week ending Sep 4

The Fed’s Contradictory Behavior Shows That It Is In A Bind --A clash of views seems to have emerged within the Federal Reserve (Fed). On the one side, Chairman Jerome Powell has repeatedly told Congress and the nation that they need not worry about a recent acceleration in inflation, that it is “transitory” and so requires no change in monetary policy. On the other side, Fed policy makers have begun to take the inflation threat more seriously and have begun, albeit tentatively, to drain liquidity from the financial system. This conflict between words and action certainly will not help Washington recover public confidence, but of greater concern is how this latest Fed effort has pointed up the great difficulties policy makers will face if in fact they must mount an anti-inflation campaign. Not only would the Fed then have to reverse years of extremely easy monetary policy, but it would face a particular problem of its own making, for its policy of paying interest on bank reserves has effectively, if inadvertently, placed an inflation bomb in the center of the country’s financial system. Chairman Powell’s easy dismissals notwithstanding, recent inflation news certainly looks troubling and worthy of a policy rethink. The Labor Department’s consumer price index has risen so far this year at a 7.3% annual rate. That compares to 0.2% last year and an average of 1.5% a year during the prior five years, 2015-2019. Producer prices have risen at more than a 10% annual rate so far this year, compared with 0.5% last year and an average rate of close to zero inflation during the prior five years. All other price measures have followed similar patterns, as have the prices of metals and other critical industrial materials. Food prices are rising so fast that supermarket chains are stocking up on inventories to get ahead of the next price hike.This news has unavoidably raised concerns and questions. Many remember or have studied the economic harm caused by the great inflation of the 1970s and 1980s. More than just painful memories, many are also aware of the inflationary potentials of the extremely easy money policies the Fed has pursued for years now, since 2008 in fact. In 2008, the Fed had little choice but to push interest rates down to zero and redouble the monetary ease by directly entering markets to buy bonds, what the Fed refers to as “quantitative easing.” Without this help, markets would have collapsed and dragged the whole economy down with them. As it is, the country suffered the worst recession since the Great Depression. Normally, the Fed would have unwound such policies once the economic recovery began, but the recovery following the crisis of 2008-2009 was so slow that policy makers kept the extreme stimulus going. Tentative efforts to moderate the stimulus did begin in 2014 but only very gradually. Then in 2019, policy again became easy, ostensibly to alleviate the strains of the “trade war” with China. The pandemic in 2020 brought a return to zero interest rates and still greater injections of liquidity into markets.

How the August jobs report changes the Fed's plans --The August jobs report added just a third of the jobs expected, changing the expectations for the Fed’s future moves. Economists agree that the rising specter of the Delta variant over the economy is responsible for the slowdown in jobs numbers. Though demand for labor is still strong, the changes in the economy’s trajectory make it "unlikely" the Fed will announce a taper at the September meeting, Bank of America analysts wrote in a note Friday. A taper is when the Fed slows down its asset buying, a key step in reversing measures to support the economy.Tapering, Bank of America added, could come in the November meeting depending on how the data shake out.“The jobs report does still leave the Fed to provide additional guidance regarding the taper timeline, contingent on the data improving and getting past the recent weakening due to Delta. We still think a November taper announcement is in play but provided that the data bounce and the weakness, mostly due to Delta, proves temporary,” the bank wrote.ING’s James Knightley agreed with the November calculus, writing, “Given our reasons for optimism November looks a decent date for that announcement with a December start point.”TDBank remained even more conservative on that timing, noting that it sees a higher “probability of a formal announcement coming at the December rather than the November meeting.”In any event, it’s probably not happening at the September meeting. “Any way you cut it, a majority of Fed officials will not be doing handstands and bragging about the economy’s progress,” “So we doubt the September meeting will be the right time to declare victory and announce the start of tapering.”

Climate hawks pressure Biden to replace Fed chair - Environmentalists are pressing President Biden to factor in the Federal Reserve’s record on climate change under Jerome Powell when he decides whether to renominate the central bank’s chairman for a second term. After a summer of brutal heat domes, forest fires, and torrential storms capped off by Hurricane Ida, progressive lawmakers and activists are urging Biden to wage an offensive on climate change through the Fed. “The status quo does not work. The status quo is what has led us to this moment. We have to take a different road if we want to save ourselves,” said Tracey Lewis, a policy analyst with environmental activist group 350.org, which has called for Powell’s replacement. Unlike its counterparts in the United Kingdom and European Union, the Fed had tiptoed around the discussion of the financial risks of climate change until shortly after Biden’s election in November. The Fed has since joined the Network for Greening the Financial System, an international coalition of central banks and financial regulators focused on climate-related risks, and established two internal committees to study how climate issues intersect with the bank’s responsibilities. Powell, however, has ruled out imposing climate-related bank stress tests similar to those in development in the U.K. and Europe. He has also refused to use the Fed’s immense power to steer funding away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, which many climate hawks consider essential to the fight against climate change. “We are not climate policymakers here who can decide the way climate change will be addressed by the United States. We’re a regulatory agency that regulates a part of the economy,” Powell, a Republican, told lawmakers during a February hearing, one year out from when his term expires. But with time now a key factor in the fight against climate change, environmental advocates are jumping into the debate over Powell’s future and insisting Biden must nominate someone willing to turn the Fed against the fossil fuel industry, instead of giving Powell another four years at the helm.

Delta Impact - by Menzie Chinn - From Bloomberg, Matthews and Shah, “High-Frequency Charts Show U.S. Economy Softening From Delta”: The delta variant has muted the progress of the U.S. economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with consumers putting off some leisure spending and businesses delaying a return to normal operations, according to a number of high-frequency reports that show softness in August. The Bloomberg article includes two graphs: Some other high frequency indicators give a mixed message, for certain types of activity. Google Mobility Trends (August 24) shows some dropoff in retail and recreation, as well as transit stations, in recent weeks.Apple Mobility Trends indicates some dropoff in driving (but still above baseline) in recent weeks. Other broad macroeconomic indicators show continued aggregate, albeit decelerating, growth through the weekend ending 8/21, as shown by the Lewis, Mertens, Stock Weekly Economic Index. Other indicators, such as the Philadelphia Fed’s Coincident Index for July has just been released, while the Baumeister et al. Weekly Economic Conditions Indicator is currently updated using data only through 7/31. Researchers at IHS-MarkIt (8/25) find a significant negative impact of case count on spending at the county level, and write:From the week ending 4 July through the week ending 1 August, aggregate US consumer credit- and debit card spending declined by 7.6%, according to the Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker. Using the calculation described above, we estimate that 1.4 percent points of that decline (or about one-fifth of it) can be attributed to rising COVID-19 case counts. While material, the magnitude of this contribution suggests that most of the decline in spending over July (about four fifths of it) was accounted for by something else; something unrelated to rising case counts. To be sure, the drag on consumer spending from rising cases counts predicted by this analysis will depend on how high the case counts go. When we assembled the data for this analysis, we had only one additional week of case counts by county beyond the end of our July sample. Using the estimated regression from the July sample and applying the methodology here, we estimate that further increases in case counts by county through the week ending 8 August subtracted an addition 0.7 percentage point from aggregate spending, for a cumulative effect of -2.1 percentage points. If case counts continue rising, these effects will mount, but, in our estimation, not by enough to put the broad economic recovery at risk.

Seven High Frequency Indicators for the Economy - These indicators are mostly for travel and entertainment. The TSA is providing daily travel numbers. This data shows the 7-day average of daily total traveler throughput from the TSA for 2019 (Light Blue), 2020 (Blue) and 2021 (Red). The dashed line is the percent of 2019 for the seven day average. The 7-day average is down 23.7% from the same day in 2019 (76.3% of 2019). (Dashed line). The red line is also turning down seasonally. There was a slow increase from the bottom starting in May 2020 - and then TSA data picked up in 2021 - but the dashed line has moved down a little recently. The second graph shows the 7-day average of the year-over-year change in diners as tabulated by OpenTable for the US and several selected cities. Note that this data is for "only the restaurants that have chosen to reopen in a given market". Since some restaurants have not reopened, the actual year-over-year decline is worse than shown. Dining picked up during the holidays, then slumped with the huge winter surge in cases. Dining was generally picking up, but has moved down recently. The 7-day average for the US is down 9% compared to 2019. This data shows domestic box office for each week and the median for the years 2016 through 2019 (dashed light blue). The data is from BoxOfficeMojo through August 26th. Movie ticket sales were at $88 million last week, down about 43% from the median for the week. This graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four week average. With solid leisure travel, the Summer months had decent occupancy - but it is uncertain what will happen in the Fall with business travel - especially with the sharp increase in COVID pandemic cases and hospitalizations. This data is through August 21st. The occupancy rate is down 9.1% compared to the same week in 2019. Note: Occupancy was up year-over-year, since occupancy declined sharply at the onset of the pandemic. This graph, based on weekly data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), shows gasoline supplied compared to the same week of 2019. As of August 20th, gasoline supplied was down 3.3% compared to the same week in 2019. There have been four weeks so far this year when gasoline supplied was up compared to the same week in 2019. This graph is from Apple mobility. From Apple: "This data is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions in select countries/regions, sub-regions, and cities." There is also some great data on mobility from the Dallas Fed Mobility and Engagement Index. This data is through August 28th for the United States and several selected cities.. According to the Apple data directions requests, public transit in the 7 day average for the US is at 109% of the January 2020 level. New York City is doing well by this metric, but subway usage in NYC is down sharply (next graph). Here is some interesting data on New York subway usage.. This graph is from Todd W Schneider. This is weekly data since 2015. Most weeks are between 30 and 35 million entries, and currently there are over 11 million subway turnstile entries per week - and moving mostly sideways recently.

Corporate America launches massive lobbying blitz to kill key parts of Democrats' $3.5 trillion economic plan -A torrent of political groups representing some of the country’s most influential corporations — including ExxonMobil, Pfizer and the Walt Disney Company — are laying the groundwork for a lobbying blitz to stop Congress from enacting significant swaths of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion economic agenda. The emerging opposition appears to be vast, spanning drug manufacturers, big banks, tech titans, major retailers and oil-and-gas giants. In recent weeks, top Washington organizations representing these and other industries have started strategizing behind the scenes, seeking to scuttle key elements in Democrats’ proposed overhaul to federal health care, education and safety net programs. Among the most active is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is starting to put together an economy-wide coalition to coordinate the fight against the still forming economic package, including its significant price tag, policy scope and potential for tax increases. The effort could encompass traditional lobbying on Capitol Hill as well as advertising campaigns targeting Democratic lawmakers, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the discussions. The group has been in talks with potential allies such as the National Association of Manufacturers, whose board includes executives from firms such as Dow Inc., Exxon, Caterpillar and Johnson & Johnson, the people said. Other opponents include the Business Roundtable, whose board counts the chief executives from Apple and Walmart. The group similarly is preparing to fight corporate tax increases, which Democrats hope will fund their vast new spending. And the pharmaceutical industry has embarked on its own wide-ranging campaign to combat Democrats’ drug pricing proposals, another potential revenue source in the bill. Conservative outfits previously backed by the sector’s top trade group, known as PhRMA, have run recent ads claiming lawmakers’ plans would have worsened the coronavirus pandemic. The flurry of well-funded political activity only adds to the challenges facing Biden and his congressional allies as they seek to move one of his signature economic initiatives swiftly through Congress using a process known as reconciliation. The maneuver allows Democrats in the Senate to bypass a likely Republican filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority. But Democrats’ strategy can work only if the party’s narrow majority stays united at a time when they have few votes to spare. The task is likely to be tough, not least because of the overwhelming corporate lobbying barrage that awaits them. “We’re doing it in every way you can imagine,” said Aric Newhouse, the senior vice president for policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, when asked about the group’s lobbying. He added that the tax increases Democrats have pursued would mean “manufacturing families will suffer, jobs will be lost.” Disney, Pfizer and Exxon declined to comment. Jessica Boulanger, a spokeswoman for the Business Roundtable, said in a statement it is engaged in “a significant, multifaceted campaign” to stop tax hikes and would “continue to ramp up our efforts in the coming weeks.” Brian Newell, a spokesman for PhRMA, stressed that the group supports general pricing reforms — just not the ideas Democrats are pursuing. “The industry is willing to come to the table and do its fair share to help deliver real relief to patients at the pharmacy, not empty promises that will do more harm than good,” he said in a statement.

Democrats race to resolve House-Senate disputes on $3.5T megabill --Democrats are hustling to finalize their gigantic social spending plan during the dog days of summer recess, wary they will blow their target date to finish as Congress faces a crush of deadlines later this month. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered committee leaders to battle it out with their Senate counterparts to resolve all major disputes this week on what will be included in the up-to-$3.5 trillion bill. But wide gulfs remain between the House and Senate on central pieces of the package, including expanding Medicare, shoring up Obamacare, raising taxes and curbing carbon emissions. That cross-Capitol disagreement is only the first of many headaches ahead for Democrats trying to muscle through the social spending measure in just a few weeks by simultaneously crafting, vetting and whipping it. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer see such high-velocity multitasking as the only way to ensure the proposal moves alongside the bipartisan Senate-passed infrastructure bill, which is set for a House vote in less than four weeks. But if Democrats fail in their goal to finalize the social spending plan before the infrastructure vote, they risk blowing both key parts of President Joe Biden's agenda. "It is pushing it. All we can do is try,” House Budget Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said after the chamber voted last week to lock in the Sept. 27 infrastructure deadline. “We're trying to kind of pre-conference this to the greatest extent" to minimize House-Senate divergence, he added. House Democratic leaders have not started preparing their members for the possibility that the social spending bill won’t be finished when the chamber votes on the infrastructure bill by Sept. 27, vowing they will get it all done through sheer force of will. House committees kick off markups on Thursday to begin churning out the pieces of the final spending package, even as intraparty arguments continue privately over what exactly to include in the legislation. Democratic leaders, senior lawmakers and aides are scrambling behind the scenes to settle the types of major policy disputes that would normally take months or years to be resolved. Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who is in charge of drafting the largest piece of the spending plan, described it as “a vastly bigger effort” than enacting the pandemic aid package in March. That Covid relief bill used the same filibuster-proof reconciliation process Democrats are now using to pass their social spending plan without Republican support. Democrats are still haggling over several major issues, including when to sunset popular provisions in the coming years to fit within the $3.5 trillion cap they have set for themselves. Top Democrats have privately aired worries that a dizzying array of different end dates for various programs in the coming years could come back to haunt the party if Republicans control Congress or the White House and refuse to extend those policies. Democrats are currently debating when to set the expiration of a popular expansion of the child tax credit they passed in the pandemic aid bill. Some Senate Democrats are pushing for 2024, while their House counterparts argue that robs the party of any leverage it would have when a slew of Trump-era tax provisions expire the next year, in 2025.

 Why a permanent child tax credit expansion costs so much — and how to make it cheaper As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) they passed in March, Democrats increased the maximum child tax credit (CTC) parents can claim in 2021 for each of their children under 18 years old to $3,000, or $3,600 for each child under age six, and made the full value of the credit available to families with no income for the first time ever. The expansion lifted three million children out of poverty in its first month alone, which will improve their educational, health and economic outcomes throughout their lives if the policy is continued.Democrats have made extending this policy a centerpiece of their $3.5 trillion Build Back Better agenda. But despite its success, Democrats are only proposing to extend the expanded CTC through 2025 at the latestbecause the annual cost of continuing the current expansion will roughly double after related policies from the GOP’s 2017 tax law expire. Fortunately, they can resolve this problem making those related policies permanent.The GOP tax law temporarily doubled the maximum CTC to $2,000 and made more high-income parents eligible for the credit as part of abroader effort to consolidate family tax benefits. Previously, parents could claim a CTC worth up to $1,000 for each of their children, and all households could reduce their taxable income by $4,050 for each “personal exemption” they claimed for themselves and their dependents.Taxpayers could also choose to either deduct the cost of specific expenses from their taxable income or claim a “standard deduction” that was the same for everyone. The GOP tax law temporarily repealed personal exemptions but increased the CTC (which replaced exemptions for children), doubled the standard deduction (which replaced exemptions for taxpayers themselves) and created a $500 non-refundable credit for non-child dependents.To keep their bill from adding to the deficit after 10 years, which would have prohibited them from passing it via the filibuster-proof “reconciliation” process, Republicans scheduled these, and many of their bill’s other provisions, to expire after 2025. Those expirations are what would make a formal score of the cost of the Democrats’ CTC expansion spike after that year.The official scorekeepers at the Joint Committee on Taxation and Congressional Budget Office score the fiscal impact of all proposals over a 10-year window relative to their “current law baseline,” or the levels of spending and revenues that would occur if Congress did not pass any new laws. Since the GOP tax law scheduled the CTC to shrink after 2025, the gap between the Democrats’ proposed spending levels and current law would grow. The expiration would add roughly $530 billion to the expansion’s 10-fiscal year cost. Should the Democrats’ expanded CTC be made permanent, families in 2026 would be eligible for both the enlarged CTC and the larger per-child exemption that existed in 2017, meaning the tax benefit per child would be even greater than it is today.Rather than create an unintended bonus benefit that raises the CTC expansion’s cost, Democrats should simply make the changes to personal exemptions and the standard deduction permanent. Based on figures from the Tax Foundation, PPI estimates that permanently repealing personal exemptions while retaining the increased standard deduction and credit for dependents not eligible for the CTC would reduce the net cost of the Democrats’ CTC expansion by more than $100 billion each year after 2025.As a result, Democrats may need only about $800 billion in additional offsets over the 10-year window to make the current CTC permanent (and even less if they are willing to consider a slightly smaller expansion). Although this figure could be a slight underestimate, since the Office of Management and Budget projects the CTC expansion would cost roughly 10 percent more than Tax Foundation does, the cost of this package is still likely to be only around half the $1.6 trillion cost of making the expanded CTC permanent on its own.

Manchin warns Democrats: Hit 'pause' on Biden's $3.5T plan - Volume 90% Sen. Joe Manchin JOE MANCHIN Progressives push Senate Democrats to nix filibuster ahead of voting rights fight Progressives launch campaign to exclude gas from Congress's clean electricity program AFL-CIO chief warns of election consequences for pro-filibuster Democrats MORE (D-W.Va.) said Democrats should hit "pause" on President Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending package, firing a significant warning shot at his party’s top legislative priority. Manchin, during remarks this week at a West Virginia Chamber of Commerce event pointed to concerns about “runaway inflation,” the delta variant of the coronavirus and a botched withdrawal in Afghanistan to float slowing down what is the centerpiece of Biden's economic agenda. "If the country is facing what we're facing now. ... I would ask my colleagues and all of the Senate to hit the pause button on the $3.5 [trillion]," Manchin said at the event on Wednesday. "Let’s sit back. Let’s see what happens. We have so much on our plate. We really have an awful lot. I think that would be the prudent, wise thing to do." "I know they're going to go nuts right now ... because what I said is going to all my caucus in Washington," Manchin added, referring to his Democratic colleagues. "But I'm thinking of it from the standpoint of where we are as a nation today." Manchin's remarks come as Democrats are negotiating and drafting the $3.5 trillion bill, which is expected to include some of the party's biggest priorities including expanding Medicare, combating climate change and immigration reform. And if he sticks by his push for a go-slow approach it could mark a significant stumbling block to Democratic leadership's timeline for advancing the Democratic-only bill. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has given Senate committees until Sept. 15 to finalize their parts of the package so that they could start socializing the bill with the broader 50-member Democratic caucus. But to get the bill through the Senate, Schumer will need Manchin's vote, giving him enormous influence to shape the details and the timing of the reconciliation package. Manchin, speaking at the Chamber of Commerce event, argued that there wasn't a reason to rush the Democratic-only spending plan saying that "it's not anything we need immediately." "Hit the pause button as Americans. Hit the pause button," Manchin said. Manchin doubled down on his remarks, which were made Wednesday, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Thursday, warning he can't support a $3.5 trillion plan. "Instead of rushing to spend trillions on new government programs and additional stimulus funding, Congress should hit a strategic pause on the budget-reconciliation legislation. A pause is warranted because it will provide more clarity on the trajectory of the pandemic, and it will allow us to determine whether inflation is transitory or not," Manchin wrote in the Wall Street Journal op-ed. "I, for one, won’t support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs," Manchin added. Manchin previously warned that he had "serious concerns" about a $3.5 trillion package in a statement released hours after the Senate passed the roughly $1 trillion bill last month that he and a bipartisan group of senators helped negotiate. He also disclosed during the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce event that he privately told Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last month during the Senate's debate on the bipartisan bill that he would not support a separate $3.5 trillion Democrat-only package. "He looked at me and said, 'you going to vote for the three-and-a-half trillion?' I said, 'hell no Bernie I'm not voting for three-and-a-half trillion.' He says ... 'well at least you're honest with me,'" Manchin said. Manchin added that he was willing to work with Sanders but he wasn't going to agree to an "arbitrary number" and that a "pause" was "the best way to go."

Progressives hit Manchin after he tells colleagues to 'pause' on Biden's $3.5T plan --Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) faced swift criticism from progressives after he urged Democrats to “hit the pause button” on a $3.5 trillion spending package that would advance key parts of President Biden’s legislative agenda. Manchin on Wednesday called on his colleagues to hold off on “rushing to spend trillions on new government programs” as the party drafts the forthcoming package, citing concerns about what he referred to as “runaway inflation,” the coronavirus delta variant and the recent withdrawal of the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The following day, the senator also warned his colleagues in a strongly worded opinion piece that he couldn’t support the $3.5 trillion price tag or “anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs.”The remarks by Manchin, who has expressed concerns about the dollar amount in the past, drew ire from progressives who support the coming spending package, which Democratic leaders say will unlock funding for a number of party-backed priorities, including health care expansions, climate change efforts and immigration reform.“Pause on finally delivering child care, paid leave, education, health care, affordable housing, climate action, and dental, vision, and hearing to millions of families across America? Absolutely not,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, tweeted shortly after reports of Manchin’s comments emerged on Thursday afternoon.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) knocked Manchin in a pair of tweets not long after.“Manchin has weekly huddles w/ Exxon & is one of many senators who gives lobbyists their pen to write so-called ‘bipartisan’ fossil fuel bills. It’s killing people. Our people. At least 12 last night,” she wrote, referring to the death toll in New York City after the area was hit by remnants of Hurricane Ida this week. “Sick of this ‘bipartisan’ corruption that masquerades as clear-eyed moderation.”“Fossil fuel corps & dark money is destroying our democracy, country, & planet. All day our community has been pulling bodies out of homes from the flood. Entire families,” she continued. “And we’re supposed to entertain lobbyist talking points about why we should abandon people & do nothing? No.”Her comments also come as scientists have linked climate-related factors such as warm ocean temperatures and increased sea level rise to Ida’s intensity.Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) also shared photos of homes in his district that were hit this week, asking the senator, “How much destruction do we need to see before it’s worth investing in our climate?”“Instead of writing op-eds, why don't you look into the faces of my residents who have had their basements flooded with sewage multiple times and their power out for days, Senator Manchin. We deserve better,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) tweeted.

Joe Manchin opposes $3.5 trillion Biden Democratic spending bill - Sen. Joe Manchin just made it clear Democrats have work to do to win his vote for their sprawling economic plan — and prevent President Joe Biden's agenda from collapsing. The West Virginia Democrat on Thursday urged party leaders to "pause" their consideration of a massive $3.5 trillion spending bill. Democrats aim to approve the measure, which would invest in climate policy and social programs, in the coming weeks without Republican support. Manchin voted last month to pass a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, the first step in the reconciliation process that allows Democrats to move forward without the GOP. At the time, he and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., signaled they would oppose the final bill unless the price tag was slashed. Manchin went a step further Thursday in calling for a "strategic pause" in moving forward with the plan. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the senator cited concerns about inflation and debt. "I, for one, won't support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs," Manchin wrote. The senator did not rule out voting for a smaller bill. He ended the piece noting that "by placing a strategic pause on this budgetary proposal, by significantly reducing the size of any possible reconciliation bill to only what America can afford and needs to spend, we can and will build a better and stronger nation for all our families." After Manchin pushed for a delay in passing the budget bill, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called the plan to fight climate change and expand the social safety net "more important" than the infrastructure bill. "No infrastructure bill without the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill," Sanders, who is playing a major role in writing Democrats' plan, said in a tweeted statement. Manchin's stance complicates an already messy effort by Democrats to pass their spending plan and a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. If Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., loses Manchin or any other member of his caucus, the legislation will fail. Meanwhile, efforts to appease Manchin could run afoul of progressives in the House who want their party to spend more than $3.5 trillion to combat the climate crisis and boost the social safety net. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., can lose no more than three Democratic votes for the plan. Pelosi has delayed a final vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill in order to keep centrists and liberals on board with both economic proposals. She made a nonbinding commitment to vote on the infrastructure plan by Sept. 27. Democrats may already be taking steps to ease Manchin's concerns about the budget plan. Pelosi has said she wants the legislation to be fully paid for, and has insisted the House will only approve a bill that can get through the Senate. Democrats have also appeared to acknowledge they will need to write a bill smaller than $3.5 trillion in order to push it through the Senate. Lawmakers have said they want to hike taxes on corporations and the wealthy and increase IRS enforcement of existing tax rates, among other measures, to offset the spending. Manchin's call for a delay will irk many in his party who have called congressional action to combat climate change long overdue. The budget proposal would use subsidies and other incentives to encourage the adoption of green energy, electrify buildings and houses, and make infrastructure more resilient against extreme weather. Recent raging wildfires in the Western U.S. and flooding in Southern and Northeastern states, conditions exacerbated by climate change, have only increased calls among Democrats to pass the spending bill. Speaking Thursday from a New York City where hours before rainwater had poured into subway tunnels and paralyzed public transit, Schumer called it "imperative" to pass the infrastructure and climate bills. "Woe is us if we don't do something about it quickly, both in building resilient infrastructure and going to clean power, whether it's in homes, in electricity, in transportation, to stop the global warming or at least reduce its awful effects on this country," he said. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WATCH LIVElogo UP NEXT | ET .

Budget reconciliation: Calling it a '$3.5 trillion spending bill' isn't quite right -The forthcoming budget reconciliation bill has been described by members of both political parties and in news reports as a $3.5 trillion spending bill. It isn’t. Such a description is inaccurate for several reasons.First, the $3.5 trillion figure relates to the potential amount of spending increases and tax cuts, before offsetting savings are taken into account. Some expected parts of the bill with significant price tags — such as a good part of the Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Tax Credit expansions — are tax cuts; they reduce people’s tax bills. Raising the cap on the state and local tax deduction is another tax cut. So are the “clean energy, manufacturing, and transportation tax incentives” listed as part of the package in a memo Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sent colleagues last month.Second, the price tag for any bill — and a bill’s impact on deficits and debt — is the net of its cost-increasing measures, which can include both spending increases and tax cuts, and its offsetting savings — i.e., its spending reductions and tax increases. The budget resolution Congress just passed limits the net price tag of the reconciliation bill to no more than $1.75 trillion. This is seen in the budget resolution’s reconciliation instructions. In the Senate, those instructions allow committees other than the Finance Committee to approve new spending measures costing no more than $1.75 trillion over 10 years. With respect to the Finance Committee, the budget resolution requires it to fully pay for everything it does that has a cost. As a result, the cost of the bill as whole can’t exceed $1.75 trillion.The widely cited $3.5 trillion figure assumes the Finance Committee will approve about $1.75 trillion in spending increases and tax cuts that are financed by an equivalent amount of tax increases and spending reductions (with the spending reductions expected to come from drug savings in health programs). The $3.5 trillion thus includes the cost of all of the spending increases and tax cuts without any of the offsetting prescription drug savings or tax increases.If the approach used to arrive at the $3.5 trillion figure had been used for the 2017 Trump-era tax cut, that measure’s cost would have been said to be far greater than the $1.5 trillion figure used for it when the measure was enacted (later revised by Congressional Budget Office to $1.9 trillion), as the $1.5 trillion (and $1.9 trillion ) figures were net rather than gross figures. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that if the 2017 tax cut had been assessed in the same manner used to arrive at the $3.5 trillion figure for the current reconciliation bill — if its cost measures were added up without its offsets taken into account — it would have been described as a package of more than $5 trillion.

Joe Manchin’s Dirty Empire - The West Virginia Senator Reaps Big Financial Rewards From a Network of Coal Companies With Grim Records of Pollution, Safety Violations, and Death - IN THE EARLY hours of August 11, the Senate voted to approve a $3.5 trillion budget resolution that would mark the nation’s most significant investment in the fight against climate change ever undertaken in the United States. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., cast the tie-breaking vote. The resolution’s approval kicked off a legislative process likely to last months, all of it hinging on Manchin’s continued support. Not long after casting his vote, he issued a public statement warning the bill’s backers not to take him for granted. “Adding trillions of dollars more to nearly $29 trillion of national debt, without any consideration of the negative effects on our children and grandchildren, is one of those decisions that has become far too easy in Washington,” Manchin said. The month prior, he had specified that some of the climate-related provisions were “very, very disturbing.” “If you’re sticking your head in the sand, and saying that fossil [fuel] has to be eliminated in America, and they want to get rid of it, and thinking that’s going to clean up the global climate, it won’t clean it up all,” Manchin told CNN after a private meeting with President Joe Biden and his fellow Senate Democrats. “If anything, it would be worse.” Manchin’s claim that climate pollution would be worsened by the elimination of fossil fuels — or by the resolution’s actual, more incremental climate provisions — is highly dubious, if not outright false. What would unquestionably be impacted, however, is Manchin’s own personal wealth. Though Manchin’s motivations are often ascribed to the conservative, coal-friendly politics of West Virginia, it is also the case that the state’s senior senator is heavily invested in the industry — and owes much of his considerable fortune to it. For decades, Manchin has profited from a series of coal companies that he founded during the 1980s. His son, Joe Manchin IV, has since assumed leadership roles in the firms, and the senator says his ownership is held in a blind trust. Yet between the time he joined the Senate and today, Manchin has personally grossed more than $4.5 million from those firms, according to financial disclosures. He also holds stock options in Enersystems Inc., the larger of the two firms, valued between $1 and $5 million. Those two companies are Enersystems Inc. and Farmington Resources Inc., the latter of which was created by the rapid merging of two other firms, Manchin’s Transcon and Farmington Energy in 2005. Enersystems purchases low-quality waste coal from mines and resells it to power plants as fuel, while Farmington Resources provides “support activities for mining” and holds coal reserves in the Fairmont area. Over the decades, whether feeding tens of thousands of tons of dirty waste coal into the power plants in northern West Virginia or subjecting workers to unsafe conditions, Manchin’s family coal business has almost entirely avoided public scrutiny.

Social Security is projected to be insolvent a year earlier than previously forecast. - The financial outlook for Social Security is eroding more quickly than previously expected, as the coronavirus pandemic has drained government revenues and put additional strain on one of the nation’s most important social safety net programs. The overall finances for Medicare, however, are expected to hold steady, though the health program is still forecast to face financial pressure in the coming years. Annual government reports released on Tuesday on the solvency of the programs underscored the questions about their long-term viability at a time when a wave of baby boomers are retiring and the economy faces ongoing uncertainty as variants of the coronavirus surge. The United States economy already faces soaring federal debt levels in the coming decades, but both Democrats and Republicans have been wary of making significant structural reforms to the popular programs.“Having strong Social Security and Medicare programs is essential in order to ensure a secure retirement for all Americans, especially for our most vulnerable populations,” Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to safeguarding these programs and ensuring they continue to deliver economic security and health care to older Americans.”Senior administration officials said that the long-term effects of the pandemic on the programs are unclear. The actuaries were forced to make assumptions about how long Covid would continue to cause unusual patterns of hospitalizations and deaths and whether it would contribute to long-term disabilities among survivors.The Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund will now be depleted in 2033, a year earlier than previously projected, according to the report. At that time, the trust fund will run out of reserves and the program will be insolvent, with new tax revenues failing to cover scheduled payments. The report estimated that 76 percent of scheduled benefits will be able to be paid out unless Congress changes the rules to allow full payouts.

What Every American Needs to Know About the Congressional "Pay-For" Game (Part 3) - by Stephanie Kelton - This is (I think) the final post in a three-part series on the Congressional “pay-for” game. If you missed the first two, you can find them here (Part 1 and Part 2). My earlier posts focused on the fact that the “pay-for” game is a misnomer. Lawmakers pretend to “pay for” their spending by drafting legislation that—at least on paper—presents the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with a “credible” (wink, wink) plan to zero out any budgetary impact from its spending. If you can keep the deficit from increasing, then you can claim that you have “paid for” your spending.Bear in mind that this is a game. No one actually knows what the budget outcome will be next year, three years from now, or a decade from now. All lawmakers know is how much they’re proposing to spend, say $3.5 trillion, and how they’re proposing to offset the budgetary effects of that spending. What actually ends up happening to the deficit over time depends not only on deliberate changes to the tax code and planned spending but also on the future state of the (domestic and global) economy, the stock market, and a host of other unknowables.CBO doesn’t forecast recessions, but of course they’re inevitable. And when the economy softens or goes into recession, the automatic stabilizers kick in, pushing certain federal outlays (e.g. unemployment insurance benefits) higher and tax receipts lower.1 That means that the revenue estimates that are used to “score” legislation today are only “paying for” proposed spending in the most tenuous sense of the phrase.It’s a numbers-on-paper game.If the numbers turn out to be wildly off, so that the projected revenue never materializes, it doesn’t even matter. The spending is baked in once the legislation becomes law. It’s an ex ante “pay-for” game, meaning that lawmakers are just trying to tell a half-convincing story about how they plan to keep the proposed spending from adding to the deficit before they vote to authorize it.Once the legislation passes—i.e. ex post— actual tax revenue can come in substantially lower than originally estimated. By that point, the game is over. The money will get spent regardless.2 It’s time to stop asking lawmakers, “How will you pay for it?” And it’s time for members of Congress to stop responding to the question with a laundry list of so-called “pay-fors.” Why? Because it obscures what the budgeting game is really about and because it traps us in the lexicon of the neoliberal household metaphor. It’s bad economics masquerading as “sound finance” that constrains public policy by forcing members of Congress to act as if they need to budget like a household. In MMT, we want to reveal (not obscure) the truth about the mechanics of government finance. To do that, we should avoid using terms and metaphors that work well when we apply them to currency users—households, businesses, provinces, or state and local governments—but have no applicability to a currency-issuinggovernment like the U.S., China, the U.K, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and others.Taxes are important in all of these countries, but not because they “pay for” what these nations spend on health care, education, the military, and so on. As Dean Baker put it: “But we know the point of taxes is not actually to raise revenue, the point is to reduce consumption to decrease demand in the economy.”

Erik Prince hits back at Biden, says Blackwater contractors rescued him - Erik Prince, the co-founder of defense contractor Blackwater, ​is responding after the White House took a shot at him for offering to fly people out of Afghanistan on charter flights for $6,500 a seat — recalling that his contractors once rescued Biden from Taliban territory. Prince, a former Navy SEAL, added that the Biden administration’s ​bungling of the evacuation operation and the president’s refusal to extend the deadline have “shattered the confidence” of America’s allies. ​​“So we have shattered the confidence of our European allies and every other ally around the world that America depends, whether you’re a CIA agent trying to recruit somebody to work for you or whether you’re a country that America wants you to compete with — to side with us versus something that the Chinese want — it will definitely figure into people’s thinking how quickly America abandoned its friends in Afghanistan and left in such a horribly chaotic and clumsy manner​,” Prince told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in an interview Wednesday night.​​He also pointed out that Blackwater ​soldiers had to rescue Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel when they got lost in a snowstorm in 2008. “They were on a congressional visit to Afghanistan in the winter and their US Army helicopter got lost in a blinding snowstorm and set down in Taliban territory on the side of a mountain,” he told Carlson.“And the US military launched a ground convoy to get them and they got lost and the Blackwater guys launched and they did not get lost. And we recovered them. We rescued them from Taliban territory. That was the winter of ’08,” he said.Prince — the brother of Betsy DeVos, education secretary under President Donald Trump — was asked if they were “grateful.”​​​”You would think so, but no. I didn’t get a Christmas card — I have yet to. In their office they thanked the US military​,” he said. ​”It was veteran contractors, doing their job, once again.​”​

US pulls last of its troops from Afghanistan after chaotic evacuation -The US withdrew the last of its troops from Afghanistan aboard a C-17 military transport plane just one minute before midnight Kabul time Monday, in advance of the August 31 deadline that Washington had negotiated with the Taliban. The plane’s departure consummated the debacle of the 20-year US war, the longest in American history. Monday’s final withdrawal ended a two-week-long evacuation that transported 122,000 people out of the country, including 5,400 American citizens, along with Afghans who had collaborated with the two-decade US occupation and their families. Monday saw the last of the “core” US diplomatic staff depart Kabul airport, leaving behind empty what had been one of the largest US embassies in the world, built at the cost of $800 million. The chaotic character of the US evacuation included a suicide bomb attack last Thursday, claimed by the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), that killed 13 American military personnel. Some 170 Afghans were killed in the incident, an unknown number of them by US fire in response to the bombing. On Monday, Kabul’s airport came under rocket fire. The humiliating character of the withdrawal under fire, drawing comparisons to the flight from the US embassy’s roof in Saigon in 1975, has sparked bitter recriminations within the US ruling establishment, including accusations against the Biden administration’s gross “mishandling” of the operation. The conditions for this withdrawal, however, had been created by the entire 20-year imperialist intervention, which failed to create a viable puppet regime and provoked hatred and anger among a population subjected to bombings, drone strikes, night raids, imprisonment and torture. President Joe Biden approved the withdrawal last April, based on the supposition that the Afghan security forces could stave off the fall of Kabul for six months to a year. US intelligence agencies changed this assessment to a worst-case scenario of one month, just days before Taliban fighters actually took control of the Afghan capital on August 15. In the end, the Afghan national security forces armed, trained and funded by Washington at the cost of over $80 billion melted away, unwilling to defend a regime that represented nothing but the US occupation and the kleptocracy that it spawned. After 20 years and the loss of 2,461 US troops and civilians and 1,144 NATO and allied forces, along with the slaughter of over 100,000 Afghans, and the expenditure of at the least $2 trillion, Washington leaves Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, the Islamist militia overthrown by its October 2001 intervention. The final US departure was greeted by celebratory fireworks and gunfire from Kabul. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, tweeted early Tuesday morning: “Our country has achieved a full independence, thanks to God.”

"We Are F**king Abandoning American Citizens" Says Livid Army Colonel In Leaked Afghanistan Texts -Encrypted text messages between an Army colonel and a former Special Forces soldier working on a private effort to extricate stranded Americans from Afghanistan reveal that the US evacuation was anything but the 'extraordinary success' President Biden declared on Tuesday. "We are fucking abandoning American citizens," said an Army colonel assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in an encrypted Sunday text message to Michael Yon, who revealed the message to Just the News. Yon told Just the News that a group of Americans were abandoned at the Kabul airport, pleading for help as military officials told them they were finished with evacuations. "We had them out there waving their passport screaming, 'I'm American,'" Yon said Tuesday while appearing on the John Solomon Reports podcast. -Just The News "People were turned away from the gate by our own Army," said Yon, the former Special Forces soldier and war correspondent. Yon's account, which he shared with JTN's John Solomon, is backed by three dozen text and email exchanges with frontline Army officials in Afghanistan.

Biden’s speech on Afghanistan: An admission of a shattering defeat - US President Joe Biden delivered a speech Tuesday afternoon declaring an end to the 20-year US war in Afghanistan. Coming the day after a C-17 military transport plane flew the last US troops out of Kabul and in the midst of celebrations in the streets of Afghanistan of the end of US occupation, Biden’s speech included statements never before heard from the White House, acknowledging the devastating costs of a war that ended in a humiliating debacle. The defeat suffered by the United States at the hands of the Taliban insurgency exposes the failure of not just the policies pursued in Afghanistan but the entire strategy that has guided the actions of US imperialism both at home and abroad for decades. The immediate political purpose of Biden’s speech was to defend his administration from ferocious criticism of its handling of the chaotic 17-day evacuation that followed the overrunning of the country by the Taliban and the precipitous collapse of the Kabul puppet regime and its US-trained security forces. Thirteen US military personnel lost their lives in the operation, while another 20 were wounded. The attacks have come not only from Republicans but also a wide layer of Democratic officials. The media, having “embedded” itself within the US military and serving as an unflagging cheerleader for US wars, has responded with particularly bitter hostility. The Washington Post’s editorial Tuesday described the Kabul evacuation as “a moral disaster, one attributable not to the actions of military and diplomatic personnel in Kabul … but to mistakes, strategic and tactical, by Mr. Biden and his administration.” For good measure, it published a column by Michael Gerson, the former senior aide and speechwriter for George W. Bush, who shares political responsibility for the criminal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, condemning “the Biden administration’s panicky, slapdash, humiliating exit from Afghanistan—dependent on the kindness of the Taliban and commemorated by indelible images of chaos and betrayal.” Such super-heated rhetoric reflects the savage divisions and recriminations within the US ruling establishment and its military and intelligence apparatus over the Afghanistan debacle. While shot through with contradictions, evasions and historical falsifications, Biden’s speech was directed at least in part at appealing to the broad anti-war sentiments within the American population. It was “time to be honest with the American people again,” he said, tacitly acknowledging that the US ruling class had systematically lied to the American people about the reasons for and the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. He stated that the US had spent “$300 million a day for two decades,” on the war in Afghanistan, adding that “yes, the American people should hear this. ... And what have we lost as a consequence in terms of opportunities.” He stressed the grievous losses in lives and limbs, with 2,461 US troops killed and another 20,744 wounded. “A lot of our veterans have gone through hell,” he said. “Deployment after deployment. Months and years away from their families … financial struggles, divorces, loss of limbs, traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress. We see it in the struggles many have when they come home. … The cost of war they will carry with them their whole lives.” Biden cited the “shocking and stunning statistic that should give pause to anyone who thinks war can ever be low-grade, low-risk, or low-cost: 18 veterans, on average, who die by suicide every single day in America—not in a far-off place, but right here in America.” He also referred obliquely to the societal costs incurred by a country perpetually at war: “If you are 20 years old today, you’ve never known an America at peace.”

Afghan Crisis Must End America’s Empire of War, Corruption and Poverty -- Medea Benjamin - Americans have been shocked by videos of thousands of Afghans risking their lives to flee the Taliban’s return to power in their country – and then by an Islamic State suicide bombing and ensuing massacre by U.S. forces that together killed at least 170 people, including 13 U.S. troops. Even as UN agencies warn of an impending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the U.S. Treasury has frozen nearly all of the Afghan Central Bank’s $9.4 billion in foreign currency reserves, depriving the new government of funds that it will desperately need in the coming months to feed its people and provide basic services. Under pressure from the Biden administration, the International Monetary Fund decided not to release $450 million in funds that were scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan to help the country cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. and other Western countries have also halted humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. After chairing a G7 summit on Afghanistan on August 24, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said thatwithholding aid and recognition gave them “very considerable leverage – economic, diplomatic and political” over the Taliban. Western politicians couch this leverage in terms of human rights, but they are clearly trying to ensure that their Afghan allies retain some power in the new government, and that Western influence and interests in Afghanistan do not end with the Taliban’s return. This leverage is being exercised in dollars, pounds, and euros, but it will be paid for in Afghan lives. To read or listen to Western analysts, one would think that the United States and its allies’ 20-year war was a benign and beneficial effort to modernize the country, liberate Afghan women and provide healthcare, education and good jobs, and that this has all now been swept away by capitulation to the Taliban. The reality is quite different, and not so hard to understand. The United States spent $2.26 trillionon its war in Afghanistan. Spending that kind of money in any country should have lifted most people out of poverty. But the vast bulk of those funds, about $1.5 trillion, went to absurd, stratospheric military spending to maintain the U.S. military occupation, drop over 80,000 bombs and missiles on Afghans, payprivate contractors, and transport troops, weapons and military equipment back and forth around the world for 20 years. Since the United States fought this war with borrowed money, it has also cost half a trillion dollars in interest payments alone, which will continue far into the future. Medical and disability costs for U.S. soldiers wounded in Afghanistan already amount to over $175 billion, and they will likewise keep mounting as the soldiers age. The government the U.S. installed in Afghanistan was notoriously corrupt, and its corruption only became more entrenched and systemic over time. Transparency International (TI) has consistently ranked U.S.-occupied Afghanistan as among the most corrupt countries in the world. Western readers may think that this corruption is a long-standing problem in Afghanistan, as opposed to a particular feature of the U.S. occupation, but this is not the case. TI notes that, “it is widely recognized that the scale of corruption in the post-2001 period has increased over previous levels.” A 2009 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that “corruption has soared to levels not seen in previous administrations.” Corruption also undermined the very areas that Western politicians now hold up as the successes of the occupation, like education and healthcare. The education system has been riddled with schools, teachers, and students that exist only on paper. Afghan pharmacies are stocked with fake, expired or low quality medicines, many smuggled in from neighboring Pakistan. As TI reported, “The U.S. has intentionally paid different armed groups and Afghan civil servants to ensure cooperation and/or information, and cooperated with governors regardless of how corrupt they were… Corruption has undermined the U.S. mission in Afghanistan by fuelling grievances against the Afghan government and channelling material support to the insurgency.” The endless violence of the U.S. occupation and the corruption of the U.S.-backed government boosted popular support for the Taliban, especially in rural areas where three quartersof Afghans live. The intractable poverty of occupied Afghanistan also contributed to the Taliban victory, as people naturally questioned how their occupation by wealthy countries like the United States and its Western allies could leave them in such abject poverty.Yet instead of atoning for our role in keeping most Afghans mired in poverty, Western leaders are now cutting off desperately needed economic and humanitarian aid that was funding three quarters of Afghanistan’s public sector and made up 40% of its total GDP.In effect, the United States and its allies are responding to losing the war by threatening the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan with a second, economic war. If the new Afghan government does not give in to their “leverage” and meet their demands, our leaders will starve their people and then blame the Taliban for the ensuing famine and humanitarian crisis, just as they demonize and blame other victims of U.S. economic warfare, from Cuba to Iran.

How U.S. Wars Abroad Are Intimately Tied to Police Brutality at Home - When U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar decried Israel’s 11-day aerial bombardment of Gaza this May and declared that “Palestinians deserve protection,” Florida’s Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio responded by saying that Israeli violence and U.S. support for it were justified because Israelis “live in a very tough neighborhood.” Rubio did not invent that phrase or its use in describing Israel’s place in the region where it sits. In 2016, 82 hawkish senators signed onto a letter to President Barack Obama advocating greater guarantees of military aid to Israel, saying that “members of Congress from both parties have been proud to work with you and previous administrations to provide Israel the essential resources it needs to survive in a very tough neighborhood.” Conservative think tank analysts also use the term, such as Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace—who calls Israel “a tiny state in a tough neighborhood”—as do critics of U.S. policy toward Israel. The significance of American officials describing Israel as placed in a dangerous neighborhood is unmistakable. In the racist geographies of the United States, “tough neighborhoods” are to be avoided, they are to be policed, and they are inevitably Black. The trope of the “dangerous neighborhood” is so widespread that it communicates all of these things without explanation. This makes it a perfect device for people across the U.S. political establishment to justify military aid and other support to Israel—whether enthusiastically or with some reservations—to an American audience.Indeed, its relationship with Israel includes a minimum of $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid each year as well as extensive exchanges between American police departments and Israel. U.S. police departments train with Israeli forces, with the aim of mutually enhancing each side’s ability to patrol its “neighborhoods.”The “Israel is in a tough neighborhood” trope is one of countless entry points into the relationship between the racist domestic repression regime of the U.S. and the violence that it carries out and supports abroad. These relationships are long-standing, rooted in the colonization of the land and requisite violence against its Indigenous peoples, and the enslavement of the Black population. This connection between U.S. violence within and beyond its borders is important, especially in light of a renewed national conversation about American policing. That conversation, driven by Black-led uprisings in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others in 2020, has revealed the predatory, racist nature of policing. It has exposed the failure of the criminal justice system to provide justice for victims of police violence. It has called attention to the roots of American policing in slavery, and it has launched a mainstream discussion about defunding and abolishing police departments. It has also highlighted the militarization of police, offering an opportunity to bring greater attention to the practices of forces that operate domestically, and those U.S. and U.S.-supported forces acting abroad.

Biden Administration Erased Afghan Weapons Reports From Federal Websites -The War in Afghanistan has always been a black box, but the Biden administration just made matters worse.According to an admission obtained from the State Department, Biden officials recently directed federal agencies to scrub their websites of official reports detailing the $82.9 billion in military equipment and training provided to the Afghan security forces since 2001.The scrubbed audits and reports included detailed accounting of what the U.S. had provided to Afghan forces, down to the number of night vision devices, hand grenades, Black Hawk helicopters, and armored vehicles.Reports further quantified 208 aircraft and helicopters; 75,000 war vehicles – including 22 Humvees, 50,000 tactical vehicles and nearly 1,000 mine resistant vehicles; and 600,000 weapons – including 350,000 M4 and M16 rifles, 60,000 machine guns, and 25,000 grenade launchers.The State Department admitted to removing the reports but justified the move as a way to protect Afghan allies. According to a spokesperson:“The safety of our Afghan contacts is of utmost importance to us. The State Department advised other federal agencies of to [sic] review their web properties for content that highlights cooperation/participation between an Afghan citizen and the USG or a USG partner and remove from public view if it poses a security risk.”It’s worth noting that the Biden administration already put these partners at risk when officials provided lists of Afghan nationals to the Taliban in a misguided attempt to clear them for evacuation. The Taliban, a known terrorist organization with a history of murdering Afghan citizens working alongside U.S. forces, should never have been trusted with those names. In addition, many of the removed audit reports merely quantified military equipment without identifying personnel. Here are two important examples:

1. Government Accountability Office (GAO): OpenTheBooks.com reposted an audit of U.S. provided military gear in Afghanistan (August 2017) after it was removed from its official location.
2. Special Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR): OpenTheBooks.com reposted an audit of $174 million in lost ScanEagle drones (July 2020) after the report was removed from its official location.

U.S. taxpayers paid for these audits and the U.S.-provided equipment, and citizens should be able to follow the money and hold the Biden administration accountable.

'This Is Ransom': White House Mulling Direct Foreign Aid To The Taliban -White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has offered blunt confirmation in a Wednesday "Good Morning America" interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that the United States won't rule out giving aid directly to the Taliban regime in Kabul. A somewhat incredulous looking Stephanopoulos questioned, "We're gonna work with the Taliban... does that include the prospect of giving them aid?" Sullivan without missing a beat responded of the group which was long widely condemned as a terror organization after 9/11: "Well first of all we do believe that there is an important dimension of humanitarian assistance that should go directly to the people of Afghanistan..." "We do intend to continue that." Sullivan then actually used the unsettling phrase "our economic and development assistance relationship" with the Taliban. He continued: Secondly, when it comes to our economic and development assistance relationship with the Taliban, that will be about the Taliban's actions. It will be about whether they following through on their commitments, Their commitments to safe passage for Americans and Afghan allies. Their commitment to not allow Afghanistan to be a base from which terrorists can attack the United States." ...It’s going to be up to them, and we will wait and see by their actions how we end up responding in terms of the economic and developmental assistance relationship."

 AOC Slams Biden's Decision To Nominate Rahm Emanuel To Ambassador Post - - AOC took a break from trying to sabotage Jerome Powell's re-nomination as Fed chairman to issue a scathing statement attacking one of the sleaziest personalities to ever be associated with the Democratic Party: Rahm Emanuel, the former Mayor of Chicago, who has been nominated to become the next US ambassador to Japan. In her statement, AOC slammed the Biden Administration for backing Emanuel, who infamously helped to cover up the police killing of unarmed teenager Laquan McDonald. "This nomination is deeply shameful," AOC said in the statement. "As mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald - a mere teenager when he was shot 16 times in the back by a Chicago Police Officer. This alone should be flatly disqualifying for any position of public trust, let alone representing the United States as an ambassador."

More people are dying trying to cross the US-Mexico border than ever before. While Biden isn't building Trump's wall, his plans for the border could be just as harmful. On July 30, the Biden Administration began sending migrant families back to their home countries via "fast-track" deportation flights. According to the Washington Post, there has been a "sharp increase" of border crossings in the Rio Grande valley in Texas. The apprehension and deportation of families — save for those who test positive for the coronavirus — has been steadily increasing throughout the year, from 7,300 in January to 55,800 in June.According to The Post, the spread of the Delta variant "has intensified pressure on the administration to ramp up enforcement." Adding that "on July 16 ... [ICE] was holding more than 700 children with their parents, including 451 children ages 5 and under." In other words, border enforcement has become a policy solution to fight the pandemic (never mind the role Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actively played in spreading the virus). Indeed, as the pandemic, as well as economic and climate instability, force people to move, more migrants are dying in the desert. According to NPR, migrant deaths at the Arizona-Mexico border are on track to be higher than any year when data has been recorded, and CBP data suggests that "encounters" and "apprehensions" of migrants are higher than they've been in 15 years.These deaths and dangerous border crossings are a result of the 1994 "prevention through deterrence" policy. In order to restrict migration, the Clinton Administration bulked up enforcement efforts at major points of entry so that migrants would be forced to cross through areas so remote that they would stop trying. As the New York Times explained, according to government documents, the policy was predicated on forcing people into "mortal danger" and one report suggested that the "death of aliens" was a measurement of policy's effectiveness.While official counts indicate that 7,805 have died trying to cross,advocates suggest that deaths are severely under counted, indicating that as many as 80,000 may have disappeared since the implementation of the policy. NPR reports that the Pima County Arizona medical examiner Greg Hess has received the remains of 140 people this year — the highest numbers resulting from last month's brutal heat wave. Further, and despite Biden's campaign promise not to build "another foot" of border wall, Congress is on track to increase funding for border surveillance technology, which advocates believe"is a continuation of the Trump administration's racist border policies, not a break from it." As In These Times' Maurizio Guerrero explained, Biden's budgetproposal for the upcoming year includes a $291 million increase in funding for the Border Patrol, including additional funding for a high-tech "smart-wall" — sensors, barricades, and "surveillance towers" that alert authorities of migrants' movements, and thus push people further into dangerous areas to cross, continuing prevention through deterrence. In sum, the remote area where these dangerous border crossings occur amount to what UCLA anthropologist Jason De León oncedescribed as "a remote deathscape where American necropolitics are pecked onto the bones of those we deem excludable"; and, as a result, sentences border crossers to what Cornell's Mary Pat Bradytermed as "passive capital punishment."

Now you too can “dismantle white supremacy”, for just $48 - It’s Good Food Box Friday and you could have amazing produce like this by next week if you order by 4pm today!
Pictured: the contents of our Dismantling White Supremacy Box this week including mustard greens, tatsoi, perilla, chili peppers, garlic & more! https://t.co/9UTOBV4epOpic.twitter.com/WjEspB1wL7 — FoodShare (@FoodShareTO) August 27, 2021 OK so yes, today is technically not Good Food Friday — that was last week — and you can’t actually currently buy a Dismantling White Supremacy Food Box from the FoodShare website because IT’S SO POPULAR IT’S SOLD OUT, but we felt we would share this with you anyway. So what, prey tell, is a Dismantling White Supremacy Food Box, we hear you ask? We’ll let FoodShare — a Toronto-based non-profit — explain (with our emphasis): Food justice underpins much of FoodShare’s work and our Food Justice Statement speaks of our work towards dismantling the systemic forms of oppression that exist in the food movement and beyond. From that understanding, the Dismantling White Supremacy Box was designed. Black, Indigenous and racialized communities experience higher rates of food insecurity in Toronto and remain under-represented and under-supported in farming. That’s why our Dismantling White Supremacy Box is packed full of local, organic produce grown by farms that are led, run or owned by racialized folks. Help us advance food justice by purchasing this box . . . Now we don’t mean to be too cynical — and we are sure that FoodShare has good intentions — but . . . say what now? We can really advance food justice and dismantle systemic forms of oppression and white supremacy by simply purchasing a box? Buying a food box can literally do away with the unhinged belief in people’s minds that white people are superior to others? Why didn’t someone tell us this earlier? Also if you are wondering who these “racialized folks” they refer to are, well it turns out that in Canada, “racialized” is the word used to describe everyone who is non-white, apart from Aboriginal people (we don’t understand either; you can find an explanation of this here though if you are interested). So now you know. FoodShare is not alone in offering punters the chance to wash away their white guilt by spending money, however. The Sunday Times had a story back in June on the $5,000 “racism suppers” offered by an initiative called “Race2Dinner”, that are being hosted for white women. From the piece (with our emphasis again): They must be prepared to “set aside your white woman tears” and “smash your white fragility” if they want to join the evening organised by Race2Dinner, an initiative created by Regina Jackson, who is black, and Saira Rao, who is Indian American. The dinners are intended to propel virtue-signaling white women towards tangible action. Each supper costs $5,000 (£3,544), split between eight people — but “people pay more than that for a Chanel bag”, says Jackson. You’ve got to acknowledge that you’re a problem, that you have all this extremely toxic behaviour inside of you, and you need to deconstruct your whiteness and start being in community with each other around this,” says Rao, a former Wall Street lawyer, over a video call from her home in Denver, Colorado. Cool. Clearly, there is lots of money to be made by charging people to wash away their guilt. The great thing is the buyers don’t actually have to change their behaviour or do anything at all really other than perhaps turn up to a supper party; just pay some money to the right place and all will be well. We reckon this will be a rapidly growing space in the coming years — in fact the ESG investing boom is a part of the same thing, we would suggest. Kind of like having your cake and eating it, but paying for it too so that you don’t get any horrid cake-guilt. Everyone’s a winner.

China calls on WHO to inspect US Army biological facility --Over the past month, the Chinese regime has given legitimacy to the claim that COVID-19 originated in the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Maryland and was brought to China when American military personnel took part in the Military World Games in the Wuhan region in October 2019 Last week, Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office at Geneva formally wrote to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), reasserting that it was “extremely unlikely” that COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, as was also concluded by the WHO investigative team that went to Wuhan.If “some parties” still viewed the “lab leak” hypothesis as open, the letter continued, then in the interests of “fairness and justice,” WHO should also investigate the US Army’s biological laboratory at Fort Detrick and the virology team led by Dr Ralph Baric at the University of North Carolina. Beijing has provided no evidence that COVID-19 originated in a US laboratory. Its conspiracy theory relies on referring to the lab’s involvement in bio-military research, including into SARS-related coronaviruses, its history of biological safety breaches and the outbreak of respiratory diseases in nearby communities.The letter also noted that Baric’s team is a world leader in gain-of-function research that can potentially be used to develop biological weapons. It pointed out that the US has conducted the most bio-military activities of any country in the world and withdrew from the Biological Weapons Convention after international agreement was reached on verification protocols to ensure no weapons were being developed, manufactured or stockpiled.Even if everything claimed about Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina were true, and much of it could be, that amounts to nothing more than circumstantial innuendo. To answer one conspiracy theory with another, one lie with another, only undermines China’s own claim to be basing itself on science, not politics.

 As U.S. Covid Cases Surge, E.U. Seeks New Rules for Travelers - The New York Times — Back in June, the European Union urged its member countries to reopen their borders to travelers from the United States, hoping to give a boost to the continent’s ailing tourism sector in the crucial summer season.It worked. American tourists flocked to the beaches of Spain and Greece, the countryside of Italy and the streets of Amsterdam and Paris.But on Monday, the European Union proposed new travel restrictions for unvaccinated visitors from the United States, a response to the alarming surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the Atlantic.In removing the United States from a “safe list” of countries whose residents can travel without requirements such as quarantine and testing, the European Council of the European Union, which represents governments of the bloc’s 27 countries, signaled that potential restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus may remain in place for months. The new measures could deal a fresh blow to Europe’s ailing tourism sector.Other countries removed from the “safe list” include Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia, most which have reported a surge of cases in the past 14 days, according to aNew York Times tracker.The suggested restrictions are not mandatory, and it remains up to each European Union member state to follow the guidelines. So it was not immediately clear which countries, if any, would reintroduce restrictions or when they might begin.If enforced, the new restrictions would apply to unvaccinated travelers only. The European Council already recommends that all visitors who have been inoculated with an E.U.-approved vaccine be allowed to travel. That includes the three vaccines available in the United States and manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna, as well as AstraZeneca.Some countries have also implemented more stringent measures than others, even for visitors from a country on the safe list, yet once visitors have entered an E.U. country, they can move across the bloc freely.

Enough Is Enough: The Narrative Around "Returning To Normal" And Herd Immunity Has Been Brazenly Inconsistent -Sometimes, you just have to let the facts do the talking. That’s my plan for this piece, which - not unlike my “Question the Answers” podcast I did about the changing narrative regarding the lab leak theory - will rely solely on what we were told versus what has actually transpired regarding the vaccines and herd immunity. This isn’t an anti-vaccine post, but rather a question the narrative you are given at all times post that will show just what we were led to believe about herd immunity and vaccines during 2020 and at the beginning of 2021, versus what we are being told now.And I’ll even extend another olive branch before pointing out some discrepancies: let’s leave the political jabs (pun intended) behind for this piece. This means the ridiculous shift in narrative from Democrats like Kamala Harris and Andrew Cuomo who said they wouldn’t take a vaccine being pushed by the Trump administration, before doing a full 180 with Joe Biden in office and doing nothing but pleading with Americans to get vaccinated, is also off-limits.The perpetually changing narrative and moving of the goalposts when it comes to when the country is going to have its rights back (you know, the same rights assured by the Constitution, as inconvenient as that is for politicians and many useful far-left automatons) and will return to normal shouldn’t be surprising to those who have been paying attention since the beginning of the pandemic. The powers that be have done nothing but flail and change the narrative about almost everything about Covid.Here’s what that changing narrative looks like when “experts” have to say something because they’re constantly making TV appearances and returning to the “normal life” that we had just 18 months ago becomes a carrot on a string held in front of the American public.Most important, when considering this timeline, just look at some of the brazen inconsistencies in message and key points.Dr. Anthony Fauci in September 2020: It’s Not Going To Be An Overnight Event Where You Have A Vaccine And Then All Of A Sudden Everything Is OkayFauci seemed to level with people heading into the end of 2020, stating about one year ago to the day that getting everyone vaccinated is “not going to be an overnight event, where you have a vaccine and then all of a sudden everything is okay."Fauci would later use the vaccines as a carrot on a string to encourage a return to normal, as I will show, many times.

 Biden administration announces $3B for coronavirus vaccine supply chain --- The Biden administration is committing almost $3 billion to the coronavirus vaccine supply chain as the White House aims to expand U.S. manufacturing of the doses, federal officials announced on Thursday. The investment in the supply chain will start “in the coming weeks,” and will help companies implement new production lines and facilities, and will help create jobs, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said during a briefing. “This $3 billion investment in our vaccine supply chain will create thousands of the main American jobs, help us deliver on the president's commitment to be the arsenal of vaccines for the world and strengthen our long-term capabilities to respond to future threats,” Zients said. The White House said officials will choose the companies that will receive funding in the “next several weeks.” Zients said the U.S. has provided financial support for vaccine manufacturing that extends across the whole supply chain, including vaccine manufacturing equipment, inputs and supplies, which he said has sped up production. “These actions have paid off as American companies have significantly increased their capacity to produce vaccines for the US, and for the world,” he said. In total, the White House has already vowed to donate more than 600 million doses globally, with 130 million doses shipped so far to 90 countries, officials said.

Ex-CIA QAnoner Who Called COVID a Hoax, Dies From Virus -- A former CIA officer who billed himself as the first person to dub COVID-19 a hoax, died in a Florida hospital from the virus he claimed didn’t really exist, Vice reported. Robert David Steele, who was also an early QAnon acolyte, was hospitalized with COVID symptoms earlier this month, according to Vice. “I will not take the vaccination, though I did test positive for whatever they’re calling ‘COVID’ today, but the bottom line is that my lungs are not functioning,” Steele wrote in his final blog post less than two weeks ago. Steele’s friend Mark Tassi, also a well-known conspiracy theorist, confirmed Steele’s death in an Instagram video. Tassi claimed Steele’s doctors hooked him up to a ventilator only to make Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, look bad. Steele had been in Florida on a speaking tour during which he promoted false information about COVID and insisted Donald Trump would soon be reinstated as president.

 New York governor names ex-Obama advisor to lead financial regulator — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has nominated Adrienne Harris, a former economic advisor to President Barack Obama, to head the New York State Department of Financial Services.Harris would succeed former DFS Superintendent Linda Lacewell, who resigned in the wakeof the sexual harassment scandal that forced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to step down earlier this month. A former special assistant for economic policy to Obama at the White House National Economic Council, Harris has advised fintech firms among other companies and is now a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She is also a senior advisor at Brunswick, a business advisory firm. Her nomination was announced Tuesday.

 FDIC review of virtual exams sparks debate on bank supervision's future — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. may be laying the foundation for more bread-and-butter supervision to be conducted remotely — and for a debate on the merits and drawbacks of an old system in which examiners must regularly visit banks in person for a thorough going-over. A few weeks ago the FDIC asked the banking industry to reflect on nearly 18 months of almost totally virtual bank examination amid lockdowns and social-distancing mandates. The RFI asks bankers to share what has worked well — and not so well — in off-site examination, an initiative that appears to be aimed at helping the agency develop better practices for the long term. (see grpahic) All of the federal banking agencies have used off-site supervisory methods for years, relying on secure digital file exchanges to share data between examiners and bank’s compliance teams. But the pandemic supercharged the remote examination, prompting some analysts to wonder whether the public health crisis could usher in a full conversion to off-site exams.

