#coronavirus economic impact

[open-era]

What the COVID-19 Pandemic Taught Us About the Stock Market

What did the COVID-19 pandemic reveal about the stock market's resilience and unpredictability? From unexpected crashes to stunning rebounds, here are the eye-opening lessons we're taking away. 🌐📊 #StockMarketLessons #COVID19

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many new and difficult problems to the whole world’s money and business systems. The virus spread quickly, which caused a big drop in how much money was being made. This made a lot of people lose their jobs and many businesses had to close. Because of this, the prices of stocks, which are pieces of ownership in companies, went down a lot – sometimes as much as…

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

⚡ - Charging Towards a More Electrifying Future

1. The Kissimmee River has been brought back to life—and wildlife is thriving

The Kissimmee River in Florida was straightened in the 1960s, causing a sharp decline in wildlife and ecological problems. But in the 1990s, a $1 billion restoration project was initiated to restore the river's natural state.

Today, nearly half of the river has been restored, wetlands have been reestablished and rehydrated, and wildlife has returned, including rare and threatened species. Already the biological impact of the project has become clear. As the wetlands have come back, so have the birds.

2. Plastic wrap made from seaweed withstands heat and is compostable

A cling film made from an invasive seaweed can withstand high temperatures yet is still easily compostable. The material could eventually become a sustainable choice for food packaging.

Scientists started with a brown seaweed called sargassum. Sargassum contains long, chain-like molecules similar to those that make up conventional plastic, which made it a good raw material. The researchers mixed it with some acids and salts to get a solution full of these molecules, then blended in chemicals that thickened it and made it more flexible and pliable.

3. An Eagle Who Adopted a Rock Becomes a Real Dad to Orphaned Eaglet

Murphy, a bald eagle that had been showing fatherly instincts, has been sharing an enclosure with an eaglet that survived a fall from a tree during a storm in Ste. Genevieve. Murphy, his rock gone by then, took his role as foster parent seriously. He soon began responding to the chick’s peeps, and protecting it.

And when, as a test, the keepers placed two plates of food in front of the birds — one containing food cut into pieces that the chick could eat by itself, and another with a whole fish that only Murphy could handle — the older bird tore up the fish and fed it to the eaglet.

4. World's largest battery maker announces major breakthrough in energy density

In one of the most significant battery breakthroughs in recent years, the world’s largest battery manufacturer CATL has announced a new “condensed” battery with 500 Wh/kg which it says will go into mass production this year.

“The launch of condensed batteries will usher in an era of universal electrification of sea, land and air transportation, open up more possibilities of the development of the industry, and promote the achieving of the global carbon neutrality goals at an earlier date,” the company said in a presentation at Auto Shanghai on Thursday.

This could be huge. Electric jets and cargo ships become very possible at this point.

5. Cat with '100% fatal' feline coronavirus saved by human Covid-19 medicine

A beloved household cat has made an “astonishing” recovery from a usually fatal illness, thanks to a drug made to treat Covid-19 in humans – and a quick-thinking vet.

Anya​, the 7-year-old birman cat, was suffering from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a “100% fatal” viral infection caused by feline coronavirus. That was, until Auckland vet Dr Habin Choi​ intervened, giving Anya an antiviral used to treat Covid-19 called molnupiravir.

6. Kelp forests capture nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually

Kelp forests provide an estimated value of $500 billion to the world and capture 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from seawater each year. Most of kelp’s economic benefits come from creating habitat for fish and by sequestering nitrogen and phosphorus.

7. Medical Marijuana Improved Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms in 87% of Patients

Medical cannabis (MC) has recently garnered interest as a potential treatment for neurologic diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). 87% of patients were noted to exhibit an improvement in any PD symptom after starting medical cannabis. Symptoms with the highest incidence of improvement included cramping/dystonia, pain, spasticity, lack of appetite, dyskinesia, and tremor.

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[covid-safer-hotties]

Global Emergency Compounded by the AIDS-like Features of SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Published Sept 1, 2024

Over a million people in the US are being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) every day.

Originally named after the acute respiratory syndrome it can cause as a consequence of blood vessel damage in the lungs, SARS-CoV-2 is actually primarily a blood vessel virus that spreads through the airways. It causes a complex multisystem disease (1). It is airborne (2). It can persist in the body, and is detectable in body and brain tissue even at autopsy of “recovered” patients (3).

Each infection ages the body, causes damage to the blood vessels and the immune system, and affects organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, etc. (4, 5, 6)

Each infection ages the brain. Specifically, it reduces gray matter and cognitive ability (7), and potentially IQ score (8). It increases the risk of psychiatric disorders (9). SARS-CoV-2 has also been identified as contributing to accelerated dementia (10).

The potential post-acute phase impacts of SARS-CoV-2 include long COVID, some manifestations of which are chronic conditions that can last a lifetime, including heart disease, diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis and dysautonomia (11).

The Economist has estimated excess deaths from the beginning of the Pandemic through May 2024 at up to 35 million people worldwide. (12)

In Addition, Many Scientists Are Now Issuing Warnings… SARS-CoV-2 triggers a new airborne form of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (13, 14, 15) (some are proposing specific terms such as “CoV-AIDS”).

This is not AIDS as we know it from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, it is a new type of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with different deleterious effects on immune function (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21), but both resulting in increased vulnerability to infections (22). Immune system deficiency and other COVID properties also suggest a potential link to greater risk of cancers (23, 24, 25, 26, 27).

The “original” AIDS caused by HIV takes up to around 10 to 15 years to make its presence felt, with the initial infection usually barely noticed and often resembling the common cold or a flu-like disease until its damage manifests itself leading to death in the absence of treatments (28, 29).

With SARS-CoV-2, immunodeficiency develops in the weeks and months following infection. It involves reduction and functional exhaustion of T Cells (30), enhanced inhibition of MHC-I expression (31), downregulating CD19 expression in B cells (32) and other evidence of immune dysregulation (33, 34). In one study, the dysregulation persisted for 8 months following initial mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, the length of the study (35). There is no “cure” for any of the damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 including immune dysregulation.

Did You Know? Repeated infections are leading to prolonged immune dysregulation, and increase the risk of progressive disability and death.

Long COVID is a multisystem disease with debilitating symptoms, which has had a profound impact on society and the global economy. In the USA, economists have estimated that long COVID will incur cumulative future costs of more than US$4 trillion (36, 37).

The worldwide devastating economic consequences of this mass disabling event have been measured in terms of total work hours and GDP lost around the world (38).

It theoretically only takes a single viral particle to initiate an infection, and most infections are initiated by very few viral particles (39).

Despite current popular belief, the immune system is NOT a muscle, and does NOT benefit from being repeatedly challenged with disease-causing microbes. In fact, its finite resources are depleted with each new infection.

Herd immunity is unattainable for a rapidly mutating, immune-disrupting virus, and there is no basis to believe that a vascular infection will evolve into the common cold. Continuing to ignore SARS-CoV-2 will not make it go away. Depriving the virus of publicity does not deprive it of its continuing lethal effects.

SARS-CoV-2 is continuing to evolve and mutate – it is not running out of evolutionary space. It is not a cold or the flu, but primarily a blood vessel disease. It is damaging society as we know it.

How many repeated infections can we expect young people to endure and survive? Even if they get only 1 infection each year, that’s 10 infections in 10 school years. This is not compatible with health and a long life. Repeated infections can lead to long COVID and shortened lifespans.

How Do We Protect Ourselves, How Do We Protect Our Children, When Government Public Health Advice Has Failed?

