Pre-Crisis Level -From the Fed: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization- Industrial production rose 1.1 percent in October. The index has recovered much of its 16.5 percent decline from February to April, but output in October was still 5.6 percent lower than its pre-pandemic February level. After edging up 0.1 percent in September, manufacturing output increased 1.0 percent in October. The output of utilities rose 3.9 percent, while the output at mines declined 0.6 percent to a level that was 14.4 percent below its year-earlier reading. At 103.2 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production was 5.3 percent lower in October than it was a year earlier. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.8 percentage point in October to 72.8 percent, a rate that is 7.0 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2019) average but 8.6 percentage points above its low in April. This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April, but still well below the level in February 2020.Capacity utilization at 72.8% is 7.0% below the average from 1972 to 2017.Note: y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the change.The second graph shows industrial production since 1967.Industrial production increased in October to 103.2. This is 5.6% below the February 2020 level.The change in industrial production was close to consensus expectations, and industrial production in August and September were revised up.
U.S. Industrial Production Rose 1.1% in October – WSJ -U.S. industrial production rose last month, as output continued its slow climb back from deep declines last spring due to pandemic-related shutdowns. The Federal Reserve on Tuesday said its index of industrial production—a measure of output at factories, mines and utilities—rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in October, following a revised 0.4% decline in September. Output remains 5.6% below where it was in February, before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Fed said. Economists said they expect to see production continue to make up lost ground in the coming months since demand for goods has held up better than demand for services. But the alarming rise in new coronavirus cases around the country could slow that expansion. “For December and January all bets are off, given the uncertainty over the extent and duration of the restrictions,” which will be needed to bring the new surge in Covid cases under control, said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics in a note to clients. Industrial production fell at a record pace in the spring as factories were closed to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The Fed’s index plunged in March and April before rebounding in June and July. Growth since has been more muted. Manufacturing, the biggest component of production, rose 1%, after a 0.1% increase in September. Utility production rose 3.9%, the Fed said. Mining output fell 0.6% and remains 14.4% below its level a year ago. Capacity utilization, a measure of slack in the industrial economy, rose to 72.8% in October from a revised 72% in September. Economists had expected capacity utilization to reach 72.2% in October.
Empire State Mfg Survey: Slight Expansion in November - This morning we got the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The diffusion index for General Business Conditions at 6.3 was a decrease of 4.2 from the previous month's 10.5. The Investing.com forecast was for a reading of 13.5.The Empire State Manufacturing Index rates the relative level of general business conditions in New York state. A level above 0.0 indicates improving conditions, below indicates worsening conditions. The reading is compiled from a survey of about 200 manufacturers in New York state.Here is the opening paragraph from the report.Business activity expanded in New York State, though only slightly, according to firms responding to the November 2020 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index fell four points to 6.3, pointing to a slower pace of growth than in October. There was a small increase in new orders, and shipments were modestly higher. Inventories moved lower, and delivery times were steady. Employment levels and hours worked both rose. Input prices increased at about the same pace as last month, while selling price increases picked up. Looking ahead, firms remained optimistic that conditions would improve over the next six months. [full report]Here is a chart of the current conditions and its 3-month moving average, which helps clarify the trend for this extremely volatile indicator:
Philly Fed Mfg Index: Activity Down in November, But Still GrowingThe Philly Fed's Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey is a monthly report for the Third Federal Reserve District, covers eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. While it focuses exclusively on business in this district, this regional survey gives a generally reliable clue as to the direction of the broader Chicago Fed's National Activity Index.The latest Manufacturing Index came in at 26.3, down 6 from last month's 32.3. The 3-month moving average came in at 24.5, up from 21.5 last month. Since this is a diffusion index, negative readings indicate contraction, positive ones indicate expansion. The Six-Month Outlook came in at 44.3, down 18.4 from the previous month's 62.7.The 26.3 headline number came in above the 22.0 forecast at Investing.com.Here is the introduction from the survey: Manufacturing activity in the region continued to grow, according to firms responding to the November Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey. The survey’s current indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments remained positive for the sixth consecutive month but fell from their readings in October. However, employment increases were more widespread this month. Most future indexes also moderated this month but continue to indicate that firms expect growth over the next six months. (Full Report) The first chart below gives us a look at this diffusion index since 2000, which shows us how it has behaved in proximity to the two 21st century recessions. The red dots show the indicator itself, which is quite noisy, and the 3-month moving average, which is more useful as an indicator of coincident economic activity. We can see periods of contraction in 2011, 2012 and 2015, and a shallower contraction in 2013. The contraction due to COVID-19 is clear in 2020.
Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims increased to 742,000 --The DOL reported: In the week ending November 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 742,000, an increase of 31,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 709,000 to 711,000. The 4-week moving average was 742,000, a decrease of 13,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 755,250 to 755,750.This does not include the 320,237 initial claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) that was up from 296,374 the previous week. (There are some questions on PUA numbers).The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.
US jobless claims surge - On Thursday, the US Department of Labor jobless claims report revealed that another 742,000 people filed first time unemployment claims, an increase of over 30,000 from the previous week and the highest number in a month. The increase in filings upends claims of an imminent economic “recovery” and underscores the urgent need for indefinite financial relief for jobless workers, small business owners and their families. The figures are based on the week ending November 14, just before several states such as Michigan, California, Oregon, Illinois and New Mexico began implementing stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders to lessen the out-of-control spread of COVID-19, which has risen dramatically in the last two weeks in the US from roughly 90,000 daily cases to over 160,000 cases, according to data compiled by Worldometers. Over 255,000 have died in the US due to COVID-19 as of this writing. The haphazard, chaotic and criminally delayed lockdown measures taken by some governors and mayors, which do not include the shutting down of “superspreader” factories and schools in response to overwhelmed hospital systems, have not been accompanied by an infusion of stimulus, leaving locked down workers and small business owners to fend for themselves. Thursday’s report showed that another 233,000 workers were added to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, bringing the total to 4.38 million, while claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program increased by 23,863 last week, raising the total to 320,234. The 233,000 added last week just to the PEUC program is about 8,000 more than total claims in a typical week prior to the pandemic. Between state unemployment and federal claims, the DoL (Department of Labor) has recorded 35 straight weeks of over 1 million jobless claims, an unprecedented number that has no historical equal since tracking began. In addition to gig workers such as DoorDash, Uber and Lyft drivers, “independent contractors” and construction workers have seen employment opportunities evaporate as entire industries went into lockdown in March and never recovered.
Note: The Employment Situation is Worse than the Headline Unemployment Rate Suggests - The headline unemployment rate has fallen to 6.9%, but that significantly understates the current situation. Note that the headline unemployment rate was 3.5% at the end of 2019. Here is a table that shows the current number of unemployed and the unemployment rate. Then I calculated the unemployment rate by including the number of people that have left the labor force since February, and the expected growth in the labor force. As the economy recovers, many of the people that left the labor force will probably return, and there will be more entrants into the labor force. This will keep the unemployment rate elevated for some time, and suggests the need for more disaster relief. This is just the headline unemployment rate. There are 2.3 million additional involuntary part time workers than a year ago (these workers are included in U-6). Note: I'd be careful looking at the weekly initial claims report in addition to the BLS report. The weekly claims report suggests there are millions of workers receiving pandemic assistance, but this should be captured in the BLS household surveys (so I wouldn't add the numbers together).
BLS: October Unemployment rates down in 37 States, Higher in 8 States --From the BLS: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary: Unemployment rates were lower in October in 37 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 8 states, and stable in 5 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-seven states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier and three states had little or no change. The national unemployment rate declined by 1.0 percentage point over the month to 6.9 percent but was 3.3 points higher than in October 2019. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 32 states, decreased in 2 states, and was essentially unchanged in 16 states and the District of Columbia in October 2020. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 48 states and the District and was essentially unchanged in 2 states....Hawaii had the highest unemployment rate in October, 14.3 percent, followed by Nevada, 12.0 percent. Nebraska and Vermont had the lowest rates, 3.0 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. Hawaii and Nevada are being impacted by the lack of tourism.
Boeing announces 7,000 additional layoffs - Boeing, the giant US commercial and military aviation manufacturer, has announced 7,000 layoffs, bringing its total to 30,000 for the year. The company cited the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the airline industry as the underlying cause, and also announced that there were no orders forthcoming for the entire month of October, the second consecutive month where this occurred. Boeing intends to make these cuts despite receiving $17 billion in federal bailout money earlier in the year. Additionally, 37 orders of the 737 MAX, the airliner whose serious technological defects were covered up by the company, and led to two separate crashes and 346 deaths, have been taken off the books. The collapse in new orders is driven by the crippling of the airline industry by the coronavirus pandemic, with the amount of passengers declining 65 percent. This in turn has led to a wave of route consolidations and closures. According to OAG Aviation Worldwide, the airline industry reduced 47,756 air routes operating in January to 33,416 in November, a 30 percent decline. In March, while haggling with Congress for a share of the trillion-dollar corporate bailout under the CARES Act, the airline industry held workers’ jobs for ransom, threatening tens of thousands of job cuts unless the federal government intervened. In the end, the airline industry promised only to delay any layoffs until September 30. The industry group Airlines for America announced that US carriers have shed 90,000 of the 460,000 industry jobs since March, a 20 percent reduction. Southwest Airlines is also threatening layoffs for the first time in its history unless workers accept 10 percent wage cuts. Indicating the worsening position of the airline industry, 25 of the 37 canceled orders for the 737 MAX were dropped by Boeing because of the financial weakness of the purchasers.
Boeing 737 MAX Cleared to Fly Again, Amidst Plummeting Demand for Air Travel and Aircraft as a Result of COVID-19 - Jerri-Lynn Scofield - The Wall Street Journal features an article today on the Boeing 737 MAX being cleared to fly again, Boeing 737 MAX Cleared to Fly Again, but Covid-19 Has Sapped Demand. Unfortunately, the CoVID-19 crisis has killed demand for air travel and new aircraft, especially a model that crashed twice and revealed the details of the sausage-making of Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) regulatory decisions. The FAA’s chief, Stephen Dickson, signed a formal order today lifting the grounding, 20 months after the original suspension decision, according to the New York Times, Boeing 737 Max i s Cleared by F.A.A. to Fly Again. The F.A.A. really had no choice in instituting a flying ban for the 737 MAX, as i was merely joining other countries that had already done so. Over to the WSJ; The U.S. on Wednesday approved Boeing Co. BA 3.78% ’s 737 MAX jets for passenger flights again after dual crashes took 346 lives, helping to resolve the plane maker’s biggest pre-pandemic crisis. The Federal Aviation Administration’s official order to release the MAX, grounded since March 2019, comes as the beleaguered Chicago aerospace giant grapples with a host of new problems amid the continuing health crisis. The FAA’s order for ungrounding would allow Boeing to resume delivering the jets to airlines and let them carry passengers. But the pandemic has sapped demand for air travel, prompting airlines and aircraft-leasing firms to cancel about 10% of Boeing’s outstanding MAX orders this year. Boeing has said it believes hundreds more of its remaining 4,102 orders could be in jeopardy. By its action, the FAA concluded that the company had addressed the problems that caused the crashes. Over to the NYT:Investigators have attributed the crashes to a range of problems, including engineering fl mismanagement and a lack of federal oversight. At the root was software known as MCAS, which was designed to automatically push the plane’s nose down in certain situations and has been blamed for both crashes.In August, the F.A.A. determined that a series of proposals by Boeing — including changes to MCAS, flight crew training and the jet’s design — “effectively mitigate” its safety concerns. Mr. Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines pilot, took the controls on a test flight in September, saying he liked what he saw. The situation has already cost the company billions of dollars. As Naked Capitalism has written previously, even before the pandemic began, Boeing was unlikely to recoup its costs anytime soon, let alone turn a profit. The fallout from crashes of a Lion Air Jet in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019 has only worsened as the prospects for most world airlines are in freefall.
As COVID-19 spreads in workplaces, US autoworkers call for emergency action to save lives - With COVID-19 outbreaks surging across the US and record levels of infections, demands are growing among autoworkers to shut down the plants, which have become major vectors of transmission. The seriousness of the situation is highlighted by developments in the Detroit area, where major outbreaks have been reported at Fiat Chrysler plants in the northern suburb of Sterling Heights. On Monday, over 8,000 new cases were reported in Michigan, while Illinois had over 11,000 and Ohio 5,700. Nationwide, the US is reporting near 150,000 daily new cases with over 8,000 deaths in the last week, bringing total deaths to over one quarter of a million. On Saturday, the Sterling Heights Assembly Rank-and-File Safety Committee issued a statement calling for a work stoppage to halt production to save lives and demand full compensation for workers. It reported that all United Auto Workers Local 1700 shop stewards at the plant have been sent home to quarantine and at least one worker, Mark Bianchi, is already dead. Many supervisors are out with COVID-19, including all three skilled trades supervisors. One worker told the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter that 25 people in the paint department alone were sent home on Friday due to exposure. Dearborn Truck worker (Source: Ford Media) At the nearby Sterling Stamping plant, at least 30 cases are being reported. The UAW has closed its union hall and several local stewards and reps have been sent home while the union insists that workers continue production. At the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in Detroit, a member of the JNAP Rank-and-File Safety Committee reported that an entire team on the “B” crew engine line was sent home after a worker tested positive for COVID-19. Last month, the UAW admitted that at least 59 JNAP workers had been infected and two had died since May. Workers say that basic safety measures, such as the mask policy, are not being strictly enforced. Screening is being done in a perfunctory and haphazard manner. Workers are not able to keep proper social distancing, with workers packed together at the exits. Even workers that exhibit COVID-19 symptoms are sometimes not being tested. Workers are not being informed of COVID-19 cases in their departments or even COVID-19 deaths. Management makes it so difficult to collect pay when workers are infected that some would prefer not to get tested and continue reporting to work. Complaints filed with the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration are routinely ignored.
Sterling Heights Assembly workers demand shutdown as coronavirus spreads in factories throughout US - Support is growing among autoworkers throughout the country for a nationwide shutdown of the auto industry to contain the spread of the pandemic. On Sunday night, Michigan health officials acknowledged that manufacturing and construction sites were among the top locations for COVID-19 outbreaks in the state, but these were explicitly left out of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s partial lockdown measures. Last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also admitted that outbreaks in industrial locations, including auto factories, meatpacking and food processing plants and logistics firms, were one of the chief drivers of the new surge. In the Detroit area, the most significant outbreak appears to be taking place at Fiat Chrysler’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP), the largest auto plant in the area. All of the shop stewards for United Auto Workers Local 1700 have been sent home to quarantine and at least one worker, Mark Bianchi, is already dead. A worker informed the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter that 25 people in the paint department alone were sent home on Friday due to exposure. In opposition to the UAW’s support for management sacrificing workers’ lives for profit, the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant Rank-and-File Safety Committee issued a statement on Saturday calling for a work stoppage to halt production to save lives and to demand full compensation for all affected workers. The committee calls on workers not to return to work until all necessary safety measures have been taken, including daily testing of the entire workforce, full pay for workers under quarantine, the immediate publication of all cases in the plant and an end to company and UAW intimidation against workers who speak out to the media or on Facebook. Just south of SHAP, the virus is also raging out of control at FCA Sterling Stamping Plant. Over 30 infections have now been confirmed. Yesterday UAW Local 1264 closed its union hall and several “committeemen, stewards and a benefit rep” have been sent home, according to the local. However, even as its own officials are being sent home to quarantine, the UAW is insisting that workers remain on the job to produce profits for the auto companies. A detailed analysis of the outbreak at Sterling Stamping was published last week on the World Socialist Web Site.
Managers at Tyson pork plant took bets on how many workers would contract COVID-19 - The plant manager at Tyson’s largest US pork plant ran a betting pool with supervisors and managers to wager how many employees would become infected with coronavirus, according to a recent lawsuit. So far, over 1,000 workers in the Waterloo, Iowa plant have been infected and five have died. Management also deliberately lied to the public about the extent of the infection and ordered workers with symptoms to remain on the job. While appalling, the situation at the Waterloo facility is far from unique. Nationwide, at least 50,000 meatpacking workers have been infected since the start of the pandemic and at least 253 have died, according to the Food & Environment Reporting Network. Tyson Foods, the world’s second-largest meat processing company, leads the industry with more than 11,000 confirmed infections and 35 deaths. Major outbreaks also occurred at Tyson’s pork plant in Perry, Iowa, where more than 60 percent of the workforce tested positive, and two plants in Columbus Junction and Camilla, Georgia, where together six workers died. The callous indifference to human life of the management at this particular plant is the direct outcome of the policy of “herd immunity” pursued by the entire corporate elite, sacrificing human life by keeping production going as the pandemic rages. Tyson’s fourth quarter earnings report blew past analysts’ expectations, nearly doubling its net income to $692 million and reporting increased sales volume for pork, chicken and prepared foods. While falsely claiming that any pause in production would threaten the American public with starvation, in reality Tyson is ramping up pork production to take advantage of falling output from Asian and German competitors, according to the Motley Fool, which declared the company was living “High Off the Hog.” The company’s pork and beef sales jumped by 15 and 11 percent respectively, and Tyson reportedly increased exports to China sevenfold in the first quarter.
67% Of Republicans, 21% Of Democrats Says Lives “Somewhat” Back To Pre-COVID Normal- Gallup --As COVID-19 cases were surging again across the U.S. last month, more than six in 10 Americans said their lives had not returned to pre-pandemic normalcy. Overall, 62% of Americans surveyed Oct. 19-Nov. 1 said their life right now is "not yet back to normal," while 34% said theirs is "somewhat back to normal" and 3% said "completely" so. Among a host of key demographic subgroups, Republicans are the most likely to say their lives have somewhat (59%) or completely (8%) gotten back to what they were before COVID-19. The combined 67% of Republicans feeling like life is back to normal is more than three times the rate among Democrats (21%) and more than double that among independents (32%). Indeed, Gallup's probability-based panel survey tracking Americans' attitudes and behaviors related to the coronavirus situation has found discrepancies in partisans' practices during the pandemic, which may explain why more Republicans say their lives have returned to normal. The latest data find 48% of Democrats, 41% of independents and 20% of Republicans saying they have isolated themselves from people outside their household -- either "completely" or "mostly" -- in the past 24 hours. At the same time, 50% of Republicans say they have made little or no attempt to isolate themselves, compared with 23% of Democrats and 38% of independents who say the same. Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to say they "always" practiced social distancing the previous day (53% vs. 26%, respectively). Fully one-quarter of Republicans say they "rarely" or "never" did so. Similarly, 73% of Republicans think the better advice for people who do not have symptoms of the coronavirus and are otherwise healthy is to lead their normal lives as much as possible. However, majorities of Democrats (93%) and independents (60%) believe it is better to stay home as much as possible to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus.
Your Boss Wants to Know: What Are You Doing for Thanksgiving? – WSJ - Companies are sending a new kind of Thanksgiving message to employees this year. As Covid-19 cases surge and what is normally the year’s most-traveled holiday approaches, many employers are inquiring about workers’ Thanksgiving plans and urging them to celebrate with caution. Bosses say they worry family get-togethers could lead to more infections in workplaces and staffing crunches—though employment law limits how much say companies have on workers’ off-duty time. Those legal restrictions haven’t stopped some companies from taking measures to encourage employees to limit their Covid-19 exposure over the holiday and to safeguard workplaces. Some are offering workers paid time off for potential post-Thanksgiving quarantines, while others are asking employees to sign pledges stating that they’ll keep celebrations small. Many others are issuing memos and corporate videos reminding workers of guidance from public-health authorities on avoiding large gatherings and extensive travel. Even so, employers making such moves say that there is only so much they can do to influence employees’ Thanksgiving plans and that they will largely have to trust them to take health precautions. “I can’t mandate what people do outside,” said Lisa Buckingham, chief people, place and brand officer at Radnor, Pa.,-based Lincoln Financial Group. She has been using her weekly internal videos to push for small Thanksgiving gatherings and compliance with safety recommendations. “I’m worried that we’re going to let our guard down, and this is not the year to do that.” At XPO Logistics Inc., a trucking and logistics provider based in Greenwich, Conn., posters in work areas remind employees that the safest way to enjoy Thanksgiving is with those in their immediate households. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is giving talking points to restaurant managers to stress in pre-shift meetings the importance of limiting the size of Thanksgiving gatherings. Outdoor apparel maker Patagonia has a travel policy that requires employees to speak with their managers to develop a return-to-work plan; some may need to quarantine for 14 days, depending on state and local requirements. NorthShore University HealthSystem, a five-hospital system in the Chicago area that employs roughly 13,000 people, has asked staffers and community members to sign a voluntary safety promise on its website to, among commitments, keep social gatherings small. Bosses are typically within their rights to informally inquire about employees’ Thanksgiving plans but can run into legal pitfalls if they monitor employees’ social-media activity or take punitive measures based on how someone spends the day, says Todd Logsdon, co-chair of the workplace safety and catastrophe practice group at law firm Fisher Phillips. “You have to be careful about what kind of action you take,” he says.
70% Of Americans Unlikely To Travel For Holidays As US Faces Second Virus Wave - As many on Wall Street want to believe, the prospects of a COVID-19 vaccine are certainly not instant stimulus. For some economic realities of just how awful the travel and tourism season will be this holiday season, a new study shows that 72% of Americans are unlikely to travel for Thanksgiving, and 69% are unlikely to travel for Christmas, compounding the challenges for the travel and tourism sector. The survey of 2,200 adults was conducted on Nov. 4 by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Only 32% of respondents have taken an overnight vacation or leisure trip since March. Only 21% of respondents said they would travel for Thanksgiving, and 24% will travel for Christmas. The resurgence of the virus pandemic late in 2020 forced many respondents to reevaluate travel plans for 2021. With the threat president-elect, Joe Biden will shut down the country in late January - only 24% of respondents said they would travel for spring break. And less than half (44%) said they would stay in a hotel for their next vacation a year or more from now. Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, warned that many Americans won't be traveling for Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year, and or for Christmas. The slump will be devastating to the travel and tourism industry. He called on Washington to pass another bailout bill for the industry as millions of jobs are at risk. The national hotel occupancy was 44.4% for the week ending Oct. 31, compared to 62.6% the same week last year. Occupancy in urban markets is only 35.6%, down from 71.8% one year ago. As we noted not too long ago, the hotel industry is set to unravel in an "unprecedented wave of foreclosures." In a separate report, the World Travel & Tourism Council published a report this week, protecting a "staggering 9.2 million jobs could be lost in the US Travel & Tourism sector in 2020 if barriers to global travel remain in place."Meanwhile, Airline For America, one of the top lobby groups for US airline carriers, warned Thursday that air travel demand is now "softening" due to the second wave of the virus pandemic.
Michigan Governor announces emergency measures as COVID-19 surges throughout the state - Responding to the massive surge of the pandemic across the state over the past week, Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a series of new coronavirus restrictions on Sunday evening that are scheduled to take effect on Wednesday. Among the new rules are the suspension of in-person classes at high schools and colleges and eat-in dining at restaurants and bars, the cancellation of all organized sports, and the shutdown of nontribal casinos, movie theaters and group exercise classes. The temporary restrictions are being put in place by Whitmer for three weeks under the authority of the Michigan Public Health Code and are not the same as the executive declarations that had been issued previously such as the stay-at-home orders of last spring. Businesses are asked to allow office workers to work from home if possible. The governor’s announcement came after the number of confirmed cases in Michigan increased by 44,019 and 416 people died from COVID-19 in the past seven days. The number of coronavirus cases is now four times greater per day than it was at the height of the pandemic in April. The number of hospitalizations has also spiked, threatening to overrun the capacity of the health care systems across the state. In her 6:00 p.m. statement, Governor Whitmer said, “Right now, there are thousands of cases a day and hundreds of deaths a week in Michigan, and the number is growing. If we don’t act now, thousands more will die, and our hospitals will continue to be overwhelmed.” She said that there is a very real danger that as many as one thousand people could die per day in the near future if action were not taken “right now to slow the spread of this deadly virus.” The public health order restricts gatherings inside homes to two households at a time and health officials are strongly urging families to select a single other household to interact with over the next three weeks. The governor specifically mentioned the approaching holiday season and concerns about people gathering in homes during the cold winter months.
Washington, Michigan Impose Tough New COVID-19 Restrictions; US Tops 11 Million Cases- Live Updates - It's been an eventful afternoon for coronavirus news. As the US surpassed 11 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced strict new social distancing restrictions that will shut down bars, restaurants, gyms and other non-essential businesses for at least 3 weeks.Meanwhile, Retail and grocery stores must limit occupancy to 25 percent, and malls are required to keep food court seating closed. Personal services, including barbershops and salons, will also be limited to 25% capacity."Today, Sunday, November 15, 2020, is the most dangerous public health day in the last 100 years of our state's history," Inslee said during a news conference. "A pandemic is raging in our state. Left unchecked, it will assuredly result in grossly overburdened hospitals and morgues; and keep people from obtaining routine by necessary medical treatment for non-COVID conditions."Other measures, like limiting outdoor dining to parties of 5 or under, along with requiring people to work from home if possible, were added to the proposal.In Michigan, meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned during a press briefing that her state could see as many as 1,000 fatalities a week in the coming months if something isn't done. Starting Monday, she closed schools, colleges, sports games and other non-essential functions for three weeks. Finally, the US topped 11 million cases on Sunday, one week after topping the 10 million mark.For the second day in a row, New Jersey has reported a record number of new cases - 4,540, to be exact - an "ALARMING" new trend as the Garden State struggles to fend off the latest wave of COVID-19 infections. Murphy also declared that "the second wave of COVID is now here," an indication that more restrictions might be to come. Earlier this month, Murphy imposed restrictions on when certain businesses can operate along with strict new social distancing requirements. The US exceeded 100k newly confirmed COVID-19 cases for the tenth straight day on Saturday. Although they came in below Friday's record, new cases exceeded 160k on Saturday, leaving the 7-day average at a record high, while deaths exceeded 1,300, topping 1,000 for the fifth straight day. All 50 states are officially back in expansionary territory after Vermont saw the virus's rate of spread climb back above 1. Over the last 24 hours, 38 of 50 states reported more than 1,000 new cases, as the virus outbreak explodes, along with hospitalizations. Even deaths, which had remained surprisingly subdued as infection rates climbed in September and October, are starting to creep upward.
Iowa governor reverses course, issues statewide mask mandate - Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) reversed course and issued a statewide mask mandate on Monday after previously resisting calls for the requirement as the coronavirus surges in the state. Reynolds addressed the public and signed a proclamation Monday night that requires those 2 years old and older to wear a mask in indoor areas open to the public where they will be within six feet of people who are not members of their household for 15 minutes or longer. The proclamation will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and will last until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 10. The mask mandate does not apply to those eating or drinking at bars and restaurants, those with medical disabilities preventing them from wearing a mask, and those participating in religious services, the Des Moines Register noted. “I’m afraid that these mild cases have created a mindset where Iowans have become complacent, where we’ve lost that sight of ... why it was so important to flatten the curve,” she said during her public address. Reynolds also prohibited indoor gatherings of 15 people or more and outside gatherings of 30 people or more in her announcement. These gatherings include weddings and funeral receptions, family gatherings, and other nonessential gatherings of people who do not live or work together indoors, her office noted in a release. The governor’s order will also require restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, arcades, pool halls, bingo halls and indoor playgrounds to close at 10 p.m. for indoor guests. “These measures are targeted toward activities and environments where they have the potential to make a significant impact in a relatively short amount of time,” she said. “That doesn’t mean these changes will be easy or popular, but they’re necessary if we want to keep our businesses open, our kids in school and our health care system stable.” Her mask mandate comes as Iowa has seen a rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases since mid-October. The state documented a record 4,381 new cases last Monday and broke its record for most current hospitalizations on Monday with 1,392, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
California pulling 'emergency brake' to slow record surge of COVID cases -California is pulling the "emergency brake" and tightening restrictions for 94 percent of the state's residents amid a record-breaking increase in coronavirus cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday said 41 of the state's 58 counties will be put into the most restrictive "purple" tier because of widespread virus transmission, effective tomorrow. This means indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters and houses of worship will be closed. “We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said in a statement. Those counties must make changes in the next 24 hours, Newsom said during a press briefing, rather than the three days allowed under the state's reopening blueprint. Counties will also be moved back after only one week of rising infection spread, rather than two. Counties will be reassessed multiple times during the course of a week, and they will be unable to move forward until the numbers improve and the state deems it safe. Newsom said the state will no longer wait until each Tuesday to impose new restrictions on counties. Daily cases have doubled in the state over the last 10 days, the fastest increase California has seen since the beginning of the pandemic. The state's positivity rate over the past seven days is 4.6 percent. While much lower than the national average, Newsom said that rate is far too high. Just two weeks ago, the state's positivity rate was 3.2 percent. If left unchecked, Newsom said the spread could quickly overwhelm the state's health care system and lead to "catastrophic outcomes." The state became the second in the nation last week to surpass 1 million cases of the virus. The U.S. has now recorded more than 11 million cases. Overnight Health Care: Moderna says coronavirus vaccine is 94.5...
Newsom orders 1-month curfew in California to combat rising virus cases - California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a one-month curfew to combat the rising spread of COVID-19. Newsom tweeted that the curfew would go into effect Saturday beginning at 10 p.m. and last for the next month. Gatherings and nonessential work will be prohibited from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in purple-tier counties.“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said in a statement. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.” On Monday, Newsom announced that 41 of California's 58 counties would be moved to the purple tier category. Last week California became the second U.S. state after Texas to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases. Newsom faced significant backlash over the past week for attending a 12-person birthday party for his adviser at a Napa Valley restaurant just as California became the second state to reach 1 million COVID-19 cases. California reported 11,478 cases on Wednesday, a new high for the state. COVID-19 cases jumped by 50 percent in the first week of November, according to the governor's statement.
California, Ohio order nightly curfews on gatherings as coronavirus surges (Reuters) - California’s governor on Thursday imposed a curfew on social gatherings and other non-essential activities in one of the most intrusive of the restrictions being ordered across the country to curb an alarming surge in novel coronavirus infections. The stay-at-home order will go into effect from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. each day, starting Saturday night and ending on the morning of Dec. 21, covering 41 of California’s 58 counties and the vast majority of its population, Governor Gavin Newsom said. “The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic, and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge,” Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement announcing the measure a week before the Thanksgiving holiday. A similar 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew order was issued on Thursday in Ohio and will remain in effect for the next 21 days, Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, announced separately. As in California, the Ohio curfew would not prohibit grocery stores from remaining open past 10 p.m, or keep restaurants from staying open late for takeout orders. Individuals would likewise be permitted to venture out for food, medical care, or other necessities, as well as to take a jog or walk a dog. In California, the restriction essentially marks a return to the first-in-the-nation, statewide stay-home order that Newsom imposed in March, except it applies only during the designated curfew hours rather than around the clock. Signs of a resurgent public health crisis have emerged more starkly across the country, with officials forced to retreat from tentative steps to normalize daily life during what had been a brief lull in the pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “strong recommendation” on Thursday that Americans refrain from traveling for the holiday.
Ohio lawmakers pass bill stripping Gov. Mike DeWine of his power to issue statewide coronavirus orders - cleveland.com —Ohio lawmakers on Thursday sent Gov. Mike DeWine a bill that would strip his administration of the authority to issue statewide coronavirus orders, even though the governor said the measure would be “a disaster” and vowed to veto it. Senate Bill 311, which passed 58-30 along party lines, would ban the Ohio Department of Health from issuing mandatory quarantine orders enforced against people who are not diagnosed as sick or directly exposed to disease. It passed the state Senate in September. The bill would not void existing statewide orders, including the three-week 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew announced by the governor earlier this week, a renewed statewide mask mandate, and a “stay-at-home” order like the one DeWine ordered the state health director to issue last spring. But it would prohibit such orders from being issued in the future, and it would allow lawmakers to vote to rescind any existing state health order. Supporters say the legislation provides a needed check on the DeWine administration’s authority to unilaterally issue health orders. Conservatives, in particular, have fiercely criticized many of DeWine’s coronavirus policies, arguing they infringe on personal freedoms and unnecessarily devastate the state’s economy. A lengthy House floor debate prior to the vote involved Republican proponents arguing that they are expressing the will of their constituents and rightly checking the power of the governor versus Democrats who pointed to opposition from public-health experts saying the bill would cripple efforts to fight the coronavirus. DeWine, a Greene County Republican, said during a televised coronavirus briefing Thursday that he has “a moral obligation” to veto the bill, as it would hamstring his ability to respond to a number of crises, from pandemics to biological weapon attacks. “This bill would make Ohio slow to respond to a crisis. It would take tools away from this governor and future governors,” DeWine said. “It would put the lives of Ohioans in jeopardy. This bill is a disaster.” If DeWine follows through on his promise to reject SB 311, the Ohio Senate could override his veto if three-fifths of senators (20 of 33) vote to make it law. The bill passed the Senate in September with exactly 20 votes.
New Jersey limits indoor, outdoor gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving as COVID-19 surges -- New Jersey will limit the number of people allowed to gather indoors and outdoors in an effort to bring down skyrocketing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Monday. The limits on indoor gatherings will be dropped from 25 to 10 people, effective Tuesday morning, and outdoor gatherings from 500 to 150 people will be effective Nov. 23. Murphy said he understands the indoor gathering limits will be hard to enforce, but officials will do whatever is necessary to enforce compliance. "There's no question, behind private doors, it's harder. Which is why we are pleading with folks. We can't be inside your living room for Thanksgiving," Murphy said during a press conference. "I think there's some notion that when you're in your house, you pass through some magic doorway, and especially as we celebrate holidays, but that's just not true," Murphy said. Current indoor dining limits will remain in place at 25 percent capacity. Recent rules that require bars and restaurants to close indoor dining between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day will also not be changing. Murphy also said there will be no change to the current limits on indoor weddings, funerals, movie theaters, performances, religious services and political activities, all of which are capped at 25 percent of a venue's capacity, or a maximum of 150 people. The new restrictions come ahead of Thanksgiving and are meant to prevent large house parties or indoor dinners with large families from multiple households. Murphy said he knows the new measures will disrupt people's Thanksgiving plans. "And I understand why there might be frustration with this step,” Murphy said. “But as we have been saying for weeks, this will not be a normal Thanksgiving.” Murphy said the state set back-to-back records for new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, with nearly 4,400 cases Saturday and more than 4,500 on Sunday. Five percent of the state's cumulative COVID-19 total — 14,566 cases — has come in just the past four days.
New York Sheriffs Refuse To Enforce Cuomo's Thanksgiving COVID Order - Several county sheriffs in New York State are saying they will not enforce Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order that limits Thanksgiving Day gatherings to 10 people or less. Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo summed up the sheriffs’ objections nicely. “I can’t see how devoting our resources to counting cars in citizens’ driveways or investigating how much turkey and dressing they’ve purchased is for the public good,” Zurlo said in a press release. This has nothing to do with “virus fatigue,” it’s a common-sense rebellion against insanity. New York Post: In a scathing Facebook post on Saturday, Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino questioned the legality of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s newly instituted 10-person cap on parties and other gatherings in private residences.“Frankly, I am not sure it could sustain a Constitutional challenge in Court for several reasons including your house is your castle,” the sheriff wrote in the Saturday post.“And as a Sheriff with a law degree I couldn’t in good faith attempt to defend it Court, so I won’t,” he said. The time has passed when grasping politicians can use the public health crisis to impose unconstitutional restrictions on citizens. The Great Virus Scare of 2020 is over and if Joe Biden tries to bring it back, he won’t find meek and mild sheep doing everything the experts are telling them to do. This, from a Mississippi public health official is typical of the scaremongering that isn’t going to work anymore: “It’s going to happen. You’re going to say hi at Thanksgiving, it’s so nice to see you, and you’re either going to be visiting her by Facetime in the ICU or planning a small funeral by Christmas,” the MSMA president said. As for the sheriffs, they’re telling Cuomo that if he wants to keep people apart, he can do it himself. “We have limited resources and we have to set priorities, so obtaining a Search Warrant to enter your home to see how many Turkey or Tofu eaters are present is not a priority,” Giardino wrote. This is something Cuomo would know if he weren’t such an arrogant, elitist, snob. Apparently, he thinks that simply by snapping his fingers and issuing a decree, his will becomes law. Sic Semper Tyrannus, baby.
Subway Service Could Be Cut 40% if No Federal Aid Arrives - The New York Times - Subway service in New York City slashed by 40 percent. Bus routes eliminated and service on the rest cut by a third. Service on two of the country’s busiest commuter rails reduced by half. This is the sober scenario the Metropolitan Transportation Authority laid out on Wednesday as the agency faces a deadline to balance its budget while grappling with an enormous multibillion-dollar financial hole caused by the pandemic and little prospect of any immediate relief from Washington. Transit officials say their doomsday plan is a worst-case scenario made necessary because even with President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. assuming office in January, it is unclear if there will be a breakthrough in Congress on another stimulus package. The M.T.A., the nation’s largest transit agency — which operates the subway, buses and two commuter rails — is seeking $12 billion in federal aid, an outcome that is far less likely if Republicans retain control of the Senate. Without federal help and with the state and city facing their own financial emergencies, the agency said it would be forced to impose some version of its proposed cuts, a move that would damage the region’s lifeline and undermine New York’s recovery from the pandemic. “New York was already going to have a difficult time,” said Nick Sifuentes, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, an advocacy group. “But these cuts on transit are like doubling down on the difficulty level of New York getting back on its collective feet again. What might have taken a couple of years could now potentially take decades.” In recent months, the M.T.A., which received $4 billion in an earlier federal stimulus bill, has painted increasingly grim pictures of the transit system’s future as part of a strategy to pressure Congress into providing more support. But with a looming Dec. 31 deadline for passing next year’s budget, transit officials have been forced to provide some more details about what the sweeping cuts they first announced in August might include, alarming riders, union officials and elected leaders. “The New York City Transit work force will correctly view this as the greatest betrayal of their careers,” said John Samuelsen, the international president of the powerful Transit Workers Union. “There will be a rank-and-file rebellion, which will lead to chaos. It will lead to a disruption in service.” “M.T.A. workers control production maintenance and on-time performance on buses and the subway,” he added. “They don’t need to strike to make their voices heard.”
Hunger and evictions surge in the US - The worst social catastrophe to befall the US working class since the Great Depression of the 1930s continues to leave millions of people hungry, jobless and facing eviction. Video taken outside a food distribution site in Dallas, Texas this past weekend by CBS News gives some indication of the widespread hunger facing workers and their families. Saturday’s giveaway hosted by the North Texas Food Bank was the largest ever put together by the organization. Feeding America, the second-largest food charity in the US, estimates that upwards of 54 million people, including one in four children in the US are facing food insecurity. The growing need for food among millions of workers and their families is coinciding with record levels of COVID-19 infections reported in states across the country. In Texas, over 1 million have contracted the coronavirus, with over 20,000 perishing, the second highest death toll in the country behind New York. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts roughly another 190,000 deaths by March 1, 2021 if current trends continue. On top of food insecurity, between 11 and 13 million renter households across the country are at risk of eviction, according to research by Stout, an investment bank and global advisory firm. The Eviction Lab at Princeton University reports that eviction filings increased in several major metro areas following the expiration of CARES Act provisions at the end of July and before the CDC eviction moratorium was implemented on September 4. However, even with the moratorium, Princeton researchers note that evictions have continued across the country, and Stout estimates that with its expiration at the end of the year, this could lead to up to 6.4 million eviction filings. After the House and Senate passed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act at the end of March, which provided billions to Wall Street, large corporations and the well-connected, ensuring their financial stability for a lifetime, workers were left with limited protections and only temporary unemployment relief. Congress has yet to pass another bill long after the $1,200 stimulus checks have been sent out and enhanced unemployment benefits have expired. Months of inaction have left millions of workers and their families without additional stimulus, eviction protection, health care, food or medicine, exacerbating mental health issues and stress. Included in the CARES Act was an eviction moratorium that expired, along with the federal $600-a-week unemployment supplement, at the end of July. After Congress failed to come to terms on another bill at the end of July, the Centers for Disease Control, on September 4, implemented a federal eviction moratorium, which required tenants to sign a declaration and provide a copy to their landlord. This, along with additional federal unemployment assistance distributed under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs, are set to expire the final week of December, leaving millions of people who have yet to find jobs or come up with the monies needed to pay back rent facing eviction in less than 50 days.
US food banks and homeless shelters struggle to meet record demand ahead of Thanksgiving - With the Thanksgiving holiday less than two weeks away, food banks and homeless shelters across the United States are struggling to meet the growing demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Dallas, Texas, thousands of people lined up in their cars in what has been described as the largest mobile food distribution in history. The North Texas Food Banks handed out 7,000 turkeys and 600,000 pounds of food on Saturday. Organizers said it was enough to feed 25,000 people. The state of Washington has seen the number of people who rely on food banks double from one million to 2.2 million this year. Linda Nageotte, the CEO of Food Lifeline, told the Seattle Times that she expects that “by the end of this year one in five Washingtonians could be facing hunger.” The pandemic has also placed an extra burden on food bank workers, who now need to prepare and box food packages together before they can be distributed. It is labor intensive work that is even more difficult during a health crisis. In an attempt to lighten the load on food banks, the Washington National Guard has sent 550 soldiers to 26 distribution sites to help. In Rochester, New York, the food bank Foodlink is working to feed a line of 50-100 people on any given day. The organization Dimitri House, which operates a food pantry and homeless shelter in Rochester, has had similar issues and has also decided to prepare meals ahead of time and distribute them to families for pick up. Laurie Prizel, the executive director for Dimitri House, told ABC13 WHAM that “we’re getting a large number of working poor individuals coming through as well, not just the typical somebody on a fixed income trying to survive. It’s people who are holding down two jobs or lost their jobs. We’re saving the average family at least $100 on a Thanksgiving meal, and it’s allowing at least the families to come together.” Every year, thousands of volunteers in Albany, New York work to feed thousands of people in need. This year, however, the Equinox Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner has found a creative solution to the problem of social distancing. Instead of hosting a large event, the organization raised $100,000 to deliver meals directly to the homes of people in need. To accomplish this the organizers will work with restaurants to purchase and prepare food, enabling them to feed needy people and support local businesses in the process.
Inside the Lives of Immigrant Teens Working Dangerous Night Shifts in Suburban Factories - It’s a little before 6 a.m. and still dark when Garcia gets home from work this October morning. The apartment where he lives with his aunt and uncle is silent. They’ve already left for their own jobs. After nine hours hosing down machinery at a food processing plant, Garcia is tired and hungry. But he has less than an hour to get ready for high school, where he is a junior. He quickly showers, gets dressed and reheats some leftover chicken soup for a meal he refers to as his dinner. Then he gulps down some coffee, brushes his teeth and walks outside to catch the school bus waiting near the edge of the sprawling apartment complex. Here in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, and in places like it throughout the country, Guatemalan teenagers like Garcia spend their days in class learning English and algebra and chemistry. At night, while their classmates sleep, they work to pay debts to smugglers and sponsors, to contribute to rent and bills, to buy groceries and sneakers, and to send money home to the parents and siblings they left behind. They are among the tens of thousands of young people who have come to this country over the past few years, some as unaccompanied minors, others alongside a parent, amid a spike in the number of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. Around Urbana-Champaign, the home of the University of Illinois, school district officials say children and adolescents lay shingles, wash dishes and paint off-campus university apartments. In New Bedford, Massachusetts, an indigenous Guatemalan labor leader has heard complaints from adult workers in the fish-packing industry who say they’re losing their jobs to 14-year-olds. In Ohio, teenagers work in dangerous chicken plants. ProPublica interviewed 15 teenagers and young adults in Bensenville alone who said they work or have worked as minors inside more than two dozen factories, warehouses and food processing facilities in the Chicago suburbs, usually through temporary staffing agencies, and nearly all in situations where federal and state child labor laws would explicitly prohibit their employment.
'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Other Books Banned From California Schools Over Racism Concerns - Schools in Burbank will no longer be able to teach a handful of classic novels, including Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, following concerns raised by parents over racism. Middle and high school English teachers in the Burbank Unified School District received the news during a virtual meeting on September 9. Until further notice, teachers in the area will not be able to include on their curriculum Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Theodore Taylor's The Cay and Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Four parents, three of whom are Black, challenged the classic novels for alleged potential harm to the district's roughly 400 Black students. Carmenita Helligar said her daughter, Destiny, was approached by a white student in math class using a racial taunt including the N-word, which he'd learned from reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry while both attended the David Starr Jordan Middle School. "My family used to own your family and now I want a dollar from each of you for the week," another boy is said to have told Destiny.
Virginia's largest county delays plan to expand in-person education -Virginia’s largest school system on Monday said it would be halting plans to send students back to in-person learning. Fairfax County Public Schools was planning to send 6,800 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and special education students back to physical classrooms on Tuesday, but superintendent Scott Brabrand said that coronavirus cases had exceeded “the threshold to expand our in-person learning.” In a letter sent to families on Monday, Brabrand wrote, “We made this decision as soon as new health metrics were released and are communicating it to you immediately as promised. We always anticipated the need to potentially adjust our return to school plans as necessary during this ongoing pandemic.” The Fairfax system serves about 186,000 students. About 8,000 students have returned to classrooms so far, The Washington Post reports. Those students are currently engaged in a hybrid model of learning, and there has so far been no indication that the classrooms have become superspreaders of the coronavirus. Teachers associations representing more than 12,000 employees across five Virginia counties and municipalities also sent a letter to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) on Monday asking to return to phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. “It continues to be clear that Northern Virginia is past the point of safe metrics for in-person learning in our school buildings. Everyone, including educators, wants our schools to be back to normal, but by opening when it’s not safe to do so, we increase the likelihood that normal will never come,” said the letter. Under phase 2 restrictions, only special education students, English language learners and students in pre-school through third grade would be allowed inside classrooms. However, the teachers associations requested that all learning be moved to online-only until the reported amount of cases begin to drop. Virginia reported 2,677 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the most cases the state has recorded in a single day, reflecting similar trends across much of the country.
Texas educators demand fully online learning to save lives - Texas has surpassed the grim total of more than 1 million coronavirus infections, with 12,461 new cases Friday. A primary factor in the explosion of cases is the reopening of schools for in-person classes at the start of October, an essential component of the broader campaign to reopen non-essential businesses. The criminal policies of returning to face-to-face education, reopening non-essential businesses, and neglecting workers’ safety at essential businesses are all part of a conscious class strategy of the financial oligarchy, who seek to expand their profits through the ramped-up exploitation of workers regardless of how many lives are lost. According to official data, there have been 20,140 deaths from COVID-19 in Texas as of this writing, while the number of daily new cases surpassed 12,000 three times last week. In Texas, both the Republicans and the Democrats have worked to reopen businesses, with state Republicans threatening to revoke funding from schools that close due to safety concerns. The Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has worked to channel teachers’ opposition behind the Democratic Party and put the blame for the reopening solely on the Republicans, incessantly telling teachers that Democrats will resolve the crisis if elected. Houston, Austin and Dallas, each a viral epicenter following the reopening of schools and non-essential businesses, all have Democratic mayors. Last week, Texas public schools alone recorded over 6,600 cases among students and staff, while in total there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases tied to schools. Dallas ISD, which reopened on September 28, has recorded 837 cases since October 7. Fort Worth ISD reopened on October 5, and there have now been more than 74,000 total COVID-19 cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the start of in-person classes, with a current daily average of 1,944 new cases per day. Harris County, where Houston is located, has seen the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the state at over 170,000, along with an alarming increase in hospitalizations. Houston ISD, whose reopening was endorsed by city, state and national Democrats, has reported 326 cases since September 28. The day after schools reopened in Houston, multiple outbreaks forced 20 schools to shut down for quarantine. After the district immediately reopened schools and increased the case threshold for a future shutdown, more than 150 teachers in Houston ISD and two surrounding districts held a wildcat sickout strike. The Houston Federation of Teachers, an AFT affiliate, refused to support or even acknowledge this wildcat sickout. Teachers have since told of harrowing conditions in Houston schools, with one high school teacher reporting six classrooms having to be quarantined with over 100 students affected after teachers tested positive for the virus, with little to no contract tracing done by the district.
Victimized “Teachers Against Dying” Facebook group founder discusses the struggle facing educators - Until last week, Michael Hull, the founder of the Facebook group “Teachers Against Dying,” taught 8th grade US History in Texas, but he has been forced to resign from his position due to growing pressures from his school district to return to teaching in-person. Michael has only one kidney and is therefore at risk of facing severe complications or possibly dying were he to contract COVID-19. He is also a caretaker for his sister and lives with an elderly person, who he refused to endanger by returning to the classroom. Texas has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases of any US state at 1,093,645, and the second highest number of deaths at 20,075. The reopening of K-12 schools throughout the state has been an unmitigated disaster, leading to at least 6,600 cases among students and staff. “We’re one of the worst places in the world. El Paso has trucks with cadavers,” Michael said. “The pandemic is here, it’s not going anywhere. When we opened up bars and restaurants here, you saw a huge spike in the caseload. They’re actively working to suppress the information. We had a website where you could see the number of cases and deaths, but then one day they were gone. Trump is promoting this policy, which is characteristic of a dictator.” Describing his experience as a teacher during the pandemic, Michael said, “Last spring the schools shut down, and I was helping other teachers get used to online teaching. Over the summer, they announced they would be reopening amid a raging pandemic. It seemed strange, because they shut down in March when there were very few cases. I called the principal and assistant principal, and my mentor teacher, to let them know my situation and that I didn’t have any intention of going back in person. I also expressed that I thought people should have a choice. “My doctor wrote me a note which strongly recommended that I don’t return. I asked my district if there was a virtual position, and initially they declined. Then they asked me to wait, and finally they offered me a virtual position, but I’d have to come into the building in-person. I declined, and eventually they gave me a virtual position.” Commenting on his group, Michael said, “Teachers Against Dying was inspired by the idea that we shouldn’t normalize this situation. It’s not normal to go back to schools with face shields, it’s insane. At first it was just me starting this group, I didn’t think that much of it. It was like a protest. As it grew, I wanted to focus the group more on activism.”
Utah teachers stage wildcat sickout to demand COVID-19 testing, online instruction as cases soar- Last Thursday, dozens of teachers across the state of Utah participated in a wildcat sickout strike which they dubbed a “test out,” as they used a sick day to get tested for COVID-19. This was the first organized action taken by teachers independently of the unions. Announcing the event on the Facebook group “Teachers Take Charge,” educators wrote: “Our state fails to protect teachers and provide testing… Enough is enough! Let’s make our voices heard.” Melissa, a teacher in Granite School District, supported the initiative as a means to actually fight for systematic testing, safe conditions in schools and a return to online instruction. “If 15 cases are identified in a school, then the school is supposed to shut down,” Melissa told the World Socialist Web Site, referring to state guidelines, “but this rule is not being followed.” She stressed that even in Corner Canyon High School, where active case numbers rose to 70, “the school was not shut down.” As they fight to defend themselves and their students, educators face growing opposition from the pro-corporate teachers unions. In an interview with a local news station, Utah Education Association (UEA) President Heidi Matthews spoke against the wildcat sickout, asking educators to “be patient” and let the union negotiate with state and local politicians. “A widespread statewide testing protocol is in the works,” Matthews said, adding, “We at the Utah Education Association have been in contact with the governor’s office.” While the union negotiates with the state behind closed doors, the situation is becoming ever more life-threatening as cases surge throughout Utah and across the United States, with all-time daily records for new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Utah reported 4,986 new COVID-19 cases on Nov. 14, an astronomical increase from 175 new cases on Aug. 23, around the time that the fall semester started. Every county in Utah has been designated as having a “very high” infection rate, meaning that there are over 200 infected persons per 100,000 within a 14-day period. Numerous counties have a 14-day infection rate that is well over 1,000. Teachers in Salt Lake County have to teach nearly full in-person classrooms of students for four to five days a week, while the 14-day infection count is 1,285. What is certain is that the number of deaths in the state, which now stands at 718, will increase dramatically in the days ahead. Republican Governor Gary Herbert responded to the skyrocketing case and hospitalization numbers last week with ineffective half-measures, mandating masks and postponing extracurricular activities. He also placed a ban on casual social gatherings until Nov. 23, giving the green light for Thanksgiving celebrations. Mandatory student testing in higher education institutions must be implemented by Jan. 1, but schools will be allowed to continue in-person instruction. Nothing is in place to reverse the current exponential rise in cases.
New York Governor Cuomo keeps schools open despite rising COVD-19 positivity rate - New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is doubling down on efforts to block any suspension of in-person classes even as the COVID-19 pandemic once again spirals out of control in the state that was the epicenter of the virus last spring. On Tuesday, there were 2,124 people being treated for COVID-19 statewide, the highest number since early June.Interviewed by MSNBC over the weekend about the anticipated closure of New York City public schools, Cuomo made the fraudulent argument that schools are not a significant factor contributing to the current rise in infections and should remain open with in-person classes. Cuomo stated that the city should rethink the previously set seven-day rolling average positivity rate threshold of three percent to trigger the suspension of in-person classes.Schools will remain open in the city on Wednesday despite the positivity rate reaching 3.2 percent Tuesday, with the latest data showing a 2.74 percent seven-day rolling average infection rate in the city. During the interview, Cuomo repeatedly referred to the three percent rate as too low of a threshold, comparing it to 80 percent of states throughout the country where positivity rates currently exceed that level, while neglecting the fact that it is in those same areas that hospitalizations and deaths are skyrocketing. Throughout the rest of New York, Cuomo has set a positivity rate of nine percent to trigger a suspension of in-person classes for K-12 students.In subsequent comments, Cuomo urged comparing positivity rates in schools to the rates within the surrounding community to determine whether to suspend in-person classes. Both Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, have repeatedly cited dubious data reflecting low positivity rates in schools in an attempt to portray them as both safe and insignificant vectors in the community spread of the virus.Media have speculated on the possibility that the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and de Blasio may seek to keep the schools open even if the seven-day rolling average positivity rate passes three percent. In a press conference Tuesday, de Blasio took a defensive stance on the standard to close schools, declaring, “No one is saying it's perfect, but we have to set standards. The three percent standard was out of an abundance of caution—and we stated it as such.” However, the low infection rates within schools being cited by both Cuomo and de Blasio must be understood in the context of a general wave of student absenteeism, which reflects the wariness of parents and children with respect to a return to unsafe buildings. Further, the vast majority of students that have returned for in-person instruction are not being tested regularly, resulting in a statistically insignificant sample size and a tendency to conflate the incidence of infection among adults with that of children.