How the delta variant upended banks’ return-to-work plans -As the delta variant of COVID-19 rips through the United States, many banks are scrambling to change the return-to-work plans that they had previously established. No standard industrywide approach has emerged. Some banks are requiring employees to be vaccinated in order to come back to the office; others are not. Policies on wearing masks and getting tested for COVID-19 run the gamut.The variety of approaches reflects a range of opinions in the C-suite. In a recent survey by PwC, 30% of corporate executives strongly agreed that their companies should mandate vaccines. But even if banks are not mandating vaccines, they are taking a number of other steps to make their offices safer for returning employees. Some banks, particularly those with large trading floors, are requiring weekly testing of their bankers and using contact tracing mobile apps in order to quickly isolate potential cases and reduce the spread of the virus. What follows is a look at how 14 large and midsize banks are responding to the latest surge in COVID-19 cases. The banks are listed by asset size in descending order.

• JPMorgan Chase - In May, JPMorgan Chase eased mask requirements for vaccinated employees returning to its offices. Three months later, the largest U.S. bank revised its policy, once again enforcing mask-wearing for all workers, regardless of their vaccination status.The $3.7 trillion-asset company hasn’t mandated vaccinations, but it is strongly encouraging inoculation against COVID-19.In a memo sent in early August, CEO Jamie Dimon and other members of the bank’s operating committee told employees that masks must be worn in all public indoor settings and in all common areas within offices such as cafes, elevators and the spaces between desks. And there are more restrictions for unvaccinated employees. For example, while both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees may remove their masks while sitting at their work stations and while eating and drinking, only vaccinated workers may go maskless in conference rooms, where they can stay six feet away from their coworkers. Vaccinated employees are permitted to attend office gatherings of 25 or more people, whereas unvaccinated employees are not allowed to attend such events. One additional hurdle for the unvaccinated: They must take rapid COVID-19 tests twice a week. The bank’s operating committee said that JPMorgan will launch an at-home rapid testing program for unvaccinated employees.
• Citigroup: Starting Sept. 13, Citigroup will require vaccinations for all employees working at the $2.2 trillion-asset company’s New York City headquarters, as well as at offices in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.Citi's head of human resources, Sara Wechter, announced the new policy earlier this month in a LinkedIn post. The effort is meant to “ensure a safe workplace” in light of “the increased number of employees returning to these buildings and the delta variant in the U.S.,” Wechter wrote.Employees at those five locations are expected to return to their offices at least two days per week, Wechter said. Employees based at other sites have not yet been called back into the office.Regardless of their vaccination status, all customers and visitors entering Citi’s corporate offices are required to wear a mask on-site, while all customers entering Citi branches are encouraged to do so.
• Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo had planned to bring employees back to the office Sept. 7, but has now delayed those plans until Oct. 4. The announcement did not affect those who volunteered to return to the office early.The $1.9 trillion-asset bank is encouraging employees to get vaccinated but is not currently requiring them to do so.“Each of us has the opportunity to protect ourselves and the people around us by getting vaccinated,” Wells Chief Operating Officer Scott Powell wrote in a memo to employees earlier this month. “The delta variant does not change the basic facts: vaccinated people are at lower risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, and much lower risk of becoming seriously ill and requiring hospitalization if they do become infected.” The bank now plans to bring its employees back to offices in two waves, starting with operations and contact center employees in October. Employees in corporate functions such as finance and risk, along with those on non-customer-facing support teams, are scheduled to start returning to work in November.

Former Wells Fargo execs, OCC set to square off at fake-accounts trial - Three former high-level Wells Fargo executives who face the possibility of massive financial penalties in connection with the bank’s unauthorized-accounts scandal are scheduled to go on trial this month.Barring a last-minute settlement, the administrative law hearing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will be a rare public face-off between regulators and big-bank executives. The list of potential trial witnesses is a who’s who of prominent names from the fake-accounts debacle, including former Wells Fargo CEOs John Stumpf and Tim Sloan.Examiners at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which brought the charges in January 2020, are also expected to testify.

Quietly, JPMorgan Chase Has Been Battling Another Felony Charge – This Time for Tax Fraud in France. Its Defense Is Its “Human Rights” Have Been Violated. - JPMorgan Chase is the bank that gambled with the bank deposits of moms and pops across America in 2012 by trading exotic derivatives in London and losing $6.2 billion in the process. It’s also the bank that admitted to two felony counts in 2014 for its role in facilitating Bernie Madoff ripping off the life savings of thousands of more moms and pops across America. Its rap sheet of ripping off the little guy reads like that of an entrenched crime family.But when the bank was indicted in France on April 16, 2015 for being complicit in tax fraud, it had the temerity to appeal the charges on the basis that its “human rights” had been violated, along with various codes of criminal procedure. Its argument boiled down to this: it hadn’t been advised that it had the right to remain silent during an interrogation.JPMorgan is an international bank that has been in existence for more than a century. It has legions of international lawyers on its payroll, employed at the most sophisticated law firms in the world. After a century of court battles, shouldn’t the bank and its lawyers know it has the right to remain silent?Amazingly, on September 26, 2018, the criminal chamber of the Court of Cassation in France bought into this argument and not only annulled the indictment but ordered that all references to the bank, including its attorneys’ names, be removed from the indictment.We could see this court rationale if the case was about some bloke down on his luck with no prior brushes with the law who was being represented by the public defender. But JPMorgan Chase is a five-count felon in the United States, a recidivist law breaker, with the best lawyers that billions of dollars in profits a year can buy.According to the court records, JPMorgan Chase was being represented by Thierry Marembert of the Paris-based firm, Kiejman & Marembert. The law firm’s website describes Marembert as follows:“For over twenty years, he has been representing corporations, their executives and corporate officers, international institutions and local authorities, in court and before various regulatory bodies.”And this:“…he worked in the office of Prime Minister Michel Rocard. He was then at the American firm, Shearman & Sterling, and the British firm, Linklaters, where he specialised in international mergers and acquisitions, project finance, and privatization/liberalization of regulated industries such as energy and telecommunications.”And this:“He has defended clients before all French criminal courts, regulatory bodies, and administrative authorities (including the AMF, the Court of Auditors, as well as the Budget and Finance Disciplinary Court).“Because of that experience, Thierry Marembert frequently appears as a speaker on international corruption at the annual OECD/IBA Anti-Corruption Conferences.“He also participated in a conference on criminal procedure held at the University of Panthéon Assas on November 25, 2011, where he spoke on the issue of ‘Language, Linguistics, and the Right to an Attorney.’ ” The tax fraud case revolves around former directors and executives of the investment firm, Wendel. According to court records, three directors and 11 senior executives had derived a net gain of approximately 315 million euros ($373 million currently) from an initial investment of approximately 996,250 euros. The scheme allegedly involved a series of bogus transactions so that the directors and executives could avoid paying capital gains taxes on stock awards from Wendel. Some of the executives said they were bullied by higher ups into going along. Court records show that there are emails implicating JPMorgan Chase in the scheme.

JPMorgan settles French tax-fraud case for $30 million - JPMorgan Chase settled a longstanding French criminal investigation over allegations it helped clients commit tax fraud for 25 million euros ($29.6 million). The case relates to allegations of tax fraud seen to benefit former managers at the investment firm Wendel, top financial prosecutor Jean-François Bohnert said at a Thursday court hearing in Paris. The bank’s involvement revolves mainly over financing provided by its Paris branch to the managers in 2007 to restructure their holdings in Wendel. Paris judge Stéphane Nöel approved the settlement after a short presentation of the main facts of the case and of the deal.

JP Morgan's Coffee Machine by Frances Coppola - It's now widely accepted, though still not universally, that banks create money when they lend. But it seems to be much less widely known that they also create money when they spend. I don't just mean when they buy securities, which is rightly regarded as simply another form of lending. I mean when they buy what is now colloquially known as "stuff". Computers, for example. Or coffee machines. Imagine that a major bank - JP Morgan, for example - wants to buy a new coffee machine for one of its New York offices (yes, it has more than one). It orders a top-of-the-range espresso machine worth $10,000 from the Goodlife Coffee Company, and pays for it by electronic funds transfer to the company's account. At the end of the transaction JP Morgan has a new coffee machine and Goodlife has $10,000 in its deposit account. What exactly is this money, and how is it created? I had a long argument with people on twitter who insisted that JP Morgan would pay for the coffee machine with reserves. JP Morgan can't create reserves, it can only borrow or buy them. So if JP Morgan pays for the machine with reserves, the reserves must already exist. No new reserves will be created in the course of this transaction. But only banks can accept reserves, and Goodlife is not a bank. So although JP Morgan may pay with reserves, what Goodlife actually receives is bank money. As I shall show, this money is newly created in the course of the transaction. In fact, JP Morgan does not necessarily pay with reserves anyway. Whether reserves are involved in this transaction at all depends on who Goodlife banks with.

FTC fines Capital One CEO Richard Fairbank over stock awards - The Federal Trade Commission fined Capital One Financial Chief Executive Richard Fairbank for failing to properly report stock awards to federal antitrust authorities. Fairbank received 100,000 Capital One shares as part of his pay package in 2018 and didn’t wait for authorities to investigate before finalizing the acquisition of the shares, the FTC said. While Fairbank agreed to pay a $637,950 civil penalty to settle the charges, Capital One said his personal law firm has agreed to pay the full amount of the fine because the filing error was “due to administrative errors by the firm.” The FTC alleged that the moves violated the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which requires companies and individuals to report large transactions to the FTC and the Justice Department so they can investigate the deals before they’re completed. Fairbank had received two previous warnings for failing to properly comply with the law, in 1999 and 2004, the FTC said.

Citi's Mexico unit takes first steps toward open banking - To reach new consumers and businesses for savings and lending, Citibanamex isn't just building new products — it's building application programming interfaces, or APIs. This plan is also crucial for keeping existing customers who might move their accounts to a fintech. Rather than compete against those companies, Citigroup's Mexico subsidiary (the 137-year-old Banamex, which Citi bought in 2001) is developing open banking APIs internally. Citibanamex has created an API Hub where fintechs can access its first open banking API, providing real-time information on the locations of its 9,000 ATMs and the services they provide. It's a small start, but it's attracted a few partners already.

ECB tells banks to gird for climate tests that may hit dividends - The European Central Bank is stepping up pressure on lenders to prepare for stress tests next year that will show just how vulnerable the industry is to climate change, according to people familiar with the process. The ECB, which earlier this year voiced displeasure over finance industry efforts to respond to climate risks, has sent out confidential documents to banks stating they’ll need to provide data on how their balance sheets might fare through 2050, the people said. The regulator also plans to study the link between profits and carbon risk in banks’ portfolios, they said. In Europe, politicians want banks to become a key plank in the fight against climate change by steering capital away from polluters. Companies in the region, unlike their peers in the U.S., tend to rely more on their lenders than on capital markets for financing. Investors are taking note as banks burdened by carbon-intensive loan books may face higher capital requirements, which could erode their power to pay dividends.

Consumer spending slide clouds banks' second-half outlook - Bankers have been hoping that consumer spending will continue to bounce back, but they may need to temper their optimism amid the spread of the delta variant. Surging COVID-19 case counts are weighing on consumer confidence, recent data indicates, which could dash the prospects of a sustained purchasing spree. “Household concern is rising sharply,” Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economics, wrote in an analysis Tuesday, “and if those worries persist, we could see some scaling back of spending.”

 How Amazon makes Affirm a bigger threat to banks - By linking its installment lending service to Amazon, Affirm is gaining access to not only one of the largest e-commerce brands on the planet, but also a network of many smaller merchants that connect to Amazon's payment and credit options.Amazon is testing Affirm's buy now/pay later product with a limited number of consumers, with wider deployment expected down the road. It's a major client win for Affirm, whose roster of about 12,000 merchants also includes major firms Walmart, Shopify and Peloton. Affirm could replace Amazon's in-house financing option, and the partnership could be irksome to Amazon's other payment partners, such as JPMorgan Chase, Visa and Synchrony Financial. And because companies like Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna and Sezzle encourage repeated use, they are akin to general-purpose payment systems.

 NCUA banned six credit union workers in August -The National Credit Union Administration issued four new prohibition orders and two notices of prohibition for the month of August, permanently forbidding the parties from being involved in the dealings of a federally insured financial institution.Veronica Mauga, who formerly worked for the $334 million-asset Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union in Honolulu, will be prohibited from participating in any and all affairs of an insured depository institution, the NCUA said Tuesday. According to agency filings, Mauga was accused of withdrawing funds from member accounts and falsifying total counts from the teller drawer after misappropriating cash from the station. The NCUA also banned Gabriela Bibriesca, a former employee of the $178 million-assetSanta Cruz Community Credit Union in California. Bibriesca is alleged to have originated fraudulent COVID-19 emergency loans from Nov. 18, 2019, to June 26, 2020, resulting in a loss of roughly $13,500 for the institution.

 Wells Fargo risks regulatory action over pace of restitution - Five years into scandals that have already cost Wells Fargo more than $5 billion in fines and legal settlements, regulators are privately signaling they’re still not satisfied with the bank’s progress in compensating victims and shoring up controls. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have warned the firm they may bring new sanctions over the company’s pace in fulfilling those obligations, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The bank, which signed so-called consent orders with the agencies three years ago, has sought more time to get the work done, the people said. It isn’t clear when the watchdogs might proceed. Fresh sanctions would be especially notable if they fault progress under Wells Fargo’s new management team, which took over in late 2019 to clean up scandals that triggered lawmakers’ ire and prompted the Federal Reserve to cap the bank’s growth. Chief Executive Charlie Scharf — who joined the firm after a string of predecessors stepped down — has called satisfying U.S. authorities his highest priority.

 OppFi says CFPB staff is not recommending enforcement action --After the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reviewed its loans to members of the military, the subprime consumer lender OppFi said Monday that the agency’s staff is not recommending an enforcement action.CFPB examiners have finished their review and do not “intend to recommend that the CFPB take enforcement action against OppFi," the Chicago-based company said in a securities filing Monday. OppFi, which focuses on borrowers with low credit scores, had first disclosed the Military Lending Act investigation in March as it was looking to go public through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company. OppFi shares, which began trading after the merger in July, rose by about 9% during Monday trading to $7.77.

Scope of CFPB small-business loan data requirements worries banks - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau backtracked on a suggestion that the agency made during the Trump administration that it would exempt a significant chunk of community banks from small-business loan reporting requirements, sparking concern among industry representatives that the rule will be too broad. The agency released a long-awaited proposal Wednesday mandated by Congress that would force banks and other lenders to collect and send data meant to identify discrimination and barriers to credit in small-business lending. The 918-page notice of proposed rulemaking would require data on a wide range of credit products including term loans, lines of credit, credit cards and merchant cash advances.

 Cadence Bancorp paying $8.5 million to settle redlining allegations -Cadence Bancorp in Houston has agreed to pay a $3 million penalty and provide more than $4 million in loan subsidies to new borrowers to settle allegations of discrimination within its mortgage lending business. The agreement announced Monday by the Justice Department and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closes an investigation into Cadence’s lending practices at a time when regulators are evaluating the company’s planned merger with the $24 billion-asset BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Mississippi.The Justice Department under President Trump reportedly dropped its investigation into Cadence Bancorp but resumed it after President Biden took office.The $18.7 billion-asset Cadence disclosed in early August that the Justice Department had warned of an upcoming penalty regarding potential fair-housing lending violations in the Houston market. Prosecutors claim that Cadence was avoiding providing home loans in the area’s communities of color while concentrating branches and loan officers in majority-white neighborhoods between 2013 and 2017, an illegal practice known as redlining.

Biden administration sets goal of adding 100K affordable housing units - — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced several efforts across the government aimed at increasing the affordable housing supply. The White House said the goal of the new initiatives is to make 100,000 new units available for both homeowners and renters over the next three years. The steps include more financing for manufactured homes and two-to-four unit properties, as well as working with state and local governments to reform arcane zoning restrictions. The administration also said that nonprofits and individuals will get preference over investors in acquiring foreclosed properties that had been insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

 MBA Survey: "Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Remains Unchanged at 3.25%" -- Note: This is as of August 22nd. From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Remains Unchanged at 3.25%: The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance remained unchanged relative to the prior week at 3.25% as of August 22, 2021. According to MBA’s estimate, 1.6 million homeowners are in forbearance plans. The share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance remained the same relative to the prior week at 1.66%. Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance also remained the same at 3.92%, while the forbearance share for portfolio loans and private-label securities (PLS) increased 3 basis points to 7.18%. The percentage of loans in forbearance for independent mortgage bank (IMB) servicers increased 2 basis points to 3.50%, and the percentage of loans in forbearance for depository servicers was unchanged at 3.35%. “The share of loans in forbearance changed little once again this week, as both new requests and exits remained at a slow pace,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “We expect a sharp increase in forbearance exits over the next month as many borrowers reach the 18- month mark and see their forbearance plans end. For those borrowers who have exited in August, the majority either enter deferral plans or obtain modifications.” 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 2020, and has trended down since then. The MBA notes: "Total weekly forbearance requests as a percent of servicing portfolio volume (#) remained unchanged relative to the prior week at 0.05%."

Black Knight: Number of Homeowners in COVID-19-Related Forbearance Plans Decreased Note: Both Black Knight and the MBA (Mortgage Bankers Association) are putting out weekly estimates of mortgages in forbearance. This data is as of August 31st.From Andy Walden at Black Knight: Forbearances Tick Down, With All Eyes on September Exits: The final week of August brought a 53,000 decline in the number of active forbearance plans, driven by a 23,000 reduction in plans among FHA/VA loans. Plan volumes also improved from the week prior among both GSE (-20,000) and portfolio/PLS (-10,000) loans.According to Black Knight’s McDash Flash forbearance tracker, as of August 31, 1.71 million borrowers remain in COVID-19 related forbearance plans, including 1.8% of GSE, 5.6% of FHA/VA and 4.0% of portfolio held and privately securitized mortgages.This puts plan volumes down nearly 9% (-168,000) from the same time last month as the market braces for the large wave of final plan expirations taking place in September. Of the 629,000 plans slated to be reviewed for extension/removal this month, nearly 400,000 are set to reach their final plan expirations based on current allowable forbearance term lengths. Significant volume declines could be seen in coming weeks as those plans reach their final expirations and exiting borrowers return to making mortgage payments in October.

Fannie Mae: Mortgage Serious Delinquency Rate Decreased in July -Fannie Mae reported that the Single-Family Serious Delinquency decreased to 1.94% in July, from 2.08% in June. The serious delinquency rate is down from 3.24% in July 2020. These are mortgage loans that are "three monthly payments or more past due or in foreclosure".The Fannie Mae serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 5.59% following the housing bubble, and peaked at 3.32% in August 2020 during the pandemic. By vintage, for loans made in 2004 or earlier (1% of portfolio), 4.82% are seriously delinquent (down from 5.04% in June). For loans made in 2005 through 2008 (2% of portfolio), 8.26% are seriously delinquent(down from 8.75%), For recent loans, originated in 2009 through 2021 (97% of portfolio), 1.57% are seriously delinquent (down from 1.69%). So Fannie is still working through a few poor performing loans from the bubble years.Mortgages in forbearance are counted as delinquent in this monthly report, but they will not be reported to the credit bureaus.This is very different from the increase in delinquencies following the housing bubble. Lending standards have been fairly solid over the last decade, and most of hese homeowners have equity in their homes - and they will be able to restructure their loans once they are employed.

Freddie Mac: Mortgage Serious Delinquency Rate decreased in July --Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in July was 1.74%, down from 1.86% in June. Freddie's rate is down year-over-year from 3.12% in July 2020.Freddie's serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20% following the housing bubble, and peaked at 3.17% in August 2020 during the pandemic. These are mortgage loans that are "three monthly payments or more past due or in foreclosure". Mortgages in forbearance are being counted as delinquent in this monthly report, but they will not be reported to the credit bureaus.This is very different from the increase in delinquencies following the housing bubble. Lending standards have been fairly solid over the last decade, and most of these homeowners have equity in their homes - and they will be able to restructure their loans once (if) they are employed.Also - for multifamily - delinquencies were at 0.15%, unchanged from 0.15% in June, and down from the peak of 0.20% in April 2021.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest Weekly Survey - From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey: Mortgage applications decreased 2.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 27, 2021.... The Refinance Index decreased 4 percent from the previous week and was 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous week and was 16 percent lower than the same week one year ago.“There was little change in mortgage rates last week, with the 30-year fixed remaining at 3.03 percent. Despite low rates, refinance applications declined, with some borrowers still waiting for rates to drop even lower. Recent uncertainty around the economy and pandemic have kept rates low over the past month, which is why the refinance index has oscillated around these levels,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “Even with a slight increase, purchase activity hit its highest level since early July, as applications for conventional and government loans increased. Home purchase activity continues to be dominated by higher price tiers of the market, with the purchase average loan size now at $396,500, the highest average in five weeks. According to FHFA, June's year over-year increase in home prices was 18.8 percent, while the second quarter saw a 17.4 percent increase overall. Both measures set new records, as housing demand continued to outpace the inventory of homes for sale.” ...The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($548,250 or less) remained unchanged at 3.03 percent, with points increasing to 0.34 from 0.29 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The first graph shows the refinance index since 1990.With low rates, the index remains elevated.The second graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase indexAccording to the MBA, purchase activity is down 16% year-over-year unadjusted. Note: The year ago comparisons for the unadjusted purchase index are now difficult since purchase activity picked up in late May 2020. Note: Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly).

 FHFA House Price Index: Up 1.6% in June, All Time High The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has released its U.S. House Price Index (HPI) for June. Here is the opening of the press release: – U.S. house prices rose 17.4 percent from the second quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2021 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI®). House prices were up 4.9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2021. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted monthly index for June was up 1.6 percent from May. “During the second quarter, house prices peaked in June with an 18.8 percent growth rate compared to a year ago,” said Dr. Lynn Fisher, Deputy Director of FHFA’s Division of Research and Statistics. “For the quarter, annual gains surpassed 20 percent in the Mountain, New England, and Pacific census divisions and in all of the top 20 metro areas.” The chart below illustrates the monthly HPI series, which is not adjusted for inflation, along with a real (inflation-adjusted) series using theConsumer Price Index: All Items Less Shelter. In the chart above we see that the nominal HPI index has exceeded its pre-recession peak of what's generally regarded to have been a housing bubble. Adjusted for inflation, the index is now at 182, also at its all-time high.

 Case-Shiller: National House Price Index increased 18.6% year-over-year in June --S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for June ("June" is a 3 month average of April, May and June prices).This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index. From S&P: S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller Index Shows Annual Home Price Gain Topped 18.6% In June The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 18.6% annual gain in June, up from 16.8% in the previous month. The 10-City Composite annual increase came in at 18.5%, up from 16.6% in the previous month. The 20-City Composite posted a 19.1% year-over-year gain, up from 17.1% in the previous month.Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle reported the highest year-over-year gains among the 20 cities in June. Phoenix led the way with a 29.3% year-over-year price increase, followed by San Diego with a 27.1% increase and Seattle with a 25.0% increase. All 20 cities reported higher price increases in the year ending June 2021 versus the year ending May 2021....Before seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index posted a 2.2% month-over-month increase in June, while the 10-City and 20-City Composites both posted increases of 1.8% and 2.0%, respectively. After seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index posted a month-over-month increase of 1.8%, and the 10-City and 20-City Composites both posted increases of 1.6% and 1.8%, respectively. In June, all 20 cities reported increases before and after seasonal adjustments.“June 2021 is the third consecutive month in which the growth rate of housing prices set a record, “The National Composite Index marked its thirteenth consecutive month of accelerating prices with an 18.6% gain from year-ago levels, up from 16.8% in May and 14.8% in April. This acceleration is also reflected in the 10- and 20-City Composites (up 18.5% and 19.1%, respectively). The last several months have been extraordinary not only in the level of price gains, but in the consistency of gains across the country. In June, all 20 cities rose, and all 20 gained more in the 12 months ended in June than they had gained in the 12 months ended in May. Home prices in 19 of our 20 cities (all but Chicago) now stand at all-time highs, as do the National Composite and both the 10- and 20-City indices.June’s 18.6% price gain for the National Composite is the highest reading in more than 30 years of S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data. This month, Boston joined Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and Seattle in recording their all-time highest 12-month gains. Price gains in all 20 cities were in the top quartile of historical performance; in 19 cities, price gains were in top decile. The first graph shows the nominal seasonally adjusted Composite 10, Composite 20 and National indices (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000).The National index is 40% above the bubble peak (SA), and up 1.8% (SA) in June. The National index is up 90% from the post-bubble low set in February 2012 (SA).The second graph shows the year-over-year change in all three indices.The Composite 10 SA is up 18.5% compared to June 2020. The Composite 20 SA is up 19.1% year-over-year.The National index SA is up 18.6% year-over-year.Price increases were at expectations.

 Zillow Case-Shiller House Price Forecast: 20%+ Year-over-year in July The Case-Shiller house price indexes for June were released yesterday. Zillow forecasts Case-Shiller a month early, and I like to check the Zillow forecasts since they have been pretty close.From Matthew Speakman at Zillow: June 2021 Case-Shiller Results & Forecast: Hot Growth Summer: The slow rise in inventory that marked the beginning of summer wasn’t enough to cool the sizzling market, with the already rapidly rising Case-Shiller indices hitting the gas accelerating into the middle of the year instead of tapping the brakes.The national Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose 18.6% year-over-year in June. Annual growth in the smaller 20-city composite index exceeded the national pace (19.1%) and annual growth in the 10-city index (18.5%) almost matched national appreciation. The annual rate of growth was faster in June than in May in all three main indices. On a monthly (seasonally adjusted) basis, the national index was up 1.8% from May, while the 10- and 20-city indices were up 1.6% and 1.8% month-over-month, respectively.Demand for housing continues to far outweigh the supply of homes for sale: Competition remains elevated, and homes are still going under contract more than a week faster than they were a year ago. But despite the enduring market competition, more-recent data indicate that the scalding hot housing market may have cooled slightly in recent weeks. The number of for-sale homes has risen meaningfully since the early spring and the increased listings have appeared to bring some balance back to the market. Sales volumes that were falling sequentially in the spring have recently leveled off and price growth has simultaneously softened. All told, home price growth remains sky high, but more signals are appearing that the housing market is likely to soon start coming back to earth.Monthly and annual growth in July as reported by Case-Shiller is expected to accelerate from June and May 2020 in all three main indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices is expected to release data for the June S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices on Tuesday, September 28.The Zillow forecast is for the year-over-year change for the Case-Shiller National index to be at 20.1% in July, from 18.6% in June.The Zillow forecast is for the 20-City index to be up 20.3% YoY in July from 19.1% in June, and for the 10-City index to be up 19.5% YoY compared to 18.5% YoY in June.

NAR: Pending Home Sales Decreased 1.8% in July -From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Wane 1.8% In July -Pending home sales dipped modestly in July, noting two consecutive months of declines, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Only the West region registered a month-over-month gain in contract activity, while the other three major U.S. regions reported drops. All four regions saw transactions decrease year-over-year.The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings, declined 1.8% to 110.7 in July. Year-over-year, signings fell 8.5%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001. Month-over-month, the Northeast PHSI fell 6.6% to 92.0 in July, a 16.9% decrease from a year ago. In the Midwest, the index dropped 3.3% to 104.6 last month, down 8.5% from July 2020. Pending home sales transactions in the South declined 0.9% to an index of 130.9 in July, down 6.7% from July 2020. The index in the West rose 1.9% in July to 99.8, but still down 5.7% from a year prior. This was below expectations of a 0.4% increase for this index. Note: Contract signings usually lead sales by about 45 to 60 days, so this would usually be for closed sales in August and September.

Construction Spending increased 0.3% in July - From the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased: Construction spending during July 2021 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,568.8 billion, 0.3 percent above the revised June estimate of $1,563.4 billion. The July figure is 9.0 percent above the July 2020 estimate of $1,439.6 billion. Private and public spending increased: Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,231.0 billion, 0.3 percent above the revised June estimate of $1,227.8 billion. ...In July, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $337.8 billion, 0.7 percent above the revised June estimate of $335.6 billion.This graph shows private residential and nonresidential construction spending, and public spending, since 1993. Note: nominal dollars, not inflation adjusted.Residential spending is 14% above the bubble peak (in nominal terms - not adjusted for inflation). Non-residential spending is 10% above the bubble era peak in January 2008 (nominal dollars), but has been weak recently.Public construction spending is 4% above the peak in March 2009, and 29% above the austerity low in February 2014, but weak recently.The second graph shows the year-over-year change in construction spending.On a year-over-year basis, private residential construction spending is up 27.0%. Non-residential spending is down 3.6% year-over-year. Public spending is down 5.1% year-over-year.Construction was considered an essential service in most areas and did not decline sharply like many other sectors, but some sectors of non-residential have been under pressure. For example, lodging is down 29.8% YoY, multi-retail down 3.4% YoY, and office down 6.1% YoY. This was at consensus expectations of a 0.3% increase in spending, and construction spending for the previous two months was revised up slightly.

Reis: Apartment Vacancy Rate unchanged in Q2 at 5.3% - Reis reported that the apartment vacancy rate was at 5.3% in Q2 2021, unchanged from 5.3% in Q1, and up from 4.9% in Q2 2020. The vacancy rate peaked at 8.0% at the end of 2009, and bottomed at 4.1% in 2016. This graph shows the apartment vacancy rate starting in 1980. (Annual rate before 1999, quarterly starting in 1999). Note: Reis is just for large cities. The vacancy rate has increased somewhat from the low in 2016. There are other surveys that suggest the apartment market has tightened recently. The NMHC reported that their market tightness index hit an all time high in July. There are other indicators that suggest the vacancy rate is moving lower.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Down 8% Compared to Same Week in 2019 -Note: The year-over-year occupancy comparisons are easy, since occupancy declined sharply at the onset of the pandemic. So STR is comparing to the same week in 2019. The occupancy rate is down 8.4% compared to the same week in 2019.From CoStar: STR: Seasonality, Pandemic Continue To Weigh Down Weekly US Hotel Performance: U.S. hotel performance continued to decline from previous weeks, according to STR‘s latest data through August 28.
August 22-28, 2021 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019*):
• Occupancy: 61.0% (-8.4%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): $131.91 (+3.2%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): $80.53 (-5.5%)
Performance continues to reflect seasonality as well as the pandemic situation. Additionally, while data for August 27-28 showed a preliminary demand shift in the Gulf region, the impact of Hurricane Ida is expected to be more significant in future weeks of data..*Due to the steep, pandemic-driven performance declines of 2020, STR is measuring recovery against comparable time periods from 2019. The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four week average. The red line is for 2021, black is 2020, blue is the median, dashed purple is 2019, and dashed light blue is for 2009 (the worst year on record for hotels prior to 2020). Occupancy is above the horrible 2009 levels and weekend occupancy (leisure) has been solid - but, according to STR, occupancy is declining due to both seasonal factors and the "pandemic situation"With solid leisure travel, the Summer months had decent occupancy - but it is uncertain what will happen in the Fall with business travel - especially with the sharp increase in COVID pandemic cases and hospitalizations.

 Some U.S. hotels are starting to require proof of vaccination for guests and staff -As travelers prepare for their next vacation, among the essentials to take along — like a toothbrush, wallet and phone charger — could be proof of vaccination for Covid-19, depending on where they are booked to sleep.As coronavirus cases surge again across the country, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, a small number of hotels in the United States have announced that they will require proof of vaccination from guests and staff.Accommodations such as PUBLIC Hotel, Equinox Hotel and Wythe Hotel, all in New York City, Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian, N.Y., a hamlet in the Catskill Mountains, and Pilgrim House in Provincetown, Mass., are among the first in the United States to announce that they will require evidence of vaccination, via a physical card or a digital verification, from their guests.The precedent for hotels requiring vaccination is already being set beyond the contiguous United States. In August, Puerto Rico issued an island-wide vaccine mandate that requires guests and staff at all hotels, guesthouses and short-term rentals, including Airbnb, to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours before their visit. If a person is staying longer than a week, they will need to present negative tests to hotel staff on a weekly basis.Elite Island Resorts, a Florida-based company that runs a collection of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts stretching from Antigua to Panama, announced that all guests over the age of 12 would be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon arrival beginning on Sept. 1.

Reis: Office and Mall Vacancy Rates Increased in Q2 - Reis reported the office vacancy rate was at 18.5% in Q2, up from 18.2% in Q1, and up from 17.1% in Q2 2020. This is the highest vacancy rate for offices since the early '90s (following the S&L crisis). The first graph shows the office vacancy rate starting in 1980 (prior to 1999 the data is annual).The office vacancy rate was elevated prior to the pandemic, and has moved up significant overly the last several quarters. And will likely increase further as leases expire.Reis also reported that office effective rents declined in Q2; the fifth consecutive quarter with declining rents. The second graph shows the regional and strip mall vacancy rate starting in 1980 (prior to 2000 the data is annual).For Neighborhood and Community malls (strip malls), the vacancy rate was 10.5% in Q2, down from 10.6% in Q1, and up from 10.2% in Q2 2020. For Regional malls, the vacancy rate was 11.5% in Q2, up from 11.4% in Q1, and up from 9.8% in Q2 2020.Reis reported that mall effective rents stabilized in Q2, after declining for four consecutive quarters. All vacancy data courtesy of Reis

Real Personal Income: Transfer Payments - The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays, July 2021 report yesterday. The report showed that government transfer payments were still almost $1.0 trillion (on SAAR basis) above the February 2020 level (pre-pandemic) Note: Seasonal adjustment doesn't make sense with one time payments, but that is how the data is presented. This table shows the amount of unemployment insurance and "Other" transfer payments since January 2020 (pre-crisis level). The increase in "Other" was mostly due to parts of the relief acts including direct payments. Note: Not in the table below, but Social Security and Medicare payments haven't increased significantly from the pre-recession levels. Social Security increased from $1,065 billion SAAR in Jan 2020 to $1,113 billion SAAR in July 2021. Medicare increased from $807 billion to $821 billion. Medicaid increased significantly from $603 billion to $760 billion. But most of the increase in transfer payments - compared to the levels prior to the crisis - is from unemployment insurance and "other" (includes direct payments). Selected Transfer Payments Billions of dollars, SAAR (see table)

Energy expenditures as a percentage of PCE -- Note: Back in early 2016, I noted that energy expenditures as a percentage of PCE had hit an all time low. Here is an update through the recently released July PCE report. Below is a graph of expenditures on energy goods and services as a percent of total personal consumption expenditures through July 2021.  This is one of the measures that Professor Hamilton at Econbrowser looks at to evaluate any drag on GDP from energy prices. Data source: BEA. The huge spikes in energy prices during the oil crisis of 1973 and 1979 are obvious. As is the increase in energy prices during the 2001 through 2008 period.  In general, energy expenditures as a percent of PCE have been trending down for years. At the beginning of the pandemic, energy expenditures as a percentage of PCE, fell to a record low of 3.3% in May 2020. In July 2021, energy expenditures as a percentage of PCE had rebounded and were at 4.0% of PCE. This is slightly above the pre-pandemic level in early 2020.

 Consumer Confidence Fell in August --The headline number of 113.8 was a decrease of 11.3 from the final reading of 125.1 for July. This was below the Investing.com consensus of 124.0. “Consumer confidence retreated in August to its lowest level since February 2021 (95.2),” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Concerns about the Delta variant—and, to a lesser degree, rising gas and food prices—resulted in a less favorable view of current economic conditions and short-term growth prospects. Spending intentions for homes, autos, and major appliances all cooled somewhat; however, the percentage of consumers intending to take a vacation in the next six months continued to climb. While the resurgence of COVID-19 and inflation concerns have dampened confidence, it is too soon to conclude this decline will result in consumers significantly curtailing their spending in the months ahead. Read more The chart below is another attempt to evaluate the historical context for this index as a coincident indicator of the economy. Toward this end, we have highlighted recessions and included GDP. The regression through the index data shows the long-term trend and highlights the extreme volatility of this indicator. Statisticians may assign little significance to a regression through this sort of data. But the slope resembles the regression trend for real GDP shown below, and it is a more revealing gauge of relative confidence than the 1985 level of 100 that the Conference Board cites as a point of reference.

Dried-Up Inventory Sinks U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales in August :: August’s annualized rate was tracking about one million units higher until the inventory-drain worsened enough that sales nosedived at the end of the month, which does not bode well for the upcoming Labor Day weekend (as well as entire-September), when the market usually gets a boost from holiday deals and promotions.

August Vehicles Sales Decreased to 13.06 Million SAAR --The BEA released their estimate of light vehicle sales for August this morning. The BEA estimates sales of 13.06 million SAAR in August 2021 (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate), down 10.7% from the July sales rate, and down 14.4% from August 2020. This was well below the consensus estimate of 15.0 million SAAR.This graph shows light vehicle sales since 2006 from the BEA (blue) and the BEA's estimate for August (red).The impact of COVID-19 was significant, and April 2020 was the worst month.After April 2020, sales increased, and were close to sales in 2019 (the year before the pandemic). However, sales have decreased recently due to supply issues.Sales-to-date are down 7.1% compared to the same period in 2019, and up 18.9% compared to the same period in 2020. The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967. Note: dashed line is current estimated sales rate of 13.06 million SAAR.

U.S. Gasoline Prices Jump Following Hurricane Ida -U.S. gasoline prices rose on Monday from the cheapest price since early July seen during the weekend, as oil refiners on the Gulf Coast began assessing the damage from Hurricane Ida, which is estimated to have shut in 13 percent of U.S. refining capacity. As of Tuesday, August 31, the U.S. national gas price average had risen to $3.159 a gallon, up from $3.151 per gallon on Monday, according to estimates from AAA. Nine oil refineries were on Hurricane Ida’s path, and four of those are believed to have shut down operations ahead of the storm, AAA said on Monday. Hurricane Ida pummeled Louisiana this weekend, leaving 1 million customers without power, including refineries in the Gulf Coast area. As much as 95 percentof oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico had been shut in ahead of Hurricane Ida which passed through the Gulf before making landfall in Louisiana. While analysts expect oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico to be gradually restored this week, refiners may take longer to restart facilities, especially if power outages in Louisiana persist. “Until the power is restored, it’s too early to know the full impact of any damage Ida caused on the oil and gas industry, but motorists regionally can expect price fluctuations leading into Labor Day weekend,” said Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson. “Typically, a category 4 storm could mean three plus weeks before refineries are back to normal operations, while offshore production is more likely to resume this week,” McGee added. Utilities say the full assessment of the damage to transmission lines could take days. Entergy said on Monday “Based on historical restoration times, customers in the direct path of a storm as intense as Hurricane Ida could experience outages for more than three weeks.” According to GasBuddy’s petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan, many refineries in Louisiana say that it is possible facilities to take longer to restart, and the biggest issue is power. Marathon Petroleum’s Garyville refinery is out, ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge refinery lacks nitrogen supply to restart, the Alliance refinery of Phillips 66 is out of service expecting “extended” outage, and Valero’s both refineries in Louisiana are down due to lack of power, De Haan said on Monday.

Oil And Gas Once Again In U.S. Government Crosshairs - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating how it can crack down on oil and gas mergers and whether gas station franchises are artificially sending retail gasoline prices up, according to a letter sent to the White House seen by Bloomberg.The investigation follows the U.S. Biden Administration’s plea to OPEC to turn on the taps in an effort to rid itself of the stench of high gasoline prices at a delicate economic time for many Americans.The FTC Chair Lina Khan has directed staff to come up with new legal theories that would give the FTC cause to target gas station deals that it feels are disadvantageous and even to investigate instances of price collusion among gas station chains—specifically targeting national chains that buy up family-owned businesses.“Over the last few decades, retail fuel station chains have repeatedly proposed illegal mergers, suggesting that the agency’s approach has not deterred firms from proposing anticompetitive transactions in the first place,” Khan said in the letter.The investigation in part will attempt to determine if major gas station chains force their franchisees to sell gas at inflated prices. Franchisees mostly have no control over prices at the pump.The reason behind the push is clear: high prices at the pump, which is an unfavorable situation for any new administration. But a series of consolidations in the industry in recent years has also led to a quest to tighten up requirements for mergers.Gasoline prices have soared since the start of the year and the start of Biden’s term in office. Since then, retail gasoline prices have risen nearly 50 percent.One of the mechanisms for determining instances of collusion in setting higher gas prices will be to review the divergence between crude oil prices and retail gasoline prices.

Northeast Ohio gas prices dip slightly, but Hurricane Ida could cause 'price fluctuations' – (WOIO) - Gas prices have dropped in recent days, reaching their lowest prices since early July, but Hurricane Ida knocked out 13% of the countries refining capacity offline leaving analysts to speculate about possible price fluctuations.“Until the power is restored, it’s too early to know the full impact of any damage Ida caused on the oil and gas industry, but motorists regionally can expect price fluctuations leading into Labor Day weekend,” said Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson. “Typically, a category 4 storm could mean three-plus weeks before refineries are back to normal operations, while offshore production is more likely to resume this week.”Two main pipelines were shut down before the storm hit, according to a AAA media release. The lines from Houston, Texas to Greensboro, North Carolina. The company plans to bring the lines back online after the storm after an inspection.The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.151 Monday, according to AAA figures. Ohioans paid on average $2.951 and those in the Cleveland metropolitan area paid an average of $2.946.

Significant gas station outages reported in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida - A large chunk of gas stations in Louisiana cities don't have fuel in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, according to outage figures compiled by GasBuddy.As of 3:30 pm Central Time, 35.2% of the gas stations in Baton Rouge didn't have fuel, according to GasBuddy, an app that tracks fuel prices and demand. Nearly 30% of the gas stations in New Orleans were similarly without gasoline, GasBuddy said.The outages were not as severe outside of those major cities. For the overall state of Louisiana, nearly 13% of gas stations are without fuel, GasBuddy said.Importantly, these outages do not include gas stations that can't service customers because they are without power, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told CNN Business in an email.In other words, the actual percentage of gas stations that drivers can't turn to for gas is likely larger in regions without power.Experts have urged people to not overreact to the havoc that Hurricane Ida has caused to the region's energy infrastructure. In May, panic-buying of gasoline exacerbated supply problemscaused by the six-day shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline following a ransomware attack.

California port pileup shatters record and imports still haven’t peaked -- From anchorage stats to forward arrivals, ocean bookings, and inventory-to-sales numbers, all the latest data paints the same picture: The U.S. congestion crisis has never been more severe than it is now — and it’s getting worse.Hope for any relief this year has vanished. French carrier CMA CGM is the latest in a long line of market participants to push back its timeline on normalization. Capacity constraints “are expected to continue until the first half of 2022,” CMA CGM warned on Friday.Alarmingly, America’s import system — which is already stretched to the limit — looks like it will have to handle even higher volumes next month. The likely outcome: Carriers will be forced to cancel more sailings as terminal berths max out and ships get stuck at anchor, even more cargo will get “rolled” (pushed to a future sailing), and importers will face even longer delays and even less slot availability as they scramble to build inventories for holiday sales.According to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, there were 47 container ships at anchor or drifting off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Sunday, a new all-time high. The earlier high of 40 at anchor was set on Feb. 1 and matched several times last week. The tally rose to 44 on Friday and stood at 46 on Monday. Pre-COVID, an average of 16 container ships were at berths or at anchor on any given day (with any ships at anchor being a rare occurrence). On Sunday, there were 76 box ships either at berths, at anchor or drifting — 4.8 times the pre-COVID level. There are now almost 60% more container ships at anchor than at berth. The Marine Exchange data shows that Los Angeles/Long Beach terminals accommodated an average of 28 ships each day this month. All the rest is overflow that heads to the so-called “parking lot” in San Pedro Bay. Automatic identification system (AIS) ship-positioning data from MarineTraffic revealed extreme congestion in Southern California on Monday, with more than a half-dozen ships forced to drift because anchorage spots were full.“The expected spike in imports generated by the peak season and pre-shipped cargo is already here, making the operation more complex,” said Hapag-Lloyd on Friday, referring to congestion in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Hapag-Lloyd said that it does not expect California anchorages to clear in 2021.The Port of Los Beach’s WAVE report, which estimates future arrivals, predicts volumes will rise in the weeks ahead. It forecast loaded import volumes of 120,928 twenty-foot equivalent units for the last week of September, up 34% from the estimated 89,980 TEUs of imports due to arrive next week. Signal, the Port of Los Angeles’ planning tool, shows a more extreme upward trend. It projects import volumes of 190,937 TEUs for the week of Sept. 12-18, roughly double projected import volumes this week.

Trade Deficit Decreased to $70.1 Billion in July --From the Department of Commerce reported: The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $70.1 billion in July, down $3.2 billion from $73.2 billion in June, revised.July exports were $212.8 billion, $2.8 billion more than June exports. July imports were $282.9 billion, $0.4 billion less than June imports. Exports increased and imports decreased in July. Exports are up 25% compared to July 2020; imports are up 22% compared to July 2020. Both imports and exports decreased sharply due to COVID-19, and have now bounced back (imports more than exports),The second graph shows the U.S. trade deficit, with and without petroleum. The blue line is the total deficit, and the black line is the petroleum deficit, and the red line is the trade deficit ex-petroleum products.Note that net, imports and exports of petroleum products are close to zero.The trade deficit with China decreased to $28.6 billion in July, from $31.6 billion in July 2020.

U.S. Factory Orders Show Continued Increase In July - After reporting sharp increases in new orders for U.S. manufactured goods over the two previous months, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing factory orders saw some further upside in the month of July. The report showed factory orders rose by 0.4 percent in July after jumping by 1.5 percent in June and spiking by 2.3 percent in May. Economists had expected factory orders to increase by 0.3 percent. The continued increase in factory orders came as a 0.9 percent advance in orders for non-durable goods more than offset a 0.1 percent dip in orders for durable goods. The Commerce Department also said shipments of manufactured goods shot up by 1.6 percent in July after surging by 1.9 percent in June. Inventories of manufactured goods also rose by 0.5 percent in July after climbing by 1.0 percent in the previous month. With shipments increasing by much more than inventories, the inventories-to-shipments ratio dropped to 1.46 in July from 1.48 in June.

August Dallas Fed Manufacturing -- This morning the Dallas Fed released its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey for August. The latest general business activity index came in at 9, down 18.3 from 27.3 in July. All figures are seasonally adjusted. Here is an excerpt from the latest report: Texas factory activity continued to increase in August, albeit at a slower pace, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, slipped 10 points to 20.8. The reading was well above average and indicative of robust output growth. Other measures of manufacturing activity also pointed to slower but above-average growth this month. Expectations regarding future manufacturing activity remained optimistic in August, though the future general business activity index was less positive, falling from 37.1 to 15.1. The survey’s more tangible measures of future factory activity held up better but also slipped slightly. The future production index ticked down four points to 44.3, and most other measures of future manufacturing activity also declined slightly but remained solidly in positive territory. Monthly data for this indicator only dates back to 2004, so it is difficult to see the full potential of this indicator without several business cycles of data. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and important regional manufacturing indicator. The state produced $159 billion in manufactured goods in 2008, roughly 9.5 percent of the country’s manufacturing output. Texas ranks second behind California in factory production and first as an exporter of manufactured goods. Texas turns out a large share of the country’s production of petroleum and coal products, reflecting the significance of the region’s refining industry. Texas also produces over 10 percent of the nation’s computer and electronics products and nonmetallic mineral products, such as brick, glass and cement. Here is a snapshot of the complete TMOS.

August Regional Fed Manufacturing Overview -- Five out of the twelve Federal Reserve Regional Districts currently publish monthly data on regional manufacturing: Dallas, Kansas City, New York, Richmond, and Philadelphia. Regional manufacturing surveys are a measure of local economic health and are used as a representative for the larger national manufacturing health. They have been used as a signal for business uncertainty and economic activity as a whole. Manufacturing makes up 12% of the country's GDP. The other 6 Federal Reserve Districts do not publish manufacturing data. For these, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book offers a short summary of each districts’ manufacturing health. The Chicago Fed published their Midwest Manufacturing Index from July 1996 through December of 2013. According to their website, "In December 2013, the monthly release of the CFMMI was suspended pending the release of updated benchmark data from the U.S. Census Bureau and a period of model verification. Significant revisions in the history of the CFMMI are anticipated." Five out of the twelve Federal Reserve Regional Districts currently publish monthly data on regional manufacturing: Dallas, Kansas City, New York, Richmond, and Philadelphia. The latest average of the five for August is 17, down from the previous month. Here is the same chart including the average of the five. Readers will notice the range in expansion and contraction between all regions.

Chicago PMI Fell in August - The Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago Purchasing Manager's Index, is similar to the national ISM Manufacturing indicator but at a regional level and is seen by many as an indicator of the larger US economy. It is a composite diffusion indicator, made up of production, new orders, order backlogs, employment, and supplier deliveries compiled through surveys.The latest Chicago Purchasing Manager's Index, or the Chicago Business Barometer, fell to 66.8 in August from 73.4 in July, which is in expansion territory. Values above 50.0 indicate expanding manufacturing activity.Here is an excerpt from the press release:The Chicago Business Barometer^TM, produced with MNI, fell to 66.8 in August, the lowest reading since June after climbing to a two-month high in July. Order backlogs rose sharply while production sank. Firms say the available supply of raw materials and workers isn’t sufficient to keep up with new orders.Among the five main indicators, Order Backlogs saw the largest increase. That was followed by Supplier Deliveries, while Production saw the largest decline. [Source]Let's take a look at the Chicago PMI since its inception.

ISM® Manufacturing index increased to 59.9% in August -- The ISM manufacturing index indicated expansion in August. The PMI® was at 59.9% in August, up from 59.5% in July. The employment index was at 49.0%, down from 52.9% last month, and the new orders index was at 66.7%, up from 64.9%.From ISM: August 2021 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®: “The August Manufacturing PMI® registered 59.9 percent, an increase of 0.4 percentage point from the July reading of 59.5 percent. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy for the 15th month in a row after contraction in April 2020. The New Orders Index registered 66.7 percent, increasing 1.8 percentage points from the July reading of 64.9 percent. The Production Index registered 60 percent, an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to the July reading of 58.4 percent. The Prices Index registered 79.4 percent, down 6.3 percentage points compared to the July figure of 85.7 percent; this is its first reading below 80 percent since December 2020 (77.6 percent). The Backlog of Orders Index registered 68.2 percent, 3.2 percentage points higher than the July reading of 65 percent. The Employment Index indicated contraction at 49 percent, 3.9 percentage points lower compared to the July reading of 52.9 percent. The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 69.5 percent, down 3 percentage points from the July figure of 72.5 percent. The Inventories Index registered 54.2 percent, 5.3 percentage points higher than the July reading of 48.9 percent. The New Export Orders Index registered 56.6 percent, an increase of 0.9 percentage point compared to the July reading of 55.7 percent. The Imports Index registered 54.3 percent, an 0.6-percentage point increase from the July reading of 53.7 percent.”This was above expectations. This suggests manufacturing expanded at a slightly faster pace in August than in July, but that employment contracted.

ISM Manufacturing Unexpectedly Rebounds But Contracting Employment Flashes Warning Ahead Of Friday's Payrolls (see graphics) Amid the continued plunge in "hard" economic data as captured by the worst print in the Citi US Econ Surprise index since the covid pandemic, we are finally starting to lose "soft" survey data as well, with the final Markit August Manufacturing PMI dipping again, from a flash print of 61.2 to 61.1 (if just barely below its July all time high of 63.4) however unlike last month when the PMI jumped to record and the ISM dropped, this time it was the much more closely watched ISM Manufacturing survey's turn to rebound, rising from 59.5 to 59.9, beating expectations of a small drop to 58.5. A look at the components of the ISM reveals that the strength in the headline print was the result of an increase in New Orders, Production, Inventories and Backlogs offset by declines in Employment, Deliveries and especially Prices. While the two key components of the ISM index were flat... ... two of the most closely watched components - Employment and Prices Paid - declined, with Employment actually dipping into contraction for the first time this year, and adding to concerns from this morning's dismal ADP print. A full breakdown in the ISM's components is shown below courtesy of Bloomberg's Michael McDonough. Speaking of declining prices, we can officially declare that deflation is here - after all, lumber prices are down... just ignore everything else.

August Markit Manufacturing: "Improvement in Operating Conditions" -The August US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index conducted by Markit came in at 61.1, down from the final July figure.Here is an excerpt from IHS Markit in their latest press release: “US goods producers continued to register marked upturns in output and new orders in August, as demand flourished once again. That said, constraints on production due to material shortages exerted further pressure on capacity as backlogs of work rose at a near-record rate.“Not only were firms facing difficulties trying to clear outstanding work, they also faced further hikes in supplier costs. The pace of cost inflation exceeded the previous series record amid a pervasive scarcity of inputs. Favourable demand conditions allowed finished goods prices to also rise at an unprecedented rate, as firms sought to protect their margins.“Delivery times lengthened at the second-sharpest rate in over 14 years of data collection, with purchasing activity still rising markedly. It was not only producers who highlighted stockpiling, however, as reports of customers shoring up their holdings of finished items resulted in a substantial drop in post-production inventories. Challenges rebuilding such stocks, including material and labour shortages, and everburgeoning levels of incomplete work are likely to remain a feature for some time to come.” [Press Release] Here is a snapshot of the series since mid-2012.

Producer sector remains on fire, while two most important indicators of consumer sector falter - As has been the pattern for the last several months, August data started out with a strong reading on manufacturing, while July ended with weak data on housing construction. As a side note, the latest read on motor vehicle sales also slid south. Both the overall and new orders components of the ISM manufacturing index remained very strong, with the former increasing slightly m/m from 59.5 to 59.9 and the latter by 1.8 from 64.9 to 66.7, both far above the breakeven point of 50.0: As I have said virtually all this year, the simplest way to read this is that the manufacturing sector remains on fire. The story remains different with this morning’s release of July construction spending. Total nominal spending increased 0.5%, and spending in the long leading residential construction sector increased 0.6%, both all time records: But just as has been the case virtually all year, when we deflate by the cost of construction materials, that increase disappears, and in fact shows a plunge for the year, although there was a very slight increase this month: Finally, recently I have stopped reporting on auto sales, because the manufacturers have reduced reporting to once a quarter, so most of the data is just an estimate, but the BEA does its own separate report, which was last updated on August 27 for the period through July. And the news here was that both light vehicles and heavy truck production declined further: Since houses and cars the two most important, and the first and second most leading, indicators of the consumer sector of the economy, this is needless to say not a good trend, although neither are at levels typically associated with the onset of a recession at this time.

Unfinished Tractors, Pickup Trucks Pile Up as Components Run Short – WSJ - Manufacturers are stacking up unfinished goods on factory floors and parking incomplete vehicles in airport parking lots while waiting for missing parts, made scarce by supply-chain problems. Shortages of mechanical parts, commodity materials and electronic components containing semiconductor chips have been disrupting manufacturing across multiple industries for months. Companies determined to keep factories open are trying to work around shortages by producing what they can, at the same time rising customer demand has cleaned out store shelves, dealer showrooms and distribution centers. As a result, manufacturers are amassing big inventories of unsold or incomplete products such as truck wheels and farm tractors. Companies that are used to filling orders quickly now have bulging backlogs of orders, waiting for scarce parts or green lights from customers willing to take deliveries. Executives expect the shortages and delivery bottlenecks, exacerbated by overwhelmed transportation networks and a lack of workers, to stretch into the fall. The delays are costing manufacturers sales and pushing some companies to revamp the way they put together their products, executives said. “There’s clearly market strength out there, but you have to have the ability to deliver on that,” “We have an extremely tight supply chain.” TO R

 The World Is Still Short of Everything. Get Used to It. Like most people in the developed world, Kirsten Gjesdal had long taken for granted her ability to order whatever she needed and then watch the goods arrive, without any thought about the factories, container ships and trucks involved in delivery.Not anymore.At her kitchen supply store in Brookings, S.D., Ms. Gjesdal has given up stocking place mats, having wearied of telling customers that she can only guess when more will come. She recently received a pot lid she had purchased eight months earlier. She has grown accustomed to paying surcharges to cover the soaring shipping costs of the goods she buys. “It’s nuts,” she said. “It’s definitely not getting back to normal.”Delays, product shortages and rising costs continue to bedevil businesses large and small. And consumers are confronted with an experience once rare in modern times: no stock available, and no idea when it will come in.In the face of an enduring shortage of computer chips, Toyotaannounced this month that it would slash its global production of cars by 40 percent. Factories around the world are limiting operations — despite powerful demand for their wares — because they cannot buy metal parts, plastics and raw materials. Construction companies are paying more for paint, lumber and hardware, while waiting weeks and sometimes months to receive what they need.The Great Supply Chain Disruption is a central element of the extraordinary uncertainty that continues to frame economic prospects worldwide. If the shortages persist well into next year, that could advance rising prices on a range of commodities. As central banks from the United States to Australia debate the appropriate level of concern about inflation, they must consider a question none can answer with full confidence: Are the shortages and delays merely temporary mishaps accompanying the resumption of business, or something more insidious that could last well into next year? …

ISM Services Report: August Shows 17 Service Industries Reported Growth --The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) has now released the August Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI). The headline Composite Index is at percent 61.7, down 2.4 from 64.1 last month. Today's number came in above the Investing.com forecast of 61.5 percent.Here is the report summary: “The Services PMI^® registered 61.7 percent, 2.4 percentage points lower than the all-time high reading of 64.1 in July. The August reading indicates the 15th straight month of growth for the services sector, which has expanded for all but two of the last 139 months.“The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 69.6 percent, down 2.4 percentage points from July’s reading of 72 percent. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM^® Report On Business^® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.) The Prices Index registered 75.4 percent, down 6.9 percentage points from the July figure of 82.3 percent.“According to the Services PMI®, 17 services industries reported growth. The composite index indicated growth for the 15th consecutive month after a two-month contraction in April and May 2020. There was a pullback in the rate of expansion in the month of August; however, growth remains strong for the services sector. The tight labor market, materials shortages, inflation and logistics issues continue to cause capacity constraints,” says Nieves. [Source]Unlike its much older kin, the ISM Manufacturing Series, there is relatively little history for ISM's Non-Manufacturing data, especially for the headline Composite Index, which dates from 2008. The chart below shows the Non-Manufacturing Composite.

ADP: Private Employment increased 374,000 in August -- From ADP:Private sector employment increased by 374,000 jobs from July to August according to the August ADP® National Employment Report. Broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge, the ADP National Employment Report is produced by the ADP Research Institute® in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics. The report, which is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis. “Our data, which represents all workers on a company’s payroll, has highlighted a downshift in the labor market recovery. We have seen a decline in new hires, following significant job growth from the first half of the year,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “Despite the slowdown, job gains are approaching 4 million this year, yet still 7 million jobs short of pre-COVID-19 levels. Service providers continue to lead growth, although the Delta variant creates uncertainty for this sector. Job gains across company sizes grew in lockstep, with small businesses trailing a bit more than usual.” Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said, “The Delta variant of COVID-19 appears to have dented the job market recovery. Job growth remains strong, but well off the pace of recent months. Job growth remains inextricably tied to the path of the pandemic. This was well below the consensus forecast of 638,000 for this report.The BLS report will be released Friday, and the consensus is for 728 thousand non-farm payroll jobs added in August. The ADP report has not been very useful in predicting the BLS report.

August Employment Report: 235 Thousand Jobs, 5.2% Unemployment Rate --From the BLS: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 5.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. So far this year, monthly job growth has averaged 586,000. In August, notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, transportation and warehousing, private education, manufacturing, and other services. Employment in retail trade declined over the month....The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for June was revised up by 24,000, from +938,000 to +962,000, and the change for July was revised up by 110,000, from +943,000 to +1,053,000. With these revisions, employment in June and July combined is 134,000 higher than previously reported.The first graph shows the year-over-year change in total non-farm employment since 1968.In August, the year-over-year change was 6.041 million jobs. This was up significantly year-over-year.Total payrolls increased by 235 thousand in August. Private payrolls increased by 243 thousand. Payrolls for June and July were revised up 134 thousand, combined. The second graph shows the job losses from the start of the employment recession, in percentage terms.The current employment recession was by far the worst recession since WWII in percentage terms, but currently is not as severe as the worst of the "Great Recession". The third graph shows the employment population ratio and the participation rate. The Labor Force Participation Rate was unchanged at 61.7% in August, from 61.7% in July. This is the percentage of the working age population in the labor force.The Employment-Population ratio increased to 58.5% from 58.4% (black line).The fourth graph shows the unemployment rate.The unemployment rate decreased in August to 5.2% from 5.4% in July.This was well below consensus expectations, however June and July were revised up by 134,000 combined.

August jobs report: some weak points, but the underlying very good trend continues - While the NBER has declared that the recession ended in April 2020, neither industrial production and jobs have recovered to their pre-pandemic levels. The former is only off by -0.2%, but the latter - which is most important to ordinary Americans - as of this morning’s report is still -3.5% below its level in February 2020. While this morning’s report came in well short of expectations, with the big positive revision to last month’s blockbuster report, which I’ll get into more detail about below, the 6 month average of monthly gains is still over 600,000. Here’s my synopsis of the report:

• 235,000 jobs added. Private sector jobs actually added a little more, but government (mainly education) shed -8,000 jobs, having a great deal to do with haywire seasonal adjustments this year. The alternate, and more volatile measure in the household report indicated a gain of 509,000 jobs, which factors into the unemployment and underemployment rates below.
• The total number of employed is still -5,568,000, or -3.5% below its pre-pandemic peak. At this rate jobs have grown this year, it will take another 9 months for employment to completely recover.
• U3 unemployment rate declined -0.2% to 5.2%, compared with the January 2020 low of 3.5%.
• U6 underemployment rate declined -0.4% to 8.8%, compared with the January 2020 low of 6.9%.
• Those not in the labor force at all, but who want a job now, declined -835,000 to 5.682 million, compared with 5.010 million in February 2020.
• Those on temporary layoff increased 13,000 to 1,252,000.
• Permanent job losers declined -443,000 to 2,487,000.
• June was revised upward by 24,000, while July was revised upward by 110,000, for a net gain of 134,000 jobs compared with previous reports.
• the average manufacturing workweek declined -0.2 hours to 40.3 hours. This is one of the 10 components of the LEI.
• Manufacturing jobs increased 37,000. Since the beginning of the pandemic, manufacturing has still lost -378,000 jobs, or -3.0% of the total.
• Construction jobs declined -3,000. Since the beginning of the pandemic, -232,000 construction jobs have been lost, or -3.0% of the total.
• Residential construction jobs, which are even more leading, rose by 100. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 40,900 jobs have been *gained* in this sector, or 4.9%.
• temporary jobs declined by -5,800. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have still been 262,200 jobs lost, or -8.9% of all temporary jobs.
• the number of people unemployed for 5 weeks or less decreased by 174,000 to 2,083,000, which is exactly 1,000 higher than just before the pandemic hit.
• Professional and business employment increased by 74,000, which is still -468,000, or about -2.2%, below its pre-pandemic peak.
• Average Hourly Earnings for Production and Nonsupervisory Personnel: rose $0.14 to $25.99, which is a 4.8% YoY gain. This continues to be excellent news, considering that a huge number of low-wage workers have finally been recalled to work.
• the index of aggregate hours worked for non-managerial workers rose by 0.2%, which is a loss of -3.1% since just before the pandemic.
• the index of aggregate payrolls for non-managerial workers rose by 0.7%, which is a gain of 4.9% since just before the pandemic.
• Leisure and hospitality jobs, which were the most hard-hit during the pandemic, was completely unchanged, and is still -1,699,000, or -10.0% below their pre-pandemic peak.
• Within the leisure and hospitality sector, food and drink establishments declined -41,500, and is still -966,300, or -7.9% below their pre-pandemic peak.
• Full time jobs declined -30,000 in the household report.
• Part time jobs increased 423,000 in the household report.
• The number of job holders who were part time for economic reasons declined by 14,000 to 4,469,000, which is an increase of 71,000 since before the pandemic began.

SUMMARY: As frequently happens, the messages of the Establishment report, which asks businesses about hiring, and the Household report, which asks individuals about being employed, were quite different. Despite the relative weakness in the former, overall this month’s jobs report was quite positive, as it continues existing good trends this year. To begin with, July’s excellent 943,000 gain was revised higher to 1,053,000. Combined, July and August averaged 644,000/month, which is right in line with the average gains this year. In short, the strong trend in job gains is intact. Further, as was anticipated, this month’s report was distorted to the downside by losses in education. Seasonally August is when educators get rehired, but this year much of the gains were in June and July - so the seasonal adjustments paid us back to the downside in August. The issue with labor and hospitality is murkier. The stalling out in gains, and losses in food and drink establishments, might also reflect distortions of seasonality this year, or they might reflect impacts from Delta, or some of each. Meanwhile the 509,000 gain in jobs from the Household report, together with a slight increase in the labor force, caused all of the unemployment-related indicators to continue to decline. The unemployment rate is where it was in 2015, and the broader underemployment rate where it was in 2017, as is the even broader number of those outside of the labor force but who want a job. This is not bad at all. Finally, wages for ordinary workers continue to increase at a strong rate. The issue is whether those gains will continue to be gobbled up by supply-bottleneck induced inflation.

