Fed will aggressively dial back its bond buying, sees three rate hikes next year - The Federal Reserve provided multiple indications Wednesday that its run of ultra-easy policy since the beginning of the Covid pandemic is coming to a close, making aggressive policy moves in response to rising inflation. For one, the central bank said it will accelerate the reduction of its monthly bond purchases. The Fed will be buying $60 billion of bonds each month starting in January, half the level prior to the November taper and $30 billion less than it had been buying in December. The Fed was tapering by $15 billion a month in November, doubled that in December, then will accelerate the reduction further come 2022. After that wraps up, in late winter or early spring, the central bank expects to start raising interest rates, which were held steady at this week's meeting. Projections released Wednesday indicate that Fed officials see as many as three rate hikes coming in 2022, with two in the following year and two more in 2024. "Economic developments and changes in the outlook warrant this evolution of monetary policy, which will continue to provide appropriate support for the economy," Chairman Jerome Powell said at his post-meeting news conference. The Federal Open Market Committee's moves, approved unanimously, represent a substantial adjustment to policy that has been the loosest in its 108-year history. The post-meeting statement noted the impact from inflation. "Supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic and the reopening of the economy have continued to contribute to elevated levels of inflation," the statement said. The committee sharply ratcheted up its inflation outlook for 2021, pushing it to 5.3% from 4.2% for all items and to 4.4% from 3.7% excluding food and energy. For 2022, the expectation is now 2.6% for headline and 2.7% for core, both up from September. At the same time, the unemployment rate projection for 2021 came down to 4.3% from 4.8% in September. The statement noted that "job gains have been solid in recent months, and the unemployment rate has declined substantially." However, members came out on the hawkish side of policy moves, with members solidly leaning toward rate hikes. The "dot plot" of individual members rate expectations indicated that just six of the 18 FOMC members saw fewer than three increases next year, and no members saw rates staying where they are now, anchored near zero. That vote came even as the statement reaffirmed that the Fed's benchmark overnight borrowing rate would stay near zero "until labor market conditions have reached levels consistent with the Committee's assessments of maximum employment." The committee reduced its forecast for economic growth this year, seeing GDP rising 5.5% for 2021, compared with the 5.9% indicated in September. Officials also revised their forecasts in subsequent year, raising 2022 growth to 4% from 3.8% and lowering 2023 to 2.2% from 2.5%. The statement again noted that developments with the Covid pandemic, in particular with variants, pose risks to the outlook. Both policy moves came in response to escalating inflation, which is running at its highest level in 39 years for consumer prices. Wholesale prices in November jumped 9.6%, the fastest on record in a sign that inflation pressures are becoming more ingrained and broad based. Fed officials long have stressed that inflation is "transitory," which Powell has defined as unlikely to leave a lasting imprint on the economy. . However, the term had become a pejorative and the post-meeting statement eliminated it. For the Powell Fed, tightening policy now marks a dramatic pivot off a policy enacted just over a year ago. Known as "flexible average inflation targeting," which meant it would be content with inflation a little above or below its long-held 2% target. The policy's practical application was that the Fed was willing to let inflation run a little hot in the interest of completely healing the labor market from the hit it took during the pandemic. . Officials agreed not to raise interest rates in anticipation of increasing inflation, as the central bank had done in the past. However, as the "transitory" narrative came into question and inflation began to look stronger and more durable, the Fed has had to rethink its intentions and shift gears.
FOMC Statement: Accelerate Taper --Fed Chair Powell press conference video here starting at 2:30 PM ET. FOMC Statement: […]With progress on vaccinations and strong policy support, indicators of economic activity and employment have continued to strengthen. The sectors most adversely affected by the pandemic have improved in recent months but continue to be affected by COVID-19. Job gains have been solid in recent months, and the unemployment rate has declined substantially. Supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic and the reopening of the economy have continued to contribute to elevated levels of inflation. Overall financial conditions remain accommodative, in part reflecting policy measures to support the economy and the flow of credit to U.S. households and businesses.The path of the economy continues to depend on the course of the virus. Progress on vaccinations and an easing of supply constraints are expected to support continued gains in economic activity and employment as well as a reduction in inflation. Risks to the economic outlook remain, including from new variants of the virus.The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. With inflation having exceeded 2 percent for some time, the Committee expects it will be appropriate to maintain this target range until labor market conditions have reached levels consistent with the Committee's assessments of maximum employment. In light of inflation developments and the further improvement in the labor market, the Committee decided to reduce the monthly pace of its net asset purchases by $20 billion for Treasury securities and $10 billion for agency mortgage-backed securities. Beginning in January, the Committee will increase its holdings of Treasury securities by at least $40 billion per month and of agency mortgage‑backed securities by at least $20 billion per month. The Committee judges that similar reductions in the pace of net asset purchases will likely be appropriate each month, but it is prepared to adjust the pace of purchases if warranted by changes in the economic outlook. The Federal Reserve's ongoing purchases and holdings of securities will continue to foster smooth market functioning and accommodative financial conditions, thereby supporting the flow of credit to households and businesses. In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook….
Investors react to Federal Reserve announcement of stronger than expected inflation -Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell held his final press conference of the year Wednesday and investors are hanging on his words that inflation is exceeding expectations. Former Wells Fargo chief economist John Silvia described Powell’s mention that inflation numbers are stronger than expected as the most important takeaway on "The Claman Countdown." "They’re going to be raising interest rates, clearly," he said. "I think the challenge is that bond prices are too high; interest rates are way too low. You’re going to miss allocation of capital both in the government sovereign sector and the corporate bond sector. And to me, those interest rates have to rise going forward to compensate for inflation." In terms of inflation, Silvia detailed that there will be a "long adjustment period" now that the Fed projected higher numbers for the next two years. Kroll Institute Chief Strategist Chris Campbell predicts the Fed will have to become creative when deciding how to drive down inflation for the American people and economy. Even though investors are bullish following the announcement, Federated Hermes CIO of global equities Steve Auth shared that the biggest concern among long-term investors is the Federal Reserve accidentally launching the economy into recession. "Our biggest worry has been the Fed is so behind the curve and so oblivious that they’re eventually going to wake up and really have to grind the economy into a recession," he said. "And that would be an early end to the cycle. So this raises the odds that the cycle is going to be extended." Meanwhile, Auth explained, the bond market seems to be holding steady and trusting the Fed, even though trusting the Fed "so far hasn’t really been a good course of action."
Dollar Appreciation Threatens The Global Economy - The Fed’s liquidity fire hose supported the massive government fiscal response to Covid. Through unprecedented asset purchases, the Fed provided enough liquidity to allow the U.S. Treasury to increase its debt burden grossly at historically low yields. Its actions bolstered asset markets and weighed on the dollar in the process. The Fed is starting to reduce liquidity, and global markets are beginning to stir. The dollar, for one, is on the rise, and with it comes underappreciated consequences. Most investors know dollar appreciation makes imports cheaper for the U.S. and more expensive for other nations. As such, the dollar affects which countries gain or lose competitive advantages in global trade. Lesser appreciated, the U.S. dollar is not just America’s currency but the world’s. Its value versus other currencies significantly affects borrowing costs for foreign entities. As a result, the Fed dramatically influences global economic activity through its monetary policy.. When a Canadian tire company buys rubber from a Philippine rubber producer, the payment typically occurs in U.S. dollars. Both countries have their own currencies, but neither currency has the liquidity and, quite frankly, the world’s largest economy and military power backing it. For these reasons and others, most recipients in foreign trade prefer receiving U.S. dollars. Because so many foreign countries and companies transact with dollars, they often borrow in dollars and hold dollar reserves. They do this despite the fact their revenue is often not in dollars. It also helps that dollar funding can be cheaper due to greater liquidity in U.S. credit markets. However, with dollar funding and dollar appreciation comes dollar risk.Let’s consider Loonie Tires, a hypothetical Canadian tire company, and the currency risk they take when borrowing in dollars. This analysis helps understand why the value of the dollar is such an important determinant of borrowing costs and, therefore a global economic lynchpin.
Q4 GDP Forecasts: Up to 7% - From Goldman Sachs: We boosted our Q4 GDP tracking estimate by 0.5pp to +7.0% (qoq ar), reflecting the further recovery in auto production and the sharp rise in housing starts in November. [December 16 estimate] From BofA: 4Q GDP tracking moved up to 6.5% qoq saar from 6.0%, reflecting the strong signal from the BAC card spending data. [December 10 estimate] And from the Atlanta Fed: GDPNow: The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the fourth quarter of 2021 is 7.2 percent on December 16, up from 7.0 percent on December 15. [December 16 estimate]
Seven High Frequency Indicators for the Economy --These indicators are mostly for travel and entertainment. The TSA is providing daily travel numbers. This data is as of December 12th.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 16.2% from the same day in 2019 (83.8% of 2019). (Dashed line) Air travel had been off about 20% relative to 2019 for the last four months (with some ups and downs) - but picked up recently, especially over the Thanksgiving holiday week. 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. This data is updated through December 9, 2021. This data is "a sample of restaurants on the OpenTable network across all channels: online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins 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. The 7-day average for the US is down 12% 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 December 2nd. Movie ticket sales were at $70 million last week, down about 42% from the median for the week. This 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). This data is through December 4th. The occupancy rate was down 8.8% compared to the same week in 2019. Although down compared to 2019, the 4-week average of the occupancy rate is close to the median rate for the previous 20 years (Blue). 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 December 3rd, gasoline supplied was up 0.9% compared to the same week in 2019. This was the 11th week this year that gasoline supplied was up compared to the same week in 2019 - so consumption is running close to 2019 levels now. 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." This data is through December 10th for the United States and several selected cities.The graph is the running 7-day average to remove the impact of weekends. All data is relative to January 13, 2020. This data is NOT Seasonally Adjusted. According to the Apple data directions requests, public transit in the 7-day average for the US is at 111% of the January 2020 level. New York City is doing well by this metric, but New York subway usage is down significantly (next graph from Todd W Schneider). This graph shows how much MTA traffic has recovered in each borough (Graph starts at first week in January 2020 and 100 = 2019 average). Manhattan is at about 44% of normal.This data is through Friday, December 10th.
Senate passes debt ceiling increase, sending it to House hours before deadline --Congressional Democrats moved toward raising the debt ceiling Tuesday, one day before the Dec. 15 deadline that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned could mark the start of the first-ever U.S. default. The effort began in the Senate, which passed a debt limit hike late Tuesday afternoon in a 50-49 party-line vote. The bill will go to the House, where the narrow Democratic majority is expected to approve it and send it to President Joe Biden's desk late Tuesday or early Wednesday. He is set to sign it just hours before the Treasury Department forecasts it would exhaust its tools to pay the government's bills. The resolution would increase the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion. On Tuesday, Schumer said the measure will raise the borrowing limit "to a level commensurate with funding necessary to get into 2023." Yellen estimated the U.S. would run out of ways to pay its debt on Dec. 15. If Congress does not raise the debt ceiling before the Treasury misses a payment, the country would default for the first time. The Treasury secretary said she expects the U.S. would slip into a recession if Washington failed to make its debt payments. A default appears unlikely after 14 Republicans joined every Democrat last week to allow a one-time vote to lift the debt ceiling with a simple majority. The agreement, crafted by Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ended the GOP's months long threat to filibuster a borrowing limit hike. The deal allowed Democrats to increase the debt limit on their own without needing the 60 votes usually required to break a filibuster. The Senate is split 50-50 by party, but Vice President Kamala Harris did not need to break a tie because Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., missed the votes. Democrats and Republicans typically vote together to raise or suspend the debt ceiling. This time, however, the GOP has contended Democrats should increase the borrowing limit on their own as they try to pass a $1.75 trillion social safety net and climate package despite Republican opposition. Raising the debt limit does not authorize new government spending. Instead, it's akin to an increase in a consumer's credit card borrowing limit and allows the Treasury Department to continue to pay off the nation's bills. Yellen often notes that Republicans and Democrats would have had to raise or suspend the debt limit even if Congress had passed zero legislation in 2021.
Biden signs debt limit increase, averting potential economic disaster - President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the bill raising the debt limit ceiling that passed Congress earlier this week, according to the White House.Congress voted to raise the national debt limit by $2.5 trillion and extend it into 2023 after lawmakers raced to avert a catastrophic default ahead of a critical midweek deadline.The Senate moved on Tuesday to pass legislation to increase the limit in a vote that fell along party lines with a final tally of 50 to 49. The House voted 221-209 in the early hours of Wednesday morning to approve the bill. GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was the lone member to break ranks and voted with Democrats.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had warned that the debt limit could be reached on Wednesday, leaving Congress little time left to resolve the issue. A first-ever default could have sparked economic disaster and party leaders on both sides of the aisle had made clear it must be prevented.Despite pleas from officials and watchdogs about the disastrous consequences of defaulting, Republicans remained steadfastly opposed to supplying votes to raise the debt ceiling. In response, Congress passed legislation last week to create a fast-track process to allow Democrats to raise the debt limit in the Senate without help from Republicans. It was expected that Democrats would raise the limit by an amount sufficient to ensure that the issue will not need to be addressed again until after the 2022 midterm elections.
US Congress approves massive $770 billion war budget - By an overwhelming bipartisan margin of 88-11, the US Senate voted Wednesday to approve the largest military budget in history, nearly $770 billion, some $25 billion more than the Biden administration had requested. The legislation passed the House of Representatives last week by a similar bipartisan margin, 363-70, and it now goes to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature. The bill sets policy for the Pentagon and authorizes countless military programs, ranging from nuclear weapons development to a pay raise of 2.7 percent for military personnel, both uniformed and civilian. Congress must still pass appropriations bills, but in the case of the military these are largely a formality. A National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has been passed every year by Congress for more than half a century, and there has always been bipartisan support by huge margins. Whatever disputes there are between the Democrats and Republicans, the two parties are united in their support for the military machine that carries out the predatory policy of American imperialism. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) praised the Democrats and Republicans who joined forces to pass the bill. “For the past six years, Congress worked on a bipartisan basis to pass an annual defense authorization act without fail,” he said. “With so many priorities to balance, I thank my colleagues for working hard over these last few months, both in committee and off the floor, to get NDAA done.” The bill authorizes spending of $740 billion for the Department of Defense, $27.8 billion for the Department of Energy, which builds and maintains US nuclear bombs and warheads, and nearly $400 million for activities by other government agencies considered “defense-related.” Besides the vast personnel costs of a military establishment comprising more than 1.3 million uniformed troops and 1.1 million reservists and civilian Pentagon employees, the NDAA calls for staggering amounts to be poured into the procurement of more warplanes, warships, tanks, armored vehicles and artillery, as well as the development of new weapons systems and technologies.
Manchin raises inflation concerns ahead of pivotal Biden talk - Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday signaled concerns about inflation and the cost of the Build Back Better (BBB) legislation, ahead of a phone call with President Biden on the bill. "Inflation is real, it's not transitory. It's alarming. It's going up, not down. And I think that should be something we're concerned about. And geopolitical fallout," Manchin said, referring to Russia's buildup on the Ukrainian border. "These are all concerns. ... The unknown right now is very, very great," he added. Manchin's Monday phone call with Biden comes as Senate Democrats want to pass the social and climate spending bill by Christmas. But in order to meet that deadline Biden needs total unity from all 50 Senate Democrats. Manchin hasn't committed to the timeline, noting that he doesn't control the floor schedule, and hasn't yet said if he would vote to start debate on the spending legislation. Manchin, asked if he would tell Biden during their talk if he wanted to pass the bill this year, sidestepped. "I know people have been in a hurry for a long time to do something, but basically I think we're seeing things unfold that allows us to prepare better," Manchin said. Democrats have made changes to the spending bill to try to address Manchin's concerns on energy and tax policies, and key committee chairmen have said that they are talking to him on a near daily basis. But Manchin has warned for months that he has significant concerns about inflation and the cost of the bill. Economic data released on Friday found that inflation was at a nearly 40 year high, though the administration has tried to pitch the bill as being anti-inflationary. A separate Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report requested by Republicans found that the bill would cost an additional $3 trillion if all the programs included under the legislation are made permanent. Democrats bristled over the GOP-requested CBO report, arguing that Republicans had requested an analysis on a bill that didn't exist. Graham, during a press conference on Friday, made it clear that he was hoping the data would impact Manchin's thinking. Manchin added on Monday that the new economic data was "very sobering." "We're going to talk about exactly what happened on Friday with the CBO score and inflation reports and things of that sort," he said about his phone call with Biden.
Biden tries to budge Manchin - President Biden spoke to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for the second time in a week on Monday in what is becoming an increasingly desperate last-minute effort to cajole him into voting for a sweeping climate and social spending bill before Christmas. Manchin told reporters after the call he and Biden had “a nice conversation” and that he is “engaged” with the president. He said he and Biden “were just talking” about “different iterations” of the legislation. Asked if the $2 trillion bill could pass by Christmas, Manchin replied, “Anything is possible.” He declined to say how long the call lasted or what he and the president discussed specifically, and his office released a statement describing the conversation as “productive.” “They will continue to talk over the coming days,” it said. Asked Monday evening if enough progress had been made for him to vote on a motion to proceed to the bill, Manchin replied, “That’s what we’re talking” about. He said the biggest holdup to moving the bill is getting the legislative text finished. “They’re going through the scrub, trying to get all the rulings back from the parliamentarian. We haven’t even seen that yet,” he said. “I just said, [let’s] at least see the bill, see what they write, what’s the final print. That tells you everything,” he added. A White House spokesman described the call as "constructive" and said the two agreed to follow-up with one another in the days ahead. Manchin is seen as the key to not only getting the bill through the Senate before Christmas, but to getting the major piece of Biden’s agenda done at all. The West Virginia senator, who hails from a state that former President Trump easily won in last year’s presidential election, has consistently been the fly in the ointment for Senate Democrats, who must have unity among their 50 members to get Biden’s Build Back Better agenda through the upper chamber. Democratic senators say Manchin is dragging his feet on proceeding to the bill next week and identify him as the biggest obstacle to getting the legislation done before the expanded child tax credit expires at the end of the month. The nearly $2 trillion bill would extend that credit for a year. The Biden-Manchin talks suggest the negotiation is getting closer to an end point, but Democratic senators increasingly seem despairing. One Democratic senator said it’s critical that Biden show more progress in his talks with Manchin, which have yet to yield an agreement on a top-line spending number or the core components of the package. “We’ve got to close this,” the lawmaker said. Manchin pumped the brakes on Biden’s bill earlier Monday when he told reporters that the latest inflation numbers suggest rising prices are “not transitory” and “alarming.” “It’s going up, not down and I think that should be something we’re concerned about,” he added. Manchin noted the federal debt is fast approaching $30 trillion and predicted that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will “want to make some decisions pretty soon here” about addressing inflation and may have to raise interest rates. He said lawmakers need to slow down and study the fast-changing economic and national security environment to “prepare better” before enacting another major spending bill.
Democrats work to sell Senate referee on Biden spending bill -- Democrats are ramping up talks this week with the Senate parliamentarian to meet a self-imposed deadline to pass President Biden’s spending bill, hoping to clear one of the biggest hurdles to getting the legislation to the floor by Christmas. More than half of the 12 committees responsible for drafting the bill released text as of Monday. Biden also spoke with Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday in an effort to lock down the West Virginia Democrat, who has once again become a key holdout of passing bills on the president’s legislative agenda. But behind the scenes, Democrats still need to get signoff from Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan Senate referee, before they can bring the spending bill to the floor and try to start debate. “Committees that received reconciliation instructions have been submitting their final text to the parliamentarian, the Congressional Budget Office and to our Republican counterparts,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). “Throughout the week both Republicans and Democrats will hold bipartisan ‘Byrd bath’ meetings with the parliamentarian,” he added, referring to the process by which staffers from both parties will meet with MacDonough simultaneously. Aides for several committees, including Banking, Commerce, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told The Hill that talks with the parliamentarian’s office are ongoing. Other committees, including the Finance Committee, are expected to start the formal Byrd bath process this week. A Senate Democratic leadership aide said that staff for all 12 of the committees had finished the Democratic-only meetings when MacDonough was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. After Democrats have their one-on-one meetings, Republicans then meet with the parliamentarian on their own. After those informal talks, the two sides of each of the committees sit down with MacDonough together to pitch their respective cases. “They’re doing the Byrd bath meetings this week,” the aide said, adding that it “tracks with the goal of putting the Senate in position to move” the spending legislation before Christmas. Democrats had hoped to be able to bring the bill to the Senate floor as soon as this week, under the presumption that the talks with the parliamentarian would wrap by last week. Schumer had privately told colleagues that he wanted to get the bill to the floor this week, but senators are now expected to use this week for the bipartisan negotiations. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, said that it was his hope that the talks with the parliamentarian wrapped this week. “We certainly hope so. That could be the talk of a man’s hope over experience,” Carper said. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) added of the talks with the parliamentarian, “That could hold us up, there’s no doubt about that.” Schumer acknowledged that the process to get the massive spending bill ready for the floor is a “laborious process” but gave a shoutout to MacDonough and her team “for their dedication and focus.” “The work is not yet finished, but we’re working hard to put the Senate in a position to get the legislation across the finish line before Christmas,” he said.
More than 450 groups urge Senate to pass Biden package before holidays - A group of more than 450 organizations is calling on the Senate to pass President Biden's social spending and climate package, which has already been approved by the House, before adjourning for Christmas. The organizations are specifically asking senators to reject any amendments that would weaken the racial equity impacts of the child tax credit and to not leave for recess until the roughly $2 trillion piece of legislation is passed by the upper chamber. Signatories of Monday’s letter include Economic Security Project Action, Center for American Progress, the Children’s Defense Fund, the National Urban League, the NAACP, the National Women’s Law Center and UnidosUS. “When the Build Back Better Act reaches the Senate floor, we strongly urge Senators to reject all amendments including those that would weaken the racial equity impacts of the Child Tax Credit,” the groups wrote in a letter to all 100 senators. “The Senate must not recess until this critical legislation is passed,” they added. The version of the Build Back Better Act that the House passed last month would extend the monthly payments for one year, and permanently make the child tax credit fully available for the lowest income families. Parents with children under the age of six receive $300 a month per child under the program, and $250 a month for each child aged six to 17. Unless Congress acts, however, the last monthly payment will be made Dec. 15. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told reporters last week that the Internal Revenue Service has advised that Congress pass the legislation by Dec. 28 to ensure that the monthly payments are distributed on Jan. 15. The signatories wrote that approving the Build Back Better Act would provide a “historic opportunity” to lessen childhood poverty and continue supporting “the most vulnerable children,” especially those that are part of Black and Latino families. They also said the bill “makes the most significant investments in climate and environmental justice in history and makes transformative improvements in our nation's care infrastructure.” Senate Democrats are looking to pass the spending package through budget reconciliation, which would buck a potential Republican filibuster by only requiring a simple majority vote for passage. All 50 Senate Democrats, however, are not yet on board. Moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have both not said if they will back the bill. Manchin has raised concerns about the size of the legislation and questioned how it could affect inflation, which is currently close to a 40-year high. Democrats are also waiting to hear from the Senate parliamentarian, who has not yet released her unofficial guidance on what policies are noncompliant with budget rules. Biden tries to budge Manchin
Updated reconciliation text includes electric vehicle tax credit opposed by Manchin - Preliminary Senate Finance Committee text for the social spending and climate bill released over the weekend retains a tax credit for union-made electric vehicles, despite objections to the provision by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). The preliminary text released by Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) includes a $4,500 credit for electric vehicles domestically produced in unionized facilities. The same provision was included in the House version of the bill passed in November. The text is not final and has not been submitted to the Senate parliamentarian. The text released by the Finance Committee also retains a provision from the House bill that would increase tax incentives for use of carbon-capture technology, bringing it from $50 to $85 per ton of carbon pulled. “Our package is historic. It would create good-paying jobs, lower the cost of raising a family, combat the climate crisis and reduce energy bills, build more affordable housing, and cut health care costs for families and seniors,” Wyden said in a statement. Manchin, an essential vote in the 50-50 upper chamber, has spoken out against the tax credit for union-made electric vehicles in recent weeks, saying at a Toyota event in November that Congress “shouldn’t use everyone’s tax dollars to pick winners and losers.” However, the inclusion of the provision in the early text suggests that Wyden, one of the chamber’s climate hawks, will at least attempt to include the tax credit in the final Senate bill. As recently as Dec. 1, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), another backer of the provision, told reporters negotiations over the credit were ongoing. “At this point, I'm not sure where this is going to land,” she said. Several other Senate panels are expected to release their own newest versions of the text in the days ahead, including the Environment and Public Works and the Energy and Natural Resources committees.
Key climate program stays in spending bill — for now -- Legislative text released by Senate Democrats proposes to retain a key climate program in their climate and social spending bill as they prepare to face the senate parliamentarian. The text released by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee presents a program using both grants and fees to cut emissions of this powerful planet-warming gas that’s essentially identical to the House version. The program, often referred to as a methane fee, would provide funding through grants and loans to help companies monitor and reduce their methane emissions. Starting in 2023, it would also charge them a fee for the methane they release above a certain threshold. But the committee noted in a statement accompanying the text that it “may be revised” after conversations with both “interested Senators” and the parliamentarian — who acts as a referee of sorts to determine whether the legislation complies with Senate rules. When it was originally pitched, the plan just included the fee with no grants and drew ire from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key swing vote. Manchin has since stated that “good adjustments” have been made to the methane fee but indicated discussions are ongoing. The West Virginia Democrat suggested he would be opposed to taking an entirely penalty-based approach to methane emissions. “You’ve got to do one of two things. Do you want basically different things through regulations as far as EPA, or do you want money? If they’re basically complying with the regulations, then you shouldn’t be subject to a fee, so we’re talking about different things like that,” Manchin told reporters last week. The text also increases funding for a program that would pay for increased infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles. The program, part of the $27.5 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, would see a funding increase from $2 billion to $3 billion under the committee's text, the aide told The Hill.
Democrats don't think Manchin wants Biden agenda vote by Christmas --Democratic senators say that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has made it clear to them through what they say are stalling tactics that he has no desire to vote on President Biden's sweeping climate and social spending agenda before Christmas. They say that if Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) schedules a vote on a motion to proceed to the Build Back Better Act before Christmas that it will get the support of 49 members of the Democratic caucus and that Manchin's vote is the only question mark. While Democratic negotiators acknowledge there are still intraparty disagreements to iron out, such as the details of a proposal to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, and that there's a big backlog of work at the parliamentarian's office, they insist everything could get done by Christmas if they had Manchin on board. The problem, Democratic senators say, is that Manchin is showing no sign of getting behind the $2 trillion bill anytime this month. One senior Democratic senator said there's "no question" the bill could pass the Senate by Christmas - Schumer's goal - if Manchin cooperated. "We know we have 49 votes," the senator said, referring to near unanimous support in the Democratic caucus for acting in the next two weeks. "We have 49 people, all we need is Manchin." A second Democratic senator said "there are a couple more things to negotiate, which we could complete I think relatively quickly just to get it done, and then the question is whether Manchin is willing to go forward." "SALT's not holding it up," the source added, referring to the disagreement among senators over how to address the cap on state and local tax deductions, which Republicans implemented under former President Trump to extract more revenue from Democratic states. The senator added that the Senate parliamentarian's office has assured Democrats that it will be able to fully vet the Build Back Better Act in time for Schumer to schedule a floor vote before Christmas. A third Democratic senator said, "I am aware that he wants to wait," referring to Manchin, but noted that the centrist senator is getting strong pushback from colleagues.
Biden's Build Back Better bill suddenly in serious danger - President Biden’s $2 trillion climate and social spending bill, which appeared to have strong momentum when it passed the House a month ago, now appears to be in real danger of collapsing in the Senate. Democratic senators now concede there is no chance of passing the Build Back Better Act before the end of the year, as they had hoped. A Senate Republican aide on Thursday said that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Republicans are close to a deal to confirm a bloc of nominees and hold some others over until January, which would clear the Senate calendar for the rest of 2021 and allow senators to go home for Christmas. But more importantly, there is also a chance the entire Build Back Better bill will have to be reworked to accommodate Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) opposition to including a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit in the bill. Manchin says he does not oppose the tax credit, which he has backed in past legislation. But he argues that because the credit is likely to be renewed over the next decade, its true cost is not reflected in the current bill's official Congressional Budget Office score. The West Virginia senator wants the bill to reflect the 10-year cost of the tax credit, which would require other tax hikes or spending cuts to prevent the official cost of the bill from rising heavily. With the Senate evenly divided, Democrats acknowledge they can’t move forward without Manchin and the bill will have to wait until 2022. And frustrations are rising. “The situation points out that a 50-50 Senate is really problematic, I’ve used the word sucks. It definitely enables one or two people to hold things up, so yes, I’m frustrated,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told reporters, expressing frustration shared by many Democratic senators over the impasse. The 10-year extension of the tax credit would cost about $1.5 trillion, but Manchin also wants to keep the overall cost of the bill at $1.75 trillion. That means there would be little room for other Democratic priorities in the legislation, such as long-term home health care, generous child care subsidies, expanded Medicare benefits, universal prekindergarten and raising the cap on state and local tax deductions. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday said that Democrats had “missed an opportunity” and described himself as “frustrated and disappointed.” “We had more than ample opportunity to reach ... a Democratic agreement — I never assumed any bipartisan support. We missed an opportunity, but I’m not giving up,” he said. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said Thursday he was “very disappointed” the bill had stalled but added, “I’m determined to keep pressing forward.” Durbin said he was “stunned” to learn of Manchin’s last-minute opposition to a one-year extension of the child tax credit, which many Democrats saw as the core component of the bill. “I was stunned by that,” Durbin said on Thursday when asked about Manchin’s opposition to including a short-term extension of the beefed-up child tax credit. “That is such a critical element — the largest tax cut for working Americans in the history of the United States. We were so proud of what we accomplished there, and for this to come up as an issue toward the end was stunning.” He cautioned that jettisoning the provision would face staunch opposition, noting “the level of emotion in our caucus about that child tax credit is very high.” Democrats will discuss what next steps to take on Biden’s climate and social spending agenda at a lunch meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon. But there’s no clear path forward, because Manchin has made it clear that he’s not eager to pass the bill anytime soon and has thrown up various objections to different elements of the bill. “Apparently, Manchin’s approach to this has changed a lot. I don’t know where he is today or where he’ll be tomorrow,” Durbin said.
Build Back Better Verges on Collapse as Manchin Attempts to Kill Child Tax Credit - The Build Back Better Act is teetering on the brink of collapse following reports Wednesday that right-wing Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin wants to eliminate the boosted child tax credit, a move that would push millions of kidsacross the U.S. back into poverty. Meanwhile, Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday voted in favor of a sprawling $778 billion military spending bill—the 11th consecutive Pentagon budget he’s supported without complaining about the cost. The legislation easily passed in bipartisan fashion, 88-11.Citing an unnamed source, Manu Raju of CNN reported that Manchin (D-W.Va.) wants to “zero it out,” referring to the expanded child tax credit (CTC). The Washington Postsimilarly reported that “Manchin hopes to defund [the CTC] from the bill in full.”“If you wanted to kill BBB completely, this is how you would do it,” Judd Legum, author of thePopular Informationnewsletter, wrote of Manchin’s approach.Manchin’s latest objection all but ensures that Senate Democrats won’t vote on their flagship reconciliation bill before Christmas—a target set by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)—and could imperil the party’s chances of passing the $1.75 trillion legislation at all, given the need for unanimous Democratic support in the upper chamber.If the bill doesn’t pass before year’s end, monthly CTC payments will lapse, depriving millions of struggling families of cash that they’ve used to pay for food, child care, and other necessities amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic.The West Virginia Democrat’s reported push to slash the boosted CTC—which he didn’t denyWednesday when confronted by journalists—prompted immediate outrage from progressive commentators and Democratic senators, who said any attempt to cut the program is unacceptable.“Put the bill on the floor and make him explain that he voted it down because he wanted to cut all of the money for families with children,” writer Zach Carter suggested. “Manchin has already given Republicans the Virginia governor’s race. You cannot let him drag this out indefinitely, again.”Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told reporters Wednesday that “we need the child tax credit,” which currently sends eligible families monthly payments of up to $300 per child under the age of six and $250 per child between the ages of six and 17. As it stands, the Build Back Better Act would extend the enhanced CTC for just another year. Manchin and other right-wing Democrats tanked efforts to make the program permanent.
No. 2 Senate Democrat 'stunned' by Manchin's stance on child tax credit -- Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters Thursday that he was “stunned” to discover that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is opposed to a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit, a core component of President Biden’s agenda. Durbin said he’s “frustrated and disappointed” while acknowledging that Biden’s sweeping social spending and climate bill doesn’t appear to be headed to the president’s desk anytime soon. “We had more than ample opportunity to reach ... a Democratic agreement — I never assumed any bipartisan support. We missed an opportunity but I’m not giving up,” he said.Durbin also said that Democrats were counting on a one-year extension of the tax credit and thought there was an agreement between Manchin and White House negotiators. But Manchin recently told White House negotiators that he wants the Build Back Better bill to include a 10-year extension of the expanded child tax credit so that its true cost is reflected in the official Congressional Budget Office score of the bill. At the same time, he wants to keep the overall cost of the bill at $1.75 trillion, which means there would be little room for other Democratic priorities. A 10-year extension of the expanded child tax credit would cost about $1.5 trillion alone. That would leave only $250 billion to $350 billion for other priorities such as long-term home health care, expanded child care subsidies, universal prekindergarten and raising the cap on state and local tax deductions. “I was stunned by that,” Durbin said on Thursday when asked about his reaction to the late-breaking news that Manchin didn’t want to include a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit. “That is such a critical element — the largest tax cut for working Americans in the history of the United States. We were so proud of what we accomplished there and for this to come up as an issue toward the end was stunning.” He added that “the level of emotion in our caucus about that child tax credit is very high.” The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that Democrats passed in March expanded the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child and $3,600 per child under the age of 6. That expansion is due to expire at the end of the month. Durbin said he didn’t know the best way to save the bill at this point or whether it needs to be broken up into smaller pieces to make it easier to negotiate and pass. He said a key difficulty is that Manchin’s stance in the talks appears to be hard to pin down. “Apparently, Manchin’s approach to this has changed a lot. I don’t know where he is today or where he’ll be tomorrow,” he added. Durbin rejected the notion, however, that Biden hasn’t done enough to cajole Manchin into supporting his signature domestic social spending initiative.
Greens offer warnings, pressure on reconciliation inaction - Leading environmental and climate advocates predicted yesterday that President Biden will lack the necessary tools to hit his ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals if Congress fails to follow through on the $1.7 trillion reconciliation package. The warning comes as green groups have begun ratcheting up pressure to spur action on the bill. Part of that plan involves a new $1 million ad campaign and a messaging effort to beat back economic and deficit concerns lobbed against the bill by Republicans and skeptical moderate Democrats. Much of the $555 billion in climate-related spending in the bill, the groups said, would give the Biden administration the tools to address carbon emissions across the economy, largely via clean energy tax breaks, including throughout the power, transportation and industrial sectors. “He needs this … it is a Code Red moment. It is the time to act on this, and if ‘Build Back Better’ passes, we believe he has the tools he needs to make good on those pledges,” John Podesta, former chief of staff to former President Obama and adviser to Climate Power, told a roundtable of reporters yesterday. Without the spending, the path to meet the administration’s climate goals may get murky, Podesta said. And the political backstop of state governments that helped emissions cuts during the Trump administration may not be able to overcome the difference. “If we don’t get this over the finish line, then the chances of what we saw during the Trump administration, where states and local governments picked up the slack of staying on track of the Paris pledge, is virtually impossible,” he said. Environmental groups have looked to ramp up the pressure on the reconciliation package as the bill has stalled amid Senate procedural reviews and protracted negotiations among Democrats. “The fact is the clock is running out on dealing with climate change, and the clock is running out on this Congress and the Senate to deal with it,” said former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), who now serves on the board of directors for the League of Conservation Voters.
Democrats divided over how hard to push Manchin - Democrats are divided over how hard to push Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to vote on President Biden’s climate and social spending bill before Christmas, with some lawmakers favoring an aggressive approach while others worry about killing the legislation by moving too hastily. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said for weeks that he wants to vote on Biden’s signature Build Back Better Act before Christmas, but on Tuesday he declined to guarantee a vote next week. “The bottom line is right now there are good discussions going on. As I said, we’re moving forward with progress. The president’s been speaking with Sen. Manchin, and I look forward to hearing about further progress,” Schumer said Tuesday when asked if he would guarantee a vote before Christmas. Schumer is under pressure from progressives, including members of his own leadership team, to put the 2,400-page bill up for a vote next week, even though Manchin — a key swing vote — hasn’t yet said whether he will support proceeding to the measure. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), progressives on Schumer’s leadership team, want to light a fire under Manchin by requiring him to vote on proceeding to the climate and social spending bill, even if he doesn’t give a green light in advance. “I just don’t think you can bring it to closure and finally close down the negotiation unless you have a date certain and a time to call the measure. As soon as it gets anything near the green light from [the] parliamentarian, I think we should move quickly,” Durbin, the Senate majority whip, told reporters. Durbin, emphasizing that he was speaking just for himself, said there should be a vote even if Democrats aren’t 100 percent certain how Manchin will vote. “It’s always a risk, but you know it’s also my experience after 25 years in this place that many people will sit on the fence as long as possible. There comes a time when you’ve got to say, ‘Alright, we’ve done the negotiating, we’ve made the accommodations, it’s time to put up or shut up,’” he said. Warren, a vice chair of the Senate Democratic conference, said “we need to vote.” “We have talked and talked and talked. We all understand what the issues are, we know what the programs are, we know how to pay for it, it’s time to vote,” she said. Warren expressed frustration that liberals agreed to vote for the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, one of Manchin’s top priorities, with the expectation that he would then support their social spending priorities in Build Back Better. A month after Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, Manchin still hasn’t signed off on the social spending package that was supposed to accompany it as part of a two-track strategy. “The agreement from the beginning was that was one deal, part of which would be the bipartisan infrastructure and part of which would be Build Back Better. That was what everyone in our caucus agreed to, what the leaders of the House and the Senate agreed to, and yet we seem to be having trouble pulling the Build Back Better part across the finish line,” she said. Centrist Democrats, however, say it’s not absolutely necessary that the climate and social spending package get a vote before Christmas, especially if it’s not certain that Manchin and all 49 other members of the Democratic caucus will back it. “I don’t know that that’s absolutely essential,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). “I think what’s more important is what’s in it rather than the time frame around.”
'This Is Manchin Against Us': Poor People's Campaign Targets Corporate Democrats at DC Rally - With the rallying cry "Get It Done in '21," low-wage workers, caregivers, and activists from across the country converged on Washington, D.C. Monday to demand that Sen. Joe Manchin and other right-wing Democrats stop stonewalling progress on the Build Back Better Act, voting rights legislation, and other urgent priorities."If you don't get it done in '21, we are coming double in '22, and '23, and '24, and '25."Organized by the national Poor People's Campaign and other groups, the demonstration included West Virginians who joined a motorcade that began at Manchin's state office in Martinsburg and ended on Capitol Hill, where participants blasted corporate-backed Democrats for obstructing measures that would protect the franchise from the GOP's nationwide assault, fund green energy initiatives, and bolster the social safety net."We're gathered here today to declare our independence from corporate lobbyists, the money-grabbers, and those who control the narrative about what's possible here in the United States," Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, told rallygoers in a fiery speech. "They want to separate us. They want you to fight for voting rights over here, and fight for living wages over there." "That's the Washington, D.C. two-step. We know what game you're playing, and you ain't dividing us no more, no how, no way," Barber continued. "We come to say, 'Get it done in 2021.' If you don't get it done in '21, we are coming double in '22, and '23, and '24, and '25."
White House says double child tax credit payments possible in February - White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday said that the Biden administration is looking into the possibility of making double child tax credit payments in February if the president's social spending package is enacted in January."If we get it done in January, we've talked to Treasury officials and others about doing double payments in February as an option," Psaki said during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One. Psaki's comments come as monthly child tax credit payments established under President Biden's coronavirus relief law are set to expire at the end of the year. As part of the relief law, tens of millions of families received monthly payments from July to December of up to $300 per child under age 6 and up to $250 per child ages 6 to 17. The White House and congressional Democrats want to extend the payments as part of a massive social spending and climate package. However, the bill is not on track to become law before the end of the year due to concerns from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Democratic lawmakers have indicated that they don't have a viable backup plan to extend the monthly payments before they expire. Psaki said that Biden wants to see the social spending package advance "early next year." "The president wants to see this move forward. It's a priority for him as soon as Congress returns," she said.
Joe Manchin Rejects Democratic Plan to Ban New Drilling in Atlantic and Pacific - The senator from West Virginia, a coal and gas stronghold, has single-handedly stripped key elements from his party’s plan to tackle climate change. — A provision to permanently ban new offshore drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts has been stripped from a draft version of a $2.2 trillion climate change and social spending bill after objections by Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.Draft language of the bill circulated by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, which is led by Mr. Manchin, does not include the drilling ban. According to people who were briefed on Mr. Manchin’s position, he rejected the coastal drilling plan and also raised concerns about a provision that would cancel drilling leases and block future oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, although that part remains in the section of the bill that he handled, according to a draft.The drilling ban was the latest in a string of climate provisions that have been dropped from the pending legislation because of objections from Mr. Manchin. As the swing Democratic vote in an evenly split Senate, Mr. Manchin enjoys an outsize role and has been able to single-handedly set the limits for the president’s climate agenda.A spokeswoman for Mr. Manchin declined to comment. With direct negotiations with President Biden over the legislation souring in recent days, Mr. Manchin has largely brushed off questions about the bill, known as the Build Back Better Act.While Democratic leaders have been pushing to pass the legislation by Christmas, a Senate vote is set to slip into 2022 in part because of Mr. Manchin’s concerns with the details and costs of the package.Ali Zaidi, the White House deputy national climate adviser, declined on Thursday to comment on what he called “the minutia of the negotiations.”But environmentalists said Mr. Manchin was systematically weakening what was designed to be a robust response to the climate crisis.“This is a tragic milestone in the seemingly inevitable dismantling of the Build Back Better Act,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Why Senator Manchin wants to poison our coasts while he lives the good life in his landlocked state only shows just how out of touch he is with the overwhelming public support for ending offshore drilling.”Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, called his Democratic colleague “dead wrong.”“Scientists are telling us we have to move progressively, not only as a nation, but as a world to cut carbon emissions,” Mr. Sanders said.Representative Frank Pallone, Democrat of New Jersey who has sponsored legislation to ban offshore drilling along the Atlantic seaboard, called pulling the provision “absurd” and said he would fight to reinstate the measure.A version of the bill that passed the House last month would permanently ban new offshore oil and gas leasing along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It would not have halted existing offshore drilling activity.
Manchin opposes drilling bans offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Democratic plans to restrict new oil and gas development off both coasts and in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have emerged as a new flash point in the Build Back Better bill, highlighting the party’s political schism as it tries to advance the massive spending legislation. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a critical swing vote, has rejected a provision that would prohibit all future drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to three people familiar with the matter, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. He also expressed surprise at top Democrats’ decision to include language ending an oil and gas leasing program in the pristine refuge, a longtime priority for party leaders and their environmentalist allies, but he has not indicated whether he will oppose it.Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and National Resources Committee, exercises a de facto veto over the $2 trillion climate and social spending plan because it needs all 50 Democrats’ votes to win Senate passage.A spokeswoman for Manchin declined to comment on the matter. Asked about the senator’s opposition during the White House press briefing Thursday, deputy national climate adviser Ali Zaidi declined to address it or say how it would affect the president’s climate targets.Manchin’s objection to the proposal comes amid a broader rift between the influential senator and top Democrats over President Biden’s Build Back Better bill, which party leaders had hoped to pass by the end of the year. Despite months of negotiations and Democrats’ attempts to shrink the bill’s size to win Manchin’s vote, he has withheld his support and a long list of disagreements remain.The senator, who earns millions from his family’s waste coal business, succeeded in killing a key piece of Biden’s climate agenda — a $150 billion plan to push power companies toward cleaner energy. He also has targeted measures that would affect the oil and gas industry, objecting to a tax credit for electric cars and a provision that would reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.Manchin also criticized the design of the funding measure, arguing that Democrats are relying on funding gimmicks to say their legislation is paid for.House Democrats’ version of the spending bill included a permanent ban on new offshore drilling — which would not apply to existing leases — as well as language that would end the oil and gas leasing program authorized on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain in the 2017 tax bill.Senate leaders jettisoned the offshore drilling provision from their version of the bill in light of Manchin’s opposition but have preserved language ending the oil and gas leasing program on the refuge.Two weeks before President Donald Trump left office, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management auctioned off the right to drill on more than 550,000 acres of the refuge’s coastal plain for $14.4 million. When the leases were later modified, the revenue generated dropped to $12 million. Federal law requires the department hold another lease sale by 2024.
Filings Reveal Manchin's Blind Trust Can't Explain Away 'Blatant Conflict of Interest' --The blind trust that Sen. Joe Manchin frequently cites to deflect criticism of potential conflicts of interest stemming from his family's lucrative West Virginia coal empire is—according to newly reported financial documents—"much too small" to cover his total earnings from the dirty energy business, raising further questions about the right-wing Democrat's possible financial stake in preventing climate action."Manchin is not only very wealthy, but most of his assets and wealth are invested in a single industry, coal."The Washington Post reported Monday that Manchin's (D-W.Va.) latest financial disclosure filing "says that the West Virginia family coal business that he helped found and run, Enersystems, paid him $492,000 in interest, dividends, and other income in 2020, and that his share of the firm is worth between $1 million and $5 million.""He signed a sworn statement saying he is aware of these earnings, underscoring that he is not blind to them," the Post noted. "By contrast, Manchin set up a blind trust with $350,000 in cash in 2012. In his latest financial disclosure report, the senator reported that the Joseph Manchin III Qualified Blind Trust earned no more than $15,000 last year and is worth between $500,000 and $1 million. By design, it is not possible to know precisely what's in the blind trust. But the financial disclosure records show that it doesn't include all of Manchin’s income from Enersystems."Given the outsized role he continues to play in shaping—and dramatically paring back—the suite of climate measures in Democrats' Build Back Better Act, Manchin has recently faced questions about his deep connections to the industry most responsible for climate chaos.In September, Bloomberg's Ari Natter pressed the West Virginia senator on the dividend income he continues to receive from Enersystems, which Manchin founded in 1988 and later handed over to his son. Enersystems has paid Manchin $5 million over the past decade, according to the senator's financial disclosure filings."You got a problem?" Manchin asked Natter. When the journalist continued to press for answers, Manchin responded, "You'd do best to change the subject."Craig Holman, an ethics expert at Public Citizen, told the Post on Monday that Manchin raking in substantial profits from the coal industry while exerting major influence over climate policy—he is currently the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources—is "a very blatant conflict of interest.""Manchin is not only very wealthy, but most of his assets and wealth are invested in a single industry, coal," Holman observed. "What Manchin is doing is not illegal. The conflict of interest code for Congress is just way too weak."Manchin—who has received more than $1.5 million in campaign donations from corporate interests trying to kill the Build Back Better Act—has already succeeded in stripping from the bill major climate measures such as the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), a popular proposal that was widely viewed as the most ambitious climate-related piece of the Build Back Better Act. The West Virginia senator has also raised questions about the bill's proposed fee on methane pollution."Manchin has gotten almost everything he's asked for so far," the outlet noted. "Democrats will drop the paid family leave provision he opposed, as well as climate-change language. And the House passed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill he helped draft."
Biden’s Build Back Better Delayed Until 2022, Immigration Reform Rejected in Bill - President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion social spending plan is on hold until 2022 as Democrats at every level of power acknowledged the reality that a Senate vote wasn’t possible by the self-imposed Christmas deadline with ongoing logistical and intraparty challenges.Biden conceded as much in a Thursday night statement about the state of negotiations on the Build Back Better Act, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the next morning that he’d honor the request for more time to keep working out differences in the party – namely with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.The inevitable delay means Democrats will need to reckon with the other half of Biden’s economic agenda during an election year when their narrow majorities in the House and Senate will be at stake. The party wants quick passage so candidates and lawmakers up for reelection can talk to voters about the effects of the significant investments in education, health, climate and family programs. Republicans, who are uniformly opposed to the legislation, plan to use the large amount of federal spending as a core part of their messaging to try to unseat Democrats.“The president requested more time to continue his negotiations and so we will keep working with him, hand in hand, to bring this bill over the finish line and deliver on these much-needed provisions,” Schumer said Friday morning. “These are things Democrats are fighting to secure. And it cannot be forgotten that not a single Republican has joined us in making them happen.”Democrats still need to win over Manchin’s support as well as that of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to pass the megabill in the Senate. Because they’ll try to pass the social safety net package under budget reconciliation rules, Democrats can move it forward with only a simple majority – meaning universal support from their caucus – instead of the usual 60 votes to overcome filibusters. They pushed for wrapping up work in the Senate by Christmas, but now the effort is paused until lawmakers return in January and Democrats get commitments from their holdouts.In a Thursday update about the timeline, Biden said he spoke with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to brief them on his discussions with Manchin, who still has concerns about the bill. Biden said Manchin reaffirmed his support for the Build Back Better Act’s “funding at the level of the framework plan I announced in September.”Biden said he’ll continue speaking with Manchin next week to work on his objections. The latest hurdle for the Build Back Better Act is over the one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit. The popular provision provides many families with $3,600 per child under age 6 and $3,000 per child between 6 to 18.
Charlamagne Tha God, Harris get into heated exchange after question about who 'real president' is - Vice President Harris asserted that Joe Biden is president — not Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — during a tense exchange on Charlamagne Tha God's Comedy Central show. Charlamagne The God asked Harris to name the country's "real president." "It's Joe Biden — and don't start talking like a Republican about asking whether or not he's president," Harris told the "Tha God's Honest Truth" host on Friday in an interview on the weekly late-night program. "It's Joe Biden," Harris repeated, her voice escalating. "And I'm vice president, and my name is Kamala Harris." "The reality is, because we are in office, we do the things like the child tax credit, which is going to reduce Black child poverty by 50 percent," Harris continued, highlighting the administration’s efforts to lower the price of prescription drugs, lower the Black maternal mortality rate and enact police reform measures. "So I hear the frustration, but let's not deny the impact that we've had," Harris said. The heated back-and-forth came after a Harris aide appeared to try to wrap up the remote interview before the vice president could answer Charlamagne's question during a taping of the sit-down earlier on Friday. The show's host, whose real name is Lenard McElvey, then accused Harris and her team of pretending as if they couldn't hear the Manchin versus Biden question through their earpieces. "I can hear you," Harris responded, before saying, "C'mon Charlamagne, it's Joe Biden."
Build Back Better bill would further depress US labor force participation - President Biden and his media allies are wrongly celebrating the recent drop in the unemployment rate to 4.2 percent as a vindication of his leadership. “Because of the extraordinary strides we’ve made, we can look forward to a brighter, happier new year ahead,” Biden claimed earlier this month. Yet this topline unemployment rate obscures the fact that millions of Americans have not returned to work since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The true labor market picture gets clearer when examining the labor force participation rate (LFPR), which is the share of U.S. adults working or looking for work. In contrast, the unemployment rate doesn’t account for those who have dropped out of the labor force. There are still 4 million fewer people working today and nearly 5 million more people out of the labor force compared to February 2020. Biden repeatedly claims that he has presided over a record number of new jobs, but in reality he’s only been able to return a fraction of the jobs lost during the pandemic. President Biden and congressional Democrats’ nearly $5 trillion “Build Back Broke” legislation, currently pending before the Senate, would exacerbate this depressed labor force by expanding and implementing an array of social welfare programs that make it attractive not to work. This reckless spending would also spur more painful inflation, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday is already at a 39-year high. After falling precipitously from 66 to 63 percent under President Obama, the LFPR actually rose slightly under President Trump before the pandemic hit — a remarkable achievement given its long-run decline. Today, the LFPR, including among 25- to 54-year-olds, has gained back only about half of its pandemic-related decline. Making this low LFPR even more striking is the fact that America is enduring a historic labor shortage. The Labor Department announced recently that there are a record 11 million unfilled jobs nationwide — suggesting that some Americans on the labor market sidelines are actively choosing not to work. Generous social welfare programs are contributing to the low LFPR by making it attractive not to work. Ordinary Americans — many of them vaccinated against COVID-19 — received government stimulus checks this spring for $1,400. Unemployed Americans made approximately $3,000 per month in combined state and federal unemployment benefits before supplemental payments expired in September. For the past few months, parents have received monthly child tax credit payments. These benefits come on top of generous existing programs such as food stamps, rental assistance and Medicaid. According to the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, most recipients of expanded unemployment benefits earned more than at their previously held jobs. When you add in the value of other benefits, it’s safe to say the vast majority of people earned more. No wonder there are so many people on the labor market sidelines. The recent significant jump in the national personal savings rate also suggests that many Americans have pocketed this government largesse and are using it to fund an extended vacation from the labor market. The Build Back Better Act (BBB), which passed the House of Representatives last month, would further reduce the LFPR by disincentivizing work. The legislation would extend the de facto monthly universal basic income for families. It would significantly expand rental assistance and public housing construction. It includes numerous public health provisions, including increasing ObamaCare marketplace subsidies and expanding Medicaid. It also would broaden food benefits for families, among other public assistance provisions. University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan estimates the BBB would reduce full-time equivalent employment by about 6 percent — nearly 9 million jobs. These programs would be partly paid for by dramatic tax hikes on successful small businesses to some of the highest levels in the developed world.
Stand-alone reconciliation must end -Beyond the most glaring problems with the budget reconciliation package currently under consideration in Congress, it also demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that the congressional budget process is a mess.Under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, reconciliation should have been enacted in June with bipartisan votes to reduce deficits. Full-year appropriations were supposed to be finalized in July, but they won’t be until at least December. By then, Congress must increase the debt limit again.The taproot of this dysfunction is considering appropriations separately from direct (sometimes called mandatory) spending and revenue. In contrast, many states use “unified budgets” to manage all fiscal policies together. These states are empowered to adjust priorities regularly. They can make difficult-but-necessary decisions. Congress’ budget process does no such thing.As I write in a new report, reconciliation is a twisted shadow of its purpose. Congress intended it to manage direct spending and revenue policies comprehensively, in coordination with discretionary spending, and to control imbalances. It requires a bare majority of senators instead of the customary 60 votes. Congress successfully enacted deficit-reducing reconciliation in the 1980s and 1990s.Reconciliation started going off-track in the late 1990s. Congressional Republicans sought to return large surpluses to taxpayers instead of using them to grow government spending. That effort failed, but it set up (post-surplus) tax cuts in 2001, 2003, and 2017. Democrats gamed reconciliation for health program expansions in 2010 and alleged pandemic response in 2021.Reconciliation is now a polarizing tool of unified government — however narrow — to force through sweeping policy changes while cutting out the minority party entirely. Proposals are pre-cooked by majority party leaders and committee chairs. Even majority party members have only as much influence as their threats to withhold votes provide in leverage. The outcome is often tenuous and poorly crafted victories.But this is understandable. Competitive party politics and a leadership-dominated Congress mean that members mostly matter to the extent they can get majority party leaders’ blessing for their initiatives. As Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in November 2020, “The job of the majority is to govern. The job of the minority is to become the majority.”Creating stand-alone reconciliation was a mistake. Congress should instead fold it into a single “unified budget” each year.Committee organization would not change. The Budget Committees would still do a budget resolution with the support of all other committees.The main change would happen in the House Appropriations Committee. It would assemble unified budgets by combining its appropriations legislation with reconciliation-like submissions from the other committees for direct spending and revenue policies.In addition to proposing policy changes, authorizing committees’ submissions would include a line-item amount for each account even if a committee recommends no change. The Congressional Budget Office already produces a baseline for spending accounts, and the Joint Committee on Taxation reports on tax expenditures. Unless Congress proposes and enacts actual changes to programs, these line items would not affect policies or take them off auto-pilot. They would simply provide context for tradeoffs and outcomes inherent in a comprehensive budget. They would also set up a floor amendment process across all areas to seek greater valued uses of resources. Most importantly, unified budgets could involve all members, both in their committee assignments and through a robust amendment process on the floor. They would reduce pressure on leaders to have to save the day, and they would bring far more order and coherence to the annual process. Unified budgets would help strengthen the congressional power of the purse and restore Congress’ primacy as the federal government’s main policymaking body. But first, stand-alone reconciliation must end. It has become a divisive tool of a self-undermining, temporary, unified government.
Biden warns of ‘winter of severe illness and death’ for those unvaccinated against Covid - Joe Biden on Thursday warned of “a winter of severe illness and death” for those not vaccinated against Covid-19, amid a wave of Delta infections and as new Omicron cases are beginning to surge in America. The US president spoke as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the Omicron variant could peak as early as January and states are scrambling to prepare for overloaded hospitals. The US has passed 800,000 coronavirus deaths, including one in 100 Americans over the age of 65. After a briefing on the pandemic from advisers on Thursday afternoon, Biden said Omicron is “now spreading and it’s going to increase”. “For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death,” he said, urging Americans to get vaccinated and get their boosters as soon as possible. The Omicron variant accounted for nearly 3% of Covid cases in the US as of Saturday – up from only 0.4% the week before, according to data from the CDC. The variant is expected to continue rising rapidly, based on the experiences of other countries and could be dominant within weeks. “I suspect that those numbers are going to shoot up dramatically in the next couple of weeks,” Céline Gounder, infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at New York University and Bellevue Hospital, told reporters on Wednesday. She expects an Omicron wave to peak in late January and then come down sometime in February.
Harris says Biden administration 'didn't see omicron coming' - Vice President Harris said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Friday that the Biden administration “didn’t see omicron coming," referring to a coronavirus variant that has rapidly made its way across the U.S. The omicron variant, first officially detected last month in South Africa, has hit multiple states, including New York, California, Florida and Texas. Although Pfizer has reported that its booster appears to shore up protection against the new variant, some research appears to also suggest it infects humans faster than previous strains. “We didn’t see Delta coming. I think most scientists did not — upon whose advice and direction we have relied — didn’t see Delta coming,” Harris said. “We didn’t see Omicron coming. And that’s the nature of what this, this awful virus has been, which as it turns out, has mutations and variants.” Harris’s comments come as the United States has seen an uptick of COVID-19 cases, including more than 156,000 reported on Thursday and more than 143,000 the day prior. The last peak in the fall amid the delta wave included daily numbers close to 200,000. Professional sports teams have postponed games, some schools have transitioned into remote learning and city officials are considering readopting COVID-19 protocols, such as mask mandates.