Parents outraged after NYC schools close due to rise in coronavirus infections - Many New York City parents are outraged that all in-person instruction was abruptly halted at city schools, with many expressing their frustrations over the decision and having no time to prepare for it. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the shutdown during a late Wednesday afternoon press conference. Leah Truell, a 34-year-old single mother in Staten Island, said she learned of the news after she left work. Her son, Preston, is part of the blended learning system — a mix of remote and in-person classes — and was supposed to go back to school at P.S. 45 John Tyler on Monday. Truell, who works with Silver Lake Head Start, now has to quickly make arrangements for her son to switch to fully remote learning. She said she's hoping a friend will be able to step in and help. "That’s not enough time. They don’t take into consideration single parents, those of us who don’t have any other option, no family, or anything like that," she said during a phone interview Thursday. "It’s a very stressful situation.” Classrooms in the country's largest school system will be closed the remainder of this week and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week going into Thanksgiving and the following Friday — which were already scheduled to be school holidays. As of now, there is no date set for when schools may reopen. Michael Melcher, 57, from Manhattan, said he thinks it may be a while before the city resumes in-person learning and during that time it will be the children who suffer. The single father has twin 5-year-old sons at P.S. 9 Sarah Anderson School. "For a 5-year-old there’s very little meaning to remote education," he said. "I don't think they're going to learn how to read, how to write when it comes to online learning so I feel like I have to do that separately on my own." Melcher, an executive coach, said closing schools was a "terrible, unscientific decision" and voiced his frustrations Thursday morning at a protest outside City Hall with other parents. "That happy Kindergarten experience, they’re not going to have that," he said.
COVID Update: New York City schools closure could be 1st domino in rollback of coronavirus reopenings - (WABC) -- New York City's entire public school system is closed for in-person learning through Thanksgiving as coronavirus rates continue to tick upward, and it could be the first domino to fall in a larger rollback of the city's reopening from the first wave of COVID-19. Many outraged parents are complaining that schools are shut down while businesses like bars and bowling alleys remain open, but city officials hinted that is likely to change soon. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that New York City would go to an orange zone if the positivity rate eclipses 3%, which would shutter indoor dining, gyms and other establishments. "It's just a matter of time, and very likely to be in the next week or two," Mayor Bill de Blasio said of the closures of indoor dining and gyms.Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said the goal is to reopen schools by next month, although there is no clear path to an agreement with the United Federation of Teachers union on establishing an in-school threshold for students to return. Cuomo said schools can "test out" of orange zones and reopen if they remain closed for at least four days, clean, and test people as they return. The day after he announced that New York City schools would close to in-person learning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that other businesses will likely shut down within a week or two, as well, to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Private schools are not impacted by the city ruling and remain open for in-person instruction. During his daily briefing Wednesday, de Blasio said the positivity rate is "exactly on the nose" of 3% on the seven-day rolling average. Thursday, the 7-day average was 3.01%. "We all are in fact are feeling very sad about this decision because so much work has been put into keeping the schools open and opening them up to begin with," he said. "We intend to come back and come back as quickly as possible." De Blasio said the city is working with the state by having a number of conversations with the governor on what it would take to bring schools back. "I want that to be clear," he said. "We have stringent health and safety standard right now. We have to raise that even higher to be able to bring our schools back, but that is exactly what we are going to do." The mayor also urged for more testing and implored parents to return the parental consent form for students to be tested. Parents of the 300,000 New York City public school students currently learning in-person were left in a state of confusion Wednesday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo insisted did not exist. "They're not confused," a combative Cuomo said of parents. "You're confused."
NYC schools still open despite COVID question shutdown - In-person learning at 1,600 New York City public schools ground to a halt Thursday after the city hit a 3% positive COVID-19 test rate, but scores of other city schools remained open for in-person classes — and some city educators are questioning the double standard. The conflicting school closure rules are especially head-scratching in the city’s sprawling universal Pre-K program, where some programs are run in Education Department buildings and others are contracted out to community-based organizations. The Education Department preschools, whose teachers belong to the powerful city teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, are closed. Community-based programs, whose staff are a mix of non-union and DC37 members, are still open. “There’s never truly been parity between the community based schools and the DOE schools,” said Denise Alexander, a veteran educator at Our Saviors Lutheran Preschool in Brooklyn, which operates a city-funded preschool class that remains in session. “We’re providing a service for the Department of Education,” she added, but “it just doesn’t feel like they [the city] care about us.” Community-based organizations have historically served the majority of the more than 80,000 kids enrolled in free, city-funded childcare. Staffers at those programs have long faced lower pay rates, despite offering similar services and boasting identical credentials. Officials began chipping away at the pay gap last year through a pay parity agreement. But Alexander said the differing closure rules reinforced the gap in treatment. “I have friends who teach in the DOE district schools and they were shocked we were still open,” she said. City Education Department officials say that while they contract with community-based programs to run “high quality early education,” the organizations are technically regulated by the Health Department, which has determined they can stay open safely. Childcare operators are designated as essential workers by the city and state health departments.
San Diego schools continue to reopen as California surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases - In recent weeks, California passed the grim milestone of having over 1 million COVID-19 cases, and the state has recorded 18,555 deaths. The statewide test positivity rate currently stands at 5.2 percent, with the majority of counties reporting a positivity rate well over 8 percent. Within the last week, 28 counties throughout the state were added to the most restrictive “purple” tier, placing 41 out of 55 counties in the worst category for COVID-19 case counts, which is reached when the positivity rate surpasses 8 percent. The surge in cases throughout California is part of a nationwide and international explosion in cases and deaths. The United States now has a total of 12,225,857 COVID-19 cases and 259,843 deaths. According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 1 million children have tested positive for coronavirus, disproving the arguments advanced by the bourgeois press and politicians who argue schools are not hotbeds for spreading the virus. Such grim statistics are likely much higher due to the large number of asymptomatic cases that go untested and unreported. In response to the extreme rise in cases, California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement Monday that he was pulling the “emergency brake” on the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” and will reinstate broad restrictions across much of the state. In reality, Newsom is advancing the position of the Democratic party, which refuses to carry out lockdowns and closures of schools and non-essential businesses. Newsom’s herd-immunity policies are geared toward keeping businesses open and production flowing, prioritizing profits over workers’ lives. Despite the fact that 94 percent of state residents live in counties in the most restrictive tier, schools, factories and other workplaces are being kept open. Newsom’s “emergency brake” measures have so far amounted to a mask mandate, citations for businesses that do not meet the required restrictions, and a possible curfew. Such measures provide no real mitigation of the virus on their own and leave millions of workers and their families to confront contracting the illness at work or school. The regulations given to “purple” counties declare that all K-12 schools that were fully online cannot offer in-person instruction while the county remains purple. However, if a school currently offers in-person instruction, even if it is for a small group or limited number of students, the school is not only allowed to maintain in-person classes, but is granted the ability to expand operations, meaning school districts throughout the state will continue with their plans to allow all students onto campuses, and resume close-to-normal operations. Many of the districts that will remain open are in communities with the highest infection rates.
Why Some Schools Close as Covid-19 Cases Rise When Others Stay Open – WSJ - In New York City, when 3% of tests for Covid-19 are positive, schools close. In Indianapolis, the trigger is 13%. As the coronavirus pandemic surges, cities and school districts—even those located near each other—are making closure decisions based on differing criteria. Nationwide, the triggers for shutting classrooms vary widely, as do the sets of authorities who make the calls. Complicating the decision: The understanding of the virus has been changing since schools across the country closed in the spring and sent more than 50 million students to remote learning. Since then, some studies show that schools aren’t major contributors to community spread. Some researchers say decisions to close often depend on a community’s density, transportation patterns, resources for safety steps, political atmosphere and local risk tolerance, as well as trends in the pandemic. New York City, the nation’s largest school district and one that had stood out this fall for committing to bringing students back to classrooms, said Wednesday that it will temporarily go remote-only, because 3% of the city’s virus tests were positive over a seven-day average, a trigger Mayor Bill de Blasio set this summer in a deal with the teachers union. To families who called on the city to continue in-person learning, the mayor said a rigorous safety standard is needed to instill confidence in parents and staff. A number of other districts have announced closures in recent weeks after thresholds were surpassed, including Pittsburgh Public Schools and Connecticut’s Bridgeport Public Schools. As of Tuesday, a dozen of the country’s largest school districts have reverted or plan to return to virtual learning after reopening in-person this fall, up from six districts last week, according to information compiled by the Council of the Great City Schools. Detroit Public Schools Community District announced last week it was suspending in-person learning as the local coronavirus test positivity rate had nearly reached its threshold of 5%. And in Indianapolis, the public health department ordered private and public K-12 schools to return to virtual learning by Nov. 30, as the rate in Marion County reached 10.3% last week. Starting Nov. 23, public schools will be remote-only. Officials expected the area to hit the previously set threshold of 13% by the end of this week. A growing body of research in the U.S. and Europe finds that because of safety procedures, schools and child-care facilities aren’t major vectors of Covid-19 transmission. A dashboard launched by a Brown University professor tracking thousands of schools has found that through early November, infection positivity rates of students at schools with in-person learning were generally lower than the rates in the surrounding communities. A recent study in Spain found that keeping schools and day-cares open during that country’s second surge of infections didn’t increase the risk of transmission of the virus. With daily Covid-19 cases more than tripling since many schools opened in September, there is no national tracking of school-based cases or data-driven directives for what it should take to keep schools open.
Learning during a pandemic: What decreased learning time in school means for student learning - EPI Blog - One reflection of how much students have learned and developed since schools closed in March can be found in late Argentinian cartoonist Quino’s 2007 comic strip, in Manolito and his peers’ self-assessments of what they learned in school. When Manolito’s teacher asks, he replies: “From March to today, nothing,” (The implied message is: others are learning, while he is stuck.) As many parents and teachers have seen, these are the likely realities for students in 2020. Because learning time in school matters, and students’ learning and development tend to vary greatly even when schools operate in normal circumstances, challenges to learning were magnified when schools closed—due to prolonged cuts to learning time in school, the access to some “substitute” educational opportunities during the pandemic, and the many factors that influence out-of-school learning.In this blog post, we review the consequences of reduced learning time in school settings during the pandemic, and what the evidence tells us what to do about it when we begin to control the spread of the virus. (For a detailed review of the challenges COVID-19 brought to education and our policy recommendations, see “COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy: Lessons from pre-pandemic research to inform relief, recovery, and rebuilding.”) One initial finding is particularly clear: we should anticipate that the major disruptions to and shortening oflearning time has impeded student learning. An easy benchmark estimate is that, on average, not having been able to complete the school year leads to an across-the-board loss in student performance on math and reading of at least 0.1 standard deviations (SD), likely larger in earlier grades. (Note that an effect size of 0.1 SD would be considered a moderate effect in education evaluation, even small for small scale, targeted, model programs; however, because the (at least) one-third school-year-length reduction we are handling here affected all students, it would lead to a very sizable aggregate loss in performance). Overall, the causal link between amount and quality of instructional time in school and student performance is well-established by research on the length of the school day and on school cancellations. And while the gains per additional hour or day may be modest, they point both to the possibility of regaining some lost ground by making up for these months and to the critical role of the quality of education received.
Stephen Schwarzman, World's Biggest Landlord, Says Teachers Shouldn't Pay Income Taxes --Last week, Deutsche Bank's strategists sparked widespread outrage and mockery following the German bank's "modest proposal" to slap those working from home with a 5% tax, as if it was somehow their fault i) they can't work from an office when their local authorities order them to stay under house arrest, and ii) they worked long and hard to accumulate the education and develop the skillset allowing them to avoid such menial, braindead and unskilled jobs as waiters, bartenders or Wall Street strategist. Effectively, Deutsche Bank's proposal was nothing short of cristalized socialism, in which highly qualified workers would fund the comfortable existence of those who for one reason or another decided they don't want to be competitive in today's labor force.What was even more bizarre is that this proposal came at a time when the entire world has effectively adopted helicopter money, which not only allows central banks to fund the entire budget deficit by purchasing virtually all the sovereign debt for sale, but has rendered taxation meaningless, which coming ahead of the Fed's imminent launch of direct transfers of digital dollars to US households, is precisely the "big plan" to reflate the global economy and wipe the slate clean by inflating away the $258 trillion in global debt.In line with this thinking, we were far less surprised this morning when the billionaire chairman, co-founder and CEO of Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman - who as a reminder is also the world's largest landlord - said that teachers should be the only group of workers in the US who are exempt from paying income tax."It will mark them apart from other types of employment as a valued class" he said. Focusing on the very education that all those who don't work from home need in order to be able to work from home, Schwarzman said that the US must bolster its education system, noting that only 5% of children in public schools are learning computer science, and adding that the business community needs to help provide apprenticeships for schools.To be sure, Blackstone has lots of experience mitigating its income tax payments: the world's largest manager of alternative assets with $584.4 billion, has benefited from Trump's tax cuts, with the 2017 tax cuts encouraging Blackstone to convert its publicly traded partnership to a corporation, which pays far less tax per Trump's signature law. "We have an income insufficiency problem and we need to solve that with a different type of minimum wage,” Schwarzman said. "We need a Marshall plan for the middle class. We need to make sure there’s enough income for people."
What would a Biden administration mean for public education? - Educators have expressed widespread relief that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, a lifelong crusader against public education, should be ousted. But teachers should check their enthusiasm. First of all, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have no difference with Trump and Wall Street on herding teachers, students and parents back to school and work. They have insisted that reopening schools “should be a top national priority.” The Democrats and the teachers unions have embraced the lie that schools can be reopened “safely” with a bit more PPE and plastic partitions. To this end, Biden has suggested the need for $88 billion in new COVID-19 relief to schools. This is less than half of the amount needed by districts. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has said an additional $158.1 billion to $244.6 billion would be required to reopen school buildings safely and serve all students this year. Biden knows full well that such sums would never be approved by Republicans but has made the proposal to provide a political cover for his full support to a return to in-person schooling. Secondly, a Biden administration will continue the austerity policies against public education, under conditions of a severe economic crisis. Originally Biden took to the presidential campaign trail with proposals for a series of mild reforms, including a threefold increase to Title I federal funding for low-income schools, universal prekindergarten and greater funding for special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He also proposed “fixing” the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, support for student mental health, and “hiring more people of color into the Department of Education (ED).” Aside from the nod to identity politics, these measures were all typical campaign lies. Public education is an unprecedented economic crisis. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows that more than 354,000 K-12 and 337,000 higher ed employees have lost their jobs during the pandemic. As a result of the ongoing fiscal downturn, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) projects that the nation’s K-12 schools face a cumulative education funding deficit of between $295 to $370 billion. Under these conditions, any new programs or budgetary reforms will be rejected as “unfeasible” in light of Wall Street’s demands for mass austerity and state deficits. In other words, Biden has zero intentions of keeping any of his promises, except for increasing the number of affluent blacks, Hispanics and women in the Department of Education. Instead, there will be a direct policy continuity between the outgoing Trump administration and the incoming Biden administration. The only real difference is that Biden will impose austerity (and it will be greater) under the rhetoric of identity politics and with the collusion of the unions.
A wealthy businessman was charged with bribery over alleged payments of $1.5 million to get his sons into Harvard - A wealthy Maryland businessman and the former Harvard fencing coach were arrested and charged with bribery on Monday for giving and accepting $1.5 million to get the businessman two sons accepted into the prestigious university, according to the US Attorney's Office in the District of Massachusetts.According to federal prosecutors, in the span of five years, Jie "Jack" Zhao, the CEO of telecom company iTalk Global Communications, donated $1 million to a fencing charity "operated by a co-conspirator."His oldest son was accepted into the university in December 2013 as a fencing recruit. "Jack Zhao's children were academic stars in high school and internationally competitive fencers who obtained admission to Harvard on their own merit. Both of them fenced for Harvard at the Division One level throughout their college careers. Mr. Zhao adamantly denies these charges and will vigorously contest them in court," William Weinreb, Zhao's lawyer told The Washington Post.Zhao's younger son matriculated to Harvard in 2017, also as a fencing recruit. In the time since his initial donation, Zhao also paid for Brand's car, made college tuition payments for Brand's son, paid the mortgage on Brand's home in the suburb of Boston, and would later buy it above its market value. That allowed Brand to buy a more expensive home in Cambridge, which Zhao also paid to renovate, the US Attorney's Office alleges. Brand was fired in 2019, following a Boston Globe investigation into the sale of his home. The Globe found that Zhao bought Brand's home which was worth $549,300, for close to $1 million and then sold it more than a year later for a loss of more than $300,000. The former fencing coach never disclosed to the university that he accepted money prior to recruiting Zhao's two sons, federal prosecutors allege.
$100K and a dream- College senior plots student-run credit union Starting a credit union is no easy task but the challenge is even greater if the organizers are trying to do so while still in college. After almost four years spent raising nearly $100,000, a group of students at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., hope to open an entirely student-run credit union as soon as next year. The planned institution would focus on GW students with hopes of expanding the field of membership to alumni eventually. Faculty and staff there are already eligible to join National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union. Despite their successes so far, the credit union’s organizers have some significant hurdles ahead of them, experts said. “You have to demonstrate that you are viable because there is federal [deposit] insurance involved. That’s a tough one.” Sahil Pankhaniya, who is a senior at GWU and would serve as CEO of the proposed institution, started the push to open a de novo as a freshman. Pankhaniya, a finance major who plans to pursue a career in banking when he graduates in the spring, became interested in the concept after seeing it at Georgetown University. He believes a credit union catering to the George Washington University campus would help students better understand personal finance. “I thought [starting a credit union] would be a perfect combination of learning about finance and helping students to be more successful,” he added. At first, the proposed institution would provide a limited number of products, including a share draft account and a share certificate, with interest rates benchmarked against what’s offered from accounts with Marcus, the consumer bank at Goldman Sachs. On the lending side, the credit union would offer members a credit builder loan, which would be a secured loan with a financial education component meant to help students improve their credit. There would also be loans to purchase textbooks and to cover expenses related to taking an internship. So far the group has secured funding through donations from students, alumni, advisory board members and other credit unions. The George Washington University School of Business also contributed a $10,000 gift. Pankhaniya believes the nearly $100,000 he and other organizers have raised will be enough to get the project off the ground since the institution will be virtual and the university has already donated office space. All of the students working there would be volunteers, helping keep overhead costs relatively low.
BankThink: Private student lenders need to reset ability-to-repay expectations -- As higher education is creating new models to keep up with workforce needs in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, innovative student financing also needs to be part of the revolution. Otherwise, the gap in access could lead to further economic and social inequity in the country. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin asked in a recent essay: “What happens to young workers?” He was referring to those who are currently facing major labor market dislocations as the economy weathers the pandemic. Indeed, a disproportionate number of young workers in the economy — especially within the personal services sector like restaurants and retail) — will lose their jobs, potentially forever, and face an uncertain economic future. Even before the pandemic, it was well known that we urgently needed to improve workforce training and retraining for ongoing relevance and financial independence. The economy continues to grapple with labor shortages in key sectors, including transportation, skilled-trade labor, cybersecurity/IT, education and healthcare. The solution to this now pandemic-exacerbated problem that Barkin suggests appears simple: The economy “needs smart, flexible and concerted training efforts to prepare people, particularly displaced workers and young people with less education, for other in-demand fields.” Barkin is right. In order to increase training, there needs to be policies that expand the scope for Pell Grants and increased community college funding, as he prudently suggests. These are helpful policy suggestions, but alone will not empower individuals to pursue the range of career-advancing training and education they seek, and that the economy demands. Innovative private-sector student payment and financing models will also need to be part of the solution. These solutions, however, must align with student interests by helping them pursue educational programs that truly expand economic opportunity and professional advancement, while not saddling them with debt and illusory benefits. There have been far too many headlines over the years of educational institutions that fail to deliver on job placement or other promises made to students. The key to advancing a system that furthers student interests, while also solving the skilled-labor shortage the economy faces, is to prudently incorporate data and empirical outcomes into student payment and financing models. Recently, however, some have raised questions regarding the use of expected future income (typically based on prior college majors) in underwriting. Other observers are generally concerned about for-profit vocational and skills-training programs. On the first item, the concern is that using future income may have an unfair impact on protected classes of borrowers. However, income information — especially for programs focused exclusively on career and earnings advancement — is not only appropriate from a fair lending standpoint, but is essential in order to avoid saddling students with debt they can’t repay. The importance of analyzing a borrower’s ability to repay was detailed in various federal laws enacted in the past decade. And both federal and state regulators have taken actions against student lenders who made loans to borrowers who were unlikely to repay. To solve for ability-to-repay concerns — and to increase access to funding — lenders should consider the future expected income based on empirical data about the value of the professional or vocational education to ensure that loans are likely to be within the borrower’s capacity to repay.
Republican Renegade Emulates Warren’s Student Loan Cancellation, It is Still Problematic - There are 44 million federal student loan borrowers in the country carrying about $1.5 Trillion in federal student loan debt. According to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos last year, 75% of these people were either unable to make payments on their loans or were paying, but their balances were going up. Trump appointee Wayne Johnson, who ran the federal lending system under DeVos, said that this was closer to 80% just before covid-19 hit. Also, we now know that the class of 2004 are defaulting on their loans 40% of the time. These borrowers, however, only borrowed a third of what today’s students are being compelled to borrow. Given this, it is no stretch to say that the default rate for more recent borrowers will surely be 70% if not higher . . . and even higher still considering this pandemic, and the uneven economic recovery that we are seeing. It is worth noting here . . . at the peak of the mortgage meltdown crisis, the default rate of sub-prime home mortgage loans was less than 20%.There is no easy way to say this: We are witnessing a catastrophically failed lending system. It is done. Toast. Beyond saving. Finito. By all reasonable metrics and measures.There are many reasons this catastrophe was allowed to form, persist, and grow to such threatening proportions- too many to list here – but suffice it to say that it was a bipartisan scheme, enabled in part by swamp “experts” claiming to be conservatives, but who were, in fact, working behind the scenes to perpetuate, rather than fix – or even end – the lending system. Thankfully, as it is becoming increasingly clear that the lending system is in a death spiral, the disguises areAt the root of this fiasco is the stripping of nearly every consumer protection from the borrowers. Unlike all other loans in this country, it is essentially impossible to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. Federal student loans have also been stripped of statutes of limitations, Truth in Lending laws, Fair Debt Collection Laws, and others. The Founding Fathers were very concerned about the nation being “conquered and enslaved” by debt and called for uniform bankruptcy laws ahead of the power to raise an army and declare war in the US. Constitution. This student loan catastrophe is certainly what they wished to avoid.The Department of Education abandoned any pretense of serving the public decades ago, and now fights tooth and nail to perpetuate this lending system- its cash cow. They go to great lengthsbehind the scenes to keep bankruptcy protections away from these loans, all the while denying loan forgiveness to 99% of the people who qualify for it, and astonishingly, making a profit, not a loss on defaulted loans- a claim no other lender can make, and a defining hallmark of a predatory lending system..It is now too late to return bankruptcy protections to these loans. At this late date, such a move would only ensure the bankruptcies of ten-million, twenty-million, maybe even more Americans. This would overwhelm the bankruptcy courts, who typically see about a million cases per year. It turns out that the Higher Education Act gives the Secretary of Education- and thus the President- all the executive authority needed to cancel all federally owned loans, which account for about 85% of all student loans. This could be done without needing congressional approval, appropriation, and without adding anything to the national debt. At a time when we are throwing trillions out in loans to businesses that don’t have to be repaid (and that add to the national debt), there is no better way to stimulate the economy.
Joint Statement: Over 235 Orgs Call on President-Elect Biden to Cancel Federal Student Debt on Day One using Executive Action - Americans for Financial Reform — Today, over 235 organizations sent a letter to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris, calling on them to use executive authority to cancel federal student debt on day one of their administration. In the letter, 238 nonprofit and community organizations highlight that cancelling student debt would stimulate the economy, help reduce the racial wealth gap, and could have a positive impact on health outcomes. The groups write that “executive action is one of the few available tools that could immediately provide a boost to upwards of 44 million borrowers and the economy,” and that it would be an important first step in advancing the President-Elect’s campaign priorities to ensure racial equity, focus on economic recovery, and deliver COVID-19 relief. Signers include: American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, The Education Trust, Hispanic Federation, NAACP, National Urban League, UnidosUS, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Women’s Law Center, SEIU, UE (United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America), the Coalition on Human Needs, Children’s Defense Fund, the American Psychological Association, Council on Social Work Education, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Greenpeace, Sunrise Movement, Minority Veterans of America, the United States Student Association, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, and the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. The letter was led by Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending, Demos, the National Consumer Law Center, and Student Borrower Protection Center. “President-Elect Biden can— and should— cancel student debt on Day One of his presidency,” said Ashley Harrington, federal advocacy director and senior counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, student debt exacerbated existing systemic inequities and racial disparities. Just as with the Great Recession, communities of color are disproportionately affected by the current crisis. They also shoulder a disproportionate amount of the $1.6 trillion student debt burden that is draining our economy. Cancellation will help jumpstart spending, create jobs, and add to the GDP. Short-term payment suspension alone is not enough to help struggling borrowers who are unemployed, already in default, or in serious delinquency. Borrowers need real relief, and they need it on Day One.”
Record $8 billion payout won’t turn back the clock on US opioid crisis A long-running lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company accused of fuelling the US opioid addiction crisis was settled this week when Purdue Pharma agreed to pay out $8.3 billion, the largest ever such settlement. The firm admitted to violating anti-kickback laws, conspiring to defraud the US and to facilitating the dispensing of medication without a legitimate medical purpose. While the size of the payout may sound like a big win, it won’t reverse the US’s opioid dependency problems, nor is it likely to be sufficient deterrent to similar behaviour by drug firms in future, say critics. No individuals from the company and none of the Sackler family owners have been convicted as part of the settlement, but a criminal investigation into individuals is ongoing.“Criminal charges against corporations don’t work. They’re seen by companies as the cost of doing business,” says Andrew Kolodny at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.Doctors used to be highly cautious about giving opioids, the most potent class of painkillers, reserving them for severe short-lasting pain like that from surgery, or for people with terminal cancer.In the 1990s, US doctors started prescribing them more liberally, spurred in part by Purdue’s marketing of a new opioid OxyContin, which the firm claimed rarely caused dependence. The firm promoted the product heavily to some doctors with free trips and paid speaking engagements.But OxyContin can lead to addiction, and some users sought ever-increasing doses. Over time, some people switched to using illegally bought pills or injecting heroin. … But this latest record-breaking settlement may never be paid in full, as Purdue filed for bankruptcy last year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that opioid misuse costs the country nearly $80 billion every year. “That $8.3 billion doesn’t really make a dent in the problem,” says Joseph D’Orazio at Temple University in Pennsylvania.
Study: Respiratory failure in COVID-19 usually not driven by cytokine storm -The turning point for people with COVID-19 typically comes in the second week of symptoms. As most people begin to recover, a few others find it increasingly difficult to breathe and wind up in the hospital. It has been theorized that those whose lungs begin to fail are victims of their own overactive immune systems. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., however, suggests that an out-of-control immune response is not the main problem for the vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Only 4% of patients in the study had the sky-high levels of immune molecules that signify a so-called "cytokine storm." The rest had inflammation, but not a remarkably high amount for people fighting infection. If anything, the COVID-19 patients had less inflammation than a comparable group of influenza patients. The findings, published Nov. 13 in Science Advances, help explain why anti-inflammatory medications such as dexamethasone benefit only a fraction of people with severe COVID-19, and suggest that more research is needed to identify the causes of respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients. "One of the very first papers published on COVID-19 patients in China reported high levels of cytokines in people in intensive care, what we might call a cytokine storm," said co-senior author Philip Mudd, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine who sees patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "We wanted to have a better idea of what this cytokine storm looked like, so we began looking for it in our patients, and we were very surprised when we didn't find it. We found that cytokine storm does happen, but it's relatively rare, even in the COVID-19 patients that go on to have respiratory failure and require a ventilator. But now this idea has gotten established that respiratory failure in COVID-19 is driven by cytokine storm, and lots of unproven anti-inflammatory treatments are being given to critically ill COVID-19 patients in an attempt to suppress the cytokine storm. That worries me because such treatments are unlikely to help most people with COVID-19."
Doctors Apply Covid-19 Lessons Learned as U.S. Cases Surge – WSJ - When a man in his 40s with Covid-19 and low oxygen saturation arrived at the Boston hospital where Brittany Bankhead-Kendall treated patients in April, he was quickly put on a ventilator, a standard first response at many American hospitals at the time.She relied on WhatsApp messages and video calls from doctors overseas, who were also using trial and error to treat a spreading virus few knew much about. “We were really flying blind,” she said. In West Texas, the conditions of her Covid-19 patients seven months later are similar to what she had seen back in Boston, yet she treats them differently. When a woman in her mid-40s showed low blood-oxygen levels, Dr. Bankhead-Kendall gave her high-flow oxygen therapy rather than putting her on a ventilator, avoiding the invasive risks of ventilation.The two patients spent a similar amount of time in intensive-care units, but the woman in Texas was able to avoid sedation and pain medication, with less pressure on her lungs from the treatment. “We’ve got better data now,” Dr. Bankhead-Kendall said. Memories of work earlier in the year, when she feared for her health during 12- to-14-hour shifts and rewrote her will, are fresh. Doctors who have been treating coronavirus patients from the pandemic’s earliest days in the U.S. said they are now better equipped to face a new rise in hospitalizations, with evidence on drugs that work to combat Covid-19 symptoms, research on treatments, and their own patient experiences through the months. The virus’s resurgence across the country is testing whether what they have learned so far will lead to shorter hospital stays and fewer deaths. Several doctors said they now think of Covid-19 as a two-phase disease. First they aim to combat the virus itself with antiviral drugs, and then address the cascade of problems caused by the usually outsize immune response. The doctors also said they were learning how to tailor treatments for each patient. “We’ve stopped throwing the kitchen sink at everybody,” said Roger Shapiro, an associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who has treated coronavirus patients throughout the pandemic. He helped craft Covid-19 response guidelines at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston in the early days of the pandemic, when evidence-based treatment strategies didn’t yet exist. Early treatment protocols at many hospitals included giving patients the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which was later found not to be beneficial, Dr. Shapiro said. Other steps included using anticoagulants to help patients avoid blood clots. Doctors are now informed by peer-reviewed papers from around the world, clinical trials and the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency clearance of some treatments. Promising treatments for hospitalized patients include the antiviral remdesivir and convalescent plasma. Steroids such as dexamethasone have been shown in testing to be effective at tamping down the immune-system overdrive. On Nov. 9, the FDA authorized the use of an antibody drug developed by Eli Lilly & Co. to treat people with Covid-19 in its earlier stages, filling a gap in treatment for patients who aren’t hospitalized. The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S. and its territories reached a record high of 73,014 on Monday. With the virus spreading in swaths of the U.S., including less-populated areas with fewer and more remote hospitals, some doctors fear emergency rooms and intensive-care facilities will soon become overwhelmed again.
Asymptomatic Covid-19 Cases Show Need for Wider Surveillance Testing, Study Suggests – WSJ -- A study of Covid-19 testing among nearly 2,000 young adults found symptom monitoring missed nearly all cases of infection, suggesting regular, widespread surveillance testing is needed for both asymptomatic and symptomatic people to get the coronavirus crisis under control.The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, was among the largest to look at asymptomatic transmission of the coronavirus. The study looked at 1,848 U.S. Marine Corps recruits between the ages of 18 and 31, who had been required to quarantine at home before arriving at the Citadel military college in Charleston, S.C., where they underwent a second 14-day on-campus supervised quarantine before beginning training.At Citadel, they were monitored every day for symptoms and were scheduled to be tested three times—once within the first two days of arrival, then on day seven and again on day 14. By the 14th day, 51 of the study participants had tested positive for the coronavirus.What was surprising to researchers: All 51 cases of Covid-19 were picked up by the prescheduled tests. None was detected as a result of additional tests given to individuals who reported symptoms.The findings come as coronavirus infections are surging, with the U.S. recently reporting arecord 136,000 new Covid-19 cases in a single day. Daily caseloads have hit record levels in several states, and hospitalizations are at their highest level since the pandemic began. The total confirmed Covid-19 case tally in the U.S. has now surpassed 10.3 million.Only five people of the 51 who tested positive reported having any symptoms, according to the study. Their symptoms likely didn’t meet the threshold for getting referred for an additional test, researchers said.Although recruits slept two to a room, used shared bathroom facilities and ate in shared dining facilities, they were required to wear double-layered cloth masks at all times, indoors and outdoors, except when eating or sleeping. They also practiced social distancing at least 6 feet from others and weren’t allowed to leave campus. Six supervisors were assigned to each platoon, working in eight-hour shifts to enforce the quarantine measures.Despite the stringent measures and initial testing, the virus still slipped through the cracksand spread among recruits, the researchers said. They ran genetic analyses on some of the infected volunteers’ samples and found six clusters of volunteers where the viral genomes shared a high degree of similarity. The people with similar-looking virus genomes likely transmitted the virus to each other, the researchers said. “This shows that even in the setting of very strictly enforced public-health measures put in place to mitigate spread, if you want to find the individuals who are infected with SARS-CoV-2, you really have to augment those public-health mitigation strategies with additional surveillance testing,”
Moderna's coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective, according to company data - The Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data released Monday by the company, making it the second vaccine in the United States to have a stunningly high success rate. "These are obviously very exciting results," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor. "It's just as good as it gets -- 94.5% is truly outstanding." Moderna heard its results on a call Sunday afternoon with members of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, an independent panel analyzing Moderna's clinical trial data. Vaccinations could begin in the second half of December, Fauci said. Vaccinations are expected to begin with high-risk groups and to be available for the rest of the population next spring. Last week, Pfizer announced that early data show its vaccine is more than 90% effective against the disease. In Moderna's trial, 15,000 study participants were given a placebo, which is a shot of saline that has no effect. Over several months, 90 of them developed Covid-19, with 11 developing severe forms of the disease. Another 15,000 participants were given the vaccine, and only five of them developed Covid-19. None of the five became severely ill. The company says its vaccine did not have any serious side effects. A small percentage of those who received it experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches. Fauci says he expects the first Covid-19 vaccinations to begin "towards the latter part of December, rather than the early part of December." Initially, there won't be enough vaccine for everyone. The highest priority groups, which include health care workers, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, will get the vaccine first. "I think that everybody else will start to get vaccinated towards the end of April," Fauci said. "And that will go into May, June, July. It will take a couple of months to do." Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines have similar results because they use the same technique to activate the body's immune system. The vaccines deliver messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is a genetic recipe for making the spikes that sit atop the coronavirus. Once injected, the body's immune system makes antibodies to the spikes. If a vaccinated person is later exposed to the coronavirus, those antibodies should stand at the ready to attack the virus. Both vaccines are given in two doses several weeks apart. Pfizer's vaccine has to be kept at minus 75 degrees Celsius. No other vaccine in the US needs to be kept that cold, and doctors' offices and pharmacies do not have freezers that go that low. Moderna's vaccine can be kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Other vaccines, such as the one against chickenpox, need to be kept at that temperature. That means Moderna's vaccine can be kept in "a readily available freezer that is available in most doctors' offices and pharmacies," Zacks said. "We leverage infrastructure that already exists for other marketed vaccines."
Pfizer announces its COVID vaccine is 95% effective, plans to seek emergency authorization 'within days' -- While over 11 million people in the U.S. battle cases of coronavirus, researchers have been hard at work in securing a vaccine to ward off the deadly effects of COVID-19, and as of Wednesday, Pfizer and its partner company BioNTech have announced success in this regard. According to ABC News, the companies say their coronavirus vaccine is more than 95% effective in the final analysis of its massive Phase 3 trial and has reached a critical safety milestone that will allow the company to apply for Food and Drug Administration authorization “within days.”If the FDA approves the vaccine, Pfizer is set to become the first company with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. The company says as soon as it has government approval, it plans to begin delivering millions of doses of the vaccine to the most vulnerable patients, possibly before the end of 2020. Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccine was more than 90% effective, according to a preliminary analysis based on the first 94 patients to develop symptomatic COVID-19 in a trial of more than 43,000 volunteers.But, ABC News reports, with the pandemic mushrooming in the United States and across the globe, it wasn't long before even more volunteers became infected. This resutled in bringing Pfizer's trial to 170 COVID-positive cases, thereby exceeding the threshold needed for a 'final' analysis on the vaccine's effectiveness.In a press release that was issued before the stock market opened, Pfizer announced that among the 170 volunteers to develop COVID-19 in the clinical trial, 162 had been given placebo shots, while only eight volunteers to become infected were given the real vaccine.This means Pfizer's vaccine is roughly 95% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19.The updated data on the potentially life-saving drug's effectiveness follows news from competitor Moderna, which announced earlier this week that its vaccine was 94.5% effective in its own preliminary analysis.It’s not known yet what level of immunity or how long the immunity lasts after receiving the vaccines. Trial volunteers will be followed for two years to answer questions like durability of protection.
Government-Funded Scientists Laid the Groundwork for Billion-Dollar Vaccines - When he started researching a troublesome childhood infection nearly four decades ago, virologist Dr. Barney Graham, then at Vanderbilt University, had no inkling his federally funded work might be key to deliverance from a global pandemic. Yet nearly all the vaccines advancing toward possible FDA approval this fall or winter are based on a design developed by Graham and his colleagues, a concept that emerged from a scientific quest to understand a disastrous 1966 vaccine trial. Basic research conducted by Graham and others at the National Institutes of Health, Defense Department and federally funded academic laboratories has been the essential ingredient in the rapid development of vaccines in response to COVID-19. The government has poured an additional $10.5 billion into vaccine companies since the pandemic began to accelerate the delivery of their products. The Moderna vaccine, whose remarkable effectiveness in a late-stage trial was announced Monday morning, emerged directly out of a partnership between Moderna and Graham’s NIH laboratory. Coronavirus vaccines are likely to be worth billions to the drug industry if they prove safe and effective. As many as 14 billion vaccines would be required to immunize everyone in the world against COVID-19. If, as many scientists anticipate, vaccine-produced immunity wanes, billions more doses could be sold as booster shots in years to come. And the technology and production laboratories seeded with the help of all this federal largesse could give rise to other profitable vaccines and drugs. The vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are likely to be the first to win FDA approval, in particular rely heavily on two fundamental discoveries that emerged from federally funded research: the viral protein designed by Graham and his colleagues, and the concept of RNA modification, first developed by Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó at the University of Pennsylvania. In fact, Moderna’s founders in 2010 named the company after this concept: “Modified” + “RNA” = Moderna, according to co-founder Robert Langer. “This is the people’s vaccine,” said corporate critic Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program. “Federal scientists helped invent it and taxpayers are funding its development. … It should belong to humanity.” Moderna, through spokesperson Ray Jordan, acknowledged its partnership with NIH throughout the COVID-19 development process and earlier. Pfizer spokesperson Jerica Pitts noted the company had not received development and manufacturing support from the U.S. government, unlike Moderna and other companies.
Next Stop for Covid-19 Vaccines: FDA Review – WSJ - The Food and Drug Administration is days away from beginning its evaluation of Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use—a process that could lead to vaccine distributions by year’s end to limited groups such as health-care workers and the elderly. Pfizer Inc. and German partner BioNTech SE plan to submit their vaccine testing data to the FDA within days, followed closely by Moderna Inc. That will set off a process in which FDA scientists will begin to assess the accuracy of company data, which is likely to take two to three weeks. As part of that review, FDA scientists are expected to look at data from individual patients, such as for indications of any troubling side effects. After the FDA staff review, an independent panel of doctors from major U.S. academic centers will meet to advise the FDA on the vaccines’ efficacy—likely in early December. The advisory panel will consider questions such as whether the vaccine has been shown safe and effective in certain racial, ethnic and age groups. The panel will likely be asked to recommend whether the vaccine should be authorized for use and in which populations. Pfizer, which said Wednesday it is on the verge of seeking FDA review, has reported that its vaccine is more than 94% effective in adults over 65. It said that about 42% of its trial participants represent racial or ethnic minority groups. After the review, the FDA then will decide whether to grant an “emergency use authorization,” a quicker version of the normal FDA approval.If the FDA authorizes a vaccine, it “could in theory start rolling off the assembly line into the arms of the American public by the end of December,” said Paul Offit, a vaccine expert from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who is on the FDA’s advisory vaccine panel. Even after the FDA authorizes a vaccine, it will be several months before the general public is able to get vaccinated at their local pharmacies. The U.S. government has contracted to purchase at least 100 million doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but most of the doses won’t be ready until next year.
Vaccines - Too Little, Too Late? - We're being assured by Pfizer and Moderna that their Covid vaccines are 95% effective and are safe enough to be injected into hundreds of millions of people. Before accepting these extremely consequential claims, let's look at the actual testing process and results. In the Pfizer trial, half of the 44,000 volunteers received the vaccine and the other half got a placebo shot. Then the researchers waited around to see how many of the volunteers randomly came down with Covid. Pfizer reported that out of 170 cases of Covid, 162 were in the placebo group and eight were in the vaccine group. So a total of 0.386% of the 44,000 volunteers came down with Covid by means unknown, and this tiny sample is the foundation of grandiose claims of 95% effectiveness? Note the incredibly small sample size. If even 3% of the test group had contracted Covid, the sample size would be 1,320 people--still a small number but considerably more persuasive than 1/3rd of 1% (170). These results tell us very little about what we really need to know. Allow me to propose a test protocol that would tell us what we need to know. Take 100 politicians, authorities and Big Pharma executives, give them two doses of vaccine and then have them serve 4-hour shifts in a crowded ward of severely ill Covid patients for a week, without any masks or protective gear. In other words, expose them to sustained, intimate contact with patients with severe cases of Covid, spending hours every day in a soup of virus. If 100 people took the measles vaccine, would they hesitate to expose themselves to measles patients? No, because the measles vaccine is close to 100% effective. If the politicians and Big Pharma executives refused to participate in this trial, that would tell us all we really need to know about the effectiveness of their Covid vaccine. But the trial isn't finished--not by a long shot. We need to know if the vaccinated people can still transmit the virus to unvaccinated people. So at the end of their shift, the 100 politicians, authorities and Big Pharma execs clean up and then crowd into a poorly ventilated bar with 100 unvaccinated volunteers, singing, dancing and breathing the same fetid air for two hours every night. Next, repeat this trial protocol with another 100 people, 50 of whom have chronic conditions such as hypertension, metabolic disorders or COPD, and 50 who are 65 years of age or older. The only way we'll really know if the vaccine is effective for at-risk people is to do a rigorous test like this. Third, repeat the trial protocol with 100 people who have autoimmune disorders or family histories of autoimmune disorders. There is no other way to discover the potentially harmful consequences of the vaccine on those with a propensity for autoimmune disorders other than a rigorous test of the vaccine, i.e. sustained exposure to the virus over extended periods of time. Lastly, monitor all the volunteers daily for six months for any side effects of the vaccine. It will take years to really know what side effects may manifest, but six months would at least establish a baseline of safety. The results of these trials would tell us what we absolutely need to know before we blindly inject tens of millions of people with these vaccines:
New Strains Of COVID Could Render Vaccines Completely Useless, And 2 Dangerous Mutations Are Already Spreading - When Pfizer announced that they had developed a successful vaccine for COVID, the world cheered. And then when Moderna announced that they had developed a successful vaccine for COVID, the world cheered even more. But COVID has been mutating, and scientists assure us that it will keep mutating. So what happens if the vaccines that are being developed end up being completely useless against new mutant strains of the virus? Would that put us all the way back to square one (or even worse)? . Most people simply assume that a “flu shot” will provide them with complete protection against “the flu”, but that is actually not true at all. In some years the match between the flu vaccine and the variations of the flu that are running around is pretty good, and some years that is definitely not the case. The following comes from the official CDC website… During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating influenza viruses, it is possible that little or no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed. At this point, Pfizer and Moderna both seem convinced that their vaccines will be effective against the dominant strain of COVID that is currently sweeping across the globe But what if a new strain becomes dominant? In Denmark, a new strain of COVID that is being passed to humans from minks was considered to be so dangerous that the government actually announced that they would kill all 17 million minks in the entire nation… Thankfully, after a tremendous uproar the Danish government decided not to kill all the minks. But this strain is still spreading, and as the quote above noted, this new strain “could effectively render the current COVID-19 vaccine candidates useless”. In other words, if this Denmark strain becomes dominant it may force the vaccine companies to go back to the drawing board. Meanwhile, we just learned that “a fast-spreading new strain of COVID-19” has popped up in Australia…South Australia is battling a fast-spreading new strain of COVID-19 as it prepares for a six-day lockdown to attempt to contain the virus.A COVID-19 cluster in Adelaide’s north grew to 22 on Wednesday as thousands of people continued to flock to testing stations. The reason why authorities decided to lock down all of South Australia for six days is because this new strain appears to be far more contagious than previous strains…
Rapid Testing Is Less Accurate Than the Government Wants to Admit -The promise of antigen tests emerged like a miracle this summer. With repeated use, the theory went, these rapid and cheap coronavirus tests would identify highly infectious people while giving healthy Americans a green light to return to offices, schools and restaurants. The idea of on-the-spot tests with near-instant results was an appealing alternative to the slow, lab-based testing that couldn’t meet public demand.By September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had purchased more than 150 million tests for nursing homes and schools, spending more than $760 million. But it soon became clear that antigen testing — named for the viral proteins, or antigens, that the test detects — posed a new set of problems. Unlike lab-based, molecular PCR tests, which detect snippets of the virus’s genetic material, antigen tests are less sensitive because they can only detect samples with a higher viral load. The tests were prone to more false negatives and false positives. As problems emerged, officials were slow to acknowledge the evidence.With the benefit of hindsight, experts said the Trump administration should have released antigen tests primarily to communities with outbreaks instead of expecting them to work just as well in large groups of asymptomatic people. Understanding they can produce false results, the government could have ensured that clinics had enough for repeat testing to reduce false negatives and access to more precise PCR tests to weed out false positives. Government agencies, which were aware of the tests’ limitations, could have built up trust by being more transparent about them and how to interpret results, scientists said.When health care workers in Nevada and Vermont reported false positives, HHS defended the tests and threatened Nevada with unspecified sanctions until state officials agreed to continue using them in nursing homes. It took several more weeks for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an alert on Nov. 3 that confirmed what Nevada had experienced: Antigen tests were prone to giving false positives, the FDA warned.“Part of the problem is this administration has continuously played catch-up,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, a physician at Harvard Medical School. It was criticized for not ensuring enough PCR tests at the beginning, and when antigen tests became available, it shoved them at the states without a coordinated plan, he said. If you tested the same group of people once a week without fail, with adequate double-checking, then a positive test could be the canary in the coal mine, said Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of Vermont’s Health Department. “Unfortunately the government didn’t really advertise it that way or prescribe it” with much clarity, so some people lost faith.
FDA Clears First Covid-19 Test Performed Fully at Home – WSJ - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the first Covid-19 test that people can take at home by themselves and get results without the help of a lab, a long-awaited step. The single-use, disposable test from Lucira Health Inc. uses nasal swabs and can be self-administered by anyone with a doctor’s prescription ages 14 years or older. The test searches for the genetic material of the new coronavirus and can give results in 30 minutes or less, the company said. Some Covid-19 tests have been previously authorized for at-home collection, but Lucira’s is the first that can be fully self-performed and provide results at home minutes later. Public-health experts have been clamoring for fast, easy-to-use at-home Covid-19 testing, especially as the virus is spreading at increasing rates around the U.S. If made widely available and cost-effective, at-home testing could also become a valuable tool in helping people to safely return to schools and workplaces and beat back the pandemic before widespread vaccination. The test, which the FDA cleared late Tuesday, is expected to be first available at Sutter Health in Northern California and at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, followed by a national rollout by early spring 2021. Lucira said it expects its test to cost around $50 apiece. “Being able to quickly determine if a person is infected or not has been a global problem,” said John Chou, a physician affiliated with Sutter Health who helped lead the study of the test. “We believe this highly mobile test can make a big difference by providing lab-quality results expeditiously and conveniently.” Lucira said the test can correctly flag an infection 94.1% of the time and identify a negative result 98% of the time, when compared with a PCR test. If a sample has high levels of virus, the test is 100% sensitive, the company said. Health authorities consider laboratory-based PCR tests to be the gold standard for assessing test accuracy. PCR tests also search for genetic material of the virus. They are nearly 100% accurate when administered and processed correctly, but they are expensive to conduct and can take days or longer to produce results. Antigen tests, which look for viral proteins, can identify the virus 84% to 97.6% of the time compared with PCR tests when used within five to seven days after a person develops symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health care workers most at risk for COVID-19 -- Health care workers -- particularly nurses -- have a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than non-health care workers, according to researchers at Rutgers, which released baseline results from a large prospective study of participants at Rutgers and affiliated hospitals recruited during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases, found that in early spring, the participants most likely to test positive for COVID-19 were nurses, workers taking care of multiple patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and those who worked in a hospital with a higher proportion of infected patients.As of Nov. 15, 2020, according to the CDC, there were more than 216,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases among health care workers in the United States, leading to at least 799 deaths. The Rutgers study evaluated 546 health care workers with direct patient exposure at two New Jersey hospitals and 283 non-health care workers with no direct patient contact. At the start of the study in March, 40 health care workers and one non-health care worker tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among all participants enrolled, more than 7 percent of health care workers were found to be positive for the novel coronavirus as compared to the very low rates of positive testing among non-health care workers. Also, consistent with disparities observed in the general public, Black and Hispanic participants had more positive test results.Health care workers who reported caring for five or more patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and those who spent a greater proportion of their time in patients' rooms were more likely to test positive for the infection themselves.
Traveling for Thanksgiving? Health Officials Say Stay at Home – WSJ - Around 50 million Americans are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday next week. Public-health officials are begging them to stay home. As the pandemic enters its ninth month in the U.S., many families are grappling with whether to meet up with friends or family for traditional celebrations. But the holiday comes at a particularly precarious time in the current virus surge, and doctors and government officials say even gathering with one other household is too much of a risk. The U.S. has reported an average of 157,318 new cases a day over the past week, more than double the number of daily cases reported at the height of the summertime surge.Hospitalizations are continuing to hit record highs, taxing health-care systems in Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and elsewhere. The warning has taken on a more urgent tone in recent weeks, shifting from officials discouraging travel and large gatherings to outright pleading with the public to stay put and stay away from others.Leaders in states including New York, New Jersey and Michigan have put limits on the size of gatherings in recent days, identifying one culprit of the latest surge as small, seemingly innocuous get-togethers. As community spread becomes prevalent, though, even those more muted festivities, like a baby shower or brunch, are potentially fatal. “Getting together with your family via Zoom to ensure your loved ones stay safe is the right thing to do,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video message posted online Tuesday. In the message, Mr. Beshear joined six Republican and Democrat Midwestern governors to emphasize the current threat and urge people to take precautions. Last year, around 55 million Americans traveled for Thanksgiving. AAA forecast a 10% decline in holiday travel this year, to 50.6 million. Air travel is expected to drop by half—but that still means about 2.4 million people making their way through airports.
Restaurants are setting up tents and temporary structures to extend outdoor dining during the winter. But they come with their own hazards, and in some cases, could be riskier than eating indoors.--As the temperature drops in many parts of the US, restaurants are coming up with creative solutions to allow for outdoor dining. But in some cases, these solutions may increase diners' coronavirus risk. Since the onset of the pandemic, outdoor dining has allowed restaurants and bars to stay open while offering customers a way to continue eating, drinking, and socializing in a low-risk environment. Outdoor dining has become so popular and lucrative that it's becoming a more permanent fixture everywhere fromMilwaukee to Boston. But as we head into the winter months, restaurants will be hard-pressed to convince diners to sit outdoors, exposed to chilly temperatures, wind, and possibly even snow. City and state governments across the country seem somewhat split on what types of structures are safe. In Chicago, for example, the city mandates that temporary outdoor structures must have 50% of the sides open in order to ensure air flow. New York City has the same rule, but will allow fully enclosed structures — they'll just be regulated like indoor dining and capped at 25% capacity. Cities inConnecticut and Colorado have similar mandates. State and local laws aside, however, infectious disease experts saythis type of dining comes with clear risks that customers should take into account before dining in one of these structures. Jaimie Meyer, an infectious disease physician at Yale Medicine and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, told Business Insider that while she applauds businesses for thinking creatively about how to prolong outdoor dining, some are going too far and essentially creating an indoor space."When you're making those outdoor spaces look a lot more like indoor spaces — so if they have, all of a sudden, three-and-a-half walls, or the air flow's not great, or there's lots of people still at a table, then you kind of get rid of all of the potential benefits of outside," Meyer said. Meyer said the two keys to safe outdoor dining are the ability to physically distance and airflow. But structures like four-sided tents lack air circulation that restaurants have — businesses aren't installing ventilation systems in a temporary curbside hut, meaning dining in an enclosed space like that could be even riskier than sitting inside at a restaurant, Meyer said.
Covid cases, and deaths, continue to soar in Erie County - buffalonews.com – Erie County on Sunday led the state in the most dire of Covid-19 statistics: highest number of deaths of New York’s 62 counties. The nine Covid-infected people who died in the county on Sunday was more than double the four who died from the virus in all of New York City. The “yellow zone” area of most of Erie County over the last seven days had a rolling average Covid positivity rate of 7.32%, the worst of 12 specially designated zones with high numbers of the virus. When just considering Covid positive tests for Sunday, the rate was 6.36%. Moreover, as it has many times over the past couple of months, the positive rate in all Western New York counties combined was the highest in the state on Sunday at 5.2%. The next highest positivity rate of the nine regions of the state was found in the Finger Lakes, at 4.3%. New York City, where the pandemic hit the worst last spring, was at 2.3% on Sunday. The ongoing troublesome numbers for the region, as well as the state, were released Monday afternoon by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. “This is not an upstate or downstate issue. All New Yorkers, regardless of where they live, have cause for concern," Cuomo said in a written statement.Statewide, the positive rate for Covid tests processed on Sunday was 2.80%. Hospitalizations of Covid-infected people increased by another 123 on Sunday statewide to 1,968. That is up from 483 people precisely two months ago. Across New York on Sunday, 25 Covid-infected people died – a total of 26,159 since the pandemic began last spring. The New York Times has put the total death number at more than 33,000 in the state, which includes people who died from home and were presumed to have had Covid. In all statewide, 3,490 new cases of Covid were confirmed on Sunday. Erie County had 272 newly confirmed cases. The 6.36% positivity rate in the “yellow zone” area of Erie County on Sunday was 50% higher than the rate when all of the specially designated Covid hot spots are calculated.
