: An issue with your tissue? ‘Forever chemicals’ are in toilet paper, too.

Controversial PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' are used in everything from stain-resistant clothing to cookware. Add toilet paper to that list......»»

The EPA's proposal to filter PFAS out of drinking water "just doesn't go far enough," researchers say. Banning the chemicals is the real solution. Sara Dean and her 2-year-old son, Patrick, at their home in Parchment, Michigan, a few months after it was discovered that Parchment's drinking water was contaminated with high levels of PFAS.David Kasnic/The Washington Post/Getty Images Toxic PFAS, aka "forever chemicals," are in water, food, furniture, and clothes across the US. The EPA's new proposal to limit the substances in drinking water is a step in the right direction. But PFAS experts say the government should ban the chemicals in everyday products. "Forever chemicals" are toxic, they're everywhere, and they don't break down. The problem can be solved though, according to health experts and scientists, if the government bans the substances in household products.On Tuesday the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed strict limits on six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. It's the first time the government has moved to regulate PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals used in everything from dental floss and toilet paper, to common furniture treatments and food packaging.PFAS, aka "forever chemicals," take many years to leave the human body, which is a major problem since they're linked to multiple cancers, thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased fertility, asthma, allergies, and reduced vaccine response in children.The chemicals are prolific in everyday human environments — in our water, food, air, and even the dust in our homes.A child drinks bottled water in Reynosa, Mexico.Daniel Becerril/ReutersEPA's proposal to limit PFAS in drinking water is headed in the right direction, but it only addresses one source of day-to-day exposure."I think it's a great first step forward," Elsie Sunderland, a professor of environmental chemistry who leads environmental contaminants research at Harvard, told Insider.But we still have a long way to go.Given the enormity of the problem, the EPA's proposal for drinking water "just doesn't go far enough," Carmen Messerlian, a professor of reproductive environmental epidemiology at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, told Insider."The government needs to hold these companies strictly accountable at the highest level possible and say, 'No more PFAS, we're banning them'," said Messerlian, who studies PFAS' impacts on reproductive health.The hazards of PFAS productionPFAS have been detected in Antarctica, Arctic sea ice, on Mount Everest, throughout the oceans, and in rainwater and soil across the planet.A mother and daughter use buckets of collected rainwater to water plants in Murrurundi, New South Wales, Australia.ReutersWhile PFAS are linked to a slew of diseases and conditions, the chemicals may not cause everyone to develop health issues, but they increase the risk that some people will."There's probably a lot more impact. We just haven't been able to do the science to be able to show it," Messerlian said.Last year the EPA assessed the published science, to establish a baseline for future regulations: What level of certain PFAS in drinking water would cause no health impacts, even for especially vulnerable people? For PFOA, the agency determined that the safe quantity in drinking water was 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) and for PFOS it was 0.02 ppt.Those are below the levels that modern labs can reliably detect. So essentially, in EPA's eyes, a safe level of those two PFAS chemicals is zero.A woman applies makeup to her friend in Nashville, Tennessee.Harrison McClary/ReutersThe regulations proposed on Tuesday are two orders of magnitude higher than those ideal-world guidelines, at 4 ppt for both PFOA and PFOS. This is at least a level at which labs can reliably detect the substances, according to the EPA.Filtration systems can remove those chemicals from drinking water to meet these new rules, but that doesn't stop all the PFAS entering your body through food, furniture, and clothing."You can't just regulate in drinking water, without addressing the other side," Sunderland said, referring to the countless US companies selling products full of PFAS.It's worth noting that PFOA and PFOS have been phased out of production in the US since the 2000s. But thousands of other PFAS are still being manufactured. That means more and more of them are getting into the environment — and drinking water — every day.Ban forever chemicals to 'turn off the tap'The next big step for the US government should be getting PFAS out of household goods that don't need it — especially materials that touch food, experts told Insider.Food packaging often contains PFAS.Oscar Wong/Getty images"Obviously you want to stop the tap, turn off the tap," Ian Cousins, an environmental chemist who studies PFAS at the University of Stockholm, told Insider.The European Union has already proposed a ban on 10,000 PFAS. Cousins said it would make sense to do so in the US as well, though some "necessary uses" of PFAS may continue, such as in electrical wiring or for medical devices.Most likely some PFAS are not toxic, but a precautionary approach would treat them all as hazardous until they can be proven safe."In the future we might want to start thinking about regulating them as a class," Sunderland said.The root of the problem is a fatal flaw in US regulationEven if the government completely cuts off and cleans up PFAS, this will happen again with other chemicals if we don't solve a larger issue, Sunderland said.The root of the problem is that US regulation does not require that new chemicals be thoroughly vetted for safety or human-health hazards. Chemicals manufacturers are "innocent until proven guilty," Sunderland said, and the burden of proof falls on communities suing those companies over health issues they suspect were caused by new chemicals.Until that system changes, manufacturers can just keep inventing new compounds with unknown effects on the human body.At the very least, Messerlian said, companies should be required to disclose what's in their products so that consumers can make educated decisions."Can I stop myself from using everything under the sun that has PFAS in it? It'd be very, very hard. Even for someone who's an expert in this area like myself," she said."What we need is first and foremost, top-down approaches that actually hold these companies strictly accountable for what they're putting in our bodies."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The contaminants add to a long list of chemicals found in Southern Resident and Bigg's orcas, both of which are at risk of extinction. Robyn Phelps/Insider Scientists found Southern Resident and Bigg's orcas with 4-nonylphenol in their livers and skeletal muscles. 4NP is associated with the production of toilet paper. The scientists also discovered PFAS — known as forever chemicals — in the bodies of the killer whales. Orca whales are some of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. The species are full of chemicals — from "highly toxic and carcinogenic" PCBs to the infamous insecticide DDT.Now, a group of scientists has discovered another chemical of concern — and it's associated with toilet paper.Scientists at the University of British Columbia, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, found a chemical known as 4-nonylphenol — along with dozens of other chemicals — in the liver and skeletal tissue of 12 dead Southern Resident and Bigg's orcas.The chemical 4NP belongs to a group of chemicals known as alkylphenols, which UBC researcher Juan José Alava described to Insider as "very toxic."Although Alava, and other researchers who spoke to Insider, noted it is too early to decisively conclude how orcas are affected by 4NP, their discovery raises some alarm.The amount of 4NP found in the killer whales, which tended to be higher in the blood-rich liver tissues, reached exceptionally higher in one calf. "These contaminants basically can affect reproduction, development, and we know, based on the weight of evidence, affect cognitive function and also the nervous system," Alava said. "So we are here talking about contamination that is harmful to the environment and harmful to this species of killer whales." Alava said that the exact source of 4NP affecting whales is unknown, the chemical can be found primarily in sewage sludge and wastewater treatment plants. It is also used in detergents and cosmetic products.In addition to 4NP, over half of the contaminants discovered in the orcas belonged to a category of chemicals known as PFAS — commonly referred to as forever chemicals because of their difficulty breaking down in the environment. PFAS can be found in drinking water, fish, and in trace amounts in human blood, and can heighten the risk for diseases like cancer and liver disease in humans.The study authors noted that it was the first time 7:3-fluorotelomer carboxylic acid, a type of PFA, was found in an orca from the Pacific Northwest. Alava noted that 7:3 FTCA has not been found in British Columbia before, and could indicate that the pollutant is moving its way through the food systems.'They're just being killed by 1,000 cuts'Although Biggs and Southern Residents are both threatened by the possibility of extinction, Southern Residents, whose numbers are failing to grow, have scientists especially concerned. In addition to habitat loss, climate change, and entanglement in fishing gear, Southern Resident orcas struggle with their food supply. Overfishing means that there is not enough food. And contaminants in the environment mean that when there is food, it could very well be full of chemicals. Because orcas eat so much, they usually have a higher concentration of chemicals in comparison to their smaller marine counterparts.Southern Residents rely on Chinook salmon to supplement their diet. The discovery of chemicals in their system means that Chinook salmon also have contaminants in their system — a warning for people who also consume the salmon. But more than that, a lack of a good food supply is affecting the reproduction of orcas, Deborah Giles, a scientist and research director at the nonprofit Wild Orca, told Insider.Giles' own research found that 69% of pregnancies held by Southern Resident Orcas were unsuccessful, with 33% failing late into the pregnancy or immediately after birth."And those females that are losing their calves are nutritionally deprived which of course works to increase the impacts of chemicals," Giles said. Chemicals are also being transferred between mothers and fetuses. The UBC study, which looked at a Southern Resident known as J32, found that all the chemicals found in her were transferred to her fetus. J32 died in 2014 while trying to give birth to her fetus, Giles noted."They're just being really truly killed by 1000 cuts," Giles said.'This is just the tip of the iceberg'"Too few" orcas had been screened to determine the scope of 4NP contamination in killer whales, study authors noted, but even getting this amount of data on orcas —  which are usually studied after they are dead — is an impressive task. Alava told Insider that because of limited access to orca whale organs, he doesn't believe him or the team he worked with will be able to do a necropsy study like this again any time soon. The lack of data means there are still many unanswered questions: Why are some species less affected by certain chemicals than others? How much of a role do these chemicals play in the endangerment of this species? How many chemicals will researchers continue to find? And which of the dozens of detrimental chemicals found in the environment should scientists and regulators focus on when trying to save the species?Irvin Schultz, a manager at NOAA's Environmental Chemistry Program, who spoke with Insider about the research, also said that because these particular chemicals have not been screened before, more needs to be done to determine their true impact on the species."It's definitely more than trace levels," Schultz said. "So it is something that gets your attention, and maybe it's definitely something to continue to measure and keep track of."Schultz, whose lab focuses on measuring other contaminants — like polyaromatic hydrocarbons that occur naturally after burning fossil fuels — says it's also important to keep in mind that killer whales are being exposed to so many more contaminants."The real value for this study is providing some data for compounds that haven't been monitored or measured as frequently," Schultz said.And scientists like Giles are continuing to pay attention to what other unknown chemicals killer whales may be holding in their bodies."My guess is that the more we look, the more we're going to find with regard to chemicals, manmade chemicals that are finding their way through the food web and into our apex predators like whales," Giles said. "And I think that's the terrifying part for me is that I do believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg with regard to what we will find." Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Using toilet paper alternatives, like bidets and paper not made from trees, can help us go easy on the planet. But the answers aren't always simple. Using toilet paper alternatives, like bidets and paper not sourced from trees, can help us go easy on the planet. But the answers aren't always simple.djedzura/Getty Images Using conventional toilet paper sourced from trees can be destructive to the environment.  Alternatives such as bidets and paper produced from bamboo and sugarcane can help the planet. Some brands, like No. 2 and Who Gives A Crap, are trying to make inroads with potty humor. It's not something we talk a lot about in polite company, but how we go has got to go. The production of toilet paper used in the US is literally cutting into what advocates credit with being one of the most important carbon repositories, the vast northern forests of Canada. Now, as more alternatives to conventional toilet paper enter the market, there are greater options for consumers who don't like the thought of wiping away all that sequestered carbon with every flush.Estimates vary, but only about 25 to 30% of the world's population uses toilet paper. Many people use water. And even when they do, it can amount to less water per use than is needed to produce toilet paper. The average American spins through 141 rolls a year.The good news is there are now more options for going paper-free in markets where TP is king, like the US, Germany, and the UK. There are slick add-ons that can give a toilet bidet superpowers. And there are fancy toilets with built-in bum-cleaning features, though prices for some high-end models befit actual thrones.Yet the nascent waterworks show in the West is nothing compared with places such as Japan, where high-tech toilets are the norm and tourism boosters might consider the tagline, "Come for the sushi. Stay for the toilets."Can you spare a square?Greater choice in the porcelain arena is becoming serious business beyond concerns about hygiene and comforts we never knew we needed until that trip to Osaka. Backers of toilet paper made from alternative materials such as bamboo, sugarcane, and hemp say they can be a better choice for the environment — if produced properly — than new wood pulp from trees. As with most things climate, the calculus can be tricky. Some tree-free toilet paper is made from a byproduct of sugarcane production called bagasse. Shri Ramaswamy, a professor in the department of bioproducts and biosystems engineering at the University of Minnesota, said using the bagasse and preventing it from going to waste was, of course, a good thing. But if producers are slashing forests to grow the sugarcane, that's not a win for the climate."Just because it is nonwood, and they're not cutting trees, it doesn't mean it is sustainable," Ramaswamy said. He added, for example, that it's important to consider how much water goes into the production of a tree alternative to get a better sense of its environmental benefits. Meanwhile, the paper-products industry has continued to boost its overall use of recycled paper and reduce its use of some chemicals, Ramaswamy said.The Natural Resources Defense Council recommends that consumers look for the Forest Stewardship Council's "FSC" label to make sure, for example, that the bamboo used in toilet paper wasn't grown in places that were recently deforested. Even with traditional toilet paper made from trees, the more stringent FSC labels indicate that the paper products are produced in a responsible manner and with considerations for factors such as the rights of workers and Indigenous peoples' rights.The NRDC also puts out a scorecard that rates numerous tissue brands. Rolls made with 100% recycled paper rank best. Other lists highlight further options.Can potty humor boost the bottom line?Many of us likely haven't thought much about the logistics of going to the bathroom since we learned how. Some companies have been working to disrupt this most habitual of routines with elaborate wrappers and cheeky names like Who Gives a Crap and No. 2.Who Gives a Crap sells both rolls made from bamboo, which is fast-growing, and ones made from 100% recycled paper. The company also donates half its profits for toilet building and other sanitation projects in developing countries.No. 2 promotes its products as sustainably sourced and avoiding a distressing-sounding development it terms "butt crumble."Ryan Fritsch, a cofounder of Cloud Paper, a Seattle startup that makes toilet paper and paper towels from bamboo, said that there had been a limit for years to how many people would grab a "green" toilet paper off the store shelf because some of the early versions in the market weren't all that enjoyable when road-tested."It's no surprise that you can't turn a bunch of receipt paper, newsprint, whatever else, into a soft, comfortable paper product, and so, forever, the only people that have switched have been the kind of die-hards," he said.To boost the rolls of prospective users, Fritsch said Cloud Paper had gone through more than a dozen iterations of its bamboo tissue to achieve both the environmental benefits and the comfort that would please consumers."That's where you're going to see the kind of broad switch," he said, "when people really don't feel like they have to make that sacrifice."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