Federal appeals court reinstates Biden's vaccine mandate -A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, a measure that impacts tens of millions of workers across the country.The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit comes after the Biden administration asked the Cincinnati-based court in late November to reinstate its workplace vaccine mandate that was blocked by a court order. The appeals court said in its Friday ruling that “based on the wealth of information" in its 153-page preamble that explains why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard, “it is difficult to imagine what more OSHA could do or rely on to justify its finding that workers face a grave danger in the workplace.”“It is not appropriate to second-guess that agency determination considering the substantial evidence, including many peer-reviewed scientific studies, on which it relied. Indeed, OSHA need not demonstrate scientific certainty,” the court continued. The court said that it would be dissolving a stay issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in November as a result. “OSHA has demonstrated the pervasive danger that COVID-19 poses to workers—unvaccinated workers in particular—in their workplaces,” the court said in its ruling. The news comes amid growing concern over a surge in coronavirus cases in the U.S. amid the holiday season and the emergence of the omicron variant. The omicron strain, first detected in South Africa, became a variant of concern for the World Health Organization shortly after Thanksgiving, and is believed to be highly transmissible. However, scientists and public health experts are still working to figure out if the symptoms of infection by omicron are more severe than previous strains. The surge in cases has prompted local officials and businesses to cease lax operation. For example, professional sports teams have postponed games due to infection, and some schools are temporarily switching to online learning.
House committee calls on DOJ for answers about execution drug - Two House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are asking the Department of Justice whether it plans to resume federal executions and if it plans to obtain a controversial lethal injection drug. Lawmakers requested the administration provide information by Dec. 22 about potential plans to obtain pentobarbital sodium for lethal injection and provide an update on the department's review of the Trump administration's federal death penalty practices, according to a letter signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who chairs the subcommittee on on civil rights and civil liberties, and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who is also a member of the panel. The letter was prompted in part by the reinstatement of the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, whose death sentence was overturned by an appeals court last year, "raising new questions about its plans to resume federal executions." The Biden administration's Justice Department argued before the Supreme Court in June to reinstate Tsarnaev's death sentence. In light of that development and the Trump administration's reinstatement of federal execution in the last few months of that administration, Raskin and Pressley said they were “concerned” that the Justice Department “may renew its efforts to obtain pentobarbital from non-FDA-regulated pharmacies for use in future federal executions.” The drug in question, pentobarbital, has been said to cause "extreme pain" in inmates, according to The Associated Press. A central nervous system depressant, it can lead to the heart stopping when it is administered in higher quantities, the news outlet notes. “Before the federal single-drug protocol was adopted, there were multiple reports of states using pentobarbital in executions on inmates, causing them to scream of burning pain and writhe in agony while strapped to gurneys,” the lawmakers said in their letter. The AP reported that executions witnessed by it and other media outlets were in contradiction to prison official accounts that the administration of the drug led to inmates "falling asleep" and instead showed inmates shook and shuddered as the pentobarbital took effect. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Black Democrats Are Fighting Back Against 'Woke' Progressives - We have a woke problem in America. I'm not talking about when we Black people agitate for racial justice. I'm talking about what happens when white liberals start agitating on our behalf. And what happens is nothing good."The most dangerous people for Black people are white liberals," Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones recently told me. "I would rather deal with a person who is openly racist but I can do business with them than deal with a person who says 'I'm the best thing since sliced bread' but never allows me the opportunity to grow economically."While these comments may seem surprising to people who only view politics as a red team vs. blue team exercise, Councilman Jones is one of a number of Black Democratic elected officials who are boldly calling out the vanity of performative wokeness and the excesses of white progressivism. They have a long history to back them up. Black politics historically has tended to be pragmatic in nature. In part this stems from the fact that Black people lean towards political centrism; nearly 70 percent self-identify as either moderate or conservative. But this pragmatism is also the result of another legacy: the necessity of dealing with politicians who were hostile to Black people in order to achieve anything for the Black community.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Mitch McConnell 'Biden's B*tch' Over Debt Ceiling Vote - Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has criticized Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell over a deal which paved the way for Congress to raise the debt ceiling."The House of Representatives is voting after midnight tonight because @LeaderMcConnell allowed Democrats to bi-pass the filibuster and ram through the debt ceiling increase to $31.5 TRILLION," she tweeted. "Mitch is Biden's b*tch." As of Wednesday morning, her tweet had been liked more than 11,000 times and retweeted nearly 4,000 times.
Murkowski challenger says she wouldn't back McConnell - A former top Alaska official who is challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) with the support of former President Trump said Monday she wouldn't back Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) for a leadership position if she wins election next year.In a statement posted on her campaign website, Kelly Tshibaka accused McConnell of giving in to the Biden administration. “Mitch McConnell has repeatedly bailed out Joe Biden, giving him gifts of Senate votes, which are the only things keeping the Biden administration on life support,” Tshibaka said. “As an example, after rescuing Biden with the last debt ceiling increase, McConnell said he would never do it again. But he just did, and he had Lisa Murkowski’s help in doing so.”
Meadows falsely claims that Trump 'acted quickly' to quell Jan. 6 riot - Mark Meadows, the onetime chief of staff to former President Trump, said Monday that Trump moved swiftly to curb the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 — a claim contradicted by the events of the day, when Trump waited hours to urge his supporters to stand down. In an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, Meadows said the critics of Trump’s response to the attack, including the lawmakers on the special congressional committee investigating the siege, are merely longtime Trump adversaries attempting to rewrite history so that it “fits their narrative.” “One of the things that is coming out more and more clearly each and every day is that everyone condemned what happened in terms of the breach of security on the Capitol on Jan. 6,” Meadows said. He went on to argue that Trump had requested thousands of National Guard troops to be deployed on Jan. 6, suggesting the violence would have been prevented if only the Pentagon had complied. And he accused Democrats of cherry-picking the narrative of Trump’s actions that day “to spin some nefarious purpose.” “At the end of the day, they’re going to find that not only did the president act, but he acted quickly,” Meadows told Hannity. Emails and text messages that Meadows submitted to the select committee, however, tell a different story. Meadows, as Trump’s right-hand man, had a front-row seat to the president’s response as the violence at the Capitol unfolded. And the trove of documents that Meadows turned over to investigators reveals that he was fielding desperate messages from Trump’s eldest son, GOP lawmakers and the leading pundits at Fox News — including Hannity — urging Meadows to convince Trump to tell his supporters to end the siege and go home. News reports have also revealed that Meadows was working behind the scenes with Ivanka Trump, the former president’s elder daughter, in an effort to press her father to make a public statement urging an end to the insurrection. The elder Trump, alone in his private dining room watching the riot on television, resisted those pleas for hours. After the Capitol building was breached at 2:11 p.m., Trump’s first public statement was a tweet attacking former Vice President Mike Pence, himself a target of the rioters, for lacking “the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country.” That was at 2:24 p.m. In a second tweet, at 3:13 p.m., Trump encouraged his supporters to “remain peaceful” and “respect” the police officers in the Capitol — a message that even his closest allies said was inadequate, since it suggested the rioters were welcome visitors in the Capitol.
Opinion | Know This, Trump's Attempted Coup on Jan. 6 Was Just Practice | Ralph Nader -"Trump's Next Coup Has Already Begun…" is the title of an article in the Atlantic, just out, by Barton Gellman, a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of many groundbreaking exposés. He describes the various maneuvers that Trump-driven Republican operatives and state legislators are developing to overturn elections whose voters elected Democrats from states with Republican governors and state legislatures. Georgia fit that profile in 2020—electing two Democratic senators in a state with a Republican legislature and governor.Tragically, a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices—three selected by Trump—has no problem with his usurpation of the American Republic.Getting ready for 2024, the Georgia GOP legislature has stripped the election-certifying Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, of his authority to oversee future election certifications. The legislature has also given itself the unbridled authority to fire county election officials. With Trump howling his lies and backing his minion candidates, they created a climate that is intimidating scores of terrified election-precinct volunteers to quit.Added to this are GOP-passed voter suppression laws and selectively drawn election districts that discriminate against minorities—both before the vote (purges, arbitrary disqualifications), during the vote (diminishing absentee voting, and narrowing dates for their delivery), and after the election in miscounting and falsely declaring fraud.The ultimate lethal blow to democratic elections, should the GOP lose, is simply to have the partisan GOP majority legislators benefiting from demonically-drawn gerrymandered electoral districts, declare by fiat the elections a fraud, and replace the Democratic Party's voter chosen electors with GOP chosen electors in the legislature.Now take this as a pattern demolishing majority voters' choice to 14 other GOP-controlled states, greased by Trumpian lies and routing money to his chosen candidate's intent on overturning majority rule, add Fox News bullhorns and talk radio Trumpsters and you have the apparatus for fascistic takeovers. Tragically, a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices—three selected by Trump—has no problem with his usurpation of the American Republic. All this and more micro-repression is broadcast by zillions of ugly, vicious, and anonymous rants over the Internet enabled by the profiteering social media corporations like Facebook.Anonymous, vicious, violent email and Twitter traffic is the most underreported cause of anxiety, fear, and dread undermining honest Americans working, mostly as volunteers, the machinery of local, state, and national elections, with dedicated public servants. These people are not allowed to know the names behind the anonymous cowardly, vitriol slamming against them, their families, and children.What are the institutions—public and civic—that could roll back this fast-approaching U.S.-style fascism with the snarling visage of serial criminal and constitutional violator, Donald J. Trump?
Trump evokes antisemitic tropes, says Jewish Americans 'don't like Israel' - Former President Trump evoked antisemitic tropes about Jews in excerpts of an interview released on Friday and claimed that they “either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel.” In the interview with journalist Barak Ravid, portions of which were played on an episode of the “Unholy: Two Jews on the news” podcast released on Friday, Trump said that "there's people in this country that are Jewish — no longer love Israel. I'll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country,” Trump said in an interview He also used common antisemitic tropes about Jewish people having power over Congress and in the media during the interview, as well as suggesting that all Jewish people vote for one political party. “It used to be that Israel had absolute power over Congress. And today, I think it's the exact opposite," Trump said. "And I think Obama and Biden did that. And yet in the election, they still get a lot of votes from Jewish people, which tells you that the Jewish people, and I've said this for a long time, the Jewish people in the United States either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel,” the former president continued.“I mean, you look at the New York Times, The New York Times hates Israel — hates 'em. And there's Jewish people that run the New York Times, I mean the Sulzberger family," he added.The Times declined to comment to The Hill regarding the former president’s statements.The Hill has reached out to White House and a Trump spokesperson for comment.The comments were criticized by organizations on social media.“Why is Mr. Trump once again fueling dangerous stereotypes about Jews?” the American Jewish Committee tweeted.“His past support for Israel doesn’t give him license to traffic in radioactive antisemitic tropes — or peddle unfounded conclusions about the unbreakable ties that bind American Jews to Israel. Enough!” the organization added.
Proud Boys supporter sentenced to nearly 3 years in prison for threatening senator -A member of the Proud Boys has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty to threatening Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and other actions earlier this year.Eduard Florea, 41, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee to 33 months in prison for threatening Warnock and possessing ammunition after a prior felony. Florea had pleaded guilty to the charges in August. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has said the New York man had posted on social media on Jan. 5, “We need to all come to an agreement . . . and go armed . . . and really take back Washington.” A few minutes later, he posted once again, “Tomorrow may very [well] be the day war kicks off . . .” Officials said that shortly before midnight the same day, Florea said, "Warnock is going to have a hard time casting votes for communist policies when he’s swinging with the f***ing fish." The man referenced Warnock again the following day on social media, according to the DOJ, writing: "Dead men can’t pass sh*t laws . . ." The DOJ said that after the assault on the U.S. Capitol began on Jan. 6, Florea posted that he intended to travel to Washington, D.C., as part of a group armed with firearms ready to engage in additional violence. While the Capitol was under siege, Florea reportedly posted, "I am ready…. we need to regroup outside of DC and attack from all sides… talking to some other guys….I will keep watching for the signal." Defense contractor arrested in alleged attempt to send informa
Maxwell tells judge she will not testify in sex trafficking trial -- Ghislaine Maxwell, a close confidante to deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, told a judge on Friday that she would not be testifying in her sex trafficking trial. "Your honor, the government has not proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt and so there is no need for me to testify," the British socialite said, according to Reuters. Maxwell faces six charges in connection to allegedly helping facilitating a sex trafficking scheme with Epstein. She faces up to 70 years in prison, and she has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his own trial. It is considered a risky move for defendants to testify in their own trials given that it can expose them to vulnerabilities when they are being cross-examined by prosecutors. In U.S. criminal trials, defendants do not have to take the witness stand, according to Reuters; however, some defendants in recent high-profile cases, including Kyle Rittenhouse and ex-officer Kim Potter, have chosen to do so. Closing arguments are anticipated to begin on Monday, according to the news outlet.
Josh Mandel: Joe Biden Is 'Personally, Financially Corrupted' by China - Josh Mandel, Republican candidate running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Ohio, said on Thursday’s edition of the Breitbart News Daily podcast with special guest host Jerome Hudson that President Joe Biden is “personally [and] financially corrupted” by his family’s financial dealings with China. Mandel said Biden cannot be expected to serve America’s interests with respect to China given the president’s compromised status through his family’s dealings with China, asdocumented by Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute, in Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends. “Let’s start with the fact that Biden is personally [and] financially corrupted,” Mandel remarked. “He is, his son Hunter, probably his brother, the lobbyist, their finances are so intertwined and dependent on the Chinese Communist Party that he’s completely, completely conflicted. So let’s start out with that, that he’s not in any position to make the right decisions for the American people.”
Speaker Pelosi Rejects The Idea Of Congressional Stock Trading Ban, Claiming "We're A Free Market Economy" --House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is worth $114 million and just 2 months ago was railing about how capitalism has "not served us well" and "needs improving" is all of a sudden a bold advocate for free market economics.All it took was potentially taking away her (and her husband's) stock trading privileges. Funny how that works, isn't it?"We are a free-market economy. They should be able to participate in that," Pelosi said of the idea of barring members of Congress from trading individual stocks while in office. "If people aren't reporting, they should be," Pelosi responded to Insider, who asked for comment after 49 members of Congress and 182 staffers had violated the STOCK Act that prevents insider trading. This stance puts Pelosi immediately at odds with both Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have spoken out against members of Congress trading individual stocks. "It is absolutely ludicrous that members of Congress can hold and trade individual stock while in office," AOC said earlier this year, via Twitter. "The access and influence we have should be exercised for the public interest, not our profit. It shouldn't be legal for us to trade individual stock with the info we have."Warren referred to the trading by members of Congress as "brazenness" when asked by Insider for comment. She continued: "We need both tougher laws and enforcement of those laws," the Massachusetts Democrat said. "The American people should never have to guess whether or not an elected official is advancing an issue or voting on a bill based on what's good for the country or what's good for their own personal financial interests."
Failed watchdog nomination angers progressives - President Biden’s failed nomination of a top bank watchdog has left progressives furious and consumer advocates concerned about the future of a key agency. Biden is on track to finish the first year of his term without a full-time leader of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), an independent agency with broad power over national banks. Saule Omarova, whom Biden nominated as comptroller of the currency in September, withdrew from consideration last week shortly after a brutal Senate confirmation hearing. The Cornell law professor bowed out after enduring weeks of attacks on her roots in the former Soviet Union from Republican lawmakers, but also after several Democratic senators raised concerns about her policy views. Omarova was broadly supported by liberal lawmakers and a wide range of groups who’ve long called for a culture change at the OCC. But while her supporters said she had deep qualifications and an expert grasp of banking law, they acknowledged she faced slim odds of confirmation in an evenly divided Senate. “I don’t think it was a winnable fight,” said Jesse Van Tol, president and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for measures to end lending discrimination and increase financial access in neglected communities. Omarova was considered a long shot to be confirmed from the moment Biden nominated her. In several legal papers, she proposed a sweeping reimagination of the banking system, shifting consumer accounts away from megabanks and toward partnerships between the Federal Reserve and community banks. Some progressive lawmakers and policymakers support federal consumer bank accounts, but the idea is a non-starter with more moderate Democrats and Republicans. Omarova also evoked intense opposition from the powerful bank lobby, which fought aggressively to tank her nomination. The Independent Community Bankers of America also took the unusual step of publicly opposing Omarova in a letter to senators, arguing she “has advocated the displacement of community banks with government credit allocation.” The industry group declined to comment for this story. “Once the community banks came out so strongly against her, I think most people thought then that it was uphill,” said Michael Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending.
‘If We Want to Tackle Climate Change, We Want Them to Go Bankrupt … Right?’ - Yves here. I have to confess not to having paid much attention to the failed nomination of Saule Omarova for Comptroller of the Currency. And I am having trouble seeing her climate politics as having anything to do with her not winning approval.A financial regulator has absolutely no nexus to climate policy. Of all people, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is a long-standing conservationist and has helped fund some well-publicized research on how close we are to serious climate change damage. I recall the press back in the day treating his environmental activism as a charming hobby. No one in their wildest dreams though Paulson, in a vastly more powerful position with a large bureaucracy compared to the Controller of the Currency, would use his post to advance his environmental concerns. (Paulson did a better job of walking his talk that other super rich ex Goldman partners: he did not trade up from a Manhattan two bedroom and was generally known for living modestly relative to his wealth).It’s pretty clear the Biden Administration nominated Omarova as a fabricated concession to progressives when she was destined to fail. And it wasn’t her being an official Commie when she was growing up in Commie Kazakhstan that doomed her. One hates to say it, but stories like that (and on her remarks on climate change) are the mainstream media amplifying the Biden story line that they wanted “progressives” to internalize: “Omarova failed because she was too radical.”Hogwash. Omarova was never never never gonna be approved because she shoplifted as an adult. You think not paying nanny taxes is the kiss of death in a nominee for a position subject to Congressional approval? Cube that for a former crook as financial regulator. Having known some light-fingered people, just about no one shoplifts once. Lord knows how many times Omarova stole and was never caught or talked her way out of it.Of course this fatal flaw was only reported in the right wing press (and the non-right-wing Wall Street on Parade) which is presumably the soi-disant left has failed to acknowledge that Omarova never would have been approved. The Daily Mail engages in its story-telling via headline: REVEALED: Biden’s Soviet-born comptroller of currency pick was arrested in 1995 for stealing four pairs of shoes, two bottles of cologne and socks worth $214 from T.J. axx: White House stands by nominee ahead of Senate grillingIn other words, Omarova was no Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread to feed her hungry family or even self. And this happened when Omarova was an adult, not a teen going through a reckless/rulebreaking phase.And so progressives don’t recognize Omarova’s nomination as yet another Biden/Democratic party Lucy and the football moment. There is no way a competent background check didn’t uncover this theft, which all by itself made her unconfirmable.
FSB appoints Brainard to committee on financial vulnerabilities The Financial Stability Board appointed Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard to chair its standing committee on the assessment of vulnerabilities.Brainard, President Biden’s pick to serve as vice chair of the Fed board, chairs the U.S. central bank board’s financial stability committee. It was the central coordinating unit for Chair Jerome Powell’s sweeping rescue of financial markets as the pandemic spread panic in financial markets early last year. Brainard’s appointment to the FSB standing committee is for a two-year term, renewable once, it said in a statement on its website Friday. She succeeds Klaas Knot, head of the Dutch central bank, who became chair of the FSB on Dec. 2, it said. Her elevation to Fed vice chair is subject to Senate confirmation.
Senate Banking Committee Chair Says Stablecoins May Be “Outright Fraudulent” -- Pam MartensThe Senate Banking Committee held a hearing yesterday titled “Stablecoins: How Do They Work, How Are They Used, and What Are Their Risks?”Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Chair of the Committee, set the tone for the hearing by including the following poignant remarks in his opening statement:“Last month, I wrote to some of the biggest stablecoin issuers to get more information on how they manage their funds that back their coins, and to ask what rights their users have. Their responses were not particularly enlightening – and should lead us to assume most ordinary customers don’t have much in the way of rights at all.“So let’s be clear about one thing: if you put your money in stablecoins, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get it back. They call it a currency, implying it’s the same as having dollars in the bank, and you can withdraw the money at any time. But many of these companies hide their terms and conditions in the fine print, allowing them to trap customers’ money. And if there’s no guarantee you’ll get your money back, that’s not a currency with a fixed value – it’s gambling.“And with this much money tied up, it sure looks to me like a potential asset bubble.“Stablecoins make it easier than ever to risk real dollars on cryptocurrencies that are at best volatile, and at worst outright fraudulent.“Just a few weeks ago, we saw how quickly these tokens can crash, with crypto markets diving by almost thirty percent in one day. History tells us we should be concerned when any investment becomes so untethered from reality.“Look at the 1929 stock market crash. Securities started out as a way for regular Americans to invest in new companies that wanted to bring new products to market to expand their operations. By the end of the decade, companies were invented out of thin air, to create more stocks to satisfy wild demand. Banks allowed customers to borrow against one stock to buy another, until the whole market collapsed.“And, of course, many of us are old enough to remember, most of us are, the 2008 crash. Subprime mortgages were supposedly created to give more families access to the American dream, while derivatives were created to help financial companies reduce their risks. In reality, predatory mortgages were used to strip homeowners of the equity they had in their homes in order to create complex mortgage-backed securities and derivatives that ended up increasing risks at banks and financial companies. We all know how that turned out for our country.”That last paragraph above contains one word that will define this financial era when the history books are written – the word “complex.” Imagine attempting to explain to your children or grandchildren why millions of Americans were willing to invest their hard-earned savings in dubious crypto offerings built on a “complex” blockchain that was solving “complex” mathematical problems with no purpose (while using as much energy as entire nations, thus adding to worsening climate change) which then traded on “complex” platforms with all the transparency of mud. Witnesses at the hearing included two experts, Alexis Goldstein, Director of Financial Policy at the nonprofit Open Markets Institute, and Law Professor Hilary J. Allen of the American University Washington College of Law. There were also two witnesses (likely called by the right-wing factor on the Senate Banking Committee) who were deeply conflicted: Jai Massari, a Partner at Big Law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP, which has been a paid legal advisor on many of the crypto deals that have been brought to market; and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle, a crypto company which was described in unfavorable terms by Alexis Goldstein in her written testimony for the hearing.
JPMorgan set to pay $200 million fine over lax staff monitoring --JPMorgan Chase is preparing to pay roughly $200 million to resolve U.S. regulatory investigations into lapses over monitoring employee communications. A settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission could be reached before year-end, according to people familiar with the matter, although the figure is preliminary and could change. SEC commissioners have yet to vote on resolving the matter, one of the people said. A person wearing a protective mask enters JPMorgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York, U.S., on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg The unusually stiff sanctions for lax surveillance serve as a warning for the financial industry under the new regulatory regime.
FDIC chief accuses Democratic board members of ‘hostile takeover’ — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Jelena McWilliams accused the Democratic members of the FDIC’s board of a partisan ploy to try to “wrest control” of the agency from her.In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal, McWilliams held little back in decrying efforts by the three Democrats — who make up a majority of the board — to advance FDIC policy without her approval.The board’s conflict came to light Dec. 9, when Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra and fellow FDIC board member Martin Gruenberg announced the board’s approval of a request for information on bank merger reviews. (Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu also voted in favor of the request.)
Republicans seek to undercut CFPB chief’s role at FDIC — House Republicans are trying to put pressure on the three Democratic members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board of directors currently locked in a power struggle with FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams.Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, a senior Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, unveiled a bill Thursday that would strip the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of voting powers on the FDIC board. The FDIC Board Accountability Act would also introduce term limits for all board members.The legislation comes amid a power struggle over bank merger policy and general board governance between McWilliams, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, and the three members who now make up the Democratic majority: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, board member and former FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg, and acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu.
FDIC board members spar publicly as rift deepens — Discord on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board deepened Tuesday as Trump-appointed Chair Jelena McWilliams and the three Democratic directors refused to waver from their positions in a dispute over the agency's governance. During a public meeting that grew heated at times, McWilliams rejected a motion by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra that board minutes include his recent notational vote with the two other Democrats to request public comment on bank merger policies. "The legal division has previously determined, and the general counsel communicated to all board members, that these actions did not constitute a valid circulation of a notational vote and therefore the document cannot be added to the minutes," McWilliams said. She added that Chopra's motion was out of order.
There’s a Nasty Public Battle Raging Over Control of the Federal Agency that Insures Bank Deposits --By Pam Martens --The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is the agency that prevents financial panics from turning into catastrophic runs on banks by providing taxpayer-backstopped and government guaranteed insurance on deposits, up to $250,000 per depositor. Its leadership and honest governance is thus critically important to every American. So when a nasty public brawl breaks out between the Board of Directors of the FDIC and its Chairwoman, Jelena McWilliams, every American needs to sit up and pay attention. On Tuesday, Rohit Chopra, President Biden’s nominee who has been confirmed to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which automatically makes him a member of the Board of Directors of the FDIC, posted at the CFPB’s website serious charges against FDIC Chairwoman McWilliams – effectively stating that she was staging a one-woman coup against her Board and usurping their power to govern the FDIC. Chopra called what she was doing at the FDIC “unsafe and unsound” and “an attack on the rule of law.”Always at the ready for anyone wanting to shill for mega bank interests, the Wall Street Journal’s opinion page quickly provided ample space for McWilliams to respond. At 6:30 p.m. last evening, it published McWilliams’ rebuttal to her Board members’ charges, which included this irrelevant but homespun tidbit about her arrival in America:“When I arrived in the U.S. from Yugoslavia alone on my 18th birthday, I had $500 in my pocket.”McWilliams was a Trump appointee. She took office as Chairwoman of the FDIC on June 5, 2018. She has a five-year term, which means she could attempt to continue her coup until June 5, 2023 unless her Board makes such a ruckus that she decides to resign.The battle boils down to this: corporate-funded Republicans in Congress want to keep federal regulators’ hands off their corporate mergers and consolidation of power – including mergers that create ever larger, too-big-to-fail mega banks. On July 9, President Biden released a sweeping Executive Order warning federal agencies against actions that create “excessive market concentration” with specific mention of bank merger activity.Democratic members of the FDIC Board of Directors are now attempting to adopt new rules for how bank mergers are to be evaluated by the FDIC while McWilliams fights to keep the status quo. At the end of 1999, the number of federally-insured banks and savings institutions in the U.S. stood at 10,220. By March 31, 2021 that number was 4,978 – a whopping decline of 51 percent. Most of that shrinkage came from merger activity rather than banks failing. But the dramatic decline in the number of overall banks fails to capture the unprecedented concentration of assets at just four banking behemoths: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. According to the March 31, 2021 report from the Federal Reserve, those four banks own $9 trillion in assets of the total $22.56 trillion in assets owned by all 4,978 federally-insured banks and savings associations in the country. And the largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase, has been allowed by its federal regulators to continue to grow its sprawling footprint despite its unprecedentedfive criminal felony counts since 2014. The bank admitted to all five counts while its Board has kept Jamie Dimon as the Chairman and CEO throughout this crime wave. Something else very concerning is going on at the FDIC. For unknown reasons, the FDIC’s Inspector General decided to involve itself in an investigation of a broker-dealer’s foreign exchange trading activities. Investigations of foreign exchange trading at a broker-dealer falls under the mandate of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), not the FDIC. Nonetheless, the last paragraph of the press release announcing an indictment of a Barclays trader at its broker-dealer reads as follows: “The investigation is being conducted by the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant Chief Brian Young and Trial Attorney Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided substantial assistance in this matter.” We emailed the FDIC’s Inspector General’s office, asking: “Under what circumstances would the FDIC OIG be authorized to conduct an investigation involving a broker-dealer’s foreign exchange trading, when its public mandate is to investigate matters pertaining to federally-insured banks?” We were provided with a link to the main website of the FDIC’s Inspector General with no response to the heart of our question. We then emailed the CFTC to find out why it had allowed its investigation to be usurped by the FDIC’s Inspector General. We were told that it couldn’t comment on investigations.
Dust-up at FDIC portends bigger fight over bank regulation — A power struggle on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s board of directors could radically alter bank regulatory policy during the Biden administration, observers said.Two directors — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra and former FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg — sent shock waves through the capital when they announced the board's Democratic majority had launched a review of bank merger policy without the support of Trump-appointed FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams.Progressives saw the move as a necessary step to undo Trump-era deregulation while Republicans have accused Chopra and Gruenberg of trying to execute a coup at the agency. Others fear the fight may devolve into a legal quagmire that could bring joint policymaking among the federal bank regulators to a standstill.
Banks get behind CFPB's tough approach to tech giants Here’s one area where both large and small banks agree that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should flex its muscles: oversight of big technology companies and online payment platforms.In recent comment letters, banking trade groups and industry lawyers were nearly unanimous in urging the CFPB to level the playing field with Big Tech platforms that offer similar services as traditional financial institutions but are not regulated in the same way."Similar to the examination and oversight authority prudential regulators have on the financial industry, regulators must play an equally active role in defining and identifying the risks big tech poses to consumers and businesses alike,” Steven Estep, assistant vice president of operational risk at the Independent Community Bankers of America, said in a letter to the bureau.
CFPB opens inquiry into buy now/pay later lenders --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has opened an inquiry into the practices of five fintechs to address consumer risks within the booming buy now/pay later installment loan industry. The move signals the first potential speed bump in the U.S. for the highflying BNPL industry, which has soared to $100 billion in loans worldwide in the last few years. The CFPB has ordered Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal and Zip to provide information to allow it to assess the impact on consumers of rising debt and the use of consumer data by the BNPL industry, it said Thursday.
Lawsuits unlikely to derail banks' board diversity efforts -- Right-leaning groups have gone to court to challenge board diversity rules formulated by the Nasdaq stock exchange and the state of California, arguing that the measures amount to racial and gender discrimination. But even if the plaintiffs ultimately succeed in overturning those rules, they are unlikely to stop banks’ ongoing efforts to diversify their boards of directors, according to corporate governance experts. Increasingly, companies are motivated by shareholders pushing for more boardroom diversity and by studies suggesting that diverse boards perform better, these experts say. “There is a change in the atmosphere and the culture that is pushing for these changes,” said Gillian Emmett Moldowan, a partner at the law firm Shearman & Sterling. “Irrespective of the different laws hitting on this point, it does seem we’re starting to see some meaningful increase in women on boards of directors in the last few years.”
OCC outlines climate risk standards for big banks The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency asked for public input Thursday on "supervisory principles" for how large banks manage climate-related risks.The draft principles for banks with over $100 billion of assets are one of the first examples of tangible guidance from the federal regulators on identifying and dealing with financial threats from a warming climate. Feedback to the agency will help inform future guidance, the OCC said.“Today’s release takes an important, concrete step towards ensuring the safety and soundness of large banks in the face of increasing risks from climate change,” acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu said in a press release. “We look forward to the feedback and to working with our interagency peers to develop more detailed guidance next year.”
How will climate change impact banking? Regulation and policy outlook | American Banker (podcast) What do banks and financial institutions need to know about new climate change regulations? How can they better prepare for the future compliance issues associated with the changing landscape? To explain, Arnold & Porter counsel Erik Walsh moderates this Arizent Leaders forum discussion with Teresa L. Johnson, partner at Arnold & Porter, and Julie Hudson, the global head of ESG research at UBS Investment Bank
Lender investigated for rate-cap evasion settles with California - California’s financial regulator has entered into a consent agreement with the high-cost lender LoanMart, forbidding the company from marketing or servicing certain auto title loans in the state for nearly two years. The agreement applies to auto title loans of less than $10,000 that carry APRs above 36%, the agency said in a press release. It is in place for the next 21 months. The settlement is the first under a 2019 California law that caps annual percentage rates on certain installment loans at 36%, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation said Wednesday. Previously, consumer installment loans of between $2,500 and $9,999 had no legal ceiling in California.
FHFA acting chief nominated to lead agency after undoing Trump policies -President Biden has chosen to nominate Sandra Thompson to be the permanent director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the White House announced Tuesday.Thompson, currently the acting director, would succeed former FHFA Director Mark Calabria, a libertarian economist appointed by former President Donald Trump. Biden firedCalabria in June on the same day that the Supreme Court ruled that the agency's director could be removed by a sitting president without cause. Thompson has earned widespread praise from housing advocates for undoing Trump-erapolicies that the mortgage industry and consumer groups opposed. Many say she has helped return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to their mission of facilitating homeownership. Support for nominating her grew after rumors began circulating that Biden was also considering Mike Calhoun, a consumer advocate, for the job.
Cash-out mortgage refinancing demand booms 33% in past year, Black Knight reports --Homeowners are utilizing record-high home values to take advantage of cash-out refinancing, according to mortgage analytics firm Black Knight. Cash-out mortgage refinancing demand has risen 33% over the past year, driven by a 32% rise in tappable equity, the report showed. That's despite the fact that mortgage rates have been rising slightly over the past few months."This shift tends to happen in any rising rate environment, never mind one in which American mortgage holders have more than $9 trillion in tappable equity available to them," Black Knight Secondary Marketing Technologies President Scott Happ said.Happ added that although cash-out refinances dipped slightly (-0.3%) for the month of October, "the overall trend toward an equity-centric refi market remains strong."Cash-out refinancing allows homeowners to take out a larger mortgage as a way to borrow cash from their tappable home equity. The new mortgage will replace the existing mortgage, so the monthly payment may change.Tappable equity is the amount homeowners can access while retaining at least 20% equity in their homes. Overall tappable equity has increased $2.3 trillion since Q3 2020, according to Black Knight. The average homeowner has nearly $178,000 in tappable equity, an increase of $53,000 in the past 18 months due to skyrocketing home values. Homeowners have responded to growing home equity by locking in cash-out refinance offers at a breakneck pace. Aside from the 33% increase over the past year, demand for cash-out refinancing has grown 41% between June and August alone, the data showed.
MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest Weekly Survey - From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 4.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 10, 2021.... The Refinance Index decreased 6 percent from the previous week and was 41 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 9 percent lower than the same week one year ago.“Applications to refinance fell over the week, despite the 30-year fixed rate remaining at 3.30 percent. With rates more than 40 basis points higher than last year, applications were down 41 percent on an annual basis. Fewer homeowners have a strong incentive to refinance at current rates,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “Purchase activity increased slightly, as a 1.7 percent rise in conventional applications offset a 1.6 percent decline in applications for government loans. The strength in conventional purchase activity continues to support higher loan balances, which moved back over $400,000. Housing demand remains strong as the year comes to an end amidst tight inventory and steep home-price growth.”...The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($548,250 or less) remained unchanged at 3.30 percent, with points remaining unchanged at 0.39 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.The first graph shows the refinance index since 1990.With relatively low rates, the index remains slightly elevated, but down sharply from last year. The second graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index
Housing Starts Increased to 1.679 million Annual Rate in November 
November Housing Starts: Most Housing Units Under Construction Since 1973
NAHB: Builder Confidence Increased to 84 in December - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the housing market index (HMI) was at 84, up from 83 in November. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. From the NAHB: Home Builder Sentiment Strong at Year’s End Despite inflation concerns and ongoing production bottlenecks, home builder confidence edged higher for the fourth consecutive month on strong consumer demand and limited existing inventory. Builder sentiment in the market for newly built single-family homes moved one point higher to 84 in December, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This ties the highest reading of the year that was posted in February.“While demand remains strong, finding workers, predicting pricing and dealing with material delays remains a challenge,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “Policymakers need to work on supply chain improvements and controlling costly inflation. Addressing lumber tariffs would be a good place to start.”“The most pressing issue for the housing sector remains lack of inventory,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Building has increased but the industry faces constraints, namely cost/availability of materials, labor and lots. And while 2021 single-family starts are expected to end the year 24% higher than the pre-Covid 2019 level, we expect higher interest rates in 2022 will put a damper on housing affordability.”...The HMI index gauging current sales conditions rose one point to 90 and the gauge charting traffic of prospective buyers also posted a one-point gain to 70. The component measuring sales expectations in the next six months held steady for the third consecutive month at 84.Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast rose four points to 74, the Midwest posted a two-point gain to 74 and the South and West each posted a three-point rise to 87, respectively.
Retail Sales Increased 0.3% in November
Big Disappointment In US (Nominal) Retail Sales For November - After October's big upside surprise print, US retail sales are expected to slow their roll a little - but still rise for the 3rd straight month (and BofA is in line with consensus). Analysts were right on direction but significantly wrong on amplitude as headline retail sales rose just 0.3% MoM (well below the +0.8% MoM expected)... Core retail sales also missed (ex-autos and ex-autos-and-gas). The softer-than-expected report may reflect the pulling forward of holiday sales as many Americans, aware of supply-chain slowdowns, shopped earlier than usual. Or, as Bank of America noted last week, consumers have started to react to the Omicron variant. Total airlines spending slipped noticeably to -15% on a 2 year basis, down 13% from the prior week. The weakness seems to be driven by cancellations of international trips: indeed, BofA found a meaningful pick up in refunds from non-US carriers and little change in refunds from domestic carriers. Most notably, Retail Sales 'Control Group' - the data that feeds into GDP - actually shrank 0.1% MoM (massively missing the +0.7% expected) Finally, remember that retail sales are reported on a nominal basis and thus it is unclear how much of the rise is simply sue to inflation. The chart below - while overly simplistic given the vastly different weighting schemes - attempts to adjust retail sales monthly change for the shift in CPI. The picture is quite different, as 'adjusted for inflation', retail sales dropped in November...
Inflation Magic: Retail Sales +19.5% Year-over-Year, But Flat with Blowout Oct, as Department Stores Sagged, Auto Dealers Had No Inventory, and Cannabis Stores? --Retail sales in November, including at restaurants and bars, hit a new record of $640 billion seasonally adjusted annual rate, and a record of $649 billion not-seasonally adjusted annual rate, up by 19.5% from November last year, and up by 22% from November two years ago, according to the Census Bureau today, as raging inflation inflated retail sales.But compared to the blowout October, sales ticked up 0.3%, seasonally adjusted, as department stores, after a year-long post-lockdown get-out-of-the-house honeymoon, reverted to brick-and-mortar meltdown. Vehicle dealers, with little inventory to sell, countered plunging unit sales by massively jacking up prices. And ecommerce sales, not seasonally adjusted, spiked 20% from October, to a record, but seasonal adjustments got rid of that gain entirely. These are sales of goods at brick-and-mortar locations and online. Services, such as insurance, healthcare services, housing costs, or haircuts, are not included.Retail sales have been goosed by $4.5 trillion in money-printing in 21 months, and by interest rate repression despite raging inflation, that caused asset prices to spike, and caused people to spend this manna from heaven no matter what the price. And some of the $5 trillion in government-spending of borrowed money was channeled to people who then also spent it no matter what the price.Hence the spike in retail sales since June 2020, and the worst inflation in 40 years, with even more inflation building up further in the price pipeline.Retail sales are not adjusted for inflation, and often huge price increases are inflating them. Four retailer categories account for 52% of total retail sales: New and used vehicle and parts dealers, food & beverage stores, restaurants, and gas stations.And prices at those retailers have skyrocketed, according to the Consumer Price Index, November compared to a year ago:
- Gasoline prices: +58.1%
- Used vehicle prices: +31.4%
- New vehicle prices: +11.1%
- Food prices at stores: +6.1%
- Restaurant Prices: +5.8%
Auto dealers and parts stores are by far the largest retail segment (black line). Nonstore retailers – mostly ecommerce – have surged to second place (red line), followed by grocery & beverage stores (green), restaurants and bars (purple), general merchandise stores (yellow), building material and garden supply stores (gray), and then the small fry, such as department stores at the very bottom: New & used auto dealers and parts stores: Sales were flat with October, at $126.5 billion (seasonally adjusted), stuck for months after they ran out of inventory following the free-money-blow-off spike in March and April. But sales were still up 12.7% from November 2020 and by 19% from November 2019. As unit sales have plunged amid vehicle shortages, these dollar sales were accomplished by rampant price increases and a shift to loaded and high-end models:The number of new vehicles delivered to end users plunged this year – in November, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 12.86 million vehicles, down 25% from November 2019 – as dealers are short on inventory, while automakers, still bogged down in semiconductor shortages, are prioritizing loaded and high-end models to maximize their revenues:Huge price increases and a shift to high-end models caused the average transaction price (ATP) for new vehicles sold in November to spike by 18% year-over-year to a record $44,043 per vehicle, according to J.D. Power estimates, as auto dealers and automakers are raking in record per-unit gross profits:
California's Top Prosecutor Says 'Smash And Grab' Robberies Organized On Social Media -- This holiday season, organized retail crime is an epidemic in liberal-socialist utopias, such as California. Criminals have terrorized San Francisco's Union Square to Walnut Creek retailers in so-called 'smash and grabs.' Now the state's top prosecutor is shedding light on how these criminal gangs orchestrate such thefts. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta told the LA Times that groups of people smashing windows or loading up shopping carts with stolen merchandise and running out of the store are mostly foot soldiers of organized crime gangs.He said foot soldiers are directed on social media, text, and other messaging apps of what businesses to hit and guide them to where the most valuable merchandise resides.Bonta said the stolen merchandise is then sold online for a large profit. "You know, the crime we are seeing is organized crime, and it is going to take an organized strategy to put a stop to it," Bonta said."These are these folks that have put thought into it, have a strategy, have a plan, focused on certain places at certain times and communicate and work in concert," he added. His comments come as big-box retailers, online marketplaces, and law enforcement held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the wave of smash and grabs in the state. They are expected to develop a plan to combat thefts and people who resell the stolen merchandise online. This comes as the 20 retailer CEOs -- including Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., CVS Health, AutoZone, Inc., Nordstrom, Inc., and Foot Locker, Inc., among others, sent a letter to Congressional leadership to make it harder for thieves to resell stolen goods on online marketplaces that do very little to verify the identity of sellers."As millions of Americans have undoubtedly seen on the news in recent weeks and months, retail establishments of all kinds have seen a significant uptick in organized crime in communities across the nation," the CEOs said. "This trend has made retail businesses a target for increasing theft, hurt legitimate businesses who are forced to compete against unscrupulous sellers, and has greatly increased consumer exposure to unsafe and dangerous counterfeit products," they said. The CEOs said there's no easy way to stop the wave of smash and grabs. Still, they offered new legislation for lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to support the Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) for Consumers Act.
Retailers Fed Up With 'Smash And Grabs' Send Urgent Letter To Congress - Liberal socialist utopias such as California and Illinois are a blessing for criminal gangs thanks to the states' lack of prosecution of shoplifting. Retailers are fed up with smash and grabs and have sent an urgent message to Congress urging lawmakers to do more to prevent thieves from reselling stolen goods online. In a letter sent to Congressional leadership, 20 retailer CEOs -- including Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., CVS Health, AutoZone, Inc., Nordstrom, Inc., and Foot Locker, Inc., among others, urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would make it harder for thieves to resell stolen goods on online marketplaces that do very little to verify the identity of sellers. "As millions of Americans have undoubtedly seen on the news in recent weeks and months, retail establishments of all kinds have seen a significant uptick in organized crime in communities across the nation," the CEOs said. "This trend has made retail businesses a target for increasing theft, hurt legitimate businesses who are forced to compete against unscrupulous sellers, and has greatly increased consumer exposure to unsafe and dangerous counterfeit products," they said. The CEOs said there's no easy way to stop the wave of smash and grabs. Still, they offered new legislation for lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to support the Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) for Consumers Act. The proposed measure would "increase transparency online for all marketplaces, making it easier for consumers to identify exactly who they are buying from, and make it harder for criminal elements to hide behind fake screen names and false business information to fence illicit products while evading law enforcement."The retail industry has been decimated by the wave of smash and grabs in liberal cities where progressives have downgraded retail theft from a felony to a misdemeanor. Retailers, such as electronic store Best Buy saw its margins slide in its latest quarterly report to do thefts. Major retail chains across the country are on alert this holiday season for criminal gangs. Some stores have even redesigned their front entrances to prevent robberies. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed stores for not taking adequate steps to prevent the thefts.
Some CPI Component Movements and Their Implications - Menzie Chinn ---Dean Baker has an interesting article conjecturing about future declines in the CPI, being driven by gasoline, cars, and food. The argument seems plausible, depending on what happens in the supply chains and the oil markets. I want to consider what might happen, depending on other components. First, consider what has driven overall inflation is in large part the surge in durable goods prices. Figure 1: CPI-all urban (bold black), CPI-durables (light blue), CPI-nondurables (light green), and CPI-services (red), all in logs, 2020M02=0. NBER defined recession dates peak-to-trough shaded gray. Source: BLS (November 2021 release) via FRED, NBER, and author’s calculations. Should public health concerns diminish, then as consumption switches back to services, durable goods prices might stabilize and even come down. Remember, supply chain problems involving getting goods from where they’re produced to where they’re demanded are driven in large part by the surge in demand for goods — as opposed to diminished supply capacity at ports, etc. This is a variation on Baker’s argument, and others.Another area of concern revolves around housing costs, which are unambiguously rising: Figure 2: CPI-all urban (bold black), CPI-owner occupied equivalent rent (blue), and CPI-rent of primary residence (tan), all in logs, 2020M02=0. NBER defined recession dates peak-to-trough shaded gray. Source: BLS (November 2021 release) via FRED, NBER, and author’s calculations. Rent of primary residence accounts for 7.6% of total weight in October 2021, and owner equivalent rent of residences, 23.5% (see Table 6 in the release). Growth in the former accounted for 1.3 percentage points of the 9.8% m/m CPI inflation rate in November, while growth in rent accounted for 0.4 percentage point. A reader notes that the accelerated rise in owner occupied equivalent rent is likely to persist.Average lag time from house price index to cpi owners equivalent rent is 18 months.YoY inflation is forecast to remain, and likely to even increase, in 2022The CPI measure of rents is also measured in a way that lags commonly observed rent measures.Here is a picture of owner occupied equivalent rent (and rent) versus house prices. Figure 3: CPI-owner occupied equivalent rent (blue, left log scale), and CPI-rent of primary residence (tan, left log scale), Case-Shiller 20-city house price index (green, right log scale). NBER defined recession dates peak-to-trough shaded gray. Source: BLS (November 2021 release) via FRED, S&P via FRED, NBER, and author’s calculations. A visual inspection seems to uncover a relationship, particularly in y/y changes (but not in long-run cointegration). At 18 months (using non-overlapping changes), the relationship is 0.08 – that is a one percentage point increase in the y/y growth rate leads to a 0.08 percentage point increase in the OER component growth rate. Taken literally, the September reading of 17.5% y/y change (log terms) implies that in March 2023, OER inflation will be 1.4 percentage points higher as a consequence. Since I have little faith in the regression (given some of the diagnostics), I’m not going to bet on this number.
Wholesale prices measure rose 9.6% in November from a year ago, the fastest pace on record -Wholesale prices increased at their quickest pace on record in November in the latest sign that the inflation pressures bedeviling the economy are still present, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The producer price index for final demand increased 9.6% over the previous 12 months after rising another 0.8% in November. Economists had been looking for an annual gain of 9.2%, according to FactSet. Excluding food, energy and trade services prices rose 0.7% for the month, putting core PPI at 6.9%, also the largest gain on record. Estimates were for respective gains of 0.4% and 7.2%, meaning the monthly gain was faster than estimates but the year-over-year measure was a bit slower. The Labor Department's record keeping for the headline number goes back to November 2010, while the core calculation dates to August 2014. Those numbers come with headline consumer prices running at their fastest pace in nearly 40 years and core inflation the hottest in about 30 years. Demand for goods continued to be the bigger driver for producer prices, rising 1.2% for the month, a touch slower than the 1.3% October increase. Final demand services inflation ran at a 0.7% monthly rate, much faster than the 0.2% October rate and a sign that the services side could be catching up in prices after lagging through much of the recovery. Stock indexes were mixed following the release, as investors see inflation and the strong potential for a Federal Reserve policy response as threats to what has been a boom year for equities. The Fed begins its two-day meeting Tuesday, with expectations running high that it will remove its economic help more quickly and start raising interest rates around the middle part of 2022. Fed officials for months had been insisting that inflation was "transitory" and closely tied to Covid pandemic-related factors that eventually would fade. However, in recent days Chairman Jerome Powell and others have indicated that word no longer is appropriate and likely will be dropped from future central bank communications. Supply chain bottlenecks and surging demand have been the primary drivers of inflation, and have eased only marginally. Final demand energy prices jumped another 2.6% in November despite sliding crude prices, while food was up 1.2%. Transportation and warehousing increased 1.9%, while portfolio management spiked 2.9%. Elsewhere, iron and steel scrap prices surged 10.7%, and a host of others costs including gasoline, fruits and vegetables and industrial chemicals also increased. Diesel fuel costs were down 2.6% for the month, while chemicals and allied products wholesaling declined 1.3%.
US Wholesale Price-Spike Worst in the Data, Even Services. But Further up the Producer Price Pipeline, Inflation Rages at 28% - Wolf Richter - Even as consumer price inflation has spiked at the worst rate in 40 years, far-worse inflation rages further up the price pipeline as it’s flowing toward consumer prices. Going up the inflation pipeline of goods and services from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), we first get to the producer Price Index (PPI) for Final Demand, and further up the price pipeline, we get to the four stages of the PPI for Intermediate Demand. At Intermediate Demand Stage 1 industries, furthest up the pipeline, whose production creates the inputs for industries in Stage 2, prices exploded by 20.8% year-over-year (green line), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics today. At Stage 2 industries, which create the inputs for industries in Stage 3, prices exploded by 28.1% year-over-year, the worst in the data going back to 2010 (red line). At Stage 3 industries, which create the inputs for Stage 4, prices exploded by 20.6% year-over-year (gray line). And at Stage 4 industries, which create inputs to Final Demand, prices shot up by 12.9% (black line): These red-hot price increases up the pipeline in the four stages of Intermediate Demand are increasingly getting passed on to the next industry in line, and the price increases from prior months are now arriving at the Final Demand industries. The PPI Final Demand tracks the input prices for consumer-facing industries whose prices then become part of the Consumer Price Index, which already jumped by 6.8% in November, the worst since 1982. But consumers still get to look forward to the impact of the producer prices in November that we’re looking at today. The PPI Final Demand jumped by 0.8% in November from October. Compared to November last year, the PPI spiked by 9.7%, by far the worst ever in the data going back to 2010 (red line). Without the volatile food and energy prices, the “Core” PPI Final Demand, jumped by 0.7% for the month and by 7.8% from a year ago, also the worst reading in the data (green line). In October 2020, the PPI Final Demand rose to an index value that set new highs in the data series and hasn’t looked back since. The year-over-year spike in November 2021 is based off the already record high index levels last year.Oh, I know, bottlenecks, supply chain chaos, semiconductor shortages, ocean shipping nightmares, container pile-ups, the whole litany – those are massive problems. But they’re no longer the only factor fueling this raging inflation. Services have caught the inflation bug, and services have nothing to do with semiconductor shortages and shipping containers. But services providers too are raising prices because they can.The price index for Final Demand Services jumped by 0.7% in November from October, the 11th month in a row of month-to-month increases, and by 7.1% year-over-year, the highest in the data going back to 2010.Some of the drivers in the price increases of Final Demand Services in November were portfolio management; guestroom rental services; securities brokerage, dealing, investment advice, and related services; fuels and lubricants retailing; airline passenger services; and transportation of freight services.
Industrial Production Increased 0.5 Percent in November --From the Fed: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization: Industrial production rose 0.5 percent in November. The indexes for both manufacturing and mining increased 0.7 percent, while the index for utilities decreased 0.8 percent.At 102.3 percent of its 2017 average, total industrial production in November was 5.3 percent above its year-earlier level and at its highest reading since September 2019. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.3 percentage point to 76.8 percent; even so, it was 2.8 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2020) average. This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April 2020, and above the level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). Capacity utilization at 76.8% is 2.8% below the average from 1972 to 2020. This was at consensus expectations. The second graph shows industrial production since 1967. Industrial production increased in November to 102.3. This is above the February 2020 level. The change in industrial production was slightly below consensus expectations.
Kansas City Fed Survey: Growth Edged Higher in December - The latest index came in at 24, unchanged from last, indicating steady continued expansion in December. The future outlook dropped to 25. Here is a snapshot of the complete Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Survey.Quarterly data for this indicator dates back to 1995, but monthly data is only available from 2001.Here is an excerpt from the latest report:Tenth District manufacturing activity growth edged higher, but expectations for future activity moderated slightly (Chart 1, Tables 1 & 2). The monthly index of raw materials prices continued to ease slightly from a month ago, although most firms continued to report higher input prices compared to a year ago. Finished goods price indexes declined from a month ago but were also above year ago levels for most firms. Expectations for future raw materials prices rose, and a significant share of district manufacturing firms still expected finished goods prices to increase over the next six months. [Full report here]Here is a snapshot of the complete Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Survey.
Weather Forces Backlog of California Ships to Move Further Out to Sea - Winter weather is causing the backlog of ships at California's ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to move further offshore.High winds and choppy seas can create dangerous situations for cargo ships, forcing the ships waiting to dock at the US's busiest port complex to move further from the coast for safety purposes.Approximately 30 ships sat off the coast of Southern California this week waiting to unload their cargo, while nearly 60 more stayed in waters further out to sea, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some ships have even reduced their speed to delay their arrival at the ports to reduce wait times.The ships waiting to dock off California's coast are complying with a new voluntary queuing system to improve safety conditions and air quality around Southern California's ports while also increasing the efficiency of the ports, according to a statement from Pacific Maritime Association, Pacific Merchant Marine Shipping Association, and Marine Exchange of Southern California who worked together to develop the plan last month."This system delivers a pragmatic solution through order and predictability that will reduce the number of ships idling off the coast in the coming months, improve safety, and support the efficient movement of container-based goods," PMSA President John McLaurin said in the statement.Depending on the direction they are coming from, the ships are required to idle between 50 and 150 miles off of the coasts of California and Mexico. While the vessels can still come into the harbor for fuel and crew changes and normal, the change hopes to reduce the "the historic supply chain congestion that continues to slow trade," according to the statement.Empty shipping containers gathering near the ports are also adding to the congestion, Insider's Grace Kay reported. The congestion of the nearly 110,000 empty containers spans up to 80 miles away from the port, filling nearby streets and yards and making it more difficult for supply-chain workers to move goods efficiently.
Missing Workers by Age Group - In November, Goldman Sachs economists put out a research note on the labor force participation rate: Why Isn’t Labor Force Participation Recovering? Here are few excerpts from the note: While the unemployment rate continues to fall quickly, labor force participation has made no progress since August 2020. ... Most of the 5.0mn persons who have exited the labor force since the start of the pandemic are over age 55 (3.4mn), largely reflecting early (1.5mn) and natural (1mn) retirements that likely won’t reverse. The outlook for prime-age persons who have exited the labor force (1.7mn) is more positive, since very few are discouraged and most still view their exits as temporary.First, there are two important monthly surveys from the BLS. The participation rate (and unemployment rate) comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS: commonly called the household survey), a monthly survey of about 60,000 households.The jobs number comes from Current Employment Statistics (CES: payroll survey), a sample of approximately 634,000 business establishments nationwide.These are very different surveys: the CPS gives the total number of employed (and unemployed including the alternative measures), and the CES gives the total number of positions (excluding some categories like the self-employed, and a person working two jobs counts as two positions).Currently the payroll survey shows there are 3.9 million fewer jobs than in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). The household survey shows there are 3.6 million fewer people employed than in February 2020. Note: The 5 million number for the labor force, probably assumes some normal labor force growth; however,overall population growth has been dismal over the last 2 years (little immigration and large number of deaths). I'm not confident in Goldman's 5-million-person estimate.Here is a graph of the number of missing people by age group (from the CPS household survey).This data is comparing November 2021 to November 2019, using Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) data (I compared to November 2019 to minimize the seasonal impact when using NSA data)Positive numbers are missing workers.Almost all of the missing employed workers - by this method - are in the 25 to 29 and in the 45 to 59 age groups.Note: this is over a 2-year period, and there have been some demographic shifts between cohorts. This data would suggest most of the missing workers are prime age or took early retirement (the missing workers in their '50s).
‘Inexcusable’: Amazon Under Fire After Warehouse Collapse Kills at Least Six --Amazon was accused Saturday of putting corporate profits above worker safety following the tornado-caused partial collapse of a St. Louis-area warehouse that left at least six people dead.“Time and time again Amazon puts its bottom line above the lives of its employees,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), in a statement. “Requiring workers to work through such a major tornado warning event as this was inexcusable.”Appelbaum’s remarks came after an outbreak of over 20 devastating tornadoes late Friday tore through multiple states and killed dozens of people. In addition to Illinois, affected states included Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.Among the buildings struck was an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois—a community about 30 minutes from St. Louis. Local officials said Saturday that at least six people died from the collapse.Local KMOV reported:The walls on both sides of the building collapsed inward, causing the roof to fall. The 11-inch-thick, 40-feet-tall walls could not sustain the tornado that hit the building Friday night. The National Weather Service confirmed that it was a category EF-3 tornado that went through Edwardsville Friday night. Winds picked up to as much as 150 mph.The number of workers inside the building at the time of collapse is not yet determined. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said at a press conference late Saturday that one person was injured and 45 people were rescued.According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: By Saturday evening, first responders had shifted from an emergency response to a recovery effort. While they would continue to go through the rubble during daylight hours over the next three days, Whiteford said he doesn’t know whether any other victims will be found inside.Shortly before the facility was hit the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warnedof an increasing “damaging wind and tornado threat” for the area.As some observers pointed out on social media, Amazon has previously failed to close warehouses in the face of extreme weather events: “How many workers must die for Amazon to have a policy for extreme weather events?” sociologist Nantina Vgontzas tweeted Saturday. “It’s currently up to local management and this is clearly disastrous. Condolences to the families and survivors of this horrific, avoidable tragedy.” In his statement, Appelbaum called the event “another outrageous example of the company putting profits over the health and safety of their workers, and we cannot stand for this.” “Amazon cannot continue to be let off the hook for putting hardworking people’s lives at risk,” he said, vowing that his union would “not back down until Amazon is held accountable for these and so many more dangerous labor practices.”
Amazon’s Deathtrap Warehouse in Edwardsville, IL: Will Bessemer, AL Be Next? - Amazon built a warehouse in Tornado Alley, did not build in sufficient protection for workers, denied workers the ability to protect themselves, and is already scheming to cover up its act of social murder. I’ll prove these four claims in short order, but first, let’s look at how we classify tornados, because we’ll need that to interpret the coverage and the maps that follow. Tornadoes were classified according to the Fujita Scale (F), which was upgraded to the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF).Here is a chart describing them: The National Weather Service describes the Edwardsville tornado and classifies it as EF-3:A strong tornado touched down just to the northeast of the I-270/I-255 interchange at 8:28 PM CST. The tornado moved northeast and intensified rapidly after crossing I-255, striking an Amazon warehouse. The west-facing walls of the warehouse collapsed inward, which was followed by multiple structural failures as the tornado moved through the complex, including the collapse of additional walls and the loss of a large segment of the roof. This was the worst damage along the entire tornado track rated EF-3.Estimated peak winds were 150 mph. You will note that EF-3 isn’t even the most powerful tornado. Mapping back to the F scale by wind speed, the Edwardsville tornado would be classifed as “considerable damage,” and not as “severe”, “devastating”, or “incredible” (!!) damage.And yet the Edwardsville tornado, fourth on a scale of six, inflicted damage on the Edwardsville Amazon warehouse like this: “Considerable,” indeed. The tornado moved right through the warehouse, sparing the north bays, but destroying the south. (North vs. South will become important shortly, when we look at where the deaths took place.)The Belleville News-Democrat explains why Amazon sited its warehouse there:Madison County’s flat, empty land and proximity to interstates, airports, rail and river travel made it an appealing location for the e-commerce giant.That Edwardsville was in Illinois’ tornado alley did not, apparently, figure largely in Amazon’s plans. From the Midwestern Regional Climate Center: As you can see, Edwardsville experienced F4 tornadoes in 1991 and 1998, and F3 tornadoes in 1983 and 2011. So the Amazon warehouse has in the crosshairs, and a tornado strike was only a matter of time. One would assume that Amazon would take every measure possible to protect its workers, but sadly, no.There are three issues with how Amazon built its warehouse. Lack of a basement shelter, tilt-up wall construction, and bathroom storm shelters. Let’s take each in turn.