The Real Story of COVID-19 and the Cook County Jail – Over 2,500 Officers at the Cook County Department of Corrections have been victims of Sheriff Tom Dart’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 outbreak at the Cook County Jail. By failing to provide PPE and adhere to CDC guidelines at the beginning of the outbreak, Sheriff Dart caused 500+ jail staff to become infected with COVID-19; to date five CCDOC Officers have died due to COVID-19. Sheriff Dart’s reign of abuse has led to a higher infection rate among Corrections Officers than jail detainees. Additionally, policies like home checks and frequent mandatory overtime shifts cripple Officers’ recovery time and weaken the immune systems of Officers still at work. A recent spike in COVID-19 cases that began in September and continues into November show the Sheriff still does not have a handle on COVID-19 at the jail while he continues to abuse his staff. The Cook County Department of Corrections has been one of the biggest single spreaders of COVID-19 in the United States. Officers reported the appalling conditions in mid-March as incoming jail detainees were brought in standing shoulder to shoulder in close proximity as they were processed and admitted to the jail. Sheriff Dart did not even provide gloves or require masks for his staff that were handling disposable thermometers fresh out of inmates’ mouths. The first CCDOC Officer testing positive for COVID-19 was reported on March 22nd, and over the next four weeks over 300 more staff would test positive for COVID-19 due to the slow and negligent response by Sheriff Dart. On June 4th, a study conducted by Health Affairs, found that 1-in-6 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois originated from the Cook County Jail. It is no coincidence that the trajectory of COVID-19 positive cases in the State of Illinois and the Cook County Department of Corrections from March-April mirror one another. When confronted about being responsible for the site that became one of the largest single-spreaders of COVID-19 in America, Sheriff Dart falsely claimed that was because he “was the only one testing anybody” and that he always took a scientific approach, yet when asked about the Health Affairs study, he calls it “phony”, offering no proof to back up his claim.
Prisoners load bodies into mobile morgues in El Paso, Texas as COVID-19 infections skyrocket - El Paso, Texas, which is still being slammed by a flood of COVID-19 cases, pushing its hospital systems to overcapacity, is now being strained by the gruesome overflow of bodies awaiting autopsy. According to Channel 9 KTSM, a local affiliate of NBC, El Paso County Jail inmates are being used to assist in loading bodies into the 10 mobile overflow morgues that stand outside the medical examiner’s office. The inmates are being paid $2 per hour in 8-hour shifts on a voluntary basis to help move bodies under the careful watch of a sheriff’s deputy and two detention officers. A video posted on social media shows men in black and white striped prison uniforms and personal protective equipment carting a body and placing it on a rack in the back of a refrigerated trailer. The grim scene is reminiscent of the disaster which unfolded in New York City in the spring when refrigerated trailers were parked outside hospitals to hold bodies and a mass grave was dug on Hart Island. El Paso County has recorded 762 COVID-19-related deaths, the majority coming since September.While there is no sign that the situation is easing, businesses in the county began to reopen Friday after an appeals court ruled that the county’s one-month-long shutdown of nonessential businesses violated state-wide reopening orders issued by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The state’s Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had joined a group of restaurant owners in challenging the temporary shutdown, hailed the ruling and denounced El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego as a “tyrant” for implementing basic public health measures aimed at controlling the spread of the virus. “I will not let rogue political subdivisions try to kill small businesses and holiday gatherings through unlawful executive orders,” Paxton crowed on Twitter. For communities across the United States, attempts to return to a form of normalcy—whether it be college football games in giant stadiums packed with spectators rushing the field, celebrating weddings that have been scheduled months in advance, or clandestine homecoming celebrations—have led to outbreaks and super-spreader events. Despite the repeat of horrific scenes of the initial wave of the pandemic, local governments continue to subordinate public health to the profit interests of big businesses and the stock market, as demonstrated by their continued rejection of lockdown measures and preference to blame people for their irresponsible behaviors.
South Dakota emergency-room nurse says some patients insist COVID-19 isn’t real even as they’re dying from it - A South Dakota nurse took to Twitter on Sunday to highlight a tragic feature of the coronavirus pandemic: patients who rail against health-care workers because they don’t believe COVID-19 is real. Jodi Doering, an emergency-room registered nurse, described the phenomenon in an interview on CNN on Monday, after her Twitter posts attracted wide attention: “It’s not one particular patient; it’s just a culmination of so many people and their last dying words are, ‘This can’t be happening, it’s not real.’ “And when they should be spending time FaceTime-ing their families, they’re just filled with anger and hatred. I just can’t believe those are their last words,” she said. Some patients are so convinced the virus does not exist that, when they test positive, they insist it must be flu, pneumonia or even lung cancer, said Doering. Nurses, for their part, are watching patients get sick in the same ways, receive the same hospital treatment and then die in the same way — and then the nurses come back the next day as the cycle repeats. “It’s like a movie where the credits never roll,” Doering said. The Dakotas are currently the epicenter of the U.S. pandemic with the fastest moving per capita case numbers, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University and the states’ own health departments. Experts says the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which took place with the encouragement of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in August, was likely a superspreader event, as about half a million bikers are reported to have attended and many gathered closely in bars and restaurants without wearing face masks. North Dakota has had 63,802 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to a New York Times tracker, and least 742 people have died. North Dakota’s hospital system is at full capacity, according to Gov. Doug Burgum, who said last week that health-care workers who test positive will be allowed to treat COVID patients at least temporarily, because of chronic staff shortages. South Dakota has had 65,381 confirmed cases and at least 644 deaths, the tracker shows. Its hospital system is at 64% capacity, according to its health department, while ICU beds are at 67% capacity.
Covid-19 Hits Rural Nursing Homes, Which Are Among Those Least Equipped to Fight It – WSJ Covid-19 deaths among vulnerable nursing-home residents are surging again, with the virus increasingly spreading to rural facilities that are struggling with staff shortages and other challenges.Nursing homes reported more than 1,900 resident deaths from Covid-19 in the last week of October, as well as more than 32,000 confirmed and suspected cases among staff and residents, according to newly released federal data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal. Those nationwide totals at the facilities were the highest since early August, when states including Texas and Florida were seeing increases. This time, the virus is infiltrating a far-flung range of facilities, with a growing share of the deaths occurring in rural and small-town communities in states such as Wisconsin, North Dakota and Montana, where case counts have climbed rapidly. The pattern tracks how the virus is spreading more broadly throughout the U.S., hitting regions that had been largely spared earlier in the pandemic. “Nursing homes are not isolated from what happens in the community,” said Carrie Henning-Smith, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “We’re seeing this run rampant through rural communities.”Facilities in rural counties reported 18% of nursing-home Covid-19 deaths in the week ending Nov. 1, though they housed only 10% of the overall population, according to the Journal’s analysis of weekly survey data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Small-town counties saw 17% of the nursing-home deaths, though facilities there have only 12% of the total residents.At Lutheran Sunset Home, a 91-bed facility in Grafton, N.D., 55 residents and 46 staffers have been infected since an outbreak started in late October, after Covid-19 infections hit a high rate in the surrounding county. Five residents infected with the coronavirus have died. Staffers following recommended precautions, but “it still spread like wildfire,” said Trevor Tompkins, the administrator of the nonprofit facility. “To put it bluntly, we’re in hell.”
'Our Worst Fears Have Come True': With No Sign of Federal Relief, Nursing Home Industry Study Shows Surge in Covid-19 --Calling on federal lawmakers to take responsibility for the wellbeing of Americans living in nursing homes amid the current surge in coronavirus cases, the nation's top organization of long-term care providers demanded urgent action as they released a report Tuesday showing that the recent spike across the country has corresponded with rising cases in nursing homes. "Our worst fears have come true as Covid runs rampant among the general population, and long-term care facilities are powerless to fully prevent it from entering due to its asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread," stated Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), the industry groups that produced the new findings. "Our health are heroes are doing everything they can to prevent it from spreading further," Parkinson added, "but this level of Covid nationwide puts serious strain on our workforce, supplies, and testing capacity." The new AHCA/NCAL study (pdf) shows that weekly Covid-19 cases in nursing homes have reached record numbers this month and traces the spike to community spread outside the facilities. According to Johns Hopkins University, weekly new cases of Covid-19 rose 140% in the first week of November, with more than 572,000 Americans infected. That same week, more than 10,000 people living in long-term care facilities tested positive, and nearly half of those cases were in Midwestern states with huge spikes in community transmission, including North Dakota and Minnesota. Since mid-September, northern states in the Midwest have seen a 200% weekly increase in nursing home cases. While White House officials including Dr. Scott Atlas, a top coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, have pushed a "herd immunity" strategy in which relatively young and healthy people would be urged to go about their daily routines without wearing face masks or social distancing, while nursing home residents and other medically vulnerable people would be quarantined, the AHCA/NCAL study demonstrates the impossibility of such an approach—as medical experts have warned for months. "Trying to protect nursing home residents without controlling community spread is a losing battle," Tamara Konetzka, an expert on long-term care at the University of Chicago, told the Associated Press earlier this month. "Someone has to care for vulnerable nursing home residents, and those caregivers move in and out of the nursing home daily, providing an easy pathway for the virus to enter."
Many Nursing Homes Shun Free Covid-19 Testing Equipment – WSJ - Thousands of Covid-19 rapid-testing devices are sitting idle in nursing homes around the country, even as some of the facilities face delays in getting results from outside labs, according to federal data.
An average of 1,100 Americans are dying every day from COVID-19 as the death rate quickly climbs, heading towards summer and spring levels -- On average, 1,100 Americans are dying every day from COVID-19 as the death rate quickly climbs, according to The COVID Tracking Project. The daily death count was 1,321 on Saturday, reaching a 7-day average of 1,100. The Project reported that since early May, the only day with a higher daily death average was August 4.Cases and hospitalizations continue to rise rapidly as well, breaking records most days and outpacing the rise in the number of tests being administered. On Saturday, The Project reported 163,473 new cases and 69,455 current hospitalizations, setting another all-time high as hospitals are once again being overwhelmed by the latest surges, health experts say.The US has been consistently breaking the record for the number of new cases per day, as states and cities across the US are experiencing a surge."We see the same patterns we've seen for the past couple weeks," The Project said in a tweet. "Tests are rising, but cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are rising much faster." On Saturday, at least 38 states reported more than 1,000 new cases, while many set records for the number of detected cases, The Project reported. Many states have enacted new mask mandates, statewide lockdowns, and travel restrictions to try and slow the spread as the country heads into the winter and holiday season.Nearly 237,000 people have died in the US from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. The CDC predicts that number could reach 282,000 by December 5. Nearly 237,000 people have died in the US from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. The CDC predicts that number could reach 282,000 by December 5.
November 16 COVID-19 Test Results; Record Hospitalizations - The US is now averaging over 1 million tests per day. Based on the experience of other countries, for adequate test-and-trace (and isolation) to reduce infections, the percent positive needs to be well under 5% (probably close to 1%), so the US still needs to increase the number of tests per day significantly (or take actions to push down the number of new infections).There were 1,251,892 test results reported over the last 24 hours.There were 148,532 positive tests. Highest for a Monday.Almost 16,000 US deaths have been reported so far in November. See the graph on US Daily Deaths here. This data is from the COVID Tracking Project.The percent positive over the last 24 hours was 11.9% (red line is 7 day average). The percent positive is calculated by dividing positive results by the sum of negative and positive results (I don't include pending). And check out COVID Exit Strategy to see how each state is doing.The second graph shows the 7 day average of positive tests reported and daily hospitalizations.The dashed line is the previous hospitalization maximum.Note that there were very few tests available in March and April, and many cases were missed, so the hospitalizations was higher relative to the 7-day average of positive tests in July. 7-day average cases are at a new record. Record Hospitalizations.
Coronavirus Dashboard for November 16: raging out of control - Total US infections: 11,036,935*
- Average last 7 days: 148,725/day (new record high)
- Total US deaths: 246,214
- Average last 7 days: 1,103/day
*confirmed cases only: I suspect the total number is on the order of 16 million, or close to 5% of the total US population. Back in August, when summer’s 2nd wave of new infections was near its peak, I devised my own rating system as to how each State was doing, as follows:
- Deep Red (general alarm out-of-control fire): 200+ infections per million, 5+ deaths per million.
- Red (3 alarm fire): 100-200 infections, 2-5 deaths
- Orange (2 alarm fire): 60-100 infections, 1-2 deaths
- Yellow (1 alarm fire):40-60 infections, 0.5-1 deaths
- Blue (smoldering/1 alarm fire): 20-40 infections, 0.2-0.5 deaths
- Green (embers): 0-20 infections, 0-0.2 deaths
As to infections, most of the States (33) were in the “Red” or “Orange” categories.At the high extreme, there were 5 States in the “Deep Red” category for infections: MS, ND, GA, TN, and AL.At the other end of the scale, there were 6 States in the “Yellow” range: OR, DE, CO, WV, PA, and MAThere were only 3 in the “Blue” range: CT, NJ, and NYThere were another 3 in the “Green” range: ME, NH, VT By contrast, how bad is the situation now? Only 4 States would *NOT* be in the “Deep Red” category: VA, ME, VT, and WI, plus DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Island. Of those, only Hawaii and the two territorial island chains would be less than “Red”: It is so bad that nearly 10% of the entire populations of North and South Dakota have already had *confirmed* infections, with several other States not far behind:They, along with the other hardest hit States, look like they are recklessly heading towards “herd immunity,” probably by the end of the winter, with death rates in excess of 1% of the entire States’ populations by then. As to deaths, in August most of the States (33) were also in the “Red” or “Orange” categories. 8 States were in the worst, “Deep Red” category: MS, LA, GA, TX, NV, FL, AZ, and SC.At the other end of the scale, there were only 4 States in the “Yellow” range: KS, HI, CO, and NHAnother 4 were in the “Blue” category: NY, NJ, ME, and CT One – VT – was “Green.”By contrast, 16 States are currently in the “Deep Red” category: ND, SC, WI, MT, WY, IL, NM, IA, MN, WV, TN, MI, ID, IN, NE, and MO: At the other end, Only NY is in the “Yellow” category. Only HI and VT are in the “Blue” category. And only the two island territories of the Virgin and Northern Mariana Islands are in the “Green” category: Keep in mind that deaths follow confirmed infections by 4 weeks or more, so there is every likelihood that many more States are going to move into the “Deep Red” category shortly. In fact, I could only find 2 States – VA and HI – where currently there is not a big upswing in cases or deaths. All the other States, including NY, ME, and VT, are showing rapidly increasing cases. Against all of this horrendous failure, the only other “good” news, as was widely reported this morning, is that a 2nd vaccine, with a 94% success rate at preventing infections, and without the necessity for heroic precautions in transport and storage, is on the verge of approval. Hopefully, the generally responsible States of the Northeast and West Coast will take the necessary heroic steps to keep their populations safe until the vaccine(s) arrive next spring or summer.
North Dakota records world's highest COVID-19 mortality rate North Dakota’s coronavirus mortality rate is the highest of any U.S. state or country, according to an analysis of data from last week conducted by the Federation of American Scientists.The analysis, first reported by HuffPost, shows that North Dakota has a rate of 18.2 deaths per 1 million people. South Dakota, meanwhile, has 17.4 deaths per million, the third-worst rate in the world. The states have a total population of under 2 million.The two states have taken disparate approaches to the rising number of cases. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) imposed a new series of restrictions on businesses last week and imposed a new mandate in certain settings. “Our situation has changed, and we must change with it,” he said.“We believe in North Dakotans. We believe in the power of individual responsibility. And we need individual responsibility now more than ever to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Burgum added.However, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), a close ally of President Trump’s, has vocally opposed mask mandates and questioned the efficacy of masks as a safeguard against the spread of the virus.Modeling by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projected that continuing under current conditions would lead to deaths in both states more than doubling by March 1. This would mean topping more than 3,000 fatalities. On Monday, North Dakota’s Department of Health reported 1,089 new positive cases of the virus and a rolling 14-day positivity rate of 15.9 percent. South Dakota reported 821 new confirmed cases and 18,139 active cases overall.
Michigan reports 7,458 new COVID-19 cases, 79 deaths - Michigan reported 7,458 new cases of COVID-19 and 79 new deaths Tuesday, according to an update from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.The state now has 8,128 confirmed deaths and 272,034 confirmed cases since March.Michigan had a positivity rate of 14.25% Monday, reporting that 8,178 out of 57,379 diagnostic test results returned were positive. Michigan has a fatality rate of 3.0% among known cases.The state has reported 383 probable COVID-19 deaths and 24,806 probable cases.The probable cases combined with the confirmed cases make for a cumulative total of 8,511 deaths and 296,840 cases.
Many States Grapple With Handling of Virus as Cases Surge Nationwide - In response to what is being called the third wave of Covid-19 infections, governors and health-care professionals are taking targeted and partial measures in hopes of curbing the spread of the pathogen as the U.S. continues to top 100,000 cases a day. While the seven-day moving average of new cases is outpacing the 14-day average in all 50 states, a number of states is being hit particularly hard. Ohio on Tuesday reported a record 6,508 new positive infections over the past 24 hours, with an additional 386 people hospitalized and 23 deaths. Gov. Mike DeWine, who called the latest data "alarming" in a post on Twitter, plans to deliver a prime-time address Wednesday regarding the state's fight against Covid-19. Wisconsin continues to hover at record numbers, with over 7,000 new confirmed cases Tuesday and a 36% positivity rate—or the percentage of tests taken that are returning with a positive result. Arizona on Tuesday reported 3,434 new cases, a figure not seen since late July when the state was in the midst of a difficult surge in infections. Neighboring New Mexico, where daily cases had never before exceeded 1,000, logged a record 1,408 new confirmed cases on Monday. In California, which reported more than 8,000 new infections on Monday, 11 counties were being put under more restrictive guidelines because of rising cases, state Secretary of Health and Human Services Mark Ghaly said Tuesday. The counties include some of the state’s more populated areas, including Sacramento and San Diego. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed said the city would no longer allow indoor dining, citing a doubling in cases over three weeks. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday signed a new proclamation extending the state of emergency for an additional 30 days. The proclamation also requires anyone over the age of 2 years old to wear a mask when attending a gathering of more than 25 people indoors or 100 people outdoors. “Like so many states, we’ve reached a point of serious community spread, and we can no longer pinpoint one age group or any type of activity that’s driving it,” said Ms. Reynolds, a Republican. Iowa last week reported more than 21,000 new cases with a positivity rate of more than 19%, according to the governor. The nation’s test positivity level has doubled since Oct. 5, from 4.2% to 8.3%. Mark Dworkin, professor and associate director of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said he believes the rise in new confirmed cases is due to a lack of compliance with health directives. “We know what slows spread. Spreading out, correctly worn masking and contact tracing are a big part of control,” Dr. Dworkin said. “While many people do spread out and mask correctly, many don’t. And it’s my understanding that contact tracing has not kept up with the volume of cases.”
U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Set New Record - WSJ.com - Coronavirus hospitalizations in the U.S. reached a record high Tuesday and are expected to continue their climb, health-care disaster preparedness experts said, a trajectory already straining hospitals across several cities and states.The number of Covid-19 patients in U.S. hospitals Tuesday reached 61,964, according to the Covid Tracking Project, passing the prior record of 59,940 set April 15 as critically ill patients flooded hospitals in the pandemic's earliest hotspots of New York, New Jersey and California.Now, hospitals in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Texas are grappling with crowded intensive-care units and a stream of critically ill coronavirus patients, as cases surge nationally and across more rural regions of the U.S.The Billings Clinic in Billings, Mont., has added 60 beds to its 290-bed hospital by leasing a building from a nearby nursing home and tucking patients into offices and a physical-therapy gym, said Laurie Smith, its chief nursing officer.Federal teams of health-care workers and temporary agencies have boosted hospital staff, but it isn’t enough. Recruiting the additional 60 skilled workers needed is hard as demand grows nationally, she said. "All are in high demand right now."Meantime, Montana's cases continue to climb, and Billings Clinic is planning to make more space for more patients, she said.Many Montana hospitals operate in rural communities with 25 beds or fewer, sending more complex and critical patients to a smaller number of large hospitals."There's always a ceiling on what the capacity is," said Clint Seger, the chief medical officer for a network of 14 small hospitals affiliated with the Billings Clinic. "What we don't know is how much more the numbers are going to continue to go up."Health-care experts said the numbers are likely to rise with recent record-setting numbers of new Covid-19 cases. "The current hospitalization surge is likely a prelude to an even greater surge in the coming weeks given the record-breaking number of cases each of the last few days," said Thomas Tsai, an assistant professor of surgery and health policy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Record Covid-19 Hospitalizations Strain System Again – WSJ - Hospitals across the nation face an even bigger capacity problem from the resurgent spread of Covid-19 than they did during the virus’s earlier surges this year, pandemic preparedness experts said, as the number of U.S. hospitalizations hit a new high Wednesday. The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients reached 65,368, according to the Covid Tracking Project, passing the record set Tuesday for the highest number of hospitalizations since April. A spring surge in the Northeast pushed hospitalizations near 60,000. Hospitalizations hit a nearly identical peak again in late July, as the pandemic’s grip spread across the South and West. Epidemiologists said the record is likely to be swiftly replaced by another as Covid-19 cases soar nationally. “We already know this is going to go far north,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. The U.S. set single-day records for coronavirus cases three of the last seven days, reaching about 136,000 Tuesday, Johns Hopkins University data show. Demand for health-care workers is of heightened concern in the latest surge, said hospital and disaster-response officials. Cases are more geographically widespread, reaching more remote regions than the spring and summer. Federal and private pools of health-care workers typically draw from one state to help another. New hospitalizations usually follow new cases by a few weeks. More widespread testing is finding more people with the virus, but that cannot fully account for surging cases, epidemiologists said. More young people are among those newly infected, and they are less likely to need hospital care than the elderly. But as infections rise among the young, so does transmission to high-risk older co-workers and family, said Jennifer Nuzzo, lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins Covid-19 Testing Insights Initiative. “It doesn’t stay in one age group,” Dr. Nuzzo said. Pandemic fatigue is fueling transmission as people frustrated with months of restrictions have started to gather, public health officials said. “What we are finding is the disease is being spread in gatherings; family gatherings, weddings, holidays, and is being spread by people who know each other,” said Randall W. Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.“Lives are at stake,”. “When hospitals cannot accommodate all the patients, people die.”Despite improved treatments, hospitals have only so much capacity, doctors and health-care experts said. Overrun hospitals in New York in the spring scrambled to find ventilators and enough staff. Swamped hospitals in Arizona and California in the summer struggled to find nurses and frantically sought to transfer patients to hospitals with more capacity. “The medical system can only save so many people, and fortunately, things ebbed before things really got out of hand” during the spring and summer surges, said Charles Branas, chairman of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “There is a capacity limit here.”
Covid: US records quarter of a million deaths from coronavirus - BBC News - The US has recorded more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19, a bleak marker as cases soar once again across the country. According to Johns Hopkins University, the country has now reported 250,029 deaths and nearly 11.5 million cases. It has more reported infections and a higher death toll than any other country worldwide. And cases have once again started to soar throughout the US, hitting new daily highs in the last week. Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, top US infectious diseases Dr Anthony Fauci said the country was "going in the wrong direction at a very precarious time", with people more likely to gather inside as the weather gets colder. New York City - the epicentre of the US outbreak in the spring - has ordered the closure of its schools from Thursday, amid a spike in cases. The decision to close the US's largest public school system came as positive test rates for the virus surpassed the 3% threshold, officials say. It will affect some 300,000 children. In an interview on the BBC News channel, Dr Fauci warned about the new surge in cases leading to more deaths. "It's a very serious situation because there are lagging indicators," he said. "So when you see the massive increase in cases as we're seeing now particularly as more and more people are doing things inside, we're in a very difficult situation." He repeated his call for people to "double down" on public health measures, such as wearing face coverings, physical distancing and avoiding crowds."They sound so simple and we know they can work. But there's a degree of Covid fatigue - people just are worn out with these restrictions," Dr Fauci said.He urged people to "hold out for just a little longer because help is on the way" in the form of vaccines.At the end of March - when the US had recorded 2,200 deaths - Dr Fauci predicted the pandemic could kill up to 200,000 Americans and infect millions more.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpass 250,000 mark as infections surge (Reuters) - The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States crossed 250,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as a third coronavirus wave brings a fresh surge in infections and puts immense strain on the healthcare system. The number of people hospitalized with the virus rose to at least 78,630 by Wednesday afternoon, the highest ever for a single day during the pandemic. Governors and local officials have brought in a range of measures in recent days to try to damp down the surge. Cleveland asked residents to stay home, mask mandates were passed in places that had previously resisted them, and New York City’s school district, the largest in the United States, is halting in-person learning from Thursday. Over a seven-day average, the United States is reporting 1,176 daily deaths, more than the daily average deaths in India and Brazil combined - the two countries next most affected. The United States has reported a total of about 11.4 million cases since the start of the pandemic and remains the only country to have reported more than 10 million cases. With nearly 158,000 cases per day, it accounts for one in every 26 infections reported worldwide, according to a Reuters tally. The Midwest is currently the hardest-hit region, based on the number of cases per capita. North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska are the top five worst-affected U.S. states.
U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 250,000 - WSJ.com - Amid a third and significant wave of new coronavirus cases, the U.S. has added 50,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 in the past 60 days, pushing the death toll to 250,029 on Wednesday. The number of deaths has remained above 1,000 a day for eight of the past nine days, according to a seven-day average of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The last time deaths were above 1,000 in the country was in late August, during the tail end of the country’s second surge of infections. In April and May, when the pandemic first hit the Northeast, daily death tolls rose above 2,000 a day as the virus spread inside assisted-living facilities and densely populated regions in New York and New Jersey. New confirmed cases have gone from 40,000 a day to 150,000 over the course of six weeks, and daily deaths have steadily increased over the same period. The rise in deaths, while still climbing, hasn’t been as sharp as previous surges. Epidemiologists and public-health leaders say many factors have contributed to a lower mortality rate than in previous months, including earlier detection due to increased testing availability, more younger people becoming infected, and better treatments and therapeutics to combat the virus. Nevertheless, daily death tolls are hitting record numbers in some states, and high hospitalizations continue to put a significant strain on local hospitals and their staff. Wisconsin, which became an early hot spot for the latest surge, broke its record for deaths this week, with over 100 in one day -- a record set just a week ago. New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky and Iowa also all reported a record number of daily deaths this week. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson warned that if the state continued at its current pace, an additional 1,000 residents would die of Covid-19 between now and Christmas. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear urged people to take action. “The house is on fire at this point,” Mr. Beshear, a Democrat, said Tuesday. “And we need everybody not to close their eyes, close their ears, and sit in the house while it burns in on them. We need everybody to join the bucket brigade and to do what it takes to address the crisis.” The U.S. reported 161,934 new cases on Tuesday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins, the 11th day in a row that newly reported cases have been above 130,000. The number has been higher than 100,000 since Nov. 3, Johns Hopkins data show. Three states -- California, Texas and Illinois -- recorded more than 10,000 new infections. Hospitalizations continue to surge, straining health-care systems in some places. There were 76,823 people admitted as of Tuesday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, a record and the eighth consecutive day above 60,000.
Covid-19 has killed 250,000 people in the US. That's 10 times the deaths from car crashes in a year - In less than 10 months, Covid-19 has killed more people than strokes, suicides and car crashes typically do in a full year -- combined. The victims include an elderly father and his grown daughter who died within moments of each other. Two parents who died before their son's 5th birthday. In rare cases, even children with no known prior health conditions.Health experts say if Americans don't get more serious about wearing masks and avoiding careless socializing, the rate of deaths will keep soaring this fall and winter.Here's a look at how deadly Covid-19 is, compared with several other causes of death in the US. To get a more balanced picture, we took the five-year annual average ending in 2018, the latest available year of data for most causes.Coronavirus has killed 250,000 people in the US in less than 10 months, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.On average, 24,166 people die each year in car crashes, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (The number includes drivers or passengers killed in car crashes, not others such as bicyclists or pedestrians who were killed as the result of car crashes.)That means at least 10 times more people have died from Covid-19 so far this year than car crashes typically do over an entire year.An average of 42,200 people died from the flu each year from 2014 through 2018, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.So in less than 10 months, Covid-19 deaths have reached more than five times the average number of annual flu deaths.The new coronavirus isn't just deadlier than the flu -- it's also much more contagious than the flu. The number of Covid-19 deaths is now five times higher than deaths by suicide each year.On average, 45,439 people died by suicide from 2014 through 2018, according to CDC data.Researchers from New York University are concerned the number of suicides will be higher in 2020 due to pandemic stress.Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. An average of 670,595 people die from heart disease each year, according to CDC data.While Covid-19 isn't expected to surpass heart disease in the number of deaths over an entire year, the daily death toll from Covid-19 could soon outpace the daily death rate from heart disease, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.He cited the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which has projected Covid-19 will kill 2,500 people in the US a day in January."What that means, practically speaking, is that Covid-19 could be the single leading cause of death in the United States on a daily basis," Hotez said.
Number of children diagnosed with COVID-19 in the US surpasses 1 million - A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics found 1.04 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 among children as of November 12, accounting for 11.5 percent of all infections in the United States. Of these cases, 112,000 infections came in the week before the report was published, the highest amount in a week for the entire pandemic. On August 20, around the time that many K-12 schools were returning for classes, child cases totaled 442,785—9.3 percent of the 4.76 million total cases for all ages. By November 12, the number of total cases had risen by 87.5 percent to over 9 million. Child cases, in turn, had risen by 135 percent to 1.04 million. An increasing number of children who have been infected with COVID-19 are being diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a condition that causes severe inflammation in human organs like the kidney, lungs, brains, skin and, most commonly, the heart. So far, nearly 1,200 children have been diagnosed with MIS-C and 20 have died. Of these cases around 50 percent experienced shock or very low blood pressure, and 40-50 percent experienced decreased heart function, also called “squeeze of the heart.” This severe loss in heart function has occurred in roughly half of all MIS-C cases related to COVID-19 hospitalizations, where the average length of stay is five days. With infections continuing to rise among children, the number of children affected and hospitalized due to MIS-C is expected to double in the coming weeks, according to Dr. Jason Lake, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. While there are effective treatments for MIS-C, the state of the medical system in the United States poses a dire threat to the lives of these children. MIS-C is a serious disease that requires medical treatment in a hospital, but this cannot be done if hospital beds are overrun with coronavirus patients. Just as the overwhelming of hospitals will lead to more COVID-19 deaths, it will also result in more deaths among children from MIS-C. Additionally, MIS-C takes about four weeks after the infection of COVID-19 to develop, meaning that the effects of recent mass infections are still to be seen. Given the current rate of children who are becoming infected, it is possible that thousands of children with MIS-C will require treatment throughout the winter if nothing is done to stop the spread of the virus. This is a serious health risk to millions of children who could suffer long-term health damage. Children who suffer from MIS-C can face permanent scarring of the heart, which can lead to serious health complications like arrhythmic heartbeat. Potential long-term health effects of COVID-19 in children are still unknown. Several diseases, such as West Nile poliomyelitis and Shingles, are the result of a viral infection that produces an illness years into the future.
Second wave of coronavirus pandemic hits New York and New Jersey - The coronavirus pandemic is resurging in New York and New Jersey, which were the global epicenter of the pandemic for much of the spring, prompting totally inadequate responses from their state governments. Cases, test positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths have begun rising in both states after months of relatively low numbers, even while the rest of the country experienced worsening conditions. The most recent testing data for New York show that more than 3 percent of COVID-19 tests came back positive on Nov. 16—the first time since May that such a benchmark had been met. The seven-day rolling average was 2.9 percent, indicating that community transmission is steadily growing out of control. The Mid-Hudson region and Central New York have more than 4 percent test positivity; Western New York was at 6.5 percent on Monday. Raw case numbers are likewise growing to levels not seen since the spring, recently reaching over 4,000 per day (and over 5,000 on Tuesday) compared to 600–700 daily during the summer. Nearly 2,000 New Yorkers are hospitalized, a level also not seen since May. In the past month alone hospitalizations have doubled. Deaths are also beginning to climb; on Nov. 16 COVID-19 killed 36 people, bringing the state’s total deaths over 34,000, an underestimate given dismal testing in the early stages of the pandemic. The situation is similar in New Jersey, which was even worse hit on a per capita basis than New York earlier in the year. New cases have risen to over 4,000, with 4,026 cases Nov. 16. The test positivity rate has also risen substantially, hitting 12.1 percent on Nov. 17, a level not seen since May. COVID-19 killed 20 people in New Jersey on Nov. 16. Both states are experiencing a rate of reproduction of greater than 1, meaning that each sick person will pass along COVID-19 to more than just a single person on average. Rt.live, which estimates the reproduction rate based on data from the COVID Tracking Project, estimates New Jersey’s rate at 1.24 and New York’s at 1.23, both toward the high end of the spectrum of US states despite the large case numbers in other states. These reproduction rates mean that if the pandemic is not curbed immediately, both states will see cases in the tens of thousands daily again, overwhelming the health care system and heralding a return of the scenes of the spring: mass graves, bodies stacked in portable morgues and health care workers pushed past the brink. Given the scale of the disaster approaching—with the disastrous first wave fresh in millions of minds and the present scenes from across the country playing out in the news—the response of the state governments has been nothing short of criminal.
El Paso COVID-19 crisis: County seeks morgue workers to move bodies - El Paso County put out a call Thursday night for the immediate hiring of morgue attendants to help with the growing number of COVID-19 dead.Temporary workers are needed to move bodies amid the growing pandemic death toll, county officials said."Not only is this assignment physically taxing, but it may be emotionally taxing as well," a county announcement stated. On Thursday, the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office had 247 bodies at the morgue and inside nine refrigerated trailers serving as mobile morgues, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said in news release. El Paso County has recorded 67 deaths from COVID-19 since Sunday, including 19 on Thursday. Public health data shows that there are 435 deaths under investigation awaiting determination for COVID-19. County Commissioners Court on Thursday authorized the hiring of several morgue attendants, officials said. The application process is now open to the public and will be closed when full. Morgue workers will be provided personal protective equipment and will receive a COVID-19 test prior to starting. Attendants must be able to lift between 100 to 400 lbs. with assistance, stated a county news release. The county hopes to hire enough workers to be able to rotate staff in shifts on weekdays and weekends because of the growing number of COVID-19 dead, officials said. Samaniego has been meeting with funeral home directors, emergency management and health officials and business groups to help strategize how to best deal with the crisis. With half of all hospitalizations linked to COVID-19, El Paso is "absolutely nowhere close to being out of the woods," Samaniego added.
Coronavirus: Five signs that show how bad El Paso's outbreak is - BBC News - The US had just over nine million Covid-19 cases when November began - now, just weeks later, the country is topping 11 million. And one west Texas county has emerged as the latest American epicentre.Right on the border with Mexico, El Paso in Texas is known for its desert landscape, military complexes and plentiful sunshine. Now, it's making a name as one of the worst hit regions in the nation. Covid-19 patients account for more than half of all hospital admissions in the county of El Paso, and the case count continues to trend upwards. With cases going up by more than a thousand every day in El Paso, some 76,000 people have now been infected. That's about the same number of confirmed cases as in the whole of Greece or Libya.Data shows 1,120 El Paso residents are currently in hospital with the virus, and this number is expected to rise. That means that of all the Covid patients in hospital across the state of Texas, one in six is in El Paso, according to the latest figures. A total of 782 people are known to have died.As officials race to keep up with the rapidly increasing number of sick people, El Paso city's convention centre was recently converted into a makeshift hospital to provide extra beds. Some facilities are so overrun that patients are being airlifted to other cities in the state.As hospitals grapple with too many patients, El Paso's morgue has been unable to keep up with the county's rising death toll. As a result, officials are turning to refrigerated trailers. Ten of these mobile morgues have been requested in recent weeks.The mobile facilities are set up outside the county's medical examiner's office, which has been handling more than 150 bodies in the last week.Even the county's funeral homes are feeling the strain. One manager, Jorge Ortiz, told KERA News he has had to convert the home's chapel into a makeshift cooler. Mr Ortiz said the peak back in the summer is "nothing compared to what we're living right now".The city continues to face a shortage of staff, and officials have faced criticism for turning to local prisons for help.Inmates have been pictured handling the bodies of Covid victims at the medical examiner's office, helping load them into the mobile morgues.A sheriff's office spokesman said the inmates - who are minor offenders in minimum security prisons - are being compensated $2 (£1.5) an hour.In the last six months, one El Paso woman has lost six of her family members to the virus as the outbreak worsens.Bonnie Soria Najera told Good Morning America that her uncle was the last to pass away on Sunday. She has also had to bury her parents, two aunts and a cousin."They were all being very careful," she said. "They did things that they had to do: grocery stores, went to doctor's appointments."Despite the worries of many El Pasoans, there's no lockdown in sight for the west Texas county.On Friday, a state appeals court overturned a stay-at-home order after local restaurant owners and the state attorney general sued Judge Samaniego for shutting down the city.A panel of judges ruled 2-1 that the order to close nonessential businesses until December went against the Texas governor's 7 October reopening guidance. Some businesses resumed operations almost immediately, local media reported.
One In Five US Hospitals Are On The Verge Of A Staffing Crisis --As COVID-19 cases surge pushing hospitalizations to levels unseen since the start of the pandemic, hospitals around the country are facing a staffing crisis. According to Bloomberg, 1 in 5 American hospitals anticipates a "critical staffing shortage" within a week's time, according to DHHS. Midwestern states like Missouri, Wisconsin and North Dakota have reported the highest share of hospitals worried about staffing shortages as deaths and hospitalizations soar. In a phrase that's reminiscent of coverage from back in the spring, when hospital workers in some of NYC's most unloved neighborhoods were wearing trash bags instead of PPE, Bloomberg warned that a dearth of doctors and nurses could risk pushing the mortality rate even higher. Frontline workers are "vulnerable to the consequences of overwork", Bloomberg reported. In an example of just how bad it can get, readers might remember a rash of doctor suicides in NYC, and in other places as well. What's more, given the staffing issues, hospitals around the country are bracing for a "holiday spike", forcing health care workers to spend yet another holiday away from their families. The biggest problem this time around is that rural areas in the Midwest and elsewhere that were largely spared earlier in the year are now seeing outbreaks in their communities, which have in some cases badly strained the more threadbare facilities available in these areas.Here's an example: Sprawling, sparsely populated Siskiyou County along California’s northern border hit a milestone this week. After months of dodging a major COVID-19 outbreak, seven people were hospitalized with coronavirus infections and the number of available ICU beds in the county briefly dropped to zero, which sent local public health officials into a full-blown panic. Management at the hospital pleaded with the townspeople to wear their masks and wash their hands, advising that more infections would inevitably lead to a surge in deaths. So far, hospitalizations and deaths have climbed more or less in lockstep, trailing new cases.
“The wolf is at the door”: Missouri hospital heads plead for state action to stem the pandemic - Missouri hospital leaders have continued to plead with the governor for action in the weeks since an October 29 conference call in which they raised the dangers of runaway infection rates and hospitals being overwhelmed. Since then, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services have reported 65,503 new COVID-19 infections, including 5,843 new cases on Wednesday. Hospitals in the St. Louis area are reporting in the range of 120 to 140 new COVID-19 patients daily. On November 13, the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) sent a letter to Republican Governor Mike Parson again raising the desperate need for a statewide mask mandate to limit the spread of the deadly pandemic. Parson, who along with his wife was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year, firmly opposed taking the most basic mitigation steps, like mandating masks, closing bars and restaurants and moving schools to remote learning to stop the spread. This murderous policy has resulted in 97 percent of the state being declared a COVID-19 “red zone.” In the letter to the governor, MHA President and CEO Herb Kuhn wrote, “the virus is unbowed. It continues its silent and ceaseless replication wherever it finds opportunity. Unfortunately, it is finding ample targets and spreading quickly. By many metrics, conditions are far worse than they were this spring.” The letter closed with the dire warning: “The wolf is at the door. Missouri’s hospitals urge you to issue a statewide masking mandate. A mask mandate may be unappealing to some, but it has become necessary. We urge your immediate action on this issue.” Dr. Alex Garza of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force also called on the governor to take decisive action, saying: “COVID-19 is spreading much too quickly and sending far too many people to our hospitals and intensive care units. We are now at a tipping point. The actions that we take today will determine what the next weeks and months will look like.”
Illinois Reports 14,612 New Coronavirus Cases as State Sees Deadliest Day Since May – NBC Chicago - Illinois health officials reported 14,612 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases on Thursday and 168 additional deaths, making it the state's deadliest day since mid-May. Thursday's data from the Illinois Department of Public Health also marked the second-highest daily case total on record for the state. The newly reported figures brought the total number of cases in the state to 621,383 since the pandemic began and lifted the death toll to 11,178, IDPH said. A total of 113,447 new tests were performed over the last 24 hours, according to state health officials. In all, 9,472,674 tests have been performed during the pandemic. The state’s rolling seven-day average positivity rate rose back up to 12% after falling Wednesday to 11.9%. The positivity rate was 12.5% on Tuesday and Monday, which was down from 12.8% on Sunday. The rate was 12.6% on Saturday, 13.2% on Friday, 12.6% on Thursday, 12.4% on Nov. 11 and 12% on Nov. 10. It was 11.4% the previous day and 10.6% on Nov. 8. The state saw its hospitalization numbers increase again Thursday, with 6,037 residents currently in hospitals due to coronavirus-like illnesses, an increase of more than 80 patients in the last 24 hours. Of those patients, 1,192 are currently in intensive care units, and 587 are on ventilators. Thursday's update comes one day before all of Illinois enter Tier 3 coronavirus mitigations under the state's plan. Beginning Friday, new guidelines will be in place for retailers, gyms, hotels, restaurants, bars and more, according to state officials. “To stop this spread and preserve some semblance of the holidays, all of us need to do more than just wear our masks now – though masks are mandatory throughout the state. The simple fact is that COVID-19 is spreading so quickly and so widely, and our hospitals are beginning to experience real strain and at the current infection rate they will be overwhelmed. So whenever possible, we need you to stay home,” Pritzker said in a statement.
US passes 2,000 coronavirus deaths in a day for first time since May - The United States on Thursday recorded 2,015 new coronavirus deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, marking the first time the country has hit more than 2,000 deaths since May.Experts have warned that the death toll will keep climbing in the coming months as cold weather drives more people indoors, CNN notes. According to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, more than 2,300 people could end up losing their lives per day due to the virus. The group also predicts that 471,000 Americans could die from the virus by March 1.The U.S. also set a new record on hospitalizations on Thursday. According to COVID Tracking Project, 80,698 people are currently hospitalized. In addition, more than 187,000 new cases were reported across the country, according to CNN. Several states have imposed new mask mandates and coronavirus restrictions in an attempt to limit the spread ahead of the expected surge.On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people avoid traveling and gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday, saying that the holiday should only be spent with people living in a household together. More than 11 million people have contracted the virus in the U.S. since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 252,000 have died.
Sturgis rally blamed for COVID-19 spread in Minnesota - A South Dakota motorcycle rally attended by nearly half a million people earlier this year resulted in at least 86 cases of COVID-19 among residents of Minnesota, including one death, according to a report released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which looked to find the impact of the rally on a neighboring state, found that of the 86 identified cases among Minnesotans, 35 had not gone to the event but were contacts of people who did. About one-third of Minnesota counties had a case associated with Sturgis rally, which took place over a 10-day period in August with no social distancing or mask requirements. The findings show the importance of wearing masks and following social distancing rules and other recommendations from public health officials in stopping the spread of COVID-19, the authors of the report wrote. “These findings highlight the far-reaching effects that gatherings in one area might have on another area,” the authors wrote. “The motorcycle rally was held in a neighboring state that did not have policies regarding event size and mask use, underscoring the implications of policies within and across jurisdictions.” The authors noted that the number of cases among Minnesotans is likely an undercount because some people may not have been tested or did not participate in interviews with public health officials. The report did not look at how many people in South Dakota became sick. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who still does not mandate masks in her state, supported the rally taking place. South Dakota now has one of the largest and deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the country relative to population size.
California daily COVID cases reach record-breaking 13,005 new cases in single day - -California reported more than 13,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, shattering the previous record for the highest number of virus cases reported in a single day in the state.With 13,005 new cases, California now has 1,072,272 coronavirus cases and a seven-day positivity rate of 5.9%. The previous record was reported on July 21 with 12,807 cases.Another 60 people died of the virus, the state reported Friday, marking 18,557 deaths across California since the pandemic began.This comes one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for non-essential activities in counties that are in the purple tier of the state's reopening tier system. Earlier this week, state health officials announced 41 of the 58 California counties were in the purple tier due to rising COVID-19 cases. That includes Fresno, Merced, Madera, Tulare, and Kings counties.Since then, coronavirus cases have continued to climb, right as we prepare to enter the Thanksgiving holiday. State health officials have advised people not to gather with those outside their households to help stop COVID-19 from spreading. On Thursday, the CDC recommended that people not travel for Thanksgivingas cases of the virus also continue to spike across the U.S.
Michigan sets one-day record with 9,779 new coronavirus cases - Michigan’s health department announced 9,779 new coronavirus cases and 53 new COVID-19 deaths during its afternoon update Friday, Nov. 20. The case increase was the largest one-day total reported to date, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Over the past seven days, the state has averaged 7,205 confirmed cases and 64 deaths per day. One week ago, Michigan averaged 6,167 cases and 59 deaths per day. Michigan also reported a one-day high in testing with 84,223 diagnostic tests processed Thursday. Of those, 11,586 tests -- or 13.76% -- came back positive for COVID-19. That rate has been above 10% since Nov. 1. Health experts recommend waiting for the positive test rate to drop below 5% before reopening schools and economies.
Ohio sets new daily coronavirus record, with thousands of cases pending — The state of Ohio has set a new daily virus case record, and thousands of additional cases are pending. The Ohio Health Department reported 8,808 additional cases Friday, the state’s highest 24-hour total since the start of the pandemic. Friday’s daily total eclipses the state’s previous record of 8,071 set last week. Ohio now has seen 335,423 total cases of the virus. Sixty-five additional deaths were reported Friday, bringing the state’s total to 5,955. State health officials said 398 additional hospitalizations were reported across the state: 42 of those cases required admittance to intensive care units. The record comes as thousands of cases are pending. Gov. Mike DeWine says the number is a gross understatement as a large number of antigen tests are starting to slow down reporting because Ohio is “double checking” those positives. As a result, around 12,000 cases have been backlogged since Monday. Earlier Thursday, DeWine for the first time designated one of the state’s most populous areas, Franklin County, home to Columbus, as a purple zone on the state’s color-coded alert system. The designation is the highest on the state’s system and shows the area was flagged for hitting six indicators, including sustained increases in cases and in coronavirus-related hospital admissions. “This is a sign that we are starting to see a sustained and unprecedented impact on our hospital systems and staff in this area,” DeWine said during his briefing. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases in Ohio increased by 107%, according to the COVID Tracking Project. In the past week, one in every 227 people in the state tested positive. An average of about 7,350 cases have been confirmed per day in the state over the past seven days.
Cuyahoga County suburbs hit another record high, with 750 new coronavirus cases reported on Friday - — Coronavirus cases among suburban Cuyahoga County residents reached another record high on Friday, when the Board of Health recorded 750 new daily cases, according to county Health Commissioner Terry Allan. Allan spoke in dire tones during Friday’s briefing, which came two days after the the county and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson issued a stay-at-home advisory. “I beg you, implore you, everyone, to follow the personal protective measures we all know well,” to reduce the spread, Allan said. Allan and County Executive Armond Budish also reiterated the recommendation they made last week, that residents celebrate Thanksgiving only with household members. The rapid spread of the virus means that Board of Health and state contract tracers are not able to as quickly contact everyone who may have been exposed to an infected person. That means anyone who tests positive should take contact-tracing into their own hands: *Immediately notify anyone with whom the infected person spent 15 minutes or more, within six feet of distance. (Even if both people were masked.) *Such close contacts should quarantine for 14 days, and notify their health-care provider if they develop symptoms. As of Friday, 81% of intensive-care unit beds at hospitals in Cuyahoga County were occupied, 74% of regular hospital beds were occupied, and 37% of ventilators were in use, according to board data. Such numbers do not reflect the staffing required to treat patients in local hospitals.
Indiana Reports Nearly 7,000 New Coronavirus Cases, 40 Additional Deaths Saturday – Health officials in Indiana say that nearly 7,000 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the last 24 hours, along with 40 deaths as cases continue to rise in the state. According to data from the Indiana State Department of Health, a total of 6,983 new cases of the virus have been confirmed in the last day, bringing the state’s total number of coronavirus cases to 289,183 since the pandemic began.Saturday’s 40 additional deaths brings the statewide total to 4,992 fatalities related to the virus, with another 254 deaths listed as “probable” COVID-19 fatalities. A total of 61,234 new tests were administered in the state over the last 24 hours, with 22,907 Indiana residents tested in all. According to the latest data available from ISDH, a total of 2,053,143 individuals have been tested, with 3,846,380 tests administered during the pandemic. The positivity rate on all tests conducted in the state over the last seven days currently sits at 12.2%, while the positivity rate for unique individuals is at 23.5%. Hospitalizations continued their staggering rise on Saturday, with 3,168 patients currently receiving care for coronavirus-like illnesses. Of those patients, 2,610 have officially been diagnosed with coronavirus, a record high for the state. As of Saturday, 43% of the intensive care unit beds statewide are currently in use by coronavirus patients, with 10.4% of the state’s ventilators currently in use by COVID-19 patients. While many areas of the state are seeing massive surges in cases, numerous northern Indiana counties are experiencing large influxes of COVID-19 diagnoses. In Lake County, 770 new cases are popping up per 100,000 residents every seven days, with a seven-day positivity rate of 15.81%. In nearby Porter County, 869 new cases per 100,000 residents are being reported, along with a 16.35% positivity rate.
November 21 COVID-19 Test Results; Record Hospitalizations - Note: Week-over-week case growth is slowing, so maybe cases per day will peak soon (A virtual Thanksgiving is recommended by the CDC). Stay Safe!!!The US is now averaging over 1 million tests per day. Based on the experience of other countries, for adequate test-and-trace (and isolation) to reduce infections, the percent positive needs to be well under 5% (probably close to 1%), so the US still needs to increase the number of tests per day significantly (or take actions to push down the number of new infections).There were 1,604,859 test results reported over the last 24 hours.There were 178,309 positive tests.Almost 25,000 US deaths have been reported so far in November. See the graph on US Daily Deaths here. This data is from the COVID Tracking Project.The percent positive over the last 24 hours was 11.1% (red line is 7 day average). The percent positive is calculated by dividing positive results by the sum of negative and positive results (I don't include pending).And check out COVID Exit Strategy to see how each state is doing.The second graph shows the 7 day average of positive tests reported and daily hospitalizations. The dashed line is the previous hospitalization maximum.Note that there were very few tests available in March and April, and many cases were missed, so the hospitalizations was higher relative to the 7-day average of positive tests in July.
• 7-day average cases are at a new record.
• 7-day average deaths at highest level since May.
• Record Hospitalizations.
"We Need A Full Investigation": WaPo Questions COVID Origins 10 Months After ZeroHedge Twitter Ban For Doing Same - About 10 months after Zero Hedge was suspended from Twitter and ridiculed by those peddling the "official" narrative about Covid-19 for an article we published asking critical questions about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the "mainstream" media finally appears to be asking those very same questions. In the latest example of one of our "conspiracy theories" potentially turning into "conspiracy fact", the Washington Post published an op-ed by its Editorial Board on Saturday called "The coronavirus’s origins are still a mystery. We need a full investigation." Just about 300 days late, guys. Good thing time isn't of the essence, we guess. "After so much death and illness, a mystery from the first days of the novel coronavirus has yet to be solved. We still don’t understand its origins or how it became a global killer. The answers lie in China, and quite possibly beyond. The world needs a credible, impartial investigation to better prepare for future pandemics," the op-ed opens by saying. The op-ed also notes that "no samples were taken that might prove a virus connection" from the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market after the outbreak began. "The data are insufficient to settle whether the market was the contamination source, or whether it served to amplify the virus for human-to-human transmission, or both, or neither." "The identity of the animal intermediary — if there is one — remains a puzzle," the op-ed says. Wait - if there is one? We thought the signed, sealed and delivered "official" explanation was pangolins already. What happened? Then, to WaPo's credit, they talk about China silencing the doctors who were alarmed by the virus at first - something we wrote about and talked about extensively, as it was happening: Last December, when the outbreak began in Wuhan, China silenced eight doctors who were alarmed by the mysterious illness that was spreading fast. Then, during critical weeks in January, provincial and central governments kept the lid on public information as the virus spread. These early coverups were telltale symptoms of China’s authoritarian party-state in action. The secrecy has left legitimate questions about whether China will ever be open about the virus origin. And then there's the coup de grace; WaPo "goes full Zero Hedge" and asks the very same question we asked almost an entire year ago: was the Wuhan Institute of Virology involved? Beyond the blame game, there are troubling questions in China that must be examined, including whether the coronavirus was inadvertently spread in an accident or spill from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which had previously carried out research on bat coronaviruses.
France appears to have 'passed the peak' of second surge, health minister says - France has passed the worst of its second wave of coronavirus infections, its top health minister declared Sunday. In an interview published in France 24, Minister of Health Olivier Véran said that the number of new infections had decreased in the country for 10 consecutive days, and added that test positivity rates were dropping as well. “Thanks to the lockdown, just like back in March, the virus has started to circulate less,” said Véran. “For 10 consecutive days now, the number of new COVID-19 cases, positive test rates and incident rates are decreasing. Everything leads us to believe that we have passed the peak of the epidemic.” Despite the success, he added that it is “too early to claim victory and relax our efforts," and said that France's anti-coronavirus measures will continue.His remarks come as France's rate of new COVID-19 cases has dropped significantly in recent days. The county reported just over 27,000 new cases on Sunday, down from a high of more than 86,000 in one day earlier in November. Numerous countries including the U.S. have seen another surge of cases with the fall weather and have moved to implement tougher restrictions as a result. Michigan moved over the weekend to suspend in-person learning for schools and indoor dining at restaurants, while Washington state is shutting down indoor dining as well as gyms, museums and theaters. The U.S. continues to have the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections of any country, and on Sunday passed 11 million total cases after health officials registered more than 1 million new cases over the past week.