PFAS, aka forever chemicals, linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and impaired vaccine response are everywhere. We can still do something about it. The US Environmental Protection Agency is regulating PFAS, or "forever chemicals," in drinking water for the first time.Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are widespread, hazardous to human health, and don't break down. The US Environmental Protection Agency is taking the first steps toward federal regulation of PFAS. Here's what you should know about PFAS, how they harm health, how you're exposed, and what to do. PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are an increasingly notorious and widespread contaminant, and the federal government is about to take a giant step toward regulating them.The US Environmental Protection Agency just released a proposal for enforceable standards for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The agency aims to finalize the proposal by the end of the year.That would set a federal maximum on the amount of those PFAS allowed in drinking water, putting the PFAS class of chemicals in the ranks of regulated contaminants, alongside well-known toxic substances like lead, arsenic, and nitrate.People drink water from a six spigot water fountain in New York City.Mario Tama/Getty ImagesPFAS are a hazard to human health, and you're likely exposed to them every day. Still, companies, governments, and you yourself can take action to protect your health. Here's what you need to know.What are PFAS, aka forever chemicals?The abbreviation PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This class of chemicals was invented in the 1930s and quickly became ubiquitous.Since PFAS are resistant to heat, water, and grease, companies use them in many everyday products like food packaging, clothing, and cosmetics.Today, humans have created thousands of substances in the PFAS class. Two of them have been the focus of most scientific research: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).The new EPA proposal would set the threshold for those two substances at 4 nanograms per liter of drinking water. It also proposes a "hazard index" to set a limit on the combined quantity of four other PFAS in drinking water: PFNA, GenX, PFBS, and PFHxS.PFOA and PFOS have been phased out of most US production since the early 2000s, but other PFAS are still commonly manufactured.PFAS are nicknamed "forever chemicals" because most of them don't break down. Wherever they end up — in the environment, or in our bodies — they stay.Where are PFAS? How am I exposed to forever chemicals?A child drinks bottled water in Reynosa, Mexico.Daniel Becerril/ReutersPFAS have been found in food, food packaging, bottled water, makeup, menstrual products, toilet paper, artificial turf, and dental floss — to name a few examples. The chemicals are also typically a key ingredient in firefighting foams and water-repellent clothing like rain jackets.They're not limited to your things, though. During the production of PFAS, and during the use of products containing them, the chemicals get into the air, soil, and water. Rainwater and soil across the globe likely contain unsafe levels of PFAS."One of the number one sources of exposure is drinking water, but also our food," Carmen Messerlian, an environmental epidemiologist who studies PFAS at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, told Insider.Because of their widespread use, and because they don't break down, PFAS are in the blood of humans and animals all over the planet. They're probably even in the dust in your home.Communities across the US have especially high PFAS contamination in their drinking water, often due to a nearby industrial or military facility. Contaminated communities raised some of the earliest alarm about PFAS by suing manufacturers, in states including Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and West Virginia.How do PFAS affect your health?Peer-reviewed studies have linked PFAS to multiple cancers, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased fertility, low birth weights, asthma, allergies, and reduced vaccine response in children.In animal studies (which are not always representative of human-health impacts), PFAS have caused newborn deaths, low birth weight, birth defects, and delayed development.Lauren Woehr hands her 16-month-old daughter Caroline, held by her husband Dan McDowell, a cup filled with bottled water at their home in Horsham, Pennsylvania, a community affected by PFAS pollution.AP Photo/Matt Rourke"That's just the tip of the iceberg. This is only basically what we've been able to study," Messerlian added. "There's probably a lot more impact. We just haven't been able to do the science to be able to show it."Exposure to PFAS doesn't guarantee that you or your child will develop one of these conditions. But even at low levels, these substances can increase the risk that some people eventually will.US Environmental Protection Agency officials listen to members of the public comment during a PFAS Community Stakeholder Meeting, in Horsham, Pennsylvania.AP Photo/Matt RourkeThe potential effects are so varied because PFAS themselves are so varied — there are thousands of these substances, after all."You see all these strange things depending on which PFAS you're talking about and which organ system, but none of it's good," Elsie Sunderland, who leads environmental contaminants research at Harvard, told Insider. What can I do to protect myself from PFAS?Some strategies that could reduce your day-to-day exposure to PFAS include frequently dusting and vacuuming your home, opening windows regularly, not overheating your pans, and filtering your tapwater with devices that use reverse osmosis or granular activated carbon (aka charcoal).A property manager opens the window of a vacant house in the town Kamakura outside Tokyo.Thomas Peter/ReutersYou can also cut out products that are PFAS-heavy, by cooking and eating at home to avoid grease-resistant packaging, ditching Teflon pans from before the 2000s, and avoiding stain-resistant or water-resistant carpets and fabrics."You also have to think about the level of exposure and who you are," Sunderland said.For example, someone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or expecting to become pregnant might have more reason to cut down on PFAS, because it could have a heightened effect on their child.If your drinking water only has low levels of PFAS in it, maybe your most strategic approach would be to reexamine the cosmetics you use, or your food packaging or carpeting. Do they contain PFAS?A woman applies makeup to her friend in Nashville, Tennessee.Harrison McClary/Reuters"You can find things that don't have PFAS, and then that in turn helps those companies that innovated," Sunderland said.But vetting all the products you use is "almost Mission Impossible," according to Ian Cousins, an environmental chemist who studies PFAS at the University of Stockholm. It may not be worth it to worry about low-level exposure."Rather than being worried, I would say we should be really angry about what's happened," he previously told Insider.How can we solve this problem?Many experts have called for a blanket ban on the production of PFAS. At the very least, companies could stop putting PFAS in so many products."You can't just regulate in drinking water, without addressing the other side," Sunderland said, adding that you have to "turn off the source."She also said it would help for the US government to regulate PFAS as an entire class of chemicals, rather than piecemeal regulations on particular PFAS like PFOA or PFOS, as many state governments have done.In the meantime, more transparency from companies about what they're putting in their products would help consumers choose less toxic options. Pressure for more transparency can come from grassroots campaigns, Sunderland said, or from the government, or companies could do it voluntarily.Cleaning up highly contaminated sites is also key, both for protecting locals' health and for reducing the amount of PFAS pollution across the planet.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

On Saturdays we catch up with the non-finance related items that we didn’t get to earlier in the week. You can check... EnvironmentHow carbon credits have made biochar into a viable business. (wsj.com)Your toilet paper is full of forever chemicals. (fastcompany.com)Not every glacier is falling apart. (sciencenews.org)TechnologyHow AI will change, i.e. break, the business of search. (slate.com)ChatGPT will make misinformation easier and more impressive. (msn.com)ScienceWhat cosmologists are learning from the JWST. (quantamagazine.org)Why the Hubble Space Telescope is under threat from new satellites. (nytimes.com)Startup Astroscale is looking to eliminate space debris. (barrons.com)AnimalsDon't discount the long term impact of the disappearance of insects. (modernfarmer.com)On the downside of an early Spring for pollinators. (thecooldown.com)Why mink are a (viral) risk for humans. (msn.com)The Atlantic redfish is making a comeback. (hakaimagazine.com)Where in the world humans are at-risk of attack from large carnivores. (scientificamerican.com)BehaviorHow the DEA and FDA are to blame for Adderall shortages. (cnbc.com)How psilocybin could be used to treat anorexia. (ft.com)Telling lies can make you feel more confident. (msn.com)How music triggers memories in people with dementia. (wapo.st)How (and why) to do a dopamine fast. (artofmanliness.com)How your brain changes over a lifetime. (washingtonpost.com)Do you really want your therapist to also be an online influencer? (wired.com)MasksWhy are we still arguing about masks? (msn.com)The science behind masks is nuanced. Coverage of it is not. (unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com)Attractive people are less likely to wear a mask. (npr.org)CovidKnowing the origin of Covid-19, doesn't preclude us from preparing for the next pandemic. (vox.com)What we still don't know about the origins of Covid-19. (axios.com)At this point we have no idea how much Covid is circulating. (msn.com)Pre-term births declined during pandemic lockdown. (nytimes.com)ObesityThe global costs of obesity are hard to fathom. (statnews.com)Where in the world obesity is increasing the fastest. (semafor.com)Obesity is worse for us than commonly thought. (sciencedaily.com)What happens when you go off Wegovy? (wsj.com)HealthColorectal cancers are on the rise in the 55 and under cohort. (wsj.com)Vaccine makers are prepping for a H5N1 vaccine. (scientificamerican.com)How the brain drives immune responses. (scientificamerican.com)The Ivermectin crowd is doubling down with claims about influenza and RSV. (wapo.st)FitnessWhy exercise should be a front line solution for mental health issues. (newatlas.com)More evidence that physical activity prevents early death. (newatlas.com)How exercise can help with chronic pain. (slate.com)Just move your body. (primecuts.substack.com)DrinkNonalcoholic drink companies are attracting VC interest. (news.crunchbase.com)Sake consumption is booming in the U.S. (nytimes.com)Five ways to socialize without drinking. (fatherly.com)CoffeeBlack coffee drinkers often have to wait while baristas make complicated drinks. (wsj.com)The Starbucks ($SBUX) tall latte index. (visualcapitalist.com)FoodHow did Lunchables ever become a school lunch staple? (freightwaves.com)It's past time to start vaccinating poultry for avian flu. (bloomberg.com)Why the USDA bans the consumption of lung meat. (slate.com)Why you should consider skipping your next inflight meal. (insidehook.com)Paleo diets have a larger carbon impact than other diets. (newatlas.com)Why onion prices are on the rise around the globe. (bloomberg.com)A reckoning is coming for vertical farms. (fastcompany.com)LIV GolfWhere does LIV Golf stand one year in? (frontofficesports.com)How many people are watching LIV Golf on the CW? (sportico.com)SportsESPN wants to become a hub for sports streaming. (cnbc.com)How St. Louis City SC’s home took cues from SoFi Stadium. (sportico.com)What it's like to be a professional race pacer. (nytimes.com)MediaWhat's the future for Hulu? (theinformation.com)Meet the super users behind IMDB. (wired.com)Movie theater companies are failing at job one: projecting a bright, clear image. (vulture.com)Earlier on Abnormal ReturnsWhat you missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)Podcast links: a growing crisis. (abnormalreturns.com)Are you a financial adviser looking for some out-of-the-box thinking? Then check out our weekly e-mail newsletter. (newsletter.abnormalreturns.com)Mixed mediaTwitter used to be essential in disaster response. Too bad the site is broken. (msn.com)To own a home printer or not, that is the question. (wsj.com)The collectibles market is cooling. (axios.com).....»»

Futures Slide With All Eyes On PCE Inflation US index futures reversed Thursday's rebound, and dropped as investors braced for data that may show accelerating inflation in the world’s largest economy. European stocks erased an earlier gain, while Asian equities fell on a quiet day for global markets. Contracts on the S&P 500 slipped 0.6% while those on the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.7% by 7:45a.m. ET. Friday sees the release of the personal consumption expenditures index, the Fed’s preferred price gauge, which is expected to show acceleration amid robust income and spending growth. The dollar rose amid concern over disappointing earnings and geopolitical tensions, and as the Yen tumbled after the confirmation hearing of Ueda's proved to be far less hawkish than some expected. In premarket trading, Beyond Meat jumped after its fourth-quarter net revenue topped analyst expectations, Boeing slipped after the planemaker paused deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner due to a documentation issue although analysts said they expect this to be a short-term issue, noting that it was due to non-compliance with paperwork. Warner Bros Discovery shares fell 5% in premarket trading on Friday after the parent of TNT, CNN and other TV networks reported quarterly sales that came in below analysts’ estimates. While the advertising market remains challenging, the worst of the merger integration period is behind them, analysts say. Warner Bros Discovery fell after reporting quarterly sales that missed analysts’ estimates. Alibaba and NetEase lead a decline in US-listed Chinese stocks, with both internet companies’ results failing to offer a fresh boost as the rally spurred by China’s reopening wears off. Here are the other notable premarket movers: Block rose as much as 8.2% in premarket trading on Friday after the digital payments company formerly known as Square reported fourth-quarter profit that beat estimates. Analysts noted that the company’s pledge to better manage its operating cost growth will be welcomed by investors. Farfetch shares gain 8% in US premarket trading after the specialty online retailer reported fourth-quarter revenue that beat expectations. Analysts were broadly positive on the reiterated guidance for 2023, noting that partnerships with Ferragamo, Reebok and Neiman Marcus offered tailwinds for the financial year. Opendoor Technologies fell 5% in premarket trading on Friday after KeyBanc Capital Markets said the data-driven home-flipper faces limits on how fast it can buy and sell homes. Floor & Decor gained 5% in extended trading after reporting adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter that topped the average analyst estimate. The flooring retailer’s annual forecasts for sales and profit trailed analysts’ expectations. Nektar Therapeutics plummeted 29% in extended trading after saying the Phase 2 study of rezpegaldesleukin in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus did not meet the primary endpoint. After hot prints on consumer and producer prices, a high reading in today’s PCE report could weigh on markets. The S&P 500 is headed for a third week of declines, with traders taming their optimism about the outlook for the economy as Fed officials promise further rate hikes to subdue soaring inflation. “In the context of an inflation shock, a global energy crisis and the fastest rate-hike cycle in history, we have to assume that with a time lag there will be an economic consequence,” Sonja Laud, chief investment officer at Legal & General Investment Management, said on Bloomberg Television. But central banks’ determination to take rates for higher for longer is not their only worry: decelerating growth, sluggish corporate performance, geopolitical tensions from Russia to North Korea, and centralization of power in China all complicate the investment landscape. “Investors worry that this unexpected strength in the US economy, coupled with a steady reopening of the Chinese economy, will fuel further inflation which would lead the Fed to pursue a more aggressive tightening cycle,” said Geir Lode, the head of global equities at Federated Hermes. “Looking ahead, we see mixed signals: leading economic indicators continue to point to a recession, but lagging economic indicators show no signs of weakness, yet.” European equity indexes faded earlier gains, with outperformance in the construction, utility and energy sectors while chemicals and travel lagged. The Stoxx 600 was down 0.1% after gaining 0.3%, but the DAX falls 0.6% after data showed the German economy contracted more than previously thought in the fourth quarter.  BASF shares slide as much as 6% after the global chemicals giant halted share buybacks and gave an outlook that analysts deemed as muted. Here are the biggest European movers: Saint-Gobain shares rise as much as 6.3%, the most since March 2022 with analysts saying the French building materials group’s results and margin guidance should provide some confidence Embracer gains as much as 4.1% after the video-game maker said it plans to collaborate with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures on feature films based on The Lord of the Rings Jupiter Fund Management shares jump as much as 15%, the most since March 2020 after the UK investment manager’s results provided a rare batch of good news Endesa gains 1.9% after the Spanish utility increased its 2022 dividend and reported full- year net income that beat the average analyst estimate Elekta shares surge as much as 11% after the Swedish medical technology firm reported third-quarter earnings that strongly beat expectations Accor shares jump as much as 4.5%, reaching the highest since May 5, after Stifel upgrades the French hospitality company to hold from sell, seeing a more attractive risk/reward Sopra Steria shares rise as much as 4.7%, hitting levels unseen since 2018, in a second day of gains after the French IT services company reported profit for the full year that beat estimates IAG falls as much as 4.1% after the parent of British Airways gave an outlook that failed to cheer investors after the stock’s 33% jump ahead of earnings Valeo shares fell as much as 6.6% after the manufacturer of car parts published a free cash flow guidance which fell below analysts’ expectations Earlier in the session, Asia’s stock benchmark dropped, heading for a fourth-straight weekly loss, as disappointing tech results dragged down China’s equity market and investors remained vigilant before the release of key US economic data.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped as much as 0.7%, reversing earlier gains. Stocks in Hong Kong continued to drop after entering a technical correction Thursday; a gauge of Chinese technology stocks listed in Hong Kong tumbled 3.3%. NetEase Inc. slumped after a profit miss, while Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. fell as analysts remained cautious about its sales growth prospect. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to bring decision-making of the financial system further under his control with the revival of a powerful committee. “A lot of the momentum in China has come in so it’s important to be discerning and look for the quality stocks that are more reasonably valued,” Julie Ho, an Asia ex-Japan equities portfolio manager at JPMorgan Asset Management, told Bloomberg Television.  Japanese stocks advanced as Bank of Japan Governor nominee Kazuo Ueda said current policy easing was appropriate. He spoke at a parliamentary hearing in the approval process for his appointment. South Korean stocks slid as foreign investors turned net sellers for the first week this year amid concerns over the impact of tighter global monetary policy on the nation’s tech-heavy equity market. Malaysian stocks pared losses ahead of the annual budget presentation. Traders in Asia are awaiting US inflation numbers due today, after mixed data Thursday muddied the outlook for Federal Reserve policy. Gains in Asian stocks have stalled this month amid renewed worries of US policy tightening and a lack of positive catalysts for heavyweight Chinese shares. The MSCI Asia gauge is down almost 2% this week. Japanese stocks rose as Bank of Japan governor nominee Kazuo Ueda backed continued easing in his confirmation hearing in parliament. Ueda said it will still take time to hit the central bank’s target for stable 2% inflation, adding that continuing with stimulus is appropriate for now. “Comments by Ueda came as no surprise — since he didn’t signal policy would change abruptly, the market is relieved,” said Ayako Sera, a market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Ltd. “Ueda is taking taking a very cautious stance, which is very positive for the stock market.” The Topix rose 0.7% to close at 1,988.40, while the Nikkei advanced 1.3% to 27,453.48. Banks dropped while real estate stocks rose. Tokyo Electron contributed the most to the Topix gain, gaining 7.1%. Out of 2,161 stocks in the index, 1,571 rose and 507 fell, while 83 were unchanged. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.3% to close at 7,307.00, as all sectors aside from mining advanced.  Banks and industrials boosted the benchmark most. Still, the benchmark caped its third straight weekly loss, dropping 0.5%.  