Kentucky tornado: Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say— As a catastrophic tornado approached this cityFriday, employees of a candle factory — which would later be destroyed — heard the warning sirens and wanted to leave the building. But at least five workers said supervisors warned employees that they would be fired if they left their shifts early.For hours, as word of the coming storm spread, as many as 15 workers beseeched managers to let them take shelter at their own homes, only to have their requests rebuffed, the workers said.Fearing for their safety, some left during their shifts regardless of the repercussions.At least eight people died in the Mayfield Consumer Products factory, which makes scented candles. The facility was leveled, and all that is left is rubble. Photos and videos of its widespread mangled remains have become symbols of the enormous destructive power of Friday’s tornado system.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that 74 people were confirmed dead in the state.McKayla Emery, 21, said in an interview from her hospital bed that workers first asked to leave shortly after tornado sirens sounded outside the factory around 5:30 p.m. Employees congregated in bathrooms and inside hallways, but the real tornado wouldn’t arrive for several more hours. After employees decided that the immediate danger had passed, several began asking to go home, the workers said.“People had questioned if they could leave or go home,” said Emery, who preferred to stay at work and make extra money. Overtime pay was available, but it wasn’t clear whether those who stayed were offered additional pay.Supervisors and team leaders told employees that leaving would probably jeopardize their jobs, the employees said.“If you leave, you’re more than likely to be fired,” Emery said she overheard managers tell four workers standing near her who wanted to leave. “I heard that with my own ears.”
Americans' worries about infection rise as omicron spreads: poll - Americans' fear about the spread of COVID-19 is on the rise amid the spread of the omicron variant, a new poll showed. The poll, conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that 36 percent of Americans said they were very or extremely worried that they or a family member would contract the virus, up from 25 percent in late October. Despite the uptick in concerns, fewer Americans said they were regularly wearing masks or isolating compared the beginning of the year, according to the survey. In February 2021, 72 percent of Americans were avoiding unnecessary travel, and 77 percent were staying out of large groups. But as of December, those figures stood at 53 percent and 57 percent, respectively. Masking also decreased as 57 percent of people surveyed wore a mask around others in December compared to 82 percent in February. The poll included a sampling of 1,089 adults and was conducted between Dec. 2-7. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. The rising concerns and falling precautionary measures come as the U.S. has recently surpassed 800,000 COVID-19 deaths. Overall, 57 percent of the pandemic's deaths occurred in 2021, and the U.S. accounts for 14 percent of global deaths from the virus. The Biden administration and health officials are pushing for eligible Americans to receive their booster shots in an effort to combat the virus. Earlier this month, President Biden said that he did not plan to combat the pandemic this winter with "shutdowns or lockdowns" but instead told Americans he would employ "more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing and more."
Second year of COVID-19 vaccine distribution will be more challenging: UPS official --The president of UPS Healthcare suggested that the second year of distributing COVID-19 vaccines will likely be more challenging than the first.Wes Wheeler, who leads vaccine logistics for UPS, told CNBC that “manufacturers are starting to think about how they change the formulation,” which leads to a number of issues in the company’s vaccine effort.“When that happens, inventory becomes an issue, logistics becomes an issue and basically performance becomes an issue,” Wheeler told CNBC.He said it is possible that more vaccines will have to be “returned or destroyed because they are not used and they are kept in storage beyond their shelf life.”“I think that is the next phase for us, to handle that as well as we can,” he added.He also told the business news channel that states having different plans when it comes to vaccine distribution and storage could pose additional logistical issues once vaccine doses are delivered.Wheeler’s comments come one year after UPS and FedEx delivered the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. The two companies announced last December that it had distributed the first Pfizer-BioNTech shots after it was approved days before.The two companies teamed up with the U.S. government to help with vaccine distribution under “Operation Warp Speed,” which was created during the Trump administration, according to CNBC.Since the first shots were shipped, more than 594.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered nationwide, and more than 485.3 million have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).More than 72 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 60.0 percent are fully inoculated, according to the CDC.According to CNBC, UPS and FedEx have a 99 percent on-time delivery rate when it comes to the distribution of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the U.S.
Radio City Music Spectacular shuts down amid COVID-19 spike in NYC -- "The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes" has canceled all of its upcoming performances due to coronavirus cases among the show's crew. “We regret that we are unable to continue the ‘Christmas Spectacular’ this season,” the show said in a statement Friday, NBC New York reported. “We had hoped we could make it through the season and are honored to have hosted hundreds of thousands of fans at more than 100 shows over the last seven weeks. "We have loved bringing back this cherished tradition that helps usher in the holiday season in New York City and look forward to welcoming fans back to Radio City Music Hall in 2022," the statement added. Producers canceled four performances earlier in the day Friday due to "breakthrough COVID-19 cases in the production" before later shutting down the show for the duration of its run, according to The New York Times. . An audience waiting to see the 11 a.m. show Friday learned of the breakthrough cases just before the start of the performance, which was ultimately canceled, according to NBC New York. The annual show had been scheduled to run at Radio City Music Hall through Jan. 2. The production said that all tickets for canceled shows would be fully refunded, the local news outlet reported. -
Twitter To Punish Users Who Correctly Claim That Vaccinated Individuals Can Still Spread COVID-19 Twitter, which dubs itself the arbiter of medical misinformation through its constellation of conflicted 'fact-checkers,' will start imposing penalties on users who claim that vaccinated people can spread Covid-19......a claim made by none other than the US CDC Director, the NIH, Facui, and countless other officials.In other words, Twitter will penalize people for spreading common medical knowledge about Covid-19."When tweets include misleading information about Covid-19, we may place a label on those tweets that includes corrective information about that claim," reads a quietly updated section of its rules governing Covid-19 misinformation reported byMediaite."We may apply labels to tweets that contain, for example… false or misleading claims that people who have received the vaccine can spread or shed the virus (or symptoms, or immunity) to unvaccinated people."
NFL to require boosters for some coaches, staff, amid uptick in COVID-19 cases in league - The NFL is requiring that some coaches and staffers receive a COVID-19 booster shot this month amid an uptick in coronavirus infections across the league. The league sent a memo to teams on Monday informing them that all eligible Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff must get their COVID-19 booster shot by Dec. 27. “In accordance with the CDC recommendation, all Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff, who have previously been vaccinated and are eligible under the CDC guidelines, must receive a booster shot no later than December 27,” the league wrote in its memo, which was obtained by The Hill. The league said that in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals who completed their Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination series more than six months ago must receive the third jab. Additionally, individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago must get a booster shot, according to the CDC. The league pointed to a study from the CDC released last month that recommended booster shots for all eligible individuals because the effectiveness of initial vaccines may decrease over time. Individuals who are not eligible for a booster shot because they are within six months within getting a second Pfizer or Moderna shot, according to CDC guidance, are not mandated to get an additional jab this month, the NFL said. Personnel who are “in the 90-day test holiday after a confirmed positive COVID test” are also exempt from the new policy. Additionally, individuals who received monoclonal antibodies within the previous 90 days, and those whose “S” antibody levels are 2500 or greater, are not subject to the new requirement. Eligible staffers must receive the booster shot by Dec. 27 in order to retain tiered status under the protocols, the NFL told its teams.
California to reimpose statewide mask mandate - California will reimpose a statewide indoor mask mandate on Wednesday amid an increase in COVID-19 infections. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California's Health and Human Services Agency, said the mandate will last a month, from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15. In a statement, Ghaly said the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 47 percent and hospitalizations have increased by 14 percent since Thanksgiving. The statewide indoor mask mandate was lifted over the summer, but Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) left it up to individual counties whether to keep the mandate in place, as well as what metrics would be needed to lift it. Many of the most populous areas of the state, including Los Angeles County and most of the Bay Area, never lifted their mandates. The new order will impact the counties that do not currently have a mandate, which contain about half the state's population. It's unclear whether the mandate will be enforced, and Ghaly said during a briefing that he expects some places to have stronger enforcement than others. “We know that there’s going to be people who don’t necessarily agree with this, who are tired, who aren’t going to mask,” he said. “We hope that those are few and far between, that most people see the purpose of doing this over the next month as something to protect them and their communities during a very tough time.” The order comes as the omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the U.S. and the world. New cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all occurring primarily among the unvaccinated, and nearly 78 percent of the eligible population in California has been at least partially vaccinated with one dose. Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy to hold moment of silence for 800K
As Virus Cases Surge, New Yorkers Feel a Familiar Anxiety - Holiday plans abruptly reversing, restaurants closing, Broadway shows going dark while, blocks away, long lines form outside testing sites — it’s as if it were 2020 all over again.The startling rise in coronavirus infections has whiplashed New York City and the surrounding region. Once more, most everyone seems to know someone who is infected.Millions of people who have followed the city’s guidelines and received two or even three vaccination shots, who have in recent weeks and months enjoyed a return to many of their old practices — riding the subway, dining indoors, partying with friends — face an uncertain future.“It’s scary — it feels like we’ve been here before,” said Emma Clippinger, 36, waiting in a long line outside a testing site in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Thursday. “It feels like last year, last winter, despite the vaccines and despite the boosters, and it’s the same game plan, but it also feels like we get defeated often.”New York City and the surrounding Northeast, the epicenter of the coronavirus’s arrival in 2020, is being buffeted by a new surge in infections that seems poised to disrupt the long awaited return to normalcy. New case reports in New York State have skyrocketed nearly 60 percent in the last two weeks.“It is clear that the Omicron variant is here in New York City in full force,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday.Deidre Depke, 59, waiting in line for a test on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, didn’t need the mayor to tell her. “Monday I wasn’t even thinking about it,” she said, “and Thursday I’m in a panic.”An average of more than 10,600 infections were being identified each day in New York State, more than any other state, and hospitalizations were also increasing, although more slowly. The city’s test positivity rate doubled in just three days, up to 7.8 percent on Sunday compared with 3.9 percent the previous Thursday, raising alarm bells among city officials and residents alike.The number of new cases reported statewide on Thursday alone — 18,276, more than 8,300 of them in New York City — was the highest since at least January. Hospitalizations, though, remain at a fraction of what they were in the city’s deadly first virus wave,with about 1,000 people hospitalized in New York City now, compared to more than 15,000 at the peak in April 2020.. The public health picture in other states was also growing bleaker. Connecticut is averaging more than 2,600 new cases a day, up from about 330 at the start of November, and Rhode Island is adding cases at the highest rate in the nation. Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania have the highest rates of coronavirus hospitalizations.
Hospitals Abandon Covid-19 Vaccine Requirement to Ease Staffing Shortages - Following a November decision by a federal court in Louisiana blocking Biden’s mandate of Covid-19 vaccines for health care workers, some hospitals have dropped their vaccine requirements, in a bid to ease severe labour shortages, according to today’s Wall Street Journal, Some Hospitals Drop Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates to Ease Labor Shortages.These hospital chains include Advent Health, the Cleveland Clinic, HCA Healthcare Inc, Intermounain Healthcare, and Tenet Healthcare Corp. Per the WSJ:…Labor costs in the industry have soared, and hospitals struggled to retain enough nurses, technicians and even janitors to handle higher hospitalizations in recent months as the Delta variant raged. Vaccine mandates have been a factor constraining the supply of healthcare workers, according to hospital executives, public-health authorities and nursing groups.Many hospitals already struggled to find workers, including nurses, before the pandemic. The shortages were compounded by burnout among many medical workers and the lure of high pay rates offered to nurses who travel to hot spots on short-term contracts.Large numbers of nurses, in particular, have voted with their feet, opting to quit or be fired, rather than get jabbed. The WSJ reports:More recently, thousands of nurses have left the industry or lost their jobs rather than get vaccinated. As of September, 30% of workers at more than 2,000 hospitals across the country surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were unvaccinated.“It’s been a mass exodus, and a lot of people in the healthcare industry are willing to go and shop around,” said Wade Symons, an employee-benefits lawyer and head of consulting firm Mercer’s U.S. regulatory practice. “If you get certain healthcare facilities that don’t require it, those could be a magnet for those people who don’t want the vaccine. They’ll probably have an easier time attracting labor.” Some hospital executives have applauded the federal court’s decision to void the mandate. According to the WSJ:“I don’t think the mandates were helpful and I think the court in Louisiana did everyone a service,” said Alan Levine, chief executive officer of Ballad Health, which runs 21 hospitals in Tennessee and Virginia. Mr. Levine said his company has about 14,000 employees, some 2,000 of whom are unvaccinated or didn’t request an exemption to the requirement. “That many people having to be terminated would have been devastating to our system,” Mr. Levine said. In spite of dropping their vaccine mandates, some hospitals continue to urge their staff to get vaccinated, according to the Journal:“We continue to strongly encourage our colleagues to be vaccinated as a critical step to protect individuals from the virus,” HCA spokesman Harlow Sumerford said. He said a majority of HCA’s roughly 275,000 employees are fully vaccinated. Not all hospitals have eliminated their vaccine requirements. Kaiser Permanente and Northwell Health continue to require Covid-19 vaccinations and have fired staff who refuse to comply.
Migrants caught in Texas’ border crackdown could face longer prison stays --Sitting in Texas prisons, hundreds of migrants charged with trespassing under Gov.Greg Abbott’s ongoing “catch and jail” border security initiative have been waiting months for their first chance to appear before a judge.Retired judges and prosecutors from across the state have been enlisted to help process the constant stream of new cases. But based on the current pace of the small-town courts through which the misdemeanor cases must pass, a defense group estimates that migrants arrested this month in rural Kinney County will wait in prison up to a year — the maximum jail sentence for trespassing — before they are even able to appear virtually in court and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.Until now, retired judges picked by the state have often agreed at the mens’ first court hearings to release them from state custody on no-cost bonds while their criminal cases slowly continue through the new judicial process for migrants. Other men who can afford their cash bonds are let out earlier. The released men typically are transferred to federal immigration authorities, after which they are either further detained, deported or released into the United States pending asylum hearings.But a controversial shakeup by the county judge in conservative Kinney County, which accounts for the large majority of Abbott’s trespassing arrests, may lead to even longer detentions, potentially keeping men who can’t post a cash bond in prison indefinitely unless they plead guilty at their first hearing in exchange for a sentence of time they’ve already served.This week, Kinney County Judge Tully Shahan canceled hearings for 20 men and dismissed the three retired judges — two Republicans and a Democrat — who had been hearing the majority of trespassing cases in his county, according to a letter obtained by The Texas Tribune. Instead, the region’s administrative judge said, Shahan himself has handpicked five county judges he hopes will help him with the heavy caseload brought on by Abbott’s Operation Lone Star arrests.“My guess is he’s friends with these folks,” said Stephen Ables, the presiding administrative judge in the region who appointed the three retired judges from a state-provided list to help Kinney County. “He feels they probably understand West Texas.”Unlike the visiting judges, Shahan h as not allowed migrants to be released on no-cost bonds after they plead not guilty in his court. Instead, they stay in the state prisons that Abbott retooled as jails for immigration-related crimes while they await future court proceedings or a trial date.
‘When crazy comes a knocking at the door, slam it shut’ - Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) responds to Senator Ron Johnson’s telling people to gargle with mouthwash to kill Covid.Mr. Johnson: “Standard gargle, mouthwash, has been proven to kill the coronavirus (according to an audio recording of his remarks). If you get it, you may reduce viral replication. Why not try all these things?”Why not? It builds false hope of a simple cure when there is none and a hope for preventing Covid which gargling does not do. Covid resides mostly in the nasal passages. The best tool for preventing Covid is a combination of Covid inoculations, social distancing, and masking up by all and not just yourself.“It is insane how the GOP has weaponized COVID-19 as a political tool,” Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Joel Eisenberg. At a state and local level, it goes beyond just suggesting mouthwash. For some insane reason, there exists a large percentage of people who believe in crazy Covid commentary much of which is stimulated by Republicans locally, in Michigan and nationally. Michigan Republicans are supporting the attacks on state government having lit the fuse leading to a plan to kidnap Governor Whitmer. Even when the local and state Republicans did not find major issues in the 2020 presidential vote, they still did not rebuke national Republicans.
Chicago schools see highest number of student COVID-19 cases - Chicago Public Schools (CPS) hit a pandemic record for daily new COVID-19 cases in students last week, as case numbers rise across the city.The school system reported more than 600 cases last week, up from almost 500 new student cases the previous week and just over 250 student cases the week before that, the district's data showed. Nearly 9,000 students were quarantined or isolated on Sunday, down from 10,000 students as of Friday. On Friday, a CPS spokesperson said that officials “remain vigilant” about testing and other policies like masking and social distancing, noting that no one would be required to quarantine if everyone got fully vaccinated, according to the Chicago Tribune.The Hill has reached out to Chicago Public Schools for comment. Chicago has also seen a general uptick in new cases and in hospitalizations. Over 72 percent of adults in Chicago are fully vaccinated, city data indicated. Similarly, the state of Illinois has also seen a rise in daily case averages recently, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.The increase in infections comes as health officials across the country encourage Americans to receive their booster shots to protect against the new omicron variant, which was first discovered in South Africa. Earlier this month, President Biden assured the public that he would notcombat the pandemic this winter with "shutdowns or lockdowns" but instead said he would employ "more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing and more."“Today, over 99% of schools are open, and we need to make sure we keep it that way this winter,” Biden wrote in an op-ed published in USA Today. “While vaccinating our kids is critical to keeping our schools open, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also reviewing new approaches to keep our children in school instead of quarantining at home.”
Pennsylvania GOP Senate votes to bar school children from COVID-19 requirement - The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania state Senate approved legislation to would prevent a COVID-19 vaccine requirement in order for children to attend school, though no such mandate is in effect, The Associated Press reported. The bill was passed on a 28-21 vote within party lines. It will next go to Pennsylvania's House of Representatives. But the AP notes it will likely face a veto by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) who said he opposes the bill and does not have plans to implement such a mandate. “The administration has no plans to mandate vaccines for K-12 schools so this is nothing more than a waste of time and taxpayer money, and is a distraction from the real issues Pennsylvanians are facing that Republicans should be addressing,” Wolf’s office said in a statement. One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Michele Brooks (R) argued that other vaccines required by schools weren’t approved under the FDA’s “emergency use authorization,” in which COVID-19 vaccines are. Kim Kardashian says she's passed 'baby bar exam' Chicago schools see highest number of student COVID-19 cases State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) highlighted the death toll of school-aged children from the virus being 14 out of an estimated 1.7 million, comparing COVID-19 to seasonal flu, bird flu, and swine flu. Neither the state nor the school district in Pennsylvania requires a COVID-19 vaccination to attend school, AP noted. The only vaccine available to school-aged children is the Pfizer shot. Booster shots of the vaccine for Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recently became available for all adults in the U.S. just before the Thanksgiving holiday.
LA District Postpones Vaccine Mandate As Thousands Of Students Remain Unvaxx'd - The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday agreed not to require children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 until next fall, pushing back a Jan. 10 deadline as thousands of students remain unvaccinated. The Los Angeles Unified School District vaccine mandate was postponed after board members raised concerns that students in California’s largest school district could be pushed into independent study, the Los Angeles Times reported. The decision follows a proposal on Friday announced by Interim Los Angeles Superintendent Megan K. Reilly. She couched the move as an example of the vaccination program’s success, saying that nearly 87 percent of students aged 12 and older were in compliance with the policy. The extension would give others an opportunity to also become inoculated, she said. “This is a major milestone, and there’s still more time to get vaccinated,” Reilly said on Friday. The district will now continue to require weekly testing of all students through the month of January. After that it will only test students who don’t have proof of vaccination. Some 28,000 students remain unvaccinated, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Biden administration pushes COVID-19 'test-to-stay' policy in schools -- The Biden administration is advocating for a “test-to-stay” policy in schools, aiming to reduce the number of absences and quarantines among students exposed to COVID-19. The strategy, announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, will permit close contacts of those with confirmed COVID-19 to stay in classrooms if they test negative at least twice in the week after interacting with an infected person. “If exposed children meet a certain criteria and continue to test negative, they can stay in school, instead of quarantining at home,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing. The CDC cited two studies showing decreased absences in schools that implemented test-to-stay policies. Research involving 90 Lake County, Ill., schools predicted that the strategy eliminated more than 8,000 missed school days. In Los Angeles County schools, test-to-stay protocol prevented about 92,000 absences. “These studies demonstrate that test-to-stay works to keep unvaccinated children in school safely,” Walensky said. Schools in both studies required masks, monitored those who tested positive for symptoms and conducted regular testing among close contacts. Walensky noted that the test-to-stay strategy operates as an additional protection for children, while encouraging parents to get all children ages 5 and older vaccinated for the best protection. The policy comes as several schools across the country are going virtual again ahead of holiday breaks amid spikes in cases, sparking concerns that students might have to undergo remote learning again and risk falling behind academically. The country is also bracing for a wave caused by the omicron variant that scientists expect to overtake the delta strain in the coming weeks.
17-year-old Philadelphia high school student dies from COVID-19 - Alayna Thach, a 17-year-old senior at Olney Charter High School in northside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died on Monday after battling COVID-19 for the past week. She is now the 20th child under 18 years old to die from the virus in Pennsylvania, the result of the social policy of reopening schools before the pandemic is stopped. A gofundme page has been set up to help with funeral costs. By Tuesday afternoon, the page had already received over $11,700 in donations within just 15 hours of being set up. The page describes the rapidity with which COVID-19 devastated Alayna, noting: “Alayna started getting sick from Covid only a week ago, she developed Covid Pneumonia where her lungs and heart collapsed along with the rest of her organs causing severe brain damage from hypoxia. Her care team responded with life support procedures in attempt to save her. All medical options were exhausted before her body became too weak to fight on.” Ashanti, now a student at Pace University, went to school with Alayna last year. She told the World Socialist Web Site, “We used to be in the same program at school called ‘Innovate her,’ until I graduated this year. Alayna was a really nice girl, and she had her whole life ahead of her. This was her senior year.” When asked about the reopening of schools and the demand by the WSWS that schools be kept virtual until the pandemic is ended, Ashanti stated, “I agree with you on that,” adding, “I don’t think anyone should have been sent back to school. I feel like if students weren’t sent back to school maybe Alayna’s death could have been prevented. I feel upset that this happened to her. I’m still in disbelief.” Last year, while learning was still remote, Alayna circulated a petition calling for classes and lunches to be held outside. She expressed concern for COVID-19, as well as the mental health of fellow students and the lack of high speed internet and the other resources students needed for virtual learning. The pandemic is ripping through schools throughout Philadelphia and the United States. Olney Charter High School does not have a dashboard on its web site of COVID-19 cases and has yet to even acknowledge Alayna’s death, but sources at the school say many students have become sick and hundreds more exposed. Teachers were first informed that Alayna was seriously sick on Monday and were notified early this Tuesday morning that she had died. “She was an honor student; it was a great loss. She was well loved by everyone. She was involved in all aspects of our school. We don’t know where she contracted the virus, at school, at home, or somewhere else. We tried hard to prevent it. If we had screening testing, maybe we could have caught it sooner. She was very popular and well loved.”
14 CMSD schools closed on Friday due to ‘large portion’ of sick staff members - The Cleveland Metropolitan School District said a total of 14 campuses were closed on Friday. According to CMSD, the schools include:
- A. J. Rickoff
- Clark
- Collinwood (includes School of One site)
- Dike
- East Tech (includes School of One site)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- George Washington Carver
- Glenville (includes School of One site)
- Halle
- John F. Kennedy
- Mary Bethune
- Wade Park
- Waverly
- Willson
Cleveland Metropolitan School District Interim Deputy Chief of Communications Tom Ott said “the schools were closed because a large portion of their staffs had called off sick.” Ott added that there were not enough substitute teachers available, so a calamity day for each school was declared.A message on the district’s website said students who attend the impacted schools will not participate in remote learning.
South Dakota teachers scramble at “Dash for Cash” in desperate attempt to fund their classrooms - Anger has exploded across the internet and among educators following a “Dash for Cash” spectacle staged among teachers at a hockey game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last Saturday. While the advertising claims made it out to be a “fun” form of social charity to aid cash-strapped schools, horrified spectators instead compared the degraded competition with the Hunger Games or the more recent Squid Game. A local business, CU Mortgage Direct, sponsored the stunt, arranging to dump a $5,000 cash pile in the middle of the ice rink. A pre-selected group of educators were given hockey helmets and allowed five minutes on the clock to grab dollar bills for their classrooms. They stuffed money in their shirts or trousers, as the crowd watched. The teachers’ schools also participated in providing an audience, receiving $5 for every ticket they sold. The shameful event, partially uploaded onto Twitter, has gone viral, meeting with a tirade of outrage and hostility among viewers. It has been seen over 8 million times as of this writing. High school teacher Barry Longden picked up the most cash, a mere $616. He said the funds would help an e-sports program he runs for students. Alexandria Kuyper, a fifth grade teacher, grabbed $592, which she plans to use for treats and decorations for her classroom. Other teachers said they would use their winnings on flexible seating, standing desks and document cameras to upload lessons online, the local paper reported. The degrading use of educators, determined to do whatever they can for their students despite personal humiliation, has deeply angered millions of parents, students, workers and educators. Thousands have commented on social media with disgust. Toni Beaumont wrote, “Nothing could be more emblematic of my parents’ career choice than watching teachers literally ending down on hands and knees, scraping for every last cent.” Susan Majcher asked, “How many other professions need to do this to obtain the tools for their jobs?” A commenter to the Washington Post, asked, “Imagine if our generals had to crawl around on the floor to grab cash to buy jet fighters and guns...”
Company apologizes after 'Squid Game for teachers' goes viral --Organizers of a recent South Dakota “Dash for Cash” event which forced teachers to crawl on the floor for money apologized for “degrading” the instructors. During a Sioux Falls Stampede hockey game Saturday, Dec. 11, 10 teachers were pitted against each other to crawl on their hands and knees for cash that they could then use to fund classroom projects, according to the Argus Leader. In a now viral video, viewers can see the teachers scrambling on their hands and knees on top of a carpet placed in the ice skating rink and stuffing handfuls of dollar bills into their shirts and hats for five minutes, according to The Guardian. Footage of the scramble was caught by Argus Leader reporter Annie Todd whose viral Twitter thread of the event has over hundreds of thousands of views. Critics of the footage likened the “Dash for Cash” to the dystopian Korean television series “Squid Game” in which hundreds of people in deep financial debt fight to the death for a massive cash prize. “Although our intent was to provide a positive and fun experience for teachers, we can see how it appears to be degrading and insulting towards the participating teachers and the teaching profession as a whole,” the Sioux Falls Stampede and co-organizers CU Mortgage Direct said in a joint statement. “We deeply regret and apologize to all teachers for any embarrassment this may have caused.” A total of 31 teachers applied to take part in the team’s first ever “Dash for Cash” event and the 10 participants were randomly selected, according to the statement. The 10 participating teachers were able to collect a combined $5,000 with each grabbing at least $500, the statement added. Both the Sioux Falls Stampede and CU Mortgage Direct will give an extra $500 to the event’s participating teachers and provide $500 to the other 21 applicants that were not selected to take part in the “Dash for Cash.” In total both organizers will donate an extra $15,000 to teachers in the Sioux Falls area, the statement said.
University of Maryland cancels winter commencement amid surge in COVID-19 cases - The University of Maryland has canceled its winter commencement after recording over 100 new positive COVID-19 cases on campus. "With a heavy heart, we are canceling all winter commencement activities," the school said on Thursday. "This decision was not made lightly. We know how important this time is for our winter graduates and their families, but our first responsibility must continue to be the health and well-being of our community." The school announced the cancellation, along with other changes, as a result of the uptick in new infections. The school marked the highest case numbers it has seen all semester despite more than 98 percent of the campus population reportedly being fully vaccinated as of Thursday. The university also said it would require students and faculty to wear KN95 masks as they complete any remaining in-person finals, in addition to asking that any indoor events through Dec. 22 where masks cannot be worn be canceled. Dining halls on campus will also only offer grab-and-go options, and students living in residence halls will be required to leave campus within 24 hours of their last on-campus final exam, according to the university. "I am acutely aware of the impact this virus continues to have on every member of our campus community," the university's president, Darryll J. Pines, said in the announcement. "We are all grappling with the strain and anxiety of this surge. None of this is easy." The school's decision comes as Maryland as a whole has continued to grapple with COVID-19 infections. Earlier this week, the state was among those at the top of a list of 14 states that reported their overall inpatient bed capacity had surpassed 80 percent.
Harvard announces January move to remote learning, work as COVID-19 case numbers rise - Harvard University announced on Saturday that it would be transitioning to remote learning for several weeks in January amid an increase of new cases in the area and around the country. In a letter to the school’s community, Harvard officials said that for the first three weeks of January, “we will take steps to reduce density on campus by moving much of our learning and work remotely." The letter noted that students who had received approval from their specific school or previous authorization would be the only students allowed to remain on or return to campus during the three-week period. Harvard officials acknowledged that some programs, including those requiring work in labs, would continue in person but said others would transition to remote work. School officials signaled that the move was anticipated to be temporary, with “a return to more robust on-campus activities later in January, public health conditions permitting.” “Please know that we do not take this step lightly. It is prompted by the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases locally and across the country, as well as the growing presence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant,” Harvard officials wrote. “It is reinforced by the guidance of public health experts who have advised the University throughout the pandemic. As always, we make this decision with the health and safety of our community as our top priority.” Earlier this week, a Maryland school district also announced it would temporarily be transitioning to remote learning. The announcements come as the U.S. has started to see an uptick of cases and the spread of the omicron variant, which scientists are racing to learn more about.
The US Doesn’t Have Enough Faculty To Train the Next Generation of Nurses - Despite a national nursing shortage in the United States, over 80,000 qualified applications were not accepted at U.S. nursing schools in 2020, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.This was due primarily to a shortage of nursing professors and a limited number of clinical placements where nursing students get practical job training. Additional constraints include a shortage of experienced practitioners to provide supervision during clinical training, insufficient classroom space and inadequate financial resources. Although the 80,000 may not account for students who apply to multiple nursing schools, it clearly suggests that not all qualified students are able to enroll in nursing school. I am a nurse researcher, & I’ve found that the nursing shortage is a complex issue that involves many factors – but chief among them is the shortage of faculty to train future nurses. There are not enough new nurses entering the U.S. health care system each year to meet the country’s growing demand. This can have serious consequences for patient safety and quality of care.Nationally, the number of jobs for registered nurses is projected to increase by 9% between 2020 and 2030.Some states project an even higher demand for registered nurses because of their population and their needs. Florida, for example, will need to increase its number of registered nurses by 16%over the next decade.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be about 194,500 openings for registered nurses each year over the next decade to meet the demands of the growing population, and also to replace nurses who retire or quit the profession. This means the U.S. will need about 2 million new registered nurses by 2030.In addition to a shortage of registered nurses, there is also a shortage of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioner is identified as the second fastest-growing occupation in the next decade, after wind turbine technicians, with a projected increase of 52.2%. Nurse practitioners have an advanced scope of practice compared with registered nurses. They must complete additional clinical hours, earn a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing, and complete additional certifications to work with specific patient populations.The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the health and wellness problems of the nursing workforce. Despite these problems, student enrollment in nursing schools increased in 2020. The pandemic has not turned people away from wanting to pursue a career in nursing. However, without enough nursing faculty and clinical sites, there will not be enough new nurses to meet the health care demands of the nation.
What’s So Great About Great-Books Courses? | The New Yorker -- Roosevelt Montás’s book is called “Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation”; Arnold Weinstein’s is “The Lives of Literature: Reading, Teaching, Knowing.” The genre, a common one for academics writing non-scholarly books, is a combination of memoir (some family history, career anecdotes), criticism (readings of selected texts to illustrate convictions of the author’s), and polemic against trends the author disapproves of. Montás’s and Weinstein’s books fall into the “It’s all gone to hell” category. Both men teach what are called—unfortunately but inescapably—“great books” courses. Since Weinstein works at a college that has no requirements outside the major, his courses are departmental offerings, but the syllabi seem to be composed largely of books by well-known Western writers, from Sophocles to Toni Morrison. At Columbia, undergraduates must complete two years of non-departmental great-books courses: Masterpieces of Western Literature and Philosophy, for first-year students, and Introduction to Contemporary Civilization in the West, for sophomores. These courses, among others, known as “the Core,” originated around the time of the First World War and have been required since 1947. Montás not only teaches in the Core; he served for ten years as the director of the Center for the Core Curriculum.Although Montás and Weinstein are highly successful academics at two leading universities, where they are, no doubt, popular teachers, they feel alienated from and, to some extent, disrespected by the higher-education system. As they see it, they are doing God’s work. Their humanities colleagues are careerists who have lost sight of what education is about, and their institutions are in service to Mammon and Big Tech.It will probably not improve their spirits to point out that professors have been making the same complaints ever since the American research university came into being, in the late nineteenth century. “Rescuing Socrates” and “The Lives of Literature” can be placed on a long shelf that contains books such as Hiram Corson’s “The Aims of Literary Study” (1894), Irving Babbitt’s “Literature and the American College” (1908), Robert Maynard Hutchins’s “The Higher Learning in America” (1936), Allan Bloom’s “The Closing of the American Mind” (1987), William Deresiewicz’s “Excellent Sheep” (2014), and dozens of other impassioned and sometimes eloquent works explaining that higher education has lost its soul. It’s a song that never ends. So, although Montás and Weinstein seem to think that things went wrong recently, things (from the point of view they represent) were wrong from the start. The conflict these professors are experiencing between their educational ideals and the priorities of their institutions is baked into the system. That conflict is essentially a dispute over the purpose of college. How did the great books get caught up in it? In the old college system, the entire curriculum was prescribed, and there were lists of books that every student was supposed to study—a canon. The canon was the curriculum. In the modern university, students elect their courses and choose their majors. That is the system the great books were designed for use in. The great books are outside the regular curriculum.
University of Florida investigation finds researchers felt pressured to suppress COVID-19 data, criticisms of Governor Ron DeSantis - A panel of academic experts at the University of Florida (UF) published a report this week on their weeks-long investigation into various issues pertaining to academic freedom on campus, concluding that UF researchers felt pressured to destroy COVID-19 data and avoid criticizing university and state officials over their disastrous policies during the pandemic. The six-person panel, made up of a faculty senate committee, was convened last month following UF’s decision to bar three political science professors from testifying as expert witnesses in an election lawsuit against the state. The committee’s central finding was that fears of upsetting state lawmakers and politicians was rampant among faculty at UF, pointing to efforts by university administrators to coerce faculty from criticizing Governor Ron DeSantis’ or UF’s policies related to COVID-19 in media interactions. Researchers and academics were warned throughout the past two years not to use their professional titles or school affiliation in written commentary or to give oral presentations to the media. Faculty at UF Health, a network of hospitals associated with the university, expressed concerns over departmental funding being in jeopardy if they did not adopt the state’s stance on pandemic regulations in opinion articles, according to the panel’s findings. The committee received a substantial amount of input from faculty who relayed stories which ranged from attempts to serve as expert witnesses in court cases to other instances that dealt with race and COVID-19 research across disciplines. Members of the panel indicated that outside of the professors who were barred as expert witnesses in November, the committee’s findings on academic suppression were so alarming that they decided to hasten the investigation, particularly in regards to the suppression of COVID-19 research data. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Danya Wright, a constitutional law professor and member of the six-person panel, spoke of an “added sense of urgency” to the allegations related to data destruction. Wright said, “COVID research, it is life and death to not be able to do your job.” She continued, “to have your research that you’ve trained for so many years to be able to do, to have that research tabled, put on the shelf and ignored and not get it out there to the academic community to get it out there and see if it’s going to do any good.” Additional allegations in the report detailed how professors and departmental heads were required to restructure course syllabi and change the content of websites to appease UF’s administration. Race-related references had to be withdrawn from course materials, which included prohibiting the terms “critical” and “race” from appearing together “in the same sentence or document,” according to the committee’s report. This restriction specifically targets the teaching of “critical race theory,” a body of race-obsessed academic writing that Republican lawmakers have sought to ban through fascistic laws aimed at removing “divisive concepts” from school curricula.
Biden Won’t Extend Student Loan Relief And Confirms Student Loan Payments Restart February 1 - The Biden administration won’t extend student loan relief and confirmed student loan payments restart February 1, 2022. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to reporters during a press briefing that the Biden administration won’t extend student loan relief — and the student loan payment pause will end January 31, 2022. (No, Biden won’t extend student loan relief again). Here are some highlights from her comments:
- “In the coming weeks, we will release more details about our plans”
- “We will engage directly with federal student loan borrowers to ensure they have the resources they need and are in the appropriate repayment plan.”
- “We are still assessing the impact of the Omicron variant.”
- “A smooth transition back into repayment is a high priority for the administration.”
- “The Department of Education is already communicating with borrowers to help them to help to prepare for return to repayment on February 1.”
- “41 million borrowers have benefitted from the extended student loan payment pause, but it expires February 1, so right now we’re just making a range of preparations.”
Progressive members of Congress, leading advocacy groups and student loan borrowers have lobbied President Joe Biden to extend the student loan payment pause beyond January 31, 2022. (Here’s a list of everyone who wants Biden to extend student loan relief). They cite potential financial devastation for millions of borrowers if temporary student loan forbearance isn’t extended. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) say that 89% of student loan borrowers feel financially unprepared to restart student loan payments. They also argue that nine million student loan borrowers in default will suffer further financial detriment. (5 ways Biden could cancel more student loans). With other U.S. senators, they have pressured Biden to postpone the return to student loan payments for at least several months and at most until the end of the Covid-19 health emergency. Despite these pleas, the Biden administration seems definitively focuses on ending this student loan relief on January 31. Some student loan borrowers have hoped that Biden will deliver a last-minute financial lifeline by enacting wide-scale student loan cancellation. (Here’s how toget student loan forgiveness during the Biden administration). However, there is no indication that Biden will cancel everyone’s student loans. Therefore, don’t expect Biden to cancel student loans before student loan relief ends. On the contrary, Psaki provided an update on Biden’s actions to date to enact student loan forgiveness. Since becoming president, Biden has cancelled $12.5 billion of student loan debt for approximately 640,000 student loan borrowers. When questioned by a reporter about the Biden administration’s plans to help student loan borrowers, Psaki made no mention of any future plans for wide-scale student loan forgiveness. (How to qualify for automatic student loan forgiveness). Psaki’s posture has been consistent with Biden’s in that the president supports wide-scale student loan cancellation of up to $10,000, but Congress should pass legislation on mass student loan forgiveness.
According to medical examiners, ten people died of compression asphyxia at the Astroworld concert. -- Medical examiners in Houston announced the results of their investigation on Thursday, ruling that all ten people who died at Travis Scott’s Houston Astroworld concert died of compression asphyxia, which occurs when people are pressed together so tightly that they can’t breathe or move. According to one of the medical professionals who spoke, the sudden and significant increase in pressure as people were pressed against each other forced the air out of their lungs, and they likely lost consciousness within a minute as a result of oxygen deprivation. The victims were between the ages of 9 and 27, and all ten deaths were ruled accidental. Cocaine, methamphetamine, and ethanol were discovered in the system of one man, all of which contributed to his rapid loss of oxygen. On the scene, approximately 300 people were treated for injuries, with 25 of them being admitted to the hospital. Professor George Williаms, а criticаl cаre аnesthesiologist аt the University of Texаs Heаlth Science Center in Houston, sаid the victims likely felt “like being crushed by а cаr” аs thousаnds of pounds of pressure wаs suddenly аpplied to their chest. “Seconds do mаtter in аllowing thаt person to recover аnd be rescued from thаt horrific event… Orgаns such аs the brаin аnd heаrt begin to be injured, аnd аfter three to four minutes, the injury hаs progressed to the point where the person cаnnot be revived,” Williаms explаined. The Houston Police Depаrtment is investigаting Scott аnd other festivаl orgаnizers for the events thаt led to the deаths, but it is uncleаr when the investigаtion will be completed or whether chаrges will be filed. Hundreds of lаwsuits hаve been filed аgаinst Scott аnd the orgаnizers аs а result of the incident by relаtives of those who died аnd those who were injured.10:18 PM
Judge overturns Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal over protections for Sackler family - A federal judge on Thursday overturned a bankruptcy settlement for OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma that would have protected its owners, the Sackler family, from future lawsuits relating to the opioid crisis. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that the bankruptcy court lacked the authority to release the Sackler family from liability, Reuters reported.. In September, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain approved the settlement plan, which would have resulted in the dissolution of Purdue Pharma and the transfer of its assets to a firm run by a trust and meant to combat the opioid crisis. The agreement would have also required the Sacklers to provide over $4 billion in cash to charitable assets over a nine year period. In addition to protecting the Sackler family from future opioid-related lawsuits, the conditions of the agreement would have allowed them to keep much of the money they made from Purdue while not requiring them to admit to any wrongdoing. “Today’s ruling striking down Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan and its illegal releases for the Sacklers is a monumental step toward justice for the victims of the Sacklers’ cruel, deliberate plan to flood our communities with the highly addictive opioid, OxyContin,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in a statement. "The Sacklers must not be permitted to evade accountability by abusing our bankruptcy system, and I applaud the District Court for recognizing what I’ve long believed — that nonconsensual third-party releases are not only immoral and unjust, but also illegal," Maloney added. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), who helped in securing the deal to dissolve Purdue Pharma, also released a statement on Thursday evening reacting to McMahon's decision. “The appellate court will now make a determination as to whether this plan will be confirmed, but make no mistake, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family remain named defendants in our ongoing litigation and we will hold them accountable for their unlawful behavior, one way or another," James said. .
Nearly one-third of Americans skipped care in past three months due to cost: poll - Almost one-third of Americans skipped necessary medical care in the past three months because they could not afford it, according to a poll released Tuesday. The survey from the West Health Policy Center and Gallup found that 30 percent of participants said they opted out of health care due to the cost — a percentage that tripled from nine months ago, reaching its highest point during the pandemic. One-fifth of respondents said they or a household member saw their health problem worsen after delaying care because of the cost. Twenty percent of those from households that earn more than $120,000 also reported they postponed health care due to financial reasons — an increase from 3 percent in March. Tim Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center, told The Hill that the data showing those earning “significantly higher” than the median income struggling “tells you that we have a real problem.” “It tells me that we're at a breaking point and that it's not just … those that are desperate are not just low-income individuals but even those that are more affluent,” he said. “And we’re gonna have to find a way out of that.” Almost a third of respondents said they would not have access to affordable care if they needed it today, compared to a spring survey in which 18 percent said the same. Plus, 42 percent said they worry they won’t be able to pay for necessary medical care within the next year. “Decades of failed action and the current weakening of bold measures to lower costs, have left Americans at the close of the year viewing the future as bleak as the past,” a statement alongside the poll said. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened almost half of Americans’ views of the health care system, with 15 percent saying they had more trouble paying for care. Regardless of their political affiliation, two-thirds of Americans don’t expect policies to result in lower costs. Overnight Health Care — Presented by Rare Access Act
COVID cases rising with Christmas — and Omicron — around the corner - The U.S. is now averaging about 122,000 new cases per day — a slight increase over the past week, but a 41% spike over the past two weeks. Roughly 1,300 Americans are dying from COVID infections per day, on average. The CDC’s most recent update, released last week, showed a 15% jump in hospitalizations. Wisconsin has the country’s biggest COVID outbreak right now, relative to its population, with an average of roughly 100 cases per 100,000 people. Michigan has more COVID deaths per 100,000 people than any other state, followed by Montana, Arizona, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Wisconsin saw the biggest increase in average COVID deaths over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate in the U.S. is barely moving. Nearly 40% of Americans aren't fully vaccinated, and the number who are fully vaccinated increased by less than 2 percentage points so far this month, according to CDC data. About 27% of fully vaccinated Americans, including 52% of fully vaccinated seniors, have gotten a booster dose, per the CDC. All available evidence shows that the vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness or death from the Delta variant of COVID-19, which remains the dominant strain in the U.S. The Omicron variant, which is likely to become the dominant strain soon, appears to spread even more easily than Delta. Early evidence suggests that vaccinated people will need a booster to achieve maximum protection against Omicron. What we’re watching: Travel and indoor gatherings for Christmas will likely push COVID cases higher, and that trend will accelerate even further if and when Omicron gains a bigger foothold in the U.S. That will almost certainly translate into at least some increase in both hospitalizations and deaths, with unvaccinated Americans at the greatest risk for both.
Omicron spreading rapidly in U.S., infections could peak in January, CDC warns - Top federal health officials warned in a briefing Tuesday morning that the omicron variant is rapidly spreading in the United States and could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January, according to new modeling analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prevalence of omicron jumped sevenfold in a single week, according to the CDC, and at such a pace, the highly mutated variant of the coronavirus could ratchet up pressure on a health system already strained in many places as the delta variant continues its own surge. The warning of an imminent surge came even as federal officials and some pharmaceutical executives signaled that they don’t currently favor creating an omicron-specific vaccine. Based on the data so far, they say that existing vaccines plus a booster shot are an effective weapon against omicron. The CDC briefing Tuesday detailed two scenarios for how the omicron variant may spread through the country. The worst-case scenario has spooked top health officials, who fear that a fresh wave, layered on top of delta and influenza cases in what one described as “a triple whammy,” could overwhelm health systems and devastate communities, particularly those with low vaccination rates. “I’m a lot more alarmed. I’m worried,” said Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, who participated in the call. The CDC, normally cautious in its messaging, told the public health officials that “we got to get people ready for this,” he said. He noted that the omicron surge, if it materializes as forecast, would be taking place as delta continues its onslaught and during the time of year when influenza cases often peak. Officials stress that early data shows that individuals who are fully vaccinated and received a booster shot remain largely protected against severe illness and death from omicron. But they worry about how few Americans have been boosted to date. Over 55 million people in the United States have gotten the additional shots, out of 200 million who are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. The newest modeling scenarios have been shared among senior administration officials as they discuss politically fraught decisions about how, when and whether to take new steps to suppress the virus and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. The second scenario outlines a smaller omicron surge in the spring. It’s unclear which scenario is more likely. The modeling was done by experts tapped by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in August to deliver real-time outbreak forecasting and analytics. The experts work with other teams inside and outside the government.
Omicron now makes up almost 3% of U.S. Covid cases, according to the CDC - The omicron Covid-19 variant first detected in southern Africa about a month ago now makes up about 3% of cases sequenced in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the delta variant still dominates the U.S. at about 97% of all Covid cases analyzed, omicron is quickly gaining ground. The new variant represented an estimated 2.9% of all cases sequenced last week, up from 0.4% the previous week, according to the CDC. More than two dozen states have reported omicron cases so far. California was first to confirm an omicron case in the U.S. on Dec. 1 in a resident who flew into San Francisco from South Africa. But the CDC on Friday said they've confirmed an earlier case of omicron in a patient who developed symptoms on Nov. 15. It's not clear when the variant first arrived in the U.S. The CDC on Friday said one vaccinated person has been hospitalized with omicron, but no deaths have been reported among the 43 patients that have been followed up on. The most common symptoms so far are cough, fatigue, congestion and a runny nose. Among those patients, 58% were between the ages of 18 and 39 years of age and 79% were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before symptom onset or testing positive. The CDC reported that 33% of the 43 patients traveled internationally during the 14 days prior to developing symptoms or testing positive, indicating that community spread is underway in the U.S.
The symptom that tells you you've caught omicron -As preliminary data begins to roll in surrounding the omicron variant, one symptom is beginning to stand out among the others: Many of those infected have reported having a scratchy throat as opposed to a sore throat.A number of U.K. media outlets have reported on this symptom, which originally gained traction when the initial cases of the omicron variant were reported.The South African doctor who was the first to detect the COVID-19 omicron variant, Angelique Coetzee, described most of the symptoms as “extremely mild” when alerting people what to look out for. Unlike traditional coronavirus patients and those with the delta variant, the patient didn’t report a sore throat, but rather a scratchy throat. He also didn’t develop a cough or loss of taste or smell.The omicron variant was first detected in South Africa in mid-to-late November. On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported that data collected and analyzed from omicron patients has found that this particular coronavirus variant typically produces milder symptoms and can be slowed by the vaccines, though it is still highly transmissible.
Omicron is fastest-spreading Covid variant yet, ‘probably’ in most countries, WHO says - The World Health Organization warned Tuesday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was spreading at an unprecedented rate and urged countries to act, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Omicron could become dominant in Europe next month. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters the strain had been reported in 77 countries and had “probably” spread to most nations undetected “at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant”. Von der Leyen told the EU Parliament that “if you look at the time it takes for new cases to double in number, it seems to be doubling every two or three days”. “By mid-January, we should expect Omicron to be the new dominant variant in Europe,” she continued. Yet von der Leyen added that there are “enough vaccine doses for every European now” as EU countries push to deliver booster jabs. Dutch primary schools will close early before the Christmas holiday as Europe battles a fresh wave of infections and hospital admissions, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a major parliamentary test seeking to impose fresh Covid curbs. Omicron, first detected by South Africa and reported to the WHO on November 24, has a large number of mutations, setting alarm bells ringing since its discovery. Early data suggests it can be resistant to vaccines and is more transmissible than the Delta variant, which was first identified in India and accounts for the bulk of the world’s coronavirus cases. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant. I need to be very clear: vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis.
Omicron infects 70 times faster than previous COVID strains: study --- A new study says that while the COVID-19 omicron variant infects the human body 70 times faster than previous coronavirus strains, the infections appear to be less severe. Researchers from the University of Hong Kong’s LKS Faculty of Medicine found that after 24 hours of infection, the omicron variant multiplied in the human bronchus 70 times faster than the delta variant and original coronavirus strain. They also discovered that omicron infection in the lungs was “significantly lower” than the initial COVID-19 strain, “which may be an indicator of lower disease severity,” according to a statement from the university. The strain replicated in human lung tissue at a rate that was more than 10 times lower than the original COVID-19 strain, which suggests that it may cause less-severe illness. The research, however, is still under peer review for publication. The researchers examined lung tissue removed for treatment that was infected with the omicron variant. Michael Chan Chi-wai, the lead researcher on the study, noted that virus replication is not the only factor that determines disease transmissibility. “It is important to note that the severity of disease in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also by the host immune response to the infection, which may lead to dysregulation of the innate immune system, i.e. ‘cytokine storm,’” Chan said in a statement. He also said that even if a virus proves to be less pathogenic, its highly infectious nature could cause more severe disease and death, which is why he said the threat from the omicron strain is “likely to be very significant.” “It is also noted that, by infecting many more people, a very infectious virus may cause more severe disease and death even though the virus itself may be less pathogenic. Therefore, taken together with our recent studies showing that the Omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from Omicron variant is likely to be very significant,” Chan said.
Covid-19: Omicron spreading at lightning speed - French PM - -- The Omicron variant is "spreading at lightning speed" in Europe and will likely become dominant in France by the start of next year, French Prime Minister Jean Castex has warned. He spoke on Friday, hours before France imposed strict travel restrictions on those entering from the United Kingdom. The UK has so far been the hardest hit in the region, with nearly 25,000 confirmed Omicron cases on Saturday. Across the continent, health officials are bracing for a wave of infections. Additional restrictions were announced in Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands on Friday as governments seek to stem the tide. Europe has already seen more than 89 million cases and 1.5 million Covid-related deaths, according to the latest EU figures. But Germany's Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told reporters on Friday the country "must prepare for a challenge that we have not yet had in this form", while its public health agency designated France, Norway and Denmark as "high risk" due to rising infections in those countries. On Saturday Germany's regional health ministers called on the government in Berlin to bring in tougher rules on arrivals from the UK due to the high number of Omicron cases there. In Ireland, where a third of new cases have been due to the new variant, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said they were expecting "to see infections at a rate that is far in excess of anything we have seen to date". The warnings came as the UK reported a record number of Covid infections for a third day in a row - more than 93,000 - largely driven by Omicron.
Omicron cases doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with local spread:WHO The omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday. Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus' ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the WHO said in an update. The agency designated omicron a variant of concern on Nov. 26, soon after it was first detected, and much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness it causes. "There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron," the WHO said. "More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity." It added, "there are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron". The WHO warned that with cases rising so rapidly, hospitals could be overwhelmed in some places. "Hospitalizations in the U.K. and South Africa continue to rise, and given rapidly increasing case counts, it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed."
WHO expects severe omicron cases, warns against treating variant as mild disease - The World Health Organization on Wednesday cautioned against treating the Covid omicron variant as a mild strain, warning that the virus will also cause severe illness. "We know that people infected with omicron can have the full spectrum of disease, from asymptomatic infection to mild disease, all the way to severe disease to death," Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, told the public during a question-and-answer session. The WHO warned on Tuesday that omicron is spreading faster than any previous variant. Van Kerkhove said Wednesday that increased transmission will result in more hospitalizations that burden health-care systems, some of which will fail. "If a system is overburdened, then people will die," Van Kerkhove said. "We have to be really careful that there isn't a narrative out there that it's just a mild disease." The elderly, people who have underlying health conditions and the unvaccinated are still at risk of severe disease, Van Kerkhove said. Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO's health emergencies program, said the omicron variant is doubling every two days or less in the United Kingdom. "If you have 100,000 cases today, it's 200,000 cases in two days time, but then its 400,000 two days later, and then it's 800,000 two days later," Ryan said. Over the course of a week, "the actual number of cases can increase eight or tenfold and that's what we're concerned about." Van Kerkhove said people need to continue Covid-prevention practices, including wearing masks, maintaining a distance from people and washing their hands. "So we need to act now. It's not time to wait. There is no time to wait until we start to see increasing hospitalizations," she said, noting that some countries are already seeing hospitalizations rise. "Especially as holidays are coming up, and there's more social mixing ... people need to evaluate and reevaluate what they do, and make the decisions that are best for them and best for your families." The U.K. on Wednesday reported the highest number Covid infections since the pandemic began, with more than 78,000 new cases in the last 24 hours. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a "tidal wave" of omicron infections in the coming days.
Omicron: Fog of Information and Definitions - by Yves Smith - It’s a bit disconcerting to find we are a day further into a fast moving crisis yet I don’t have the sense anything both new and meaningful has emerged. But it still seems useful to try to clarify some of the claims floating about as well as a few new Omicron factoids that that have emerged but seem a lot less dispositive than the press enthusiasm would have you believe. As usual we are very grateful for the help of our Covid Brain Trust and I am quoting more liberally from them than I did our also very valuable Brexit Brain Trust. The reason for hewing to our sources’ words more closely is I don’t want my interpretation to distort meaning. And What Pray Tell Do You Mean By Severe?Alarms appear to have gone off at WHO and the CDC after a spell of “initial signs are that Omicron isn’t that bad:Oddly we have to go to Daily Mail rather than Twitter for a pointed recap of our CDC’s more downbeat outlook: CDC issues grim forecast warning that weekly COVID cases will jump by 55% to 1.3 MILLION by Christmas Day and that deaths will surge by 73% to 15,600 a week as Omicron becomes dominant strainAnd remember, even if Omicron is actually is less nasty on average, it’s so highly transmissive that hospitals will be overwhelmed:And there is an offset that Thomas Peacock, the scientist first to post on B.1.1.529 before it was called even that, noticed immediately: that it probably evades monoclonal antibodies. Our GM was quite certain that would be the case, and our IM Doc now has pretty some pretty sick patients who are not responding at all to Regeneron, which has an EUA for use as a Covid treatment and is generally seen as effective. German researchers confirmed yesterday that Regeneron’s and Eli Lilly’s Covid treatments are not effective against Omicron. GlaxoSmithKline’s cocktail Xevudy still appears to work in vitro, but that may not translate as well in vivo.The loss of some, perhaps all, monoclonal antibodies as Omicron remedies means that some patients that could otherwise have been treated outside a hospital will wind up being admitted. This is an offset to any average reduction in severity.So it should not come as any surprise that, so far, deaths in Gauteng are tracking previous Covid waves: Yet as our GM was correct to warn, the “mild” meme, as the hot take meant to preserve Christmas festivities and shopping, has become anchored. The press is pumping out even more articles to try to normalize Covid, such as the Atlantic’s Don’t Be Surprised When You Get Omicron. Gee, how about instead running a public service piece like “What You Need to Do to Not Get Omicron.” GM reacted, quoting the article and then commenting:One by one, the symptoms I knew so well on paper made their real-life debut: cough, fever, fatigue, and a loss of smell so severe, I couldn’t detect my dog’s habitually fishy breath.Mild brain damage.Once you know you’re infected, hang tight, limit your encounters with other people, and just take care of yourself.As discussed earlier today, all the effective treatments need to be started early on. So what exactly is the advice to “just take care of yourself” on your own going to achieve?And what are they going to do with the monoclonals and Omicron? There is only sotrovimab [GlaxoSmithKline] that actually still works and that is presumably in very short supply. But do they still refuse to give to the vaccinated (which are no longer actually vaccinated)?
Former Biden COVID-19 adviser: 'Viral blizzard' about to hit the US - A former COVID-19 adviser for President Biden's transition on Thursday warned of a “viral blizzard” that is about to hit the U.S. as COVID-19 cases rise and concerns about the omicron variant continue to fester. Michael Osterholm, who served on Biden’s coronavirus advisory team during the transition, said in an appearance on CNN that the health care system could be overwhelmed as omicron becomes more prevalent in the U.S. "I think we're really just about to experience a viral blizzard," Osterholm told CNN's Erin Burnett. "I think in the next three to eight weeks, we're going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of delta, and we're not yet sure exactly how that's going to work out." "What you have here right now is a potential perfect storm," Osterholm said. "I've been very concerned about the fact that we could easily see a quarter or a third of our health care workers quickly becoming cases themselves." Omicron was discovered near the end of November in South Africa and, despite quick action from the U.S. to ban travel from areas where the variant was prevalent, the new strain has been found in dozens of states. Early studies of the virus show it is more transmissible than the previous delta variant, but possibly less severe. Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said omicron will soon be “dominant” among COVID-19 cases in the country. Omicron "will assume a dominant role very soon, I would imagine within a period of a few weeks to as we go into January," Fauci said recently. "Besides the toll of suffering and death which will inevitably go up if in fact we have that convergence in the winter months of flu and omicron and delta, we could get our hospital systems overwhelmed," Fauci added.
An Urgent Warning about Omicron’s Exponential Spread - An extremely contagious new Covid virus is emerging globally and in the US. Those who have resisted inoculations and other preventative measures may find themselves particularly vulnerable. Reviewing the graphs presented, this virus will rapidly infect the US. This Covid Virus will test the ability of people’s resistance. Coronavirus dashboard: An Urgent Warning about Omicron’s Exponential Spread: Two Days Ago. A graph comparing the growth in Omicron vs. Delta cases in London: Shocking, isn’t it? Just One Day Later. Now here is the same data, updated yesterday: Do I have your attention? In one day, the number of Omicron cases literally went through the top of the previous graph. Dr. Trevor Bedford, a geneticist who was the first to demonstrate that there was community spread of Covid-19 in the US back in late February 2020, is now tracking the daily exponential growth of Omicron, with a 10 day lag because that is how long it takes for reliable testing data to be accumulated. Here are his current graph of 5 countries including South Africa, the UK, and the US: Tracking Across Five Countries Including the US : Depending on the country, the number of Omicron cases is doubling every 2 to 3 days. As of 10 days ago, he estimates about 1000 cases per day in the US were Omicron. If we use 3 days as the doubling time, that is close to 10,000 cases today. Projecting that rate of growth forward, here is what we get:
- – about 100,000 cases a day by December 27
- – 1 million cases a day by January 6
- -10 million cases a day by January 16.