By reducing transmission so that R0 remains less than one (meaning that each person infects less than one other), we can suppress and gradually eliminate the virus, targeting a safer return to pre-2020 normal.

Handwashing is helpful, but it is not the main way to stop the spread of this airborne virus.

Respirators can block 95% or more of virus particles through electrostatic action, and are therefore highly effective at reducing infection even if only one person in a conversation is wearing them. They are far more effective if all people are wearing them (40).

Transmission can be reduced with HEPA filtration and ventilation of indoor air.

The virus spreads more quickly in indoor settings, but also spreads outdoors.

For medical facilities, it is essential to clean the air with ventilation and filtration and require universal high-quality masking (with N-95/ FFP3 respirators or better) to protect medical staff and patients.

For workplaces, clean air will reduce transmission; and encouraging employees to test and stay home when infectious is essential. High-quality masking should be encouraged in the case of symptoms, a sick person at home, or any other suspicion that one could be carrying the virus. Remote work should be normalized and encouraged wherever possible.

For entertainment venues, events should be held outdoors when possible; and if indoors, clean air is key to protecting audiences. Audiences should also be encouraged to wear respirators to avoid getting infected and infecting others. Digital streaming options should always be offered.

For restaurants, an emphasis on outdoor dining will substantially reduce transmission. Patio service should be encouraged, and indoor dining areas should be well-ventilated with a high level of air-exchanges. Home or curbside delivery offers a safer alternative.

For schools, clean air will reduce transmission; encouraging students to test and stay home when infectious is essential to preserving their health. Masking or remote learning should be initiated whenever a case is detected or the incidence in the general population sharply increases. A permanent hybrid model / digital option can accommodate children with disabilities or those who simply do better learning from home.

Teachers and medical professionals may prefer to use transparent masks, or to wear HEPA-filtered headgear equipment that may be more universally tolerated/accepted.

To track our progress, we need sustained wastewater and population-level testing.

With just 60-70 percent of people taking mitigation measures such as masking, testing and isolating when infected, we can dramatically reduce forward transmission of the virus.

Even with very imperfect measures, as long as one infected person does not infect more than one person on average, the virus will eventually die out. The fewer people each person infects on average, the faster it will happen.

We still have a window of opportunity. Protecting ourselves and our families is in fact protecting the economy and the continued orderly functioning of our society.

[mariacallous]

Evidence is mounting that Europe’s far right will score better than ever before in the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 6 to June 9—and that the continent’s young voters will fuel its ascent. The young adults now gravitating to far right aren’t Nazis or xenophobic racists, but they may have a hand in an outcome that will, at the very least, shift the European Union’s priorities and accents to the right. A particularly solid right-wing finish—and cooperation across the hard-right spectrum—could rattle EU unity and throw a wrench into the bloc’s workings at a time when it is confronting acute crises on several fronts, not least the war in Ukraine.

Since new laws mean that even people under 18 will be eligible to vote in some countries—16-year-olds in Austria, Germany, Malta, and Belgium, and 17-year-olds in Greece—there had been hope that these new voters would put a brake on the populist surge engulfing Europe. The idea behind giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote was partly based on their long-term investment in politics. The policies designed today will affect them for many decades, in contrast to their grandparents.

And in the 2019 European Parliament election, young voters showed great promise by turning out in record numbers, a hopeful sign that reflected their enthusiasm for the common European project. With the climate movement rocking the streets, their votes went disproportionately to green parties that championed strong climate protection and deeper EU integration—two sets of long-term interests. This landed green representatives from Portugal to Latvia in the Brussels parliament and prompted the EU administration to approve the European Green Deal in 2020.

But the democratic exuberance of voters in their late teens, 20s, and early 30s could boost a very different trend this June, as growing numbers of younger voters are siding with far-right populist parties—the very ones that want to scupper the Green Deal and rein in the EU. In recent national votes conducted in Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, and France, young people voted in unprecedented numbers for extreme nationalist and euroskeptic parties. (Though some observers have argued that reporting about these trends is incomplete or oversimplified.) And surveys in Germany show the youth vote becoming ever more sympathetic to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party that has undergone a radicalization that makes it among Europe’s fiercest, hard-right electoral parties.

“There’s no doubt that these parties have been making inroads to younger voters,” said Catherine de Vries, a Dutch political scientist. “The parties don’t look so extreme anymore, as they���ve been around for a while now. And young people think that the mainstream parties have had their chance. The system still doesn’t work for them, so let the other guys have a try.”

A German study published this year by a team led by youth researcher Simon Schnetzer showed that a full 22 percent of the young people (in this case, ages 14 through 29) surveyed would vote for the AfD if German elections were held today—twice as many as just two years ago. The tally for the Green Party fell by a third during that time frame. A full quarter of those asked said they weren’t sure who’d they vote for—another all-time high result.

The grounds for the pronounced shift are vague: Researchers tend to cite a general unhappiness with the post-pandemic economic and political conditions. “It seems as if the coronavirus pandemic left [young people] irritated about our ability to cope with the future, which is reflected in deep insecurity,” wrote the study’s authors. The issues described by participants that most impact this insecurity included their personal finances, professional opportunities, the health sector, and social recognition. They expressed less concern about the climate crisis and more about inflation, the economy, and old-age poverty.

“We can speak of a clear shift to the right in the young population,” said Klaus Hurrelmann, one of the study’s authors and a professor at the Hertie School in Berlin. The AfD’s foremost campaign priority of stopping immigration and refugee relief plainly struck a chord: Compared to a separate study conducted five years ago, about half as many (26 percent) of the young participants (26 percent) in the 2024 study said they were not in favor of taking in refugees. But just as important as the content of immigration policies, the authors underlined, was the idea that young people feel unheard or involved in the political process.

The change in sympathy in many young Germans reflects survey results, elections, and the statements of other young people across Europe. In the Netherlands’ elections last year, the most popular party among people under 35 (at 17 percent) was the Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, a far-right populist with a long record of EU-trashing.

The explanation provided by many Dutch experts: It’s all about bestaanszekerheid, a Dutch word translated as “livelihood security.” This refers to having a decent and regular income, a comfortable home, access to education and health care, and a buffer against unexpected problems, de Vries told the Guardian. Young peoples’ leading concerns in the Netherlands are housing, overcrowded classes, and struggling hospitals, she said, which Wilders addressed in his campaign.

In Portugal’s March legislative elections, the far-right Chega party, which prioritized courting young people, raked in more of their votes than any other party. The meaning of chega, which can be translated as “that’s enough,” accurately describes many young voters’ motive for supporting it. Their gripes: “a very low average wage and an economy that cannot absorb educated young people,” according to political scientist António Costa Pinto in an interview with Euronews

“In the past, right-wing sympathizers accused immigrants of taking their jobs,” said Eberhard Seidel, the managing director of a Berlin-based nongovernmental organization called Schools Without Racism. “Now there are enough jobs but not enough housing for people who work. They still have to live with their parents.”

Observers say that the far right has excelled at grabbing the youth’s attention, not least with the social media platform TikTok. The recent German study found that 57 percent of young people imbibe their news and politics through social media. More than 90 percent use messaging service WhatsApp, followed by Instagram (80 percent) and YouTube (77 percent). TikTok stands at 51 percent; more than half of all 14- to 29-year-olds now use the app regularly, compared to 44 percent last year. The epiphany prompted an immediate response from German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who on declared in his first video on the platform, posted on March 19: “Revolution on TikTok: It starts today.”

