Daily Briefing – 295

Post: Apr. 29, 2021

Indian Point Closes Today

Indian Point will permanently stop producing nuclear power Friday, capping a decades-long battle over a key source of electricity in the heart of New York City’s suburbs that opponents have called a threat to millions living in the densely packed region.

The retirement of the Indian Point Energy Center along the Hudson River could increase New York’s short-term reliance on natural gas plants, despite the state’s goal of reducing carbon emissions. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others who fought for its shutdown argue any benefits from the plant are eclipsed by the nightmare prospect of a major nuclear accident or a terror strike 25 miles north of the city.

NYS Vaccine Update – All State Mass Sites To Accept Walk-ins Starting Today 4/29

As of Thursday morning 9,902,794 (plus 98,145 from a day earlier) New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose and 6,655,923 are fully vaccinated (Plus 158,550). In the Hudson Valley 966,997 (plus 9,716) have at least one dose and 679,541 (plus 14,763) are fully vaccinated.

NYS COVID Update

Governor Cuomo announced yesterday that the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor dining areas beginning May 31.

The Governor updated COVID data through Tuesday April 27th. There were 38 COVID related deaths for a total of 41,948 Hospitalization tracking data for the Mid-Hudson region and the rest of the State are below.

Hospitalizations

Patients Currently in Hospital statewide: 2,934
Hospitalizations Mid-Hudson Region: 319

ICU Beds In Use (All Uses)

Occupied ICU Beds Statewide: 4,125
Occupied ICU Beds Mid-Hudson Region: 393

Seven Day Average Positivity Rate:

Statewide 1.98%
Mid-Hudson: 2.28%

Useful Websites:

US Vaccine Rollout – 2.63 Million Doses Per Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday about 143.8 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, including about 99.7 million people who have been fully vaccinated by Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine or the two-dose series made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Providers are administering about 2.63 million doses per day on average, about a 22 percent decrease from the peak of 3.38 million reported on April 13.

Vaccines Appear to Be Slowing Spread of Covid-19 Infections

Vaccines appear to be starting to curb new Covid-19 infections in the U.S., a breakthrough that could help people return to more normal activities as infection worries fade, public-health officials say.

By Tuesday, 37.3% of U.S. adults were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with about 2.7 million shots each day. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows the seven-day average for new U.S. cases has fallen below the 14-day average for more than a week, which epidemiologists said is a strong signal that cases are starting to slide again after a recent upswing. When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, it suggests new cases are accelerating.

Moderna Says COVID-19 Vaccine Can be Stored at Refrigerator Temperatures for 3 Months

The Massachusetts-based drug maker said in a statement that the extended shelf life could facilitate easier distribution to doctor offices and other smaller settings if authorized.

Moderna’s vaccine is currently approved for storage of up to 1 month at refrigerated temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees celsius, or 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, and for up to seven months in a standard freezer at -20 degrees celsius, or -4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Biden’s Ambitious Plans Face Skeptics in His Own Party

Democrats are scrambling to figure out how they can get President Biden’s $4 trillion spending plan through Congress. Biden unveiled a $2.3 trillion infrastructure package late last month and a $1.8 trillion families package Wednesday night during his first address to Congress — presenting congressional Democrats with the herculean task of unifying their razor-thin majorities behind historically eye-popping figures.

“We have to go through the process … Let the committees work them,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), asked about wrapping up one massive reconciliation bill. “Put them on the floor individually and see where they go there.” Manchin told reporters he was “very uncomfortable” with the spending levels. Combined with the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, passage of the two infrastructure plans would bring spending to roughly $6 trillion since Biden took office.

US GDP Grew 6.4% in the First Quarter

The US’ gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 6.4% through the quarter that ended in March, the Commerce Department announced on Thursday. The expansion ranks as the second-strongest pace of quarterly growth since 2003, dwarfed only by a record-breaking rebound in the third quarter of 2020.