Comments on August Employment Report -McBride - The headline jobs number in the August employment report was well below expectations, however employment for the previous two months was revised up significantly. The participation rate was unchanged and the unemployment rate decreased to 5.2%. Leisure and hospitality was unchanged in August, probably due to the sharp increase in COVID cases. In March and April of 2020, leisure and hospitality lost 8.2 million jobs, and are now down 1.7 million jobs since February 2020. So leisure and hospitality has now added back almost 79% of the jobs lost in March and April 2020.Construction employment decreased 3 thousand, and manufacturing added 37 thousand jobs. State and Local education lost 26 thousand jobs, seasonally adjusted, versus expectations of a solid gain.Earlier: August Employment Report: 235 Thousand Jobs, 5.2% Unemployment RateIn August, the year-over-year employment change was 6.041 million jobs. This turned positive in April due to the sharp jobs losses in April 2020. This graph shows permanent job losers as a percent of the pre-recession peak in employment through the report today. . This data is only available back to 1994, so there is only data for three recessions.In August, the number of permanent job losers decreased to 2.487 million from 2.930 million in July.These jobs will likely be the hardest to recover, so it is a positive that the number of permanent job losers is declining rapidly.Since the overall participation rate has declined due to cyclical (recession) and demographic (aging population, younger people staying in school) reasons, here is the employment-population ratio for the key working age group: 25 to 54 years old.The prime working age will be key as the economy recovers.The 25 to 54 participation rate was unchanged in August at 81.8% from 81.8% in July, and the 25 to 54 employment population ratio increased to 78.0% from 77.8% in July.The number of persons working part time for economic reasons decreased in August to 4.469 million from 4.483 million in July. This is back close to pre-recession levels. These workers are included in the alternate measure of labor underutilization (U-6) that decreased to 8.8% from 9.2% in July. This is down from the record high in April 22.9% for this measure since 1994. This measure was at 7.0% in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). This graph shows the number of workers unemployed for 27 weeks or more. According to the BLS, there are 3.179 million workers who have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks and still want a job, down from 3.425 million in July.This does not include all the people that left the labor force. This will be a key measure to follow during the recovery. Summary: The headline monthly jobs number was well below expectations, however the previous two months were revised up by 134,000 combined. And the headline unemployment rate decreased to 5.2%. There was some good news - the decline in the unemployment rate, the decline in permanent job losers, and the decline in long term unemployed - however, there are still 5.3 million fewer jobs than prior to the recession, and overall this was a disappointing report, probably due to the sharp increase in COVID cases.

The Employment Situation is Worse than the Unemployment Rate Indicates – McBride - The headline unemployment rate of 5.2% significantly understates the current situation. Here is a table that shows the current number of unemployed and the unemployment rate (as of August 2021). Then I calculated the unemployment rate by including the number of people that have left the labor force since early 2020, 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 likely be more entrants into the labor force (although recent demographic data has been dismal).It would be a mistake to just look at the headline unemployment rate to assess the current situation.

N.Y.C.’s mayor directs city employees to return to the office full-time soon. -New York City’s mayor has sought to push forward the city’s reopening, despite the arrival of the variant.Credit...Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York TimesMayor Bill de Blasio of New York City has directed all of the city employees who are currently working from home to return to the office full-time starting in less than two weeks, a signal that he is intent on resurrecting the city’s office-dependent central business district despite the Delta variant of the coronavirus.In a Wednesday email to agency heads that was acquired by The New York Times, the mayor’s reopening task force said the roughly 80,000 office workers employed at city agencies would “resume pre-March 2020 work schedules in the office beginning September 13.” There are more than 300,000 city workers overall, but many of them are essential employees who have already been reporting to job sites.The move represents an escalation of the city’s requirements for its work force, and is bound to discomfit employees who are concerned about the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, or who have grown accustomed to the conveniences afforded by working from home.In the first half of August, the seven-day average of new virus cases in the city reached its highest level since April, but cases have since declined slightly, to 1,844 on Tuesday, according to data compiled by The New York Times.Hospitalizations in the city have also risen, to a weekly average of just under 1,150 as of last week. New deaths have remained relatively stable, with a seven-day average of 12 per day as of Tuesday.Nearly 59 percent of the city’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to city data.Mr. de Blasio has sought to push forward New York City’s reopening, despite the arrival of the variant. In August, he mounted a major concert in Central Park designed to signify the city’s reopening. Bad weather forced the concert to end early.Mr. de Blasio first required city workers to return to the office in person starting May 3, but he instituted 50 percent occupancy limits on buildings, which necessitated a hybrid schedule — on some days, employees worked from home, and on others, they reported to the office.The Wednesday email noted that “telework will only be allowed in limited circumstances.” It also said employees would be subject to an executive order, signed by the mayor on Tuesday after he announced the plan in July, that requires all employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing.All employees and contractors will be required to wear face coverings in all communal spaces.“As the city finishes its return to office process, the mayor’s message remains the same: We know how to make workplaces safe, and public servants can deliver more for New Yorkers when they’re working together,” said Mitch Schwartz, a spokesman for the mayor. “City workers will have all the resources they need to complete this final step safely. There’s no time to waste in building a recovery for all of us.”

Google delays return to office until 2022 amid coronavirus surge - Google is pushing back its return-to-office date yet again.Employees of the tech giant will not be required to report to the office until at least Jan. 10, CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post Tuesday. “Beyond January 10, we will enable countries and locations to make determinations on when to end voluntary work-from-home based on local conditions, which vary greatly across our offices,” Pichai said, adding that employees will get at least 30 days’ notice before they’re required to report to work. Google had previously announced return-to-office datesof Sept. 1 and Oct. 18 of this year — and mandated vaccines for all staff returning to the office. Other big tech firms including Facebook and Apple have also told employees they will not be required to work in person until at least January.The delays come as the Delta variant pushes up coronavirus cases around the world, leading some countries to reimpose travel restrictions and mask mandates. In New York City, just 23 percent of office workers are back at their desks, while 41 percent are expected to return by the end of September, according to a Partnership for New York City survey released last week. By January of next year, 76 percent of employers said they expect to have employees back in the office.But as many white-collar workers embrace working from home, some tech companies plan to make the option permanent. Google says it will let many employees voluntarily work from home forever — but plans to cut the salaries of those who live in suburbs and other cheaper regions of the country. “Googlers” who previously worked in Manhattan but live in suburban Connecticut will see pay cuts of 15 percent if they choose to work from home forever, while staffers in other areas of the country could see pay cuts as high as 25 percent, according to a pay calculator the company rolled out earlier in August. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have also warned that employees who leave expensive big cities to work remotely from cheaper locales will have their pay slashed.

COVID-19 outbreak at Amazon warehouse in Oregon infects 345 workers - The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 345 cases of COVID-19 at Amazon’s Troutdale facility since May, making the Amazon PDX9 Fulfillment Center the workplace with the highest number of cases in the state. This follows a previous outbreak with over 100 cases at the same facility last December, bringing the total number of reported cases at PDX9 to at least 500 since the pandemic began. The case numbers surpass those even at overwhelmed medical centers like Salem Hospital that has seen 299 reported cases since May, Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center with 108 cases since July, and even skilled nursing facilities. The Amazon Aumsville facility in Salem, Oregon sits at third place on the workplace outbreak list, with 185 cases since May. The weekly outbreak reports demonstrate that Amazon and other warehouses, distribution centers, hospitals and K-12 schools are major vectors of transmission, as employees are forced to work in unsafe conditions where the Delta variant is spreading like wildfire. OHA dispatched a bulletin on August 26 reporting 2,057 new COVID-19 cases and 9 new deaths, which brings Oregon’s total confirmed coronavirus cases to 265,210 and the death toll to 3,095. The state is currently experiencing its largest number of cases and hospitalizations at any other point during the pandemic. Hospitals across the state are completely overwhelmed without enough intensive care unit (ICU) beds to treat every patient who needs one. Doctors and nurses must make extremely difficult choices about who is eligible to receive life-saving treatment. This is hitting rural areas like Southern Oregon particularly hard that have low vaccination rates and underfunded health care facilities. The Amazon Troutdale warehouse, which in 2019 and employed 2,000 workers, was already infamous for being one of Amazon’s most dangerous facilities. In 2019, the Portland Mercury newspaper reported on PDX9’s records saying, “26 out of every 100 workers at PDX9 sustained an injury in 2018.”

 Unvaccinated Americans should avoid Labor Day travel, the C.D.C. director says. Unvaccinated people should avoid traveling during the Labor Day holiday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.As Covid hospitalizations reached a daily average of 100,000 for the first time since last winter’s surge, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the C.D.C., identified vaccination and masking as key factors in preventing the spread of the virus.“First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling,” she said on Tuesday. Labor Day, which celebrates American workers with a three-day weekend and is the unofficial end of summer, is often observed with barbecues and gatherings for family and friends.This year, the strong spread of the Delta variant makes decisions about those traditions more complicated. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all rising in the United States.About 52 percent of the U.S. population, or 174 million people, is fully vaccinated, according to C.D.C. data. Among those who are over 12 years old and are eligible for the vaccine, 72.2 percent of the population, or 205 million people, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.Dr. Walensky said that gatherings — among vaccinated relatives and friends — should take place outdoors. And everyone, including those who are vaccinated, should wear masks in public indoor settings.“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen that the vast majority of transmission takes place among unvaccinated people in closed, indoor settings,” she said.While health officials have said that those who are fully vaccinated and wearing masks can travel, Dr. Walensky said that everyone should assess their own risk tolerance, in light of the surges in the virus.Even though many Americans changed their Thanksgiving plans last year, a spike in coronavirus transmissions and Covid hospitalizations and deaths in some areas of California and Texas were attributed partly to those gatherings that did happen.

Pupil Size Is a Marker of Intelligence - Scientific American - Our pupils respond to more than just the light. They indicate arousal, interest or mental exhaustion. Pupil dilation is even used by the FBI to detect deception. Now work conducted in our laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that baseline pupil size is closely related to individual differences in intelligence. The larger the pupils, the higher the intelligence, as measured by tests of reasoning, attention and memory. In fact, across three studies, we found that the difference in baseline pupil size between people who scored the highest on the cognitive tests and those who scored the lowest was large enough to be detected by the unaided eye.We first uncovered this surprising relationship while studying differences in the amount of mental effort people used to complete memory tasks. We used pupil dilations as an indicator of effort, a technique psychologist Daniel Kahneman popularized in the 1960s and 1970s. When we discovered a relationship between baseline pupil size and intelligence, we weren’t sure if it was real or what it meant. Intrigued, we conducted several large-scale studies in which we recruited more than 500 people aged 18 to 35 from the Atlanta community. We measured participants’ pupil size using an eye tracker, a device that captures the reflection of light off the pupil and cornea using a high-powered camera and computer. We measured participants’ pupils at rest while they stared at a blank computer screen for up to four minutes. All the while, the eye tracker was recording. Using the tracker, we then calculated each participant’s average pupil size.To be clear, pupil size refers to the diameter of the black circular aperture in the center of the eye. It can range from around two to eight millimeters. The pupil is surrounded by the colorful area known as the iris, which is responsible for controlling the size of the pupil. Pupils constrict in response to bright light, among other things, so we kept the laboratory dim for all participants.In the next part of the experiment, participants completed a series of cognitive tests designed to measure “fluid intelligence,” the capacity to reason through new problems, “working memory capacity,” the ability to remember information over a period of time, and “attention control,” the ability to focus attention amid distractions and interference. As one example of an attention control test, participants had to resist glancing toward a bold, flickering asterisk on one side of a computer screen and instead rapidly look in the opposite direction to identify a letter. The letter would disappear within moments, so even a brief eye movement toward the flickering asterisk could result in missing it. Humans are primed to react to objects passing through their peripheral vision—it’s what once allowed us to spot a predator or prey—but this task required participants to redirect their focus from the flicking asterisk to the letter. We found that a larger baseline pupil size was correlated with greater fluid intelligence, attention control and, to a lesser degree, working memory capacity—indicating a fascinating relationship between the brain and eye. Interestingly, pupil size was negatively correlated with age: older participants tended to have smaller, more constricted, pupils. Once standardized for age, however, the relationship between pupil size and cognitive ability remained.

‘Tired of worrying’: As some parents press for vaccines off-label, pediatricians call for patience - STAT - Just hours after the Food and Drug Administration announced full approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a warning: Physicians should not vaccinate any children under the age of 12 “off-label.”But by that time, parents had already started calling their pediatricians. Full FDA approval of a drug or vaccine opens the door for off-label use, when doctors can use their discretion to provide a treatment in a way other than what it’s specifically approved for — in this case, people age 16 or older. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Patti Mulligan spoke to an administrative employee and easily made a Wednesday appointment for her 9-year-old daughter. When they showed up, they were turned away because the practice had decided not to provide off-label vaccinations. “​​She was really looking forward to getting the shot,” Mulligan said of her daughter. “She’s tired of worrying about it.” Pediatricians across the country are heeding the recommendations to wait, echoed by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’re concerned about attempting to find the right dosage on their own, given that kids will likely need a different dose, or facing potential liability issues. The CDC says providers who vaccinate off-label may be violating the agreement they signed to provide Covid-19 vaccines and also says providers who vaccinate off-label may also lose immunity under the PREP Declaration, which protects health care providers from liability claims in emergencies like the pandemic.“I know parents are anxious to protect their children, but we want to make sure children have the full benefit of ongoing clinical trials,” said Yvonne Maldonado, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. “We should do this based on all of the evidence for each age group, and for that we need the trials to be completed.”

Mom is stripped of parenting time over refusal to get COVID-19 vaccine -A Chicago mom says a judge has forbid her from seeing her 11-year-old son because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19. “I miss my son more than anything. It’s been very difficult. I haven’t seen him since Aug. 10,” Rebecca Firlit told FOX 32 News in Chicago. The unusual move came during a court hearing about child support issues in front of Cook County Judge James Shapiro, according to the report. Firlit shares custody of her son with her ex-husband. The judge, unprompted, asked about Firlit’s vaccination status. He then stripped her of parenting time when she said she refused to get the shot. She says she’s reacted badly to vaccinations in the past and is appealing the judge’s ruling, according to the station. “It had nothing to do with what we were talking about. He was placing his views on me and taking my son away from me,” she told the station. A spokesman for the judge declined to comment to the station.

Anxiety running high as COVID-19 threatens to disrupt schools — again -- Students across the U.S. are starting another school year under a cloud of uncertainty as the delta strain of the coronavirus rips through the country, threatening to disrupt plans for a second consecutive academic year. The pandemic’s unpredictability has sparked high anxiety among children and teachers alike as they attempt to return to in-person school for the first time since March 2020, with lingering fears that COVID-19 could jeopardize educational routines again.The back-to-school season has left children and families with mixed feelings. Many are excited to return to in-person class after months of virtual learning, while some adults are keeping a wary eye on rising pediatric cases and hospitalizations.Already, schools in 19 states have sent at least 90,000 students to quarantine, while others have shut down, just days and weeks into the year.“Routines are so important for children, and we are all living in a state where routines are impossible to predict,” said Sheila Desai, the director of educational practice at the National Association of School Psychologists. “So of course with uncertainty comes anxiety.”Students typically experience anxiety when starting a new school year as they adjust to new teachers, classmates and workloads, experts said. But this year, COVID-19 piles more stressors on students as so much of the future remains up in the air.This summer, Boston Children’s Hospital has seen more children report to the hospital with symptoms of anxiety than previous pre-pandemic back-to-school seasons, Patricia Ibeziako, the associate chief of clinical services in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital, said.“We're just seeing much higher volumes of patients reporting anxiety in the context of pandemic-related impacts,” she said.Anxiety levels among children and adolescents had already been climbing and increasing the demand on the limited number of pediatric mental health professionals before the pandemic struck the country. With the additional stress from COVID-19, school psychologists are expected to be “stretched even more” than in previous years, Desai said, so the group is pushing for the school psychologists shortage to be addressed. “We know that the need for us is greater than it ever has been, and it's always been great,” she said. “So I hope there's an opportunity for schools and state-level agencies to invest in school psychologists and mental and behavioral supports in schools and making that a priority.” The highly transmissible delta variant has also escalated worries among some students, parents and teachers as infections among children rise during the back-to-school season. Many students remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to the strain, as those younger than 12 are ineligible to get the vaccine at this point. The increased cases among children prompted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky to call on schools that are not following the agency’s guidance, including on masking, to “do the right thing.” She said the agency’s investigations found large outbreaks are “generally” occurring in these schools.

US school reopenings set to infect tens of millions of children with COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has once again spiraled out of control across the United States, with 190,536 new cases and 1,304 new deaths officially tracked on Friday, the highest figures since January and March, respectively. As the highly transmissible Delta variant has ripped through workplaces, schools and homes across the country, there are now more than 100,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the US, with nearly 25,000 in intensive care units (ICUs). Under these conditions, the drive to fully reopen all of the country’s schools and send over 40 million unvaccinated children into tightly-packed and poorly ventilated classrooms takes on a sociopathic character. It is already clear that this policy, pushed by the entire political establishment, the corporate media and the teachers’ unions, is disastrous and will lead to the infection and potential long-term suffering of millions of innocent children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), more than 180,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 from August 12 to August 19, accounting for more than 20 percent of all new COVID-19 cases that week--a more than 20-fold increase over the same figure in early June. It is widely understood in the scientific community that this figure will skyrocket in the coming weeks, even in areas where mitigations such as mask-wearing and testing are more prevalent. Data on infections in schools is not compiled nationally, with local and state agencies doing so in a haphazard manner or not at all. According to a compilation of local news reports from 19 states conducted by The Hill, over 90,000 children have already had to quarantine or isolate at home due to infection or possible exposure to the virus since the start of the fall semester. In addition, over 60,000 educators and school staff are similarly in isolation or quarantine. The situation is most dire in the South, which has the lowest vaccination rates in the US and where many large school districts have already reopened without mask mandates. In Atlanta, Georgia, more than 23,000 students and staff have gone into quarantine in the first few weeks of the school year. In Mississippi, at least 65,500 K-12 students have already had to quarantine due to infection or exposure, according to the Mississippi Free Press. Tragically, the surge in child infections is leading to a corresponding surge in deaths, with the AAP reporting that a record 24 children died during the week ending August 19. On August 25, an unnamed child under 5 years old died from COVID-19 in Mississippi. This follows the death of 13-year-old M’Kayla Robinson on August 14 and an unnamed teenager in late July, meaning that three children died across the state in just one month, as many as in the previous 17 months of the pandemic. In Oklahoma, 13-year-old Clarence Johnson died from COVID-19 on August 19, days before he was set to begin eighth grade. The Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Native American Student Services department wrote on Facebook that Clarence, who was Comanche and Kiowa, was beloved by teachers and staff for his “beautiful soul and unforgettable smile.” Over 640,000 schoolchildren in Oklahoma remain unvaccinated and at risk of contracting the virus, with the state reporting a three-day average of 64 pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19. It is one of eight Republican-led states that have enacted bans on mask mandates or allowed parents to opt out of mandates for their children, with the others being, Arizona, Florida, Iowa, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. Throughout the US, child hospitalizations have reached record numbers, with over 2,000 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations. In the South, in particular, pediatric ICUs are at or near capacity, with record numbers of severely ill children.

Massachusetts education board strips COVID safety guidelines as K-12 students return to school - As coronavirus cases from the highly transmissible Delta variant continue to climb in Massachusetts, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), supported by the teachers unions, is forcing every child across the state back into school. Behind the feigned concern for children’s wellbeing lies the scientific reality of what will transpire over the coming months if this is allowed to take place. As children and teachers infected in the tens or hundreds of thousands spread out through the community at large, hundreds of thousands more will become infected.The DESE’s school reopening guidelines, issued July 30, begins, “For the fall, all districts and schools will be required to be in-person, full-time, five days a week, and all DESE health and safety requirements will be lifted. This includes all physical distancing requirements.”Physical distancing of 3 feet, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, would have little impact in curbing transmission in schools. However, the lifting of physical distancing requirements now has everything to do with allowing for schools to run at full capacity with limited numbers of classrooms and teachers.Last year, schools could only maintain some form of distancing while a large portion of the student body was learning remotely. Since the beginning of the pandemic, DESE has had as its main imperative the return of students to classrooms, no matter the danger. However, it is only now, under conditions of mass infections, that the mandate that all schools return to full, in-person learning has been realized. The goal of every aspect of DESE’s fall opening guidelines is to keep schools open and filled with children during active community transmission of a debilitating and deadly virus.

In Los Angeles, price for admission at nation’s second-largest school district is a negative covid test — every single week - — As hundreds of thousands of kids return to class in the nation’s second-largest school district, they’re participating in what amounts to a massive public health experiment unfolding in real time: Every single student, teacher and administrator in the Los Angeles public schools must get tested for the coronavirus every single week — indefinitely. Even the fully vaccinated are required to get tested. Those who test positive stay home for at least 10 days. And those who decline to get tested can’t come at all. Along with multiple other protocols the Los Angeles Unified School District is implementing — including masking for all and mandatory vaccines for teachers and staff — it amounts to by far the most aggressive anti-coronavirus campaign undertaken or announced by a major school district in the United States. And it comes as classrooms nationwide struggle to return to in-person learning amid the delta variant surge, with some governors trying to block mask mandates even as outbreaks have shut down schools or delayed planned re-openings in Florida, Texas, Iowa and elsewhere. In Los Angeles, by contrast, the vast majority of parents, teachers and students are embracing or at least tolerating the stringent measures the district has adopted, with fewer than 3 percent of the district’s 450,000 K-12 students opting for remote learning instead. And while it remains to be seen whether L.A.’s ambitious approach will prove successful in keeping the district’s approximately 1,000 schools open for the entirety of the school year, local leaders and public health experts say the district is raising the bar in a way that’s being watched closely and could influence educators nationwide. “I think we’re setting the standard on reopening schools safely in 2021,” said Smita Malhotra, the district’s medical director. “What our district has done is really quite amazing.” To pull off the daunting task of administering some 500,000 coronavirus tests weekly across the sprawling district, L.A. Unified has contracted with two medical companies that provide around 1,000 licensed health-care practitioners. These health workers travel from school to school with mobile units conducting and overseeing nasal-swab tests — the PCR tests that produce the most accurate results. The tests are flown twice-daily to a lab in Northern California that aims to turn around the results in 24 to 36 hours. The price tag is hefty for the chronically underfunded district: around $350 million. L.A. County is paying for about $80 million of that sum, and the district is trying to get the federal government to cover the rest.

Kentucky’s schools struggle as coronavirus outbreaks close entire districts.- About a fifth of Kentucky’s school districts have had to temporarily close since classes began last month because of coronavirus infections, an indication of the dire impact the most recent wave of the virus has had on the state.Kentucky has recently reached its highest levels of cases and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic, largely because of the highly infectious Delta variant. Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed, and Governor Andy Beshear said on Thursday he was deploying the National Guard to help medical professionals.The rise in cases has also affected Kentucky’s schoolchildren, hundreds of thousands of whom are under 12 and so not eligible for vaccination. “More kids are getting Covid right now than we ever thought imaginable,” Mr. Beshear said at a news conference on Monday.As of Friday, 34 of the state’s 171 school districts had closed at some point during the new school year because of infections and quarantines, said Josh Shoulta, a spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized returning to in-person classes, ideally with as many people as possible vaccinated and measures like universal masking in place. But those measures have become politically fraught. On Friday, anti-mask protesters demonstrating against Washington State’s mask mandate in schools forced several to close in the southern city of Vancouver (named for the same 18th century British sea captain as the younger but much larger city in Canada).

Oklahoma middle school student dies from COVID-19 as Delta variant surges through US schools - Clarence “Tre” Johnson III, a 13-year-old eighth grade student at Mary Golda Ross Middle School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, died on August 19 of COVID-19 complications. He had been hospitalized for six days, five of them on a ventilator, battling pneumonia as well as the virus, before succumbing to the disease.Clarence’s parents had both tested positive for COVID-19, so the family was prevented from being together during his last days.Teachers and staff remembered Clarence, who was Comanche and Kiowa, as a “happy boy” with “a beautiful soul and unforgettable smile.” His parents started a GoFundMe fundraiser to defray funeral costs. In a message on the GoFundMe page, his parents said, “He had a strong love of all kinds of music, food, video games, animals & social media, and of course his family & friends. Tre was taken from us way too soon, but he’s home now.”In an August 26 announcement of Clarence’s death, Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) stated, “Crisis counseling is available to students and staff. We will keep his family and friends in our thoughts during this very difficult time.” The statement also mentioned the death of a teacher without giving details. Child hospitalizations have been steadily rising in Oklahoma in line with the surge of the Delta variant fueled by the reopening of schools and businesses. In the first week of August, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) reported that 25 Oklahomans under the age of 18 were hospitalized. The next week, that number jumped to at least 60 children.

Alabama educators demand emergency action to eradicate COVID --Alabama is seeing dramatically rising COVID infections in K-12 schools, with the Deep South state reaching a grim total of 12,222 deaths. State Health Officer Scott Harris reported last Friday, August 27, that mobile morgues were sent to Baldwin and Mobile Counties to handle the increasing number of corpses, adding, “I don’t know how much longer we’re going to be able to do this. There is no room to put all these bodies.”Meanwhile, US Air Force medical staff have been deploying to a Dothan-area hospital to cover shifts around the clock amid a flood of patients and a lack of medical staff. Alabama’s rolling seven-day positivity rate is 21.3, indicating a vast undercount of cases.Schools have been open for a month and are fueling this highly deadly community transmission. Within weeks of the beginning of the school year, the virus took the life of honor student William George Fowler, 17, of Cullman, just north of Birmingham. Fowler, a senior, was a proud member of the Cullman Bearcat Marching Band where he was the percussion frontline section leader.Cases among students and school staff are currently 4,337. Alabama schools are primed for viral transmission, with a statewide vaccination rate lower than that of El Salvador.In a staggering display of pro-corporate callousness, Montgomery public schools have stated they will only close “when 50% of its students have either tested positive for COVID-19 or were in close contact with someone who did and thus have to quarantine,” according to the Montgomery Advertiser’ s report last Friday.State school superintendent Eric Mackey, who is carrying out this murderous policy, admitted, “It’s becoming more and more challenging to keep schools open. Every day we have more and more teachers and students going home after testing positive.” Montgomery, the state’s capital and the site of the historic civil rights struggles, is dominated by the Democratic Party, which is working in tandem with Republican Governor Kay Ivey to keep school open and parents on the job.The Alabama Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee’s statement below points the way forward, demanding eradication of the virus, an immediate halt to in-person instruction and nonessential business and the defense of students, educators and the population. We urge educators, parents and students to join us and to build the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees.

Teacher took off mask for read-aloud and infected half the class with COVID-19, CDC report says.- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report this week after investigating an outbreak of the delta variant of COVID-19 at an elementary school in California, saying an unvaccinated, infected teacher who took their face mask off to read aloud to the class infected half of their students. The outbreak happened in Marin County in May 2021 and resulted in a total of 27 cases including the teacher, students, siblings of the students and some parents. The CDC said the teacher started showing symptoms on May 19 and continued working the next few days despite having a cough, fever and headache. The teacher didn’t have any known COVID-19 exposure and attributed the symptoms to allergies.Meanwhile, the school’s adherence to masking and distancing in the classroom was said to be high, according to parents who were interviewed as part of the case study. Desks were six feet apart, windows were left open and high-efficiency particulate air filters were in use. The teacher, however, reportedly went unmasked on occasions when reading aloud in class.The teacher got tested for COVID-19 on May 21 and on May 23 notified the school the test was positive.Some students of the teacher began showing symptoms on May 22. Once the teacher tested positive, 22 of the 24 students were also tested. Twelve received a positive result. The CDC did not elaborate on the students’ age except to say they were too young to be eligible for vaccination. Currently, those 12 and older can get vaccinated with Pfizer’s shot. The CDC said the school serves more than 200 students ages Pre-K through eighth grade. The CDC noted that the closer the students were sitting to the teacher, the higher their risk was of getting infected. "Students were seated in five rows; the attack rate in the two rows seated closest to the teacher’s desk was 80% (eight of 10) and was 28% (four of 14) in the three back rows," the report states.

Police Investigate Reported Shooting At North Carolina High School -Now that summer is over and students are returning to classrooms, school shootings are returning to the headlines as well. Local police announced that a North Carolina high school is on lockdown after a shooting on school property. Winston-Salem police tweeted shortly after 1300ET on Wednesday that they were investigating a shooting on the grounds of a local high school. Police announced that the campus of Mount Tabor High School has been secured and law enforcement "are doing everything possible to keep students safe," the Winston-Salem Police Department tweeted. At least one individual has been shot, according to media reports. "We are actively investigating what happened and will share confirmed information when available," police added. Update (1400ET): Police say all students are safe except for one student who was wounded during the shooting. A suspect has yet to be apprehended - police say they're still actively looking. * * *

Amid catastrophic spread of COVID-19: Florida colleges and universities open with in-person learning - All of Florida’s colleges began their fall semesters in August amid a devastating spread of COVID-19 throughout the state and a catastrophic growth of hospitalizations and deaths. Although the latest wave is proving far more deadly because of the highly more infectious and transmissible Delta variant, school officials and administrators have elected to pursue in-person learning while repudiating even the most minimal public health precautions on campuses. After more than a year of closures due to the dangers of the pandemic, an overwhelming majority of Florida’s public universities and colleges, comprising more than 1.1 million students and hundreds of thousands of faculty and staff, are deciding to shovel teachers and students into environments where the chances of major outbreaks occurring throughout the school system are all but inevitable. Students at virtually all the major universities will be returning to in-person classrooms at normal capacity, with no requirements or tracking for vaccinations. Unlike the 2020-2021 school year, when all colleges reopened with safety measures such as mask requirements and social distancing in the pandemic, mask-wearing in the classrooms and around campus are merely “recommended” but will not be enforced on school grounds. The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s public universities, recently issued health guidelines to university officials recommending everyone on campus get fully vaccinated and wear face masks indoors. However, the guidelines make clear that vaccines or face coverings while on campus can go unmandated, leaving every college to jettison even the most basic precautions. The shift in policy in higher education is entirely in line with the state’s reopening of K-12 schools that was spearheaded by Governor Ron DeSantis, who is continuing to issue threats of fines and penalties for districts that implement mask mandates despite immense and growing opposition from educators and staff. These policies are creating the conditions not just for outbreaks on the campuses, but a devastating growth of infection in surrounding communities and the entire state, which is already experiencing a horrific health crisis being fueled by the Delta variant. On Monday, Florida reported 31,164 additional COVID-19 cases and 902 deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data. All but eight of the newly reported deaths occurred after August 2, with 70 percent of those people passing away in the last two weeks. Meanwhile, the CDC reported this week that every county in the state is witnessing a “high” level of community transmission, a development that will certainly be worsened by the reopening of some of the largest universities.

UGA professor resigns mid-class after student refuses to wear mask - A University of Georgia retiree-rehire professor resigned on Tuesday after one of his students refused to properly wear a mask in an upper division psychology seminar class held at the psychology building. During Irwin Bernstein’s second class of the semester, the student, who was not present on the first day of class, arrived at the 25-person class unmasked and was asked by Bernstein to retrieve one from the advising office. The student was given a spare disposable mask from a peer but did not wear it over her nose. Bernstein asked the student to pull her mask up to wear it correctly, but she said she “couldn’t breathe” and “had a really hard time breathing” with the cloth over her mouth and nose. Written on the board at the front of the classroom was, “No mask, no class,” according to fourth-year psychology major Hannah Huff. The 88-year-old psychology professor explained to the student that he could die from COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and age-related problems, Bernstein said in an email to The Red & Black. Only about 15 minutes into the Tuesday lecture, which consisted of Bernstein taking the student attendance, he asked the student to pull her mask up again, but this time, the student did not respond. Bernstein, who was already informed that two of his absent students tested positive for COVID-19, then announced his resignation on the spot and left the class immediately. “At that point I said that whereas I had risked my life to defend my country while in the Air Force, I was not willing to risk my life to teach a class with an unmasked student during this Pandemic,” Bernstein said in an email to The Red & Black. “I then resigned my retiree-rehire position.” Huff said she sat at the front of the class on Tuesday in shock, anger and silence for a few minutes, like the rest of her peers, as she tried to comprehend what happened. “Professor Bernstein said, ‘That's it. I’m retired,’ and we watched him pack all of his papers into his bag and walk out of the classroom,” Huff said. “Resignation was an all or none decision ... I felt some relief as I had been getting more concerned as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in recent weeks,” Bernstein said. Some students began logging onto Athena to find last-minute seats in other seminars. Others stared at the student and asked, “You know we need this class to graduate, right?” In response, the student said, “Well, this is a blessing in disguise,” according to Huff. The now-resigned professor said USG is in compliance with the policies of the state of Georgia which “forbids us from requiring masks.” “I am sorry that the pandemic has caused so much dissension. I personally do not agree that stimulating the economy is more important than people’s lives and am disappointed that some people feel that it is,” Bernstein said.

Amherst College's insane COVID rules are all about upper-class virtue-signaling - Last week, Amherst College announced that its students will be subject to double-masking and to COVID tests every other week throughout the fall semester. Indoor dining services will be shut down, and the size of gatherings severely restricted.Students, all of whom were already required to be vaccinated, will spend non-class time in their dorm rooms and may leave campus only in a handful of defined emergency situations. One of these is apparently going to the bank, though what a bunch of would-be rowdy undergraduates who can’t hit up the local dive bars or have a coffee will need money for is a mystery.This is sheer lunacy: the lunacy of America’s overeducated upper castes.Years ago, I remember reading about a hostel in Bangkok that allows tourists to experience a taste of prison life. Upon entering guests are “booked,” complete with mug shots. They sleep behind bars and are subject to a strict curfew. Even their bathrooms are shared. A night at the Sook Station runs about $50. Meanwhile, tuition, room and board at Amherst run about $77,000 a year. I can’t help but think that parents could save a lot of money sending Dylan and Heather to Thailand this fall. For the price of two semesters of ersatz imprisonment at the famously selective liberal-arts college, their kids could enjoy four years at the Sook. I bet the food is better.

University of Michigan lecturers threaten strike as opposition grows to full resumption of in-person classes As the deadly COVID-19 Delta infections surge across the country, the University of Michigan (U-M) is opening its Ann Arbor and Flint campuses today to near-capacity in-person classes. Its Dearborn campus resumes in-person classes this Wednesday. All three campuses enroll over 44,000 undergraduate and over 18,000 graduate students and employ several thousand more educators, staff and administrators. This reckless decision to move to in-person learning at U-M comes as the country now exceeds over 150,000 daily infections and over 1,200 deaths per day. These numbers will continue to increase now that all schools are opening across the country. Largely unvaccinated children are the most vulnerable population of this growing wave of infection. The move to in-person policies is provoking growing opposition and concern on the campuses. Faculty at University of Michigan have been circulating an online petition that raises concerns over the reopening, citing a growing body of scientific evidence that shows current mitigation protocols will not suffice to protect lives on campus. The petition has so far received nearly 700 signatures from graduate students, lecturers and staff. In addition, over 1,600 lecturers with the Lecturers Employee Organization (LEO) union at the three campuses picketed in Ann Arbor over the weekend to protest poor pay and working conditions. The lecturers, who teach approximately 60 percent of the undergraduate courses at Flint and Dearborn and 40 percent at Ann Arbor, may go on strike as early as September 5 over poor pay and working conditions. Faculty and staff with the two main educators unions at neighboring Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti also issued a joint statement about the increasingly unsafe conditions on the campus as they reopen this week as well. “We are particularly concerned for members who are immunocompromised or have children who can’t yet be vaccinated. Many of our members agreed to teach in-person courses in very different circumstances.” The U-M petition emphasizes, among other things, that the national public health situation is rapidly deteriorating: “In Michigan, more than 900 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, a 68% increase from two weeks ago. Breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals are increasing. The now-dominant Delta strain is far more infectious than the original Alpha strain. The onslaught of cases is increasing at Michigan Medicine, even before students return to Ann Arbor from all over the country and from abroad. ICU occupancy at Michigan Medicine, as of 8/23/2021, is 86%, with 38 COVID patients and only 18 beds available.

 The pandemic is associated with a rise in childhood obesity, a study finds. - The coronavirus pandemic has been especially tumultuous for children as they hunkered down over the past year and a half, experiencing disrupted schooling, increased social isolation and heightened anxiety at a time when millions of households have been buffeted by upheaval.The crisis, it turns out, has also been linked to substantial excess weight gain among children and adolescents, according to a recent study published in the medical journal JAMA.The researchers found a 9 percent increase in obesity among children ages 5 to 11, with an average weight gain of five pounds during the pandemic. Among adolescents, 16- and 17-year-olds gained an average of two additional pounds, they found.The study, which analyzed electronic health records for nearly 200,000 young people in the Kaiser Permanente health network in Southern California, confirms what many Americans have experienced firsthand: The pandemic expanded waistlines.Experts said the study was among the first to quantify the effects on young people of the disruptions to normal activities and resources. “We know that kids have been gaining weight during the pandemic, but the numbers are shocking and worse than I expected,” said Dr. Sarah Barlow, a childhood obesity specialist at Children’s Health in Dallas who was not involved with the study.Some weight gain can be tied to the school closures that limited access to physical activity and nutritious meal programs. Remote learning, experts say, has often meant more sedentary time — and more access to the refrigerator. Dr. Rachana Shah, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, noted the pandemic’s effects on mental health and how stress can lead to poorer eating habits. Dr. Shah, who specializes in metabolic and obesity-related illnesses, said, “During Covid, a lot of the people have been even more stretched and less able to provide their kids with healthy options.” She added that food can become “a coping mechanism” for those with anxiety or depression.

Sadness and death: Inside the VA’s state nursing-home disaster - For years, the Veterans Affairs has spent upwards of $1 billion a year funding state-run nursing homes for veterans, while requiring only a single annual safety inspection, performed by an outside contractor.Watchdogs both in and out of the VA have questioned the adequacy of the inspections for decades. Just months before the pandemic bore down, theGAO in 2019 warned that the VA inspections lack teeth, merely making recommendations about some deficiencies instead of meticulously documenting them and requiring that they be addressed.When Covid-19 came the following winter, elderly and disabled veterans were among the hardest hit. Soldiers who’d survived battles couldn’t survive the pandemic, as viruses spread through many VA homes that lacked proper controls.More than 1,400 people — at least 1,394 residents and 40 staff — died of coronavirus in 110 state veterans homes, according to a POLITICO analysis. The death toll is almost certainly even higher; data from another four dozen homes, mostly in the South, hasn’t been publicly reported. Many of those states are now contending with the worst of the Delta variant. Even without the statistics from those homes, the death rate in state-run facilities was more than twice that of homes run directly by the VA itself.Residents in state VA homes often died in large clusters: 110 at a 126-bed home in western New York, 62 (plus two staff) in one at the southern tip of Maryland, 47 at a complex in rural Wisconsin, 44 near the shore of Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. More than half the deaths occurred well into the pandemic, after testing, protective gear and other resources became more available, and after much had been learned about how to contain the virus and prevent its devastating spread, including by asymptomatic staff. "For a long time the state veterans homes were neglected,” said Linda Schwartz, a former Air Force flight nurse who ran veterans affairs for the state of Connecticut and served as a high-level VA official in the Obama administration. “It’s been terrible — and in some ways shameful — that veterans were in this situation," added Schwartz, who monitored the pandemic as part of a task force with the Vietnam Veterans of America.Despite the fact that the homes are funded by the federal government, a VA spokesperson insisted the agency doesn’t control the conditions under which veterans must live or who the states chose to staff and run them.

‘Catastrophic Injustice’: Judge OKs Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan Shielding Sacklers - In a bench ruling delivered over several hours on Wednesday, a U.S. judge approved a Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan widely criticized for giving the Sackler family immunity from civil lawsuits related to the company's drug OxyContin and and profiteering that critics say escalated the nation's opioid epidemic."The deal grants 'releases' from liability for harm caused by OxyContin and other opioids to the Sacklers, hundreds of their associates, as well as their remaining empire of companies and trusts," NPR explained.In a statement condemning the development, Rick Claypool, a research director for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said that "allowing the billionaires at the root of the opioid crisis to walk free while thousands of its victims are in prison is a catastrophic injustice.""Purdue Pharma is the reason the Sackler family are billionaires, and after today's settlement they will remain billionaires," Claypool continued. "The greed of some Sacklers fueled an opioid epidemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans, gripped millions in the claws of addiction, devastated communities across the country, and cost over $2.5 trillion." The researcher noted that "meanwhile, on any given day, 450,000incarcerated people are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes."

Mission and Money Clash in Nonprofit Hospitals’ Venture Capital Ambitions -Cone Health, a small not-for-profit health care network in North Carolina, spent several years developing a smartphone-based system called Wellsmith to help people manage their diabetes. But after investing $12 million, the network disclosed last year it was shutting down the company even though initial results were promising, with users losing weight and recording lower blood sugar levels.The reason did not have to do with the program’s potential benefit to Cone’s patients, but rather the harm to its bottom line. Although Cone executives had banked on selling or licensing Wellsmith, Cone concluded that too many competing products had crowded the digital health marketplace to make a dent.“They did us a tremendous favor in funding us, but the one thing we needed them to be was a customer and they couldn’t figure out how to do it,” said Jeanne Teshler, an Austin, Texas-based entrepreneur who developed Wellsmith and was its CEO.Eager to find new sources of revenue, hospital systems of all sizes have been experimenting as venture capitalists for health care startups, a role that until recent years only a dozen or so giant hospital systems engaged in. Health system officials assert many of these investments are dually beneficial to their nonprofit missions, providing extra income and better care through new medical devices, software and other innovations, including ones their hospitals use. But the gamble at times has been harder to pull off than expected. Health systems have gotten rattled by long-term investments when their hospitals hit a budgetary bump or underwent a corporate reorganization. Some health system executives have belatedly discovered a project they underwrote was not as distinctive as they had thought. Certain devices or apps sponsored by hospital systems have failed to be embraced by their own clinicians, out of either skepticism or habit.

Louisiana probing facility where four nursing home residents died after Ida evacuation - Louisiana's health department is raising the prospect of legal action as it investigates a facility where four nursing home residents died after being evacuated ahead of Hurricane Ida. The department said in a statement that it was alerted to four deaths among nursing home residents who were evacuated to the facility in Tangipahoa Parish. Three of the deaths are classified as storm related. The agency said inspectors visited the site after hearing of “deteriorating conditions” after Ida made landfall, but were “expelled from the property and prevented from conducting a full assessment on Tuesday.” “We have significant concerns about conditions in this facility,” the department said. “This is a serious and active investigation. We will be taking action against these nursing facilities, and will be making appropriate referrals to law enforcement." The agency said it was working to relocate all 843 patients who were evacuated to the facility from seven different nursing homes. As of 9:46 a.m. local time Thursday, 721 residents had been moved from the facility, 12 of whom were found to be in “condition that required hospitalization.”

 Covid infection protection waning in double jabbed – BBC - Researchers say they are seeing some waning of protection against Covid infections in double-jabbed people. The real-world study includes data on positive Covid PCR test results between May and July 2021 among more than a million people who had received two doses of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. Protection after two shots of Pfizer decreased from 88% at one month to 74% at five to six months. For AstraZeneca, the fall was from 77% to 67% at four to five months. Waning protection is to be expected, say experts. Although some breakthrough infections may be happening, vaccines are still doing a very good job at protecting people against severe Covid illness and deaths. Prof Tim Spector, lead investigator on the Zoe Covid Study app behind the research, said the findings could explain recent breakthrough infections that some fully vaccinated people have been reporting. Prof Spector said: "Waning protection is to be expected and is not a reason to not get vaccinated. "Vaccines still provide high levels of protection for the majority of the population, especially against the Delta variant, so we still need as many people as possible to get fully vaccinated." He estimates that protection against infection could drop to 50% by the winter and boosters will be needed, but other experts urge caution about making predictions for the months ahead.

Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections - Reports of waning vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 have begun to surface. With that, the comparable long-term protection conferred by previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. We conducted a retrospective observational study comparing three groups: (1)SARSCoV-2-naïve individuals who received a two-dose regimen of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, (2)previously infected individuals who have not been vaccinated, and (3)previously infected and single dose vaccinated individuals. Three multivariate logistic regression models were applied. In all models we evaluated four outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic disease, COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. The follow-up period of June 1 to August 14, 2021, when the Delta variant was dominant in Israel. Results: SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccinees had a 13.06-fold (95% CI, 8.08 to 21.11) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously infected, when the first event (infection or vaccination) occurred during January and February of 2021. The increased risk was significant (P<0.001) for symptomatic disease as well. When allowing the infection to occur at any time before vaccination (from March 2020 to February 2021), evidence of waning natural immunity was demonstrated, though SARS-CoV-2 naïve vaccinees had a 5.96-fold (95% CI, 4.85 to increased risk for breakthrough infection and a 7.13-fold (95% CI, 5.51 to 9.21) increased risk for symptomatic disease. SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccinees were also at a greater risk for COVID-19-related-hospitalizations compared to those that were previously infected. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine-induced immunity. Individuals who were both previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and given a single dose of the vaccine gained additional protection against the Delta variant.

 Booster shots won’t stop the delta variant. Here’s the math to prove it. WaPo - Many vaccinated people are asking whether it’s time to get a booster dose. But the math behind the spread of infectious diseases like covid-19 can help us see that it’s not. The basic reproductive number, or R0 (pronounced arr-naught), is a measure of the average number of people directly infected by a single infectious person in a scenario where no one in the population has any immunity to the disease. The original virus that caused covid-19 had an R0 of about 3, meaning that someone infected in April 2020 would, on average, infect three others. The delta variant is two to three times more infectious; on average, one infected person may infect between six and nine people if none of them are vaccinated or had a prior infection. But to really understand what we can expect from the delta variant, we need to consider vaccinations, natural immunity and any precautions people are taking to lower their chances of being exposed, such as wearing masks and social distancing. To do that, epidemiologists calculate another measure, called the effective reproduction number, or Re (pronounced arr-eee). . Technically speaking, the Re measures how many new people a single person infects, accounting for whatever precautions people are taking and overall immunity levels. Whether we’re talking about the Re or the R0, any value larger than 1 means trouble, because if each person can infect more than one other person, any disease outbreak will continue to spread exponentially unless we take action. The Re for a place and time can be calculated from the R0 using a fairly simple equation: Multiply the R0 by the proportion of the population that is susceptible to the disease. This proportion can be expressed as 1 minus the proportion of the population that is immune to the disease, and it can incorporate different types of immunity. In mathematical terms, the equation would be Re=Ro*(1-x*v), where x*v is the proportion of the population that is immune, x is the percentage of people who are fully immune (i.e., vaccinated) and v is the vaccine’s effectiveness. Understanding this formula will yield important intuition on why boosters aren’t yet helpful, so let’s walk through a simplified example supposing that everyone in the population was vaccinated. Calculating how effective vaccines are against new variants is challenging, but epidemiologists have estimated that the two-dose vaccines are about 85 percent effective against the delta variant. That’ll be our value for v, with one important caveat — for simplicity, we are assuming that all vaccines have the same effectiveness, because we don’t have great data on how the vaccines differ for the delta variant. For demonstration purposes, we’ll use an R0 of 8 (although the range is between 6 and 9, so try out other values and see how things change). Based on these numbers, our Re estimate would be around 1.2 if we were able to vaccinate 100 percent of the population. That’s still higher than 1, but just barely, and it’s definitely within a range where other control measures such as frequent testing and contact tracing would probably be enough to stop any outbreak.

Health officials are advising the White House to scale back its booster plan. Top federal health officials have told the White House to scale back a plan to offer coronavirus booster shots to the general public later this month, saying that regulators need more time to collect and review all the necessary data, according to people familiar with the discussion.Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, who heads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned the White House on Thursday that their agencies may be able to determine in the coming weeks whether to recommend boosters only for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — and possibly just some of them to start.The two health leaders made their argument in a meeting with Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator. Several people who heard about the session said it was unclear how Mr. Zients responded. But he has insisted for months that the White House will always follow the advice of government scientists, wherever it leads.Asked about the meeting, a White House spokesman on Friday said, “We always said we would follow the science, and this is all part of a process that is now underway,” adding that the administration was awaiting a “full review and approval” of booster shots by the F.D.A. as well as a recommendation from the C.D.C.“When that approval and recommendation are made,” the spokesman, Chris Meagher, said, “we will be ready to implement the plan our nation’s top doctors developed so that we are staying ahead of this virus.” Less than three weeks ago, Mr. Biden said that, contingent on F.D.A. approval, the government planned to start offering boostersthe week of Sept. 20 to adults who had received their second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least eight months ago. That would include many health care workers and nursing home residents, as well as some people older than 65, who were generally the first to be vaccinated. Administration officials have said that recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would probably be offered an additional shot soon as well.

Impact of Delta on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the UK (preprint) Abstract: The effectiveness of BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, and mRNA-1273 vaccines against new SARS-CoV-2 infections requires continuous re-evaluation, given the increasingly dominant Delta variant. We investigated the effectiveness of the vaccines in a large community-based survey of randomly selected households across the UK. We found that the effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAd0x1 against any infections (new PCR positives) and infections with symptoms or high viral burden is reduced with the Delta variant. A single dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine had similar or greater effectiveness compared to a single dose of BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1. Effectiveness of two doses remains at least as great as protection afforded by prior natural infection. The dynamics of immunity following second doses differed significantly between BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1, with greater initial effectiveness against new PCR-positives but faster declines in protection against high viral burden and symptomatic infection with BNT162b2. There was no evidence that effectiveness varied by dosing interval, but protection was higher among those vaccinated following a prior infection and younger adults. With Delta, infections occurring following two vaccinations had similar peak viral burden to those in unvaccinated individuals. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination still reduces new infections, but effectiveness and attenuation of peak viral burden are reduced with Delta.

High virus count in the lungs drives COVID-19 deaths --A buildup of coronavirus in the lungs is likely behind the steep mortality rates seen in the pandemic, a new study finds. The results contrast with previous suspicions that simultaneous infections, such as bacterial pneumonia or overreaction of the body’s immune defense system, played major roles in heightened risk of death, the investigators say. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new study showed that people who died of COVID-19 had on average 10 times the amount of virus, or viral load, in their lower airways as did severely ill patients who survived their illness. Meanwhile, the investigators found no evidence implicating a secondary bacterial infection as the cause of the deaths, although they cautioned that this may be due to the frequent course of antibiotics given to critically ill patients.“Our findings suggest that the body’s failure to cope with the large numbers of virus infecting the lungs is largely responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the pandemic,” says study lead author Imran Sulaiman, MD, PhD, an adjunct professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health.Current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he notes, do not encourage use of antivirals such as remdesivir for severely ill patients on mechanical ventilation. But Sulaiman says the NYU Langone study results suggest that these medications may still remain a valuable tool in treating these patients.Despite previous concerns that the virus may prompt the immune system to attack the body’s own lung tissue and lead to dangerous levels of inflammation, the investigators found no evidence that this was a major contributor to COVID-19 deaths in the group studied. In fact, Sulaiman notes that the strength of the immune response appeared proportionate to the amount of virus in the lungs.

Hospitalizations for children sharply increase as Delta surges, C.D.C. studies find.- Pediatric hospitalizations for Covid-19 have soared over the summer as the highly contagious Delta variant spread across the country, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.From late June to mid-August, hospitalization rates in the United States for children and teenagers increased nearly fivefold, although they remain slightly below January’s peak, one new studyfound.But vaccination has made a difference. During this summer’s wave, the hospitalization rate was 10 times as high in unvaccinated adolescents as in those who were vaccinated, researchers found. Pediatric hospital admissions were nearly four times as high in states with the lowest vaccination rates as in those with the highest rates, according to a second study.The studies, released on Friday, do not provide clear answers about whether Delta causes more severe disease in children than earlier versions of the virus. The rise in pediatric hospitalizations could also be because of the variant’s high infectiousness.Indeed, one study concluded that the proportion of hospitalized children with severe disease had not changed in late June and July, when the Delta variant became dominant in the United States.

A new study found half of hospitalized Covid patients had lingering symptoms one year later. - One year after becoming ill with the coronavirus, nearly half of patients in a large new study were still experiencing at least one lingering health symptom, adding to evidence that recovery from Covid-19 can be arduous and that the multifaceted condition known as “long Covid” can last for months.The study, * published Thursday in the journal The Lancet, is believed to be the largest to date in which patients were evaluated one year after being hospitalized for Covid. It involved 1,276 patients admitted to Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, who were discharged between Jan. 7 and May 29, 2020.The researchers, who also evaluated the patients six months after hospitalization, found that while many symptoms improved over time and many of the 479 people who had been employed when they got Covid had returned to their original job, 49 percent of patients still had at least one health problem.And shortness of breath and mental health issues such as anxiety or depression were slightly more prevalent 12 months later than at the six-month mark, the researchers reported, saying the reasons for that “worrying” increase were unclear.The researchers also compared the patients in the study with people in the community who had not had Covid but had similar pre-existing health conditions and other characteristics. After 12 months, Covid survivors had worse overall health than people who had not been infected. They were also much more likely to be experiencing pain or discomfort, anxiety or depression, and mobility problems than those who had not had the disease.The patients, whose median age was 57, were given physical exams, lab tests and a standard measure of endurance and aerobic capacity called a six-minute walk test. They were also interviewed about their health.The study involved patients who were sick enough to be hospitalized, but who were generally not the most severely debilitated. About 75 percent required supplemental oxygen when they were hospitalized, but most did not need intensive care, ventilators or even high-flow nasal oxygen, a noninvasive method. Women were more likely than men to have some lingering symptoms, including mental health issues and lung function problems….

Breakthough infections are less likely to lead to long Covid, a study suggests. - People who experience breakthrough infections of the coronavirus after being fully vaccinated are about 50 percent less likely to experience long Covid than are unvaccinated people who catch the virus, researchers said in a large new report on British adults. The study, which was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Wednesday, also provides more evidence that the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines offer powerful protection against symptomatic and severe disease. “This is really, I think, the first study showing that long Covid is reduced by double vaccination, and it’s reduced significantly,” said Dr. Claire Steves, a geriatrician at King’s College London and the study’s lead author. Although many people with Covid recover within a few weeks, some experience long-term symptoms, which can be debilitating. This constellation of lingering aftereffects that have become known as long Covid may include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, heart palpitations and other symptoms. But much about the condition remains mysterious. “We don’t have a treatment yet for long Covid,” Dr. Steves said. Getting vaccinated, she said, “is a prevention strategy that everybody can engage in.” The findings add to a growing pile of research on so-called breakthrough infections among vaccinated people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the highly contagious Delta variant is causing more of these breakthroughs than other versions of the virus, although infections in fully vaccinated people still tend to be mild. The new findings are based on data from more than 1.2 million adults in the Covid Symptom Study, in which volunteers use a mobile app to log their symptoms, test results and vaccination records. The participants include those who received at least one dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines between Dec. 8 and July 4, as well as a control group of unvaccinated people. Of the nearly 1 million people who were fully vaccinated, 0.2 percent reported a breakthrough infection, the researchers found. Those who did get breakthrough infections were roughly twice as likely to be asymptomatic as were those who were infected and unvaccinated. The odds of being hospitalized were 73 percent lower in the breakthrough group than the infected, unvaccinated group. The odds of having long-term symptoms — lasting at least four weeks after infection — were also 49 percent lower in the breakthrough group. “Of course, vaccines also massively reduce your risk of getting infected in the first place,” Dr. Steves said. That lowered risk means that vaccination should reduce the odds of long Covid by even more, she noted.

Judge orders Cinci hospital to treat COVID-19 patient with Ivermectin, despite CDC warnings - A Butler County judge ruled in favor of a woman last week who sought to force a hospital to administer Ivermectin — an animal dewormer that federal regulators have warned against using in COVID-19 patients — to her husband after several weeks in the ICU with the disease.Butler County Common Pleas Judge Gregory Howard ordered West Chester Hospital, part of the University of Cincinnati network, to treat Jeffrey Smith, 51, with Ivermectin. The order, filed Aug. 23, compels the hospital to provide Smith with 30mg of Ivermectin daily for three weeks.The drug was originally developed to deworm livestock animals before doctors began using it against parasitic diseases among humans. Several researchers won a Nobel Prize in 2015 for establishing its efficacy in humans. It’s used to treat head lice, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and others.Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned Americans against the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, a viral disease. It’s unproven as a treatment, they say, and large doses of it can be dangerous and cause serious harm. A review of available literature conducted earlier this month by the journal Nature found there’s no certainty in the available data on potential benefits of Ivermectin. The drug has grown in popularity among conservatives, fueled by endorsements from allies of former President Donald Trump like U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc. or Fox News personalities Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity. The CDC warned reports of poisoning related to use of Ivermectin have increased threefold this year, spiking in July.

Safer, Less Expensive, Than Aspirin? -- And Actually Therapeutic Against Covid-19? August 31, 2021 - I've mentioned this drug on the blog some time ago but I've avoided the subject because I never understood how an anti-parasitic could "fight" a virus. We're talking about Ivermectin. So, after a year of avoiding talking about it, I finally looked up its "proposed" mechanism of action that allows it to fight the Covid-19 virus. Link here. This comes from our own NIH.gov. Published 2020. Intro: Ivermectin ... is a macrocyclic lactone with a broad-spectrum antiparasitic pharmacological activity. It is the safest and most effective semi-synthetic derivative of the entire class of avermectins, discovered in 1975 by Professor Satoshi Ōmura as fermentation products of the actinomycete bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis ... Its main pharmacodynamics is to bind some channel proteins for chlorine controlled by glutamate, typical of specific classes of invertebrates, causing a greater permeability to this electrolyte: all this causes a hyperpolarization of the cell membrane, blocking inhibitory neurotransmission in neurons and myocytes, resulting in paralysis and death. Commercialized since 1981, its low cost, its high efficacy and safety, and the marked tropism for helminths (therefore with an almost zero impact on the biochemistry of human beings) have led to its inclusion in the twenty-first World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines (World Health Organization 2019). Then this: Regarding its role as an antiviral agent, its efficacy has been demonstrated on several viruses, both in vitro and in vivo. Among the many mechanisms by which it performs its function, the most consolidated one sees ivermectin as an inhibitor of nuclear transport mediated by the importin α/β1 heterodimer, responsible for the translocation of various viral species proteins (HIV-1, SV40), indispensable for their replication. This inhibition appears to affect a considerable number of RNA viruses, such as Dengue Virus 1-4, West Nile Virus, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus, and Influenza. In addition, ivermectin has been shown to be effective against the Pseudorabies virus (PRV, with a DNA-based genome), both in vitro and in vivo, using the same mechanism. Caly [has] recently shown that the drug also inhibits the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro, however not clarifying how it occurs. And, then: However, ivermectin could prove to be a powerful antiviral, therefore also useful for a possible treatment of the new coronavirus associated syndrome, even from a new perspective. This could happen assuming its role as an ionophore agent, only hinted in the recent past but never fully described. Ionophores are molecules that typically have a hydrophilic pocket which constitutes a specific binding site for one or more ions (usually cations), while its external surface is hydrophobic, allowing the complex thus formed to cross the cell membranes, affecting the hydro-electrolyte balance. These chemical species have historically been used to study the mitochondrial respiratory chain and ATP synthesis in eukaryotes (in this case also known as decoupling agents, such as 2, 4-dinitrophenol), and their antibiotic activity has long been appreciated. It is also hypothesized their role as antiviral drugs and anticancer chemotherapeutic agents. Thinking of the structure of two of the most important ionophores, monensin A and valinomycin, respectively a polyether and a depsipeptide antibiotic, it is clear that they internally present many oxygen atoms (with related free electron doublets), indispensable for binding cations and transporting them through phospholipidic bilayers. In Africa, this drug is given -- liberally -- to treat river blindness. From a reader: So, here's why the case numbers are so low in that belt of Africa. Guess what is widely distributed to treat river blindness. And this chart is from the World Health Organization. Numbers are from Johns Hopkins.The audacity of "regulators" to force vaccination using EUA vaccines with less than one year's experience, while refusing to allow physicians to prescribe one of the safest drugs ever. And cheapest. To actually treat a deadly virus. How about a controlled study? Allow use of ivermectin in Florida but not in California.

Utah poison control center sees five-fold increase in calls about Ivermectin — Poison control in Utah is reporting an increase in calls about Ivermectin, a drug normally used to treat livestock, according to our news content sharing partners at the Salt Lake Tribune.Ivermectin is a prescription medication used to treat infections caused by parasites in animals like cows, horses and sheep but many people have tried to use it lately as a treatment for COVID-19.The Salt Lake Tribune reported, calls to poison control centers about the drug in Utah have increased “five-fold” according to medical toxicologist Dr. Michael Moss, medical director of the Utah Poison Control Center.Dr. Moss said he believes the interest in using ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment came from very early research testing if the drug would stop the virus from infecting cells in a laboratory, and individuals “latched on to that early in the pandemic,” which further spread through social media.The use of the drug to treat COVID-19 has not been approved by the FDA and overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, comas and even death. The medication also may increase “the effects of other drugs that cause central nervous system depression such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates.” To reach the Utah Poison Control Center anytime call 1-800-222-1222.

Health experts keep warning against using ivermectin as a Covid treatment. Some Americans refuse to listen. A doctor in rural Oklahoma says hospitals are backed up with patients who have overdosed on veterinary ivermectin, an anti-parasite medication. Mississippi’s health department said that 70 percent of recent calls to the state poison control center in August came from people who ingested ivermectin from livestock supply stores.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a person had an “altered mental status” after apparently taking five pills of ivermectin — that he had purchased on the internet — daily for five days. Another person drank an ivermectin formula intended for cattle and was hospitalized for nine days with tremors and hallucinations.Three inmates in a jail in northwest Arkansas told The Associated Press that they were unknowingly given ivermectin among their Covid medications. The C.D.C. reported almost 90,000 prescriptions per week in mid-August, up from a prepandemic average of 3,600 per week. Veterinary supply store shelves have been emptied of ivermectin.Public health warnings against using the drug as a treatment for Covid-19, especially not in the large doses crafted for livestock, appear to have made little dent in its surging popularity in the United States — or in the minds of its defenders in the conservative and fringe right-wing media sphere. The podcasting giant Joe Rogan listed ivermectin this week among the treatments he was given after contracting the virus. The conspiracy-monger Alex Jones, who has been banned from Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, took out a box of ivermectin pills during one of his trademark rants and popped two tablets live on the show he still manages to stream.

 Mississippi governor offers religious pipedreams for COVID-19, not science-based public health measures - During a Republican Party fundraiser held August 26 in Memphis, Tennessee, Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi addressing a group standing shoulder to shoulder, said, “I’m often asked by some of my friends on the other side of the aisle regarding COVID … and why does it seem like both in Mississippi and maybe in the mid-South people are a little less scared, shall we say?” This provocative question could have been answered with the frank admission that politicians like himself, who promote anti-scientific quackery, belittle vaccination and public health measures and appeal to ignorance and religious bigotry, are largely responsible. Instead, he attributed the seeming lack of concern over coronavirus to the religious belief in the afterlife: “When you believe in eternal life, when you believe that living on this earth is but a blip on the screen, then you don’t have to be scared of things.” Then, apparently realizing he was saying something so offensive it might backfire on him politically, he quickly added, “Now, God also tells us to take necessary precautions. And we all have opportunities and abilities to do that, and we should all do that. I encourage everyone to do so.” He proceeded to affirm optimistically that case rates and hospitalizations in his state were finally holding steady and fully vindicated his persistent opposition to imposing the most meager measure to contain the pandemic, including mask or vaccine mandates. Actually, Governor Reeves is presently presiding over a state that last week not only registered the highest rate of new cases of COVID-19 per capita in the country, it was also the pandemic hotspot of the world. If Mississippi were a separate country, it would lead every other nation on this planet in new infections per capita.

Marin County School Superspreader Event: Another Scientific Communications Debacle from CDC (and the Press) Lambert Strether --Last Friday, the CDC published “Outbreak Associated with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant in an Elementary School — Marin County, California, May–June 2021” (“Outbreak”). This got a lot of play in the Northern California press, with a good deal of reporting done (or at least original stories written), because the study was led by Marin County Public Health, and they with other California epidemiologists and experts wrote the study up and then submitted it to the CDC, which accepted it. Good for them! However, there is a question “Outbreak” does not ask, and that the press did not ask. Here is what “Outbreak” says in the “Investigation and Findings” section: The index patient became symptomatic on May 19 with nasal congestion and fatigue. This teacher reported attending social events during May 13–16 but did not report any known COVID-19 exposures and attributed symptoms to allergies. The teacher continued working during May 17–21, subsequently experiencing cough, subjective fever, and headache. The school required teachers and students to mask while indoors; interviews with parents of infected students suggested that students’ adherence to masking and distancing guidelines in line with CDC recommendations (3) was high in class. However, the teacher was reportedly unmasked on occasions when reading aloud in class. On May 23, the teacher notified the school that they received a positive result for a SARS-CoV-2 test performed on May 21 and self-isolated until May 30. The teacher did not receive a second COVID-19 test, but reported fully recovering during isolation.The index patient’s students began experiencing symptoms on May 22. During May 23–26, among 24 students in this grade, 22 were tested…. Twelve (55%) of the 22 students received a positive test result, including eight who experienced symptom onset during May 22–26. Throughout this period, all desks were separated by 6 ft. Students were seated in five rows; the attack rate in the two rows seated closest to the teacher’s desk was 80% (eight of 10) and was 28% (four of 14) in the three back rows… It’s rather remarkable that CDC can present a study that assumes aerosols as the primary mode of transmission en passant, without actually using the word — perhaps the Marin County officials were savvy enough to avoid it — and without incorporating aerosol transmission into their messaging (“It’s like cigarette smoke”) or indeed admitting any error.