Other opinion surveys show that young voters are diverse, divided, and undecided. A YouGov poll conducted in August 2023 showed that young Europeans are overwhelmingly concerned about the climate crisis and its likely effects, and more willing than older people to change behavior to mitigate those effects. Another poll, conducted in Germany, showed human rights violations at the top of younger people’s lists, followed by climate change, sexual harassment, and child abuse.

Younger voters still aren’t the drivers of xenophobia in the way that their parents’ generation was, Seidel said. A vote for the AfD doesn’t necessarily mean that they favor expelling immigrants from Germany or exiting the EU. “They take the basics of democracy and the social system for granted,” he said. “And they’re not fully aware of the implications of a rightward lurch in their political systems.”

Neither were Brexit’s voters, Seidel noted. And they found out the hard way.

[centers-for-disease-control]

Alright, due to popular request, I bring you the break down of the Taiwan Disease Personifications. Also, just so y’all know, the official explanations for the designs are not easy to find, so a lot of this is just from what I notice and what I know about the diseases

To start off, we have everyone’s favorite disease: COVID-19

So, this is one of the designs where I could actually find the artist explanation, so I will be including that information plus a couple things I noticed and how I think it fits the disease. So let’s start with to crown. The reason for the inclusion of the crown is the reflect the name coronavirus, corona being the Latin word for crown. The face is partially obscured because of COVID’s tendency to hide itself. The bean bag chair that they are sitting on has many protrusions signifying the spike proteins. The different digital devices represent how the world went virtual during the pandemic and the news channels behind them represent the media’s freak out when COVID was at its height. The floor has an outline of the world because everywhere was affected by the pandemic. Also, if you look closely, they are wearing little Covid earrings.

Next up, we got Zika:

I could not find an official artist statement for this design, so take my explanation with a grain of salt. So first off the red waist band reminds me of the red stripe that goes down the abdomen of the mosquito species that spreads Zika after it has fed. Also, the white markings on the black are also a characteristic of this species of mosquito. In fact, the design is the stripes on the chest look like the markings these mosquitoes have on their back. She presents female because it’s the female mosquitoes that bite and spread diseases. Her sleeves look like mosquito wings once again a reference to mosquitoes being the primary vectors of Zika. The area behind her has palm fronds to represent that Zika is a disease typically found in tropical climates.

Next up we have: Hansen’s Disease (aka Leprosy)

This is one where I could find the artist statement due to it being a pretty recent one, however, I will say that at least the translation was a bit lacking in describing the reasoning of every detail. She is a mask maker because leprosy changes how people perceive those who are infected but it is something that can easily be removed with modern antibiotics. She has different accessories like the lion and crocodile headpiece that implicate the divine involvement because leprosy has been historically thought to be a punishment of the gods. The scales on her arm look like an allusion to the scaling pattern scars that those with leprosy would develop.

Next up: Rubella

After a lot of digging I found the official profile for this design but it didn’t really explain the design choices so we are going to do more analysis on my end. So the pomegranate and the red dots represent the red rashes that come with rubella infections. The glasses I assume are to show how Rubella can lead to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) which can occur in children if their mother had rubella while pregnant. One of the symptoms that comes with CRS is cataracts.

Next up: the plague

I found the explanation on this and it just confirmed my own suspicions for certain design choices. So her design is very focused on death and mysticism because of how the Black Plague led to a lot of cultural focus on these two ideas. Behind her are old coins because of the economic impact the plague had on the civilizations of its time. The references to death are the skeletal pattern on her dress, and the scythe behind her and on her belt. The references to mysticism include the tarot cards she is holding and the crosses on her hat. On the tarot cards are designs referencing the three different forms the plague takes (bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic) as well as a posey which was used to try to ward of the plague in old times. On her hat is also a collection of plague doctor masks which is pretty self explanatory as to how that connects.

Next up: Ebola

I couldn’t find the official explanation for this disease, so this is mostly speculation based on my analysis. Her outfit is red because of the hemorrhaging that comes with the disease. Specifically he lips are red because one of the more unique characteristics of Ebola is hiccuping up blood. The accessories seem to be inspired by central and western african traditional jewelry. There appear to be tribal masks on the necklace, I am not well versed in African art unfortunately, so any deeper meaning of these accessories are unfortunately lost on me. There are bats on the headdress because of bats being the natural host of Ebola. Her design is rather demonic because Ebola was so terrible for the areas affected, that people thought it could be caused be some great evil. The skulls are because of the extremely high death rate that comes with ebola. The leaves and fruits shown come from the African jungles which is typically where Ebola outbreaks start.

Next up: Novel Influenza A Virus Infections

I actually found the artist explanation for this design! As a disease closely associated with birds, there are many elements linked to birds. There are many bird shadows, the hair that looks like feathers, and the beak shaped mask, feathers on his tie and a feather tattoo on right arm, and the “H-N” pin (H and N proteins of the influenza virus).

Next up: Dengue Fever

Another one with an artist statement! Since only female mosquitoes bite, the character is set as a female. Her dark red lips represent mosquito’s instinct to bite, and she is holding a poisonous thornapple flower. She has mosquito wings tattooed on her back and thornapple flower tattooed on her arm. I have spent a long time looking into how the thornapple flower relates to dengue, but I haven’t had a lot of luck. From what I have seen is that the roots, seeds, and leaves are used in some traditional medicines, including treatments for malaria, but I have not had luck finding how it is connected to Dengue specifically.

Next up: Japanese Encephalitis

I found the artist statement for this disease as well. The disease is visualized into three characters that form a pop group, with their names reflecting the 3 main Culex mosquito species that spread Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan, which are Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Three), Culex annulus (Ring), and Culex fuscocephala (Shiro). They wear black and white, like the colors of the Culex mosquitoes. Red accessories represent their love for blood. I don’t have much to add outside of the artist explanation.

Last one for now is: Rabies

I found the explanation for this one, but it is not descriptive at all, so I am going to be going into every detail because this is Rabies. The spikes on the jacket and pant legs represent the protein spikes rabies uses to infect nerves. The blue jacket and gloves are representing water as one of the unique characteristics of rabies is hydrophobia (physical repulsion to water). The claw marks on the shirt show the animalistic tendencies the virus brings out. The violin players in the animal mask show how the virus can hide in these animals. The personification of rabies is holding a conductor’s wand showing how rabies controls those who are infected. The teeth necklace shows how it spreads through bites and they are standing on the brain because that is what rabies infects. He has a chain with mammal skulls once again tying back to rabies being a fatal mammalian disease. The belt buckle has a bone on it as bone are associated with bones and rabies is associated with dogs.

[dailyanarchistposts]

A revolutionary “pessimistic” postscript in times of coronavirus

“The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19), which has wrought havoc in China since the end of last year, has surged over borders and impacted the rest of the world, and with it, the imminent economic crisis has but further advanced. The world economy is in full-on crisis, the administrators of power are pending on immense financial relief, the bourgeoisie are beginning to close factories and lay off employees using the lucky pretext of the “quarantine” as excuse. The disaster is immanent. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that the monetary losses don’t signify the fall of the capitalist system. Capitalism will seek at every moment to restructure itself on the basis of austerity measures imposed on proletarians in order to palliate all the catastrophic consequences that it will bring along with it. And this is due to the fact that the “blows” that capitalism has been dealt due to these phenomena are simply losses in its rate of profit, but those losses don’t at all change its structure or its essence, meaning the social relations that allow it to remain standing: the commodity, value, the market, exploitation and wage labor. In fact, it’s in these structures that capitalism most reaffirms its necessities: sacrificing millions of human beings to the favor of economic interests, making the polarization between classes sharpen and revealing more forcefully in what position the dominant class is to be found, who will use all the efforts in their reach in order to preserve this state of things.