This in a health system where many hospitals have already reached their limit. Will it get that bad? Exponential growth keeps going until, well, it doesn’t (see, e.g., Delta during July and August, peaking quickly just before Labor Day). In that regard, in South Africa, Omicron May have peaked a few days ago. A 1-figure Gauteng update, bringing in data through Wednesday 15/12 (PCR only; by date of collection). If Delta burned through the dry tinder in about 2 to 3 months, in South Africa Omicron sped that up to about 30 to 45 days. In South Africa, cases went from 400 to 24,000 in 4 weeks, an 60-fold increase. Two other countries with major Omicron spread, Denmark and Norway, went from 400 cases each to 8000 and 4000, respectively, a 20-fold and 10-fold increase. Interestingly (although I won’t bother with the graph, in Norway cases seem to have peaked in the last few days after 12 weeks of increase). The good news is, if South Africa and Norway are the templates, then like Delta there is a certain subset of the population that is uniquely susceptible, and once Omicron infects those people, it runs out of fuel. While cases in the South, West, and Midwest are generally still much better than they were one year ago at this point: In the Northeast, where there is evidence Omicron is already a significant share of total infections, cases are already close to their all-time daily highs, and look to exceed those numbers by Monday or Tuesday: I am afraid this is what the US as a whole is looking at within a week or two, if not within days. If the above is true, at some point between now and New Year’s Day there is going to be a March 2020 style nearly instant crash in public and economic activity.
Fauci Says "No Need" For Omicron-Specific Vaccine - In less than stellar news for pharma giants Pfizer and Moderna, who had been salivating at the possibility they will have to come up with a brand new inefficient vaccine that does nothing at all to prevent the spread of Omicron (and/or covid) but boosts their annual revenue by billions, moments ago Biden's top health advisors and illict sponsor of gain-of-function research in Wuhan, Anthony Fauci, said that existing vaccine booster shots appear to protect against the omicron variant, and as of now there’s no need to develop specialized shots to guard against it. During a Wednesday briefing, Fauci said that studies so far show strong antibody responses from existing boosters, though protections against omicron are weaker with just two doses, confirming that the entire exercise was about pushing through booster shots as we have said for the past three weeks. “Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron. At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster” said Fauci, who also leads National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The U.S. has been urging vaccination, and booster shots, to protect against omicron as researchers await further data on its transmissibility, virulence and vaccine evasion. Pfizer and Moderna have already begun developing a booster shot customized for omicron. Of 43 U.S. omicron infections analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four-fifths were in fully vaccinated people, although almost all the cases were relatively mild.
Omicron surge 'not a question of if, but when': Furness - An infectious disease expert believes that Omicron variant of COVID-19 will trigger a"significant escalation" of infections that could force schools, restaurants and other industries to shut down once again."It's not a question of if, but when," Colin Furness, an expert in infectious disease epidemiology from the University of Toronto, told CTV National News. "I don't see how we're going to keep a lid on things."Furness warned that governments need to update COVID-19 guidance to reflect that the virus is primary spreading through airborne transmission."Stop pretending that bits of Plexiglas and a blue gaping surgical mask is enough to protect anyone against anything, because it isn't."Watch the full interview by clicking on the video at the top of this article.
Omicron may be less severe in South Africa. It may not be the case for the U.S. -It's been about a month since scientists first detected the highly mutated coronavirus variant dubbed "omicron." Since then, scientists have come to learn that omicron spreads faster than the delta variant and is the quickest-spreading variant the world has yet faced. It also has a huge ability to bypass immune protection and cause breakthrough infections. The big open-ended question right now centers on omicron's severity: Does omicron cause milder disease, compared to previous variants? Does it thereby lower the risk of severe disease and hospitalization? There's no doubt everyone wants this to be the case. And some recent data out of South Africa sure makes it look like that might be the case. Researchers there have found that South Africans infected with omicron are, on average, less likely to end up in the hospital, and they also appear to recover more quickly from illness, compared to the other variants. However, as many scientists have been pointing out, that evidence from South Africa could be misleading. The omicron variant may end up acting differently in the U.S.As a country, South Africa had already gone through three massive COVID surges, as vaccination rates there remained low, compared to the U.S. and Europe.So, while only about a quarter of South Africans had been vaccinated when omicron finally arrived, the vast majority of residents had likely already been infected with previous variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Scientists have predictedthis based on the excess mortality rate observed in the country through the pandemic.) Given this history, scientists say most South Africans already probably had some level of immune protection generated by these prior infections."Thus, omicron enters a South African population with considerably more immunity than any prior SARS-CoV-2 variant," concluded Dr. Roby Bhattacharyya, an infectious disease specialist, and epidemiologist William Hanage in a recent paper publishedonline.In other words, there are very few South Africans who have never been exposed to the coronavirus — either through a vaccine or a natural infection.That means the omicron infections happening in South Africa aren't, for the most part, primary infections, but rather secondary infections, also known as reinfections.Here's the thing about secondary infections from SARS-C0V-2: They tend, on average, to be milder, scientists have found. For example, a study published last month in theNew England Journal of Medicine found that if you survive the first infection, it reduces the risk of severe illness from a second infection by about 90%.And thus, even before omicron hit South Africa, the population as a whole had built up a significant amount of immunity to COVID-19. A large proportion of people who were once — early in the pandemic — at high risk for severe disease, are now probably at a lower risk.
Biden says unvaccinated face ‘winter of severe illness and death,’ encourages Americans to get booster - States across the Northeast and Midwest are reporting an increasing number of new coronavirus cases, worrying officials as the country lurches into the holiday season amid fears about the omicron variant.New York, the first epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, is recording an average of nearly 12,000 new cases per day — the most in the country, according to data analyzed by The Washington Post. On Thursday, the state reported 18,276 infections, its third-highest tally ever.Health experts there have attributed the rise in part to the omicron variant, and New York City officials announced plans to distribute 500,000 at-home coronavirus tests and a million KN95 masks to combat the concerning trend.“Omicron is here in New York City,” health commissioner Dave A. Chokshi said, “and it is spreading quickly.”Elsewhere in the region, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and D.C. have all seen their per capita case rates increase by more than 10 percent. In the Midwest, Wisconsin and Illinois have seen significant spikes. And in Ohio, where officials are reporting the third-highest average of new cases in the United States, hospital leaders pleaded with residents to get vaccinated.“Our organizations are now preparing for what could be the largest surge yet in covid-19 cases this winter,” the CEOs wrote in a letter to the Columbus Dispatch. Some Southern states, especially Texas and Florida, are also beginning to see their case counts increase. In Harris County, home to Houston, hospital officials are bracing for another crush of infections after seeing cases skyrocket in recent days.President Biden, during a meeting of his coronavirus task force, issued a dire warning to Americans who haven’t yet received their vaccine as the nation prepares to battle the omicron variant.“For [the] unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death,” Biden said.Biden urged Americans to get their coronavirus shots, whether it is their first one or a booster. The omicron variant, he said, is in the nation, and it is “going to start to spread much more rapidly at the beginning of the year, and the only real protection is to get your shot.”As the holidays near in many parts of the world, some countries are p utting in place new restrictions to stem the tide and many people are taking new precautions.
As Covid Surges, Experts Say US Booster Effort Is Far Behind -The CDC now recommends that all adults get a booster. But only one in six Americans has received that shot, worrying health officials.As the pandemic has surged toward its third year, shape-shifting into the contagious new Omicron variant and spiking dangerously in the Northeast, around the Great Lakes and in other parts of the country, health officials and epidemiologists are vehemently urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted. But the going has been slow. Of American adults who are fully vaccinated and eligible for a booster shot, only about 30 percent have received one, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And among all Americans, only about one in six has received a booster. On Friday, as New York City was racing to confront a precipitous surge in infections, city officials said only about 1.5 million New Yorkers out of more than 8 million had received booster shots.Some states may be undercounting, but the lag is alarming because Omicron infections appear to evade regular one- or two-dose vaccinations. Vaccines still provide robust protection against death and severe illness, but when it comes to preventing the virus from getting a foothold in the first place, scientists increasingly believe that three shots are the new two shots.Just over half of Americans 65 and older — the population most vulnerable to a severe outcome from the virus — have received a booster. And public health experts are concerned that socioeconomic disparities in vaccination rates will be exacerbated as booster shots roll out. Difficulty in taking time off work and disconnection from health care systems have contributed to a persistent gap in vaccination rates between the most and least socioeconomically vulnerable counties. …Among the states, booster rates are mostly correlated with vaccination rates, with the lowest rates in the south. West Virginia has among the lowest booster rates, with 26.6 percent of people 65 and over, while Minnesota is the highest with 71.2 percent of that age group, according to an analysis of the C.D.C. data by Jen Kates, senior vice president of Kaiser Health Foundation. Widespread, lasting immunization is critical to controlling the virus, according to health officials. Every poorly protected lung is a safe harbor for Covid-19 to spread and mutate. And every surge further exhausts the nation’s already depleted health care system, consuming finite hospital staff, resources and attention that then cannot be used to treat people with other serious illnesses. Normal life in this country, scientists say, depends on the willingness of Americans to act both in their individual and in the broader community interest. The vaccine rollout, a year old this week, has averted about a million Covid deaths and 10 million hospitalizations, according to a recent report by the Commonwealth Fund. But it has been plagued by polarization, misinformation and lately by muddled communication from the federal government — first over who was eligible, and most recently over whether a booster shot would make a difference. …
FDA authorizes AstraZeneca antibody cocktail for immunocompromised people -The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail designed to prevent COVID-19 in immunocompromised people who may not mount an adequate immune response to vaccines.The FDA granted AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, previously known as AZD7442, an emergency use authorization to be given to certain adult and pediatric patients who are not currently infected with COVID-19 and have not been exposed to someone with the virus.In order to take the medicine, the patients need to either have moderate to severely compromised immune systems due to medical conditions or immunosuppressive medications or treatments or to have a history of a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. The FDA noted Evusheld should not function as “a substitute for vaccination in individuals for whom COVID-19 vaccination is recommended.”“Vaccines have proven to be the best defense available against COVID-19,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, there are certain immune compromised individuals who may not mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, or those who have a history of severe adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine and therefore cannot receive one and need an alternative prevention option.”The preventative cocktail, composed of the long-acting monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab, is instructed to be given in two separate consecutive intramuscular injections. That dose could prevent COVID-19 in at-risk individuals for six months. AstraZeneca submitted its request for emergency use authorization in October based on data showing the cocktail was 77 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. A company analysis from last month found the drug combination to be more than 80 percent effective.The drug was tested in a trial involving participants older than 59 at higher risk for COVID-19 who had not gotten vaccinated or had a previously confirmed infection.With about 7 million Americans considered to be immunocompromised, the antibody cocktail could help them develop a stronger immune response to prevent COVID-19 infection.AstraZeneca noted that studies are currently ongoing to see how the omicron variant affects Evusheld.
Judge Holds Hospital In Contempt: Give Ivermectin To Dying Woman Or Pay $10,000-A-Day Fine -After a judge found Virginia’s Fauquier Hospital in contempt of court in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a COVID-19 patient who was denied being prescribed Ivermectin, the hospital said Tuesday that it is complying with the court order. Christopher Davies, the son of the patient, Kathleen Davies, told the Fauquier Times that two doses of Ivermectin - generally used to treat parasites - were given to the woman at 8:45 p.m. on Monday. The Epoch Times has contacted Fauquier Hospital for comment. It came after Judge James. P. Fisher, of the 20th Judicial Court of Virginia, signed an order Monday finding Fauquier Hospital in contempt of court or “needlessly interposing requirements that stand in the way of the patient’s desired physician administering investigational drugs as part of the Health Care Decisions Act and the federal and state Right to Try Acts.” Furthermore, “given the gravity at hand,” the hospital has to pay “$10,000 per day retroactive to the date of the court’s injunction order filing,” the judge ordered, meaning that each day the hospital does not prescribe Ivermectin to Davies, they will have to pay the fine “until the ordered relief has been accomplished.” Her family had requested the hospital give Davies, who had been on a ventilator since Nov. 3, Ivermectin to treat her COVID-19 as a last resort to save her life. The Davies’ family doctor had prescribed Ivermectin to the woman, but Fauquier Hospital resisted administering the drug and cited medical, legal, and other concerns, the Fauquier Times reported.
CDC handing out free COVID-19 test kits for international travelers The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is handing out free coronavirus tests for international travelers during the holiday season. The CDC announced Thursday the initiative began Wednesday in a move to encourage international travelers to test themselves once they enter the country since the U.S. does not require it. The agency says international travelers should test themselves three to five days after arriving in the U.S. in order to help detect imported coronavirus cases. The tests were handed out the week of Dec. 13 in the Minneapolis-St Paul, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago O'Hare airports. The CDC will add four more airports to the list soon. Despite the U.S. not having a requirement for international travelers to take a COVID-19 test once they entered the country, some travel restrictions have been reimposed due to the omicron variant. Several southern African countries were banned from travel to the U.S. in November after the omicron variant was first discovered in South Africa. The U.S. indicated it won’t lift the ban until more is known about the variant but has not banned travel from other countries that have confirmed cases of the omicron strain. The U.S. recently required all international travelers to get a COVID-19 test one day before traveling to the country, tightening the previous rule that said a test was needed within three days before the flight. U.S. health officials said they expect the omicron variant to become the dominant variant in the upcoming, highlighting concerns on what that could mean for the health system.
COVID-19 test makers, labs warned demand could soon double or even triple: report The Biden administration has warned COVID-19 test makers and labs that demand for tests could soon double or even triple, five people familiar with the situation told Politico. The Health and Human Services Department’s Testing and Diagnostic Working Group shared an internal model with the diagnostic industry that projects the country needing more COVID-19 tests on top of the more than 1.6 million currently used daily. The model shows 3 million to 5 million daily tests needed by January or February, an estimate that makes the assumption the omicron variant is three to five times more transmissible than delta and becomes the dominant variant in four weeks. Although studies have suggested omicron is more transmissible, it is still early to put a definitive number on it. An HHS representative told Politico the agency is “modeling for a range of scenarios to prepare for potential future public health needs.” "Testing demand involves many behavioral variables, but we are focused on preparedness and continuing to make sure plenty of tests are available along with vaccines, boosters, and other tools to help protect the American people," the official said. People familiar with the issue told Politico the administration has not made plans public on initiatives to help boost supplies if more tests are needed. “The modeling at the federal level indicated that demand would exceed supply in all the different modalities,” Mayo Clinic Laboratories President William Morice told the outlet. “This is different than any conversations that we’ve had with this administration in terms of the urgency.” CDC handing out free COVID-19 test kits for international travelers Overnight Health Care — Presented by Rare Access Action Project —... The concern about omicron comes as the new variant has been found in dozen of states and has already impacted the United Kingdom. COVID-19 issues in the U.K. have served as a warning throughout the pandemic of what could come for the U.S. President Biden said he does not plan to shut down the economy in response to the variant and instead wants to focus on vaccinations and people getting their booster shot.
Massachusetts to distribute 2M at-home rapid COVID-19 tests - Massachusetts will distribute more than 2 million at-home COVID-19 tests to some of the state's most vulnerable communities as the region braces for a winter spike in cases, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said Monday. Baker said his administration has secured 2.1 million over-the-counter rapid tests from iHealth Labs that will be delivered to the 100 towns with the highest percentage of families below the poverty level. Those municipalities account for nearly 3.7 million Massachusetts residents. "Like vaccines, these rapid at-home tests are potentially a game changer as we continue to battle COVID here in the Commonwealth. The big problem in many cases for many people have been costs and supply," Baker said. Massachusetts is paying $5 per test, and the tests come in packs of two. Baker said the commonwealth is also finalizing plans to allow municipalities and other public entities to directly purchase tests from test manufacturers at fixed, state-negotiated prices beginning in January. Municipalities are able to utilize American Rescue Plan Act funding, as well as federal COVID-19 relief funding, to purchase the rapid antigen test kits. “While these tests are widely available at many pharmacies and retail locations across the Commonwealth, we are making it even easier for residents to get free rapid testing through these initiatives," Baker said. Other states, including Colorado and neighboring New Hampshire, have also worked to distribute free rapid tests to residents. But rather than mailing tests to individuals, the free tests will be sent to cities and towns for distribution to the public. Each city or town will be able to determine how best to distribute tests within their community, but they are being asked to prioritize those most in need. Advocates have been pushing for greater access to rapid at-home tests for more than a year, saying that frequent and cheap rapid tests can help limit spread of the virus without resorting to business closures by giving people the ability to know when they are infectious and need to isolate and when they are not. Nationally, the Biden administration is facing calls to make rapid testing more affordable and accessible. Officials have announced a plan for Americans with private insurance to be reimbursed for the costs of the tests, but it has faced criticism for being too cumbersome and adding unnecessary barriers.
Massachusetts hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 surge - As winter weather sets in, Massachusetts is in the midst of a significant surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Hospitals, hit with a “perfect storm” of rising COVID-19 cases, delayed care and staffing shortages, are overwhelmed across the state, and Republican Governor Charlie Baker has asked hospitals to reduce “certain non-essential, elective services and procedures” by 50 percent by Wednesday. Baker has also said that Massachusetts may join several other states—including the New England states of New Hampshire and Maine as well as neighboring New York—in calling in the National Guard to assist in hospitals. The Boston Globe has noted that COVID-19 case numbers this year have tracked numbers last year with uncanny similarity from the end of October through early December. For example, the seven-day average for December 3, 2020, was 4,462 cases per day, whereas this year it was 4,303. In both years, new cases began moving upward significantly at the end of October, dipped slightly around Thanksgiving, and then skyrocketed after the holiday. If this trend continues, one can expect cases to stay alarmingly high through the end of the year, when the reported figures will drop due to deceased testing, and then spike again after New Year’s Day. Several public health experts told the Globe that it appears that, in terms of cases, the benefits of vaccination are being “balanced out” by the spread of the Delta variant, the reopening of schools, increasing social mixing, waning immunity and reduced indoor masking. Brigham and Women’s Hospital infectious disease physician Dr. Scott Dryden-Peterson said, “The benefits of widespread vaccination are apparently being offset by the added risk of a more infectious virus and more time spent together without masks.” Boston University epidemiology and global health professor Matthew Fox told the Globe, “To a certain extent, waves follow a very similar pattern,” but noted that there is a “bit of a coincidence” in the numbers lining up so exactly between the years. While hospitalizations and deaths are rising more slowly than cases in 2021 compared to 2020, the “decoupling” of cases and hospitalizations long hoped for—that rises in cases would not necessarily mean a rise in hospitalizations—was “not as much as we would like to see,” in the words of Tufts Medical Center Hospital epidemiologist Dr. Shira Doron. There were 1,115 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Massachusetts on December 7, 2021 (a seven-day average). For the same day in 2020, there were 1,413.
Minnesota hospitals warn they are 'overwhelmed' in full-page ad - Minnesota hospital leaders are warning in a full-page newspaper ad that they are “overwhelmed” amid a COVID-19 surge and are urging the public to take action. “Our emergency departments are overfilled, and we have patients in every bed in our hospitals,” write the leaders of nine hospital systems in the state, including the Mayo Clinic and North Memorial Health. The hospitals warn that because their capacity is strained, care for noncoronavirus medical events, like heart attacks, is also threatened. “Now, an ominous question looms: will you be able to get care from your local community hospital without delay? Today, that's uncertain,” they write in the ad, which is running in major newspapers across the state. Minnesota has the third-most per capita COVID-19 cases in the country,according to the COVID Act Now tracking site, behind New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Almost 1,800 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 in Minnesota, approaching the height of the winter peak last year, before vaccines were widely available. Other states are also facing strains at their medical facilities. Massachusetts hospitals, for example, are cutting back on some elective surgeries. The Minnesota hospital leaders point out that many of the hospitalizations could be prevented, given that COVID-19 hospitalizations across the country are being driven largely by the unvaccinated.
Hospitals worry rising case counts will push them past breaking point -Hospitals increasingly are worried that a growing number of COVID-19 cases in several states will push them beyond their breaking point, even before the omicron strain really hits U.S. shores hard. Already dealing with depleted workforces, hospitals are juggling a continuing flood of patients infected with the still-dominant delta strain, along with more patients seeking attention for worsening conditions after delaying care earlier in the pandemic. Several states, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest, have called for support in recent days to alleviate the demand already pummeling hospitals ahead of the holiday season and any potential major spread of the omicron variant. Some public health experts worry that omicron could only make things worse, even in an optimistic scenario where the new variant doesn’t lead to deadly cases. “Some of our hospitals are already at breaking points, so anything additional on top of them will only make it worse,” said Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. Fourteen states report their overall inpatient bed capacity has surpassed 80 percent as of Monday, with Rhode Island, Maryland, Michigan and Massachusetts topping the list. More than half of states say their intensive care units are more than 80 percent full, according to Health and Human Services data. Nationwide, hospitalizations are climbing, with the seven-day average for daily hospitalizations approaching 66,000 as of Sunday in a 23 percent increase from two weeks earlier, according to data from The New York Times. Still, hospitals in some hot spots face even greater admission surges. Indiana’s largest hospital system requested help from the National Guard last week for most of its locations as hospitalizations for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients “reach all-time highs” and demand “has never been greater.” “Managing those surges alongside all of the other incredibly vital reasons that patients come to the hospital — that’s what makes this moment different than earlier in the pandemic and every bit as challenging as all the other moments in the pandemic,” said Akin Demehin, the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) director of policy. Leaders in Minnesota hospitals took out a full-page newspaper ad on Sunday warning that they are “heartbroken” and “overwhelmed” as their beds fill to capacity during a COVID-19 surge. New Hampshire and Maine officials also announced the National Guard’s deployment last week to assist with its overwhelmed hospitals. Massachusetts instructed its hospitals to further reduce elective procedures amid a “critical staffing shortage,” and Maryland directed its hospitals to update their emergency plans and maximize hospital bed capacity. .Hospitals are not yet dealing with significant admissions related to the omicron strain, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 99.9 percent of COVID-19 cases nationwide can be traced to the delta variant.
Colorado Hospitals in ‘Critical Condition’ as State Weathers Another Surge - Harold Burch has battled chronic osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and has had two major intestinal surgeries. One specialist he was seeing left her practice last year. Another wouldn’t accept his insurance. Then, Nov. 1, he started experiencing major stomach pain.“When we talk terrible problems, I can’t leave the house,” he said. He hasn’t eaten anything substantial in three weeks, he added. Burch had to wait that long to be seen by a primary care doctor. He said the doctor told him, “‘If things were different, I would tell you to go to the hospital and be diagnosed, have some tests run and see what’s going on with you.’ But he says, ‘As of today, Delta County hospital is clear full. There are no beds available.’” The covid variant delta has overwhelmed the Colorado county of the same name. Hospitals on the Western Slope have been slammed for weeks, and the statewide picture is similarly grim. As of Monday, the state’s coronavirus website reported 1,294 patients hospitalized with covid-19. Half of the state’s hospitals said they anticipated a staffing shortage in mid-December; more than a third of them anticipated bed shortages in their intensive care units at the same time. And behind those numbers, patients are feeling the impact Burch’s doctor told him he might have to wait hours in the emergency room, perhaps with people who have flu or covid symptoms. So Burch stayed home. He’s fully vaccinated. But just 57% of eligible people in Delta County have received at least one dose of a covid vaccine. And 84% of hospitalized covid patients in Colorado are not vaccinated. “It’s really frustrating because I did the right thing and like so many other people have, and we’re being just kind of like told, ‘Unless you have a really serious problem, like a heart attack, a stroke, you’re going to have a baby or something like that, we really don’t have time to mess with you,’” Burch said. “I mean, it’s just wrong.” Burch’s situation is not uncommon this fall, as the state faces its second-worst covid surge for hospitalizations and deaths. Hospitals are under tremendous strain and that means delays and changes from normal care, as strapped providers do more with less. “Hospitals across Colorado are in critical condition. We have been at 90%-plus capacity in our ICU and acute care beds for weeks now. And unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be an end to that situation in the near future,” said Cara Welch, a spokesperson for the Colorado Hospital Association. Diann Cullen, 72, a retiree in Broomfield, Colorado, was told by her doctor that her hernia surgery would have to be postponed for weeks. Her reaction: “Frustration, extreme frustration, actually anger, because I said a bad word. … He flat-out told me we can’t even do it because of too many covid patients.” The combination of too many covid patients, the need to treat those who delayed care and staff shortages have pushed hospitals into crisis, said Robin Wittenstein, CEO of Denver Health, which runs one of the state’s biggest hospital and clinic systems. “They’re coming into hospitals now sicker than ever before. And they’re coming in larger numbers than we’ve ever seen before,” Wittenstein said on the day when most metro-area counties announced they were enacting a new indoor, public mask mandate. “Our system is on the brink of collapse.”
Ohio and 3 neighboring states account for more than half of recent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in U.S. - cleveland.com - Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Indiana account for more than half of the recent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.,according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past month, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 have been on the rise across the country, especially with the prevalence of the more-contagious delta variant. Another new variant, known as omicron, is also beginning to spread in the U.S.
US passes 50 million recorded COVID-19 cases - The United States on Monday passed 50 million recorded COVID-19 cases, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. The milestone underscores the toll of the virus in the U.S., where it is continuing to fuel surges and leave a striking death toll, largely among the unvaccinated. Case counts nationally have risen to around 120,000 per day, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Some experts have been deemphasizing case counts as a metric, given that some are usually-mild breakthrough cases that occur after someone has been vaccinated. But hospitalizations and deaths are also recording alarming trends, largely among the unvaccinated. About 1,200 people die from the virus every day, and 65,000 are in the hospital, according to a tracker from The New York Times. A total of about 800,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S. Those numbers have been rising again recently as the weather gets colder in the northern part of the country, and people move more activity indoors. The omicron variant of the virus poses an additional threat. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are already on the rise, despite the new variant not yet gaining a predominant foothold in the U.S., where the delta variant still dominates. Much remains unknown about the new variant, but it has indications of being extremely transmissible. Early data also shows that two doses of vaccine are far less protective against getting infected with the new variant, leading experts to call for all adults to get their booster shots to restore protection. Hospitals in some states are strained and urging everyone to get vaccinated and boosted. Minnesota hospital systems took out a full-page ad in local newspapers to warn that they are “overwhelmed.” The U.S. has one of the highest per capita rates of recorded COVID-19 cases in the world, with about 15,000 cases per 100,000 people, according to a New York Times tracker. Share to Facebook Share to Twitter
Colorado passes 10,000 COVID deaths, 3rd omicron case confirmed - Exactly one year after the first Coloradans received COVID-19 vaccinations, Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPHE) reports the state surpassed 10,000 deaths due to COVID on Tuesday. CDPHE also reported the state's third confirmed case of the omicron variant on Tuesday. The case involving a Jefferson County woman was detected through routine testing, and the state lab confirmed through genome sequencing. The woman had recent travel history to Africa, did not have symptoms, and had received the vaccination and a booster shot. On Dec. 2, Colorado's first case of the omicron variant was detected in Arapahoe County. A second case was found a day later in Boulder. Colorado was the third state to detect the omicron variant. The omicron variant was recently detected in November in the region of southern Africa, and CDPHE said is may be responsible for an increase in COVID cases in that area. Colorado reported its first COVID-19 death on March 14, 2020. The person who died was an El Paso County woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions, according to a news release from the CDPHE.
Omicron may multiply 70 times faster than delta; new variant dominant in Disney World county: Latest COVID-19 updates -The omicron variant multiplies 70 times faster in the human bronchial tubes than the initial COVID-19 infection or the delta variant, according to a new study from the University of Hong Kong.The lightning-fast spread within people may explain why the variant may transmit faster among humans than previous versions, the researchers say. Their study also showed the omicron infection in the lung is significantly lower than the original SARS-CoV-2, which may be an indicator of lower disease severity. The research is currently under peer review for publication.By infecting many more people, a very infectious virus may cause more severe disease and death even though the virus itself may be less dangerous, said Dr. Michael Chan Chi-wai, the study's principal investigator."Taken together with our recent studies showing that the omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from omicron variant is likely to be very significant," he said.The overwhelming presence of the omicron variant in wastewater samples taken in the Florida county that's home to Disney World provides the latest proof of how fast the new coronavirus strain is spreading, often imperceptibly.Although there have been practically no cases of clinical infection, omicron has surpassed the delta variant in collections taken from wastewater sampling sites in Orange County, officials said. A sampling this week showed omicron represented almost 100% of the strains.Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said most of the coronavirus patients at local hospitals were infected with the delta variant. However, news of how much omicron has spread figures to impact tourism in an area that gets tens of millions of travelers every year to visit theme parks like Disney World and Universal Orlando.Omicron's fast expansion is having a ripple effect in some parts of Europe, with France imposing restrictions on arrivals from Britain, where health authorities said the variant is spreading at an “absolutely phenomenal pace” as case numbers double every two to three days.For the second day in a row, the UK set a pandemic record for most coronavirus infections with 88,376 new cases confirmed Thursday, nearly 10,000 more than the previous mark. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, "we’re not locking stuff down,'' promoting booster shots instead.Germany administered nearly 1.5 million vaccine shots Wednesday, its highest one-day total so far, and officials are scrambling to procure more doses in an aggressive vaccination and boosting program.
Ohio reports increase of 11,803 new COVID-19 cases; data includes backlog of results (WOIO) - As of Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health said 27,594 coronavirus deaths have been reported with at least 1,819,342 cases since the start of the pandemic. Find out how to get the COVID-19 vaccine in your Northeast Ohio county here Here’s a video review of the day’s data: The increase of 11,803 includes data from laboratories that reported a backlog of results or manual reporting errors, which have since been resolved. According to the Ohio Department of Health: “The 24-hour daily case counts change will be artificially inflated on Dec. 14, 15, and 16.” An additional 377,267 total cases are presumed to be linked to COVID-19 under the CDC expanded definitions and included in the Ohio Department of Health’s reporting. Out of the 91,800 total hospitalizations reported on Thursday, at least 11,314 individuals were admitted to intensive care units.
Twice as many COVID-19 cases reported in Cuyahoga County in last 2 weeks than in any other Ohio county (WOIO) - According to the Ohio Department of Health, more than twice as many COVID-19 cases were reported in Cuyahoga County over the last two weeks than in any of the state’s 88 counties. Data recorded between Dec. 2 and Dec. 15 shots 15,567 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Cuyahoga County. Franklin County in Central Ohio has the second-highest number of cases with 7,406. Cuyahoga County also reported nearly 1,268 cases per 100,000 on Dec. 16; the highest per capita values in Ohio.
Cleveland Clinic estimates that half its positive COVID-19 tests are due to omicron (WOIO) - The Cleveland Clinic said late Friday morning that the hospital system is seeing the number of omicron COVID-19 cases “increase greatly.” According to figures provided by Cleveland Clinic’s corporate communications project manager Halle Bishop, the hospital system is conducting approximately 3,000 tests a day in a 24-hour period. Around 1,000 of those tests usually return positive samples. “... we estimate half of those positive samples are due to Omicron. The daily count of laboratory-confirmed cases is now double what it was one week ago.” The daily count of laboratory-confirmed omicron cases is double what it was a week ago, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “We are learning this variant is more transmissible, and we are seeing evidence of this by the increased spread in our community,” Bishop said in a statement on Friday. “Today, we expect to surpass the highest number positive samples detected in a single day since the start of the pandemic.” The Cleveland Clinic said approximately 80% of COVID-19 hospitalizations involve unvaccinated individuals.
Gov. DeWine orders Ohio National Guard into hospitals to help with coronavirus-related staffing issues - The governor announced on Friday that he is ordering 1,050 National Guard members into Ohio’s hospitals in an effort to help address staffing shortages across the state as the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues to soar. During a Friday morning press conference, Gov. Mike DeWine said 4,723 patients with COVID-19 were in Ohio’s hospitals. It’s the largest number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals dating back to Dec. 22, 2020. Nine-hundred of the National Guard members will be tasked with non-medical care. The remaining 150 will directly assist with COVID-19 patients. A staffing agency will also be used to help ensure Ohio’s hospitals have the health care workers they needed. The governor also said that almost all of northern Ohio’s hospitals halted non-critical procedures to preserve staff and equipment for coronavirus-related care. Friday’s press conference came a day after DeWine announced that he and his wife, first lady Fran, were exposed to someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Health also discussed the latest updates with the omicron variant, including a case detected recently in a Tuscarawas County resident, during a Thursday briefing. On Thursday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Health reported an increase of 11,803 new COVID-19 cases, which included a backlog of over 1,000 positive test results.
DC reports second consecutive day of record-breaking coronavirus cases -Washington, D.C., on Friday announced its highest number of COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day, reporting 844 cases from the previous day.That exceeds the number of cases that D.C. saw on Wednesday, which was 508 cases for the day.D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said on Friday that she was considering reimplementing the city's mask mandate that was lifted in November, given the spike in new cases.The U.S. is broadly seeing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases, including more than 156,000 reported on Thursday and more than 143,000 the previous day.The last peak in the fall, amid the delta wave, included case counts as high as nearly 200,000 per day.The surge of cases comes as a new variant of COVID-19, omicron, makes its way around the U.S. A former COVID-19 adviser for President Biden’s transition team warned on Thursday of a “viral blizzard” that the U.S. would see in the coming weeks."I think we're really just about to experience a viral blizzard," Michael Osterholm said during a CNN interview. "I think in the next three to eight weeks, we're going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of delta, and we're not yet sure exactly how that's going to work out."
‘This Is a Whole New Animal:' NY Reports Highest Single-Day Case Total of Pandemic -- Almost exactly one month after Mayor Bill de Blasio triumphantly announced tens of thousands of fully vaccinated people could return to Times Square to celebrate New Year's Eve in person this year, the state saw it's highest single-day reporting of new COVID infections.The previous record, set 11 months ago on Jan. 14, crumbled when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 21,027 new positive cases statewide Friday. The old record for most reported cases in a single day was 19,942, when reported hospitalizations were on the brink of 9,000. Now, the number of people admitted is down by more than half.“This is changing so quickly. The numbers are going up exponentially by day,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a Friday appearance on CNN.New York reported close to the same number of tests taken last Friday, but of that batch (over 260,000), there were 10,000 less positive cases one week ago. Also, when you compare hospitalizations to one week ago, the number of people in hospitals for COVID-19 has risen by about 300, reflecting an increase of 8%.The steep rise in infections should be of great concern but it was inevitable, given the quick spread of the newest variant, said Dr. Denis Nash, the executive director of the Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health at the City University of New York.“We were already headed for a winter surge with delta, which is a very concerning thing in its own right,” Nash said. “But then you layer on top of that the new omicron variant, which is more transmissible from an infection standpoint,” he said, noting that current vaccines may be unable to contain the “more invasive” new variant. And in New York City, where testing lines have wrapped around blocks and people report wait times well over an hour, 10,286 positive cases were reported Friday. That total is up 20% from the previous day, and 100% from two days earlier. It's also the highest reported testing day for the city since the beginning of the pandemic, and the first time the city saw more than 10,000 cases in a single day. But once again, city hospitalization numbers remain low. At the height of the pandemic, on average there were 1,600 patients being treated at city hospitals for COVID. In Dec. 2020, there were just 243; as of Monday, NYC hospitalizations were at just 43 — a 97 percent decrease from the pandemic peak.
UK government announces first confirmed Omicron variant death in the world --Britain has announced the first publicly confirmed death globally from the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Speaking Monday at the Stowe Health Vaccination centre in West London, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said, “Sadly yes Omicron is producing hospitalisations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron.” “The idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that's something we need to set on one side,” he admitted. It has taken just 16 days since the Omicron variant was first detected in Britain, two people in Chelmsford and Nottingham on November 27, for it to be almost dominant in London, with a population of 10 million, and to claim its first life. On Sunday evening, Johnson confirmed in a televised address that there were hospitalisations due to Omicron in Britain. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday that 10 people were in hospital with the variant in England and that the individuals had been diagnosed on or before admission. The UKHSA said those hospitalised come from across the UK with ages ranging between 18 and 85 years. Confirming how dangerous Omicron is, it said that the majority of the 10 people in hospital had already received two vaccination doses. With another 1,576 Omicron cases reported Monday, there were 4,713 confirmed cases of the variant in Britain. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC Radio’s Today show, “This variant is growing at a phenomenal rate. We haven’t seen anything like this before. We expect 1 million infections by the end of this month.” He later told Parliament that the variant already accounted for 44 percent of cases of COVID in London and 20 percent of cases throughout England, and that “we expect it to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the capital in the next 48 hours.”
Omicron Cases Serious in Denmark and Overall Morbidity Picture Not Pretty Either - Yves Smith - The US press and some wannabe pundits are keeping up the happy talk on Omicron as more and more contradictory evidence is coming in on case severity. Remember as we stressed the baselines are questionable since outside the UK’s REACT surveys, no one has a very good handle on the total level of Covid cases, since asymptomatic cases are seldom caught. And it’s not as if asymptomatic cases are harmless. One large-scale study, through February 2021, estimated that 20% of asymptomatic Covid cases result in long Covid.. And that’s pre the more aggressively-replicating Delta became dominant. There was reason to regard the cheery take that Omicron cases weren’t showing up as severe as premature. Let’s start with how long the lag between disease appearance and first deaths was at the get go: And for the subsequent waves, we’ve seen other patterns that lead to underestimation of severity. First, that’s the story at the start of every big Covid wave. Young people, who have more robust immune systems, get most of the early cases because they are generally much more social as well as often less rigorous about self-protection. Second, hospitalizations and deaths trail infections. Third, for South Africa in particular, its population is young (average age 27 versus 37 in the US and over 40 in the UK), which will somewhat blunt worst outcomes. As we know, Omicron is mighty contagious, so even less severe cases with many more infection can well yield hospital system collapse, but the claim that Omicron ain’t all that bad is not proven in RSA: And we have disconcerting data from Denmark, which does a good job of reporting: 77% of Denmark’s population is fully vaccinated and 22% boosted. With the rise of Omicron, we have also seen something of a revival of the meme that Covid is no worse than the flu in our comments section. I suspect that’s being touted around the Web as part of an informal campaign to preserve holiday spending festivities. So we again need to remind readers that the downside of Covid doesn’t come only from dying or being hospitalized. Unlike the flu, it can and often does wreck all sorts of havoc on a disconcertingly wide range of functions. At least long Covid is getting more attention, but like chronic fatigue syndrome and advanced Lyme disease, those who don’t have it likely find it hard to relate to how debilitating it is. Due to the very wide range of symptoms, it’s proven difficult to nail down. And a second issue that affects Covid research generally is the time needed to organize and execute a study, vet the data, write a paper and have it accepted for publication. It’s easily a year lag, which means that the vetted studies are nearly all pre-Delta, for instance. Nevertheless, a study from February 2020 to February 2021 estimated that 20% of asymptomatic cases resulted in long Covid. A metastudy by the Pennsylvania College of Medicine concluded that half of those who contracted Covid had gotten long Covid. From their writeup: More than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms — more commonly known as “long COVID” — up to six months after recovering….
UK Suffers Record Jump In Daily COVID Cases As EU Warns Pandemic Could Last 2-3 More Years --Across the UK, medical experts have been warning that the omicron variant is on track to outmuscle the delta strain by Christmas. But the latest round of models created by the European Union and European Economic Area are warning that the "community based" spread of omicron will almost certainly dominate the British Isles by early 2022. "We therefore assess the probability of further spread of the Omicron variant in the EU/EEA as VERY HIGH," the EU/EEA said. While omicron is believed to have first reached the UK via travel (although HMG is already scrapping its controversial "red list" mandating lengthy quarantines for travelers from high risk countries), few experts doubt that the variant has already spread wide enough in the UK to make it endemic. As we said, while omicron VOC cases initially reported in the EU/EEA were linked to travel, an increasing number of cases are now recorded as having been acquired within the EU/EEA, including as parts of clusters and outbreaks. And as the fearmongery escalates, the UK's health authorities reported 78,610 new COVID cases on Wednesday, compared with 59,610 a day earlier. This new number is the highest daily count of new cases since the pandemic began. BUT, deaths (and hospitalizations) remain extremely muted for now... However, do not stop being terrified as England's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, warned that Omicron "is a really serious threat," adding that "all the things we know about it are bad." (which isn't exactly true since the South African doctors have repeatedly said that while it is more transmissible, its is notably less aggressive with most having mild symptoms or completely asymptomatic). Whitty went on to warn that a "substantial number" will be hospitalized and he expects the pace of hospitalizations to rise post-Christmas. The European Center for Disease and Control ended with a dire warning: that is, the organization doesn't expect the pandemic to end any time soon. In fact, we're not even half way through the ordeal, it warned - forecasting another 2 or perhaps 3 years for the pandemic to run wild before finally disappearing - or rather becoming endemic in the human population. The UK Health and Security Agency estimated earlier this week that the number of daily Omicron infections was about 200K, according to Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA. They also warned that the spread of the omicron variant was "probably the most significant threat we’ve had since the start of the pandemic."
More than 10,000 additional Omicron cases reported across UK -More than 10,000 additional confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have been reported across the UK bringing the total confirmed cases to 24,968, official figures show.Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there were 10,059 UK Omicron cases and that the number of deaths of people with the new variant in England has now risen to seven from the previous figure of one. The number of confirmed Omicron cases in England stood at 23,168, up 9,427 on the previous day’s total, official figures showed. Cases in Northern Ireland rose to 827, an increase of 514.Scotland’s cases have reached 792, an increase of 96, and in Wales there are 181, up 22 on the previous day.Meanwhile, hospital admissions in England for people with confirmed or suspected Omicron rose to 85, from 65.The new figures come as a leading government adviser said the most effective way to stop the spread of Omicron would be to have a circuit-breaker lockdown before Christmas. Stephen Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was clear that Plan B measures alone would not be enough to stop the spiralling numbers of cases.Reicher, who was speaking to Times Radio in a personal capacity, said the time to act was now.He was responding to reports that officials are drawing up draft plans for a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown after Christmas.Reicher said: “The only way really, or at least the most effective way, we can have an immediate effect is to decrease the number of contacts we have.“In many ways, the most effective way of diminishing contact is to have a circuit-breaker.“Now, you could have it after Christmas, the problem is after Christmas it’s probably too late, it’s probably by then we will have had a huge surge of infections with all the impact upon society. “When people say ‘look, we don’t want to close down’: of course we don’t want to close down. But the problem is at the moment, things are closing down anyway, because of the spread of infection.“So I think we need to act now.”
Covid-19: More than 10,000 new Omicron cases found in UK - A major incident has been declared in London and more than 10,000 new Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, as the variant surges across the country.A further 90,418 daily Covid cases have been reported across the UK on Saturday, after days of record highs.Cabinet ministers have been briefed on the latest Covid data.London's mayor said he was "incredibly concerned" by the city's infection levels and the major incident was "a statement of how serious things are".Sadiq Khan said Friday's 26,000 new cases in London were having an impact on staff absences for the capital's emergency services."I've been meeting over the last few days, on a daily basis, colleagues across the city from the NHS to councils, from the fire service to the police - we're incredibly concerned by the huge surge in the Omicron variant," he said."The big issue we have is the number of Londoners who have this virus and this is leading to big issues in relation to staff absences and the ability of our public services to run at the optimal levels."I've taken the decision, in consultation with our partners, to declare a major incident. It's a statement of how serious things are."Meanwhile, police officers suffered minor injuries during "scuffles" at a protest against coronavirus restrictions at Westminster.
South Africa Health Minister Says Hospitalisations & Deaths "Remain Low" --The Health Minister of South Africa has released a statement saying that the rates of hospitalisations and deaths in the country that saw the first wave of the Omicron variant “remain relatively low.” The statement is at odds with the reaction to Omicron in western countries, particularly the UK where hysteria is now running rampant despite the variant causing milder symptoms than Delta. “According to scientific studies, this virus is spreading quicker than in previous waves, but the rates of hospitalisations and deaths remain relatively low,” said Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla. He went on to tell South Africans that they should practice reasonable safety measures and avoid “super-spreader” events, but that the Omicron variant should not prevent a “joyous Christmas, and prosperous New Year celebrations.” The country will also remain at level 1 of restrictions, which is the lowest level. While experts in South Africa continue to try to calm panic in other countries driven by the Omicron variant, health authorities in the UK are still insisting that it’s “too early” to tell if Omicron is milder, despite every indication suggesting it is. They also assert that it doesn’t matter if the variant is milder, the fact that it is far more transmissible will lead to hospitalisations and deaths on the same level or more as last January’s peaks. However, if that were the case, over a month into the outbreak, South African hospitals would surely be massively struggling, and yet they’re not.
UK Lawmakers Told COVID Likely "Engineered" In Wuhan Lab UK MPs have been told by experts that a Wuhan lab leak is now “the most likely” origin of COVID-19 and that there’s also a high risk it “was an engineered virus.” The Telegraph reports on the comments of Dr Alina Chan, a specialist in gene therapy and cell engineering at MIT and Harvard, who was speaking to the Science and Technology Select Committee. “I think the lab origin is more likely than not. Right now it’s not safe for people who know about the origin of the pandemic to come forward. But we live in an era where there is so much information being stored that it will eventually come out,” said Dr. Chan. “We have heard from many top virologists that a genetically engineered origin is reasonable and that includes virologists who made modifications to the first Sars virus,” she added. “We know this virus has a unique feature, called the furin cleavage site, and without this feature there is no way this would be causing this pandemic.” “A proposal was leaked showing that EcoHealth and the Wuhan Institute of Virology were developing a pipeline for inserting novel furin cleavage sites. So, you find these scientists who said in early 2018 ‘I’m going to put horns on horses’ and at the end of 2019 a unicorn turns up in Wuhan city.” Lord Ridley, who co-wrote a book with Chan, also said it was “incredibly surprising” that after nearly two years “we still haven’t found a single infected animal that could be the progenitor.”
Lower Fertility Rates May Be Linked to Rising Fossil Fuel Pollution, Scientists Find- A new study on fertility rates in Denmark finds a possible link between lower fertility rates and rising fossil fuel pollution and industrialization. Although the research identifies this trend in Denmark, it is also seen in other countries globally.The study, published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, outlines a number of socioeconomic, cultural, and behavioral factors that might influence infertility. In Denmark, 10% of children are born via assisted reproduction, often due to oocyte failure or poor semen quality, and more than 20% of males never reproduce. Further, researchers note a global increase in testicular cancer.Ultimately, a wide number of factors make it hard to pinpoint just one cause of lower fertility rates. But the authors note that decreasing fertility rates were seen in Denmark in the early 1900s as fossil fuel-based industrialization started and before modern contraceptives were available. The trend has continued to increase alongside a dependence on fossil fuels.“It remains to be elucidated whether the decreasing fertility rates are linked to changes in our biological systems due to environmental exposures or to behavioural socioeconomic changes caused by modern lifestyles, or due to a combination of both,” the study says.Other studies show increasing human infertility rates due to rising cases of testicular cancer as well as low-quality sperm and eggs, among other factors. Researchers have included exposure to fossil fuel pollution as an environmental factor linked to lower fertility rates, particularly within the past five decades.“What has struck me in this study was the finding that so much of modern life originates from fossil fuels,” Niels Erik Skakkebæk, lead author of the study and professor at the University of Copenhagen, told The Guardian. “We don’t think about it that way. When we buy a pair of shoes made of chemicals originally produced from fossil fuels.”This correlation is not unheard of, as previous studies have found fossil fuel pollutants, plastics and other materials derived from fossil fuels to be endocrine disruptors, meaning they may negatively impact hormones and reproductive health. Still, research on fossil fuel pollution and human reproductive health is relatively sparse. As such, Skakkebæk and the team of researchers are calling on governments, health organizations and universities to quickly investigate the issue further.
Wood Burning a Major Source of Carcinogens in Athens Air, Study Finds - Sitting around the fire on a cold winter’s night may feel like a cozy treat, but wood burning is actually a major source of dangerous air pollution.Now, a new study published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics this month found that the practice ofburning wood in the wintertime was responsible for almost half of the urban air pollution cancer risk in Athens, Greece. However, this problem isn’t limited to one country.“Athens is not an exception – it’s more representative of a rule,” study co-author Athanasios Nenes of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas in Patras, Greece and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland told The Guardian.The researchers focused on a type of pollutant found within particulate matter known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the study authors explained. PAHs are known to be carcinogenic, but less is known about how they end up in urban air.To answer this question, the researchers spent a year taking more than 150 air samples in Athens and testing them for 31 PAHs. They found that wood burning was responsible for 31 percent of the yearly average of PAHs while diesel and oil were responsible for 33 percent and gasoline for 29 percent. However, wood burning primarily occurs in the winter, and is the reason that PAH levels were seven times higher during that season. Further, when the actual cancer-risk of various PAHs was factored in, wood burning turned out to be responsible for 43 percent of that risk.“This can result in a large number of excess cancer cases due to BB [biomass burning]-related high PM [particulate matter] levels and urges immediate action to reduce residential BB emissions in urban areas facing similar issues,” the study authors wrote.While the study focused on Greece, wood burning is a problem across Europe and around the world. In the UK, for example, government statistics reported by The Guardian in February found that home wood burningwas responsible for more fine particulate matter than any other source, out-emitting road traffic by a factor of three.
People of Color in U.S. More Likely to Breathe Six Types of Air Pollution, Study Finds 
--In another example of environmental racism, new research has found that people of color in the U.S. are more likely to breathe in six major types of air pollution.The research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives Wednesday, found that overall air pollutionlevels had decreased during the study period, but disparities in exposure persisted along racial and ethnic lines.“This is the first time anyone has looked comprehensively at all these main pollutants and watched how they vary over time and space,” senior author and University of Washington (UW) professor of civil and environmental engineering Julian Marshall said in a UW press release. “This paper is a chance to recognize that, while every community is unique, there are some factors that play out over and over again consistently across our country. If we go state by state, there’s no place where there are no environmental justice concerns.”The UW-based research team looked at six major air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, larger particulate matter (PM10) like pollen or dust and smaller particulate matter (PM2.5) like car exhaust. They considered the years 1990, 2000 and 2010 and compared air pollution models to census data including where people lived, their racial or ethnic background and their income.“For all years and pollutants, the racial/ethnic group with the highest national average exposure was a racial/ethnic minority group,” the study authors concluded.While disparities did decline along with overall pollution levels between 1990 and 2010, they did not disappear, and occurred regardless of income or whether communities lived in urban or rural areas.The researchers calculated both absolute and relative disparities. They determined absolute disparities by subtracting pollution exposure for each group from the state average and relative disparities by dividing the absolute disparity by average exposure across the country.“Relative disparities allow us to compare across pollutants,” lead author Jiawen Liu, a UW doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering, said in the press release. “Each pollutant will have a general range of exposure, but when you divide by the average it gives you a basis for how big or small that exposure disparity is.”The researchers found that both absolute and relative disparities had declined over time, but relative disparities have not declined as quickly and are worse than the average for all non-white minority groups. The research builds on previous findings that communities of color are more likely to be exposed to pollution. A study published in April, for example, found that people of color in the U.S. were more exposed to particulate matter pollution regardless of income or location.
Decreased vehicle emissions linked with significant drop in deaths attributable to air pollution – Decreasing vehicle emissions since 2008 have reduced by thousands the number of deaths attributable to air pollution, yielding billions of dollars in benefits to society, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study also found that although the public health burden of large trucks has been greatly reduced, passenger light-duty vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, continue to contribute a significant amount of air pollution in major metropolitan areas. The study will be published online on December 13, 2021 in the journal PNAS. “Recent reductions in vehicle emissions have yielded major health benefits, even though only small progress has been made on reducing their climate impact,” said first author Ernani Choma, a research fellow in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health. “Our results indicate that to achieve further public health and climate gains, even more stringent policies will be required.” Although the health and climate burden of vehicle emissions in the U.S. has been widely studied, the benefits of recent reductions in vehicle emissions—spurred by federal air pollution regulations and technological innovations by car manufacturers—were not well known. The new study provides estimates that compare the actual health and climate impact of reduced vehicle emissions with what that impact would have been had emissions not been reduced. Researchers calculated the so-called “social benefits” attributable to decreasing emissions—in this case, the monetary value to society of the reduction in deaths attributable to air pollution and climate impacts avoided.The researchers estimated that reductions in emissions yielded $270 billion in social benefits in the U.S. in 2017—mostly due to the estimated value of reduced mortality risk from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution—and, to a lesser degree, to reduced “social costs” from greenhouse gas emissions, which are calculated from a range of factors such as human health impacts, changes in agricultural productivity, natural disasters, risk of conflict, and more. The researchers also estimated that deaths attributable to air pollution due to vehicle emissions dropped from 27,700 in 2008 to 19,800 in 2017. The decrease in deaths was not as large as researchers expected, because many factors offset the progress in reducing emissions, such as a larger and aging population, larger vehicles replacing smaller ones, and more miles traveled per vehicle. On the other hand, the authors noted, if vehicles were still emitting at 2008 levels, those emissions would have caused 48,200 deaths attributable to air pollution in 2017—which would have represented a 74% increase between 2008 and 2017.
How the Car and Oil Industry Knowingly Poisoned You for 100 Years - On the frosty morning of Dec. 9, 1921, in Dayton, Ohio, researchers at a General Motors lab poured a new fuel blend into one of their test engines. Immediately, the engine began running more quietly and putting out more power.The new fuel was tetraethyl lead. With vast profits in sight – and very few public health regulations at the time – General Motors Co. rushed gasoline diluted with tetraethyl lead to market despite the known health risks of lead. They named it “Ethyl” gas. By the early 1920s, the hazards of lead were well known – even Charles Dickens and Benjamin Franklin had written about the dangers of lead poisoning. When GM began selling leaded gasoline, public health experts questioned its decision. One called lead a serious menace to public health, and another called concentrated tetraethyl lead a “malicious and creeping” poison. It has been 100 years since that pivotal day in the development of leaded gasoline. As ahistorian of media and the environment, I see this anniversary as a time to reflect on the role of public health advocates and environmental journalists in preventing profit-driven tragedy.
EPA details push to tighten rules for lead in drinking water - The Biden administration took steps Thursday aimed at reducing lead in drinking water, announcing plans to release $2.9 billion in infrastructure bill funds next year for lead pipe removal and impose stricter rules to limit exposure to the health hazard. Vice President Kamala Harris made the case for the administration's push to eliminate every lead service line in the country, reiterating the administration's pledge that the effort would create jobs across the country and begin to undo the harm pollution has caused in poor, often minority communities. "The challenge that we face is, without any question, great. Lead is built into our cities. It is laid under our roads and it is installed in our homes," Harris said in remarks at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington. The White House estimates between 6 million and 10 million U.S. households and 400,000 schools get water through lead service lines, which connect buildings to the water main and can leach particles of the neurotoxin into drinking water and potentially cause severe developmental and neurological issues—especially when consumed by children. In recent years, the risks facing cities with lead service lines have come into focus, most notably after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. The administration estimates 24 million homes are at risk of having lead paint, which can pose significant health risks even when absorbed at low levels. While the EPA considers how to strengthen the nation's lead-in-water rules, it will allow the previous Trump administration's overhaul of lead regulations to move forward, officials said Thursday. The Biden EPA's requirements are expected to be finalized by 2024, and would require the replacement of remaining lead drinking water pipes "as quickly as is feasible." "The science on lead is settled—there is no safe level of exposure and it is time to remove this risk to support thriving people and vibrant communities," said EPA administrator Michael Regan in a statement. Some environmental advocates were lukewarm to the administration's announcement, saying the 10-year goal for replacing lead lines and other provisions were vague on commitments and detail. "The top priority must be to require removal of all lead pipes within the decade and to set a strict at-the-tap standard, which is the only way to prevent another generation of kids from drinking water through what is essentially a lead straw," said Erik Olson, senior strategic director of health at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Good intentions won't be enough to get the job done," he added.
Consultant who downplayed PFAS risks pivots on EPA resignation - A toxicologist who has worked with EPA and questioned science around "forever chemicals" has reportedly retracted her initial resignation from a part-time position with the agency, as her status remains in flux. Laura C. Green, an industry toxicologist advocating for artificial turf fields in New England towns, initially told a Nantucket reporter that she was leaving her role as an EPA special government employee yesterday (Greenwire, Dec. 10).The toxicologist made that declaration following reporting by E&E News that called into question a number of her comments about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, many of which flew in the face of EPA’s own findings (Greenwire, Dec. 8). PFAS are used in manufacturing artificial turf. But Green abruptly pivoted this afternoon, telling The Martha’s Vineyard Times that she’d had a change of heart. She said EPA had asked if she would like to withdraw her resignation until they had discussed the situation with her. EPA did not respond to a request for clarification from E&E News, and Green did not return a phone call and voicemail. Green told the Times that her 5-year-old grandson had referred to E&E News reporters as "poo-poo heads" and prompted her shift in thinking. “Why would I let two poo-poo heads make me leave an agency that I love working for?” Green said. As E&E News reported earlier this week, Green has devoted significant time to advocating for artificial turf fields across New England, including on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. In doing so, she has repeatedly downplayed health concerns stemming from PFAS, including the chemical PFOA. EPA has singled that compound out as a "likely carcinogen" and disavowed Green’s statements in an initial response to E&E News regarding the situation. Special government employees offer a temporary service and serve as consultants or on advisory committees. They cannot serve more than 130 days per year for the government and are typically only involved in specific issues relating to their expertise. EPA told E&E News that Green "has not ever" consulted on PFAS issues for the agency.
Toxic Forever Chemicals Can ‘Boomerang’ Back to Land From Ocean in Sea Spray, Study Finds - The sea breeze isn’t as clean and healthy as you might think.Past research has found that sea spray can actually release microplastics into the air. Now, a new study published in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology Wednesday found that the same thing is true for the toxic forever chemicals known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).“The common belief was that PFAS would eventually wash off into the oceans where they would stay to be diluted over the timescale of decades,” study co-author and Stockholm University Department of Environmental Science researcher Matthew Salter said in a statement reported by The Hill. “But it turns out that there’s a boomerang effect, and some of the toxic PFAS are re-emitted to air, transported long distances and then deposited back onto land.”PFAS are referred to as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down in the environment, as ACS explained in a press release. This is a problem because they are both widespread in the environment, including drinking water, and potentially harmful to human health. They have been linked to reproductive and development problems, types of cancer, immune suppression, hormone disruption and obesity risk, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Scientists are continually uncovering more ways in which we may be exposed to these chemicals, which were introduced in the 1940s and have been used for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes including firefighting foam, food packaging and stain and water repellant. In 2021 alone, researchers have detected their presence in breast milk, cosmetics and indoor air.The new research finds that they could be polluting outdoor air too, at least along the coast. Previously, ACS explained, the research team behind the most recent study had conducted laboratory experiments showing that PFAS could be released into the atmosphere when bubbles of saltwater burst, emitting PFAS in tiny airborne particles known as aerosols. To find out if this could happen in the real world, the team collected more than 100 air samples from two beachfront locations in Norway between 2018 and 2020. They then analyzed the samples for 11 PFAS and found that all of them were contaminated. Ultimately, the researchers calculated that the oceans could release 284 to 756 U.S. tons of eight types of PFAS every year.This new source of PFAS contamination could pollute more than the air, the study authors speculated.“It is possible that atmospherically deposited PFAS could contaminate coastal drinking water sources for the foreseeable future,” co-author Ian Cousins, also from Stockholm University, said in a statement reported by The Hill. “Our study gives a new dimension to the meaning of the term 'forever chemicals.' Even the PFAS we thought would be lost to the sea boomerang[ed] back for us to be exposed all over again.”