Florida rocked by devastating wave of police deaths due to COVID-19 - At least 29 Florida law enforcement officers have died from COVID-19 as cases and hospitalizations rise throughout the state. Three officers in the Tampa Bay area recently lost their lives to the virus — St. Petersburg police officer Michael Weiskopf, 52, Manatee Corrections Department worker Douglas Clark, 67, and Polk County sheriff’s deputy Christopher Broadhead, 32, Fox13 reported. Weiskopf was unvaccinated, but the vaccination status of Clark and Broadhead is unknown. "Mike could probably be here today if he was vaccinated," St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway told FOX 13. "Wife and I talked about that. But he didn't. All politics aside, get vaccinated. The wife now has to go through this. The police department has to go through this." "When Mike was in the hospital, a lot of officers started getting vaccinated," Holloway added. "I am telling the officers that are out there listening, deputies, do this, please. If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for your family, your coworkers. You need to get vaccinated." Fox 13 reported that 19 staff at the St. Petersburg Police Department were out due to COVID-19 as of Aug. 28. None were hospitalized at the time, according to the outlet. COVID-19 has taken the lives of at least 120 officers across the country in 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which lists the virus as the leading cause of death among law enforcement officials this year. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 4 percent in Florida over the past 14 days bringing the average number of hospitalizations to more than 16,000. Approximately 52 percent of the state is fully vaccinated.

U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Approach a Peak as Delta Variant Spreads – WSJ - Covid-19 hospitalizations nationwide crossed above 100,000 this week for the second time in the pandemic, overwhelming caregiver capacity in several states. Keeping ahead of demand is harder now than during earlier surges, according to doctors, nurses and hospital executives. Patients with other illnesses returned to hospitals this year, leaving fewer open beds as Covid-19 cases soared. The demand is most acute in ICUs, which care for the most-critical patients and need highly trained medical staff. Hospitals are short-staffed and unable to recruit enough nurses and respiratory therapists, who are exhausted as the pandemic wears on. In New York, 10% of ICU beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, down from 28% in January. In Florida, more than half of all ICU beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, double the rate from January. The climb in hospitalizations has been steep, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, hospital officials said. “That spike is more exaggerated,” said Hugh Tappan, who oversees 11HCA Healthcare Inc. hospitals in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. In recent weeks, they have paused surgeries that could be delayed, diverted ambulances and stopped taking patients from other hospitals as capacity has become strained.Many hospitalizations can be prevented with vaccinations, hospital and public-health officials said. Immunizations are effective at preventing serious illness and death, research shows. “We don’t have to have this many hospitalizations and deaths,” said Eric Toner, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “The way out, and we could do this tomorrow, is vaccination, masking and maintaining distance.”Uneven vaccination rates across age groups have skewed younger the ages of patients hospitalized with Covid-19. Data show record rates of hospitalizations across age brackets for young adults and those in younger middle age. “The number of young, otherwise healthy people who are in hospitals is higher than we have ever seen before,” Dr. Toner said.Share of hospital admissions for Covid-19 by age group (table) Older adults are more likely to be vaccinated, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show, and those ages 70 and olderaccount for a smaller share of those hospitalized with the virus than earlier in the pandemic.Breakthrough cases that lead to hospitalization typically occur among people with weak immune systems and other medical conditions, according to hospital officials.Vaccination rates rise with age, with about 60% of people fully vaccinated between ages 40 and 49 but only about half at ages 25 to 39, CDC data show. Chances of catching and spreading the virus are higher among younger adults, who are typically more social and active than the elderly, public-health experts said.Native American, Black and Hispanic patients continue to be disproportionately hospitalized with Covid-19, and hospitalizations are growing fastest among Black patients across 99 counties in 14 states where the CDC collects such data, according to an analysis by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The U.S. reaches a daily average of 100,000 Covid hospitalizations for the first time since the winter peak.The daily average for hospitalized Covid-19 patients in the United States is now more than 100,000 over the last week. That average is higher than in any previous surge except last winter’s, before most Americans were eligible to get vaccinated.The influx of patients is straining hospitals and pushing health care workers to the brink as deaths have risen to an average of more than 1,000 a day for the first time since March. The seven-day average of Covid hospitalizations peaked in mid-January with nearly 140,000 people hospitalized.Hospitalizations nationwide have increased by nearly 500 percent in the past two months, particularly across Southern states, where I.C.U. beds are filling up, a crisis fueled by some of the country’s lowest vaccination rates and widespread political opposition to public health measures like mask requirements. In Florida, 16,457 people are hospitalized, the most of any state, followed by Texas, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With the surge pummeling the nation and overwhelming hospitals, a shortage of bedside nurses has complicated efforts to treat hospitalized coronavirus patients, leading to longer emergency room waiting times and rushed or inadequate care.

In states with virus surges, hospitals have a concerning number of young patients.- As children’s hospitals in many parts of the United States admit more Covid-19 patients, a result of the highly contagious Delta variant, federal and state health officials are grappling with a sharp new concern: children not yet eligible for vaccination in places with substantial viral spread, who are now at higher risk of being infected than at any other time in the pandemic.Nowhere is that worry greater than in Louisiana, which has among the highest new daily case rates in the country and where only 40 percent of people are fully vaccinated, putting children at particular risk as they return to school.At Children’s Hospital New Orleans, the intensive care unit has been jammed with Covid-19 patients, and nurses have raced around monitoring one gut-wrenching case after another. One child was getting a complicated breathing treatment known as ECMO, a last resort after ventilators fail, which nurses said was almost unheard-of for pediatric cases. About half a dozen others were in various stages of distress.Medical staff throughout the hospital said the causes of illness in children were often simple: parents, family members and friends who were unvaccinated and not wearing masks.

The U.S. Has 6.3 Times More COVID-19 Cases Per 100,000 than Canada. What Went Wrong? - As of this past Friday, August 27, the U.S. had 330 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 over the last 7 days, according to the Reuters COVID-19 tracker. Canada had 6.3 times fewer cases, reporting only 52 per 100,000 over the past 7 days. The U.S. stood at 62 percent of its prior peak of cases on Friday while Canada stood at 32 percent of its prior peak. The U.S. and Canada confirmed their first cases of the virus within a week of each other in January of 2020. Both countries began vaccinating their population at roughly the same time, in December of 2020. The majority of shots in both countries came from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses to be considered fully vaccinated. But the U.S. fell dramatically behind Canada in the early days of testing for the virus. By the middle of March 2020, the testing rate in Canada was approximately five times greater than the testing rate in the U.S. Vox explained the difference in testing between the two countries like this on May 4, 2020:“Canada was ahead of the North American curve on testing because its federal government once again made the right choices. In mid-March, Canadian federal authorities launched a large-scale testing procurement program aimed at ensuring the country could test early and often. By contrast, Trump put his unqualified son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in charge of the country’s testing ramp-up. Kushner proceeded to hype a Google testing website that didn’t exist and spearhead a drive-through push that, as of early April, had built a grand total of five testing centers across the entire country.”By July 15, 2020, the Washington Post was reporting that the United States had “more than three times as many total infections per capita, and nearly twice as many deaths” as Canada.As of last Friday, the Canadian government is reporting that 66.3 percent of its population is fully vaccinated while the CDC is reporting that just 52 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Another big difference between the two countries is that Canada has a single-payer national health care system while the U.S. does not. This means that people in Canada do not have to worry about seeking immediate treatment if they believe they have become infected with the virus. In the U.S., people are often hesitant to seek treatment out of fear of the out-of-pocket costs for medical care. There was also a more disciplined approach to mask wearing and social distancing practiced in Canada this past summer. In Canada, the majority of the large concerts and music festivals were cancelled. But as we reported earlier this month, the Lollapalooza Music Festival at Chicago’s Grant Park from July 29 through August 1 packed an estimated 100,000 people into the event on each of its four days. Social distancing was non-existent and a large segment of those attending were not wearing masks. Even after the disastrous experience that New York City had with COVID-19 in 2020, and with the new Delta variant raging in the U.S., New York City allowed the “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” to proceed on Saturday evening, August 21 of this year. The event was expected to attract 60,000 people to the Great Lawn in Central Park. Attendees had to show proof of vaccination. The event was halted due to heavy rain about halfway through. Almost no one wore a mask to the concert despite the fact that Israel’s Director of Public Health Services, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, told millions of U.S. television viewers who watched Face the Nation on August 1 that “…we are seeing about 50 percent of the people who are infected right now are vaccinated, fully vaccinated individuals. And so that is obviously of concern.”

August 30th COVID-19: Data reported on Monday is always low, and will be revised up as data is received - The CDC is the source for all data. According to the CDC, on Vaccinations. Total doses administered: 369,556,911, as of a week ago 363,267,789. Average doses last week: 0.90 million per day. Minimum to achieve "herd immunity" (estimated between 70% and 85%). Increasing 7 day average week-over-week for Cases, Hospitalized, and Deaths : For "herd immunity" most experts believe we need 70% to 85% of the total population fully vaccinated (or already had COVID). 9 states have achieved 60% of total population fully vaccinated: Vermont at 67.9%, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland. New Jersey, Washington and New York at 60.0%. The following 15 states and D.C. have between 50% and 59.9% fully vaccinated: New Mexico at 59.9%, New Hampshire, Oregon, District of Columbia, Virginia, Colorado, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan at 50.5%. Yhis graph shows the daily (columns) and 7 day average (line) of positive tests reported.

 COVID-19 hospitalizations top 100,000 daily average in US --Average daily hospitalizations in the United States due to COVID-19 have topped the 100,000 mark for the first time since last winter, the federal Department of Health and Human Services has reported. Hospitalizations are up 500 percent over the past two months.Medical staff tend to a patient with coronavirus, on a COVID-19 ward inside the Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, La., Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)The statistic is an ominous milestone of an impending surge in deaths, which have already passed the mark of 1,000 per day for the first time since March. In portions of Florida and Oregon, as well as other states, portable morgues have been ordered to handle the current or anticipated demand.The rise in hospitalizations is concentrated in the Southern states. Florida leads in this dismal category, with an average of 16,467 COVID-19 cases so serious they require hospitalization, with Texas following with 14,352. The 11 states across the South, from Oklahoma to North Carolina and south to the Gulf Coast, account for 57,311 hospitalizations, more than half the US total.But no region is spared. California ranks third with a daily average of 8,700 hospitalizations, and New York, Ohio and Illinois are in the top 15 states. Infections have risen sharply all across the country, although the more heavily vaccinated areas have seen a somewhat lesser increase in the number of hospitalizations.Contrary to the official claims, from Biden on down, that children rarely become seriously ill from COVID-19, the total number of children currently hospitalized for coronavirus reached 1,500 Friday, according to federal figures, with the largest number in Texas, 317, followed by Florida with 215. Dozens have died According to figures reported by the New York Times Monday, one in five intensive care units in the United States has at least 95 percent of beds occupied. States like Alabama and Mississippi, with decrepit health care infrastructures in the best of times, have virtually no beds available. Parts of Texas and Florida are approaching those conditions.The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a disaster declaration for Louisiana and Mississippi because of the combined impact of the pandemic and Hurricane Ida.

 Coronavirus dashboard: the Delta wave starts to recede in the South, and migrates North - Ultimately, that I have to continue to post this material is depressing. At least 80% of all US adults and most teenagers should have been fully vaccinated by now, with the threat of mass outbreaks, even from Delta, retreating into the past. So let me begin with the best graphic representation I have seen so far of where the resistance to vaccination is coming from (via Morning Consult): Note that for all the attention the opposition of the Trumpist GOP has received, an even *greater* share (39%) of the Young Invincibles, age 18-34, are either uncertain or unwilling, and 62% have been or have plans to get vaccinated. Additionally, right behind the GOPers, 33% of Blacks are uncertain or unwilling, and only 67% have been or have plans to get vaccinated. Further, when we look at the data longitudinally over time, we see that while a large percentage of “uncertain” Blacks have been persuaded to get the shot, only modest progress has been made both with regard to GOPers and the Young Invincibles: Turning to the present situation, the “good” or at least less bad news is that the week over week increase in new cases continues to slow, now at “only” 6%. The increase in deaths, which lags by 3 to 4 weeks, may be showing its first signs of deceleration as well: Even if so, during that time cases have risen by over 35%. A similar increase in deaths will give us over 1800 deaths per day by September 21, and possibly as high as 2500 or so by the end of September. California’s case rate may have peaked in the last week, and indeed 17 States + DC show either a plateau in cases or an outright decline: Note that all of the original hotspots in the South - MO, AR, LA, TX, MS, AL, and FL - fit into this group. Meanwhile 16 other States, almost all in the interior West or Midwest, plus the Carolinas and Georgia, are showing a solid uptrend in cases: Among these, the most unvaccinated States including ND, WY, WV, and IN, and the next lowest tier, including SD, GA, SC, and OH, are included in this group. In other words, the epicenter of the Delta outbreak, having gone through most of the dry tinder in the Deep South, is now migrating northward, especially to the least vaccinated States in that climate zone. While I continue to think that on a nationwide basis, the peak of the Delta wave is close at hand, the fact that SD in the wake of the acid test of the Sturgis rally appears *not* to have anything close to herd immunity, causes me to think that the decline in cases after Labor Day or so is likely to be short-lived, with another wave hitting as schooling resumes throughout the north, and colder weather gives rise to more indoor gatherings.

COVID-19 infections and deaths spiral out of control in Oregon - The state of Oregon recorded its highest number of recorded cases on Monday. The new record of 5,495 cases far surpasses the previous high of 2,147 cases recorded on December 4, 2020. The state also reported 40 new deaths on Monday. Hospitals across the state are in danger of becoming overwhelmed. Democratic Governor Kate Brown’s administration has responded to the crisis by rejecting lockdowns and social distancing measures while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the full reopening of schools, which begins today. Funeral homes have seen such a rise in deaths that refrigeration trucks are necessary to store the bodies of those who have succumbed to the virus. Two Oregon counties, Tillamook and Josephine counties, have requested refrigeration trucks. The director of emergency management for Tillamook County, Gordon McCraw, informed Portland Fox 12 that 20 percent of those tested for COVID-19 in the county are testing positive. The virus is now devastating rural communities across Oregon. Southern Oregon communities such as Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass have intensive care units that are 100 percent full of COVID-19 patients. Dr. Michael Blumhardt, the ICU medical director at these hospitals, told NPR what is now a familiar truth: hospitals are treating COVID-19 patients in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. A new study by the Oregon Health & Science University has found that Oregon will need at least 400 to 500 more staffed hospital beds by Labor Day, September 6, if cases continue rising at the current rate. Hospitals are already having to turn patients away due to lack of beds. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, there are only 39 available ICU beds left out of 671 in the entire state. Only 314 non-ICU hospital beds are now available out of 4,240. The fact that hospitals are woefully understaffed and undersupplied is an indictment of not only Kate Brown’s administration, but the Democratic Party as a whole. The state government has responded to this crisis by doing as little as possible to slow down the spread of the virus. Charles Boyle, speaking for the Brown administration, offered up pseudoscience on Monday, claiming that economic restrictions are no longer as effective now as they were last year. Boyle claimed that the most effective way to fight the Delta variant is through vaccination alone. This is an outright lie.

 As the virus surges in Oregon, counties are asking for mobile morgues to house the dead. -During the first 18 months of the pandemic, Oregon’s Tillamook County reported five deaths from Covid-19. But from Aug. 18 to Aug. 23, it had six. And now the county has asked the state for a refrigerated truck to help store an overflow of bodies from the morgue.In a letter published in the local newspaper, the Tillamook County Board of Supervisers pleaded with residents to “please get vaccinated,” noting that 86 percent of new cases are among the unvaccinated. The local funeral home is at capacity — the surge “has put a strain on our ability to store the bodies of the deceased,” the commissioners wrote.The strain in Tillamook is being felt elsewhere in the state, with other local jurisdictions seeking help storing the deceased, according to The Associated Press.The challenges reflected a 990 percent increase in Covid hospitalizations since July 9 in Oregon, where leaders have deployed the National Guard to hospitals, dispatched crisis teams to the hardest-hit regions of the state and ordered educators and health care workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.

Delta variant surges in Hawaii while schools remain open - Like the rest of the United States, the Hawaiian Islands are feeling the deadly effects of the pandemic surge fueled by the Delta variant even with one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. The situation across the state is becoming increasingly dire with hospitals running out of space and the morgue in Honolulu running at 40 percent over capacity. Last Friday saw two single-day records being set in the state with nine new deaths and 1,035 new cases. While the Honolulu morgue can hold up to 60 people, as of Friday morning, there were 51 bodies being held there, with seventeen in a mortuary trailer that was deployed on Tuesday to help cope with the rise in deaths. There were also fourteen bodies being held at a back-up storage facility on Friday that is also rapidly running out of space. It was only two weeks ago that Hawaii's hospitals were almost completely overwhelmed, and there is still a re-route order in place for ambulances on Oahu to ensure that individual hospitals do not become overwhelmed. The situation has become so dire that Democratic Governor David Ige began encouraging tourists to think twice before traveling to Hawaii as well as saying he has not ruled out a lockdown if the numbers continue to worsen. Given the surge of the pandemic over the course of the last few weeks, and the fact that 163,000 students are currently enrolled in public schools in Hawaii, one would think that schools would have already returned to remote learning in Hawaii, but that is not the case. In keeping with the policies laid down by the Biden administration, Hawaii's schools have not only remained open during the surge, there has been no call to close them down by the Democrats or Republicans.

These 5 states have less than 10% of ICU beds left as Covid-19 overwhelms hospitals - As Covid-19 cases surge across the US, particularly among unvaccinated Americans, hospitals have been pushed to their limits treating the influx of patients -- and five states are nearly out of ICU beds. Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Arkansas have less than 10% left of their ICU bed capacity, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. In Georgia, the CEO of Northeast Georgia Health Systems said it had 287 Covid patients Monday morning, which is more than the hospital has had since January. "So, in essence, our hospitals are full," Carol Burrell said. "We're looking to add space in hallways and conference rooms in waiting areas. Our emergency rooms and our urgent care centers are seeing higher volume than they've seen throughout this pandemic," she said. And it's not just the South now. On Tuesday, Idaho had just four ICU beds available out of the 400 beds total in the state, Gov. Brad Little said. "Yesterday evening I toured a nearly full ICU wing in Boise. What I saw was heartbreaking. Among the Covid-positive patients all of them were unvaccinated," Little said. "Some were young, two were middle-aged, two patients were pregnant. I was told the average age of the patients was 43. All of them were struggling to breathe and most were only breathing with help from a machine," the governor said in a televised address Tuesday. Hospitals around the country have been stretched as cases have picked back up, but the South, where vaccinations have been lagging, has been particularly hit. Many hospitals have been reporting oxygen shortages. On Monday, data presented by a vaccine adviser from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a hospitalization rate 16 times greater in the unvaccinated population than in those vaccinated. "This to me seems to be a strong indication that the current epidemiologic curve that we're seeing is really a reflection of failure to vaccinate, not vaccine failure," said Dr. Matthew F. Daley at the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting. The effect of the low vaccination levels can be seen in Kentucky, where hospitals are overwhelmed with record numbers of Covid-19 patients and 58 of the 96 hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. "We're living in a reality where some Covid patients who are sick are being treated in their cars when there isn't room for them inside the ER or inside the hospital," Beshear said.

US Hospitals Hit With Nurse Staffing Crisis Amid COVID - The COVID-19 pandemic has created a nurse staffing crisis that is forcing many U.S. hospitals to pay top dollar to get the help they need to handle the crush of patients this summer. The problem, health leaders say, is twofold: Nurses are quitting or retiring, exhausted or demoralized by the crisis. And many are leaving for lucrative temporary jobs with traveling-nurse agencies that can pay $5,000 or more a week. It's gotten to the point where doctors are saying, “Maybe I should quit being a doctor and go be a nurse,” said Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer at Georgia's Augusta University Medical Center, which has on occasion seen 20 to 30 resignations in a week from nurses taking traveling jobs. “And then we have to pay premium rates to get staff from another state to come to our state,” Coule said. The average pay for a traveling nurse has soared from roughly $1,000 to $2,000 per week before the pandemic to $3,000 to $5,000 now, said Sophia Morris, a vice president at San Diego-based health care staffing firm Aya Healthcare. She said Aya has 48,000 openings for traveling nurses to fill. At competitor SimpliFi, President James Quick said the hospitals his company works with are seeing unprecedented levels of vacancies. “Small to medium-sized hospitals generally have dozens of full-time openings, and the large health systems have hundreds of full-time openings," he said. The explosion in pay has made it hard on hospitals without deep enough pockets. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly lamented recently that the state's hospitals risk being outbid for nurses by other states that pay a “fortune.” She said Wednesday that several hospitals, including one in Topeka, had open beds but no nurses to staff them. In Kansas City, Missouri, Truman Medical Centers has lost about 10 nurses to travel jobs in recent days and is looking for travelers to replace them, said CEO Charlie Shields. He said it is hard to compete with the travel agencies, which are charging hospitals $165 to $170 an hour per nurse. He said the agencies take a big cut of that, but he estimated that nurses are still clearing $70 to $90 an hour, which is two to three times what the hospital pays its staff nurses. “I think clearly people are taking advantage of the demand that is out there,” Shields said. “I hate to use `gouged’ as a description, but we are clearly paying a premium and allowing people to have fairly high profit margins.” In Texas, more than 6,000 travel nurses have flooded the state to help with the surge through a state-supported program. But on the same day that 19 of them went to work at a hospital in the northern part of the state, 20 other nurses at the same place gave notice that they would be leaving for a traveling contract, said Carrie Kroll, a vice president at the Texas Hospital Association. “The nurses who haven’t left, who have stayed with their facilities, they are seeing these other people come in now who are making more money. It provides a tense working environment,"

Florida Deaths at Record; Kids Hit by Delta Wave: Virus Update - - Florida reported 2,345 additional Covid-19 deaths in its latest weekly report, the most ever in a similar period.The daily average rose 36% to 335, according to calculations based on data in the report. That would surpass the high for the entire pandemic in Johns Hopkins University data. The data is based on when the death was reported, not when it occurred.People 65-and-over accounted for 63% of the deaths. Cumulatively over the entire pandemic, Florida seniors have made up 79% of deaths. Kids were much more likely to be hospitalized as the delta variant became widespread, two studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday found. But children did not appear to contract more serious illness, requiring intensive care, for example, than in previous viral surges. Covid-19 outbreaks in Colorado schools more than doubled in a week to 42, the Denver Post reported, quoting official state data. New clusters also popped up at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, the newspaper said. Governor Kay Ivey designated $12.3 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to attract traveling nurses to help Alabama during its worst Covid-19 surge of the pandemic. “I’m pleased to see more folks getting vaccinated, but we are still in the thick of Covid-19 and our hospitals are overwhelmed,” the Republican governor said in a statement. Hospitalizations are almost as high as during the winter surge, state data show. “Alabama’s hospitals were already facing a nursing shortage prior to the pandemic, and after 18 months of grueling hours and emotionally draining work, the shortage has only worsened,” the Alabama Hospital Association said in a statement. Alabama has the slowest pace of vaccination in the U.S. after Mississippi and Idaho, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

Here’s a closer look at what we know about a burning question: When will the Delta surge end? - The United States has entered the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic — or fifth, depending on which expert you ask. As the vaccination campaign lags and the contagious Delta variant spreads, cases and hospitalizations are at their highest since last winter. Covid-19 deaths, too, are on a steady incline.After every other peak has come a trough, however, often for reasons that were not immediately obvious. In Britain, where the variant is also the dominant form of the coronavirus, daily cases fell from a peak of 60,000 in mid-July to half that within two weeks, though they have since been climbing again.In India, the numbers spiked to more than 400,000 daily cases this spring; experts estimated that the true figure could be more than 20 times greater. The unimaginable toll shocked many who had declared that the country had successfully eluded the virus. But then, in June, infections fell drastically.Scientists are struggling to understand why Delta outbreaks in those countries dissipated, even if temporarily, and what that may mean for similar surges, including the one in the United States.In the United States, the variant’s pace has slowed, and new infections are falling in some states, like Missouri, that Delta struck hard. The number of infections over the last week is now 14 percent higher than it was two weeks ago, a fraction of the rate during much of July and early August.Is the Delta surge beginning to slow in the United States? Or is the variant putting the country on course for months of bumps and valleys?Expert opinion varies widely on the direction of the virus in the coming months. A number of national forecasts being tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that caseswill rise in the early weeks of September — but many foresee the opposite.

New COVID variant detected in South Africa, most mutated variant so far - A new coronavirus variant, C.1.2, has been detected in South Africa and a number of other countries, with concerns that it could be more infectious and evade vaccines, according to a new preprint study by South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. The study is awaiting peer review. Scientists first detected C.1.2 in May 2021, finding that it was descended from C.1, which scientists found surprising as C.1 had last been detected in January. The new variant has "mutated substantially" compared to C.1 and is more mutations away from the original virus detected in Wuhan than any other Variant of Concern (VOC) or Variant of Interest (VOI) detected so far worldwide. While first detected in South Africa, C.1.2 has since been found in England, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland. The scientists believe that the number of available sequences of C.1.2 may be an underrepresentation of the spread and frequency of the variant in South Africa and around the world. The study found consistent increases in the number of C.1.2 genomes in South Africa on a monthly basis, rising from 0.2% of genomes sequenced in May to 1.6% in June and then to 2% in July, similar to the increases seen with the Beta and Delta variants there. The study also found that the C.1.2 lineage has a mutation rate of about 41.8 mutations per year, which is nearly twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of the other variants. The scientists stated that this short period of increased evolution was also seen with the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants, suggesting that a single event, followed by a spike in cases, drove faster mutation rates. More than half of the C.1.2 sequences have 14 mutations, but additional mutations have been noticed in some of the sequences, suggesting that evolution within the lineage is ongoing, according to the study. More than half (about 52%) of the mutations in the spike region of the C.1.2 sequences have previously been seen in other VOCs and VOIs. The mutations N440K and Y449H, which have been associated with escape from certain antibodies, have also been noticed in C.1.2 sequences. The scientists stressed that the combination of these mutations, as well as changes in other parts of the virus, likely help the virus evade antibodies and immune responses, including in patients who have already been infected with the Alpha or Beta variants. The scientists added that further work is required to understand the exact impact of these mutations and to see if they give the variant a competitive advantage over the Delta variant.

‘Doomsday’ Covid variant detected in South Africa even worse than Delta strain - A “doomsday” Covid variant has been detected in South Africa – and there are warnings it is worse than the Delta variant.A new preprint study by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases warns the new variant has “mutated substantially” and is more mutations away from the original virus detected in Wuhan than any other variant previously detected.The new variant, known as C. 1.2, first emerged in South Africa but has also been detected in England, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland.It could pose challenges to the first generation of vaccines. Scientists say it’s also possible that people in the United Kingdom who were infected with the earlier variants could be vulnerable to reinfection.Epidemiologist Dr Eric Feigl-Ding said the research suggested the new variant has “mutated substantially” and is more mutations away from the original virus than any other variant detected so far worldwide”. Genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 are not new. They have been emerging and circulating around the world throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.Variants of concern are classified as those where there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease, increased hospitalisations or deaths and reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines.The Delta variant, which is currently causing chaos in NSW, Victoria and across the globe, is classified as a variant of concern.The original Alpha strain of Covid that emerged in the United Kingdom and was previously regarded as the most transmissible before Delta arrived is another.However, there is a category of variant that is regarded as even more severe. Scientists call this a “high consequence variant”. So far, a high consequence variant has not emerged during the pandemic. If it does, it would be a variant with a demonstrated ability to outfox vaccines, more severe clinical disease and increased hospitalisations.

 Delta variant behind sharp spike in Pacific COVID-19 cases - The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a statement on August 26 stressing the importance of “continued vigilance,” as the Delta COVID-19 variant continues to have “dramatic impacts” in parts of the Pacific and Asia. WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, Takeshi Kasai, said it was up to everyone to “stay the course.” By continuing to make the best decisions “based on our experience, shared learning and reliable data,” he emphasised, it is “within our power to reduce the threat of the virus.” The WHO noted that 10 Pacific states have not had any cases of COVID-19 to date. They are some of the most remote: American Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, Pitcairn Island, Kiribati, Tokelau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu. Another five have had no cases in the past 100 days: Wallis and Futuna; Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, and the Marshall Islands. However, three Pacific countries where the Delta variant has gained a foothold–Fiji, French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea—have all experienced a sharp spike in cases and deaths as the virus spreads out of control. In Fiji, infections recently spread beyond the capital Suva and the main island Viti Levu, to more remote villages and towns, including the west-coast holiday island of Malolo, which has 29 active cases. There has also been one death reported on Naviti Island in the Yasawa group. Health Secretary James Fong said new cases, revealed last week, showed the virus had reached “all the major divisions of the country.” There were 184 new cases reported on August 30, including 10 deaths from August 26-30, taking the toll to 489. Of the latest cases, 133 were reported from the Western Division, 40 from the Central Division and 11 from Kadavu in the East. The Northern town of Labasa also has three cases. Fiji now has 19,463 active cases, with 46,141 recorded since the outbreak began in April. Recent deaths include 10 young people, with the latest victims a six-month-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, reported last weekend. Official numbers however fail to show the true extent of cases, as the Health Ministry has admitted its reporting systems are overloaded. In many areas, no testing is taking place.

 Fourth Case Of Contaminated Moderna Vaccine Reported In Japan -Yet another contaminated Moderna Covid-19 vaccine has been reported in Japan - the fourth in less than a week, according to Reuters, which reports that 'several black particles' were found in a Moderna vaccine vial in Kanagawa prefecture.The remainder of the lot has been placed on hold.Last week Japan suspended the use of 1.63 million Moderna doses after being notified of a contaminant which 'could be metal' and reacts to magnets.Moderna and Spanish pharma company Rovi, which bottles the vaccines, says the cause could be a manufacturing issue.Kanagawa prefecture said the vaccine's domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, had collected the vial with the suspected contaminant and that about 3,790 people had already received shots from the same lot.More Moderna shots were temporarily halted in two other regions this week. In some cases, foreign substances have been found in unused vials, whereas others appear to be caused when bits of the vials' rubber stopper break off when needles are incorrectly inserted. –Reuters On Wednesday, Japan's health ministry said that the vial sent to Kanagawa was from a different lot than the previous contamination reports, but has said that 'rubber stopper material' appears to have gone into it during the manufacturing process (which would contradict last week's report that the material 'reacts to magnets').Medical staff are being encouraged to perform visual inspections of vials for foreign materials or discoloration before use.

Israel extends booster shots to everyone aged 12 and above. - Israel on Sunday extended its booster shot campaign to all citizens aged 12 and above amid a surge of Delta variant infections that has made the number of new daily cases among the highest in the world.After a remarkably swift vaccination campaign in the winter and spring, about 80 percent of Israel’s adult population has been inoculated with at least two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine administered three weeks apart.But a new study by Israeli experts points to a waning of the vaccine’s protections over time for all ages, a finding that contributed to a U.S. decision to begin offering booster shots to Americans starting next month.And a nationwide study of people over 60 completed by Israeli experts in late August demonstrates that a third shot provides significant extra protection against both infection and severe illness.Israel began offering third booster shots on Aug. 1 to people aged 60 and above who had received a second shot at least five months earlier. The country rapidly expanded the program to include Israelis aged 30 and above. About 2 million Israelis, or half of those in the eligible groups so far, have already received a third shot.

COVID-19 infections rising as children return to school in Germany - A fresh wave of infections and hospitalisations of children and adolescents is looming in Germany following the start of attendance classes at schools. Forty percent of the German population has not yet been fully vaccinated, and the trend in infection figures is soaring once again.The seven-day average of infections has doubled in the last ten days alone. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), this increase is taking place “much earlier and faster than last year, when comparable incidence rates were first reached in October.” The institute reported last Wednesday of around 16,700 new infections and a rate of infection indicating exponential growth at 1.19.The explosion in the incidence of infection is mostly affecting younger age groups. Incidence rates were highest last week among school children (113), followed by the next highest age group of 15- to 34-year-olds (88). While the seven-day incidence is rising rapidly in all age groups, it has almost doubled in one week among the almost completely unvaccinated group of 5- to 14-year-olds.Despite the triple-digit incidence among children, all state governments are set to move to full face-to-face learning after the summer holidays and systematically reintroduce compulsory attendance—a political crime backed by all of the political parties represented in the German parliament from the Left Party to the conservative Union parties. Currently, only the city state of Hamburg has felt compelled to temporarily suspend compulsory attendance after the incidence rate among school children rose to 222.The situation is particularly acute in Schleswig-Holstein, where the incidence rate among schoolchildren rose to 166 last week and is also driving up infection figures in other age groups.

COVID-19 cases soar in Scotland as schools reopen - Since the Scottish parliament lifted all Covid restrictions on August 9 and schools reopened on August 16 after the summer break, coronavirus cases are soaring. On Friday, cases hit a record high of 6,835, a rise from 1,567 or over 300 percent since the beginning of the autumn term. In comparison, daily cases reached a high of 4,234 during the summer wave. This was the third record set for daily cases in a matter of days. On Sunday the record was surpassed again—for the fourth time in six days—as Scotland reported another 7,113 cases. Half of all new cases are in the under 25 age group, and on Tuesday 34 percent of cases were under 19 years old. Public Health Scotland (PHS) reported a threefold rise in case rates for 16-17-year-olds since August 8, and a fivefold rise for 18-19-year-olds—compared to the national average which doubled. Test positivity rates for children aged 2-17 are at 19.9 percent. On August 24, 15,000 pupils (14,914) were absent from school due to Covid, with nearly 18 percent (2,496) sick with the virus and 11,976 in self-isolation. Over 1,500 Scottish education staff were also absent due to Covid-19 related reasons. Of these, 266 teachers and 215 school-based staff either had a positive Covid test or symptoms. Two out of every 100 pupils were reported absent from school for Covid-related reasons on August 27 by PHS. Even before further and higher education campuses reopen in September, educational settings account for one out of six cases overall. On Monday, 551 people were in hospital and 52 in intensive care, up from 312 people in hospital on August 20 and just 58 on May 4. To August 21, there have been 943 child Covid hospital admissions in Scotland during the pandemic. The total Covid death toll in the country stands at 8,103. The situation had worsened so much that by last Thursday that the World Health Organisation named five health boards in Scotland—Dumfries and Galloway, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian, and Tayside—in its list of the 20 most severely affected areas in Europe.

WHO warns of 236,000 COVID-19 deaths in Europe in next three months - On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a stark projection that the reopening of schools and the abandonment of social distancing measures in Europe will lead to catastrophe. Already, 1.3 million people have died in Europe of COVID-19. As the Delta variant spreads, this autumn could be the deadliest season of the pandemic so far. “Last week, there was an 11 percent increase in the number of deaths in the region; one reliable projection is expecting 236,000 deaths in Europe by December 1,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said. Only 44.2 percent of the European population is fully vaccinated, and Kluge added that the number of people getting vaccinated has fallen by 14 percent over the last six weeks. He said that vaccine skepticism “serves no purpose and is good for no one.” \ As hundreds of children fall seriously ill and die of COVID-19 in America, Indonesia and India, Kluge also appealed for vaccinations of children aged over 12, implicitly acknowledging the risk of massive infections in schools of children and youth, who are largely unvaccinated. One indication of the staggering scope of youth infections is the estimate by the Pasteur Institute that just in France alone, there could be 50,000 infections of children each day by late September. This would mean millions of children falling sick every week in Europe. German Teachers’ Association President Heinz-Peter Meidinger extrapolates figures from the USA on the hospitalisation of children and youth: “If you transfer that to the number of pupils in Germany, i.e., about 11 million, then [hospitalisation] could affect up to 200,000 pupils in the worst case.” With 5 to 10 percent of children who fall ill with COVID-19 suffering from Long COVID, or other lasting damage, this would mean hundreds of thousands of children suffering debilitating long-term health impacts, in addition to thousands of children dying of the virus. There is nothing inevitable about such a horrific scenario. If proven scientific policies are adopted to stop the transmission of COVID-19 and eradicate the virus, these hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of infections do not need to occur. However, such policies face determined opposition across the entire European political establishment, who place corporate profits and the wealth of the super-rich above workers’ lives.

The standard American diet: Downstream revenue for the U.S. health care system - I once heard someone say that the standard American diet (high in fat, sugar, salt and processed foods) was a mechanism for providing downstream revenue to the country's health care system. Two recent reports add to the mounting evidence about how this strangely destructive system works. One report focuses on the effects of eating soybean oil. That oil is one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in packaged food, and it makes up the lion's share of cooking oils. "[S]oybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and depression." Now, that really does spell lots of revenue for the medical system. The study notes that "soybean oil is by far the most widely produced and consumed edible oil in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture." Now I realize our civilization is poisoning itself through both its food and its containers (see below for containers). In fact, we seem to have supercharged the practice with the proliferation of processed foods containing unhealthy ingredients like soybean oil laced with man-made agricultural chemicals dispersed in the environment for our "benefit." This site estimates that there are now more than 150,000 man-made chemicals of all types loose in our world. (We also seem to be experts at polluting the water we drink and the air we breathe, but those deserve pieces all by themselves.)Speaking of agricultural chemicals, we also learned last week that one of the world's most widely used pesticides, chlorpyrifos, may "be partially responsible for the global obesity epidemic."Here's the crux of the findings:Researchers discovered that chlorpyrifos, which is banned for use on foods in Canada but widely sprayed on fruits and vegetables in many other parts of the world, slows down the burning of calories in the brown adipose tissue of mice. Reducing this burning of calories, a process known as diet-induced thermogenesis, causes the body to store these extra calories, promoting obesity.This month, after a 14-year battle with environmental and public health organizations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned chlorpyrifos use on food. Curiously, the agency did NOT ban non-agricultural and non-food uses which will be "reviewed."Chlorpyrifos is just one of many chemicals that concern a group of scientists who published a book entitledOur Stolen Future in 1996 meant to make their findings about endrocrine-disrupting chemicals accessible to the public. Despite their warning, human society has done little to address the threat which comes from agricultural and industrial chemicals and chemicals in food packaging such as bisphenol-A or BPA used in plastics. Instead, obesity and diabetes, two conditions closely linked to endocrine disruptors have skyrocketed. The media and the medical establishment have taken note of the trend, but generally seem very hazy on the cause and offer little on how to reverse it.

Common pesticide may contribute to global obesity crisis A commonly-used pesticide could be partially responsible for the global obesity epidemic, says a study led by McMaster University scientists. Researchers discovered that chlorpyrifos, which is banned for use on foods in Canada but widely sprayed on fruits and vegetables in many other parts of the world, slows down the burning of calories in the brown adipose tissue of mice. Reducing this burning of calories, a process known as diet-induced thermogenesis, causes the body to store these extra calories, promoting obesity. Scientists made the discovery after studying 34 commonly used pesticides and herbicides in brown fat cells and testing the effects of chlorpyrifos in mice fed high calorie diets. Their findings were published in Nature Communications and could have important implications for public health. "Brown fat is the metabolic furnace in our body, burning calories, unlike normal fat that is used to store them. This generates heat and prevents calories from being deposited on our bodies as normal white fat. We know brown fat is activated during cold and when we eat," said senior author Gregory Steinberg, professor of medicine and co-director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research at McMaster. "Lifestyle changes around diet and exercise rarely lead to sustained weight loss. We think part of the problem may be this intrinsic dialling back of the metabolic furnace by chlorpyrifos." Steinberg said chlorpyrifos would only need to inhibit energy use in brown fat by 40 calories every day to trigger obesity in adults, which would translate to an extra five lbs of weight gain per year. He said that while several environmental toxins including chlorpyrifos have been linked to rising obesity rates in both humans and animals, most of these studies have attributed weight gain to increases in food intake and not the burning of calories. While the use of chlorpyrifos on foods is banned in Canada, imported produce may still be treated with it.

Exposure to persistent environmental toxins in everyday products may increase diabetes risk in Latina adolescents --A new USC study finds that a class of environmental pollutants known as “forever chemicals” may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in Latino girls. The pollutants, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of man-made chemicals used across the United States in a wide range of industrial and consumer products, including cookware, stain repellant and pizza boxes.“Because PFAS are in such widespread use and they don’t break down, they have made their way into the drinking water of roughly 200 million Americans,” said researcher Leda Chatzi, a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the new USC Center for Translational Research on Environmental Health. “This is the first study to measure their potential impact on glucose metabolism over time among adolescents and young adults.”The study appears in Environmental Health Perspectives. Data from the study showed that, starting in late puberty, girls who had high levels in childhood of a PFAS called perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) tended to have poorer metabolism of glucose than girls who had low levels of PFHxS as children. The association between high levels of PFHxS and dysregulated glucose metabolism increased after puberty and persisted through 18 years of age. The researchers replicated their findings in a separate group of young adults from the Southern California Children’s Health Study, showing that this link may persist into adulthood.The study found no consistent association between high levels of PFAS and dysregulated glucose metabolism in boys. “We saw the biggest changes in glucose metabolism in puberty, and there are lots of differences in puberty between boys and girls,” said Jesse Goodrich, a postdoctoral scholar at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and first author of the study. “One hypothesis is that PFAS may interact with sex hormones. We plan to follow up on this study by examining the biological mechanism behind the association of PFAS with type 2 diabetes.”

75% of FDNY who worked at Ground Zero following Sept. 11 terror attacks acquired long-term illness: report -Nearly three-quarters of New York City’s Fire Department workers who worked amongst the smoldering, toxic rubble at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan now have some sort of long-term illness linked to their service, according to a new report from the department’s World Trade Center Health Program.Of more than 15,200 firefighters, paramedics and other FDNY workers, more than 11,300 had an illness certified under the guidelines of the federally backed program, ranging from chronic acid reflux and minor breathing problems on the low end to a broad spectrum of mental health problems to deadly lung ailments and lethal cancers. The report offers a unique 20-year snapshot of the most impacted and best-studied contingent of people whose lives were upended on that fateful day.As of the end of March this year, 3,097 FDNY health program members had at least one 9/11-linked cancer, and hundreds of those people had multiple cancers. That grim statistic helps account for another one that is not in the report — nearly 250 firefighters have died since 9/11 of related diseases.The most common ailment is gastroesophageal reflux disease, which nearly a half of firefighters and a quarter of EMTs suffered. That’s followed by similar levels of upper and lower respiratory problems.The infamous “World Trade Center cough,” caused by the caustic dust and smoke from the imploded towers, which plagued more than half the responders in the year after the attacks, is now less than 10%. Similarly, chronic sore throats dropped from nearly two-thirds of the department’s members to just under a quarter now.But the report also reveals some bright spots, highlighting several members of the department who have thrived as best they could despite grievous illnesses. Among them, former Capt. Alfredo Fuentes, who was pulled barely alive from the rubble and now struggles with sinusitis, chronic breathing problems, memory loss and post-concussion syndrome. Another is former Lt. Terrence Jordan, who must be tethered to an oxygen tank to survive.

 Forever Chemicals Are in the Air, Too - In recent years, experts have sounded the alarm about the presence of toxic forever chemicals in drinking water. Now, a new study finds they are also present in the air we breathe. The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters on Tuesday, developed a new technique for measuring the presence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in indoor air, and found them in several locations including kindergarten classrooms, offices, laboratories and a home."Food and water are known to be major sources of PFAS exposure," study senior author and University of Rhode Island oceanography professor Rainer Lohmann said in a Green Science Policy Institute press release. "Our study shows that indoor air, including dust, is another source of exposure to potentially harmful forever chemicals." PFAS are a class of around 9,000 chemicals used to improve stain, water or heat resistance in products, The Guardian explained. They are a public health concern because they do not break down in the environment, and accumulate in animals and humans. They have also been linked to a number of health impacts including cancer, birth defects and immune suppression.The study authors found PFAS in the air of almost every location they tested. Further, some of the kindergarten and university classrooms had greater concentrations of airborne PFAS than the clothing store storage room, even though its products were actually treated with PFAS.The researchers think the PFAS end up in the air when compounds break off of treated products like coats or carpets and attach to dust or simply enter the air, The Guardian explained.The researchers found that the indoor environments were especially contaminated with a kind of PFAS called fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs). In the kindergarten classrooms, there were concentrations of 6:2 FTOH ranging from 9 to 600 nanograms per cubic meter. Industry sources had previously claimed this compound was safe, but The Guardian reported in May that internal studies showed the chemical was toxic to lab animals and stayed in their systems for longer than previously believed. The Green Science Policy Institute noted that schools and workplaces can protect students and employees by replacing carpeting. However, this won't prevent PFAS from entering the building on other products like coats or shoes. "As long as they continue to be used in products, we'll all be eating, drinking, and breathing PFAS," Bruton said in the press release. "We need to turn off the tap and stop all unnecessary uses of PFAS as soon as possible."

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate indoor air at worrying levels, study finds - Toxic PFAS compounds are contaminating the air inside homes, classrooms and stores at alarming levels, a new study has found.Researchers with the University of Rhode Island and Green Science Policy Institute tested indoor air at 20 sites and detected the “forever chemicals” in 17 locations. The airborne compounds are thought to break off of PFAS-treated products such as carpeting and clothing and attach to dust or freely float through the indoor environment.Experts previously considered food and water to be the two main routes by which humans are exposed to PFAS, but the study’s authors note that many humans spend about 90% of their time indoors, and the findings suggest that breathing in the chemicals probably represents a third significant exposure route.“It’s an underestimated and potentially important source of exposure to PFAS,” said Tom Bruton, a co-author and senior scientist at Green Science.PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 9,000 compounds used to make products water-, stain- or heat-resistant. Because they are so effective, the chemicals are used across dozens of industries and are in thousands of everyday consumer products such as stain guards, carpeting and shoes. Textile manufacturers use them to produce waterproof clothing, and they are used in floor waxes, nonstick cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foam and much more.PFAS are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down. They accumulate in animals, including humans, and are linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, decreased immunity, hormone disruption and a range of other serious health problems.A February Guardian analysis of household products found fluorine, an indicator of PFAS, present in 15 items. The chemicals are so widely used that it is difficult to say with precision where all the airborne PFAS are coming from, though the new study also detected their presence in carpets and clothing at some sites.The study, published on Tuesday in Environmental Science & Technology, used a new PFAS measurement technique for checking air. It found particularly high levels in several kindergarten classrooms and also checked the supply room of an outdoor clothing store, offices, several university classrooms, university labs and an elevator. A 2017 study found a correlation between high levels of PFAS in the air and in human blood serum, and the new study used modeling that found that kindergarteners were probably exposed to more PFAS by breathing them in than by ingesting the compounds. “This reinforces that as long as there are PFAS in products that we have surrounding us in our homes and in our lives, there’s going to be some amount that ends up in the air, ends up in dust, and we are going to end up breathing it in,” Bruton said.Also notable are the types of PFAS that the study detected. Among the most prevalent was 6:2 FTOH, a compound used in floor waxes, stain guards and food packaging. Industry previously claimed that 6:2 FTOH was safe, but in May the Guardian revealed that two major PFAS producers had hidden studies that suggested that the compounds are highly toxic at low doses in lab animals and stay in animals’ bodies for much longer than was previously known.Science from industry, federal agencies and independent researchers now links 6:2 FTOH to kidney disease, cancer, neurological damage, developmental problems, mottled teeth and autoimmune disorders, while researchers also found higher mortality rates among young animals and human mothers exposed to the chemicals. The new study also found high levels of 8:2 FTOH, a type of compound that major PFAS manufacturers in the US claimed to have phased out of production because it is so dangerous. Its presence suggests that not all companies have phased it out, or that it is in products made in countries where the chemical has not been phased out.

First ever study finds microplastics in Näätämö River and Lake Inari - A research project, led by non-profit organisation Snowchange Cooperative, has found large amounts of microplastics in Näätämöjoki river and Lake Inari. The project’s aim was to track the impacts of climate change in Näätämö, Vuonnijavr, Voronye and Ponoi waters, and they conducted first ever surveys on microplastics in northeast Lapland. The research has shown that the amount of microplastics in Lake Inari is similar to samples taken from lakes in Southern Finland. Adjunct Professor Tero Mustonen and the research team took samples from Näätämö River basin from Sevettijärvi to Vainosjokii, and the western parts of lake Inari. The highest quantities of microplastics were found in Lake Inari, as well as the Vainosjoki basin in Näätämö. “The results from Lake Inari showed that there is as much microplastics there as in some lakes in Southern Finland,” Mustonen says. The team found six different polymers in their samples, which corresponds to findings in Southern Finland. “From this survey it looks like the microplastics originate from plastic bags, ropes and fibers, so the particles come from consumer products,” he explains. One of the most distressing aspects is that the samples were collected from wilderness areas that were not close to any cottages, habitation or tourism industries. While the findings are concerning, Mustonen does not see that there is any immediate threat to anyone’s health. Since microplastics are already everywhere, from toothpaste to bottled water, the concern should be global. Mustonen also brings up issues with fishing - the samples show that fishing lines, ghost nets (fishing nets that have been abandoned or lost in the waters) are all ground down over time and the particles stay in the water. Eventually the ground down plastic particles will make their way into the local fish population. Part of the problem is also reindeer husbandry. The practise of feeding reindeer on ice in the winter is most likely a part of the problem, since the fodder and feed is often packed in plastic bags. Mustonen says that reindeer husbandry must be supported, but all the plastic should be taken with when leaving the ice. This is the first time that a research of this size has been conducted in northeast Finland and the Sámi area. The project, funded by Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO), is expanding their research and findings late this fall. There are still more findings to release from this extensive study, but the team wanted to release their findings on microplastics as quickly as possible.

Single-use plastic plates and cutlery to be banned in England - Single-use plastic plates and cutlery, and polystyrene cups will be banned in England under government plans, as it seeks to reduce the plastic polluting the environment. A public consultation will launch in the autumn and the ban could be in place in a couple of years. The move was welcomed by campaigners, but they said overall progress on cutting plastic waste was “snail-paced”, with the EU having banned these items and others in July. The average person uses 18 throwaway plastic plates and 37 single-use knives, forks and spoons each year, according to ministers, while the durability of plastic litter means it kills more than a million birds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles every year around the world. The government will also impose a plastic packaging tax from April 2022. This will charge £200 per tonne for plastic that has less than 30% recycled content, to encourage greater use of recycled material. The government’s plastic bag charge has cut their use in supermarkets by 95% since 2015, and it banned plastic microbeads in washing products in 2018 and single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and drinks stirrers in 2020. A deposit return scheme for plastic bottles will not be in place in England until late 2024 at the earliest, six years after being announced by the government as a key environmental policy. “We’ve all seen the damage that plastic does to our environment,” said the environment secretary, George Eustice. “It is right that we put in place measures that will tackle the plastic carelessly strewn across our parks and green spaces and washed up on beaches. We have made progress to turn the tide on plastic, now we are looking to go a step further.” Plastic items from takeaway food and drink dominate the litter in the world’s oceans, according to research published in June, with single-use bags, plastic bottles, food containers and food wrappers the four most widespread. Research in 2020 found that people in the US and UK produced more plastic waste per person than any other major countries. Microplastic pollution has contaminated the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.

NOAA Plan Might 'Delay' Right Whales Extinction, But Not Save Them, Experts Warn -Conservation advocacy groups on Tuesday responded with alarm and disappointment to the Biden administration's long-awaited new rule for protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whales from Maine to Florida."After four years of rule-making, it's disheartening that despite the legal obligation to be stewards of North Atlantic right whales and help them recover, the government has once again failed to take aggressive action,"said Oceana campaign director Whitney Webber.The U.S. government estimates there are fewer than 370 North Atlantic right whales left in the world. Webber highlighted that the species is "sliding closer toward extinction due to known, human-caused risks, including fishing gear entanglements.""In February of this year, an 11-year-old male known as 'Cottontail' was found dead off South Carolina after being entangled in fishing gear for months," she said. "With only around 360 whales remaining, there is no room for shortsighted solutions. We can recover this species, but it will take meaningful, strong regulations to keep deaths below one per year — the level the National Marine Fisheries Service says is needed to support recovery."The rule from the National Marine Fisheries Service — an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also known as NOAA Fisheries — amends the government's Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.The plan aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries to North Atlantic right whales, fin whales, and humpback whales "in northeast commercial lobster and crab trap/pot fisheries to meet the goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act."Since 2010, 34 right whales have died and 16 have been seriously injured, principally due to getting entangled in fishing gear or struck by vessels, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Climate Change Will Force Tuna Migration, Cripple Small Island Nations, Study Finds -- The climate crisis and warming waters may cause tuna to redistribute, threatening tuna-dependent economies in the Pacific, a new study concludes."All fish have preferred water temperatures, i.e., temperatures that suit their physiology best and which provide optimum conditions for growth and reproduction," explained Johann Bell, lead author on the study and senior director of tuna fisheries at Conservation International's Center for Oceans. The international nonprofit works to protect the critical benefits that nature provides to people through science, partnerships and fieldwork.Water temperature affects the distribution and abundance of prey species, Bell continued. As the ocean warms, new locations may become more favorable for prey species, and the fish will move accordingly. The predatory fish like tuna will follow. If not, a shortage of food could affect their growth and survival, Bell said.The study found that the best conditions for skipjack and yellowfin tuna — the target species for the large purse-seine fishery in the Pacific Islands region — will progressively keep moving to the east as the ocean warms. Therefore, a greater proportion of these tuna will be caught in high-seas areas to the east of and outside the jurisdictions of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Bell said.As defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal nations around the planet have jurisdiction over the natural resources of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that extends up to 200 miles off their shores. Within EEZs, nations can choose to ban, regulate and enforce use of marine resources and fisheries. Beyond these zones, the rest of the ocean is considered high seas, "virtually ungoverned open territory" and functionally a "fishing free for all," said Global Fishing Watch. As tuna move out of EEZs into the high seas, this could also upend efforts to create a sustainable fishery because lack of enforcement can lead to greater overfishing, a Conservation International representative said.

Delta worsens hardships of life on 'Cancer Alley' - Silos, smokestacks and brown pools of water line the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, where scores of refineries and petrochemical plants have metastasized over a few decades. Welcome to Louisiana's "Cancer Alley". Industrial pollution on this ribbon of land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge puts the majority of African-American residents at nearly 50 times the risk of developing cancer than the national average, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. For years, activists who gave the 140-kilometer stretch its sinister nickname have been fighting to clean up the area. Then last spring, it began making headlines for a different reason. One of its parishes, Louisiana's equivalent of US counties, was hit with the highest rate of COVID-19 related deaths in the country."It ran through this community. People were terrified here," said Robert Taylor, a 79-year-old resident of St. John the Baptist parish.At the height of the first wave in April 2020, three residents were dying every day in the community of 43,000."It changed our way of life," "In Reserve, we all used to get together all the time," he recalled. "We don't anymore. I go out as little as possible."Since then, nearly one in eight parishioners has been infected.The Delta variant has made the situation even worse. Infections have exploded in the last three weeks. After last year's trauma, parishioners rushed to get their shots, and St. John the Baptist now has 44.3 percent of its residents fully vaccinated, compared to the 39.4 percent in the rest of the state. Like many residents of his neighborhood in the small town of Reserve, Robert Moore devoted his life to the nearby plant formerly owned by US chemical company DuPont. Set up in 1968 on a former plantation, the plant, which has some pipes reaching into the opaque waters of the Mississippi, was purchased in 2015 by Japanese company Denka. It is the only site in the United States that produces neoprene, a material used to make wet suits, gloves or electrical insulators. To produce neoprene, the plant emits chloroprene, a chemical classified as a probable carcinogen by the EPA in 2010.Astronomical amounts of the chemical were detected in Reserve's air in the early 2010s, prompting the environmental agency to set a recommended limit of 0.2 micrograms of chloroprene per cubic meter.Across the road from the plant, an air quality monitoring station serves as a grim reminder.When Taylor got wind of the scandal, he was only half-surprised. The former construction worker had long wondered why cancer－which struck his mother, his sister, his wife and his nephews－was so prevalent in his town.

Massive nest containing 1,500 ‘murder hornets’ discovered in US -- In Washington state authorities on Wednesday removed a nest containing more than 1,000 murder hornets — the first nest eradicated this season. “While we are glad to have found and eradicated this nest so early in the season, this detection proves how important public reporting continues to be,” WSDA managing entomologist Sven Spichiger said in the statement. “We expect there are more nests out there and, like this one, we hope to find them before they can produce new queens. Your report may be the one that leads us to a nest,” he continued. Authorities discovered the nest earlier in August after three hornets were captured and tagged with tracking devices — leading them to the nest. Asian giant hornets can be anywhere from 1.5 to 2 inches long and are “equipped with relatively massive mandibles (teeth) and can easily tear honey bees in half,”according to a 2020 report from the USDA. Murder hornets generally attack honeybees in late summer and early fall.“They can conduct mass attacks on honey bee hives, destroying the hive in a matter of hours,” according to the WSDA. Asian giant hornets were first discovered in the U.S. in 2019.

Violent August Storms Pound Midwest Crops for the Second Year - Midwest crops and farms recently took another August beating from strong thunderstorms that produced crop-damaging winds and torrential rains that will likely reduce yields and make harvest more difficult in affected areas. A nasty weather pattern that began Aug. 24 didn't spawn a derecho -- a storm resembling an inland hurricane with sustained winds over 100 miles per hour. On Aug. 10, 2020, a derecho had leveled millions of acres of corn and pulverized grain bins and other structures in Iowa and other Midwest states. But multiple storms that rumbled across parts of the upper Midwest -- primarily in northeast Iowa -- this year left behind large swaths of lodged and down corn, tangled soybeans, damaged buildings and flooded fields near rivers and streams. The extreme weather events also dashed hopes of a bountiful, normal harvest for many farmers. "It is terrible," said Ron Strottman, describing his and neighboring cornfields that are nearly lying flat due to recent storms. The Readlyn, Iowa, grain and dairy farmer was on the verge of chopping silage before the storms hit. Strottman said area crops were looking good, despite some bouts with moisture stress through the season. He expected corn to feed well into harvesters and produce "really good yields," for both silage and cash corn. Strottman hoped to see the combine yield monitor average well over 200 bushels per acre. If the monitor even registers 200 now, he said, that may be lucky. . "I know harvest now will be a complete nightmare," Strottman said. "I think we will be able to get through it (corn) all with the chopper and combine. Hopefully, we can still save quite a bit." The weather pattern has been very active as system after system moved across the region, seemingly unobstructed in the atmosphere. Each storm system had a different character, placing severe storms in different spots, Several storm clusters moved through northeast Iowa and northern Illinois on Aug. 24. These storms came in waves with wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph. There was one report of 70 mph. On Aug. 26, there were more clusters of thunderstorms across eastern South Dakota and into western Minnesota. These storms occurred in the morning and afternoon, putting down wind gusts of 60-75 mph in some locations. On Aug. 27, the reports were more sporadic, but there were reports of six tornadoes in north-central Iowa around Mason City. On Aug. 28, there were more widespread thunderstorms, this time with several lines producing wind gusts of 60-70 mph in eastern South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, and including the Sioux Falls area, where baseball-sized hail was found along with the wind reports.

Northern MN bean field collapses, falls 25 feet – - It is still hard for Wayne Erickson to make sense of what happened on his farm. Simply put, a section of his black bean field fell two stories.“When I drove out here, it looked like the Grand Canyon. We didn’t have all that slumping going on, it was just straight down. Straight up and down,” Erickson said.Wayne and Erllene Erickson are the fourth generation on the family farm in Polk County in northwestern Minnesota, and they’ve never seen anything like this. Nobody is sure what caused the huge slide.“(It’s) kind of scary. It is sad, sad to see it,” Erllene said as she surveyed the fallen field. “Mother Nature does what she wants.”Geologists with the University of North Dakota say the dry weather, a drop in water levels on the Red River and recent rains can form a perfect storm for things like this to occur.It really is a geological wonder. The fallen land is pushing on the river bank, sending more dirt into the Red River.Pictures taken from a drone piloted by Brad Thoreson, a neighbor of the Erickson farm, shows the massive slide. There’s a 25-foot drop in some places. Crevasses are still forming as the land continues shifting.

Nearly 30% of tree species in the wild are threatened with extinction, new report says - Almost 30% of tree species in the wild are now at risk of extinction, with a wide range of factors responsible for their decline, according to analysis released Wednesday. Published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the State of the World's Trees report found that out of the planet's 58,497 recorded tree species, 17,510 — or 29.9% — were threatened. In addition, 4,099 are regarded as being "possibly threatened" while at least 142 species are now extinct in the wild, according to the report. The figure of 29.9% does not assume that "data deficient" species, or those that scientists don't have enough information on, are threatened. If all species in this category were deemed to be threatened, the percentage under threat of extinction would jump to 51.3%. "Assuming that Data Deficient species are equally likely to be threatened as all other tree species, we can estimate that 38.1% of tree species are classified as threatened," the report said. Conversely, 41.5% of species are not seen as being under threat. "The main threats to tree species are forest clearance and other forms of habitat loss, direct exploitation for timber and other products and the spread of invasive pests and diseases," the report said. "Climate change is also having a clearly measurable impact." Expanding on the latter, a statement from BGCI said both climate change and extreme weather were "emerging threats to tree species globally." "As the temperature and weather of the world changes, many trees risk losing areas of suitable habitat," it added. "This affects species in both temperate and tropical habitats, with Cloud Forest tree species of Central America being at particular risk." The report's figures were based on data from various sources such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, scientific research papers and conservation assessments. The trees under threat will be familiar to many and include oaks, magnolias and maples. Paul Smith, BGCI's secretary general, said the report was "a wake up call to everyone around the world that trees need help." "Every tree species matters — to the millions of other species that depend on trees, and to people all over the world," he said. Trees are a crucial cog in the planet's ecosystem, with a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. stating forests "supply water, mitigate climate change and provide habitats for many pollinators, which are essential for sustainable food production." Elsewhere, the IUCN says forests absorb roughly 2.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.

 Caldor Fire - Entire South Lake Tahoe under evacuation order, California --The entire South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, California is under an evacuation order on Monday, August 30, 2021, due to the rapidly spreading Caldor Fire. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the eastern Sierra and western Nevada through September 1. Authorities issued three separate evacuation orders for El Dorado County on Monday morning and gradually expanded the mandatory evacuation zone to cover the entire South Lake Tahoe area west of the Nevada state line.¹Caldor Fire has so far consumed 71 734 ha (177 260 acres), destroyed 472 structures (residential, commercial, and other), and damaged another 39. Five people have been injured. It started on August 14 and is only 14% contained.²

Wildfire evacuees flood Lake Tahoe roads in rush to flee (AP) — A popular vacation haven normally filled with tens of thousands of summer tourists was clogged with fleeing vehicles Monday after the entire resort city of South Lake Tahoe was ordered to leave as a ferocious wildfire raced toward Lake Tahoe, a sparkling gem on the California-Nevada border.Vehicles loaded with bikes and camping gear and hauling boats were in gridlock traffic in the city of 22,000, stalled in hazy, brown air that smelled like a campfire. Police and other emergency vehicles whizzed by.Ken Breslin was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from his home, with only a quarter-tank of gas in his Ford Escape. His son begged him to leave Sunday night, but he shrugged him off, certain that if an evacuation order came, it would be later in the week. By Monday night the fire had crossed state highways 50 and 89 and burned mountain cabins as it churned down slopes toward the Tahoe Basin. Monday’s fresh evacuation orders, unheard of in the city, came a day after communities several miles south of the lake were abruptly ordered to evacuate as the Caldor Fire raged nearby. South Lake Tahoe’s main medical facility, Barton Memorial Hospital, proactively evacuated dozens of patients, and the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office transferred inmates to a neighboring jail. “There is fire activity happening in California that we have never seen before. The critical thing for the public to know is evacuate early,” said Chief Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. “For the rest of you in California: Every acre can and will burn someday in this state.” The threat of fire is so widespread that the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday that all national forests in California would be closed until Sept. 17. Overnight, the already massive Caldor Fire grew 7 miles (11 kilometers) in direction in one area northeast of Highway 50 and more than 8 miles (13 miles) in another, Cal Fire officials said. More than 15,000 firefighters were battling dozens of California blazes, including crews from Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia, said Mark Ghilarducci, director of California’s Office of Emergency Services. About 250 active-duty soldiers were being trained in Washington state to help with the arduous work of clearing forest debris by hand. Crews from Louisiana, however, had to return to that state because of Hurricane Ida, “another major catastrophic event taking place in the country and is a pull on resources throughout the United States,” he said. Porter said that only twice in California history have fires burned from one side of the Sierra Nevada to the other, both this month, with the Caldor and Dixie fires. The Dixie, the second-largest wildfire in state history at 1,205 square miles (3,121 square kilometers) about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of the Lake Tahoe-area blaze, prompted new evacuation orders and warnings Monday. The last two wildfires that ripped through populated areas near Tahoe were the Angora Fire that destroyed more than 200 homes in 2007 and the Gondola Fire in 2002 that ignited near a chairlift at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Since then, the dead trees have accumulated and the region has coped with serious droughts,

California fire approaches Lake Tahoe after mass evacuation - A massive, raging wildfire raced toward holiday hotspot Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, just hours after thousands of people were forced to flee a nearby mountain resort town.The popular getaway of South Lake Tahoe, home to some 22,000 residents, cleared out under evacuation orders as the two-week-old Caldor Fire tore through drought-parched forests.“There is fire activity in California that we have never seen before,” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said in a briefing Monday.Overnight, the blaze had raced eight miles in one direction and seven miles in another in an area northeast of Highway 50, one of the main routes out of the lake’s south end, officials said.With the fire approaching, evacuees were trapped in gridlock traffic on Highway 50, stalled as smoke clouded the area’s normally pristine skies.Photos showed motorists jumping out of their vehicles and wandering into the middle of the road to gawk at the bumper-to-bumper chaos.Other photos showed apocalyptic scenes of a house engulfed in flames, a lone car driving along a road with a backdrop of thick smoke, and red hot fire ripping through bushland.“Before, it was, ‘No worries … it’s not going to crest. It’s not gonna come down the hill. There’s 3,500 firefighters, all those bulldozers and all the air support,’” he said.“Until this morning, I didn’t think there was a chance it could come into this area. Now, it’s very real.”The threat of the wildfire had forced the US Forest Service to take the unusual step Monday of closing all 18 national forests in California until Sept. 17. “We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety,” Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien said.The Caldor Fire broke out Aug. 14 and has since scorched nearly 292 square miles.The blaze was only 15 percent contained after destroying more than 600 structures and threatening 20,000 more, officials said.