In New Zealand, the S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.2% to 11,905. Key stock gauges in India posted their biggest weekly drop in eight months as investors continue to avoid riskier assets globally on the prospect of higher interest rates. Most stocks related to the Adani Group declined on Friday as the monthlong selloff in the conglomerate’s shares neared $150 billion. Selling in shares of the ports-to-power conglomerate has continued despite its efforts to reassure investors about its strategy and debt reduction plans. The S&P BSE Sensex fell 2.5% for the week, its biggest retreat since June 19, while the NSE Nifty 50 Index declined 2.7%. On Friday, the benchmark Sensex fell 0.2% to 59,463.93 in Mumbai, while the Nifty declined 0.3%. In FX, the Dollar Index is up 0.1%, advancing for the third time in four days. The Australian dollar and Japanese yen are the weakest among the G-10’s. Sweden’s krona was the only currency to advance against the dollar Friday and this week, as hawkish commentary from the central bank added to bets on further policy tightening. The euro steadied below $1.06 and the bund curve twist-flattened very modestly. A surprisingly weak final reading of German GDP prompted traders to trim bets for ECB interest- rate rises in the coming months. The pound was steady but was also among the best-performing major currencies this week after data showed UK household confidence rebounded by the most in almost two years. Gilts eased in early trade before Tenreyro, the BOE’s most dovish policy maker, speaks later in the day. The yen fell and the volatility skew kept shifting lower after BOJ Governor nominee Kazuo Ueda warned against any magical solution to produce stable inflation and normalize policy as he largely stuck to the existing central bank script in the first parliamentary hearing to approve his appointment In rates, treasuries are under pressure as US trading day begins, with yields inside Thursday’s rally ranges but near YTD highs reached this week. Yields are higher by 2bp-4bp, 10-year by 3bp at 3.91%; the 10-year yield is ~10bp higher on week and ~40bp higher over past five weeks. Thursday’s ranges included YTD highs for 5- and 10-year. The market is headed for its fifth straight weekly loss, having all but erased January’s gains amid hawkish repricing of Fed policy outlook. UK and German 10-year yields are little changed. Fed swaps nearly fully price in a third 25bp rate increase in June, following expected moves in March and May. Next week brings a large quarterly month-end index rebalancing with the potential to drive buying, and Treasury coupon auctions resume March 7. In commodities, oil extended Thursday’s advance amid strength in commodity currencies and optimism over China’s reopening. Crude futures advance with WTI rising 1.2% to trade near $76.30. Spot gold is little changed around $1,822. Bitcoin was on pace for its second monthly advance, breaking with stocks and other riskier assets Looking at the day ahead now, there’s a heavy data calendar in the US with personal income and spending data, along with the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, coming at 8:30 a.m. Later, there are reports on new home sales and sentiment as well as a number of Fed comments, including from Loretta Mester and James Bullard. Market Snapshot S&P 500 futures down 0.3% to 4,008.25 MXAP down 0.7% to 159.42 MXAPJ down 1.2% to 516.92 Nikkei up 1.3% to 27,453.48 Topix up 0.7% to 1,988.40 Hang Seng Index down 1.7% to 20,010.04 Shanghai Composite down 0.6% to 3,267.16 Sensex down 0.3% to 59,449.83 Australia S&P/ASX 200 up 0.3% to 7,307.03 Kospi down 0.6% to 2,423.61 STOXX Europe 600 up 0.3% to 463.97 German 10Y yield little changed at 2.47% Euro little changed at $1.0588 Brent Futures up 0.9% to $82.91/bbl Gold spot up 0.0% to $1,822.40 U.S. Dollar Index up 0.11% to 104.71 Top Overnight News from Bloomberg China told the United Nations on Thursday that one year into the Ukraine war "brutal facts offer an ample proof that sending weapons will not bring peace," just days after the United States and NATO warned Beijing against giving Russia military support. RTRS Japan’s Jan CPI rose M/M, although not by as much as feared – the ex-food number was +4.2% (vs. +4% in Dec and below the St’s +4.3% forecast) while ex-food/energy came in at +3.2% (vs. +3% in Dec and below the St’s +3.3% forecast). BBG   BOJ governor nominee Kazuo Ueda said it was “appropriate” to continue easing and called Kuroda’s policies “unavoidable” while the joint statement w/the government didn’t require revision, but suggested YCC had negative side effects and warned normalization could occur once the 2% inflation target was in sight. Nikkei China’s property market: in another sign the downturn is easing/ending, China Garden Holdings, one of the country’s largest developers, plans to buy land in local gov’t auctions for the first time in more than a year. WSJ Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to bring decision-making of the financial system further under his control with the likely revival of a powerful committee to coordinate financial policy and the possible appointment of a key ally in a top position at the central bank. BBG China’s overnight repurchase rate, a gauge of interbank funding costs, fell more than 80 basis points from Tuesday when it approached the highest level since 2021. That’s because the PBOC’s string of short-term cash injections that started last week, which included its biggest single-day boost on record, replenished the financial system with liquidity. BBG The Adani Group will hold a fixed-income investor roadshow in Asia next week as the embattled Indian conglomerate seeks to repair the damage caused by a shock short-seller report. BBG Credit Suisse cut payouts on a $3.5 billion real estate fund, as clients sought to pull their cash after rising interest rates hurt valuations. The fund's net asset value is expected to drop as much as 10%. BBG Inflation measured by the Fed's favored gauges probably stayed robust last month, upending optimism that the peak has been passed. The headline PCE deflator probably rose 0.5% month on month, with the annual rate staying at 5%. More worrying, both core and supercore gauges may have accelerated too. The sources of the pickup – income and spending growth — probably remained healthy last month. BBG Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hired an investment firm to evaluate a possible bid for the Washington Commanders, according to two people familiar with the situation. Wa Po The DOJ wants to block Adobe's $20 billion purchase of startup Figma, people familiar said. An antitrust lawsuit may be filed next month. The deal also faces antitrust reviews in the EU and UK. Adobe shares fell postmarket. BBG A sharp rotation toward cyclical stocks has aided mutual fund performance this year. In contrast with 3Q, mutual funds rotated sharply toward cyclical stocks in 4Q, suggesting optimism around the economic outlook. Autos, Tech Hardware, and Banks were among the most added to industries. At a sector level, funds are overweight Financials, Industrials, Materials, and Consumer Discretionary. Mutual fund and ETF fund flow data have also flipped in favor of cyclical sectors in recent weeks. In contrast to increased cyclical exposure, mutual fund exposure to growth stocks is higher than at any point since 3Q14. (GIR) The market is no longer fighting the Fed’s higher-for-longer narrative as it used to. After back in January pricing in more than a half percentage point of easing by year-end, money markets now see around 18 basis points of cuts by December. BBG The ECB may need to deliver significant interest-rate increases also in the second quarter, according to Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel. BBG Europe should be closer to agreeing on a new set of fiscal rules in March, according to Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni who expects diverging views on debt flexibility to be resolved shortly. BBG A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk APAC stocks traded mostly rangebound after the choppy but positive performance on Wall St where markets spent most of the session recovering from the initial data-induced selling. ASX 200 was positive with the index led by outperformance in tech although gains are limited amid another batch of earnings releases and continued weakness in the mining industry. Nikkei 225 outperformed as the focus centred on comments from BoJ Governor nominee Ueda at the lower house confirmation hearing in which he noted that current monetary policy is appropriate and that Japan still needs more time for inflation to sustainably hit the 2% target. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp. were lower after a substantial liquidity drain by the PBoC and as the US looks to include Chinese companies in a fresh round of Russian sanctions, while Hong Kong underperformed amid heavy losses in tech owing to weaker earnings from NetEase. Top Asian News BoJ Governor nominee Ueda said current monetary policy is appropriate and that Japan still needs more time for inflation to sustainably hit the 2% target, while he added it is appropriate to continue monetary easing from now on. Ueda stated that if trend inflation improves significantly, the BoJ needs to move toward monetary policy normalisation but if it does not improve, the BoJ must consider ways to maintain YCC while being mindful of market distortions. He also stated that the BoJ won't conduct bond-selling operations and if it were to normalise policy, it would likely do so by raising interest paid to reserves parked with the central bank. Furthermore, he said must think about what to do with ETF holdings if the BoJ were to exit easy policy but now is not the time to do so and said the BoJ will stop massive bond buying if the 2% target is met. BoJ Deputy Governor nominee Uchida said uncertainty regarding Japan's economy is very high and BoJ must support Japan's economy by maintaining ultra-easy policy, while he added it is wrong to tweak monetary policy just to address side effects and the right approach is to come up with ways to mitigate side-effects and effectively maintain current policy. BoJ Deputy Governor nominee Himino said it is important to conduct economic policy flexibly and that current monetary policy is appropriate, while he added that they must aim for structural rises in wages. Furthermore, Himino said uncertainty over the global economy is very large and that they need to continue monetary easing for now. European bourses are contained/slightly firmer, Euro Stoxx 50 +0.1%, with fresh drivers limited as the focus is on geopolitics and upcoming US data. Sectors are predominantly in the green, with Construction names bolstered post-Saint Gobain while Basic Resources lag slightly given recent commodity action. Stateside, futures are softer but with the ES still above 4k, the NQ -0.7% is the laggard following some recent pressure in the fixed income complex. Top European News Former UK PM Johnson has refused to support PM Sunak's Brexit deal, which poses a major blow to Downing Street's hopes of avoiding a Eurosceptic Conservative rebellion, according to The Telegraph. ECB's Nagel says the latest data shows core inflation is still too high, stopping tightening soon would be a cardinal sin. Cannot exclude more and significant hikes beyond March. Cannot rule out that headline inflation has plateaued, too speculative to say. FX The DXY remains firmer on the session though the upside has peaked at a 104.74 session high with Thursday's high at 104.78 just above. Action which comes to the modest detriment of peers, with the JPY lagging as nominee Ueda said the BoJ's current policy is appropriate, with USD/JPY above 135.00 from a 134.07 base. In close proximity to the JPY are the antipodeans, with the AUD affected by Yuan action and has slipped below 0.68 vs USD while the NZD remains just above 0.62, aided by RBNZ commentary. EUR and GBP are the relative outperformers with catalysts light thus far and the EUR unreactive to German data or ECB's Nagel while Sterling awaits BoE's dove Tenreyro late-doors; holding around/above 1.06 and 1.20 respectively. PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 6.8942 vs exp. 6.8948 (prev. 6.9028) Fixed Income Core benchmarks are little changed on the session, having seemingly faded after being unable to test Monday's peak or Friday's high, with some pre-PCE action perhaps factoring. USTs are in-fitting directionally but are modestly negative on the session with yields elevated across the curve ahead of a busy afternoon agenda with the potential for month-end demand later also worth bearing in mind. Specifically, Bunds, Gilts and USTs have peaked at 135.20, 102.67 and 111.19 respectively. Commodities WTI and Brent are firmer on the session with the April contracts residing around/just above Thursday’s peaks of USD 75.99/bbl and USD 82.77/bbl respectively. Both TTF and Henry Hub gas contracts are firmer thus far, following a settlement in excess of 6% for Henry Hub on Thursday. Spot gold is essentially unchanged on the session as while the USD remains firmer it is yet to advance significantly from early European morning levels; circa. USD 10/oz shy of Thursday’s USD 1833/oz peak which itself is just below the 10-DMA of USD 1836/oz. Geopolitics Ukrainian President Zelensky said the military situation in the south is quite dangerous in some places and is very difficult in the east, according to Reuters. White House said the US will announce sanctions against Russian individuals and entities on Friday which will affect the banking, defence and tech sectors, while National Security Adviser Sullivan said G7 sanctions being announced on Friday will include countries that are trying to backfill products being denied to Russia.. Subsequently, US is to increase tariffs on 100 Russian metals, minerals and chemical products worth circa. USD 2.8bln; announces USD 2bn in security aid to Ukraine; announces export control measures against 90 Cos that support Russia's defence sector.. China's Foreign Ministry released a paper regarding China's position on the political solution to the Ukraine crisis which noted respect for the sovereignty of all countries and that regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or expanding military blocs, while it also called for a cease-fire (which would see Russian troops remaining in in Ukraine territory) to prevent Ukraine crisis from further aggravating or getting out of control. Furthermore, it stated that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable ways to resolve the crisis and that nuclear weapons should not be used in the Ukraine war. The proposal was quickly rebuffed by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan EU delegation head in China said China should fulfil its responsibility to defend the UN Charter in the face of Russian aggression and that China's position paper on Ukraine is not a peace proposal, while Ukraine's Charge D'affaires said that they have a peace plan which they hope China supports and would like to see China do more to end the war. French Finance Minister Le Maire said the G20 must condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine and must condemn Russia at the finance level, while he added Europe is thinking and working on new sanctions on Russia. US Event Calendar 08:30: Jan. Personal Income, est. 1.0%, prior 0.2% Personal Spending, est. 1.4%, prior -0.2% Real Personal Spending, est. 1.1%, prior -0.3% PCE Deflator MoM, est. 0.5%, prior 0.1% PCE Deflator YoY, est. 5.0%, prior 5.0% PCE Core Deflator MoM, est. 0.4%, prior 0.3% PCE Core Deflator YoY, est. 4.3%, prior 4.4% 10:00: Jan. New Home Sales MoM, est. 0.7%, prior 2.3% Jan. New Home Sales, est. 620,000, prior 616,000 10:00: Feb. U. of Mich. Sentiment, est. 66.4, prior 66.4 Feb. U. of Mich. Current Conditions, est. 72.7, prior 72.6 Feb. U. of Mich. Expectations, est. 62.5, prior 62.3 Feb. U. of Mich. 1 Yr Inflation, est. 4.2%, prior 4.2% Feb. U. of Mich. 5-10 Yr Inflation, est. 2.9%, prior 2.9% 11:00: Feb. Kansas City Fed Services Activ, prior -11 Fed speakers 10:15: Fed’s Jefferson, Mester discuss paper on managing disinflation 10:15: Fed’s Mester Speaks on Panel at New York Conference 11:30: Fed’s Bullard Discusses Inflation 13:30: Fed’s Collins gives recorded remarks at US Monetary Policy For 13:30: Fed’s Waller discusses inflation DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap It’s a sobering double anniversary today as it marks 1 year to the day that Russia invaded Ukraine and 3 years to the day that we saw the first big covid related sell-off after Italian cases spiked over the prior weekend. The world has been forever changed by those events with the full implications likely to reverberate for many years to come. Indeed the aftershocks are still being felt every day in markets (good and bad). This has continued this week, with intraday volatility remaining high. Risk assets whipsawed yesterday, with the S&P 500 up nearly +1.0% in early trading before selling off -1.5% in the late US morning following further upward revisions to inflation data in the US and Europe. However that marked the high in yields for the day and a fixed income rally back lifted tech stocks, and in the end the S&P broke a 4-day losing streak to close up +0.53% with the NASDAQ at +0.72% ahead of today’s important PCE print. There was some speculation that a portion of the post US midday rally was due to delta hedging effects as the S&P 500 traded through the 4000 level, with 0DTE (zero days to expiry) options being partially blamed. There is increasingly higher trading volumes of options on their expiry days than in the past. These options may have been listed at any point but trading activity has increased in options that are set to expire on the day recently. The uptick in interest of these contracts seems to be able to move markets considerably in both directions. The rally also came as the terminal fed funds rate fell -2.0bps off its cycle highs to finish at 5.347 and US yields continued to fall lower after trading above 3.97% on an intraday basis for the first time since November. They then reversed course to end the day -3.9bps lower at 3.877%. And it was a similar story in Europe, with yields on 10yr bunds (-4.2bps), OATs (-4.5bps) and BTPs (-7.8bps) all moving lower. Back to equities and Nvidia (+14.02%) was the strongest performer in the entire S&P 500 following their revenue forecast the previous day that beat estimates. On the back of Nvidia’s results, Semiconductors (+5.13%) were the best performing S&P industry followed by cyclicals such as Transports (+1.46%) and Energy (+1.27%). In the meantime, European equities managed to post a small gain for the day, with the STOXX 600 up +0.06%. In terms of the various data releases yesterday, the first was in the Euro Area, where the core inflation print for January was revised up to +5.3% (vs. +5.2% previously). That’s a new record since the Euro Area’s formation back in 1999, and offers further support for the ECB’s hawks as they look to take rates higher. Indeed, it also leans into our economists’ new ECB call from earlier in the week (link here), where they now see the terminal deposit rate going up to 3.75% at the June meeting. Just as European inflation was being revised higher, there were also positive upward revisions to the Q4 numbers from the US. For instance, the PCE inflation measure targeted by the Fed rose by an annualised +3.7% in Q4, up from +3.2% previously. So just as with the CPI revisions, this is confirming that the inflation slowdown in Q4 was much smaller than previously thought. Likewise with the core PCE print, the Q4 number was revised up to an annualised +4.3% (vs. +3.9% before). The more important release on this front is today’s US core PCE deflator with DB and consensus at +0.5% m/m compared to a +0.3% reading last month. The accompanying personal income data sees a very a strong +1.0% m/m consensus expectation, while our economists are expecting growth of +0.6% m/m vs. +0.2% previously. DB’s economists expect a +1.3% monthly increase in consumption compared to a 1.4% consensus estimate and -0.2% reading last month. Also yesterday we received the latest US initial jobless claims data with the week ending February 18 coming in at 192k (vs. 200k expected), while continuing claims was at 1654k (vs. 1700k expected). The rolling 3-month level of continuing claims is now back to rather benign levels, which puts further pressure on the Fed as the labour market continues to look robust through various lenses. Gilts were a bit of an underperformer yesterday, with the 10yr yield ‘only’ down -1.3bps on the day after spending nearly the entire session in positive territory. That was after comments from the BoE’s Mann, one of the biggest hawks on the MPC, who said “I believe that more tightening is needed, and caution that a pivot is not imminent”. In addition, she said that “I don’t think we are in a restrictive stance particularly”. That led investors to almost fully price in a 25bp move at the next meeting in March, which would take the Bank Rate up to 4.25% if realised. Asian equity markets are mostly struggling this morning even with the rally back in the US. As I type, the Hang Seng (-1.41%) is the biggest underperformer, dragged lower by declines in Chinese listed tech stocks while the CSI (-1.01%), the Shanghai Composite (-0.70%) and the KOSPI (-0.55%) are also edging lower. Elsewhere, the Nikkei (+1.10%) is bucking the regional negative trend after the incoming Bank of Japan (BOJ) head Kazuo Ueda, in his statement to lawmakers, lent his support for the current monetary policy stance while indicating that inflation is likely to rise gradually. Outside of Asia, US stock futures are indicating a slightly negative bias with those on the S&P 500 (-0.11%) and NASDAQ 100 (-0.24%) edging lower. Meanwhile, yields on the 10yr USTs (-1.16bps) are slightly lower, trading at 3.87%. Coming back to Japan, data this morning showed that the core consumer inflation excluding food hit a 41-year high of +4.2% y/y in Japan (v/s +4.3% expected), rising from a +4.0% annual gain seen in December. It was the 9th consecutive month that core consumer inflation stayed above the BOJ’s 2% target. Headline came in as expected at 4.3%. So no surprises and an on message Kazuo Ueda probably reduces the near-term risk of an imminent surprise BoJ YCC move. In other news yesterday, Bloomberg reported that the search for the Fed’s next Vice Chair was narrowing as the Biden administration looks to replace Lael Brainard, who’s now director of the National Economic Council. According to Bloomberg, the “top tier” candidates were Harvard professor Karen Dynan and Northwestern professor Janice Eberly, with an announcement “possible in the coming weeks.” Both have previous experience in government too, with each having served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under President Obama. However, the article also mentioned that others were in “serious contention”, including the new Chicago Fed President, Austan Goolsbee, who previously served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama. On that theme of appointments, it was separately announced that the United States would be nominating Ajay Banga to be the next President of the World Bank. Banga previously served as CEO of Mastercard for a decade. The US has usually chosen the World Bank President and is the largest shareholder of the World Bank, but in practice they require support from other countries, so it could be some months before we officially know the next president. To the day ahead now, and data releases from the US include January numbers on personal income, personal spending for January, the core PCE deflator and new home sales. We’ll also get the University of Michigan’s final consumer sentiment index for February. Otherwise from central banks, we’ll hear from the Fed’s Jefferson, Mester, Bullard, Collins and Waller, along with the BoE’s Tenreyro. Tyler Durden Fri, 02/24/2023 - 08:04.....»»