Record daily coronavirus death tolls in Italy and Spain since September - The coronavirus is continuing to spiral out of control in Italy, which is now experiencing the largest number of deaths of any country in Europe. On Tuesday, another 731 people died, and on Wednesday, 753 people, the highest tolls since the peak of the first wave from March 21–31. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country, according to the official underestimated figures, is now 47,217, second only to the UK in Europe. More than 1.2 million cases have been detected. The number of daily new cases hit a record of 40,896 last Friday and has continued to average more than 30,000 in the days since. On Tuesday, Spain also recorded its largest daily death toll since September, with 435 people killed. Spain surpassed one million cases on October 21, and in the space of just 20 days, the case total increased by 50 percent, to more than 1.5 million. According to the official death count, there have now been 41,668 deaths in Spain. But this is a significant underestimate of the real toll. A report published Tuesday by El Diario detailed the increase in the national mortality rate associated with the two waves of the pandemic. Since 1975, there had never been more than 12,000 deaths in the country recorded in a single week. For three consecutive weeks from March 23 to April 12, the weekly death rate exceeded 18,000. From March to April alone, there were 43,000 more deaths than the historical average. Since September, the total number of excess deaths has exceeded 15,000, giving a total estimated COVID-19 death toll of more than 58,000. In Italy, the healthcare system is already on the verge of collapse. Across the country, 42 percent of ICU patients are being treated for coronavirus, significantly above the emergency threshold of 30 percent indicated by the government as the point at which hospitals would be overwhelmed. Ambulances are queueing up due to a lack of available beds. A video widely shared on social media posted by a health worker at the San Giovanni Rotondo hospital in the province of Foggia, in southern Italy, shows more than six ambulances queued waiting to be able to deliver their patients. “This is total chaos,” the health worker says into the video. While in March and April the pandemic had been largely confined to the northern regions around Lombardy, the virus is now overwhelming hospitals in the poorer south. On November 11, a video taken inside the bathroom at Cardarelli Hospital in Naples went viral. A man is seen lying under the bathroom sink of the hospital ward, as the phone operator states, “This man is dead.” Pointing at another motionless patient lying on a bed, they add, “This one we don’t know whether he is alive or dead.”
Tokyo to raise alert as Japan sets daily record with 2,000-plus COVID-19 cases - Japan Times -Japan set a daily record with more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases — including a new high of 493 in the capital — on Wednesday, following reports Tokyo was expected to raise its virus alert to the highest level Thursday amid an ongoing surge of infections.Prior to Wednesday, record nationwide tallies had been reported for three consecutive days through Saturday, with the figure hitting 1,737 on that day. While the final figure for Wednesday was yet to be confirmed, local media tallies showed the figure had risen above the 2,000 threshold.But much of the focus has been on the capital and the surge in cases there. While raising the virus alert level, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government may also call on businesses to close early, according to local media reports.Much like the “Tokyo Alert” activated by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike in June, the capital’s four-point alert system is largely symbolic. The alert level, which is changed based on input from experts, is meant to warn residents to exercise further caution but can also signal the announcement of additional virus countermeasures.Koike is expected to make the announcement during a meeting on Thursday.The fourth level indicates that “infections are spreading” — a step up from the third level, which means Tokyo believes “infections appear to be spreading.” Tokyo lowered its alert status to the second-highest level on Sept. 10, but new cases in the capital over the past several weeks have apparently forced officials to raise it once again.Koike has so far made no mention to the media or public that the city will be put into lockdown — in this case a “soft lockdown,” as Japan’s virus laws don’t permit compulsory or punitive measures — or that residents will be asked to avoid nonessential travel within or outside city limits. The last and only time Koike issued voluntary business closure requests was in April, when the central government declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures, including Tokyo, extending it 10 days later to the rest of the country. The state of emergency was lifted in late May.
Far Deadlier Strain Of Coronavirus Discovered In South Australia - As researchers struggle to understand what makes infection with COVID-19 so mild in some cases, and so deadly in others, we have kept a close eye out for any new links between symptoms different strains of the virus. And on Wednesday we noticed new comments from South Australia's top health official who warned that a particularly deadly strain of SARS-CoV-2 is circulating in the state.Chief Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier explained that the reason for the recently imposed six-day lockdown is the fact that "this particular strain has had certain characteristics" she said. The State of South Australia, which became home to this dramatic scene yesterday, is also bracing for the risk that this new strain could spread more quickly, in addition to being more deadly. Professor Spurrier said a typical generation, or stage, of the virus was only about three days."We also know, because of that characteristic, that what we call a generation, is only about three days and a generation is when one case is passing it on to the next level, and then that (next) level, so if they pass it on to two people, they will pass it on to another lot of people, and that is your third generation," she said.Already, the virus has progressed to the fifth generation, she said."At the moment in SA we have done contact tracing to the fourth generation but the fifth generation is out there in our community and at the moment we are contact tracing to get on to that generation and that is the Woodville pizza bar."Authorities have traced the local outbreak to a pizza shop in Parafield. The cluster began with a worker at Peppers Warmouth, which is being used as a quarantine hotel, was infected with the virus.By tracing the spread of certain strains of the virus, researchers in the US have hypothesized that the virus was spread to New York from Europe, before moving to the rest of the country east of the Mississippi, while other strains colonized China and the west. Though SA's infection rate remains muted, officials have reported two new cases today, taking the total to 22, while another 12 people are still under investigation. But as residents rush to get tested, we can't help but wonder if public health officials might be playing up the strain angle to coax people into obeying the state's six day lockdown.
Developing Nations Push for Covid-19 Vaccines Without the Patents – WSJ —A group of developing countries, led by South Africa and India, say they will press at the World Trade Organization this week to free Covid-19 vaccines from patent protections so they can be more accessible and affordable for poor countries. The pandemic requires a temporary suspension of the world’s usual intellectual property system, the countries say they will argue at a WTO council meeting this Friday. If poorer countries aren’t given special access to the vaccines, which are expected to hit the market by the start of next year, the group of developing nations say they will argue, they will continue to be devastated by the coronavirus even as it is stopped in the West.The proposed waiver pits the developing nations against the U.S., the European Union, Japan and other wealthier countries, as well as Western pharmaceutical companies, which say respecting intellectual property rights is key to promoting the rapid development of the vaccines. Developed nations have already struck deals with Western pharmaceutical companies to buy up enough vaccines to tie up most of the world’s production capacity until the end of 2021. If the developed nations don’t relent, South Africa is prepared to try to force the issue through a rare contested vote at the trade organization, said Mustaqeem De Gama, counselor at the South African mission to the WTO. Decisions made at the trade organization are usually done on consensus. “I don’t understand how governments of the world are able to outsource their responsibility for public health to a few companies that are able to hold them all ransom,” Mr. De Gama said. The countries asking for a waiver from WTO members say there is unused manufacturing capacity in developing nations that could be harnessed to copy vaccines. Existing exemptions in trade law aren’t adequate to quickly allow countries to copy the vaccines or distribute them to other poor countries that have no manufacturing capacity, they say. The most developed countries, which have fought for decades for better patent protection for pharmaceuticals, say the potential profits are an important driver of research and development, and ignoring patents could damage the engine of innovation that has helped develop vaccines so quickly. The European Union says intellectual property “is part of the solution rather than an obstacle,” while the U.K. also says it isn’t clear that patents are a barrier to supply, calling the proposal “an extreme measure to address an unproven problem.” “Confiscating the intellectual property of innovators will only undermine our efforts to combat Covid-19,” said Brian Newell, a spokesman for BIO, a biotechnology industry association, which includes members developing Covid-19 vaccines.
Mexico becomes just fourth country to surpass 100,000 coronavirus deaths - Mexico this week surpassed 100,000 fatalities from COVID-19, becoming only the fourth country in the world to reach the grim milestone.José Luis Alomía Zegarra, Mexico’s director of epidemiology, announced on Thursday that the country had 100,104 confirmed deaths from COVID-19, The Associated Press reported, following only the United States, Brazil and India worldwide.Mexico last week confirmed 1 million cases of COVID-19 in the country. However, officials have warned that the number could be higher due to low levels of testing, according to the AP.Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell criticized reporters when asked about Mexico reaching 100,000 fatalities, the outlet reported.“The epidemic is terrible in itself, you don’t have to add drama to it,” López-Gatell said, accusing the media of “being alarmist.”“Putting statistics on the front page doesn’t, in my view, help much,” he said.Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been criticized by some for downplaying the spread of the virus and his handling of the pandemic, according to multiple reports.Mexico has performed approximately 2.5 million COVID-19 tests, the AP reported. The country’s capital, Mexico City, has been hit hardest amid the ongoing pandemic, documenting more than 183,200 COVID-19 cases.Nuevo León, Sonora and other areas in the country have also documented tens of thousands of cases.
Childhood lead exposure leads to structural changes in middle-aged brains More than three decades after they were found to have elevated blood lead levels as children, a group of middle-aged adults were found to have some small but significant changes in brain structure that corresponded to their dose of lead exposure in early life.MRI scans at age 45 revealed some small but significant changes in the brains of the people who had higher lead exposures measured at age 11. For each 5 micrograms per deciliter more lead they carried as children, the study participants lost an average of 2 IQ points by age 45. They also had slightly more than 1 square centimeter less cortical surface area and 0.1 cubic centimeter less volume in the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory, learning and emotions. Participants with the highest childhood lead exposures also demonstrated structural deficits in the integrity of their brains' white matter, which is responsible for communication between brain regions.The research participants themselves reported no loss of cognitive abilities, but people close to them said otherwise, noting that they tended to display small everyday problems with memory and attention, such as getting distracted or misplacing items."We find that there are deficits and differences in the overall structure of the brain that are apparent decades after exposure," said Duke University doctoral candidate Aaron Reuben, who is a co-first author on the study, which appears Nov. 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "And that's important because it helps us understand that people don't seem to recover fully from childhood lead exposure and may, in fact, experience greater problems over time."
Air pollution costs Utahns billions annually and shortens life expectancy by two years - Air pollution has been a problem in Utah since before the territory was officially recognized as a state. The mountain valleys of this high elevation region are particularly vulnerable to the buildup of air pollution from vehicles, household heating and power production. Together with high per-capita energy use, this has resulted in periods of poor air quality. However, with so many types of pollution and regional conditions, determining the overall effects of air pollution on Utah's health and economy has been a major challenge. A new study from 23 Utah-based researchers, including five from the University of Utah, sought to do just that.The study estimated that air pollution shortens the life of the average Utahn by around 2 years. And pollution costs Utah's economy around $1.9 billion annually. But many state-level actions, such as increasing vehicle and building efficiency, could reduce air pollution by double-digit percentages while benefitting the economy, the researchers found. Combining expertise from public health, atmospheric science and economics, the researchers assessed what types of disease and economic harm could stem from Utah's air pollution. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Atmosphere in a special issue on air quality in Utah. They estimated that air pollution in Utah causes between 2,500 and 8,000 premature deaths each year, decreasing the median life expectancy of Utahns by 1.1 to 3.6 years. This loss of life expectancy is distributed across most of the population, they found, rather than only affecting "sensitive groups." For example, 75% of Utahns may lose 1 year of life or more because of air pollution and 23% may lose 5 years or more.This substantial health burden is caused by many illnesses and conditions that most people might not associate with air pollution. For example, exposure to particulates and other pollutants increases occurrence of heart and lung diseases, including congestive heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia, COPD and asthma. These conditions account for 62% of the pollution impact on health, according to this study. The remaining 38% of health effects are associated with stroke, cancer, reproductive harm to mothers and children, mental illness, behavioral dysfunction, immune disease, autism and other conditions--all exacerbated by exposure to dirty air.
Young asymptomatic 'super spreaders' keep malaria viable by infecting local mosquitoes -- Malaria researchers, working in an area of Uganda where infections have been dropping dramatically, discovered a small number of infected but asymptomatic school-age children can serve as stealth "super spreaders" responsible for the vast majority of malaria parasites still circulating in local mosquitoes. The new findings, reported today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), reveal a hidden reservoir that's a barrier to long-term efforts to eliminate malaria and an immediate threat for disease resurgence if control measures like bednets and indoor spraying falter. "We now have the first direct evidence that even in places under very intensive malaria control, a small number of asymptomatic super spreaders can quietly sustain transmission--and finding and treating them could prove very challenging," said lead author Chiara Andolina, MSc, a PhD student and malaria expert at Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands. "The existence of asymptomatic malaria infections is well known," she said, "but it was surprising to see just how much they can contribute to infecting mosquitoes." Malaria parasites are dependent on a life cycle in which they constantly move back and forth between humans and mosquitoes. Successfully interrupting transmission of the disease includes clearing parasites from human hosts, which can be accomplished with anti-malaria drugs. Andolina and her colleagues were investigating how malaria could remain viable in mosquito populations in an area of eastern Uganda that has been targeted with intensive malaria control efforts, including regular distribution of insecticide-treated bednets, indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides and access to potent malaria drugs. As a result, infections, or at least those that cause symptoms, have fallen precipitously. Andolina said a significant challenge is that identifying potential super spreaders and treating them to clear their parasites is costly and time consuming. She and her colleagues in Uganda tested some individuals up to 19 times for their ability to transmit their infections. Densities of infections showed marked fluctuations--sometimes even the most sensitive diagnostic tests would pick up nothing while the next test would show evidence of parasites that were subsequently transmitted to mosquitoes.
When temperatures rise, dog ticks more likely to choose humans over canines - A variety of ticks that carry the bacteria causing the deadly disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) are more than twice as likely to shift their feeding preference from dogs to humans when temperatures rise, a sign that climate change could expand and intensify human disease risks, according to a new study presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). "Our work indicates that when the weather gets hot, we should be much more vigilant for infections of RMSF in humans," said Laura Backus, MPH, DVM, who led the study at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (UC-Davis). "We found that when temperatures rose from about 74 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, brown dog ticks that carry the disease were 2.5 times more likely to prefer humans over dogs." Cases of RMSF and related diseases, collectively known as spotted fever rickettsiosis, haverisen dramatically over the last 20 years. The disease is treatable with antibiotics if detected in the first week of infection, but once an infection takes hold, the fatality rate for RMSF victims can exceed 20%. Complications can include damaged blood vessels; inflammation of the heart, lungs or brain; and kidney failure. Over the last 10 years, public health authorities have been particularly alarmed by a rash of deadly RMSF outbreaks among indigenous communities in Arizona and northern Mexico. Backus said there have been indications from earlier work that brown dog ticks, which are found throughout the continental United States, may be more aggressive toward humans in hot weather. And scientists warn that climate change is greatly expanding areas of the country experiencing multiple days when temperatures top 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 38 degrees Celsius. Backus and her colleagues at UC-Davis wanted to gain more definitive insights into how rising temperatures might elevate the risk of RMSF infections.
Pesticides commonly used as flea treatments for pets are contaminating English rivers - Researchers at the University of Sussex have found widespread contamination of English rivers with two neurotoxic pesticides commonly used in veterinary flea products: fipronil and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. The concentrations found often far exceeded accepted safe limits. These chemicals are banned for agricultural use due to the adverse environmental effects, but there is minimal environmental risk assessment for pesticides used on domestic cats and dogs. This is due to the assumption that there are likely to be fewer environmental impacts due to the amount of product used. To investigate this, Professor Dave Goulson and Rosemary Perkins from the University of Sussex analysed data gathered by the Environment Agency in English waterways between 2016-18. They found that fipronil was detected in 98% of freshwater samples, and imidacloprid in 66%. "The use of pet parasite products has increased over the years, with millions of dogs and cats now being routinely treated multiple times per year". "Fipronil is one of the most commonly used flea products, and recent studies have shown that it degrades to compounds that are more persistent in the environment, and more toxic to most insects, than fipronil itself. Our results, showing that fipronil and its toxic breakdown products are present in nearly all of the freshwater samples tested, are extremely concerning."
Exposure to Common Herbicide Potentially Harms Endangered Species - An herbicide commonly used in corn and sorghum fields to kill grasses and weeds is being reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency as being harmful to endangered species, according to a biological evaluation draft currently open for public comment. The exact number of species the herbicide atrazine affects is unknown. However, many environmental groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, say more than 1,000 species could be at risk. For example, frog and fish species that are exposed to atrazine show damaged reproductive systems, even at very low concentrations. "Finally the EPA has been forced to acknowledge atrazine's far-reaching harms," Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement. "This alarming assessment leaves no doubt that this hideously dangerous pesticide should be banned in the U.S., just as it is across much of the world." The new report, released Nov. 5, details how the herbicide's reach is measured. The EPA "considers overlap of the species range (or critical habitat) with areas directly treated with atrazine and those receiving spray drift," the executive summary explained. "To address uncertainties associated with how treated acres may be distributed within a state (relative to a species range or critical habitat), and the magnitude of usage on any given year, approaches are employed to represent a central estimate of overlap." In addition to its use on crop fields, atrazine is also frequently used on household lawns. In September, the agency reapproved continued use of the weed killer for two years, with prohibitions in Hawaii, five U.S. territories and Christmas tree farms. Atrazine is banned throughout the European Union. After glyphosate, an herbicide that has been used for more than 45 years, atrazine is the most common weed killer in the U.S. Swiss-based Syngenta is the largest worldwide manufacturer of atrazine. It was noted earlier this year in Vermont that while overall herbicide use is decreasing, farmers increased using atrazine due to its lower price. In 2018 the EPA concluded that atrazine and two other herbicides "share a common neuroendocrine mechanism of toxicity which results in both reproductive and developmental alterations," in humans. It is often designated a pollutant in ground and drinking water.
Biden Must Take a Leadership Role Against Wildlife Crime --Joseph Biden was elected to office as the world continues to struggle with a global pandemic that has killed more than a million people and wreaked devastating economic havoc. The pandemic has highlighted how humankind's abuse of our planet and the irreversible loss of the biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which we all rely for our very existence simply can't go on.I work for TRAFFIC, a nongovernmental organization addressing issues related to wildlife trade, and the COVID pandemic has thrust this topic into the limelight. While we fully acknowledge and appreciate support received under previous administrations, it's clear that the world has underestimated the importance and potential impacts of failing to manage wildlife trade in a way that's legal, sustainable and, critically, includes measures to mitigate against the risk of zoonotic-disease spillover events.How do we move forward? First, I would argue that allocating resources to understanding the risks associated with trade in animals — from any source — and how to lessen the danger of disease spillover events is a wise investment. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID gave the go-ahead to activities under a second phase of a Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project implemented by TRAFFIC, with a renewed zoonotic disease risk focus. TRAFFIC will endeavor to ensure it's money well spent.Meanwhile welcome global attention has been paid to addressing the wildlife crime that undermines society and threatens the future of many of the world's wild plants and animals. But we're still not there in curbing these crimes. More resources will help get us over the line.These include better equipment, training and working conditions for the rangers on the front lines; enhanced use of wildlife forensics; training of detector dogs; and even access to skilled translators to assist enforcement agencies with interpreting transactions involving foreign nationals. We also need to see renewed efforts by governments, helped by nongovernmental organizations and others, to reduce the consumer demand that fuels such trade.
Dairy cows exposed to heavy metals worsen antibiotic-resistant pathogen crisis - Dairy cows, exposed for a few years to drinking water contaminated with heavy metals, carry more pathogens loaded with antimicrobial-resistance genes able to tolerate and survive various antibiotics. That's the finding of a team of researchers that conducted a study of two dairy herds in Brazil four years after a dam holding mining waste ruptured, and it spotlights a threat to human health, the researchers contend. The study is the first to show that long-term persistence of heavy metals in the environment may trigger genetic changes and interfere with the microorganism communities that colonize dairy cows, according to researcher Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes, Penn State. "Our findings are important because if bacterial antimicrobial resistance is transferred via the food chain by milk or meat consumption, it would have substantial implications for human health," she said. "What we saw is, when heavy metal contamination is in the environment, there is potential for an increase of so-called 'superbugs.'" Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
Oceanfront Property Tied to Obama Granted Exemption From Hawaii’s Environmental Laws --Officials in Honolulu have granted the developers of a luxury, oceanfront estate tied to Barack Obama a major exemption from environmental laws designed to protect Hawaii’s beaches.The shoreline permit, issued by Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting on Monday, clears the way for the controversial multimillion dollar renovation of a century-old seawall in the heavily Native Hawaiian community of Waimanalo.Under state and county laws, such projects are typically banned. Scientists and environmental experts say seawalls are the primary cause of beach loss throughout the state, and officials expect older ones to fall into obsolescence.But the property owners, including Marty Nesbitt, chair of the Obama Foundation, argued they needed an exemption to protect the sprawling compound they are building in eastern Oahu. State officials and community members say the former president, who was born and raised in Hawaii, is expected to be among the property’s future occupants. Representatives for Nesbitt and Obama did not return requests seeking comment for this story.As the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica reported this summer, the so-called shoreline setback variance is just one of several loopholes that developers have exploited across the islands over the past two decades to get around policies that are supposed to protect the state’s treasured beaches and sensitive coastlines. The consequences are stark. Oahu has already lost about a quarter of its beaches to seawalls, which essentially cause beaches to drown. Future projections are more dire, with scientists warning that most of Hawaii’s beaches could be lost if hundreds of homes, condos, hotels and roads that line the coasts aren’t moved inland.Beach advocates and some community leaders in Waimanalo had urged government officials to require Nesbitt to take down the crumbling wall, or at least move it farther inland to restore a portion of the public shoreline. The beach there is virtually gone. The turquoise ocean now slams up against the seawall most of the time, leaving no room for the public to fish or sit along the coast.
Citing Her Ties to Agribusiness and Fossil Fuels, 160+ Groups Tell Biden That Heitkamp Is 'Wrong Choice' for USDA --As part of progressives' broader battle to push President-elect Joe Biden to claim his "FDR moment" by choosing a Cabinet well-equipped to tackle the nexus of crises the country currently faces, more than 160 organizations came together Tuesday to oppose former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The coalition of environmental, social justice, sustainable agriculture, labor, animal welfare, public health, family farmer, consumer advocacy, and anti-hunger groups sent a letter (pdf) to Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and their transition team detailing Heitkamp's political record as well as her ties to agribusiness and fossil fuels.Although she is considered the frontrunner to become Biden's agriculture secretary, "progressives have knives out for Heitkamp," Politico reported Monday. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) has expressed interest in the job and progressives have also pointed toRep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) or Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as possible picks."Heitkamp is the wrong choice for the USDA because she has aligned herself with corporate agribusiness at the expense of family farmers, supports fossil fuel interests, and holds views that are out of step with the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans," says the letter, spearheaded by Friends of the Earth (FOE). "There will be a big fight on Heitkamp if Biden puts her name forward," Kari Hamerschlag, FOE's deputy director of food and agriculture, told Politico. In a statement Tuesday, Hamerschlag added that "if President-elect Biden is serious about meeting his climate goals, he cannot name Heitkamp as USDA secretary."
Gianforte names team to recommend leaders of DNRC, DEQ - Montana Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte on Friday released the names of people who will advise him on appointments to lead two state agencies, the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The list included people who are a part of or represent the coal, oil and gas, mining, ranching and lumber industries, as well as engineers and a former DNRC director, in addition to a big game conservation organization. It does not include a member from an organization that as its main purpose advocates for a clean environment, though it does include one person who served as a member of the public on the state Environmental Quality Council. In a press release, Gianforte said he wants new heads of the agencies that will approach projects faster while still protecting the environment. “We can responsibly develop our abundant resources and simultaneously protect our environment, but for too long, state government has stood in the way with DNRC and DEQ serving as project prevention departments. With the right leadership at these agencies, we can eliminate needless delays, streamline permitting processes, protect our environment, and create more good-paying Montana jobs,” said Gianforte, a Republican.
1,000 Giant Sequoias Likely Killed in Castle Fire, Many Had Lived for Over 500 Years - The Castle Fire killed likely more than a thousand giant sequoias — including many that had stood for well over 500 years and some for 1,000 — on the western slopes of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, the Los Angeles Times reported. "This fire could have put a noticeable dent in the world's supply of big sequoias," Nate Stephenson, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told the Times. Sequoias are designed to survive and thrive with fire — their cones cannot release their seeds without it. But, tinder-like fuel, dried by climate change, and centuries of fire suppression by European settlers combined to set the stage for monstrous conflagrations so intense they burned the gargantuan, fire resilient "monarchs" into what Christy Brigham, science chief at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, described as "blackened toothpicks." Prior to this year, the worst known fire season for sequoias was in 1297, the year in which William Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, during the Medieval Warm Period. The September 2020 Castle Fire, Stephenson said, however, was probably worse.
Latest Trump Rollback Allows Increased Logging in National Forests - 
The Trump administration has finalized yet another environmental rollback that would allow more logging in national forests without environmental review.The new rule, finalized Wednesday, would allow the U.S. Forest Service to log or manage 2,800 acres of national forest in the Western U.S. without first conducting an environmental review, The Washington Post explained. However, the rule is written in such a way that nearly 200 million acres of forest could be impacted."This is yet another blatant attempt to undermine bedrock environmental law and public input, while giving companies free rein over our treasured natural resources," Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Director of Federal Affairs Kabir Green said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. "Add this rule to the long list of ill-conceived actions the Biden administration is going to have to toss and redo the right way." The new rule works by expanding the Forest Service's ability to use "categorical exclusions," The Washington Post reported. These exclusions allow the Forest Service to bypass requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that require it to study the environmental impact of any planned development and share the scientific analysis with the public.The Trump administration argued that the change would make it easier to perform necessary maintenance." However, conservation groups worried that the new categorical exclusions would be used to approve activities beyond trailmaking and brush clearing. Wilderness Society senior attorney Alison Flint told The Washington Post that the exclusions would act as "permission slips" for loggers and road-builders. Green from the NRDC agreed. "Rather than addressing the climate and biodiversity crises we face, the Trump administration continues to make our problems worse," Green said. "Today it's ramming through sweeping changes that will open national forests to large-scale logging, roadbuilding — and even oil drilling and mining. Each of these will exacerbate our climate crisis." The Trump administration has now initiated or completed 104 environmental rollbacks, according to a running tally from The New York Times. It is unclear whether Democrats in Congress will be able to reverse the new Forest Service rule, along with other rules passed in the last days of the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to accept or reject late-term rules, but control of the Senate hinges on two run-off elections in Georgia in January.
Biden eyes new leadership at troubled public lands agency --The Biden transition team is in the early stages of developing a shortlist of potential nominees to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a public lands agency critics say has slipped into disarray during the Trump administration. The BLM could be a particularly useful agency for an administration intent on shifting climate policy and reducing emissions, but it has largely been hollowed out in the past four years. The bureau has lost nearly 70 percent of its Washington-based staff during the Trump administration, and many environmentalists decry what they see as an effort by Trump officials to forge ties with oil and gas companies that drill on public lands at the expense of conservation. “They pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall, and someone needs to put Humpty Dumpty back together again,” said Ken Rait, who directs the public lands project at the Pew Charitable Trusts. There’s a growing consensus among the agency’s proponents that the next director needs to be someone who is intimately familiar with the organization in order to stabilize BLM and boost the morale of its remaining employees. Under its current leadership, BLM underwent a controversial relocation of its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colo., while scattering the rest of the Washington-based staff to various federal offices around the West. Many opponents saw the move, and the resulting brain drain, as a way to dismantle the agency, leaving just 61 of the agency’s 10,000 employees in Washington, compared with about 350 employees in previous administrations. “The only way to be successful, particularly with the heavy lift that is required to deal with all disruption caused by Trump administration, is really to find someone from within who doesn't have to prove their credibility to the rank and file from the outset, but then, with their confidence, can begin representing them with leadership in the department and on Capitol Hill and with other agencies,” a former high-ranking Interior official told The Hill. Public lands advocates have floated a number of possible contenders for BLM director in the Biden administration: Steve Ellis, who held the highest-ranking career position at BLM during the Obama administration; Nada Culver, a lawyer with the Audubon Society; and Neil Kornze, who led the agency under former President Obama.
Environmental Justice Reporters Face Deadly Threats, Intimidation - Shubham Mani Tripathi, newspaper reporter, India: shot dead in June 2020 for exposing illegal sand mining. Maria Efigenia Vasquez Astudillo, radio reporter, Colombia: struck and killed by a projectile in October 2017 while covering clashes between the Indigenous community and local police. Joseph Oduha, journalist, South Sudan: fled the country in 2019 after imprisonment and torture for uncovering environmental destruction by international oil companies.These are just three of the individuals highlighted by Reporters without Borders (RSF). According to the press freedom group, at least 20 journalists have died over the past decade as a result of their reporting on cases of environmental destruction.Environmental journalists in Europe also face intimidation and harassment, said RSF spokesperson Christoph Dreyer, pointing to cases connected to the destruction of the Hambach Forest in northwestern Germany or unsustainable agriculture practices in Brittany, France. But most of these attacks, more than 65%, are recorded in Asia and the Americas."These cases exist in places where raw materials are being mined or where land is being seized for agriculture, in countries where the government is on the side of industry," said Dreyer.It's in these areas, where Indigenous communities often live amid untapped natural resources and unspoiled forest, where local journalists are usually the first to report on the conflicts. Often, they're the only ones on the scene."In some Latin American countries, the dominant traditional media are heavily controlled by the economic and political elites," said Dreyer. "They often hold back from critical reporting on environmental issues, because it clashes with their interests." As a result, when local media decide to take a closer look they're put under extreme pressure, he added.The work of local journalists is extremely important for Indigenous communities, said Kathrin Wessendorf, head of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). "Each Indigenous community has its own language, and only community reporters can report in that language," she told DW. "They also know how best to approach the community to spread the message." Patricia Gualinga, who fights for Indigenous rights in Ecuador, told DW that large national media networks are often slow to report on environmental and human rights issues. "It's really very difficult to get coverage on TV. And if an issue isn't reported by the media, it doesn't exist," she said.
Study: Glass Bottles Harm the Environment More Than Plastic Bottles --Glass bottles could have an even bigger impact on the environment than plastic ones, a new study has found.Researchers at the University of Southampton in England set out to determine which common beverage containers cause the most and least harm to the environment. They found that glass is actually more detrimental than plastic because it is mined from rare materials and requires more fossil fuels to produce and ship."It might come as a surprise, but glass bottles actually ranked last in our analysis," study coauthors Alice Brock and Ian Williams wrote in The Conversation. "You might instinctively reach for a glass bottle to avoid buying a plastic alternative, but glass takes more resources and energy to produce."In a study published in Detritus, Brock and Williams investigated the most and least impactful container options for three beverage types: milk, fruit juice and pressurized fizzy drinks. In order to determine each container's impact, Brock and Williams conducted life cycle assessments and compared the containers based on several indicators of environmental harm, including their contribution to global warming, depletion of resources and impact on human health and terrestrial and marine environments.For each type of beverage, Brock and Williams were then able to rank the containers from most to least harmful.
- Fizzy Drinks: Glass bottles were the most harmful and 100 percent recycled aluminum cans were the least. In between, from most to least impactful, came recycled glass bottles, plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and non-recycled aluminum cans.
- Fruit Juice: Glass bottles were again the most harmful and Tetra Paks were the least. In between came recycled glass bottles and PET bottles.
- Milk: Glass was the most impactful and cartons were the least. In between were recycled glass bottles and high-density polythene (HDPE) plastic bottles.
While each beverage category had a least impactful option, the researchers noted that even the minimally impactful choices still caused harm. Non-recycled aluminum cans, for example, ranked high for having toxic impacts on marine environments despite being the second-least impactful fizzy drink container type overall.
Waste Watch: Carbon Emissions to Increase in the UK from Waste Disposal; Yet Another Reason We Need To Cease Making So Much Plastic - Jerri-Lynn Scofield - An article in Monday’s Guardian caught my eye, Increase in burning of plastic ‘driving up emissions from waste disposal’: By 2030 the government’s push to increase incineration of waste will increase CO2emissions by 10m tonnes a year, mostly from the burning of plastics, the groups said. They argue that the growth in energy-from-waste incineration means the UK will not be able to meet its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.The coalition, which includes Extinction Rebellion’s zero waste group, Friends of the Earth, the UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN), Greenpeace and the MP John Cruddas, says the expansion of waste incineration is forcing up carbon emissions.In an open letter to the prime minister they are calling for a law requiring the waste sector to decarbonise by 2035, similar to legislation passed in the Scandinavian countries and Finland.The link between increased use of plastics and increased emissions is I think not as well understood as is the basic waste disposal problem for plastics. It’s not emphasized as much as it should be. Nor, for that matter, is increased recycling a solution for to counteract the increase in emissions.Note that Yves highlighted the inadequacy of NJ’s recently passed ban on plastic (and paper) packaging in a recent post, and yet one more reason that NY’s finally enacted plastic bag ban falls so short of what’s necessary. Both these virtue-signalling bans fall far short of necessary actions. Recycling will undoubtedly drop further worldwide as a result of the pandemic, as governments are unlikely to reinstate recycling services and initiatives suspended during the COVID-19 crisis. That means incineration will correspondingly increase to manage the need for ongoing waste disposal, at least for the short-term, thus exacerbating the global emissions problem,
Secondhand Clothing Sales Are Booming – and May Help Solve the Sustainability Crisis in the Fashion Industry A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to US$80 billion in 2029 – in a U.S. market currently worth $379 billion. In 2019, secondhand clothingexpanded 21 times faster than conventional apparel retail did.Even more transformative is secondhand clothing's potential to dramatically alter the prominence of fast fashion – a business model characterized by cheap and disposable clothing that emerged in the early 2000s, epitomized by brands like H&M and Zara. Fast fashion grew exponentially over the next two decades, significantly altering the fashion landscape by producing more clothing, distributing it faster and encouraging consumers to buy in excess with low prices.While fast fashion is expected to , secondhand fashion is poised to grow 185%.As researchers who study clothing consumption and sustainability, we think the secondhand clothing trend has the potential to reshape the fashion industry and mitigate the industry's detrimental environmental impact on the planet. The secondhand clothing market is composed of two major categories, thrift stores and resale platforms. But it's the latter that has largely fueled the recent boom. Secondhand clothing has long been perceived as worn out and tainted, mainly sought by bargain or treasure hunters. However, this perception has changed, and now many consumers consider secondhand clothing to be of identical or even superior quality to unworn clothing. A trend of "fashion flipping" – or buying secondhand clothes and reselling them – has also emerged, particularly among young consumers.
Historic deal revives plan for largest US dam demolition (AP) — An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years. If approved, the deal would revive plans to remove four massive hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River, creating the foundation for the most ambitious salmon restoration effort in history. The project on California’s second-largest river would be at the vanguard of a trend toward dam demolitions in the U.S. as the structures age and become less economically viable amid growing environmental concerns about the health of native fish. Previous efforts to address problems in the Klamath Basin have fallen apart amid years of legal sparring that generated distrust among tribes, fishing groups, farmers and environmentalists, and the new agreement could face more legal challenges. Some state and federal lawmakers criticized it as a financially irresponsible overreach by leaders in Oregon and California. “This dam removal is more than just a concrete project coming down. It’s a new day and a new era,” Yurok Tribe chairman Joseph James said. “To me, this is who we are, to have a free-flowing river just as those who have come before us. ... Our way of life will thrive with these dams being out.” : A half-dozen tribes across Oregon and California, fishing groups and environmentalists had hoped to see demolition work begin as soon as 2022. But those plans stalled in July, when U.S. regulators questioned whether the nonprofit entity formed to oversee the project could adequately respond to any cost overruns or accidents. The new plan makes Oregon and California equal partners in the demolition with the nonprofit entity, called the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and adds $45 million to the project’s $450 million budget to ease those concerns. Oregon, California and the utility PacifiCorp, which operates the hydroelectric dams and is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway, will each provide one-third of the additional funds. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must approve the deal. If accepted, it would allow PacifiCorp and Berkshire Hathaway to walk away from aging dams that are more of an albatross than a profit-generator, while addressing regulators’ concerns. Oregon, California and the nonprofit would jointly take over the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp while the nonprofit will oversee the work.
Over 800 000 homes without power as severe storms hit Midwest and Northeast U.S. - Severe storms accompanied by high winds led to widespread power outages in the Midwest and the northeastern U.S. over the weekend, affecting more than 800 000 customers. Property damage was also reported, as well as flooding along the shores of the Great Lakes into Monday, November 16. A deepening area of low pressure brought winds of up to 122 km/h (76 mph) across much of the Midwest and northeastern regions, causing power outages, flooding, and property damage, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rossio. The system formed Saturday, November 14, and by Sunday afternoon, November 15, a wide area of wind gusts ranging between 64 and 122 km/h (40 and 76 mph) hit Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio. In Ohio, more than 350 000 power outages were reported, while 210 000 customers lost electricity in Michigan. By Sunday evening, more than 800 000 customers in the region lost access to power. High winds also resulted in one fatality in Ohio-- the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 63-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a fallen tree. Strong winds knocked down trees, caused property damage, and triggered lakeshore flooding across the Great Lakes, which persisted through Monday. The National Weather Service (NWS) Detroit has issued a high wind warning for the Detroit area and much of Michigan. As of Monday morning, 198 885 people remain without power in Michigan, 112 718 in Ohio, 58 794 in Pennsylvania, 40 764 in New York, and 21 936 in Maine.
Destructive EF-3 tornado and severe hailstorm leave 6 people dead in South Africa -- At least 6 fatalities have been confirmed while dozens of properties have been damaged or destroyed after severe storms -- including hail reportedly bigger than a golf ball, an EF-3 tornado, lightning, and strong winds -- lashed eastern provinces of South Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 17 and 18, 2020. In KwaZulu-Natal, two people were reported dead while one person remains missing after a major hailstorm accompanied by lightning hit the province. A 10-year-old child was injured in Umuziwabantu. Hailstones that were described as larger than a golf ball damaged about 70 homes in the Msunduzi municipality. "A 22-year-old female is still missing and is believed to have been swept away, trying to cross the local river in Umlazi F Section in eThekwini," said official Sipho Hlomuka. Multicell thunderstorms traveled to the east, and during the next three hours, it traveled almost 280 km (174 miles) from Graaf-Reinet to Bofolo, while an intensifying storm south of Burgersdorp moved for about 78 km (48 miles) southeast, SAWS explained. Shortly after, there was another change of storm movement-- very high winds from the intensified multicell storm resulted in damage to properties, houses, and vehicles, including to the Mthatha Airport. Heavy downpours also resulted in localized flooding, while high winds uprooted trees. Computer labs, books and printing machines were destroyed. The area has been without electricity since Tuesday thus leaving teachers with no option, but to ask to make exam question paper copies in school in town. pic.twitter.com/lLUeKAeUEX
Record November rain and snow hit Lower Dir, Pakistan - Up to 108 mm (4.2 inches) of rain and more than 1 m (3 feet) of snow fell in Lower Dir District as upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, received the season's first snow over the weekend. The numbers were record totals for the month of November, according to local media SAMAA.Rains started falling in various parts of the province on Friday, November 13, and continued into Monday, November 16. Lower Dir recorded 108 mm (4.2 inches) into Sunday, while more than 1 m (3 feet) of snow was registered in Kumrat and Kohistan-- these were record totals for the month of November, according to SAMAA TV.Many parts of Peshawar were affected by prolonged power outages during the rain, while rainwater accumulated on main roads.In Swat, heavy snowfall was reported in mountainous areas of the district, including Malam Jabba, Madyan, Miandam, Bahrain, Kalam, Mankyal, Utror, Matiltan, Gabral, Gabin Jabba, Lalku, and Sulatanr. Due to the snow, many motorists were stranded on roads, while several roads were blocked.
State of emergency in the Russian Far East after destructive unseasonal ice storm collapses all key infrastructure systems (videos) Several people froze to death and over 150 000 were left without electricity, water, and heating in the Russian Far East after a destructive unseasonal ice storm hit the region on November 18, 2020. The chief regional meteorologist said wires and trees were encrusted in up to 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) of ice -- an occurrence not seen in 30 years.In the city of Vladivostok, Russia's Pacific capital, all key systems from electricity, water, and heating to transport and communication collapsed after the storm downed frozen trees and ice-laden power lines. Temporary accommodation centers were open for residents on November 19, with snow and strong winds continuing into November 20. The destruction is widespread and the electricity may not be restored to some homes for several days, local authorities said.Boris Kubay, the chief of the regional meteorological service, said the situation has been aggravated by a strong gale wind 'that breaks everything.'Kubay said the ice storm was a result of a clash between two storms -- one carrying hot air and another carrying cold. Wires and trees were encrusted in up to 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) of ice -- an occurrence not seen in 30 years, Kubay said.
Pyroclastic flow at Sinabung volcano, lava dome continues to grow, Indonesia - A pyroclastic flow was reported at Sinabung volcano in In donesia on November 18, 2020, with a sliding distance of 1 500 m (4 921 feet) to the southeast. An eruption occurred at 06:44 UTC, accompanied by an ash plume rising up to 3.6 km (12 000 feet) above sea level.. The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange.On November 17, seismographs recorded 24 avalanche earthquakes, six low-frequency quakes, one local tectonic quake, and two distant tectonic earthquakes on the volcano. The dome continues to grow, making it more cantilevered. On November 18, the volcano emitted pyroclastic flow as far as 1 500 m (4 921 feet) to the southeast. Armen Putra, head of the Sinabung Volcano Monitoring Post, said the mountain had to be monitored as its activity remains high. "People must stay away from the red zone with a radius of 5 km (3 miles) to the East-Southeast sector, and 4 km (2 miles) to the North East from the summit of Mount Sinabung.""Together with the TNI and Polri, we are increasing security at every entrance to the foot of Mount Sinabung. This is done so that no residents enter the red zone," he added.The lava dome continues growing and its development continues to be closely monitored. Seismic activity is characterized by continuous volcanic tremor.
Typhoon "Vamco" makes landfall in disaster-stricken Central Vietnam - Typhoon "Vamco" has made landfall in Da Nang, Central Vietnam on Sunday, November 15, 2020, with winds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph), further inflicting damage to properties in the region already pounded by successive storms that had left at least 230 people dead or missing and more than 400 000 homes damaged or destroyed. "This is a very strong typhoon," said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc prior to the storm's landfall, warning provinces in the storm's path to prepare as authorities planned to evacuate about 470 000 people.Airports and beaches have been closed, and a fishing ban has been enforced. State media added that hundreds of thousands more may have to flee.Vamco made landfall roughly 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Da Nang on Sunday morning, with winds of 150 km/h (93 mph). High waves caused damage to boats and ships, as well as some houses along the coast of Thua Thien Hue. Many sections of embankments and sidewalks have been hit hard. Roofs of houses and schools have been completely blown away. Local media reported damage to classrooms, collapsed walls, uprooted trees, and smashed pavements along the banks of the Han River.
Cagayan submerged in its worst flood in history, Typhoon "Vamco" (Ulysses) death toll rises to 67 – Philippines -in the Cagayan Valley, which has been engulfed in its biggest and worst flooding in history, the provincial information office said in a statement. Given the dire situation, the provincial board has approved the recommendation of governor Manuel Mamba to declare a state of calamity on Saturday, November 14.According to governor Manuel Mamba, water from other provinces and water released from the Magat Dam that flowed toward the area caused the flood. "Right now, Cagayan looks almost like an ocean," said Mamba. "It's almost its third day but the waters are still high." NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal, on the other hand, said the widespread flooding was not due to the release of water from Magat Dam, but the swelling of the Cagayan River. "These flooding incideTyphoon "Vamco" (locally called Ulysses) has left a total of 67 fatalities, 13 others missing, and more than 1.7 million affected after lashing the Philippines, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) update released on Sunday, November 15, 2020. A state of calamity has been declared in the Cagayan Valley as the province has been submerged in its worst flooding in history.In the NDRRMC's situational report on Sunday afternoon, it was reported that a total of 428 657 families or 1 755 224 people in Regions I, II, III, V, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, NCR, and CAR have been affected by Vamco.Of these, 85 357 families or 324 617 persons are being accommodated in 2 991 evacuation centers, while 52 574 families or 231 701 people are being served outside shelters.The NDRRMC estimated damage to agriculture at about 1.2 billion pesos or 24.7 million dollars, and damage to infrastructure at about 470 million pesos or 9 million dollars. The figures are expected to rise as authorities are still assessing the extent of the destruction.The death toll has risen to 67 while 21 others were injured and 13 others remain missing in regions II, V, CALABARZON, and CAR. Most of the fatalities occurred nts are the cumulative effects of the continuous rains experienced in Luzon," he said, adding that there has been "more than a month's worth of rainy days," to at least five successive tropical cyclones that hit Luzon.
Philippines' typhoon deaths rise as worst floods in 45 years hit north (Reuters) - The death toll from the deadliest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year has climbed to 67, while many areas remained submerged in a northern region hit by the worst flooding in more than four decades, officials said on Sunday. President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Tuguegarao province to assess the situation in Cagayan Valley region, which was heavily flooded after Typhoon Vamco dumped rain over swathes of the main Luzon island, including the capital, metropolitan Manila. Twenty-two fatalities were recorded in Cagayan, 17 in southern Luzon, eight in Metro Manila, and 20 in two other regions, said Mark Timbal, the disaster management agency spokesman. Twelve people were still missing and nearly 26,000 houses were damaged by Vamco, he said. "This is the worst flooding that we had in the last 45 years," Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba said during a briefing with Duterte. "We see that it is worsening every year." The accumulated effects of weather disturbances and huge volumes of water from a dam affected thousands of families in Cagayan, some of whom had fled to rooftops to escape two-storey high floods. Six cyclones hit the Philippines in a span of just four weeks, including Vamco and Super Typhoon Goni, the world's most powerful this year. But Mamba also lamented about denuded forests in Cagayan, prompting Duterte to order him to curb logging operations in the province. "We always talk about illegal logging and mining but nothing has been done about it," Duterte said. Relief and rescue operations continued in Cagayan even as the nearby Magat Dam was still releasing water, two days after releasing a volume equivalent to two Olympic-size pools per second, based on government data. Vamco, the 21st cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, also caused the worst flooding in years in parts of the capital.
Entire Luzon under state of calamity after devastation caused by typhoons Goni and Vamco, Philippines - (videos) The entire island of Luzon, Philippines, has been placed under a state of calamity as of November 18, 2020, following the devastation of successive typhoons Goni (locally named Rolly)-- the world's most powerful storm of the year and the country's strongest landfalling tropical cyclone-- and Vamco (locally known as Ulysses), which triggered the Cagayan Valley's worst flooding in history. Both storms left massive damage, hundreds of thousands of houses and buildings submerged, and at least 98 people dead, according to the situational report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).During a meeting with cabinet members, President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed that he has signed the proclamation of a state of calamity, which will remain in effect until he decides to lift it.The declaration would make it easier for local government units to access fast response and calamity funds, which have been depleted for many localities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also triggered an automatic price freeze on essential items.Super Typhoon "Goni" caused widespread destruction, especially in the Bicol region. A total of 139 122 families or 504 807 persons were pre-emptively evacuated.According to the NDRRMC, the storm left at least 25 people dead, 399 injured, 6 missing persons, and a total of 170 773 houses affected. The damage to infrastructure amounted to 12.8 billion pesos or 265 million dollars, while the damage to agriculture is approximately 5 billion pesos or 103 million dollars. Goni made landfall on October 31 with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/h (140 mph) and gusts to 280 km/h (174 mph), making it the world's most powerful storm of the year and the country's strongest landfalling tropical cyclone on record.Typhoon "Vamco" made landfall on November 11 with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h (96 mph) and gusts to 205 km/h (127 mph). It triggered catastrophic flooding in various parts of Luzon, including Isabela, Rizal, Marikina, and Cagayan, which locals described as worse than the 2009 Typhoon "Ketsana" (Ondoy)-- the second most devastating tropical cyclone that year."We haven’t experienced this kind of flooding for so many months or years. That's why everyone was surprised," said Marikina mayor Marcelino Teodoro. Cagayan Valley bore the brunt of the floods as the province was submerged in its worst inundation in history, leaving more than 1.7 million people affected. This prompted governor Manual Mamba to declare a state of calamity for the province on November 14.
Iota Becomes Second Major Hurricane to Threaten Central America This Month -- Hurricane Iota, the 30th named storm and 13th hurricane of a record-breaking season, is now bearing down upon Central America less than two weeks after Hurricane Eta devastated the region. Iota was a Category 1 storm 10 a.m. Sunday, with winds of around 90 miles per hour, The New York Times reported. However, it strengthened rapidly overnight and is now a Category 4 storm with winds up to 155 miles per hour, according to a 7 a.m. EST update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). "Iota could be a catastrophic category 5 hurricane when it approaches Central America tonight," the NHC warned. Iota is expected to make landfall in northeastern Nicaragua or eastern Honduras Monday night. It threatens a storm surge of up to 12 to 18 feet above normal tide levels, as well as "catastrophic wind damage" as it moves onshore. The NHC predicts it will dump eight to 16 inches of rain on Honduras, northern Nicaragua, Guatemala and southern Belize, with some parts of Nicaragua and Honduras seeing up to 20 to 30 inches. "This rainfall will lead to significant, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain," the NHC warned. The situation will likely be made worse by the after-effects of Hurricane Eta, the NHC noted Sunday night. The fact that the soil has not yet dried out after the earlier storm could make landslides and floods even more likely, The Independent explained. "Our ground is already saturated, so it's to be expected that we have more farming and infrastructure damage," Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said, as BBC News reported. Hurricane Eta killed at least 200 people in Central America. One of the worst tragedies occurred in Guatemala, when mudslides in the village of Quejá buried dozens of homes and likely killed around 100 people. Overall, the storm displaced thousands of people after it made landfall as a Category 4 storm Nov. 3, as CNN reported. More than 3.6 million people in the region were impacted by the storm in some way, the Red Cross said. Now, Central Americans face further evacuations to prepare for Iota. There are around 63,000 hunkering down in 379 shelters in northern Honduras, The Independent reported. In Nicaragua, 1,500 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as of Sunday afternoon, but 83,000 people in the area were actually in danger. "In a 36-hour period [Eta] went from a depression to a very strong category 4," Climate Adaptation Center CEO Bob Bunting told The Guardian. "That is just not normal. Probably it was the fastest spin up from a depression to a major hurricane in history."
Iota strengthens to strongest Atlantic hurricane of the year before making historic landfall in Nicaragua - Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane "Iota" made landfall along the coast of northeastern Nicaragua -- just 24 km (15 miles) from the area struck by Category 4 Hurricane "Eta" on November 3 -- with maximum sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), just 2 km/h below Category 5 hurricane. With many parts of Nicaragua and Honduras still recovering from massive rain dropped by Eta, more extreme rainfall produced by Iota may lead to some of the worst floods the region has seen in a thousand years or more.
- Iota is still a significant hurricane, NHC said. Damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge are expected along portions of the coast of northeastern Nicaragua during the next several hours, where a hurricane warning is in effect.
- Life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding is expected through Thursday, November 19 across portions of Central America due to heavy rainfall from Iota. Flooding and mudslides across portions of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala could be exacerbated by Hurricane Eta's recent effects there, resulting in significant to potentially catastrophic impacts.
Iota strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) -- the strongest of the 2020 Atlantic season -- before it made landfall, and now ranks as the second-most intense November hurricane in the Atlantic ocean on record. The strongest ever November hurricane in the Atlantic remains the 1932 Cuba hurricane -- the deadliest and one of the most intense tropical cyclones to make landfall in Cuba. Together with Iota, the 1932 Cuba hurricane is the only Category 5 Atlantic hurricane ever recorded during the month of November.Iota explosively intensified before landfall, 61 hPa in 24 hours (71 hPa in 36 hours) -- which is far beyond the rapid deepening threshold. There are only 3 Atlantic hurricanes on record that have deepened more than 61 hPa in 24 hours -- Gilbert in 1988, and Rita and Vilma in 2005. Iota is the only one in November. This rapid intensification rate makes Iota the 4th rapidly deepening hurricane of the 2020 season -- which is the most in a single Atlantic season, and the largest deepening this year. Iota is now the strongest November hurricane on record to make landfall in Nicaragua, surpassing the previous record set by Eta (230 km/h / 140 mph) just 13 days ago. Together with Eta, Hurricane "Iota" is now among the top 5 tropical cyclones ever to hit Nicaragua."Catastrophic flooding is anticipated because the ground is still saturated from Eta, and rain from Iota will run off into already swollen and flooded streams and rivers," AccuWeather CEO and Founder Dr. Joel N. Myers said. "The mountainous terrain will add to the dangers of flooding and mudslides.""This may be one of the worst floods in some of these areas in a thousand years or more," Myers said. "Some of these countries may not completely recover for 5 to 10 years."
Hurricane Iota Breaks Records as It Slams Nicaragua - 
Hurricane Iota made landfall along the coast of northeastern Nicaragua at 10:40 p.m. Monday night as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm. The landfall location was just 15 miles away from where the devastating Hurricane Eta made landfall 13 days earlier, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). It was also the most powerful storm to make landfall in Nicaragua in November, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach noted on Twitter, breaking the record set by Eta. "This is double destruction," Nicaraguan Business owner Adán Artola Schultz told The Associated Press. "This is coming in with fury." "This hurricane is definitely worse" than Eta, Bermúdez told The Associated Press. "There are already a lot of houses that lost their roofs, fences and fruit trees that got knocked down. We will never forget this year." Before it even made landfall, the storm blew a metal roof off of a hospital in Bilwi where victims of Hurricane Eta were being treated, The New York Times reported. Most of the city has been without power since 3 p.m. Monday. Iota is the 30th named storm of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, the most of any season. It is also the ninth storm this season to rapidly intensify, a phenomenon linked to the climate crisis, The Associated Press reported. Iota strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane but weakened before coming ashore. It was the latest Category 5 storm on record, Klotzbach said. While it was still a Category 5 storm, Iota lashed the Columbian islands of San Andres and Providencia, CNN reported. "It's the first time that a Category 5 Hurricane has reached our territory since records began," Colombia President Ivan Duque told reporters. "We are facing an issue with characteristics never before witnessed by our country." At least one person died on Providencia and 90 percent of the island's infrastructure has been impacted. Both islands also lost electricity, The New York Times reported. The Colombian city of Cartagena also experiencedflooding. Iota has now weakened into a tropical storm with winds reaching 75 miles per hour, according to a 9 a.m.update from the NHC. It is currently located about 85 miles west of Bilwi and heading further inland across northern Nicaragua today and over southern Honduras tonight.