All California national forests to temporarily close due to "wildfire crisis" - All of California's national forests will be closed starting late Tuesday until mid-September,according to an order posted by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency said the closures will help "better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis."The closures will be in effect from August 31 at 11:59 p.m. local time until the same time on September 17, according to the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. The order doesn't affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Forest Service said, because it's not in the Pacific Southwest Region."We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety," regional forester Jennifer Eberlien said. "It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests."The Forest Service listed in its notice a variety of factors that went into making its decision, including public safety during emergency circumstances, along with decreasing "the potential for new fire starts at a time of extremely limited firefighting resources."Officials also listed criteria for those individuals who are exempt from the order, including those with a specific permit and those who are a federal, state or local officer carrying out an official duty.

 Caldor Fire Threatens 'Urban Conflagration' in South Lake Tahoe -- The Caldor Fire breached Echo Summit on Monday, crossing the Sierra Nevada and posing a direct threat to the population centers around Lake Tahoe, forcing more than 50,000 people to evacuate.A wildfire has crossed over the Sierra Nevada just once before in recorded history: less than two weeks ago the Dixie Fire crossed the mountain range farther north. "We haven't had fires burn from one side of the Sierra to the other," Thom Porter, head of Cal Fire, told reporters Monday. "We did with Dixie, and now we do with the Caldor — we need to be cognizant that there is fire activity happening (here) that we have never seen before."Even at high elevation, high heat, strong winds, and dry foliage fuel the fire, which now threatens to incinerate 20,000 buildings and wipe out South Lake Tahoe. If the embers blown by high winds ignite in the valley, it could cause a catastrophic "urban conflagration," UC Merced fire scientist Crystal Kolden told the LA Times. "It's so dry that it is perfect kindling," she said. In an area full of old, wooden homes, "You've got this potential for it to really start jumping from building to building to building, and it's just a completely different beast and they can't fight it."Mass evacuations clogged the roads not already closed by the flames.Wildfires like the Caldor Fire — which had burned 186,568 acres as of Monday evening and was just 15% contained — are supercharged by heat, and drought made worse by climate change caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels. Other climate impacts also make it harder to fight wildfires. A helicopter crew from the Louisiana National Guard that had been set to help firefighters battling the Caldor Fire was recalled to respond to Hurricane Ida.

 Tahoe ski resorts fire up snow guns to save structures, lifts — Snowmaking machines have been fired up in desperate attempts to save Lake Tahoe ski resorts from going up in flames.With the Caldor Fire bearing down on Heavenly and Kirkwood mountain resorts, Vail Resorts officials said they’ve turned on their snow guns to help firefighters in their attempts to stop the blaze that has grown to 210,259 and is 25% contained as of Thursday morning.The fire on Wednesday afternoon was approaching the Kirkwood community with spot fires being reported there, but officials said at that time it was not yet in “Kirkwood proper.” During this time, while our property and structures are important, it’s the people that remain our top priority,” said Vail Resort officials in a statement Wednesday.Other defenses being used currently are snowmaking hydrants that are pressurized and ready, along with hoses that have been put out around the mountain for the firefighters to use.Facilities around the mountain, including the parking lots and lifts, have been made available for personnel. Team members have been evacuated from the facilities and have been provided with emergency support services.“Our hearts go out to those who have been affected and we stand now, as always, with the Tahoe community,” said a statement.All work has been done in close communication with Cal Fire, the United States Forest Service fire team, the local Fire Department, and other local organizations.Vail Resorts is following Sierra-at-Tahoe, which began planning to use snowmakers about a week ago, when management realized the fire could potentially make it up the canyon.“We had them in place preventatively and we had a snow-making system all charged up and ready to go,” said General Manager John Rice. “As the fire got to Camp Sacramento and started coming toward us, we turned them on.”Along with the snowmaking machines, sprinklers were placed on the roofs, and continuously ran for three days to prevent further damage from the fire.Rice reported that the upper maintenance shop was lost among other buildings. The building, which was made completely of cinder block, burned unexpectedly while other buildings were saved.Rice explained a crew came out from AGI Insurance, and helped others preparing the mountain for the fire. One key to protecting buildings was thermo-gel fire retardant the crew used on the outside walls of buildings.“That and the sprinklers are what saved our buildings,” said Rice.Rice said along with applying the gel, the AGI crew went out with weed whackers and chainsaws for nine days straight, and stayed to help protect major buildings when the fire came through. The snowmakers, fire retardant gel, and sprinklers made all the difference when the smoke cleared from Sierra-at-Tahoe, proving that snowmaking equipment may be the future of fighting fires.

LIVE: Ida makes landfall in Louisiana as extremely dangerous Cat 4 hurricane | AccuWeather --On the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall and devastating Louisiana, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon, located less than 50 miles away from where Katrina made landfall in Buras-Triumph. While Katrina notably crashed into the state from the south, Ida arrived from the southeast, meaning the impacts are expected to differ. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane expert at the University of Miami, told ABC7 that the angle of Ida’s arrival could potentially make it even more dangerous. "This has the potential to be more of a natural disaster whereas the big issue in Katrina was more of a man-made one," McNoldy said, alluding to the levee failures in New Orleans that pushed Katrina’s death toll to over 1,800. McNoldy added that Ida’s angle of arrival could be potentially worse, as “it's not going to as easily create a huge storm surge ... but the angle that this is coming in, I think is more conducive to pushing water into the Lake (Pontchartrain)." Category 4 Hurricane Ida made a second landfall southwest of Galliano, Louisiana, on Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. CDT. At the time of the second landfall, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Ida continues to move northwest at 12 mph. After Ida made landfall in the state, approximately 300,000 customers in Louisiana were without power on Sunday afternoon. According topoweroutage.us, the majority of outages in the state were focused in the southeastern part of the state, where Ida made landfall earlier in the day. In Jefferson Parish, over 200,000 customers were without power, and in Orleans Parish, where the city of New Orleans is located, over 190,000 customers were without power. Over four hours after first making landfall, Hurricane Ida is still clinging on to Category 4 strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph as of 4 p.m. CDT. The threshold for a Category 4 storm is a hurricane with sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, the system is moving to the northwest at 10 mph as it sits about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans and 70 miles south-southeast of Baton Rouge. President Joe Biden met with officials from FEMA this afternoon and delivered remarks from the agency's headquarters shortly after, promising the impacted residents of Louisiana that the U.S. would use its "full might" for rescue and recovery efforts as Ida passes. As if a major hurricane wasn’t bad enough, residents in New Orleans may also face the hardship of sewage backups due to power outages at pump stations. According to the city’s Sewage & Water Board, the outages are at stations on both the East and West Bank, leading officials to ask residents to reduce their wastewater. “This increases the potential for sewer backups in homes. We urge those residents who still have power to minimize wastewater leaving their homes by not running your dishwasher or washing clothes,” the S&WB said. According to Fox8, the stations will remain powerless until after Ida passes. A massive roof was "launched" by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana, shortly after landfall. As footage captured by Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer showed on Facebook, the huge roof crashed into a nearby utility pole, scattering debris and showcasing just a glimpse of the widespread damage in the southern portion of the Bayou State. "This shows you the dangers, these giant roofs getting lofted," Timmer can be heard exclaiming in the video. "It looks like the power is out in Houma and a lot worse is here to come. A lot worse is on its way as the inner eyeball is about to arrive here in Houma!”

Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall, Path Still Aims for Delta Cotton, Soybeans - Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana at 11:55 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2021 as a strong Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds at landfall of 150 mph. The track of the storm has only changed slightly from this article written on Aug. 27, with the major changes about a more gradual turn to the east. (To see daily video updates from DTN meteorologists and follow the track on Ida, go to www.dtn.com/hurricane-ida.) Heavy rainfall and flooding continue to be concerns for crops and livestock in the Delta and Alabama as the system passes through during the next couple of days. Ida's remnants should pass through the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday, then go through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Outside of where the hurricane hit along the coast and rain could reach a foot or more, widespread heavy rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected close to the center of the storm, including for the southern half of the Delta region. Tornadoes are also a threat, though wind damage should be minimal and the worst is focused across Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Prior to the arrival of Ida, the cotton crop was considered in really good shape this year across the Delta and Southeast, with its highest rating in five years. However, Ida was threatening flood and wind damage in that area from Sunday afternoon into Tuesday. On Saturday evening, Louisiana's agriculture department announced ag departments from several other states would waive their health certificate requirements for livestock coming into their states because of Ida.Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee authorized temporary waivers until Sept. 17, although Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina would still require proof of Equine Infections Anemia tests. More on the waivers could be found at https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/….

'Ida is not weakening': The Category 4 hurricane continues to slam Louisiana - Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday in southeast Louisiana with 150 mph sustained winds as federal authorities warned of "catastrophic" damage that could threaten all homes and people in its path. Ida made landfall over Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at about 11:55 a.m. CT as the storm moved into the mouth of the Mississippi River, the National Hurricane Center said. By early Sunday evening, although maximum sustained winds had dropped, the hurricane center warned of "catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding continues in portions of Southeastern Louisiana." "Ida is not weakening," the National Weather Service said hours after the storm made landfall. "This is not what you want to see." The hurricane center said Air Force Reserve aircraft and radar data showed that "Ida's maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated to be 150 mph." Rainfall projections topped 2 feet in some parts of southern Louisiana. "This is going to be devastating — a devastating, a life-threatening storm," President Joe Biden told reporters after he was briefed by officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Biden said he signed emergency declarations so Mississippi and Louisiana can use the "full resources and support of the federal government." Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told residents who didn’t evacuate to keep loose mattresses within reach — in case powerful gusts ripped off home’s roofs.“Because of the possibility that severe winds will damage your home, it is a good idea to have a mattress nearby that you can use to put over yourself and other family members to protect yourself from any falling debris,” he said. Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, warned residents that emergency services wouldn’t be able to reach them until Monday.“You need to stay inside until tomorrow. We’ll look at this during the first light of day,” Arnold said. “There’s nobody coming right now. You need to stay inside.” At landfall, the storm's winds were just short of 157 mph, the level considered a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, which rates storms from 1 to 5 based on maximum sustained wind speed. Only four storms have made landfall in the continental U.S. as Category 5 hurricanes in the last century: the Labor Day Hurricane in 1935, Camille in 1969, Andrew in 1992 and Michael in 2018. “Everybody in the path of Ida should be prepared for very heavy rainfall, very strong winds, life-threatening storm surge along with the coast and isolated tornadoes as well," National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer McNatt told NBC News on Sunday. The storm is expected to move “well inland” over parts of Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday; rapid weakening is expected once it hits land. The National Hurricane Center said inundation by "extremely life-threatening" storm surge was expected imminently from Burns Point, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. It said "catastrophic wind damage" is likely as Ida moves onshore along the southeast coast of Louisiana over the next few hours. The hurricane center said the region also might get tornadoes Sunday into Monday from southeast Louisiana all the way to the western Florida Panhandle.

Ida Path Through ‘Cancer Alley’ Raises Risks at Chemical Plants – --Hurricane Ida is carving a path across Louisiana that cuts through a region packed with hazardous-chemical plants, raising risks of an environmental disaster along an industrial strip infamously nicknamed “Cancer Alley.” About two thirds of Louisiana’s industrial sites with toxic chemicals are in Ida’s path, with the storm predicted to charge through 590 sites that produce or store those hazardous materials, according to ananalysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory by the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.Ida raises the risk of more troubles along the petrochemical corridor that runs along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that’s also dubbed “Cancer Alley” due to its numerous industrial facilities. Hurricanes along the Gulf Coast have already caused numerous environmental disasters:

• — In 2020, Hurricane Laura caused a fire at a BioLab plant around Lake Charles, Louisiana that made chemical products for pools and was owned by KIK Custom Products. The company said chlorine gas was released during the fire, which burned for three days and destroyed the facility. The cause and final impact of the fire is still under investigation.
• — In 2017, when Hurricane Harvey brought floods to the Houston area, a nearby Arkema SA chemical plant lost power, causing its unrefrigerated chemicals to decompose and self ignite in a billowing fireball. Twenty-one people were hospitalized. Two wastewater tanks also overflowed out of the plant, releasing 23,000 pounds of chemicals into floodwaters.
• — And 16 years ago Hurricane Katrina was believed to have caused 10.8 million gallons of oil to spill into the waters around New Orleans, equivalent to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. Another 25,000 barrels of crude oil leaked out of the Murphy Oil Corp. refinery to the east of the city, impacting hundreds of homes.

Major electrical tower collapse leaves New Orleans completely without power - A major electrical transmission tower has collapsed, leaving Orleans Parish completely without power. An official in Jefferson Parish says a transmission tower that provides power for New Orleans and the east bank of the parish has collapsed into the river near Bridge City. According to the parish’s Emergency Management Director, cables strung across the Mississippi River are now in the water, but darkness is hampering visibility. All eight major transmission lines are down, according to Entergy. Due to the weather, they cannot assess the damage. Entergy is providing backup power to the city’s Sewerage and Water Board, but there are significant impacts to the pumping stations.A boil water advisory has been issued for the entire east bank of Jefferson Parish. As a city, we are currently experiencing the worst impacts from Hurricane Ida yet. Although we have lost all Entergy power, our teams are working quickly and decisively to make up for this with our self-generated power sources, including Turbines 4, 5, and 6 and EMD, as well as backup generators located at our drainage pumping stations. The Entergy loss of power is a significant loss of power for our 60 hz pumps and the 25 hz pumps we power through the frequency changers, but we are using our self-generated sources of power to drain stormwater and pump drinking water into the city. Lastly, this power loss also impacts our sewer pumping stations. Currently, there is no backup power to operate any of those that were impacted. We are assessing how many of the 84 stations are impacted but the number may be very significant. We have worked to obtain backup power for some of these stations and we will mobilize those units when it is safe to traverse the city. In order to prevent sewage backups, we have asked residents to limit water usage at home, thus decreasing the amount of wastewater we must pump and treat. This is a rapidly-developing and extremely fluid situation. We will keep you updated as circumstances develop.

Hurricane Ida: up to 2 million without power as New Orleans assesses damage -Up to 2 million people remained without power in and around New Orleans on Monday as residents and authorities began to assess “catastrophic” damage from Hurricane Ida, a 150mph monster storm that was the most powerful ever to hit Louisiana. At least one person was known to have been killed, by a falling tree. Crews using airboats and helicopters were conducting search-and-rescue missions in several neighbourhoods, seeking people stranded in the attics or on roofs of flooded homes. Almost 5,000 national guard troops were activated, a number Edwards said would double by Tuesday.The raging tempest has left scores of coastal Louisiana residents trapped by floodwaters and pleading to be rescued. Residents living amid the maze of rivers and bayous along the state’s Gulf coast retreated desperately to their attics or roofs and posted their addresses on social media with instructions for search-and-rescue teams on where to find them. Residents woke to widespreaddevastation caused by the category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Sunday at Port Fourchon, then tore a path north towards New Orleans. The storm struck the city on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800, mostly by flood.Roofs torn from buildings, fallen trees, utility poles and other storm debris blocked roads and hampered rescue workers. Downed power lines, many still live, created a dangerous situation for those emerging to assess the damage.“Hurricane Ida came onshore with everything that was advertised, the surge, the rain, the wind,” Edwards said at an afternoon briefing held by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). “The damage is catastrophic … primarily wind driven but we know that there were some areas that received tremendous rainfall as well.”He added that his “best guess” was that 2 million people were without electricity.Earlier, he said dozens of US coast guard helicopters and high-water vehicles had been deployed.“We know that individuals are out there waiting to be rescued because their homes are not habitable [and in] many places we have flood waters that are encroaching upon those homes,” Edwards said. Thankfully, he added, the levee system protecting New Orleans had held.Biden, who signed a federal disaster declaration on Sunday, promised government resources to back up state and local rescue and recovery efforts. By mid-morning, Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm. But it was still expected to deliver “life-threatening flooding” and damaging winds as it moved north and west through Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley. Many residents of New Orleans, which was totally blacked out after an electricity transmission tower fell into the Mississippi River, heeded warnings to evacuate. Those who left were told to stay away until further notice.

New Orleans lost power in Hurricane Ida after tower collapsed in river; fix could take days, longer - A massive failure of the transmission system that brings electricity to New Orleans and the east bank of Jefferson Parish left the city completely without power as Hurricane Ida slammed the area and it's not clear how long the problems will take to fix. The problems during the storm took all eight electricity-transmission lines into the area offline, including one massive tower on the west bank that collapsed into the Mississippi River. Now, the New Orleans area could spend an extended period, perhaps days but potentially much longer, without electricity in the summer heat and during a hurricane season that will continue after Ida has departed. The failure raises questions about New Orleans' plan to use Entergy power to replace the Sewerage & Water Board's antiquated turbines as the primary source of power for the city's drainage system. City Council members who chair the committees that regulate Entergy and oversee the S&WB said the outage would prompt investigations into the power company and would require further scrutiny of the S&WB plan. Failures of the transmission system during Hurricane Gustav in 2008 and Hurricane Laura last year left huge swaths of the state without power for days or weeks. Mayor LaToya Cantrell urged residents to stay in their homes and New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said "anti-looting" officers would be deployed due to the outage. The full details of what went wrong with the transmission system were not yet known and Ida's strong winds kept crews from fully evaluating the system on Sunday. But the most dramatic failure came when an Entergy transmission tower at the Nine Mile Point power plant near Avondale collapsed into the Mississippi River while being pummeled by Ida's winds. Joe Valienti, director of emergency management with Jefferson Parish, said recovering the tower and the power lines from the water will likely be a considerable undertaking. “There will have to be a major salvage operation,” he said. Valienti said the lines were connected to the Avondale substation, and are likely a crucial link in the area's power supply. He said the weather was so bad Sunday evening after the collapse that parish fire crews couldn't survey the damage.

Hurricane Ida path of destruction in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Louisiana - Residents and response crews began to pick up the pieces Monday after Hurricane Ida caused widespread damage across Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. The Category 4 hurricane slammed into Port Fourchon around 11:55 a.m. Sunday with 150 mph winds before churning slowly north, ripping roofs off buildings and homes, knocking down trees and power lines and rendering roads impassable. More than 96% of homes and businesses in Terrebonne and Lafourche lost electricity and many were without cellphone service Monday. Entergy reported 43,428 customers in Lafourche and 27,211 in Terrebonne were without power at midday Monday. The company said it could be weeks before many residents see their power restored. Live updates: Terrebonne Parish crews working urgently to restore water Houma-Thibodaux: Ambulances transfer hundreds of patients from Houma-Thibodaux area hospitals damaged by Hurricane Ida Public and Catholic schools in Terrebonne and Lafourche will remain closed until further notice, officials said. Ambulances were transferring hundreds of patients from Terrebonne General, St. Anne and Chabert medical centers to other medical facilities due to extensive storm damage, officials said. "Terrebonne General suffered structural damages and there is no water supply being provided by parish at this time," the hospital system said. Waterways remained swelled in the southern part of Terrebonne outside of the Morganza levee system, Parish President Gordy Dove said. “Before we can begin the systematic process of letting residents and evacuees back into the parish, roads must be cleared and down power lines must be checked,” Dove said. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said he had not received any reports of injuries, but the property damage was substantial. “I know there are a lot of people who may be stuck in places or have stuff on top of them,” Chaisson said. “This thing came in and was everything we thought it was going to be and more.” Residents getting back into Lafourche will have to wait at least a week due to hazardous conditions inflicted by storm, Chaisson said. “Lafourche Parish roads are currently unpassable and will be for some time,” he said. “First-responders will be working around the clock to clear the road for residents to return. The first order of business is to get the roads clear.” Some residents in Lafourche were also without running water, Chaisson said. “Everybody served by the water plant in Lockport won’t have water for the foreseeable future,” he said. “There was a main line break at some point, so to preserve the integrity of the water we actually had left, the water plant was shut in.”

Aerial video shows extensive Hurricane Ida damage – NBC - Aerial video shows major flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Ida along the Gulf Coast and in LaPlace, Louisiana.

Death toll rises in Ida's wake as 1 million still without power -As Ida continues to track across the southeastern United States on Tuesday,flooding rainfall will still be the most widespread impact from the tropical entity. However, AccuWeather forecasters say other forms of adverse weather are still in play to the east of Ida's track. From Tuesday through Tuesday night, a swath of the U.S. from the Florida Panhandle to the southern Appalachians will be at risk for severe thunderstorms. In addition to heavy rain, locally damaging wind gusts can occur across portions of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph.AccuWeather forecasters say isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out. On Monday, nine tornado reports were submitted to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) but none were confirmed as of early Tuesday morning. In one report, one person was injured after an eighteen wheeler was flipped over in a parking lot in Saraland, Alabama.Photos emerged early Tuesday morning showing the condition of collapsed Highway 26 in George County, Mississippi, where two lives were claimed late Monday. According to George County Emergency Management Director John Glass,seven vehicles had to be pulled from the collapsed roadway, while 10 injuries were reported. Heavy rain from Ida reduced drivers’ visibility, officials said,preventing them from knowing they were driving into the washed-out highway.Glass added that the road was still actively washing out on Tuesday morning, WLOX reported.Images from the Mississippi Highway Patrol show the depth of the washed-out highway and the scope of the accident, which required the use of a crane to pull cars from the wreckage. Officials in Jackson, Mississippi, are urging residents to avoid flooded areas as Ida trudges through the state. “We’re still concerned about the potential of flooding in flood-prone areas, in low lying areas,” Mayor Chokwe Lumumba told AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor. “We want to make certain that residents don’t walk, swim or ride, in standing water. They may not be aware of what the present dangers may be within that water or the depth of that water.” Victor reported that at least a dozen water rescues are hard at work in the city as Ida continues to dump flooding rains over the city. Lumumba told Victor that it wasn’t just the rain that was causing problems, however, but also the winds as Jackson sees its share of downed trees and power outages.A man in Slidell, Louisiana, is missing after all alligator attacked him on Monday, and some believe Hurricane Ida may be at fault. The 71-year-old man was reportedly in his flooded shed on Monday afternoon, when an alligator took the man’s arm. When his wife scrambled to take a boat to find assistance, due to cell service being knocked out, the man disappeared under the floodwaters and hasn’t been seen since. According to CBS News, the couple’s property is near Lake Pontchartrain and the shed is under the house, which is raised and surrounded by a marsh and wildlife refuge. WWL reported that officials from St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said that deputies found blood at the scene, but six hours of searching proved fruitless. It was also reported that large gators are common in the area due to local residents who feed them. AccuWeather meteorologists say sweltering conditions will roast the Southeast this week, with RealFeel® Temperatures hovering at or around 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday in the Louisiana areas of Houma and New Orleans, where Ida made some of its biggest messes. Come Wednesday, that RealFeel Temperature® will likely top 100 F in New Orleans and get warmer in Houma as well. Over 1 million residents are still without power in the Bayou State, making for potentially hazardous conditions in handling the warmth without air conditioning.For tips on how to stay cool without A/C, click here.

EXPLAINER: Hit by Ida, New Orleans faces weeks without power (AP) — Hurricane Ida knocked out all eight transmission lines that deliver power to New Orleans, leaving the entire city without electricity as the powerful storm pushed through on Sunday and early Monday with winds that reached 150 miles per hour. Some of the hardest-hit areas won’t see power restored for weeks. A look at what that means for the coastal city and its residents and businesses.The hurricane blew ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, the 2005 storm that breached New Orleans’ levees, devastated the city and was blamed for 1,800 deaths. The office of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Ida caused “catastrophic” damage to the power grid, forcing hospitals, businesses and private residents to rely on generators or go without refrigeration or air conditioning even as temperatures soar to close to 90 degrees. Ida was one of the strongest storms to make landfall in Louisiana and retained hurricane status nearly to Mississippi.Officials in New Orleans and surrounding areas were encouraging people who evacuated ahead of the storm to stay away in the immediate aftermath, because it remains unsafe to return amid downed power lines, flooded homes, snapped trees and other destruction. The power company that serves the region said it could be weeks before some hard-hit areas see power restored. The power company, New Orleans-based Entergy, says it is working to provide backup power for water and sewer services, and the city says it is using its own generators at drainage pumping stations, but it’s not clear how long those efforts can sustain. More than 11,000 Entergy workers, supplemented by 25,000 workers from at least 32 states and the District of Columbia, were working to restore power. As officials begin to assess damage, power will restored in a way that gets service to the greatest number of customers as safely and quickly as possible, Entergy said.But the company faces a massive challenge. As of early Monday, 216 substations, 207 transmission lines and more than 2,000 miles of transmission lines were out of service, the company said. One transmission tower that spans the Mississippi River and had withstood Hurricane Katrina was felled during Ida, Entergy said. Road closures, flooding and high winds were affecting crews’ ability to reach some areas and could delay power restoration in those communities. Entergy said. “Transmission lines are very fragile in New Orleans,″ . The group said in a 2019 report that Entergy’s aging transmission and distribution lines, complicated by the coastal region’s lakes and wetlands, result in an unusual number of outages — even without extreme weather. Just as the deep-freeze in Texas caused extensive suffering and death from cold, Ida will likely cause extreme suffering from excessive heat, Welton and others said. The storm also was affecting water and sewer service, cell-phone service and even 911 service in what Welton called “cascading failures.″In New Orleans, water and sewer officials said they lost all Entergy power, but teams were working quickly to make up for this with self-generated power sources, as well as backup generators located at drainage pumping stations.Still, problems were being reported. The New Orleans suburb of Jefferson Parish was estimating it could take at least five days to restore the water system there.With widespread cell service outages, many people were frantically trying to reach friends and relatives and were unsuccessful. Just because you can’t get reach a loved one by phone, “that does not necessarily mean that they are not OK,” said Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for Edwards. “We know that much of this is a communications problem.”

Hurricane "Nora" hits Mexico with very heavy rains, leaving at least 1 person dead – video - Category 1 Hurricane "Nora" made brief landfall along the coast of Jalisco, Mexico around midnight UTC on August 29, 2021, with maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 980 hPa. Rainfall from remnants of Nora is expected to continue affecting parts of Mexico over the next 2 days and spread into the southwestern U.S. and the central Rockies beginning Wednesday, September 1, bringing the potential for flash flooding to the region. The storm continued grazing the coast of Jalisco after making landfall, producing very heavy rains and flooding over parts of southwestern Mexico. The storm weakened to a tropical storm by 18:00 UTC and dissipated by 09:00 UTC on August 30, 105 km (65 miles) ESE of Los Mochis, Mexico.Its remnants are moving toward the NNW at 15 km/h (9 mph) and this general motion should continue for the next day or two, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.Additional rainfall of 75 to 150 mm (3 to 6 inches) with isolated maximum amounts of 250 mm (10 inches) is possible along the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico associated with the remnants of Nora. This rainfall will produce life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, NHC said.¹The remnant moisture from Nora will lift across Sonora Tuesday through Thursday, August 31 to September 2, producing 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches) of rainfall with isolated maximum amounts of 200 mm (8 inches). This may produce scattered flash flooding and mudslides.Beginning Wednesday, moisture associated with the remnants of Nora will bring heavy rainfall and the potential for scattered flash flooding to portions of the southwestern U.S. and central Rockies.Swells generated by the remnants of Nora are affecting the southwestern coast of Mexico and will spread northward into the Gulf of California through today, August 30.These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.Flooding caused by Nora has damaged at least 500 homes in Jalisco and claimed one life after a hotel partially collapsed in Puerto Vallarta.In addition, 7 people are missing -- 6 fishermen and one woman who went missing after her car was swept away.²

After Ida, US energy pipelines off line, damage being assessed (Reuters)-Oil and gas pipeline operators checked for damage on Monday after hurricane Ida struck a major energy hub as a Category 4 storm, causing widespread power outages. Embridge has mobilized crew to evaluate the facility and has declared that some contacts will be temporarily suspended under force majeure in two offshore pipelines, according to company and shipper notices. He said he did. Offshore oil and gas production remained stopped on the service-providing platform, so the pipeline wasn’t up and running, a spokeswoman said. “Production remains trapped in our offshore facility. Our onshore assets are in operation,” said a spokesman. According to the shipper’s notice, the suspension of the force majeure contract was valid for the Nautilus pipeline and the Mississippi Canyon gas pipeline. “Embridge is investigating the status of employees in areas affected by Hurricane Aida. Currently, there is no ETA to return employees to facility inspections,” the notice said. Approximately 95% of US Gulf of Mexico oil production and 94% of natural gas production remained out of service on Monday, according to the Department of Safety and Environment Enforcement. Refineries along the Gulf Coast have also shut down or shut down. According to the shipper’s notice, Energy Transfer said it is conducting a post-hurricane valuation on the assets of Stingray Pipeline and Sea Robin, which carry natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico to the hub in Louisiana. “Stingray does not accept nominations from any location. Operators must remain off limits until Stingray grants permission for the flow,” the company said in a notice to the shipper. The gurnard feeding the compressor station in Ellas, Louisiana posted a similar notice to the shipper, demanding that it be closed to allow post-hurricane assessment. Enterprise Products Partners said Monday that the facility is still being evaluated.

Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, shatters the power grid (AP) — Rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks brought hundreds of people trapped by Hurricane Ida’s floodwaters to safety Monday and utility repair crews rushed in, after the furious storm swamped the Louisiana coast and ravaged the electrical grid in the stifling, late-summer heat.Residents living amid the maze of rivers and bayous along the state’s Gulf Coast retreated desperately to their attics or roofs and posted their addresses on social media with instructions for search-and-rescue teams on where to find them. More than 1 million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi — including all of New Orleans — were left without power as Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland, pushed through on Sunday. The damage was so extensive that officials warned it could be weeks before the power grid was repaired. The administration said more than 3,600 FEMA employees are deployed to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. FEMA staged more than 3.4 million meals, millions of liters of water, more than 35,700 tarps, and roughly 200 generators in the region in advance of the storm. As the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression Monday afternoon and continued to make its way inland with torrential rain, it was blamed for at least two deaths — a motorist who drowned in New Orleans and a person hit by a falling tree outside Baton Rouge. But with many roads impassable and cellphone service out in places, the full extent of its fury was still coming into focus. Christina Stephens, a spokesperson for Gov. John Bel Edwards, said that given the level of destruction, “We’re going to have many more confirmed fatalities.” The governor’s office said damage to the power grid appeared “catastrophic” — dispiriting news for those without refrigeration or air conditioning during the dog days of summer, with highs forecast in the mid-80s to near 90 by midweek. “There are certainly more questions than answers. I can’t tell you when the power is going to be restored. I can’t tell you when all the debris is going to be cleaned up and repairs made,” Edwards told a news conference. “But what I can tell you is we are going to work hard every day to deliver as much assistance as we can.”

Supplies are already running out as officials warn of weeks-long recovery after Ida -- Southeastern communities are reeling from Hurricane Ida after the storm system wreaked havoc on power grids and water systems amid the blazing heat.More than a million customers were left without power in Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.us. About 52,000 lost power in Mississippi.Since Ida made landfall Sunday, utility crews have moved in to assess the damage to the city's power grid, a process that will likely take days, according to power supplier Entergy. Restoring electrical transmission will take "far longer," the company said in a tweet Monday.Meantime, 18 water systems have gone out, affecting more than 312,000 people, and an additional 14 systems serving 329,000 people were under boil-water advisories, the Associated Press reported. Residents are rushing to find fresh drinking water and ice, as well as non-perishable foods.Gasoline is also becoming hard to find, as people seek to fill cars or generators. That means regional prices are expected to rise temporarily, the American Automobile Association said."It makes no sense to stay," one resident told CNBC's Frank Holland while filling up gas. "Our water is garbage. It's just too difficult to stay here."This all comes amid sweltering, late-summer heat. Heat advisories were in effect for some parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, where heat index values could reach up to 106 degrees. Ida made landfall over Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 miles per hour, one of the strongest storms to hit the region since Hurricane Katrina, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The storm has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is moving across the Tennessee Valley. It is expected to spawn heavy rainfall in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and in the mid-Atlantic region through Wednesday.

Floods, outages stall energy firms' restart efforts after Ida – Widespread flooding from Hurricane Ida and power outages on Tuesday slowed efforts by energy companies to assess damages at oil production facilities, ports and refineries.. Nearly all of Louisiana lost electrical power on Monday after one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the region downed transmission lines and flooded communities, leaving more than 1 million customers without power. Coastal areas were swamped by a storm surge so great it reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. Analysts said it could take two to three weeks to restart producing platforms and fully resume output at Louisiana refineries. Restoring power, critical to refineries, also could take weeks, utilities officials said. “This restoration is not going to be a likely quick turnaround,” said Rod West, head of utility operations at Entergy Corp. “This was a significant catastrophic wind event, whereas Katrina was a water event by comparison.” Disruptions at oil infrastructure are testing the country’s fuel distribution systems. Operators shut offshore oil and gas pipelines that feed processing plants. On Tuesday, the Colonial Pipeline – the largest fuel line to the East Coast – restarted its main gasoline and distillate lines after it shut the lines as a safety precaution ahead of the storm. Phillips 66 has not been able to begin damage assessments at its 255,600-barrel-per-day refinery on the Mississippi River in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, a spokesman said. The plant, which was put up for sale last week, was swamped from a failed levee in Alliance. “That is the most water I have ever seen in my 31 years come through to Alliance,” Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Gerald Turlich said on Monday. Floods have also been reported at other facilities in Louisiana. Nine refineries have reduced production or shut operations, including Exxon’s 520,000-bpd Baton Rouge, taking offline 2.3 million bpd of capacity or 13% of the country’s total, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated. Offshore, 95% of the Gulf’s oil production and 94% of its gas output remained shut on Monday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said. A total of 288 production platforms and 11 rigs remained evacuated. Numerous ports from New Orleans to Pascagoula, Mississippi, were closed on Tuesday, including Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), the largest U.S. privately owned crude export and import terminal. The terminal on Tuesday said it was working with oil shippers to minimize the effects of the storm’s disruption.

More than 1 million homes and businesses remain without power, Louisiana - More than 1 million homes and businesses in southern Louisiana remain without power after Hurricane "Ida" caused 'catastrophic' damage to the power grid over the weekend.¹ Ida is the second most intense hurricane on record to hit Louisiana, only behind Katrina (2005). Ida also tied for the strongest landfall in the state by maximum winds with Hurricane "Laura" in 2020 and the 1856 Last Island hurricane. The storm hit on the 16th anniversary of the devastating Hurricane "Katrina."The entire New Orleans (population 390 845 ) was left without electricity after Ida knocked out all 8 transmission lines that deliver power to the city.²Damage to eight high-voltage lines took out power for New Orleans and Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, as well as parts of St. Charles and Terrebonne parishes, Entergy New Orelans said.One transmission tower near Avondale fell Sunday night, causing the tower’s conductor and wires to land in the Mississippi River.As a result of Hurricane Ida’s intensity, major transmission lines that deliver power to numerous Louisiana parishes are currently out of service."At 240 km/h (150 mph), Hurricane Ida’s winds were incredibly devastating," said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. "We continue looking at options to restore power to those parishes that are out."The full assessment of damage could take several days since many areas are currently inaccessible either by roadways. "Based on historical restoration times, customers in the direct path of a storm as intense as Hurricane Ida could experience outages for more than three weeks. While 90% of customers will be restored sooner, customers in the hardest-hit areas should plan for the possibility of experiencing extended power outages," the company added. More than 11 000 Entergy workers helped by 25 000 workers from around the country are ​working to restore power.The efforts are being made to provide backup power for water and sewer services, and the city said it is using its own generators at drainage pumping stations.AP said the company faces a massive challenge.³ As of early Monday, August 30, 216 substations, 207 transmission lines and more than 3 220 km (2 000 miles) of transmission lines were out of service. One transmission tower that spans the Mississippi River and had withstood Hurricane Katrina was felled during Ida, Entergy said. "Entergy urges everyone to be safe, including customers and Entergy personnel and contractors. Stay away from downed power lines as well as flooded areas. Do not walk in standing water and do not venture into areas of debris since you may not be able to see a power line that could still be energized and dangerous.

Heat Threatens Louisiana Residents Without Power Following Ida Destruction, Entergy Failures - As the (still life threatening) remnants of Hurricane Ida continue northeast, survivors of the storm in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana are coming to terms with a different and dangerous reality: extreme heat for weeks on end without power.Heat is the top weather-related killer, annually and, as if on cue Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the area with a heat index of 106°F forecast for Wednesday. The NWS urged residents to "drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors."With nearly 800,000 people without running water or under a boil-water advisory, and a lack of power to charge phones. A (potentially weeks-long) power outage was supposed to be prevented by a new gas plant built by Entergy, the local utility, despite calls for distributed renewable energy with battery storage backup instead.Entergy has a long history of opposing efforts to cut fossil fuel use and improve grid resiliency, despite knowing for decades that climate change caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels would pose an increasing threat to the grid by supercharging hurricanes like Ida.As reported by The Washington Post: The near-total failure of the region's energy grid coincides with a sweltering southeastern summer and little respite for residents. Cars and generators will eventually run out of fuel; service stations can't pump gasoline without electricity. Cellphone batteries will expire. Water treatment systems will buckle without a reliable power system. "Really what we're looking at is how you sustain a large population in New Orleans when it's very hot, very humid and there's no power or food," said Nate Mook, chief executive of relief agency World Central Kitchen, which is preparing to serve 50,000 meals a day in New Orleans for weeks on end. "We're looking at a really difficult situation that is more dangerous than the actual storm impacts. If the energy company isn't able to get the power back on in a week, imagine."

Lack of Power Hinders Assessment of Toxic Pollution Caused by Ida - A fertilizer plant battered by Hurricane Ida belched highly toxic anhydrous ammonia into the air. Two damaged gas pipelines leaked isobutane and propylene, flammable chemicals that are hazardous to human health. And a plastic plant that lost power in the storm’s aftermath is emitting ethylene dichloride, yet another toxic substance. Early incident reports filed with the federal authorities are starting to paint a clearer picture of the damage wrought by the hurricane to Louisiana’s industrial corridor, complicating relief efforts and adding to the conditions that make it perilous for residents to return. An analysis of facility records and power outage data shows that at least 138 industrial sites that handle large amounts of hazardous substances are in and around parishes that have completely lost power, forcing facilities to rely on precarious backup power systems. Local officials were still assessing the full extent of the damage. But adding to the uncertainty, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality warned that more than a third of its ambient monitoring sites had stopped working, primarily because of power outages. And some sites, like the Valero Refinery in St. Bernard Parish, said they had shut down their air monitors ahead of the storm to protect the equipment. “Survival and recovery is what’s most important right now,” But as residents start to return to their homes and size up the damage, “facilities and the chemical runoff for emissions and pollution will be a big concern.” At the fertilizer facility in Ascension Parish run by CF Industries, the country’s largest producer of fertilizer, crews were unable to reach two storage tanks that were releasing anhydrous ammonia, the company said in a report to the federal National Response Center. Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless, pungent gas that can cause severe health problems, including respiratory damage and blindness. Hurricane winds temporarily extinguished the flares that had been burning the chemical off, the company said. “Any significant release would likely be noticed and reported in the surrounding area (by smell),” Phillips 66 reported two damaged pipelines in St. Charles Parish were leaking propylene and isobutane, both flammable gases that are highly hazardous to human health. company would assess the damage and start repairs once its workers were able to safely reach the site, Bernardo Fallas, a spokesman for Phillips 66, said . Power outages caused by the storm triggered a release of ethylene dichloride from a storage tank at a plastics plant in Plaquemine operated by Shintech, a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial giant Shin-Etsu. The chemical, used to produce PVC plastic, can harm the respiratory system and has been linked to other negative health effects. The facility is undergoing a $1.5 billion expansion, part of the continued expansion of Louisiana’s fossil fuel infrastructure. Messages left with Shin-Etsu went unanswered. The oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell reported that its refinery and chemical complex in Norco had released an unknown amount of hydrogen as the company shut down the plant ahead of the hurricane’s arrival. On Monday, flooding and black smoke billowing from flares at the sprawling facility painted an apocalyptic scene.

Remnants of Ida and Nora bring dangerous flash flood threats to U.S.- As the remnants of Tropical Cyclone "Ida" move into the northeast U.S., potentially life-threatening flash flooding is possible Wednesday into early Thursday, September 1 and 2, 2021, across portions of the Mid-Atlantic to Southern New England. In addition, there will be a threat of tornadoes in the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday. A threat of flash flooding will also exist across the southwest U.S. as moisture from the remnants of Nora remain. Tropical Depression Ida is forecast to slowly weaken and become a Post-Tropical Cyclone by Thursday morning, September 2 and move off the Northeast Coast.1 However, what's left of Ida2 will continue to produce heavy rain along the path into Thursday, prompting the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) to issue a High Risk of excessive rainfall from the northern Mid-Atlantic/Northeast through Thursday morning. The associated heavy rain is likely to create widespread areas of flash flooding, including areas that don't normally experience flash floods. "Lives and property are in great danger through Thursday morning from the northern Mid-Atlantic/Northeast," NHC forecaster Ziegenfelder noted. Furthermore, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Mid-Atlantic through Thursday morning. The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes. What was once Ida will move from the Mid-Atlantic into New England by Thursday morning then move into the Canadian Maritime Provinces by Friday, September 3. In addition, moisture associated with what was once Tropical Cyclone "Nora"3 will move over the Southwest into parts of the Great Basin and Central/Southern Rockies on Wednesday into Thursday, producing thunderstorms. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall with these thunderstorms. The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, and small streams the most vulnerable through Thursday morning.

New York City faces the first ‘flash flood emergency’ in its history. NYTimes - As the rain kept pouring and the puddles became floods, a flash flood emergency was issued for New York City for the first time. “This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the National Weather Service in New York said when it issued the bulletin at about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.” The emergency was a first for New York City, and only the second time the Weather Service in New York has had to issue one. The first one was issued just an hour earlier for the northeast New Jersey area. The flash flood emergency issued by the National Weather Service was more severe than a flash flood watch or even a flash flood warning. The agency defines such emergencies as “exceedingly rare situations when extremely heavy rain is leading to a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage,” typically with “life-threatening water rises resulting in water rescues/evacuations.” The area experienced historic rainfall amounts that prompted the dire warning. In a statement, the Weather Service said such “life threatening flash flooding” was possible at low-water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses. During the night, the Weather Service said it had recorded rainfall rates of at least three to five inches an hour in northeast New Jersey and portions of New York City. In Central Park, 3.15 inches of rain fell in from 8:51 p.m. to 9:51 p.m., shattering the record set only last week, when 1.94 inches of rain fell in the park in an hour during Tropical Storm Henri. At Newark Liberty International Airport, 3.24 inches of rain were recorded between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., the Weather Service said.

New Jersey and Maryland slammed by tornadoes from Ida’s remnants - The Washington Post –The remnants of Ida not only caused a flooding disaster around New York. They also spawned numerous destructive tornadoes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.Around 10 tornadoes touched down Wednesday, including one that prompted the Northeast’s first-ever “tornado emergency,” issued for Trenton, N.J. That’s the most dire type of alert the National Weather Service can issue, warning of an imminent and potentially deadly tornado with unusual strength moving through a major metropolitan area. That tornado, which the National Weather Service described as “large and extremely dangerous,” struck Burlington County, N.J., just after 7 p.m.; video emerging on social media depicted a Great Plains-style monstrous tornado, a furious whirlwind adorned with armlike vortices protruding horizontally outward. Those tentacle-like tendrils accompany only the strongest tornadoes; debris was lifted to roughly 20,000 feet, ordinarily an indicator of winds 150 mph or greater. The scene resembled the April 27, 2011, tornado that struck Cullman, Ala., amid a high-end outbreak. “[I haven’t seen anything like that] in the time I’ve been here,” said Nick Carr, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J. “Even those who have been here a really long time haven’t seen stuff like that.” Carr’s team rated the Burlington County Tornado, which continued into Bristol, Pa., an EF-1 with peak winds up to 90 mph. The most significant tornado, a massive wedge, occurred in Mullica Hill, N.J., around 6:30 p.m. Skies turned pitch black as the wide, destructive twister breezed through. Mullica Hill is about 10 miles south of Philadelphia, and social media footage revealed extensive damage to large homes, some of which were destroyed, from the powerful twister. On Thursday afternoon, the Weather Service assigned the twister an EF-3 rating on the 0 to 5 scale for tornado intensity. Carr explained that both tornadoes formed from the same rotating supercell thunderstorm, but it was unclear whether two distinct tornadoes formed or whether it was one tornado that skipped along. Bucks County in Pennsylvania, which borders New Jersey, was simultaneously under tornado and flash flood emergencies as disastrous flooding ensued across parts of New Jersey, the Tri-State area and the Northeast.On Thursday afternoon, the Weather Service in Mount Holly said it had confirmed 7 tornadoes in its coverage area which includes southeast Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and the northern Delmarva Peninsula. It found four tornadoes had touched down in Pennsylvania, including three in Bucks County and one in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County tornado was rated an EF-2, with winds up to 130 mph. It also found a weak EF-0 tornado swept through Princeton, N.J.

Hurricane Ida Hits New York City, East Coast Killing 18 - The remnants of Hurricane Ida pummeled the East Coast on Wednesday night with record-breaking rain and flash flooding, killing at least 18 people. Eight of them, including a toddler and an 86-year-old woman, drowned in New York City basement apartments in the worst flash flooding event the city has ever experienced. Another person died in a vehicle collision in Queens. Eight people died in New Jersey, four of them drowning in an apartment complex in the town of Elizabeth. A 19-year-old man died in flooding near Philadelphia. Commuters walk into a flooded 3rd Avenue/149th Street subway station on Sept. 2, 2021, in New York City. "We are in a whole new world now,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday morning. He described the catastrophic storm as "unlike anything we’ve seen before." Ida first made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday, devastating coastal areas with flooding and 150 mph winds. Hundreds of thousands of homes, including many in New Orleans, remain without power, and authorities have said it may be weeks before electrical towers are repairs and grids restored. But the severity of the storm as it moved north days later was unexpected, with residents given little warning. Videos of the New York City subway system show gushing fires breaking out on the tracks, waterfalls pouring over trains and through stations, and people wading through water attempting to get out. Delivery drivers were captured in videos attempting to navigate through floodwaters on bikes in Brooklyn, and cars floated down expressways. A tornado also ripped through Mullica Hill, New Jersey. A record-breaking 3.15 inches of rain fell in Central Park in one hour on Wednesday night, shattering the previous record that had been set just one week earlier, when the tail of Hurricane Henri hit New York with 1.94 inches.

In Pictures: Remnants of Ida Tear Through New York City - The New York Times - The remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through the New York City region on Wednesday night, dumping record rain and creating flooding in the five boroughs and New Jersey. Here’s a collection of photos of the storm.

NJ deaths: 23 fatalities reported in New Jersey after Ida flooding, Gov. Murphy announces - - Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday that at least 23 people were killed in flooding across New Jersey as Ida pounded the area with rain and flash flooding. The deaths were "largely concentrated in central Jersey and a few in the north," Murphy said. He did not release any further details. The majority of the deaths were individuals who got caught in their vehicles by flooding and were overtaken by the water, according to the governor. Murphy reminded residents of the dangerous conditions on the roads. "Do not assume your car or truck can handle it. Do not assume you know how deep the water is. If you must travel, do not drive into flooded areas," he said. Four residents of an apartment complex in Elizabeth were found dead in the aftermath, according to a city spokesperson. Oakwood Plaza, located across from the Elizabeth Fire Department headquarters, was inundated with eight feet of water, destroying fire equipment and apparatus. A person in a car was killed after becoming trapped in six feet of floodwaters in Passaic, after the Passaic River flooded, prompting evacuations of 60 residents to City Hall. According to a preliminary investigation, firefighters and rescue crews pulled 25-year-old Jonathan Jalil and his 66-year-old mother Isable Jalil from the submerged car at Passaic Avenue and Lackawanna Place in what the mayor described as a heroic effort, but they were unable to save their 70-year-old father and husband, Luis Jalil-Solarzario, who drowned. Rescue workers are searching for two others who may have been swept away.

Ida's remnants leave at least 46 dead after massive flooding in the East - The death toll from flooding after the remnants of Hurricane Ida pummeled cities in the East rose sharply to 46 on Thursday after New Jersey announced at least 23 people had died there. Gov. Phil Murphy said the majority of the deaths were people caught in their vehicles by flooding and were "overtaken by the water." Officials said many people were unaccounted for. "We're going to withhold a complete rundown of the blessed losses of life. They are spread across a handful of counties, largely concentrated -- not entirely -- but largely concentrated in central Jersey and a few in the north," Murphy said in an evening update. Dozens have died in six Eastern states -- Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- after the storm brought unprecedented rainfall to some areas. The death toll included a state trooper in Connecticut who was swept away as he responded to a missing person's call. In the Philadelphia area, some streets were swamped, delaying the city's rail and bus services, closing city buildings and prompting leaders to urge people to work from home. Rescuers navigated boats through flooded streets Thursday morning in and around Philadelphia, northern Delaware and parts of New York state, ferrying people from flooded homes. In Pennsylvania alone, thousands of rescues are believed to have happened so far, state emergency management Director Randy Padfield said. "There's a lot of damage, and I made clear to the governors that my team at ... FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is on the ground and ready to provide all the assistance that is needed," President Joe Biden said. In New York City, first responders rescued commuters from halted subway trains Wednesday night, while other travelers were stranded overnight in subway stations, some sleeping on benches with service suspended and no way to get to their destinations. NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said Thursday that 835 people were rescued from the su Beverly Pryce, a nurse from Queens, was among those who stayed overnight in a Manhattan subway station, having left her home Wednesday night to go to work, only for the flooding to bring everything to a standstill. "(I've seen) nothing like this," she told CNN on Thursday morning. "I didn't expect it to be this severe; I would not have left my house." Amrita Bhagwandin's home in Queens flooded. "I can't think anymore about how I feel at this point because of the chaos outside, my neighbors, there's loss of life," she told CNN. "I've lost everything in here and mostly the lives out there... we need some support ... this is too much for us. There is no end in sight."

What we know about the people who died in the flooding. - At least 24 people were killed in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the region on Wednesday. Thirteen people are known to have died in New York, including twelve in New York City, who were found at homes in Queens and Brooklyn and ranged in age from 2 to 86, the police said. Official causes of death will be determined later by the city’s medical examiner, the department said. Another victim, Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Weissmandl, was killed after being trapped by floodwaters near the Tappan Zee Bridge while driving home to Mt. Kisco, N.Y., from Monsey. The bodies of four people were found in Elizabeth, N.J., a city spokeswoman said Thursday morning. They included two men and two women, and were found at the Oaks at Westminster apartment complex across the street from a flooded firehouse, said Kelly Martins, the city’s spokeswoman. Two people were killed in Hillsborough, N.J., after they became trapped in their vehicles, a spokeswoman for the town said, and one man was found dead in Passaic, N.J., after being trapped in a car in rapidly rising floodwaters, Mayor Hector C. Lora said. Four people also died in Bucks and Montgomery counties, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania officials said, at least three of them from drowning. Three of the dead in New York City — a 2-year-old boy, a 48-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man — were found at a home on 64th Street in Woodside, Queens. There, Choi Sledge, who lives on the third floor of the house, said she received a frantic call from a woman who lives in the basement apartment, whom she identified as Mingma Sherpa, around 9:30 p.m. “She said, ‘The water is coming in right now,’ and I say, ‘Get out!’ Get to the third floor!” Mrs. Sledge recalled. “The last thing I hear from them is, ‘The water coming in from the window.’ And that was it.” She identified the other two people who died as Ms. Sherpa’s partner, Lobsang Lama, and their son, Ang. The oldest known victim in New York was an 86-year-old woman in Glendale, Queens. The police said that 11 of the 12 city residents who died because of the storm had been found in basement apartments, a common and often illegal feature of homes in densely packed neighborhoods in Queens.

How Ida Turned Basement Apartments Into Death Traps - The New York Times For about a year, Roberto Bravo lived in a windowless bedroom in a Brooklyn house owned by his brother, a dark basement unit he tried to cheer up with personal mementos: a photo of himself in a tuxedo surrounded by friends, and a flag of Ecuador, his home country, that he hung on the wall. On Wednesday night, the apartment turned into a death trap as water gushed into his unit and quickly overwhelmed him. He screamed for help — “Ayúdame por favor,” “Please help me” — as the water climbed to the ceiling. He never made it out. Cramped basement apartments have long been a prevalent piece of New York City’s vast housing stock, a shadowy network of illegal rentals that often lack basic safety features like more than one way to get out, and that yet are a vital source of shelter for many immigrants like Mr. Bravo. But after Wednesday’s record-shattering rainfall, the underground units turned into tormented scenes of life and death: Of the 13 people killed so far in New York City in Wednesday’s storm, at least 11 were in basement units, nearly as many dead as in Louisiana, where Hurricane Ida made landfall earlier this week. That people living in illegal basement apartments face danger is not new. But while the worry has traditionally focused on fires or, to a lesser degree, carbon monoxide poisoning, climate change has now made these low-lying homes increasingly treacherous for a different reason: the likelihood of deadly flooding, when a wall of water blocks what is often the only means of escape. The floods on Wednesday have placed fresh scrutiny on New York City’s regulation of basement apartments. Because most are illegal, there is no reliable count of how many exist, but the number is likely in the tens of thousands. In one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, they have offered low-income New Yorkers, including many working-class families who work in restaurants and hotels, affordable places to live. The basement apartments also provide some extra income for small landlords, many of whom are also immigrants. “In most places if you have a house and your basement is big enough, most people are renting out their basements,” Ms. Seecharran said. This week, however, as rain inundated New York, harrowing scenes played out in those basements. Deborah Torres, who lives on the first floor of a building in Woodside, Queens, said she heard desperate pleas from the basement apartment of three members of a family, including a toddler, as floodwaters rushed in. A powerful cascade of water prevented anyone from getting into the apartment to help — or anyone from getting out. The family did not survive. At a home in Forest Hills, Queens, floodwater burst through a glass sliding door into a basement apartment, pinning Darlene Lee, 48, between the apartment’s steel front door and the door frame. The property manager, Patricia Fuentes, heard Ms. Lee screaming for help, as others tried to free Ms. Lee while the waters rose. But they could not save her.

Death toll climbs in Northeast as Ida floods recede The broader extent of Ida's Northeast rampage became clearer on Friday. With every update, the region's death toll climbs higher, cementing the devastating storm deeper into the history books as one of the worst flooding catastrophes much of the region has ever seen.“This is the first time we’ve had a flash flood event of this proportion,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Thursday. “We haven’t experienced this before, but we should expect it the next time.”President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit New York and New Jersey on Tuesday, Sept. 7, to survey the damage from Ida, according to reporter Jake Sherman. As of Friday morning, Ida's march through the Northeast as a tropical rainstorm claimed the lives of at least 49 people across five states – New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut. Including the fatalities from the southern U.S., where Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, the storm is responsible for over 60 total deaths across the country.In the Northeast, New Jersey was dealt the most fatal blow, with at least 25 fatalities, the majority of which were inflicted by floodwaters on victims in vehicles.In New York, 11 deaths occurred in basements, as multiple families perished from inescapable rising floodwaters. One such family included a 50-year-old father, a 48-year-old mother and their 2-year-old young boy in Queens.  The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, with at least nine deaths linked to flooding in the region as basement apartments suddenly filled with water and freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars.  Along with multiple deaths in Pennsylvania and Maryland, the life of a Connecticut state trooper was also claimed by Ida, as confirmed by the Connecticut State Police. According to officials, state police sergeant Brian Mohl was swept away in his vehicle during an overnight shift near Woodbury. A 26-year veteran trooper sent out a distress alert around 3:30 a.m., but it wasn't until 9 a.m. that morning that his body was found submerged in the Pomperaug River.

Earth's hottest month on record: In the US, the West burned while the East flooded -Anyone paying attention this summer knows it has been hot and smoky across most of the U.S. But did you know we just lived through the Earth’s hottest month ever recorded? July 2021 was almost 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average — the warmest month in the entire record of global temperature stretching back over 140 years. The land area of the Northern Hemisphere set an even larger record in July,exceeding 2.7 degrees above average. Although 2 degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t sound like much, the science is clear: It was enough to set the stage for a summer of climate disasters. Hundreds of people lost their lives to extreme heat, and many more suffered economic and personal losses from extreme heat, fires, flooding and drought.In the West, global warming almost certainly caused an unprecedented heatwave that not only killed hundreds of people but enabled massive wildfires, including one that “erased” a town just north of the U.S. border in Canada. Other punishing heatwaves wreaked havoc around the country, and a more recent wildfire destroyed much of a town in California, with yet more areas still threatened. Relentless climate warming also caused an early summer heatwave in the Southwest, where it had already generated the first multi-decade drought since the founding of the country. This on-going “megadrought” most recently triggered the first-ever federally-declared water shortage in the region, mandating cuts in water deliveries to many users. The occurrence of hot drought conditions across the West is a clear harbinger of aridification, driven by human-caused warming, that is spreading across the continent andglobe. A hotter atmosphere is also driving dramatic ocean warming and expansion that is combining with melting glaciers and ice sheets to produce unprecedented sea-level rise. As a result, coastal America is not only getting more heatwaves but is also now exposed to inexorable coastal sea-level rise and flooding. In addition, our rapidly warming oceans and atmosphere have started to generate an increased number of the largest, most destructive hurricanes, as well as heavier rainfall associated with all sizes of tropical storms and hurricanes. Thus, for coastal America, global warming is leading to the very real threat of flooding and permanent submergence. Like so much of the continent, eastern United States and Midwest residents are feeling the bite of extremely hot temperatures, but they are also seeing more flooding due to climate change-supercharged storms that dump more rain faster than in the past. Paradoxically, this means that while much of the West suffers greater heatwaves, drought and wildfire, the Midwest and East must increasingly contend with both heatwaves and a steep rise in flood risk.

Rare snowfall in South Africa caused by intense cold front (videos) An intense cold front associated with a steep upper-air trough affecting parts of South Africa from August 26 to 30, 2021, brought heavy rains, disruptive snow, and cold temperatures.¹ The front lashed Western Cape before moving to other parts of South Africa, bringing snowfall and fierce winds.²

Strong eruption at Etna, 50th paroxysmal eruptive episode ejects ash up to 9 km (30 000 feet) a.s.l., Italy - After about 3 weeks of calm, activity at Etna volcano, Italy intensified again around 15:00 UTC on August 29 with a transition to lava fountaining at 16:45 UTC, marking the volcano's 50^thparoxysmal eruptive episode since February 16, 2021. The strong explosive activity lasted to 18:00 UTC.The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red at 15:25 and lowered back to Orange at 04:15 UTC on August 30.Dark ash plumes from the crater rose to an estimated 9 km (30 000 feet) above sea level at 17:10 UTC and drifted eastward.At 03:45 UTC on August 30, SO₂ cloud was clearly identifiable from satellite data over Greece, drifting eastward and dissipating.

G2 - Moderate geomagnetic storm watch in effect - (video) A G1 - Minor geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for September 1 and a G2 - Moderate for September 2, 2021. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to unsettled conditions on August 31 due to the delayed anticipated passage of the August 26^th coronal mass ejection (CME).¹ G1 - Minor geomagnetic storm levels are likely on September 1 due to the anticipated arrival of the August 28^th CME.² G2 - Moderate storm levels are forecast for September 2 due to the anticipated arrival of the August 28 CME combined with a CME from a filament that disappeared from near center meridian at around 18:00 UTC on August 28.

Carbon pricing gains traction around the world -Around the world, climate change policies are tightening, and carbon pricing is playing a big part of that. Once carbon pricing systems are in place, countries can apply pressure to emitters at will – representing the stick part of any energy transition policy, alongside the carrot of possible subsidies and guarantees for cleaner options. New carbon markets have recently been introduced in China, the UK and elsewhere, while prices on the well-established European market have surged as credits are reduced and countries toughen climate change commitments. As prices rise, lower carbon options become more commercially attractive as high emitters incur additional costs. After testing carbon credit trading at regional level since 2011, China launched a nationwide carbon market for its power sector on February 1. Initial allocations are free, with prices only expected to be introduced slowly and cautiously to protect investors in the coal sector. The move is part of China’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 and expected to cover over 4 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, making it the world’s largest. China’s power sector is only responsible for about 30% of the country’s total emissions, and industries such as cement, metals, and petrochemicals will be added over time. Verified company level emissions must be disclosed to the public, but unlike Europe, only direct exchanges and no carbon financial derivative products will be allowed initially – which some suggest may hamper liquidity and price discovery.
The obligation to buy carbon credits will favour gas-fired (as well as renewable) generation in China – at least in the short to medium term – because the main competitor is coal, which emits about twice the carbon that gas does. However, China’s current priority is to meet surging energy demand – coal supply shortages due to strong post-pandemic economic growth, a ban on Australian imports, and a hot start to summer sent demand and coal prices soaring, which is having far more impact on costs than a modest carbon price. Among generators, a recent survey suggested the carbon tax was welcomed, but only at low levels, with expectations averaging just 71 yuan/tCO2e ($11.1/t) in 2030 and 140 yuan/t by 2050 – well below current European levels.

‘Net Zero Emissions’ and the Carbon Offsetting Scam --The release of the recent IPCC Assessment Report (AR6 – Working Group 1)has caused renewed conversation about climate change and how to address it. Note that the conversation is no longer about whether to address it.The reasons for this shift — from whether to address climate change to howto address it — has several causes. Among them:

• • The number of sentient Americans who don’t know that the earth is heating is falling fast, who know the climate clock is way out of sync and we’re headed to world where the worst is yet to come.
• • The people who want to keep the fossil fuel engine running — our ruling elites — have discovered two wonderful ways to acknowledge change and still keep unmonetized carbon assets viable:

The first way is to target “net zero” emissions by a given date instead of real zero emissions.The second way is to tout and fund “carbon capture and storage” (CCS) technology, which exists nowhere in the world, as a magic carpet to carry us into the future that most resembles our past — a future of high energy use, infinite growth in profits, and a lifestyle based on ever-increased manufacturing. A future, in other words, that constantly rips what is raw, like minerals and oil, and sells it as smart phones, buildings, and plastic.This leaves entirely aside the question of whether that past can ever be transported into the future. After all, the greatest unasked questions in the mainstream climate movement are the most basic of all: Can we really keep “modern civilization” and have our climate too? Or does trying to keep one inevitably destroy the other?Let’s leave for later the questions around CCS technology, and also the greater questions raised in the previous paragraph, and focus for now on “net zero emission” targets. Bottom line first: “Net zero” targets are a scam to keep carbon profit flowing. “If our rulers wanted to mitigate the damage from climate change, they’d be doing it now and we’d be seeing them do it.” —Yours truly (discussed here)According to the website Climate Central, a generally good mainstream pro-climate site, the term “net zero” means that “any greenhouse gas emissions released are balanced by an equal amount being taken out of the atmosphere.”In simpler terms, under a net zero policy, atmospheric CO2 emissions in one place are offset by negative emissions (CO2 reductions) somewhere else, keeping global CO2 static.A goal of net zero emissions is vastly different from a goal of real zero emissions. The first goal allows fossil fuel companies to continue operating at current or increased capacity so long as offsets are found — or invented — to balance the global equation. The second goal puts fossil fuel companies out of business forever.Needless to say, fossil fuel companies and their captured governments love the first goal and hate the second.