[…]

The ever-more contradictions heightened contradictions of this mode of production (crisis, war, pandemics, environmental destruction, pauperization, militarization), which exasperate our conditions of survival, won’t clear the way either mechanically or messianically for the end of capitalism. Or better said, such conditions, although they will be fundamental, won’t suffice. Because for capitalism to reach its end, it’s imperative for there to be a social force, antagonistic and revolutionary that manages to direct the destructive and subversive character towards something completely different from what we know and experience now.

If we want it or not, we can’t let a question as important as the revolution to drift aimlessly, to leave it to luck. It’s necessary to experience the resolution of this problem on the basis of the organization of tasks that can go on to present themselves, that’s to say, the grouping for the appropriation and defense of the most immediate necessities (not paying debts, rent, or taxes), but also, the rupture from all the dreams and mirages that carry us to manage the save miseries behind another facade.

[…]

It’s not necessary to wait for the dystopia or the hollywoodesque scenes of apocalypse, because these are already materially manifesting in different parts of the globe, and in fact they greatly surpass any attempt at representation by cinematic fiction.

The current pandemic of COVID-19 is one more stage in the degradation to which this society of commodity production brings us.

A stage before which it is reaffirmed that the true future only hangs from two strings:

Communist revolution or to perish in the twilight!”

Contra la Contra n.3 Collapse of the capitalist system? A few notes on current events. Mexico City March 2020

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

This political cartoon by Louis Dalrymple appeared in Judge magazine in 1903. It depicts European immigrants as rats. Nativism and anti-immigration have a long and sordid history in the United States.

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 28, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAR 29, 2024

Yesterday the National Economic Council called a meeting of the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, which the Biden-Harris administration launched in 2021, to discuss the impact of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the partial closure of the Port of Baltimore on regional and national supply chains. The task force draws members from the White House and the departments of Transportation, Commerce, Agriculture, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Energy, and Homeland Security. It is focused on coordinating efforts to divert ships to other ports and to minimize impacts to employers and workers, making sure, for example, that dock workers stay on payrolls. 

Today, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg convened a meeting of port, labor, and industry partners—ocean carriers, truckers, local business owners, unions, railroads, and so on—to mitigate disruption from the bridge collapse. Representatives came from 40 organizations including American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier; the Georgia Ports Authority; the International Longshoremen’s Association, the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; John Deere; Maersk; Mercedes-Benz North America Operations; Seabulk Tankers; Under Armour; and the World Shipping Council.  

Today the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced it would make $60 million available immediately to be used as a down payment toward initial costs. Already, though, some Republicans are balking at the idea of using new federal money to rebuild the bridge, saying that lawmakers should simply take the money that has been appropriated for things like electric vehicles, or wait until insurance money comes in from the shipping companies. 

In 2007, when a bridge across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis suddenly collapsed, Congress passed funding to rebuild it in days and then-president George W. Bush signed the measure into law within a week of the accident. 

In the past days, we have learned that the six maintenance workers killed when the bridge collapsed were all immigrants, natives of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Around 39% of the workforce in the construction industry around Baltimore and Washington, D.C., about 130,000 people, are immigrants, Scott Dance and María Luisa Paúl reported in the Washington Post yesterday. 

Some of the men were undocumented, and all of them were family men who sent money back to their home countries, as well. From Honduras, the nephew of one of the men killed told the Associated Press, “The kind of work he did is what people born in the U.S. won’t do. People like him travel there with a dream. They don’t want to break anything or take anything.”  

In the Philadelphia Inquirer today, journalist Will Bunch castigated the right-wing lawmakers and pundits who have whipped up native-born Americans over immigration, calling immigrants sex traffickers and fentanyl dealers, and even “animals.” Bunch illustrated that the reality of what was happening on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed creates an opportunity to reframe the immigration debate in the United States.

Last month, Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post noted that immigration is a key reason that the United States experienced greater economic growth than any other nation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The surge of immigration that began in 2022 brought to the U.S. working-age people who, Director Phill Swagel of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office wrote, are expected to make the U.S. gross domestic product about $7 trillion larger over the ten years from 2023 to 2034 than it would have been otherwise. Those workers will account for about $1 trillion dollars in revenues. 

Curiously, while Republican leaders today are working to outdo each other in their harsh opposition to immigration, it was actually the leaders of the original Republican Party who recognized the power of immigrants to build the country and articulated an economic justification for increased immigration during the nation’s first major anti-immigrant period. 

The United States had always been a nation of immigrants, but in the 1840s the failure of the potato crop in Ireland sent at least half a million Irish immigrants to the United States. As they moved into urban ports on the East Coast, especially in Massachusetts and New York, native-born Americans turned against them as competitors for jobs.

The 1850s saw a similar anti-immigrant fury in the new state of California. After the discovery of gold there in 1848, native-born Americans—the so-called Forty Niners—moved to the West Coast. They had no intention of sharing the riches they expected to find. The Indigenous people who lived there had no right to the land under which gold lay, native-born men thought; nor did the Mexicans whose government had sold the land to the U.S. in 1848; nor did the Chileans, who came with mining skills that made them powerful competitors. Above all, native-born Americans resented the Chinese miners who came to work in order to send money home to a land devastated by the first Opium War.

Democrats and the new anti-immigrant American Party (more popularly known as the “Know Nothings” because members claimed to know nothing about the party) turned against the new immigrants, seeing them as competition that would drive down wages. In the 1850s, Know Nothing officials in Massachusetts persecuted Catholics and deported Irish immigrants they believed were paupers. In California the state legislature placed a monthly tax on Mexican and Chinese miners, made unemployment a crime, took from Chinese men the right to testify in court, and finally tried to stop Chinese immigration altogether by taxing shipmasters $50 for each Chinese immigrant they brought.   

When the Republicans organized in the 1850s, they saw society differently than the Democrats and the Know Nothings. They argued that society was not made up of a struggle over a limited economic pie, but rather that hardworking individuals would create more than they could consume, thus producing capital that would make the economy grow. The more people a nation had, the stronger it would be.

In 1860 the new party took a stand against the new laws that discriminated against immigrants. Immigrants’ rights should not be “abridged or impaired,” the delegates to its convention declared, adding that they were “in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad.”

Republicans’ support for immigration only increased during the Civil War. In contrast to the southern enslavers, they wanted to fill the land with people who supported freedom. As one poorly educated man wrote to his senator, “Protect Emegration and that will protect the Territories to Freedom.”

Republicans also wanted to bring as many workers to the country as possible to increase economic development. The war created a huge demand for agricultural products to feed the troops. At the same time, a terrible drought in Europe meant there was money to be made exporting grain. But the war was draining men to the battlefields of Stones River and Gettysburg and to the growing U.S. Navy, leaving farmers with fewer and fewer hands to work the land. 

By 1864, Republicans were so strongly in favor of immigration that Congress passed “an Act to Encourage Immigration.” The law permitted immigrants to borrow against future homesteads to fund their voyage to the U.S., appropriated money to provide for impoverished immigrants upon their arrival, and, to undercut Democrats’ accusations that they were simply trying to find men to throw into the grinding war, guaranteed that no immigrant could be drafted until he announced his intention of becoming a citizen. 

