Daily Briefing – 352
Infrastructure Bill Heads to Final Stretch in the Senate
The ten senators who negotiated the physical infrastructure deal are vowing to collectively block any effort that would endanger the bill’s odds of reaching President Joe Biden’s desk. The chamber is kicking off a lengthy debate on proposed amendments to the gang’s work, which would spend $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges, broadband and climate resiliency.
While the upper chamber’s leaders and negotiators call for a robust amendment process, the bipartisan alliance is also telegraphing that it would fight off any amendments significant enough to torpedo weeks of negotiation.
COVID Troubled Tyson Foods to Mandate Vaccines for US Workforce
Tyson Foods, Inc., announced new requirements yesterday that office employees be fully vaccinated by October 1. Full vaccinations for other employees that aren’t represented by unions must be fully vaccinated by November 1, and new hires must be fully vaccinated before they begin work.
The move makes Tyson Foods one of the first major manufacturers and first large food company to require its employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine. According to Tyson, less than half of its workforce has been vaccinated. The mandate will exempt workers who cite medical or religious exceptions.
She Said – Renewed Calls for Resignation as NY AG Report Finds Governor Cuomo Sexually Harassed Women
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former government workers, breaking state and federal laws and engaging in a pattern of unwanted touching and inappropriate comments, according to a much anticipated report from the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, released on Tuesday.
The 165-page report included at least two previously unreported allegations of sexual harassment from women who accused Mr. Cuomo of improperly touching them, including an unnamed female state trooper and an employee of an energy company. And it highlighted at least one instance in which Mr. Cuomo and his aides retaliated against one of the women who made her allegations public.
Read more at the New York Times
He Said – Cuomo Denies State Investigation Findings He Sexually Harassed Multiple Women
Despite increasing calls for him to resign, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday rejected the findings of an investigation from the state attorney general that found the Democratic governor had sexually harassed multiple women.
In a video statement released two hours later, Cuomo said, “The facts are much different than what has been portrayed,” and painted himself as a champion of sexual assault victims, apologizing to Charlotte Bennett, one of his accusers, who the governor said he was trying to help. Cuomo said there were cultural and generational differences in how his behavior was received, and added he would institute new sexual harassment policies for the state.
US COVID Update – Louisiana and San Francisco Area to Reinstate Indoor Mask Mandates
Louisiana and seven San Francisco Bay Area counties will mandate that people wear masks indoors starting this week, while New York City officials are recommending that residents do so to curb rising Covid-19 cases. Masks will be required starting Yesterday. About half of Californians will be required to wear face coverings indoors in public settings.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged all people in counties with high or substantial transmission of the virus to wear masks in indoor public settings. That announcement came as health officials said they had found vaccinated people can transmit the more contagious Delta variant, which is driving much of the recent increase in Covid-19 cases.
NYS Vaccine and COVID Update
Vaccine Stats as of Tuesday August 3rd:
One Vaccine Dose
- 63.3% of all New Yorkers – 12,175,588 (plus 20,362 from a day earlier)
- In the Hudson Valley 1,292,991 (plus 2,915)
Fully Vaccinated
- 57.3% of all New Yorkers – 11,139,256 are fully vaccinated (Plus 12,913)
- In the Hudson Valley – 1,167,122 (plus 1,873) are fully vaccinated.
The Governor updated COVID data through Monday August 2nd. There were 5 COVID related deaths for a total of 43,098.
Hospitalizations:
- Patients Currently in Hospital statewide: 852
Seven Day Average Positivity Rate:
- Statewide 2.65%
- Mid-Hudson: 2.40%
Useful Websites:
- Read the press release
- Visit the vaccine tracker site
- See the School Districts Dashboard
- See the SUNY Dashboard
- State Vaccine Information Site
Goal – Delta Pushes 70% of U.S. Adults (Biden’s July 4th Goal) to Get One Vaccine Dose
The U.S. has finally reached—a month late—President Biden’s goal of 70% of adults getting at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine. The milestone comes amid the Delta surge, which has led many cities and states to reinstate pandemic precautions.