Pennsylvania's climate plan clears last regulatory hurdle, allowing for carbon-pricing to be imposed — The centerpiece of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight climate change passed its last regulatory hurdle Wednesday, in a hard-fought bid to make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel state to adopt a carbon pricing policy. The plan to impose a price on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants in Pennsylvania won a 3-2 party-line vote from the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, a five-member panel made up of three Democratic appointees and two Republican appointees. The vote allows Pennsylvania, through regulation, to impose carbon-pricing as part of a multistate consortium, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which sets a price and declining limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. A chief argument against Wolf’s plan had been that making fossil fuels more expensive would send power generation to neighboring states with no emissions caps and devastate local coal-mining jobs and economies. Others questioned the need to do it if Pennsylvania won’t directly see more moderate temperatures or weather events. “We realize Pennsylvania cannot combat climate change on its own, but we also must recognize that the rest of the world cannot combat climate change without us,” Wolf’s environmental protection secretary, Patrick McDonnell, told the panel in his opening remarks. The heavily populated and fossil fuel-rich Pennsylvania has long been one of the nation’s biggest polluters and power producers and the jury is out on whether a carbon-pricing program would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its effectiveness could depend on where emissions caps are set and whether hundreds of millions of dollars paid by owners of coal- and natural gas-fueled power plants are wisely spent on clean energy and energy efficiency programs. The regulation could take several months to be officially published and become final. Once it does, Pennsylvania would join California, Washington and the 11 states already in the greenhouse gas consortium to adopt a carbon pricing policy, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Digital currency vs Green Energy: Cryptomining draws environmental backlash - In Massena, at New York’s northern tip, a one-time aluminum smelter has become a major center for cryptomining, or the act of unlocking complex algorithms that make up Bitcoin, and other forms of cryptocurrency or digital currency, a form of virtual money that exists only online. One of the major players in the cryptomining business, Coinmint, has set up shop, hosting thousands of special purpose cryptomining computers in the old building. Other cryptominers, lured by the low-cost and abundant hydroelectric power that is generated in this part of the state, are also flocking to the area. So much so, that the town is looking at a brief moratorium so they can set up some basic zoning regulations for this growing industry. One of the concerns is aesthetics. One new cryptominer has its computers in a pair of converted shipping containers on the side of the road. Town officials worry the potential eyesores that could result from having the metal containers all over town as the boom continues. Eyesores, though, aren’t the main objection to cryptocurrency. This rapidly growing, highly volatile and poorly misunderstood industry – which has made some people very rich – is drawing more and more scrutiny from environmentalists who worry about the enormous amounts of electricity the mining rigs consume. That, they say, clashes with New York State’s goal of drastically cutting greenhouse gases from electric generation in the next few years to combat climate change. To them, simply burning up millions of kilowatts in pursuit of a virtual currency is more than the latest Wall Street casino-style gambit. It also runs counter, they say, to everything embodied in the state’s tough climate laws and other efforts to cut the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere. “What is the impact of cryptocurrency mining operations throughout New York State on our water and air emissions?” asked Anna Kelles, a Democratic state assenbly member from Ithaca. “Will this actually send us backwards?’ Kelles last year co-sponsored a bill in the Legislature for a statewide moratorium on new cryptominers which would allow for an environmental review of the practice. The measure was co-sponsored by Brooklyn Democratic Sen. Kevin Parker who chairs the Senate committee on energy and telecommunications. It passed in the Senate but stalled in the Assembly.

EPA Dismissed Biden Officials’ Criticism of Auto Emissions Plan - White House and other administration officials told the Environmental Protection Agency that its industry-backed plan for tightening auto emissions limits was too lax, but the agency rebuffed those warnings and released the proposal with provisions that could lessen its bite.The discord was revealed in thousands of pages of correspondence, analysis and drafts newly released from an interagency review of the measure the EPA unveiled earlier this month and is set to finalize by the end of the year. The correspondence highlights tension within the administration over how aggressively to wield regulations to fight climate change, especially when the efforts are opposed by industry.

Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe ask federal judge to halt activity near Thacker Pass mine - Allowing digging near the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine would cause irreparable harm to Indigenous communities in the Great Basin, attorneys for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe and the People of Red Mountain told a federal District Court judge on Friday. The tribal governments and members of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe asked federal District Court Judge Miranda Du to issue a preliminary injunction. Such a ruling could halt ground disturbance as the court weighs the merits of the case. At issue is whether federal regulators improperly fast-tracked an environmental review for the closely-watched lithium mine. In January, federal regulators with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved the Thacker Pass mine. The mine, including an open pit and processing facilities, is expected to span more than 5,000 acres of public land north of Winnemucca at the base of the Montana Mountains. In a national push to secure more lithium and transition away from fossil fuels, it is one of several projects seeking a green-light from regulators. Yet the project has drawn opposition and concerns from Native American tribes in the Great Basin, environmentalists and local ranching operations adjacent to the mine site, all wary of long-term effects on their communities. Earlier this year, four environmental groups challenged the federal government’s environmental review of the project, as did a local rancher, Edward Bartell. Their separate cases have now been consolidated into one case. Over the past month, the court also allowed the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the People of Red Mountain and the Burns Paiute Tribe to join as plaintiffs. Atsa koodakuh wyh Nuwu, or the People of Red Mountain, comprise a group of tribal members from the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe who consider Thacker Pass to be sacred, as the site of a massacre, a place to perform ceremonies and an important area for hunting. Falk, the attorney for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and the People of Red Mountain, has also helped organize an encampment at the mine site. Protesters at the encampment have said that they are prepared to take direct action to prevent any ground disturbance at the project site.

 Hydrogen industry must clean itself up before expanding into new uses, report finds - The hype around hydrogen as a clean fuel has reached the point where it threatens funding for genuinely clean energy, according to a new report by the environmental legal group Earthjustice. Roughly 75 million metric tons of hydrogen are now being produced annually in ways that contribute to the climate crisis rather than help solve it. If hydrogen backers in the oil and gas industry want to make the case that hydrogen is a climate solution, they should start by decarbonizing these production processes, the report says. The vast majority of today’s hydrogen is made using steam and pressure to break the hydrogen-carbon bond in methane, or natural gas. This steam methane reforming process produces what is known as “gray hydrogen.” Current hydrogen production emits as much carbon as all emissions from the U.K. and Indonesia combined, according to the International Energy Agency.Most of the gray hydrogen is used for oil refining, fertilizer manufacturing and other industrial purposes. It’s this industrial hydrogen ecosystem that some experts, like those at Earthjustice, believe is the best candidate for clean hydrogen, given that it’s already generating carbon emissions. Less than 1 percent of the world’s existing hydrogen production is now made using renewable energy, according to Tuesday’s Reclaiming Hydrogen for a Renewable Future report from Earthjustice’s Right to Zero campaign. This “green hydrogen,” made in electrolyzers that use zero-carbon electricity to separate water into its constituent elements of hydrogen and oxygen, is what policymakers hear most about from industry groups promoting the fuel as a linchpin to combating climate change. But industry groups asking state and federal policymakers to support hydrogen as a tool to combat climate change — such as the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition, Hydrogen Forward and the Hydrogen Council — have been vague in defining what qualifies as “clean” hydrogen, the Earthjustice report claims. Many of these industry groups are promoting so-called “blue hydrogen” — made the same way as gray hydrogen, with the addition of carbon-capture technologies to mitigate its climate impact. But a growing body of research indicates that this method, even if it can successfully capture almost all of the resulting carbon emissions, would still leave the climate worse off.

It’s time to rethink It’s time to rethink air conditioning – Vox -What if the most American symbol of unsustainable consumption isn’t the automobile, but the air conditioner? In cool indoor spaces, it’s easy to forget that billions of people around the world don’t have cooling — and that air conditioning is worsening the warming that it’s supposed to protect us from.There are alternatives: We can build public cooling spaces and smarter cities, with fixes like white paint and more greenery. Some experts have hailed heat pump technology as a more efficient option. But as the planet warms and more of its inhabitants have spare income, AC sales are increasing. Ten air conditioners will be sold every second for the next 30 years, according to a United Nations estimate. Access to air conditioning can literally mean life or death for the young, elderly, and those with medical conditions such as compromised immune systems.The rise of ACs has an enormous cost: Over time, chemicals known as refrigerants leak out of AC units and accelerate climate change. International treaties have tried to fix this. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol banned the production of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, that were rapidly depleting the ozone layer and damaging forests and croplands. The typical narrative is that as scientists sounded the alarm, the world came together and set binding targets for phasing out the chemicals. In doing so, we averted a catastrophic threat to life on Earth. The chemicals that replaced CFCs are called hydrofluorocarbons. While HFCs don’t deplete the ozone, they are powerful heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Phasing out HFCs, which are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide, is one of the most critical actionsthe world can take this decade to curb climate change. Earlier this year, the United States belatedly signed the 2016 Kigali amendment, which extends the Montreal Protocol to almost entirely phase out HFCs over the next 30 years. Eric Dean Wilson, the Brooklyn-based author of the book After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort, is skeptical that phasing out these chemicals will be easy. He’s concerned that a form of protection from a warming world should involve swapping out one chemical for another. He also made a more radical argument that, in the United States and even around the world, a big cultural shift could lead to a more communal idea of cooling, instead of a retreat to our separately cooled homes. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

The U.S. added more new energy capacity from wind than any other source last year - Last year, 42% of new electricity generation capacity in the U.S. came from land-based wind energy -- more than from any other source -- according to numbers in a series of reports from the Department of Energy (DOE) this week. By contrast, solar amounted to only 38% of new capacity last year. This measures capacity, which is the maximum amount of electricity that can be produced under ideal conditions, while actual energy generation can be much less than that ideal amount as wind varies. While both capacity and electricity generation from wind can vary regionally, land-based wind is now a strong, intermittent energy source across the U.S. According to research by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a record 16,836 megawatts of new utility-scale land-based wind power capacity was added to U.S. energy infrastructure in 2020, representing about $24.6 billion of investment in new wind power. Last year, the DOE noted, wind energy was able to provide more than half of in-state electricity generation and sales in a few states. Iowa led the pack with wind power providing 57% of its in-state electricity generation. However, Iowa has a lot of wind turbines, and not a very big population. More typically, wind is used to generate electricity for the electric power industry during fall and spring nights, and the winter season. (Along the Gulf Coast in Texas, wind energy shows up in the late afternoon or early evenings during the summer.) The growth of land-based wind energy in the U.S. last year was driven partly by production tax credits that are poised for a phaseout, encouraging development before that event horizon. Wind technology improvements also helped encourage land-based wind development. Compared to older wind turbines, the latest models feature taller towers with longer blades that can produce more energy by reaching into higher winds. In addition to land-based wind farms, myriad off-shore wind developments are underway domestically. But last year, off-shore wind farms still weren't operational across most of the U.S. The DOE's 2021 Offshore Wind Market Report instead focuses on the "pipeline" of offshore initiatives. In 2020, the offshore pipeline "grew to a potential generating capacity of 35,324 megawatts (MW)," a 24% increase from the prior year, that report says. The Block Island Wind Farm off of Rhode Island, and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project (off the coast of Virginia Beach) are the first two off shore wind farms to become operational in the U.S. One other project, Vineyard Wind 1, south of Nantucket, Mass. has received all permits and locked in contracts to sell their power and deliver it to the grid. There are 15 other offshore wind projects in the pipeline that have reached the permitting phase, and seven wind energy areas that can be leased at the discretion of the federal government in the future, the DOE report said.

 Six U.S. states accounted for over half of the primary energy produced in 2019 -In 2019, the top six primary energy-producing states—Texas, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and North Dakota—accounted for 55 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), or 55% of all of the primary energy produced in the United States. In 2000, these six states had accounted for 39% of the nation’s primary energy production, indicating that primary energy production has become more concentrated to the top producing states.Primary energy production in the United States grew 40% from 2009 to 2019, driven largely by increased crude oil and natural gas production in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. During that period, advances inhydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling made drilling for previously inaccessible crude oil and natural gas more economical in the United States. Between 2009 and 2019, production of primary energy more than doubled in Texas and Oklahoma, more than tripled in Pennsylvania, and more than quadrupled in North Dakota. Texas has led the nation in both crude oil and natural gas production since 1988, when it surpassed Alaska as the top crude oil-producing state. In 2019, Texas accounted for 41% of U.S. crude oil production, double its 2009 share. North Dakota, the second-largest crude oil-producing state in 2019, accounted for 12% of U.S. oil production, up from 3% of the U.S. total in 2009.Marketed production of natural gas grew 76% in the United States between 2009 and 2019. Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma accounted for 53% of the nation’s natural gas production in 2019. The most notable increase over this time period occurred in Pennsylvania, which produced 0.2 quads of natural gas in 2009 compared with 6.6 quads of natural gas in 2019.U.S. coal production has declined since the mid-2000s because of falling coal demand for electricity generation. Given changing market dynamics, we now forecast that coal production will actually grow in 2021. The top three coal-producing states (Wyoming, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) accounted for 57% of total production in 2009 and 59% in 2019.Production of renewable energy in the United States, which includes sources such as hydroelectricity, wind, solar, and biofuels, has grown by 51% since 2009. Texas produced more than three times as much renewable energy in 2019 than in 2009, driven by increases in biofuels energy production and electricity generation from wind. Of the 50 states, only Washington and West Virginia produced less renewable energy in 2019 than in 2009.The share of energy produced in nuclear reactors did not change much in the United States between 2009 and 2019, growing by 1%.

Campaign to shut down New York City's peaker plants gains congressional ally - Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., on Thursday threw her support behind a proposal to cut the number of peaker power plants in New York City in half by 2025, followed by a complete shutdown in 2030. The fossil fuel plants are designed to provide additional power during times of high demand, such as hot summer days. As chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Maloney's support provided a boost to the Peak Coalition, a group of environmental activist groups in New York that have led the campaign to shut down peaker plants, citing the impact of air pollution on low-income and historically marginalized neighborhoods. Maloney also outlined a number of related federal proposals she is backing that would toughen the approval process of new power plants in disadvantaged neighborhoods and provide tax incentives and grants to help retire peaker plants. The Peak Coalition, which is targeting for closure New York City's 19 different peaking power plants, is made up of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, UPROSE, The Point CDC and Clean Energy Group. The coalition in a March 2021 report said it is the first "comprehensive effort" in the U.S. to shut down a city's peaker plants, which it argues have "negative and racially disproportionate health impacts" as demonstrated by higher rates of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Overall, three quarters of a million people in New York City live within a mile of one of these plants, with about 78% either low income or people of color, the group contends. "They are old, inefficient, costly and dirty and they are sited in communities that are already dealing with other pollution infrastructure," said Annel Hernandez, associate director of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, citing highways and waste transfer stations, among other things, during a panel discussion held Thursday on the issue.

Experts tell Ameren to dump the scrubbers, close the coal plant -Ameren is likely to mothball its second-largest coal-fired power plant rather than install costly pollution controls ordered by federal courtsafter years of Clean Air Act violations, experts and analysts say.The St. Louis-based power company said in financial filings Wednesday that it is not sure what it will do following the appeals court ruling last week that upheld a judge’s 2019 requirement for the company to put pollution-control technology — often called “scrubbers” — on its Rush Island Energy Center in Jefferson County.The plant is currently set to retire in 2039. But several experts said this week that they now expect that to happen much sooner, as Ameren faces the prospect of adding scrubbers at a cost it estimates at a billion dollars. Moreover, critics and analysts alike say it is unlikely state regulators would allow Ameren to recover those costs from ratepayers.Coal plants across the nation are already struggling to compete economically — leaving Ameren with a set of relatively easy decisions, several said.“It definitely doesn’t make any sense to actually put the scrubbers on,” said Ashok Gupta, a Kansas City-based energy economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. To him, the solution is obvious. “It’s time for them to accept the reality that this plant needs to be retired,” he added. “Time for them to turn the page.” Investors shared that stance, with an energy-focused analyst at Bank of America saying it is “exceedingly unlikely” that the company’s regulators would allow it to collect returns on such a large investment made at this stage of the 45-year-old coal plant’s life cycle. “We view an accelerated retirement as the far more likely outcome,” the company said in an analyst note.

Sediment from site erosion slowing traffic on Va. State Route 632 - The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is working to remedy what the agency has deemed an emergency at the former Harold Keen Coal Co. mine in the Dye area of Russell County. Severe erosion has occurred due to heavy rain and spread to State Route 632. The debris was several feet deep. DMME will spend $19,500 from the bond forfeiture fund to stabilize the site. The agency’s contractor, Cleco Corp., began work Tuesday to redirect the water flowing from the mine site and causing the severe erosion into a sediment pond. Contractors will build better ditching, regrade the mine access road and build water bars, or diagonal speedbumps, to direct water flow. Work is expected be completed within 24 hours. “Coal mines should never create offsite hazards such as this issue, which caused public safety concerns on State Route 632,” said DMME Director of Coal Programs Marshall Moore. “Having the ability to declare such events as emergencies allows us to act fast to ensure there is minimal impact to our surrounding communities.” The Virginia Department of Transportation has assisted in ensuring commuter safety by keeping the road clear of the debris and removing it from the site. The Harold Keen Coal Co. permit was issued in 2008. DMME forfeited the bond in October 2020. Bond forfeitures are a result of a company not meeting environmental regulations. Once a bond is forfeited, DMME receives the responsibility to properly reclaim the site using the bond the company was required to place before receiving a permit. DMME has not been able to complete reclamation because the agency is unable to collect the bond, at this time, due to court proceedings.

Suit claims coal plant tied to W.Va. governor is a 'menace' - In Alabama, a coal products plant partly owned by the wealthy Republican now stands accused of flouting bedrock air quality safeguards. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in an Alabama court, Birmingham-area regulators alleged that Bluestone Coke LLC repeatedly violated federal hazardous air pollution regulations and other requirements by failing to keep its ovens in good condition and limit “visible emissions.”Attached to the filing is a formal violation notice from last year that also faulted Bluestone for failing to make needed repairs months after the violations were first uncovered. Besides asking a judge for an injunction to stop the plant from “operating in a manner that is a menace to the public health,” the suit seeks fines of up to $25,000 per day for each violation.The regulators are based at the Jefferson County Health Department, which encompasses Birmingham, Ala., and serves as the lead agency for protecting local air quality. In a news release accompanying the suit, department officials said they had also decided not to renew the Bluestone plant’s operating permit, a step that could put the facility out of business. For now, however, it remains open after obtaining an emergency stay of what a Bluestone attorney called an “improper” permit denial and warned that a permanent shutdown would eliminate 125 “living-wage jobs.” In granting the stay over the health department’s objections, a hearing officer ordered Bluestone to come up with a written compliance plan but did not set a deadline. A status call on the case is scheduled for tomorrow, according to her order. The documents in the court file do not say how much added soot and other pollutants may have been released as a result of the alleged violations. Justice, a coal industry magnate elected West Virginia governor in 2016, has repeatedly clashed with regulators over his business operations. In March, for example, the Justice Department went to court to collect more than $3 million in unpaid fines stemming from a 2016 deal to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at coal mines owned by Justice in five states, including Alabama (Greenwire, March 12).

 Michigan City asks NIPSCO to remove coal ash from site -The City Council is asking NIPSCO to remove all coal ash from the Michigan City Generating Station site when the plant closes in or before 2028.The council unanimously passed a resolution to that effect recently, saying removal is preferable to placing a cap on coal ash that has accumulated at the century-old coal-fired power plant.“This is all about protecting drinking water here in Michigan City,” said Councilman Bryant Dabney, D-1st, a cosponsor of the resolution.Resident Joe Sherman commended Councilwoman Dalia Zygas, D-At-Large, for introducing the resolution. He lives near the plant, but said it’s vital to all people who enjoy walking the beach and who drink water from Lake Michigan.Sherman, who praised NIPSCO for shifting toward clean energy sources, said while he wished the resolution had some teeth to it, the council is at least opening dialogue with NIPSCO on the issue. Resident Ernie Halloran said if the coal ash is to be transported to Wheatfield, where NIPSCO’s Schahfer Generating Station will be converted to a natural gas-fired plant, how will the toxic waste be transported?

Impending Illinois nuclear retirements seen creating steeper hill to hit carbon targets | S&P Global Platts - In the face of state inaction on nuclear subsidies, the imminent retirement of Exelon Generation's Byron and Dresden nuclear plants in Illinois is expected to boost coal- and gas-fired generation and make it harder to achieve state and federal carbon reduction goals. Exelon has said it plans to shut the two-unit, 2,346-MW Byron plant Sept. 13 and the two-unit, 1,805-MW Dresden plant in November unless the Illinois General Assembly approves subsidies to keep the plants from losing money. The state legislature adjourned in June without passing a bill to financially support the units. Illinois lawmakers are slated to return Aug. 31 for a special session to redraw state legislative maps, but it is unclear whether they will discuss other issues. If the Byron and Dresden plants retire, average hourly coal-fired generation would increase 2.3 GW and average hourly gas-fired generation would increase 1.6 GW across 2022 in the Eastern Interconnect and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said Kieran Kemmerer, an analyst with S&P Global Platts Analytics. The impacts to ComEd generation are limited, as modeling shows the retirement simply results in reduction in exports, Kemmerer said. But reliance on local generation in times of higher demand could increase ComEd power prices, he added. The around-the-clock price impact from the nuclear retirements would be $3-$4/MWh in the Northern Illinois Hub across 2022, Kemmerer said. The loss of the two nuclear plants and the resulting increase in emissions from fossil-fired generation could make it harder to achieve national and state climate goals.  Losing the Byron and Dresden plants would cause a 20 million mt increase in annual CO2 emissions from the power sector, erasing more than half of the progress the state has made so far, the report said. If the Byron and Dresden plants close, the majority of the lost generation would be replaced by gas-fired generation, and a smaller amount would be replaced by coal-fired generation, Dean Murphy, an economist with the Brattle Group who coauthored the report, said in an interview. While the state could try to replace the nuclear plants with renewables, it would take years because it takes several megawatts of renewables to replace each megawatt of nuclear, Murphy said. From a climate perspective, it would make more sense to use the renewables to replace fossil-fired generation first, and then replace nuclear generation.

Agency ups scrutiny of Georgia nuclear plant, citing issues (AP) - Nuclear regulators said Friday that they will give greater scrutiny to construction of two new nuclear reactors being built at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle after a special inspection found electrical cables were not properly separated. Southern Nuclear Co., the unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. in charge of building the reactors, still has a chance to challenge the results before they are finalized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The special inspection lines up with what independent monitors hired by Georgia state utility regulators have long said: that contractors and Southern have done sloppy work while rushing to meet an unachievable schedule, necessitating that work be redone. Inspectors found Southern Nuclear had multiple earlier chances to catch problems. "Leaders did not emphasize that individuals take the time to do the job right the first time, seek guidance when unsure, and stop if an unexpected condition is encountered," the commission wrote in inspection documents. Georgia Power spokesperson John Kraft didn’t say whether Southern Nuclear would contest the findings.m

Nuclear reactors of the future have a fuel problem - President Joe Biden entered office being hailed by nuclear power advocates as perhaps the most pro-nuclear-energy president ever. He followed up his campaign trail discussions of nuclear energy as a necessary source of carbon-free emissions with a budget that proposed a record-setting $1.85 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy.But many in the nuclear industry are concerned that the budget does not sufficiently address a problem that could prevent nuclear reactors of the future from being able to function. The impasse would stand even if technological advancements to make nuclear energy technology cheaper and easier to operate are realized. Some of the most prominent of these next-generation reactor designs can only run on a fuel for which there is no commercial supply chain currently — and building that supply chain could take years and lots of political will, according to reactor developers and nuclear fuel supply companies alike. The nuclear industry, beset by massive cost overruns in the construction of current-generation reactors, has placed its hopes for new nuclear capacity in "advanced" or "next-generation" reactor designs, a broad category that includes everything from smaller versions of conventional light-water reactors to designs that eschew water entirely in favor of other cooling substances in the nuclear core like helium or salt. These reactors have the potential to help achieve decarbonization goals by replacing fossil fuel plants, powering the production of clean hydrogen and firming renewable energy, among other possibilities. Several companies are developing designs and targeting deployment of their first commercial demonstration projects over the next decade.Both the Biden and Trump administrations have supported research and development efforts toward advanced reactors, and Congress has passed legislation intended to streamline the regulatory path ahead. But the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the primary trade association for the nuclear industry, argues that if advanced reactors are to succeed, the federal government needs to do much more to create a domestic market for this fuel. "The commercialization of many advanced nuclear technologies is in jeopardy," NEI President and CEO Maria Korsnick said in a 2020 letter to then-U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette. The biggest policy change advocated by NEI is for the federal government to sign a contract with a nuclear fuel supplier to essentially create a new market.

Tepco to build undersea tunnel to release Fukushima water offshore - Japan Times - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plans to construct an approximately 1 kilometer-long undersea tunnel to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant out to sea, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. While the level of the radioactive substance tritium that remains in the treated water will be diluted to below regulatory standards, the decision to release it offshore into the Pacific is aimed at preventing reputational damage to local marine products amid an outcry from fishermen. The undersea tunnel will be constructed by hollowing out bedrock on the seabed near the No. 5 reactor at the Fukushima plant. It will stretch 1 km east from the plant out to sea, releasing the water into an area of the ocean where no fishing rights are in place, according to the sources. Tepco plans to dilute the treated water with a large amount of seawater to reduce its tritium concentration to less than 1,500 becquerels per liter. As the seawater within the nuclear plant’s port area contains radioactive materials, the water will be taken from outside the port. The Japanese government said the same day it will buy marine products as an emergency step to support fishermen if the planned discharge of treated water from the Fukushima plant into the sea hurts their sales. The government decided in April to start discharging the water from around spring of 2023. Tepco plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for a review of the tunnel construction plan and begin preparatory work in the near future. It is seeking to start full-scale construction in early 2022, with the discharge of treated water to begin around spring 2023 in line with government policy. The operator has also considered directly releasing water from within the plant site to reduce construction work, but the diffusion of tritium remained a key concern. It said it will increase the sampling locations and frequency of tritium concentration measurements in the surrounding area. More than 1 million tons of treated water has accumulated at the complex since a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima plant in March 2011. Water pumped into the ruined reactors at the Fukushima plant to cool the melted fuel, mixed with rain and groundwater, which has also been contaminated, is being treated using an advanced liquid processing system. The process removes most radioactive materials, including strontium and cesium, but leaves behind tritium, which is said to pose little health risks in low concentrations.

Cleanup of Brine Spill Underway Near Barnesville A fracking waste spill occurred Friday along Ohio 800 north of Barnesville with cleanup happening Monday. “At 5 p.m. Friday the well operator on duty reported a mechanical failure resulting in a release of fluid from the containment area,” Bryan Force of Force Environmental Solutions wrote in a text message Monday. “The ODNR and EPA were contacted immediately. Cleanup started today (Monday) and will be completed by the end of the day Tuesday. Corrective action was taken to prevent a mechanical failure from happening again.” According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, on Friday a brine release of 400-500 gallons was reported at the Buckeye UIC Barnesville No. 1 injection well. The incident occurred when the transfer line failed. The brine was released onto the offloading area and flowed into an offsite ditch. The Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management visited the site, which was stabilized late Friday night. Roorbach said the impact to wildlife was very minor, though area residents told The Times Leader that fish on a nearby stream had been killed.As part of the cleanup operation, a contractor struck and damaged a waterline. “The area was marked by all utility companies prior to excavating but a service line was missed resulting in a loss of water service until the water company could fix it,” Force said via text. “We apologize for any inconvenience this caused any local residents.” One village official was at the scene. “That’s outside of our jurisdiction,” Barnesville Village Administrator Roger Deal said, adding the contractor doing excavation and cleanup work asked for some assistance Saturday and Monday. “They called me down there to locate the waterline for them. … There was definitely a cleanup going on. … They called and said they were digging and needed to know where our waterline was. … Hopefully there’ll be no contaminated soil.

Cleanup continues following last week’s oil leak - Progress continues on the cleanup of an oil leak reported last week on Veto Lake. Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio EPA responded after crude oil was found in and around the lake, which covers 160 acres just east of Ohio 339. Stephanie O’Grady, media and outreach specialist from the ODNR, said Wednesday the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management has executed a contract to control the leak and secure the wellhead using a self-contained system that collects any additional release of fluids. The fluids will then be disposed of lawfully, she said.“The secure well has been placed into the Orphan Well Program and the program will follow established protocols to plug the well,” O’Grady said.She noted the well is on state-owned land and based on information about the area provided to the ODNR, the division’s survey section will attempt to locate additional unregistered wells.“If additional wells are identified they will be referred to the Orphan Well Program, and processed and scored accordingly,” she explained.Bob Lane, 76, of Marietta, owns oil and gas wells in the area and said as far as he’s concerned, the leak stems from an oil and gas well under the lake.“The well was built in the 1930s and the lake in the early 1950s,” he said. “In the process, the well was under the backwaters of the lake.”He said there are fears the crude oil will get into residents’ drinking water, which will make it completely undrinkable.“It will make C-8 look like a stepchild,” he said.The chemical C-8 was used by DuPont in the production of Teflon and other products that has caused health issues as a result of being released into local waters.

 Ohio plans to discontinue use of controversial road deicer - The Columbus Dispatch -The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to stop purchasing a deicer made from processed brine drawn from oil and gas wells.The department made the call after the Ohio-made deicer product, AquaSalina, became the subject of House Bill 282. The bill would allow the product to be sold to the general public and remove a requirement that users pay a $50 fee to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and report where every gallon gets spread.ODOT did not cite the bill or environmental concerns for its decision to stop buying the product. "We only need additives when pavement temperatures get extremely cold, which is fortunately the exception, not the rule," said ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning. "Also, there are a lot more approved products on the market these days, so we have more options to choose from."Even prior to the bill's introduction, environmentalists called for the discontinued use of the product, citing radioactive test results.Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which oversee the oil and gas industry in Ohio, tested the product in 2017. It found in one instance that AquaSalina contained 9,602 picocuries per liter of combined amounts of radium-226 and radium-228, far beyond the Ohio legal limit of 0.005 picocuries of radium per liter of oil and gas waste allowed in landfills. However, state laws allow brine produced from vertical, or conventional (as opposed to fracking) wells to be spread as a deicer without a cap on radiation levels because the state says it is a naturally occurring byproduct. AquaSalina brine comes from conventional wells. Radium-226 and radium-228, both found in brine waste from conventional and unconventional wells, are known carcinogens and can lead to bone, liver, and breast cancer in humans if levels are high enough, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Utica Green Conference to Focus on ESG Initiatives - The Utica Green Conference will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the recently renovated Nash Family Event and Conference Center at the Pro Football Hall of Fame campus in Canton, Ohio. The conference will educate and prepare companies for the changes coming to the oil and gas industry. Is your company aware of the sustainability changes coming to the oil and gas industry in Utica Shale? Is your company discussing these changes? Is your company adapting to the sustainability changes coming? Does your company know what ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) guidelines will do to your business?The Utica Green Conference will uniquely showcase the industry’s continued sustainability-focused progress and results. Produced by Shale Directories and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event will highlight the industry’s ESG initiatives, the critical role of U.S. natural gas in the context of the broader energy transition, as well as insights about where the industry has been, where it is now and where it is going, to make the Utica Shale even more sustainable. The conference will feature speakers from Encino Energy, which is a presenting event sponsor. Barbco Inc. is the Luncheon Sponsor for this groundbreaking event at which more than 300 attendees are expected. In addition, Barbco CEO Tony Barbera will join an all-star industry panel to discuss industry issues pertaining to the green future of America.This fall event seeks to create a platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas, drawing from energy company representatives, sector experts, regulators, public officials and the public at large on the industry’s ongoing ESG actions and related topics. The Utica Green Conference is an important and topical conference for the energy sector and its stakeholders.

PTTGC Looking for New Partner to Construct an ETHANE CRACKER COMPLEX in Belmont County OHIO— Houses continue to come crashing down — and more property is being acquired — in the Dilles Bottom area in anticipation of a future ethane cracker plant being built. Dan Williamson, Columbus-based spokesman for PTT Global Chemical America, said the developer still plans to eventually move forward with its proposed petrochemical manufacturing project. He added that the demolition of three homes in that area during the past week is a continuation of the lengthy site preparation process. “That was a pretty full neighborhood five years ago,” Williamson said of the chosen location that includes the property where the former FirstEnergy R.E. Burger coal-fired power plant once stood. “One of the first things we did in 2016 or so was to have a series of meetings with residents to explain this would be a substantial complex — that it would disrupt their lives.” When offered the opportunity to sell their properties to the company, Williamson said, the majority of nearby residents did so. Ever since then, Thailand-based PTTGCA has been working to gradually demolish homes that have become vacant. He explained that when houses are vacated, they immediately begin to become unsafe. Not only do the structures deteriorate, but empty homes can attract trespassers and even animals. The three homes razed during recent days bring the total number of demolitions at the site to 14. Williamson said this “closes the book” on tearing down homes PTTGCA already has purchased. Still, more demolition work may lie in the future. Williamson said the company is now working with area residents to acquire two more properties. Activity at the proposed plant site has slowed somewhat in recent years, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the withdrawal of PTTGCA’s investment partner, Daelim Chemical USA of South Korea. This slowdown has led to speculation that the project is “dead” or that it will only move forward under another developer. Williamson, though, said this is not the case. “Actions speak louder than words,” Williamson said, noting that PTTGCA continues to invest money and resources to buy property and develop the site. “That is not something they would do unless they intended to go forward.” Williamson stressed, however, that no final investment decision has been made and that PTTGCA continues to search for a new investment partner. He said he has no timeline for when an official announcement might be made. Launched in April 2015, the project has been in the works for more than six years. In addition to property acquisition and site preparation, the effort has included obtaining air and water pollution permits, securing grant funding and ensuring the availability of necessary ethane storage capacity, infrastructure and a freight transportation network. PTTGC is Thailand’s largest petrochemical producer, according to the Bangkok Post. Its American subsidiary, PTTGCA, is exploring the Belmont County project. It holds a more than 500-acre site along the Ohio River south of Shadyside in Belmont County and has invested millions in property acquisition and site preparation. If it is built, the plant would use six natural gas-fired furnaces to “crack,” or break apart, ethane molecules. The resulting ethylene or polyethylene could be used as a component of plastics, textiles and household or industrial chemicals. Ethane is a natural gas liquid that is abundant in the local natural gas stream. Plans are evolving for construction of an ethane storage facility in northern Monroe County, in salt caverns located about 8 miles from the PTTGCA site at Dilles Bottom. Opponents of the project have questioned its viability in the current economy, as well as its potential negative impact on the local environment and on residents’ health. Those groups, including the Concerned Ohio River Residents, tout “a cleaner, more sustainable and financially viable alternative” industry and a more diversified economy not tied to fossil fuels as the best path forward for the region.

Oil leaking in Swiftwater Creek continues to be a problem (WOLF) — Over a week later-- and residents in Monroe County are still struggling with a large oil spill in Swiftwater Creek with another two oil dumps occurring this past Tuesday.The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says the leaks came from an elementary school in the Pocono School District while excavation work was being done.Residents have provided photos of the creek turning red and smelling of a strong odor."A lot of residents are scared and concerned right now. The first time it wasn't as bad. The second and third time it literally turned the stream red. Any home owner who smells anything in their well with their water is asked to call Cindy from DEP. She is the geologist handling this. The DEP has assigned a specific geologist to handle this because it is so serious," Pocono Township EMA Coordinator, Jerrod Belvin said.The DEP, Pocono Township, and local organizations have been doing what they can to help, but now it's up to the Pocono School district to finish remediation. The Pocono School District has hired an environmental contractor to help with the clean up.

Chester County, PA Leaders Continue to Sow Fear of ME2 Pipeline - Chester County, PA commissioners are, once again, attempting to instill irrational fear into county residents over the construction and operation of the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline. ME2 runs hundreds of miles across the state, from eastern Ohio all the way to the Marcus Hook refinery near Philadelphia. The pipeline runs through Chester on its way to Marcus Hook. Chester commissioners are preparing to pay big bucks to hire a consultant to help the county draw up emergency plans for the pipeline in case it blows up or leaks. It’s a scare tactic. “The sky is falling!” Delaware Business Now published the following article about Chester County’s attempt to amplify the fears of a pipeline break on Mariner East: At the request of Chester County commissioners, the Chester County Department of Emergency Services has prepared a Request for Proposal (RFP) to specialist contractors for the development of a natural gas liquids pipeline hazard-specific addition to the Chester County Emergency Operations Plan.The RFP also calls for the development of tools to better prepare the public for a potential emergency arising from either the Energy Transfer Mariner East Pipeline or the Enterprise Products TEPPCO Pipeline.The pipeline hazard-specific section will also be developed and added to the emergency operations plans of the 12 Chester County municipalities in which the Energy Transfer and TEPPCO pipelines traverse.The pipelines do not come close to the Delaware line in Chester County but are near the border at the pipeline’s final destination in Marcus Hook, PA.“Chester County’s Emergency Services leadership and staff, along with the thousands of police, fire, and emergency medical service personnel throughout the county, have comprehensive emergency operations plans that allow them to respond to disasters, be they natural or man-made quickly,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Marian Moskowitz.Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell said, “Sunoco, a private sector company, has created a serious threat to our community, therefore we believe plans like this one being developed should become a requirement of the pipeline industry, and especially for Mariner East and TEPPCO. (1)

Opinion | Don’t Let the Fossil Fuel Industry Pivot to Toxic Plastics and Chemicals - The New York Times - As the United States comes to grips with the climate crisis, fossil fuels will slowly recede from being primary sources of energy. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that the petrochemical industry is counting on greatly increasing the production of plastics and toxic chemicals made from fossil fuels to profit from its reserves of oil and gas.That transition is why the challenges of climate, plastic pollution and chemical toxicity — which at first might each seem like distinct problems — are actually interrelated and require a systems approach to resolve. The danger is that if we focus on only a single metric, like greenhouse gas emissions, we may unintentionally encourage the shift from fuel to plastics and chemicals that are also unsafe and unsustainable.Already, according to a 2018 report from the International Energy Agency, petrochemicals, which are made from petroleum and natural gas, “are rapidly becoming the largest driver of global oil demand.”Petrochemicals are ubiquitous in everyday products, and many of them are poisoning us and our children. Stain repellents, flame retardants, phthalates and other toxics are contributing to cancer, falling sperm counts, obesity and a host of neurological, reproductive and immune problems, research has shown.Epidemiological studies over the past decade have found, moreover, that exposure in utero and in childhood to chemicals used as flame retardants, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, has been linked to significant declines in IQ. These chemicals, widely used since the 1970s in the United States, were largely phased out in recent years. But they have persisted in the environment. And the push to phase out PBDEs led to “regrettable substitutions,” as the authors of one study put it, replacing one type of phased-out toxic flame retardant with another one that is also harmful.And plastics, of course, are inundating the planet. Global chemical production is predicted to double by 2030, according to the United Nations. Plastic production could jump three- to fourfold by 2050, according to a World Economic Forumreport in 2016. By that year, the ocean is expected to contain, by weight, more plastic than fish.

Appalachian shale gas production hits record high this year - Farm and Dairy - The Appalachian Basin saw record shale natural gas production in the first half of 2021. The Energy Information Administration reported Sept. 1 that production in the Marcellus and Utica shales averaged 31.9 billion cubic feet per day during the first half of the year. That’s the highest average for a six-month period since production began in 2008. The Marcellus and Utica shales in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia account for about 34% of all U.S. dry natural gas production.This record production was due in part to growth in pipeline capacity, especially in the Midwest, the EIA said. From 2008 to 2020, total pipeline takeaway capacity from the northeast increased from 4.5 bcf/d to 24.5 bcf/d.

Shale natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin sets records in first half of 2021 -Dry natural gas production from shale formations in the Appalachian Basin that spans Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio has been growing since 2008, and monthly production has recently set new record highs. Production in the region reached 32.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in December 2020, and it averaged 31.9 Bcf/d during the first half of 2021, the highest average for a six-month period since production began in 2008. The Appalachian Basin contains two shale formations, Marcellus and Utica, which accounted for 34% of all U.S. dry natural gas production in the first half of 2021. On its own, the Appalachian Basin would have been the third-largest natural gas producer in the world the first half of 2021, behind Russia and the rest of the United States.Record-high dry natural gas production in the first half of 2021 was made possible by growth in pipeline takeaway capacity that allows natural gas produced in the Appalachian Basin to reach other demand markets, especially in the Midwest. From 2008 to 2020, total pipeline takeaway capacity from the Northeast increased from 4.5 Bcf/d to 24.5 Bcf/d, alleviating some congestion and supporting higher wholesale natural gas prices in the region. Most of the increase in takeaway capacity happened between 2014 and 2020, when pipeline capacity increased by 16.5 Bcf/d, much of which was directed to the Midwest. Pipeline takeaway capacity from Appalachia to Canada and to the Southeast has also increased. Recent expansions of pipeline capacity in the Southeast are supporting growth in exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas. Although natural gas pipeline capacity out of the Northeast has grown every year since 2014, the rate of increase has slowed and recently has not kept pace with growth in regional production. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is the largest natural gas pipeline currently being constructed in the region and is targeted to enter service in 2022. The pipeline will move natural gas from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, extending the Equitrans transmission system to the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company’s Zone 5 compressor station 165 near Gretna, Virginia. It is designed to move 2.0 Bcf/d of natural gas and is intended to further alleviate pipeline congestion. Pipelines tend to be most full in the region during the late summer when consumption of natural gas within the region is typically at its lowest.

DEQ taking public comments on Mountain Valley Pipeline stream crossings - For those fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline, scattered stretches of water, wetlands and national forest may soon be all that’s left to defend. Construction crews working through the summer have completed large sections of the 303-mile natural gas pipeline that starts in northern West Virginia, passes through the New River and Roanoke valleys, and connects with another pipeline near the North Carolina line. On Saturday, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality began taking public comments on a draft permit that would allow Mountain Valley to dig trenches for the buried pipe through streams and wetlands, impacting surface water in 428 locations. This proposal is an abdication of DEQ’s duty to protect Virginians and our precious resources,” read a statement from Appalachian Voices, Sierra Club, the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights coalition and Wild Virginia, four organizations that have long opposed the project. Mountain Valley has failed to present, and DEQ did not consider, the full impact on streams and wetlands, opponents say. “We are confident that a full description of the likely impacts from the remaining work MVP proposes is being withheld for one simple reason — it is abundantly clear that MVP cannot plow through these water bodies without causing unacceptable damages and violating state and federal laws,” said David Sligh, conservation director of Wild Virginia.. Mountain Valley must purchase mitigation credits to compensate for impacts to streams and wetlands. Approval by Virginia regulators is not the only hurdle MVP must clear before it can start work in streams and wetlands. In an environmental assessment released earlier this month, FERC found that the boring method would cause fewer impacts than open-cut crossings, which the two states are considering. That process entails temporarily damming a stream, digging a trench along the exposed bottom, burying the 42-inch diameter pipe and then restoring the water flow over the pipeline. Mountain Valley evaluated each stream crossing to determine if boring was possible, according to DEQ. In those where the length of the crossing, depth of the stream, surrounding slopes and other factors eliminated the option of boring, the open-cut method will be used. When construction began in 2018, Mountain Valley’s plans called for crossing nearly 1,000 streams and wetlands. About half of those were completed before the company ran into legal problems with its initial Nationwide Permit 12 two years ago. In Virginia, Mountain Valley has identified 236 remaining stream crossings, 92 of which would entail using the boring method, according to DEQ. Boring is planned for the Roanoke River along the Montgomery-Roanoke county line. The north fork of the river in Montgomery County has already been crossed via the open-cut method. In asking the state water board to stop Mountain Valley from completing the crossings, Sligh cited the company’s “deplorable record of violating environmental rules since it began work.” Muddy water has often flowed unchecked from construction areas when it rains, and DEQ found more than 300 violations of erosion and sediment control regulations.

3 Mountain Valley Pipeline protesters convicted, fined for Poor Mountain blockade - By their own admissions, three Mountain Valley Pipeline antagonists blocked a construction access road atop Poor Mountain by chaining themselves to a junked car fortified with concrete and steel.But they pleaded not guilty Monday, saying their civil disobedience came only after government agencies ignored their concerns about the natural gas pipeline’s ruinous impact on the environment and, ultimately, the earth.“We have tried over and over, time and time again, to go through the legal routes ... to make our voices heard,” Bridget Kelley-Dearing testified in a Roanoke County courtroom. “I feel like this is the last option I have left.”In convicting Kelley-Dearing and two others of obstructing the free passage of Honeysuckle Road, substitute General District Judge John Molumphy III said the case was not about the wisdom of building a pipeline, but how they chose to oppose it.Impeding pipeline construction was clearly their goal, he said, “and you accomplished that marvelously.”After hearing nearly three hours of testimony, the judge imposed $1,000 fines on Kelley-Dearing of Lexington, Deborah Kushner of Staunton and Alan Moore of Blacksburg.As dawn broke June 30 on Poor Mountain, pipeline workers found a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria parked sideways across a narrow gravel road that runs along a row of television and communication towers.Someone had flattened the tires, poured concrete into the car’s trunk and passenger area, and encased it with rebar. “Old Hills & Old Folks Resist,” was painted on the side of the car.Kushner, 66, was perched in a rocking chair positioned on the trunk; Kelley-Dearing, 64, was sitting in a lawn chair on the ground next to her; and Moore, 57, was inside the car. All three had their arms inserted into pipes that secured them to anchors of concrete, steel and rebar. Using grinders, rotary hammers and other hand tools, Roanoke County police worked until nightfall to extract them.

UGI Corporation Completes Acquisition of Mountaineer Gas - UGI Corporation has completed the previously announced acquisition of Mountaintop Energy Holdings LLC, owner of Mountaineer Gas Company (“Mountaineer”), the largest gas local distribution company in West Virginia, for an enterprise value of $540 million. With all closing conditions now satisfied, including final regulatory approval from the West Virginia Public Service Commission, Mountaineer becomes the newest wholly-owned subsidiary of UGI. UGI also announced that C. David Lokant has been named president of Mountaineer, effective immediately. Mr. Lokant will assume responsibility for all aspects of Mountaineer’s operations. Mr. Lokant previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Mountaineer. He joined Mountaineer when West Virginia Power Gas assets were purchased from UtiliCorp in 2000. Mr. Lokant has more than 30 years of industry experience and has held a variety of positions throughout his career in operations, regulatory relations, customer service, accounting, and engineering. Mountaineer serves nearly 215,000 customers across 50 of West Virginia’s 55 counties. The customer base is approximately 90% residential, with the remaining 10% comprised of commercial and industrial customers. Mountaineer is fully regulated, and its system has nearly 6,000 miles of distribution, transmission, and gathering pipelines.

Natural Gas Prices Are Soaring Despite U.S. Production Records - The benchmark U.S. natural gas price has nearly doubled over the past year. The front-month Henry Hub contract jumped from $2.406 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at the beginning of September 2020 to as much as $4.606/MMBtu early on September 2, 2021. Prices have rallied despite the fact that the biggest gas-producing basin, Appalachia, saw in the first half of 2021 its highest average output since natural gas production in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations started in 2008. U.S. natural gas production in the other shale basins is not recovering from the pandemic-induced slump last year as fast as in Appalachia. In the Permian, fewer oil-directed rigs are pumping less associated gas. Overall American dry natural gas production is rising. But it's not increasing so quickly as to offset surging U.S. gas exports via pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes, which have been setting all-time high records this year. Scorching summer heat waves and low natural gas inventories have also driven natural gas prices higher over the past few months. Moreover, major gas producers in Appalachia are holding off on splurging on budgets to boost production too much, expecting stronger price signals in the futures curve a year and two from now. The Appalachian Basin, which accounted for a third of all U.S. natural gas production in H1, saw its production average 31.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during the first half of 2021—the highest average output for a six-month period since production began in 2008, the EIA said this week. If the Appalachian Basin were a country, it would have been the world's third-largest natural gas producer in the first half of 2021, behind Russia and the rest of the United States. However, the rise in gas output in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio has not been weighing on the benchmark U.S. prices because gas inventories are running below average and will enter the winter heating season at below-average volumes, following major above-average withdrawals this year, especially during and after the Texas winter storm in the middle of February. Then, there is the trend of record-breaking U.S. LNG exports amid soaring demand and the highest spot LNG prices in Asia in years. Higher natural gas prices this year primarily reflect two factors: soaring LNG exports and rising domestic natural gas consumption for sectors other than electric power, the EIA said in its August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). The average price for the front-month contracts in July was $3.82/MMBtu, the highest July average since 2014, as per EIA estimates, as cooling demand—especially in the Pacific and Mountain regions—jumped and the number of cooling degree days in July was 9 percent higher than the 10-year average. At the same time, U.S. natural gas exports (pipeline and LNG) also increased, from 17.8 Bcf/d in June to 18.2 Bcf/d in July, while natural gas production declined slightly from 92.7 Bcf/d in June to 92.5 Bcf/d in July. The Henry Hub price rallied 17.9 percent from June to July, registering the largest month-on-month percentage change for June to July since 2012, when the price jumped by 20.3 percent.

 Brooklyn Residents File Civil Rights Complaint Seeking to Pause Gas Pipeline - Opponents of a gas pipeline snaking its way through Brooklyn are formally alleging its location, approval and operation discriminate against communities of color along its route, in violation of federal and state environmental and civil rights laws. Lawyers on behalf of Brownsville Green Justice and the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Coalition of Young Professionals, Mi Casa Resiste and the Indigenous Kinship Collective on Monday filed a petition to the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and Department of Transportation requesting an investigation into the pipeline’s siting and approval. Meanwhile, they demand, federal authorities should stop the flow of gas, which is extracted through fracking. It’s the latest effort to halt the project, which has been a focus of contention for over a year. National Grid’s Metropolitan Reliability Project, also known as the North Brooklyn Pipeline, is slated to run nearly seven miles, from Brownsville to Greenpoint. Four phases between Brownsville and East Williamsburg are complete and operational, but the final section, connecting the pipeline via Williamsburg to National Grid’s Greenpoint storage and production facility, needs further review and approval. The state Department of Public Service (DPS) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) improperly approved the pipeline, complain the petitioners. The groups are asking the federal agencies to “step in where they [state agencies] have failed,” said Britney Wilson, a lawyer and director at the New York Law School’s Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic, at an event at the Brownsville Playground Monday. She is also a resident of the neighborhood. The letter alleges National Grid misled the public about the nature of the infrastructure project and did not adequately inform or hear from the communities along the route. Nor did the company pressure-test its pipes or submit the necessary data and maintenance plans prior to the pipeline’s operation, the letter claims.

Willard Beach reopens for swimming after oil spill - A small but popular beach tucked in a quiet South Portland neighborhood is back open for swimming Saturday after abruptly shutting down due to an oil spill. The beach was expected to remain closed through Monday, August 30, however, the Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection said, "Although several petroleum hydrocarbons were detected at all sample locations, their concentrations were well below the guideline values. They also added that the contaminated water “should not pose a risk to human health.” The contamination happened after an oil spill ended up in South Portland's drainage system and then emptied into the water at Willard Beach, according to Officials with U.S. Coast Guard, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the City of South Portland. Once the oil spill was detected, the team quickly began the cleaning effort. Officials said they will continue to monitor the water by taking samples and testing them for the next several weeks to make sure that anyone who encounters the water will be safe. The City of Portland said they will also update the public until this matter is completely resolved.

 Crews respond to large diesel fuel spill at gas station in Liberty -Local fire officials and state environmental crews responded Friday morning to Circle K gas station in Liberty, where they worked to clean up about 50 gallons of leaked diesel fuel. The state Department of Environmental Protection was at the site, where the diesel was discharged during a fuel delivery to an above-ground storage tank, according to David Madore, DEP’s deputy commissioner. “The tank was overfilled and spilled out the vent line,” Madore said in response to an email seeking comment. “Gaftek was already on-scene during routine inspections of the tank and was able to assist the delivery driver immediately with the distribution of sorbents. Most of the discharge spilled to the tank pad but some escaped to the surrounding ground.” Sorbents are materials used to absorb oil from the spill. Gaftek Inc. is a petroleum services company that serves the Northeast and has an office in Bangor. A marsh near the spill site showed no signs of oily contamination, according to Madore. “Efforts are currently underway to collect the used sorbents and use sorbents mineral to better remediate the tank pad,” he said. “Efforts to excavate will be made later today but will likely move into tomorrow.”

Opposition grows to proposed natural gas pipeline -- Environmental and consumer advocacy organizations have come out against a proposed natural gas pipeline project that would link potential gas-fired electric units to a natural gas network. The Sierra Club and the Citizens Action Coalition have come out in opposition to the proposed construction of a 24-mile Texas Gas Transmission LLC pipeline connecting Robards, Kentucky to two possible new gas-fired electric generating units at CenterPoint Energy’s A.B. Brown Generating Station in Posey County. CenterPoint Energy has not received approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the agency that approves energy projects in the state, and the possibility exists that construction of the new units could be denied, making the Texas Gas Transmission project a pipeline to nowhere. Texas Gas Transmission also wants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency in charge of reviewing and approving interstate energy projects, to approve the project without having to complete an environmental impact statement. The Sierra Club has submitted comments to FERC, saying that the proposed pipeline would cause additional environmental impacts to parts of Indiana and Kentucky that are already bearing a disproportionate share of pollution. “[T]he Commission must perform a careful study via an [environmental impact statement] to assure that the full damage of this unneeded pipeline project is understood before the Commission acts on the application. Further, it is critical that the commission carefully scrutinize the representations made by Texas Gas given the company’s obvious financial interest in a continued build out of gas infrastructure, an interest that is in opposition to the public’s interest in a habitable climate,” the Sierra Club said in its comments.

Biden administration to resume drilling auctions in setback to climate agenda (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled more than 16,500 acres (6,700 hectares) it plans to auction to oil and gas drillers early next year as it seeks to comply with a U.S. federal court order directing the government to resume its leasing program. While the acreage offered is tiny compared to auctions under previous administrations, the move represents a setback for President Joe Biden's plans to fight climate change, which included a campaign vow to end new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters. Biden had paused drilling auctions after taking office in January pending an analysis of their impacts on the environment and value to taxpayers. In June, however, a federal judge in Louisiana ordered a resumption of auctions, saying the government was required by law to offer acreage to the oil and gas industry. The U.S. Interior Department said it was evaluating land parcels in states including Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma, according to documents posted on a government website. The amount of acreage being considered is a fraction of what the Interior Department's U.S. Bureau of Land Management routinely offered under previous presidential administrations. In 2020 alone, then-President Donald Trump's Interior Department offered more than 800,000 acres (324,000 hectares) at drilling auctions despite having to cancel several sales because of the coronavirus pandemic. Interior Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. The administration is seeking public comment on the land parcels for 30 days as part of a review that will determine which ones are put up for auction. The drilling rights will be sold in lease sales in February and March of next year. The government said last week it would take steps to restart the federal oil and gas leasing program. The announcement was in response to a motion by the state of Louisiana and others that sought to compel Interior to restart drilling auctions. Interior was expected to unveil details for an offshore auction in the Gulf of Mexico later on Tuesday.

DOI Moving Forward with GOM Lease Sale 257 - The Department of the Interior (DOI) has determined to move forward with the process for Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale (LS) 257, the DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has revealed. This record of decision (ROD) identified BOEM’s selected alternative for proposed LS 257, which allows for a proposed GOM regionwide lease sale encompassing the Western Planning Area (WPA); Central Planning Area (CPA); and a small portion of the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) not under congressional moratorium. BOEM expects a final notice of sale for LS 257 to publish in September, with a lease sale to follow in the fall of this year. On August 24, the DOI revealed that it would submit a record of decision (ROD) for LS 257 in the GOM to the Federal Register by the end of August. This followed an appeal by the United States on the preliminary injunction entered by the district court in Louisiana v. Biden, which enjoined the DOI from implementing a pause in new federal oil and gas leasing. The federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing program will continue as required by the district court while the government’s appeal is pending, according to the DOI. Commenting on the latest leasing development, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito said, “the resumption of the offshore lease schedule and of Lease Sale 257 is welcome news”. “As Louisianans and Gulf Coast residents recover from Hurricane Ida, the resumption of offshore lease sales adds certainty to their jobs and livelihoods,” he added. “There is no shortage of reasons why Gulf of Mexico energy development supports many of the top priorities of the Biden Administration. U.S. Gulf of Mexico production enables low carbon barrels of oil, supports more than 345,000 jobs, many of which are accessible, high-paying and cannot be easily substituted, and generates vital government revenues for conservation and recreation programs, including ones in economically distressed urban areas. Furthermore, Gulf of Mexico leasing can help avert inflationary risks and proactively ensure affordable energy for all walks of life, especially low-income communities,” Milito went on to say.

Lawsuit challenges Biden plan to sell oil and gas leases in Gulf of Mexico - Outrage and at least one lawsuit has followed the Joe Biden administration’s announcement this week that it would open tens of millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration in an effort to comply with a court order. Earthjustice, a non-profit public interest organization, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of four environmental groups in Washington DC federal court challenging the move. They alleged that the environmental analysis behind the auction is flawed and violated federal law. Brettny Hardy, attorney for Earthjustice, described the decision as the Biden administration folding to the oil industry, despite the worsening climate emergency. “Our planet cannot handle more stress from oil and gas production and yet the Biden administration is plowing ahead with a lease sale that will have impacts for decades into the future,” she said in a statement. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Healthy Gulf, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity. Other conservationists and environmental groups have highlighted the particularly distressing nature of this announcement coming in the midst of Louisiana and neighboring states getting pummeled by Hurricane Ida, and the fact that it directly conflicts with Biden’s campaign vow to put an end to new federal oil and gas leasing. In a tweet on Wednesday, the Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit environmental group, posed the question, “How does this align w/ Biden administration commitment to take ‘bold steps’ to combat the #ClimateCrisis?” while the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit conservation organization, launched a petition “urging Biden to keep his climate promise on public lands and oceans”. The announcement by the Biden administration came after a months-long legal seesaw initially sparked by the president signing an executive order in January pausing new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, pending an analysis on their impact. In response, more than a dozen states sued the Biden administration. In June, a federal judge in Louisiana ordered the government to resume auctions, stating that the law requires it to offer acreage to the oil and gas industry, according to Reuters. In the Record of Decision, a sale document published online, the US interior department explained that the majority of a 92m-acre area in the Gulf of Mexico would be available for lease. The result of such a sale could be production of as much as 1.1bn barrels of oil and 4.4tn cubic feet of natural gas. The document referenced the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report produced by hundreds of the world’s top scientists and released earlier this month, which stated that climate change is caused by human activities and that it is affecting every part of the planet already. But, the sale document said, the “report does not present sufficient cause to supplement” an environmental analysis conducted by the Trump administration of the lease sale.

Freeport LNG takes one of three trains offline for maintenance: spokeswoman -One of Freeport LNG's three liquefaction trains was shut for maintenance Aug. 31, temporarily cutting feedgas demand at the Texas facility to the lowest level in 2 ½ months. The work was expected to last three days, spokeswoman Heather Browne said in an e-mail responding to questions. She declined to specify which train was shut down or whether the maintenance was planned or unplanned, although she said it was unrelated to an Aug. 27 trip that, according to a state air emissions notice, took Train 1 offline for about five hours. Based on nominations for the morning cycle, feedgas deliveries to the terminal south of Houston fell to 1.5 Bcf/d Aug. 31, from about 2 Bcf/d the previous day, S&P Global Platts Analytics data show. The most recent level was the lowest since June 14. Freeport LNG is the only liquefaction terminal in the US and one of only a few in the world that uses exclusively electric motors instead of natural gas turbines to drive the liquefaction compressors. The earlier shutdown of Train 1 was because of a trip of the variable frequency drive on the low pressure mixed refrigerant compressor, according to a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality notice. That resulted in unavoidable venting from Train 1 to the liquefaction flare. "After resolution of the cause of the trip, the plant operators managed the restart of the compressor and the Liquefaction Train 1 as efficiently as possible to minimize flaring," the notice said.

Colonial Pipeline temporarily halts gas delivery as Hurricane Ida hits --As Hurricane Ida hits the Gulf Coast, a critical fuel artery for the Southeast U.S. has halted operations along two lines from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina. The Colonial Pipeline said it had temporarily shut down those operations until it's safe to resume. Fuel supplies still exist at terminals along the Southeast, and lines stretching from North Carolina to New Jersey are still in full operation. “We know that millions of Americans, along with our customers and other businesses, benefit from our system for critical fuel supplies at times like these," Wes Dunbar, vice president of operations for Colonial Pipeline, said in a statement. "As part of our weather preparedness and response plans, we have procedures in place to ensure the safety, protection and integrity of our pipeline and our assets – including proactively shutting down our lines when necessary." The Colonial Pipeline plans to perform safety evaluations and assess any impact made by the storms before reopening Lines 1 and 2, which stretch along the Southeast. In May, the pipeline went down for days after a ransomware attack, creating gas shortages as hordes of motorists rushed to the pump throughout the Southeast. Experts do not expect a similar outcome this time. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for fuel-savings app GasBuddy, told USA TODAY that the Colonial Pipeline would likely come back online later today.

Producers shut in 95% of US Gulf oil volumes; refiners close plants as Hurricane Ida makes landfall | S&P Global Platts - Power outages in Louisiana and beyond were spreading Aug. 29 after Category 4 Hurricane Ida made a Louisiana landfall, after roughly 95% of the US Gulf's oil and gas production was shut in and many Louisiana refineries and petrochemical plants were closed in advance of the major storm. Ida was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph on Aug. 29, according to the US National Hurricane Center, before making landfall south of New Orleans near Port Fourchon just before noon CT as one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the US Gulf Coast. By 4 pm CT, Ida remained at Category 4 strength, but the sustained winds were down to 130 mph. The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said Aug. 29 that 95.65% of the US Gulf's crude oil, or 1.741 million b/d, already was shut in, as well as 93.75% of the region's approximately 2.2 Bcf/d of natural gas production, or about 2.091 Bcf/d. An estimated 288 offshore platforms were evacuated -- 51.4% of the US Gulf's total. Close to 4.4 million b/d of operating refinery capacity is in the path of Ida as well, primarily in Louisiana, and at least half of that at-risk capacity came offline ahead of Ida as Phillips 66, Shell, ExxonMobil, Valero and others closed refining units. Ida's wind speed will play a major role in how hard it strikes at the heart of USGC refining centers, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. The greatest impacts are expected in the eastern Louisiana refining and petrochemical hubs from Baton Rouge to New Orleans and potentially to Mississippi. If the hurricane comes in with 120 mph winds or stronger, it could be "a major factor" in disrupting refining and petrochemical operations, Platts Analytics said. Ida would become a Category 5 hurricane if its winds hit 157 mph. "Hurricane Ida is expected to come ashore along the same path as other storms, which did extensive damage to USGC refining and petrochemical facilities. Many plants have been hardened against hurricanes, but disruptions in operations are still very likely due to flooding, power outages and personnel dislocations," Platts Analytics said. Colonial Pipeline -- the primary fuel artery from Houston to the South and East Coast -- said Aug. 29 it temporarily shut down its Lines 1 and 2 systems from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina. Colonial said the rest of the network from North Carolina to New Jersey is operating normally. Colonial said the closure is precautionary and should resume full service after Ida passes and the system is evaluated. As of 3:30 pm CT Aug. 29, more than 410,000 customers were without power in Louisiana, led by 401,452 Entergy customers and 12,869 Cleco customers. Another 1,817 Entergy Mississippi customers were without power. A hurricane typically causes power demand destruction, as it severs transmission and distribution lines to loads. With weaker demand, lower prices would be expected, but much of the nation's natural gas flows through Louisiana, and Ida could disrupt that infrastructure and increase pressure on gas prices. Historically, offshore production has returned to pre-storm levels 10-14 days after initial declines, placing the week of Sept. 6 as a likely time for production to fully rebound, according to Platts Analytics. The reduced supply levels helped trigger spikes in crude oil, natural gas and refined products prices on Aug. 27 at the end of weekly trading, including gasoline and jet fuel prices. Most producers had shut in production and evacuated all crews from the US Gulf prior to Aug. 29.

Almost 600 Louisiana sites with toxic chemicals lie in Hurricane Ida's path - About two thirds of Louisiana industrial sites with toxic chemicals lie in the path of Hurricane Ida, a storm with the potential to batter or flood refineries, storage tanks and other infrastructure that can release oil and other harmful liquids and gases into communities and the environment. A Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate analysis of industrial data and Ida’s predicted route through the state indicates 590 sites that produce or store toxic chemicals are in harm’s way. Almost 380 of them are within 50 miles of the coast, putting them at particular risk from storm surge, strong winds and heavy rain, according to the analysis of sites listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory.“That number of facilities at risk is something communities need to be aware of and make personal decisions about getting out of the area in case those facilities accidentally release or have incidents,” said Wilma Subra, a scientist with Louisiana Environmental Action Network, on Saturday. There were 540 oil spills after Katrina. Oil companies have yet to be held accountable for any of them.“We always have incidents during hurricanes,” she added. “And this one is of more concern [than last year’s storms] because it has such a big area of impact.”Ida is expected to strengthen into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm and strike Louisiana on Sunday with gusts of up to 160 mph, according to weather forecasters. Storm surge warnings cover much of the Louisiana coast, from the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge near Lake Arthur to the Mississippi-Alabama line.Hanadi Rifai, a hurricane resilience researcher at the University of Houston, said federal and state regulations do little to address the growing risk that storms and floods pose for industrial sites. “Every chemical plant has to submit to the EPA a big risk document, but they don't yet consider a severe storm or hurricane,” she said.That's particularly concerning because climate change has been ramping up rainfall and hurricane intensity, and the trend is likely to increase well into the century, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists.