The median estimate from economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an expansion of 6.7% over the three-month period. The jump follows a 4.3% expansion in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Jobless Claims: 553,000 Americans Filed New Jobless Claims Last Week

New weekly jobless claims dropped from the prior week’s upwardly revised level to a fresh pandemic-era low last week, with the accelerating pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. helping support the labor market’s recovery.

Here were the main metrics from the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:

Initial jobless claims, week ended April 24: 553,000 vs. 540,000 expected and an upwardly revised 566,000 during the prior week.
Continuing claims, week ended April 17: 3.660 million vs. 3.590 million expected and a downwardly revised 3.651 million during the prior week

New York Expanded Recycling Bill Makes Progress in Legislature

New York State is considering an extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill (S1185B) that, if passed, will require brands of consumer packaging and paper products to pay to recycle these materials. This includes plastics #1-7, metals, glass, as well as paper from packaging and items like flyers. If the bill passes, producers could sell only what state regulators deem acceptable.

The bill is proceeding rapidly through the Democratic controlled legislature. The bill would require producers to fund collection, processing, education and cost for the state to run and enforce the program. There would also be differentiated fees, intended to incentivize producers to create packaging with both recycled content and recyclability, while penalizing them for not doing so.

6 Causes of the Global Semiconductor Shortage

The global semiconductor shortage is causing headaches for many industries. Manufacturers of PCs, mobile devices, gaming consoles, vehicles, networking devices, and industrial machines are all scrambling to buy enough chips to use in their products amid surging demand for those same products.

Investors and purchasers looking to navigate this situation and avoid a problems stock would be smart to know what’s going on. That starts with being familiar with the six root causes of this ongoing crisis.

Paid Training Could Address Unfilled Manufacturing Jobs

The manufacturing worker shortage could be mitigated through training programs such as the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program, which offers paid apprenticeships to adults who have completed high school or an equivalent. “These manufacturers are willing to pay for a person’s education — pay for them to work, and the individual comes out with a certificate,” says Ellen Redding, president of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce in Kentucky.

Job Satisfaction Remains High, Despite Pandemic

Despite the fallout from the pandemic — an economic crisis, mass layoffs, and high unemployment — the percent of employees reporting overall satisfaction with their jobs remained high in 2020, according to a new survey from The Conference Board released on April 26.

Job satisfaction did however vary by age group: Those under 35 experienced a drop in satisfaction, while those 55+ experienced an increase. In addition, the percent of workers reporting engagement in their work increased from 53.2% in 2019 to 54.3% in 2020, indicating a heightened connection between employees and their jobs. Remarkably, the results show that the job satisfaction of those working remotely was not significantly different from the satisfaction level of other workers.

Early Delivery for Boeing’s New F-15

A Boeing-led consortium delivered the second F-15EX fighter aircraft to the U.S. Air Force on April 27, ahead of schedule and one month after the first jet was delivered.

The F-15EX is a single-seat variant of Boeing’s F-15 series fighter jet. Improvements over the previous-generation F-15C/Ds include an expanded weapons rack to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, infrared search-and-track functions, advanced avionic and electronic warfare systems, and AESA radar. The revised aircraft structure has a projected a service life of 20,000 hours.

Today! 3D Experience Stratasys Tour arrives at SUNY New Paltz, 10:00 – 2:00

Friday, April 30th
SUNY New Paltz, Route 32 Lot (across from the main entrance)
10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The mobile showroom is a unique demonstration of a variety of 3D printing applications and technologies including FDM, PolyJet, SLA and SAF as well as software enablers like GrabCAD Print. The truck is also expected to feature new products from Stratasys, launching just days before and giving you the opportunity to see it in person, first!

The Allegheny team will be onsite to meet and greet, be your socially distant guide, answer questions and even demo some companion technology like handheld 3D scanners.

Registration is not required
Watch this video to learn more about the Mobile Showroom.

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