There was was no celebration at the White House on Monday, nor a setting of a new target, as the administration instead struggles to overcome skepticism and outright hostility to the vaccine, especially in the South and other rural and conservative areas.
U.S. Has Shared 110 Million Covid-19 Vaccine Doses Overseas
President Biden’s administration has shipped more than 110 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to 65 countries, the White House said, as it works to share supply with the rest of the world following regulatory and logistical setbacks.
The figures come about a month behind the White House’s June goal of delivering 80 million doses overseas, part of a greater vaccine-donation drive by the U.S. in the coming months.
Mask Mandates Return: Target, Walmart And Others Requiring Employees To Mask Up
Target said Monday all store employees will be required to wear masks in counties deemed high-risk for coronavirus transmission. The shift will not apply to customers, Target said, though it will encourage shoppers in those high-risk areas to wear face coverings as well.
Walmart and Sam’s Club announced a similar policy on Friday, saying the stores would require employees to mask up and urge shoppers to do the same by posting signs at store entrances and assigning employees to pass out face masks.
New York City Will Require Vaccines For Restaurants
New York will become the first American city to require Covid-19 vaccinations for employees and visitors to set foot in restaurants, gyms and performance venues, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday morning, although the city will not enforce the mandate until mid-September.
People ages 12 and up will need to show proof that they have received at least one vaccine to enter the businesses beginning August 16. Businesses will be expected to check customers at the door, but the city will not begin enforcing the new rule until September 13. Excluding the unvaccinated from gyms, dining and shows “will inspire people to get vaccinated,” de Blasio said.
SHRM Study Shows Remote Workers are Concerned About Losing Networking Opportunities
Over the past few months, many of the surveys have shown that employees prefer working remotely and that some would even take a pay cut to stay remote. However, a new study, released on July 26 from SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) shows that’s not exactly the case.
- Sixty-seven percent of supervisors say they spend more time supervising remote workers than onsite workers.
- Forty-two percent of supervisors say they sometimes forget about remote workers when assigning tasks.
- Thirty-four percent of remote workers say working remotely on a permanent basis would reduce the number of career opportunities available.
- 67% of supervisors admit to considering remote workers more easily replaceable than onsite workers at their organization.
- Twenty-nine percent of remote workers say they will have fewer developmental opportunities while working remotely.
Concerns in China Grow as Delta Outbreak Spreads
All 11m people in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where covid-19 was first detected, are to be tested for the disease after seven locally transmitted cases were recorded. At least 350 people in 27 Chinese cities have tested positive in the past ten days. Transport in Beijing has been closed down and 9.2m people in Nanjing have been tested three times.
It is unclear how many in China are fully vaccinated, although authorities say more than 1.6 billion doses have been administered so far.
2021 IW U.S. 500: Top Manufacturing States (New York is tied for 5th)
Which states have the most manufacturing headquarters? Here are the top 10 based on IndustryWeek’s annual list of the top 500 publicly held U.S. manufacturing companies based on revenue.
(29 Headquarters) Manufacturers in New York account for 4.45% of the total output in the state, employing 4.51% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $74.58 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 441,000 manufacturing employees in New York in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $78,869.31 in 2018.
IMF Approves $650 Billion to Alleviate Pandemic Impact
he governing body of the International Monetary Fund has approved a $650 billion expansion in the agency’s resources to support economically vulnerable countries battling the coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn it has caused.
The general allocation of SDRs will become effective on Aug. 23. The IMF said that the new reserves will be credited to IMF member countries in proportion to their existing quotas with the agency. About $275 billion of the new allocation will go to the world’s poorer countries.
Alternate Theory – Now There’s Worry the Chip Shortage Will Turn Into a Chip Glut
Analysts fear the current semiconductor shortage could turn into a semiconductor glut, due to actions governments are taking to increase supply. Lilian Li, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s: “These major investments could lead to overcapacity and inefficient investment allocation.”
“All the world’s advanced economies, including the U.S., the EU, South Korea, and China have set out plans to advance capacity in the domestic semiconductor industry.”