Factbox: Tropical Storm Ida cuts US Gulf Coast oil production, refining operations | S&P Global Platts -Roughly 75% of Louisiana refining capacity and nearly 95% of offshore US Gulf of Mexico oil production remained offline Aug. 30 as a result of Tropical Storm Ida, which caused widespread power outages after making landfall as a major Category 4 hurricane the prior day. According to estimates from S&P Global Platts Analytics, about 2.2 million b/d of refining capacity was offline, with the majority of plants without power from outside supplier Entergy. As of about 1 pm CT Aug. 30, almost 1.2 million electric customers lacked service in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, according to various utilities plus PowerOutage.us. Hurricane Ida cuts power to almost 1.2 million customers Entergy had almost 874,000 customers offline in Louisiana and Mississippi. The bulk of US Gulf of Mexico oil and gas output remained down Aug. 30 as E&P operators began inspecting platforms or made arrangements for flyover visuals. According to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, 1.72 million b/d of crude output and 2 Bcf/d of natural gas output was down, 94.5% and 93.5% of total US GOM production, respectively. The return of offshore production could face delays as Port Fourchon, Louisiana took a near-direct hit from Ida. The port is a key hub of supplies and equipment, and a transportation point of entry and exit to and from the Gulf. Port Fourchon also is the home of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port's onshore facilities, which includes a booster station and Clovelly Dome Storage Terminal. LOOP, the only deepwater port in the US capable of loading VLCCs with crude, had suspended deliveries ahead of Ida, and could not be reached for comment Aug. 30. Colonial Pipeline -- the primary fuel artery from Houston to the South and East Coast - closed ahead of Ida and said it would restart late Aug. 30 following a damage assessment. The Colonial Pipeline outage boosted NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures, with the front-month crack spread to ICE Brent ending at $17.25/b Aug. 30, up from $16.32/b the prior day. Crude futures were little moved, however, reflecting some confidence that the Gulf of Mexico offshore output would soon return. PRICES:

• **Crude and refined product futures settled higher Aug. 30 as the market assessed the impacts of Hurricane Ida on US Gulf Coast energy infrastructure.
• **NYMEX September RBOB settled up 3.85 cents at $2.3127/gal and September ULSD climbed 3.11 cents to settle at $2.1403/gal.
• **NYMEX October WTI settled 47 cents higher at $69.21/b and ICE October Brent rallied 71 cents to settle at $73.41/b.
• **Spot US Gulf Coast ULSD was assessed by S&P Global Platts at a five-month high of October ULSD futures minus 4.17 cents/gal, up 38 points.
• **Spot offline Colonial Pipeline CBOB gasoline prices rose 3 cents to close at parity to NYMEX September RBOB as the pipeline temporarily shut as a precaution. CBOB prices climbed as high as September plus 1.10 cents/gal to start the day before losing steam.
• **In New York Harbor, barge and Buckeye Pipeline RBOB gained 1.8 cents to September RBOB plus 80 points/gal, likely suggesting short-term concerns about Gulf Coast supply.
• **VLCC freight rates were rangebound Aug. 30 despite suspended operations at LOOP, as flows have been slow, with only six VLCCs leaving the terminal laden to Northeast Asia so far in 2021.
• **Freight for the Aframax 70,000 mt US Gulf Coast-UK Continent benchmark route climbed 12.5% to Worldscale 90, or $15.34/mt, as weather delays in the Gulf of Mexico spurred on an already bullish freight market.
• **Medium range clean tanker freight rates might decline this week as reduced exports due to closed refining capacity in Louisiana and Mississippi could lead to excessive tonnage in the Gulf of Mexico.
• **Due in part to US LNG export uncertainties, spot LNG prices in the Asia-Pacific region rose further Aug. 30; the Platts JKM for October was assessed at $18.675/MMBtu.
• **Benchmark gas prices at the Henry Hub dipped 14 cents on Aug. 30 to end trading around $4.21/MMBtu preliminary settlement data from S&P Global Platts showed.
• **Henry Hub prompt-month futures lost about 7 cents to settle at $4.31/MMBtu; the winter contracts saw similar losses with the December, January and February calendar months ending the session around $4.45, $4.50 and $4.40/MMBtu, respectively, data from CME Group showed.

Factbox: Louisiana petrochemical producers begin damage assessments post-Ida | S&P Global Platts - Petrochemical producers with operations along the Mississippi River began damage assessments Aug. 30 in the wake of Hurricane Ida's assault, according to sources familiar with company operations. "When the dust has settled in the next couple of days, we'll know exactly what kind of damage there is, and when it is feasible to come back to operation," a source said. Another source said it was still early in the storm's aftermath, but even if production units were spared significant damage, the region could face lengthy power outages that hinder restarts. Westlake Chemical spokesperson Erika Soechting said Aug. 30 that the company was assessing storm impacts on its polyvinyl chloride complexes in Plaquemine and Geismar, Louisiana, which could take several days to complete. "Restoration of operations will also be dependent on availability of utilities and other feedstocks," she said. When Hurricane Laura battered Lake Charles in August 2020, petrochemical plants were largely spared notable damage, but remained shut for up to six weeks as Entergy, the main power provider in the region, rebuilt major electricity transmission lines destroyed by the storm. A similar lack of power in petrochemical centers from Baton Rouge to New Orleans "could be the big issue" in Ida's wake as well, a source said. Ida came ashore near Port Fourchon Aug 29 as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, just 7 mph shy of Category 5 status. The storm strengthened rapidly before landfall, and held hurricane strength as it moved slowly inland. Sixteen hours after landfall Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved into Mississippi, according to the National Weather service. The storm knocked out power for more than 1 million customers, including the entire city of New Orleans, according to Entergy, the main power provider in the region. Entergy said 207 major transmission lines were out in its service area, which includes Baton Rouge, New Orleans and cities along the river in between. "Where weather permitted, our crews were out at first light today assessing damage where it was safe to do so," the company said. "This will help us get a better idea of what we're dealing with. It would be premature to speculate at this time when power will be restored given the extent of the damage." Here is a rundown of the fallout of Ida's Aug. 29 assault:

• **ExxonMobil chemical complex: 1 million mt/year cracker; 400,000 mt/year HDPE; 400,000 mt/year LDPE; 900,000 mt/year LLDPE; 410,000 mt/year polypropylene
• **Formosa Plastics USA: 513,000 mt/year PVC; 653,000 mt/year vinyl chloride monomer
• **Dow Chemical: 1 million mt/year and 500,000 mt/year crackers; 750,000 mt/year HDPE; 184,000 mt/year and 350,000 mt/year LDPE; 544,000 mt/year LLDPE
• **Shintech: 500,000 mt/year cracker; 600,000 mt/year PVC; 1.77 million mt/year VCM; 2 million mt/year ethylene dichloride; 1.16 million mt/year chlorine; 1.28 million mt/year caustic soda
• **Westlake Chemical: 861,826 mt/year PVC; 725,747 mt/year VCM; 1.15 million mt/year EDC; 426,376 mt/year chlorine; 453,592 mt/year caustic soda
• **Olin: 850,000 mt/year chlorine; 934,066 mt/year caustic soda
• **Shintech: 900,000 mt/year PVC
• **Westlake Chemical: 520,000 mt/year PVC; 625,000 mt/year EDC; 317,514 mt/year chlorine; 349,266 mt/year caustic soda
• **NOVA Chemicals: 977,000 mt/year cracker
• **OxyChem: 315,000 mt/year EDC; 353,000 mt/year chlorine; 387,912 mt/year caustic soda
• **Methanex: Two methanol units, each 1 million mt/year
• **OxyChem: 613,000 mt/year EDC; 353,000 mt/year chlorine; 387,912 mt/year caustic soda
• **Dow Chemical: 750,000 mt/year HDPE; 800,000 mt/year LLDPE
• **OxyChem: 680,000 mt/year chlorine; 747,252 mt/year caustic soda
• **Shell Chemical: 625,000 mt/year and 930,000 mt/year crackers
• **Olin: 250,000 mt/year chlorine; 274,725 mt/year caustic soda
• **Pinnacle Polymers: 430,000 mt/year PP
• **CosMar: Two styrene units, each 579,000 mt/year

• FORCE MAJEURE: **Pinnacle Polymers: Declared Aug. 30 for all products due to impacts of the storm.

Already tight U.S. East Coast gasoline supplies face hurricane squeeze (Reuters) - Tight supplies of gasoline on the U.S. East Coast are being pressured by refinery outages from Hurricane Ida and the shutdown of a major pipeline that supplies fuel to the Southeast. At least nine refineries in Louisiana that account for 13% of U.S. processing capacity on Monday had reduced or halted production, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Those plants process 2.3 million barrels per day of crude oil into gasoline and other fuels. U.S. retail gasoline prices could rise between 5 and 15 cents a gallon, estimated Patrick DeHaan, petroleum analyst at fuel tracker GasBuddy. How much prices increase depends on how quickly refiners and the Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, can restore operations. Colonial on Sunday halted fuel transport from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina. The pipeline company said on Monday it expects to resume full service once the company assesses the impact of Hurricane Ida on operations. It is releasing fuel from storage terminals along the supply route to the Southeast. Traders are monitoring Ida's effect on East Coast fuel markets. Gasoline stocks are 15% lower than the five-year average. "No amount of barrels of fuel the U.S. can import can fill the gap of the Colonial pipeline," one fuel trader said. Refiners said they have cut processing in part due to the power utility losses. Utilities across Louisiana and Mississippi cut power to nearly 1.2 million homes and businesses, according to tracking service PowerOutage.com. "There are not a lot of cargoes destined for New York Harbor right now," DeHaan said. The East Coast has been drawing down inventories all summer after demand for products in Europe began to rise, limiting imports. Market participants said there is not enough summer grade gasoline in the East Coast because it cannot be used after Sept. 15, disincentivizing imports

 Oil, gasoline prices rise as Ida kicks hurricane season into a higher gear -- Hurricane Ida temporarily shut down a critical swath of U.S. oil production and refining operations, and that should keep crude and retail gasoline prices at already elevated levels. Now a tropical storm, Ida swept across the Gulf of Mexico production area before slamming into the Louisiana coast Sunday as a Category 4 storm, bringing torrents of rain, high winds and high tides. More than 1 million Louisiana utility customers were without power early Monday. The energy industry was working Monday to assess when it could restore refining operations across Louisiana and oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, which were taken offline as a precautionary measure. Oil prices were slightly higher Monday after jumping 10% last week. However, West Texas Intermediate futures — which traded at about $69 per barrel — are still down over 6.5% for the month. Nearly all Gulf of Mexico oil production was shut in, accounting for about 15% of the U.S. total. The shut in operations in the Gulf of Mexico should resume to normal if no damage is found. The hit to supplies from the hurricane comes as OPEC+ meets this week. OPEC+ is widely expected to restore the 400,000 barrels a day of production it had previously committed to return to the market. Crude inventories are at the lowest level since January 2020. Crude supply has fallen for three straight weeks, while fuel demand has reached its highest level since March 2020, according to data released last week by the Energy Information Administration. Price impact for Labor Day Gasoline supplies could also be impacted temporarily by Ida, with refineries shut down across the region. The Colonial Pipeline — a key artery transporting gasoline from Houston, across the South and up to the Northeast — was partially shut down. The company said it expected the pipeline to resume service later Monday, pending restart protocols, according to Reuters. Terminals continued to distribute gasoline. "The consumer should not expect gasoline prices are going to go down this week," Analysts expect gasoline prices to rise 5 cents to 10 cents per gallon by the Labor Day weekend for some consumers, particularly in the southern and eastern U.S. The average national price for unleaded gasoline was $3.15 per gallon Monday, down a penny from a week ago, according to AAA. The price is the highest for a Labor Day weekend in seven years and up sharply from the $2.23 per gallon price at this time last year.

 U.S. loans Exxon refinery oil from emergency reserve in Ida's wake - U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday authorized the country's emergency oil reserve to loan 1.5 million barrels of crude to an Exxon Mobil refinery in Louisiana to relieve fuel disruptions in Hurricane Ida's wake. Earlier, President Joe Biden directed Granholm to use all tools, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), to keep gasoline flowing in the storm's aftermath. "It's important to know that the region hit by it (Ida) is a key center of our nation's oil production and refining infrastructure...that's why we're not waiting to assess the full impact of the storm," Biden said. The loan to the Baton Rouge refinery is aimed to "alleviate any logistical issues of moving crude oil within areas affected by Hurricane Ida to ensure the region has access to fuel as quickly as possible," the Energy Department said. Several refineries including Baton Rouge remained cut off from crude and products supplies from the south via ship and barge after portions of the Mississippi River were closed by several sunken vessels. The Energy Department said it encourages refiners to prioritize refined products for the affected region. The SPR has four major storage facilities, two in Texas and two in Louisiana, to deliver crude to nearby refineries for fuel production. It was developed in the 1970s after the Arab oil embargo spiked gasoline prices, but has been tapped recently after unusual fuel disruptions like hurricanes.

Louisiana refineries, chemical plants flaring at full blast; 15 air monitors knocked out -Oil refineries and petrochemical plants have been flaring at full blast in Louisiana's "chemical corridor" along the Mississippi River since Hurricane Ida, and the 15 of the state Department of Environmental Quality's air monitoring stations are out of service. The department has set up mobile trailers containing equipment to sniff out chemicals in the air and take samples from the ground and water near two of the disabled monitoring stations: At the Shell Norco petrochemical complex in St. Charles Parish, where numerous flares have been pumping out a mix of black smoke and steam since Ida hit Sunday.The other monitoring stations that are down are at Carville, New Orleans City Park, Dutchtown, French Settlement, Garyville, along Interstate 610 in New Orleans, in the Irish Channel in New Orleans, Kenner, Madisonville, Marrero, Meraux, St. Rose and Thibodaux. "They are powered by electricity," which is still down in most of those areas, agency spokesperson Greg Langley said Thursday. Flaring can result of a mix of issues at a particular plant, said Brian Johnston, administrator of air permits for the agency. "A flare is essentially a safety device," he said. "It's typically designed to burn off large volumes of hydrocarbon gases as a plant starts up or shuts down, or if there's a malfunction or upsets. It's designed to safely combust the gas." Some of the plants have their on electric co-generation units that provide them with the electricity to continue operating even after a hurricane such Ida knocks out commercial power. Others are entirely dependent on the electric grid - and run into trouble when electricity is not available.

After Ida, Toxic Smoke From Shell’s Norco Plant in Louisiana Creates Apocalyptic Landscape – DeSmog (photo essay) For over a century, the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex has dominated Norco, Louisiana’s skyline as it refines up to 10.1 million gallons of oil a day and produces up to 3.33 billion pounds of ethylene a year. Shell’s Norco refinery was one of multiple Louisiana oil refineries that shut down on Friday, August 27 as Hurricane Ida gained strength crossing the Gulf of Mexico’s unusually warm waters. Ida made landfall on Sunday, August 29 as a Category 4 hurricane — and remained a hurricane for 16 hours after its official landfall, maintaining strengthas it passed over the swampy southern Louisiana coastline.After Ida passed, black smoke darkened the skies over Norco, rising from bright red flares.Refinery flares can add to air pollution in the wake of natural disasters. “Some of the area’s refineries started shutting down operations leading up to Harvey, including ExxonMobil, Petrobras, Shell, and Chevron Phillips Chemical,” DeSmog reported in 2017. “This process adds to air pollution because it leads to flaring off excess toxic gases, together with natural gas and oxygen, to keep the chemicals from building up to dangerous pressures.”Black carbon released by flares can be a powerful — if short-lived — greenhouse gas in its own right.“This is bad,” Peter Anderson, who was born and raised in Norco, told DeSmog. “I have never seen this many flares.” He told me that he worked at Shell years ago and was the first computer foreman on the catalytic cracker, key equipment in an oil refinery. His sentiment was shared with everyone I met on the streets of Norco. It’s a sentiment I share.I could see the black smoke coming from Norco when I got on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, a nearly 24-mile bridge that crosses the lake connecting Mandeville to Metairie. I have been able to see flares from mid-way across the bridge before, but never from that far away. Norco, Louisiana, sits on the east bank of the Mississippi River, about 25 miles west of New Orleans, in a region known as the “Petrochemical Corridor” to some and to others, including the United Nations, as “Cancer Alley.” The town’s very name stems from a Shell affiliate that was known over a century ago as the New Orleans Refining Company, or NORCO.I’ve spent time in Norco before, photographing the town’s Christmas parades in the shadow of the industrial complex and under plumes from the plant’s stacks. The plumes I captured before are white and gray in color, very different from the black smoke visible after Ida.In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with Shell over allegations that flaring at the site violated the Clean Air Act and state law. Shell agreed to pay a $350,000 civil penalty as part of the settlement and to take a series of steps to reduce the amount of waste gas it flared and the pollutants released during flaring.A security guard who said he worked for Shell spotted me taking pictures of the flares and asked what I was doing. I told him I was reporting on Ida, and that the flares are part of the story since I had never seen them so bad. He concurred.He took out his cell phone and took a few pictures of the billowing black smoke pouring from the flares before driving off. Riley Guillory, another Norco resident, told me that the flares turned the sky an eerie orange color after Ida hit.

Aerial Photos Show A Miles-Long Black Slick In Water Near A Gulf Oil Rig After Ida (AP) — Photos show what appears to be a miles-long oil slick near an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Ida, according to aerial survey imagery released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and reviewed by The Associated Press. The government imagery, along with additional photos taken by the AP from a helicopter Tuesday, also show Louisiana port facilities, oil refineries and shipyards in the storm's path where the telltale rainbow sheen typical of oil and fuel spills is visible in the water of bays and bayous. Both state and federal regulators said Wednesday that they had been unable to reach the stricken area, citing challenging conditions in the disaster zone. The NOAA photos show a black slick floating in the Gulf near a large rig with the name Enterprise Offshore Drilling painted on its helipad. The company, based in Houston, did not respond to requests for comment by phone or email Wednesday. Aerial photos taken by NOAA on Tuesday also show significant flooding to the massive Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery along the bank of the Mississippi River, just south of New Orleans. In some sections of the refinery, rainbow sheen is visible on the water leading toward the river. Asked about reports of levee failures near the refinery Monday, Phillips 66 spokesman Bernardo Fallas said there was "some water" in the facility and stressed that operations were shut down in advance of the storm. After the AP sent Phillips 66 photos Wednesday showing extensive flooding at its refinery and what appeared to be petroleum in the water, Fallas conceded by email that the company could confirm it had "discovered a sheen of unknown origin in some flooded areas of Alliance Refinery." "At this time, the sheen appears to be secured and contained within refinery grounds," Fallas said Wednesday evening. Fallas did not respond when asked whether the leak was reported after the AP sent the company photos four hours earlier. Phillips listed the Alliance Refinery for sale last week, before the storm hit, citing poor market conditions.All told, seven Louisiana refineries remained shuttered Wednesday. Combined, they account for about 9% of all U.S. refining capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Some refineries on the Mississippi River reported damage to their docks from barges that broke loose during the storm.

Oil spill reported in Port Arthur - A rail-yard near Motiva Enterprises’ complex in southwest Port Arthur has spilled at least 1,000 gallons of crude oil. Port Arthur Terminal, owned by Pasadena-based USD Group, first reported the leak from a rail car around 7:30 p.m. Monday, though engineer estimates suggest the leak could have started in the early morning hours. In a report to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality filed Monday night, the company estimated that the event could have lasted around 44 hours, which allowed oil to leak into a wastewater pond. USD Group reported that “product recovery operations” were still continuing at the time of the report. A representative with TCEQ said the Beaumont regional office was informed of the spill Tuesday and conducted an on-site investigation. “Compliance documentation will be submitted to the TCEQ for review once the remediation is completed,” the representative wrote in an email to the Enterprise. The terminal site started operating earlier this year after the company announced in December that it would move ahead with the 320-acre facility. The terminal was designed to have three units that could hold 120 train cars each and three storage tanks, with capabilities to mix products to pipeline grade for transport. The facility has long been a part of USD Group’s plans to bring Canadian crude to the Gulf Coast and was highlighted in its partnership with Gibson Energy to create a facility in Alberta, Canada. When the company announced its Canadian project, it also disclosed an agreement with ConocoPhillips Canada to process 50,000 barrels per day of inlet bitumen blend that will be shipped to the Port Arthur terminal.

Feds responding to reports of oil, chemical spills after Ida — Federal and state agencies say they are responding to reports of oil and chemical spills resulting from Hurricane Ida following the publication of aerial photos by The Associated Press. Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Nick Conger said Thursday that a special aircraft carrying photographic and chemical detection equipment was dispatched from Texas to Louisiana to fly over the area hard hit by the Category 4 storm, including a Phillips 66 refinery along the Mississippi River where the AP first reported an apparent oil spill on Wednesday. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriel Wisdom said Thursday that its aircraft has also flown over the refinery, as well as to the Gulf of Mexico. The AP published photos of a miles-long brownish-black slick in the waters south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The AP first reported the possible spills Wednesday after reviewing aerial images of the disaster zone taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ida made landfall Sunday, its eyewall carving through Louisiana with 150 mph winds and a storm surge so powerful it temporarily reversed the flow of the mighty Mississippi. The NOAA photos showed a black and brown slick floating near a large rig with the name Enterprise Offshore Drilling painted on its helipad. The company, based in Houston, said Thursday that its Enterprise 205 rig was safely secured and evacuated prior to the storm’s arrival and that it did not suffer any damage. “Enterprise personnel arrived back at the facility on September 1 and confirmed the integrity of all systems and that no environmental discharges occurred from our facility,” the company said in a statement. Sandy Day, spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which regulates oil rigs, confirmed it had received a report Wednesday about which the oil spill the AP had published photos. But the location was inside state waters, rather than the federal jurisdiction farther offshore. Patrick Courreges, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, said his agency had no way to physically investigate the spill. “It’s going to be awhile for us before we can make our way out there,” Courreges said Thursday. ”We don’t have planes, helicopters or Gulf-seaworthy boats.” Aerial photos taken by an NOAA aircraft Tuesday also showed significant flooding to the massive Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. In some sections of the refinery, a rainbow sheen and black streaks were visible on the water leading toward the river. In statements issued Monday and Tuesday, Phillips 66 said “some water” was inside the refinery, but did not respond to questions about environmental hazards. Only after the AP sent the company photos Wednesday showing extensive flooding and what appeared to be petroleum in the water, the company confirmed it had “discovered a sheen of unknown origin in some flooded areas of Alliance Refinery.” “At this time, the sheen appears to be secured and contained within refinery grounds,” Phillips 66 spokesman Bernardo Fallas said Wednesday evening, three days after the hurricane blew through. “Clean-up crews are on site. The incident was reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies upon discovery.” Though Fallas characterized the spill as a “sheen of unknown origin,” the report Phillips 66 made to Louisiana regulators Wednesday called it “heavy oil in floodwater,” according to a state call log provided to the AP. The log also contained a call from an oyster harvester concerned that water contamination from the refinery was fouling environmentally sensitive beds downriver.

Surveillance aircraft sent to possible oil spill reported in wake of Ida (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it has dispatched a surveillance aircraft to an area in Louisiana hard hit by Hurricane Ida that includes a refinery where an apparent oil spill has been reported. The aircraft dispatched from Texas will gather data on the Phillips 66 refinery and other priority sites, an EPA spokesman told Reuters. "EPA's ASPECT aircraft – the Agency's airborne real-time chemical and radiological detection, infrared and photographic imagery platform – has been activated to support the state of Louisiana," the spokesman said. Phillips 66 said earlier that flooding had occurred at its Alliance Refinery and a sheen of unknown origin in some flooded areas of the refinery had been discovered. "At this time, the sheen appears to be secured and contained within refinery grounds. Clean-up crews are on site. The incident was reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies upon discovery", the company said. "A full post-storm assessment remains underway at the refinery. An investigation into the cause/origin of the sheen will be conducted. The refinery remains shut down", it added. The Associated Press has also reported a possible spill near an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico after a review of aerial images of the disaster zone taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The photographs appeared to show a miles-long brownish-black slick in the waters south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The rig had Enterprise Offshore Drilling marked on its helipad. Enterprise Offshore Drilling said in a statement on its website that its rig had not suffered any damage or failure and that "no environmental discharges had occurred from our facility". The U.S. Coast Guard told the AP it also had an aircraft fly over the refinery as well as to the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Thursday. Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. Gulf Coast, made landfall on Sunday in Louisiana, destroying entire communities. The Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office said that state regulators were still in the very early stages of responding to the environmental hazards brought by Ida.

Reports of environmental problems caused by Hurricane Ida begin to trickle in - Information about potential environmental threats caused byHurricane Ida have been slow in coming, but initial reports to theCoast Guard's National Response Center and the state Department of Environmental Quality confirm there were releases of crude oil, fuel oils and a variety of chemicals in numerous locations in southeastern Louisiana on the day before and the day of the storm. The information that's available is not complete or comprehensive, consisting of initial call-in or emailed reports by company officials or others to the two agencies. They include releases of different chemicals by refineries and chemical plants when flares were extinguished by Ida's winds, as well as the possible release of sewage and wastewater in numerous locations in Jefferson Parish when power was lost, knocking out 95% of the parish pump stations that move waste through underground pipes. On Sunday, the Coast Guard reported several incidents involving ships:

• A vessel slipped from its moorings at Golden Meadow and was adrift with a tug boat connected to it. Neither were leaking oil.
• A stray vessel struck another vessel in its berth at Danos Shipyard in Morgan City, and a sheen was noticed in the water nearby.
• In Port Fourchon, where Ida made landfall at 11:55 a.m., a floating dry dock at Bollinger Fourchon broke free and breached the hull of another vessel, possibly breaching a tank aboard the vessel and resulting in the discharge of some fuel oil. The breach occurred above the water line of the hit vessel.

It also reported a number of releases at refineries, petrochemical plants and pipelines:

• ETC Texas Pipelines reported the release of two barrels of condensate onto the ground near the intersection of La. 151 and Virgil Road in Minden, La., the result of a corroded pipe.
• Koch Nitrogen in Hahnville reported the release of 58 pounds of ammonia through a flare during a power outage caused by Ida. The release was halted, and plant officials said they were working to restore power at the plant. No information about the amount of nitrogen released was available
• CF Industries in Donaldsonville reported that the pilots on the flares of two storage tanks were extinguished, while control valves were partially open, allowing the release of ammonia. “Conditions from Hurricane Ida are ongoing and a crew is unable to secure the release,” the company reported. The amount of ammonia released was unknown.
• Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC reported two leaks on two separate pipelines, RV 26 and RV 32, due to conditions during Ida, resulting in the release of propylene and isobutane into the atmosphere. “It is unknown if there is waterway impact at this time,” the company reported. The releases were near Paradis and Louisiana 3127 in St. Charles Parish.
• Mosaic Fertilizer reported ammonia vapor released inside its St. James facility after a flare blew out during Ida.
• Shintech Louisiana, in Plaquemine, reported the release of an unknown amount of ethylene dichloride from a storage tank into the air “due to power consistency/Hurricane Ida.”

The DEQ list includes the Phillips 66 Pipeline, Mosaic and Shintech reports, and many other reports of incidents at refineries, chemical plants, pipelines, vessels and other government and business sites, including one made by the Entergy Waterford 3 nuclear power plant. The information reported by DEQ was less detailed than that made public by the Coast Guard.

• Jefferson Parish Sewer Deptartment reported wastewater and rainwater were released due to loss of power that caused 95% of the lift stations that move waste through pipes to fail. The releases were in various locations throughout the parish.
• Waterford 3 in Hahnville reported an unusual event due to the loss of power running to the station from offsite. There was no release of radiation or other materials resulting from that power loss.
• Chalmette Refining reported the release of sulphur dioxide from a flare due to loss of power.
• The Dow-Union Carbide plant in Hahnville reported flaring of products and byproducts due to loss of power.
• ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge reported releases of nitrogen oxide, nitrate, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide due to an upset caused by Ida.
• Hudson Marine/Orion Reederei reported that a vessel ran aground at Magnolia Landing in St. James Parish. No release was reported.
• Energy Transfer Partners/Lone Star NGL in Geismar reported a loss of power that caused its flare to produce black smoke. What was actually released was unknown
• Marquette Transportation on the Mississippi River near LaPlace reported fuel coming from the cargo vessel Golden L.
• Kirby Inland Marine on the river in St. Charles Parish, reported the release of pygas in a discharge from a tank of the barge M/V Kirby 28046.
• Cornerstone Chemical reported the release of sulphur dioxide and sulphur trioxide. “Molten sulfur tank may have been struck by lightning or other ignition source,” the report said.
• Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse reported a release of mainly stormwater after the refinery was flooded when a levee was overtopped. Officials hope to open floodgates to reduce water within the leveed area to lessen the flooding impact.
• The Valero St. Charles refinery in Norco reported damage to a gasoline tank and a release of gasoline.
• Entergy’s Little Gypsy Plant in Montz reported an unknown amount of asbestos blown off the ground.
• ECM Maritime/Hokoku Marine reported that one of its vessels in the Mississippi River ran aground in St. Charles Parish, and there was potential for release of fuel oil.
• Marathon Pipeline’s St. James Tank Farm reported crude oil discharged onto an aboveground storage tank and then onto the ground and into surface water.
• Hudson Marine reported that tugs broke free from the Bonnet Carre Anchorage at Norco and struck a vessel. There is the potential for a release.
• Tennessee Gas Pipeline reported that a nipple on a pipeline near Golden Meadow was damaged, releasing natural gas.
• Gallagher Marine/Safety Sailing Ship Management reported that the bulk cargo ship L/T Ocean Star was aground in the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish and there was potential for the release of oil.
• The Coast Guard reported that there was an unidentified barge sunk in the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, posing the threat of a release of an unknown amount of oil.
• Clean Gulf reported oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico a few miles off Port Fourchon from an unknown source.
• Shell Pipeline reported damage to piping at a pipeline booster facility near Golden Meadow that was leaking crude oil.

Port Fourchon, LOOP enter recovery mode after sustaining damages, timeline unclear - Port Fourchon and the associated Louisiana Offshore Oil Port entered into a recovery mode Aug. 31 after sustaining damages from Hurricane Ida and a timeline for restoring operations remains unclear, but there is optimism that most of the facilities "stood up well" to the major Category 4 hurricane, said a spokesperson for the Greater Lafourche Port Commission. The statuses of Port Fourchon and LOOP will play key roles in both the resumption of offshore oil and gas production and of crude oil exports because of their key roles in maritime traffic. The port is a hub of supplies and equipment, and a transportation point of entry and exit to and from the Gulf, while LOOP is the nation's only deepwater terminal capable of offloading VLCCs. Ida aimed directly at Port Fourchon when it made its Louisiana landfall Aug. 29 as one of the strongest storms to ever hit the US Gulf Coast. "While damaged, we are hopeful in the fact that a lot of key infrastructure remains and looks to have stood up well to the onslaught of this historic hurricane," said port commission spokesperson Thad Angelloz in an emailed statement. "Obviously, removing obstructions and sunken vessels in the waterways that flow in out of the port is key to bringing offshore transportation back on line," he added. "However, providing the necessary waterway access in and out of the port can hopefully be achieved with certain restrictions in the nearer term with fuller access maybe taking a bit longer." LOOP's onshore facilities are at Port Fourchon, while the marine terminal is about 18 nautical miles offshore. About 95% of US Gulf oil and gas production was shut in ahead of Ida, as well as more than 2 million b/d of onshore crude oil refining capacity. More than 1 million electricity customers remained without power on Aug. 31, including nearly all of the New Orleans area. Angelloz said port teams have completed initial visual assessments of the damage, including aerially, and currently are focused on clearing debris from roadways to ensure safe travel. "Giving a timeframe on power restoration and a timeframe on how long certain tenants and users will need to repair facilities is challenging," he said. "I will say that the essential team members that work for the myriad of businesses that work out of the port are anxious to get in there, access things and get to back to work." The port commission is working closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coast Survey office, the US Coast Guard, electricity provider Entergy, the local water district and other partners to safely open the port back up to commerce, he said. An additional statement Aug. 31 from LOOP said that facility assessments are still being conducted. The port commission said the Ted Gisclair Floodgate in Larose and the Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow remain closed to all marine traffic. The main Louisiana Highway 1 access point into the area also was closed Aug. 31 from debris and high water. After roadways are cleared for passage, the port commission said it will notify tenants when limited port access is given to return and assess damages. This will be a phased-in approach with tenant assessment teams being allowed into the port first.

Helipad damages hampering restoration of offshore US Gulf oil and gas production - Heliport and marine terminal damages from Hurricane Ida are hampering crew transportation and the aerial assessments of deepwater US Gulf platforms, slowing the process to return the oil and gas production shut ahead of the Category 4 storm's landfall. While a weaker storm may see producers begin to return oil and gas flows a day or two after it passes, the downtime after Ida, which made landfall Aug. 29 packing winds of 150 mph, will drag on longer because of the devastating wind strengths and the extensive damages to terminals and heliports used to access the offshore facilities. However, three days after Ida's landfall, a surprising amount of production that had been offline for the better part of a week has now been restored in the US Gulf, according to the US' Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in its daily update. On Sept. 1, 1.455 million b/d of oil in the US Gulf remained shut-in, or about 80%. That compares with nearly 94% the day before. Also, 1.87 Bcf/d of natural gas remained shut-in, or 83%, compared with 94.5% the day before. Some 249 platforms, or a little more than 44% of the US Gulf's total, were offline Sept. 1, compared to 278 the day before. Late Aug. 31, Shell said it plans to establish what it called a "temporary crew-change heliport," since the primary crew-change heliport in Houma, Louisiana suffered "significant damage" during the storm. Houma, including the Port of Terrebonne and the Houma Navigation Canal, was one of the hardest hit areas by the storm. The company's Perdido production hub in the far southwest Gulf near Mexican territorial waters, and the Stones field which produces into the Turritella floating production storage and offloading vessel, are Shell's only US Gulf assets online, it said. Shell said it completed one damage assessment flyover thus far- the Mars, Olympus and Ursa platforms are all intact and on location - and had another one planned soon to check the rest of its facilities. Also Sept. 1, Chevron said it has conducted overflights to assess its offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, which "appear to be undamaged." Chevron continues to conduct post-storm assessments at our other onshore facilities. Also, Fourchon terminal and Empire terminal and their related pipeline systems remain shut-in, the company said. BHP and Hess said they continue to separately assess their facilities.

Port Fourchon Sees Weeks for Ida Recovery - -- Port Fourchon, America’s biggest base supporting the U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore oil industry, appears to have largely withstood a powerful punch left by Hurricane Ida after the Category 4 storm tore through the Louisiana community. “While damaged, we are hopeful in the fact that a lot of key infrastructure remains and looks to have stood up well to the onslaught of this historic hurricane,” Thad Angelloz, a spokesman for the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, said Tuesday in an email. It’s a slightly more upbeat outlook after the port’s top official said in an interview that aired earlier in the day on National Public Radio that recovery would take weeks. “How many weeks is a good question,” Chett Chiasson, executive director of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, said in the radio interview. “We have a long road ahead of us and there’s a lot of damage for us to assess and try to recover from.” Damage to the port, which services about 90% of output from U.S. Gulf deepwater oil and natural gas wells, is extensive and widespread, Chiasson said. Louisiana Highway 1 will need to be cleared of debris for heavy equipment to travel south to the port, while navigable waters around the port will have to be surveyed for safe travel, he said. “Right now the main thing is clearing the roadways to provide for safe travel down to the Port,” Angelloz said. “We internally as a team have reached the Port and begun looking first hand at the things we can.” In addition to power and water being out in the area, the workers themselves are also busy assessing their own home damage, Chiasson said. “You have some facilities that are in pretty good shape -- maybe just some cosmetic damages and others that are completely destroyed.” More than 250 companies working in the U.S. Gulf use Port Fourchon as a base of operations. It’s a key transit point for multiple crude pipelines that receive barrels produced from the Gulf of Mexico. From Fourchon, pipes head to hubs in Clovelly and St. James, which host large storage facilities and terminals.

Mars spot crude prices jump on shortage as offshore output slowly returns from Ida -Spot Mars crude prices jumped Sept. 3 on a lack of available US Gulf Coast crude, as offshore producers restored small volumes of production that were taken offline prior to Hurricane Ida's strike on Louisiana earlier in the week. October barrels of Mars were heard bid at a 25 cents/b premium to cash Cushing WTI, and offered as high as a $3/b premium. Mars was assessed by S&P Global Platts at a 30 cents/b premium to WTI. That was up from an assessment of minus 5 cents/b Sept. 2, and a $1.40/b discount on Aug. 27, prior to Ida's landing. Traders remain uncertain about when crude production will return in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the status of Louisiana refineries that were damaged by flooding or shut due to power outages. With a limited number of Louisiana refineries operating and more than 90% of Gulf of Mexico oil production shut-in, there continued to be general talk among traders that "there is not enough crude oil for refiners." Shell's announcement on Sept. 2 that its integral US Gulf West Delta 143 facility was damaged seemed to stoke even more uncertainty about the return of production and crude oil availability. The WD-143 facilities serve as the transfer station for all production from Shell's assets in the Mars corridor in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico to onshore crude terminals. "It's been gapping in the past week," one crude broker said about Mars values. "With that Shell damage [it's] very, very dicey." The US Department of Energy has so far authorized the release of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to just one refinery, ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge plant. Other companies may have requested SPR crude, although the DOE could not be reached for comment Sept. 3. Crude imports are expected to rise next week into the USGC to 9.34 million barrels from 4.31 million barrels this week, according to Kpler data, although all of that crude is heading to Texas ports, not Louisiana. By around noon Sept 3, US Gulf producers had restored about 4,000 b/d of crude in the previous 24 hours, and 45,000 Mcf/d of natural gas, according to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. According to BSEE, 1.699 million b/d of oil, or 93.3% of the Gulf's total, remained down, as well as 1.9 Bcf/d of natural gas output, 89% of pre-storm output, In addition, 133 platforms were still down, or about 24% of the US Gulf's total, compared with 177 platforms the prior day. Producers usually fly over their US Gulf platforms within a day or two of a hurricane's passage through the area, but Ida damaged helipads and other south Louisiana transportation infrastructure and logistics, delaying inspections and the return of crews. Ida landed a direct hit Aug. 29 at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, a key hub that serves as a point of transportation to and from offshore facilities and receives over 90% of the US Gulf crude and gas output. From there, the hub distributes the volumes to various storage facilities and terminals via a network of pipelines.

Ida Slashes Natural Gas Futures, Cash as Demand Destruction Outweighs Production Losses - Though still early for a full assessment of former Hurricane Ida, natural gas futures traders on Monday focused squarely on the destruction of natural gas demand brought about by the catastrophic Category 4 storm. The October Nymex gas futures contract, on its first day in the prompt position, settled at $4.305, off 8.3 cents from Friday’s record levels. Spot gas prices also weakened as Ida, which had been downgraded to a tropical depression by late Monday, dumped rain and ushered in cooler weather for much of the eastern United States. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. slipped a half-cent to $4.280. With no shortage of images of Ida’s wrath circulating over the internet and on television, futures traders had plenty to digest after she crashed ashore Louisiana midday Sunday. On the supply front, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said 2.090 Bcf/d, or 93.75%, of the natural gas produced pre-Ida in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), was shut-in. Around 1.74 million b/d (95.65%) of the oil produced offshore also had been shut-in, the Department of Interior agency reported. The GOM supplies around 5% of the nation’s gas supply and 17% of the oil. Meanwhile, Wood Mackenzie noted that several pipelines issued notices regarding shut-ins/evacuations. These include the Destin, Garden Banks, High Point, Kinetica, Mississippi Canyon, Nautilus, Sea Robin and Stingray pipeline systems. However, none had provided an update on when operations may resume. As for demand, the picture was even murkier. Ida knocked out power to all eight of Entergy Corp.’s transmission lines, which deliver power into the New Orleans area, leaving more than one million people without electricity. The utility also reported outages in Mississippi and Arkansas.Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities may have been spared the brunt of Ida’s impact, but feed gas volumes took a hit nevertheless. Early NGI datashowed gas flowing to U.S. terminals tumbling to around 10.2 Bcf on Monday, down from around 10.85 Bcf on Sunday.Cameron LNG spokesperson Anya McInnis told NGI that Ida did not affect operations at the facility. Similarly, Cheniere Energy Inc. spokesperson Jenna Palfrey said Sabine Pass did not sustain damage during the storm. Full operations, including shipping, had returned to normal by Monday.However, shut-ins were widespread at local refineries and petrochemical complexes. Several energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell plc’s U.S. unit and Phillips 66, said they were working Monday to assess impacts on infrastructure in and along the GOM.

U.S. natgas closes at highest since 2018, marks monthly gain (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures rose on Tuesday, ending at their best level since December 2018 and recording their fifth consecutive month of gains, in response to lowered production forecasts as traders monitored Hurricane Ida's impact on demand. "The production numbers are still very low, and at these levels, it is hard for prices to fall much, and they have plenty of room to go up," said John Abeln, an analyst at Refinitiv. U.S. production is forecast to dip to 89.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this week from 92.5 bcfd last week. Front-month gas futures for October delivery rose 7.2 cents, or 1.7% to settle at $4.377 per million British thermal units, their highest close since December 2018, despite falling as much as 2% earlier in the session on cautiousness over Ida's impact to demand. The contract was up about 12% for the month. In August, "production numbers were higher, but demand numbers were up even higher. High international gas prices should continue to support that," said Robert DiDona of Energy Ventures Analysis. Data provider Refinitiv said total U.S. production has averaged 91.7 bcfd so far in August, versus 91.6 bcfd in July. That compares with an all-time monthly high of 95.4 bcfd in November 2019. With European and Asian gas both trading over $16 per mmBtu, compared with just over $4 for the U.S. fuel, analysts have said buyers around the world would keep purchasing all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) the United States can produce. With a cooler season around the corner, Refinitiv projected average U.S. gas demand, including exports, would slide from 94.3 bcfd last week to 92.2 bcfd this week, as power generators burn less of the fuel with air conditioning demand easing.

Natural Gas Futures Soar Again on Expectations for Paltry Storage Result, Prolonged Production Cuts in Ida’s Wake - Natural gas futures jumped higher Wednesday, building on the prior day’s gains, as traders absorbed news of the production disruption imposed by Hurricane Ida and fixated on the specter of inadequate inventories ahead of winter.The October Nymex contract surged 23.8 cents day/day and settled at $4.615/MMBtu, a high for the year. A day earlier, the prompt month gained 7.2 cents. November also gained 23.8 cents on Wednesday and closed at $4.663.Spot gas prices advanced as well, led higher by gains in the nation’s midsection. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. rose 16.0 cents to $4.355.Ida left in its wake more than one million utility customers without power – more than half still lacked power Wednesday — and the vast majority of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production offline. Oil and gas drillers on Wednesday worked to restore production in the GOM, days after Ida crashed ashore in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday. As of midday Wednesday, however, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said operator reports indicated that around 83% of gas production in theGOM remained shut in. Nearly 80% of GOM oil output was shuttered.Bespoke Weather Services noted that natural gas production estimates Wednesday hovered under 90 Bcf, more than 2 Bcf off pre-Ida levels, and the timing of a full return of the lost output remained dubious. This followed a summer riddled with scorching heat and robust cooling demand across much of the Lower 48 that left underground stocks depleted relative to historic averages. Prior to Ida, Bespoke had consistently warned that inventories were running precariously light and that production would need to rise to around 93 Bcf/d to offset the threat. Ida amplified the concern, the firm said.

U.S. natgas climbs to highest since Nov 2018 on small storage build (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed over 2% to a fresh, near-three-year high on Thursday on a lower-than-expected storage build last week as warm weather lifted demand for fuel to power cooling. Front-month gas futures for October delivery rose 2.6 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $4.641 per million British thermal units. Prices climbed over 2% to $4.727 per mmBtu after the storage report, their highest level since late November 2018. "The storage injection number came in lower than market expectations, causing an upward shift in the front-month price," The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said utilities added just 20 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas into storage during the week ended Aug. 27. That was lower than the 25-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compared with an increase of 36 bcf in the same week last year and a five-year (2016-2020) average increase of 53 bcf. Last week's injection lifted stockpiles to 2.871 trillion cubic feet (tcf), or 7.2% below the five-year average of 3.093 tcf for the same week. "We currently predict that the net injections over most of September will be smaller than their corresponding five-year averages," Temperatures last week were higher than usual for this time of year with 95 cooling degree days (CDDs) compared with a 30-year average of 78 CDDs for the period. CDDs, used to estimate demand to cool homes and businesses, measure the number of degrees a day's average temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). "The market is spooked, even though it is far from Halloween yet, by the low storage level, plus we are having some late-summer heat," "The recent Hurricane Ida has also reminded the market of what a strong storm can do to supply. In addition, the LNG demand is strong and will perhaps be stronger." Earlier this week, prices climbed after Ida knocked out most of the supply from the Gulf of Mexico. "It is a season of tight supply - the shoulder month's weaker demand is overshadowed by supply concerns," Data provider Refinitiv said total U.S. production has averaged 88.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, down from 92.0 bcfd in August. The all-time monthly high is 95.4 bcfd set in November 201

U.S. natgas jumps as energy firms struggle to restart post-Ida (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures rose on Friday, ending a second straight week of gains, as significant output remained offline in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, exacerbating supply concerns in an already tight market. Front-month gas futures for October delivery rose 7.1 cents, or 1.5%, to settle at $4.712 per million British thermal units. Prices hit a more than two-year peak on Thursday. U.S. Gulf Coast energy companies have advanced efforts to restart facilities, but larger hurdles remain for producers and refiners. "We normally expect a quick recovery in production from hurricanes and this time it doesn't look like that's going to happen, so that's raising concerns about adequate storage going into winter," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "Near-term, a test of $5 in the front end of the curve is not out of the question." A weekly report released on Thursday showing a storage injection of just 20 billion cubic feet (bcf) during the week ended Aug. 27 also supported prices. Data provider Refinitiv said total U.S. production has averaged 88.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, down from 92.0 bcfd in August. Output is also expected to slip further, to 88 bcfd next week. U.S. pipeline exports to Mexico rose to an average 6.3 bcfd so far this month, from 6.2 bcfd in August, but were slightly lower than June's monthly record of 6.7 bcfd. With European and Asian gas both trading over $18 per mmBtu, compared with just under $5 for the U.S. fuel, analysts have said buyers around the world would keep purchasing all the liquefied natural gas the United States can produce. But Price Group's Flynn noted that the closure of several key ports in Louisiana due to Ida could temporarily slow LNG exports.

Weekly Natural Gas Prices Advance Despite Ida's Impacts - Weekly natural gas cash prices climbed higher as summer heat lingered across much of the Lower 48, offsetting bouts of regionally cooler air and heavy rains ushered in by Hurricane Ida. NGI’s Weekly Spot Gas National Avg. for the Aug. 31-Sept. 3 period jumped 26.0 cents to $4.365, led higher by gains across the Midwest and Texas.Ida crashed into Louisiana Aug. 29, delivering widespread wind damage and flooding rains that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of customers. It also pushed offline natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), though the idled output was offset in part by cooler air early in the week.Ida weakened as it moved up the East Coast, but it still packed a powerful punch, drenching major markets with record rains. New York City and Philadelphia both endured traffic-paralyzing floods.This impacted prices along the East Coast at points during the week – weekly prices were down at several Northeast hubs — but heat elsewhere supported weekly prices overall. Persistent summer conditions bolstered prices across California, the Southwest and the nation’s midsection.As the trading week closed, Chicago Citygate was up 40.5 cents to $4.405, while OGT gained 53.0 cents to $4.390 and Waha was ahead 55.0 cents to $4.335.Amid production cuts in Hurricane Ida’s wake and festering storage worries, meanwhile, the October Nymex contract rallied throughout the week and settled at $4.712/MMBtu on Friday, up 8% from the prior week’s finish. Forecasters anticipated cooler temperatures in the Midwest and East during the week ahead. But by the middle of the month, much of the country could again see summer-like conditions, fueling cooling demand, Bespoke Weather Services said. This is “rather typical of a La Niña base state at this time of the year,” the forecaster said. “Obviously, absolute temperatures will not be where they were in the middle of summer, but demand is demand, and it does look to run above normal levels especially as we move into the middle third of the month, as upper level ridging returns to the eastern U.S.”

Missouri activist pressures utilities to map gas leaks - Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that was recently spotlighted by the International Panel on Climate Change, was leaking from a pipeline down the street from Robin Ganahl’s Kansas City home a year ago. A neighbor living close to the leak had been reporting it to the gas company for months, said Ganahl, an activist with the local chapter of Mothers Out Front, a national organization aimed at minimizing climate chaos. “They could smell it inside their house sometimes.” The gas company eventually sealed the leak after Ganahl sought intervention from her state representative, but the episode caused her to wonder how much natural gas might be seeping from broken pipes throughout Kansas City and across the state of Missouri. Climate scientists and activists have been targeting methane in recent months as a major cause of global heating — and as one of the most promising and immediate avenues for quickly reining in emissions. For 20 years after its initial release, methane retains heat at about 80 times the rate of carbon dioxide. According to the recent IPCC report, a determined effort could reduce methane pollution from fossil fuels, waste and agriculture by 45% by 2030, shaving about .3 degrees Celsius from the expected global temperature increase. Ganahl asked regulators to require the state’s gas companies to pinpoint active leaks on a map and to make that information publicly accessible. Her hope: that when gas customers have a sense of the scope of the leak problem, they will pressure the utilities to seal gas leaks more quickly. Missouri gives wide latitude to gas companies regarding repairs. Only Class 1 leaks, those posing “an immediate hazard to a building and/or the general public,” require “immediate corrective action.” Class 2 leaks, defined as those “requiring action as soon as possible,” generally require repair within 45 days, although some can be recategorized as Class 3, giving the company five years to make a repair, or Class 4 — meaning repair is not required.

Oxygen Shortage Forces Texas Refinery to Shut Part of Key Unit - A refinery on the Texas Gulf Coast shut part of a key process unit due to a lack of oxygen supply amid a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, with authorities citing increased medical demand for the gas. Citgo Petroleum Corp. is shutting down a section of a sulfur recovery unit known as a B-train for four days due to the loss of third-party oxygen supply “resulting from increased medical field demand,” according to a state environmental filing. Oxygen is used to boost the ability to recover the sulfur.

Huge ExxonMobil/Sabic Ethane Cracker Coming Online at Corpus Christi, Texas - ExxonMobil and Sabic’s joint-venture petrochemical complex near Corpus Christi, Texas, is undergoing commissioning ahead of its fourth-quarter startup, the plant’s manager said August 26th. “We’ll be up with everything by the end of the year,” the plant manager, Paul Fritsch, said during a tour of the facility. Built on a former cotton field, and surrounded by cotton fields and sunflowers, the new complex features a 1.8 million mt/year ethane-fed cracker, the world’s second-largest, and the world’s largest monoethylene glycol unit at 1.1 million mt/year. The complex also has two linear low density polyethylene units, each with capacity of 650,000 mt/year. The companies announced in October that the joint venture would come online in Q4 2021, earlier than 2022 as originally planned. The JV brought on-site utilities online first, to ensure adequate flows of water, steam, nitrogen and other inputs to the downstream products. “We’ve been working on that for most of the year,” Fritsch said. “As we start up in the fourth quarter we’ll have more hustle and bustle.” The complex has all laboratory facilities on site to test raw materials and PE and MEG produced to ensure output meets necessary specifications, which was finishing its commissioning process. Huge screens with intricate data glowed in the dimly lit control room, and a simulation laboratory takes engineers through scenario after scenario of what would happen to the production units or utilities in potential events, from heavy rain to minor pressure changes in valves to sudden power outages. The complex was built with modules, which were transported to the site from September 2019 through June 2020, the companies said. The module plan allowed the companies to continue the work with fewer contractors on site than projects that build units on site from the ground up, so construction was not suspended or slowed at the height of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Fritsch said the project had 4,000 contractors on site at its height, and maintained COVID-19 safety protocols. A similar project without modules could have twice that number of contractors or more. Fritsch also said the project has provided medical oversight, including administration of 2,800 vaccinations so far to workers and contractors who want them. Other major petrochemical projects temporarily slowed or suspended work to implement COVID-19 safety protocols, such as Shell’s new petrochemical complex under construction in Pennsylvania and LyondellBasell’s new propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol unit in Texas. The ExxonMobil-Sabic project is part of 9.77 million mt/year of new US PE capacity under construction or planned to start up in 2021 and beyond. As of 2020, the US had 23.4 million mt/year of PE capacity, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.

Opinion | Don’t Let the Fossil Fuel Industry Pivot to Toxic Plastics and Chemicals - The New York Times - As the United States comes to grips with the climate crisis, fossil fuels will slowly recede from being primary sources of energy. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that the petrochemical industry is counting on greatly increasing the production of plastics and toxic chemicals made from fossil fuels to profit from its reserves of oil and gas.That transition is why the challenges of climate, plastic pollution and chemical toxicity — which at first might each seem like distinct problems — are actually interrelated and require a systems approach to resolve. The danger is that if we focus on only a single metric, like greenhouse gas emissions, we may unintentionally encourage the shift from fuel to plastics and chemicals that are also unsafe and unsustainable.Already, according to a 2018 report from the International Energy Agency, petrochemicals, which are made from petroleum and natural gas, “are rapidly becoming the largest driver of global oil demand.”Petrochemicals are ubiquitous in everyday products, and many of them are poisoning us and our children. Stain repellents, flame retardants, phthalates and other toxics are contributing to cancer, falling sperm counts, obesity and a host of neurological, reproductive and immune problems, research has shown.Epidemiological studies over the past decade have found, moreover, that exposure in utero and in childhood to chemicals used as flame retardants, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, has been linked to significant declines in IQ. These chemicals, widely used since the 1970s in the United States, were largely phased out in recent years. But they have persisted in the environment. And the push to phase out PBDEs led to “regrettable substitutions,” as the authors of one study put it, replacing one type of phased-out toxic flame retardant with another one that is also harmful.And plastics, of course, are inundating the planet. Global chemical production is predicted to double by 2030, according to the United Nations. Plastic production could jump three- to fourfold by 2050, according to a World Economic Forumreport in 2016. By that year, the ocean is expected to contain, by weight, more plastic than fish.

Environmentalists call on Canada to support the shutdown of Line 5 - Environmental groups are demanding Canada stop opposing the shutdown of Enbridge Energy’s Line 5. The group Oil and Water Don’t Mix and its supporters are calling on the government of Canada to go along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut down the pipeline. “It is past time for Canadian officials to join their neighbors in Michigan and act to protect the Great Lakes in our climate instead of advancing Enbridge's fossil fuel agenda,” said Christy McGillivray with the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. Government officials in Canada officials have said Line 5 is important to the country’s energy needs. Whitmer ordered Enbridge Energy to shutdown Line 5 in May, an order which has been ignored by the Canadian pipeline company while it challenges it in U.S. federal court. Environmentalists believe the 68-year-old oil and natural gas liquids pipeline which sits on the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lakes Michigan and Huron, is a threat to the environment of the lakes and the economy of Michigan communities on the lakes. The group Oil and Water Don't Mix sent Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau some water from the Straits as a reminder that Canada shares responsibility for safeguarding the lakes. “Today, we call on Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to work with Michigan's governor and the Biden administration on a decommissioning plan for Line 5,” said Jamie Simmons with Michigan Climate Action Network, one of the speakers at a protest in Detroit. The government of Canada has not responded to a request for comment.

MN troopers arrest 69 protesting Line 3 pipeline after some chained themselves to the fence outside the Gov’s mansion – Minnesota State Troopers on Saturday arrested 69 people protesting Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 replacement pipeline project in front of the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul.The group moved their protest to the residence on Summit Avenue after being told to remove rally structures from the Capitol grounds Friday after their event permit expired Thursday evening. Four people were arrested there.The demonstrators, who are part of a series of events called Treaties over Tar Sands, are calling for Gov. Tim Walz and President Joe Biden to pull permits and shut down the replacement pipeline project. Line 3 carries oil from Canada and passes through North Dakota and northern Minnesota on its way to Superior, Wis. The 337-mile segment in Minnesota is the last phase in replacing the deteriorating pipeline.Indigenous and environmental activists say the project violates Native American treaty rights and will aggravate climate change and risk contamination from spills.The group included people from the Line 3 pipeline resistance group Camp Migizi demanding that Walz take action to stop the Line 3 tar sands pipeline.Taysha Martineau, the camp’s founder and one of the Anishinaabe women leading the resistance to Line 3, chained herself through the bars of Governor Walz’s front gate.In a press release Sunday about her actions, Taysha Martineau said, “I’m here locked to the fence demanding that Governor Tim Walz speak to us. We’re calling on Governor Walz to pull the permits for Line 3 and demanding a federal Environmental Impact Statement for the project. Water protectors marched 256 miles from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to speak with this gentleman. He has not come to listen to their voices and so we came here. We’re here demanding that they hear us.” The group was asked to leave multiple times by Minnesota State Patrol officers, who cited that the gathering was illegal. Several buses were brought in to remove protesters from the street. “Those people chose to stay rather than follow the lawful order which led to some of them being arrested.” In a press release Sunday the group said they were threatened with pepper spray, less than lethal munitions, and a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) before arrest.

Minnesota court deals yet another setback to pipeline foes (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a decision by state pollution regulators to issue a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline, the latest setback for opponents who are trying to stop the project as it nears completion. The appeals court ruled that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s approval was “supported by substantial evidence in the record.” Under the federal Clean Water Act, the MPCA was required to certify whether the project met state and federal clean water standards. The MPCA concluded in November 2020 that it did. That certification cleared the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the remaining federal permit for the pipeline replacement less than two weeks later. Two tribal governments and three environmental groups challenged the MPCA’s decision on several grounds, asserting that the state agency failed to consider alternative routes and improperly determined that the project would comply with state water quality and wetlands standards. The MPCA and Enbridge argued that the appeal was moot because the Army Corps of Engineers had already approved the final permit. The appeals court said the challenge was not moot because it wasn’t the court’s role to predict how the Corps might react to a reversal of the MPCA’s decision, but it found that the state agency had met its legal requirements. The tribal and environmental groups fighting the project argue that the Canadian tar sands oil the replacement will carry from Alberta to Enbridge’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin, will worsen climate change and risk spills into waters where Native Americans harvest wild rice. Line 3 was built in the 1960s and runs at half its original capacity because it’s subject to corrosion and cracking. Enbridge says it needs to replace the current pipeline to ensure reliable oil deliveries. Enbridge said in a statement that the ruling was confirmation “that wetlands and waterbodies are being appropriately protected’ during construction, which it said is “nearly complete” in Minnesota. The Canadian, North Dakota and Wisconsin segments are already finished. The Calgary, Alberta, company plans to put the new line into service in the fourth quarter. “Replacing existing Line 3 is about safety and maintenance,” the company said. “Upgrading an aging line with new pipe made of thicker steel with technologically advanced coatings will better protect Minnesota’s environment for generations to come.” Line 3 opponents have staged ongoing protests along the construction route across northern Minnesota this summer, and outside the state Capitol and the official governor’s residence in St. Paul last week, demanding that President Joe Biden step in and reverse the Corps’ decision to grant the federal permit. The opponents are fighting that permit in federal court, in one of the few remaining legal challenges available to them. The Minnesota Supreme Court last week declined to hear a challenge to the decision by the state’s independent Public Utilities Commission that let construction proceed.

Omar, McCollum join state DFLers asking Biden to stop Line 3 - U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, fellow congressional Democrats and scores of Minnesota state lawmakers on Monday called for "urgent intervention" from President Joe Biden on Enbridge's nearly completed Line 3 oil pipeline project.The 63 elected officials — mostly DFL state legislators — signed a letter to Biden on Monday that continued an ongoing chorus of demands for government action on the $3 billion-plus project."In recent weeks, we have seen concerning violations of treaty rights by public agencies and private actors, ongoing violence against Indigenous women, and environmental impacts that will have long-lasting impacts on hunting, fishing, and wild rice gathering as we grapple with the climate crisis," the lawmakers wrote.The letter, which was also signed by fellow Minnesota Democrat U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, asks that the U.S. Interior Department "uphold the rights guaranteed to Indigenous people under federal treaties and fulfill Tribal requests for a government-to-government meeting concerning Line 3."Calgary-based Enbridge received its final permits late last year after a six-year battle through Minnesota's regulatory process. The new 340-mile pipeline is 90% complete across northern Minnesota and will transport oil from Canada to Superior, Wis. It will replace the original Line 3 pipeline, which is corroding and can operate only at limited capacity. Enbridge says its new pipeline will improve safety and boost the company's earnings by restoring the full flow of oil.Opponents had hoped the Biden administration would quash Line 3 by intervening in a federal lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers, which in November granted a critical water and wetlands construction permit for the project.Two Minnesota regulators granted environmental permits for Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota, critical approvals needed for construction to begin soon on the controversial $2.6 billion project, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. Environmental groups and Ojibwe tribes say the permit contains deficiencies and should be rescinded by the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The Army Corps strongly defended its decision to grant the permit in a key court filing in late June. The letter sent to Biden on Monday cited climate concerns, pointing to severe drought conditions across much of Minnesota and to recent wildfires. The lawmakers took issue with a recent Minnesota Department of Natural Resources decision to let Enbridge remove 4.5 billion gallons of water from seasonal wetlands during construction of the line.

As Line 3 nears completion, pipeline battles are far from over - MPR -- Over a thousand people filled the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul last week and vowed to continue their fight against Line 3.They erected tipis and held ceremonial dances and prayers. They listened to speeches by activists including Nancy Beaulieu, a founder of the RISE Coalition, which stands for Resilient Indigenous Sisters Engaging, who told the crowd that the crude oil pipeline endangers Indigenous treaty rights."We're going to continue to show up, and we're going to continue to assert our rights,” Beaulieu said. “We, as native people, have an inherent right to hunt, fish, gather and occupy."At the same time, in northern Minnesota, more than 3,000 workers continued the final stages of construction on the 340-mile stretch of pipeline. Enbridge says the new Line 3 is on track to be operating by the fourth quarter of this year.This month, the Minnesota Supreme Court and the state court of appeals delivered opinions upholding state regulators' approval of the project.But even as legal options dwindle, opponents plan to continue contesting Line 3 through protests and in court — even after oil begins flowing from Canada’s Alberta province."We will absolutely continue not only in the legal fight but also in the calls to the Biden administration to exert the power that they still have,” said Moneen Nasmith, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, one of the environmental groups opposing the project. Opponents are pressuring President Joe Biden’s administrationto cancel the federal water permit for the project issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Their legal appeal of that permit is still pending.There's also an unusual lawsuit filed in tribal court by the White Earth Nation against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on behalf of wild rice. The DNR has asked a federal court to block the suit. That case is unlikely to be resolved before major work on the pipeline wraps up. But it's part of a wider movement by Native American tribes pushing back on pipelines and other projects they view as an environmental risk and a violation of treaty rights."I think that tribes are going to be enacting their own laws,” said Joe Plumer, an attorney for the Red Lake Nation in northwestern Minnesota, which opposed Line 3. “Tribes are going to take the bull by the horns and call state actors in their official capacities into the tribal court — not for any money damages, but for injunctive relief to stop what they've been permitting."

Advocates hope White Earth wild rice case will boost 'rights of nature' - Dale Greene grew up in north-central Minnesota, surrounded by wild rice, called manoomin in the Ojibwe language. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe member says wild rice is an important part of Anishinaabe history and culture. "One of the things that I think is really important in understanding manoomin, and its importance to us today, is understanding that there's a creation story," said Greene.The story recounts how Ojibwe people migrated to Minnesota from the East Coast to fulfill a prophecy that they would find food growing on the water. That food was manoomin, or the “good berry,” and it sustained generations of Ojibwe."It's the the reason that we're still here. It's much more than just a plant,” said Greene.In 2018, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe formally recognized the rights of wild rice, setting the stage for the current lawsuitagainst the DNR.The suit in tribal court against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources contends a water use permit for the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pipeline puts wild rice at risk.The White Earth case is thought to be the first to be brought before a tribal court. The DNR responded by challenging the tribal court’s jurisdiction in a federal court filing. There’s a hearing in that case Wednesday.The DNR said it is “committed to ensuring the complaints are addressed in the appropriate legal venue” but would not comment on the specifics of the case.The 1855 Treaty Authority, consisting of several Ojibwe Bands, also recognized the rights of wild rice. Greene is a member of the Treaty Authority Board. He’s also listed as an expert witness in the White Earth lawsuit.It’s logical to give rights to plants, animals and the natural world, said Greene, because the Ojibwe world view holds that everything in nature is a spiritual being, and there is an acknowledged relationship with humans. "I sometimes call it a covenant,” he said. “They're providing life to us. It just makes perfect sense that it's a living, providing, spiritual being, in the form of water or food."