Iota leaves more than 20 people dead or missing, unprecedented damage reported in Providencia and San Andrés - At least 13 people were killed and 11 others remain missing after extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane "Iota" made landfall in Nicaragua on November 17-- considered the strongest storm to hit the country and the most powerful tropical cyclone of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. It moved directly over Providencia and San Andres, Colombia on November 16 as a Category 5 hurricane, causing "unprecedented" damage and marking the first time a Category 5 hurricane directly struck the country. Hundreds of thousands have been affected by floods and landslides, further worsening the situation in the region still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane "Eta."The full extent of the damage left by Iota is still unclear.Iota strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) prior to its landfall, making it the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.It weakened into a Category 4 hurricane, just 2 km/h below Category 5, prior to landfall, making it the strongest November hurricane to hit the Central American country on record.The storm made landfall near the town of Haulover, Nicaragua, on November 17 -- just 25 km (15 miles) south of where Eta made landfall on November 3.According to the Nicaraguan government, Iota is now considered the most powerful storm to hit the country in history.As of early November 18, Iota is blamed for the deaths of at least 6 people in the country, two of whom were minors. More than 62 000 people have been evacuated in 683 government shelters following the storm. In the city of Bilwi, also known as Puerto Cabezas, there is almost no communication due to fallen power lines. Heavy rains associated with a tropical wave and Iota caused extensive damage in Colombia, and left at least 7 people dead and 11 others missing. Massive damage took place in the Mohán sector of Dabeiba, where landslides killed three people, injured 20, and left 8 others missing.On November 15 and 16, Iota passed close to the outlying Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina as a Category 5 hurricane. The hurricane's eye directly hit Providencia, causing "unprecedented" damage, according to President Iván Duque Márquez.This marked the first time a Category 5 directly struck the country. Communication was temporarily lost with the island on November 16. In a press conference Tuesday morning, November 17, Duque said they have started rebuilding Providencia Island, where 98 percent of the infrastructure had been destroyed.
Iota is the first Category 5 hurricane to hit Colombia - destroys 98 percent of infrastructure on the island of) Providencia (videos) Hurricane "Iota" strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane -- peak winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) -- on November 16, 2020, as it was passing over the Colombian Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, making it the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and the strongest-ever to hit Colombia. It weakened into a Category 4 hurricane, just 2 km/h below Category 5, prior to landfall in Nicaragua, making it the strongest November hurricane to hit the Central American country. According to Colombian authorities, 98% of the infrastructure on the island of Providencia (population 5 011) has been damaged or destroyed, including the local hospital, which has been completely destroyed. Communication with the island was temporarily lost.A preliminary assessment indicates at least 2 dead, while the total number of people affected is not yet known. The neighboring island of San Andres (population 43 000), also faced damage to its infrastructure. National emergency teams have been mobilized, including the delivery of 4 000 tents and 2 field hospitals, DG Echo reports. Iota's passage over the archipelago marked the first time a Category 5 directly struck the country. In addition, heavy rains associated with a tropical wave and Iota caused extensive damage in mainland Colombia, leaving at least 7 people dead and 11 others missing. Massive damage took place in the Mohán sector of Dabeiba, where landslides killed three people, injured 20, and left 8 others missing. In a press conference Tuesday morning, November 17, Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez said they have started rebuilding Providencia Island, where 98 percent of the infrastructure had been destroyed. "We began to remove rubble from the island, accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid and tents to enable family spaces."
In a Warming World, Hurricanes Weaken More Slowly After They Hit Land -Hurricanes are not just intensifying faster and dropping more rain. Because of global warming, their destructive power persists longer after reaching land, increasing risks to communities farther inland that may be unprepared for devastating winds and flooding.That shift was underlined last week by an analysis of Atlantic hurricanes that made landfall between 1967 and 2018. The study, published Nov. 11 in Nature, showed that, in the second half of the study period, hurricanes weakened almost twice as slowly after hitting land. "As the world continues to warm, the destructive power of hurricanes will extend progressively farther inland," the researchers wrote in their report.Scientists have known for some time that, as global temperatures warm, hurricanes are intensifying, and are more likely to stall and produce rain. But Pinaki Chakraborty, senior author of the study and a climate researcher with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, said the new analysis found that with warming, hurricanes also take longer to decay after landfall, something researchers had not studied before. "It was thought that a warming world has had no pronounced effect on landfalling hurricanes," Chakraborty said. "We show, not so, unfortunately."Tropical storms and hurricanes are the costliest climate-linked natural disasters. Since 2000, the damage from such extreme storms has added up to $831 billion, about 60 percent of the total caused by climate-related extremes tracked by a federal disaster database.Noting the findings, Jim Kossin, a hurricane expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who also did not participate in the study, said,"I find it somewhat remarkable that these trends we keep discovering are so disproportionately for the worse." He added, "The news is rarely good, unfortunately."
Climate Change Will Make Parts of the U.S. Uninhabitable. Americans Are Still Moving There.- Over the past year, the advent of a professional economy powered by people working from home has quickened the conversation about where to live, particularly among millennials. “Is now the right time to buy property in Minnesota?” “Is Buffalo the new place to be?”How important is proximity to fresh water? Should you risk moving somewhere that has fire seasons? How far north do you have to go to find liveable summers?Americans have defied the norms of climate migration seen elsewhere in the world, flocking to cities like Phoenix, Houston and Miami that face some of the greatest risks from soaring temperatures and rising sea levels.Those patterns seem likely to change.New data from the Rhodium Group, analyzed by ProPublica, shows that climate damage will wreak havoc on the southern third of the country, erasing more than 8% of its economic output and likely turning migration from a choice to an imperative.The data shows that the warming climate will alter everything from how we grow food to where people can plausibly live. Ultimately, millions o f people will be displaced by flooding, fires and scorching heat, a resorting of the map not seen since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Now as then, the biggest question will be who escapes and who is left behind.
Red Cross: 'No Vaccine for Climate Change' - "The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how vulnerable the world is to a truly global catastrophe. But another, bigger, catastrophe has been building for many decades, and humanity is still lagging far behind in efforts to address it."So begins Come Heat or High Water, the 2020 World Disasters Report published Tuesday by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).While "Covid-19 has demonstrated that humanity has the capacity to recognize and respond to a global crisis," the authors wrote, "climate change is an even more significant challenge to humanity... one which literally threatens our long-term survival."Indeed, "the impacts of global warming are already killing people and devastating lives and livelihoods every year," including in 2020, the report noted. "Climate change is not waiting for Covid-19 to be brought under control."The analysis showed that more than 100 climate change-related disasters occurred in just the first six months of the pandemic, affecting over 50 million people."Many people are being directly affected by the pandemic and climate-driven disasters all at once," the report said, drawing attention to what researchers called "compounding shocks.""And the world's poorest and most at-risk people are being hit first and hardest," which is consistent with "trends in vulnerability and exposure" that have led scholars to describe climate as a "risk multiplier." While there is hope that one or more vaccines will soon provide protection against the coronavirus, IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain told reporters that "unfortunately, there is no vaccine for climate change."According to the IFRC:
- In the past 10 years, 83% of all disasters triggered by natural hazards were caused by extreme weather- and climate-related events, such as floods, storms and heatwaves;
- The number of climate- and weather-related disasters has been increasing since the 1960s, and has risen almost 35% since the 1990s;
- The proportion of all disasters attributable to climate and extreme weather events has also increased significantly during this time, from 76% of all disasters during the 2000s to 83% in the 2010s;
- These extreme weather- and climate-related disasters have killed more than 410,000 people in the past 10 years, the vast majority in low and lower middle-income countries; and
- Heatwaves, then storms, have been the biggest killers. A further 1.7 billion people around the world have been affected by climate and weather-related disasters during the past decade.
How the U.S. fell behind China in the fight against climate change (CNBC video) Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, the U.S. has stepped back from its international climate commitments by leaving the Paris Agreement and rolling back dozens of Obama-era climate policies, leaving a void in international climate leadership that China aims to fill.In some ways, the country is well poised for climate leadership. China has become the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles. It buys more than half of the world's new electric cars, and nearly all the globe's electric buses.In September, China's president, Xi Jinping, announced the country's intent to be carbon neutral by 2060, strengthening previous commitments.But "climate leader" is a complicated designation for a country that also burns more coal than the rest of the world combined. While experts say international pressure could push China to decarbonize more quickly, frayed U.S.-China relations might make climate cooperation difficult for President-elect Joe Biden. Here's how the U.S. fell behind China in the fight against climate change, and what it means for the future of our planet.
How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming? - This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Animal agriculture account for 51% of CO2 emissions". It was written by Zack Chester as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation. While animal agriculture is a significant contributor to GHG emissions, it is not actually the biggest contributor, as the myth claims. The calculations used to get the 51% of global GHG emissions are, at times, inaccurate or inappropriate, leading ultimately to a misrepresentation of the impact of animal agriculture. The 51% claim comes from a non peer reviewed paper, containing a series of flaws and fallacies used in arriving at their number. A peer reviewed critique of the paper highlights many of the flaws that consistently exaggerate the effects of animal agriculture. One example is how the paper handles livestock respiration. When animals and humans breathe, CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere and taken in by plants, then converted to oxygen. We breathe and eat the plants and the cycle continues, so when we breathe out, we are returning CO2 that was already there. This is why human and animal respiration are excluded from carbon dioxide emission assessments, as the carbon cycle is accepted to be net zero over the span of years to decades.Figure 3 helps illustrate the carbon cycle. If this paper chose to take a stance that animal respiration is not net zero, it is possible to account for animal respiration in the emission budget. However, it is also important to calculate the absorption and consumption of CO2 as well to quantify the imbalance due to respiration, which is not done. On top of that, and more pertinent to the matter, if the authors of the paper think that the carbon cycle is not net zero, it would also be necessary to include human respiration in the calculations to adequately assess the appropriate contribution of human CO2 emissions. They assume that the emissions of over 7.5 billion humans alive today are net zero, and livestock emissions are not, which is cherry picking. As is, the paper oversimplifies the issues, leading to a misrepresentation of animal agriculture's contribution to global GHG emissions. Accounting for these issues would cause a major change to the 51% value in the report, as over 26% of the reported emissions by animal agriculture come from animal respiration.Oversights of this sort occur throughout the paper. Another example is CO2 emissions from land and land use, which contributes to 8.2% of the animal agricultures emissions. In the paper, the myth partially arises from, an extra source of CO2 emission being added to animal agriculture's contribution using a hypothetical ‘what-if scenario’. The paper postulates that if land for animal agriculture were converted to activities such as growing crops for humans or biofuel, there could be emissions savings. These potential savings were then added to the other sources of animal agriculture emissions and treated as a way that animal agriculture contributes to total GHG emissions.
1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions – study --Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018, according to a study.Airlines produced a billion tonnes of CO2 and benefited from a $100bn (£75bn) subsidy by not paying for the climate damage they caused, the researchers estimated. The analysis draws together data to give the clearest global picture of the impact of frequent fliers. Only 11% of the world’s population took a flight in 2018 and 4% flew abroad. US air passengers have by far the biggest carbon footprint among rich countries. Its aviation emissions are bigger than the next 10 countries combined, including the UK, Japan, Germany and Australia, the study reports.The researchers said the study showed that an elite group enjoying frequent flights had a big impact on the climate crisis that affected everyone.They said the 50% drop in passenger numbers in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic should be an opportunity to make the aviation industry fairer and more sustainable. This could be done by putting green conditions on the huge bailouts governments were giving the industry, as had happened in France. Global aviation’s contribution to the climate crisis was growing fast before the Covid-19 pandemic, with emissions jumping by 32% from 2013-18. Flight numbers in 2020 have fallen by half but the industry expects to return to previous levels by 2024. “If you want to resolve climate change and we need to redesign [aviation], then we should start at the top, where a few ‘super emitters’ contribute massively to global warming,” “The rich have had far too much freedom to design the planet according to their wishes. We should see the crisis as an opportunity to slim the air transport system.” “The benefits of aviation are more inequitably shared across the world than probably any other major emission source,” he said. “So there’s a clear risk that the special treatment enjoyed by airlines just protects the economic interests of the globally wealthy.”The frequent flyers identified in the study travelled about 35,000 miles (56,000km) a year, Gössling said, equivalent to three long-haul flights a year, one short-haul flight per month, or some combination of the two.The analysis showed the US produced the most emissions among rich nations. China was the biggest among other countries but it does not make data available. However, Gössling thinks its aviation footprint is probably only a fifth of that of the US.
House, Senate leaders express desire to establish work programs on climate issue — Planning work to address flooding from rising sea levels, similar to how the state maps out road and bridge projects for five years, is being considered by the new Republican leaders of the Florida House and Senate. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, and Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, expressed a desire Tuesday to establish work programs that would address the increased impacts of rising sea levels in coastal communities. “We need to identify our most vulnerable areas, where the need is,” Simpson said. “And it's not like we don't have engineers that can tell us that around the state and develop a priority list.” Their comments, which came after they were sworn in to lead the House and Senate for the next two years, represented a further evolution in the position of Florida Republicans about climate change. But environmentalists said the GOP leaders are not going far enough. “They're acknowledging the need — how can you not in Florida acknowledge the need to start making our communities more resilient?” Florida Conservation Voters Executive Director Aliki Moncrief said. “But they still sort of have their heads deliberately in the sand when it comes to tackling what's actually causing the problem in the first place.” Before a legislative organization session Tuesday, Florida Conservation Voters sent a letter to Sprowls and Simpson urging the creation of a joint committee on climate change to look beyond the issue of coastal flooding by delving into economic and social impacts and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Simpson suggested working with local governments to put budgets together to establish future work plans in line with the Department of Transportation’s five-year work program for roads and bridges. The Department of Transportation has long used the program to set plans for projects. Sprowls, meanwhile, suggested shifting environmental spending from land acquisition to addressing rising waters that flood streets, damage homes and ruin businesses. “We need to stop treating our environmental budget like a giant pork-barrel buffet. We need to bring the same long-range planning and strategic discipline to our environmental programs that we bring to our transportation work plan,” Sprowls said. “We need to stop fixating on land purchases as the sole measure of conservation and embrace the spectrum of priorities from beach renourishment to septic tank conversion to flood mitigation.” Moncrief called Sprowls’ comment about land acquisition “jarring,” as a category in the state’s Florida Forever land-acquisition program is designed to address climate change impacts. “Part of the land acquisition strategy is to make sure that we’ve got resilient shorelines, that we are protecting places that protect people, that prevents flooding,” Moncrief said.Tuesday’s comments by the House and Senate leaders came less than two years after Republicans in Tallahassee, led in part by Sprowls, started to reverse nearly a decade of refusing to acknowledge climate science or even saying the phrase “climate change.”
Secretive Club For Ultra-Wealthy Environmentalists Revealed --Ultra-wealthy investors looking to direct vast sums of money into green investments (perhaps to atone for 'climate sins') have been joining in a secretive nonprofit dedicated to 'speeding up the flow of capital into investments that can slow global warming,' according to Bloomberg. The club, Creo Syndicate, works with around 200 families who pay a 'very reasonable' flat fee to join, and must commit to making their first investment in climate and sustainability within six months, according to founder and director, Régine Clément.Creo's members include investor Jeremy Grantham and Nat Simmons - the son of Renaissance Technologies' billionaire founder James Simmons. According to the report, "Part of building trust with wealthy families is keeping their secrets. In addition to Grantham and Simons, the group’s ranks include other well-known billionaires whose names Creo won’t disclose. A mantra is "no tourists allowed.""This is not philanthropy, this is investment," said Clément, adding "We grow entirely through introductions. We never seek out a family."Creo currently has over $800 billion under management, according to the report.Acting essentially as a mini-investment bank, the nonprofit vets approximately 300 deals per year - connecting member investors with potential partners, while researching technologies for future investments. And because Creo makes no fees on any deals, and ultra-wealthy families 'generally aren't trying to pitch to each other,' "There's not a lot of hidden agendas.""Members have invested in everything from batteries and hydrogen fuel to regenerative farmland and greener product packaging. Portfolios include still unproven technologies such as methods for carbon capture and true long shots like fusion reactors." -Bloomberg
Jeff Bezos plays it safe on his $10 billion climate giveaway -- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Monday announced nearly $800 million in grants to some of the country’s most prominent environmental organizations, spelling out the first details on his massive climate change push since he unveiled it in February. The $10 billion program, called the Bezos Earth Fund, is one of the biggest charitable commitments ever and the largest to date by Bezos, the world’s richest person. The lion’s share of the money from Bezos is funding nonprofits that are prominent even outside of environmental circles. If you were hoping for the tech billionaire to makemoonshot investments in unheard-of but highly effective charities, Bezos’s gifts will disappoint you. But if you were hoping for massive cash injections into well-financed, uncontroversial, and long-established organizations, Bezos fulfills your expectations. Bezos is awarding $100 million each to the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Nature Conservancy, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund. Those five groups are among the largest environmental nonprofits in the country. The Nature Conservancy had almost $1 billion in revenue in the most recent fiscal year on file, and the other four had over $100 million each.
Biden to enlist Agriculture, Transportation agencies in climate fight - President-elect Joe Biden is eyeing the departments of Agriculture and Transportation as key partners for achieving his climate goals, exciting progressives by broadening efforts beyond traditional environmental agencies. Biden’s climate plan calls for harnessing the power of agriculture to capture and store carbon while innovating to reduce its own footprint. In the transportation sector, he’s called for a massive investment in transit and electric vehicle infrastructure to reduce reliance on gas-powered vehicles. But some of Biden’s potential picks are already generating concern from left-leaning interest groups, particularly those that want the incoming administration to surpass former President Obama’s accomplishments by using the full force of the federal government to tackle climate change. Among those considered to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA) are former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio.). Fudge has been openly campaigning for the job, telling Politico earlier this month that she’s been “very, very loyal to the ticket” and encouraging the Biden administration to place Black leaders in roles beyond traditional posts like Housing and Urban Development secretary. Heitkamp has been more circumspect but didn’t rule out interest. After losing reelection in 2018 after only one term, she formed the One Country Fund, a political action committee that seeks to bolster Democratic prospects in rural America, an area where Democrats have struggled to make inroads. “Joe Biden has the opportunity to put together a Cabinet that reflects all parts of America, and I know what decision he makes is going to be the right one,” Heitkamp told The Hill. “We all have to make America unified to work again, so I’m very, very excited about Joe Biden as our next president of the United States and for Kamala Harris as our next vice president.” Heitkamp’s government record before coming to Congress included defending North Dakota’s anti-corporate agriculture law as state attorney general in the 1990s. In Washington, she served on the Senate Agriculture Committee. But her potential nomination for Agriculture secretary is already facing resistance from a host of left-leaning environmental and farmworker groups, hitting the former senator for her moderate voting record, acceptance of campaign contributions from large agribusiness and her overall environmental record. More than 130 groups, including Friends of the Earth and Farmworker Justice, sent a letter to the Biden transition team urging them to avoid selecting Heitkamp due to her acceptance of donations from fossil fuel companies and her support for President Trump’s first Environmental Protection Agency chief. Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) was the only other Democrat to support Scott Pruitt when he was nominated.
Joe Biden Just Appointed His Climate Movement Liaison. It’s a Fossil-Fuel Industry Ally. - Joe Biden says confronting climate change is one of his top priorities. But today, he appointed as his liaison to the climate movement a congressman who has raked in big money from the fossil fuel industry while voting to help oil and gas companies. Following a campaign promising bold climate action, president-elect Joe Biden’s transition team named one of the Democratic Party’s top recipients of fossil fuel industry money to a high-profile White House position focusing in part on climate issues.On Tuesday, Politico reported that Biden is appointing US Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) to lead the White House Office of Public Engagement, where he is “expected to serve as a liaison with the business community and climate change activists.”During his ten years in Congress, Richmond has received roughly $341,000 from donors in the oil and gas industry — the fifth-highest total among House Democrats, according to previous reporting by Sludge. That includes corporate political action committee donations of $50,000 from Entergy, an electric and natural gas utility; $40,000 from ExxonMobil; and $10,000 apiece from oil companies Chevron, Phillips 66, and Valero Energy.Richmond has raked in that money while representing a congressional districtthat is home to seven of the ten most air-polluted census tracts in the country. Richmond has repeatedly broken with his party on major climate and environmental votes. During the climate crisis that has battered his home state of Louisiana, Richmond has joined with Republicans to vote to increase fossil fuel exports and promote pipeline development. He also voted against Democratic legislation to place pollution limits on fracking — and he voted for GOP legislation to limit the Obama administration’s authority to more stringently regulate the practice.
Progressive group slams Biden White House pick over tie to fossil fuel industry - Progressive environmental group the Sunrise Movement on Tuesday criticized President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) to be his senior adviser over Richmond’s fossil fuel donations. The group called the appointment of Richmond, who was also a national co-chairman of the Biden campaign, a “betrayal.”“One of President-Elect Biden’s very first hires for his new administration has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his Congressional career than nearly any other Democrat, cozied up to Big Oil and Gas, and stayed silent and ignored meeting with organizations in his own community while they suffered from toxic pollution and sea-level rise,” said Varshini Prakash, the group’s executive director, in a statement. “That’s a mistake, and it’s an affront to young people who made President-Elect Biden’s victory possible. President-Elect Biden assured our movement he understands the urgency of this crisis; now, it’s time for him to act like it,” Prakash added. In response to the statement, a Biden-Harris transition official stressed that the president-elect “knows that climate change is the challenge that will define our American future” in an email to The Hill. “The incoming White House staff members are committed to building an administration that will tackle the climate crisis and fight for environmental justice,” the official said. Richmond, who represents parts of the New Orleans area, had nearly $113,000 in campaign donations this cycle from the oil and gas sector, more than any other sector that donated to his campaign, according toOpen Secrets. He was also one of a few Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline.
Progressives urge Biden away from including Obama energy secretary in administration -- A coalition of more than 70 groups, including progressive and environmental organizations, is urging President-elect Joe Biden not to include a former Energy secretary who served with him under former President Obama in his incoming administration. The groups’ opposition to Ernest Moniz, who is seen as a leading contender to reprise his role as the nation’s top energy official, stems from connections to the fossil fuel industry and his positions on fossil fuels. “During the campaign, we applauded your commitment to restore trust in government and to address the climate emergency, environmental injustice, and the array of other crises that working families and communities face today,” the groups wrote in a letter on Monday. “Therefore, we are writing to urge you to commit to ensuring Ernest Moniz holds no public or private role, whether formal or informal, in your transition team, cabinet, or administration.” Moniz served as Energy secretary from 2013 to 2017, supporting an “all of the above” energy strategy that backed both fossil fuels and renewable energy. He also helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. Moniz has served as a consultant for oil and gas company BP. In their letter, the groups argued that Moniz’s “employment and financial ties situate him firmly in the revolving door between government and fossil fuel corporations.” Biden to enlist Agriculture, Transportation agencies in climate fight UK moves up deadline to ban sales of new gasoline and diesel vehicles Groups that signed on to the letter include the Sunrise Movement, Greenpeace Inc. and 350 Action. A spokesperson for Moniz’s Energy Futures Initiative (EFI), a nonprofit focused on energy innovation, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the EFI spokesperson recently shared with The Hill a statement in which Moniz and others said they “stand ready to assist the Biden Administration — and the country — in achieving a clean energy future” and are “laser-focused on the net-zero emissions goal advanced by the President-elect and examining all pathways that enable progress towards successfully meeting this essential goal.”
Greenpeace Releases Sweeping Policy Plans To Fight Inequality, Racial Injustice, COVID-19 and Climate Crisis --The "just, green, and peaceful future we deserve is possible and together we can build the power to manifest it."So declares Greenpeace USA's new "Just Recovery Agenda." Released Tuesday and packed with more than 100 sweeping policy recommendations for President-elect Joe Biden and members of the next U.S. Congress to embrace, the visionary document plots out a path for erecting new systems that no longer put corporate greed above the public and planet's well-being."Going back to normal is not an option," the report bluntly states, because what "we knew as 'normal' was a crisis." The coronavirus crisis has thrown that truism into relief, says Greenpeace, but the worsening climate and ecological crises and deep inequality have long made the case for a bold transformation of the dominant economic system.With post-pandemic policies now being charting out —and a new presidential administration just months away — Greenpeace says it's crystal clear now is the time for pivotal change."The policy choices we make in this disruptive moment will shape the path forward for millions of people—the Covid-19 crisis and clarion call for racial justice in 2020 must mark a turning point for federal policy-making," the report urges. Greenpeace USA campaigns director James Mumm put the new report in the context of former Biden's victoryover President Donald Trump."Over the past four years, we have cared for one another," he continued. "Now, we must come together to ensure that Joe Biden and the new Congress care for us, and to see that everyone — no matter their race or where they come from— has what they need to thrive."The report expands on what that means by pointing to "dignified work, healthcare, education, housing, clean air and water, healthy food, and more." In this new work, says Greenpeace, the world must "shift from an economy that is extractive and exploitative to one that regenerates and repairs."Centering all the prescriptions — which range from boosting voting rights to expanding renewable energy — are values of equity, community justice, freedom, compassion, and creativity. Actions demanded of federal lawmakers include establishing a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour; strengthening the National Environmental Policy Act; enacting and enforcing new antitrust standards to curb corporate power; "passing bold and just recovery legislation in line with the THRIVE Agenda to lay the groundwork for a Green New Deal and world beyond fossil fuels"; enacting the pro-democracy the For The People Act of 2019; banning permits for new or expansions of existing factory farms; "enacting The BREATHE Act to police brutality and racial injustice by investing in Black communities and re-imagining community safety"; and enacting a ban on deep sea mining.
LAW: Meet the Republican AGs who could fight Biden in court -- Wednesday, November 18, 2020 -- A new cast of Republican attorneys general are ready for their star turn if President-elect Joe Biden tries to make good on his ambitious environmental goals. They will follow what's become a legal paradigm: attorneys general on one side of the political aisle challenging the environmental policies of a White House held by the opposing party. The practice ramped up during the Obama administration, as red states challenged EPA's aggressive environmental and climate rules. The trend exploded during the Trump years, with blue states suing over a long list of EPA rollbacks. After this year's elections, Republicans hold 26 state attorney general offices. And they are preparing to wield their power in court. "The attorneys general in 2021 are developing strategies to push back against" the Biden administration, said Kelly Laco, a spokeswoman for the Republican Attorneys General Association. The tactic has paid off for both sides, in part because both the Obama and Trump administrations were more active in issuing environmental rules — giving the attorneys general more targets. But it has been used particularly effectively by Democratic attorneys general during the Trump era. Bblue-state attorneys general have filed about twice as many lawsuits and won more often challenging Trump rules. They saw a roughly 80% success rate from the challenges they filed during Trump's four years in office (Greenwire, May 26). "This grand plan to set aside decades of environmental and clean energy law has failed," said David Hayes, a former Obama administration official and executive director of the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at the New York University School of Law. "And I credit the state AG community for an enormous piece of this." In partnership with environmental groups, Democratic attorneys general notched wins in several early procedural challenges of the Trump administration's efforts to delay implementation of Obama-era environmental rules. Later in Trump's term, green groups and blue states celebrated more substantial victories when federal courts struck down rescissions of Obama-era Interior Department rules governing oil, gas and coal valuations, as well as methane emissions from energy operations on public lands. A separate court later struck down the Obama administration's underlying methane rule. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D), who has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, said the reason California and other blue states have been so successful in court over the last four years is that the Trump administration failed to craft legally defensible rules. He said he doubts the Biden team will make the same missteps.
FERC's carbon pricing statement draws criticism, cautious support | S&P Global Platts — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's draft policy statement on carbon pricing in wholesale power markets was met with support from merchant generators and skepticism from states with individual clean energy policies. A draft policy statement issued last month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission encouraging carbon pricing rules in wholesale power markets has generated mixed feedback. Merchant generators and some industry trade groups urged the agency to move forward with the proposed guidelines for accommodating state-set carbon pricing in wholesale power markets, while environmental groups and states themselves signaled skepticism and, in some cases, outright opposition. FERC issued the draft policy statement in October after hosting a technical conference (AD20-14) on carbon pricing following a series of orders aimed at countering the market impacts of states' clean energy policies, which in many cases include renewable energy mandates. During the technical conference, legal experts generally agreed that FERC has authority under Section 205 of the Federal Power Act to review proposals submitted by regional transmission organizations and independent system operators that incorporate a state-determined price on carbon emissions. While the draft guidance is unlikely to be finalized under newly named Chairman James Danly, experts have speculated FERC could do so after President-elect Joe Biden replaces Danly with a Democrat. In Nov. 16 comments, the PJM Interconnection and ISO New England noted that 10 of their member states already participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, the nation's first cap-and-trade scheme for carbon emissions from power plants. Virginia is also set to become a RGGI member next year and Pennsylvania is in the process of joining the program, as well. While bids from generators operating within RGGI indirectly reflect their environmental compliance costs, embedding a carbon price directly within wholesale electricity markets "is possible," PJM said. However, PJM stressed that market-based emission reduction programs are most efficient when they are implemented on a large, regional scale. In contrast, the single-state New York ISO – which has been working on a carbon pricing program since 2016 and is likely to be the first to file a proposal with FERC – said it "firmly believes" that its plan represents a "powerful tool" to maintain efficient market outcomes while achieving the state's clean energy requirements. New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act mandates a 100% carbon-free electric grid by 2040. Meanwhile, the New England States Committee on Electricity, or NESCOE, pointed to a recently released six-state vision statement for the region's electric grid, confirming the coalition's opposition to a "separate carbon pricing-style mechanism" through ISO-NE's markets.
Senate advances energy regulator nominees despite uncertainty of floor vote --The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Wednesday to advance the nominations of Allison Clements and Mark Christie to be commissioners at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). However, it’s not clear whether the two nominees, whose confirmations would restore the commission to a full five members, will get a floor vote as the Senate session comes to a close. Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) acknowledged the time frame in her opening remarks on Wednesday. “It’s perhaps too early to say what the floor schedule will allow in December,” she said. “But if these nominees are confirmed, FERC would at least have a full complement of five commissioners headed into 2021, which is a far better place than the start of 2017.” Neither nominee passed the committee unanimously. Republican Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.) voted against Clements, and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) voted against Christie. FERC regulates natural gas and hydropower projects and the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil and electricity. It’s not supposed to have more than three members of any one party. Adding Clements and Christie, a Democrat and Republican, respectively, to the commission would create a 3-2 Republican majority on the panel.
U.S. solar group pushing Biden to end tariffs, extend subsidies (Reuters) - The U.S. solar industry on Tuesday laid out a list of policies it says could be enacted early next year as President-elect Joe Biden works to deliver on his pledge to ramp fire up clean energy development to create jobs and fight climate change. The Solar Energy Industries Association, the top U.S. solar trade group, is banking on the support of a Biden administration to achieve its goal of providing 20% of U.S. electricity by 2030, up from just 3% currently. While the industry has grown rapidly under the administration of Donald Trump, the president has voiced skepticism about the technology and in 2018 imposed steep tariffs on imported panels that dominate U.S. supplies. Among the $18 billion solar industry’s top asks would be an executive order to lift those tariffs, SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper said on a conference call with reporters. The tariff at first increased the price of imported panels by 30% and have dropped by 5% ever year. They are scheduled to fall to 18% next year before ending in 2022. Solar companies also want Congress to extend by five years lucrative tax credits for solar energy systems that have begun to phase out. They want the credit to remain at the original 30% level for five years, SEIA said, and are also seeking a similar credit for energy storage. The tax credit will help solar keep up its momentum as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and “provide a roadmap for getting people back to work,” Hopper said. Four other top priorities include pushing Biden to appoint a “climate czar” who would advance an environmental justice agenda, name Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioners who support clean energy, incentivize development of renewable energy on federal lands, and develop policies that would invest in domestic manufacturing.
Illinois’ legislative lockdown will leave solar industry waiting until 2021 As surging coronavirus cases prompt leaders to cancel a November legislative session, solar developers and advocates fear irreparable harm to the industry.Hopes for new Illinois energy legislation this year have been dashed by the pandemic-related cancelation of the state’s annual November veto session. Several new energy bills are pending in the state legislature, including the Clean Energy Jobs Act, backed by clean energy and community groups, and the Path to 100 bill, backed by renewable energy developers. With the veto session nixed, solar developers and advocates are looking to 2021 but say the nascent industry may suffer irreparable harm in the meantime. The news comes as several solar projects are being unveiled, demonstrating the success of incentives created by the 2017 Future Energy Jobs Act — incentives that will no longer be available unless new legislation passes. The state’s largest solar installation on a school went online this month, part of 23 megawatts of solar developed and owned by ForeFront Power. The company has invested $46.7 million in Illinois under the Future Energy Jobs Act, with more major projects slated to go online soon, according to Rachel McLaughlin, vice president of sales and marketing. Meanwhile, suburbs north of Chicago this month launched a program to offer residents guaranteed 20% savings if they subscribe to community solar projects that were also made possible by the 2017 law. When the Future Energy Jobs Act passed, “all of a sudden solar made sense for customers in Illinois,” said McLaughlin. “But now the incentives are gone. We have demand from customers every day, but we won’t be able to do [new installations] without something like Path to 100. … Without a long-term consistent program that provides certainty for the market, we’ll continue to see these boom and bust cycles.”
Energy Efficiency Jobs Plummet By More Than 18K In Florida During Pandemic -A new report shows energy efficiency jobs were growing locally and nationwide when the coronavirus pandemic hit, before declining during the ensuing economic crisis, but the industry is struggling to recover as quickly as the rest of the economy. The 2020 Energy Efficiency Jobs in America report, prepared by E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and the E4TheFuture, with data collected and analyzed by BW Research Partnership, shows that as of Oct. 2020, nearly 322,000 energy efficiency jobs have been lost (a 13.5% decline) since the pandemic struck, including more than 18,000 in Florida alone (down 14.7%). Many of those lost jobs have been in construction. Prior to this rapid decline, energy efficiency jobs had been growing at twice the rate of overall nationwide employment since 2017, reaching nearly 2.4 million workers at the end of 2019. The industry was projected to add another 71,000 jobs to the economy this year. The industry has seen some improvements over the last few months, but according to Phil Jordan, vice president of BW Research, the addition of about 16,800 jobs means the recovery has been slower than that of the overall economy. “We found the return of 862 jobs [in Florida], which is less than 1% growth,” he said. “Not only is it very low, in terms of the scope of the jobs lost across the state, but it's also really not that much more than jobs were growing on a monthly basis prior to the pandemic.”
Underground pipeline for methane gas proposed in eastern NC — A joint venture between pork producer Smithfield and Dominion Energy would create an underground 30-mile pipeline in Eastern North Carolina, carrying methane gas from hog farms to a facility in Duplin County. According to the company, the biogas processing facility will collect methane gas from 19 hog farms in the area through underground pipelines and convert the gas into electricity that will heat more than 3,000 homes and businesses. "We are capturing the methane that is produced from the hog manure, and we’re putting it to good use to heat people’s homes and businesses," said Aaron Ruby, Align RNG’s spokesperson, "instead of allowing it to be released into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change." Jennifer Daniels is a hog farmer in Sampson County and a member of the Pork Council. Daniels said Sampson County’s livelihood depends on the hog industry. "If you were to pull the pork production out of Sampson county, it would be devastating for our economy," she said. Daniels was one of more than 200 participants that joined a virtual public hearing for the project’s air quality permit. She spoke in support of the Align RNG project. Ruby said both the farmers who sell their methane gas and the people who allow the pipes to run on their properties will be compensated. But those who lives near the hog farms involved in the project are not sold on the idea. "Why don’t they pick another area, besides this one, there’s enough in this area already," said Larry Faison, who has lived in Sampson County for most of his life. Faison said the hog farms came to Sampson County nearly three decades ago, bringing the odor with them. Faison said the odor comes and goes, but tends to sit heavily at night. Faison said in Turkey – the town in Sampson County where he lives with his family – many have lost trust in the establishment. He hesitates to believe this project won’t make the odor worse. "They’re out there for the dollar and I understand that, but they’re not thinking about the people," he said.
Smithfield, Dominion propose major swine gas project, but details are secret, troubling residents | NC Policy Watch Smithfield Foods and Dominion Energy plan to deploy 30 miles of underground pipeline in Sampson and Duplin counties, part of a controversial project to buy methane generated by area hog farms and inject it into a larger system owned by Piedmont Natural Gas.In and of itself, decreasing methane emissions in the atmosphere isn’t controversial. Such reductions are key to curbing climate change because methane is even more potent in heating the planet than carbon dioxide. And the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) requires investor-owned utilities to generate or buy a minute amount of their power — just 0.07% — from swine and poultry waste, based on the previous year’s retail electricity sales.But key details of the $30 million proposal, billed as the largest swine waste-to-energy project in North Carolina, have been kept secret, even from state regulators. Nor is the energy completely “clean.” A central gas collection facility on the Duplin-Sampson county line would emit more than 60 tons of pollution each year, according to the draft air permit submitted to the Division of Air Quality.While the participating farms, 19 so far, would cover their lagoons to capture the methane, it is yet unclear to what extent that would control emissions. Community members, most of them Black or Latinx, who have lived with the stench of these hog farms for decades, are unimpressed. They say Smithfield has long refused to adopt advanced waste management technologies to replace the outdated open lagoon and spray field system. Now, many residents say, the company is monetizing the their misery. “They say there is no harm because they’re covering the lagoons,” said Elsie Herring, one of dozens of plaintiffs suing Smithfield in federal court for nuisance related to odor, flies, vultures and truck traffic at the farms. “But this just enables them to do business as usual.”
NCDAQ looking for public comment on proposed Duplin County biogas facility - (WNCT) – Duplin County could soon be home to a renewable gas project. North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality wants to hear from people in Duplin and Sampson counties about a proposed biogas facility. It’s called Align RNG. It’s a partnership between Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods. The project involves converting manure from 19 local hog farms into renewable energy. “The methane product that is created, it gets inserted into this natural gas pipeline that’s then used for commercial and residential use,” said Zaynab Nasif, spokesperson for the NCDAQ. The State Department of Environmental Quality held a virtual public hearing Monday to allow people in those counties to voice their opinions on the project. One hundred nine people signed up to speak. Some were in favor of the proposed project. “This project will indisputable enhance the quality of our air,” said Santiago Vazquez, hog farmer. “Eastern North Carolina is home to many local farms that will greatly benefit from the ingenuity of this entire concept.” Others were opposed. “Dominion and Smithfield continue to make money off of a banned, outdated system of waste management,” said Kyle Cornish, who spoke at the public hearing. “This project would submit nearby communities to more than 100,000 pounds of toxic air chemical pollutants.”
Utilities, Tesla, Uber create U.S. lobbying group for electric vehicle industry (Reuters) - A group of major U.S. utilities, Tesla TSLA.O, Uber UBER.N and others said on Tuesday they are launching a new group to lobby for national policies to boost electric vehicle sales. The new Zero Emission Transportation Association wants to boost consumer electric vehicle incentives and encourage the retirement of gasoline-powered vehicles. It also advocates for tougher emissions and performance standards that will potentially enable full electrification by 2030. Under President Donald Trump, the White House rejected new tax credits for electric vehicles as it proposed to kill existing credits and made it easier to sell gas-guzzling vehicles. President-elect Joe Biden promises new tax incentives, including new rebates to buy EVs and a dramatic expansion of charging stations for electric vehicles - policy measures automakers have long advocated. “We can own the electric vehicle market — building 550,000 charging stations — and creating over a million good jobs here at home — with the federal government investing more in clean energy research,” Biden said Monday. Biden’s measures are in line with the group’s call for “strong federal charging infrastructure investments” and its goal to reach 100% electric vehicle sales by 2030. Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the group will support “Uber’s work to move 100% of rides to EVs in (the United States), Canadian and European cities by 2030 and go fully zero-emissions by 2040. It will take all of us working together to address the urgent crisis of climate change.” Automakers in the United States sold 326,000 EVs in 2019, accounting for about 2% of total U.S. auto sales. Tesla sold nearly 60% of the total. Other members include ConEdison, Duke Energy, PG&E along with EV charging companies like Chargepoint and EVgo, fledging automakers like Lordstown Motors, Rivian and Lucid Motors. Also part are Albemarle Corp, the world's largest producer of lithium for electric vehicle batteries, Piedmont Lithium and Siemens.
Texas electric vehicles and hybrids topic of revenue bill - One Texas state lawmaker is trying again to add the Lone Star State to the list of states that collect additional revenue from owners of electric vehicles and hybrids. Rep. Ken King, R-Hemphill, has filed a bill for consideration during the upcoming regular session to impose an additional fee for the registration and renewed registration of electric and hybrid vehicles. The bill, HB427, would collect an additional fee of $200 for electric vehicles and $100 for vehicles that use a combination of fuel and electric power, or hybrid vehicles. In 2019, King introduced an identical bill. The effort received a public hearing but the House Transportation Committee failed to advance the bill. Collecting the additional fees is estimated to raise $55 million over the next two years for the state’s highway fund, according to a fiscal note.
Quebec to ban sale of new gasoline-powered cars from 2035 (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Quebec said on Monday it will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars from 2035, joining California and others in announcing moves to shift to electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada’s second-most populous province announced the ban as part of a C$6.7 billion ($5.1 billion) plan over five years to help Quebec meet a target of reducing its greenhouses gases by 37.5% by 2030, in comparison with 1990 levels, Premier Francois Legault told reporters in Montreal. The ban will bring Quebec in line with other jurisdictions such as California, the largest U.S. auto market, which in September announced a move to electric vehicles starting in 2035. Brian Kingston, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, reacting by Twitter on Monday to Quebec’s announcement, said: “Consumers need more support to buy new (zero-emission vehicles) ZEVs, not bans on internal combustion vehicles.” The Canadian province of British Columbia has already moved to phase out fuel-powered cars and trucks over a two-decade period, with a total ban on their sale or lease coming into effect in 2040. The United Kingdom is also said to be working on a similar decision.
The UK plans to ban sales of diesel and petrol cars from 2030 -The U.K. will stop selling new diesel and petrol (gasoline) cars and vans from 2030 under plans announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The move is part of a wider 10-point plan for a so-called "green industrial revolution" aimed at generating as much as 250,000 jobs and combatting climate change. Announced late Tuesday night in an article written by Johnson in the Financial Times, and published on the government's website Wednesday morning, the plan will focus on a range of areas including carbon capture and storage, low-carbon hydrogen generation, offshore wind and nuclear energy. The vehicle ban represents an acceleration of prior targets; U.K. authorities had previously said the sale of new petrol and diesel vans and cars would end in 2040. In February, they announced an ambition to bring this forward to 2035. The new 2030 target comes after what the government described as "extensive consultation with car manufacturers and sellers." The government will, however, continue to "allow the sale of hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe until 2035." In terms of funding, £1.3 billion (around $1.72 billion) will go towards improving electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, while £582 million will be set aside for grants to lower the cost of electric vehicles and encourage uptake. In addition, almost £500 million will be spent across the next four years on "the development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries." Given that internal combustion engine vehicles still represent the majority of vehicles driven on U.K. roads, there are clear hurdles to overcome if the 2030 target is to be met. "Less than 10% of cars sold in the U.K. during 2020 so far have been battery EVs," Tom Heggarty, a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a statement. "Getting to 100% will require a huge effort across the entire supply chain, as well as ensuring that enough fast charging infrastructure is available to keep all new electric vehicles … on the road," he added. The U.K. is one of many countries looking to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. Denmark, for example, has proposed a phase-out of new diesel and petrol car sales in 2030. And Norway, long recognized as a world leader in the adoption of electric vehicles, wants all new light vans and passenger cars sold to be zero emission by the year 2025. Back in the U.K. Mike Hawes, who is chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said the "new deadline, fast-tracked by a decade, sets an immense challenge." Hawes went on to add that the SMMT was pleased to see the government "accept the importance of hybrid transition technologies" and "commit to additional spending on purchase incentives." "Investment in EV manufacturing capability is equally welcome as we want this transition to be 'made in the U.K.', but if we are to remain competitive – as an industry and a market – this is just the start of what's needed."
Climate Deniers Are Claiming EVs Are Bad for the Environment — Again. Here’s Why They’re Wrong. | DeSmog -- A new paper published Tuesday, November 17, by the conservative think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), raises environmental concerns with electric vehicles in what appears to be the latest attempt by organizations associated with fossil fuel funding to pump the brakes on the transportation sector’s transition away from petroleum and towards cleaner electricity. In the U.S., the transportation sector is the largest contributor to planet-warming emissions. Climate and energy policy experts say electrifying vehicles is necessary to mitigate these emissions. In fact, scientists recently warned that if the country has any hope of reaching the Paris climate targets of limiting warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), 90 percent of all light-duty cars on the road must be electric by 2050. But the Competitive Enterprise Institute — a longtime disseminator of disinformation on climate science and supported by petroleum funding sources including the oil giant ExxonMobil and petrochemical billionaire Koch foundations — dismisses this imperative and instead tries to portray electrified transport as environmentally problematic in a papertitled, “Would More Electric Vehicles Be Good for the Environment?” “This is a grab bag of old and misleading claims about EVs [electric vehicles],” said David Reichmuth, a senior engineer in the clean transportation program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “If you want to answer this question [posed by the report’s title], you have to also look at the question of what are the impacts of the current gasoline and diesel transport system, and this report just ignores that.” While electric vehicles are not without some level of adverse environmental impacts, particularly in the vehicle and battery manufacturing process, CEI uses the rhetorical trick of focusing exclusively on these impacts — in some cases overstating or misrepresenting them — while pretty much ignoring the comparative environmental disadvantages of petroleum-powered transportation.
Cutting the Total Cost of Electrification for EV Bus and Truck Fleets -Electric trucks and buses may be approaching cost parity with their fossil-fueled counterparts, and they’re certainly cheaper to fuel over the long run — and that’s not counting their carbon and pollution emissions benefits. But that’s just a slice of the costs of switching bus and truck fleets from fossil fuels to batteries. Unexpected costs and bottlenecks in charging infrastructure, fleet operations and maintenance, and permitting and financing weigh on cities and states mandating electric bus fleets, as well as private companies with large-scale delivery-truck electrification goals. Solving this “total cost of electrification” equation will be a critical step in pushing EV trucks and buses from the margins to the mainstream in the coming decade, according to a report released Wednesday by Environmental Defense Fund, MJ Bradley and Vivid Economics. “We’re seeing the technology increasingly ready and capital increasingly eager to invest in sustainability” via fleet electrification, Andy Darrell, EDF’s chief of global energy and finance strategy, said in an interview. “And yet the deployment, especially in the medium- and heavy-duty sector, might not be moving as quickly as we’d like to achieve big climate goals.” Estimates on the global market for electric trucks and buses range into the tens of billions of dollars over the coming decade, he noted. Cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Houston have set aggressive zero-emissions goals for bus fleets. California has mandated a completely zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicle fleet by 2045, and other states may follow suit. Companies including Amazon, FedEx, Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch are piloting tens of thousands of electric trucks.But there is “a pretty wide set of barriers” between pilots and full-scale deployments, Darrell said. Beyond the costs of equipping depots with the EV chargers and grid infrastructure to support them, drivers and mechanics need training to ensure these facilities are run efficiently and avoid expensive downtime.
Electric School Bus Fleets Test the US Vehicle-to-Grid Proposition - Electric school buses just might be the breakout vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in the United States. At least, that’s how Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland Electric Transportation, sees it. McIntyre, who founded renewable energy procurement and analysis marketplace Altenex in 2011 and sold it to Edison International in 2015, started Highland Electric two years ago to build a “business entirely around the school bus electrification market.” The idea is to replace the upfront and ongoing costs of EV buses and charging infrastructure with a fixed annual fee, equal to or less than a school district’s current budget for owning, fueling and maintaining their existing diesel-fueled fleets. Highland finances the arrangement and recoups the investment by finding ways to earn money from the new fleet’s battery capacity when the buses are not on the road. A major part of that equation relies on tapping their energy storage capacity for soaking up low-cost overnight or midday power — and more importantly, discharging it during grid-stressed evening peaks. That’s the big difference between V2G technologies, which actively tap EV batteries, and the far more common “V1G” approach of simply throttling or halting EV charging to reduce grid impacts. Out of all the EVs out there, “we think electric school buses are the killer V2G app,” McIntyre said in an interview last week. Not only do the nearly 500,000 school buses in North America spend most of their time parked, “they’re idle in the middle of the day, they’re idle in the evening, and they’re idle all summer,” a schedule that fits almost perfectly with emerging grid needs.
Conn. Attorney General Scrutinizes Eversource Outage System --After this weekend’s strong storms, Connecticut’s Attorney General says he’ll investigate failures in Eversource’s power outage reporting system. Attorney General William Tong said the energy company’s automated system has been riddled with errors and dysfunction since it was first developed at taxpayer expense after storms in 2011 and 2012. “Communication generally was down for a good part of the extreme weather events," Tong said. "That’s not acceptable, it has to stop and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” Tong said he’ll add the issue to an open docket on Eversource’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias currently before the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Agency. “We paid for them to upgrade their communication systems. We expect those communication systems to work and to work well. And time and again these systems continue to fail us.” A spokesperson for Eversource said they agreed with Tong that issues with the reporting system were unacceptable, and said the company is committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again.
Hundreds of ‘critical’ facilities around Connecticut were left in dark for days after Isaias - -The lights went out as Tropical Storm Isaias winds blew harder heading into the afternoon and evening hours on Aug. 4, and for ever-longer stretches: Stamford Hospital; Aquarion water plants in New Canaan, Westport and Newtown; and police stations in more than a dozen towns including Bethel, Brookfield and Redding.In all, more than 1,100 such facilities lost power during Tropical Storm Isaias — with close to a third of those left in the dark more than four days, ranging from supermarkets and pharmacies, to fire departments and emergency medical services, to nursing homes and dialysis centers. Eversource filed its restoration times for critical facilities last week with the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, as part of an ongoing PURA probe into the preparation and responses of Eversource and Avangrid subsidiary United Illuminating to Isaias, which left some customers without power more than a week.More than 35,000 customers got a fresh reminder of the inconveniences of lost power even for short durations, after a derecho band of high winds raced through Connecticut Sunday night. An Eversource spokesperson did not provide comment immediately Tuesday on whether the company is revising its policies on power restoration for critical facilities, given some of the lags evident after Isaias with more than 30 such locations out of power for seven days or more. In a PURA filing summarizing its policies, Eversource stated its top priority is on “make safe” work to clear roads for police, fire and ambulances responding to immediate emergencies, then move on to other roads blocked by wires. Critical facilities — so designated at the request of municipal leaders — are next on the list, followed by downed power lines that serve the largest numbers of customers. Eversource stated the make-safe model emerged from the 2012 storm Sandy and that it provides a framework for restoration priorities, but “does not resolve all issues ... given that each storm event is occasioned by wholly unique and individual circumstances” in its words. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and town officials throughout Connecticut had sharp criticism for Eversource and United Illuminating’s responsiveness after Isaias. .“There is a senior housing facility in the center of [Ridgefield]. Eversource did not restore power there until Sunday, August 9,” . “Because of the medical needs of many of the residents, including some who required oxygen, and the stifling heat during these days, Eversource’s failure threatened the lives of these senior residents.”In response, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a “take back the grid” act signed into law in October by Gov. Ned Lamont. Under the law, Eversource and United Illuminating can be forced to reimburse customers for spoiled food and medicine and inconveniences as a result of outages lasting more than four days.
Hilco, contractors pay $370K to settle state suit for Little Village demolition dust cloud - Chicago Sun-Times - Hilco Redevelopment Partners and two contractors will pay $370,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the state over air pollution violations after a botched demolition in Little Village blanketed the community in a thick plume of dirt and dust last spring. Hilco, which is redeveloping the former Crawford Power Generation Station site on South Pulaski Road into a warehouse and distribution hub for Target, used explosives to implode an almost 400-foot smokestack Easter Weekend that fell over and created a massive dust cloud, caught on video, that coated nearby homes, cars and yards and provoked outrage among residents. Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, un servicio presentado por AARP Chicago. Beyond the demolition debacle, the warehouse development is also controversial because it is expected to bring hundreds of diesel trucks in and out of the area every day, creating more pollution in an industrial area that already suffers from poor air quality. Community activists fought for years to shut down the Crawford coal-fired power plant and are angry that the replacement for the site will be another big source of air pollution.
Utilities’ to trim trees more aggressively in NJ? -New Jersey regulators may turn to state lawmakers to give electric utilities more leeway to trim trees on homeowners’ properties — even those not in the utilities’ rights of way.In a comprehensive report on power outages caused during a tropical storm this past August, the staff of the state Board of Public Utilities is recommending the agency urge the Legislature to help tighten rules on tree-trimming to prevent such outages. Downed trees caused most of the outages for more than 1 million customers during August’s Tropical Storm Isaias.The issue has been a perennial source of controversy. More aggressive vegetation management programs proposed by the agency have typically met stiff resistance from local communities, mostly in well-established, tree-lined suburbs, where many residents oppose tree-trimming on their properties.In the report, BPU staff suggested the state explore legislation that would allow New Jersey’s four electric utilities to trim or remove off-ROW (off-rights of way) “hazard’’ trees that threaten overhead power lines. Such options could only occur when the electric utilities secured the permission of the property owner. “Until and unless we reckon with the relationship between severe weather and widespread tree-related damage to utility infrastructure, large scale outages, especially in heavily forested areas of the state will continue to occur,’’ the report said.
Solar Energy Projects Hold Bright Prospects Where Coal Mines Once Prospered -- It wasn’t long ago that the 20,000 acres of southern West Virginia now home to theDevil’s Backbone Adventure Resort was once home to a lucrative coal mine. Not anymore. Now instead of piles of coal and earth moving machines, the site features log cabins, all-terrain vehicles and mountain biking paths along the famed Hatfield and McCoy Trail. It is all part of the grand makeover to convert lands once mined by coal operators into something that can make money. Back in the day, the Devils Backbone netted $1 million in coal-mining leases. Now just one year into its new venture, the group raked in $500,000 — and growing. But one venture is now absent and one the owners say would be a natural fit for the enclave: a solar farm. That may be coming: American Electric Power’s subsidiary Appalachian Power has issued a request for proposal for up to 200 megawatts of solar energy. It wants to reduce energy bills and to diversify its offerings. And West Virginia’s southern coalfields might be the right spot to locate. “As soon as AEP AEP -0.6% made this announcement earlier this year, we started fielding phone calls from four or five solar companies,” says Ruffner Woody, general manager of the adventure park. “And it doesn’t take much: they just need relatively flat land and to be near a transmission system. Everyone is looking for that post-coal game plan. That is why we developed a resort. “We would be totally open to a solar project,” he continues. “It would burnish the natural image we have created. We all know coal is not what it used to be. You can’t find anyone to lease your property for that purpose.”