Support for immigration has waxed and waned repeatedly since then, but as recently as 1989, Republican president Ronald Reagan said: “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people—our strength—from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation…. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”

The workers who died in the bridge collapse on Tuesday “were not ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’” Will Bunch wrote, quoting Trump; “they were replenishing it…. They may have been born all over the continent, but when these men plunged into our waters on Tuesday, they died as Americans.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Lula’s Out to Get Brazil’s Global Mojo Back

Like Biden, Brazil’s old-new president inherited a mess on the international stage.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, stepped into his third term ready to rebuild Brazil’s international image, which had been largely diminished by his predecessor. And Lula has a guidebook to follow, not only from his two prior terms, but also from U.S. President Joe Biden’s ascension. From the Jan. 8 riots in Brasília to both countries reentering international organizations, Biden and Lula have fought—and will continue to fight—eerily similar battles. 

“Both Lula and Biden are presidents that are positioning themselves as leaders in the democratic world, defending democracy in the region, and with clear priorities on the agenda,” said Bruna Santos, director of the Brazil Institute at the Wilson Center.

During his first two terms as president, between 2003 and 2010, Lula set Brazil up as a major economic and political player on the world stage. Lula was a founding member of BRICS—a geopolitical bloc including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—and attended its first formal summit in 2009, and Brazil was one of the leading voices calling for U.N. Security Council expansion during the Lula administration. Brazil’s relationships with its neighbors had never been better, with a wave of Lula allies elected into office throughout the region, including Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in Argentina, Evo Morales in Bolivia, and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.

But things may not be so straightforward this time around. Despite the recent wave of leftist governments echoing the political tides of the early 2000s, instability has rocked Latin America in recent years, with worsening situations in Nicaragua and Venezuela, violent protests in Peru, and the devastating economic and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The new “pink tide” will be far more turbulent than the first.

“It’s very early on to see how successful he’s going to be, but it’s not going to be the easy ride he had on the first pink tide, when everyone was on better terms,” said Cecilia Tornaghi, the senior director of policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas.

Continue reading.

[beardedmrbean]

The prospects for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) next year look almost as gloomy as at the end of 2020, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Uutissuomalainen news group report (siirryt toiseen palveluun) in Jyväskylä's Keskisuomalainen.

The article reviews a fresh survey by the Finnish Confederation of Industries (EK) showing that 41 percent of SMEs are preparing for layoffs next year. Ten percent said that they may have to close down in 2023.

"The outlook is bleak in many respects. The biggest challenges are related to the rise in the prices of raw materials and energy due to Russia's war of aggression. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled labour," said EK Chief Policy Advisor Jari Huovinen.

Other major challenges are a decline in domestic sales and weakening liquidity.

According to Huovinen, the outlook is particularly bleak for the smallest employers.

"They have gone from crisis to crisis. Many have pretty much used up their financial buffers," noted Huovinen.

According to the report, only 23 percent of small and medium-sized companies believe that demand will increase during the coming year. Just over one third anticipate a decline in demand.

The outlook is pessimistic all around the country – gloomiest in northern regions and somewhat more optimistic in Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa.

A company with at least two, but fewer than 250 employees is considered an SME. There are approximately 84,500 such firms in Finland.

Nato and nukes

Helsingin Sanomat reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) on an interview Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) gave to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News in which he said that Russia's nuclear weapons programme was one of the key factors influencing Finland's application for Nato membership.

HS notes that the interview, published on Sunday morning, was quickly picked up by the Russian state-owned news agency Tass which misreported Haavisto as saying that "Russia's alleged nuclear threats were the main reason for Finland's desire to join Nato."

According to Helsingin Sanomat, Haavisto spoke more broadly about Finland's Nato decision and mentioned Russia's nuclear weapons as one of several reasons behind the application.

The paper points out that this was nothing new.

For example, the Finnish government's report on changes in the security environment, published last spring, stated that Russia has "repeatedly expressed its readiness to use nuclear weapons". That report was one of the key documents considered when Finland's foreign policy leadership decided to apply for Nato membership last May.

Not gas dependent

The farmers' union paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (siirryt toiseen palveluun) looks at some of the historic reasons that Finland is buffered from the impact of natural gas shortages which now threaten much of central Europe.

In Finland, district and electric heating are overwhelmingly the most common forms of heating services.

Riku Huttunen, who heads the Energy Department at Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, pointed out to the paper that one key reason for this is that unlike central Europe, Finland does not have natural gas deposits.

According to Huttunen, when district heating networks started to be built in the 1950s, natural gas was not even an option. The Soviet Union started exporting gas in the mid-1970s, and by that time, district heating networks in Finland had already been practically completed.

Finland's wood processing industry started co-production of electricity and heat before the Second World War. Later, the lessons learned from the wood processing sector were adopted by cities, which started building plants that produce both electricity and heat.

Wood, oil and nuclear power are the main sources of heating and electricity production in Finland.

Even more snow

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) is forecasting over 10 centimetres of fresh snowfall around most of the country over the next few days, and 20cm to 30cm in some areas, according to Helsingin Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun).

FMI has issued warnings of hazardous driving conditions in the north on Monday, and the same in southern, central and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday.

Temperatures over the next few weeks will remain a few degrees below the average.

In the dark

It's the time of year that we here in Finland spend much of our time in the dark.

In an item that might bring readers some comfort, Hufvudstadsbladet reports (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that Tuesday, at least for a brief time, almost all of humanity will be in the dark.

On 6 December, at 9:56 PM local time, the most populated areas in the world will simultaneously be on the night side of the earth - nearly 9 out of 10 people worldwide will experience darkness at the same time.

Although the sun will be up in the Americas, New Zealand and most of Australia, the earth is much more densely populated around Asia, Africa and Europe, meaning that a full 86 percent of humanity will have the sun at least 18 degrees below the horizon, and so some darkness, all at the same time on Tuesday.

[ausetkmt]

Racism and economic inequality have predisposed black workers to be most hurt by coronavirus pandemic | Economic Policy Institute

A new report by director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy Valerie Wilson and senior economist Elise Gould explores how racial and economic inequality have left many black workers with few good options for protecting both their health and economic well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. Persistent racial disparities in health status, access to health care, wealth, employment, wages, housing, income, and poverty all contribute to greater susceptibility to the virus—both economically and physically.

The authors explain there are three main groups of workers in the COVID-19 economy: those who have lost their jobs and face economic insecurity, those who are essential and face health insecurity, and those who are able to continue working from the safety of their homes. Black workers are least likely to be in that last group, with more economic and health security.

As of April, less than half of the adult black population was employed. The black unemployment rate, even in the tightest of labor markets, remains significantly higher than the white unemployment rate. As of the latest data, the black unemployment rate is 16.7%, compared with a white unemployment rate of 14.2%.

While black workers make up about one in nine workers overall, they make up about one in six of all front-line industry workers. They are disproportionately represented in employment in grocery, convenience, and drug stores, public transit, trucking, warehouse, and postal service, health care, and child care and social services. While, in the near-term, this protects them from job loss, it exposes them to greater likelihood of contracting COVID-19 while performing their jobs. Fewer than one in five black workers in the pre-pandemic economy were able to work from home.

“As workers across the country lose their jobs in record numbers, the devastation of those job losses is magnified for black workers and their families,” said Gould. “Furthermore, black workers are more likely to be found on the front lines. They are doing essential work every day, while being at risk of being exposed to the virus. They deserve to be paid adequately, provided personal protective equipment, paid sick days, and health care, a safe workplace, and a union to advocate for them.”