Enbridge to start moving oil-sands crude in new pipeline - - Enbridge Inc. is getting ready to ship crude from the oil sands in the first new cross-border oil-sands conduit built between Canada and the U.S. in years. The company is offering 620,000 barrels a day of capacity in its Line 3 oil pipeline in October, according to a notice it sent to shippers. The Line 3 project will replace and older Line 3 that can ship about 390,000 barrels a day. The project is scheduled to go into operation in the fourth quarter, according to an email from Enbridge. “The capacity provided to shippers is still an estimate as there are numerous factors including linefill, system outages for construction and tie in work that need to be completed,” Jesse Semko, Enbridge spokesman, said in the email. The start of Line 3 is expected to bring relief to Canada’s oil-sands producers, who have struggled for years with a shortage of export pipelines as projects face increasing scrutiny from courts and regulators. U.S. President Joe Biden, on his first day in office, rescinded a permit for TC Energy Corp.’s Keystone XL project that would have helped increase shipments of Canadian crude to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The expected start of the pipeline comes after Enbridge spent years fighting regulatory and court battles to build the 760,000-barrel-a-day pipeline, which replaces the older conduit between Alberta and Wisconsin. The project has been fiercely opposed by some environmental and indigenous groups, who have staged protests this summer along the construction route. Heavy Western Canadian Select crude’s discount to the West Texas Intermediate benchmark for Oct. narrowed 40 cents to US$12.05 a barrel at 10:23 a.m. Calgary time and, for September, narrowed 35 cents to US$13.40/bbl, according to NE2 Group data. Enbridge will offer 350,000 barrels a day of light oil capacity and 270,000 barrels a day of heavy oil capacity in October, according to a copy of the shipper notice seen by Bloomberg.

Three-train crash spilled estimated 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel near Mississippi River in St. Paul — A three-train crash by the freight yards near Warner and Childs Road in St. Paul on Wednesday, Aug. 25, spilled approximately 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel, leading Canadian Pacific Railway workers to dig protective trenches and deploy containment booms on the Mississippi River. The booms were placed as a precaution, and crews did not observe any fuel on the waterway, said Canadian Pacific spokesman Andy Cummings in an email. The fuel spilled from the lead Canadian Pacific locomotive involved in the crash, which took place around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Workers remain on site recovering spilled fuel. St. Paul City Council Member Jane Prince said Friday she had been in touch with officials at the Wakan Tipi/Lower Phalen Creek Project, who saw crews digging trenches to stop the diesel flowing west from the crash site toward the river. Rick Schute, director of Emergency Management for St. Paul, informed Prince and the deputy mayor by email Thursday that he had received word from the state duty officer indicating the crash location was within 1,000 feet of the river. “No sheen has been spotted, however booms are being placed at the outfalls and a trench is being dug to catch any runoff between the spill and the river,” Schute wrote. St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks issued notice Wednesday that the fire department was standing by if needed to provide Hazmat, EMS and fire protection. The incident occurred between Warner Road and the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary when a Canadian Pacific train, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train and a Union Pacific train all collided. Two Canadian Pacific locomotives, a Union Pacific locomotive and a BNSF lumber car all derailed. The National Transportation Safety Board indicated this week they had sent investigators to the scene. No one was hurt and no hazardous materials were involved, officials said at the time. That’s been little consolation to some East Side residents. “Think what might have happened if the trains were mile-long unit trains carrying oil, chemicals or ethanol and leaking material ignited when struck by the locomotive,” said former City Council member Tom Dimond, in an email to state officials and neighborhood advocates on Friday. The crash came after a diesel fuel spill near Battle Creek, in Pig’s Eye Regional Park, on July 13. In that incident, a Canadian Pacific train struck a braking mechanism attached to the track, causing a rupture that spilled 1,000 gallons of fuel. The spill was contained on site.

Company Begins to Remove Keystone XL Infrastructure, Permits from SD -TC Energy is starting to pull out of South Dakota after it cancelled its Keystone XL Pipeline project in June. That decision was made once President Joe Biden removed the permit it needed to cross into the U.S. from Canada. The company hasn’t installed any Keystone XL pipe in South Dakota but it owns seven pump stations, three which are nearly complete, according to a recent filing with the Public Utilities Commission. TC Energy leases 10 pipe yards, seven contractor yards and at least two work camps. One of those pipe yards, near Philip, has hundreds of pipes on site. TC Energy also has a road bond and construction permit from the PUC that says it must reclaim the land and road it uses. “They’ll have to restore it back to as good or better quality than it was before they came,” said PUC Staff Attorney Kristen Edwards.

• TC Energy provided details of its plan in an August 14 document filed in Montana federal court:
• TC Energy has transferred or is in the processes of transferring ownership of its unbuilt pump station sites to the original landowners.
• It’s in the process of transferring ownership of its constructed pump stations sites to a company that specializes in demolition and salvage. The company will then dispose of the pump station infrastructure.
• TC Energy has terminated its leases for pipe yards, workforce camps and contractor yards that aren’t holding any pipes.
• It’s negotiating with a pipe broker company to acquire the pipes and leases of pipe yards, workforce camps and contractor yards with pipes. This company would sell the pipes and restore the land.
• TC Energy has asked local, state and federal agencies to cancel various permits.

It will cost $84 million to decommission the pipeline on federal land alone, TC Energy estimated in 2019.

Timeline extended for Dakota Access Pipeline environmental impact study - The official word from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the fate of the Dakota Access Pipeline is expected to come in September 2022, six months later than anticipated.The Corps indicated its new timeline for publishing the final version of an environmental review of the pipeline in an update posted to its website this month, saying the extension is to give entities it's working with such as Native American tribes more time to offer input.The agency is overseeing a study known as an Environmental Impact Statement that will be used to determine whether it reissues a permit for the line's Missouri River crossing. A judge revoked the permit last year after ordering the study, but the Corps has allowed Dakota Access to continue transporting oil. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe wants the agency to shut down the pipeline in the meantime, but the Corps so far has declined to do so.The river crossing lies just upstream of the Standing Rock Reservation, and tribal members are concerned about a potential oil spill. Standing Rock and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe are involved in the Corps' study, and earlier this year they asked the agency for more time to offer input and review tens of thousands of comments members of the public have made about the pipeline since the review began last September.The Corps originally said the review would take 13 months, but it indicated in late 2020 that it would take longer given operator Energy Transfer's plans to expand the line's capacity. Earlier this year, an attorney for the agency said it aimed to wrap up the study in March 2022.It's not unusual for Environmental Impact Statements to take a few years to complete, according to a recent federal review of the documents. Such studies are a means to comply with federal law when an agency proposes a major action that could significantly affect the environment -- in this case, the Corps potentially granting another permit for the line to carry oil under the Missouri River. The pipeline has undergone other shorter environmental reviews, which courts have deemed insufficient.

 Oil and gas pipeline industry tries to reinvent itself with carbon capture plans - The U.S. oil and gas pipeline industry is looking for new opportunities to lay steel in the ground with pipes that carry the carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burnt. The midstream energy sector has clashed with climate campaigners who oppose pipeline projects as infrastructure that locks in greenhouse gas emissions. Wall Street is pushing the industry to show how it will adapt to demands for a lower-carbon world. In response, pipeline operators are pointing to their potential as a link in carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems, in which CO2 emissions are trapped in underground reservoirs where they can be kept out of the atmosphere. Pipelines would move CO2 from industrial flues to the reservoirs. “It’s hard to see how climate objectives are met without pretty widespread carbon capture and sequestration,” Steven Kean, chief executive of Kinder Morgan, one of the largest U.S. pipeline companies, recently told analysts. “We think we’ve got the expertise on the pipeline side of it.” The U.S. already has about 5,150 miles (8,300 km) of CO2 pipelines. The network is tiny compared with the national web of oil and gas pipes, but it is the largest in the world. They are mostly clustered around the Permian Basin oilfields of west Texas, where CO2 is injected into wells to squeeze out stubborn crude oil deposits. Revenue derives from selling the gas and claiming a federal tax credit worth US$35 for each tonne of carbon put underground. But future growth hinges on far more widespread deployment. Pipes would funnel CO2 exhaust from emitters such as power plants, cement factories and oil and biofuel refineries to underground sites in some cases hundreds of miles away. François Poirier, chief executive of pipeline company TC Energy, recently told analysts that a “fundamental aspect” of the CCS industry was “the ability to store and transport a molecule, which is, of course, our core business.” TC Energy is best known as developer of the now-cancelled Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, a target of environmentalists. The business opportunity is potentially immense. A July report from the Biden administration’s Council on Environmental Quality said that a CCS industry large enough to help meet the country’s goal of “net zero” emissions by 2050 could require 68,000 miles of new CO2 pipelines at a cost of as much as US$230 billion. That is roughly comparable to U.S. liquid fuel pipeline mileage built since 2000, a boom time for the oil industry. CO2 pipelines require thicker walls than typical oil and gas pipes to move condensed, liquefied gas under heavy pressure, limiting prospects for cheaply converting existing infrastructure. “The capital is going to be large, and obviously existing infrastructure players like ourselves are going to be involved,” Al Monaco, chief executive of Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline company with extensive U.S. assets, told analysts last month.

Corps extends timeline for Dakota Access pipeline's court-ordered environmental study by 6 months - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to extend its timeframe for completing a court-ordered environmental study on the Dakota Access pipeline, according to information posted on the federal agency’s Dakota Access project page. According to court records, the Corps had been asked by tribes to extend the schedule by six months, and the federal agency said then it was considering granting the request. The decision will put publication of the Dakota Access pipeline’s final EIS somewhere around September of next year. The outcome of the study will be a deciding factor in whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissues the easement for the Lake Oahe crossing, which was revoked last year. Judge James Boasberg ruled that due to its controversial nature, NEPA required the Corps to complete the longer Environmental Impact Statement instead of the shorter Environmental Assessment when evaluating the pipeline’s easement to cross 90 feet below Lake Oahe. Boasberg had then ordered the pipeline to shut down and empty of oil while the study proceeded, but an appeals court decided the injunction should have taken into account several additional factors, including economic harm. They sent it back to the lower court for that analysis. During that hearing, the Corps told the courts that the pipeline could continue to operate while the study is conducted and Boasberg ultimately ruled that the tribes had failed to demonstrate they would suffer actual, irreparable harm if the pipeline kept operating. Boasberg dismissed the case in June without prejudice. Dakota Access has meanwhile already begun moving even more barrels of oil, with minimum volume commitments for the pipeline’s expansion project beginning on Aug. 1. The pipeline now has the ability to move 750,000 barrels per day, officials said during the company’s most recent earnings call. The full expansion for the Dakota Access pipeline is 1.1 million barrels of oil per day. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said the court-ordered EIS will also evaluate the company’s expansion. The 1,176-mile Dakota Access pipeline began operating in 2017 with a capacity of up to 570,000 barrels of oil per day — about half of the state’s production. The oil is taken to the Gulf Coast by way of the Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline, with which it connects in Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline has attracted protesters from around the world and has faced numerous lawsuits filed by the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who have said they fear an oil spill from the pipeline could affect their water supply.

 US oil, gas rig count ticks up 2 on week to 623; biggest change in Bakken - S&P Global - The US oil and gas rig count grew by two week on week to 623, Enverus said Sept. 2, with the biggest change in the Williston Basin. The Williston, essentially the Bakken Shale of North Dakota/Montana, gained four rigs for a total of 28, putting the oil-prone play to its highest rig level in 16 months. The basin last recorded a rig count of 28 for the week ended April 29, 2020, although that occurred as the rig count was swiftly dropping owing to tanking crude oil prices from the then-emerging pandemic. The Bakken began 2020 at 54 rigs. After beginning 2020 at a relatively high level, the Bakken rig count largely stayed put until low oil demand from the pandemic caused crude prices to plunge and activity to rapidly follow suit. Activity levels in the basin hadn't changed much in the last two months. Its rig count had bounced around in the 20s since June, and before that lingered in the teens since the start of 2021. Lynn Helms, director of North Dakota's Oil and Gas division, called the Bakken a "sleeping giant" as drillers maintain capital discipline and do not react to rising crude prices. "The pandemic put the industry to sleep, and it's struggling somewhat to wake up," Helms said during his monthly production update in mid-August. At that time, the state had 10 active completion crews, which he expected to increase to 15 by year's end. During the week ended Sept. 1, prices for Bakken oil, as for WTI, were up as Hurricane Ida knocked out the lion's share of the US Gulf of Mexico's 1.8 million b/d of production. According to S&P Global Platts, Bakken Composite prices averaged $67.85/b for the week, up $3.07, while WTI averaged $68.49/b, up $2.91, and WTI Midland averaged $68.90/b, up $2.92. For natural gas, prices at Henry Hub averaged $4.26/MMBtu, up 33 cents, while at Dominion South averaged $3.78/MMBtu, up 16 cents. The second-biggest change for the week just past came from the Permian Basin. The West Texas/New Mexico basin posted the second-largest change, shedding three rigs to leave a total of 260. The Permian is the largest producing region in the US with 4.65 million b/d of oil output and 12.5 Bcf/d of natural gas. The Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas gained two rigs for a total 43, while the SCOOP-STACK play of Oklahoma was up by one for a total 29. The Utica Shale, mostly sited in Ohio, lost a rig leaving 12 and breaking a four-week streak of unchanged rig activity. The Marcellus Shale (32 rigs) largely in Pennsylvania, the Haynesville Shale (52 rigs) in East Texas/Northwest Louisiana and the DJ Basin (13 rigs) of Colorado were all unchanged on week. In August, the domestic rig count averaged 616, up 4% from July. Both the July and June rig counts were also up 4% month on month.

Feds to resume work on possible Cook Inlet lease sale - Alaska Public Media --The federal government said it will continue taking steps toward a potential oil and gas lease sale in Cook Inlet after a Louisiana district court judge ordered the Biden administration to resume its lease programs there and in the Gulf of Mexico.The U.S. Department of the Interior has been at odds with several Republican states over the federal leasing program since Biden halted the two auctions and promised to review the program earlier this year. It was part of a larger executive order aimed at fighting climate change.The state of Alaska and 12 other states then sued the Biden administration in March, arguing the decision was bad for economic development and that the federal government bypassed the public process when they hit pause on the sales. The area of the proposed Cook Inlet lease sale, covering just over 1 million acres, is outlined in yellow. Blocks outlined in green were purchased by Hilcorp Alaska in the last sale. (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)This June, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana sided with the states.The Interior Department said it appealed that order last week. But while the appeal is pending, the department said it will continue with the lease sale processes in the inlet and the gulf.At the time of Biden’s executive order in January, the federal government was gearing up to sell leases for one million acres in Cook Inlet, from the southern end of Kalgin Island down to Augustine Island - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had already released an environmental impact statement on their plans for that sale. Now, the agency will issue a revised statement with a new public comment period, a spokesperson for the Interior Department said. The department said in a news release that it’s expecting the assessment to come out this fall. It also said it “continues to review the programs’ noted shortcomings, including completing a report.” The department can still decide to cancel a lease sale after an environmental impact statement is filed. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management canceled lease sales in 2006, 2008 and 2010 in Cook Inlet due to lack of industry interest. A date has not yet been set for a potential sale in Cook Inlet.

Sunken ship near Kodiak continues to leak oil – KINY (KINY) - Fuel and oil from a decades-old shipwreck has started to spill in Kodiak The sunken fishing vessel, the F/V St. Patrick has begun leaking oil in Women's Bay, on Kodiak. The spill was discovered by members of the public who saw the oil sheen and reported it to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on August 3rd. On August 10th, a dive team discovered that the leak was coming from several holes in the vessel where the heads of rivets had corroded away. The same dive team installed wooden plugs into the pinholes left by the eroded rivets, but the leaking has not been fully contained. Dive crews are de-fueling the vessel by drilling into the hull using specialized equipment and sucking up any oil the divers come across. The volume of fuel, oil, and lubricant stored during the St. Patrick's normal operation is unknown. Wildlife observations by the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge are on-going. As of August 26th there have been no impacts on wildlife or shoreline reported. Women's Bay is critical habitat for multiple species listed under the endangered species act.

Democrat in US House proposes repeal of Arctic refuge oil lease (Reuters) – A Democratic lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday proposed infrastructure legislation that would end oil and gas leases at an Alaska wildlife sanctuary while charging billions of dollars more in fees and royalties for offshore drilling elsewhere. The office of the president of House Natural Resources, Raul Grijalva, published a law that repeals the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) oil and gas program. All leases issued would be canceled and payments returned to tenants within 30 days of enactment. The committee is due to debate the measures on Thursday. It is one of many expert groups drafting legislation that would be part of the $ 3.5 trillion bill to expand social services, tackle climate change and reform immigration policies. American. The Grijalva measure plans to raise billions of dollars by increasing royalty rates for oil and gas producers in certain offshore areas and imposing new royalties on owners of offshore oil and gas pipelines. It imposes royalties on methane consumed or lost through ventilation, flaring or leaks during drilling operations on public lands. The law prohibits the secretary of the Home Office from selling oil and gas concessions in certain areas of the outer continental shelf and in the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Democrats hope to pass broader infrastructure legislation in a party line vote because it will certainly be criticized by Republicans. Moderate Democrats in the House of fossil fuel-dependent states could block some of the measures. In the Senate, Democrats hope to pass the legislation as part of a so-called reconciliation in which they only need a simple majority in the 100-member chamber instead of the 60 votes needed to pass most bills. of law. As Senate Democrats united in supporting the initial framework paving the way for reconciliation legislation, moderate Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema protested the overall prize. Former President Donald Trump’s administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling leases, but President Joe Biden’s administration suspended all nine leases pending an environmental review. The ANWR is coveted by environmentalists as one of the last pristine places on the planet.

“We Will No Longer Sell Crude Abroad”: Mexican President AMLO -- This is good news for Mexico’s long-beleaguered state-owned oil company, Pemex, but not such good news for the US’ refinery industry.Last Thursday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador made another public statement that won’t have gone down well in Washington’s corridors of power — or for that matter Texas, Louisiana, California or any other US state with a big refinery. Lopéz Obrador — commonly referred to as AMLO — said that Mexico will stop selling crude oil abroad and will only extract the oil that it needs to produce the gasoline the country requires. It is all part of the president’s quest for energy self-sufficiency.AMLO also claimed that Mexico’s long-suffering state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is finally putting its decades-long crisis behind it “Pemex is recovering from a crisis inherited from many years of neglect, because the goal of the previous neoliberal governments was for Pemex to go bankrupt in order to privatize oil… to ruin Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE ). Fortunately, the people of Mexico said enough was enough. The change has occurred and we have dedicated ourselves to strengthening Pemex and the CFE … and we have already pulled Pemex out of the hole it was in.” That s somewhat debatable. It’s true that in July this year Pemex’s average daily crude outputr eached 1.772 million barrels — its highest level since September 2018. It’s also true that in 2020 Pemex finally put an end to an unbroken 15-year rough patch of sliding production. It reported an average daily output of 1,705 million barrels. But the margin was tiny, just 4,000 barrels per day. And according to a Bloomberg report, admittedly featuring lots of unnamed sources, Pemex has apparently taken to inflating its numbers by measuring crude production at a warmer temperature than government regulators:In April, Mexico’s lower house of congress passed AMLO’s proposal to tighten state control over the country’s fuel market. The bill now just needs to clear the senate, where the ruling Morena party and its allies have a majority. If approved, the initiative would overturn large parts of the country’s hydrocarbon law. Most importantly, it would expand government control over fuel distribution, imports and marketing. It would allow authorities to suspend permits based on national or energy security, as well as let Pemex take over facilities whose permits have been suspended. In May, AMLO announced that Royal Dutch Shell had agreed to sell its controlling interest in the Deer Park refinery in Houston, Texas to its partner Pemex for $596 million, making Pemex the sole owner of the refinery. This should significantly reinforce Pemex’s refining capabilities, reducing its dependence on US imports.

Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Seeks Approval To Export Natural Gas - State-controlled Rosneft, the largest oil producer in Russia, has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to be allowed to export natural gas with giant Gazprom acting as an export agent, Russian newspaper Kommersant reports, citing a letter which Rosneft’s boss has sent to Putin.Gazprom is the sole exporter of natural gas in Russia.Rosneft’s chief executive office Igor Sechin wrote a letter to Putin dated August 13, asking the Russian oil producer to be allowed to export 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe per year, Kommersant says.Rosneft proposes to sign an agreement with Gazprom, in which the gas monopoly will act as the export agent for the gas Rosneft plans to ship to Europe, according to Sechin’s letter seen by Kommersant. Such an agreement would not affect Gazprom’s monopoly in Russian exports, Sechin notes in the letter. Rosneft’s key argument for being allowed to export natural gas is that increased exports will raise the budget revenues for Russia at a time when gas prices in Europe are hitting records due to high demand and insufficient supply, including from Gazprom.Additional revenues could bring Russia as much as US$502 million (37 billion Russian rubles) annually, Sechin’s letter says, as per Kommersant.Rosneft did not indicate in the letter which pipeline route the company would use if it was allowed to export gas. However, gas exports from Rosneft could help lift the EU restrictions on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, according to the letter.Back in 2017, Rosneft and its 20 percent shareholder BP agreed to cooperate in the gas business, including with delivering gas to Europe.Meanwhile, a German court ruled last week that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany would have to obey European Union regulations that separate owners of the pipelines from suppliers of gas, dealing a blow to Russian gas giant Gazprom who had sought to have EU rules waived for the controversial pipeline.

Nigeria: New oil law fuels tensions in the Niger Delta | Africanews - After more than 20 years of waiting, Nwale Nchimaonwi's hopes were soon dashed when Nigeria finally passed the law that was supposed to regulate the oil sector and better distribute the wealth derived from oil in Africa's largest producer. The farmer and activist's discontent is rooted in the environmental pollution, poverty and sense of neglect that plague his region, the Niger Delta, whose hydrocarbon-rich subsoil provides the country with most of its dollar revenues. Many residents have lost their agricultural and fishing livelihoods due to successive oil spills. Enacted in mid-August, the law has not lived up to its promise to redress the injustices suffered by local communities, according to them: it requires oil companies to pay them 3% of operating costs. This is far less than the 10% claimed as "fair compensation". "How can 3% clean up the leaks, provide drinking water, roads, hospitals and jobs in the oil communities?" said Nwale Nchimaonwi, one of the leaders of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), in front of his house in Ejamah-Ebubu. The Niger Delta has been the scene of serious unrest for years, with armed groups piercing pipelines to plunder crude oil, causing ecological disasters, and increasing kidnappings for ransom. Production in Nigeria, a member of the Opec cartel, had fallen considerably until an amnesty in 2009 restored some semblance of calm. But tensions resurfaced in 2016 with new attacks on oil facilities, as local communities, sued foreign oil companies for compensation. The Ogoni community of Ebubu recently won $111 million (97.3 million euros) in compensation from Shell for a 1970 spill that polluted more than 225 hectares of farmland and fish-bearing waters. The company, which denies any responsibility, claims that the spills occurred during the 1967-1970 Nigerian civil war. For Ogoni community leader Emere Emmanuel Olako Oluji, the money could provide for the needs of the community and "put smiles on people's faces," even if the damage remains extensive. In Ejamah alone, one of the four villages in Ebubu, 57 oil wells were once operated by Shell, before the Anglo-Dutch giant was forced to withdraw in 1993 due to security unrest. Although oil production has ceased, the pipelines operated by Shell to transport crude to the region still run through the land, mangroves and waterways of Ogoniland. The national oil company NNPC recently reclaimed the oil wells following a court ruling, but Ogoni leaders are opposed to resuming production. According to industry data, between 1976 and 1991, more than two million barrels of oil polluted Ogoniland in 2,976 separate spills. "Look at this spill," laments Mosop's Nwale Nchimaonwi, pointing to a wide swath of dry, blackened land left to rot. "Saro-Wiwa died fighting for justice for his people," he adds, referring to writer, environmental activist and Mosop founder Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was hanged with eight other Ogoni activists in 1995. Mr. Nchimaonwi warns against the risk of social explosion, especially among the youth, increasingly frustrated by the lack of opportunities: "Nigeria is sitting on a powder keg".

Syrian oil spill spreads into Mediterranean, may reach Cyprus | The Times of Israel— Cypriot authorities said Monday that they were monitoring an oil spill from a power plant on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, as a Syrian official said Damascus was probing its cause. A fuel oil leak at the Baniyas power plant was first reported last week, and Syrian state media said the leak was an accident. Cypriot authorities said the slick was expected to reach the north of the divided island on Tuesday. The size of the leak ranges from two to four tons of fuel, Syria’s electricity minister told the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper on Monday, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate the cause. Initial satellite imagery showed an oil sheen 36 kilometers (22 miles) long but newer imagery shows that the spill is larger than anticipated and is reaching deeper into the Mediterranean. Cyprus said satellite imagery from the European Maritime Safety Agency showed the existence of a “possible oil spill” between the island and Syria. In this satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc., an oil spill is seen stretching off the coast near Baniyas, Syria, August 24, 2021. (Planet Labs Inc. via AP) Modeling and meteorological data showed it is expected to “affect the Cape of Apostolos Andreas (at the northern tip of Cyprus) in the next 24 hours,” the fisheries department said in a statement. Steps had been taken to inform authorities in the north of the island, the department said, adding that “the Republic of Cyprus is ready to respond and provide assistance if requested.”

Syria oil spill does not currently pose a risk to Israel - The Jerusalem Post - A large oil spill off the coast of northern Syria does not currently pose a threat to Israel, but the Environmental Protection Ministry is continuing to monitor the situation in case that changes, the ministry announced on Monday.Last week, a crack in a fuel tank at the Baniyas Thermal Station led to large quantities of fuel being poured into the sea. The tank was filled with 15,000 tons of fuel, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.Mahmoud Ramadan, director-general of the General Establishment for Electricity Generation, told SANA that the incident was not caused by an act of sabotage.As of Sunday, cleanup efforts were continuing at a number of locations along the Syrian coast. Satellite imagery from Planet satellite imagery showed a miles-long oil slick extending off the coast of Syria and spreading into the Mediterranean Sea.As of Sunday, Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry reported that the oil slick was being carried northward by coastal streams. Yoav Ratner, the coordinator of the National Marine Oil Spill Contingency Plan, is in constant contact with the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) in Malta in order to monitor the incident and track if it poses a threat to Israel's coast. Israel has also offered its aid to REMPEC.

Cyprus prepares for Mediterranean oil spill from Syrian power plant - Turkish Cypriot authorities have taken emergency action to stop an oil slick blamed on a faulty power plant in Syria from wreaking environmental havoc along some of the island’s finest unspoilt coastline. Officials in the war-partitioned country’s breakaway north erected what local media described as a 400 metre barrier off the Karpas peninsula to prevent the slick reaching its pristine shores. Turkey said it would also dispatch two ships to collect the spill while the island’s Greek Cypriot government requested an oil recovery vessel from the European Maritime Safety Agency. Environmental officials in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus – internationally recognised only by Ankara – said that 20,000 tonnes of fuel oil had spilled from the Syrian plant. “It is a complete disaster for the marine ecosystem,” the head of the north’s chamber of environmental engineers, Cemaliye Özverel Ekinci, told the local TAK news agency. “This problem is not just a problem that concerns Northern Cyprus,” Ekinci said. “We should act together with the south.” Syria’s electricity minister had told the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper on Monday that the size of the leak ranged from two to four tonnes of fuel. He added that a committee had been formed to investigate the cause. The head of the north’s deep diving centre, Erol Adalier, said the oil slick was approaching the island’s north-eastern Karpaz peninsula – a wild region of sandy beaches and verdant hills. He added that the oil had reached to within 20 miles of the coast on Tuesday morning and was drawing nearer by the hour. Local officials said Turkey had sent teams to assess the situation and prepare a response. “Even if it passes us tangentially, it will affect Turkey,” the north’s tourism and environment minister Fikri Ataoğlu said. Cyprus has been divided since 1974. The Republic of Cyprus government in the south, an EU member, said on Tuesday it had not located any sign of the oil spill in the areas under its control and that it had conveyed its readiness to help authorities in the north in tackling any pollution. “Unfortunately … we have not received any information or any response from the authorities of the illegal regime, and so we remain alert,” environment minister Costas Kadis told Cyprus News Agency. The Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus government relies almost exclusively on financial and other assistance from Ankara.

Syrian oil spill moving towards Cyprus appears to partially dissolve - A large oil slick that had been working its way across the Mediterranean towards Cyprus, following a spill in Syria, appears to have partially dissolved although its next move will depend on currents. The spill, likened in size to New York City, had threatened the island’s Karpas peninsula, a strip of pristine beaches and verdant hills in the Turkish-controlled north, after seeping into the sea from a power plant in Syria nine days ago. On Wednesday authorities in Cyprus and Turkey remained on alert as officials continued to monitor the situation amid fears the leak would wreck fragile ecosystems. “It seems that small parts have detached,” the Greek Cypriot agriculture minister, Costas Kadis, was quoted as saying by local media. “That was the image we got from satellite images we received from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). We want to make sure of the extent.” A police helicopter and a fisheries department vessel were both in the area, he said. An EU member state, Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974 when a coup aimed at union with Greece prompted Turkey to invade and seize its northern third. As concerns mounted earlier in the week, Turkish Cypriot officials erected what local media described as a 400-metre barrier off the Karpas peninsula to prevent the slick reaching its shores. Crews were reportedly cleaning parts of the spill that had broken off, with the Turkish Cypriot infrastructure minister saying clumps of oil had become stuck to the seabed, which could be environmentally catastrophic. In the island’s south, the Greek Cypriot government requested an oil recovery vessel from the EMSA, which was also on standby. By Wednesday, Kadis, the Greek Cypriot agriculture minister, said the main oil slick was headed towards Turkey and Syria. But Turkish officials confirmed the spill had yet to reach the country’s shores. “Currently there is no pollution that has spread to Turkey or northern Cypriot coasts,” said Ankara’s transport minister, Adil Karaismailoğlu. In the event of an emergency, two ships had been deployed to the island equipped with oil absorbent pads and containment tanks, he said. According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, the spill was attributed to a faulty tank at a thermal power station in the city of Baniyas on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Local media reported the slick had floated along the country’s coast, sullying several stretches of water.

No Surprises: After Blitz-Meeting, OPEC+ Sticks With Agreed Production Increase -Unlike July, this time there were no surprises in today's OPEC+ meeting where ministers agreed to continue with the planned 400kb/d production increase Bloomberg reported, citing delegates. In a stark reversal from recent (endless) meetings, the panel’s online talks lasted less than an hour, one of the quickest meetings in recent memory and a stark contrast to the drawn-out negotiations seen at the cartel’s previous meeting in July. As previewed this morning, with crude prices mostly recovered from their mid-August slump and the supply outlook relatively tight for the rest of the year - Goldman still expects oil will hit mid-$80s before year end - the group had little reason to change the established schedule of gradual monthly supply hikes. Below is the communique of the now concluded OPEC+ meeting, re-confirming the plan for 400,000 b/d monthly hikes. The next meeting is now scheduled for Oct 4. After the historic demand plunge in 2020 which sent WTI briefly negative, OPEC+ has been in the process of rolling back the unprecedented output cuts implemented at the depths of the Covid-19 crisis last year with about 45% of idle supply already revived; in July the group laid out a plan for gradually returning the remainder through to September 2022. There have been some questions about that schedule when oil markets wobbled over the summer as the resurgent pandemic threatened demand in China and the U.S. But fuel use proved resilient and OPEC-watchers had widely expected the group to stick with its plan.

Oil, gasoline prices rise as Ida kicks hurricane season into a higher gear - Hurricane Ida temporarily shut down a critical swath of U.S. oil production and refining operations, and that should keep crude and retail gasoline prices at already elevated levels.Now a tropical storm, Ida swept across the Gulf of Mexico production area before slamming into the Louisiana coast Sunday as a Category 4 storm, bringing torrents of rain, high winds and high tides. More than 1 million Louisiana utility customers were without power early Monday.The energy industry was working Monday to assess when it could restore refining operations across Louisiana and oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, which were taken offline as a precautionary measure.Oil prices were slightly higher Monday after jumping 10% last week. However, West Texas Intermediate futures — which traded at about $69 per barrel — are still down over 6.5% for the month. Nearly all Gulf of Mexico oil production was shut in, accounting for about 15% of the U.S. total."The reaction is mixed because we avoided the worst-case scenario," Again Capital John Kilduff said. "But supplies are tight, and that could impact prices, especially since we are moving into the peak period for storms, and weather worries are going to persist around the market for the next several weeks. As for supply, the cupboard was kind of bare going into this."The shut in operations in the Gulf of Mexico should resume to normal if no damage is found. The hit to supplies from the hurricane comes as OPEC+ meets this week.OPEC+ is widely expected to restore the 400,000 barrels a day of production it had previously committed to return to the market. The Biden administration had asked Saudi Arabia and OPEC for more supply to be restored.But the cartel and its associates, like Russia, are expected to restore only the planned amount of oil to the market. "They're not coming to rescue us from $70 oil," Kilduff said. Crude inventories are at the lowest level since January 2020. Crude supply has fallen for three straight weeks, while fuel demand has reached its highest level since March 2020, according to data released last week by the Energy Information Administration.

Oil settles up as U.S. producers, refiners assess storm damage --Oil rose on Monday, lifted as U.S. Gulf Coast platforms, refineries and pipelines grappled with uncertainty on restart timelines after Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on the region. Gains were capped as OPEC+ looked set to go ahead with a planned oil output increase. Global benchmark Brent settled at $73.41 a barrel, up 71 cents or 0.98%. Brent touched a session high of $73.69, the highest since Aug. 2. U.S. crude futures rose 47 cents, or 0.68% to $69.21 a barrel. Within 12 hours of coming ashore, Ida had weakened into a Category 1 hurricane, and has since dropped to tropical storm status. Hundreds of oil production platforms were evacuated ahead of the storm and nearly all offshore Gulf oil production, or 1.74 million barrels per day, was suspended. After heavy winds and rains, nearly 1.2 million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi were without power on Monday and the storm’s move inland shifted the oil market’s focus to when refiners can restart. [REF/OUT] Oil and gas pipeline operators checked for damage. [L1N2Q11PQ] Power utilities warned that customers in the hardest-hit areas could face extended outages. [L4N2Q13SA] Exxon Mobil Corp said it was shutting the 520,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery units until utilities resume providing power and feedstocks are available. [L1N2Q11H6] “We’re in wait-and see mode on how badly the refiners will be impacted by the power outages,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management in New York. “There’s going to be an accounting to be done later this week as damage is assessed – I would give it some time to breathe, like a fine wine,” he said. U.S. gasoline was up more than 1.5%, lending support to crude. Power outages added to refinery closures on the Gulf coast and traders weighed the possibility of prolonged disruptions. “It’s still early days,” said Vivek Dhar, analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. “Oil products, like gasoline and diesel, are likely to see prices rise more acutely from refinery outages especially if there are difficulties in bringing refineries and pipelines back online.” Brent has rallied 40% this year, supported by supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, and some demand recovery from last year’s pandemic-induced collapse. OPEC+ meets on Wednesday to discuss a scheduled 400,000 bpd increase in its oil output, in what would be a further easing of the record output cuts made last year. OPEC delegates say they expect the increase to go ahead, although Kuwait’s oil minister said on Sunday it could be reconsidered.

Oil Futures End Higher on Ida Shutdowns, OPEC-Plus in Focus (DTN) -- After trading in a wide range on the session, oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange settled Monday's session higher, with the September RBOB contact gaining 1.5%. Traders sought out damage assessments from oil producers and refiners in the Gulf Coast region following Sunday's Louisiana landfall of a powerful Category 4 Hurricane Ida, with DTN confirming about 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of refining capacity in the region being taken offline. The disruptions come ahead of looming expirations by the September RBOB and ULSD contracts and October Brent contract Tuesday afternoon. NYMEX September RBOB futures settled up 3.85 cents at $2.3127 per gallon after nearing July's $2.3695 high overnight, with the October contract widening its discount to 15.89 cents per gallon against the expiring contract. September ULSD futures settled at $2.1403 gallon, up 3.11 cents on the session, with the next-month delivery October contact finishing at a 25-point discount. NYMEX October West Texas Intermediate futures settled $0.47 higher at $69.21 per barrel (bbl), while ICE October Brent settled at $73.41 per bbl, up $0.71 on the session, and ending at a $1.18 premium to November delivery. According to DTN estimates, 2.2 million bpd of Louisiana refinery capacity was shut down as of Monday afternoon, including Marathon's 578,000-bpd refinery in Garyville, ExxonMobil's 520,000-bpd facility in Baton Rouge and Valero's St. 340,000-bpd refinery complex in St. Charles among others. A total of the seven largest refineries in the region confirmed closure or reduced operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. ExxonMobil said Monday it was shutting down all units at its 520,000-bpd Baton Rouge refinery after running at reduced rates "to stabilize operations," which includes securing feedstock. The company said Hurricane Ida did not cause "any significant damage" to the refinery. It remains unclear as to when refineries will be able to bring shuttered capacity online with about 2,000 miles of transmission lines feeding the city of New Orleans remaining out of service, according to Ent energy. "The catastrophic damage of the storm that hung over west of here caused a lot of damage to the transmission lines that feed New Orleans," Additionally, Colonial Pipeline told shippers it "temporarily" shut Lines 1 and 2 on its system after Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday, with the two main lines running parallel from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina. Line 1 on the Colonial system is a 1.4 million-bpd mainline carrying gasoline, and Line 2 is a 1.2 million-bpd distillate line. Both pipelines pass through Baton Rouge, where there are storage terminals. In shutting the pipelines, Colonial told shippers fuel supply is available throughout the southeast through the numerous terminals along the pipeline route. Ida has also taken offline about 94.6% or 1,721,809 bpd of Gulf of Mexico oil production, just slightly lower than 95.65% a day ago. Based on data from offshore operator reports, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 288 production platforms, 51.43% of the 560 manned platforms in the GOM, up from 279 the day prior. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and gas are produced.

Oil prices edge lower as US pushes OPEC to pump more crude (Reuters) -Oil slipped on Tuesday as OPEC and its allies geared up for a meeting on Wednesday amid calls from the United States to pump more crude, though Brent still traded well above $70 a barrel. Prices were also under pressure from concerns that power outages and flooding in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida will cut crude demand from refineries. Crude was also weighed down by manufacturing data from China, where factory activity in August expanded at a slower pace than in the previous month. Brent crude futures for October, due to expire on Tuesday, fell 50 cents, or 0.7%, to $72.91 a barrel by 1330 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 58 cents, or 0.8%, at $68.63. Both benchmarks were on track for their first monthly loss since March but were still not far from their July highs, when Brent rose to its strongest since 2018 and U.S. crude since 2014. In August U.S. President Joe Biden's administration urged the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to boost oil output to tackle rising gasoline prices. Prior to the U.S. call, OPEC and its allies, together known as OPEC+, had agreed to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) to their supply each month until the end of December. Sources told Reuters the Wednesday meeting is likely to leave the plan unchanged despite pressure from the United States to pump more. "It looks like sticking to the plan from the last meeting," an OPEC+ source told Reuters. OANDA analyst Craig Erlam also expects no changes to the OPEC policy. "It would be a surprise if they do anything at the moment, despite pressure from the White House, given current price levels, demand and (the) uncertain outlook," he said. OPEC's own data showed the market will face a deficit until the end of 2021 but then flip into a surplus in 2022. Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in the United States on Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane, knocked out at least 94% of offshore Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production and caused "catastrophic" damage to Louisiana's grid. On the supply side, about 1.72 million bpd of oil production and 2.01 million cubic feet per day of natural gas output remained offline on the U.S. side of the Gulf of Mexico after evacuations at 288 platforms.

August is Oil's Worst Month in 10 as Prices Drop 7% –- Oil ended August on a down note, falling 7% for its worst month in 10, as demand concerns reared their head again after Hurricane Ida forced the closure of U.S. refineries. Expectations that a Wednesday meeting of oil producing nations in the OPEC+ alliance would go ahead with a plan to raise output in September also weighed on prices in Tuesday’s session of oil — although the production increase was unlikely to be as much as the Biden administration expected, in order to dampen inflation. London-traded Brent, the global benchmark, settled at $72.99 per barrel, down 42 cents, or 0.6%, on the day. For the month, Brent was down 4.4%, for its sharpest monthly drop since May and its worst loss since October. New York-traded West Texas Intermediate crude, the benchmark for U.S. oil, settled at $68.50 per barrel, down 71 cents, or 1% on the day. For August, WTI fell 7.4%, also marking its largest drop since May and its worst month since October. “It's worth noting that WTI prices rebounded more than 12% in the week to yesterday and came within a whisker of $70 before pulling back, so there's probably an element of profit-taking to the move, particularly when you consider that some of the gains were attributed to Tropical Storm Ida last week and operations are already being restored,” said Craig Erlam, analyst at OANDA. Ida pummeled Louisiana as a category 4 hurricane, forcing over 1.74 million bpd, or 95% of Gulf of Mexico crude and natural gas platforms to shut-in. It also shut the largest privately-owned U.S. crude terminal and nearly half of the country’s refining capacity. Industry officials initially estimated that it could take weeks for supplies to normalize. But shortly after its landfall, Ida weakened into a tropical storm, prompting analysts to adjust their expectations. Some even worry now whether there could be a drop in demand for air travel. Wednesday’s impending meeting of the 23-nation OPEC+ — which groups the 13 members of the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with 10 allies steered by Russia — was also weighing on the market, said Erlam. “Traders (are) looking for any indication that the group is going to alter the pace of tapering cuts. It would be a surprise if they do anything at the moment, despite pressure from the White House, given current price levels, demand and uncertain outlook,” he added. The Biden administration called on OPEC+ three weeks ago to boost oil production in an effort to dampen gasoline prices, amid concerns that rising inflation could derail the economic recovery from Covid. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said in a memo to the White House said the agency plans to ramp up enforcement of anticompetitive practices to ensure that large U.S. firms don’t resort to “collusive practices” to push up gasoline prices which were already at 7-year highs averaging $3.15 per gallon.

Oil Pops After Greater Than Expected Crude Inventory Draw -- Oil prices staged a modest bounce following yesterday's sharp drop, following the latest DOE Crude Inventory data, which showed a bigger than expected Crude and Distillate draw offset by a larger than expected Gasoline build while Cushing also increased. DOE:

• Crude -7.17MM, Exp. -2.5MM
• Gasoline +1.29MM, -1.6MM
• Distillates -1.732MM, -550K
• Cushing +836K
• Production 11.5MM, +100kb/d

The 7.2MM draw was substantially greater than the data disclosed yesterday by API:

• Crude -4.045MM
• Gasoline +2.711MM
• Distillate -1.961MM
• Cushing +2.128MM

Visually: More importantly, US crude production remains controlled for now even as rig counts and prices rise. WTI popped modestly on the bigger than expected draw only to reverse most of the gain. It is worth noting that anyone looking for the impact of Hurricane Ida - which came on shore on Saturday - in the data will have to wait until next week's DOE report, which will capture any resulting dislocations.The latest data comes as the OPEC+ virtual meeting is taking place in the background, although it does not appear there will be any major surprises there: as Bloomberg notes, the JMMC has recommended sticking to the supply-hike plan which means another 400K b/d in output will soon be added to the total amid hopes that the current Delta variant slowdown fades away soon enough.

Oil Futures Turn Mixed Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting, Stock Data -- New York Mercantile Exchange oil futures and Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange moved mixed in early trade Wednesday, with the October RBOB contract now the front-month on retreat after preliminary data from the American Petroleum Institute showed a surprise build occurred in nationwide gasoline inventories during the final full week of August as traders assess demand implications as the driving season nears an end while refinery shutdowns across Louisiana hindered by ongoing power outages could prompt product drawdowns, with reports of damage at the state's largest refinery. Louisiana largest refinery, Marathon's 578,000 barrles per day (bpd) complex in Garyville, Louisiana, reported minor damages to its operational units and is running off generators as it conducts repairs, according to a company statement. "Due to a power outage in the area, we are using generators to power aspects of our operations that enable us to progress with repairs and assessments, and we continue working on a timeline for resuming operations," said Marathon. PBF's 190,000 bpd Chalmette facility and Shell's 230,000 bpd Norco facility were also confirmed without power amid ongoing repairs to critical transmission lines feeding greater New Orleans area and Baton Rouge. DTN previously reported that power outages will likely lead to widespread delays in restarting refinery units across affected areas. As such, prosects of weaker crude demand from Louisiana refineries will weigh on oil prices early September, exacerbated by the end of the summer driving season. Limiting losses for crude futures, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories declined by a larger-than-expected 4.045 million barrels (bbl) in the week ended Aug. 27 compared with estimates for a 2.8 million bbl draw. Gasoline stockpiles posted a build of 2.711 million bbl versus expected 1.5 million bbl draw, while distillate inventories dropped 1.961 million bbl in the reviewed week compared with estimates for stocks to have remained unchanged. DTN Refined Fuels Demand data showed gains in diesel demand far outpaced those for gasoline, with distillate use surging nationally by 2.6% compared with a 0.4% increase for gasoline. Diesel demand was up 3.6% relative to the same week in 2019 last week, strengthening compared to seasonal norms after being up just 1% compared to 2019 levels in the prior week. Separately, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia-led partners, a group known at OPEC+, are set to stick to their current output agreement when they meet virtually Wednesday. Previously, OPEC+ agreed to raise collective output by 400,000 bpd each month until December 2022. OPEC+ Joint Technical Committee revised higher their demand forecast for both this year and next year, and now estimate global oil demand to grow by 4.2 million bpd in 2022, nearly 1 million bpd higher than previously projected.

Oil Rises on Economic Recovery Hopes, Weaker Dollar - (Reuters) -Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel on Thursday, rebounding on optimism about global economic growth despite the coronavirus pandemic, and after U.S. crude inventories fell more than anticipated. Brent crude ended up $1.44, or 2%, at $73.03 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled up $1.40, or 2%, to $69.99 a barrel. The rally briefly pushed U.S. crude futures above the 50-day moving average for the first time in a month, a signal of bullishness for investors. In addition, later-dated crude contracts rallied more than the front-month, another sign that market participants expect demand to rise as supply declines. In the United States, crude inventories dropped by 7.2 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. [EIA/S] "There are good reasons for this rally - we have 1.5 mln barrels still offline in the Gulf, yesterday's crude number was down 7.2 million barrels and storage was at its lowest level since September 2019," said Robert Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, while layoffs in August dropped to their lowest level in more than 24 years, suggesting the labor market was charging ahead despite new COVID-19 infections. Optimistic about the global economic recovery, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers including Russia, together known as OPEC+, raised its demand forecast for 2022. On Wednesday, the group agreed to continue a policy of phasing out record production reductions by adding 400,000 barrels per day (bpd). It did not take up entreaties from the United States to accelerate removal of those supply curbs. Hurricane Ida, meanwhile, has shut about 80% of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas output. Oil refineries in Louisiana could take weeks to restart, which will sap crude demand, but that could be offset by slow ramp-up of production offshore due to damage to key support facilities. "Crude oil processing will probably take considerably longer to recover from the outages than crude oil production, which suggests that crude oil stocks will increase in the coming weeks," said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch. India's gasoline demand is set to hit a record this fiscal year as more people hit the road after easing of COVID-19 curbs.

WTI Settles at 1-Month High as USD Weakens - -- Bolstered by a rapidly weakening U.S. Dollar Index, oil futures nearest delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude traded on the Intercontinental Exchange settled Thursday's session sharply higher amid reports offshore producers in the Gulf of Mexico are unable to restart operations due to logistical constraints to deliver supplies to mainland terminals. Government data reports over 90% of the regional crude production remains offline following Hurricane Ida. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement reported on Thursday approximately 93.55% or 1,702,566 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains offline, an increase from 79.96% reported day prior. While unconfirmed, the data might suggest offshore operators continue to face logistical constraints in delivering supplies to onshore terminals, with significant damage reported to the Louisiana staging areas that act as critical arteries for offshore industry. Bank of America Global Research highlighted the closure of Port Fourchon -- a major energy hub that serves over 250 companies in the Gulf and stands as the onshore link between offshore pipelines and various crude terminals in St. James and Clovelly. "While the impacts are ultimately transitory, the output is that the return of Gulf of Mexico production coming off record shut-ins stands to be more sluggish and a function of capacity to build up temporary staging and reroute logistics," said the analysts in a note to clients. Offshore federal Gulf of Mexico crude oil production currently accounts for 16% of total U.S. crude oil production. Roughly 70% of offshore oil and gas production is located west of New Orleans. Separately, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm instructed the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to conduct an exchange with ExxonMobil Baton Rouge for 1.5 million barrels (bbl) of crude oil to alleviate any logistical issues of moving crude oil within areas affected by Hurricane Ida to ensure the region has access to fuel as quickly as possible to aid the recovery. The government said, "The U.S. Department of Energy encourages refiners to prioritize refined products for the affected region, and remains committed to supporting those efforts through options such as the SPR." On the economic data front, upbeat reading on U.S. unemployment claims for the final week of August and stronger-than-expected gains in factory orders sent stocks on Wall Street sharply higher, with Dow Jones Industrials gaining more than 130 points. The U.S. Dollar Index, meanwhile, eroded further against a basket of foreign currencies to finish the session at a four-week low 92.228. The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims dropped to a pandemic-era low of 340,000 during the last full week of August, down 14,000 from the previous week's revised level, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Unemployment claims have been trending lower after briefly exceeding 400,000 in mid-July. The data offers further evidence that a resurgent Delta COVID variant and slowed consumer spending doesn't necessarily translate into increased layoffs. Factory orders for manufactured goods came above market consensus at 0.4% increase, down from 1.5% jump in the prior month, according to the data U.S. Census Bureau.

WTI Tops $70 as Ida Continues to Disrupt the Supply Chain - -- Nearby delivery month oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange edged higher in early trade Friday, with the U.S. crude benchmark above $70 per barrel (bbl) for the first time in over a month as traders evaluate the effect of prolonged supply disruptions in the offshore Gulf of Mexico on the market's near-term supply-demand disposition, with government data reporting over 90% of the reginal oil production still shut-in following Hurricane Ida. Investors also await the release of the U.S. Department of Labor's nonfarm employment report for August that could determine the path of Federal Reserve monetary policy in the coming weeks. The Federal Reserve is currently buying $120 billion a month in bond and mortgage-backed securities to shore up growth and guarantee the free flow of credit. Economists expect Friday's payroll report will show U.S. employers added 725,000 new jobs last month -- a modest deceleration from July, but the third straight month of robust gains after the pace of hiring cooled in the winter and spring. The U.S. unemployment rate is seen to have fallen to 5.2% from 5.4% in July. Anything around this level should support the narrative of a recovering labor market. However, a miss on employment figures could spark fears of stagflation, as rising inflation joined with the aggressive spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 could have kept employment gains in check. In oil markets, traders are keenly monitoring headlines around ongoing supply disruptions in the offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico, with government data reporting over 90% or 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of the regional crude production remains offline following Hurricane Ida. Shell Offshore Inc. said late Thursday it found damage at the company's West Delta-143 offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico during a flyover, with the timeline to repair the facility remain uncertain."The WD-143 facilities serve as the transfer station for all production from our assets in the Mars corridor in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico to onshore crude terminals," said Shell. "All of our other offshore assets remain shut in and remain fully evacuated at this time."An early assessment by Shell found approximately 80% of the company's operated production in the Gulf of Mexico remains offline.This might suggest that offshore operators continue to face acute challenges to deliver their supplies to onshore pipeline and crude terminals as many of those facilities sustained damages during Hurricane Ida's landfall. Bank of America Global Research highlighted the closure of Port Fourchon -- a major energy hub that serves over 250 companies in the Gulf and stands as the onshore link between offshore pipelines and various crude terminals in St. James and Clovelly. "While the impacts are ultimately transitory, the output is that the return of Gulf of Mexico production coming off record shut-ins stands to be more sluggish and a function of capacity to build up temporary staging and reroute logistics," said the analysts in a note to clients.

Oil slips as weak U.S. jobs report gives 'reality check' - -(Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Friday after a weaker than expected U.S. jobs report indicated a patchy economic recovery that could mean slower fuel demand during a resurgent pandemic. Losses were capped by concerns that U.S. supply would remain limited in the wake of Hurricane Ida, which cut production from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Brent crude futures settled lower by 42 cents, or 0.58%, at $72.61 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 70 cents or 1%, at $69.29. Both benchmark oil contracts were largely steady for the week, with U.S. crude up 0.80%. “Prices slipped on the employment report, which was clearly impacted by the Delta variant,” “This was a reality check that the coronavirus is still impacting demand,” he added. Non-farm payrolls missed expectations with an increase of 235,000 jobs amid a softening in demand for services and persistent worker shortages as COVID-19 infections soared. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast non-farm payrolls would increase by 728,000 jobs. Meanwhile oil and gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remained largely halted in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, with 1.7 million barrels, or 93%, of daily crude output suspended, according to offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. “I would expect production to come back online in the course of the next week, versus refineries coming back online over the next two weeks,” said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. The lag in refinery restarts could cause an uptick in crude supplies, weighing on the market. Some analysts see room for further price gains after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, stuck to a plan to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the market over the next few months. The United States welcomed the move and pledged to press the exporter club to do more to support economic recovery by unleashing production.

Oil Finishes Higher on the Week | Rigzone -- Oil in New York posted its second weekly gain as the impact of Hurricane Ida continues to snarl U.S. oil production, though prices edged lower Friday following a weak U.S. jobs report. West Texas Intermediate futures capped a gain 0.8% for the week despite shedding 1% Friday. The deceleration in hiring reflects growing fears of the delta variant of Covid-19 and complicates a potential decision by the Federal Reserve to begin scaling back stimulus. Traders exiting positions ahead of the long weekend in the U.S. and Canada also exerted some downward pressure on prices Friday afternoon. “At this point, Ida storm has been quite supportive for oil due to the production disruptions. But as the region recovers and shuttered capacity slowly returns, Ida will be less and less of a supporting factor,” said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities. Longer term, it will be all about OPEC+, and the delta-variant coronavirus impact on demand, he added. Oil climbed this week as the market appears set to remain in deficit even as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies push ahead with reviving supply. OPEC+ has said crude stockpiles in developed countries are falling and an economic recovery is accelerating. There have been signs of revival in Asia, where Covid-19 infections had surged. China’s independent refiners are buying more crude and gasoline consumption in India is improving. The return of Iranian supply, meanwhile, looks even further away. “Oil prices continue to trade at relatively elevated levels despite OPEC+ reaffirming plans to normalize output and Covid-19 demand woes still present,” said Jens Pedersen, senior analyst at Danske Bank. Exxon Mobil Corp. is tapping the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve with more than 90% of the Gulf of Mexico’s oil production still shut as of Friday afternoon, while Louisiana’s refineries are still reeling from the impact of the storm. Prices: WTI for October delivery settled 70 cents lower at $69.29 a barrel at in New York. Brent for November settlement fell 42 cents to $72.61; a decline of 0.1% for the week. Options markets have also mirrored the positive sentiment in crude. The premium of bearish put options for global Brent benchmark over bullish calls fell to its narrowest since mid-June this week. That’s a sign that traders aren’t paying as much to protect against falling prices.

Taliban Holds Huge Victory Parade Showing Off US Military Hardware -The day after a defiant Joe Biden deemed his Afghanistan exit a "success" - the Taliban did a little celebrating of their own, holding a 'victory' parade in the streets of Kandahar featuring the Taliban army's new 'toys'. "The Taliban Wednesday paraded some of the military hardware they captured during their takeover of Afghanistan," AFP wrote in confirming the spectacle that mocked the whole US debacle of a twenty year occupation that ended in handing over billions of dollars in military equipment.The parade even included a helicopter flying over a long line of Humvees decked out with the white and black Taliban flags. An AFP journalist observed that "a long line of green Humvees and armored fighting vehicles drove in single file along a highway outside Kandahar -- the spiritual birthplace of the militant movement -- many with white-and-black Taliban flags attached to aerials...". And more: At least one Black Hawk helicopter has been seen flying over Kandahar in recent days, suggesting someone from the former Afghan army was at the controls as the Taliban lack pilots. Starting weeks ago as Taliban militants began capturing base after base and easily steamrolled major cities across the country with little resistance, it became clear they were putting their newly acquired expensive American and NATO equipment to use, given they began taking cities in the south while riding in on Humvees and armored battle vehicles. They've also positively invited journalists to document their treasure, losing no moment to show the cameras what the Americans left behind, in a constant insult to injury message to Washington and the West. During his speech on Tuesday, President Biden hailed the US exit and evacuation efforts an "extraordinary success". He said, "No nation has ever done anything like it in all of history; only the United States had the capacity and the will and ability to do it." In a deeply ironic, twisted, and tragic sense... this statement is true, just not at all in the way the president thinks.

Afghans queue for hours as Taliban imposes $200 weekly withdrawal limit - Huge lines are forming outside banks in Afghanistan after the Taliban imposed a strict $200 weekly withdrawal limit on citizens as the country faces an economic crisis. A day after US troops withdrew from the country, Afghans were spotted lining up for hours outside banks in Kabul.Banks that closed as soon as the Taliban seized Kabul have since been ordered to reopen in a bid to get Afghanistan’s economy moving.But the Taliban are enforcing weekly withdrawal limits and thousands are facing hours of waiting in line just to get their cash.One line outside an Afghan National Bank in Kabul saw thousands lining up, five and six alongside each other, trying to withdraw their money.While many Afghans fear life under the Taliban, some say they’re more worried about the potential economic collapse.Many Afghans, particularly civil servants, say they haven’t been paid in months and others say their salaries have been cut by as much as 75 percent under the new Taliban rule.The local currency has been losing value and inflation has been rising since the Taliban overran the country on Aug. 15.“Everything is expensive now, prices are going up every day,” Kabul resident Zelgai, who said tomatoes that cost 50 afghanis the day before were now selling for 80, told Reuters. A man named Noorullah, who has run a hardware store for 11 years, told the Associated Press he hasn’t had a single customer since the Taliban arrived. “The banks are closed. All the people who have money are running away from this country,” he said. “No one is bringing money here.”

A months' ration of bread now at 44 percent of monthly minimum wage, Lebanon - Bread prices in Lebanon soared another 11% due to the worsening crisis, setting a monthly ration of family bread at 44% of the minimum monthly wage.A bag of flatbread costs 5 000 Lebanese Pounds in supermarkets, over three times as much as last year, according to Save the Children.¹This is a knock-on effect of fuel prices soaring and the economy collapsing, the organization added."The triple impact of extensive power cuts, high fuel prices, and expensive food are pushing more people from all backgrounds into dangerous territory," Save the Children said."Lebanon's poorest families likely need at least two bags of bread a day amid their inability to afford nutritious food such as rice, lentils, and eggs. This means the monthly cost of bread consumption (around 300 000 pounds) is around 44% of the monthly minimum wage, which is 675 000 pounds.""No family can go without bread in Lebanon. If bread will fall out of reach - which is already happening in some cases - there is no plan B besides hunger," said Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children's Country Director in Lebanon."Children are telling us they are going to bed hungry, and parents report having to skip meals entirely. Thousands of families are now relying on bread-based meals, and will now feel this is going to be taken away from them. The situation for children, especially young ones, is increasingly desperate."

Covid-19 Surge in Malaysia Threatens to Prolong Global Chip Shortage – WSJ —A surge of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, a little-known but critical link in the semiconductor supply chain, has opened a new front in the battle to fix manufacturing woes that have rippled across industries during a global shortage of computing chips.The Southeast Asia nation is one of the world’s top destinations for assembly and testing of the devices that control smartphones, car engines and medical equipment. Disruptions in Malaysia threaten to prolong uncertainty over chip supply well into next year, dashing hopes of relief in the second half of 2021.The supply crunch in Malaysia, caused primarily by staff shortages linked to virus-control measures combined with a sharp surge in global demand, poses a new problem for the auto industry. For the first half of this year, shortages largely stemmed from companies miscalculating the pace of economic recoveries and not ordering enough parts. Now they can’t always get the parts they need because Covid-19 outbreaks are denting factory output.“It’s a bit like a game of whack-a-mole,” said Ravi Vijayaraghavan, a Singapore-based partner at the consulting firm Bain & Co. specializing in semiconductors. “We think we have supply sorted out, and then a problem suddenly pops up somewhere else.” Some of the world’s leading car makers including Toyota Motor Corp. , Ford Motor Co. , General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have disclosed major production cuts due largely to chip shortages from factories in Malaysia. Ford suspended work for about a week at an F-150 plant in the Kansas City, Mo., area and a Fiesta factory in Cologne, Germany because of missing parts, while Toyota said it would cut global production by around 40% in September. General Motors said it expects to make 100,000 fewer vehicles in North America in the second half of the year.

S. Korea cracks down on Apple, Google app store fees. Will U.S. follow? -After a global pushback against app store fees, Apple and Google's practice of forcing developers to use the tech companies' payment rails — at a rate of up to 30% of each transaction — will soon be illegal in South Korea.U.S. legislators are considering a similar approach. Both tech giants have typically banned the use of other payment options on their app stores, and say their fees are necessary for the upkeep of their digital storefronts. The South Korean National Assembly on Tuesday passed legislation that requires platforms such as Google and Apple to allow developers to use third parties for payment processing, making it economically untenable for Apple and Google to charge service fees for payments.

North Korea restarts its nuclear facilities According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there are indications that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and associated facilities. The moves highlight the continuing tensions on the Korean Peninsula as well as with the US where the Biden administration has maintained the crippling sanctions imposed on North Korea under Obama and Trump.In its latest annual report released last week, the IAEA stated that there were no signs that North Korea had operated its Yongbyon reaction between December 2018 and July 2021. “However, since early July 2021, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor,” it stated. The UN nuclear agency has no direct access to North Korea. Moreover, for five months to early July, the IAEA reported that steam coming from the reprocessing plant at the complex pointed to the extraction of plutonium from spent reactor fuel rods. North Korea has a small arsenal of nuclear weapons based on plutonium and has conducted six nuclear tests, most recently in 2017.Tensions have not eased under Biden. After a lengthy review of US policy towards North Korea, the Biden administration in May announced a broad strategy that differed only cosmetically with the confrontational approach of Trump and Obama. Biden officials have appealed for talks without preconditions but have offered nothing to North Korea that would lead it to believe the outcome would be any different from previous negotiations and failed agreements that demanded a great deal from Pyongyang in return for limited promises.North Korea reacted angrily to nine-day US-South Korean joint war games held last month. While the military exercises were computer-simulations, there was no doubt that North Korea was the “enemy” being targeted. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, branded the military drills as an “act of self-destruction” and warned that North Korea would step up its pre-emptive strike capabilities.North Korea’s decisions to restart nuclear facilities and boost military capabilities are aimed at pressuring the US to make concessions. The current UN sanctions, imposed at the instigation of Washington, along with unilateral US sanctions, have cut off virtually all North Korean exports as well as sources of foreign exchange and severely limited imports of critical items such as oil and petroleum products.

China Limits Online Videogames to Three Hours a Week for Young People – WSJ —China has a new rule for the country’s hundreds of millions of young gamers: No online videogames during the school week, and one hour a day on Fridays, weekends and public holidays.China on Monday issued strict new measures aimed at curbing what authorities describe as youth videogame addiction, which they blame for a host of societal ills, including distracting young people from school and family responsibilities.The new regulation, unveiled by the National Press and Publication Administration, will ban minors, defined as those under 18 years of age, from playing online videogames entirely between Monday and Thursday. On the other three days of the week, and on public holidays, they will be only permitted to play between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The government announcement said all online videogames will be required to connect to an “anti-addiction” system operated by the National Press and Publication Administration. The regulation, which takes effect on Wednesday, will require all users to register using their real names and government-issued identification documents. Other details of enforcement weren’t made public, and phone calls to the National Press and Publication Administration went unanswered after business hours on Monday.

 Rising Energy Prices Send German Inflation To 13-Year High - Higher energy prices pushed Germany’s annual inflation to a 13-year high in August, as household energy, motor fuels, and food prices jumped, preliminary data showed on Monday. Germany’s harmonized index of consumer prices—harmonized for comparability with other EU economies—increased by 3.4 percent in August compared to the same month a year earlier, and by 0.1 percent compared to July 2021, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany said in preliminary estimates today. The final figures for the August 2021 inflation in Europe’s largest economy will be released on September 10, 2021. As per the preliminary figures from Monday, the harmonized inflation of 3.4 percent is the highest consumer prices increase since July 2008. The national consumer price index for Germany was even higher in August, at 3.9 percent, according to the preliminary data. “This is due to higher energy and food prices, while the core inflation probably even fell slightly from 2.9% to 2.8%,” Commerzbank analyst Ralph Solveen told Reuters. “Higher producer prices on the back of supply chain disruptions, higher commodity prices and the gradual reopening of the economy are all impacting and will continue to impact consumer prices. Together with the reversal of the German VAT rate, headline inflation could even get close to 5% towards the end of the year,” Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro at ING, said, commenting on the August inflation figures. Earlier this month, the German government said that the jump in inflation in the summer is expected to be temporary. Meanwhile, Spain also reported on Monday a jump in inflation to the highest in several years due to surging electricity prices, preliminary data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute showed. The EU-harmonized consumer prices increased by 3.3 percent year over year in August, up from annual inflation of 2.9 percent in July. The inflation in August wasthe highest in 9 years, since the fall of 2012.

EU Set to Recommend Halting Nonessential Travel From the U.S. – WSJ - The European Union is set to recommend halting nonessential travel from the U.S. because of the spread of Covid-19, diplomats said on Sunday. European officials have been considering the move for much of the last month, with the average U.S. infection rate now above that of the EU. The Slovenian presidency of the EU last week recommended removing the U.S. and five other countries from a list of countries allowed nonessential travel. A final decision is due on Monday. Two diplomats said they weren’t aware of any objections so far. The EU travel list, which is reviewed every two weeks, isn’t binding on member states, but it has generally set the pattern over the past few months for who can visit the bloc. Some countries may decide to keep permitting U.S. tourists if they can prove they have been vaccinated. Pressure to remove the U.S. from the travel list has also increased because Washington has maintained a ban on European nonessential travel to the U.S.