Face Mask Litter Increased Almost 9,000% During First 7 Months of Pandemic, Study Finds --The amount of disposable face masks littered in the environment increased by nearly 9,000 percent from March to October 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.That is the finding of a new study published in Nature Sustainability December 9, which used an app to track the emergence of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) pollution during the first 14 months of the pandemic in 11 countries.“We found that littered masks had an exponential increase from March 2020, resulting in a more than 80-fold increase by October 2020,” lead researcher Dr. Keiron Roberts, Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment at the University of Portsmouth, said in a press release. “There is a clear need to ensure that requiring the use of these items is accompanied with education campaigns to limit their release into the environment.”The study is the latest to note the emergence of PPE pollution, particularly face masks, as a new type of litter. A November study, for example, found that there are nearly 29,000 tons of COVID-19 related plastic now floating in the ocean.The new research was unique in that it compared PPE litter with government policies such as mask mandates. What the study found was that the rise in face mask litter followed an increase in national mask mandates and recommendations from the World Health Organization."This might be stating the obvious, but it's the first time we've been able to evidence it," Roberts told Australia’s ABC News. In comparison, litter from gloves and wipes rose from 0.2 percent of litter to 0.4 percent of litter during the beginning of the pandemic, but then declined. Gloves especially decreased with the emergence of mask mandates, the study authors wrote.
Amazon’s Plastic Use Increased 29% in 2020, Oceana Says - Online retailer Amazon generated 599 million pounds of waste from plastic packaging in 2020, an increase of 29 percent from 2019, a report by nonprofit ocean conservation organization Oceana said. The report estimated that the amount of packaging — which includes plastic bags, air pillows, and bubble-lined paper mailers — that ends up in the world’s oceans equalled a delivery van full of plastic dumping its contents into the sea every 67 minutes.“The advocacy group says the total would be enough to circle the world 600 times in the form of Amazon's air pillows,” Victoria Seabrook of SkyNews reported.Amazon did not agree with Oceana’s estimates of its plastic waste and claimed it is working to reduce the amount of plastic it uses.“Amazon shares Oceana’s ambition to protect the world’s oceans and respects their work but, for a second year, their calculations are seriously flawed,” a statement by the company said, as reported by The Washington Post. “They have overestimated our plastics usage by more than 300 percent, and use outdated assumptions about the sources of plastic waste entering our oceans.”Oceana Senior Vice President Matt Littlejohn “said the group’s estimates were based on a combination of trade data and data sets from a scientific, peer-reviewed paper about the amount of plastic — about 11 percent — that ends up in ‘aquatic ecosystems.’ After discussions with e-commerce packaging experts, Oceana made assumptions about Amazon’s market share and the plastic waste linked to that,” Steven Mufson of The Washington Post reported.“We are using the best data available to us,” Littlejohn said, as The Guardian reported. “If Amazon was transparent, we would gladly use their data. Yes, they are using more non-plastic packaging, but they are also selling a ton more product.”Oceana asserted that Amazon’s recycling program is flawed and that its “plastic film” packaging is generally not recyclable via curbside recycling. “Amazon’s recycling promises and claims do not add up and do not reduce the company’s very large plastic packaging waste footprint,” said the report, according to The Washington Post.
Antibiotic Use in US Farm Animals Was Falling. Now It’s Not - NEW FEDERAL DATA released Tuesday shows that efforts in the United States to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in livestock—a persistent generator of drug-resistant superbugs that can harm human health—have lost momentum, five years after the Obama administration imposed long-awaited rules to control misuse.The US Food and Drug Administration’s 2020 report on sales of antibiotics for use in cattle, swine, and poultry—which include many classes of antibiotics also used in human medicine—shows that a sharp drop in sales in 2016 and 2017 stalled out in 2018, moving just a few percentage points up and down since. All told, sales of what the agency calls “medically important” antibiotics totaled 6 million kilograms (13.23 million pounds) in 2020, a 3 percent dip from the previous year and 8 percent higher than the 5.55 million-kilogram (12.25 million pounds) low point in 2017.The data comes from an FDA document cumbersomely titled the “Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals,” commonly known as the ADUFA Report (for its enabling legislation, the Animal Drug User Fee Act). It has been published every December since 2009, part of a deal struck during the Obama administration as the first step in a long reform program aimed at changing the way livestock is raised.Meanwhile, an analysis that matches the first 10 years of those reports with parallel sales data for human medications—gathered not by the FDA but by the private sector—shows that antibiotic use in people has been stable for more than a decade. The analysis, released in November by two science-focused nonprofits, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, shows that sales for animal use are twice as high as those for people. In 2019, the year their analysis stopped, animals accounted for 65.3 percent of medically important antibiotics sold.That is an extraordinary proportion, given that most antibiotics used in animal agriculture are not administered to cure infections—which is what antibiotics are for—but instead as a form of insurance, for preventing infections in crowded feedlots and barns.Researchers working on the topic are dismayed that farm antibiotic use has not been forced down further. Almost no one, though, seems surprised. They say those Obama-era rules—which outlawed using tiny doses of antibiotics known as growth promoters, used to speed up weight gain—were never adequate. If the US is ever going to make significant progress in curbing animal antibiotic use and the superbugs that flow from it, tougher action is needed.
Meat-eating causes 75,000 Chinese deaths a year through pollution -- Dietary shifts towards eating more meat causes 75,000 premature deaths a year in China through air pollution, a study shows. The study, published in the journal Nature Food, is the first to examine how changes in diets in China from 1980-2010 have increased emissions of agricultural ammonia (NH3) from fertilizer and livestock manure and to quantify the subsequent impacts on human health. Increases in meat production across the world over the past 50 years are most stark in East Asia, and particularly China. While more meat and less grain in diets is known to be bad for human health, this study is the first to quantify the impact of Chinese dietary changes through changes in agricultural practices that lead to poorer air quality. Fine particulate matter air pollution poses a serious environmental risk to human health and is associated with a range of adverse health conditions, including respiratory conditions, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Agricultural ammonia (NH3) is emitted from nitrogen-based fertilizer and livestock manure that leaches off fields growing feed for livestock. This reacts with other airborne chemicals to form an important, toxic, component of fine particulate matter air pollution. The research group was formed through the University of Exeter and the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Joint Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Resilience (ENSURE), established in 2018 to promote international, inter-disciplinary research addressing some of the most important environmental challenges facing societies across the world. The researchers analyzed the changing patterns of food production and consumption in China and found that meat production over the period 1980-2010 increased 433% from 15 to 80 megatons. A relatively small proportion was attributed to rising population levels with the remaining 60 megatons a result of changing diets. In the same time period, agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions were found to have almost doubled, and the researchers estimated dietary changes were responsible for 63% of the rise, with the main driver being meat consumption.
Mandatory Household Food Waste Recycling Program Starts in California in January -Jerri-Lynn Scofield - Waste Dive reports: Between 73 and 152 million metric tons of food gets wasted each year in the U.S., or over over a third of the country’s food supply, according to a recent report from the U.S. [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)]. The most commonly wasted foods are fruits and vegetables, followed by dairy and eggs. Over half of all waste occurs at households and restaurants. The food processing sector generates 34 million metric tons of waste per year, the agency said. In 2015, the EPA set a goal of halving U.S. food waste by 2030 (see United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal). Like similar such promises during that pre-Trump period, there was little progress towards this goal beyond the virtue signaling phase. Instead, during the last decade, food loss and waste have actually increased by 12% to 14%, according to EPA figures cited by Waste Dive. The Guardian reported on the details of California’s soon-to-be compulsory food waste recycling plan in California tackles food waste with largest recycling program in US: Starting in January, all cities and counties that provide trash services are supposed to have food recycling programs in place and grocery stores must donate edible food that otherwise would be thrown away to food banks or similar organizations.“There’s just no reason to stick this material in a landfill, it just happens to be cheap and easy to do so,” said Ned Spang, faculty lead for the Food Loss and Waste Collaborative at the University of California, Davis. California’s cities and municipalities will collect the waste in special containers, and it will then be converted into compost or biogas. Exemptions will be made for heavily rural areas. Collection efforts will borrow from existing programs. Per the Guardian: Davis, California, already has a mandatory food recycling program. Joy Klineberg puts coffee grounds, fruit rinds and cooking scraps into a metal bin labeled “compost” on her countertop. When preparing dinners, she empties excess food from the cutting board into the bin. Every few days, she dumps the contents into her green waste bin outside, which is picked up and sent to a county facility. “All you’re changing is where you’re throwing things, it’s just another bin,” she said. “It’s really easy, and it’s amazing how much less trash you have.” I’ve long lambasted those who rely more or less solely on the recycling fairy to solve the plastics crisis. Many don’t appreciate that by advocating concentrating on recycling solutions alone, they’re endorsing the industry agenda of shifting responsibility for cleaning up the plastics mess from plastics pushers who profit from selling plastics to ordinary people. And that’s even before considering that very low recycling rates mean that the impact of recycling plastic on reducing what gets thrown into landfills is miniscule.
More ticks, mosquitoes, southern pine beetles due to climate change -- Climate change is causing a rapid decline in some species – such as butterflies and honeybees – while also making the planet more hospitable for others. Across the New England region, warming temperatures, milder winters and periods of increased rainfall make an ideal recipe for an increase in ticks and mosquitoes, experts say. It's also paving the way for new species to move north. As these populations expand, the question becomes: Will the risk for the infectious diseases they carry – such as Lyme disease, babesiosis, West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses – increase too?Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledge studies pointing to climate change as contributing to the extended range of ticks, increasing the potential risk of Lyme disease, and accelerating mosquito development and biting rates."The more water and more heat that we get, the more available mosquitoes there are to carry all of these viruses," said Todd Duval, entomologist for the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project in Massachusetts. "Everything that helps these animals survive and thrive, which is warmer winters, that helps the diseases perpetuate." This past spring and summer have provided ample wet conditions for mosquitoes, Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project Superintendent Ross Rossetti said. “We did have (a) substantial population of mosquitoes,” he said. “This past year was one of the wettest summers that we’ve ever had.” Climate change is among a handful of factors affecting vector-borne disease transmission, according to a recent study by Rhode Island researchers on tick-borne diseases and climate change. Other environmental and socioeconomic factors, such as housing development and population growth, complicate "direct predictions of climate change effects on future disease distribution patterns," the study said. Larry Dapsis, deer tick project coordinator and entomologist for the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, said his phone "rings way more than it used to." As New England trends toward milder winters, that's good news for ticks and bad news for humans. The warmer temperatures mean fewer disease-carrying ticks will die off, leading to an increase in the tick population. Dapsis tells people that tick season is 365 days a year now. Weather and temperature trends will determine whether ticks become more active during atypical times. Besides the familiar pests, New Englanders may begin to see insects they've never come across before, such as the southern pine beetle. Native to forests in the Southern U.S., the beetle, which is the most destructive and deadly insect to pine trees, has crept north amid the warming climate. "They can kill hundreds of thousands of acres a summer," said Claire Rutledge, an entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. A 2017 study by climatologists at Columbia University said about 40,000 square miles of pitch pine forests from eastern Ohio to southern Maine will become hospitable to the beetle by midcentury. And by 2080, those conditions could extend into Ontario and Quebec.
Green Groups Sue EPA to Protect Pollinators From Deadly Pesticides --Two environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect bees and other pollinators from deadly pesticides.The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) of North America filed the lawsuit Tuesday demanding that the EPA close a loophole that allows seeds coated with neonicotinoids to escape labelling and registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).“Science has shown that coating seeds with pesticides is not only ineffective, but can cause real harm to pollinators, workers, and farmers,” PAN senior scientist and plaintiff Margaret Reeves said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. “The vast majority of acres planted in crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton are planted with pesticide-treated seeds, yet farmers know less about pesticides applied to their seeds than pesticides applied in other ways. EPA must regulate this use and mitigate this danger.”Neonicotinoids are a kind of pesticide that are extremely toxic to bees and other insects. In fact, one neonic-treated corn seed has enough active ingredient to kill a quarter of a million bees, Daniel Raichel of the Natural Resources Defense Council told EcoWatch in August. A recent study found that one of the most common neonicotinoids can reduce bee populations for generations. The European Union banned three of the most common neonicotinoids for outdoor use in 2018, but they remain the most widely used class of pesticides in the U.S., according to the University of Maryland.They are especially popular as a treatment on seeds. In 2011, more than 30 percent of soybean and more than 79 percent of corn came from neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Further, crops grown from these seeds cover more than 150 million acres of U.S. farmland every year, according to CFS and PAN.This is a problem, because more than 80 percent of the deadly pesticides can leave the seed and pollute the surrounding soil, air and water. The neonicotinoids that remain are taken up by the plant itself, entering its leaves and nectar. The neonicotinoids attack the central nervous system of bees, birds and other pollinators, impairing navigation and learning and causing paralysis or even death.Despite these risks, CFS and PAN discovered that seeds coated with these pesticides are subject to fewer regulations than other pesticide applications because they are not registered and labeled under FIFRA. They informed the EPA of this loophole in 2017, through a legal rulemaking petition, which means the agency was required by law to answer. It never did, leading to Monday’s lawsuit.“Nearly five years ago, we provided EPA the legal blueprint to solve this problem and the legal impetus to do it, yet they have still sat on their hands,” George Kimbrell, CFS legal director and counsel in the case, said in a statement. “While EPA fiddles, grave harm to bees and other pollinators continues. That delay must end.”
Mapped: The Network of Powerful Agribusiness Groups Lobbying to Water Down the EU’s Sustainable Farming Targets -- In February 2021, German agribusiness giant BASF hosted a virtual wine tasting, a seemingly cozy affair swirling glasses of Portugal’s finest in front of a webcam debating the future of EU agricultural policies. Invited to the event was a small group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The MEPs invited were spoiled for choice, as BASF generously delivered six small bottles of fine wines for their enjoyment. BASF’s wine tasting is just one example of many such pandemic-style lobbying efforts by the European agriculture industry since the EU has attempted to pass sweeping new policies to combat climate change through measures included in its “Green Deal,” first presented in December 2019. Since then, leading industry associations and agrochemical companies have used their lobbying might to push back against core European measures aiming to lead the transition to a more sustainable way of farming. These companies are connected through their various trade group memberships, and have deployed many tools — from networking events to lawsuits — in order to counter Europe’s push to phase-out pesticides and reduce fertilizer use. To identify the powerful actors most actively lobbying against these key EU regulations andpolicies, DeSmog analysed corporate reports, lobbying records, official position papers, responses to public EU consultations, media events, and meetings held with various EU bodies over the past two years. DeSmog also spoke to sources from within the EU and related civil society groups as part of our analysis.The research identified 14 companies and trade bodies that had pushed back against EU environmental and agrochemicals policy in recent years. Industry representatives had hundreds of meetings across European Commission and European Parliament committees and commissions that work on agriculture, environment, food, and chemical safety between 2019 and October 2021. This includes 13 entities registered as official lobbyists via the EU’s Transparency Register. These groups spent at least a combined €45.9 million on lobbying in 2019 and 2020, according to the latest available data on their lobbying spending from official EU data.DeSmog’s analysis considered lobbying to include any activities perceived as a means of gaining influence or access to political decision making processes, including but not exclusively limited to activities captured under the EU lobbying transparency register.Environmentalists fear that this seemingly coordinated agribusiness lobbying may weaken regulations aimed at limiting the use of agrichemicals and potentially delay the ban of companies’ patented pesticides — which many experts say are harmful to the environment and human health — while they burnish their corporate reputations by hiding behind the narrative of supporting farmers.These companies, DeSmog found, are also pushing for lowering corporate and institutional transparency and accountability standards in order to keep their communications with European bodies and scientific centers a secret.
Biden’s FWS Plans to Weaken Protections for Four Endangered Species - President Joe Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is moving to weaken or end Endangered Species Act protections for several species threatened by the climate crisis, including whooping cranes and Key deer.The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) uncovered the moves when it reviewed the FWS regulatory agenda released December 10 and protested the decisions in a letter to administration officials sent Monday. “It’s a gut punch that the Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to weaken protections for whooping cranes and key deer, when both species’ homes could be underwater in decades,” CBD government and affairs director Brett Hartl said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch.The @USFWS plans to gut protections for several iconic species including the whooping crane, key deer and #Florida panther. It appears that the horrific anti-wildlife tactics so often employed during the Trump era have not ended. https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-plans-to-gut-protections-for-whooping-crane-florida-panther-key-deer-2021-12-13/\u00a0\u2026 In the letter, addressed to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland, Interior Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt, Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director for Climate and Environment Dr. Jane Lubchenco and FWS Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams, the center argued against plans to weaken protections for four vulnerable species: whooping cranes, Key deer, Canada lynxes and Florida panthers.
- Whooping Cranes: Whooping cranes are currently listed as endangered by the FWS, but the service wants to downlist them to threatened. However, the only wild population winters in Texas near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, an area at risk from sea level rise. The species recovery plan says the birds should only be downlisted when their population reaches at least 1,000 individuals or a second migratory population of more than 120 birds develops for more than a decade. Neither of these conditions have been met, and the Texas population only has 506 birds.
- Key Deer: Key deer are also currently considered endangered and also at risk from sea level rise. Their most important habitat on Big Pine Key is expected to be underwater within decades. Despite this, the FWS is considering downlisting them, and their recovery plan does not mention “climate change” and makes no plan to protect them from habitat loss.
- Canada Lynx: Canada lynxes are currently considered threatened by the FWS, but the agency now has plans to delist them entirely. While the lynxes aren’t threatened by sea level rise, they are threatened by the climate crisis in a different way: They live mostly in areas with at least four months of snow cover and would lose their advantage against other predators as temperatures warm.
- Florida Panther: The Florida panther is currently listed as an endangered subspecies of puma. There are only around 200 left in the world. Despite this, the CBD uncovered records through a Freedom of Information Act request that FWS made plans to downlist them to threatened in 2018 despite the fact the agency had not (and still has not) completed an official five-year review or species status assessment.
“[I]t’s appalling that the Fish and Wildlife Service is even considering moving forward with a Trump-era plan to reduce protections for the Florida panther just to enrich special interest real-estate developers,” Hartl said in the statement. “The Fish and Wildlife Service is thumbing its nose at President Biden’s directive to federal agencies to follow the best available science in all decisions, especially those relating to climate change,” Hartl said in the statement. “We’d hoped that the horrific anti-wildlife tactics so often employed during the Trump era had ended, but it appears we were wrong.”
Critically Endangered Right Whale Gives Birth Despite Being Caught in Fishing Gear
-A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale managed to give birth to a calf while entangled in fishing gear. The 17-year-old female, named Snow Cone, was spotted December 2 with her new calf off of Cumberland Island, Georgia by an aerial survey team with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced.“We haven’t seen a chronically entangled whale come down here from up north and have a calf,” Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Clay George told The AP of the incident. “It’s amazing. But on the other hand, it could ultimately be a death sentence for her.”Snow Cone’s story exemplifies many of the threats facing North Atlantic right whales, which are currently undergoing an Unusual Mortality Event, primarily because of vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements. Since 2017, 50 known whales have died or suffered serious injuries, but NOAA estimates that only around one third of the deaths are actually documented. During that time, only 42 new calves have been born, and there are now fewer than 350 of the critically endangered whales left.Snow Cone lost her first known calf to two vessel strikes in June of 2020, according to NOAA. She was then seen stuck in fishing gear near Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts on March 10, 2021. The gear was attached to her mouth. Rescuers managed to free her from nearly 300 feet of rope that she was dragging before she dove too deep to allow further disentanglement.On May 10 and 11, Canadian rescuers managed to free her from more of the rope when she was spotted near New Brunswick, Canada. That left her with one piece of line trailing her tail and another trailing her tailstock. All told, she has carried the gear with her for more than 1,300 miles as she completed her summer migration to Canada and then returned to the whales’ calving area off the U.S. Southeast coast in the fall.After she was spotted with her new calf, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources decided it would not be safe to remove more of the gear while she is next to her calf.
'Whales, Sea Turtles and Other Animals Shouldn’t Have to Suffer and Die From Entanglements': Conservation Group Seeks Federal Help -Oakland conservation group the Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to require trap fisheries to convert from traditional crab fishing gear to new ropeless or “pop-up” gear in all United States waters within the next five years.The old gear has led to many entanglements and injuries of endangered whales and sea turtles.“In 2018 alone more than 100 large whales — including critically endangered North Atlantic right whales and Pacific humpback whales — were reported entangled in fishing gear in the United States. This is likely only a fraction of the actual number of animals of all kinds seriously injured or die in fishing gear, since most entanglements go unobserved,” said the Center for Biological Diversity in a press release.Most entanglements of marine animals occur because of traps that use ropes that run from a buoy on the water’s surface to traps on the ocean floor. “Pop-up traps use lift bags or buoys on coiled ropes triggered by remote or time-release sensors to float the traps to the surface, eliminating those static vertical lines,” the press release said.“[O]ther versions use metal gadgets that dissolve in water over time and allow the line to bob to the surface,” reported Tara Duggan of the San Francisco Chronicle.As ocean conditions have been affected by climate change, entanglements of marine life have increased “in nearly all regions,” according to the press release. “Warming waters, for example, can shift the distribution of prey, forcing whales to look for food in areas that increase the overlap between the animals and fishing gear.”State and federal agencies have been sued by the Center for Biological Diversity for allowing entanglements of endangered whales and sea turtles, which violates the Endangered Species Act.“Crab and lobster fishers are still using 19th century technologies despite new alternatives that could eliminate entanglements in buoy lines. But change isn’t going to happen on its own, so our petition seeks a deadline to convert to ropeless gear,” commented oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, Kristen Monsell, in the press release.
Over 100 feared dead as recovery efforts continue following massive tornado outbreak across the US Midwest and South - Details continue to emerge following a series of deadly late-season tornadoes that touched down during the evening on Friday, December 10 in several areas across the US Midwest and the South. The tornadic supercell traveled through six states, leaving wide swathes of destruction and devastating the lives of thousands. Traffic slowly moves down streets lined with debris Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) While the total number of deaths remains unclear, it is estimated that over 100 people have perished, and many remain missing. According to Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, more than 1,000 homes were destroyed across the state. “When this tornado hit, it didn’t just take a roof off, which is what we’ve seen in the past,” Beshear said at a press conference Monday. “It exploded the whole house. People, animals, the rest—just gone.” Tens of thousands of those who did not lose their homes to high winds remain without power as power lines were downed across the region. The majority of fatalities that have been recorded so far occurred in Kentucky, with a reported 74 deaths, although this figure is expected to climb as 105 people have yet to be located. Eight of the deaths were among those killed at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky. At least ten workers there remain unaccounted for. The factory, whose customers include Bed, Bath & Beyond, had employees working around the clock under sweatshop conditions in order to meet the demands of the holiday shopping season. Workers were told to shelter in place just minutes before the tornado decimated the factory. In anticipation of the coming storms, workers began pleading with management as early as 5:30 p.m.—hours before the tornado struck—to allow them to leave the facility. Management responded by threatening to fire any workers who left. “People had questioned if they could leave or go home,” McKayla Emery, a 21-year-old worker at the plant told NBC News in a an interview from a hospital bed where she is recovering from injuries. “I asked to leave and they told me I’d be fired,” Elijah Johnson, 20, explained to NBC News. “Even with weather like this, you’re still going to fire me?” Johnson asked. The reply from the manager was “Yes.” Initially, workers took shelter in hallways and bathrooms. However, once supervisors assumed that the threat had ended, workers were sent back on the production floor.
Windstorm and Severe Weather Blow Through Plains, Midwest - Only a few days after an already anomalous system went through Dec. 10-11, another incredibly strong and unusual storm system moved through the country. I already recapped the first storm here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….Just a couple of days later, a trough of low pressure moved into the Western U.S. where widespread precipitation helped to ease some of the drought, but also caused a multitude of winter weather advisories, storm warnings and high wind impacts. But the true strength of the system occurred after it crossed the Rocky Mountains.Temperatures out ahead of the system were once again very high. In fact, there were widespread records broken both for the day and the month of December from Texas all the way up to Wisconsin. In several of these instances, the records were completely smashed by 10 to 20 degrees. For example, by rising up to 74 degrees Fahrenheit, Omaha, Nebraska, beat its all-time December high by just 2 degrees but smashed its daily record by 15 degrees. Waterloo, Iowa, is the most extreme example. By reaching a high of 74 degrees, it beat its all-time December record by 7 degrees and its daily record by 20 degrees. Other official climate sites throughout Iowa and southern Wisconsin had similar results as warm air raced northward due to strong winds.Speaking of those strong winds, ahead of the system, winds were gusting on the order of 30 to 40 miles per hour (mph). That was not an atypical windy day in the Plains or western Midwest. However, as the system moved east of the Rockies, it rapidly strengthened and deepened, causing winds to rush even faster. Widespread wind gusts over 70 mph were recorded from Amarillo, Texas, up to Rapid City, South Dakota, and then eastward through almost all of Nebraska and Kansas, western Iowa and northwest Missouri. Other wind gusts exceeding 50 mph were recorded elsewhere throughout the Plains and the northwestern half of the Midwest. Winds in the Central Plains made for incredible video. Aided by the dryness and drought, dust was easily picked up by the strong winds and blown vast distances. During the afternoon, it was easily visible on satellite imagery. It will still need to be assessed whether the erosion caused significant damage to winter wheat in the region. Some of those wind gusts were aided by yet another round of severe December storms. In contrast to the severe event that unfolded in the Midwest and Midsouth five days earlier, severe storms occurred with one broken line. Storms started to develop early in the afternoon across south-central Nebraska and north-central Kansas. The line expanded north and south as it moved rapidly northeast through the afternoon and evening hours. Extreme wind gusts and several tornadoes developed along the line. As of the morning of Dec. 17, there were 32 reports of tornadoes and 552 reports of wind damage from the thunderstorms alone. There are likely to be more tornadoes confirmed as crews survey damage. Among those are the first December tornadoes ever in the state of Minnesota. And the 61 reports of significant wind gusts over 75 mph is the most on record for any single day since at least 2004. That beats the record that was previously held by the Aug. 10, 2020, derecho where 55 such reports were recorded. The event that moved through Dec. 15 may not meet the classification for a true derecho, as the line was broken with many stronger embedded cells, but the effect sure was derecho-like.
Massive dust storm sweeps through Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, U.S. (videos) Strong winds caused by a powerful storm moving through the Plains, produced a massive dust storm in eastern Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska on December 15, 2021.Strong wind gusts in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph) closed roads and knocked out power to more than 2 00 000 customers in Kansas and Colorado.Many areas reported blinding dust storm, with zero or near-zero visibility. “'It's zero visibility': Blinding #duststorm moving at 90mph 'hurricane-strength' winds blanket HALF of #Kansas and knock out power to nearly 120,000 people: 18-wheelers topple over and roads become no-go zones.”
Anomalous and historic December derecho hits U.S. - An anomalous and historic December derecho, a windstorm associated with an unusually strong and fast-moving line of thunderstorms, swept from the U.S. Southwest to the Upper Midwest on December 15, 2021, traveling roughly 1 060 km (660 miles) in just over 10 hours.
- The storm brought hurricane-force winds, dust storms, tornadoes, wildfires, snow squalls, and heavy rain across the middle of the country.
- More than 400 000 homes and businesses lost electric power, and roughly 100 million people were under some type of weather warning.
- A state of emergency was declared in Kansas and Iowa.
- At least 5 people lost their lives.
The derecho was spawned by the interaction of a deep-low pressure system over the Northern High Plains and a high-pressure system to the west. This created a tight pressure gradient over the Rocky Mountains that generated fierce winds.1 High-wind warnings were issued from the Central and Southern High Plains to the Great Lakes, including storm warnings over the Great Lakes. This event generated at least 55 hurricane-force gusts (those exceeding 120 km/h / 75 mph), breaking the previous one-day record of 53 set on August 10, 2020. The tracking began in 2004 and all previous records were set during the summer months. Wind gusts exceeded 160 km/h (100 mph) in Colorado and dust storms swirled in the southeastern part of the state and in western Kansas.2
U.S. records most hurricane-force wind reports in a single day - A massive, multi-hazard storm unprecedented for mid-December in the Plains and Upper Midwest affected nearly 100 million people from New Mexico to Wisconsin on Wednesday into Wednesday night.The latest storm is yet another demonstration that the dial on the extreme weather meter has gone all the way to 11 during 2021. Many of the events this year, including this one, bear the hallmarks of climate change. Wednesday ranks 1st in history for the number of hurricane wind gust reports (75 mph or greater) from severe thunderstorms in a single day in the Lower 48 states since such data began in 2004.
- 72°F: Temperature reached in Boscobel, Wisconsin, breaking the state's December high-temperature record by 2°F.
- 78°F: Temperature reached in Oskaloosa, Iowa, breaking the state's monthly record by 4°F.
- ~660 miles: Distance the severe thunderstorms traveled.
- 40°F: How far above average the temperatures were on Wednesday in parts of Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
- 18: Number of states where record highs were recorded.
- As was the case with the deadly tornado outbreak last weekend, the record heat and high humidity, flowing north from an unusually warm Gulf of Mexico, helped fuel the severe storms.
- 1st: Wednesday's rank in the number of tornado warnings ever issued in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota during the month of December, according to NOAA tornado researcher Harold Brooks.
- 1: Number of tornadoes confirmed to have touched down in Minnesota, the first-ever December tornado in the state.
- 8: Number of states with wind gusts to 90 mph or greater.
- 107 mph: Wind gust recorded in Lamar, Colorado.
- 100 mph: Wind gust at the U.S. Air Force Academy Airport in Colorado.
- 93 mph: Peak wind gust in Lincoln, Nebraska, as storms rolled through.
- 520,000: Number of customers without power this morning in 8 states.
Severe thunderstorms hit Eastern Cape, claiming 6 lives and damaging more than 1 000 homes, South Africa 
- (videos) Severe thunderstorms hit the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa over the past couple of days, claiming the lives of at least 6 people and damaging more than 1 000 homes. The latest areas to be hit by the storms include the municipalities of Amathole, Raymond Mhlaba, Amahlathi and Buffalo City.The storms hit just as residents of the OR Tambo district were picking up the pieces after last week's severe thunderstorms in the region, which left six people dead and 142 others homeless.1With the latest storms on Monday, which brought hail, excessive lighting and strong damaging winds, the number of damaged homes surpassed 1 000.According to Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, the number of homes damaged by the storm might be more than that because not everyone has been reached yet.2 "In addition to the houses, businesses have been damaged by the storm, 14 clinics and three hospitals have also been damaged. The destruction is huge so we’re starting with the basics. Sometimes people just want to be comforted and someone to tell them something is being done," Sooliman told Newzroom Afrika.3
Heavy snow hits Austria, snow levels at almost ten-year high - (videos) Exceptional early-December snowfall was reported across the Alps this week, with parts of eastern Austria receiving the heaviest snowfall in 9 years.In Burgenland, up to 30 cm (11.8 inches) of snow fell overnight on Wednesday, and power outages are impacting several hundred homes in Carinthia in the districts of St. Veit an der Glan, Spittal an der Drau, and Villach-Land after nearly 40 cm (15.7 inches) of snow fell.120 to 40 cm (7.9 - 15.7 inches) of snow are reported to have fallen in the Austrian mountains and 50 to 60 cm (19.7 - 23.6 inches) in Vorarlberg, East Tyrol, and Carinthia.Austria’s Centre for Severe Weather has issued its highest alerts for Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Carinthia and snow clearing vehicles have been out in force to keep roads in operation.An avalanche in the Salzburg region, on the border with Germany, killed 3 people and injured two while they were skiing off-piste, Austria's Red Cross said Saturday, December 4.2The snow buried a group of 8 people up to 4.5 m (14.7 feet) deep, local emergency response official Christoph Wiedl told local media.Two of the victims were already dead when their bodies were recovered, while the third died after being airlifted to hospital in Klagenfurt.
Annual rainfall and snowfall records broken in Greece - Two annual records, for rainfall and snowfall, were already broken this month in Greece, the National Observatory of Athens announced. The annual rainfall reading at Theodoriana meteorological station, in the northwestern regional unit of Arta, reached 3 425 mm (134.8 inches) by December 12, exceeding a 15-year record.By Saturday, December 11, satellite data showed that 19% of the country was under cover of snow, breaking a 17-year record.The average daily snow cover for the period from 2004 to 2021 in early December is about 4%.
More than 835 000 people affected by floods in South Sudan - Widespread flooding affecting South Sudan since May has continued to impact people and their livelihoods this month, with more than 835 000 people reported as affected by flooding in 33 of 78 counties, as of December 8, 2021. Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Niles remain the worst impacted states, with some 80% of the total cumulative number of affected people.1Jonglei is the hardest hit with 305 000 people affected, followed by Unity with 220 000 affected, and Upper Nile with 141 000 affected.Homes, nutrition and health facilities, water sources, schools and markets are submerged, impacting people’s access to essential services, eroding their coping mechanisms and exacerbating vulnerability, OCHA reports.The flooding has displaced thousands of people, many of whom have taken refuge on higher ground within their county, with many sheltering in churches, schools and public spaces.Floods destroyed farmland and crops, affecting seasonal harvest, placing at risk the next planting season, and killed a large number of livestock.People in some affected areas have reportedly no access to safe water, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.Floodwaters continue to threaten people in areas such as in Bentiu town in Unity State where flood-affected people, including those in the Bentiu displacement camp, are in a dire situation. The floodwaters remain standing and stagnant, with no sign of receding resulting in longer-term displacement.In other areas, such as Jonglei and Upper Nile, water continues to rise as water overflowed or broke barriers.
Iran experiencing one of the driest water years since 1971 - In the first three months of the current water year (September 23 - December 10), precipitation in Iran has declined by 33%, making 2021 one of the driest years in the past 50 years. In addition, the country is 51% short of rain compared to the same period last year. Iran received an average of 33.5 mm (1.31 inches) of rain from September 23 to December 10, down from the long-term average of 49.6 mm (1.95 inches), representing a 33% decrease in rainfall and making the national center for drought and crisis management to consider this year to be one of the driest in the past 50 years. Reduction of precipitation, especially snowfall in the country has caused the level of snow cover not to be in a favorable condition compared to last year.The snow cover in the country last year was 170 994 km2 (66 021 mi2).By December 10, 2021, it has decreased to 133 011 km2 (51 355 mi2), which shows a decrease of 37 983 km2 (14 665 mi2).As a result, only 35% of Iran's major dam reservoirs are filled.
Tropical Cyclone "Ruby" makes landfall in New Caledonia, heading toward New Zealand - Tropical Cyclone "Ruby" formed on December 12, 2021, as the first named storm of the 2021/22 South Pacific cyclone season. Ruby made landfall in western New Caledonia on December 14, moving fast toward the middle of the island with winds of 110 km/h (70 mph). This placed it on the upper edge of Category 2 Cyclone. At 06:00 UTC on December 14, the center of Tropical Cyclone "Ruby" was located approximately 120 km (75 miles) north-northwest of Nouméa, New Caledonia. Ruby's maximum 10-minute sustained winds were 100 km/h (65 mph), maximum 1-minute sustained winds were 100 km/h (65 mph), gusting up to 130 km/h (80 mph). The minimum barometric pressure was 981 hPa and the system was moving southeast at 30 km/h (20 mph). The cyclone will continue bringing periods of heavy rain and strong winds to majority of New Caledonia today. Residents are urged to pay close attention to official weather updates. Ruby will likely be clearing from New Caledonia by tonight, followed by high humidity and calmer conditions.1 At 08:00 UTC on December 14, Ruby was a strong tropical depression, moving SE at approximately 35 km/h (22 mph) and generating gusts of 140 km/h (87 mph) near its center, according to Meteo France - New Caledonia. Maximum gusts of 162 km/h (100 mph) were registered at Montagne des Sources and 135 km/h (84 mph) at Nouméa. Over the past 48 hours, the weather station at Méa (Kouaoua) registered 405 mm (15.9 inches) of rain. After moving over New Caledonia, the storm will head toward New Zealand. "Ruby’s path to New Zealand is complicated – it’s likely to get swallowed up by a ‘mega’ low in the New Zealand area which will contribute to more wind and rain in the NZ area, but not as a direct single storm moving in. In fact, the center of Ruby’s remnants may well miss New Zealand out to the east," WeatherWatch meteorologists said.
The Louisiana Indigenous community fighting for hurricane justice - Climate Crisis Long Read - Al Jazeera - – Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar knew that her house was gone before she got there. On August 29, when Hurricane Ida made landfall with winds howling at 240 kph and ripped through southern Louisiana, Chief Shirell was with eight family members hunkering down an hour’s drive north from her home in Chauvin. Even there, 100km from landfall, the winds shrieked, trees toppled, and power lines came down as the family prayed in the living room. After the storm cleared, Chief Shirell, her husband, and their two children drove home. They passed through Houma, the largest city in their parish of Terrebonne, where trees leaned atop houses, and brick walls had collapsed across roads. Further south, the bayous – slow-moving brackish waterways found in southern Louisiana and normally filled with crawfish, shrimp, and alligators – were filled with sunken, damaged boats. In towns like theirs, built like thin strips along either side of the bayous, trailers were ripped open or gone, construction debris and the contents of people’s lives scattered across marshy yards. Towering, 100-year-old live oaks lay on top of homes. Many houses had been built atop 12-foot stilts to protect them from water, but now, the stilts held up nothing; flights of stairs climbed to nowhere. Utility poles had snapped at the base, leaving snarls of wire. There was no electricity and no running water. There wouldn’t be for weeks and in some places, months. The destruction stretched on and on for kilometres. “The further down you came, the worse it got. I knew. Before I even got there, I knew,” says Chief Shirell. When she got to their house, the roof was gone. Everything inside was drenched. She was struck by the caprice of the storm: in their destroyed debris-covered bathroom, her bathrobe still hung neatly on its hook behind the door. They never did find their roof. “All I could think about was how many people were without homes.”
Tropical Storm "Rai" forms east of Philippines, landfall expected over Caraga or Eastern Visayas - Tropical Storm "Rai" formed on December 13, 2021 east of the Philippines as the 22nd named storm of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season. The system is expected to continue intensifying over the next 3 days before it makes landfall over Caraga or Eastern Visayas on December 16 with maximum wind speed near 165 km/h (100 mph), according to the JTWC. At 12:00 UTC on December 13, the center Tropical Storm "Rai" was located about 432 km (268 miles) SSE of Yap. Its maximum 10-minute sustained winds were 65 km/h (40 mph), with gusts up to 95 km/h (60 mph), while maximum 1-minute sustained winds were at 65 km/h (40 mph). The minimum central barometric pressure was 998 hPa, and the system was moving WNW at 24 km/h (15 mph). Rai is forecast to move west-northwestward while gradually intensifying and enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) as a severe tropical storm tomorrow evening, PAGASA said.1 Once inside PAR, the domestic name "Odette" will be assigned to this tropical cyclone. Rai will begin moving westward over the Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning and may make landfall in the vicinity of Caraga or Eastern Visayas by Thursday, December 16 afternoon or evening (LT).
12 dead as powerful typhoon batters the Philippines -- At least 12 people have died in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, the disaster agency said Friday, after the storm swept across the archipelago uprooting trees, toppling power poles and flooding villages. More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Rai pummelled the southern and central regions of the country, knocking out communications in some areas and tearing roofs off buildings. Rai was a super typhoon when it slammed into Siargao Island on Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometres an hour (120 miles). On Friday, wind speeds eased to 150 kilometres an hour, the state weather forecaster said. "Siargao island is heavily damaged," Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the national disaster agency, told a briefing. Jalad said 12 people have been reported killed during the storm, which lashed the popular tourist destination of Palawan island after ravaging the Visayas and the southern island of Mindanao. Another seven have been reported missing and two injured, he added. "We are seeing people walking in the streets, many of them shell-shocked," ABS-CBN correspondent Dennis Datu reported from the hard-hit city of Surigao, which is on the northern tip of Mindanao and near Siargao. "All buildings sustained heavy damage, including the provincial disaster office. It looks like it's been hit by a bomb." Datu said the main roads leading into the coastal city had been cut off by landslides, fallen trees and toppled power poles. More than 300,000 people had sought emergency shelter as the typhoon charged across the Pacific Ocean and smashed into the country, the agency said. About 18,000 had yet to return home. "The full picture is only just starting to emerge, but it is clear there is widespread devastation," said Alberto Bocanegra, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Philippines. Communications were still down in Siargao, which took the brunt of the storm, and Bocanegra said the organisation had "grave fears" for people there. Philippine Coast Guard shared photos on social media showing widespread destruction with roofs torn off buildings, wooden structures shattered and palm trees stripped of fronds on the island popular with surfers and holidaymakers. Aerial footage showed swathes of rice fields under water. Surigao City Mayor Ernesto Matugas told ABS-CBN that Rai ravaged the city of around 170,000 people for several hours, causing "severe" damage. "The wind was very strong," Matugas said. "Everything sustained damage—roofs blown off, access roads blocked by landslides."
Explosive activity resumes at Etna with heavy ash emission, Aviation Color Code raised to Red, Italy (video) Explosive activity accompanied by abundant ash emission resumed at Etna volcano at 11:15 UTC on December 14, 2021. Ash is dispersing south of the crater.Today's activity comes just a day after a small lava flow appeared at a new vent on Etna's eastern flank. The flow settled at an estimated altitude between 1 700 - 1 800 m (5 600 - 5 900 feet) a.s.l.1This activity was accompanied by a gradual increase in the average amplitude of volcanic tremor to high values.Explosive activity at the volcano resumed at 11:15 UTC on December 14.The Aviation Color Code was raised from Orange to Red at 11:54 UTC after very strong ash emission to 5.5 km (18 000 feet) a.s.l. "The phenomenon is observed by visible and thermal surveillance cameras from 11:15 UTC," Etna Volcano Observatory said.2
Fire and ice: The puzzling link between Western wildfires and Arctic sea ice - "Some say the world will end in fire," wrote Robert Frost a century ago. The poet described one popular take on the world's end before shifting to its apocalyptic opposite, writing, "some say in ice." But the relationship between fire and ice, in terms of Earth's climate, is not quite as "either or" as Frost depicted. In the case of a study presented Dec. 16 at the 2021 AGU Fall Meeting in New Orleans, that relationship is more "give and take." The team of researchers behind the recent study describe a link between dwindling sea ice and worsening wildfires in the western United States. As sea ice melts from July to October, sunlight warms the increasingly iceless, surrounding area. This ultimately brings heat and fire-favorable conditions to distant states like California, Washington, and Oregon later in autumn and early winter. The researchers describe this relationship—its existence previously known, but its underlying mechanism now described for the first time—as similarly influential as climate patterns like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. "It's not a perfect analogy, but teleconnections like this are a bit like the butterfly effect," said Hailong Wang, an Earth scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and coauthor of the new study. He references the popular feature of chaos theory where a butterfly's flapping wings are thought to influence the formation of a distant tornado. "Climate conditions in one part of the world can, over time, influence climate outcomes from thousands of kilometers away," said Wang. "In our case, we find the Arctic region and the western United States are connected by this relationship. Regional land and sea surface warming caused by sea ice loss distantly triggers hotter and drier conditions in the West later in the year." Wang and his fellow authors found that as Arctic sea ice melts and the surrounding land and sea surfaces warm, a vortex strengthens in the atmosphere above the heated area. This vortex, spinning counterclockwise like a cyclone, is spawned by differences in air pressure. The powerful vortex constantly pushes the polar jet stream out of its typical pattern, diverting moist air away from the western United States. With the now wavier jet stream nudged off its usual course, a second vortex, spinning clockwise, forms under the ridge of the polar jet above the western United States. This second vortex—similar to the vortex responsible for the Pacific Northwest's extreme heat earlier this summer—brings with it clear skies, dry conditions and other fire-favorable weather. As the Arctic continues warming, it can sharpen the contrast between these two distantly connected systems, further exacerbating conditions in an already fire-ravaged region. More than three million acres have burned across California alone during the 2021 wildfire season. "This dynamics-driven connection warms and dries out the western United States region," said Yufei Zou, lead author and data scientist who was a postdoc at PNNL when the study was conducted. "By uncovering the mechanism behind that teleconnection, we hope those in charge of managing forests and preparing for wildfires will be more informed.".
COVID-19 lockdowns lessened global lightning activity - Global lightning activity dropped almost 8% during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new research being presented at the AGU Fall Meeting 2021 in New Orleans. The cause of the drop appears to be a connection between lightning and air pollution. "When COVID-19 led to lock-downs, there was a reduction in pollution everywhere," said Yakun Liu, a meteorological researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who will present the work on Monday, 13 December at 08:53 a.m. CDT. Less pollution means fewer microscopic particles hazing the sky and serving as points of nucleation for water droplets and ice crystals. Fewer tiny ice crystals in storm clouds means fewer collisions of crystals, which Liu and other researchers believed to be one of the ways thunderheads generate electrical charges that lead to lightning. The three-month lockdown period from March to May 2020 proved to be a valuable opportunity to test this idea by studying global lightning and aerosol data. To measure the lightning activity they used data from the Global Lightning Detection Network (GLD 360) and the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). For the aerosols they looked at satellite data showing the amount air pollution in the atmosphere, measured as Aerosol Optical Depth, which is based on the way aerosols absorb and reflect light. Comparing the years 2018 to 2021, season to season, the researchers found a significant drop in lightning and aerosols in most places during the lockdown, as well as a significant drop in lightning activity worldwide. They found aerosol pollution and lightning generally followed the same pattern or tracked each other over Africa, Europe, Asia and the maritime countries of Southeast Asia, and smaller increases over much of the Americas. This new research follows previous research by Liu and his colleagues, published earlier this year in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, which showed dramatically how aerosols can affect lightning. In that paper the researchers showed that lightning activity jumped as much as 270% compared with the same time period the year before over the Tasman Sea when the smoke from Australia's catastrophic fires 2019-2020 wildfires blew over the water. The effect of lightning over the ocean is especially telling, said Liu, because the ocean is flat and less variable in temperature, and so less likely to influence how thunderclouds form or behave. That allows the effects of aerosols to shine through.
The climate system relies on microscopic particles -- The Earth's climate is an extremely complex system that is driven by the subtle balance of many different processes—a key one of which is the air-sea exchange of CO2. Monitoring the ocean's uptake of CO2 is key to our understanding of climate change, and scientists at EPFL and at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO, France) have recently discovered a new part of the process. They identified a new source of organic phosphorus delivered from the atmosphere which potentially will help phytoplankton and microalgae growth, the latter of which play a crucial role in making our planet habitable. Organic phosphorus deposition to marine environments has not been studied till now, but this groundbreaking work showed it is an important—and completely overlooked—source of the critical nutrient, with important implications for climate. The scientists' findings were recently published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. Phytoplankton, which live on the surface layers of lakes, seas and oceans, need a variety of chemical elements to grow, the main ones being iron, nitrogen and phosphorus. An abundance of these nutrients allow phytoplankton to bloom and carry out the critical function of photosynthesis, during which large amounts of CO2 is absorbed from the air and converted to biomass, while also releasing oxygen. That makes them highly important to living organisms and gives them a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate. Phytoplankton also form the base of the aquatic food chain, which sustains marine systems. The supply and bioavailability of phosphorus affects the growth rate of phytoplankton, the rate at which they photosynthesize, hence the amount of CO2 they absorb. It is therefore important to identify all the ways in which marine ecosystems are fertilized; this can provide key insights into the climate system and how human activities affect it. "Scientists already knew that large amounts of inorganic phosphorus are transported to marine ecosystems by airborne dust in the form of phosphate minerals and ions. But this is an incomplete picture," explains Kalliopi Violaki, the study's lead author and a scientist at the Laboratory of atmospheric processes and their impacts (LAPI),which is part of EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC). Kalliopi Violaki organized and ran a two year-long research program at the MIO. During that time, she discovered that bioaerosols—airborne biological particles, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, plant fibers and pollen—contain significant amounts of organic phosphorus. Although its exact amount is still uncertain, we know it is significant because it is comparable to the amount of inorganic phosphorus that dust aerosols supply. In addition, organic phosphorus is often found in the form of phospholipids, a key component of cell membranes. "Being aware that terrestrial ecosystems can fertilize marine ecosystems via bioaerosols gives us a completely new perspective," says Athanasios Nenes, head of LAPI and co-author of the study. "This knowledge will help us better understand the processes that influence the carbon cycle and the climate."
Abrupt Permafrost Thaw Has Scientists Worried --Alaska’s landscape is changing. One striking example: During the past six decades, the number of thermokarst lakes in Fairbanks, the state’s third-largest city, has doubled. These are lakes that form when permafrost thaws, causing the ground to subside or in some cases collapse and then fill with water. Increased warming means more thawing and more lakes. And because the Arctic is warming three times faster than the rest of the planet, these formations are becoming an increasingly common feature across the state, especially in the interior, where the permafrost layer is often just below the 32-degree threshold required to keep the soil frozen. Even modest increases in temperature can lead to landscape-scale changes or abrupt thaw events such as slumps and landslides. In mid-June, reporting a story for the current issue of Sierra on the impacts of a warming Arctic on Alaska’s built environment, I visited one of these thermokarst lakes, a small, unassuming body of water outside Fairbanks. It was close to a frequently traveled two-lane road, a power line, and residential property, all of which could be affected in the coming decade as the permafrost continues to thaw and the lake expands. Homes might need to be relocated and the power line and road rebuilt to withstand the influx of water and shifting ground. This is easy enough to imagine. But the thawing permafrost in Alaska is connected to other big questions scientists are scrambling to understand: How much methane and carbon dioxide will be emitted from ancient carbon stored in the ground as it heats up, and what kind of impact will this have on future warming? The process of permafrost thaw leading to increased emissions is relatively straightforward. As the ground warms, organic matter, mostly dead plants and animals compressed and frozen for thousands of years, is made available to microorganisms, which convert the material into CO2, methane, or nitrous oxide. Scientists have a pretty good idea how much carbon is stored in northern soils: more than twice what humans have already emitted since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The Big Thaw | Sierra Club - ON AUGUST 24, the National Park Service closed more than half of the only road that runs through Denali National Park, one of Alaska's top tourist destinations. The proximate cause was a landslide beneath a particularly harrowing stretch of the 92-mile, mostly gravel road that forced it to buckle and slump. The ultimate cause, the Park Service determined, was global climate change. The landslide under the road had been moving slowly for decades without incident; its increased speed was triggered by a combination of heavy rainfall earlier in the season and thawing permafrost. Suddenly, what for years had been a routine maintenance operation had become a Sisyphean task: The Park Service was hauling in 100 truckloads of gravel every week from the nearby Toklat River just to keep the road level and the tour buses moving. Eventually, even those extreme efforts proved inadequate. According to the Park Service, the landslide was moving too fast for maintenance crews to safely keep the road open beyond the affected section. The added gravel meant there was less room for buses to maneuver around an especially tight corner just before the vulnerable section of road, which has a 400-foot drop on one side. The road was beginning to cleave and settle at a rate that had never been seen before. Nancy Russell, who has been a bus driver in Denali for over 25 years, said drivers on the morning shift never knew what they might encounter. "They [the Park Service] always said it's not going to be catastrophic," Russell told me. "But I think that's why they had to call it. Because they couldn't say that anymore."As the climate warmed in recent decades, the ice holding the mass of rocks together began to vanish, leading to occasional road closures. By 2018, the road was settling a few inches every week, which was easy enough to correct with periodic filling and grading. But no one was fully prepared for the shift that occurred last summer. By the time the road was closed for good—park staff had to spend about a week evacuating guests and employees in lodges on the other side of the landslide—the slurry of rock and ice was moving at a rate of more than 15 inches a day. A month later, the road had dropped by 21 feet, and large cracks, in some places three feet wide, opened along the surface.
Arctic temperature soared to an unprecedented 100 degrees in 2020, scientists confirm -On June 20, 2020, the temperature in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk soared to a searing 100.4 degrees — more befitting of the Mediterranean than far-east Russia. Scientists with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have now confirmed the measurement is the Arctic’s hottest temperature on record.“This new Arctic record is one of a series of observations reported to the WMO Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes that sound the alarm bells about our changing climate,” said WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas in a statement.Last year, 2020, was a record-breaking year across the globe, ranking in the top three warmest years on record. The Arctic, which has been warming more than twice as fast as the global average, experienced an abnormally hot January-to-June time period that year. During those six months, monthly temperatures in Siberia were as high as 18.5 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) above average.The warm temperatures helped fuel a large number of wildfires in the region, which started earlier than normal in 2020. Around half of the fires burned through areas with thawed peat soil — decomposed organic matter abundant in carbon. Fires on peatlands can release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. In June and July, fires in Arctic Russia released more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any entire previous fire season since records began in 2003. Shortly after the temperature spike, researchers determined Siberia’s anomalously warm months, as well as Verkhoyansk’s record-breaking temperature in June, were virtually impossible without human-induced climate change. Climate change made the prolonged heat from January to June at least 600 times more likely; such extended heat in the region would occur less than once in 80,000 years without the observed increase in temperatures.To verify the June record, an international committee of experts conducted a thorough analysis of data, including from European weather forecast models. The group also evaluated information from the Russian meteorological agency on the type of equipment used, quality-checks, calibration of the instrument, monitoring techniques and data from surrounding stations. “Verifying records of this type is important in having a reliable base of evidence as to how our climate’s most extreme extremes are changing,” said Blair Trewin. from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and a member of the evaluation committee, in a statement.The record also prompted the WMO to create a climate category for such extreme events in the region — “highest recorded temperature at or north of 66.5⁰, the Arctic Circle,” encompassing both polar regions. The committee also included the official coldest temperature at or north of the Arctic Circle and Northern Hemisphere: minus-93.3 degrees (minus-69.6 Celsius) on Dec. 22, 1991, in Greenland. Verkhoyansk also holds the record for one of the coldest temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere at minus-90 degrees (minus-67.8 Celsius) in February 1892.
Antarctica's Doomsday Glacier Is Close to Becoming Unhinged - There’s nothing like sitting through a series of presentations about all the ways one of the most imperiled glaciers on Earth is in even more trouble than expected to get the blood flowing. The American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting kicked off with a splash of news about Thwaites Glacier. If there’s one Antarctic glacier you need to care about, it’s this one. (Though, really why choose one?) Dubbed the “Doomsday Glacier,” Thwaites is in extremely rough shape and a key portion of it could lose its grip on the bedrock by the end of this decade. That, in case it’s not clear, is bad. “We’re watching a world do things we haven’t seen before,” Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, said on a press call. Well, then. What’s happening to Thwaites Glacier is a disaster of epic proportions, and researchers have been racing to chronicle it. The glacier spills down from the West Antarctic ice sheet and extends over the Amundsen Sea. To get a grasp on what’s happening at Thwaites, researchers have undertaken a multi-year study that probes the glacier from above and below and even uses satellites to gauge just what’s going on. The results have been ominous. The scientists said their measurements show parts of the floating ice shelf are receding at a rate of 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) per year. “It’s a bit unsettling, Scambos said, especially standing on the ice looking at the ice sheet. The horizon is moving at you a mile a year.” Warm water has also penetrated deep underneath the glacier. That’s resulted in strange deformities in parts of the ice, including large crevasses cutting up into the ice. There’s one particularly beat-up area that Lizzy Clyne, a researcher at Lewis & Clark College who has studied the glacier, said used to be attached to the bedrock a decade ago but is now a huge cavity. As warm water penetrates deeper under the ice, it means there’s less of it holding fast to solid ground. That can lead to more fracturing and cracking, and, eventually, have the entire ice shelf collapse. That would allow more ice to tumble into the sea. Erin Pettit, a scientist at Oregon State University, said that one of the more stable areas where Thwaites is grounded on bedrock is undergoing rapid changes that “will reduce down to near zero contact by the end of the decade.” It was a location she had chosen to study on the eastern side of the ice because it was one of the “most boring parts” of the glacier. However, satellite images before a field season out there revealed a crack spreading across the face of the ice, one which she worried could cut across their field site. Ultimately, that wasn’t an issue—but it was still an ominous sign of the state of Thwaites. The floating part of the glacier holds back a basin of land ice that, if dumped in the ocean, would unleash roughly 10 feet (3 meters) of sea-level rise. That won’t come all at once if the ice shelf becomes unmoored. But the collapse of Thwaites would set the world on a dangerous trajectory in the decades and even centuries to come.
Crucial Antarctic ice shelf could fail within five years, scientists say - Scientists have discovered a series of worrying weaknesses in the ice shelf holding back one ofAntarctica’s most dangerous glaciers, suggesting that this important buttress against sea level rise could shatter within the next three to five years.Until recently, the ice shelf was seen as the most stable part of Thwaites Glacier, a Florida-sized frozen expanse that already contributes about 4 percent of annual global sea level rise. Because of this brace, the eastern portion of Thwaites flowed more slowly than the rest of the notorious “doomsday glacier.”But new data show that the warming ocean is eroding the eastern ice shelf from below. Satellite images taken as recently as last month and presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union show several large, diagonal cracks extending across the floating ice wedge.These weak spots are like cracks in a windshield, said Oregon State University glaciologist Erin Pettit. One more blow and they could spiderweb across the entire ice shelf surface.“This eastern ice shelf is likely to shatter into hundreds of icebergs,” she said. “Suddenly the whole thing would collapse.”The failure of the shelf would not immediately accelerate global sea level rise. The shelf already floats on the ocean surface, taking up the same amount of space whether it is solid or liquid.But when the shelf fails, the eastern third of Thwaites Glacier will triple in speed, spitting formerly landlocked ice into the sea. Total collapse of Thwaites could result in several feet of sea level rise, scientists say, endangering millions of people in coastal areas.“It’s upwardly mobile in terms of how much ice it could put into the ocean in the future as these processes continue,” said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, and a leader of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC). He spoke to reporters via Zoom from McMurdo Station on the coast of Antarctica, where he is awaiting a flight to his field site atop the crumbling ice shelf.“Things are evolving really rapidly here,” Scambos added. “It’s daunting.”Pettit and Scambos’s observations also show that the warming ocean is loosening the ice shelf’s grip on the underwater mountain that helps it act as a brace against the ice river at its back. Even if the fractures don’t cause the shelf to disintegrate, it is likely to become completely unmoored from the seafloor within the next decade.