IB Q3 output totals 16.8 million st, up 19.6% on quarter: MSHA | S&P Global Platts — Illinois Basin coal production totaled nearly 16.8 million st in the third quarter, up 19.6% from the previous quarter, Mine Safety and Health Administration data showed Nov. 13. From the year-ago quarter, output was down 31%, the data showed. Alliance Resource Partner's Riverview mine was the top producer in Q3 with 2.7 million st. From Q2, output jumped 103%, while year on year it declined 2.4%. Prairie State's Lively Grove mine and Foresight Energy's MC#1 mine followed, both with output of over 1.5 million st. While Lively Grove production declined 12.9% quarter on quarter and dropped 1.4% from the year-ago quarter, MC#1 output rose 16.7% from Q2 and fell 52% from the year-ago period. Since the start of the year, the following mines have stopped and not restarted production: Paringa Resource's Poplar Grove mine, Solar Sources Shamrock mine, Hallador Energy's Carlisle mine, Murray Energy's Genesis mine and Foresight's Shay No. 1 mine. Of those mines, only Shamrock mine remains active, while the Genesis and Shay No. 1 mines status are nonproducing-active. On a company basis, Alliance output was over 5.2 million st in the third quarter, up 136% from Q2 and down 27.1% from the year-ago quarter. Foresight Q3 output totaled over 3.3 million st, up 8% quarter on quarter and down 32.6% from the year-ago quarter. Peabody Energy production was about 2.7 million st, up 6% from the previous quarter and down 37.7% from the year-ago quarter. Third-quarter Hallador production declined 15.7% from Q2 to 1.2 million st. Year on year, it dropped 35.2%
Coal states flex as Barrasso seeks Senate Energy gavel -- Thursday, November 19, 2020 --Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso's decision to become top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee will leave coal state lawmakers largely in charge of energy and environmental policy in the Senate.Three of the four senators expected to lead environment and energy panels in the 117th Congress hail from coal-mining states.Barrasso's decision yesterday to take the top GOP spot on the ENR Committee would allow West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to take Barrasso's EPW gavel, while fellow Mountain State Sen. Joe Manchin is expected to retain the top Democratic role on the Energy panel.Who will chair the committees remains in limbo, with control of the Senate dependent on two runoff races in Georgia in January.Barrasso nodded to his state's coal-mining history in a statement yesterday announcing his decision (E&E News PM, Nov. 18)."Our abundant energy supplies help power the nation. Our national parks and other special public lands are prized by locals and visited by millions from around the globe," he said. "The enjoyment, protection, and utilization of these special places and resources are at the very heart of our economy and western tradition."While coal is in steep decline as an energy fuel, mining state lawmakers will have considerable power to shape energy research and regulatory agenda at the Department of Energy and EPA, and they'll be able to wield influence over the Biden administration's energy and climate agenda.Still, all four committee leaders — including EPW Committee ranking member Tom Carper (D-Del.) — have bipartisan records, raising hopes among lawmakers and advocates that the panels will be actively producing legislation, even in a divided government."You've got four folks leading those committees that have all been pretty solid on infrastructure investments," said National Wildlife Federal President Collin O'Mara, who has been floated as a potential EPA administrator under President-elect Joe Biden (Greenwire, Nov. 9)."I don't think we're ever going to reach a solution that doesn't significantly invest in coal country," he said.O'Mara pointed to Barrasso's work on the "USE IT Act," S. 383, to boost carbon capture and sequestration and the America's Conservation Enhancement Act, the bipartisan wildlife bill that became law last month.Barrasso also led committee passage of a highway authorization bill that included a $10 billion climate title, though he has also faced years of criticism from green groups for stymieing efforts to address global warming. Manchin, who helped craft an energy package with current ENR Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), said he expects bipartisanship on the Energy panel to continue. "The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has a long history of strong bipartisan leadership and has served as an example for how the Senate can work when partisanship is not at the forefront," Manchin said in a statement. "Senator Barrasso and I both come from states that are blessed with a wide array of natural resources, and I know that will serve as a basis for us to work together in the 117th Congress," he added.
Federal Watchdog Finds Coal Safety Regulator Not Protecting Miners From Silica Dust - The Mine Safety and Health Administration is not doing enough to protect coal miners from deadly silica dust, according to a new report from the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. The IG found that MSHA’s standards for exposure to deadly silica dust were out of date, and MSHA lacked the ability to issue fines when coal companies violate air quality standards. The IG also said the mine safety agency’s sampling methods were too infrequent to guarantee that miners were protected. The report comes after years of increased scrutiny following reporting from NPR and the Ohio Valley ReSource that found clusters of advanced black lung disease among Appalachian coal miners. “They’ve finally admitted that they know now that they need to do more testing, and that they need to regulate silica dust, and that there’s a direct correlation between coal dust and silica,” said black lung rehab director Marcy Martinez. “I really think it’s going to be different this time.” The average time it takes for federal agencies to implement a rule change is four years, the report said, but MSHA has spent 20 years studying a rule change that would help protect coal miners from deadly silica dust. MSHA’s current standards for silica have not substantively changed in over 50 years, the report found, despite growing consensus that silica, also known as respirable quartz dust, is a major contributor to a surge in black lung disease that’s centered in the Ohio Valley. According to the report, the agency gestured towards making a change in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2010 and 2014 amid growing pressure from stakeholders, with no substantive change implemented in any of those efforts. MSHA again initiated the rulemaking process in August of 2019 with a request for information and has since said it would publish a proposed rule, but has not provided a timeframe for that announcement. “All MSHA is doing is saying, ‘We are aware of these cases, there’s a suggestion that it’s related to silica, so tell us what you think about this, let us know if you have any ideas,’” Celeste Monforton, a former MSHA regulator and now an outspoken critic of her former agency, said of the 2019 effort. “Decades of scientific evidence and real world experience have proven that exposure to respirable silica dust is deadly and MSHA has not sufficiently protected miners,”
Virginia officials, Justice reach agreement on back taxes -— The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday announced the county has reached an agreement with James C. Justice Companies Inc. on back taxes dating up to 2018, settling what has been ongoing litigation. The money will be used to enhance ATV trails. “Tazewell County will enter into a settlement agreement for the purpose of expanding ATV trails throughout the northern end of the county,” the board said. “In forming the agreement, Justice has agreed to pay in full the taxes, penalties and interest for all outstanding real estate and personal property taxes through 2019, which totals $298,026. Justice has also agreed to pay $58,000 per year toward satisfaction of taxes, penalties, and interest for outstanding mineral taxes from 2018 onward. The settlement agreement also dismisses all longstanding litigation between Justice and Tazewell County.” The company is based in Roanoke and Justice, who is Governor of West Virginia, is listed as the key principal by Dun & Bradstreet. In 2016, Tazewell County officials seized more than $850,000 of equipment at a coal mine owned by then-gubernatorial candidate Jim Justice for failure to pay property taxes. Justice was elected Governor in 2016 and re-elected this year. Tazewell County Treasurer David Larimer said in 2016 the distress/seizure warrant was executed after the county did not receive payment of $850,000 in property taxes that were due in December. Justice owned three coal mines in Tazewell County, Justice Low Seam Mining Inc., Black River Coal LLC and Chestnut Land Holdings LLC, Larimer said, noting all of these fall under The Justice Group. Larimer said the taxes were due in December, and a second notice was sent out in January stating that the taxes needed to be paid by Feb. 19. The county received no response to the notice, he said.
Court denies DEP's motion to dismiss case that raises coal mine reclamation concerns -A federal court has denied state environmental regulators’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit that raises questions about the financial health of West Virginia’s surface coal mining reclamation program. The Ohio River Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Sierra Club claim the state Department of Environmental Protection violated its duty to inform the feds of a substantial change in its special reclamation fund. Friday’s decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia allows the lawsuit environmentalists filed in July to proceed. Their complaint stems from the Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, under which the federal government allows states to regulate their own surface coal mining and reclamation operations while the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement maintains some oversight to keep state programs in compliance with the federal law, enacte d in 1977. The environmental groups claim the state DEP should have informed the federal Surface Mining office that some permit holders have or will become insolvent. Failing to advise the feds violates the Reclamation Act’s mandate that states notify the Surface Mining office of “a significant change in funding or budgeting,” the environmental groups claim. Permit holders slipping into insolvency could overwhelm the DEP’s bonding system, the groups say. The DEP in March sued in Kanawha County Circuit Court to appoint a special receiver to assume the responsibilities of ERP Environmental Fund, Inc., a company that acquired more than 100 mining permits following Patriot Coal Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2015. ERP laid off all its employees and management as of March 20 and ceased operations, leaving its mining sites abandoned and public health and safety threatened, according to the DEP motion. The DEP reported the costs of reclaiming and remediating ERP’s sites totaled more than $230 million. Indemnity National Insurance Company, which issued about $125 million in surety bonds backing ERP’s obligations under its mining permits, agreed to provide $1 million in funding to Doss Special Receiver, LLC to fund its operations for an initial period of 90 days, leaving a $114- to $229-million deficit between reclamation costs and available money, depending on DEP’s ability to collect ERP’s bonds.
Report: Other States Have Safely Closed Coal Ash Ponds, So Can Indiana -Indiana lags behind other states when it comes to closing toxic coal ash ponds safely. That’s according to a new report by the Hoosier Environmental Council. Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal. Exposure to it can cause cancer, damage your nervous system, and cause other health problems.Indra Frank with the HEC said other states — like Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas — have shown coal ash can be contained safely in cement or in lined landfills on high ground. North Carolina alone has required Duke Energy to excavate 80 million tons of coal ash at its facilities in the state.“Yet in Indiana, we're seeing the state starting to approve plans that would leave coal ash in the floodplain and contaminating groundwater," she said.Instead of removing the coal ash, some Indiana utilities’ plans call for capping ponds in place without a protective liner. "Building a cap over the top of the coal ash prevents precipitation from soaking downward into the coal ash," Frank said. "But if the bottom of the ash is unlined and deep enough, the groundwater still comes into contact with coal ash — and anytime water is in contact with coal ash, we get contamination of the water." Angeline Protogere is a spokesperson for Duke Energy in Indiana. She said the utility plans to cap half of its coal ash ponds in place and excavate the other half. Protogere said every coal ash pond is different and requires careful engineering, which is why federal law allows for both kinds of closures. Though just how protective capping in place is has been challenged in court. Protogere said Duke also plans to monitor the groundwater at capped sites for at least 30 years. Coal ash concerns have already forced some Indiana utilities to provide municipal or bottled water to residents in the past — such as in the town of Pines near NIPSCO coal ash disposal sites as well as people living near Duke Energy’s Cayuga, Gibson and Noblesville plants. Protegere said Duke Energy found elevated levels of boron at those sites, but the federal government doesn’t regulate boron in drinking water. She said providing other options for those residents was done out of an abundance of caution.
CPS Energy says hefty debt means coal plant has to stay open — for now - CPS Energy’s chief executive said Wednesday that the city-owned utility owes too much money on its newer coal-fired power plant unit to commit to closing it this decade — a move some activist groups are demanding. In a virtual meeting with the San Antonio Express-News’ Editorial Board, CPS president and CEO Paula Gold-Williams said the utility still owes $1 billion on its Spruce 2 coal unit, which went online in 2010. CPS has previously committed to closing the older Spruce 1 unit by 2030, about a decade and a half ahead of schedule. Spruce 1 went online in 1992. Organizers of the Recall CPS petition drive — including Sierra Club San Antonio and Public Citizen — have targeted the Spruce 2 coal unit, calling for the utility to shut it down by 2030 at the latest. The petition also seeks to disband the utility’s current board of trustees and replace the governing body with City Council members, speed up CPS’s transition to renewable energy and restructure customers’ rates. Gold-Williams said closing the Spruce 2 plant before 2030 would force CPS to find other sources of power generation while still passing off the debt payments for the plant to customers. “Spruce 2 is only 10 years old,” Gold-Williams said. “All the debt that goes along with the bonds doesn’t go away.”
Despite Trump opposition, TVA keeps CEO as highest paid federal employee -- Despite President Trump's appeal that the Tennessee Valley Authority cut the pay for its CEO "by a lot," TVA boosted the salary and performance bonuses given to TVA President Jeff Lyash in fiscal 2020 to keep the leader of America's biggest government utility as the highest-paid federal employee in the U.S. Lyash was given a 15% boost in his salary and higher performance bonuses from the previous year in fiscal 2020, a year in which TVA exceeded most of its goals even amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 58-year nuclear engineer, who previously headed Ontario Power in Canada before joining TVA in April 2019, was paid direct compensation of nearly $3.8 million in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, in addition to another $3.5 million in long-term pension benefits and one-time relocation payments. Lyash's direct pay was more than nine times as much as the $400,000-a-year salary paid to President Trump, who earlier this year called Lyash's pay "ridiculous" and later fired the TVA chairman after he defended Lyash's pay. Trump first publicly blasted Lyash's pay in April and in August called upon the TVA board to cut Lyash's pay to only a fraction of his current pay. "The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year," Trump said. "We want the TVA to take action on this immediately." The president appoints the directors to TVA's 9-member board, but the utility is an independent federal corporation that no longer receives taxpayer funds and sets its own pay and rates in accordance with the TVA Act. Under TVA's governing act as revamped in 2004 by the U.S. Congress, TVA's board is directed to pay competitive salaries and benefits to its employees. In response to President Trump's pay concerns, the TVA board hired an independent consulting firm, Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc, to help evaluate competitive compensation. TVA Chairman John Ryder said the board will review the new study at its next meeting in February. The TVA board has asked outside counsel to give an opinion to the board on what are the legal requirements for executive compensation. The TVA Act, as amended in 2004, directs TVA to pay competitive wages in the industry and says that TVA is not bound by other federal pay caps.
TVA to choose from 2 landfills for coal ash removal project (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority is considering moving toxin-laden coal ash from a retired plant in Memphis to one of two off-site landfills as it begins preparing for the $500 million removal project, the federal utility said Monday. A TVA report said it has narrowed down the primary destination for coal ash removed from the retired Allen Fossil Plant to either a landfill in Shelby County, Tennessee — not far from the location of the Allen plant, or a landfill in Tunica, Mississippi, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Memphis. The federal utility plans to remove move 3.5 million cubic yards (2.6 million cubic meters) of coal ash, the byproduct of burning coal for power. The project is expected to take eight to 10 years, said Angela Austin, construction manager at the retired plant. TVA is fielding public comments on the plan until Dec. 17, the report said. The utility, which provides power to more than 10 million people in parts of seven Southern states, has come under scrutiny for its handling of coal ash at other Tennessee plants. In 2017, high levels of arsenic, lead and fluoride were found in monitoring wells at Allen, sparking fears that the aquifer that supplies Memphis’ drinking water could become tainted. Testing has since deemed the public water supply unaffected. But a report released by the utility also showed a connection between the shallow aquifer where toxins were found and the deeper Memphis Sand Aquifer that provides the city’s slightly sweet-tasting drinking water. Allen’s three coal-fired units were retired in 2018. The authority then began supplying power to the grid from the site with the natural gas-powered Allen Combined Cycle Plant. TVA had previously mentioned other sites in the South where the coal ash could be transported. Other landfills that were considered were in Uniontown, Alabama; Mauk, Georgia; and Bishopville, South Carolina. Austin said that while the other sites have not been completely ruled out, the primary destination of the coal ash will be landfills in either Shelby County or Tunica. Proximity to the former Allen plant was a main reason why those sites were chosen, and negotiations about cost, daily loads and other factors are ongoing, Austin said.
Removing Toxic Coal Ash From Allen Plant Enters Logistics Phase- The process of relocating toxic waste—about 3.5 million cubic yards of it—will soon begin at a Southwest Memphis industrial site. For the next month, the public can comment on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal ash removal plan that has local environmentalists demanding strong oversight. When the TVA shut down its coal-burning Allen Fossil Plant in 2018, it left behind two storage ponds full of ash, which contain poisonous substances like arsenic and lead. Due to concerns that these toxins could seep into Memphis’ drinking water, the federally-owned utility faced added pressure to remove the ash from the site. TVA has proposed trucking the coal ash to either or both the South Shelby Landfill, which is about 20 miles away, or nearly 30 miles south to the Tunica Landfill in Mississippi. TVA says that either dump site will be lined so the ash doesn’t seep out. At a virtual presentation Tuesday night, members of the public submitted electronic questions about how the ash would be removed, transported and eventually stored. “We want them to dig up that ash, and get it away from our aquifer, but we also don’t want it to cause people problems somewhere else,” said Scott Banbury with the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club. “We want worker safety measures put in place to avoid what happened in Kingston.” The Kingston Fossil Plant in East Tennessee is the site of the country’s largest coal fly ash spill in 2008. The cleanup led to lawsuits by workers hired to remediate the mess. They’ve argued that the contractor Jacobs Engineering failed to provide them proper safety equipment, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of others developing serious illnesses such as cancer.
Coal ash pond closures at Plant Hammond could take up to 15 years - The dewatering and closure of the three remaining coal ash ponds at Georgia Power’s Plant Hammond west of Rome will take another 15 years to complete. Georgia Power executives took community leaders on a virtual tour of the dewatering process Tuesday in a bid to make sure they develop a confidence that the Coosa River will be protected. Scott Hendricks, manager of water and natural resources permitting for Georgia Power, said removal of the water from the solids represents the first major step in the overall ash pond closures. The dewatering is slated to begin in December and will continue throughout the entire 15-year closure process. “That does sound like a considerable amount of time, but it reflects a highly engineered and heavily overseen process,” said Dominic Weatherill, an environmental affairs officer with Georgia Power. Each pond on the Georgia Power property has a site specific plan approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The EPD has the authority to conduct site visits at any stage during the process. The removal of water from the stored coal ash has been designed and will be operated by a third party contractor, Evoqua Water Technologies, and results will be posted on the Georgia Power website. “Other third party vendors will conduct sampling,” Hendricks said. “We have accredited third party laboratories that analyze the data, and then other professional engineering companies that process the data and help put it into a form that can be distributed on the website.” Plant Hammond was on the Georgia Water Coalition’s 2019 Dirty Dozen list because of the potential for damage to the Coosa River from its coal-ash ponds. This year’s Dirty Dozen simply includes Georgia’s groundwater and alludes to coal ash pollution and well water issues near Juliette, about an hour south of Atlanta.
Nasty river goo to remain in Congaree for years - It will be at least four years before cleanup crews remove tons of toxic coal tar from the Congaree River, but that’s only if federal regulators cooperate and bad weather doesn’t delay the work, utility officials responsible for the pollution say. During a public online meeting Tuesday night, officials said the project is an ambitious one that involves building two temporary dams, checking for Civil War-era explosives in river mud and trucking coal tar through city streets to a landfill outside Columbia. The project has so many moving parts that power company Dominion Energy won’t be in position to build the dams until May 2022, officials said. The cleanup would then take at least two years, with the targeted end of the project in 2025. The project involves digging and scraping tar from the riverbed. Tar cleanups have occurred in other parts of the country before, but a Dominion official said he doesn’t know of one exactly like the Congaree’s. “We are working with a design from world class geotechnical engineers. But as far as I know, no one has ever approached this kind of project the way that we have.’’ Coal tar contains a variety of harmful pollutants, but has been most associated with skin irritation among swimmers or waders who come in contact with it.Effinger and officials with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control did not provide details on how the project is different from others, but they said the work could be slowed if heavy rains swell the Congaree River so high that the temporary dams are overtopped. River flooding has occurred frequently in the past five years on the Congaree.The pyramid-shaped dams will be built between the Gervais and Blossom street bridges to dry out the river bed so that coal tar can be dug up. If water pours over the top and into the excavation area, it will delay the project.
Dominion Energy rewards Virginia political allies with bipartisan, off-year campaign contributions in 2020 - Energy and Policy Institute - Dominion Energy has contributed $750,500 to Virginia General Assembly members and political committees so far this year, according tocampaign finance reports that its political action committee filed with the Virginia Department of Elections through September.The utility directed more than a third of those funds toward House and Senate appropriations committee members; those committees months later would kill a proposed measure to refund hundreds of millions of dollars in Dominion over-earnings to erase electric customers’ debts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.State legislators were not up for election this year, save for one special House of Delegates race in which Dominion contributed to the victor. But Virginia’s lax campaign finance laws permit candidates to pilfer campaign funds for personal use, rendering Dominion’s donations to friendly lawmakers virtually unrestricted. Dominion is one of only a handful of businesses to have increased its political giving in Virginia compared to this time in 2018, the last “off-cycle” year in the state. A pair of graphs from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) show contributions from most business-related PACs “down sharply” this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Dominion’s political contributions to members of the Virginia General Assembly grew steeply from $113,381 in 2018 to $615,500 in 2020, according to VPAP’s analysis. VPAP excluded Dominion from its graphs, as the magnitude of the company’s giving would have so compressed their scale. Dominion funneled $265,000 to seventeen members of the state House and Senate appropriations committees, which quashed a proposal from Gov. Ralph Northam that would have required the company to return $320 million in excess profits it has taken from consumers since 2017 to forgivecustomer debts during the COVID-19 crisis. As part of the state’s budget process, appropriators instead passed a measure that would apply a lesser amount from Dominion – $125 million, the company estimated in a recent earnings call – to forgive outstanding bills of 30 days or more as of the end of September. Unlike in the original proposal, Dominion could still pass those costs back onto its ratepayers in the future by reducing the amount of refunds they could receive as a consequence of the utility’s rate case next year.
NYC-area nuclear plant sale for decommissioning is approved (AP) — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s staff have approved the sale of the Indian Point nuclear power plant north of New York City to a New Jersey company for dismantling, despite petitions from state and local officials to hold public hearings before taking action. The five-member NRC said Monday that it expects to issue an order next Monday allowing the plant’s owner, Entergy Corp., to transfer its license to Holtec Decommissioning International, which plans to demolish the plant by the end of 2033 at a projected cost of $2.3 billion. The staff also approved Holtec's request to use part of a $2.1 billion trust fund set aside for decommissioning to manage spent nuclear fuel stored in dozens of steel-and-concrete canisters that will remain on the site. New York Attorney General Letitia James has called the Holtec deal “very risky,” questioning Holtec's financing and experience. The Unit 2 reactor at the plant along the Hudson River was shut down permanently in April. The last operating reactor will shut down in April 2021 under a deal reached in January 2017 between Entergy, the state of New York and the environmental group Riverkeeper. Holtec, which has already received NRC approval to purchase the Oyster Creek and Pilgrim nuclear power plants in New Jersey and Massachusetts, has said it has the financial and technical qualifications to complete each decommissioning.In a letter to the NRC on Monday, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and regional members of Congress said it was “deeply troubling” that the commission's staff was issuing a decision on the license transfer without providing a timeline for numerous public hearing requests.
Point Beach owner seeks to run Wisconsin's last nuclear plant for 80 years The operator of Wisconsin’s only remaining nuclear power plant wants to keep the 50-year-old plant running through 2050.NextEra Energy submitted an application Monday to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking to add 20 years to the licenses for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers, according to a document filed with state regulators.A spokesman for NextEra Energy said the plant will continue to provide benefits for consumers as Wisconsin pursues Gov. Tony Evers’ goal of carbon-free electricity by 2050.“We think there’s tremendous value in having emissions-free power,” said Peter Robbins. “It essentially has the reliability of a natural gas plant but the emissions profile of a solar panel.” Situated on Lake Michigan between Manitowoc and Green Bay, the 1,200-megawatt plant is Wisconsin’s single-largest source of energy and a cornerstone of utility efforts to produce carbon-free electricity by 2050. It is also one of the most expensive sources of energy.Robbins said the plant employs about 600 people plus “hundreds” of contractors. “We view this as a win not only for the environment … but also for the economy,” he said. Last renewed in 2005, licenses for the two units are set to expire in 2030 and 2033. An NRC spokesperson said the license application is being reviewed for sensitive information and would be made publicly available in the coming weeks.
Why NASA wants to put a nuclear power plant on the moon - NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy will seek proposals from industry to build a nuclear power plant on the moon and Mars to support its long-term exploration plans. The proposal is for a fission surface power system, and the goal is to have a flight system, lander and reactor in place by 2026.Anthony Calomino, NASA's nuclear technology portfolio lead within the Space Technology Mission Directorate, said that the plan is to develop a 10-kilowatt class fission surface power system for demonstration on the moon by the late 2020s. The facility will be fully manufactured and assembled on Earth, then tested for safety and to make sure it operates correctly.Afterwards, it will be integrated with a lunar lander, and a launch vehicle will transport it to an orbit around the moon. A lander will lower it to the surface, and once it arrives, it will be ready for operation with no additional assembly or construction required. The demonstration is expected to last for one year, and could ultimately lead to extended missions on the moon, Mars, and beyond."Once the technology is proven through the demonstration, future systems could be scaled up or multiple units could be used together for long-duration missions to the moon and eventually Mars," Calomino said. "Four units, providing 10 kilowatts of electrical power each, would provide enough power to establish an outpost on the moon or Mars. The ability to produce large amounts of electrical power on planetary surfaces using a fission surface power system would enable large-scale exploration, establishment of human outposts, and utilization of in situ resources, while allowing for the possibility of commercialization."NASA is working on this with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a nuclear research facility that's part of the DOE's complex of labs. But is the plan realistic, and is delivery possible six years from now? According to Steve Johnson, director of the Space Nuclear Power and Isotope Technologies Division at the Idaho National Laboratory, the answer is "yes." "We are able to leverage years of research and development work on advanced fuels and materials as well as recent commercial space transportation advances to reduce risk to the schedule, to meet the 2026 date," Johnson said. "We really are striving to bring the commercial nuclear industry innovation to the table to work with NASA and the aerospace industry utilizing existing technologies."Calomino said that the technologies that are critical to the success of this project are a nuclear reactor, power conversion, heat rejection and space flight technology.
Mike Madigan confidant and ex-ComEd CEO charged with bribery in lobbying scheme - Chicago Sun-Times - Federal prosecutors marched deeper into House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle Wednesday, charging longtime confidant Michael McClain and ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore in a bribery scheme designed to curry favor with the powerful Southwest Side Democrat. Also named in the 50-page indictment are ex-top ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and Jay Doherty, the former president of the City Club, who was accused of helping to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to three people with ties to Madigan’s 13th Ward. All four are charged in a document that also makes frequent references to ex-ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, who has already pleaded guilty to bribery. And it repeatedly mentions “Public Official A,” who is not named — but is clearly identified as Madigan. What it does not do is charge Madigan with any crime, despite an intense federal probe that clearly has him in its sights. Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch, said the investigation that led to Wednesday’s indictment “remains ongoing.” McClain, 73, Pramaggiore, 62, Hooker, 71, and Doherty, 67, are each charged with bribery conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records. Their defense attorneys vowed Wednesday to fight the latest public corruption case from Lausch’s office. The details of the new indictment track closely with those revealed in July when federal prosecutors charged ComEd with bribery in a bombshell case that has continued to reverberate politically in the four months that have passed. It prompted a legislative probe of Madigan’s dealings with ComEd, and it has led to questions about whether Madigan will be able to hold onto power. ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine — believed to be the largest criminal fine ever in Chicago’s federal court. And while it formally pleaded not guilty in court, it admitted to many of the feds’ allegations in a so-called deferred prosecution agreement. If ComEd abides by its terms, the bribery charge filed in July will likely be dismissed. The new indictment alleges that McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty arranged for Madigan’s associate and allies to get jobs, contracts and money — even while doing little or no work — “for the purpose of influencing and rewarding” Madigan. It focuses on the retention of an unnamed law firm, the favoring of intern applicants from the 13th Ward, Madigan’s attempt to have former McPier CEO Juan Ochoa appointed to ComEd’s board of directors and the hiring of other individuals associated with Madigan. It also says the four would conceal the nature of their conduct by referring to Madigan not by name, but as “our Friend” or “a Friend of ours.”
Ohio judge calls for diverse counsel to lead First Energy shareholder lawsuit | Reuters -- A federal judge in Ohio said on Monday that he will consider how diverse three plaintiffs’ firms are when determining who should lead a proposed shareholder class action against utility FirstEnergy Corp over alleged bribes to a state lawmaker.During a hearing on competing motions, U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley in Columbus asked attorneys for three state pension funds to lay out how many women and minority attorneys are partners at their firms, saying that whether attorneys reflect the fund participants they represent goes to the question of adequate representation, one of the factors courts consider when appointing lead counsel. To read the full story on Westlaw Today, click here: bit.ly/38OafT7
Ex-Ohio GOP leader Matt Borges says he didn't bribe anyone– Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges says he never bribed anyone, and his role in the nuclear bailout scandal has been overstated dramatically. "I did not break the law," Borges told The Enquirer. "I did not conspire to break the law. I did not intend to break the law. I was not aware of anyone else breaking the law if it was happening."Borges and four others, including former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, were arrested July 21 and later indicted with racketeering in connection with an alleged conspiracy to help Householder gain control of the House of Representatives, pass a law to subsidize nuclear plants in northern Ohio and defend that law against a ballot effort to upend it. Borges said he had no role in helping Householder come to power and played little part in passing House Bill 6. He was registered as a lobbyist for FirstEnergy Solutions, which owned two nuclear plants that stood to benefit from the bill, but didn't talk with lawmakers about the legislation, he said. Borges' primary focus was blocking the ballot referendum that would have killed about $1 billion in subsidies to FirstEnergy Solutions, now called Energy Harbor.That included organizing a legal team for an Ohio Supreme Court challenge – they argued the fee was a tax – and pointing out problems with signatures the House Bill 6 opponents gathered, he said. (They ultimately didn't gather enough signatures for that to matter.)Borges also tipped off FirstEnergy Solutions lobbyist Juan Cespedes that opponents of House Bill 6 would pursue a referendum to block it on the ballot, according to the 81-page federal complaint. The federal complaint accuses Borges of bribing an employee of the anti-House Bill 6 ballot initiative effort, later revealed as Columbus political consultant Tyler Fehrman, "to provide inside information about the ballot campaign such as number of signatures collected, the number of collectors and geographic focus of collection efforts."In September 2019, Borges contacted Fehrman and, during a meeting the next day, offered money, a job or payment of Fehrman's debts in exchange for information about the ballot effort, according to the federal complaint.
FBI conducts search at house of PUCO chairman Sam Randazzo - FBI agents removed boxes of materials Monday from the Columbus home of Sam Randazzo, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the state's top utilities regulator. What they were after wasn't immediately clear. Randazzo, who was appointed PUCO chairman by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019, has connections to Akron-based FirstEnergy, the power company at the heart of the state's nuclear bailout scandal.Agents could be seen carrying boxes out of the condominium in the 600 block of Grant Avenue in German Village, which is owned by Randazzo, according to Franklin County auditor records. "FBI agents are conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity in that area in relation to a sealed federal search warrant," FBI spokesman Todd Lindgren said. "Due to this matter being sealed, no further details can be released at this time." “We are aware of the search warrant," DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said. "We are monitoring this as it progresses." The PUCO declined comment. The regulatory agency recently initiated an audit of FirstEnergy. Before leading the commission, Randazzo was a lobbyist and an attorney for energy companies and Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, which represents some of the state’s largest industries. Randazzo’s company, Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio, was listed as a company used by former FirstEnergy subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions, now called Energy Harbor, on the company’s December 2018 bankruptcy report. Randazzo testified in the Ohio House in May 2019 as an interested party on House Bill 6, the legislation that passed that summer that bails out the state's two nuclear power plants, shores up two coal-fired power plants and guts requirements for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
DeWine backs PUCO chairman, says no indication he’s under federal investigation - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday said he has no indication that PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo is the target of a federal investigation, despite the fact that FBI agents executed a search warrant this week at Randazzo’s condo in Columbus. DeWine, who appointed Randazzo to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in April 2019, said he has not discussed the situation with Randazzo. “We have no indication that he’s under investigation or that he’s the target of an investigation. We’ll wait until we find additional facts,” DeWine said. When asked how an early morning search and confiscation of boxes of material doesn’t indicate someone is the target, DeWine said: “Look, the FBI many times will indicate if someone is a target. They have not indicated he’s a target. I have no reason to think he’s a target. I don’t know. So, we’re waiting for additional information, quite candidly. I hired him. I think he’s a good person. If there is evidence to the contrary, we’ll act accordingly, but not going to act without facts." Randazzo could not be reached for comment.
PUCO chairman skips meeting after the FBI searched his home -- The chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, whose home was searched by the FBI on Monday, was a no-show at Wednesday's commission meeting. Beyond roll call, there was no mention of Sam Randazzo during PUCO's 10-minute meeting held online as the commissioners quickly went through their agenda. The PUCO said after that Randazzo had the day off. It also noted that he missed the meeting on Nov. 4 for a planned surgery.Randazzo's home in German Village was searched Monday morning.Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Randazzo's in 2019. He was a longtime utility attorney and lobbyist before the appointment.Why Randazzo's home was searched and what the FBI are looking for isn't clear, and the FBI and PUCO have declined comment.Randazzo has connections to Akron-based FirstEnergy, the power company at the heart of the state's scandal over House Bill 6, which bails out two nuclear power plans.DeWine, speaking at a news briefing to discuss the latest measures in the state’s effort to control the coronavirus epidemic on Tuesday, deflected questions about the search of Randazzo's home. In response to a question, the Republican governor said there were no indications that Randazzo was under investigation or the target of an investigation.“We’re waiting for additional information, quite candidly,” DeWine said. “I hired him. I think he’s a good person. If there’s evidence to the contrary, we’ll act accordingly. But I’m not going to act without the facts.” The PUCO chair is one of the most powerful positions in state government, able to influence the regulation of utilities in the state impacting utility profits and rates charged to customers. As PUCO chair, Randazzo also is chair of the Ohio Power Siting Board, which has oversight approval for new electric-generating facilities.
FirstEnergy reveals $4 million payment being investigated - A $4 million consulting payment with apparent ties to a state regulator looks to be at the heart of why FirstEnergy senior executives, including its chief executive, were fired last month, according to a FirstEnergy regulatory filing late Thursday. The firings are tied to the ongoing federal investigation into the $61 million Larry Householder bribery scandal. As part of that investigation, the FBI earlier this week took records from the home of Sam Randazzo, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. " ... Certain former members of senior management violated certain FirstEnergy policies and its code of conduct related to a payment of approximately $4 million made in early 2019 in connection with the termination of a purported consulting agreement, as amended, which had been in place since 2013," FirstEnergy said in the filing. "The counterparty to such agreement was an entity associated with an individual who subsequently was appointed to a full-time role as an Ohio government official directly involved in regulating the Ohio companies, including with respect to distribution rates. "At this time, it has not been determined if the payments were for the purposes represented within the consulting agreement," FirstEnergy said. "The matter is a subject of the ongoing internal investigation related to the government investigations." The filing does not name specific individuals; it says the Akron utility continues with its internal investigation and is cooperating with federal investigators. The document FirstEnergy filed was its latest quarterly financial report, called a 10-Q. The utility previously announced that it would be late filing the report because of matters related to the Householder investigation. FirstEnergy said in the SEC filing that former senior managers, including former CEO Chuck Jones, "did not maintain and promote a control environment with an appropriate tone of compliance in certain areas of FirstEnergy’s business, nor sufficiently promote, monitor or enforce adherence to certain FirstEnergy policies and its code of conduct. "Furthermore, certain former members of senior management did not reasonably ensure that relevant information was communicated within our organization and not withheld from our independent directors, our Audit Committee, and our independent auditor," the company said.
FirstEnergy statements could support broad scope for PUCO-ordered audit | Energy News Network --FirstEnergy’s legal papers in a regulatory case state it can’t categorically deny that money from Ohio ratepayers was spent for activities related to the state’s nuclear and coal bailout law. The limited comments could support a broad scope for anindependent audit ordered by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio earlier this month.The PUCO may come under increased scrutiny in the wake of FBI agents’ Nov. 16 search at the home of Chair Sam Randazzo, a longtime critic of renewable energy, who had been the general counsel for the Industrial Energy Users-Ohio trade group and who had also been linked to a couple of creditors in FirstEnergy Solutions’ (now Energy Harbor’s) bankruptcy case. Randazzo and the PUCO had already drawn some criticism for waiting nearly two months to tell FirstEnergy’s utilities to prove they hadn’t directly or indirectly used ratepayer money on House Bill 6. The law is at the heart of an alleged $60 millionbribery and conspiracy scheme, which the Department of Justice announced on July 21. And only on Nov. 4 did the PUCO finally call for an independent audit of FirstEnergy spending on HB 6. FirstEnergy isn’t a named defendant in the federal criminal case but is instead referred to as Company A. The company’s statements about an inability to admit or deny statements about the use of ratepayer money for HB 6 activities came in response to information requests, called discovery, in the regulatory case that started in September.FirstEnergy’s evasion or apparent backtracking from earlier statements “certainly requires a lot of new questions and hopefully more answers from FirstEnergy about what exactly is going on here,” said Dave Anderson, policy and communications manager for the Energy & Policy Institute. The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel attached the company’s statements to a motion filed last week, asking the PUCO to compel full responses to its discovery. In the case, the PUCO told FirstEnergy’s utilities to prove that “the costs of any political or charitable spending in support of [House Bill 6 and a subsequent referendum effort] were not included, directly or indirectly, in any rates or charges paid by ratepayers in this state.” Among other things, the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel asked FirstEnergy’s utilities to admit or deny that they or any affiliates used any money from rates, riders or other charges collected from Ohio electric customers for charitable or political spending or for HB 6 activities. In recent years, those charges included nearly half a billion dollars for a no-strings-attached rider that was ultimately held unlawful.
State investigating whether injection well waste affecting drinking water - The Columbus Dispatch - Brine, a waste byproduct produced in fracking, from an injection well in Washington County has migrated to gas-producing wells at least five miles away, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported Friday, and officials want to make sure it’s not getting into drinking water.While state officials said it’s unlikely, it’s possible the brine from the Class II Saltwater Injection Well, Redbird #4 in Dunham Township, could affect drinking water of those in the area. As of Friday, the state has not received any reports affecting human health or safety associated with any of the wells, officials said. Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz said the state is in the process of hiring an expert to assess groundwater issues. If the groundwater does become contaminated, there would be no way to clean it, said Amy Townsend-Small, an associate professor of environmental science and geology at the University of Cincinnati who conducts research on fracking and its effects on groundwater. “That’s the biggest concern for people that live in shale gas producing areas,” she said. Abandoned wells could be source of the brine contaminating the water table, Townsend-Small said.“Abandoned wells are everywhere there. ... And the state does not even know where they all are. So it's a huge problem,” she said. Ohio has more than 200 injection wells that are full of ingredients that many companies don’t have to disclose citing trade secret protections. “The wastewater from that injection well, was apparently migrating to the surface through an idle or an orphan well. Otherwise they wouldn't have been able to find it,” Townsend-Small said. “Ostensibly, they were pumping the water up (in the conventional gas wells.) Orphan/idle wells aren't pumping, so it's not active. The wastewater is very pressurized because they're injecting such high volumes of it.” Much of the brine waste injected in Ohio’s injection wells comes not only from fracking sites in Ohio, but from other states, such as Pennsylvania. The issue was first reported late in 2019 when three owners of oil and gas production wells reported to ODNR an increase brine during the extraction process of 28 production oil and gas wells. When operations ceased in December 2019 when the issue was reported, a total of 4.2 million barrels of brine had been injected in the Ohio shale layer since the well originally came online in November 2018, according to the report by Resource Services International, a Colorado-based petroleum engineering firm hired by the state to conduct an assessment of the issue. The injection well has since been drilled deeper and began re-operating in June.
Utica Shale Stalwart Gulfport Energy Files for Bankruptcy - Gulfport Energy Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday, becoming the latest exploration and production (E&P) company this year to succumb to low commodity prices made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company said it has the support of 95% of its revolving credit facility lenders and other creditors holding over two-thirds of its senior unsecured bonds for a restructuring plan that would wipe out $1.25 billion of debt. The company has shut in production, cut spending significantly and sold noncore assets in recent years to help reduce debt, but CEO David Wood, who took over in 2018 and reshaped the management team, said the company’s “large legacy debt burden” and its “legacy firm transportation commitments created a balance sheet and cost structure that was unsustainable in the current market environment.” The company has more than $2 billion of total debt on its books. Wood said management would focus on “rapidly” delevering once the company emerges from bankruptcy with a “much-improved cost structure driven by reduced legacy firm transport commitments and costs.” As part of the plan, Gulfport said it would issue $550 million of new senior unsecured notes to existing unsecured creditors. The company plans to continue operating as normal and has secured $262.5 million of debtor-in-possession financing to help fund its business. The company has also landed a commitment from existing lenders to provide $580 million in financing when it emerges from bankruptcy. Gulfport revealed in a regulatory filing last month that it was in discussions with its lenders about filing bankruptcy. The company also received a delisting notice from Nasdaq in September. A major player in Ohio’s Utica Shale, where it holds more than 200,000 net acres and produces about 1 Bcfe/d of oil and gas, the company spent $1.85 billion on a deal that closed in 2017 to enter the South Central Oklahoma Oil Province, aka the SCOOP. It ultimately planned to focus more time and money on the play for its liquids-rich volumes, but the transition never really occurred as operators have had difficulties developing the assets. In the second quarter, the SCOOP accounted for only 300 MMcfe/d of the company’s 1.03 Bcfe/d total. The natural gas-rich Utica Shale accounted for the rest.
Complaints aired on Mariner East Pipeline - An East Wheatfield Township property owner said Tuesday that the Mariner East pipeline that was built through his property just north of Seward has caused some major problems. “We have had nothing but grief from Sunoco and its subcontractors,” Patrick Robinson said in a summary during a 90-minute “Virtual People’s Hearing” Monday night, giving residents from across the state the opportunity to share their stories of the impact from the Mariner East pipeline project. It is a $2.5 billion project that was built across 17 counties beginning in 2014, as an expansion of the original Mariner East project linking Marcellus and Utica shale natural gas extraction sites in western Pennsylvania with a Sunoco’s processing and distribution center in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. In Indiana County the project comes through Burrell, West Wheatfield and East Wheatfield townships. “We lived in this house for 17 years and always had a lot of good drinking water,” Robinson told the forum, which was being recorded by organizers to present to Gov. Tom Wolf and other state officials. “We lost most of our drinking water within a day of them digging the pipeline across the hollow.” The forum was hosted by the HaltMarinerNow Coalition, an alliance of groups aiming to educate the public and increase pressure on Wolf and the Public Utility Commission to halt the pipeline project. Robinson said there have been landslides on his property, and a holding pond built in the middle of his property “now actually floods the rest of my commercial property.” He focused on how the pipeline crew treated his drinking well and his property, recalling crews doing “everything from them urinating and defecating on the road in front of my house to threatening me with bodily harm out on the street, in the local towns and on the property.” Robinson said the well never did recover pre-construction quality or quantity, showing pictures of blackened water he said came from his faucets. He also said the water drawn from that well “tears up the pump.”
Bill heading to governor would relax environmental laws for conventional drillers -A bill to relax laws governing conventional oil and gas drillers is heading to the governor’s desk.Lawmakers passed the legislation this week, after it sat in the Senate for months. Conventional operators drill vertical wells that are shallower compared to unconventional operators, which use horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to reach deeper deposits of oil and natural gas in rock formations like Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale.The bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), would set less rigorous environmental standards for conventional drillers than the ones for unconventional operators.Conventional drillers are generally smaller companies than unconventional drillers. In a 2016 bipartisan compromise, lawmakers and the Wolf Administration agreed the industries should be treated differently.This bill is an attempt to fulfill that agreement.But Gov. Tom Wolf’s office has previously said he would veto the bill, as it “poses an undeniable risk to the health and safety of our citizens, the environment, and our public resources.”The bill passed the House in May 109-93. It was amended in January to lower the reporting requirement for spills from five to two barrels of oil and from 15 to five barrels of brine, or wastewater. Spills under those amounts would not need to be reported to the state unless they endanger people downstream or could result in pollution or property damage.The amendment also removed a section that would have allowed drillers to use wastewater to suppress dust on roads.A 2018 Penn State study found that drilling wastewaters have salt, radioactivity, and other contaminant concentrations often many times above drinking water standards. It also found metals from the wastewater leach from roads when it rains, likely reaching ground and surface water. Republican lawmakers said the amendment was offered as a compromise to Democrats, to gain support for the bill and help conventional drillers.
NETL commits to prioritizing natural gas utilization in Appalachian region - National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) said it is committed to prioritizing natural gas utilization, leveraging its capabilities and expertise to identify more uses for natural gas and bring valuable products to market faster, cheaper, and with less environmental impact. Shale gas is used for heating and power production, while natural gas is heavily used as a feedstock to manufacture valuable chemicals within the chemical industry. “We strive to bring national focus and coordination to technology development associated with the conversion of natural gas to high-value commodities, ultimately strengthening our national economy and national security,” NETL Director Brian J. Anderson said on Monday. NETL is specifically focused on natural gas producers across Appalachia that are continuing to utilize the vast shale gas resources in the region. Prioritizing natural gas utilization is an important regional and national effort for NETL as it continues to work on developing solutions for U.S. energy challenges. “There are thousands petrochemical facilities across 13 key industry sectors within 300 miles of Pittsburgh that manufacture adhesives, paints, plastics and many other important products,” Anderson said. “Successfully developing our own regional natural gas processing and refining capabilities will enable a surge of new companies and jobs and enrich development of the workforce, particularly in economically depressed areas. Over the next decade, we are going to work hard to realize this goal through creating a Natural Gas Utilization Center of Excellence.” NETL has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities, equipment and expertise necessary to develop technologies that would be too risky or far-term for private-sector investment alone, helping to bridge the gap between initial discoveries and full-scale commercialization in which funding or support often falls through.
Court Issues Emergency Order Blocking Mountain Valley Pipeline From Stream, Wetland Construction | WVPB --A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline from doing construction across streams and wetlands in southern West Virginia and Virginia.The emergency administrative stay was issued Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.Environmental groups led by the Sierra Club appealed to the court to stop river and stream crossings after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Sept. 25 reissued the project’s permit that allows the 303-mile natural gas pipeline to cross nearly 1,000 waterways in the two states. The original approvals were tossed by a federal appeals court in 2018.Environmental groups asked the Corps to reconsider. When the agency upheld its permits, advocates filed a lawsuit with the Fourth Circuit asking the court to review. The emergency order will remain in place until the court considers the full motion to stay.Environmental groups, in briefs, cited an Aug. 4 earnings call during which pipeline developer Equitrans told its shareholders it would rush to complete stream crossings before the court could stop it.In its response, Mountain Valley Pipeline opposed the stay. Developers said it ultimately expected cases from the environmental groups to fail and said it reached out to the Sierra Club in an effort to discuss the river crossings of most concern.Mountain Valley Pipeline had previously agreed not to undertake any waterbody construction through Oct. 17.The Friday ruling by the court puts stream construction projects on hold. However, an Oct. 9 order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission partially lifted a stop-work order for the multi-billion dollar project on all but 25 miles of national forest land. The agency also extended the project’s for two years. Despite the court order, construction along the route may resume in other areas.
Tree sitters continue to block pipeline right-of-way, despite injunction ordering them to leave - (WDBJ) - Tree sitters continued to block the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline In Montgomery County Monday, despite an injunction ordering them to leave. High above the hillside, three platforms swayed in the wind. Visitors could see at least one of them was occupied. On the ground, a makeshift barricade blocked the path to the tree sitters. And legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild watched for any activity. “We are here as a third party witness,” said one of the observers, “objectively working under an attorney just to document and observe how things go.” At the same time a group of pipeline opponents gathered along US 460 in a show of solidarity with the tree sitters. “The longer the sits hold out, and preserve that slope,” Amy Nelson told WDBJ7, “you know every day is a blessing as far as I’m concerned.” “I don’t agree with the judge’s ruling,” said another opponent identified as Molly, “but I’m out here to support the people who are still putting their lives on the line.” A spokesperson for the Mountain Valley Pipeline said safety is a primary concern, with a few opponents creating what she described as unnecessary risks for law enforcement, security personnel, project workers and opponents themselves. “We expect opponents to adhere to the law and vacate their positions along the right-of-way,” Natalie Cox wrote. By late afternoon, some equipment had arrived, and representatives of MVP and the sheriff’s office had reportedly made at least one pass through the area, but there was no effort to remove the tree sitters. So for now, the tree sitters, other pipeline opponents and the legal observers are playing a waiting game on Yellow Finch Lane.
Judge finds pipeline protesters in contempt for refusing to leave tree-sits— Two unidentified activists blocking construction of a natural gas pipeline from high in a white pine and a chestnut oak were found in contempt of court Thursday.Montgomery County Circuit Judge Robert Turk imposed a fine of $500 a day against each tree-sitter for as long as they remain on the tarp-covered wooden platforms that went up more than two years ago.Officials with the Mountain Valley Pipeline hope the tree-sitters will come down voluntarily to avoid the penalty.“Because these fines are prospective, Tree-sitter 1 and Tree-sitter 2 may avoid any liability for the fines by immediately vacating the MVP easements,” an order entered by Turk stated.Last week, Turk issued a temporary injunction ordering three tree-sitters to leave their stands, which are about 50 feet off the ground on a steep wooded slope near Elliston. The tree-sits have prevented Mountain Valley from cutting trees for a small segment of its 303-mile pipeline.One of the tree stands is currently unoccupied, according to testimony Thursday during a court hearing that was not attended by the tree-sitters or anyone associated with them.Turk noted that under the injunction, the protesters remain subject to removal by sheriff’s deputies. The order does not say when, or if, that may happen. “It was our hope that the tree-sitters would choose to leave on their own to avoid unnecessary confrontations,” Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin said in a statement released after the hearing. “However, we will ensure the court order is enforced in due time.”Partin said the office is making plans “to ensure we have all the necessary resources available, so the situation can be resolved quickly and in a safe manner for all the parties involved.” In the past, authorities have used a mechanized lift to reach and remove protesters who chained themselves to excavators and other high perches in the pipeline’s right of way. That could be complicated by the steep terrain on which the tree-sits are located off Yellow Finch Lane. After Turk issued his order Thursday, it was read aloud by sheriff’s deputies who stood at the base of the two occupied trees. A short time later, there had been no response from above. The protesters are not likely to surrender, one of them indicated in a message posted to the Facebook page of Appalachians Against Pipelines, a group that has chronicled the tree-sits since they went up Sept. 5, 2018.
US court allows Equitrans to keep building Mountain Valley natgas pipe (Reuters) - The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a motion to stay a permit for the $5.8-$6.0 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia. Analysts said that court decision on Wednesday - not to stay the pipeline's Biological Opinion - increases the odds Equitrans Midstream Corp can put the long-delayed project into service in the second half of 2021. The Biological Opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows construction in areas inhabited by endangered and threatened species. Mountain Valley is one of several oil and gas pipelines delayed by regulatory and legal fights with environmental andlocal groups that found problems with permits issued bythe Trump administration. When Equitrans started construction in February 2018, it estimated Mountain Valley would cost about $3.5 billion and be completed by the end of 2018. The 303-mile (487.6 km) pipeline was designed to deliver 2 billion cubic feet per day of gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to consumers in the Mid Atlantic and Southeast. One billion cubic feet is enough to supply about 5 million U.S. homes for a day Analysts said denial of the stay allows Equitrans to continue construction in areas other than the 25-mile (40-km)exclusion zone surrounding the Jefferson National Forest while the court considers the merits of appeals against the Biological Opinion. Analysts at Height Capital Markets said the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may decide soon to reduce that exclusion zone to 7.7 miles. Height Capital Markets also said Mountain Valley must begin applying for an individual stream crossing permit in case it loses an ongoing lawsuit against its Nationwide Permit or President-elect Joe Biden's administration remands the permit, both of which seem probable. The Nationwide Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allows the project to cross waterbodies. "We continue to have high conviction that the project will be completed, though the Biden administration could delay the ultimate in-service date to 2022,"
US natural gas futures fall on milder weather - - US natural gas futures dropped 10% to a near one-month low on Monday on forecasts for milder weather resulting in lower heating demand and a steady rise in output. Front-month gas futures fell 29.8 cents, or 9.9%, to settle at $2.697 per million British thermal units. The contract touched its lowest since Oct. 19 at $2.682 earlier in the session. “Natural gas futures are lower this morning as supply held steady over the weekend and weather model outlook is showing a forecast that is warmer-than-normal over the next two to three weeks,” said Robert DiDona of Energy Ventures Analysis. “This warmer weather outlook has negatively impacted weather-related demand which will loosen the end of season storage forecast,” DiDona added. Data provider Refinitiv estimated 259 heating degree days (HDDs) over the next two weeks in the Lower 48 US states, well below the 30-year average of 318. HDDs measure the number of degrees a day’s average temperature is below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 Celsius) and are used to estimate demand to heat homes and businesses. Refinitiv predicted demand, including exports, would rise to an average of 104.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this week from 98.1 bcfd in the prior week. Gas production in the Lower 48 averaged 89.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November, up from a five-month low of 87.4 bcfd in October. That, however, was still well below the all-time monthly high of 95.4 bcfd in November 2019. “Adding to bearish pressures has been a lift in production of late that has been combining with a quicker-than-expected rebound in the rig counts to exert additional psychological bearish price pressure,” advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates said in a note. The amount of gas flowing to US LNG export plants has averaged 10.1 bcfd so far in November, up from a five-month high of 7.7 bcfd in October. That puts exports on track to rise for a fourth month in a row as rising global gas prices prompt buyers to purchase more US gas.
Momentum Eludes December Natural Gas Futures as Production Rises, Domestic Demand Tapers - Natural gas futures on Tuesday traded sideways as markets weighed modest weather-driven demand and rising production against continued strength in exports. The December Nymex contract flipped between slight gains and losses throughout much of Tuesday’s session and ultimately settled at $2.692/MMBtu, down a half-cent day/day. January fell 2.0 cents to $2.844. A day earlier, the prompt month dropped nearly 30 cents, wiping out gains made the previous week. Amid mild fall temperatures, NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. declined 8.5 cents to $2.545. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes have hovered near or above 10 Bcf in November – around record levels – and have kept supply/demand balances tight. Still, production this week has ticked up to a recent high at the same time that the weather is expected to prove unseasonably warm into early December. “Production is hovering around the 90 Bcf/d mark for the first time since the end of April,” Genscape Inc. analyst Joe Bernardi said Tuesday. He noted that associated gas production dropped last spring as the pandemic took hold and oil prices plunged, bringing total Lower 48 gas output below the 90 Bcf/d threshold at the time. “It hasn’t yet returned above that 90 Bcf/d level, but the recent five-day average (subject as always to revisions) is hovering at 89.6 Bcf/d,” the analyst said. “Northeast production has rebounded significantly over the last several weeks, fueling the gains.” Forecasts are calling for little near-term help from weather on the demand side, with mild temperatures throughout the southern half of the country and chilly but above-average conditions in many areas of the northern United States over the next three weeks. “The overall pattern still looks very hostile toward any cold and continues to point toward warm to very warm risks as we move into the early part of December,” Bespoke Weather Services said. Increased storage levels are also weighing on prices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) last week reported an 8 Bcf injection into storage for the week ending Nov. 6. The increase boosted inventories to 3,927 Bcf, ahead of the five-year average of 3,751 Bcf. Preliminary forecasts point to another increase for the week ended Nov. 13.