The Political Became Very Personal Authored by Michael Senger via The Brownstone Institute, The scars that have been left on all of us by the response to COVID are incomprehensibly varied and deep. For most, there hasn’t been enough time to mentally process the significance of the initial lockdowns, let alone the years-long slog of mandates, terror, propaganda, social stigmatization and censorship that followed. And this psychological trauma affects us in myriad ways that leave us wondering what it is about life that just feels so off versus how it felt in 2019. For those who were following the real data, the statistics were always horrifying. Trillions of dollars rapidly transferred from the world’s poorest to the richest. Hundreds of millions hungry. Countless years of educational attainment lost. An entire generation of children and adolescents robbed of some of their brightest years. A mental health crisis affecting more than a quarter of the population. Drug overdoses. Hospital abuse. Elder abuse. Domestic abuse. Millions of excess deaths among young people which couldn’t be attributed to the virus. But underneath these statistics lie billions of individual human stories, each unique in its details and perspectives. These individual stories and anecdotes are only just beginning to surface, and I believe that hearing them is a vital step in processing everything that we’ve experienced over the past three years. I recently sent out a query on Twitter as to how people had been affected by the response to COVID at an individual level. The conversation that emerged is a luminating and haunting reflection of what each of us experienced over the past three years. Below is a tiny selection of the responses that I found especially powerful. Specifically, the query was: “Which aspect of the response to COVID affected you most at a personal level?” Mark Trent: “Watching the last remnants of my belief in democracy get peeled away. Seeing the collusion across the globe roll out in lockstep made me realise just how powerful and comprehensively in control those that orchestrate the darkness are.” Dr Jonathan Engler: “The realization that nearly everyone I knew would give up literally all their individual rights for the illusion of safety.” Muriel Blaive, PhD: “How my friends, including many colleague historians who know very well the history of the 20th century, proved ready to believe any propaganda, to refrain from questioning government nonsense, and to publicly shame anyone who did. It’s as if all the studies we led were for naught.” Myrddin the Weathered: “How easily people were propagandized. Particularly people who I thought carried the ability to properly scrutinize the situation. Frankly, it was downright chilling how easily most people fell in line. No question how the Nazis were able to control their populace.” Watcher: “Closures. My business was thrown for a loop and the outlets I used to deal with depression like the gym or going for coffee w/friends were closed and it was beyond hard to get through the day with everything going on and no outlet to deal with any of it Talking about it is traumatic.” Christine Bickley: “Everything. My business that I spent 30 years building hasn’t recovered and is unlikely to. I used to have health insurance and save. Had to cancel the ins and am using my savings to top up income. I’m not the worst off by far. It was criminal.” Jemma Palmer: “Lockdown = no income, no home, health declined, mental health declined, didn’t see my family or friends for years, changed my life for the worse, not sure I will get to have kids now, I’d like to be who I was before lockdown & for my life to be what it was.” Sarah Burwick: “The restrictions on travel and rules governing visiting patients in the hospital. I believe my mom would be alive today had I been able to visit her and advocate for her care in person. It haunts me.” ProfessorYaff1e: “Not being able to visit my dad in hospital as he lay dying until the last couple of days when he was so far gone he didn’t know what was going on.” Sursum Corda: “Having my mom locked up in an assisted living center & not being able to hug her or talk to her except by phone through a closed window-all while HCWs traipsed in & out unmolested. I was so angry!!” PJS: “The lies.” Karinaksr: “Segregation, exclusion.” Tin hayes: “Tribalism.” Ally Bryant: “Had to be the crimes against humanity…” Nick Hudson: “The darkness of it all.” Remnant MD: “The disintegration of Autonomy. One of the four pillars of medical ethics. Those who partook, have made a mockery of medicine.” MD Aware: “The willingness of so many to comply with all of it, no questions asked – even when things made no logical sense. The unwillingness of the same individuals, especially colleagues, to listen to any reason. I never imagined society could be so influenced and so horribly misled.” Love4WesternCanada: “My mother dying alone, after have been cut off from all family for 7 weeks.” ThinkingOutLoud: “The devastating human misery created by the closures of people’s businesses. Being unable to talk to any friends or most family because every single one of them agreed with what was happening, I was treated like a leper. It’s why I turned to twitter, to feel less alone.” RantingLogician: “My ex fell for it, I didn’t and refused to comply or close my business, and she kept my young children from me the entirety of the first lockdown.” Debbie Mathews: “Losing a 30 year friendship because we had a difference of opinions on the issue. She considered me a selfish grandma killer.” Number 99: “It harmed my career, irrevocably. Tied with, it harmed my son’s college career, irrevocably. Tied with: it harmed my marriage, irrevocably.” Hillary Beightel: “Masks. Not just the fact they were useless. They became a political symbol, but they served as a tool to keep people scared. Masks mean everyone is sick. They played such a huge psychological role… I hate them!” Year Zero: “Vaccine passports. I still can’t believe that most people just went along willingly with segregating their friends and family members out of society. There’s been no atonement for this. It’s deeply fractured close relationships in a way I’m not certain I’ll ever get over.” Kristen Mag: “For me it was being cast out of public spaces for five months. Dark days.” Natalya Murakhver: “School closures and child mask policies.” Mike O’Hara: “Everything that was done to children. Masking, separation, isolation.” BundlebranchblockMD: “Watching my then teenagers go from happy, healthy, engaged kids to isolated, depressed, emaciated kids. Biggest mistake of our lives not moving them to private school immediately. We have spent many times more than the cost of tuition on therapy and tutors.” Spence O Matic: “My son was a 2020 high school grad. All the signatures of that, plus his senior year of baseball….wiped out because of a severe cold with zero threat to him. No grad night. No prom. Nothing. No apologies will suffice for me. Ever. The data was clear.” Rob Hazuki: “The persistent doom figures on the news, the advertising on tv that messaged as if the world had been nuked and the way the media didn’t ask any intelligent questions during press conferences other than to beg to be locked down harder.” IT Guy: “I was booted out of my niece’s wedding for not being vax’d. My wife hasn’t seen her grandkids since the Before Times because she’s not vax’d. My first cousin died of cardiac arrest right after 2nd Moderna dose. That’s 3 I know, but all pretty impactful.” M_Vronsky: “I no longer speak to my father or my brother, both of whom abandoned all of their supposed Liberal pretenses and became authoritarians up to the point of arguing for my segregation from society (my father argued that to my face the last time we spoke).” Instavire: “The overwhelming # of people (family not excepted) willing to turn Milgram’s dial up to “potentially lethal,” when it came to punishing the non-vx’d — and worse, that they did so with such glee. The success of the experiment sickens me and most of these people are still among us.” Foundring: “My parents/family didn’t care when I lost my jobs over the vax mandate.” DDP21: “The way friends and family turned on each other over vaccine status. Our already small family has been destroyed by it. My kids are growing up without their aunt, uncle and cousins. EatSleepMask: “Being a teacher & seeing kids who need the consistency of school, being forced to stay home. Then having to reassure not only them but my own kids that things would be ok, when I was just as shell shocked as they were. Not to mention balancing educating my students & my kids.” LFSLLBHons: “Masking children and the fact that most parents did it willingly and turned on those who tried to save the children.” PiA: “It shuttered my ~15 year old business. It isolated my loved ones after the death of my mother. It was a tough road to navigate for everyone. But the worst part: it ruined too many lives.” Manny Grossman: “Losing my business, career, career trajectory, friends, business contacts, reputation and the ability to shop in my local stores etc. All because I advocated for reality and truth.” Captain Ancapistan: “It broke the brains of almost everyone I know, and forever changed my perspective of western medicine.” Nicky Frank: “April 22, 2020 and May 6, 2020. Those were the days my friends Ryan and Jen committed suicide because they couldn’t bare the isolation anymore and people were telling them they’re weak. Ryan’s words “I can’t infect anyone if I’m dead” still haunt me.” John Baird: “The snooping, snitching, silencing, and bullying of sceptics, neighbours, and people with hidden disabilities. Curtain twitchers, do-gooders, and virtue signallers held sway. Never again. SunnySideUp: “Lockdown down!! Having to deal with my 15 yr daughter self-harming, suicidal thoughts, eating disorder and fear of fire… I hate what they did. Also how it has affected her twin sister! Both seeing counsellors… not what I have ever wanted!!” Beth Baisch: “Social bubbles. Nobody included me in theirs. It was an awful, lonely way of finding out where one stands. Some friends saw me out walking one day and rather than come over and say hello they DM’d later because I wasn’t in their bubble. Still suffering effects.” Lex: “My brother disowning me. Family specifically not allowing *me* into their homes. My ‘spectrum’ child freaking out at homeschooling. The hangover of being dead inside half the time & despondent the other. Worrying friends & family have that poison pulsing through them. Etc Etc Etc…” Camelia: “Restrictions on live performance. I worked in music and became completely black pilled on the entire industry.” Fashion Felons: “My company went bankrupt and lost my job. Family and friends wouldn’t see me because I was from a ‘hot zone.’ Got the jab and lots of horrible side effects. Need I go on?” Miki Tapio Walsh: “Universal masking of healthy people and forcing us to live in a faceless society hit me hard. I was also frustrated that I lost the ability to do my normal exercise routine for 2 years… I know not the most important thing in the world, but it truly affected my mental health.” James F. Kotowski: “My son’s having been kept out of school, missed out on most of his wrestling season, etc. On a more societal level, the exacerbation of the schism between ‘republicans’ and ‘democrats,’ and the degraded status of dialogue between ‘opposing’ pts of view.” Russ Walker: “The school lockdowns, my daughter lost her junior and senior year. Followed by all the General lockdowns and vaccine mandates. Unforgivable!” Daniel Hadas: “Closure of universities. A fundamental betrayal of students’ and lecturers’ vocation.” Stevemur: “School/university response. Those who had the most at stake (i.e., learning, childhood, socialization) had a LOT summarily taken away from them, with very little evidence to support it. And when the evidence became clear, it has taken (and IS taking) way too long to restore it.” Rowan: “I think seeing people get hurt, the hypocrisy and discrimination. At this point people not willing to admit they were wrong and being so terrible.” Trish the Dish: “I’m probably going to get married (ask me again in a month) and my one remaining Alive Parent I’m not going to invite because he disowned due to disagreements about the shot.” Snek: “My oldest is on the spectrum and he never got used to going to school again after the closures. It’s cost me all my vacation days and my ex has had a burnout due to it. Everyone is emotionally exhausted and he’s having to go to special counselors. He was doing great before.” Molly Ulrich: “When folks got a kick out of being authoritarians when they told me to pull up my mask over my nose.” Increase Laws: “The mask humiliation ritual & watching my kids have to do it. Got cut off from family members. Lost a rental & threatened with job loss plus the inability to travel. 2020 was quite the year.” Maret Jaks: “Me, I’m fine, but watching our gov’t give young people despair and loneliness and being helpless to do anything about it – awful. My kids are grown and fine and managed their teens well. Many of my friends fed into the fear and one couple found their only child dead (suicide).” Elizabeth Forde: “Constantly wondering what small freedom was going to be taken away next, and the isolation from friends and family. It reminded me of when I was in a domestically violent relationship with a lot of coercive control. My PTSD came back because Lockdown felt so similar to me.” Dawn: “Hospital protocols. My mom (vaccinated, recovered from COVID, & rec’d monoclonal antibodies) was denied seeing my dad until the day before he died. 3.5 weeks he laid there by himself. Unforgivable.” Golden Bull: “There were many aspects but one that both crushed & infuriated me were old friends in nursing homes that were locked up unable to see their family & friends. Two of these friends passed on only seeing one family member & staff for more than 6 months. A sad end to life. Criminal.” Helpful_signage: “Being locked out as my grandfather died alone, then not having a funeral. Our church emptying out. Watching my covid fanatic brother push everyone out of his life, culminating in an abrupt divorce. Our neighbors across the street divorced. My kids had 2 years of birthdays alone. Me & everyone at my job took a 20% salary cut. We couldn’t visit grandparents across the border. i lost a bunch of longtime friends. The nights our kids would break down in tears because they thought their friends didn’t like them anymore. Beaches, parks, trails all roped off. Our neighbours yelling out the window at us for going outside. No bathrooms open if we tried to travel. Not being able to buy clothes because they were non-essential. Having no toilet paper. Threatening, bewildering government propaganda commercials and signs everywhere. Can’t forget our stupid complicated border situation where we were required to ‘quarantine’ in a friend’s basement for 14 days (despite not having covid), during which the gov’t would call us every day to ensure we didn’t leave and would make us wait hours to take tests on webcam. Every day brought a new horror. There’s so much more. It was all so ridiculous, and yet nobody objected. People cheered for it, became deputized civilian enforcers of it even. Watched so many people’s lives get ruined while they stood by applauding.” It will take many years before we can fully process the trauma of what we experienced during COVID. But hopefully, sharing our individual human stories can help us get at least part of the way there. *  *  * Republished from the author’s Substack Tyler Durden Mon, 02/06/2023 - 22:20.....»»