The report explains that black workers are less able to weather such a storm because a long history of racial exclusion, discrimination, and inequality have resulted in fewer earners in their families, lower incomes, and lower liquid wealth than white workers. Overall, white families hold, on average more than five times as much liquid assets as black families do ($49,529 vs. $8,762.) In 2018, median household income for white households was 70% higher than for black households ($70,642 vs. $41,692).

Black Americans’ share of those who have died from COVID-19 nationally is nearly double their share of the U.S. population. They also experience preexisting health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and diabetes, which are associated with greater risk of death from the coronavirus at higher rates than white Americans. Black workers are also 60% more likely to be uninsured than white workers. This is likely an additional contributing factor to the disparity in chronic illnesses, and it also might result in uninsured workers waiting longer to seek care for suspected coronavirus symptoms.

“The global impact of COVID-19, both in lives lost and economic devastation, is likely to leave a lasting mark for years to come,” said Wilson. “The best path forward requires that the painful lessons learned during this crisis better prepare us for the next one. If we are to avoid the needlessly heavy burden born by African Americans during the next economic or public health crisis, preparation must include plans to address long-standing underlying racial disparities in economic and health outcomes.”

[90363462]

NEWS

Home › Race Matters

D.C. Becoming ‘Chocolate City’ Again After Pandemic ‘White Flight’ Reverses Gentrification Trend

The Census Bureau released new data this week.

Written By Bruce C.T. Wright

Posted July 1, 2022

@bctw

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Double dutch jump roping is shown during D.C.’s Chocolate City Experience around Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 27, 2020. | Source: The Washington Post / Getty

There are now fewer white people who call the nation’s capital home than there were before the pandemic in a demographic shift that is helping to restore the “Chocolate City” nickname that had increasingly become a misnomer in recent years.

During 12 months in the middle of the COVID-19pandemic, more than 10,000 non-Hispanic white people fled Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post, which cited newly released Census data. Those findings show a serious reversal of white people moving to the city that is part of a larger heated debate about the effects that gentrificationhas had on the District of Columbia’s Black population.

MORE: The Fight For D.C. Statehood Is A 21st Century Civil Rights Issue

Related Stories

Charlottesville City Council Vote To Melt Down Robert E. Lee Statue And Hire Black Artists To Rebuild New Monument

“In the four years preceding the pandemic, the city had been adding non-Hispanic White residents at a rate of around 4,000 to 5,000 each year,” the Post reported. “But between July 2020 and July 2021, it lost 10,285 people from that group, according to the bureau’s annual population estimates for the nation, states and counties by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.”

The apparent so-called “white flight” — the phenomenon of white people fleeing urban areas in droves — was consistent with trends in other major cities ravaged by the coronavirus.

Those numbers may not be reflected on the official Census Bureau page for Washington, D.C., which shows the city has a Black population of 45.8% compared to a white population of 45.9%.

While that margin is as slim as can be, the number of white people eclipsing Black people in a city renowned for its Black population has prompted a number of questions.

Back in the 1980s, as much as 70% of the city’s population was estimated to be Black people. Decades later, that majority was threatened before finally being eclipsed by white residents in 2015.

The number of white people living in D.C. had been steadily increasing until the Census Bureau released its new findings Thursday.

A glaring example of the surge of white people living in Black D.C. neighborhoods came in 2019 when Howard University students and community residents attended an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting to voice concerns with white, local residents using the historically Black college campus to walk their dogs.

And separately nearby, new residents living in a luxury apartment building complained about a decades-long tradition of a store on the corner of Florida Avenue and 7th Street in the Shaw neighborhood playing go-go music from speakers outside the business.

A 2017 study published by Georgetown University analyzing the impact of the district’s booming economy on Black residents painted a picture of profound economic disparities between the city’s Black and white residents. The average net worth of a white household was $284,000 compared to just $3,500 for Black households.

There was also a huge gap in median annual incomes: Whites with $120,000 and Blacks with $41,000.

The disproportionate number of new jobs in D.C. requiring at least a bachelor’s degree stood in stark contrast with the 12% of Black D.C. residents being college graduates as of 2014, the study noted.

Consequently, White residents were able to pay more for housing, which has driven up costs and reduced available affordable housing.

Those types of inequalities stem from a history of discrimination that pushed the District’s Black residents to the fringes of the economy, the study said. Historic discriminatory practices have ranged from segregated schools to redlining, a racist practice in which banks refused to lend money to Black entrepreneurs and home buyers.

SEE ALSO:

‘New Soul Of Harlem’: Restaurant Ad Showing Only White Patrons Sparks Outrage, Briefly

Gentrification In Detroit: Non-Black Residents Sue For Housing Discrimination

Watch Gentrifier Whitesplain Why He Wants D.C. To Lose Some Of Its Black Culture

15 PHOTOS

BLACK PEOPLE , CENSUS , DC GENTRIFICATION , GENTRIFICATION , NEWSLETTER , WASHINGTON D.C. , WHITE PEOPLE

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[kiranadhavmarketstudy]

Woodworking Machinery Market is expected to expand at an impressive rate by 2028 with leading player's

The research reports provide deep insights into the global market revenue, market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness per market segment. The report provides an overview of the growth rate of Woodworking Machinery  market during the forecast period, i.e., 2022–2030. The report, most importantly, identifies the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies. The research segments the market on the basis of product type, application type, technology type, and region. To offer more clarity regarding the industry, the report takes a closer look at the current status of various factors, including but not limited to supply chain management, distribution Trade, channels, supply and demand, and production capability differ across countries.

Get Exclusive Sample Pages of this Report @   https://iconmarketresearch.com/inquiry/sample/IMR1681    

Woodworking Machinery  Market Company Profiles Analysis:

SCM Group

HOMAG Group

Paolino Bacci

Biesse Group

Michael Weinig AG

Otto Martin Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Oliver Machinery Co.

Holytek Industrial Corp.

IMA Schelling Group GmbH

Note – The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is impacting society and the overall economy across the world. The impact of this pandemic is growing day by day as well as affecting the supply chain. The COVID-19 crisis is creating uncertainty in the stock market, massive slowing of supply chain, falling business confidence, and increasing panic among the customer segments. The overall effect of the pandemic is impacting the production process of several industries. This report on ‘Woodworking Machinery  Market’ provides the analysis on impact on Covid-19 on various business segments and country markets. The reports also showcase market trends and forecast to 2030, factoring the impact of Covid -19 Situation.

Market Segmentation:

Woodworking Machinery Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Thickness Planer, Grinding Machines, Chain Or Chisel Mortise, Routers, Wood Lathes), By Operating Principal (Electrical, Mechanical), By Sales Channel (Online, Offline), By End-User (Furniture Industry, Construction Industry), Global Industry Insights, Trends, and Forecast, 2021-2028.

For More Discount Details @     https://iconmarketresearch.com/inquiry/discount/IMR1681

Regional Framework

The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides an overview and forecast of the global Woodworking Machinery  Market based on various segments. It also provides market size and forecast estimates from the year 2022 to 2028 with respect to five major regions. The Woodworking Machinery  Market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers the analysis and forecast of 18 countries globally along with the current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.

Promising Regions & Countries Mentioned in The Woodworking Machinery  Market Report:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

The Middle East & Africa

Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

About Us:

Icon Market Research is a one-stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. Through our syndicated and consulting research services, we help our clients get solutions to their research requirements. We specialise in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Défense, Energy, Automotive and Transportation, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Construction, Media and Technology, Chemicals, and Materials.

