A government survey of manufacturing activity released Thursday fell to 49.6 in September, down from 50.1 in August. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction — and in this case, it was the first time the official survey showed activity shrinking since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Factories are getting dinged by […]
Month: September 2021
Automakers’ problems are much worse than we thought
Industry experts say automakers are having trouble getting all manner of parts and raw materials for a variety of reasons, including Covid-related plant shutdowns by suppliers, logistical problems involving shortages of ships, shipping containers and truck drivers, and difficulty that some suppliers are having filling jobs. That’s making the cost […]
Return On Investment Through Electric Bills
Availing panel system is an investment. They are expensive, especially if they are paid in cash. That’s why most people have doubts when deciding to get one. Since it is an investment, there should always be an ROI (return on investment). The way solar owners can get their money back […]
What we learned this week in the trial of Elizabeth Holmes
Here’s what you need to know. One of the most potentially damning testimonies came on Tuesday, when nurse practitioner Audra Zachman and then her patient, Brittany Gould, took the stand. Zachman, who works at an OB/GYN practice in Phoenix, Arizona, testified she requested a hormone test to help track the […]
Energy prices in Europe hit record highs. A winter crisis looms
The wholesale cost of natural gas has surged to record highs in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Bills for households and businesses are already soaring, and could go even higher as cold weather sets in and more fuel is needed for electricity generation and heating systems. “We’ve […]
Energy prices: IEA urges Russia to pump more natural gas to Europe
The Paris-based group said in a statement that while Russia is fulfilling its long-term contracts to European customers, exports are down from their 2019 level. Russia is the European Union’s largest supplier of natural gas. “The IEA believes that Russia could do more to increase gas availability to Europe and […]
Evergrande’s debt crisis is wreaking havoc on Hong Kong’s stock market
Shares of Evergrande Group plummeted 10% in Hong Kong on Monday, hitting just 2.28 Hong Kong dollars ($0.29) per share. The stock has shed 84% so far this year, plunging below its 2009 IPO price of 3.5 Hong Kong dollars ($0.45). The Hang Seng Index (HSI) on Monday dropped 3.3%, […]
This mobile app is helping Afghans navigate Kabul following the Taliban takeover
Days later, when two suicide bombing explosions killed more than 70 people near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport as people frantically tried to evacuate, the startup used its contacts on the ground to confirm the twin attacks within minutes. Ehtesab was created three years ago to provide real-time alerts and information […]
SpaceX’s Inspiration4 launches four people to orbit in company’s first-ever tourism mission
The launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida was dramatically illuminated with spotlights against the night sky, and when the SpaceX rocket’s nine engines fired up just after 8 pm ET it flooded the surrounding wetlands with a blaze of light as it soared into the upper atmosphere […]
Evergrande, Chinese property giant, warns again that it could default on its enormous debts
The embattled Chinese property giant has already warned in recent weeks of its cash crisis, listing $300 billion in total liabilities and saying that it could default if it’s unable to raise money quickly. Should that happen, the effects would be felt across China’s banking system and the wider economy. […]