Goldman: How China's COVID Lockdowns Could Disrupt Global Supply Chains As China continues to struggle with its worst COVID outbreak since the virus first emerged in Wuhan more than two years ago, one of the biggest questions on the minds of American companies (not to mention investors) is how badly the lockdowns ordered by the CCP will disrupt production in the country's factories, which form a critical link in the global supply chain. Unsurprisingly, investment banks have been peppered with questions about the economic backlash stemming from China's 'zero tolerance' approach to combating COVID (and this latest omicron-driven outbreak in particular). As COVID cases continue to climb (with Shanghai recording a record case tally this week that's inspired a wave of panic buying), Goldman estimates that lockdowns have impacted population centers responsible for roughly 30% of China's GDP. Overall, daily cases have declined slightly from their peak on March 20. But that doesn't mean the outbreak is over. In its latest sell-side research report on the issue, a team of Goldman analysts "assess potential disruptions to China’s supply chains from intermediate goods, exports, final output and logistics perspectives, mainly through analyzing provincial level input-output tables." Here's what they found: the greatest impact from the lockdowns will be on China's chemicals, transportation equipment and timber/wood product". Furthermore, Goldman's analysis suggests that "Jiangsu, Jilin, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Shanghai are more important among the virus-impacted provinces in terms of their roles in nationwide supply chains." The Goldman team breaks down the potential impact of lockdowns on various industries across several of the worst-hit Chinese provinces and/or cities. The report also cites "anecdotal evidence" to suggest that regions with mid-to-high risk districts are indeed facing delivery delays or production suspensions to various degrees that could have a cascading impact. While CCP policymakers have taken steps to mitigate the impact of lockdowns on China's economy (the most recent example would be the reopening of factories in Shenzhen, as well as its port), they have continued to stress a "people first, lives first" approach. Taken together, all of this suggests a couple of potential outcomes: Possible implications: "1) overall supply chain might be more resilient than before given the same outbreak severity, as policymakers are moving more swiftly to resume production once local Covid situation appears to be under control; 2) structural imbalances between large and smaller companies might further increase, as major production/investment projects, which are usually handled by large companies, might be given the “green light” and resume production ahead of other projects when policymakers relax restrictive policies." Moving beyond the most heavily impacted industries, the Goldman team also analyzed the impact of supply chains on other critical industries like computer components, paper  and paper products (including the toilet paper that memorably disappeared from American supermarkets during the early days of the pandemic). The chart below reflects the current impact of lockdowns on these industries. Finally, Goldman also published an analysis examining the most vulnerable industries to Chinese lockdowns. Using the past as a guide, Goldman also charted the impact on deliveries via the ports. As the CCP switches from broad-based lockdowns to more "targeted" measures, Goldman expects the impact will be worse for smaller firms as opposed to larger enterprises with more flexible and robust supply chains. Goldman's analysis concluded that should 30% of the Chinese economy experience a COVID shutdown lasting a month, it would reduce annual GDP growth by a whole percentage point. But the bigger question is: as these issues cascade throughout the global economy, what might the impact be for the US? Tyler Durden Wed, 03/23/2022 - 22:00.....»»

Stay safe this holiday season with these travel essentials that help you minimize exposure to COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy while on the road. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.Hispanolistic/Getty Images Holiday travel is safer in 2021 than in 2020 but you should still take precautions to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The best precautions for traveling are getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public spaces. Additional items like at-home COVID tests and portable hand sanitizer can also help you travel safer. Medical review by: David Aronoff, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Table of Contents: Masthead StickyWith rising vaccination rates in the U.S. and around the world, travel is reopening further. Americans are cleared to travel within the U.S. and, if fully-vaccinated, many places abroad, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).However, traveling isn't the same as pre-pandemic or even the same as mid-pandemic: Whether or not you're vaccinated, you need to take precautions when flying or driving. Everyone must wear a mask over their nose and mouth on planes, buses, trains, taxis, and other forms of public transportation.Most countries have other specific rules to visit, including proof of vaccination and certification that you've had a recent negative COVID test. Many experts also recommend taking a COVID test before and after you travel regardless of if it's required.While it's relatively safe to travel, that's only true if you take proper precautions. We've talked to three experts about everything you need to know to travel safely in the fall and winter of 2021, whether you're flying or driving, vaccinated or not.Here are the new essentials everyone should pack before traveling:Vaccine passport: CommonPassN95 mask: Kimberly-Clark N95 RespiratorKN95 mask: Powecom KN95 masks, 10 packDisposable mask: DemeTech DemeMask Surgical MaskFabric face masks: Herschel Classic Fitted Face MaskFace masks with removable filter: Halo Life Nanofilter MaskFace masks for kids: Onzie Mindful Masks (2-Pack)At-home COVID test: EmpowerDX At-Home COVID-19 PCR TestPortable hand sanitizer: Touchland Power Mist Sanitizer SprayTravel-sized disinfectant wipes: Clorox Disinfectant Wipes To GoA smartphone sanitizer: PhoneSoap 3 Smartphone UV SanitizerPacking cubes: eBags Hyperlite Packing CubesTape to help your face mask fit better: Cabeau TapeA mask bracket for added comfort: HeartFormSF Mask BracketReusable bags for safety gear: Stasher Reusable Silicone BagWhat to consider before you goEmilija Manevska/Getty ImagesVaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the most important and effective way we can reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19, David Aronoff, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Insider during his medical review of this piece."While masks, reduced crowding, and social distancing are among the many things we can do to reduce the spread of COVID-19, vaccination has been shown to protect against getting infected, reduce the risk of symptoms or severe disease, and prevent death," he said.Be sure that anyone in your traveling party (or meeting you at your destination) is vaccinated if they are eligible, and that they've received their booster vaccine doses, which is now available for most people who've already been immunized.Additionally, all travelers should ask themselves before they go: Can I afford to be trapped somewhere if I or one of my travel companions gets COVID and can't travel home? "If the answer is no, stay home," Dr. Aronoff added.If you are traveling, Dr. Aronoff encourages checking your health insurance carefully to find out where and how to seek medical attention if you need it and exactly what your policy covers. Some countries require proof of travel health insurance that covers COVID to enter their borders. Dr. Aronoff also suggested having a plan for where you'd go to get care if you got sick and how you'd quarantine from the people you're visiting.What should be in your travel safety kitImages By Tang Ming Tung/Getty ImagesWhether you're vaccinated or not, driving or flying, remember the basics of COVID travel: Wear the best mask you can (ideally an N95-type mask), making sure it fits snuggly without gaps at the sides (layering two masks can help), and keep your distance from people outside your household as much as possible.Then, pack a portable COVID-19 safety kit, whether flying or driving.Proof of vaccinationAgain, getting the COVID vaccine is the best thing you can do to stay safe and keep other safe while traveling during the pandemic. Many countries require proof of vaccination before entering their borders, and even if you're traveling domestically, it's a good idea to have proof with you just in case a public space or business upon arrival requires it.If you want to travel with your physical vaccine card, we suggest putting it in a protective vinyl casing. But there are also a handful of apps, such as CommonPass and VeriFLY, that allow you to upload proof of vaccine and even connect PCR test results so you have proof of your low-risk all in one place.Card Protector Vinyl Sleeve (small)App (small)App (small)Masks for adultsMasks are required on all airlines, regardless of your vaccination status or where you're flying. They're also recommended for any public place while driving, like public restrooms or service stations.As coronavirus is an airborne virus, wearing a mask is still one of the key ways to reduce spreading or getting COVID, especially in an indoor, crowded place like an airport or airplane, Joyce Sanchez, MD, medical director of the Travel Health Clinic at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin tells Insider.Wearing the right mask the right way helps to protect not only the people around you but the wearer too.Nearly everyone can safely wear a mask, other than those who can't put on or take off a mask themselves. This includes those with chronic lung and heart problems, Dr. Sanchez says. "Even if it feels harder to breathe while wearing a mask, it doesn't actually affect how much oxygen your body gets," she assures.Why are masks so important? Think of the COVID virus like cigarette smoke spreading indoors — it flows throughout the space (beyond 6 feet from the person who exhaled it and around plexiglass barriers) and can hang in the air for hours, even after the person is no longer in the room.Considering its spreadability, and given how contagious the Delta variant is, it's more important than ever to wear a well-fitting mask to both prevent spreading the virus to others and inhaling it yourself.Quick tip: If your mask tends to suction to your mouth when you breathe in, look for a mask with a more structured frame that keeps the fabric away from your lips (like a KN95 mask). Or, insert a frame, like one from HeartFormSF, into a covering you already have.N95-type masks are best now that they're no longer in short supply like early in the pandemic, followed by KN95 masks (both technically called respirators rather than masks). Both seal the sides of the face and top of the nose to minimize any gaps where air can leak, and offer additional filtration of air as you breathe, Dr. Sanchez explains.However, counterfeits are common, so check the CDC's list of approved masks and suppliers. A quick way to tell is that real N95s have straps around the back of the head instead of ear loops and a TC number (e.g., 84A-XXX for U.S.-approved N95s).After N95s and KN95s, a three-layer cloth mask is your next best option. The outside two layers should be a tightly-woven fabric like cotton or linen and the middle a filter fabric, either built-in or added-in by you (a folded paper towel works great).It's important that your mask fits snugly to trap the potentially-infected air particles rather than leaking through the edges of the mask and being directly inhaled, Abe Malkin, MD, MBA, the founder and medical director of Concierge MD LA, tells Insider. Make sure there are no gaps around the edges of your mask — a detail of equal importance regardless of if you're vaccinated or not.Quick tip: If a mask causes your glasses or sunglasses to fog up, that's a sign it doesn't fit properly and is allowing potentially virus-laden air in and out. Use a special tape like Cabeau Tape between the fabric and your skin where there's a gap to create a better seal.If your mask has gaps on the top or sides or if you only have a single-ply mask, it's smart to double up with a disposable surgical-type mask underneath and a tighter cloth mask over top. And if your mask slips down under your nose as you talk, it's a sure sign you need a better-fitting mask.Quick tip: Pack multiple masks. When you travel, you should have enough coverings to wear a fresh mask each day, as well as extras on hand if it gets dirty or wet.It's also important to wash reusable masks daily — a clean-looking mask can be covered with germs, which can spread to your hands and everything you touch every time you take it off or put it on. Wash it as you do your hands, with a minimum 20-second scrub with soapy water and a thorough rinse, then hang it to dry.Skip the neck gaiters and bandanas — early reports that they're worse than no mask at all were likely overblown, but researchers do know real masks are more effective. Plus, many airlines don't allow them anyway.N95 Respirator (small)KN95 Masks (10 Pack) (small)DemeMask Surgical Mask, 50 pack (small)Classic Fitted Face Mask (small)Nanofilter Mask (small)Mask Bracket (5-Count) (small)Tape (small)Masks for kidsA well-fitting mask is the most important factor for anyone, so children should use masks made for kids, Dr. Malkin says, adding "adult masks are too big for them."If kids can help choose their own supplies, it increases the chance they'll use them. Dr. Malkin advises opting for a mask with a character or designs your child likes to increase the chance that they'll keep it on when you're not looking.Mindful Masks (2-Pack) (small)Mickey Mouse masks, 4-pack (small)Smurfs Original Blue Cloth Face Mask (small)Masks are generally required on planes for kids 5 and older, though sometimes it's 2 or older (check your airline's requirements before you go). And Dr. Aranoff advises all kids over 2 years old should wear one in indoor, public places unless they physically can't. The CDC does not recommend masks for children under 2.Kids need multiple masks just like adults, so stash a few extras in their backpacks and in the car, Jagdish Khubchandani, PhD, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University tells Insider.Quick tip: It's super important to model safe practices, Dr. Sanchez says. "If you're wearing a mask, disinfecting your hands, maintaining that distance, and reinforcing those behaviors through what you say and do — children pick up on and mirror that."At-home COVID-19 testMost countries require you to have proof of a negative COVID test to enter. Taking one is a good idea even if you're traveling domestically, especially if you're unvaccinated, the CDC advises.Even if your destination doesn't require it and even if you're vaccinated, it's wise to get a COVID test both before you travel and after you arrive to minimize the chance of spreading the virus to vulnerable people. "If you are planning on visiting others, make sure to get tested to ensure everyone's safety," Dr. Malkin adds.For international or domestic travel, the CDC recommends that people who aren't vaccinated take a COVID test one to three days before you leave, keep your distance from others as much as possible while traveling, and once you return home, take another viral test and self-isolate for a full seven days. If you don't get a viral test, you should isolate for 10 days. Either way, avoid being around high-risk folks for 14 days.As for where to get a COVID test, many towns have free testing sites. But you can also snag an at-home rapid antigen test or, slightly less common, more accurate molecular tests (such as a PCR test). Just remember, the tests aren't 100% foolproof.Many at-home tests require you to mail in a nasal swab or spit tube to be processed in a lab. But newer tests (both antigen and molecular) available in some countries let you get your results online in as little as 45 minutes, with some antigen tests delivering results right in front of you, within 15 minutes. (Just be sore to follow the instructions closely and the tests can give a false negative.)Most tests that are supervised by a health professional over video provide you with the certification you need for flights. Just make sure you know the precise time window to do your test and get the certification back before your flight.When our team researched and tested the leading at-home COVID tests on the market throughout 2021, we found EmpowerDX Nasal to be the most accurate, covered by most insurance or the cheapest test available out of pocket and turns results around within two days of the lab receiving the sample. Dr. Sanchez also recommends the Abbott at-home antigen test kit, which offers six tests for $150.Dr. Sanchez recommends each person bring at least two approved at-home test kits that meet the testing requirements when traveling internationally in case there's a problem with one or you need to re-test. "You do not want to be stuck or delayed in returning home because you have not prepared for that required step," she adds.At-Home Covid-19 Nasal PCR Test (small)BinaxNOW COVID-19 At-Home Test Kit - 6 Pack (small)Hand soap, sanitizer, and wipesTraveling exposes you to tons of germs — viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi — outside of COVID that can cause illnesses. It's super important to clean your hands before and after you eat, in particular. The best way: Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and then dry them thoroughly with a paper or cloth towel (rather than an air blower).But since that's not always possible, the second-best option is to use hand sanitizer. Always pack one with at least 60% alcohol in your carry-on, and rub it all over your hands, even the nooks and crannies, until it evaporates.Antibacterial hand wipes are less ideal since they sometimes contain harmful chemicals and may contribute to antibiotic resistance. But in a pinch, they're definitely better than having unclean hands. Keep in mind that most wipes are formulated for objects and not for skin, Dr. Malkin points out. As with hand sanitizer, the formula needs to be at least 60% alcohol to kill viruses.Power Mist Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer (small)Antibacterial Aloe Wipes (small)Disinfectant wipesKeeping high-touch surfaces clean is important, but don't obsess over disinfecting every surface you come into contact with, Dr. Sanchez told us — you're not at all likely to acquire COVID by touching an infected surface. This is especially true when driving; there's no need to wipe down your car handles or steering wheel, for example.That being said, high-touch surfaces on planes — armrests, tray tables, in-flight entertainment screens — can transmit germs, so it's wise to wipe down surfaces around your seat with a disinfectant wipe.Be sure to clean your phone too — you might be surprised by how dirty it actually is. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for how to clean it and try to use it only with clean hands. (But be careful: Some cleaners can ruin your screen.)Disinfectant Wipes On the Go (small)HomeSoap UV Sanitizer (small)Storage bagsWhen flying, carry-on storage is essential to make it easy to access hand sanitizer and other essential items. Ideally, your carry-on bag has multiple pockets so you can keep things like food and extra masks separate from dirty items. You can also use a small pouch to keep these essentials right on top (we like these durable, zippered pouches from Baboon to the Moon).We also recommend having a few plastic bags available to store dirty masks, in addition to things like used disinfectant wipes or tissues until you can find a trash can. You'll want one for your car and in your carry-on.It's also helpful to have a designated clean storage bag where you can put your mask when you take it off to eat away from dirty surfaces or other people's breath, Dr. Sanchez advises. Avoid placing your mask on a table or your arm to minimize germ contamination.Reusable Silicone Sandwich Bag (small)Dopp Kit (small)What you should leave at homeGlovesYou don't need to bring gloves with you traveling. First of all, COVID-19 is transmitted by breathing, not by touching things and then touching your face. Regardless, germs can live on the surface of a latex glove, the same as skin, Dr. Malkin says. Plus, "some people become too relaxed when they are wearing gloves. They do not realize they are at more risk for spreading [germs] because they are touching multiple personal items in between other things," he adds.Studies have suggested that people who wear gloves tend not to wash their hands as often or notice when gloves get dirty or damaged. It's also easy to contaminate your hands when removing gloves. Plus, we don't need any more COVID-19 waste than we already have.Face shieldsHow important are face shields? "As we do not have data to support the use of face shields in protecting individuals from acquiring COVID-19 in the community setting, they should not be used as a substitute for a well-fitting mask," Dr. Sanchez says.She added that while she saw no downside to adding a face shield to your travel safety kit, "they are not an equivalent substitute for face masks." They might provide protection if someone sneezes in your direction, for example, but they don't protect others from any virus you may be carrying.Is it safer to fly or drive?RuslanDashinsky/Getty ImagesIf you do need to travel, driving is generally safer than flying commercially, Dr. Sanchez says. If you drive, you have control over who shares the car with you, where you stop along the way, and when you return.If you're fully vaccinated and wearing a well-fitting mask, it's generally safe to fly from a COVID-19 transmission standpoint, she adds.Just keep in mind that you're most likely to transmit or catch the coronavirus when in close proximity to an infected person, especially in situations where people aren't wearing masks at all or wearing them properly. That means airport lines are an issue (sitting on the plane much less so, as we'll explain below), as is driving with anyone not already in your household bubble. Eating indoors — since people have no choice but to remove their masks — is high risk.Regardless of your mode of transportation, it's important to be diligent with precautions.Your driving safety planRealPeopleGroup/Getty ImagesRemember that COVID is spread by people breathing and talking, not by touching surfaces. If you're driving, you don't need to wipe down your steering wheel. But it can bring peace of mind to clean your hands before getting in; have hand sanitizer at the ready before and after you eat, and for after you use a gas pump and public restroom, for example.Power Mist Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer (small)Choose restaurants where staff are diligent about wearing masks. Keep your mask on unless you're actively eating or drinking, and try to eat outdoors or in your car.Use public restrooms for bathroom breaks. Pulling over for a roadside bathroom break is actually illegal throughout the U.S. Just wear a mask and try to wait outside in a well-ventilated space for a free stall. If the toilet has a lid, close it to flush. (There's evidence that the coronavirus can spread by flushing.)Dr. Sanchez adds that you should assume public restrooms are not properly disinfected and that surfaces could be covered in many kinds of germs aside from COVID. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and then use a paper towel to dry your hands and turn off the tap and open the door. If you do touch anything on your way out, use your 60%-plus alcohol hand sanitizer.Your airport safety plandmphoto/Getty ImagesAirports — especially with lines at security, boarding gates, and within the plane itself — are risky because of the close proximity to other people. Wear your mask at all times and keep as much distance from others as you can.When the TSA has you lower your mask for identity verification, touch it from the ear loops rather than the middle to avoid transferring any germs on the fabric onto your hands. It's wise to sanitize or wash your hands after you've touched security trays, not so much because of the coronavirus, but to protect yourself from other germs.As for the plane itself, airlines have stepped up their disinfecting regimens. Many use electrostatic foggers nightly — sometimes between every flight. They spray a fine mist of disinfectant throughout the plane, and the electrostatic charge causes it to stick to all surfaces, not just fall to the floor.Though COVID isn't transmitted by touching things, don't assume your flight has been freshly fogged with disinfectant. Planes can be filthy. It's still wise to wipe down everything in your seat area with a disinfecting wipe like Clorox Ultra Clean Disinfecting Wipes; many airlines now hand out disinfecting wipes as you board, too.If you bring your own, look for "disinfecting" and at least 60% alcohol on the label — a cleaning wipe rids your tray table of that splash of Coke, but it won't kill bacteria and viruses. Settle into your seat and wipe down everything you're likely to touch: the seat belt, armrests, the tray table, the air vent, the window-shade handle, and all places you need to touch to operate the entertainment system.Then, thoroughly clean your hands with sanitizer. The TSA increased the size limit for sanitizer during the pandemic, and until further notice, you're allowed to bring one bottle that's up to 12 ounces in your carry-on bag. If you're flying internationally, note that some countries maintain the 3-ounce limit.Disinfectant Wipes On the Go (small)Power Mist Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer (small)You might be worried about sitting in an enclosed space for hours, but the air on planes is cleaner than in many indoor places, and airlines' mandatory mask policies help protect everyone from virus particles that anyone could be breathing out. A September 2021 peer-reviewed, real-world study showed that the risk of contracting COVID-19 on a plane is 0.1% thanks to mask policies, requiring negative COVID tests to fly, and planes' hospital-grade air filtration systems.When a plane cruises, the cabin air refreshes every three to four minutes, using both fresh air from outside and air that's gone through HEPA filters that remove virtually all viruses.However, if you need to eat or drink on a plane, it's wise to wait a few minutes after the people around you have put their masks back on before you take yours off.Minimize moving around on the plane, including wrestling carry-on luggage in and out of the overhead bin. If you need to use the restroom, be sure to close the toilet lid before you flush. After washing your hands for 20 seconds and drying them, use a paper towel to unlock and open the door. Avoid touching seatbacks as you return to your own, both to keep your hands clean (headrests are the dirtiest surfaces inside an airplane cabin) and so you don't disturb other passengers.After your flight, it's smart to avoid crowds around the baggage carousel — wait until space clears before you grab your bag.You'll also want to check your destination's latest COVID-19 rules for arriving passengers. Some countries require everyone, whether vaccinated or not, to have a negative COVID-19 test on arrival and self-isolate until it's confirmed negative.Our expertsFor this article, we deeply researched across leading health organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We also spoke with the following experts:Joyce Sanchez, MD, the medical director of the Travel Health Clinic at Froedtert and the Medical College of WisconsinDr. Abe Malkin, MD, MBA, the founder and medical director of Concierge MD LAJagdish Khubchandani, PhD, a professor of public health at New Mexico State UniversityThis piece was also medically reviewed for accuracy before publishing by Dr. David Aronoff, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A recent New York Times report detailed how some US volunteers have jeopardized the success of the war effort in Ukraine. Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 3, 2022.AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File Infighting has plagued some US volunteers who've fought in Ukraine, per a New York Times report. The squabbles have not only threatened the war effort, but have exposed deeply consequential lies. Some volunteers have left the war effort in Ukraine after questions arose about their backgrounds. After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, groups of Americans — many of them US military veterans — committed themselves to fight in the conflict to aid the Ukrainian government in battling back Moscow's advances.But a recent New York Times report detailed how many of those volunteers became mired in infighting, jeopardizing the success of the war effort, while some poured money down the toilet after purchasing less-effective military gear and others have sought to make money off the conflict.The Times spoke with over 30 volunteers, fighters, and officials in both the US and Ukraine about these situations.In one case, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel may have potentially exported military technology illegally, while in another case, an ex-Army soldier came to Ukraine to aid in the war effort but later defected to Russia.And a Connecticut man who went to fight in Ukraine and has posted his location on the battlefield admitted to The Times that he falsified his military record, previously claiming to be a Marine.While some volunteers who went to Ukraine were killed in the war, the spotlight on the role of volunteers has grown exponentially as the conflict has moved past the one-year mark.Foreign Legion volunteers in Ukraine.Courtesy of Hieu Le/Facebook'I had to tell a million lies to get ahead'In the interviews conducted by The Times, individuals told the newspaper of errors and disputes that have limited the effectiveness of the volunteer effort since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.At the start of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy encouraged allies to help the country defend itself against Russian forces. While some individuals joined the International Legion, which was created by Ukraine last year as a foreign military unit, others aided in fundraising efforts for the conflict.However, some individuals who may have otherwise raised red flags were apparently able to embed themselves in the Legion and other groups — blatantly misrepresenting facts about their backgrounds, according to the Times.James Vasquez, a home-improvement contractor from Connecticut who made waves when he left for Ukraine last year, was hailed as an ex-Army staff sergeant who had decided to aid the country in fighting for its freedom.But according to The Times, Vasquez not only revealed the exact location of his unit after publishing a video online he misrepresented his service record. Vasquez was never sent to Kuwait or Iraq, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman who spoke with The Times, and apparently misrepresented his duties and rank during his short stint in the Army Reserves. But Vasquez had no issues gaining access to weaponry while in Ukraine, which included American rifles. But he was unsure where they originated."I'm not exactly sure," he told The Times in a text exchange. "We have plenty."Vasquez fought in Ukraine until last week, when The Times probed him about his military record; he then deactivated his Twitter account and stated that he was considering leaving the country because he had been fighting alongside soldiers without a requisite military contract.He told The Times that he had been booted from the Army, but would not delve into the reasoning. Still, he revealed that for years he'd been dishonest about his military record."I had to tell a million lies to get ahead," he told The Times. "I didn't realize it was going to come to this."Malcolm Nance, a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer and intelligence and foreign policy analyst.Malcolm NanceAnother major issue that has arisen is wasteful spending, driven not by malice but by individuals unaware of the efficacy of certain tools.For example, Mriya Aid, which is commanded by a Canadian lieutenant colonel, used roughly $100,000 in donated money to purchase night-vision devices, but they wound up being less effective than ones that were made in China, per documents reviewed by The Times.After the volunteer group, Ripley's Heroes, had spent roughly $63,000 on night and thermal vision devices, some of the equipment fell under US export restrictions. And Ripley's Heroes also purchased $25,000 for remote-control reconnaissance cars in 2022, but they have yet to be delivered, tied up by Polish authorities due to legal concerns, the Times reported. 'A verified con artist'After the International Legion was formed, volunteers were quickly processed in roughly 10 minutes or less, according to a Legion official who spoke with The Times.Such missteps may have accelerated problems in the unit.A Polish fugitive who had been imprisoned in Ukraine over weapon violations eventually earned a spot leading troops, according to The Times.And while Ukrainian officials estimated that there were possibly 20,000 Legion volunteers, that number was officially much smaller.Individuals with knowledge of the Legion told The Times that there are roughly 1,500 members in the unit. (A recent Vice article detailed how thousands of volunteers have left Ukraine since the start of the conflict.)One of those members was John McIntyre, a former US Army private first class who was cut from the Legion for "bad behavior," per The Times. He then left for Russia and the outlet said he was purported to have given some kind of intelligence information to Moscow.Malcolm Nance, an ex-Navy cryptologist and well-known cable news commentator, told Insider's Alia Shoaib and Bethany Dawson that McIntyre was "a highly unstable character" who "was known to be a professional fuckup and mentally ill."Nance told the paper he came to Ukraine to offer some structure to the Legion. But he became wrapped up in some of the infighting surrounding the conflict, calling out a one-time ally as "fat" and slamming an associate as "a verified con artist," according to The Times.Nance is no longer in Ukraine but hasn't stopped his fundraising efforts with another group of allies, which includes Ben Lackey, who was once in the Legion.Lackey told Legion members that he was a Marine and said that he had been an assistant manager at LongHorn Steakhouse. But the Pentagon told The Times that Lackey didn't have any military experience, and the steakhouse chain disclosed that he was a server and not an assistant manager.While speaking with The Times, Lackey said he had never been a Marine, but revealed he said so in order to become a member of the Legion.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The US Business Model Is Collapsing Authored by James Howard Kunstler via DailyReckoning.com, Money is all theoretical… until it’s not. Paper money is bad enough, as France learned under the tutelage of the rascal John Law in the early 1700s. The nation was broke, exhausted by foolish wars, and heaped under unbearable debt. Monsieur Law, a Scottish genius-wizard (the Jerry Lewis of political economy), landed in Paris, cast a spell on the regent Duc d’Orléans, set up a magic credit engine fueled by dreams of untold riches-to-come burgeoning out of the vast, new-found lands called Louisiana up the Mississippi River and modern finance was born! The stock-and-money schemes known as the Mississippi Bubble soon ruined France and put finance in such a bad odor that the word “banque” could not be used in polite society there for a century to come. Monetary inflation became a thing for the first time since Roman days — a much easier trick with printed paper banknotes than with silver coins — but the effect was the same: the evaporation of “wealth” (which is what money supposedly represents). At the height of the crisis, trading in gold was criminalized, though that was so easily worked around due to sheer custom and habit that the Crown had to re-legalize it. The frenzy from start to finish lasted only a few years, but the nation was set on the path that would eventually lead to revolution. Law ended his days dolefully running card games in Venice. The U.S. Likewise, the creaking polity called the USA in our time spawned many new incarnations of John Law as it transitioned from being “the arsenal of democracy” — you know, making real things — to a land of make-believe, where unicorns galloped over rainbows conjured by computer magic and utopian wishes of equity, diversity and inclusion. The overhang of previously amassed wealth kept those dreams going long after we discontinued the rough and messy business of making stuff, and thereby generating real wealth. But now a klaxon blares, signaling the end of dream-time, and the nation wakes up in a ramshackle house with the floor giving way under the bed. The rot was plain to see in the banking architecture built on U.S. Treasury paper (bills, notes, bonds) as rising interest rates undercut the price of all the debt paper issued previously at lower rates. And this was the collateral that banks generally held the depositors’ money in. So when it became necessary to declare a problem with the balance sheet, and cash had to be raised to cover it, the Treasury paper could only be sold at a loss, liabilities exceeded assets, word got out, depositors rushed to secure the money in their accounts and that was all she wrote for yon bank, in this case, Silicon Valley Bank, the first to crumble. House of Cards Since banks today exist in a vast matrix of interconnected obligations — promises to pay this-and-that — fear grows that the rot from one bank, such as SVB, will infect many other banks that are no longer able to keep their promises about paying this-and-that, leading to a daisy-chain of things not getting paid. For an economy, that’s about the same as the blood ceasing to circulate in a body. As if all the operations around finance in this land were not already unsound and degenerate enough, the alleged president just cancelled moral hazard altogether. It’s now official: From here forward there will be no consequences for banking fraud, poor decision-making, fiduciary recklessness, self-dealing or any of the other risks attendant to the handling of other people’s money. Bailing out the Silicon Valley Bank and Barney Frank’s deluxe Signature Bank means that the government will now have to bail out every bank every time something goes wrong. The trouble, of course, is that the government doesn’t have the means to bail out every bank. Its only resort is to ask the Federal Reserve to summon new money from a magic ether where the illusion of wealth is conjured to paper over ever greater fissures in the splintering matrix of racketeering that America has become. That will quickly translate into U.S. dollars losing value, that is, accelerating inflation, which is how nature punishes you when your government lies and pretends that it has a bad situation well in hand. The Jupiter and Minerva of American Banking The practice in situations such as this (say, as in 2008-09) is for the governing authorities — who supposedly rule over the banking world like gods — to rush to rescue these outfits with “liquidity,” money (or representations of it) as required to re-balance things or maybe provide the impression of re-balancing until something else can be figured out. The Jupiter and Minerva of American banking, Jay Powell and Janet Yellen, were faced with just that sort of call for divine intervention over the weekend as fear seeped into every nook and crevice of the money world that wealth was flaring away in the long-feared-of conflagration out of the dumpster banking had become. Sunday morning, Ms. Yellen told CBS News “bailouts, no way” but by the afternoon Mr. Powell cried “bailouts, way,” and they had to get their story straight. They offered up $25 billion to bail out depositors for a smoldering system that will arguably require a trillion dollars or more of liquidity to quench the spreading fires. One thing looks for sure: The interest rate hikes that Mr. Powell spoke of so confidently only days ago just got stashed into his folder labeled “Fuggeddabowdit.” So the campaign to control inflation must now yield to the urgent need to create a whole lot of money to spray over those fires. The U.S. Business Model Is Collapsing You may have noticed that the value of your money has been slip-sliding away the past year or so. Peanut butter at five bucks a jar, and all. The situation at hand kind of guarantees that we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of that. And then the gods of money will have lost control of the interest rate console altogether. No more tweaking the broken knobs. More inflation will prompt U.S. Treasury paper holders to dump what they can while there’s still some value to retrieve. But the U.S. has to issue more debt for all the bailouts and theoretical buyers of new debt will perforce bid up the rates to keep up with inflation… and yet the U.S. can’t possibly bear the burden of paying higher interest on its debt. Looks like the business model for running the USA is breaking down before our eyes. Luckily, Cap’n “Joe Biden” is at the helm of this steaming garbage barge. His conference room full of geniuses is ready with the solution to our predicament: the long-mythologized central bank digital currency — a dream-come-true for would be tyrants… the Godzilla of unicorns whinnying atop the biggest rainbow of all: the promise of endless magic money for everybody, forever. All you have to do to get it is: Surrender your decision-making power over your own life. The government will amalgamate your few remaining assets in a CBDC account, tell you exactly what to spend it on and shut off your little card if you show any contrary impulses. Well, they can try it. I doubt it will work. Instead, the government will melt down in its own rancid puddle of insolvency, the meta-grift will grind to an end and it will be everyone for his/her/they self in the broke-down Palace of Chaos for a while… until things emergently reconstruct. But I get a little ahead of myself. It’s not even ten o’clock on Monday morning. Oh, and then there’s Ukraine… Tyler Durden Tue, 03/21/2023 - 16:20.....»»