Antarctic Ice Shelf Could Collapse Within Five Years, Causing Dangerous Sea Level Rise -A crucial ice shelf in Antarctica is at risk of collapse within as little as five years, scientists at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union said on Monday.The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, which holds a third of the crucial Thwaites Glacier in place, has been weakening and has developed cracks, satellite images showed. If the glacier, which is about the size of Florida and the widest on Earth at 80 miles across, were to fall into the ocean, sea levels would rise over two feet. At its current melting rate, the glacier accounts for about four percent of annual global sea level rise. “The cracks in the Antarctic ice shelf are similar to those in a car windshield, where a slowly growing crack reveals that the windshield is weak and a slight bump to the vehicle could prompt the windshield to immediately break apart into hundreds of pieces of glass, according to Oregon State University glaciologist Erin Pettit,” reported Emma Newburger of CNBC. “This eastern ice shelf is likely to shatter into hundreds of icebergs,” said Pettit, as reported by The Washington Post. “Suddenly the whole thing would collapse.” Warming ocean temperatures, due in part to climate change, caused the wearing away of the ice shelf. Its collapse wouldn’t cause global sea levels to rise right away, “But when the shelf fails, the eastern third of Thwaites Glacier will triple in speed, spitting formerly landlocked ice into the sea. Total collapse of Thwaites could result in several feet of sea level rise, scientists say, endangering millions of people in coastal areas,” Sarah Kaplan of The Washington Post reported. “We are already on track for sea level rise in the next several decades that will impact coastal communities worldwide,” said Pettit, as reported by CNBC. “We can’t reverse this sea level rise, so we need to consider how to mitigate it and protect our coastal communities now.” Research by Pettit and Ted Scambos, a University of Colorado Boulder glaciologist and lead principal investigator of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, shows that the ice shelf is losing its connection to the undersea mountain that’s been keeping it in place “against the ice river at its back. Even if the fractures don’t cause the shelf to disintegrate, it is likely to become completely unmoored from the seafloor within the next decade,” reported Kaplan. If the ice shelf collapses, a process called ice cliff collapse, never before seen in Antarctica, may be instigated, “in which towering walls of ice that directly overlook the ocean start to crumble into the sea,” Kaplan reported.According to Anna Crawford, a glaciologist at the University of St. Andrews, “if it started instantiating it would become self-sustaining and cause quite a bit of retreat for certain glaciers,” The Washington Post reported.While Crawford’s models show a domino effect of that kind is possible, “it’s unlikely to happen in the immediate future,” she said.“But what we’re seeing already is enough to be worried about,” Crawford said. “Thwaites is kind of a monster.”
Climate change has destabilized the Earth’s poles, putting the rest of the planet in peril - The ice shelf was cracking up. Surveys showed warm ocean water eroding its underbelly. Satellite imagery revealed long, parallel fissures in the frozen expanse, like scratches from some clawed monster. One fracture grew so big, so fast, scientists took to calling it “the dagger.”“It was hugely surprising to see things changing that fast,” said Erin Pettit. The Oregon State University glaciologist had chosen this spot for her Antarctic field research precisely because of its stability. While other parts of the infamous Thwaites Glacier crumbled, this wedge of floating ice acted as a brace, slowing the melt. It was supposed to be boring, durable, safe.Now climate change has turned the ice shelf into a threat — to Pettit’s field work, and to the world.Planet-warming pollution from burning fossil fuels and other human activities has already raised global temperatures more than 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit). But the effects are particularly profound at the poles, where rising temperatures have seriously undermined regions once locked in ice.In research presented this week at the world’s biggest earth science conference, Pettit showed that the Thwaites ice shelf could collapse within the next three to five years, unleashing a river of ice that could dramatically raise sea levels. Aerial surveys document how warmer conditions have allowed beavers to invade the Arctic tundra, flooding the landscape with their dams. Large commercial ships are increasingly infiltrating formerly frozen areas, disturbing wildlife and generating disastrous amounts of trash. In many Alaska Native communities, climate impacts compounded the hardships of thecoronavirus pandemic, leading to food shortages among people who have lived off this land for thousands of years.“The very character of these places is changing,” said Twila Moon, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and co-editor of the Arctic Report Card, an annual assessment of the state of the top of the world. “We are seeing conditions unlike those ever seen before.”The rapid transformation of the Arctic and Antarctic creates ripple effects all over the planet. Sea levels will rise, weather patterns will shift and ecosystems will be altered. Unless humanity acts swiftly to curb emissions, scientists say, the same forces that have destabilized the poles will wreak havoc on the rest of the globe.“The Arctic is a way to look into the future,” said Matthew Druckenmiller, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and another co-editor of the Arctic Report Card. “Small changes in temperature can have huge effects in a region that is dominated by ice.”
Is There Something Amiss With the Way the EPA Tracks Methane Emissions from Landfills? - Three environmental groups are making a move to hold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accountable for accurately tracking heat-trapping gases emitted from the nation’s landfills. The Environmental Integrity Project, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and the Sierra Club have filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA, the first step in a legal process under the Clean Air Act. The groups claim the agency allows landfills to use methods that are more than two decades old, which are underestimating methane emissions by at least 25 percent. The EPA under the law must review and, if necessary, revise its landfill gas emissions calculation methods every three years, and agency officials have known those emissions factors have been off since at least 2008, according to the 10-page legal notice, which was sent to Michael Regan, the EPA administrator, last week. “When it comes to pollution, it’s very difficult to manage what you can’t measure,” said Ryan Maher, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, in a press release. “EPA needs to fix how it estimates emissions from this massive source of methane and other air pollutants, not only to help us understand the full extent of the landfill problem, but also to make sure that we’re holding polluters accountable and regulating these facilities properly.” In June, Maher authored a study that found that Maryland’s landfill methane emissions were four times higher than that state had estimated. “It’s not just Maryland, it’s the whole country,” said Tom Pelton, a spokesman for the Environmental Integrity Project.The EPA has 60 days to attempt to resolve the conflict with the environmental groups. An EPA spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the potential litigation.Rotting garbage and other waste in municipal landfills are responsible for about 15 percent of the country’s human-caused emissions of methane, a powerful climate super-pollutant that scientists say needs to be reigned in quickly to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. Methane is 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 20 years.In July, Inside Climate News, WMFE in Orlando and NPR reported that the EPA’s own top expert on methane believed the agency was undercounting landfill methane emissions. The EPA has “been understating methane emissions from landfills by a factor of two,” Susan Thorneloe, a senior chemical engineer at the EPA who has worked on the agency’s methane estimation methods since the 1980s, said. Part of the problem, she said, may be that the EPA’s methods for estimating landfill methane emissions are outdated and flawed.
More Partsanization Of The Environment - - While he is not outright denying that global warming is happening as the more extreme members of his party argue, incoming Republican Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, supposedly a moderate Republican, has nevertheless announced his intention to remove Virginia from its participation in the not widely publicized Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) of which Virginia has been the southernmost participating states, the others including most of those to its northeast. This is indeed a cap and trade system for greenhouse gases. This RGGI is probably more open to criticism by those who argue that it has been too weak, too ineffective in substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the states participating in it. But at least it is pushing in the right direction and provides an institutional foundation for doing more. So it really sticks out that incoming Governor Youngkin wants out of it. Why? Oooh, he will save Virginia taxpayers money, actually people who pay for electricity. The estimate he provided yesterday (as reported in today’s Washington Post metro section) is about $52.44 per average customer per year in utility bills, with him complaining that the RGGI is not really doing anything. He promises an alternative, but gives no hint of what that might be. As it is, this strictly short term possible monetary gain is likely to be offset, possibly more than fully offset, by other monetary costs that will probably increase, such as higher flood insurance for people living in the state, quite aside from the broader issue of global warming. Anyway, this seems to be a further degradation of the Republican Party. Here we have a supposedly moderate Republican, who clearly feels he must indulge the irresponsibility of the Trumpist/extremist wing of his party, in going against the long-running more responsible past of members of his party with respect to environmental policy. It may be that Youngkin will not be able to do this by executive order, or may be delayed in doing so. But that he wants to and will probably try to is simply sad in my view. -- Barkley Rosser
It’ll Take More Than Biden’s Economic Plan to Meet Climate Goal – Bloomberg - Climate provisions in President Joe Biden’s tax-and-spending plan are critical to fulfilling his pledge to halve U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 but are far from enough, according to a new analysisthat finds sweeping changes are required to confront global warming. The U.S. also will have to rapidly accelerate adoption of electric vehicles, impose aggressive emissions limits on individual industries and deploy nascent, yet-to-be-commercialized technologies, according to the World Resources Institute paper released Wednesday. That’s on top of expanding tax incentives for renewable power, advanced energy manufacturing and building efficiency upgrades that are contained in the president’s economic legislation.
Harris rolls out plan for electric vehicle charging network - The White House and Vice President Kamala Harris rolled out a plan on Monday for building out an electric vehicle charging network. A fact sheet the White House released on the plan relies heavily on the bipartisan infrastructure law and existing actions it has taken, but there are some new announcements as well. Those include the creation of a Joint Office of Energy and Transportation between the Energy and Transportation departments, which will be tasked with implementing the charging network and other electrification provisions in the law. The law provides $7.5 billion to advance the buildout of an electric vehicle charging network. "People who live in apartments...might not have a private driveway where they can install a plug," Harris said during remarks in Brandywine, Md. "When we install public chargers, in rural, urban and suburban neighborhoods, we make it easier for people to go electric," she added. The fact sheet also said that the White House will hold stakeholder meetings on the issue, and that the Energy and Transportation departments will create an electric vehicle advisory committee. The Transportation Department will also publish guidance by Feb. 11 for states and cities to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging stations and will publish standards by May 13 to make sure chargers are functional, safe and accessible. Deploying more electric vehicles doesn’t just mean getting more electric cars on the road. It also involves building out infrastructure like charging stations in order to make sure people who buy these cars have places to fuel them. Electric vehicles are a major component of the Biden administration’s climate plan, though they will be even more effective if the administration is successful in its goal of shifting the country’s electric power to clean sources. Monday's announcement comes as the administration has been grappling with high gasoline prices in recent weeks, though they have fallen slightly and are expected to trend lower. And it comes as additional incentives for electric vehicles are expected in Democrats' climate and social spending bill, which has yet to make it across the finish line. It contains tax credits worth up to $12,500 for consumers who purchase electric vehicles. But, one of those incentives — a $4,500 tax credit for union-made electric vehicles — is facing opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key swing vote, and its future is uncertain. Nevertheless, Harris touted the Democrats' bill during her remarks on Monday, calling the already passed bipartisan package just "part 1." "Our bipartisan infrastructure law is part 1 of 2. Part 2 of 2 is the Build Back Better Act." she said. "Our Build Back Better Act will cut the sticker price of new electric vehicles made in America by union workers by up to $12,500," she added, touting the package with the contentious provision included.
Biden’s Electric Vehicle Tax Credits Are a Gift to Unions - - President Joe Biden says his Build Back Better plan aims to confront the “existential threat of climate change.” So it’s unfortunate that in privileging union jobs over just about any other goal, a crucial element of the legislation would do just the opposite. included in Section 136401 of the House version of the BBB proposal is what looks like a harmless effort to promote electric vehicles. The bill offers a $7,500 refundable tax credit for most EVs. Consumers can then claim additional credits of up to $5,000 — but there’s a catch. To qualify for the full write-off, an EV must be manufactured by union workers, assembled in the U.S. and made with American batteries. Even the base credit phases out for all but American-made cars in five years.
GM may be stuck with the Bolt, even if it makes sense to dump it - It seems like a good time for General Motors to pull the plug on the Bolt, the only electric vehicle currently in its North American vehicle lineup. GM, which is spending tens of billions of dollars to switch its lineup to electric vehicles in the coming decades, has essentially stopped building the Bolt and the Bolt EUV, because it needs every available battery to repair the 140,000 Bolts it has already sold. Virtually all have been recalled because the vehicles can catch fire while charging. At an estimated $2 billion cost, it is one of the most expensive recalls ever on a per-vehicle basis. GM said 15 Bolt fires have been confirmed, and the company is replacing the battery cells in each car. Fortunately for GM, the company is getting its battery supplier, LG, to pay $1.9 bilion toward the recall. But that can't repair the damage to GM's electric vehicle reputation. "With GM looking for an all-EV future, it's not off to the best start," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Cox Automotive.GM has a number of other electric vehicles scheduled to hit US dealerships within the next year, including the GMC Hummer EV pickup, which is expected to start production later this month, and the Cadillac Lyriq, due to start production in the first quarter of 2022. An electric version of its bestselling Silverado pickup, is set to become available by the end of next year. Those new vehicles -- and all GM's EVs going forward -- have a different battery from the Bolt, dubbed Ultium, which promises superior performance. But that will make it difficult for GM to sell Bolts with an inferior battery, even if the fire problem is fixed. And the Bolt is tiny -- even the slightly larger Bolt EUV is 170 inches long, which while a few inches longer than the original is about a foot shorter than a compact Toyota Corolla, even if it has somewhat more interior space and cargo capacity because it lacks an engine.
Cobalt's human cost: Social consequences of green energy must be assessed in addition to environmental impactsWhile driving an electric car has fewer environmental impacts than gasoline-powered cars, the production of the parts necessary for these green technologies can have dire effects on human well-being. After studying the impacts of mining cobalt—a common ingredient in lithium-ion batteries—on communities in Africa's Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Northwestern University is calling for more data into how emerging technologies affect human health and livelihoods. Such data can inform policymakers, industry leaders and consumers to make more socially and ethically responsible decisions when developing, funding and using green technologies. The case study and perspective paper will be published on Dec. 17 in the journal One Earth. "We have the framework and tools available to compare the environmental costs of automobiles that run on fossil fuels to battery-powered vehicles," said Northwestern's Jennifer Dunn, who led the study. "I can tell you the greenhouse gas emissions per mile for either one. But when it comes to the social effects, we don't have the same capability for direct comparison. For many engineers, it's easier to measure or calculate environmental effects than to understand the social conditions in a faraway country that they have never set foot in." Dunn is an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and associate director of the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience. To conduct the case study, Dunn led an interdisciplinary team of engineers, anthropologists and public health experts. For years, researchers have been conducting environmental life cycle assessments (E-LCA), in which they comprehensively and systematically calculate the environmental impacts of a product all the way from the extraction of raw materials required to make it to its use and ultimate disposal. More recently, researchers have attempted to develop similar frameworks to evaluate social life cycle assessments (S-LCA), which can be used to understand how emerging technologies affect human health and well-being. To identify barriers to and opportunities for collecting better data for S-LCA, the researchers conducted exploratory field work in cobalt mining communities in the Lualaba Province, DRC. The team collected qualitative data through in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with miners and other community members. Paper co-author Gabriel Bamana, an anthropologist on faculty at Normandale Community College in Minnesota, is native Congolese and therefore could provide significant cultural and historical context for the study. "For this type of work, it's important to work across fields in order to be informed," said Sera Young, study co-author and associate professor of anthropology at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "It might be difficult for engineers who are developing the technologies to understand the social effects. By working together, we can form a whole picture of the consequences of resource extraction." What Dunn and Young discovered was deeply troubling. They found cobalt mining was associated with increases in violence, substance abuse, food and water insecurity, and physical and mental health challenges. Community members reported losing communal land, farmland and homes, which miners literally dug up in order to extract cobalt. Without farmland, Congolese people were sometimes forced to cross international borders into Zambia just to purchase food. "You might think of mining as just digging something up," Young said. "But they are not digging on vacant land. Homelands are dug up. People are literally digging holes in their living room floors. The repercussions of mining can touch almost every aspect of life." Waste generated from mining cobalt and other metals can pollute water, air and soil, leading to decreased crop yields, contaminated food and water, and respiratory and reproductive health issues. Miners reported that working conditions were unsafe, unfair and stressful. Several workers noted that they feared mineshaft collapses. As industry leaders move toward decarbonization to slow, stop or even reverse human-caused climate change, technologies are increasingly relying on batteries instead of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the effects of these technologies on social well-being are understudied and data related to these effects are insufficient for use in policy-making decisions.
Republicans in Ohio House of Representatives reject support for proposed Icebreaker wind project for Lake Erie - – Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives have rejected the idea of imposing a tiny surcharge on Northeast Ohio customers of FirstEnergy that would be used to support a proposed wind farm in Lake Erie known as Icebreaker.Rep. Bill Seitz, Republican from the Cincinnati area, said Friday afternoon that when the issue came up in the Republican caucus it did not receive anywhere close to the support necessary to pass.“It was pretty well rejected despite my best efforts,” he said.The Icebreaker demonstration project calls for putting six-turbines in Lake Erie about 8 to 10 miles off the coast of Cleveland. It has the necessary regulatory approvals, but not all the money it needs to get started with construction.And unless an additional source of revenue can be identified soon, the project is at risk of losing the federal funding deemed crucial to its success.Advocates were hoping the legislature would provide support in the form of an amendment to House Bill 389, which had moved out of the Public Utilities Committee, but never came to the floor this week. The legislature is now adjourned until January.The bill is designed to restore some of the energy efficiency programs eliminated by House Bill 6. But Republicans were contemplating an amendment to the HB 389 to allow a surcharge to be added to bills of Illuminating Co. customers. The proceeds would be used to purchase much of the electricity Icebreaker would produce. Seitz said he believed the surcharge would have been no more than 20 cents a month “and probably less than that.”As it stands, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have committed to buying one third of the 20.7 megawatts of electricity that Icebreaker would generate. A commitment to purchase the remainder would send a signal to the Department of Energy, which has committed $50 million to the project, that the project is moving forward.Will Friedman, head of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., the organization behind Icebreaker, said in October that the Department of Energy had grown weary of the many delays to Icebreaker. Planning began more than a decade ago.Seitz, who has been critical of wind farm development on land in Ohio, said he was supportive of the effort to help Icebreaker because it was offshore, had significant support in Northeast Ohio and was going to paid for by people in the area.Also, the amendment would have allowed any of the counties along the lake to reject proposals to build future wind projects off their shorelines. But many Republicans felt differently than Seitz. He said the principal objection seemed to be that ratepayers should not have to pay a surcharge for electricity that would be “appreciably in excess” of the current market rate. Also, many saw the demonstration project as getting the “camel’s nose under the tent” to allow for thousands and thousands of more turbines in the lake. Another reason, he said, was that placing turbines in the lake bed might dredge up potentially toxic material.
Entergy customers express frustrations over prices after Hurricane Ida - Some people who have been without electricity since Hurricane Ida are somehow still receiving electric bills. Residents across Terrebonne and Lafourche are speaking out about high Entergy bills although some don’t have homes, are running on generator power or don’t have any power lines connected to their property. Pointe-aux-Chenes resident Brenda Billiot said the only thing left standing on her property is the front porch. Billiot said she’s received two bills from Entergy totaling to around $600 since August. She’s already paid one of them. “Where are these readings coming from?” Billiot said. “They said I have until the 14th to pay before my power gets cut off but I don’t have any power anyways.” In Montegut, Sherrie Simoneux LeCompte said she had a $236 bill last month after paying $216 the previous month and had levelized billing removed. She was out of power for 37 days. “They’re still telling me I’ve used $236 a month in electricity. The only thing - we're running is a tiny 30 amp camper versus a 2200 square foot house and that’s what I normally paid for my entire house,” LeCompte said. While repairs are being made to the home, LeCompte said they were only running a light and washing occasional loads of laundry. She said the extra charges are coming from fuel surcharges and their storm restoration fee. However, LeCompte feels that it shouldn’t be the customer’s responsibility since it’s not their fault that the storm happened. “The whole situation has been nothing but a nightmare between them and insurance,“ LeCompte said. “It’s just baffling.”
New York City is banning natural gas hookups for new buildings to fight climate change - The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to pass legislation banning the use of natural gas in most new construction, a move that will substantially slash climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions from the country's most populous city. The bill now goes to Mayor Bill de Blasio's desk for signature. Once signed, the measure will go into effect at the end of 2023 for some buildings under seven stories, and in 2027 for taller buildings. Hospitals, commercial kitchens and laundromats are exempt from the ban. Under the law, construction projects submitted for approval after 2027 must use sources like electricity for stoves, space heaters and water boilers instead of gas or oil. Residents who currently have gas stoves and heaters in their homes will not be impacted unless they relocate to a new building. New York state was the sixth largest natural gas consumer in the country in 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While the state's electricity today comes primarily from natural gas, which generates carbon dioxide emissions when burned, nuclear power and hydroelectricity are also significant sources, supplying 29% and 11% of generation in 2020, respectively — and neither of those power sources generate carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, the state's grid will continue to become cleaner during the transition to renewable energy sources. Buildings in New York City account for about 70% of its greenhouse gases. Today's ban will likely push forward a New York state requirement to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources like solar, wind and water power by 2030 and achieve a net-zero emissions electric sector by 2040. "If the largest city in America can take this critical step to ban gas use, any city can do the same," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "This is how to fight back against climate change on the local level and guarantee a green city for generations to come." The bill will cut about 2.1 million tons of carbon emissions by 2040 — equivalent to the annual emissions of 450,000 cars — and save consumers several hundred million dollars in new gas connections, according to a study by the think tank RMI. The ban will also minimize the risk of gas explosions and reduce exposure to air pollution that poses health risks to residents, particularly low-income communities of color that are disproportionately exposed to pollution.Similar policies have been debated across the country. A few dozen cities, including San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose in California; Cambridge, Mass.; and Seattle, have moved to ban natural gas hook ups in some new buildings as a way to combat climate change.However, states like Texas and Arizona have barred cities from implementing such changes, citing that consumers have the right to pick their energy sources.
N.Y.C.’s Gas Ban Takes Fight Against Climate Change to the Kitchen - New York City will ban gas-powered heaters, stoves and water boilers in all new buildings, a move that will significantly affect real estate development and construction in the nation’s largest city and could influence how cities around the world seek to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, which drives climate change.The City Council on Wednesday approved a bill banning gas hookups in new buildings — effectively requiring all-electric heating and cooking — after what council members and lobbying groups described as weeks of intense negotiations. The ban takes effect in December 2023 for buildings under seven stories; for taller buildings, developers negotiated a delay until 2027.Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat who called for the ban two years ago, will sign the bill “enthusiastically,” said Ben Furnas, the director of climate and sustainability for the mayor’s office.“It’s a historic step forward in our efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” Mr. Furnas said. “If we can do it here, we can do it anywhere.”New York will be the largest American city to enact such a law, though New Yorkers currently attached to the blue flames of their gas stoves and their cozy gas-powered heaters will not be affected unless they move to a new building. State lawmakers have proposed a measure to ban gas infrastructure in all new buildings starting in 2024, but a vote has not yet been scheduled.Variations of gas bans have spread from liberal enclaves likeBerkeley, Calif., and Brookline, Mass., to bigger cities, including San Jose, Calif., Seattle and Sacramento, as efforts to curb climate change increasingly take aim at the burning of gas as well as oil. What made the bill a harder sell in New York — where 40 percent of carbon emissions come from buildings — was winter.Until recently, gas was promoted as the cleanest option for heating, and proponents had to convince lawmakers that new and quickly improving electric technologies could heat and cook as well and at least as cheaply.Real estate developers argued that the added demand for electricity in winter might lead to blackouts. Developers — along with National Grid, a utility that supplies gas in the city — said the ban’s effect on the climate would be limited until the city stops getting most of its electricity from fossil fuels, and that improved gas equipment should remain an option. A state law requires ashift to renewable sources like solar, wind and water power, but that transition is expected to take years. Still, the proposal gained momentum from a yearlong grass-roots campaign; from candidates running on climate issues for city and state office; and from growing concerns about storms, floods and fires. It also drew support from less predictable quarters: independent energy analysts, real estate businesses betting ongreen development, and even Consolidated Edison, the city’s other main utility, which, unlike National Grid, supplies electricity within New York City as well as gas.
Coal makes a comeback in Virginia - Deep Mine 41 in Southwest Virginia produces metallurgical or coking coal. It’s not the kind of coal burned by power plants, but it is an essential ingredient for melting iron ore to make steel. “It usually burns longer and hotter, and it has the bi-product coke which is essential to steel-making,” says Tarah Kesterson with Virginia’s Department of Energy. Earlier this year, it received 17 applications for new mining permits or licenses to sell coal “We’re hearing from our operators that over half of the metallurgical coal produced in Virginia is actually going overseas,” she explains. Much of it is headed for China, the world’s largest consumer of coal. It once depended on Australia for half of its metallurgical supply but is now involved in a trade war with that country and is reaching out to other producers including the U.S. Also driving demand, economies recovering from the shock of COVID-19. Ben Beakes, president of the Metallurgical Coal Producers Association here in Virginia, says demand for steel dropped during the pandemic as construction projects were canceled or put on hold. “We saw roughly a 20% reduction in both prices and production from 2019-2020. It was one of the worst years the industry has ever seen,” he says. Now, global demand is back. “Metallurgical coal is really a proxy for steel, and steel is pretty much a proxy for the overall economy," Beakes explains. "As demand increases for infrastructure, so you will see the demand for our product.” And if Congress approves a major infrastructure bill, he adds, there will be an even bigger market for coking coal. “With the influx of federal funds to build bridges and roads, that requires steel.” Kesterson adds that it won’t be enough to again make coal king in Appalachia. “You know today we have about 20 mines actually mining coal. If you look back a decade ago there were 70-80 mines working.” And half of those were mining coal for electricity. Today, given environmental concerns, less than 20% of what’s mined in Virginia is destined for use in producing power.
Coal Powered the Industrial Revolution. It Left Behind an ‘Absolutely Massive’ Environmental Catastrophe - - —Along the winding, two lane road that leads to Tracy Neece’s mountain, there’s no hint of the huge scars in the hills beyond the oaks and the pines. Green forests cover steep slopes on each side of the road, which turns from blacktop to dusty gravel. Modest homes are nestled into the bottomlands along a creek with gardens that grow corn and zucchini under a hot summer sun. The first sign of the devastation above is a glimpse of a treeless mesa, a landform more appropriate in the West. As Neece navigates his Ford F-150 pickup truck past an abandoned security booth, he drives into a barren expanse. The forest is gone, replaced by grasses. The tops and sides of entire mountains have been blasted away by dynamite. Neece stops at about 1,000 feet above the hollow to look at what is left of his mountain, where a coal mining company walked away and left sheer cliffs, exposed and dangerous, after miners gouged the black bituminous coal out of the mountainside with huge earth moving machines. Neece bought the mountain in 2013 as an investment in coal, just before the bottom fell out of the Eastern Kentucky coal industry in 2015. His tenant left behind nearly two miles of unstable rock-faced cliffs that Neece estimates are as high as 250 feet tall. By law, mining companies are supposed to ameliorate the damage they cause, a process known as contemporaneous reclamation. Slopes are supposed to be stabilized and returned to their approximate original contour; rainfall needs to be managed; grasses or trees must be planted. None of that happened. Now, Neece said, the property is both unsafe and basically worthless, because he isn’t sure if or when, or even how, it will ever be reclaimed. “They never did nothing,” Neece said angrily of the now-bankrupt coal companies that sheared off the sides of his mountain. “You can’t use it for nothing.”
Pledging help, White House seeks to assuage concerns of coal communities— The White House is putting a spotlight on federal efforts to help coal communities and parts of the U.S. that depend economically on the energy industry, with the Biden administration working to address concerns in those areas as it shifts the U.S. away from fossil fuels. Leaders from energy companies, major unions and nonprofits took part Wednesday in a meeting at the White House with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Brian Deese, who runs the National Economic Council. The White House said the discussion centered on “new private sector and philanthropic investments that have been spurred by the administration’s efforts to support economic revitalization in energy communities.” The session comes as the Biden administration is working intensely to woo support from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” domestic spending bill, which contains more than half a billion dollars in federal investments to address climate change and hasten the transition away from coal, oil and other energy forms that contribute to global warming. Manchin, whose state of West Virginia is heavily reliant on coal extraction, has repeatedly pushed back on the Biden administration’s hopes of quickly phasing out coal use and has warned of devastating economic impacts to Appalachia and other parts of the U.S. if the coal industry shutters. Some Democratic political strategists have also cited the party’s past neglect of deep economic concerns in energy-reliant parts of the country as a key reason for Democrats’ eroding support among white, working-class voters. The Biden administration has sought to pre-empt those concerns through federal efforts aimed at a “just transition” that would smooth the path for energy-dependent communities to find new, more sustainable sources of jobs and prosperity. Still, Manchin has yet to commit to voting for the $1.7 trillion package, raising the growing prospect that Senate Democrats will miss their self-imposed end-of-year deadline to pass the bill. Manchin’s wife, Gayle Manchin, participated in Wednesday’s White House meeting in her role as federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Biden nominated her to that role in March. At the White House meeting, officials offered details about $300 million from Covid stimulus funds heading to energy-dependent parts of the U.S. as part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Coal Communities Commitment program, the White House said. Funding from the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law is also being directed toward coal communities, officials said in an end-of-year report. The United Mine Workers of America and the AFL-CIO were among the major labor groups at Wednesday’s meeting, joining leaders from Louisiana’s Xavier University who are building a “green hydrogen energy cluster” using federal funds. The White House said communities in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wyoming were also represented.
The world is burning the most coal ever to keep the lights on -- The world likely will generate more electricity from the dirtiest source this year than ever before, indicating just how far the energy transition still needs to run in the fight against climate change. Coal-fueled generation is set to jump 9% from last year, according to an International Energy Agency report released Friday. That U-turn from the declines of the previous two years threatens the world's trajectory to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the organization said. The U.S. and European Union had the biggest increases in coal use at about 20% each, followed by India at 12% and China—the world's largest consumer—at 9%, the IEA estimated. The comeback is being driven by economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which is outpacing the ability of low-carbon energy sources to maintain supply. "Coal is the single largest source of global carbon emissions, and this year's historically high level of coal power generation is a worrying sign of how far off track the world is in its efforts to put emissions into decline toward net zero," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. Record natural gas prices have increased reliance on other sources, including coal, and amplified calls for faster investments in renewables. Power prices in Europe have more than tripled in the past six months, and it's become more profitable to burn coal than gas. Still, utilities have struggled to get their hands on it even as China and the U.S. boost production. Carbon-dioxide emissions from coal in 2024 are now predicted to be at least 3 billion tons higher than in a scenario reaching net-zero by 2050, the report said. The IEA expects peak coal to occur next year at 8.11 billion tons, with the biggest production increases coming from China, Russia and Pakistan. The Paris-based IEA said in May that development of new oil, gas and coal sources must stop this year if the world is to meet emissions targets in line with the Paris Agreement. Climate campaigners were dismayed in November when a key aspiration of the United Nations' COP26 climate summit in Scotland was watered down to produce a pledge to "phase down"—rather than "phase out"—coal use. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration since has halted federal aid to new fossil-fuel projects abroad. Some banks have pledged to phase out their financing of coal, though activists want to see greater urgency. This year, coal demand as a whole—for power generation as well as cement and steel production—is set to rise by 6%, the IEA said. That demand could set a record next year, depending on economic growth and weather patterns, the agency said. One Australian exporter predicts strong demand for at least two more decades. Regional disparities in use are playing out globally as Europe shuts down coal power stations while China and India step up production. The European Union ramped up its climate pledge in July, targeting a 55% drop in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, relative to a 1990 baseline, with a transition to cleaner sources at the center. It's a tough target, especially considering that countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic primarily power themselves with coal and lignite. For now, China accounts for about half of global coal production and needs to meet rising domestic demand. The government has pressured miners to reduce prices and lower the cost of burning coal during this year's energy crisis, which triggered blackouts and rationing in the country.
National experts assembled for $500 million Parks nuke dump cleanup - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it has assembled a national team of experts for the cleanup of the nuclear dump in Parks Township. The Corps made the announcement during a virtual public meeting Thursday. The Corps is working on a more than $500 million project to dig up and dispose of buried nuclear waste at the 44-acre dump off Route 66. It is formally known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area. Radioactive and chemical waste was buried in 10 trenches, totaling 33,000 cubic yards, from the defunct Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) in Apollo and Parks Township from about 1960 to the early 1970s. NUMEC and its successors, Atlantic Richfield Co. and BWX Technologies, produced nuclear fuels for Navy submarines and commercial nuclear power plants and other products. Site cleanup plans have been in the works for more than 30 years. The Corps took over the cleanup of the site in 2002. The agency plans to start digging in November 2024 with excavation ending about 2031. It will then take another four years to close out the project and turn the site over to the owner, BWX Technologies, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for decommissioning.
Ohio cities settle civil claims related to power plant bailout - The cities of Cincinnati and Columbus have dismissed their state court claims against FirstEnergy and Energy Harbor for the companies’ actions relating to House Bill 6, the nuclear and coal bailout law at the heart of a $60 million corruption case in Ohio.“The dismissal was the result of negotiations with the defendants, the court’s ruling in our favor, and the partial repeal of HB 6,” said Andrew Garth, city solicitor for Cincinnati. The Dec. 2 dismissal does not include any admission of wrongdoing by FirstEnergy or Energy Harbor. The joint filing was made “with prejudice,” meaning the cities cannot bring the same claims against the companies at a later time.“The city’s claims were essentially resolved in December 2020 when the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas granted our motion to enjoin FirstEnergy and [Energy] Harbor from collecting the illegitimate fees that were authorized by House Bill 6,” Garth explained. “Additionally, the Ohio General Assembly subsequently passed legislation repealing the portions of HB 6 that were the basis for the city’s claims.”Those portions were the ratepayer subsidies for two nuclear plants now run by Energy Harbor, which was formerly a FirstEnergy subsidiary known as FirstEnergy Solutions.“Our lawsuit had the specific purpose of stopping FirstEnergy from collecting the rider payment that would have cost Columbus ratepayers $25 million,” said Meredith Tucker, a spokesperson for the city attorney’s office. “We won the suit, therefore they are not able to collect that money.”The cities also will receive money to reimburse some of the lawyers’ fees and other litigation costs, Garth and Tucker noted.The total nuclear plant subsidies for the whole state of Ohio would have been roughly$1 billion over the course of six years. House Bill 128 repealed the nuclear subsidies earlier this year, as well as recession-proofing provisions that would have let utilities guarantee revenues. So, the claims in the case have become moot. Other parts of HB 6 remain in force, including subsidies for two 1950s-era coal plants, known as the OVEC plants. Those subsidies could total $1.8 billion by 2030. Ohio’s clean energy standards also remain gutted.
PUCO orders probe into whether FirstEnergy broke Ohio law by not disclosing Sam Randazzo contracts -The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday ordered the expansion of an audit into FirstEnergy Corp. to investigate whether the Akron-based utility broke state law by not disclosing it was paying ex-PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo millions in consulting fees.However, the PUCO said it won’t move ahead with the investigation for now, so as not to interfere with ongoing federal and state lawsuits regarding Randazzo and the House Bill 6 bribery scandal.
WALMART DONATES TO UTICA SHALE - Walmart Distribution Center #7017, Wintersville, donated $2,500 to the Utica Shale Academy. The Utica Shale Academy (USA) is a dropout prevention and recovery school serving students in Columbiana, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson and Mahoning counties. USA provides individual instruction, as well as various career pathways for students, including over 25 Ohio Industry Recognized Credentials.
Utica Shale Academy hopes to secure more grants – With many parts of the Utica Shale Academy’s new equipment and programming coming through grants in the past, the USA board voted on Tuesday to increase the number of hours for the person seeking grants on their behalf. Superintendent Bill Watson recommended to the board to increase the number of hours the USA will pay the career specialist, a grant writer from the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, from 20 hours to 40. Because the board contracts through the ESC, the ESC is responsible for the benefits for the position. The USA currently pays $25,000 for the services and expects that could double. Watson said he believes with other funding sources coming to the schools, there could be less competition for some of the grants this year. He hopes the USA will be applying for up to 50 grants, even though many will be smaller. During Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted to accept a $600 Best Practice Grant from the ESC. Additionally, Watson announced the USA has received a $2,500 donation from Walmart in Wintersville, which will be used for smart tech to help with interventions. The board also approved the creation of a stipend for a dean of discipline position, which will allow Carter Hill to be paid an additional $5,000 to handle discipline concerns at the school whenever Watson is out of the school doing other duties such as recruiting for the school. The USA currently has 94 students enrolled and another eight students in progress to enroll. He also said due to the large amount of growth in the programs, he would like the board to think about possible expansion into Harrison or Carrolton Counties in the future.
Utica Shale Pumped Up Promises to Valley Landowners - – Mel Cadle scopes out the well pad that was constructed on his North Jackson farm nearly 10 years ago. The site, dominated by six large, green storage tanks, is unkempt, strewn with weeds, and sits back on a 20-acre plot he owns along Blott Road. Cadle once envisioned years of lucrative royalties streaming directly into his bank account from oil and gas pumped from the two wells drilled on his property. “It didn’t work out like it was supposed to for me,” the 87 year-old Cadle says. “I don’t have any income from these wells. I lost five acres for nothing.” Cadle personifies a complicated legacy of the oil and gas industry 10 years after energy companies descended on eastern Ohio in search of reserves trapped in the Utica/Point Pleasant shale formation. The development of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling made it possible – and profitable – for exploration companies to tap into tight shale formations 6,000 feet deep and extend laterals thousands of feet across these thin strata. The expectations of long-standing economic benefits to the region were enormous. Energy companies touted investments in the billions of dollars for drilling programs, leasehold contracts, processors, pipelines and support services to the industry. Companies supporting the oil and gas supply chain would also relocate, augmenting further job growth in the region. For some, drilling the Utica meant up-front lease signing bonuses between $1,000 and $6,000 an acre, and many believed the big payoff would come in the form of monthly royalty checks. Early in the play, it was estimated that landowners with a producing Utica well pad on their property could reap as much as $1,000 per acre, per month. For many landowners, though, the promise of sustained wealth remains just that. In Cadle’s case, complications arose because of a lease he purchased in 2008 on the 20 acres where the well pad sits. When he purchased the property, he was under the impression that all of the mineral rights were included. Instead the rights to the Consol wells, now owned by Northwood Energy Corp., remain in the hands of a family trust from the previous owners. “I was so looking forward to getting a well drilled there and then getting rich,” Cadle says. “I bent over backwards to get those wells drilled.” Instead, the only income derived from his land today is through farming soybeans and corn.
FERC Floats $40M Pipeline Penalty Against Energy Transfer - Law360-- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday proposed a $40 million penalty against Energy Transfer Partners LP for allegedly cutting corners during the construction of its Rover gas pipeline, which led to a 2017 spill in Ohio. At its monthly open meeting — the first to feature recently confirmed commissioner Willie Phillips — FERC hit Energy Transfer with a show cause order directing the pipeline giant to respond to enforcement staff allegations that it intentionally and regularly used diesel fuel and other toxic and unapproved substances during the horizontal directional drilling of Ohio's Tuscarawas River along the pipeline's route. Traces of diesel….
FERC seeks answers on Energy Transfer pipeline violations - The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on December 16 asked midstream company Energy Transfer Partners to explain why it should not have to pay a $40mn penalty for violations during the construction of its Rover natural gas pipeline. In a letter to Energy Transfer Partners and its Rover Pipeline subsidiary, FERC asked why it should avoid blame for “intentionally” including diesel, “other toxic substances and unapproved additives” into drilling mud during operations for pipeline construction in Ohio.FERC alleged that shortly after that drilling began in April 2017 under the Tuscarawas River in Ohio, there was a “large, inadvertent release” of 2mn gallons of contaminated drilling mud that migrated to a nearby protected wetland. Testing carried out by Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency found the leaked fluid had characteristics similar to diesel fuel.FERC asked “Rover to show cause why it should not be assessed a civil penalty” in the amount of $40mn.The Rover pipeline extends 711 miles, carrying gas from the Appalachia shale basin to Midwest outlets.Alexis Daniels, a spokesperson for Energy Transfer, told the Reuters news agency that the company learned after the fact that “a rogue employee of an independent subcontractor has admitted under oath to have committed this act on his own volition and then tried to hide it.” Parties involved have 30 days to reply to FERC’s letter.
Regulators' endless devotion to fracking industry will cost Ohioans in money, health - Columbus Dispatch – by Leatra Harper - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resource Management has once again demonstrated its complete fealty to the fracking industry. It has done so by its continuing failure to propose rules to appropriately protect the environment and public health from the consequences of the irresponsible handling, processing and disposal of toxic, radioactive frack waste. Instead of addressing the serious issues arising from the disastrous federal failure to regulate through the “Halliburton Loophole,” thereby falsely classifying frack waste as “non-hazardous,” the division fails to address the problems this entails, although it has seen enough of the serious issues the lack of regulation has caused. Even the courts have not demanded the agency do needed rulemaking, and our citizen’s case lost on standing only – not on the merits. We even appealed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revoke primacy because the agency was not properly protecting citizens from the harms of the lack of regulation. Without recourse, we waited over 8 years for the division to propose rules that would effectively address the mishandling and toxic releases from frack waste processing and disposal. The agency obviously has no intention to deal with this serious issue as evidenced by its most recent attempt at rulemaking by proffering totally inadequate rules with public review and comment closed in only 30 days ending Nov. 29, just after a holiday. The very little time to engage, educate and formulate responses to the substantial deficiencies in the proposed rules substantiates our continued experience that the agency does not genuinely want public input to counter its support of the fracking industry by allowing cheap disposal of its massive amounts of toxic waste. To be most expeditious in the flawed process, the division combined the review and commenting process for two totally different waste handling/disposal schemes, Class II injection wells and Surface Waste Processing Facilities, into one. Frack waste facilities are handling millions of tons of frack waste with inadequate traceability of where the resultant concentrations of toxic chemicals and radionuclides go to assure proper disposal and accountability for those generating the waste. Historically, both types of facilities lack adequate monitoring and oversight, which will not be addressed in the proposed regulations. This ruse of rulemaking process is just another example of industry capture of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Our elected representatives are letting this happen, and Ohio taxpayers will pick up the bill, just as we are paying already to remediate leaking frack waste injection wells and cap abandoned wells. In addition to the lack of adequate bonding and severance taxes assessed the fracking industry, Ohio is giving the industry another massive subsidy in the completely inadequate rules proposed by the Division of Oil and Gas Resource Management. Ohioans will pay with their health and tax dollars for the continuing designation of the state as the cheap dumping ground for frack waste generated within the state and imported from other states, solving the industry’s biggest problem at our expense.
Utica/Marcellus Gas Production Expected to Increase in January - - – Oil and gas production from the Utica and Marcellus shale formations is expected to increase in January, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EIA’s Drilling Productivity Report shows that natural gas output stands to increase 78 million cubic feet per day by next month in the Appalachia region, which includes eastern Ohio’s Utica play and the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This week, Hilcorp Energy Co. filed applications with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for permits to deepen three of its wells in Fairfield Township in Columbiana County. So far this year, Hilcorp Energy Co. has been awarded 14 permits from ODNR to drill new wells in Columbiana County and one permit to deepen an existing well. EAP Ohio has been awarded seven permits for new wells in the county, and five permits to deepen existing wells. There were no new well permits issued in either Mahoning or Trumbull counties this year. Oil in the Appalachia region is expected to tick upward by 1,000 barrels per day next month, according to EIA. The agency reports that gas production is anticipated to increase in six of the seven shale plays across the country. The Permian Basin in Texas stands to post the greatest increase at 115 million cubic feet per day in January, while the Anadarko play in Oklahoma is projected to see production drop by 31 million cubic feet per day.
Where does Ohio rank in natural gas production? See the top 10 states - cleveland.com- Ohio has become a major producer of natural gas over the past decade with the advent of horizontal fracking, a technique that allows for greater access to reserves. The state’s natural gas output has increased more than 30-fold from 2010 to 2020, said Mike Chadsey, director of public relations for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, and most of that can be attributed to ramped up production from the Utica shale reserve in the eastern part of the state.
Pa. releases final rule to cut methane leaks from existing oil and gas well sites Pennsylvania regulators have released a long-awaited final draft of rules to cut releases of smog-forming and climate warming air pollution from the state’s existing oil and natural gas well sites, but they will still not require companies to find and fix leaks at tens of thousands of low-producing wells. The rules are a last piece of the methane-reduction strategy that Gov. Tom Wolf announced nearly six years ago to cut down on emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from new and old sites across Pennsylvania’s oil and gas production industry. They are expected to take effect by the middle of next year. Scientists attribute about a third of the planet’s warming from greenhouse gases today to human-caused emissions of methane, which traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over 20 years. In the U.S., about a third of methane emissions come from the oil and gas industry. The new state rules will require some well owners to perform leak searches four times a year and upgrade equipment already in the field to cut down on pollution from controllers, pumps, compressors and tanks. In total, the rules are expected to reduce emissions of a smog-forming group of chemicals called volatile organic compounds by nearly 12,000 tons per year and methane emissions by about 214,000 tons per year — more than doubling the impact that was expected when the first draft of the rules was published two years ago. Mark Hammond, director of the Department of Environmental Protection’s air quality bureau, said the major driver for that improvement was better data that state regulators gathered by looking at Pennsylvania facilities to assess the rules’ impact, rather than relying on national estimates. The department made modest changes to the proposal after receiving comments from roughly 36,000 people and groups.
Massive aid on way to plug pollution from oil, gas wells - For decades, Pennsylvania has barely made a dent in stopping pollution from hundreds of thousands of abandoned or orphaned oil and gas wells. Now, the state may soon receive nearly $400 million to tackle one of its most insidious legacy pollution problems. “It’s a game changer,” said Kurt Klapkowski, director of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Oil & Gas Planning and Program Management. He was referring to the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was passed by Congress on Nov. 5 and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15. In addition to Pennsylvania's $400 million cut of federal dollars, the state will add matching funds for some projects. Climate change and pressure to throw a lifeline to communities that long survived on fossil fuel extraction provided a strong tailwind for bipartisan support. The legislation will deliver $4.7 billion nationwide, over the coming decade, to end the ongoing pollution of air, water and soil from abandoned oil and gas wells that pepper the country. Pennsylvania will get the most of any state from that big new pie to plug old wells, which emit methane and other pollutants that threaten public health and the environment. To put the funding increase in perspective, consider that Pennsylvania’s Office of Oil and Gas Management has spent a total of $37 million over the last three decades to plug 300 wells — most of them to rectify emergency situations like contaminated water, houses blowing up or methane gas filling up a church. In contrast, the state Department of Environmental Protection is lining up a batch of 500 wells to plug with just the first $25 million infusion of federal money from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Much of the pollution comes in the form of escaping methane from abandoned natural gas wells. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term — 86 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere when measured over a 20-year period. Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas, and the process of oil and gas extraction is its largest source. Gas wells emit methane at a much higher rate than oil wells. In 2016, Stanford University researcher Mary Kang studied 88 abandoned wells in the state and found that 90% were leaking methane. A 2016 paper published in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences estimated that abandoned wells were leaking 40,000–70,000 metric tons of methane a year, representing 5–8% of Pennsylvania’s total human-caused methane emissions. Other sources include hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas, livestock, fertilizers, industrial processes, wastewater treatment plants and landfills.
Pa. shale gas permits plunge to 13-year low as drillers keep focus on cash flow -- Pennsylvania shale gas drillers pulled just 34 permits for wells in November, the lowest number in 13 years, continuing their trend of keeping production low despite rising market prices for their product. The last time the state issued so few permits was in November 2008 just before the fracking boom brought a massive surge of development to the Marcellus Shale that peaked in December 2010 with 402 permits issued in a single month. The first unconventional well targeting the Marcellus Shale was drilled in 2004 by Range Resources Corp. November's total was about 53% less than the previous month's count, according to state Department of Environmental Protection data, and 38% less than in November 2020. The five largest exploration and production companies in Pennsylvania — EQT Corp., Chesapeake Energy Corp., Coterra Energy Inc., Range and Southwestern Energy Co. — spent another month keeping drilling and spending to a minimum and accumulating cash thanks to higher commodity prices. EQT pulled seven permits to drill, a decrease from 11 permits a year ago. National Fuel Gas Co.'s upstream unit, Seneca Resources Corp., pulled two permits in November. Four of the five top-producing counties in Pennsylvania — Susquehanna, Bradford and Lycoming in the northeast part of the state and Washington in the southwest — were among the most active counties for permitting in November, with seven permits each in Lycoming and Washington. Clarion, a county northeast of Pittsburgh that had no drilling activity in 2020, had three permits, bringing its year-to-date total to eight.
EIA DPR 12-2021: M-U Gas Production Still Lower than One Year Ago | Marcellus Drilling News Six of the seven largest shale plays in the U.S. will see an increase in natural gas production in January according to the latest monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DPR) issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The Marcellus/Utica, collectively lumped together as “Appalachia” in the report, will see an increase of 78 MMcf/d (million cubic feet per day) in production next month. The M-U’s chief rival, the Haynesville, continues to see big growth, with an increase of 104 MMcf/d next month. The oil-based Permian will see an increase in natgas production of 115 MMcf/d due to associated gas coming out of the ground along with oil. The Permian’s oil production is set to hit a new all-time high this month, in December, and hit (for the first time ever) 5 million barrels of production per day in January.The cumulative increase in natural gas production across all plays is estimated to be a big 341 MMcf/d next month–roughly one-third of a billion cubic feet!M-U gas production was, last month, forecast to hit 35.6 MMcf/d in December (see EIA DPR: Shale NatGas & Oil Production Flirt with Record Highs). It didn’t happen. The EIA number crunchers were way off. Production is now recast to be 34.8 MMcf/d this month. EIA predicts production in the M-U for January will be 34.9 MMcf/d. We are still well below last December’s 35.6 MMcf/d. Below are the three charts the EIA doesn’t include in the official PDF of the report (for whatever reason). We think these are the three best charts they issue each month.Below is the one chart we obsess over each month–our favorite chart produced by EIA. It shows estimates for total production in the coming month. We also like the following chart which shows drilled but uncompleted (DUC) numbers. Notice the story the chart below tells: New drilling in all plays has slowed down and producers are finishing already-drilled wells at a faster clip. Sooner or later we’ll run out of DUCs to complete. The full December DPR (with estimates for January):
A pipeline runs through it: Stream crossings by the Mountain Valley Pipeline - an overcast October afternoon, clouds cloaked the top of Poor Mountain as a construction crew worked to string a natural gas pipeline across the highest point in the Roanoke Valley. At 3,720 feet above sea level, this is one of the places where concerns about the Mountain Valley Pipeline begin. When it rains, dirt unearthed by clearing land and digging a trench for the pipe turns to mud and silt. The sediment is washed downhill, channeled by a 125-foot-wide strip cut into the mountain. Some of it reaches the streams and wetlands below. Although much of the controversial project is completed, Mountain Valley still needs state and federal approval to cross the remaining water bodies, either by digging through or boring under them. If the State Water Control Board grants a permit when it meets Tuesday, opponents say it will replicate a known harm. “MVP has shown an inability to construct without violating water quality standards, so crossing streams in the remaining steepest portions of the route will inevitably bring more sediment pollution and harm to water resources,” said Jessica Sims, state field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, one of the groups fighting the pipeline. At public hearings in September, many speakers pointed to the company’s environmental record — more than 300 violations of sediment and erosion control regulations since work began in 2018 — in urging the board to deny the permit.
Pipeline opponents hold ‘violation vigil’ in Richmond - Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline held a ‘Violation Vigil’ Saturday in advance of a key hearing in Richmond next week. The event at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater highlighted more than 300 water quality violations along the path of the pipeline in Virginia. “My violation is number 48,” one of the participants said during the event. “It happened on January 22nd 2019 in Franklin County.” Tuesday, the State Water Control Board will consider a key permit that would allow MVP to cross more than 200 streams and wetlands in the Commonwealth. “And we must understand that when we fight this fight against the pipelines or environmental injustice, we’re fighting against lives being destroyed,” said keynote speaker Rev. William Barber II, Chair of the National Poor People’s Campaign. " We’re fighting against communities being disrupted,” he said. Friday, a spokesperson for the Mountain Valley Pipeline said crews have successfully completed multiple crossings. In a written statement, Natalie Cox said completing construction and fully restoring the remainder of the right-of-way represents the best outcome for the environment, landowners and communities along the route. Following is the complete statement from MVP: Mountain Valley appreciates the Virginia DEQ staff’s diligence in performing a comprehensive review of the MVP project’s remaining waterbody and wetland crossings in Virginia. Total project work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline is nearly 94 percent complete, including more than half of the right-of-way fully restored; and crews have previously and successfully completed multiple crossings using both open-cut and trenchless crossing methods. Mountain Valley believes that completing construction and fully restoring the remainder of the right-of-way remains the best outcome for the environment, affected landowners, and communities along the route, as well as the homes and businesses – in Virginia and across the eastern United States – that need greater and more reliable access to affordable natural gas.
Hundreds rally in Va. in opposition to natural gas pipeline (AP) — Hundreds of opponents of a natural gas pipeline rallied on Saturday in Virginia’s capital in advance of an upcoming key regulatory decision. The Virginia State Water Control Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to allow construction of portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in wetlands and across over 200 Virginia waterways, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The Rev. William Barber, a North Carolina-based civil rights leader, told the crowd at Byrd Park that projects like the proposed pipeline are “an abusive sin” that would harm the poor. The planned 303-mile (488-kilometer) mile pipeline will take natural gas drilled from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations and transport it through West Virginia and Virginia. A 75-mile extension into central North Carolina is also proposed. Barber, who is now the head of the national Repairers of the Breach movement among other roles, pointed out how developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline cancelled the project in 2020 following fierce opposition by environmental groups and residents along parts of the line’s path. “We had to fight against one pipeline,” Barber said. “They should have learned by now, Virginians aren’t having this stuff. West Virginians aren’t having it. North Carolinians aren’t having it. They must not know who we are, but they’ll learn.” Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox called Barber’s message that the project is sinful “an uninformed and unproductive comment.” The pipeline, Cox added, is “designed to provide reliable, affordable, clean-burning natural gas to homes and businesses in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States.” The proposed North Carolina extension took a hit earlier this month when Virginia’s State Air Pollution Control Board voted against a permit for a gas compressor station located in a county that borders North Carolina.
State panel approves stream-crossing permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline — The Mountain Valley Pipeline made it across troubled waters Tuesday. In a 3-2 vote, the State Water Control Board granted a permit for the natural gas pipeline to cross about 150 streams and wetlands in Southwest Virginia, surmounting one of the beleaguered project’s most protracted struggles. Although a similar permit from West Virginia and federal approval is still required, Mountain Valley expressed confidence that it will complete construction “in a way that protects natural resources and meets public demand for reliable, affordable and lower-carbon energy.” About 94% of the pipeline is finished, spokeswoman Natalie Cox wrote in an email Tuesday, and “the remaining waterbody crossings can be completed successfully and without adverse impacts to sensitive resources.” However, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has already cited the joint venture of five energy companies building the pipeline with nearly 400 violations of erosion and sediment control regulations. Opponents argue that the true number is much higher — and will only increase if stream crossings are allowed to resume after earlier permits were struck down by the courts. In recommending approval for a company that it has cited repeatedly since work began in 2018, DEQ said most of Mountain Valley’s failures to adequately control muddy runoff from construction sites did not ultimately lead to sediment reaching water bodies.
Virginia board approves stream-crossing permit for gas pipeline - A Virginia board has granted a waterbody crossing permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The State Water Control Board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to grant a permit for the natural gas pipeline to cross about 150 streams and wetlands in southwest Virginia, The Roanoke Times reported. The pipeline still needs a similar permit from West Virginia and federal approval. The planned 303-mile (488-kilometer) pipeline will take natural gas drilled from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations and transport it through West Virginia and Virginia. The project has faced legal challenges from environmental groups. A 75-mile (121-kilometer) extension into central North Carolina also has been proposed. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has cited the joint venture building the pipeline with nearly 400 violations. Opponents argue that the true number is higher and will increase if crossings resume. In its recommendation for approval, the department said most failures to control runoff did not lead to sediment reaching water bodies. David Sligh, conservation director for Wild Virginia, called the decision "heartbreaking." “Yet another public agency that’s supposed to protect us and our natural treasures has failed to live up to the standards we have a right to expect,” Sligh said in a statement.
Mountain Valley Pipeline stream-crossing permit approved by Virginia regulators - Virginia Mercury - A divided Virginia State Water Control Board approved a necessary stream-crossing permit for the embattled Mountain Valley Pipeline Tuesday despite opponents’ hopes that its record of environmental violations would tank it.The board voted 3-2 to issue a Virginia Water Protection Permit to MVP, with board members Paula Jasinksi and Ryan Seiger dissenting. Board chair Heather Wood and member Jillian Cohen were absent. “The facts show that remaining waterbody crossings can be completed successfully and without adverse impacts to sensitive resources as the project team has proposed,” Mountain Valley spokesperson Natalie Cox wrote in a statement. “In fact, Mountain Valley already has successfully performed multiple crossings of waterbodies and wetlands in Virginia, without adverse impacts to water quality.” The approval came as a blow to pipeline opponents, who have long argued that there is no need for the natural gas the project will supply and that it will continue to cause environmental degradation along its 107-mile path through Giles, Craig, Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties. “We’re fighting against communities being disrupted. We’re fighting against monies being diverted to fossil fuel companies that ought to be put in health care and put in the creation of green jobs,” civil rights leader the Rev. William J. Barber II said in a fiery speech at an anti-pipeline rally Saturday in Richmond. Opponents have particularly pointed to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s 2018 lawsuit against Mountain Valley over violations related to erosion and sedimentation. The suit was settled in 2019 with Mountain Valley agreeing to pay a $2.15 million penalty and submit to third-party environmental monitoring. “While there were a number of violations … we’re told by our [erosion and sedimentation] folks that these violations are not ongoing and regular and that they’re being addressed shortly after they’re identified,” Dave Davis, director of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of Wetlands and Stream Protection, told the board Tuesday. Furthermore, he added, state regulations outline “nine reasons to deny a VWP permit, but not one of those is to deny a permit based on past violations of” erosion and sediment limits. However, the nonprofit Wild Virginia, which has fought the project since its inception, said its own analysis of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality inspection reports has shown that Mountain Valley has violated environmental rules more than 1,500 times during its existence. “The DEQ has consistently failed to acknowledge the magnitude of these problems or take effective action to stop them,” the group said in a statement. “DEQ’s description of MVP’s record of violations to the board was inaccurate and woefully incomplete.” Tuesday’s approval of the Virginia Water Protection permit was the latest chapter in Mountain Valley’s long and twisting road to getting — and keeping — water-crossing approvals….