US working natural gas volumes in underground storage increase by 31 Bcf: EIA | S&P Global Platts — US natural gas stocks posted a sizable injection last week at a time when the Lower 48 traditionally switches to net draws, while the remaining NYMEX Henry Hub winter strip tumbled 18 cents following the report. Storage inventories increased by 31 Bcf to 3.958 Tcf for the week ended Nov. 13, the US Energy Information Administration reported the morning of Nov. 19. The injection proved much more than an S&P Global Platts' survey of analysts calling for a 22 Bcf build. Responses to the survey ranged for an addition of 11 Bcf to 30 Bcf. The build was very bearish compared to the 66 Bcf draw reported during the same week last year as well as the five-year average withdrawal of 24 Bcf, according to EIA data. It also marked the second-consecutive week the EIA number surpassed market expectations. US supply and demand balances were considerably looser, featuring demand losses of 4.0 Bcf/d week over week, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. Weaker consumption was the result of very mild temperatures driving residential and commercial space heating down by 4.7 Bcf/d. The soft demand resulted in some temporary production curtailments in the Northeast, as cash prices traded below $1.00/MMBtu. Storage volumes now stand 293 Bcf, or 8%, more than the year-ago level of 3.665 Tcf and 231 Bcf, or 6.2%, more than the five-year average of 3.727 Tcf. The injection season has now extended one week further than usual. The NYMEX Henry Hub December contract tumbled 14 cents to $2.574/MMBtu in trading following the release of the weekly storage report at 10:30 am ET. The remaining winter strip, January through March, lost 14 cents to average $2.67/MMBtu, a decline of more than 40 cents from one week prior. Natural gas prices saw immense selling pressure this week, with winter 2020-21 prices off more than 30% relative to its year-to-date high established late last month. The sizeable declines have been driven by very mild realized and expected temperatures, with weather models forecasting mild temperatures to persist into December, according to Platts Analytics. Further stoking bearish sentiment is production, which in recent days has eclipsed 90 Bcf/d for the first time since the spring. Higher output is largely the result of Northeast and Haynesville producers ramping up production ahead of the winter. Platts Analytics' supply and demand model currently forecasts a 27 Bcf withdrawal for the week-ending Nov. 20, which would grow the surplus versus the five-year average by 10 Bcf as the heating season kicks off one week later than normal. Cooler, but still milder-than-normal temperatures, has boosted residential and commercial demand by 9.7 Bcf/d week over week.
Natural Gas Bull Case Starts to Unravel on Demand-Killing Warmth - Winter hasn’t begun yet, but the bullish trade in U.S. natural gas is already starting to fall apart. Gas futures tumbled Thursday as U.S. forecasts shifted warmer through early December, leaving bullish traders flat-footed after the previous day’s modest gain stoked speculation that the recent rout had run out of steam. Government data showed an unusually big gain in stockpiles for this time of year, adding to a glut of the fuel in underground storage. Traders had been betting big on higher gas prices this winter, with hedge funds’ bullish wagers climbing to the highest in more than six years last month. Shale producers have curbed output on lower oil prices, while gas exports to Mexico and overseas buyers soared to a record. But with frigid weather failing to show up in the forecasts, cracks are emerging in the bullish thesis. One sign of growing bearishness is the March-April gas spread, known as the widowmaker for its volatility. The premium for March prices versus April has narrowed to a record low for the 2021 contracts, suggesting that traders are increasingly skeptical about the prospect of tight supplies this winter. Traders were caught in a “bull trap” overnight, with futures rising in the very early hours of the U.S. trading day before plunging as the milder forecasts emerged, said John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital, a New York-based hedge fund. “We really needed the weather,” Kilduff said. “All the other supporting elements were there: LNG, exports to Mexico. The kindling was all there. But the weather was the missing element.” But with winter still ahead, it’s too early for bulls to throw in the towel completely. Record exports and muted production are leaving prices primed to rocket higher at the first sign of extreme cold. “The market remains under-supplied and higher prices will be a concern when weather takes a more bullish turn,”
LNG Demand Not Enough to Stop Natural Gas Forward Price ‘Meltdown’ - A balmy weather outlook that was seen potentially extending through the first third of December weighed heavily on natural gas market sentiment during the Nov. 12-18 period, sending forward prices crashing down by an average of 36.0 cents, according to NGI’s Forward Look. Similar to the prior week, the steepest losses occurred in Appalachia. However, this time, the declines extended farther downstream into the Northeast, where warm conditions were on track to expand late this week. Transco Zone 6 non-NY December prices dropped 50.0 cents from Nov. 12-18 to reach $2.358, while the balance of winter (December-March) fell 42.0 cents to $3.210, Forward Look data show. Prices for next summer (April-March) slid 17.0 cents to $2.180, and the winter 2021-2022 strip slipped 14.0 cents to $3.770. Farther upstream, Dominion South December was down 61.0 cents to $1.415, the balance of winter was down 42.0 cents to $1.890, next summer was down 17.0 cents to $2.020 and winter 2021-2022 was down 22.0 cents to $2.080. The deep nosedive in forward markets occurred on the heels of a similarly sharp decline along the Nymex gas futures curve. Benchmark Henry Hub December futures plunged 27.0 cents to $2.712, and the balance of winter tumbled 24 cents to $2.784. Unlike last week when the biggest action was limited to the winter months, this week’s double-digit decreases spilled over into next summer and the winter of 2021-2022 as well. The recent losses are attributable to warmer-than-normal weather forecast shifts and a collapsing winter contract risk premium, according to EBW Analytics Group. Technical trades further helped drive the extent of losses early this week, which far outpaced the rate of fundamental weakening. The weakness along the Nymex curve and across forward markets comes despite steadily strong export demand. NGI data showed feed gas deliveries to U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals climbing to 10.68 Bcf last Friday (Nov. 13) and Saturday but then falling below 10 Bcf on Sunday and Monday after some equipment issues at the Freeport LNG terminal. Feed gas flows quickly recovered, though, and by Thursday were back at 10.26 Bcf.
US natgas futures rise over 2pc on cooler forecasts in early December -US natural gas futures rose over 2% on Friday, buoyed by record-high liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and forecasts for cooler weather and higher heating demand in early December. The price increase came despite a mostly steady rise in output this month. Front-month gas futures rose 5.8 cents, or 2.2%, to settle at $2.650 per million British thermal units. On Thursday, the contract marked its lowest close since Oct. 6. For the week, the front-month was down about 11% after rising almost 4% last week. Data provider Refinitiv said output in the Lower 48 US states averaged 89.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November, up from a five-month low of 87.4 bcfd in October. That, however, was still well below the all-time monthly high of 95.4 bcfd in November 2019. Traders said some of that output increase was due to higher oil prices. Oil futures have risen about 17% so far this month on expectations of a rebound in global energy demand and economic activity as promising coronavirus vaccines are being developed. Higher oil prices over the last few months have encouraged energy firms to drill for more crude. Those oil wells also produce a lot of associated gas. Refinitiv projected demand, including exports, would drop from 103.3 bcfd this week to 99.5 bcfd next week as the weather turns unseasonably warm before jumping to 109.6 bcfd in two weeks with a drop in temperatures. The amount of gas flowing to US LNG export plants has averaged 10.0 bcfd so far in November, up from a five-month high of 7.7 bcfd in October, as rising prices in Europe and Asia in recent months have prompted global buyers to purchase more US gas.
Two Professors Faced Years of Harassment for Defying the Fossil Fuel Industry. Now, They Are Reframing the Discussion Around Fracking | The Cornell Daily Sun - “I do rule out banning fracking, because the answer we need, we need other industries to transition to, ultimately, a completely zero emissions by 2025,” said President-elect Joe Biden in the final presidential debate. President Donald Trump stated that he would protect fracking in the interest of maintaining low prices for energy and preserving American jobs. A failing that underscored both sides of the debate on fracking is a fundamental misunderstanding of what fracking is and the role it plays in the fossil fuel industry, according to Prof. Anthony Ingraffea, civil and environmental engineering. “Why are we talking about fracking in 2020? Clearly, there’s something wrong here,” Ingraffea said. “Something doesn’t jive, and what’s wrong is that there is profoundly universal misuse of the word fracking.”“The problem is in the early 2000s, the oil and gas industry discovered an entirely new way of getting a huge oil and gas resource to market,” Ingraffea said. Conventional natural gas reserves contain methane that naturally broke free from shale over the course of millions of years, but the practice of extracting natural gas directly from shale was not commercially available until 15 years ago, according to Prof. Robert Howarth, ecology and evolutionary biology. Tapping into these reserves opened up a Pandora’s box of effects on local communities, contaminating local water sources and releasing emissions that contribute to poorer air quality and worsening the greenhouse effect. On top of the direct environmental effects of this unconventional drilling, the expansion of obtainable oil and gas kept the price of fossil fuels low, making them more economically desirable than renewable alternatives like wind and solar, and subsequently extending the lifetime of the fossil fuel industry while stalling the transition to renewable energy sources. “[Unconventional drilling] suppressed, or pushed down, what we should have been elevating — which is capital investment and renewable energy,” Ingraffea said. “The oil and gas industry was saying, ‘Look, we just elongated the fossil fuel industry by 30 years, we made the United States energy dominant’ … The market response to that is, ‘Well, then we don’t need wind and solar and hydro, because there’s this cheaper alternative called shale gas.’” Throughout the past 40 years, fossil fuel companies have used their monetary and political sway to postpone the transition to other sources of energy — spreading misinformation on oil and gas emissions’ connection to climate change and lobbying for subsidies. Ingraffea and Howarth are no strangers to this political and economic arm of the fossil fuel industry.
Environmental groups fight Eastern Shore natural gas pipeline project ahead of key vote - As a natural gas pipeline proposed for Maryland’s Eastern Shore continues to move through the state’s regulatory approval process, environmental activists vowed to continue their fight to stop a line they say would encourage more fracking and harm communities. The energy company Chesapeake Utilities Co. wants to extend a natural gas pipeline from Delaware through Wicomico County and into Somerset County. Advertisement The $34 million project would add seven miles on new gas pipeline in those counties. The project received a key approval last week when the state Department of the Environment signed off on its tidal wetlands licenses. The licenses could go before the Board of Public Works as early as next month — either together or separately. After the board rules on the tidal wetlands licenses, MDE will issue its review of the non-wetlands related pieces of the project, said MDE spokesman Mark Shaffer. Proponents say the pipeline would bring much-needed natural gas to key institutions in Somerset, namely the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the Eastern Correctional Institution, and attract more businesses to the area. But environmentalists argue the state is ignoring its commitment to renewable energy and brushing aside the pipeline’s potential impact on the low-income communities it would pass through. They’re urging Gov. Larry Hogan, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp to vote against the pipeline, which could open the door for the state to consider other, greener ways of meeting the area’s energy needs.
Oil spill cleanup operations suspended along Del., Md. beaches -- – The Unified Command, comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control suspended operations along the shores of Delaware on Friday. We’re told cleanup crews are prepared to respond to any further oiling, and shoreline monitoring will still take place. The month-long, multi-agency response to oil patties began on October 19th, after reports of oil patties impacting the Delaware Shoreline from Fowler Beach, downward along the Delaware Bay coast to the state’s Atlantic Ocean beaches from Cape Henlopen to Fenwick Island and to Assateague State Park in Maryland. Officials say 85 tons of oily sand and debris were removed over the course of three weeks. The origin of the spill remains unknown, but it is still under active investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Marine Safety Lab in New London, Connecticut. The public is asked to report any sizeable sightings of oil, oily debris, or oiled wildlife to DNREC at 800-662-8802.
Virginia Natural Gas infrastructure expansion to be scaled back amid plant financing troubles - Plans for one of two controversial new natural gas plants planned to be built in Charles City County appear to be faltering, according to a letter sent by Virginia Natural Gas to state regulators Friday. In the filing by McGuireWoods attorney Lisa Crabtree, Virginia Natural Gas informed the State Corporation Commission that it would not meet three criteria set by regulators as a condition for their approval of a gas infrastructure expansion by the mandated Dec. 31 deadline. All three conditions are related to plans for the development of a 1,060 megawatt combined-cycle natural gas plant in Charles City. The project, known as C4GT, is being developed by Michigan-based Novi Energy to sell power into the regional grid. A second natural gas plant, Chickahominy Power Station, is also being planned by another independent developer, Balico, LLC, a mile away from the C4GT site. While the commission closely vets plans for new generating facilities built by electric utilities — which are paid for by everyone in the utility’s territory — they give less scrutiny to projects developed by independent power producers like NOVI Energy and Balico, where financial risks are borne by project backers instead of ratepayers. In such cases, regulators focus primarily on whether the facility will have any “adverse effect” on electric reliability or be “otherwise contrary to the public interest.” These non-utility developers are “not required to establish that the Facility is required by the public convenience and necessity as a condition of approval,” as State Corporation Commission Hearing Examiner Ann Berkebile wrote in a report on C4GT in 2017. But while the company had little trouble getting approval from the State Corporation Commission for construction, securing a natural gas supply has proved a struggle. C4GT has sought to obtain its supply from Virginia Natural Gas, which proposed a $345 million suite of new pipeline sections, a new compressor station and other upgrades called the Header Improvement Project. As a publicly regulated utility with captive ratepayers, though, Virginia Natural Gas has to meet a higher bar in justifying why its customers should pay for projects. And despite assertions that the Header Improvement Project is needed to improve reliability as well as to provide gas to two other companies, Columbia Gas of Virginia and Dominion Energy subsidiary Virginia Power Services Energy, regulators have expressed skepticism. “The Project is not needed without C4GT,” the State Corporation Commission wrote on June 26 in a ruling that made its approval of the Header Improvement Project contingent on C4GT proving its financial viability. “Put simply,” the commissioners wrote later in their order, “if C4GT is built, we find that the Project is needed. If C4GT is not built, the project is not needed.”
To Protect the Great Lakes, Michigan Governor Moves to Shut Down Pipeline - Environmental and Indigenous activists celebrated Friday after Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took action to shut down the decades-old Enbridge Line 5 oil and natural gas pipelines that run under the Straits of Mackinac, narrow waterways that connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan—two of the Great Lakes. Citing the threat to the Great Lakes as well as “persistent and incurable violations” by Enbridge, Whitmer and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Dan Eichinger informed the Canadian fossil fuel giant that a 1953 easement allowing it to operate the pipelines is being revoked and terminated. The move, which Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel asked the Ingham County Circuit Court to validate, gives Enbridge until May 2021 to stop operating the twin pipelines, “allowing for an orderly transition that protects Michigan’s energy needs over the coming months,”according to a statement from the governor’s office. The Great Lakes collectively contain about a fifth of the world’s surface fresh water. As Whitmer explained Friday, “Here in Michigan, the Great Lakes define our borders, but they also define who we are as people.” “Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs,” the governor said. “They have repeatedly violated the terms of the 1953 easement by ignoring structural problems that put our Great Lakes and our families at risk.” “Most importantly, Enbridge has imposed on the people of Michigan an unacceptable risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes that could devastate our economy and way of life,” she added. “That’s why we’re taking action now, and why I will continue to hold accountable anyone who threatens our Great Lakes and fresh water.” MLive noted that the state attorney general’s new filing “is in addition toNessel’s lawsuit filed in 2019 seeking the shutdown of Line 5, which remains pending in the same court.” Nessel said Friday that Whitmer and Eichinger “are making another clear statement that Line 5 poses a great risk to our state, and it must be removed from our public waterways.”
Michigan Governor Moves to Prevent Great Lakes Oil Spill by Shutting Down Aging Pipeline -- Enbridge's aging Line 5 pipeline may finally be forced into retirement. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger informed Enbridge Friday that they were revoking the Canadian company's easement to run twin pipelinesunder the Straits of Mackinac, which divide Lakes Michigan and Huron, the Detroit Free Press reported. "Here in Michigan, the Great Lakes define our borders, but they also define who we are as people," Whitmer said in a statement reported by the Detroit Free Press. "Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs." The Line 5 pipeline has carried fossil fuels beneath the Straits since 1953, when it was granted an easement to do so by the state of Michigan. It currently carries 23 million gallons of oil and gas each day through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, splits in two to transport it beneath the lakes and then carries it in another single pipeline through the Lower Peninsula into Ontario. Whitmer argued that Enbridge had violated the terms of the easement by ignoring structural problems that increased the risk of a devastating oil spill in the Lakes. For example, Enbridge was aware that a section of the underwater coating on the twin pipelines was damaged in 2014 but did not inform the state for three years. Whitmer is giving the company until May of 2021 to cease operations in the Straits. At the same time, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a complaint in Ingham County Circuit Court asking the judge to uphold the governor's action, Michigan Live reported. Whitmer contends that the pipelines violate the "public trust" doctrine, which entrusts Michigan with protecting the bottom of the Great Lakes for its residents. "Transporting millions of gallons of petroleum products each day through two 67-year old pipelines that lie exposed in the Straits below uniquely vulnerable and busy shipping lanes presents an extraordinary, unreasonable threat to public rights because of the very real risk of further anchor strikes and other external impacts to the Pipelines, the inherent risks of pipeline operations, and the foreseeable, catastrophic effects if an oil spill occurs at the Straits," the notice she sent to the company read. Enbridge, however, countered that the pipelines remained safe. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also opposed the move. "The impact of this would be devastating," Kenney said, as Global News reported. "It is the single largest supply of gasoline ultimately in southern Ontario, for aviation fuel out of the Detroit airport, for heating fuel in northern Michigan, for the refineries in northern Ohio that fuel much of the midwest U.S. economy, so this is a very very big deal." However, environmental groups, who have long raised alarms about the pipeline, praised Whitmer's decision. "Line 5 should have never been built in the first place," Mike Shriberg, regional executive director of theNational Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center, told the Detroit Free Press. "Gov. Whitmer is now bravely, and correctly, standing up for the Great Lakes. This is a legacy-defining action by the governor. She is standing on the side not only of clean water, but clean energy and the jobs that go along with the transition to a renewable energy economy."
Time Runs Out for a U.S.-Canada Oil Pipeline - The New York Times - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said the state would shut down a line between her state and Ontario that has been operating since the 1950s. In an unusual move, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, citing environmental concerns, is shutting down an underwater pipeline that carries oil to refineries in her state and Canada. Pipeline operations normally fall under federal jurisdiction. Governor Whitmer, a Democrat, is acting under the state’s public trust doctrine, which requires state authorities to protect the Great Lakes. The pipeline in question, known as Line 5, has been in operation since the 1950s. The decision, announced on Friday, requires the pipeline operator Enbridge to cease operations on a specific section of Line 5 by May 2021, but it will have the effect of curtailing the entire pipeline, which runs between Superior, Wis., and Sarnia, Ontario. “Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs,” Governor Whitmer said in a statement. Under the terms of an agreement with the state, Enbridge is required to maintain a multilayered coating on the pipeline to protect it from corrosion and to ensure that the pipeline has physical supports that are no more than 75 feet apart. The Michigan authorities found that the company had violated those terms and also failed to adequately protect the pipeline from damage from boat anchors. While the line moves a relatively small quantity of oil — about 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and liquid natural gas each day, compared with national average consumption of 20 million barrels of crude oil per day — environmentalists applauded the move. While it was not clear that the legal strategy could easily be applied to other pipelines, they also said it was significant in that it focused on an older pipeline rather than a new project. “I think this Line 5 decision is going to spark some interest in existing pipelines,” said Jared Margolis, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “I think, at some point, we do need to turn to pipelines that are in the ground that are dangerous, that are posing a serious risk.” Governor Whitmer’s action will revoke the 1953 easement that allows Enbridge to operate pipelines through the Straits of Mackinac, a narrow waterway that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. A spokesman for Enbridge said the decision could have “devastating” economic consequences. “Enbridge remains confident that Line 5 continues to operate safely and that there is no credible basis for terminating the 1953 easement allowing the Dual Line 5 Pipelines to cross the Straits of Mackinac,” the spokesman, Michael Barnes, said. “Line 5 is an essential source of energy for not only Michigan but for the entire region including Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec.”
Canadian officials oppose Whitmer plan to shut down Line 5 in Straits - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's announcement Friday that she will revoke the 1953 easement allowing the controversial Line 5 twin oil and gas pipelines to continue operation on the Straits of Mackinac lake bottom isn't winning her fans among Canadian officials.The premier of the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta, and an Ontario oil minister, both panned Whitmer's shutdown plan for what they consider a vital lifeline for one of Canada's most important commodities."The impact of this would be devastating," Alberta Premier Jason Kenney told "The Roy Green Show," a nationally syndicated news radio show and podcast based in Montreal. The 67-year-old Line 5, operated by Calgary-based oil transportation giant Enbridge, moves oil that primarily originates in the Alberta oil fields of western Canada. Some 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids per day are transported by Line 5 east through the Upper Peninsula, splitting into twin underwater pipelines through the straits, before returning to a single transmission pipeline through the Lower Peninsula that runs south to Sarnia, Ontario."It is the single largest supply for gasoline, ultimately, in southern Ontario; for aviation fuel out of the Detroit airport; for heating fuel in northern Michigan; for the refineries in northern Ohio that fuel much of the Midwest U.S. economy," Kenney said. "So this is a very, very big deal."The Alberta premier noted that Line 5 has operated safely, "without a significant environmental incident for 60 years," and called the effort to shut it down "part of the broader campaign to land-lock Canadian energy." He said he visited Michigan last year and attempted to meet with Whitmer, a Democrat, but it didn't happen."She refused; she wouldn't see me," he said. "She couldn't find the time, I guess, on the schedule."
Alberta premier and Enbridge respond to Michigan seeking shut down of Line 5 pipeline -- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney calls an attempt by the Michigan government to shutdown the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline very concerning and a continued effort to landlock Canadian energy. “The impact of this would be devastating,” Kenney said. “It is the single largest supply of gasoline ultimately in southern Ontario, for aviation fuel out of the Detroit airport, for heating fuel in northern Michigan, for the refineries in northern Ohio that fuel much of the midwest U.S. economy, so this is a very very big deal.” Kenney made the comments on The Roy Green Show Sunday. On Friday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took legal action to shut down the pipeline. Her office also notified Enbridge it was revoking an easement granted in 1953 to extend a 6.4-kilometre section of the pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. In the letter to Enbridge, the government’s legal counsel said its decision was based on “a violation of the public trust doctrine” and “a longstanding, persistent pattern of noncompliance with easement conditions and the standard of due care.” “Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs,” Whitmer said in a statement. “They have repeatedly violated the terms of the 1953 Easement by ignoring structural problems that put our Great Lakes and our families at risk. “Most importantly, Enbridge has imposed on the people of Michigan an unacceptable risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes that could devastate our economy and way of life. That’s why we’re taking action now, and why I will continue to hold accountable anyone who threatens our Great Lakes and fresh water.” Enbridge said it is confident Line 5 continues to operate safely and “there is no credible basis for terminating” the easement. The move escalates a multiyear battle over Line 5, which is part of Enbridge’s Lakehead network of pipelines that carries oil from western Canada to refineries in the U.S. and Ontario. The pipeline carries about 87 million litres of oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisc., and Sarnia, Ont. Kenney said the pipeline has transported Alberta oil without a “significant environment incident for 60 years.” The Alberta premier said he traveled to Michigan last year to meet with Whitmer but “she refused.” “She couldn’t see me; she couldn’t find time I guess on the schedule. But I did meet the governor of Ohio who strongly supports the continued operation of Line 5 and Premier (Doug) Ford because he understands it would be devastating to the Ontario economy,” Kenney said.
Experts: Whitmer has upper hand in Line 5 case, but May shutdown is uncertain Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a strong case against Enbridge Energy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the oil will stop flowing through Line 5 anytime soon. That’s the conclusion of legal experts who spoke to Bridge Michigan about the hurdles Whitmer must clear to make good on her announcement that the Canadian petroleum company has 180 days from last Friday to permanently cease operating its 67-year-old pipeline at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. It could be months or years before Michiganders know for sure when or whether Enbridge must decommission Line 5, legal experts told Bridge, as the state and Enbridge fight a legal battle that many expect to reach the Michigan Supreme Court. Along the way, they said, the case is likely to raise broad questions about Michigan law that could impact Michigan’s ability to regulate a host of environmental concerns in the Great Lakes and influence other pipeline disputes across the nation. A successful case could be nationally significant, said Michael Blumm, the Jeffrey Bain Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School and an expert in the legal doctrine Whitmer used to justify its shutdown, by “showing other states what’s possible.” Whitmer’s shutdown order follows years of debate about how best to reduce the risk of an oil spill from Line 5, a pipeline that transports up to 540,000 barrels of petroleum products daily across the Straits as it travels from Wisconsin to Ontario. After campaigning for office on a promise to shut down the pipeline, Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to review Enbridge’s compliance with a 1953 state easement that allowed Enbridge to operate in the Straits. On Friday, Whitmer and Dan Eichinger, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, notified Enbridge that the results of that review have convinced them to revoke Enbridge’s rights to operate in the Straits. Their rationale was twofold: Michigan should never have granted the easement in the first place, Whitmer and Eichinger wrote, because allowing Enbridge to transport oil through the Straits poses a spill risk that “cannot be reconciled with the public’s right in the Great Lakes and the state’s duty to protect them.”
Grön Fuels proposes to build $9.2B biorefinery in Louisiana - On Nov. 10, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Fidelis Infrastructure co-founders Daniel J. Shapiro and Bengt Jarlsjo announced their portfolio company Grön Fuels LLC is studying the feasibility of a renewable fuel complex at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. With expansions and associated projects, the complex could involve up to $9.2 billion of total investment over several phases. A final investment decision is expected in 2021, which will determine the final cost of the project’s first phase. Through all phases and associated projects, the complex would create an estimated 1,025 new direct jobs, with an average annual salary of $98,595, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project and subsequent phases would result in up to 4,560 new indirect jobs, for a total of 5,585 new jobs for the Capital Region. “This renewable fuel production facility will help to secure Louisiana’s place as a leader in environmentally friendly energy production,” Edwards said. “Growing global demand for renewable transportation fuels creates a significant growth opportunity for our state. Once again, Louisiana’s port, rail and pipeline infrastructure and other logistical advantages are making possible an important industrial complex that will deliver many quality jobs for our skilled workforce. We look forward to the final investment decision for Grön Fuels to launch this innovative project at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.” The project would be built in stages over nine years at a site leased from the port on the west bank of the Mississippi River, near Port Allen. The first phase of construction would involve a capital investment of over $1.25 billion and create 340 new direct jobs by 2024. The base project is expected to produce up to 60,000 barrels per day of low-carbon renewable diesel, with an option to produce renewable jet fuel utilizing non-fossil feedstocks, including soybean oil, corn oil and animal fats. Upon completion of all phases – potentially by 2030 – the site would be one of the largest renewable fuel complexes in the world.
Venture Global delays financial decision on Plaquemines LNG until 2021 - Venture Global LNG has quietly pushed back the timeline for when the company would make its final investment decision on its second liquefied natural gas export terminal in Louisiana. Venture Global LNG previously anticipated making a financial decision by the end of 2020 about whether to build an $8.5 billion LNG export terminal known as Plaquemines LNG. That has been delayed until mid-2021, according to its website. The facility would export up to 20 million tons of LNG each year. The Arlington, Virginia-based business already signed a 20-year deal to sell 1 million tons of its LNG to French utility Électricité de France S.A. in February. The Polish Oil and Gas Co. agreed to buy 2.5 million tons of LNG from the Plaquemines terminal. The company declined comment about its plans. Reuters news reporters first noticed the website had changed. The Plaquemine LNG project, which sits on a 630-acre site about 20 miles south of New Orleans, has been navigating the federal regulatory process to export LNG and securing local permits. The company anticipated it would begin early construction this year. It's not the first time the Plaquemines project has been delayed. Back in 2016 the company anticipated it would begin construction by 2018 and start selling LNG by 2022. It expects to hire 250 workers at the terminal, and is projected to support up to 2,200 construction jobs. Researchers at LSU have forecast that about half of the LNG export terminals projected to be built along the Gulf Coast would fall through — up from about one-third last year. Venture Global LNG has two other LNG export terminals in the works in Louisiana, one of which is under construction in Cameron Parish and was in the path of Hurricane Laura in August and the other known as Delta LNG, for which a final investment decision has not been reached. The company began construction in mid-2019 on it $4.5 billion Cameron Parish Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal, a 10 million ton per year facility. In 2014, the company had predicted its Cameron Parish site would already be exporting LNG by 2019. In mid-November Venture Global's contractor delivered its first two liquefaction units to the Calcasieu Parish site two months ahead of schedule. It had minimal damage from Hurricane Laura and is expected to begin operations in 2022. The Delta LNG facility in Plaquemines Parish could cost another $8.5 billion and would also export about 20 million tons of LNG per year, but is not epected to be operational until 2024. The company said that the first phase of Delta LNG would begin in 2024 and second phase in 2025. The export facilities are feeding off an abundance of natural gas being produced from U.S. shale formations around the country that are being tapped with advanced drilling technology.
Closure of Louisiana’s Shell Convent Refinery will impact 1,100 jobs and create economic hardship - On November 5, oil giant Shell announced that it will be shutting down the Convent Refinery in Saint James Parish, Louisiana, after failing to find a buyer for the massive complex. The refinery is located on 4,400 acres of land between Ascension and St. James parishes and is expected to begin the shutdown process starting in mid-November. As of now Shell is continuing to seek a buyer for the idled refinery, which can process up to 240,000 barrels of crude oil a day and employs over 1,100 workers, including 400 contract workers, making the operation a key part of the local economy. The news of the closure comes after a $500 million investment in 2015 by the previous owner of the refinery, Motiva, to connect the Convent Refinery to the Norco Refinery down river by a pipeline, integrating their productive capacities and creating the Louisiana Refining System. After sharp contractions in the demand for oil due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy use by both private business and individuals, Shell has decided that the refinery is no longer financially viable. Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith stated in the announcement: “Despite efforts to sell the asset, a viable buyer was never identified. After looking at all aspects of our business, including financial performance, we made the difficult decision to shut down the site.” Though the decision was sparked by the pandemic, Shell and other oil companies have long been preparing for large-scale restructuring measures. In fact, Shell is planning on consolidating its assets into just six energy and chemical parks internationally. Other refineries under review for potential sale or closure include Puget Sound, Washington, and Mobile, Alabama, along with others in Canada and Denmark. The fate of those refineries has not been decided yet, according to the company. The international scope of such restructuring measures means they will impact workers all across the globe. The turn by Shell toward consolidating its business, as well as to focus on the integration of its remaining assets to allow the production of more chemically based products such as biofuel, hydrogen and synthetic fuels, is due to major changes in the financial viability of shale well drilling. The overall decline in the productivity of shale, as well as the future focus on lower carbon sources of energy, means the continued reliance on financialization to fuel the industry’s rapid growth is no longer feasible.
The Worst May Be Over for Louisiana's Oil & Gas Industry: LSU Report - The worst is likely over for Louisiana’s struggling oil-and-gas sector, though employment is unlikely to rebound to levels seen before the 2015 crash or even to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to a new report. The LSU Center for Energy Studies projects Louisiana will regain about 2,600 jobs in the upstream oil and gas extraction and services sectors by the end of next year relative to the low point in September. Louisiana refining and chemical manufacturing employment is expected to increase by about 300 jobs by the end of 2021, or about a 0.8% increase. The authors of the center’s 2021 Gulf Coast Energy Outlook, LSU CES director and professor David Dismukes and associate professor Greg Upton, assume that presumptive President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign proposal to ban new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters is not implemented anytime soon. They also assume that trade talks with China will not deteriorate, leading to new tariffs, and that the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. “Embedded in this outlook is the assumption that COVID-19 will gradually subside, and that a second wave of shutdowns will be avoided,” the authors say. “Yet, within days of sending this [report] off to print, the likelihood of a second wave of infections and associated reduced economic activity has increased substantially.” Other factors to watch include a potential re-engagement with Iran, which could add to the global oil supply, and industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Ironically, regulatory changes that make it harder to develop oil-and-gas resources could benefit certain sectors of the industry by increasing prices for fossil fuels.
Oil industry and Edwards at odds over vetoed tax break - Oil interests are criticizing Gov. John Bel Edwards' decision to veto a tax break he says was unlikely to deliver the jobs the industry and its supporters suggested. House Bill 29, passed by the Legislature during a special session last month, would have cost the state about $38 million over five years, officials said. It would have cut the taxes companies for drilling new wells or bringing old ones back into production. “This legislation would have stimulated some critically needed economic activity in our state, and while it did not pass, we remain hopeful and optimistic,” Mike Moncla, interim president of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, said in a news release Tuesday. “We believe Gov. Edwards gave strong consideration to the merits of the issue, and it is our job over the next few months to illustrate to the governor, the Department of Natural Resources and key legislators why this bill is so important.” In his veto message, issued last week, Edwards questioned the job claims. "During a legislative session wrought with limited access for the public to meaningfully comment on bills, proponents of this new exemption averred that the exemption would increase oil production and create jobs," Edwards wrote. "Yet no legitimate evidence or testimony supports this assertion, other than the testimony of those with a vested interest through enactment of a new exemption." The bill also included no requirement that drilling operators who benefit from the tax break employ Louisiana residents. "Further, any potential benefits of this legislation must be balanced against the resulting 38-million-dollar hole left in the state's budget for the current and next four fiscal years," Edwards said. The governor also noted that the bill was one of several introduced during a special session legislative leaders had claimed they convened to deal with COVID-19 response and hurricane recovery. "There will be a fiscal session of the Legislature in the spring of 2021 where this plan and other tax measures can be fully debated and considered," Edwards wrote. "I look forward to continuing discussions with industry representatives about ways that we can continue to make Louisiana competitive for our oil and gas partners."
Gulf of Mexico oil drilling interest remains low despite recent uptick -- Oil industry interests expressed optimism after Wednesday's Gulf of Mexico lease sale attracted more winning bids than the last one. Companies submitted $121 million in high bids, up from the $98 million the federal government received in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a global decline in demand for oil and gas. "Today’s lease sale shows industry interest remains strong in the Gulf of Mexico despite the challenges of an uncertain economic environment, and this basin will continue to be an important player in providing energy for America,” Tyler Gray, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, said in a prepared statement. Nonetheless, the 23 companies submitting bids sought drilling rights on less than 1% of the more than 79 million acres offered, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Total winning bids were also down from the $159 million received in August 2019. On Wednesday, companies submitted 105 bids on 98 tracts, a tiny fraction of the nearly 15,000 tracts offered. Results have been similar for the past several lease sales as the pandemic, global production wars and an inland shale boom helped make the Gulf less attractive to drillers. The downturn has cost Houma-Thibodaux's oil-based economy thousands of jobs. Analysts had expressed skepticism that Wednesday's lease sale would attract any significant increase in drilling interest. "At a time of fiscal austerity forced by lower oil demand, ample global supply and the next lease sale likely to occur just a few months from now in March 2021, many observers are betting on lower participation in the Nov. 18 auction," S&P Global Platts, an energy consulting and analytics firm, said Monday. Oil company budgets are limited, and many operators already have leases in reserve, The latest lease sale was the last for the Trump administration, which has touted itself as a friend of the oil industry and a catalyst for American energy dominance. Industry executives and others have expressed concern about Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's campaign pledge to ban new drilling permits on federal land and in federal waters, including the Gulf.
Oxy Taking ‘Contrarian Approach’ to Net-Zero Emissions by Developing Oil Resources, Reusing CO2 --Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. is aiming for net-zero carbon emissions, but rather than investing in renewables, it plans to capture and then reuse the carbon from its global oil developments, CEO Vicki Hollub said Tuesday. During a third quarter conference call, Hollub and the executive team offered details about the sweeping strategy to boost oil production while working toward a goal of net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The plan is to be emissions free in the direct operations by 2040, with emissions from other sources, including by customers down to zero by 2050.The European majors, all of which aim to be emission free in 30 years or less, are charting growth in renewables and alternative fuels to reduce their carbon footprints. Oxy, as it is better known, has a simpler approach, said Hollub.“We are doing a contrarian approach in that we believe that using our core competence of CO2-enhanced oil recovery expertise is the best way to go, rather than trying to go learn a new business.” Enhanced oil recovery, aka EOR, is “going to be a huge industry going forward,” she said. “Globally, there’s only 40 million metric tons of CO2 per year that’s sequestered or used.” CFO Rob Peterson told investors that “Oxy’s approach to this is we also believe that fossil fuels have a role in the energy portfolio of the world long term. And this is a way to take the carbon footprint of those fossil fuels, keep them part of the portfolio, and still generate a low-neutral, even negative-carbon fossil fuel molecule.” Oxy’s U.S. portfolio extends across the Permian, Denver-Julesburg (DJ) and Powder River basins, and into the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. It also has an extensive base of oil-rich development overseas. To date it is the only U.S.-based producer aiming to be net-zero for both direct and indirect (customer) emissions. Houston-based ConocoPhillips recently set a goal to be emissions-free for its direct operations, and many U.S. energy operators, including utilities, also are aiming to be emission-free.Oxy may have a step up on almost everybody. And it’s willing to share the technology, Hollub said.First up is a massive direct air capture (DAC) project in the works for the Permian under the purview of Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC (OLCV). OLCV in August partnered with private equity firm Rusheen Capital to create 1PointFive to advance financing and develop the long-awaited Permian project using DAC technology created by Carbon Engineering Ltd. Emissions from Oxy’s oil production are to be stored and then reused in the EOR operations to draw more resources from old wells.
Gulfport Energy Corp. files for bankruptcy protection in Houston with $2.5B in debt - Oklahoma City-based Gulfport Energy Corp. is the latest out-of-town energy company to bring billions of dollars of debt to Houston's bankruptcy court. Gulfport and 10 affiliated companies filed Chapter 11 petitions with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on Nov. 13. The main petition lists nearly $2.38 billion of assets and $2.52 billion of debt as of Sept. 30. The company has between 10,000 and 25,000 creditors. Gulfport is an independent natural gas and oil exploration and production company and one of the largest producers of natural gas in the contiguous United States, according to the company. It holds significant acreage positions in the Utica Shale of Eastern Ohio and the SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer plays in Oklahoma, plus noncore assets. The bankruptcy filing comes after Gulfport took several steps in 2020 to improve its balance sheet and preserve liquidity amid decreased demand for oil and natural gas due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although those steps helped, "continued macro headwinds, including the depressed state of energy capital markets and the extraordinarily low commodity price environments, present significant risks to the company's ability to fund its operations going forward," the earnings report states. Additionally, Gulfport's borrowing base under its revolving credit facility was reduced for the second time during 2020 on Oct. 8, dropping from $700 million to $580 million. On Oct. 15, Gulfport elected not to make a $17.4 million interest payment on its 6% senior unsecured notes maturing 2024. On Nov. 2, the company skipped a $10.8 million interest payment on its 6.625% senior unsecured notes maturing 2023. The company had a 30-day grace period for both payments and said it was continuing "constructive discussions with its lenders and certain other stakeholders regarding a potential comprehensive financial restructuring," according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Late last year, the New York Times reported that Gulfport was among several gas-focused companies that would need to refinance billions of dollars of debt between 2021 and 2023. “If low natural gas prices persist beyond 2020,” said a Moody’s Investor Service report, per the Times, “companies may need to reduce debt to maintain compliance with financial covenants or amend covenant levels.” Gulfport reported total revenue of nearly $136.18 million in the third quarter of 2020, a 60% drop from nearly $341.75 million in the third quarter of 2019. However, the company's net loss of $380.96 million, or $2.37 per share, was less than its Q3 2019 net loss of $484.8 million, or $3.04 per share.
Oklahoma Natural Gas Producer Enters Restructuring - Oklahoma City-based Gulfport Energy plans to shed nearly $1.25 billion in debt as it enters a court-supervised Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, according to a company statement on 14 November. Gulfport operates in the Oklahoma’s SCOOP and Ohio’s Utica Shale and as of the second quarter of this year was operating a single rig in each play. The company formed a new executive team in 2019 which was tasked with trimming costs and improving cash flow. However, Gulfport’s large debt load combined with long-term pipeline contracts meant it was on an unsustainable footing given current natural gas prices, ultimately driving its decision to enter bankruptcy, David Wood, president and CEO of Gulfport, said in the announcement. “We expect to exit the Chapter 11 process with leverage below two times and rapidly delever thereafter due to a much-improved cost structure driven by reduced legacy firm transport commitments and costs,” he added. A prepackaged restructuring agreement was reached with most of the natural gas producer’s credit lenders and senior noteholders. The restructuring package includes more than $262 million in debtor-in-possession financing from existing credit lenders, $105 million that will be dispersed imminently, pending court approval. After exiting bankruptcy, the company also expects to have access to $580 million in new financing available. The agreement also notes that common shareholders may see their equity cancelled during the process. Gulfport was founded in 1997 and acquired its current unconventional positions after 2012. The company also owns a 22% nonoperating interest in noncore assets operated by Oklahoma City-based Mammoth Energy and a 25% stake in Canadian operator Grizzly Oil Sands.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advisers quit over pipeline permit - A citizen advisory group at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has collapsed following the regulator’s decision to issue a water-quality permit to Enbridge Energy for its Line 3 oil pipeline cutting through Minnesota. The bulk of the agency’s Environmental Justice Advisory Group has resigned in protest over the permitting decision, saying in a letter Tuesday to MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop that “we cannot continue to legitimize and provide cover for the MPCA’s war on Black and brown people.” A dozen of the board’s 17 members signed the letter, which called the water-quality permit the “final straw” in a series of MPCA actions that they said sidelined the advisory group. Among those resigning is Winona LaDuke, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and executive director of Honor the Earth who strongly opposes the pipeline. In an interview, LaDuke called the decision “a slap in the face.” “The people who are most impacted are Indigenous people, and for seven years we have tried to make the system work,” she said. “If the MPCA actually valued Indigenous people and environmental justice they would not have issued that permit.” LaDuke called her four years on the advisory group “a waste of time.” Commissioner Bishop issued a statement praising the board for making a “significant” difference at the state agency. “I recognize the disappointment of some advisory group members regarding the Line 3 decision,” Bishop said. “The MPCA will continue to eliminate and reverse environmental and health inequities and disparities in overburdened communities and ensure engagement remains at the forefront of our decisionmaking.” The environmental justice advisory group was created in 2016 by former MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine, with unpaid members appointed by the commissioner. Many members work for advocacy groups or nonprofits. The group currently meets with the commissioner every other month for about 1 ½ hours, it said.
Enbridge Line 3 Construction Blocked by Protesters in Northern Minnesota — Early this morning, two people locked themselves to equipment used for Enbridge’s Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline in northern Minnesota. The action was organized by the Giniw Collective and comes days after various permits were granted in the state of Minnesota, pushing the highly controversial pipeline closer to construction. “Gov. Walz said we need to act boldly on climate,” Tara Houska (Ojibwe), founder of the Giniw Collective, told Native News Online. “Then he approved the largest tar sands infrastructure project in North America through Anishinaabe territory.” “Having grown up on occupied Anishinaabe and Dakota land, I feel a responsibility to defend that land and the rights of the people who have a relationship to it,” Mira Grinsfelder, 24 of Saint Paul, Minn., said in a statement prior to locking herself up to Enbridge equipment. “If the US government won’t defend Anishinaabe treaty rights, we will. If the Minnesota government won’t protect the water, we will,” added Grinsfelder. Native News Online reported on Thursday, Nov. 12, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved various permits for Enbridge’s Line 3. The result brought hundreds of people in protest at the Governor’s Mansion on Saturday, clashing with a pro-Trump rally with people voicing they support pipelines.Yesterday, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) News reported that 12 out of 17 MPCA advisory group members resigned in protest over the approval of MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop approval for a key water permit that pushes Line 3 closer to construction. White Earth tribal member and former Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke is one of the twelve that resigned. “We cannot continue to legitimize and provide cover for the MPCA's war on black and brown people," their resignation letter stated. Enbridge’s Line 3 is the largest project in the company’s history and would be one of the largest crude oil pipelines in the continent, according to a statement on the company’s website. Line 3 is expected to transport up to 760,000 barrels a day through northern Minnesota, passing through treaty lands of several Ojibwe bands.
Corps, Users and Opponents Take Sides on Project Permit Makeover - Slammed by a federal court in April over lack of environmental protection in its blanket water-crossing construction permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing in on key changes to its Nationwide Permit program. With public comment ended Nov. 16, the Corps is weighing revisions that would affect Keystone XL and other projects. The proposal should streamline the permitting process for the controversial Nationwide Permit-12, a target of fossil fuel project opponents, and help permits withstand new lawsuits, says Sarah Soard, a Burns & McDonnell environmental services manager.But in yet another legal tussle over a pipeline using that permit, known as NWP-12—a Richmond, Va., U.S. appeals court said Nov. 18 that the $6-billion Mountain Valley natural gas line could continue clearing, grading, and other earth-disturbing construction—rejecting opponents' call for an emergency halt until it rules on a broader permit challenge.Even so, the same court did halt in a separate Nov. 9 decision, any water-crossing work under its NWP-12 permit on the 303-mile line in Virginia and West Virginia, pending the bigger final ruling next year. The much-challenged project, already about two years behind schedule, is further pushed back until late 2021, its builder has said. In a statement, a project spokeswoman said the Nov. 18 decision to allow some work "is evidence that [the project] has taken the right steps to ensure that its planned construction activities will continue in a manner that best protects the environment."The Corps has 52 NWPs based on project type. NWP-12 allows dredge-and-fill work and building structures in, over or under water bodies for most oil, gas, electric transmission, water/wastewater, cable and other projects. Project activity with minimal site disturbance can get an NWP permit for the entire work scope rather than approvals for each crossing. NWP process time averaged 45 days, compared to 264 days for an individual permit, said the Corps. It generally updates NWPs every five years. Current rules expire on March 2022 but it is unclear if the proposed changes would go into effect before then, possibly even by year end. With NWP-12 permits for oil and gas pipelines targeted, the Corps has proposed that the permit be limited to those projects. The agency would create separate NWPs for electric and telecom transmission, utility water and wastewater lines, and for water reuse and reclamation plant work. Other proposed NWP changes include permits required for road access to land-based renewable projects or utility substations, raising the size cap on hydropower projects covered, and lowering limits for stream-bed losses in those NWPs that now have them. The proposal adds a required preconstruction notification to build energy pipelines longer than 250 miles, but removes many utility project notification “triggers” the Corps now mandates. The agency would also close a loophole for projects with more than one NWP whose requirements differ, and increase the size of “minor dredging.” A federal district court in Montana had struck down the NWP-12—initially invalidating it nationwide—but later narrowed its ruling to oil and gas lines only. The U.S. Supreme Court then stayed that revised decision, except for Keystone XL, until a San Francisco appeals court case ruling, which is expected next year or possibly later.
Colorado Agency Mistakenly Sends Email To Oil & Gas Companies Calling Them Derogatory Names, Including ‘Snake Oil Inc’ – CBS Denver – The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is apologizing after sending an inappropriate email ridiculing the very companies it regulates. CBS4 has learned that staff members at COGCC were testing a new e-filing system when they inadvertently sent an email to hundreds of oil and gas workers across the state. The email called the companies they work for names that you don’t expect from people who are supposed to be fair and unbiased. The email arrived early Sunday morning with a list of oil and gas companies that had upcoming hearings. The names of the companies included “Snake Oil Inc.,” it’s law firm “Blah Blah Blah” and its cause or case number “666” — a designation for the devil. Other names included “Acme Company,” “Bad Oil and Gas,” “Really Rich,” “Here We Go Again,” and “The Lorax” — a Dr. Seuss character that warns about environmental destruction. “As our entire economy is struggling, that they have time to make jokes and horrible comments about the hard working women and men in our industry, it’s just sad,” said Chelsie Miera, who represents oil and gas companies on the Western Slope. She says if state employees thought it was a joke, operators and workers don’t find it funny. The email comes in the middle of hearings to overhaul the regulatory framework for industry. “There’s been no acknowledgement that this even happening in those meetings,” said Miera. A follow up message said only that “the emails were sent in error.” Miera says she’s concerned that they came from people who control the fate of the industry.
Utah lawmakers push to block cities from banning natural gas - Some California cites have enacted rules that prohibit new homes from connecting to natural gas, a fossil fuel whose emissions contribute to climate change. That won’t happen in Utah under a bill that a legislative committee advanced Tuesday on a straight party-line vote. “We should have customer choice when it comes to energy," bill sponsor Rep. Stephen Handy, R-Layton, told the Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee. “As policymakers, we should allow for customer choice, whatever the market dictates, whatever that is. We shouldn’t prohibit customer choice.” But Democratic committee members failed to see the point of the bill since no Utah city has proposed restricting utility customers' access to natural gas, although Handy contended “there are conversations.” “I worry that when we start getting into this prohibition language, it really hamstrings municipalities from exploring any sort of innovative policy,” said Sen. Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City. “I just think that it’s a very heavy-handed approach for the state of Utah when we haven’t even seen any negative consequences.” Titled “Utility Permitting Amendments,” the bill simply states “a municipality [or county] may not enact an ordinance, a resolution, or a policy that prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, the connection or reconnection of a utility service to a customer based upon the type or source of energy to be delivered to the customer.” By a 12-4 vote, the committee advanced the measure for consideration in the upcoming legislative session.
Natrona Trump administration must weigh climate change when leasing land to oil and gas, court rules --A federal judge admonished the Trump administration yet again in a court opinion on Friday for failing to adequately assess how leasing public land to oil and gas developers could negatively affect the climate. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled the Bureau of Land Management neglected to properly weigh the impacts of climate change when conducting its environmental review tied to 304,000 acres of leased land in Wyoming. In the decision rendered Friday, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras called on federal regulators to conduct its environmental analysis again before drilling could be occur. According to the judge, the BLM’s analysis once again fell short and did not comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when it leased public land in Wyoming to oil and gas developers. The judge moved to enjoin, or block, drilling applications from being approved on 282 lease parcels of federal land, an area amounting to 303,995 acres in Wyoming. This isn’t the first time the court has struck down the Trump administration’s environmental analysis related to leasing public land for oil and gas development. In 2016, two non-profit organizations, WildEarth Guardians and Physicians for Social Responsibility, filed the lawsuit against the BLM. In March 2019, the court sided with the plaintiffs and concluded the BLM had not fully considered the cumulative impacts of climate change before leasing the land to energy companies. The judge ordered the agency to conduct additional analysis before development could move forward. After the BLM submitted the supplemental environmental reviews, the agency was met with yet another challenge from the same pair of nonprofit groups. WildEarth Guardians and Physicians for Social Responsibility called the BLM’s new analysis “error-riddled,” “arbitrary” and “capricious.” The federal court agreed on Friday, calling the BLM’s additional analysis “a sloppy and rushed process.”
Oil and gas production rising in North Dakota, but future is murky - North Dakota posted a solid hike in petroleum output in September, while the industry now races to start new wells before pro-oil President Donald Trump leaves office.Still, the oil and gas outlook in North Dakota — and the rest of the U.S. — is murky as oil prices remain depressed and COVID-19 continues to sap the economy.“September production was up 5% on the oil side — good news there,” Lynn Helms, director of North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources told reporters Tuesday. But “this might be as good as it gets for a while.”North Dakota, the nation’s second-largest oil and gas producer, churned out 1.22 million barrels of oil per day in September, up from 1.17 million the previous month. Natural gas production jumped 7% during the same time.North Dakota’s oil output hit a seven-year low in May of 858,400 barrels per day before rallying over the summer.The recovery, though, was driven by the reopening of wells that had been shut-in during the spring when oil hit historic low prices. It has now largely played out, Helms said.For production to keep rising, oil companies must frack new wells to compensate for old wells petering out. But oil prices are too low to spur such activity anytime soon.In August and September, North Dakota saw a steady rise in permits for new wells, and drilling activity — while still historically low — hasn’t fallen off. The trend has continued since.“That is attributed to [concerns] over changing federal policy,” not economics, Helms said.President-elect Joe Biden has proposed banning oil and gas drilling on federal lands. Almost one-quarter of North Dakota’s oil lands could be “severely impacted” by a federal drilling moratorium, Helms said.Hence, the rush to get new permits and drill new wells on federal land. However, even after a well is drilled, oil producers aren’t likely to turn on the spigot until oil prices rise appreciably.And Helms noted that federal energy forecasters don’t see oil demand returning to 2019 levels until 2022.
Living Near Drilling Is Deadly. Why Don’t California Lawmakers Care? - The New York Times – video - California famously prides itself on environmental leadership — but what about when its lawmakers overlook problems in their own constituents’ backyards? It’s still legal to drill for oil there right next to schools and hospitals — despite well documented health risks to anyone nearby. In the video op-ed above, Josiah Edwards explains what it was like to grow up breathing in the toxic chemicals expelled by drilling. He traces the asthma that plagues his entire family to decades of redlining in Los Angeles County, which consigned Black and brown communities like theirs to live next to active oil wells. Even today, politicians keep rejecting legislation that would help protect Californians from these poisonous emissions. You may not have an oil drill in your backyard now, but if you live in California, there’s nothing stopping one from moving in tomorrow.
Trump administration pushes to sell Alaska oil leases pre-Biden inauguration - The White House will be sending out a call for nominations in coming days, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Anchorage, Alaska. The call is a request to energy companies on what specific land areas should be offered for sale. That would start the clock on a 60-day period before sales could take place in ANWR, where drilling had been banned for decades before a Republican-led tax legislation signed in 2017 removed that ban. Biden opposes drilling in ANWR, while lawmakers in Alaska have long pushed to open up the ecologically sensitive area for oil and gas exploration. “Development in ANWR is long overdue and will create good-paying jobs and provide a new revenue stream for the state - which is why a majority of Alaskans support it,” said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs at the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group. Following a 30-day period after the call for nominations, the government would have to issue a notice for an impending sale of leases. Thirty days after that, the sale would take place, just before Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Alaska produces roughly 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil, far below its peak of 2 million bpd in the late 1980s. “This lease sale is one more box the Trump administration is trying to check off for its oil industry allies before vacating the White House in January,” said Adam Kolton, executive director at the Alaska Wilderness League, which opposes drilling in ANWR. The White House finalized a plan to allow drilling earlier this year. The 19 million acre (7.7 million hectares) refuge is home to Native tribes and wildlife populations including caribou and polar bears. In recent months, several big U.S. banks have said they would not finance oil and gas projects in the Arctic region. “This administration has consistently ignored our voices and dismissed our concerns. Our food security, our land and our way of life is on the verge of being destroyed,” said Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee. The Gwich’in tribe lives in scattered villages in the reserve and across the national border in Canada.