PFAS may be impossible to avoid, but you can reduce the amount you inhale or ingest through regular vacuuming, cooking, and a few other easy steps. A child drinks bottled water in Reynosa, Mexico.Daniel Becerril/Reuters Hazardous "forever chemicals" called PFAS are contaminating drinking water, food, and air. It may be impossible to completely avoid PFAS, but there are a few simple ways to reduce your exposure. Eating at home, ditching nonstick pans and unnecessary carpets, and filtering your water can help. Hazardous, long-lasting "forever chemicals" are all over our day-to-day environments. The US Environmental Protection Agency just took its first step to remove them from tap water, but that won't eliminate them from your home.Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, is a class of thousands of man-made substances that are common in everyday objects. Peer-reviewed studies have linked them to some cancers, decreased fertility, thyroid disease, and developmental delays, among other health issues. That's bad news since PFAS last for decades without breaking down, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname. Researchers have found them in drinking water, household dust, rainwater and soil across the planet, in the oceans, at both poles, and drifting through the atmosphere.Ian Cousins, who studies PFAS at Stockholm University, fears it's impossible to avoid the chemicals."I don't bother," Cousins told Insider, adding, "It's almost mission impossible. You can't really do it."Even though you can't completely dodge PFAS, there are a few easy ways to reduce exposure in your daily life.Eat at home, with minimal grease-resistant packagingA family eats dinner at their home in Calumet Park, Illinois.Shannon Stapleton/ReutersPFAS were developed in the 1940s to resist heat, grease, stains, and water. That means they've ended up in a lot of food packaging. That includes pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, some wrappers, and grease-resistant paper.Restaurants and fast-food chains may use such packaging more than grocery stores do. A 2019 study found that people had lower PFAS levels in their blood after eating at home, and higher levels after eating fast food or at restaurants.Still, Cousins said, "All food is contaminated with PFAS."Be careful with nonstick pansRed onion slices cooking in a black pan.Erin McDowell/InsiderThe coating used in nonstick cookware usually contains PFAS, and they can easily leach into your food at high heat and once the coating gets scratched.The Washington Department of Ecology advises against heating nonstick cookware above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and recommends throwing it out once the nonstick coating scratches. Cast-iron pans are a safe alternative.Cousins, however, said "Scratching on pans is not a problem for exposure." He added that there are low levels of harmful PFAS in Teflon coating, but the worst of it was phased out in the early 2000s.Ditch your stain-resistant carpet and fabricsWater-resistant and stain-resistant treatments, common on household items like carpets and clothing like raincoats, also contain PFAS. Some researchers don't think the chemicals can easily absorb into your body through your skin, but those fabrics shed fibers that can travel through the house as dust, eventually getting ingested or inhaled."You can find things that don't have PFAS, and then that in turn helps those companies that innovated," Elsie Sunderland, who leads environmental contaminants research at Harvard, told Insider.Vacuum, dust, and open the windowsA property manager opens the window of a vacant house in the town Kamakura outside Tokyo.Thomas Peter/ReutersPFAS accumulate in dust, which lingers in the air and allows humans to breathe the chemicals into their lungs. By dusting and vacuuming regularly, along with opening windows to allow for airflow and ventilation, you can keep dust levels low in your home and reduce the amount of PFAS you swallow."Dust can be a big [PFAS] source in the indoor environment," Sunderland said.In fact, she added, "A lot of different contaminants absorb to dust. So if you wipe surfaces regularly and you keep areas clean, then you actually minimize exposures."Test and maybe treat your drinking waterYou can test your water for PFAS through a laboratory certified by your state. If the water exceeds EPA or state guidelines, you may want to consider doing something about it, especially if you have children.A person fills a bottle with tap water.Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty ImagesEven at very low levels, exposure to two of the most common PFAS — called PFOA and PFOS — has been linked to decreased vaccine response in children.That research prompted the EPA to revise its drinking-water guidelines last year, decreasing the safe levels of those substances by a factor of 17,000. In August, the agency issued a proposal to classify those two PFAS as hazardous substances.A few types of water filters can diminish PFAS levels, though they may not completely remove the chemicals from the water. State environmental departments recommend filtration systems that use reverse osmosis for tap water. Those are usually installed under the sink, and they can cost several hundred dollars.The second-best option is filter systems that use activated carbon (aka charcoal), which can be installed on faucets house-wide or used in a tabletop pitcher, but a 2020 study found mixed results from those systems.If you get your drinking water from a well, the EPA recommends testing it regularly and contacting your state environmental or health agency for certified labs and safety standards.Check before you buy cosmeticsA woman applies makeup to her friend in Nashville, Tennessee.Harrison McClary/ReutersLast year, a group of researchers published the results of testing 231 cosmetic products in the US and Canada for PFAS. More than half the products contained indicators of the chemicals.The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a public, searchable database of cosmetics and personal-care products, highlighting ingredients with potential risks to human health, such as PFAS like Teflon. They also maintain a map where you can check if you live near a PFAS contamination site.The Green Science Policy Institute also keeps a list of PFAS-free products, including a guide to cosmetics.Ultimately, Cousins said, people don't need to be "super worried" about low-level exposure, since there's no strong evidence of major health impacts across the population. In the US, manufacturers have phased out the most harmful known PFAS — PFOA and PFOS — since the early 2000s. Over the last 20 years, levels of those substances in human blood have dropped, according to the CDC.Still, reducing PFAS use in consumer products could keep the problem from getting worse in the future. "I think we should use this to get a bit angry about what's happened and try and make change, so that we don't keep doing this," Cousins said. "Maybe we have to use [PFAS] in some cases, but only when they're absolutely essential. And then we should also try to innovate, to try and replace them in the longer term."This story has been updated in light of the US EPA's proposal to limit six PFAS in drinking water. It was previously updated to reflect disagreements in the scientific community about the degree of PFAS exposure from Teflon. It was originally published on September 17, 2022.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Dangerous substances commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" were found in samples of artificial turf used in the Philadelphia Phillies' old stadium. Veterans Stadium, where the turf used in the stadium may have contained dangerous "forever chemicals" for decades.MLB via Getty Images "Forever chemicals" were found in turf that was used in the Philadelphia Phillies' old stadium. The chemicals were revealed as part of an investigation by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer was researching whether there was a link between the turf and ex-Phillies dying of brain cancer. An investigation into the deaths of six former Philadelphia Phillies players from the same type of brain cancer has found that the artificial turf where they played for years contains dangerous compounds commonly referred to as "forever chemicals."Following former Phillies relief pitcher David West's death last year, reporters from the Philadelphia Inquirer purchased pieces of the AstroTurf available for sale online to have them tested for chemicals. The artificial turf was used for years and replaced several times at Veterans Stadium, where both the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies played from 1971 to 2003.  The Inquirer hired a lab to test for 70 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are commonly referred to as PFAS or "forever chemicals." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers them dangerous because they do not break down easily in the environment and can contaminate drinking water.The tests performed by Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental Testing found 16 PFAS in the turf samples, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), according to the Inquirer. PFOA and PFOS are two of the most-studied PFAS, as they have been produced and used the most.The American Cancer Society says studies in animals and humans have linked the chemicals to certain types of cancer, but further research is required to clarify a definitive link.The labs that performed the tests told the Inquirer that the levels present in the turf would be concerning if they were found in drinking water, but less is known about the effects of repeated skin contact with the chemicals.The turf used in the stadium, where recorded temperatures were regularly over 100 degrees during summer Phillies games, also could have released chemical vapors that were inhaled by the players, according to the Inquirer.The Phillies responded to the report, saying several brain cancer experts have told the organization there is no proven link between the turf and the deaths of the six players, who all died before the age of 60.However, the Inquirer reported that other experts cited studies finding PFAS in brains — one by Chinese researchers that found the chemicals in brain tumor tissue, and another by Italian scientists that found PFAS in the brains of people who drank water contaminated with the chemicals. The Phillies played their last game at the stadium in September 2003 and it was demolished in March 2004. The six former Phillies — Tug McGraw, Darren Daulton, John Vukovich, John Oates, Ken Brett, and David West — all died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The tumor is most common among those in their demographic: white men between the ages of 40 and 70, a neurologist told the Inquirer.But the rate at which it was found in the over 500 Phillies who played on the turf for years is about three times higher than the average rate, according to the Inquirer.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Protests Break Out As Chinese Cities Drown Under $10 Trillion In Debt, Fail To Make Payments The last time we checked in on China's debt, the IIF calculated that it was just shy of 300% its GDP, a record high, and more than double where it was a decade ago. So to say that China has a debt problem isn't exactly a surprise. What may surprise, however, is that as China has been busy trying to sweep all this massive, growth-crushing debt under the rug (yes, there is a reason why the Politburo's latest GDP target was a disappoint 5% and it begins with "d" and ends with "ebt"), it is starting to run out of hiding spaces and as the WSJ reports overnight, China's economy is "being weighed down by the colossal debts of its local governments, which swelled during the pandemic and are starting to come to a head" and nowhere is this more visible than at the city level. Xi Jinping’s now defunct zero-Covid campaign buried cities under billions of dollars in unplanned expenditures for mass testing and lockdowns. At the same time, Beijing's crackdown on excessive property-market leverage led to a sharp drop in land sales, depriving cities of one of their biggest revenue sources. As a result, the WSJ notes that according to S&P Global calculations, two-thirds of local governments are now in danger of breaching unofficial debt thresholds set by Beijing to signify severe funding stress, with their outstanding debt exceeding 120% of income last year. About a third of China’s major cities are struggling to pay just the interest on debt they owe, according to a survey by Rhodium Group, a New York-based research firm. In one extreme case, in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province, interest payments were the equivalent of 74% of fiscal revenue in 2021. This is rapidly approaching the infamous "Minsky Moment" now that debt has moved beyond "mere" Ponzi financing levels. Making matters worse, big chunks of debt are coming due soon: according to research by Lianhe Ratings Global, a subsidiary of a large domestic rating agency, about 84% of the $84.2 billion in offshore debt owed by local government financing vehicles will mature between this year and 2025. Still, as the WSJ, the main concern isn’t that cities will default and trigger a financial crisis - although that can certainly happen assuming Beijing let's them fail, which is unlikely - it is that cities will have to keep cutting spending, delay investments or take other actions to keep creditors at bay, impairing growth for years. In Zhengzhou, home to a Foxconn assembly site for Apple’s iPhones, bus drivers say their salaries were cut in 2021 and haven’t been restored. Street sweepers report to work even though some say they haven’t been paid in months. “Our salary isn’t high. Why does the country even owe us this kind of money?” said Xu Aiqiang, 67, as she swept a park on the west side of Zhengzhou. She said her company, a city contractor, hasn’t paid her monthly salary of around $320 for seven months. “Even if they aren’t paying me, I’m still keeping my areas clean, so I can see it for myself.” At the same time, teachers in the southern megacity of Shenzhen are complaining on social media about sharp cuts in bonuses, an important pay component. In January, a heating company in the rust belt city of Hegang in northeastern China told residents to prepare for a cutoff in heat after the company failed to get subsidies from the local government. As a result of these spending cuts, protests have broken out in recent weeks in cities such as Wuhan (best known for being the site of the infamous Covid lab leak), Dalian and Guangzhou over public healthcare system overhauls that have included cuts in medical benefits due in part to strained government finances. In response to this growing social unrest, on Sunday, at annual meetings of China’s legislature in Beijing, Chinese policy makers offered only modest support for local governments, signaling they want to promote fiscal discipline. While fiscal transfers from central authorities to local governments, which Beijing provides annually, are set to increase to around $1.5 trillion this year, the 3.6% increase in 2023 is a far cry from last year’s 18% increase. Municipalities will be allowed to issue around $550 billion worth of local government special-purpose bonds this year, down from last year’s actual issuance of $580 billion. A few days earlier, Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun played down financial strains faced by local officials, saying on Wednesday that the situation remained mostly stable last year and is expected to further improve this year as the economy recovers. The good news is that Beijing still has plenty of fiscal room to intervene in individual cases if necessary to prevent major defaults, according to economists. Local governments can also sell off assets, if they can find buyers. However, the central government’s balance sheet isn’t strong enough to bail out every contingent liability in China, wrote Nicholas Borst, director of China research at Seafarer Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a research paper on local debt released this month. “Moreover, a one-off series of bailouts would increase moral hazards and not change the underlying dynamics that led to the problem in the first place,” he wrote, encapsulating the problem facing not just China but every western central bank. That means local residents—especially civil servants—may see more salary cuts and reduced services, as well as fewer infrastructure investments to power growth and employment.  Similar to Europe's period of austerity, “the real cost of the debt won’t be a financial crisis but it’ll lead to many years of struggling to allocate the cost of that debt,” said Michael Pettis, a finance professor at Peking University. Officially, China’s 31 provincial governments owe around $5.1 trillion, including bonds held by local and foreign investors. However, those figures don’t include a variety of off-balance-sheet debts typically raised through so-called local government financing vehicles, which have proliferated in recent years to fund infrastructure and other spending obligations. The debts from those vehicles are expected to reach nearly $10 trillion this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. As the WSJ puts it in context, the debt from those vehicles is more than the combined government debt of Germany, France and Italy as of the third quarter of 2022. Interest on the debts crowds out other spending. The Rhodium Group research found that interest costs accounted for at least a fifth of fiscal resources in 25 Chinese cities in 2021. Anything over 10% — the case in more than 100 cities—leads to “meaningful constraints,” Rhodium said.      As discussed before, local governments’ debt problems have been building since the global financial crisis. Many became addicted to launching projects—which juiced growth—and selling land and borrowing more to pay for all of it. In addition, China’s local governments must shoulder most of the costs of services such as public education and healthcare. Beijing restricts how they can raise money, compelling them to send most of what they collect in taxes to the central government, while limiting what they can borrow. Zhengzhou, with nearly 13 million residents, has healthier finances than many other cities. Its streets are vibrant, with residents crowding eateries. Yet in the past three years, Zhengzhou’s fiscal revenue dropped by 14% on average each year while total debt grew by 14% annually. Its debt-to-fiscal income ratio rose to 178% in 2022, from 75% in 2019. Another street sweeper told The Wall Street Journal he hasn’t been paid by his company, also a city contractor, since he joined nearly two months ago. Another two months’ worth of salary remains unpaid from his last job, at a local sanitation department. He said he was told the district government hasn’t sent his company the money to pay his salary, equivalent to around $370 a month. “Sooner or later they’ll have to pay me,” he said as he kept picking up discarded tissue paper and dried leaves. He relies on his son, a truck driver, to assist him financially, he said. In late February, a bus company in Shangqiu, a city about two hours’ drive from Zhengzhou with around 7 million residents, said it would suspend bus service starting March 1 due to a “lack of sufficient fiscal support” along with other factors. The decision was retracted after Shangqiu’s government apologized for “negative social impact.” Similar scenarios have played out in at least three other cities, according to local media.  While some analysts believe the odds of a financial system meltdown are low, stress could spread if more local borrowers struggle to repay loans on time. In December, Zunyi Road and Bridge Engineering Construction Group, a local government financing vehicle based in Guizhou, one of China’s most indebted provinces, struck a deal with banks to get another 20 years to repay loans worth more than $2 billion. The deal raised fears that other banks could have to bear restructuring costs. At the end of the day, the concern is that Beijing is unwilling to make changes that could put local government finances on a more stable footing, such as implementing a property tax to raise more funds, because doing so would be politically unpopular and could undermine central authorities’ control over localities. It would also lead to even more social upheaval and protests: the one thing Beijing is truly scared of.  Tyler Durden Tue, 03/07/2023 - 17:45.....»»