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Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global Woodworking Machinery  market.

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The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global Woodworking Machinery  market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies.

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.

Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution.

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[covid-safer-hotties]

Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells - Published Oct 5, 2021

An excellent in-depth primer for those interested in the mechanics behind a covid infection.

Abstract

The unprecedented public health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been met with an equally unprecedented scientific response. Much of this response has focused, appropriately, on the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells, and in particular the binding of the spike (S) protein to its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and subsequent membrane fusion. This Review provides the structural and cellular foundations for understanding the multistep SARS-CoV-2 entry process, including S protein synthesis, S protein structure, conformational transitions necessary for association of the S protein with ACE2, engagement of the receptor-binding domain of the S protein with ACE2, proteolytic activation of the S protein, endocytosis and membrane fusion. We define the roles of furin-like proteases, transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and cathepsin L in these processes, and delineate the features of ACE2 orthologues in reservoir animal species and S protein adaptations that facilitate efficient human transmission. We also examine the utility of vaccines, antibodies and other potential therapeutics targeting SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanisms. Finally, we present key outstanding questions associated with this critical process.

All posts from this blog avaliable at our online archive

[mariacallous]

Today’s newsletter is about a recent report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

But it’s also about a major policy initiative that helped lots of Americans even though almost nobody seems to have noticed — and how that lack of attention has made it more difficult to renew the program now that it has expired.

The subject of the report is child care. As you may know firsthand ― or if you’ve read HuffPost’s coverage of the issue ― finding quality, affordable child care providers in the U.S. is difficult. A big reason is that it costs a lot of money to run a high-performing child care center, and the fees to sustain that kind of operation are more than many families can afford.

These problems have existed for years but got even worse during the coronavirus pandemic, when public health closures and illness-related absences reduced revenue for providers, putting some into debt while forcing others to reduce capacity or close. Those that survived struggled to hire (or rehire) workers once demand returned, in part because they were increasingly competing with retail and hospitality industries that could raise wages more easily.

The federal government stepped in by providing $24 billion in emergency assistance as part of the American Rescue Plan, which Democrats in Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed in early 2021. The money went directly to state governments, which, in turn, gave it to providers. Some used it for workers, while others used it to maintain equipment or acquire equipment. Others paid off debts.

All of this made a big difference, according to that new Council of Economic Advisers report I mentioned.

In particular, the council’s economists determined, emergency child care money:

“Saved families with young children who rely on paid child care,”

“Helped hundreds of thousands of women with young children enter or reenter the workforce more quickly,” and

“Boosted the child care workforce and helped raise the real wages of child care workers.”

These conclusions make intuitive sense. And although the council is part of the White House, its staff is composed of well-credentialed economists who have a legal mandate to provide objective analysis ― and these conclusions make intuitive sense. In other words, there’s good reason to think this Biden-Democratic initiative propped up child care at a moment of crisis, preserving access for a significant number of families.

That’s a big deal. Just ask any working parent — or any employer, for that matter. But few Americans even realize Biden and the Democrats in Congress took this action, let alone that it had such an impact.

So what happened? And what does that tell us about how politics works nowadays? I have a few ideas about that...

Why Nobody Noticed The Child Care Money

For one thing, the child care assistance was part of a larger bill that never generated much of a substantive debate, except when it came to its overall size. And it went through Congress at a time when other news stories, such as the distribution of (still new) COVID vaccines, were getting a lot more attention.

What’s more, the assistance wasn’t in the form of checks with Biden’s name on them that went to families. It was money that went through states directly to providers.

Then there’s the fact that the program’s effects consisted primarily of things that didn’t happen rather than things that did. Child care costs didn’t rise as fast as they would otherwise. Providers that would have closed stayed open. Workers who might have left child care for positions in retail or hospitality didn’t. Working parents, especially women, didn’t cut back hours or leave the workforce.

You’re not going to recognize this kind of effect unless you contemplate the counterfactual ― in other words, what might have happened without the assistance in place. And that’s just not how most people think.

What’s Happening To Child Care Now

As it happens, a version of that counterfactual may be starting to play out now, because the temporary assistance program has expired. On Oct. 1, the federal government stopped writing new assistance checks.

That might not seem significant, given that the pandemic emergency is effectively over. But the system’s pre-existing problems are still there ― and now appear to be compounded by other, newer factors, like those tight labor markets that make it even harder for providers to hire and retain qualified workers.

It takes a while for money to work its way through government bureaucracies, so it’s going to take time to see just how big a deal the end of federal emergency funds will be. Many experts (including several quoted in this October Vox article) have raised questions about the most dire predictions, which suggest 3 million child care slots could vanish nationwide.

But it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some fallout. Already there are reports of sporadic closures around the country. That includes in rural communities of western North Carolina, where a nonprofit agency called the Southwestern Child Development Commission announced in late October that seven centers were shutting down.

Sheila Hoyle, the commission’s executive director, confirmed to me by phone that the end of federal emergency funds was the catalyst that led to the closings, which in turn reduced available slots for children by more than 300. And while many of the kids ended up with other providers, Hoyle said, the new arrangements for families — at least, the ones that were able to find them — are generally less well-suited to parent working hours, came with higher expenses for parents, or both.

“We’re asking our parents to patch together programs that weren’t designed to fulfill the needs of working parents, and we need to ask what happens to that child,” Hoyle said. “There’s Grandma or Grandpa on Tuesday, and Daddy gets off early on Fridays, and Mama tries to do Monday and Wednesday, and then you take them to a relative’s house or a next-door neighbor’s house.”

“It’s all just getting by,” Hoyle added, “and just getting by is not what we intend for young children who need a good solid early childhood learning experience while their families work, so that they can succeed in school and eventually become successful young adults.”

How ‘Invisible’ Policy Creates Political Problems

The Biden administration and Democratic leaders in Congress want to do something about that, by restoring at least some of the funding, starting with $16 billion for the coming year. The hope is to attach something to a must-pass spending bill whenever an opportunity presents itself.

But it will take political pressure to round up the votes, especially given Republican skepticism of federal spending and conservative doubts about the structure of federal child care assistance. And it’s hard to generate pressure to restore a program most Americans never knew existed.

Of course, this is not exactly a new problem for Biden, or for Democrats more generally.

Programs nowadays frequently operate invisibly through indirect grants to states or via the tax code, in what political scientist Susan Mettler has called “the submerged state.” Other initiatives are more visible but, like the pandemic child care finding, have primarily prevented bad outcomes rather than creating good ones.

Those problems help explain why, for example, Democrats weren’t able to extend another pandemic measure, a tax credit for children, even though its existence had caused child poverty to plummet. It expired at the end of 2021. Now child poverty is back up, and virtually nobody seems to recognize what it accomplished or Biden’s role in initially reducing it ― making it even harder to get such a program going again. It’s even possible that the expiration of these programs is contributing to voter frustration with Biden, saddling him with blame for the end of assistance that he’s been trying to save.

Politics is like that sometimes, with credit or blame for policy falling in ways that align poorly with what elected officials have actually done. But if Biden and the Democrats lose next November, the chances of meaningful new investments in child care — and plenty of other, similar needs — will be even lower than they are now.