D.C. Circuit eminent domain battle may hit FERC gas projects - Federal judges yesterday considered the path for landowners to pursue an unusual, sweeping challenge to takings for natural gas pipelines. Homeowners located along the route of the Mountain Valley pipeline appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after filing a legal challenge alleging that it is unconstitutional for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delegate its eminent domain authority to pipeline developers. Yesterday’s D.C. Circuit arguments turned on a narrow procedural question, but a lawyer for the landowners said a broad ruling in favor of her clients could potentially void FERC certificates for natural gas projects across the country. "If enabling legislation is unconstitutional, then all decisions are set aside," said Mia Yugo, a lawyer at the firm Hafemann Magee Thomas. She argued that a judge of a lower court had wrongfully dismissed her clients’ challenge. The legislation at issue in the case is the Natural Gas Act, which extends the federal government’s authority to condemn private land for public use to private entities that have secured from FERC certificates of public convenience and necessity. FERC has in recent years issued a spate of certificates to natural gas pipelines like Mountain Valley. Opponents of those projects have argued that building a large network of gas pipelines is neither necessary nor in the public’s interest. Yugo’s clients had originally brought their case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia but hit a roadblock last year when a judge of that court said the case should land instead before the D.C. Circuit, which gets the first bite at lawsuits over FERC certificates. Judge Cornelia Pillard said yesterday that the D.C. Circuit also has the power to address constitutional questions. The judge, an Obama appointee, asked Yugo whether the court could sidestep the constitutional question by ordering a reconsideration of the Mountain Valley route, which would put a new set of landowners in the pipeline’s path. Those newly affected homeowners might not raise the same concerns as Yugo’s clients, said Pillard. Yugo replied that such a decision would remove her clients’ ability to bring their lawsuit at all. Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, asked whether the landowners hoped to modify Mountain Valley’s FERC certificate if they were allowed to pursue their challenge in district court. Yugo replied that her clients want the courts to invalidate the "entire scheme" of pipeline condemnations under the nondelegation doctrine, which says Congress cannot hand off its legislative powers to federal agencies. Conservative jurists have expressed interest in reviving the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine in other contexts, such as a looming Supreme Court battle over EPA’s authority to regulate climate change under the Clean Air Act.
FERC cracks down on pipelines - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission toughened its stance on alleged violations associated with natural gas pipelines yesterday, saying enforcement has been too lax in the past and that stricter policies may be needed. "We are being more aggressive and ensuring that those conditions are actually being enforced," FERC Chair Richard Glick told reporters after the agency’s open meeting yesterday. "Under previous leadership, the commission did not adequately enforce its conditions." Yesterday’s meeting showcased the sharp divisions among commissioners about the agency’s oversight of natural gas projects. In contrast to Glick’s get-tough rhetoric, Republican members of the panel warned that putting up obstacles to pipeline development can lead to problems, such as potential gas outages this winter in the Northeast. "We’re going to have to face the reality that the need for gas-fired generation is not going to go away next month, next year, in the short term. It is not,” said Republican Commissioner Mark Christie. “We’re going to have to deal with that and be willing to build the transportation facilities to get the gas to the generators so we can keep the lights on.” Commissioner Allison Clements, a Democrat on the panel, said the agency’s moves "illustrate the profound challenges" facing natural gas projects and signal the need for broader policy changes. She and fellow Democrat Glick reiterated their support for changing how the agency assesses proposed new natural gas pipelines, a process outlined in its certificate policy statement. "To address the challenges ahead, we need to stop debating whether change is necessary and take the forward-looking steps required to meet our statutory obligations," Clements said. The meeting was the first with Willie Phillips, a fellow Democrat who was sworn in this month as FERC’s fifth commissioner. Phillips could give Glick and Clements the votes they need to revise the pipeline policy statement and add "greater emphasis on environmental impacts" into FERC’s review processes, ClearView Energy Partners said in a note Dec. 3. Phillips, for his part, did not vote on any of the items yesterday, but he said he looked forward to getting up to speed while prioritizing electric reliability and affordability.
About half of U.S. oil pipeline space is empty after boom time building spree (Reuters) - About half of U.S. oil pipeline space is sitting unused, heating up competition for barrels in higher-output areas like the Permian Basin in Texas. Overall U.S. pipeline capacity utilization is at around 50%, compared with a range of 60% to 70% headed into early 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Pipelines overall are now half-full, as production, which surged to 13 million barrels per day in early 2020 to make the United States the top oil producer, has averaged just 11 million bpd in 2021. Oil and gas shippers often find themselves building pipelines amid a production boom only to find there is too much capacity when downturns occur. Numerous pipelines were built in the Permian in Texas and New Mexico - the largest U.S. oilfield - to export locales while production surged between 2017 and 2020. Some pipeline operators in areas like the Permian Basin have responded by cutting pre-pandemic shipping rates, as the U.S. oil industry has been slow to recover from the coronavirus outbreak. Generally, basins that are overbuilt, like the Permian, have lower uncommitted shipping rates than before the pandemic, but basins with less pipeline capacity have managed to raise rates, because there are fewer shipping options, said Ryan Saxton, head of oil data at Wood Mackenzie. During the pandemic, companies began offering discounted rates to committed shippers as an incentive, said Jesse Mercer, senior director of oil markets at Enverus. As production continues to return, companies are likely to wind down those offers, he said. The best-performing pipeline in the Permian right now at around 94% utilization, is Phillips 66's Gray Oak Pipeline, Saxton said. The uncommitted tariff rate to ship on Gray Oak is about $2.97 per barrel, he said, compared with the more than $4.00-per-barrel on the BridgeTex, another Permian pipeline. BridgeTex, a joint venture from Magellan Midstream Partners LP, is at around 70% utilization, Saxton said. The 440,000-bpd line delivers crude to Magellan's terminal in East Houston. BridgeTex volumes in the third quarter 2021 fell to just over 315,000 bpd, about 5% below volumes in 2020 due to a decrease in uncommitted shipments in the quarter and unfavorable pricing differentials, Magellan said in its most recent earnings call. North Dakota's Bakken production is lagging pre-pandemic levels, and Energy Transfer LP's Dakota Access Pipeline, which can carry about 570,000 bpd out of the region, is at about 77% of utilization, compared with nearly full utilization before the pandemic, Saxton said. However, Dakota Access' uncommitted tariff rate is $6.64 per barrel, above the around $6.28 per barrel before the pandemic, Saxton said. There are fewer pipes out of the Bakken than in the Permian. Energy Transfer declined to comment for this article.
A Missouri gas company figured out how to keep its illegal pipeline running - Thousands of Missourians received an alarming email from their utility company last month: Unless federal regulators allowed a new natural gas pipeline in the region to keep operating, as many as 400,000 St. Louis residents could be without heat this winter. The message came from Spire Missouri Inc., a natural gas utility serving some 1.2 million customers in Missouri. “The level of panic was something I had not seen,” said Dawn Chapman, a St. Louis resident and co-founder of Just Moms STL, a group that educates people about Superfund waste sites in the area. Missouri Representative Cori Bush called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to investigate the nature of Spire’s claims. “I am gravely concerned that Spire Inc. may be actively weaponizing the fears of our community members,” she wrote in a November 17 letter, “many of whom are low-income individuals, families with small children, and older adults — for their own personal gain and profit.” Spire’s warning to its customers – and the resulting panic – is the latest in a long-running saga over the controversial 65-mile-long Spire STL pipeline. In 2018, FERC granted Spire permission to build a new pipeline capable of carrying 400,000 dekatherms of natural gas everyday. The route would connect the Rockies Express Pipeline in southwest Illinois to the St. Louis area. Construction finished and the pipeline went online a year later. But in 2020, the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, or EDF, filed a lawsuit against FERC for authorizing the project. It argued that FERC granted permission without the legally-required proof that a new pipeline was needed and beneficial for the region. There were already five natural gas pipelines serving the St. Louis area, some of which were carrying Spire’s natural gas. The pipeline’s construction ultimately cost $287 million. Normally, pipelines must show market demand before construction. Evidence for market demand is usually shown through multiple contracts or agreements with utilities that are interested in utilizing the pipeline. But in the case of the STL project, their only contract was, and is, with their own affiliate, Spire Missouri.
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Announces Responsible Gas Pooling Service - Yesterday Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, filed a proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to implement a “responsibly sourced natural gas (RSG) supply aggregation pooling service” at select locations across the TGP system. Translation: Utilities and other buyers will be able to buy RSG certified natural gas for their customers, costing them more money. According to yesterday’s announcement, “The proposed service is designed to enable suppliers and customers on TGP to purchase and sell RSG supply at non-physical trading locations, ultimately serving end-users, utilities, power plants and LNG facilities connected to the TGP system.” Here’s how it works. A driller like Southwestern Energy, or Chesapeake Energy, or EQT, or any of a number of other drillers in the Marcellus/Utica already signed up with one of several certification services, produces RSG molecules and flows them on the TGP. The pipeline itself doesn’t shut down for all other non-RSG producers. The RSG-produced molecules mix and mingle with non-RSG molecules in the same pipeline. There is no distinction between methane (CH4) molecules produced one way or the other. However, drillers can charge a small premium for RSG gas, and customers like utility companies that want to prove their green credibility can pay more to buy it. The actual molecules that the utility ends up with may or may not be RSG-produced molecules. But that’s not the point. Sorry to say this, but this is the same scam utility companies try to pull all the time: You can sign up to get electricity produced by “renewable” sources like windmills and solar farms, paying more for it. Yet the juice that flows to your home most likely got produced at a natural gas or coal-fired power plant. You pay a lot more just to feel good about getting the same electricity delivered to your home. Same thing with RSG methane molecules. But hey, if TGP call sell this film flam because there’s a market for it, who are we to get in the way, right? Everyone makes more money–and rate payers get hosed.
Lower 48 E&Ps, Midstreamers Eyeing RSG Label for Natural Gas - More Lower 48 producers and increasingly, midstream operators, are looking to Project Canary to earn environmental certification for their natural gas supplies. Tug Hill Operating LLC and XcL Midstream Operating LLC, which principally operate in West Virginia’s Marshall and Wetzel counties, have partnered to gain the responsibly sourced gas (RSG) designation across all of their upstream and midstream operations. Earlier this year, privately held exploration and production (E&P) company Tug Hill launched a pilot in which 45 wells were certified through Project Canary’s TrustWell system. “The partnership between Tug Hill and XcL means, for the first time, gas purchasers will have the opportunity to buy RSG that has been TrustWell certified from the wellhead to the receipt point,” said CEO Michael Radler, who oversees both companies. Tug Hill produces more than 800 MMcf/d of gas and delivers it to market via XcL’s gathering system. Tug Hill and Xcl, both sponsored by private equity giant Quantum Energy Partners, would be the first upstream and midstream companies to jointly seek independent certification of 100% of their operating assets. The management teams “believe the integration of independent, high fidelity upstream and midstream certifications will result in a unique and unmatched RSG offering for the market.” Earlier this year, Tug Hill joined Our Nation’s Energy Future, aka ONE Future, a coalition that has pledged to reduce collective methane emissions to 1% or lower. “Tug Hill places an extremely high focus on operational excellence, sustainability and being a good neighbor within the communities where we operate,” said COO Sean Willis. “Tug Hill is committed to utilizing high fidelity technology and rigorous operating standards to reduce the methane intensity of our operations and produce energy responsibly.” XcL COO Justin Trettel noted that the gathering assets and interconnect points are “in the overlapping core” of the Marcellus and Utica/Point Pleasant shales. The independent certification “helps ensure midstream assets minimize unwanted methane emissions and maintain top tier operating practices, which will provide additional value for our customers.” Project Canary noted that its TrustWell and Midstream certifications analyze more than 600 unique operational, environmental, social and governance (ESG) data points on a per-well and midstream asset basis. In addition to independent review and ESG certification, Tug Hill plans to install Canary X continuous emissions monitors on locations that represent about 80% of its production in the region. The monitors measure and record methane emissions. XcL also would install the emissions monitors at each of its major locations, including the Clearfork Processing facility and several central dehydration and compressor stations.
New York City Bans Natural Gas From New Buildings --The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to ban the use of natural gas in new buildings in a bid to reduce the city's carbon footprint."The bill to ban the use of gas in new buildings will (help) us to transition to a greener future and (reach) carbon neutrality by the year 2050," said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, noting:"We are in a climate crisis and must take all necessary steps to fight climate change and protect our city."Once it does, new buildings after 2027 will be heated by fossil fuel alternatives, most likely electricity, the report notes.The idea of moving away from gas is not new. In California, the city of Berkeley became the first to enact a ban on new natural gas hookups in new buildings back in 2019. New York was among the cities that have been considering the measure for a while now, along with Denver, Seattle, and San Francisco.For the proponents of gas bans, the benefits are clear and come down to lower carbon emissions. For the opponents, there are too many disadvantages, from the cost of switching a house from gas to electricity to the effect of more all-electric households on the grid."The intermittent nature of renewable sources like solar and wind necessitates another form of energy when the sun isn't shining, and the wind isn't blowing," wrote the chief executive of the American Public Gas Association in an article commenting on the bans for Utility Dive.State authorities seem to be against the measure in most of these places, but New York appears to be an exception. In New York City, heating, cooling, and electricity supply for buildings account for as much as 70 percent of carbon emissions, and supporters of the gas ban see it as a necessary step to reduce this amount.Yet opponents don't see it this way."Eliminating the direct use of natural gas in homes and businesses would simply shift the use of natural gas from inside the home to powering an already overburdened electric grid through natural gas-fired power plants—if we're lucky—and in some cases, coal-powered plants," Dave Shryver from the American Public Gas Association said back in June this year.Until now, the most populated U.S. city that has banned gas in new buildings is San Jose in California with about 1 million residents.However, as Reuters reports, New York's move to all-electric buildings could mean a higher price tag for consumers using electricity for heat than those relying on gas. This winter, the average household in the U.S. Northeast is expected to pay $1,538 to heat their home with electricity, compared with gas at about $865.
More than 32 GW of New Gas-Fired Power Plants in U.S. Pipeline - Recent reports from groups analyzing U.S. power generation note how states near the nation’s largest shale plays are expected to bring significant new natural gas-fired generation online over the next few years, despite concerns about recent market volatility that sent gas prices to their highest levels in more than a decade. With a long-term outlook favoring natural gas as U.S. coal stockpiles continue to dwindle, utilities are moving forward with plans to add gas-fired generation capacity through 2025, according to Colorado-based BTU Analytics, a FactSet Company. Andrew Bradford, Vice President Power for FactSet, told POWER on Dec. 14 his group “is tracking 32.3 GW of natural gas-fired power plants with in-service dates through 2025 that are in advanced stages of development.” Bradford said “14.2 GW have a status of under construction, 3.4 GW are at pre-construction, and 14.7 GW have a status of advanced permitting.” Bradford said the PJM and MISO regions, along with the U.S. Southeast, are the most-active new-build regions with 15.8 GW, 3.8 GW, and 6.2 GW, respectively, planned to come online over the next few years. “It is important to think about all of these different generation types as backstops for each other,” said Sarp Ozkan, Senior Director of Power & Renewables Analytics at Enverus. “So, as the price of natural gas as the fuel increases, the backstops like coal and fuel oil become more competitive and are called upon to serve the load. As the price of natural gas as the fuel decreases, coal and fuel oil get moved further away from being in the money.” Ozkan on Tuesday told POWER that “natural gas provides two distinct advantages. One advantage is that it is dispatchable, making it necessary for peak demand periods. Additionally, it is the cleaner in terms of emissions profile than coal and fuel oil.”
Natural Gas Futures Erase Early Gains, Finish in Red on Continued Warmth; Cash Rallies A chillier weekend forecast lifted natural gas futures back above $4.000/MMBtu early in Monday’s session. The gains, however, were not to last as subsequent weather data backed off the cold and sent the January Nymex gas futures contract tumbling 13.1 cents to $3.794. February slid 12.8 cents to $3.761. m Spot gas prices were higher to start the week despite mostly mild conditions across the country. Gains were strongest out West with a Pacific storm in place, which helped boost NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. up 45.5 cents to $4.175. After hinting that temperatures could finally turn a bit more wintery, the weekend weather models shifted a little colder, showing enough chill in the pattern to bring demand closer to normal in the latter part of the month. From here, the key would be to see if models move toward an actual colder pattern, according to Bespoke Weather Services. This is possible, the forecaster said, given a healthy blocking signature showing up in the North Atlantic Oscillation region. However, much depends on the Pacific side, so Bespoke is holding a neutral view for now. NatGasWeather said the weather data does still bring an increase in demand this weekend and continues to show very cold air over Western Canada Dec. 27-31, teasing the northern United States. Overall, the timing of swings in national demand and major features remain intact, and the midday Global Forecast System did gain several heating degree days (HDD) Dec. 24-26 by forecasting a slightly stronger cold shot into the northern United States, according to the forecaster. “But what we expect will be most important going forward is how much Arctic air over Canada Dec. 28-31 is able to bleed into the northern United States,” NatGasWeather said. Until then, national demand is expected to be much lighter than normal for the current week, “by a lot,” according to the firm. Demand is expected to be so low that next week’s government inventory report is likely to be more than 70 Bcf lighter than normal. EBW Analytics Group also noted the very mild near-term outlook, cautioning that Wednesday and Thursday of this week may each feature 10 heating degree days (HDD) below normal, constraining attempts to rally. As the market bridges extreme near-term warmth and turns its focus to a colder late-December that could add 17 Bcf/d of weather-driven demand in two weeks, further upside for the Nymex winter contract appears likely as a long-awaited relief rally sets in. “The extent of gains, however, may pale in comparison to the $1.79/MMBtu loss in the January contract’s first six trading sessions as the front month,”
U.S. natural gas futures fall 3% on mild weather forecasts (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed almost 2% on Wednesday on forecasts for colder weather over the next two weeks than previously expected. That price gain came despite near record U.S. output, a decline in U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports this week, a 4% slide in European gas prices and forecasts for less U.S. demand next week than previously expected. Front-month gas futures rose 5.5 cents, or 1.5%, to settle at $3.802 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). On Tuesday, the contract closed at its lowest since Dec. 7. Global gas prices have soared to all-time highs over the last few months - most recently in Europe on Tuesday - as utilities around the world scrambled for LNG cargoes to replenish low stockpiles in Europe and meet surging demand in Asia, where energy shortfalls caused power blackouts in China. Analysts have said European inventories were about 20% below normal for this time of year, compared with just 3% below normal in the United States. Looking ahead, many analysts said milder-than-normal weather in December will cause U.S. utilities to leave enough gas in storage to allow stockpiles to reach above-normal levels in a week or two, the first above-normal storage levels since April. Data provider Refinitiv said output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has averaged 96.53 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in December, just shy of November's monthly record of 96.54 bcfd. Refinitiv projected average U.S. gas demand, including exports, would jump from 109.4 bcfd this week to 118.2 bcfd next week as the weather turns seasonally colder. Those forecasts, however, were lower than Refinitiv's outlook on Tuesday. The amount of gas flowing to U.S. LNG export plants has averaged 11.8 bcfd so far in December now that the sixth train at Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana is producing LNG. That compares to 11.4 bcfd in November and a monthly record of 11.5 bcfd in April. This month's record-setting LNG feed gas came despite reductions this week at Sabine Pass and Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas. With gas prices around $41 per mmBtu in Europe and $36 in Asia, compared with about $4 in the United States, traders said buyers around the world would keep purchasing all the LNG the United States can produce.
US gas storage inventory drops by 88 Bcf as weaker withdrawal lies ahead | S&P Global Platts - US gas inventories fell by 88 Bcf for the first full storage week of December, which equaled the S&P Global Platts' survey expectation, while a draw nearly one-third the five-year average appears likely for the week in progress. Storage systems withdrew 88 Bcf for the week ended Dec. 10, according to data released by the US Energy Information Administration on Dec. 16. It equaled the 88 Bcf draw expected by an S&P Global Platts survey of analysts. Over the past five weeks, the survey has missed the EIA estimate by an average of 2 Bcf. The draw was less than the five-year average of 114 Bcf as well as last year's 118 Bcf pull in the corresponding week. Demand this winter has so far been unremarkable, and the long-expected boost to supplies is materializing as producers ramp up output in the marginal-producing basins. Combined, these have left the market longer on supply than in comparable historical periods, according to Platts Analytics. Working gas inventories decreased to 3.417 Tcf. US storage volumes now stand 326 Bcf, or 8.7%, less than the year-ago level of 3.743 Tcf and 64 Bcf, or 1.8%, less than the five-year average of 3.481 Tcf. Platts Analytics' supply and demand model forecasts a 52 Bcf draw for the week in progress, which is roughly one-third of the five-year average pull of 153 Bcf. This would flip the deficit to the five-year average to a surplus as US production strengthens and cold weather has failed to materialize at a nationwide level. Under normal weather, Platts Analytics expects total US storage inventories to draw down to 1.52 Tcf by the end of March 2022, roughly 100 Bcf above the previous forecast end of winter level. This outlook is based in part on US demand, excluding exports, averaging 101 Bcf/d during the ninety-day peak winter period of December through February. The NYMEX Henry Hub futures have contracted in response to the loosening of US balances. The January contract was down 3 cents to $3.77/MMBtu on Dec. 16. While this is far below the $6/MMBtu seen in October, it is still more than $1/MMBtu above this time last December. The persistence of this augmented supply, and the fact it is unwavering even when temperatures are mild and demand is weak, leaves the market with a bearish overhang that will take some serious winter demand to shake loose, according to Platts Analytics.
U.S. natgas slips 2% to one-week low on milder weather forecasts (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures fell 2% on Friday to a one-week low on record output and forecasts for milder weather through late December than previously expected. Mostly mild weather since mid-November has kept heating demand low and allowed utilities to leave so much gas in storage that there will soon be more of the fuel in stockpiles than is usual for the time of year for the first time since April. The U.S. futures decline came despite near-record gas prices in Europe and Asia that were over 11 times higher than U.S. prices and should keep demand for U.S. liquefied natural gas exports (LNG) strong for months to come. Front-month gas futures fell 7.6 cents, or 2.0%, to settle at $3.690 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since the contract settled at a four-month low on Dec. 6. For the week, the contract fell about 6%, putting it down for a third week in a row. The premium of March 2021 futures over April 2021 NGH22-J22 slid to a record low of around 5 cents per mmBtu. The industry uses the March-April spread to bet on the winter heating season when demand for gas peaks. That puts the March-April spread, known as the 'widow maker', close to going into contango with summer contracts (April) trading over winter contracts (March) even before the official start of winter with the solstice on Dec. 21. In the spot market, next-day power prices in New England E-NEPLMHP-IDX spiked to their highest since January 2018 on forecasts the region will experience its first winter cold snap next week. Global gas prices have repeatedly reached all-time highs over the last few months as utilities around the world scrambled for LNG cargoes to replenish low stockpiles in Europe and meet surging demand in Asia, where energy shortfalls caused power blackouts in China. U.S. futures jumped to a 12-year high of more than $6 per mmBtu in early October, but have retreated because the United States has plenty of gas in storage and ample production for winter. Analysts have said European inventories were about 20% below normal for this time of year, compared with just 2% below normal in the United States. Data provider Refinitiv said output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has averaged 96.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in December, which would top the monthly record of 96.5 bcfd in November. Refinitiv projected average U.S. gas demand, including exports, would jump from 109.7 bcfd this week to 120.6 bcfd next week and 123.6 bcfd in two weeks as the weather turns seasonally colder. Those forecasts were higher than Refinitiv's outlook on Thursday. The amount of gas flowing to U.S. LNG export plants has averaged 11.9 bcfd so far in December, now that the sixth train at Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana is producing LNG. That compares to 11.4 bcfd in November and a monthly record of 11.5 bcfd in April.
How Biden's agencies order hits natural gas - President Biden’s executive order to decarbonize federal agencies last week left unanswered questions about which energy industries — including emerging technologies like hydrogen — will benefit most and how federal agencies will go about complying. Because of the federal government’s sheer size, the order — which covers everything from federal buildings’ level of energy efficiency to the fuels they use for space and water heat — could reshape the economics of building energy policy in the public and private sectors for years to come. That, in turn, could influence debates over banning the use of natural gas, which continue to roil statehouses and city halls across the country. It also could sway emissions, considering buildings are a significant source of U.S. greenhouse gases. "The main thing this [plan] will do is to help show, by example, that building electrification is possible," said Amy Turner, a senior fellow for the Cities Climate Law Initiative at Columbia University’s Sabin Center. The federal government, with its over 300,000 buildings, "may be able to benefit from economies of scale" when it buys clean heat technologies, she said. The order called for the federal government to halve greenhouse gas emissions from its own buildings by 2032 — then hit net zero by 2045. That goal was packaged into a broader directive for federal agencies to stop buying vehicles and electricity that emit carbon, at varying dates in the future. A top priority, according to the Biden administration, will be ditching fossil fuel equipment in new and existing buildings in favor of electric-powered technologies — an idea that has spurred bitter debates between climate activists and gas utilities in states and cities across the U.S. But the administration’s plans didn’t prescribe electrification in all cases, leaving room for other technologies to meet its definition of “net-zero” emissions. That means the natural gas industry’s favored alternative fuels, like hydrogen or biomethane, could presumably play a role at some point in the future. The definition of "net zero" also allowed for some amount of offsets, including through natural carbon sinks, carbon capture and storage, and direct air capture.
Halting the Gas Export Boom -- LAKE CHARLES IS A SMALL CITY of some 80,000 people located in the southwest corner of Louisiana, not far from the Texas border. On the surface, it might seem tailor-made for a massive new build-out of industrial facilities designed to export gas. There's plenty of gas produced in the region, there's a well-developed network of pipelines to deliver the fuel from fracking fields farther away, and the Gulf of Mexico is just 35 miles due south, offering a portal to overseas markets. Lake Charles is also situated in the heart of Trump country, and local and state governments have long been committed to the fossil fuel industry. Incidents of local resistance to fossil fuel and chemical corporations have been few and far between, and resolutely squashed. Today, no national environmental groups have a presence in Lake Charles, where nearly half the residents are Black.In announcing plans for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) "center of excellence" in Lake Charles last March, Mayor Nic Hunter, a Republican, said, "The growth of Southwest Louisiana's LNG industrial complex has put our region on the map and gained us a seat at the global table in recent years." George Swift, president and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, the leading business network in the Lake Charles area, predicts that "Louisiana could be the LNG export capital of the world."So it must have come as quite an unwelcome shock to a who's who of large energy companies when local resident Roishetta Ozane started showing up to put a kink in their plans—virtually a lone voice against the LNG build-out. "My mission is to ensure that Southwest Louisiana, specifically Lake Charles and the surrounding areas, aren't made into a climate sacrifice zone," Ozane says.
Permian, Haynesville to Spur Natural Gas Production Growth in January, Says EIA - The Permian Basin and Haynesville Shale will keep domestic natural gas production growing into the new year, according to updated modeling from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In its latest monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DPR), EIA said it expects natural gas production from seven key U.S. regions — the Anadarko, Appalachia and Permian basins, alongside the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Niobrara shales — to rise to a combined 89.346 Bcf/d in January, a 341 MMcf/d sequential increase. The Permian projects to increase output the most for the period, rising 115 MMcf/d from December and January to 19.688 Bcf/d. The Haynesville will follow close behind in growth rate, increasing output an estimated 104 MMcf/d from December to January to just under 14 Bcf/d. Other notable natural gas production gains for the period will come from Appalachia (up a projected 78 MMcf/d month/month to 34.903 Bcf/d) and the Eagle Ford (up 59 MMcf/d to 6.071 Bcf/d). Only the Anadarko is expected to see natural gas production decline from December to January, off an estimated 31 MMcf/d to 6.290 Bcf/d, according to the latest DPR. The next largest sequential gains in crude output for the period will come from the Eagle Ford (up 13,000 b/d to 1.103 million b/d) and the Bakken (up 8,000 b/d to 1.154 million b/d). Operators in the seven regions drew down their backlog of drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells by 226 units from October to November, according to the most recent EIA data. The largest drawdown occurred in the Permian, where the DUC backlog fell 105 units month/month to 1,564 in November. The Anadarko (down 10), Appalachia (down 26), Bakken (down 30), Eagle Ford (down 35), Haynesville (down nine) and Niobrara (down 11) also saw their respective DUC counts decline for the period. EIA’s DPR makes use of recent rig data along with drilling productivity estimates and estimated changes in production from existing wells to model changes in production from the seven regions.
BP's Haynesville Wells Achieve Top Grade for Methane Emissions Performance - BP plc has become the latest major to differentiate its natural gas through MiQ, with the U.S. onshore business achieving a top grade for the methane emissions performance of some wells in the Haynesville Shale. MiQ’s independently audited certification system reviewed emissions in the Haynesville that are managed by BP’s Lower 48 arm BPX Energy Inc. MiQ helps operators differentiate themselves through methane-emissions performance. MiQ currently certifies about 10 Bcf/d, or around 2.5% of the global gas market and 11% of U.S. gas production. “Tackling methane emissions is vital for natural gas to play its fullest role in the energy transition,” said BPX’s Faye Gerard, vice president of Low Carbon and Sustainability. “We’re in action to reduce these emissions from our operations. MiQ’s certification helps validate the steps we’re taking and makes us even more confident we’re providing the energy the world needs with fewer emissions.” BPX’s South Haynesville Facility in Texas produces about 0.2 Bcf/d. The 70 well sites were certified using the MiQ Standard, which grades a facility’s production from “A” to “F” based on its methane emissions. An A grade represents methane intensity of less than 0.05%, while F represents up to 2%. Third-party auditor GHD independently verified and awarded the top grade to the BPX facility. BPX now is “assessing further certification opportunities across its U.S. onshore operated portfolio” in the Haynesville, as well as the Eagle Ford Shale and Permian Basin.
Lessons from the slow death of Louisiana's oil industry -- As the executive director of the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University, David Dismukes has spent the last 30 years pinpointing the industry’s challenges and theorizing around it’s rapidly changing future. This is what he wants you to know: The energy transition from fossil fuels to solar and wind sources is real. “It’s happening and it’s gonna continue to happen.” “At this point, It doesn’t matter if you’re right, wrong, for, or against,” said Dismukes. “People and industries are making, not just hundreds of millions, but billion-dollar decisions based on the belief that this transition is here.” It’s creating – and taking away – jobs, swaying the economy, andtransforming how we commute. The transition is also killing refineries, to the sounds of praise from environmental groups and uncertainty from the thousands of oil industry workers. In January 2020, a few months before the first coronavirus pandemic shutdown, the American oil refining industry reached its highest capacity peak in history. It didn’t last long. Within months, six refineries, including the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Philadelphia – the 13th largest in the country – shut off oil production. By December, U.S. oil consumption reached a 25-year low. In the next two years, Wood Mackenzie, an energy consulting group, forecasts that 20 refineries across the globe, including roughly a dozen in the U.S., will cease operations. No other place in the country will feel this more than the Gulf Coast, where roughly 55 percent of the country’s oil production lies. As of January 1, 2021, there were 51 refineries located in the Gulf states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, compared to 113 in 1982, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Many Louisianians already feel the energy transition’s scope, namely the more than 25,000 former oil production workers in the state who have lost their jobs since 2014. Since the state’s oil production peak in the early 1980s, at least 20 oil refineries have shuttered. As of January 1, 2021, there were 14 facilities still operating. Since then, two more facilities, owned by Shell and Phillips 66 respectively, have closed their doors – in part because of a sweeping convergence of COVID-19, severe weather events, and waning demand for oil. To the tune of at least 900 layoffs, the Phillips 66 refinery – the 25th largest oil-producing refinery in America – located in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, announced its closure in early November after experiencing $1.3 billion worth of damage from Hurricane Ida.
Joe Manchin Rejects Democratic Plan to Ban New Drilling in Atlantic and Pacific - The senator from West Virginia, a coal and gas stronghold, has single-handedly stripped key elements from his party’s plan to tackle climate change. — A provision to permanently ban new offshore drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts has been stripped from a draft version of a $2.2 trillion climate change and social spending bill after objections by Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.Draft language of the bill circulated by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, which is led by Mr. Manchin, does not include the drilling ban. According to people who were briefed on Mr. Manchin’s position, he rejected the coastal drilling plan and also raised concerns about a provision that would cancel drilling leases and block future oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, although that part remains in the section of the bill that he handled, according to a draft.The drilling ban was the latest in a string of climate provisions that have been dropped from the pending legislation because of objections from Mr. Manchin. As the swing Democratic vote in an evenly split Senate, Mr. Manchin enjoys an outsize role and has been able to single-handedly set the limits for the president’s climate agenda.A spokeswoman for Mr. Manchin declined to comment. With direct negotiations with President Biden over the legislation souring in recent days, Mr. Manchin has largely brushed off questions about the bill, known as the Build Back Better Act.While Democratic leaders have been pushing to pass the legislation by Christmas, a Senate vote is set to slip into 2022 in part because of Mr. Manchin’s concerns with the details and costs of the package.Ali Zaidi, the White House deputy national climate adviser, declined on Thursday to comment on what he called “the minutia of the negotiations.”But environmentalists said Mr. Manchin was systematically weakening what was designed to be a robust response to the climate crisis.“This is a tragic milestone in the seemingly inevitable dismantling of the Build Back Better Act,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Why Senator Manchin wants to poison our coasts while he lives the good life in his landlocked state only shows just how out of touch he is with the overwhelming public support for ending offshore drilling.”Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, called his Democratic colleague “dead wrong.”“Scientists are telling us we have to move progressively, not only as a nation, but as a world to cut carbon emissions,” Mr. Sanders said.Representative Frank Pallone, Democrat of New Jersey who has sponsored legislation to ban offshore drilling along the Atlantic seaboard, called pulling the provision “absurd” and said he would fight to reinstate the measure.A version of the bill that passed the House last month would permanently ban new offshore oil and gas leasing along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It would not have halted existing offshore drilling activity.
High rates of methane spewing from U.S. Permian oilfield operations – report -- Methane continues to escape at a high rate from oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin, according to an aerial survey released on 14 December that detected major methane plumes from 40% of 900 sites that were measured.The latest research conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) via helicopter during the first 2 weeks of November found that 14% of those plumes were the result of malfunctioning flares.Researchers also found that at one-third of smaller wells significant emissions persisted for days. The aerial survey of the largest US oil field showed that leaks arose from different pieces of equipment at different times.This was the eighth aerial survey conducted by EDF's PermianMAP initiative, which monitors methane from the upstream, downstream, and midstream operations in the oil field. The survey comes weeks after the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first regulations targeting methane from the country's existing oil and gas facilities.The Biden administration also set a goal to reduce 30% of all methane emissions by 2030 as part of its participation in the Global Methane Pledge, which was formally launched at the UN Climate summit in Glasgow.
USA Expects Permian Oil Output to Hit Record in December - Crude production in the Permian Basin is expected to surpass a pre-pandemic high this month as a rebound in the U.S. shale industry fuels activity in its most prolific patch.Supplies from the Basin, which straddles West Texas and New Mexico, is projected to reach 4.96 million barrels a day in December, the Energy Information Administration said Monday in a report. The current record of 4.91 million barrels a day was set in March 2020. The agency also sees supplies exceeding 5 million barrels a day next month for the first time in data going back to 2007.Crude production from the Permian exceeds that of each OPEC member except Saudi Arabia, underscoring its importance in balancing the oil market. Its low production costs make it appealing to drillers with most producers focusing their U.S. plans for expansion on the sprawling oil patch, at the expense of other shale basins.U.S. shale oil producers will increase capital spending by nearly 20% to $83.4 billion in 2022, the highest since the pandemic began, according to Rystad Energy. Still, that’s about a third lowest than forecast levels in 2019, indicating that companies are more disciplined about basing production decisions on near-term changes in crude prices.Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. have both made the Permian a key focus for next year, even as they keep overall capital spending near multi-year lows. Chevron plans to spend $3 billion in the basin next year, 50% higher than this year’s budget and about a fifth of its global total.Even with the Permian’s growth, total U.S. oil output is still a long way from full recovery. Pioneer Natural Resources Co., said last week that U.S. drillers will need half a decade for nationwide production to reach pre-pandemic levels.*
Earthquakes linked to drilling are messing with Texas - Neta Rhyne frequently feels earthquakes that she worries will destroy the spring and pool in Balmorhea State Park. "We fear these springs are one earthquake away from disappearing forever," Rhyne said. The oil and gas industry — which dominates the West Texas economy — is causing the shaking, scientists say. Specifically, the quakes are linked to injecting underground the billions of gallons of wastewater that come up from wells in the drilling zone known as the Permian Basin. It’s made the forbidding stretch of Chihuahuan Desert east of El Paso one of the shakiest spots in the nation. The plain between El Paso and Midland has been hit this year by 15 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or greater — large enough to rattle dishes and make cracking sounds in houses. And that’s just the most dramatic example of the surge in earthquakes in Texas and southeastern New Mexico in recent years, much of it linked to oil and gas. There have also been quakes around population centers — including Midland, Snyder and San Antonio. The trend is turning Texas into a seismic state and has even prodded the state’s industry-friendly oil and gas regulators into scaling back some oil field activity. So far this year, there have been been almost 200 quakes of magnitude 3 or greater in Texas, nearly doubling the roughly 100 registered in 2020. On top of that, there have been five in southeast New Mexico. There have been no injuries, and little damage has been reported, but there’s concern about what could happen if the quakes keep getting bigger, more frequent or closer to population centers. "We know the historical baseline. We’re way above that," said Mairi Litherland, manager of the New Mexico Tech Seismological Observatory, who is studying the quakes from across the state line. "The present level of seismicity is not really a problem. It could cause problems if it continues." The biggest quake came in March 2020. At magnitude 5, it was big enough to cause real damage. But since it was centered under a flat, empty rangeland between the Pecos River and the Rustler Hills, there wasn’t much to damage. Still, Rhyne felt it 50 miles to the south. She said it caused about $2,000 worth of damage to her home. She worries that more such quakes could damage the San Solomon Spring, which feeds the pool in the state park across the road from her house. An earthquake about 60 miles to the south in the 1990s made the spring turn milky for a time. Now, there’s an earthquake of magnitude 3 or greater in her region every three days on average. Ruining the spring could ruin Rhyne, who runs a dive shop serving people who visit the park to snorkel and scuba dive. The area has several other springs, where the water burbles up from faults. They’re home to at least two endangered fish species. Rhyne has been protesting heavy drilling in the area since 2016, when Apache Corp. announced a large-scale drilling project in the area. By her count, she’s protested about 120 disposal wells to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas, and failed each time. Her neighbors, she acknowledges, haven’t rallied to the cause. She says she has "closet supporters" in the area.
Kimray acquires Texas-based CEI --Kimray Inc., an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer of oil and gas control equipment, has purchased Texas-based Control Equipment Inc. (CEI).CEI, which serves as Kimray’s largest distributor, operates offices in Cleburne, Lubbock, Odessa, Pampa and Wichita Falls, Texas.“As the oil and natural gas industry has undergone rapid change in recent years, both Kimray and CEI have looked for ways to improve how we operate our businesses and how we can best serve our customers,” said Kimray Vice President of Sales and Marketing Dustin Anderson. “Combining Kimray’s innovation and production capabilities with CEI’s distribution network and expertise will provide huge benefits for the industry in the Permian Basin, southeast New Mexico, north Texas and the Texas Panhandle.”
DOE to Issue Notice of Sale from SPR - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) revealed Friday that it will issue a notice of sale for 18 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) on December 17 to address market disruptions. The move follows President Biden’s action to release 50 million barrels of oil from the SPR, which was announced back in November. This release is taking place in two ways, with 32 million barrels released in the form of an exchange over the next several months and 18 million barrels released in the form of a sale that Congress had previously authorized. In a statement posted on its website on Friday, the DOE said it had reviewed and approved the first exchange of 4.8 million barrels for release to ExxonMobil. Delivery will be conducted from the Bryan Mound, West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw SPR storage sites, according to the DOE. The organization noted that, as it moves forward with its sale, exchange requests will continue to be accepted from interested parties and approved as appropriate to address supply disruptions. “Exchanges and sales from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are important tools we are using to address oil supply disruptions as the world recovers from a once in a century pandemic,” Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said in a DOE statement. “The president rightly believes Americans deserve relief now and has authorized the use of the SPR to respond to market imbalances and reduce costs for consumers,” Granholm added in the statement. As the global economy recovers from the pandemic, oil supply has failed to increase at a pace necessary to meet demand, the DOE said in the statement posted on its site. “While oil prices have fallen 10 percent on average over the last month and prices at the pump have started to drop, the administration is continuing to take action to help address the supply-demand gap in the market and lower energy prices for Americans,” the DOE stated. Biden stands ready to take additional action to the 50 million barrel SPR release, if needed, according to a White House statement in November.
US DOE sets SPR sale for Dec. 17, approves 4.8 million barrels to ExxonMobil - The US Department of Energy scheduled a Dec. 17 sale of 18 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and approved an exchange of 4.8 million barrels to ExxonMobil as part of the Biden administration's plan to tap into the SPR to help alleviate fuel prices, the DOE said Dec. 10. The White House previously announced Nov. 23 that the US would release 50 million barrels from the SPR by early next year alongside releases from other major oil-consuming countries to help combat high prices at the pump and record inflation. That release includes an exchange of up to 32 million barrels that would be delivered in mid-December through April and returned in 2022-2024, in addition to 18 million barrels that were already required by Congress to be sold by the end of 2022. The Dec. 10 announcement sets a quick date for the sale of the 18 million barrels, and reveals the first of multiple exchanges. Another 27.2 million barrels of SPR exchanges could still remain. However, since the November announcement, US Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk has said that the timing of SPR releases could be adjusted if oil prices fall and pain at the pump for US consumers begins to ease. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, "Exchanges and sales from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are important tools we are using to address oil supply disruptions as the world recovers from a once-in-a-century pandemic. The president rightly believes Americans deserve relief now and has authorized the use of the SPR to respond to market imbalances and reduce costs for consumers." Crude oil and fuel prices have dipped a bit in December largely from concerns about the COVID-19 omicron variant, although those fears have alleviated a bit. The SPR release news had some impact on prices in November, but the relatively modest size of the release -- and the much smaller releases from other countries -- did not move the markets much. On Dec. 10, NYMEX January WTI settled 73 cents higher at $71.67/b, and ICE February Brent climbed 73 cents to $75.15/b. The Energy Department said it approved the first ExxonMobil exchange for barrels from the Bryan Mound, Texas SPR storage site, as well as the Louisiana sites at West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw. DOE said exchange requests will continue to be accepted from interested parties and approved as appropriate to address supply disruptions. The coordinated release with India, China, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom is the first of its kind. India has announced it would release 5 million barrels, and the UK said it would allow companies in the country to voluntarily release up to a combined 1.5 million barrels of private stocks..
Biden’s strategic crude sale hasn’t inspired action from other nations --It’s been almost three weeks since the U.S. unveiled an internationally coordinated release of oil from national reserves, but so far there’s been little follow through from the other five nations. President Joe Biden said on Nov. 23 that the U.S. would release 50 million barrels of crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve in “the next several months.” The unprecedented move would be done in parallel with China, Japan, South Korea, India and the U.K., he said. While the U.S. has granted its first release of SPR oil to Exxon Mobil Corp., and intends to issue another sale notice for 18 million barrels this week, there’s been radio silence from the other participants. That’s starting to prompt some skepticism in the market about whether they’ll go ahead at all, particularly after the omicron virus variant led to a sharp drop in global prices. The Asian nations’ participation in what looks like a buyers’ cartel puts them in a tough spot. “They can’t afford to jeopardize their relationships with major producers to satisfy a U.S. president who’ll be up for re-election in a few years,” They may also “be reluctant to tap into their reserves ahead of peak winter demand, when supply disruptions can lead to major issues,” Driscoll said. The joint release was unprecedented, given that there was no supply shock, and followed weeks of intensive lobbying by Biden after the OPEC+ alliance rebuffed calls to increase supply faster. It contributed to a decline in prices leading up to the announcement, but many in the market were underwhelmed by the volumes that the countries other than the U.S. pledged to release. India was the only Asian nation that was definitive on volume, pledging to release 5 million barrels, although questions remain on timing. The head of Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd. said Dec. 3 that he was still waiting for advice from the federal government on how and when to sell the crude. Japan has given no details on volumes or timing, although the Nikkei newspaper reported last month the country would release around 4.2 million barrels. South Korea said on Nov. 23 that it would decide on details such as volume and timing after discussing with partner countries but indicated it would be about 3.5 million barrels. China has been somewhat ambiguous, with Beijing not wanting to look like it was following the U.S. It said in November that it was working on a sale of oil from its reserves, just days after a virtual summit between Biden and President Xi Jinping. A Western official familiar with the matter initially said the Chinese could sell between 7 million and 15 million barrels. There have been no official announcements since.
There’s Not Enough Oil – Doomberg - Rory Johnson is the writer of Commodity Context and his most recent piece, US Shale Patch’s Lackluster Recovery is a Problem for the Post-COVID Oil Market, is a fascinating and sobering read (subscribe to Johnson’s Substack here and follow his Twitter account here). As Johnson explains, US shale operators function in an analogous manner to the miners on Gold Rush, balancing the drilling of new oil wells with completing them for production. Just like overburden can be stripped for future processing, so too can oil wells be drilled but left uncompleted. Such wells are colloquially known as DUCs. Here’s a relevant quote from Johnson’s piece: “Drilled but uncompleted wells are a function of the fact that the US shale production process has two major steps: (1) a well is drilled with a drilling rig and then (2) it is “completed” by a different team (i.e., the actual fracking part) after which it begins to produce marketable crude. When drilling runs ahead of completions as it largely did through 2017-19, the industry accumulates a sizable mountain of this potential production. These DUCs were yet one more bearish factor weighing on pre-COVID market prospects: even when US drilling declined, producers could lean into their DUC inventory to keep production humming along despite weaker rig activity.” The shale boom enabled the US to reestablish itself as the top global producer of oil and gas. Prior to the Covid-19 lockdowns, the US was producing approximately 13 million barrels of oil per day (mbpd) – more than double what it had been generating just a decade earlier. To put that number into context, the world consumed an average of just under 100 mbpd in 2019 (i.e., pre-Covid). For 2020, that number dropped to 91 mbpd, but some estimates peg current global demand to have fully recovered to the 100 mbpd mark in Q4 2021. Interestingly, US oil and gas production is still lagging its early 2020 peak: While many assume the gap in current production from the pre-Covid highs represents spare production capacity that can readily respond to incremental oil demand once the global economy fully reopens, the reality on the ground is different. As Johnson flags, producers are busily completing previously drilled wells at a rapid pace without backfilling the inventory of DUCs. In effect, US shale oil producers are sluicing previously stripped ground and not opening enough new cuts. This is clearly unsustainable. What explains this behavior? We see a combination of factors. First, shale operators destroyed significant shareholder value through excess drilling and mismanagement during the boom. Many companies filed for bankruptcy protection shortly after the Covid-19 lockdowns were implemented and the price of oil collapsed. The recapitalized companies that emerged from reorganization are expressing a commitment to more a disciplined approach, and the numbers certainly reflect this. Second, the Biden administration has signaled its desire to move beyond fossil fuels, which – at a minimum – makes the investment environment for new exploration and drilling more uncertain than it was under Trump. Third, the move to defund the fossil fuel industry by environmental activists and Wall Street financiers alike is making access to capital more challenging. Finally, uncertain timing of the world’s emergence from both the pandemic and the ongoing supply chain crisis is likely adding to the cautionary stance.
Oil spill: 400 gallons discharged into Menomonee, Milwaukee rivers, Milwaukee Riverkeeper says — A used oil transfer error discharged 400 gallons of oil to the Menomonee River last Friday, according to Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Milwaukee Riverkeeper says the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed Komatsu has taken responsibility for the incident. Milwaukee Riverkeeper said on Thursday they received several reports of an oil sheen on both the Menomonee and Milwaukee Rivers. Officials say the discharge of oil went into the Menomonee River from a stormwater outfall near American Family Field. "They've placed a boom on site to contain oil, and continue to clean up the contaminated stormwater outfall," Milwaukee Riverkeeper said in a statement on Thursday. Officials say the oil sheen has been observed along both rivers, both downstream and upstream of the Menomonee River confluence, due to the lake seiche and wind pushing some product upstream. According to officials, Komatsu will be conducting spot cleanups of product from the rivers. Komatsu released a statement Thursday regarding the oil spill. Officials say staff at its Joy Global facility on National Ave. initially believed it was a small spill of waste oil from a container. They say upon learning of the spill, they immediately began cleanup procedures and reported the matter to the appropriate authorities. "As cleanup work continued this week, it became clear that the spill was more extensive than initially thought and we began to implement a more aggressive cleanup and remediation effort," Komatsu said in a statement. "We are in the midst of investigating how this very regrettable accident occurred and we are focused on continuing to implement aggressive cleanup efforts to remediate the situation as quickly as possible."
BNSF pays $1.5 million fine for oil spill --One of the country’s largest railways has agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in fines for an oil spill caused by a derailment.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) release, approximately 117,500 gallons of heavy crude oil was released into Iowa’s Rock River, Little Rock River and Burr Oak Creek, in June 2018 after one of BNSF’s freight trains derailed.EPA says that the derailment occurred in an area where there was heavy flooding, which resulted in an evacuation order for residents nearby, increased levels of hazardous materials in the area, closed nearby water wells, destroyed crops, and at least 3 animals’ death.BNSF agreed to pay a total fine of $1,513,750.“Illegal discharges of oil into streams, rivers and wetlands present a significant threat to human health and the environment,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “EPA is committed to protecting our nation’s waterways and will ensure that Clean Water Act protections are upheld.”The news release explained that any discharges of pollutants, such as oil, into waterways, that are federally protected, is considered a violation of the Clean Water Act.
Tribal leaders say state’s consultations on Line 5 are lacking -A little more than a year after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Enbridge to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the state retreated on its key lawsuit seeking to close the twin pipelines.While the move late last month was meant to shift the legal focus to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s separate effort in state court, Indigenous tribal leaders who are united in their Line 5 opposition have expressed cautious optimism to Whitmer’s move — with an emphasis on cautiousness. “While I can understand the legal nuances that are in play while you’re reaching such a decision, it was concerning,” Whitney Gravelle, president of Bay Mills Indian Community in the Upper Peninsula, said of Whitmer’s decision. “The only calculus I can see here is that a stronger battle remains in state court.”Moreover, Gravelle and at least one other tribal leader say the Whitmer administration’s consultations with tribes over Line 5 have been insufficient given a 2019 executive directive that Whitmer issued promising stronger state-tribal relations.“On this issue, I think it’s fallen short,” said Aaron Payment, chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “Gov. Whitmer is the first to give specifics (about mandating consultation with tribes), but I would say sometimes the devil gets lost in the details. As it relates to Line 5 or the wolf hunt, in a lot of these issues we get relegated to basically another constituency. I think it’s her intent, but I would like to see more direct attention from the governor. You would expect these consultation sessions would happen at a higher level rather than administrative staff that are often four or five rungs below.”
Biden asks tribes to weigh in on high-stakes pipeline talks – The Biden administration has invited Great Lakes tribes for input on unprecedented, upcoming talks with Canada over the fate of a contentious pipeline that’s creating what sources say is a rift between the two countries.At issue in the fight over Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 is a dispute resolution process set out by the "Transit Pipeline Treaty of 1977" that Canada invoked for the first time for this case.The treaty, Canada argues, guarantees the uninterrupted flow of petroleum products between the U.S. and Canada, while Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pushes to shutter Line 5 in state court (Energywire, Dec. 1).Because the negotiations are unprecedented, experts say there’s no way to tell when talks will start, how long they will last or if the results will be public.“This thing has really never been used — period,” said Andy Buchsbaum, an attorney for the National Wildlife Federation and a lecturer at the University of Michigan law school. ”And certainly negotiations between these two countries have never happened under this treaty.”The 68-year-old Line 5 pipeline, which moves light crude and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario, has emerged as a lightning rod among tribal communities and activists concerned about the effects a spill could have on the Great Lakes.In addition to treaty talks, the pipeline is also at the center of a fight in Michigan state court and an environmental review by the Army Corps of EngineersWhile the State Department has repeatedly said it’s weighing policy options and plans to engage in the talks with Canada under the treaty soon, the department has provided few details.But Aaron Payment, chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, confirmed the State Department invited his tribe to weigh in on the treaty talks with Canada.Payment joined Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes last month in calling on President Biden to support Whitmer’s efforts to decommission the pipeline, citing tribal fishing and hunting rights in the pipeline area that date back to an 1836 treaty.A spokesperson for the State Department in an email confirmed the agency had invited the tribes to voice their views and concerns surrounding the Line 5 project before engaging with Canada under the 1977 treaty.The Biden administration’s invitation is notable given how little is known about how treaty talks would proceed. But the White House has been outspoken about giving tribes a great say in treaties and boosting consultation on energy issues.“The Biden administration has been very quiet on this issue, and they’re going to have to take a position soon,” said Kristen van de Biezenbos, a law professor at the University of Calgary.
Line 5: A symbol of North America's debate over continued fossil fuel investment - Canadian-based Enbridge’s plan to encapsulate its controversial Line 5 fuel pipeline with a $500 million tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac lakebed is the kind of investment in fossil fuels that America needs to stop if it is going to address climate change in a more meaningful way, a University of Michigan researcher said Monday.Julia Cole, a U-M earth and environmental sciences professor, said the project “absolutely works against” collective efforts to reduce greenhouse gases that are warming the planet and disrupting climate patterns.“When you are in a hole — and we are in a big hole — the first thing you have to do is stop digging,” Ms. Cole said. “The pipeline and the tunnel represent the investments we have to avoid.”Ms. Cole was the featured speaker of a webinar hosted by the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center.The moderator was Margrethe Kearney, an Environmental Law & Policy Center senior attorney, who opened the event by calling Line 5 “an immediate threat to the Great Lakes” and Enbridge’s plan for a tunnel “a disruptive and dangerous undertaking.”At no time during the event, though, was there any mention of pipelines delivering fuel products far more efficiently and with fewer greenhouse gases than by ship, rail, or truck.That’s assuming there are no accidents, of course.In fact, Line 5 was built in 1953 to reduce the potential of crude oil spilling into the Great Lakes and their tributaries when moved by those other modes of transportation.But a tugboat’s 2018 anchor strike which dented Line 5 has raised questions about the need for the 645-mile pipeline which delivers 42 percent of the products refined throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.The webinar’s theme wasn’t about the fate of area gasoline, jet fuel, propane, or refinery workers, though.It was a big picture look at how continued investments in major pipelines keep North Americans hooked on fossil fuels.Ms. Cole said it’s time to move on and encourage more focus on renewable energy and other alternatives.The administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, meanwhile, remains adamantly opposed to efforts undertaken by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to shut down Line 5.“Our administration has always stood for an all-of-the-above energy strategy,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said in a statement the governor’s office issued to The Blade on Monday. “To execute that, we cannot simply shut down access to certain types of energy with no long-term plan to replace it or the thousands of jobs these industries support. It will take decades for America to transition away from the internal combustion engines that power our cars, trucks and air travel. Until that day, if Governor Whitmer closes Line 5, she will drive up the price of fuel and hurt the working people of the Midwest who can’t afford to pay more at the pump to go to work and take care of their families.”
US requires higher safety standards for more pipelines - (AP) — A new federal regulation requires higher safety standards for pipelines carrying oil and other hazardous liquids through the Great Lakes region, marine coastal waters and beaches, officials said Thursday. The rule issued by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration designates those locations as “high consequence” zones where pipeline operators must step up inspections, repairs and other measures to avoid spills. The agency estimated that 2,905 additional miles (4,675 kilometers) of hazardous liquid pipelines will be covered under the new rule, primarily in states along the Gulf of Mexico. “The Great Lakes and our coastal waters are natural treasures that deserve our most stringent protections,” said Tristan Brown, the agency's deputy administrator. “This rule strengthens and expands pipeline safety efforts." Congress ordered the pipeline safety agency last year to include the Great Lakes, coastal beaches and coastal waters among “unusually sensitive areas" meriting extra attention. “We know a pipeline spill in the Great Lakes would be catastrophic,” said Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat who sponsored the provision. The natural gas and oil industry "is committed to the safe and environmentally responsible operation of U.S. energy infrastructure, and pipelines remain one of the safest ways to deliver affordable, reliable energy," said Robin Rorick, a vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association. “As our industry works to protect the environment and communities where we live and work, this rule provides the opportunity to further that commitment.” Large oil releases would severely damage shoreline and underwater environments, fisheries, human health and coastal community economies, the regulation says. The 53-page document acknowledges there's no way to know how many disasters the new requirements will prevent. But it offers several previous examples of damaging spills in the designated areas. Among them: last month's release from an oil pipeline in Southern California and a 2010 spill of about 840,000 gallons (3.2 million liters) of crude near Marshall, Michigan, which contaminated nearly 40 miles (64 kilometers) of the Kalamazoo River. It also notes a 2018 anchor strike that dented Enbridge Energy's Line 5 in Michigan's Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, although it didn't cause an oil leak. The new rule requires operators to include any pipeline that could affect the designated environments in their safety management programs. Those procedures include in-line inspections, pressure tests and other methods to measure pipeline integrity, as well as analyses of significant threats such as corrosion.
Indigenous and environmental activists say they were illegally spied on -Tribal members and environmental advocates filed a lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Justice on Tuesday for “illegal domestic spying” through its Oregon TITAN Fusion Center – one of approximately 80 intelligence hubs tasked with surveilling potential domestic terrorists. “It is astonishing and disturbing to become the target of a well-resourced secret police, solely because of my participation in peaceful rallies opposing a harmful fossil fuel pipeline across my ancestral lands,” Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, an environmental and Indigenous rights advocate, said in a press release. Farrell-Smith is a plaintiff in the case and a member of the Klamath Tribe. She has protested against Jordan Cove, a 229-mile long natural gas pipeline that would have run through ancestral lands in Oregon. She has also created protest art and organized against a lithium mine in Nevada. Other plaintiffs include Rowena Jackson, Francis Eatherington, and Sarah Westover. Jackson is also a member of the Klamath Tribe, a water protector, and works at the Klamath Tribes Administrative Office. Eatherington is president of the Oregon Women’s Land Trust, a conservation nonprofit. Westover was an organizer with No LNG Exports Coalition, an alliance of groups opposed to the Jordan Cove pipeline. According to the lawsuit, “fusion centers” have little oversight and less is known about them. At least 3,000 state and federal employees work at fusion centers where they monitor individuals that pose possible domestic terrorist threats. Using tips from the public, social media, public records, and governmental materials, Oregon’s TITAN Fusion Center collects and shares data with “more than 170 local law enforcement agencies, dozens of federal and state intelligence hubs, and an unknown number of public and private partners,” the lawsuit states. Following 9/11, at least 80 fusion centers have been created to prevent future terrorist attacks, but a 2012 Senate investigationfound that they are ineffective and come at a cost of $330 million to taxpayers yearly. Originally created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the cost of funding them has largely shifted to states. According to the lawsuit, Oregon’s TITAN facility is run through Oregon’s Department of Justice’s Criminal Intelligence Division. The lawsuit, filed by the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, which partners with communities and police to promote accountability, claims that TITAN is illegally spying on environmental advocates that aren’t breaking the law. The Policing Project has also been involved in a case against Microsoft, siding with the company and its stance to not release data to law enforcement, and an audit of Ring, a video doorbell company that works with police departments across the country.
Sinclair Fracking With Large Amounts Of Water -- December 12, 2021 - Bruce Oksol - The other day we took a look at the wells recently posted by Sinclair. I didn't get a chance to look at the frack data until today. Looking at one of those wells, it appears Sinclair is completing these wells with large fracks, using over 12 million gallons of water. This is in contrast to MRO recently reporting wells fracked with six million gallons of water.
Thousands of gallons of oil by-product spilled in ND - The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is investigating a produced water spill north of Williston. The DEQ says produced water is a by-product of oil production. Originally, Summit Midstream Partners, LLC, said approx. 10 barrels of produced water spilled, but now it’s estimating 176 barrels or 7,300 gallons of produced water spilled into agricultural land. The cause of the spill is under investigation.