Trump Rushes To Sell Oil Drilling Leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- The lame duck Trump administration is making a rushed last-minute push to sell leases to oil companies in the long-protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before Inauguration Day, numerous outlets reported.On Monday, the Interior Department issued a "call for nominations" asking oil companies to request specific parcels of land to be made available for drilling. Completing the lease sales before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. would make it harder, though not necessarily impossible, for the Biden administration to prevent oil drilling in ANWR."Any company thinking about participating in this corrupt process should know that they will have to answer to the Gwich'in people and the millions of Americans who stand with us," said Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, in a statement. Despite the Trump administration's efforts, oil companies may still struggle to drill in ANWR, given substantial logistical costs and recent moves by major financiers to stop funding drilling there.As reported by The Washington Post: It's unclear if drillers will even want to take on the legal, political and engineering challenges of extracting oil and gas from the pristine, frozen landscape. Some major banks have already announced they will not fund oil and gas activities in the Arctic in response to environmental pressure.But in other cases, the Biden administration will have to go through an entirely new process all over again to stop the Trump rules from taking effect. That could potentially siphon time and energy away from other environmental protection efforts — including heading off the disastrous rise in temperatures because of global warming.For a deeper dive:For a deeper dive: NPR, The New York Times, Politico Pro, The Hill, Axios, The Washington Post
Trump Plan to Sell Arctic Oil Leases Will Face Challenges -New York Times - If lease sales happen in the final days of the Trump administration, they may face disputes in court or could be reversed by the Biden administration.Even if in its waning days the Trump administration succeeds inselling oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the leases may never be issued, legal and other experts said Tuesday.The leases would face strong and likely insurmountable headwinds from two directions: the incoming Biden administration and the courts, they said.Under new leadership, several federal agencies could reject the leases, which even if purchased at an auction a few days before Inauguration Day would be subject to review, a process that usually takes several months.Mr. Biden vowed during the campaign to oppose oil and gas development in the refuge, a vast expanse of virtually untouched land in northeast Alaska that is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. “President-elect Biden has made it clear that protecting the Arctic refuge from drilling is important to him,” said Brook Brisson, a senior staff attorney with Trustees for Alaska, a nonprofit public-interest law firm. “We trust that means his administration will use its executive authority to do just that.”But if for some reason after those reviews the new administration did not reject the leases, they could also be overturned in court. There are already four lawsuits against the Trump administration’s actions relating to oil and gas development in the refuge, including one filed by Ms. Brisson’s group on behalf of Alaska Native and environmental organizations. “Whoever wins these leases will walk into a minefield of litigation,” . With the publishing of a “call for nominations” in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the Bureau of Land Management officially initiated the lease-sale program for the refuge. The document seeks comment from oil companies and other parties as to their interest in leasing specific parts of the refuge’s coastal plain, which covers 1.5 million acres along the Arctic Ocean.The area is thought to overlie reserves containing billions of gallons of oil. For decades it was protected by law from drilling, but it was opened to potential development in 2017 by the administration and the Republican-led Congress. The decision to start the lease-sale program was hailed by oil industry groups and by members of Alaska’s Congressional delegation, who have long pursued drilling in the refuge for the jobs and revenue it could bring. The Interior Department, which includes the Bureau of Land Management, said it had “taken a significant step in meeting our obligations by determining where and under what conditions the oil and gas development program will occur.”
Big oil and gas have a lot invested in Trump’s attack on the election system --Calmer heads may yet talk Donald Trump down from caps-locked denial to lower-case concession, but the longer the defeated presidentflirts with a coup, the more the oil and gas industry must take a share of the blame. Fossil-fuel firms are among the biggest donors to the defeated US president and the Republican party leaders who have endorsed his legal challenge to overturn the election result. They also have the most to lose if Joe Biden carries out his campaign promise to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and enact a $2tn Green New Deal that would make wind, solar and other clean technologies far cheaper than petroleum. Trump’s presidency was made possible by the rise of a far-right wing in the Republican party characterised by white supremacist messaging and fossil-fuel funding. Oil and gas companies, led by Energy Transfer Equity, Koch Industries and Chevron, give about 80% of their political donations to Republican and conservative candidates. The biggest beneficiary by far is Donald Trump, who directly received more than $2m from this sector in the past year, not including money funnelled through secretive political action committees. High on the list are other supporters of his attempt to overturn the ballot box in the courtroom, such as Mitch McConnell, with $490,000, and Graham, with $143,000. Trump’s refusal to concede can be dismissed as the tantrum of a sore loser. But his support from prominent Republicans resembles a more serious attempt to hold back history: in particular, the two intertwined trends – climate and race – that drove Biden to victory. Climate campaigns are increasingly intertwined with social justice movements. The tighter they bind, the more powerful they become. This is the alliance that pushed Biden to victory. In the future it is likely to strengthen as demographic trends advance and fossil fuel dependency retreats. This may be why some Republicans are so spooked that they are toying with rejecting democracy outright. Lindsey Graham, the Senate Judiciary Committee chair who was re-elected as senator for South Carolina, has made little secret of why he believes Trump’s challenge is an existential political issue for his party. “If Republicans don’t challenge and change the US election system, there will never be another Republican president elected again,” he told Fox News. In a subsequent interview, he clarified this. “If we don’t do something about voting by mail, we are going to lose the ability to elect a Republican in this country.” Of course, it is not the postal votes he fears, but who is making them and why. The massive Covid-driven increase in mail-in votes is likely to have helped to enfranchise many black and indigenous people who were previously excluded by voter-suppression tactics. This, and the dynamism of black women activists such as Stacey Abrams, appears to have been decisive in the democratic victory in Georgia and could yet end the Republicans long control of the Senate, depending on the result of a run-off vote in January.
Oil and gas lobbyists optimistic about 2021 - Energy and business lobbyists are shifting focus to influencing an administration that isn’t President Donald Trump’s, and some see the potential for a divided Congress to benefit industry even with voters concerned about climate change. The Texas Energy Museum hosted a virtual symposium Thursday that featured expert analysis of energy markets and policy goals from one of the top political advisers for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the executive director of the American Petroleum Institute. Speakers addressed the biggest challenges and next steps for the energy sector but mostly painted a rosy picture for the oil and gas industry moving forward into the next presidential administration. Mike Sommers, chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute (API), said it became clear on Nov. 7 — the day statistical projections for President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college votes exceeded 270 — that there would be a new presidential administration to deal with, but the Election Day outcomes for industry were more complicated than one man. “When you dig deeply into the House and Senate results, this election was actually an overwhelming victory for U.S. energy leadership and the millions of jobs and economic benefits our industry provides,” he said. API is one of the largest energy associations in the nation, made up of more than 600 companies in both the oil and gas sectors. It also helps establish industry standards and practices for a wide swath of the industry. Based on the House races that have been called so far and the leanings of outcomes in races yet to be called, lobbyists are preparing for Democrats to have one of the smallest majority margins in the chamber since 2000.
Coast Guard works to contain oil leaking from boat in lagoon - The U.S. Coast Guard is working to clean up oil leaking from an abandoned tugboat in Krause Lagoon on St. Croix’s south shore. The owner of St. Croix Renaissance Group made a report on Nov. 12 and placed a containment boom around the partially sunken Cape Lookout, Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad told The Daily News on Tuesday. While at least some of the oil was not captured by the boom, that initial containment effort likely kept the vast majority of oil from drifting throughout the lagoon, and crews started work Tuesday to capture and dispose of the oil, Castrodad said. “While the maximum potential discharge based on the size of the vessel fuel and lube oil tanks is approximately 48,000 gallons of fuel and 2,000 gallons of lube oil. It is unknown how full both tanks are at this time,” according to information from a Coast Guard news release. “At this time, approximately 85% of the discharged oil remains contained within the absorbent and containment boom that is surrounding the vessel, while the remaining material remains within an area that extends approximately 50 yards from the vessel.” “Due to the immediate pollution threat this vessel represents to the environment and surrounding area, the Coast Guard is working to open the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to hire an Oil Spill Removal Organization to conduct clean-up operations,” Lt. Cmdr. Alberto Martinez, Sector San Juan Incident Management Division chief, said in a statement. Castrodad said that has happened and a crew was dispatched Tuesday to clean up the site. The 97-foot tugboat “remains tied to a concrete platform at the facility partially sunk with its bow sticking out of the water,” according to the news release, and Castrodad said it’s unclear when exactly the vessel was abandoned. Castrodad said while the tugboat’s owners are ultimately responsible for the vessel’s maintenance and the spill, the priority now is to clean up the environmental hazard, and then the Coast Guard will continue working to identify the responsible individuals.
US Coast Guard manages oil cleanup from Sunken tugboat - The US Coast Guard responded to reports of an abandoned tugboat that was sinking in the harbor of an industrial park on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. Coast Guard pollution teams are monitoring cleanup operations to recover discharged oil from the sunken vessel. The incident began on November 12 when the owner/operator of the business park, St. Croix Renaissance Group, reported to the Coast Guard that the abandoned tugboat Cape Lookout was sinking at Krause Lagoon on St. Croix. Coast Guard personnel from the Resident Inspections Office St. Croix, working in coordination with the Sector San Juan Incident Management Division, responded to the scene. The Coast Guard found that the tugboat, which remained tied to a concrete platform at the facility, had partially sunk with its bow sticking out of the water Oil was leaking from the 97-foot tugboat. Based on the size of the vessel, the Coast Guard estimated that the maximum potential discharge was approximately 48,000 gallons of fuel and 2,000 gallons of lube oil. However, it was not known how full the fuel and lube oil tanks were at the time the vessel sunk. An oil containment boom was placed around the vessel and according to the Coast Guard, approximately 85 percent of the discharged oil remains contained within the absorbent and containment boom that is surrounding the vessel. The remaining material remains within an area that extends approximately 50 yards from the vessel the Coast Guard estimated. The Coast Guard assisted in establishing a liability trust fund to hire an oil spill removal organization to conduct cleanup operations. “The National Response Corporation in the US Virgin Islands has been hired as the oil spill removal organization that will be conducting oil recovery and cleanup operations for the Cape Lookout,” said Lt. Cory Woods, Coast Guard Resident Inspection Office St. Croix supervisor. “Our primary objective is to remove this pollution threat and help the affected area and environment return to its pristine state as soon as possible.” Since oil recovery operations began, cleanup crews have recovered approximately 1,500 gallons of oily water of the material discharged from the vessel using an oil waste vacuum truck and oil skimmers to recover the oil from the water. Also, a new containment and absorbent boom was placed around the vessel to keep the discharged oil contained and facilitate its recovery.
Heritage continues oil spill clean-up, air quality testing - The Heritage Petroleum Company Limited is continuing its clean-up efforts in response to the oil spill at the Godineau River, South Oropouche. The Company first received reports of the spill on Wednesday and initiated its response protocols. In an update on Friday, Heritage said it is committed to minimising the impact of the spill. According to the release, many of the people supporting the clean-up efforts live in the area with several fishermen utilising their boats in the process. Ambient air quality testing is ongoing as well as pipeline assessment and repairs along the 16” line. The release added that the relevant authorities are being regularly updated to ensure all operations are conducted in a safe, efficient, and timely manner. Furthermore, Heritage Petroleum once again reminded the public to avoid the affected area from La Fortune Pluck Road to the river’s mouth at Mosquito Creek since this may put them at unnecessary risk and hamper the clean-up activities.
Ban oil drilling in Bahamas - EDITOR, The Tribune:. Government enacted lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have forced Bahamians to stay home, crushed the economy, and destroyed Bahamian businesses. Meanwhile, Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) – which is not Bahamian – has been allowed to forge ahead with its plans to drill for oil in The Bahamas. This blatant act of discrimination by the government against Bahamians is unconscionable and unacceptable. It is also a slap in the face by the government and BPC because oil drilling will not create significant jobs for Bahamians, and drilling is an assault on the precious ecosystem that our lives and countless other forms of life depend on. Numerous letters have been written to the media to express disapproval of drilling in The Bahamas. Requests have also been made to the Prime Minister to stop BPC from drilling. And the petition “Help Save The Bahamas From Oil Drilling” has gained international attention and support. Despite public outcry against BPC, top government officials who opposed drilling have been silent, and BPC representatives have tried to convince Bahamians that oil drilling is safe and great for The Bahamas. A lot has been written about the perceived benefits and the real risks of oil drilling in The Bahamas. So let’s discuss comments made by high-ranking politicians when they were not shy about voicing their opinions about drilling.
Sempra's Mexico LNG Plant -- Update -- November 17, 2020 --Just the other day, November 13, 2020: SRE: Mexico will give LNG conditional export permit -- Sempra Energy's local IEnova unit likely will receive an export permit for a proposed liquefied natural gas facility in northwest Mexico, as long as the company helps offset an oversupply of gas in the area, Mexican Pres. Lopez Obrador says.
- The President says he is inclined to approve the permit but stresses what he considers excess natural gas in the area around the northern Pacific coast, given that state-owned power company Comision Federal de Electricidad does not use the fuel to generate electricity.
- Lopez Obrador says supply contracts signed by the previous government obliged CFE to buy natural gas that is not needed.
- The comments appear to walk back the government's interest in requiring IEnova to build a second LNG export facility before approving the pending plant in Ensenada, which was reported in August.
Today: TechnipFMC wins $1-billion-plus contract for Sempra's Mexico LNG plant..
- TechnipFMC after-hours on news it received a notice to proceed for a major Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract by Sempra Energy and IENova at the Energía Costa Azul liquefied natural gas facility in Mexico; for TechnipFMC, a "major" contract exceeds $1B.
- The Costa Azul project, which won a final investment decision today, will add a natural gas liquefaction facility with nameplate capacity of 3.25M metric tons/year to the existing regasification terminal using a compact and high efficiency mid-scale LNG design.
- TechnipFMC has been involved in the project since 2017, including the delivery of the front end engineering design.
- Earlier this month, TechnipFMC reportedly was set to win a "huge" offshore engineering contract from Qatargas.
In its press release, Sempra refers to the Costa Azul (blue coast) project as a "landmark" project.
Australia LNG regas projects face scrutiny amid domestic gas policy changes -Australia's LNG regasification projects are facing scrutiny after a drilling moratorium in the state of Victoria was lifted earlier this year, and with more acreage recently opened up for exploration by the federal government to boost domestic energy security.The easing of upstream restrictions has made the race for LNG receiving terminals more competitive in South Australia and the eastern states of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, and not all the projects will make it to the finish line. But experts said there is still a strong case for some of the projects because of looming gas shortages, slow upstream progress and the terminals serving as an alternative to pipelines from gas-producing regions in the west. There has been limited progress in resolving medium and long-term east coast gas supply challenges, and by 2030 supply constraints will become increasingly evident with declining production offshore Victoria and no major gas discoveries, energy consultancy EnergyQuest said in an Oct. 16 report. "Any developments onshore Victoria or NSW will provide some supply increments but are unlikely to materially shift the long-term demand-supply imbalance," it said. "We expect one and possibly two of the Gladstone LNG trains to be closed as increased gas volumes are diverted from the LNG projects to the domestic market. The gap between demand and supply will also increasingly rely on LNG imports at international prices," the consultancy added.The Gladstone terminals in Queensland are the 9 million mt/year Origin-ConocoPhillips' Australia Pacific LNG, 7.8 million mt/year Santos-led Gladstone LNG and Shell's 8.5 million mt/year Queensland Curtis LNG. Actual output is below combined capacity of 25.3 million mt/year due to insufficient gas. Earlier this year, S&P Global Platts Analytics noted that individual issues had delayed final investment decision for each regas project.It said AGL's Crib Point LNG terminal faced environmental issues, EPIK's Newcastle project required an extensive and costly pipeline, and Australian Industrial Energy's Port Kembla FSRU struggled to find buyers as gas imports were only feasible during peak demand periods. On Oct. 20, AIE's Japanese shareholders sold their stakes to Squadron Energy. Victoria also has a second project, by Vitol-backed Viva Energy, near its Geelong refinery."Australian Industrial Energy's Port Kembla Gas Terminal is the only new project that can deliver substantial quantities of natural gas to market as early as 2022 and address the east coast's predicted short-term gas supply challenges," a spokesman for AIE told S&P Global Platts in early October. "The 14-16 month construction window is relatively short and the project will then have the capacity to supply more than 75% of NSW's gas needs," he said, adding that gas imports and domestic production can co-exist.
IMO and Arctic states slammed for endorsing continued Arctic pollution - The Clean Arctic Alliance today slammed the decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to approve a ban ridden with of loopholes on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic (HFO), saying that it would leave the Arctic, its Indigenous communities and its wildlife facing the risk of a HFO spill for another decade [1]. The ban was approved during a virtual meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75), despite widespread opposition from Indigenous groups, NGOs and in a statement release this week, the Catholic Church [2]. At the IMO’s PPR 7 subcommittee meeting in February 2020, the IMO agreed on the draft before sending it to MEPC. Following PPR7, the Clean Arctic Alliance called the inclusion of loopholes – in the form of exemptions and waivers – in the draft regulation “outrageous” as they mean a HFO ban would not come into effect until mid-2029. With the ban now scheduled to go forward for adoption at MEPC 76, the Clean Arctic Alliance – a coalition of 21 non-profit organisations, called for waivers to not be granted by Arctic coastal states and for the deadline beyond which exemptions would not apply to be brought forward. “By taking the decision to storm ahead with the approval of this outrageous ban, the IMO and its member states must take collective responsibility for failing to put in place true protection of the Arctic, Indigenous communities and wildlife from the threat of heavy fuel oil”, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. “In its current form, the ban will achieve only a minimal reduction in HFO use and carriage by ships in the Arctic in mid-2024, when it comes into effect. It is now crucial that Arctic coastal states do not resort to issuing waivers to their flagged vessels”. Heavy fuel oil is a dirty and polluting fossil fuel that powers shipping throughout the world’s oceans – accounting for 80% of marine fuel used worldwide. Around 80% of marine fuel currently carried in the Arctic is HFO; over half by vessels flagged to non-Arctic states – countries that have little if any connection to the Arctic. As Arctic heating drives sea ice melt and opens up Arctic waters further, even larger non-Arctic state-flagged vessels running on HFO are likely to divert to Arctic waters in search of shorter journey times. This, combined with an increase in Arctic state-flagged vessels targeting previously non-accessible resources, will greatly increase the risks of HFO spills in areas that are difficult to reach, and that lack any significant oil spill containment equipment.
Russia should get behind Arctic ban on dirty fuel - In recent years, Russia has emerged as a global leader in the production and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The projects are highly innovative, mighty impressive, and very expensive. However, Russia’s strides in switching to LNG in the Arctic will be hindered by their reliance on heavy fuel oil (HFO). HFO, known also as bunker fuel or mazut, is a thick, tar-like substance — a dangerous pollutant, packed full of contaminants. While much of the Russian business community seems to understand that it has no place in Arctic waters, the Russian government has spearheaded diplomatic efforts to water down a proposed international ban on the use of mazut in the Arctic. That could be a dangerous mistake. The Russian government, scientists, and civil society should take heed of these cues from some of the country’s largest businesses and support the transition away from mazut. Shipping along the Northern Sea Route — an Arctic passage which cuts naval journey times from Europe to Asia, but is only accessible in warmer summer months — is booming. Since 2017, volumes have gone up by more than 430%, eclipsing records set in the Soviet era. LNG already makes up most of the transported cargo volumes, but despite investments in gas infrastructure, Russia continues to rely on heavy fuel oil in the Arctic. In November 2019, then-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called on the Murmansk Governor Andrey Chibis to find a “systematic solution” to the problem of growing expenses for heavy fuel oil — the issue of mazut had been elevated to the highest-levels of decision-making in the country. Russia’s business leaders understand that the future of mazut is kaput and are shifting their rubles to LNG.
Oil climbs higher on China, Japan rebound, hopes of OPEC+ supply curb - Oil prices climbed on Monday, recouping some losses from the previous session as hopes that OPEC+ will hold current output curbs offset concerns about weaker fuel demand due to rising Covid-19 cases and higher production from Libya. Figures showing a rebound in the world's second and third largest economies, China and Japan, also supported prices, along with data that Chinese refineries processed the most crude ever in October on a daily basis. Brent crude futures for January rose $1.70, or 3.97%, to trade at $44.48 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for December was up $1.61, or 4%, at $41.74 per barrel. "Fundamentally China's numbers do support why oil prices can keep at these levels," OCBC economist Howie Lee said. Both contracts gained more than 8% last week on hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine and that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their allies including Russia will maintain lower output next year to support prices. The group, also known as OPEC+, has been cutting production by about 7.7 million barrels per day, with a compliance rate seen at 101% in October, and had planned to increase output by 2 million bpd from January. OPEC+ is due to hold a ministerial committee meeting on Tuesday which could recommend changes to production quotas when all the ministers meet on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. However, the speedy recovery of oil production in Libya, an OPEC member, back to above 1.2 million bpd presents a challenge to OPEC+ cuts, while a slowdown in traffic across Europe and the United States dampened fuel demand recovery hopes this winter. "European motorway traffic is down almost 50% in recent weeks in some countries (such as France) as lockdown measures are increased," ANZ analysts said. People movement on highways in the United States was also slowing based on vehicle mileage data despite authorities' reluctance to implement new restrictions, they added. While fuel demand is slowing, Baker Hughes' data showed that the U.S. oil and natural gas rig count rose last week to its highest since May as producers, spurred by higher crude prices, return to the wellpad. ANZ analysts expect the oil surplus to increase to between 1.5 million and 3 million bpd in the first half next year with a vaccine only boosting demand in the second half.
Oil futures finish sharply higher on vaccine news - Oil futures finished with a sharp gain on Monday as news of another promising vaccine helped to ease concerns about COVID-19 economic restrictions that could lead to lower energy demand. December West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.21, or 3%, to settle at $41.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Oil prices edge higher ahead of OPEC+ meeting, vaccine hopes - Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday on expectations OPEC and its allies will extend oil production cuts for at least three months, while sentiment was bolstered by news of another promising coronavirus vaccine. Brent crude futures for January rose 26 cents, or 0.6%, to $44.08 a barrel by 0535 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for December added 18 cents, or 0.4%, to $41.52 a barrel. Equity markets rose on hopes of a quicker economic recovery after Moderna said its experimental Covid-19 vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing infection based on interim late-state data. "Moderna's vaccine announcement had probably its largest effect on oil out of the main asset classes," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA, adding that positive vaccine news has "almost certainly put a long-term floor under oil prices." Moderna's results came after Pfizer reported last week that its vaccine was more than 90% effective. "If we judge economic recovery, particularly through the lens of oil markets ... with multiple high efficacy vaccines in the pipeline, there is good chance mobility will return close to pre-pandemic levels later in 2021," OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, including Russia, is set to hold a ministerial committee meeting on Tuesday that could recommend changes to production quotas when all the ministers meet on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The group is leaning towards postponement of a planned January increase in oil output for at least three months to support prices as the Covid-19 pandemic continues its second wave, sources told Reuters on Monday. In the United States, oil output from shale formations in December is expected to decline to the lowest level since June, according to the Energy Information Administration. China's crude oil throughput in October rose to its highest-ever level, underpinning a fast demand recovery in the world's second largest oil consumer. "Oil demand in China is exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels which suggests oil demand is not permanently impaired," analysts from Bernstein Energy said. "This is in line with mobility data and supports the view that oil demand has not been structurally damaged by changes in behavior post COVID-19 for countries which emerged successfully from COVID-19."
Oil prices end mixed as traders weigh next move for OPEC+, upcoming EIA supply data - West Texas Intermediate crude for December delivery rose 9 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $41.43 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. January Brent crude the global benchmark, fell by 7 cents, or 0.2%, at $43.75 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. WTI jumped 3% and Brent rose more than 2% on Monday after Moderna Inc. announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate was more than 94% effective in preventing infections. That came a week after Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE said their vaccine candidate was highly effective. The JMMC Tuesday also said it “welcomed the positive performance in the overall conformity level” for participating members and nonmembers of OPEC at 101% in October. Including voluntary adjustments to make up for past overproduction, those producers have cut global supply by about 1.6 billion barrels between May and October. The committee was expected to recommend delaying, by three to six months, a relaxation of output curbs set to take effect on Jan. 1, said analysts at UniCredit, in a note. OPEC+ is set to make a final decision at the Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 meetings. The failure to announce a recommendation was “surprising,” Marshall Steeves, energy markets analyst at IHS Markit, told MarketWatch. However, Arabic news and satellite TV channel Al Ekhbariya reported that OPEC+ unanimously agreed to an extension of output cuts by three months starting in January, according to translated tweet from the Saudi government owned network. “The global demand outlook remains precarious given the second wave of the pandemic and resulting lockdowns in Europe and the U.S.,” Steeves said. “This will likely remain the case through the first quarter of 2021 if not the second, thus OPEC+ needs to face the reality that demand for their oil will remain muted.” For now, “the oil market remains broadly rangebound between the pressure of travel restrictions and rising COVID cases, vs. supply constraints and optimism around vaccines,” he said. Traders also await weekly data on U.S. petroleum supplies due out from the American Petroleum Institute late Tuesday and Energy Information Administration early Wednesday. On average, analysts expect the EIA to report an increase of 100,000 barrels in domestic crude supplies for the week ended Nov. 13, according to a survey from S&P Global Platts. They also forecast a supply climb of 300,000 barrels for gasoline, but expect to see distillate stocks down by 1.8 million barrels for the week. .
WTI Slides After Bigger Than Expected Crude Build - Oil prices ended flat on the day, bouncing back above $41 (after weak retail sales) on the back of OPEC+ headlines: “All participating countries need to be vigilant, proactive and be prepared to act, when necessary, to the requirements of the market,” the panel said in its closing statement after Tuesday’s video conference.Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said he could see a light at the end of the tunnel, but the market had some way to go before getting there (and we worry that is the oncoming train of global lockdowns crushing demand once again).“There is still a way to go before we reach the other side of the long-awaited pandemic tunnel,” Prince Abdulaziz said at the opening session of the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee’s virtual meeting.“The good news was counterbalanced by a surge in cases in the second wave of infections” and a rush of additional supply from Libya. But for now, the algos will focus on short-term inventories... API:
- Crude +4.174mm (+100k exp)
- Cushing +176k
- Gasoline +256k (+300k exp)
- Distillates -5.024mm (-1.8mm exp)
After the prior week's surprise crude build, analysts expected a very small rise in stocks in the last week (and a small build in gasoline stocks). However, crude stocks rose 4.174mm barrels (notably more than the 100k bump expected)... Graphics Source: Bloomberg “There’s the overhanging doom and gloom of a Covid resurgence and growing concerns about a long-term impact on jet fuel demand,” said Gary Cunningham, director of account management and research at Tradition Energy.“All of it is going to affect overall global consumer demand and that’s a big hit on the economy and a big hit on outlooks for petroleum demand.”WTI bounced back above $41 intraday, hovering around $41.40 ahead of the API print, and slipped lower after the data...
Oil falls as big build in U.S. crude stockpiles raises specter of supply glut - Oil mixed as hopes OPEC+ delays supply increase offset demand concerns Oil prices were mixed on Wednesday as a bigger-than-expected build in U.S. crude stocks and weaker U.S. retail sales stoked fears over fuel demand, although hopes that OPEC and its allies will delay a planned rise in oil output lent support. Brent crude futures for January rose 3 cents, or 0.1%, to $43.78 a barrel by 0430 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for December eased 3 cents, or 0.1%, to $41.40 a barrel. The American Petroleum Institute (API) said on Tuesday that U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 4.2 million barrels last week, well above analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a build of 1.7 million barrels. "The API crude inventories rose much higher than expected, which added to pressure," Disappointing U.S. retail sales also raised concerns over weaker U.S. consumption in light of the Covid-19 resurgence,. U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in October, restrained by spiraling new Covid-19 infections and declining household income as millions of unemployed Americans lose government financial support. To tackle weaker energy demand amid a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia called on fellow members of the OPEC+ grouping – OPEC and other producers including Russia – to be flexible in responding to oil market needs as it builds the case for a tighter production policy in 2021. "Hopes that OPEC+ will keep existing cuts further into 2021, or even increase the cuts, underpinned prices," OPEC+ held a ministerial committee meeting on Tuesday that made no formal recommendation. The group will hold a full ministerial meeting on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 to discuss policy. OPEC+ members are leaning towards delaying a previously agreed plan to boost output in January by 2 million barrels per day (bpd), or 2% of global demand, sources told Reuters early this week. Supporting the case for a tighter supply policy next year, OPEC and its allies have revised oil demand scenarios for 2021 with demand seen weaker than previously anticipated, a confidential document seen by Reuters shows.
Oil jumps to 11-week high on hope of OPEC+ supply increase delay - Oil prices firmed by more than 1% on Wednesday on hopes OPEC and its allies will delay a planned increase in oil output and after Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was more effective than previously reported. Brent crude rose 70 cents, or 1.6%, to $44.45 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled 39 cents higher at an 11-week high of $41.82 per barrel. Prices were also supported by a smaller-than-expected increase in U.S. crude stockpiles last week. Both contracts jumped by about $1 after Pfizer Inc said that final results from late-stage trial of its vaccine showed it was 95% effective. Last week it had put the efficacy at more than 90%. Moderna Inc on Monday said that preliminary data for its vaccine also showed it was almost 95% effective. "Oil prices today are modestly rising on hopes that OPEC+ will decide to postpone its planned production increase in January and on the latest vaccine euphoria," To tackle weaker energy demand amid a second wave of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia called on fellow members of the OPEC+ group to be flexible to meet market needs and to be ready to adjust their agreement on output cuts. OPEC+, comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, met on Tuesday but made no formal recommendation. The group is due to discuss policy at a full ministerial meeting to be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Members of OPEC+ are leaning towards delaying the current plan to boost output in January by 2 million barrels per day (bpd), sources have said. They are considering a possible delay of three or six months. In the United States, crude inventories rose 768,000 barrels last week, compared with analyst expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.7 million-barrel rise. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 5.2 million barrels, far exceeding expectations. "There's concern about gasoline demand, but overall inventories, including diesel stocks, fell, giving credence to the efforts of OPEC+ and reduced overall crude production,"
Oil Prices Decline As Virus Restrictions Mount - -- Oil edged lower with growing virus restrictions and signs the labor-market recovery may be slowing in the U.S. dampens the near-term demand outlook. Futures fell as much as 1.8% in New York before closing little changed as the dollar erased gains late in the trading session, boosting the appeal for commodities priced in the currency. U.S. equities also staged a rally. Oil’s upward momentum seen earlier this week was zapped Thursday after U.S. jobless claims rose for the first time in five weeks, presenting yet another obstacle to a sustained rebound in consumption. With coronavirus cases rising across the U.S., many states are increasing restrictions, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving.. “This is probably going to be a disappointing travel holiday coming up, and that’s going to weigh on demand.” Oil is still headed for a weekly gain after vaccine developments and signs of demand recovering in Asia boosted optimism over the outlook for consumption in the longer-term. However, as virus cases surge from the U.S. to Europe, the ongoing recovery in oil product global trade flows is slower than previously expected, according to Maersk Tankers Chief Executive Officer Christian M. Ingerslev. West Texas Intermediate for December delivery declined 8 cents to settle at $41.74 a barrel. Brent for January settlement fell 14 cents to end the session at $44.20 a barrel. The shaky demand picture poses a challenge to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies as they struggle to manage the market. The United Arab Emirates tried to ease a spat with its OPEC+ partners on Thursday, after officials privately questioned the benefit of its membership of the group. The producer group is also dealing with the recent surge in Libyan oil output, which has surpassed 1.25 million barrels a day according to state-run National Oil Corp. Amid the rise in production, France’s Total SE is in talks to increase energy investment in the North African nation.
Oil rises about 1%, posts third week of gains on vaccine hopes - (Reuters) - Oil prices rose about 1% higher on Friday and posted a third consecutive weekly rise, buoyed by successful COVID-19 vaccine trials, while renewed lockdowns in several countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus capped gains. Brent crude futures rose 76 cents, or 1.7%, to settle at $44.96 a barrel. The more active U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) January crude contract gained 52 cents, or 1.2% to $42.42 a barrel. The WTI contract for December, which expired on Friday, rose 41 cents, or 1%, to settle at $42.15 a barrel. Both benchmarks gained about 5% this week. Prospects for effective COVID-19 vaccines have bolstered oil markets this week. Pfizer Inc said it will apply to U.S. health regulators on Friday for emergency use authoritization of its vaccine, the first such application in a major step toward providing protection against the new coronavirus. “Despite the fact that in reality it will take time for a global vaccine campaign to be implemented, time during which oil demand will suffer, positive news are breaking daily about the vaccine deliveries,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, Rystad Energy’s head of oil markets. Also boosting sentiment was hope that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers will keep crude output in check. The group, known as OPEC+, were expected to delay a planned production increase. OPEC+, which meets on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, is looking at options to delay by at least three months from January the tapering of their 7.7 million barrel per day (bpd) cuts by around 2 million bpd. “An assumed roll-over of current cuts by OPEC+ to Q1 2021 is probably in today’s price of $44 per barrel,” Nordic bank SEB said. Still, smaller Russian oil companies are planning to pump more crude this year despite the output deal as they have little leeway in managing the production of start-up fields, a group representing the producers said.
Aramco Plans U.S. Dollar Bond to Plug Funding Gap – WSJ —Saudi Aramco said Monday it aims to issue a U.S. dollar-denominated bond, as the cash-strapped oil giant cuts jobs, considers asset sales and reviews its expansion plans. Saudi Arabian Oil Co., as the company is officially called, is selling debt even as low oil prices hurt its ability to generate cash for its biggest shareholder, the Saudi government. It is seeking to meet a pledge made last year to pay $75 billion in annual dividends. Aramco in a statement said it hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley, among others, to arrange investor calls on Monday ahead of a debt sale. The oil company, which didn’t disclose pricing or how much it will raise, said it plans a multi-tranche bond offering with potential maturities of three, five, 10, 30 and 50 years. The bond issue is likely to raise billions of dollars, and the pricing and size would depend on market conditions, Aramco added. It could be well timed. Investors are hopeful of a global economic recovery after Pfizer Inc. last week said its coronavirus vaccine was 90% effective in trials. Oil prices have rallied since then. Aramco made its debut in the bond markets last year, raising $12 billion and giving global investors access to the world’s biggest oil company for the first time. The sale prospectus also opened the books on Aramco’s once-secretive financials, showing it was then the world’s most profitable company and whetting the appetite for equity investors ahead of last December’s share offering. The company announced the dividend commitment in a bid to lure investors to the initial public offering. But the pledge, combined with low oil prices caused by the pandemic, has forced a restructuring at Aramco and a scramble to raise cash. The IPO also failed to attract international buyers, many of whom were discouraged by what they perceived to be an expensive valuation. On top of raising debt, Aramco is now cutting jobs and reviewing plans to expand at home and abroad, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The company is also considering a sale-and-lease-back agreement for some of its pipeline assets in a deal that could also raise billions of dollars, according to people familiar with the deal. The plan, dubbed “Project Seek,” could involve Aramco selling a stake in its infrastructure to investors who would receive a regular payout from the company as it leases the asset, these people said. Aramco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the project.
Yemeni officials repeat warnings over Safer oil tanker Iran-backed Houthi’s use of naval mines and bomb boats, and the group’s resistance to maintaining the Safer tanker are serious threatens to international maritime traffic and ecological life in the Red Sea, senior Yemeni officials warned on Monday. The officials repeated concerns about the collapse of the tanker, urging the international community to act now to avert a major disaster in the Red Sea. Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmer said that the Yemeni government is still open to all peace initiatives, but the Houthi’s continuing use of land mines and their refusal to allow UN experts to visit the decaying tanker show that they are not serious about peace, state news agency SABA reported. During a meeting with Gov. of Hodeidah Al-Hassan Ali Taher, Al- Ahmer said that the Houthis pose an “increasing” threat to maritime navigation in the Red Sea through their mines and explosive-laden boats that target commercial ships. For months, Yemeni government officials and Western diplomats have pressured the Houthis to allow a team of UN experts access to the tanker to conduct vital maintenance, warning the rebels that they would be held responsible if the tanker crumbled and caused a predicted environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. Loaded with more than 1 million barrels of crude oil, the stranded ship off the western city of Hodeidah has decayed over the last five years due to lack of maintenance. Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Najeeb Al-Ouj on Monday echoed the same concerns about the crumbling of the tanker and potential environmental disaster. SABA quoted the minister as saying that the international community has an “ethical and moral” responsibility to keep pressure on the Houthis until they allow UN experts to board the tanker and assess the damage.
Rockets Target US Embassy In Baghdad Just As Trump Ordered Troop Draw Down -- Coming less than within an hour of President Trump announcing his troop draw down order in Iraq and Afghanistan Tuesday afternoon, a hail of rockets fell near the US embassy in Baghdad. Local and regional reports say at least five rockets were fired on the fortified Green Zone in Iraq's capital and that four struck near the American compound. The US embassy's C-RAM system, or "Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar" defense weapon, was activated in response to the inbound rocket fire. The timing seems clearly intentional, given international headlines at that very moment circulated the US announced plans to reduce its troop levels in Iraq.Trump ordered the Pentagon to accelerate a drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 , as the president works to deliver on his longtime pledge to exit from "endless wars" before he leaves office January 20. Current estimates put US troop levels in Iraq at over 3,000. In both Iraq and Afghanistan Trump's advisers have reportedly been urging the commander-in-chief to avoid pulling everyone out, reducing US presence down to 'zero'.
Shocking Images: Fleeing Armenians Burn Own Homes Rather Than Leave Them To Azerbaijan --The Russia-brokered peace deal signed last week between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at a moment Azerbaijan appeared to have the military upper-hand has held firmly as nearly 2,000 Russia peacekeeping troops are also on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh.But it's come at a huge cost for the Armenian side in terms of possession of the disputed territory following six weeks of fierce fighting that has left thousands dead and wounded. As part of the truce terms Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh must return the Armenian ethnic districts of Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin to Azerbaijan according to a timeline negotiated under the Russians. It's expected to be completed by December 1, with Armenian armed forces and what Azerbaijan has dubbed "illegal Armenian settlers" initially given just days to withdraw.However, in at least one district Baku has agreed to extend the date for complete handover: "Azerbaijan agreed to prolong the deadline for the withdrawal from Kalbacar of Armenian armed forces and of illegal Armenian settlers until November 25," the office of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told a news conference this weekend. But Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin districts will ultimately see all Armenians gone by Dec. 1, according to the terms.Over the days international media correspondents have observed Armenians living in the Kalbajar district setting fire to their homes as they flee, in order to prevent any Azeri from ever occupying them.The New York Times reported of the shocking scenes: The cars, trucks and vans jamming the mountain roads deep into the night on Saturday brimmed with all the possessions that the fleeing Armenians could rescue: upholstered furniture, livestock, glass doors.As they left, many set their homes on fire, enveloping their exodus in acrid smoke and illuminating it in an orange glow. Near some of the burning houses stood older ruins: the remains of homes abandoned a quarter-century ago, when Azerbaijanis fled and Armenians moved into the region.
Fighting erupts between Morocco and Polisario in Western Sahara - Fighting between Moroccan military forces and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro) has broken out after Rabat sent troops to reopen a highway linking Morocco, the Western Sahara and Mauritania that was occupied by protesters. The fighting puts an end to a 1991 ceasefire, risking war between Morocco and Algeria in a region that is a powder keg after US and European imperialism started wars in Libya and Mali. For the past three weeks, dozens of Sahrawi protesters had blocked the Guerguerat border crossing, cutting trade and traffic between Morocco and Mauritania to the south. They were demanding Morocco close a road in the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone and calling for the release of political prisoners. Rabat reacted instead by deploying a brigade of 1,000 men accompanied by 200 vehicles to the region, violating the terms of the ceasefire. This deployment took place hours after US Major General Andrew Rohling met in Agadir with Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, Commander of the Southern Zone of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, which includes occupied Western Sahara. They were to discuss preparations for next year’s African Lion military exercise, the largest training exercise involving US troops in Africa. “War has started, the Moroccan side has liquidated the ceasefire,” senior Polisario official Mohamed Salem Ould Salek told AFP. Sidi Omar, the Polisario Front’s representative to the U.N., said of Rabat’s action: “For us, it is an open war.” The Sahara Press Service claimed Polisario had launched attacks for five consecutive days against the Royal Moroccan Army in the Western Sahara, “causing loss of lives and equipment and disrupting its military plans.” In an official statement, King Mohammed VI warned that Morocco “remains firmly determined to react, with the greatest severity, and in self-defence, against any threat to its security.”
China Economy Gathers Steam, Setting Stage for a Strong End to the Year – WSJ —China’s economic activity posted a broad-based recovery in October, paving the way for a faster economic rebound in the final quarter of the year. Both investment and consumer spending grew at faster year-over-year rates in October than the month before, while industrial production, the first sector to emerge from this year’s coronavirus-induced slump, remained solid. Industrial output, which has led the nation’s economic recovery in recent months, rose 6.9% in October from a year earlier, on par with September’s pace and higher than market expectations for a 6.5% increase, according to data released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics. Fixed-asset investment rose 1.8% in the January-October period, accelerating from 0.8% growth in the first three quarters of the year and coming in higher than the 1.6% increase expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. Retail sales, a key gauge of Chinese consumer spending, rose 4.3% in October from a year ago, accelerating from a 3.3% increase in September, but lower than a 4.6% increase expected by surveyed economists. The Chinese government’s main unemployment measure, the urban surveyed jobless rate, which excludes migrant workers who were once employed in cities but returned home for various reasons, also fell slightly to 5.3% in October, compared with September’s 5.4%. “Economic growth in the fourth quarter is expected to be even faster than that of the third quarter,” Fu Linghui, a spokesman for the statistics bureau, said in a briefing Monday, adding that the growth in China’s imports and exports will outpace that of the world as a whole, even though uncertainties hover over the overseas economy. China’s economy rebounded to 4.9% year-over-year growth in the third quarter, compared with a 6.8% contraction in the first quarter and a 3.2% expansion in the second quarter. Economists widely expected growth of between 5% and 6% in the fourth quarter, putting the world’s second largest economy on track to record an expansion of about 2% for all of 2020.
RCEP: Asia-Pacific countries form world's largest trading bloc - Fifteen countries have formed the world's largest trading bloc, covering nearly a third of the global economy. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The pact is seen as an extension of China's influence in the region. The deal excludes the US, which withdrew from a rival Asia-Pacific trade pact in 2017. President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) shortly after taking office. Negotiations over the new RCEP deal began in 2012 and it was finally signed on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The RCEP isn't as comprehensive and doesn't cut tariffs as deeply as the TPP's successor. But many analysts think RCEP's sheer size makes it more significant. "Its membership includes a larger group of nations, notably reflecting the membership of China, which considerably boosts the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of RCEP members," according to Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist for analyst firm IHS Markit. While China already has a number of bilateral trade agreements, this is the first time it has signed up to a regional multilateral trade pact. A handout image of a video conference made available by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) shows leaders and trade ministers of 15 Asia-Pacific nations posing for a virtual group photo during the 4th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, 15 November 2020. For starters, leaders hope that the pact will help to spur recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. "Under the current global circumstances, the fact the RCEP has been signed after eight years of negotiations brings a ray of light and hope amid the clouds," said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Longer-term, Mr Li described the agreement as "a victory of multilateralism and free trade". India was also part of the negotiations, but it pulled out last year over concerns that lower tariffs could hurt local producers. Signatories of the deal said the door remained open for India to join in the future. Members of the RCEP make up nearly a third of the world's population and account for 29% of global gross domestic product. The new free trade bloc will be bigger than both the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the European Union.
COVID-19 Compounding Inequalities - The United Nations’ renamed World Social Report 2020 (WSR 2020) argued that income inequality is rising in most developed countries, and some middle-income countries, including China, the world’s fastest growing economy in recent decades. While overall inter-country inequalities may have declined owing to the rapid growth of economies like China, India and East Asia, national inequalities have been growing for much of the world’s population, generating resentment.In 2005, when the focus was on halving poverty, thus ignoring inequality, the UN drew attention to The Inequality Predicament. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that growing inequality within and between countries was jeopardizing achievement of the internationally agreed development goals.“Leave no one behind” has become the rallying cry of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Reducing inequality within and among countries is now the tenth of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015.Uneven and unequal economic growth over several decades has deepened the divides within and across countries. Thus, growing inequality and exclusion were highlighted in earlier WSRs onInequality Matters, The Imperative of Inclusive Development and Promoting Inclusion Through Social Protection.The UNDP’s Human Development Report 2019 (HDR 2019) drew attention to profound education and health inequalities. While disparities in ‘basic capabilities’ (e.g., primary education and life expectancy) are declining, inequalities in ‘enhanced capabilities’ (e.g., higher education) are growing. Meanwhile, inequalities associated with social characteristics, e.g., ethnicity and gender, have been widening. The January 2020 Oxfam Davos report, Time to Care, highlighted wealth inequalities as the number of billionaires doubled over the last decade to 2,153 billionaires, owning more than the poorest 60% of 4.6 billion. WSR 2020 shows that the wealthiest generally increased their income shares during 1990-2015. With large and growing disparities in public social provisioning, prospects for upward social mobility across generations have been declining. HDR 2019 found that growing inequalities in human development “have little to do with rewarding effort, talent or entrepreneurial risk-taking”, but instead are “driven by factors deeply embedded in societies, economies and political structures”. “Far too often gender, ethnicity or parents’ wealth still determines a person’s place in society”. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many existing inequalities, and may push 71 million more people into extreme poverty in 2020, the first global rise since 1998, according to the 2020 UN SDGs Report.
Shadow lenders poised to get tougher rules in global crackdown -Global regulators are preparing to tighten restrictions on investment funds and shadow lenders, concluding they threatened the stability of the financial system at the height of this year’s pandemic-fueled market volatility. Key areas of vulnerability during the March mayhem included big investors’ dash for cash, significant redemptions in mutual funds and non-government money market funds, as well as leveraged hedge fund trades in Treasuries, the Financial Stability Board said in a report published Tuesday in Europe. The panel of global regulators indicated it would issue proposals next year to make money market funds more resilient and then address risks posed by the broader nonbank financial sector in 2022. The FSB said this year’s stress would have been much worse if the U.S. Federal Reserve and central bankers around the world had not rushed to the rescue with unprecedented support. “It’s clear we need to take action to address these issues,” Randal Quarles, chair of the FSB and vice chairman of supervision for the Fed, told reporters during a Monday press briefing. He warned in a letter accompanying the report that the financial system remains vulnerable, because the “structures and mechanisms that gave rise to the turmoil are still in place.” The report revealed particular strains as investors pulled cash from prime money market funds — including $125 billion in March, a total that represented 11% of their assets. The redemptions pushed some funds to the brink of their liquidity limits. Without government intervention, the tumult could have been the first domino to fall in spreading mayhem throughout the financial system. Banks were also reluctant to take the other side of trades, possibly feeling constrained by post-2008 capital rules, the FSB said. The FSB has long looked at non-bank financial firms with concern, particularly because the industry’s assets under management have soared to $53 trillion. But Tuesday’s report signaled even more scrutiny. Next year, the FSB will begin more specific reviews of money market funds, leveraged investments and also a sudden jump in margin calls imposed by derivatives clearinghouses. The FSB said it would consider new policies in 2022 to bolster the resilience of non-banks, including investment funds, insurers, pensions and other entities.
Sweden initiates massive military buildup in preparation for war with Russia - Sweden’s Social Democratic government announced last month a massive, multi-year plan to increase military spending and activities—the largest such expansion in 70 years. Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist announced that the country’s defense budget would be increased by 27 billion Swedish kronor (US$3.13 billion) between 2021 and 2025, a 40 percent increase. The military budget hike comes on top of significant increases enacted since 2014. Forbes estimates that the total increase in the defense budget between 2014 and 2025, including the new bill, could be as much as 85 percent. In addition to increased spending, the massive 181-page defense spending bill calls for the enlisted forces to grow from 60,000 troops to 90,000. It proposes the completion of a new submarine to join Sweden’s world-class submarine stealth submarine fleet as well as a new mechanized brigade for its army. Likewise, it proposes the development of a new, more advanced submarine program to replace its famous Gotland-class submarines by 2025. The bill will also involve a boost to Sweden’s “Civil Defense” force. At a press conference on October 15, Hultqvist told reporters, “Sweden’s capabilities to handle a state of heightened alert and, ultimately, war need to be strengthened on a broad front.” Investment will also be made in a variety of other features of the armed forces—new fighter jets, artillery platforms and cyber warfare programs. The planned massive build-up of military force in this small but significant country testifies to the immense danger of war as the global economic and political situation deteriorates under conditions of the greatest capitalist crisis since the 1930s. After three decades of US-led wars, the outbreak of a third world war, which would be fought with nuclear weapons, is an imminent and concrete danger. Throughout Eurasia, the threat of war has never been as great since World War II. In 2019, global military spending reached $1.9 trillion, the highest level since the end of the Cold War. The global cockpit of militarism and war is the United States. Since 2008, first under Obama and now Trump, a massive build-up of military spending has taken place aimed at preparing for “great-power conflicts,” above all with Russia and China.
Spain’s PSOE-Podemos government imposes internet censorship- The Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government has advanced plans to censor the internet across Spain. The “Procedure for Intervention against Disinformation,” approved last month by Spain’s National Security Council (CSN) and published this month in the Official State Gazette (BOE), allows the state to monitor and suppress internet content under the pretext of combating “fake news” and “foreign intervention.” The document makes legal provision for constant state surveillance of social media platforms and the media more broadly to detect “disinformation” and give a “political response” to such campaigns, including retaliatory measures if there is supposedly foreign involvement. The government will counter “disinformation” by pushing its own communication campaigns and also suppress oppositional views. The new protocol is a dangerous attack on freedom of speech with grave implications for the democratic right to access and use the internet freely. It gives the Spanish state complete decision-making power to determine what does or does not constitute “fake news,” without any involvement from journalists or public oversight. A Permanent Commission will operate the censorship apparatus; it will be coordinated by the Secretary of State for Communication and directed by the National Security Department, with the aim of “ensuring inter-ministerial coordination in the area of disinformation.” Members of the committee will come from the Foreign Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (National Intelligence Agency, CNI), among others. Podemos general secretary Pablo Iglesias sits on the board of the Intelligence Affairs Commission, which directs and supervises the activities of the CNI spy agency. The “left populist” Podemos party will thus play a leading role in implementing the attacks on democratic rights. The protocol establishes four levels of activity for the system, ranging from monitoring the internet to detect, analyse and track the activity of disinformation campaigns at the lowest level, through to the launching of a “political response” by the CSN if the campaign can be attributed to a “third State.” Final stages could include diplomatic action against the foreign power, complaints filed with international bodies, or more aggressive retaliatory measures.
Germany’s schools remain open despite a massive second wave of COVID-19 -According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 267 more COVID-19 patients died in Germany on Monday, in the space of just 24 hours. By Tuesday morning, 14,419 new infections were registered. Over the past seven days, there have been 145 cases per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide, with numerous hot spots reporting much higher rates. In Berlin alone, there are currently over 1,000 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 274 of whom are being treated or ventilated in intensive care units. The seven-day incidence rate in central Berlin is 360. The virus has spread rapidly throughout Europe and has claimed 330,000 lives so far. In neighbouring Austria, high case numbers forced the government to tighten its lockdown and close schools on Saturday. Intensive care units in Italy, France, Spain, and Switzerland are on the verge of collapse. In this situation, the federal and state governments are insisting that schools, day care centres and businesses continue to operate. On Monday evening, the chancellor’s pandemic talks with the state premiers ended without any result. Angela Merkel and the heads of the state governments agreed on nonbinding “appeals” and refused even to impose a simple binding obligation to wear masks in schools. With schools and day care centres remaining open, all further decisions have been postponed until November 25. Meanwhile, the pandemic is continuing to spread throughout such facilities. According to a report in this week’s Der Spiegel magazine, coronavirus infections in children have increased tenfold in the last few weeks. According to the RKI, more than 10,400 coronavirus infections in children under 14 years of age were registered in the first week of November. (At the beginning of September, there were less than 1,000 per week.) A further study from Bavaria last week showed that six times more minors than previously known have been infected with the virus. The number of children who suffer from severe symptoms and must go to hospital has also risen.
Johnson government in meltdown after Biden US election victory - Boris Johnson’s Conservative government is in meltdown as the Brexit crisis reaches its endgame and the Tories prepare to end the limited one-month national lockdown put in place on November 5. Every political calculation of Johnson’s is being ripped asunder by the victory of the Democratic Party’s Joe Biden in the US presidential election. The UK prime minister’s entire Brexit strategy was largely reliant on the continued occupation of the White House by the pro-Brexit Donald Trump. On Sunday, Johnson was forced to go into self-isolation after the National Health Service Test and Trace system informed him that he had been in contact with someone who had since tested positive for COVID-19. This was Tory Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, who Johnson spent around 35 minutes with last Thursday. By Monday evening it was revealed five other Tory MPs who were present at the Downing Street meeting with Johnson and Ashfield were also self-isolating. Another five Tory MPs beyond them are likewise in self-isolation. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson joins in the applause on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London during the weekly "Clap for our Carers" Thursday, May 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) In April, Johnson nearly died after being hospitalised with COVID-19 and spending three nights in intensive care. Johnson’s inner circle was blown apart last week, as the pro-European Union (EU) Biden’s victory resulted in the departure from Downing Street of the prime minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings and Director of Communications Lee Cain. Cummings was the head of the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum, which Johnson backed, and was then brought into Downing Street after Johnson replaced the pro-Remain Theresa May as party leader and prime minister. Cain was headhunted by Cummings and it was understood that Cain would eventually take on the position of Downing Street Chief of Staff post-Brexit. The Brexiteers’ strategy was based on the UK reaching a trade deal with the US, under Trump, and using this as leverage in negotiations with the EU. Johnson had no allies for this plan internationally, with the exception of the fascist in the White House. As a Biden victory looked more and more likely in the run-up to the US elections, Johnson’s government was thrown into crisis. The Times reported in October that Cummings had to make a sharp about-turn, instructing Tory MPs to begin a charm offensive with the pro-EU Biden.
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