[industrynewsupdates]

Molecular Cytogenetics Market: Key Insights and Growth Trends

The global molecular cytogenetics market was valued at USD 2.02 billion in 2022, and it is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% from 2023 to 2030. This substantial growth is driven by several key factors, including the increasing incidence of oncology cases, ongoing technological advancements in chromosome analysis tools, and the growing shift toward personalized medicine. Additionally, the rise in workshops and conferences focused on cytogenetic analysis is accelerating market expansion by fostering knowledge-sharing and technological adoption. For example, in April 2023, the University of Madras organized a hands-on workshop on genomic techniques in clinical diagnostics, which included a focus on cytogenetic analysis. Such events help spread awareness of the latest advancements and encourage greater use of molecular cytogenetics in healthcare and research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a positive impact on the molecular cytogenetics industry, though in unexpected ways. The urgent global need for rapid and accurate diagnostic testing during the pandemic spurred significant advancements in molecular cytogenetics techniques. Researchers and healthcare providers urgently needed faster, more efficient methods for detecting genetic abnormalities linked to COVID-19, which led to the acceleration of genomic testing technologies. This urgency also advanced the development and implementation of cytogenetic methods that could rapidly identify viral mutations and genetic markers in both the virus and its human hosts.

Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the importance of genomic surveillance to track the spread of viruses, including mutations and variants of concern, such as the Delta and Omicron strains of the coronavirus. This has prompted increased investments in molecular cytogenetic research and the development of genomic infrastructure. As a result, the industry has made significant strides in viral genomics and transmission dynamics, which will continue to impact the broader cytogenetics market moving forward. 

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Molecular Cytogenetics Market

Regional Insights

North America

In 2022, North America held the largest share of the molecular cytogenetics market, with a revenue share of 45.97%. This dominance is primarily attributed to the presence of major local players, such as Agilent Technologies, Inc., alongside the region's advanced healthcare infrastructure. Other key drivers of growth in this region include:

• Increasing research funding: There has been a notable rise in financial support for research in molecular cytogenetics, which has bolstered the development of new technologies and applications.

• Growing awareness of advanced laboratory techniques: As medical professionals and researchers become more aware of cutting-edge diagnostic tools and techniques, the demand for molecular cytogenetic products has risen.

• High incidence of genetic and chronic diseases: The region has a high rate of genetic disorders and chronic diseases, which further drives the need for molecular cytogenetic testing. For instance, according to the CDC, approximately 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States every year, emphasizing the need for genetic testing and early diagnosis.

• Regulatory environment: North America benefits from an efficient regulatory framework that supports the administration of genetic tests, creating a favorable environment for market growth. The established standards and regulatory bodies in the region help ensure the quality and safety of products, which contributes to their adoption in clinical settings.

Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the fastest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecast period. Key factors contributing to the anticipated growth in this region include:

• Economic growth: The steady GDP growth in countries like China and India is expected to significantly improve consumer buying power. As the economic conditions improve, more healthcare investments are likely to flow into the molecular cytogenetics market.

• Workshops and interventions: Various educational workshops, conferences, and training programs in the region are helping to spread knowledge about molecular cytogenetics and advanced diagnostic techniques. These initiatives also foster collaboration and innovation in the field.

• Advancements in disease management: Ongoing improvements in the management of genetic and chronic diseases are encouraging the adoption of molecular cytogenetics. Many countries in the region are making strides in both healthcare infrastructure and disease management technologies.

• Increased awareness: Growing awareness about the importance of advanced therapies and diagnostic tools among the population is anticipated to drive demand. The region is seeing increased attention from both governments and private sector players to improve public health outcomes through better diagnostic solutions.

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Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Several key companies dominate the global molecular cytogenetics market, focusing on strategic initiatives such as expansion, the development of innovative medical devices, and technological advancements. Partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions are common strategies used to enhance product offerings and expand market presence. For example, in June 2023, Oxford Gene Technology (OTG) entered into a partnership with Applied Spectral Imaging (ASI) to enhance OTG’s cytogenetic imaging and analysis solutions in Great Britain. This collaboration is expected to improve workflow automation and increase efficiency, enabling quicker and more accurate diagnostic decision-making.

Key Molecular Cytogenetics Companies

Some of the major players operating in the global molecular cytogenetics market include:

• BIOVIEW

• Danaher

• MetaSystems

• Agilent Technologies, Inc.

• Abbott

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

• Illumina, Inc.

• Oxford Gene Technology

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

• PerkinElmer Inc.

Order a free sample PDF of the Molecular Cytogenetics Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

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The Steam Trap Market Will Grow at Highest Pace Owing to Rising Demand in Oil and Gas Industries

The Steam trap market involves the production of steam trap products used in steam systems to automatically release condensed air and water from steam lines, gathering systems and process equipment while keeping stem from escaping. Steam traps prevent economic and efficiency losses associated with the loss of steam from leakage. The steam trap product offerings include thermostatic, thermodynamic and other advanced steam traps suited for industrial applications.

The global steam trap market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2.32 Billion in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.8% over the forecast period 2024 to 2031. Key Takeaways Key players operating in the steam trap market are Emerson, Flowserve, Armstrong, Spirax Sarco, Schlumberger, Thermax, CIRCOR, Velan, Watts Water Technologies and others. Steam traps find widespread adoption in oil and gas, power, chemical, food & beverage and other process industries where steam is used for heating and other process requirements. With growing demand for steam traps from oil and gas industries, the market players are focusing on expanding their product portfolio and offering technologically advanced steam trap solutions suited for critical industrial applications. Growing demand in oil and gas industries:

Steam Trap Market Forecats injection plays an indispensable role in oil extraction from mature oilfields. This is propelling the demand for steam traps from oil & gas industries. Additionally, steam is widely used in LNG terminals for regasification, further driving the need for steam traps. Technological advancements:

Market players are focusing on developing innovative steam trap technologies such as thermostatic trap with advanced thermostatic elements, non-intrusive smart trap monitors and modular trap stations. This is improving functionality and enabling condition monitoring of steam traps. Market Trends Adoption of IIoT integrated steam traps: Integrating steam traps with industrial internet of things (IIoT) enables remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. Players are offering IIoT integrated smart steam traps with wireless communication capabilities. Growing demand from renewables industry: Use of steam in biomass power plants and solar thermal power production is driving the demand. Biomass plants use steam for processing biomass feedstock. Market Opportunities Greenfield LNG projects in North America and Asia: Major greenfield LNG terminals are in pipelineover the coming years. This will boost demand for high-performance steam traps. Subsea production in deepwater oilfields: Subsea production using thermostatic steam traps reduces risk of overheating and improves efficiency of offshore oil extraction. This presents opportunities. Impact of COVID-19 on Steam Trap Market Growth The Steam Trap Market News is coronavirus pandemic severely impacted in the 2020. The strict lockdowns imposed across various regions led to closure of several manufacturing plants and disruption in supply chains. This hampered the demand for steam traps from end-use industries such as power generation, oil & gas, chemical, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, and others. With restrictions being gradually lifted in 2021, the market saw signs of recovery as manufacturing activities resumed partially. However, plants continue to operate at sub-optimal levels due to workforce shortage and constraints in logistic operations. This affected the replacement demand and new projects incorporating steam traps. The suppliers faced challenges in terms of inadequate labor, obtaining raw materials, and transporting finished products. Looking ahead, the market is anticipated to demonstrate steady growth post-pandemic. Various government initiatives to boost the manufacturing sector coupled with resumption of construction projects will propel the demand. Furthermore, rising need to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption in industries will support market expansion. The key players are focusing on developing smart steam traps with advanced controls and remote monitoring capabilities to gain traction. Get more insights on, Steam Trap Market

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Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravina-pandya-1a3984191)