U.S. grand jury accuses Amplify Energy of negligence in oil spill – A federal grand jury has accused Amplify Energy Corp and two of its subsidiaries of illegally and negligently discharging oil during a pipeline break in California in October and failing to respond to alarms.The Department of Justice said the indictment alleges that the companies, which own and operate the 17-mile (27 km) San Pedro Bay Pipeline, failed to properly respond to eight alarms over more than 13 hours on October 1-2. The indictment also accuses Amplify and its Beta Operating Co LLC and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co subsidiaries of shutting and restarting the pipeline five times after the first five alarms were triggered, sending oil flowing through the damaged pipeline for more than three hours.Amplify said it investigated the pipeline but it was then not known to the crew that the leak detection system was malfunctioning. The detection system was "wrongly signaling a potential leak at the platform where no leak could be detected by the platform personnel and where no leak was actually occurring," it said in a statement.The oil spill left fish dead, birds mired in petroleum and wetlands contaminated, in what local officials called an environmental catastrophe. An estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil were discharged from a point approximately 4.7 miles west ofHuntington Beach from a crack in the 16-inch pipeline, the statement said.An earlier report by the Associated Press showed how the spill was not investigated for nearly 10 hours.
Amplify Energy Faces Federal Charge For Orange County Oil Spill -- — The company that owns the underwater pipeline that ruptured and spilled thousands of gallons of oil in Orange County waters October was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of illegally distributing oil, City New Service reported. Amplify Energy Corp. and two of its subsidiaries — Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co. — were charged with failing to adequately respond to eight leak alarms during a 13-hour period, prosecutors said. The company is additionally charged with improperly restarting the pipeline after it had been shut down in response to the alarms. The indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court charges the companies with one misdemeanor count of negligent discharge of oil. For a "corporate defendant," the charge carries a penalty of up to five years of probation, and fines that could possibly total millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said the pipeline began leaking the afternoon of Oct. 1, but the companies continued pumping oil through the line until the next morning. The oil spill occurred after an underwater pipe ruptured and leaked roughly 30,000 gallons of oil into Orange County waters. Soon after, tarballs began washing up on Orange County shores, and residents began to notice oil sheens in the ocean water. This triggered a 800-plus strong force of U.S. Coast Guard crews and volunteers to take to the beach in a massive cleanup effort. The leak also forced the cancellation of the popular Huntington Beach Airshow, which was already underway when the spill was noticed. While the cleanup ensued, Orange County residents questioned what caused the oil spill to begin with, and pushes calling for an end to offshore drilling intensified across the Golden State. Orange County elected officials wondered why neither they or the public were notified of the spill sooner.The federal indictment alleges the companies:
- Failed to properly respond to eight alarms from an automated leak-detection system between 4:10 p.m. Oct. 1 and 5:28 a.m. Oct. 2.
- Shut down and then restarted the pipeline five times after the first five alarms were triggered, meaning oil continued flowing through the damaged line for more than three hours
- Pumped oil for three additional hours late on Oct. 1 into the early morning hours of Oct. 2 while a manual leak test was performed, despite the sixth and seventh alarms.
- Despite the eighth alarm, operated the pipeline for nearly one hour in the predawn hours of Oct. 2 after crew on a boat the company contacted failed to spot any discharged oil in the middle of the night.
- Operated the pipeline with crew members who were not adequately trained on the automated leak detection system
- Operating the pipeline with an "understaffed and fatigued crew."
More than a dozen companies doing business in the region have sued Amplify Energy Corp. for damages resulting from the spill.
OC spill: 3 companies charged after thousands of gallons of oil leaked into ocean - Three companies are facing federal charges in connection to the Oct. 2021 oil spill that damaged the Orange Countycoastline.According to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the following companies are accused of illegally discharging oil during the pipeline break off the coast of Huntington Beach back in early October:
- Amplify Energy Corp.
- Beta Operating Co. LLC, a subsidiary of Amplify
- San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co., a subsidiary of Amplify
Amplify and its two subsidiaries are also accused of "failing to properly respond to eight separate leak alarms over the span of more than 13 hours and improperly restarting the pipeline that had been shut down following the leak alarms," according to the DOJ.The leak happened on October 1, but the DOJ is accusing Amplify and its two subsidiaries of continuing their operations – on and off – through the next morning, despite the pipeline being damaged. The DOJ claims the companies' negligence caused about 25,000 gallons of crude oil to leak up to 4.7 miles off the coast of Huntington Beach. The DOJ said the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal INvestigation Division and the FBI are teaming up in the investigation of the Huntington Beach oil spill.
Repair to ruptured California oil pipeline to start Friday, leaked documents reveal — The oil company accused of negligence this week for failing to properly respond to an October oil spill off the Southern California coast is set to begin permanent repair work, according to leaked documents reviewed by NBC News, but critics say approval of the work appears rushed. As early as Friday morning, divers will descend about 160 feet below the surface to begin placing what documents describe as a “steel patch” over a cracked area of pipe that was temporarily repaired in the wake of the Oct. 1 spill. The patch is designed to allow the pipeline to be thoroughly cleaned and flushed before two large sections of pipe — totaling nearly 300 feet — are removed from the seafloor and ultimately replaced at a later date. The plan was circulated to state and federal regulators by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers no more than 48 hours before the work was set to begin and required agencies to notify the Corps within a day if they had comments on the work. The listed contact person for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, a federal regulatory agency that oversees offshore oil work, was out of the office during that time according to an automatic reply when contacted by NBC News. Later phases of the plan call for new sections of pipe to be brought in, and finally concrete mats to be installed over top to protect it. A spokesperson for pipeline owner Amplify Energy said so far only the first part of the job has been approved by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. One critic points to the emergency repair process as an example of a cozy relationship between industry and regulators. Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director and senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the repair plan should have gone through a permitting process that allowed for more agency and public oversight. She likened the permit notice to a “Christmas Gift” for Amplify Energy. “This looks like an instance where the Army Corps is essentially thinking of itself as customer service to the oil company to get the pipeline and platform going again, rather than providing the strict oversight to protect against water pollution,” Sakashita said.
Coast Guard, California officials monitoring potential oil spill — The Coast Guard and California state officials are monitoring a potential oil spill. The Huntington Beach Police Department shared a photo Thursday, showing an oil sheen that appeared overnight.Right now, it’s about the size of a football field and officials are keeping a close eye on the situation. Several emergency response teams are on standby as the Coast Guard races to determine what's causing it. The oil appeared roughly two miles off the coast in the same area where a large oil spill happened in October. The Coast Guard is conducting regular flights over the area while state teams are stationed along several beaches. No oil has impacted shoreline areas at this time.
Huntington Beach Oil Sheen Does Not Affect Beach, Cause Still Unknown -- - An oil sheen spotted off the coast of Huntington Beach does not appear to have been caused by a pipeline leak, officials said today. The ``unified command'' of authorities that responded to the oil spill in October that consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Orange County issued a news release saying, ``there is no indication of an unsecured discharge of oil.'' The authorities could not find any evidence of oiling of the beaches. The authorities expect to release their response team as of Saturday. The samples collected on Wednesday ``are inconsistent with natural seep oil and with the oil associated with the discharge on Oct. 2, 2021, Pipeline P00547 incident,'' according to the unified command. Officials will continue investigating to determine what caused the oil sheen spotted about two nautical miles off the coast. The U.S. Coast Guard received a report about the oil sheen at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Aidan Cooney. ``It was getting too dark to send out our assets, so we contacted other agencies nearby to see if they could assist,'' Cooney said. Officials from Cal Fire and the state Fish and Wildlife Service sent out aircraft and boats to investigate the report, Cooney said. ``They found some sheen, pulled a sample and we're waiting for test results to identify the source,'' he said. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said she was informed that there was a ``pinhole leak'' in a pipeline, but officials said they did not know which one. It is expected to be a minor leak, and at this point the experts believe it is gas that is in the water, she added. Orange County CEO Frank Kim said he was called about the incident Wednesday night. He directed the county's public works department to help build a berm at Talbert Marsh on Wednesday night at the city's request. Huntington Beach firefighters smelled ``a strong petroleum scent'' that indicated some kind of oil sheen near the coastline. Oil response officials were deployed Wednesday night but did not find any evidence of oiling and decided to conduct an aerial view Thursday morning at first light, Kim said. The sighting came on the same day that the company that owns the underwater pipeline that ruptured in October, leaking thousands of gallons of oil, was indicted along with two of its subsidiaries on a federal charge of illegally discharging oil.
Manchin opposes drilling bans offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Democratic plans to restrict new oil and gas development off both coasts and in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have emerged as a new flash point in the Build Back Better bill, highlighting the party’s political schism as it tries to advance the massive spending legislation. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a critical swing vote, has rejected a provision that would prohibit all future drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to three people familiar with the matter, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. He also expressed surprise at top Democrats’ decision to include language ending an oil and gas leasing program in the pristine refuge, a longtime priority for party leaders and their environmentalist allies, but he has not indicated whether he will oppose it.Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and National Resources Committee, exercises a de facto veto over the $2 trillion climate and social spending plan because it needs all 50 Democrats’ votes to win Senate passage.A spokeswoman for Manchin declined to comment on the matter. Asked about the senator’s opposition during the White House press briefing Thursday, deputy national climate adviser Ali Zaidi declined to address it or say how it would affect the president’s climate targets.Manchin’s objection to the proposal comes amid a broader rift between the influential senator and top Democrats over President Biden’s Build Back Better bill, which party leaders had hoped to pass by the end of the year. Despite months of negotiations and Democrats’ attempts to shrink the bill’s size to win Manchin’s vote, he has withheld his support and a long list of disagreements remain.The senator, who earns millions from his family’s waste coal business, succeeded in killing a key piece of Biden’s climate agenda — a $150 billion plan to push power companies toward cleaner energy. He also has targeted measures that would affect the oil and gas industry, objecting to a tax credit for electric cars and a provision that would reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.Manchin also criticized the design of the funding measure, arguing that Democrats are relying on funding gimmicks to say their legislation is paid for.House Democrats’ version of the spending bill included a permanent ban on new offshore drilling — which would not apply to existing leases — as well as language that would end the oil and gas leasing program authorized on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain in the 2017 tax bill.Senate leaders jettisoned the offshore drilling provision from their version of the bill in light of Manchin’s opposition but have preserved language ending the oil and gas leasing program on the refuge.Two weeks before President Donald Trump left office, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management auctioned off the right to drill on more than 550,000 acres of the refuge’s coastal plain for $14.4 million. When the leases were later modified, the revenue generated dropped to $12 million. Federal law requires the department hold another lease sale by 2024.
Fuel leak at Pearl Harbor military base contaminates drinking water on the Hawaiian island of Oahu --A massive contamination of the drinking water supply for residents of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam was discovered on November 20, when 14,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. CNN reported on December 5 that “Records show a history of fuel leaks plaguing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in the past decade, with the most recent leak occurring 11 days before the Navy announced it had discovered contamination in the Red Hill well on Oahu.” The Board of Water Supply (BWS) for Honolulu closed down the Halawa Shaft, Oahu’s largest water source, on Thursday, December 2, after the Navy reported in a virtual town hall meeting that it found “a likely source of the contamination,” according to a CNN report. According to the Associated Press, Rear Admiral Blake Converse told state lawmakers Friday that Navy officials are very confident that the contamination happened on November 20, when 14,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility inside a tunnel that provides access to fire suppression and service lines for the complex. The complex supplies fuel for military aircraft and ships that operate in the Pacific. Use of the facility has been suspended. The spill was cleaned up, Converse claimed, but residents have been warning for weeks of an odor from the water and some have reported going to hospitals for cramps and vomiting after they drank the water. The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility has a long history of leaks dating back to 1943 when it was first built, during the intensive military build-up for WWII. The Sierra Club told Honolulu Civil Beat that since 1943, the facility has recorded at least 73 fuel leaks totaling at least 180,000 gallons, numbers the Navy disputes.Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility consists of 20 fuel tanks and an array of pipelines that use gravity to deliver fuel to Pearl Harbor, a short 2.5 miles away. The massive facility, which holds approximately 180 million gallons of fuel, rests 100 feet above a groundwater aquifer that supplies 77 percent of the island’s total water, according to the Department of Health (DOH). The underground steel tanks enclosed by a concrete shell are now corroding. The Navy claims the tanks are inaccessible and thus impossible to maintain. The pipeline system and the tanks are the same age.
Plans to Reopen St. Croix’s Limetree Refinery Have Analysts Surprised and Residents Concerned - The St. Croix neighborhood of Clifton Hill overlooks a quieted Limetree Bay Refinery on Tuesday, May 25 after a stack fire and massive oil flare caused a 60-day shutdown ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Clifton Hill residents, many of whom migrated to St. Croix from nearby Vieques, are no strangers to the refinery’s discharges under its previous owner, Hovensa. But the most recent shower of oil on their homes, cars, gardens and cisterns was the second in little over three months as the beleaguered 60-year-old refinery struggled to resume operations after an eight-year hiatus.An accident-prone oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands with a history of serious environmental violations could soon reopen under new ownership, despite strong objections from nearby communities, a litany of environmental scandals and a shaky financial outlook.After shutting down in 2012 and declaring bankruptcy in 2015, St. Croix’s Limetree Bay refinery restarted operations under new ownership in February. But within days, the refinery began experiencing what became a series of high-profile accidents that enraged nearby residents, raining oil down on homes, contaminating drinking water and releasing hazardous fumes so pungent that officials shut down schools and offices for days. Environmentalists saw the restart as a testament to former President Trump’s pro-fossil fuel agenda for “American energy dominance” and his administration’s penchant for granting favorable terms to well-connected corporate interests. Trump officials expressed a willingness in emails to the refinery’s new owners to facilitate its reopening, and legal scholars said the administration ignored decades of precedent in issuing new permits. The Environmental Protection Agency dispatched investigators in early May to the island, where they declared Limetree was in violation of the Clean Air Act and ordered the facility to halt operations, citing an “imminent” health threat to residents. Then this summer, Limetree’s owners—a consortium of privately-funded companies that include Limetree Bay Refining and Limetree Bay Services—announced the facility would cease operations for good. They promptly declared bankruptcy, announced layoffs for more than a quarter of the refinery’s employees and began the process to auction off the property.In October, several bids emerged from companies seeking to dismantle the dysfunctional facility and sell it off for scrap. For many residents who live the closest to the property, which stretches for more than two square miles across the southern shore of the small Caribbean island, the moment presented a chance to get rid of a poorly run—and what some consider unnecessary—refinery that disproportionately harmed mostly Black and Brown communities.
At least 77 dead and dozens injured after gas tanker explodes in Haiti’s second largest city - A fuel tanker exploded in Haiti’s second largest city early Tuesday morning after overturning in the neighborhood of La Fossette, letting loose a massive fireball that has resulted in at least 75 deaths and dozens of injuries, according to local authorities. The explosion took place in the northern city of Cap-Haitien when a tanker transporting gasoline crossed into the Semarie district at the eastern entrance of the city. After crossing a bridge into La Fossette, the driver lost control of the tanker while trying to avoid hitting a motorcycle taxi, causing the truck to flip over and erupt in flames. Hours after the blast, surrounding buildings and overturned vehicles were engulfed in the blaze as firefighters desperately tried to put out the fire and find survivors. Most of the deaths happened as a result of passers-by rushing to the tanker moments after it tumbled over to collect the escaping fuel, a rare commodity as the entire country has been wrecked by severe fuel shortages. Early reports indicate onlookers rushed to the scene with buckets to scoop up what they could of the tanker’s valuable cargo, likely for resale on the black market, as the fuel spilled toward a nearby pile of trash before the entire tanker imploded. Monday saw demonstrations in major cities across the country against the government’s decision to raise fuel prices, with truck drivers leaving their vehicles parked blocking major roadways. The grave shortages of gas and the gruesome explosion resulting from it is the latest manifestation of widespread social suffering gripping the Caribbean nation and its working class. Haiti continues to reel from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes this past summer. This was on top of the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, a killing that has left the political structure of the country in near-shambles and which has paved the way for evermore rampant violence by gangs connected to the government and its security forces. Local officials indicated that the death count from the tank disaster is expected to rise significantly as rescue efforts are still ongoing, and patients with massive burns are being treated in hospitals. Federal and state authorities said they have deployed two field hospitals to Cap-Haitien to help treat burn victims. Numerous people had been airlifted from Cap-Haitien to a hospital specializing in severe burns in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, according to Doctors Without Borders, the France-based international humanitarian organization that runs the hospital.
Major oil spill in Argentine Province of Rio Negro contained — Argentina's Federal Energy Secretary DarÃo MartÃnez has toured the area near the RÃo Negro town of Catriel where an oil spill caused environmental damage to assess the situation and order the measures to be taken. The incident took place in a section of the oil pipeline system known as the Oleoductos del Valle system (Oldelval). MartÃnez explained the works needed to solve the situation that will be undertaken. He also met with his RÃo Negro colleague Andrea Confini and with executives from Oldelval and of the Petróleos Sudamericana company to coordinate the joint efforts. “We have seen that the situation is controlled, that after cordoning off the affected area, the spill stopped, the pipeline began to be repaired and the spilt oil has already been collected. Now the specific work to remediate the entire affected area must begin,” MartÃnez said. “The Ministry technicians surveyed the situation, and [they] will work to analyze the tasks carried out and to determine the causes and responsibilities of this spill episode,” he added. Oldelval reported late on Friday that they had managed to contain the spill, while the Government of Neuquén overflew the area with a drone to measure the damages. “The nearby watercourses were not affected by the incident. Oldelval deployed an important operation in the area to start the oil recovery work and the cleaning of the area, both on the ground and on the vegetation,” the company said in a statement. The Federal Ministry of Environment also sent the Environmental Control Brigade to the area to evaluate the damages in the Medanito area. The Rio Negro Secretary of Energy reported that the incident occurred in a “16-inch pipeline, the responsibility of which is the Oldelval company, which connects the El Medanito pumping station with the Rincón de Los Sauces pumping station, in Neuquén ”. The failure occurred in the trunk pipeline system that transports the oil produced in the Neuquén Basin to Buenos Aires. As it is a national oil conduction network, inspectors from the National Energy Secretariat were involved.
Greenpeace calls on Greece to abandon deep-sea oil and gas exploration due to the threat of extinction of marine life. --Greenpeace urged Greece once more on Wednesday to abandon deep-sea oil and gas exploration, citing “unbearable” consequences for marine life. Greenpeace Greece’s Kostis Grimanis stated that the project should be stopped before it “starts to wreck the Mediterranean.” “Endangered species and critical ecosystems will be exposed to intolerable noise and pollution from seismic blasts and deep-sea drilling operations,” Grimanis said. “What is it for?” Continue to burn oil and gas, which are among the dirtiest and most expensive energy sources, when the climate crisis demands that we abandon them.” New research on sea mammal populations in areas of the Hellenic Trench, including those that would be impacted by the exploration, was recently published by the environmental group. In depths of up to 13,800 feet, researchers discovered 35 endangered sperm whales and dozens of threatened dolphins during a three-week summer project in collaboration with the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute in Athens. Whаles аnd dolphins, which аre sound-sensitive cetаceаns, would be endаngered by sonic blаsts used in deep seа prospecting, аccording to Greenpeаce. Officiаls in Greece hаve stаted thаt they will аdhere to strict environmentаl regulаtions. In 2019, Greece grаnted energy compаnies TotаlEnergies аnd ExxonMobil with Greece’s Hellenic Petroleum explorаtion rights for two blocks of seаbed south аnd southwest of the islаnd of Crete.
China Tightens Its Grip On Qatar With New LNG Contract - Another new long-term contract for Qatar to supply China with liquefied natural gas (LNG) was signed last week, this time between QatarEnergy and Guangdong Energy Group Natural Gas Co for one million tons per annum of LNG starting 2024 and ending in 2034, although it can be extended.Qatar has long eschewed unequivocally aligning itself further with the U.S. directly or with any of its proxies in the Middle East, most notably Saudi Arabia. In January 2019, when it left OPEC after 60 years as a member, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi stated that the decision was: “Not political, it was purely a business decision for Qatar’s future strategy towards the energy sector.” It was, though, in reality, a highly political decision, founded partly on disaffection with being caught in the negative economic fallout of Saudi Arabia’s disastrous – but repeated - attempts to destroy or disable the U.S.’s shale oil sector through oil price wars, as analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets. This antipathy towards toeing the Saudis’ idiotic strategies was bolstered when Saudi Arabia attempted to cause Qatar further direct economic damage by instigating a blockade against it from June 2017 (to January 2021), supposedly for providing support to various Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar publicly acknowledged that this was true as far as the Muslim Brotherhood went but privately railed at the hypocrisy of the Saudis. In this context – and one of the crucial reasons why the initial public offering of Saudi state flagship hydrocarbons company, Aramco, was not able to list in any major international financial center – Qatar alluded to Saudi Arabia’s own suspected links to terrorism, with 15 of the 19 hijackers in the ‘9/11’ attacks on the U.S. being Saudi nationals. Another reason – and arguably an even more important one – for Qatar avoiding further alignment with the U.S. directly or indirectly, is its inextricable links to Iran, Saudi Arabia’s (and the US.’s nemesis) in the region. Even a cursory understanding of the global hydrocarbons market would indicate that this ‘co-operation’ is required due to Qatar and Iran sharing a huge natural gas field (the 3,700 square kilometer ‘South Pars’ site on the Iran side and the 6,000 square kilometer ‘North Dome’ site on the Qatar side) and that Qatar has little choice but to co-ordinate policies and activities relating to it. Qatar had long accused Iran, with good reason, of over-exploiting its side of the world’s largest natural gas field to the detriment of Qatar’s ability in the future to tap the gas reserves on its side, particularly as Qatar had a moratorium over further development of North Dome from 2005 until the end of the first quarter of 2017. Following the U.S.’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran in May 2018, senior figures from Iran’s Petroleum Ministry and Qatar’s Energy Ministry began a series of meetings to agree on a new North Dome-South Pars joint development plan.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait say they are working to raise Neutral Zone crude oil production | S&P Global Platts - Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are continuing work to increase crude oil production at the Neutral Zone fields they share, which could be a key source of additional barrels as OPEC+ spare capacity is expected to tighten significantly in 2022. "Coordination is currently underway between companies operating in the divided area and the submerged area adjacent to it," the two countries said Dec. 10 in a joint statement as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman capped off a tour of Gulf Cooperation Council countries with a visit to Kuwait that concluded Dec. 10. Crude production in the Neutral Zone's onshore Wafra and offshore Khafji fields has suffered from technical challenges stemming from its lengthy shutdown, sources have told S&P Global Platts, with output ranging from below 200,000 b/d some months to as high as 270,000 b/d. Prior to their shutdown in the mid-2010s, the fields typically produced a combined 500,000 b/d. As the OPEC+ alliance intends to phase out its production cuts by late 2022 and global oil demand rises in the pandemic recovery, the Neutral Zone may be counted on for incremental supply, though Platts Analytics forecasts that output will be capped at 250,000 b/d throughout 2022 due to the operational setbacks. Crude exports from the Neutral Zone in 2021 have ranged from a low of 158,000 b/d in August to a high of 257,000 b/d in November, according to Kpler shipping data. The exports have gone regularly to India, China, South Korea and the US, with Japan and Thailand also taking some cargoes in recent months, the Kpler data showed. The Neutral Zone fields, which lie in onshore and offshore territory shared by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait at their border, were offline for more than four years until 2020, due to a political dispute that was resolved with a signing of an agreement in December 2019. Production in the zone is divided evenly between the two countries. Sources involved in reviving production say the rehabilitation of the fields and infrastructure has encountered several challenges that have hindered a full ramp-up. The offshore Khajfi is operated by Saudi Arabia's Aramco Gulf Operations Co. and Kuwait Gulf Oil Co., while the onshore Wafra is operated by KGOC and Saudi Arabian Chevron. Besides the Neutral Zone, the two countries also said in their statement they would continue to support the OPEC+ alliance in "enhancing the stability of the global oil market, and stressed the importance of continuing this cooperation and the need for all participating countries to adhere to the OPEC+ agreement."
Mapping the world's oil and gas pipelines | Infographic News | Al Jazeera - Over the past 50 years, the world’s annual energy consumption has nearly tripled – from 62,949 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 1969 to 173,340 TWh in 2019.For centuries, burning coal was the main source of the world’s energy. By the 1960s, rapid advancements in sourcing, transporting and refining oil and gas allowed those energy-dense fossil fuels to overtake coal and become the world’s primary source of energy – which they remain today.Despite advances in renewable energy, fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas still make up more than 80 percent of the world’s primary energy consumption. Every day, the world consumes some 100 million barrels of oil and 60 million equivalent barrels of natural gas.To transport this massive amount of energy, pipelines – usually made out of carbon steel – are widely used.In the following infographic series, we map the world’s current and planned oil and gas pipelines.
Oil markets polarized as OPEC brushes off omicron fears - Oil market watchers are torn between dramatically different forecasts for crude prices, even after OPEC's upbeat forecast for crude demand in 2022. OPEC's outlook sees the world consuming 99.13 million barrels per day of crude in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 1.1 million barrels per day from its last forecast a month ago, showing a more relaxed outlook on Covid-19 risks. The omicron variant's impact is projected to be "mild and short-lived," OPEC's latest monthly report said, adding that the world is better equipped to manage the pandemic. While the 13 member group of oil-producing states has not let fears of the omicron variant change its projected timeline for a return to pre-pandemic oil demand, the market is still feeling the weight of bearish sentiment. International travel restrictions have increased, and some state and local leaders have re-imposed things like mask-wearing and regular PCR test mandates. The U.K. raised its Covid alert level, while its Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a "tidal wave" of the more transmissible omicron cases, although data on the severity of the variant is still unclear. International benchmark Brent crude is trading in the low $70 range, around $73.54 a barrel at 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, down just over 1%, with West Texas Intermediate was trading at $70.53 a barrel at the same time, also down just over 1%. "Very few trading days see the oil market so polarized as today," Louise Dickson, senior oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy, wrote in a note Tuesday. "While there is a clear bearish monster at the gates, the Omicron variant, bullish traders are placing bets that OPEC+ changes course and lowers crude output, which if realized will add to the support coming from Pfizer's efficacy confidence in its antiviral pill against the pandemic's latest strain." The decision of OPEC and its allies, in a larger group called OPEC+, is yet to be seen, as there is so far little indication of the group straying from its current plan of increasing crude production by 400,000 barrels per day in January of 2022. The group previously forecast a massive supply glut of 275 million barrels during the first quarter of next year, while stressing that it is prepared to reverse course if necessary on its plan to increase production. While it might seem counterproductive, the strategy there, analysts said, could be to increase market share and hobble U.S. shale producers with lower oil prices, as well as disincentivize Washington from pushing as hard for a return to the Iran nuclear deal that would bring back more Iranian crude to the market. United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei described the oil market as being "in a good condition," speaking to reporters in Dubai on Monday. "We have made our latest decision based on studying all the fundamentals of the market and we are confident that we are moving to a well-supplied market in the first quarter," he said.
Column: Low hedge fund oil positions create re-entry point (Reuters) - Hedge fund selling of oil futures and options slowed in the most recent week, after a tidal wave of selling the week before, probably indicating the liquidation cycle is near its end. Hedge funds and other money managers sold the equivalent of 19 million barrels in the six most important futures and options contracts in the week to Dec. 7, down from 131 million in the week to Nov. 30. Sales over the last nine weeks have now totalled 313 million barrels, according to position records published by ICE Futures Europe and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The most recent week saw further sales of Brent (-13 million barrels), NYMEX and ICE WTI (-3 million), European gas oil (-2 million) and U.S. gasoline (-2 million) but small purchases of U.S. diesel (+1 million). Portfolio managers last week cut their combined position across the six contracts to just 558 million barrels (in the 40th percentile for all weeks since 2013) down from 871 million (79th percentile) on Oct. 5. But the reduced rate of selling suggests the most severe phase of liquidation associated with the new Omicron variant of coronavirus has now passed its peak (https://tmsnrt.rs/33g0NqQ).
OPEC raised its world oil demand forecast for the first quarter of 2022 - Oil futures ended lower on Monday, as traders focus on the spread of the omicron variant that causes COVID-19, and as they look toward this week’s Federal Reserve decision on monetary policy for clues on the economic outlook and energy demand. The oil market has been trying to look past the impact of the new variant, as more countries warn of the potential of wide spread infections from the omicron variant. January WTI fell 38 cents, or 0.5%, to settle at $71.29 a barrel, while Brent for February delivery lost 76 cents, or 1%, to settle at $74.39 a barrel. Petroleum products also ended lower, with January RBOB down 1% at $2.117 a gallon and January heating oil falling 0.8% to $2.233 a gallon. OPEC raised its world oil demand forecast for the first quarter of 2022 but left its full-year growth prediction steady, saying the Omicron coronavirus variant would have a mild impact as the world gets used to dealing with the pandemic. In its monthly report, OPEC said it expects oil demand to average 99.13 million bpd in the first quarter of 2022, up 1.11 million bpd from its forecast last month. OPEC maintained its forecast that world oil demand will increase by 5.65 million bpd in 2021, after last year's historic decline at the start of the pandemic. In 2022, OPEC expects further growth in demand of 4.15 million bpd, unchanged from last month, which will push world consumption above 2019 levels. The report showed OPEC output in November increased by 290,000 bpd to 27.72 million bpd led by increases in top two producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq and a recovery from outages in Nigeria. OPEC left its forecast for growth in U.S. tight oil largely steady at 600,000 bpd in 2022. The growth forecast for overall non-OPEC supply in 2022 was left unchanged. OPEC said it expects the world to need 28.8 million bpd from its members in 2022, up 200,000 bpd from last month. Iraq's Oil Minister said he expected OPEC at its next meeting to maintain its current policy of gradual monthly increases in supply by 400,000 bpd. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud, said oil markets could face a dangerous period as reduced investments in exploration and drilling threaten to cut crude production by 30 million barrels per day by 2030. He also stated that Saudi Arabia would be one of few countries that could raise its oil production capacity in 2022. He said oil will make up 28% of energy demand until at least 2045 compared with 30% in 2020. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister also stated that if demand for oil declines in the future, OPEC producers will represent a larger share of the market.The EIA reported that crude oil output from U.S. major shale formations is forecast to increase by 96,000 bpd to 8.439 million bpd in January.
Oil Settles Lower on Oversupply Concerns, Strong Dollar (Reuters) -Oil futures prices dropped toward $73 a barrel on Tuesday after the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the Omicron coronavirus variant is set to dent global demand recovery. U.S. data showing producer prices at 11-year highs reinforced market expectations of faster stimulus tapering by the Federal Reserve, which meets this week. This supported the dollar and weighed on oil, which typically move inversely. Brent crude futures fell 69 cents, or 0.9%, to $73.70. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled down 56 cents, or 0.8%, at $70.73. The U.S. dollar stayed near one-week highs on Tuesday versus a basket of major currencies, bolstered by the producer prices data. "As some accelerated tapering out of the Fed becomes more likely, US interest rates are apt to lift in pushing additional strength into the dollar in forcing price weakness into the oil," On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said the Omicron variant was spreading at an "unprecedented" rate, prompting markets to edge lower. "The surge in new COVID-19 cases is expected to temporarily slow, but not upend, the recovery in oil demand that is under way," the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly oil report.[IEA/S] Governments around the world, including most recently Britain and Norway, have tightened restrictions to stop the spread of the Omicron variant. The IEA lowered its forecast for oil demand this year and the next by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) each, mostly because of the expected blow to jet fuel use from new travel curbs. The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday trimmed its growth forecasts for developing Asia for this year and next to reflect risks and uncertainty brought on by the variant, which could also hamper oil demand. On Monday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) raised its world oil demand forecast for the first quarter of 2022 and stuck to its timeline for a return to pre-pandemic levels of oil use, saying the Omicron variant's impact would be mild and brief. OPEC+, which includes OPEC and other producers including Russia, plan to boost supply every month by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) after sharply cutting output last year. Output in the largest U.S. shale basin is expected to surge to a record in January, according to a forecast from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Oil reverses early losses despite rising supply, Omicron fears -- Oil prices turned positive on Wednesday following the Federal Reserve's statement, snapping three straight days of losses. Brent crude futures jumped 18 cents, or 0.24%, to settle at $73.88 per barrel, after losing 69 cents on Tuesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled 14 cents, or 0.2%, higher at $70.87 a barrel, after losing 56 cents in the previous session. Earlier in the day both contracts had been negative on growing signs that supply growth will outpace demand next year, and as the World Health Organization said COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against the Omicron variant. The front-month Brent contract is trading at a small premium to the second month , after trading briefly at a small discount on Tuesday, a market structure known as contango. The WHO on Wednesday said preliminary evidence indicates vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection. The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday said a surge in COVID-19 cases with the emergence of the Omicron variant will dent global demand for oil at the same time that crude output is set to increase, especially in the United States, with supply set to exceed demand through at least the end of next year. In contrast, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting (OPEC) on Monday raised its world oil demand forecast for the first quarter of 2022. In another bearish indicator, industry data showed that U.S. crude inventories last week did not decline as much as expected. American Petroleum Institute data showed U.S. crude stocks fell by 815,000 barrels in the week ended Dec. 10, according to market sources, compared with a 2.1 million barrel drop that 10 analysts polled by Reuters had expected. However, distillate stocks fell by 1 million barrels, compared with analysts' forecasts for an increase of 700,000 barrels, and gasoline stocks rose by 426,000 barrels, which was a smaller build than expected. Weekly data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due later on Wednesday.
WTI Rebounds Back Above $70 After Big Surprise Crude Draw --Oil prices are lower overnight - extending the most recent declines - as Omicron-driven demand fears (last night's ugly China data reinforcing that conviction) coincide with US shale and OPEC+ supply surplus anxiety. There appears to be a growing conviction that inventories are starting to rise and will accumulate more rapidly next year amid curbs on travel, a view adopted by the IEA on Tuesday.Additionally, prompt prices for Brent crude briefly dipped to a discount known as contango that signals oversupply.Gasoline stocks will be closely watched after the typical seasonal high demand pull for Thanksgiving didn’t really materialize as the Biden administration battled pricey gasoline at the pumps.API
- Crude -815k (-1.7mm exp)
- Cushing +2.257mm
- Gasoline +426k
- Distillates -1.016mm
DOE:
- Crude -4.584mm (-1.7mm exp) - biggest draw since Sept
- Cushing +1.294mm
- Gasoline -719k
- Distillates -2.852mm
Official data shows crude stocks dropping significantly last week - the biggest draw since September. Products also saw drawdowns as Cushing stocks rose for the 5th straight week...
Oil Edges up on Consumer Demand, Inventory Declines (Reuters) -Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, rebounding from early losses after U.S. inventory data showed strong consumer demand and as the Federal Reserve said it would end its pandemic-era bond purchases in March to slow rising inflation. Prices had been pressured most of the day due to ongoing concerns that supply growth will outpace demand next year and worries that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against the spreading Omicron variant. Brent crude futures settled up 18 cents, or 0.2%, to $73.88 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ended up 14 cents to $70.87 a barrel. The Federal Reserve said it would end its pandemic-era bond purchases in March and begin raising interest rates as unemployment remains low and inflation has risen. Oil prices rose in line with other risky assets like U.S. equities, which responded positively to the Fed's statement. U.S. crude inventories sank by 4.6 million barrels last week and distillate and gasoline stocks also declined, weekly government data showed. Crude exports picked up sharply, while product supplied by refineries, a signal of consumer demand, hit a record 23.2 million barrels per day. "The EIA data was very strong across all elements, record implied oil demand, large draw of crude and oil products," said Giovanni Staunovo, commodity analyst at UBS. That said, oil analysts anticipate the Omicron variant will curb demand in the coming months. The World Health Organization said preliminary evidence indicated vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection. "As more information comes out about potential lockdowns or travel restrictions as a result of Omicron we could see a pullback from here," said Gary Cunningham, director of market research at Tradition Energy. U.S. officials said coronavirus cases are on the rise, but the combination of the two-shot vaccine and booster does still neutralize the disease.
Oil Edges Higher on Bullish EIA Data, Fed's Hawkish Pivot -- Chasing equity markets higher, oil futures nearest delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude traded on the Intercontinental Exchange edged higher in market-on-close trade Wednesday. Gains accelerated post-settlement after the Federal Open Market Committee signaled the end of its ultra-easy monetary policy earlier than previously thought, making an aggressive policy change in response to rising inflation. Furthermore, a bullish inventory report released midmorning from the U.S. Energy Information Administration that has showed a sharp decline in U.S. petroleum stockpiles offered additional support. At settlement, NYMEX January West Texas Intermediate futures gained $0.14 to $70.87 per barrel (bbl), with ICE February Brent futures edging higher to $73.88 per bbl, up $0.18 per bbl on the session. NYMEX January ULSD futures gained 0.20 cent to settle at $2.2204 per gallon, with the January RBOB futures contract surging 1.67 cents to $2.1275 per gallon. FOMC concluded their final meeting of the year with a clear signal to the markets that the central bank is prepared to raise its short-term benchmark interest rate at least three times next year to cool higher inflation. The change in policy follows data from November showing the consumer price index spiked to 6.8% over the 12-month period, a 39-year high, while wholesale prices posted its highest year-on-year gain on record at 9.6%. Faced with eyepopping inflation data, the Fed will be buying $60 billion of bonds each month starting in January, half the level prior to the November taper and $30 billion less than it had been buying in December. Most Federal Reserve officials now expect U.S. gross domestic product annualized growth at 4% next year, down 1.5% from their September projection, while also seeing lower unemployment rate of 3.5% and a higher federal reserve funds rate of 0.9%, up 0.8% from three months ago. Core inflation is now seen at 2.6% for 2020, down from 4.4% expected in October. EIA's inventory report proved bullish for the oil complex, detailing a larger-than-expected drawdown from U.S. crude oil stockpiles accompanied by a surprise drop in refined fuels supplies. Total petroleum stockpiles declined 15.9 million bbl in the reviewed week, with 4.6 million bbl of that drop realized in crude stockpiles alone. At 428.3 million bbl, commercial crude oil inventories remain about 7% below the five-year average. Further bullish parts of the report could be found in refined fuel complex. Gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly fell by 719,000 bbl from the previous week to 218.6 million bbl compared with analyst expectations for inventories to increase by 1.2 million bbl. Demand for motor gasoline, meanwhile, shot up by 509,000 barrels per day (bpd) or 5.6% to 9.472 million bpd -- the highest since the week ended Oct. 29. Distillate inventories also decreased, down 2.9 million bbl to 123.8 million bbl, and are now about 9% below the five-year average, the EIA said. Distillate fuels supplied to the U.S. market spiked 1.318 million bpd or 36% from the prior week to 4.896 million bpd. That's the greatest weekly implied demand rate since late January 2003 when it was 4.926 million bpd, while total oil products supplied to U.S. market reached a record high of 23.191 million bpd last week. Offsetting some of the bullish effect from EIA's inventory report was concern over COVID, with the World Health Organization on Tuesday warning the new omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading faster than any previous strain and is likely already in most countries of the world.
Oil hits $75 as U.S. demand and Fed outweigh virus concern - Oil nudged above $75 a barrel on Thursday, supported by record U.S. implied demand and falling crude stockpiles, even as the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant threatens to put a brake on consumption globally. Crude and other risk assets such as equities also got a boost after the U.S. Federal Reserve gave an upbeat economic outlook, which lifted investor spirits even as the Fed flagged a long-awaited end to its monetary stimulus. Brent crude futures gained $1.14, or 1.5%, to settle at $75.02 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $1.51, or 2.13%, to settle at $72.38 per barrel. Demand has been rising in 2021 after last year's collapse, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday said product supplied by refineries, a proxy for demand, surged in the latest week to 23.2 million barrels per day (bpd). "These figures suggest a healthy economic backdrop," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. "Although the Fed's announcement triggered a jump in both oil and equity prices, the withdrawal of economic support together with the Omicron crisis are the two major headwinds the oil market is currently facing," he added. Lending further price support, the EIA also reported that U.S. crude stocks fell 4.6 million barrels, more than analysts had forecast. Worries about the virus and the prospect of a supply surplus next year, as flagged by the International Energy Agency in its monthly report this week, limited gains. Britain and South Africa reported record daily COVID-19 cases while many firms across the globe asked employees to work from home, which could limit demand going forward. "We are skeptical despite the latest news that the good sentiment on the oil market will be carried over into the first quarter," said Barbara Lambrecht of Commerzbank. "After all, a substantial supply surplus is looming."
Oil Futures Deepen Losses on Firmer US Dollar, Omicron Spread - Nearby-month delivery oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange settled Friday's session with steep losses. The losses were triggered by growing concerns that a rapid spread of the COVID omicron variant across several major oil-consuming economies would trigger an avalanche of quarantine closures this winter, undermining mobility and economic activity at the start of next year.The omicron variant of coronavirus, first detected in the United States only 17 days ago, has now been found in at least 40 states and is quickly overtaking delta as a dominant strain, according to public health officials. Sharply higher COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations this week have prompted a new wave of cancellations and disruptions as the country prepares for another pandemic holiday season. The U.S. is now averaging 118,717 new COVID-19 cases each day -- 40% higher than a month ago, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University data. Some colleges and universities are moving to online classes, while multiple indoor entertainment venues are canceling performances and professional sports leagues are postponing games. Oil traders closely monitor unfolding developments around the omicron variant as it can affect mobility trends and fuel demand in major oil consuming economies, such as the U.S. The International Energy Agency revised lower demand expectations for both 2021 and 2022 by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) in its December Oil Market Report released early this week. So far, the new variant has had limited effect on U.S. fuel consumption, with the latest government data showing a record-high 23.191 million of fuel supplied to the U.S. market during the week ended Dec. 10. Demand for motor gasoline shot up by 509,000 bpd or 5.6% to 9.472 million bpd -- the highest since the week ended Oct. 29, according to the Energy Information Administration. Distillate fuels supplied to the U.S. market spiked 1.318 million bpd or 36% from the prior week to 4.896 million bpd, the greatest weekly implied demand rate since late January 2003 when it was 4.926 million bpd, EIA said. Total petroleum stockpiles declined 15.9 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 10, with 4.6 million bbl of that drop realized in crude stockpiles alone. At 428.3 million bbl, commercial crude oil inventories remain about 7% below the five-year average.U.S. dollar index reversed higher in afternoon trade Friday after briefly pausing on a two-day pullback from a monthly high 96.895. At last look, the greenback traded near 96.560, up 0.57% against basket of foreign currencies. The Bank of England announced on Thursday that it would hike interest rates for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, while warning that inflation was likely to hit 6% in April -- three times its target level. U.K. consumer price inflation surged to 5.1% in November, its highest level in more than a decade, leaving the economy at risk of stagflation, a toxic mix of weak growth and rising prices. The Bank of England said it expects prices to rise further. At settlement, NYMEX January West Texas Intermediate futures declined $1.52 to $70.86 per barrel (bbl), with ICE February Brent futures falling to $73.52 per bbl, down $1.50 bbl. NYMEX January ULSD futures plunged 4.64 cents or 1.7% to $2.2199 gallon, with the January RBOB futures contract falling more than 5.5 cents to $2.1217 per gallon.
Oil falls this week as Omicron and tightening Fed sour sentiment - Oil posted a weekly decline after a volatile few days that saw traders grow more concerned about the demand impact from the omicron variant and tighter monetary policy. Futures in New York fell as much as 3.4 per cent on Friday to briefly trade below US$70 a barrel. It ended the week losing over 1 per cent as daily COVID-19 cases in the U.K. jumped to a record, while hospitalizations surged across the U.S. Prices also weakened after the U.S. dollar rose in response to impending steps by the Federal Reserve and other central banks to tame inflation. Brent crude closed the weekly broadly steady. “We need to be ready for COVID headlines to continue driving the oil market on a day-to-day basis at least until the remainder of this winter,” Signs are also emerging of softening oil demand in Asia, while the International Energy Agency said this week that the global market had returned to surplus as omicron impedes travel. The weakness is showing up in the market’s structure, with Brent flicking in and out of a bearish contango, which signals oversupply. “Crude oil is struggling amid raised concerns about the fast-spreading omicron virus and its impact on global demand,” “Also, unseasonal warm weather in Asia is potentially softening demand for fuels toward heating and power generation.” The seventh round of Iran nuclear talks concluded in Vienna and will resume soon. The European Union’s Envoy Enrique Mora said parties have reestablished common ground for negotiations but that they have weeks, not months, to revive the 2015 Iran deal. This week has seen traders contend with conflicting signals on demand and supply. Those include the central banks’ moves, restrictions to limit the spread of omicron and declining inventories in the U.S. That has caused a generally risk-off attitude in oil markets, leading the aggregate volume of futures contracts to drop over the past two sessions. L West Texas Intermediate for January delivery fell US$1.52 to settle at US$70.86 a barrel in New York. Brent for February settlement fell US$1.50 to US$73.52 on the ICE Futures Europe exchange. Oil at US$100 a barrel cannot be ruled out in 2023 as supply additions are expected to be too slow to keep up with record demand, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. China ramped up its buying of Iranian crude last month after independent refiners were granted extra import quotas for 2021. Processing the high-sulfur crudes produced in the Gulf of Mexico hasn’t been this profitable since 2017, thanks to cheap shale gas.
Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeted chemical weapons facilities, officials say - Just after midnight on June 8, Israeli warplanes streaked across the country’s northern frontier for a highly unusual airstrike deep inside Syrian territory. The jets fired missiles at three military targets near the cities of Damascus and Homs, killing seven soldiers, including a colonel described in local news accounts as a “hero martyr” and an engineer who worked at a top-secret Syrian military lab. The Israel Defense Forces, following standard practice, declined to comment on the incursion into Syrian airspace. But intelligence analysts in Western capitals quickly observed a distinction in the operation: While previous Israeli attacks in Syria nearly always targeted Iranian proxy forces and arms shipments, the June 8 strike was aimed at Syrian military facilities — all with links to the country’s former chemical weapons program. An explanation emerged in the weeks that followed. According to current and former intelligence and security officials briefed on the matter, the June 8 strike was part of a campaign to stop what Israeli officials believe was a nascent attempt by Syria to restart its production of deadly nerve agents. On June 8, 2021, Syrian state media reported an Israeli aerial attack near the capital of Damascus and in the central province of Homs. (Alikhbaria Syria via AP) Israeli officials ordered the raid, and a similar one a year earlier, based on intelligence suggesting that Syria’s government was acquiring chemical precursors and other supplies needed to rebuild the chemical-weapons capability that it had ostensibly given up eight years ago, according to four current and former U.S. and Western intelligence officials with access to sensitive intelligence at the time of the strikes. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified material and their understanding of Israeli deliberations. The attacks reflected grave concerns that arose within Israeli intelligence agencies beginning two years ago, after a successful attempt by Syria’s military to import a key chemical that can be used to make deadly sarin nerve agent, the officials said. The worries grew as intelligence operatives spotted activity at multiple sites that pointed to a rebuilding effort, the officials said.
Elite US Military Unit Named 'Talon Anvil' "Bombed Civilians At Will" In Syria --This week peace advocates responded to a report about a US military unit that killed Syrian civilians at 10 times the rate of similar operations in other theaters of the so-called War on Terror by accusing the United States of hypocritically sanctioning countries while committing atrocities of its own, and by reminding people that there is no such thing as a "humane" war. On Sunday, The New York Times reported the existence of Talon Anvil, a "shadowy force" that "sidestepped safeguards and repeatedly killed civilians" in aerial bombardments targeting militants in Syria. The unit "worked in three shifts around the clock between 2014 and 2019, pinpointing targets for the United States' formidable air power to hit: convoys, car bombs, command centers, and squads of enemy fighters." "But people who worked with the strike cell say in the rush to destroy enemies, it circumvented rules imposed to protect noncombatants, and alarmed its partners in the military and the CIA by killing people who had no role in the conflict," the paper reported, including "farmers trying to harvest, children in the street, families fleeing fighting, and villagers sheltering in buildings." Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group CodePink, told Common Dreams Monday that "it is stomach-wrenching to read how secret US teams in Syria run by low-level officers made life-and-death decisions about when and where to drop 500-pound bombs." "Years later, we hear about all the civilians obliterated but are left with a fait accompli and no accountability," she added. "This, let's remember, is coming from the nation that just hosted a 'Summit for Democracy' where we droned on and on about human rights." Larry Lewis, a former Pentagon and State Department adviser who co-authored a 2018 Defense Department report on civilian harm, told the Times that Talon Anvil's civilian casualty rate was 10 times higher than in operations he tracked in Afghanistan. One former Air Force intelligence officer who worked on hundreds of Talon Anvil missions said those who ordered the strikes "were ruthlessly efficient and good at their jobs, but they also made a lot of bad strikes." In one of the deadliest of those "bad strikes," scores of civilians were killed in a March 18, 2019 airstrike on a crowd of mostly women and children in Baghuz. It was a so-called "double-tap" strike—first, an F-15E fighter jet dropped a 500-pound bomb; then another warplane dropped a 2,000-pound bomb to kill most of the survivors. US military officials then attempted to cover up the apparent war crime.
Taliban hoping US will 'slowly, slowly change its policy toward Afghanistan,' official says - A senior Taliban official says in a new interview that he is optimistic the U.S. will shift its Afghanistan-related policies as the new regime seeks “mercy and compassion” from the world. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told The Associated Press that he hopes “America will slowly, slowly change its policy toward Afghanistan.” “You are a great and big nation, and you must have enough patience and have a big heart to dare to make policies on Afghanistan based on international rules and relegation, and to end the differences and make the distance between us shorter and choose good relations with Afghanistan,” he said. Muttaqi, who reportedly has aides from both the previous government and members of the Taliban, said that group does not have any issues with the U.S., but that he wants the U.S. to release more than $10 billion in funds that were frozen when the Taliban took over Kabul in August, the AP reported. “Sanctions against Afghanistan would ... not have any benefit,” he said, adding that “making Afghanistan unstable or having a weak Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone" The foreign minister also told the AP that leaders from the former government can live without risks to their safety in Afghanistan. However, Human Rights Watch has previously reported that the Taliban killed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former police and intelligence officials since its takeover. Muttaqi also discussed the international outrage of Afghanistan's restrictive lifestyles for women, saying that new Taliban leaders are "committed in principle to women participation" and that girls are in school through grade 12 in 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
Pakistan is trying to rally Muslim countries to help Afghanistan— Pakistan is rallying Muslim countries to help Afghanistan stave off aneconomic and humanitarian disaster while also cajoling the neighboring country's new Taliban rulers to soften their image abroad. Several foreign ministers from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation are meeting in Islamabad on Sunday to explore ways to aid Afghanistan while navigating the difficult political realities of its Taliban-run government, Pakistan's top diplomat said Friday. The new Taliban administration in Kabul has been sanctioned by the international community, reeling from the collapse of the Afghan military and the Western-backed government in the face of the insurgents' takeover in mid-August.The OIC meeting is an engagement that does not constitute an official recognition of the Taliban regime, said Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.He said the message to the gathering on Sunday is: "Please do not abandon Afghanistan. Please engage. We are speaking for the people of Afghanistan. We're not speaking of a particular group. We are talking about the people of Afghanistan." Qureshi said major powers — including the United States, Russia, China and the European Union — will send their special representatives on Afghanistan to the one-day summit. Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will also attend the conference.
Indonesian government scraps planned COVID-19 restrictions despite risk of Omicron spread - As the new Omicron variant spreads through the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia is proceeding with its pro-corporate reopening agenda and rapidly dispensing with any public health measures to control the virus. Last Monday, President Joko Widodo’s government reversed its previous decision to impose more stringent “Level 3” social restrictions over the year-end holiday period. The plans were originally prompted by concerns that the variant may have already arrived, and that increased travel would cause an infection spike of the Delta variant, which is still circulating throughout the archipelago. Chief Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who oversees the country’s coronavirus taskforce, announced that the limited “Level 2” measures currently in place will continue over the holidays, only to be removed at the earliest possible date. Introduced on November 29, after the emergence of Omicron was publicised, they include minimal mobility restrictions on shopping centres, restaurants, parks, and public transport. The holidays are expected to see tens of millions of Indonesians travelling from major cities to their hometowns. Movement on important toll roads will be limited, although domestic flights have opened for the vaccinated. Non-essential workplaces and schools will remain open. Travel bans were initially imposed for anyone travelling from 10 southern African countries—where the Omicron variant was first discovered—over the past two weeks. However, the variant has since been detected in countries in the region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan. Under pressure from medical experts, the quarantine period for international arrivals was extended from 3 to 7 days, and then to 10 days. Minister Luhut informed a press conference that Widodo ordered this extension, adding that it “will be evaluated every now and then as we understand and continue digging more information about this new variant.” Senior ministers further confirmed that all public health measures in place will be reviewed every two weeks from now, according to Reuters. In another reversal, the government junked its earlier calls for schools to cancel their year-end break and for workers not to take leave from December 24 to January 2. It is also allowing Indonesians to travel to Saudi Arabia later this month for umrah, a religious pilgrimage, even though Omicron has been detected in the gulf country.
Russia backing away from COVID-19 restrictions that sparked outrage - Russian authorities have backed away from imposing COVID-19 restrictions that have sparked outrage in a country that has a low vaccination rate, The Associated Press reported. Duma State speaker Vyacheslav Volodin confirmed on Monday the withdrawal of the proposed bill setting out the restrictions, which was excepted go through its first reading on Thursday. If passed, the bill would have restricted access to domestic and international flights and trains for residents who are fully vaccinated, recently recovered from the virus and who are medically exempt from vaccination. Speaker Volodin said the bill was withdrawn from the parliament’s agenda after “a joint decision by the State Duma and the government.” “We need to be balanced when working out these decisions so that the opinion of the people is taken into account,” Volodin said. This comes as residents in different regions of the country have started staging protests against the proposed restrictions and have launched online petitions against them, the AP reported. Russia has one of the lowest vaccination rates with less than 50 percent of residents being fully vaccinated, even though the country was one of the first to approve the roll-out of a vaccine last year. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, the head of Russia’s state coronavirus task force, said on Monday that residents who have received foreign vaccines or have gotten the government-made Sputnik V will be issued vaccine certificates. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Russia’s coronavirus task force has reported more than 10 million confirmed COVID cases and 289,483 COVID-related deaths, the AP noted. Another proposed bill would allow regional authorities to restrict from certain public places people who can’t provide proof of vaccination, that they have recovered from the virus or that they have a medical exemption from being vaccinated. The AP reported that this bill is expected to pass its first reading later this week.
Tens of thousands protest in Austria against tightening Covid-19 restrictions - Tens of thousands of people rallied in Vienna on Saturday in protest against restrictions introduced to halt the spread of coronavirus in Austria, including mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and home confinement orders for the unvaccinated.Around 1,400 police officers were on duty to oversee the protest, which attracted an estimated 44,000 people, and followed a similar demonstration in the Austrian capital last week.Police said three people were arrested for offences including the use of fireworks and disregarding the requirement to wear masks. Journalists covering the event, which began in Heldenplatz square, were attacked with snow balls and ice, and one reporter was the victim of an attempted assault, police said.The crowd was addressed by Herbert Kickl, leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party, who attacked the government's response to the pandemic. He said the public had not realised they were being "kicked in the arse" by the government, and said the protests would continue.Separately, around 2,500 protested against the restrictions in Klagenfurt, while 150 people demonstrated in Linz.Faced with surging daily infections, Austria last month became the first country in Western Europe to reimpose a lockdown and said it would make vaccinations mandatory from February.Banners saying "No to compulsory vaccination" and "Hands off our children" were carried by protesters in Vienna, who chanted "We are the people," and "resistance". Austria, which has a population of 8.9 million people, has reported 1.2 million coronavirus cases and more than 13,000 deaths since the pandemic began last year.
Wholesale Price Inflation in Germany Totally Blows Out, Highest in the Data Going Back to 1962 - Wolf Richter - Wholesale prices in Germany – an indicator of what is further up in the pricing pipeline for consumers and businesses – spiked by 16.6% in November, from a year ago, the worst increase in the data going back to 1962, and up from 15.2% in October, and from 13.2% in September, the German statistical office Destatis reported today. Given the decline in wholesale prices last year, and to eliminate the resulting “base effects” that everyone has been dragging out to brush off this bout of red-hot inflation, it’s helpful to look at the month-to-month increases over the past six months: Annualized June through November, wholesale inflation spiked by 13.6%.And to see beyond the base effect by a different method, over the past two years, so since November 2019, wholesale inflation spiked by 14.5%, jumping right over the trough in the middle.The index values of wholesale inflation show this historic spike without any of the base effects and other excuses: Here are some of the biggest winners by category, price changes compared to a year ago:
- Mineral-oil products: +62.4% year-over-year.
- Ores, metals, and semi-finished metal products: +60.3%
- Timber: +41.1%
- Grains, raw tobacco, seeds, and animal feed: +30.3%
- Agricultural raw materials and live animals: +21.7%
- Milk, dairy products, eggs, vegetable oils: +11.8%
- Coffee, tea, cacao, and spices: +14.1%
- Lumber, construction materials, paints, sanitary ceramics (toilets, ceramic washbasins, etc.): +15.3%
- Flour and wheat products: +7.5%
All product categories showed year-over-year price increases, and none showed price declines. Everyone is raising prices and passing them on to the next business in line, and those businesses are paying those prices, confident that they can pass them on, ultimately to the end user, either a business or the consumer.And it has been filtering into, but with a lag, consumer price inflation in Germany, which reached 5.2% in November, the highest since 1992.Germany’s surging consumer price inflation has also been brushed off with the infamous “base effects,” including those linked to the VAT reductions in 2020. The Fed too had brushed off the US inflation with the “base effect.” But sooner or later, these excuses are going to run out of base effects, and in Germany this will happen January 2022, when inflation pure and simple will be seen just raging on its own.The ECB, with an eye on the Fed, has been even more reckless in talking away the inflation that is now raging in many parts of Europe. But given the recent data, and given the U-Turn by the Fed on inflation, the ECB will likely but gradually and far behind even the Fed acknowledge that this is a massive problem that won’t just go away on its own.
Two missing after Danish cargo ship capsizes in Baltic Sea collision - Two Danish crewmembers of a cargo ship, Karin Høj, are feared to have died after they went missing when the vessel was struck by the UK-flagged cargo ship Scot Carrier and subsequently capsized in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast and the Danish island of Bornholm early on Monday. The incident took place at around 3.30 hrs local time. Rescue vessels and helicopters have so far failed to locate the missing crewmembers. Reportedly, screams were heard from the water before the Swedish Maritime Administration ended the search operation at 10.30 hrs. The Swedish Coast Guard, together with the Sea Rescue Society, has towed the capsized ship closer to land to continue the search with several divers. The towing has also been carried out to prevent possible sinking and minimise the risks of an oil spill. Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation into gross negligence in maritime traffic was initiated by Swedish prosecutors during the morning. “The Coast Guard is currently taking a number of investigative measures, including various types of coercive measures within the framework of the preliminary investigation. Additional criminal suspicions have arisen, including gross sea drunkenness, said the Coast Guard’s preliminary investigation leader, Jonatan Tholin.
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