In short:
- Eurozone inflation hit a new high of 10.7%.
- US flu-related hospitalizations highest in 10 years.
- Marshall Fire victims could experience a similar fire within two years.
Eurozone inflation hit a new high of 10.7%; Changes to Affordable Care Act; The UK should expect gas and turkey shortages.
If you’re shopping for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year, there are some changes to be aware of, such as your family might now qualify for a subsidy, abortion coverage will vary, and debts owed to insurers or to the IRS won’t stop coverage. The article has more details.
The Federal Reserve is going to raise interest rates again: Here’s how it may affect you. Morgan Stanley strategists, as well as economic research consultancy company Pantheon Macro, believe the Fed’s last interest rate hike to happen in December:
"How the Fed Could be Done After the December Rate Hike" @IanShepherdson https://t.co/drA9a7YqjR #PantheonMacro pic.twitter.com/x7f20dMri3
— Pantheon Macro (@PantheonMacro) October 31, 2022
Eurozone inflation hit another record high of 10.7% in October, up from 9.9% a month earlier. Inflation was driven by energy prices but also by food and imported industrial goods. As a result of those higher prices sapping Europeans’ spending power, economic growth also slowed ahead of a looming recession. The European Central Bank promised more tightening in December.
The International Dairy Foods Association says that butter churners have increased their capacity to meet holiday demand. But people should avoid hoarding butter in anticipation of shortages, lest it becomes a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Automakers, freight CEOs, and Kraft Heinz CEOs believe inflation and supply shortages are here to stay for a while but that we are never going to go back to the levels of stability that we used to have pre-Covid. And at the earliest, the distillate market might not return to normal before next summer. The UK should expect gas and turkey shortages this winter.
US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh warns that labor shortage presents a bigger risk than inflation or a recession. Walsh does not see the recent job gains reversing. Labor shortage also affects the UK, where almost 7 billion meals worth of food goes to waste every year due to a shortage of workers.
Biden will raise the possibility of imposing a ‘windfall tax’ on energy companies if they don’t boost domestic production, as the administration aims to combat high gas prices.
Flu-related hospitalizations highest in 10 years; New Covid symptoms might depend on vaccination status; Supreme Court leaves TSA masking ruling in place.
Flu-related hospitalizations are the highest in 10 years for this early in the season. Over 65s and young kids have the highest hospitalization rates. This is a level consistent with prior flu seasons for older adults but a relatively new high for children.
The most commonly reported Covid symptoms changed. Among fully vaccinated people (in order):
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Blocked nose
- Persistent cough
- Headache
For people who’ve had just one dose of the vaccine:
- Headache
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Persistent cough
For unvaccinated people:
- Headache
- Sore Throat
- Runny Nose
- Fever
- Persistent cough
According to WHO, tuberculosis deaths rose during the pandemic, reversing years of decline. More than 10 million people worldwide were sickened by tuberculosis in 2021, a 4.5% rise from the year before. About 450,000 cases involved people infected with drug-resistant TB, 3% more than in 2020. WHO blamed COVID-19 for much of the rise in TB, saying the pandemic continues to have a damaging impact on access to diagnosis and treatment.
The Supreme Court leaves the TSA mask requirement ruling in place.
The world’s largest active volcano is under a state of heightened unrest; Marshall Fire victims could experience a similar fire within two years; Dept. of Int. launching an expedited process to save Lake Mead and Powell.
A village in the Philippines hit by Nalgae/Paeng trained for tsunamis but got buried under a landslide instead. More than 2,000 villagers have carried out tsunami-related disaster-preparedness drills every year for decades. When people heard the warning bells, they ran to higher ground as they had been practicing, but they were buried under a landslide instead.
Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, is under a “state of heightened unrest“:
Full Report: https://t.co/8BHk5b3ZP8 pic.twitter.com/B0PLnolQcS
— COH Civil Defense (@CivilDefenseHI) October 31, 2022
A reminder to never risk your life by driving through flood waters: Data from Australia’s Royal Lifesaving National Drowning Report 2022 shows that of the flood-related deaths, more than 60% occurred in a vehicle. Studies of flood-related vehicle fatalities show risk factors include being male, driving a 4WD, and having high levels of confidence and experience as a driver. One analysis showed that 60% of victims died within 20km (about 12 miles) of their homes – suggesting a familiarity with the road.
The US Department of Interior will consider restricting water releases through the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams to prevent them from losing the ability to generate hydroelectricity.
A new report on the Marshall Fire in Colorado shows that Chinook winds will likely fuel similar fires in the future. And Louisville and Superior (the two municipalities affected the most by the fire) will likely experience a similar fire within a couple of years.
Texas’ water demand could outstrip its resources by 2070. Officials want to build a new reservoir, but experts say that surface water is becoming less and less reliable as the effects of climate change intensify:
A new study shows almost 1 million people in LA could experience a foot of flooding during an extreme storm. That is about 30 times more than FEMA forecasts. Black communities would be hit the hardest:
Yahoo News has started a series called ‘Finding safe haven in the climate change future,’ which analyzes different US regions and what clime risks they are facing. The first article is about the Northeast:
The Climate Shift Index is a new tool that shows how much global warming influences a certain day’s weather. Here’s the presentation video:
Russia resumed the grain blockade but Türkiye promised to keep the grain moving; Russia could continue conventional military operations through 2023.
Russia resumed the blockade on Ukraine’s grain exports, but Türkiye promises to keep grain moving despite this.
40% of Kyiv is without water and is experiencing rolling blackouts as a result of Russia’s attack on the infrastructure.
Norway is stepping up its military preparedness but says there is no reason to believe “Russia will want to invade Norway or any other country directly.”
The Institute for the Study of War predicts Russia will continue conventional military operations through 2023 instead of using tactical nuclear weapons or scaling back its objectives.
Russia recently threatened to blow up civilian satellites, but here is why blowing satellites up is harder than Putin would have you believe. Tangentially related: How long will GPS last if SHTF? What can break GPS?
The rest
More than 150 people died in a crowd surge in South Korea. A crowd crush or surge is different from a stampede. A crowd crush is when people are packed in a confined space and keep pushing, causing the crowd to fall in a “domino effect” making it hard for people to get up again or to breathe. The bigger the crowd, the stronger the effect of the crowd crush is. Here are some tips from crowd-safety experts on how to survive a stampede.
From last week’s Pelosi attempted murder, just wanted to make sure you saw this specific bit that’s very instructive:
We all know about the US’s cheese stockpile–now, finally, someone made an infographic about it!
Scientists at Boston University created a new technology that turns carbon dioxide (CO2) pumped from building air vents into fertilizer for rooftop gardens. Plants near the exhaust vents were four times bigger than the ones in the control group.
Here’s a detailed story about a hunter who recently survived an Alaskan bush plane crash.
The postcard used as the hero image in this news roundup is from a series called ‘50 States of Change’ by artist Hannah Rothstein. Each of the 50 US postcards depicts a country afflicted by wildfires, droughts, floods, insects, and algae blooms. Rothstein said she selected each state’s disaster-based projections from the National Climate Assessment and Climate Central’s States at Risk.
Halloween is statistically one of the deadliest nights for pedestrians — stay safe!
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