Dollar General stores in Virginia and North Carolina were forced to temporarily close because store aisles were clogged with merchandise. A Dollar General store in Minnesota, where merchandise was stored on the sidewalk outside of the store this winter.Insider source Some Dollar General stores have temporarily closed because they are overcrowded with goods. Photos show items like bottled water and dog food clogging aisles, and boxes packing back rooms. Local fire marshals have ordered the stores to close until they can clear up the clutter. Some Dollar General stores are so full of stuff that local fire marshals are ordering the stores to close until they can cut down on the clutter.At some locations, aisles are clogged with plastic tubs and metal-framed dollies, called "rolltainers," that hold goods still wrapped in their shipping containers, according to photos shared with Insider. Typically, these items are stored in back rooms until employees can unpack them. But some Dollar General stores appear to be unloading truck deliveries directly onto sales floors. In some cases, the merchandise has blocked aisles, exits, and access to fire extinguishers, according to fire safety officials.Insider counted at least six Dollar General stores around the US that have closed temporarily within the last few months after local officials said they violated fire safety codes. Insider identified the stores using local media reports, interviews with local officials, and public records of Dollar General store inspections.A Dollar General spokesperson told Insider that it "is committed to providing a safe work environment for its associates and shopping experience for its customers.""We regularly review and refine our safety programs, and reinforce them through training, ongoing communication, recognition and accountability," the spokesperson said. "When we learn of situations where we have failed to live up to this commitment, we work to timely address the issue and ensure that the company's expectations regarding safety are clearly communicated, understood and implemented."Dollar General stores with too much inventory sitting in the aisles can violate fire safety codesIn Pittsylvania County, located in Southern Virginia, county officials ordered two Dollar General stores to close temporarily last fall."When they receive a shipment of stock, their back room isn't big enough for that stock," said Christopher Key, public safety director for Pittsylvania County told Insider.Inspections at the stores in Gretna and Mount Hermon, Virginia found aisles so cluttered that they lacked at least 36 inches of space for customers and employees to get through, the minimum clearance required by law, Key said. Inventory was also blocking exits and was too close to electrical panels, he said.Both stores reopened within a few days, Key said. But the county still hears from customers about how packed Dollar General stores in Pittsylvania are, he added."The one in Gretna, we receive complaints week after week after week," Key said.In neighboring North Carolina, officials in Watauga County ordered two Dollar General stores to close for similar reasons, the Watauga Democrat reported on February 14.At a Dollar General in Cadott, Wisconsin, about 110 miles East of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the local fire department found "excessive amounts of overstock items in the aisles and in their shipping/receiving area," the Cadott Police Department posted on Facebook in August. The store reopened later that month.One truck driver who delivers merchandise to Dollar General stores in the Midwest told Insider that they sometimes drive a full trailer of merchandise hundreds of miles to a store only to find out that it's been closed by local fire safety officials. The driver asked not to be identified by name for fear of retaliation at work.Rolltainers full of boxes sit in the freezer aisle of a Dollar General in the Midwest.Insider sourceIn those cases, the driver contacts the store's district manager, who lets them into the store to unload the merchandise. But that doesn't always happen, the driver said. "Sometimes, the manager will tell us to leave it outside, or we'll bring it back to the distribution center," the driver said.During a recent delivery, the driver said they arrived to a Dollar General store in Maple Lake, Minnesota and found it closed. Rolltainers of candy, toilet paper, and other merchandise were lined up outside of the building. A sign on the front door said that the store was temporarily closed but would "reopen soon," according to a photo viewed by insider.Dollar General has faced fines over excess inventoryDollar General's stores have been the subject of criticism and investigation for years.OSHA has fined the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer $15 million for what the agency said were "numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety violations related to unsafe conditions in more than 180 inspections nationwide" since 2017.One recent inspection, conducted at a Dollar General store in Mount Pleasant, Texas, found blocked exits "that exposed employees to fire hazards," OSHA said.The Midwest truck driver estimated that "between 60% and 80%" of the stores they visit are overcrowded with merchandise, especially consumable dry goods like pet food and bottled water. The back room of a Dollar General store in Iowa.Insider sourceSome Dollar General employees have even posted to TikTok about the problem. One video, posted in November by a user identifying himself as a worker at an Indiana store, shows plastic totes and rolltainers cluttering the sales floor."The whole aisle is full of totes," he says in the video. "And at each end cap, we have a rolltainer." @travisbennett767 #dollargeneral #putinaticket #help ♬ original sound - travisbennett767  Do you work or shop at a Dollar General that's cluttered and/or had to close? Reach out to Alex Bitter at abitter@insider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at (808) 854-4501.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Amazon just launched a new subscription to get generic prescription medications for $5 a month with no delivery fees. Amazon Pharmacy's new RxPass is a subscription to get generic prescription medications for $5 a month with no delivery fees.Amazon Pharmacy, Yeji Jesse Lee/Insider Amazon Pharmacy just launched a prescription service for generic medicines. I tried it out and paid a $5 monthly fee to receive generic medicines. Setting up my prescriptions took forever and I probably won't use it again. Amazon just launched a new prescription subscription.For a $5 flat fee, Amazon Prime members can get access to generic medications for 80 common health conditions, like allergies, anxiety, and diabetes. The subscription, called RxPass, is an extension of Amazon Pharmacy, which allows shoppers to get their prescription drugs delivered straight to their door — just like their toilet paper or dog food.But instead of paying for each medication separately, the pass offers customers a way to lower their healthcare costs by grouping all their generic medicines together with a low monthly fee. It's Amazon's latest healthcare experiment, after the tech giant launched a virtual clinic in November and struck a deal to buy One Medical in July.I decided to see how the RxPass works first hand by ordering my generic medicine through the new service. While I don't take multiple generic medicines, I saw that ordering my single medicine through RxPass would still save me a few dollars each month.RxPass is billed as a way to help patients save time and money but in the end, I spent over an hour on 7 different phone calls to my doctor's office and the pharmacy to get my medicine.In a statement, Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, said: "We are always listening to patient feedback to improve our products and services, and we'll continue to do that with RxPass." Here's what I did to get my medicine from Amazon Pharmacy's new RxPass.I decided to try out Amazon Pharmacy’s new RxPass to see if I could shave a few dollars off my generic medicine each month.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderFirst, I had to create an RxPass account and fill in some personal details.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderRxPass is available in 42 states and doesn't work for patients with government insurance like Medicare and Medicaid.A spokesperson for Amazon Pharmacy told Insider that Amazon Pharmacy accepts most insurance plans, including government sponsored programs, but that many government programs prohibit pharmacies from charging directly for medications that would be covered by their insurance.I also verified my phone number and set up a 4-digit code so that my medical information would be private — even from others who shared my Amazon Prime account. I liked that Amazon set up this safeguard because it gave me a sense of privacy.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThen I added my credit card to pay for the service.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderBecause I set up my account near the end of the month, Amazon charged me just 84 cents for January and then the total fee of $5 at the beginning of February.After answering some questions about my current medications, health history, and allergies, it was time to choose the medicines I wanted.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAccording to Amazon, RxPass offers generic drugs that target 80 common health conditions, which seems impressive. You can find the medicines you want based on the name of the medicine or the condition you're looking to treat.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI had an allergy prescription and was happy to find that two different medicines I had prescriptions for were included through RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderShoutout to all my allergy girlies.I clicked through and landed at a page that gave me four different options for the drug that I could choose from. I chose the first option, but failed to realize that it didn't have the tiny label marking it as "Included with RxPass."Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThat’s when my troubles began. I transferred my prescription from CVS Pharmacy over to Amazon Pharmacy by filling in my prescriber information and my old pharmacy address.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon told me it received my transfer request and said that it would let me know when my medicine was ready to be checked out.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThe process took a long time.Amazon Pharmacy's Gupta told Insider in an emailed statement that to ensure safety, prescriptions can only be held by one pharmacy at a time. Moving a prescription can sometimes create delays, for instance in cases where the doctor or transfering pharmacy is slow to provide the needed information. Five days after I requested my prescription transfer, I got an email saying that my medicine was ready. That was relatively easy, I thought! Unfortunately, no.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderWhen I tried to check out for free using RxPass, I saw that I was being asked to pay $13.40.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAfter a lot of searching, I realized that the medicine I picked was missing the tiny label that read "Included with RxPass," even though the medicine name was included on RxPass' list of available medicines.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon Pharmacy's Gupta said that currently search results provide a list of all available options for a specific medication and that the full list includes "detailed information about each medication as well as upfront pricing that allows customers to make the best decision based on their individual health needs." I clicked through the other links and saw the same thing — if you try to find a medicine through RxPass' list of available drugs, the site will link you to the wider Amazon Pharmacy site, where you have to wade through a list of options to find one that is included with the RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon: please make that label bigger.Back to square one. Luckily I had a different medicine that was definitely included with RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI checked. A lot. So I did the whole thing again — asked to transfer my prescription to Amazon Pharmacy then waited as my prescription went under a review.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAfter a week of waiting, this time I received an email saying that my prescription was no longer available.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI called Amazon Pharmacy's customer care number and the rep told me that my doctor had prescribed my medicine in a way that "didn't exist" in their system. After making a series of calls between my doctor's office and Amazon Pharmacy, it turned out that my doctor had prescribed the medicine in a slightly different way than how Amazon Pharmacy categorized the medicine in their system.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderPictured here: a log of the calls I made between my doctor's office and Amazon Pharmacy to figure out why my prescription wasn't going through.I had to call my doctor to ask them to re-prescribe my medicine. They did, but that meant I'd have to start the process all over again.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon Pharmacy's Gupta said there may be a few reasons why this happened. He said the doctor may have prescribed a formulation that Amazon doesn't carry or that isn't available, or prescribed an over-the-counter therapy.Not wanting to wait another week, I called Amazon again the next day and asked if there was a way for me to get my medicines more quickly. The phone rep was able to mark my case as “important” and said that should expedite the process.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderWhen I checked my account the following day, I saw I was finally able to check out my medicine for $0 under RxPass. I placed my order and the tracker showed that I should expect my package the next day.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderTwo and a half weeks after making my RxPass account, I finally got my package with my medicine (which, by the way, is also sold over the counter).Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI plan to cancel my RxPass soon. I can see why people with expensive generic medicines taken over a long period of time might find the service useful, but I think I'll stick to taking a 10 minute walk to my pharmacy and picking up my drugs in person.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderUnlimited generic prescriptions may sound like an awesome idea, but in reality this experience showed me it's really hard to build and pull off an entirely new system.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderIn total, I saved $10 compared to what I could have paid on Amazon Pharmacy without the pass.While I hope I had a one-off bad experience, I definitely think there are kinks in the system that need to be addressed.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Global Sperm Counts Declining At Accelerating Rate: New Meta-Analysis Authored by David Charbonneau via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A recently published meta-analysis shows that global sperm counts are declining worldwide—at an accelerating rate. The article, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update in November 2022 by an international team of researchers, reviewed 2,936 scholarly abstracts and 868 full articles and analyzed data from 38 sperm count studies done on six continents, updating their landmark study of 2017. The 2017 study found sperm counts had fallen in North America, Europe, and Australia by over 50 percent in a fifty-year span. The current study updated this data as well as added data from South/Central America, Asia, and Africa. “The aim of this study was to examine trends in sperm count among men from all continents. The broader implications of a global decline in sperm count, the knowledge gaps left unfilled by our prior analysis, and the controversies surrounding this issue warranted an up-to-date meta-analysis,” said the authors. The analysis found that while sperm counts had declined at the average rate per year of 1.16 percent between 1972 and 2000, the rate of decline since 2000 has increased to an average of 2.64 percent per year. The new 2022 study updates an earlier 2017 study to cover a broader geographic area and include new studies. Its analysis reveals a significant drop in sperm count. (Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of samples collected globally in the 20th and 21st centuries/Oxford Academic) Reviewing the findings in an After Skool YouTube episode, study author Shanna Swan said: “Now we can conclude that among men who didn’t know what their fertility [rate] was, who are, by the way, most representative of the general population, that there was a significant decline [in sperm counts and sperm concentration] in Asia, Africa, and South America—so now we can say that our finding of a significant decline in sperm concentration and count is worldwide—that was a big change from the 2017 paper. “The other change from the 2017 paper was the rate at which sperm counts are declining: When we look at recent years—particularly since the turn of the century—the rate is 2.64 per year. That’s more than double 1.16, the prior finding.” The Role of Plastics in Reproductive Disruption The obvious question is—why the accelerated rate of decline? Swan dismissed genetic explanations, pointing out that genetic changes take “many generations to appear” whereas these changes are taking place in two generations or less. “That leaves us with environment,” Swan said. Swan and other experts believe the problem is a class of chemicals called endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s hormones. Read more here... Tyler Durden Wed, 02/22/2023 - 23:05.....»»

Animals breathe air, drink water, and eat food contaminated with PFAS just like us. Mapping the pollution reveals a big forever-chemical cleanup job. One study found PFAS in Florida's manatees.James R.D. Scott/Getty Images Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose health risks to humans, and could also harm animals. A map of 125 peer-reviewed studies reveals the widespread contamination of wildlife on Earth. Animals are contaminated with hazardous forever chemicals on every continent except Antarctica, according to a new report.Creatures ranging from tigers and polar bears, to red pandas and voles, to plankton in the sea, are likely accumulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by eating fish, drinking water, or simply breathing air, and it could put them at risk.PFAS can be found in tons of manufactured goods, from food packaging and clothing, to firefighting foam and (formerly) Teflon pans.Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname.Rainfall and soil across the planet may contain unsafe levels of the substances. A red panda cub photographed in Seattle, Washington. In China, these animals have been found to contain PFAS.Elaine Thompson/APThat has led to widespread contamination of living creatures, according to a report published Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit specializing in research and advocacy on household chemicals.Researchers there gathered 125 peer-reviewed studies that tested wildlife for PFAS over the last five years. Not a single study in the assessment failed to detect PFAS in the animals, birds, or fish tested, according to David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG.Locations where PFAS-contaminated wildlife have been documented.Copyright © Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org. Reproduced with permission.Many of the studies were testing near a known PFAS site, such as a firefighting base or industrial facility.But often, Andrews said, those studies couldn't find an uncontaminated animal population to serve as a control group — a baseline far from the site for comparison. "This is really a global contamination issue, and it's likely impacting wildlife everywhere," he told Insider.Wildlife worldwide struggle against habitat loss, climate change, and sometimes poaching. The new report suggests that contamination from forever chemicals may pose yet another threat to many species' survival.PFAS could pose a threat to animals' healthPolar bears in the Arctic also had PFAS in a study.Mathieu Belanger/ReutersThe impacts of PFAS on animals' health are not well-studied, but for humans, research has linked exposure to the chemicals with some cancers, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, developmental delays, liver damage, high cholesterol, and reduced immune responses.As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the two most notorious PFAS as "hazardous substances" and is working on rules for reducing their presence in drinking water.Andrews fears animals across the globe could face similar health risks to PFAS-drinking humans.Some research hints at this. One study in North Carolina found alligators with high blood levels of PFAS showed signs of weakened immune systems.An alligator swallows a catfish, which could be full of PFAS.Getty ImagesMore research is needed to understand the stakes.Just as studies in rats can't predict human health outcomes, studies in alligators can't predict polar bear health outcomes."There's definitely some uncertainty and likely some variation between species in terms of how these chemicals are causing harm," Andrews said. "That is also a unique aspect of these chemicals: how many different parts of the body and our biology they can impact and cause harm to."Phasing out forever chemicals is a slow process so farUS Environmental Protection Agency officials listen to members of the public comment during a PFAS Community Stakeholder Meeting, in Horsham, Pennsylvania.AP Photo/Matt RourkeUS manufacturers have already phased out a few PFAS, but many of the thousands of varieties are still in use. Andrews called for replacing them with alternative substances.At the same time, industrial facilities are burping PFAS into the air and leaking them into waterways. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment.Last month the European Union released a proposal to ban the production, sale, and use of 10,000 PFAS. The proposal is currently under assessment.In the US, the EPA expects to publish a national drinking-water regulation for PFAS by the end of 2023, including an enforceable maximum contamination limit."It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Amazon just launched a new subscription to get generic prescription medications for $5 a month with no delivery fees. Yeji Jesse Lee/Insider Amazon Pharmacy just launched a prescription service for generic medicines. I tried it out and paid a $5 monthly fee to receive generic medicines. Setting up my prescriptions took forever and I probably won't use it again. Amazon just launched a new prescription subscription.For a $5 flat fee, Amazon Prime members can get access to generic medications for 80 common health conditions, like allergies, anxiety, and diabetes. The subscription, called RxPass, is an extension of Amazon Pharmacy, which allows shoppers to get their prescription drugs delivered straight to their door — just like their toilet paper or dog food.But instead of paying for each medication separately, the pass offers customers a way to lower their healthcare costs by grouping all their generic medicines together with a low monthly fee. It's Amazon's latest healthcare experiment, after the tech giant launched a virtual clinic in November and struck a deal to buy One Medical in July.I decided to see how the RxPass works first hand by ordering my generic medicine through the new service. While I don't take multiple generic medicines, I saw that ordering my single medicine through RxPass would still save me a few dollars each month.RxPass is billed as a way to help patients save time and money but in the end, I spent over an hour on 7 different phone calls to my doctor's office and the pharmacy to get my medicine.In a statement, Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, said: "We are always listening to patient feedback to improve our products and services, and we'll continue to do that with RxPass." Here's what I did to get my medicine from Amazon Pharmacy's new RxPass.I decided to try out Amazon Pharmacy’s new RxPass to see if I could shave a few dollars off my generic medicine each month.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderFirst, I had to create an RxPass account and fill in some personal details.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderRxPass is available in 42 states and doesn't work for patients with government insurance like Medicare and Medicaid.A spokesperson for Amazon Pharmacy told Insider that Amazon Pharmacy accepts most insurance plans, including government sponsored programs, but that many government programs prohibit pharmacies from charging directly for medications that would be covered by their insurance.I also verified my phone number and set up a 4-digit code so that my medical information would be private — even from others who shared my Amazon Prime account. I liked that Amazon set up this safeguard because it gave me a sense of privacy.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThen I added my credit card to pay for the service.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderBecause I set up my account near the end of the month, Amazon charged me just 84 cents for January and then the total fee of $5 at the beginning of February.After answering some questions about my current medications, health history, and allergies, it was time to choose the medicines I wanted.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAccording to Amazon, RxPass offers generic drugs that target 80 common health conditions, which seems impressive. You can find the medicines you want based on the name of the medicine or the condition you're looking to treat.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI had an allergy prescription and was happy to find that two different medicines I had prescriptions for were included through RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderShoutout to all my allergy girlies.I clicked through and landed at a page that gave me four different options for the drug that I could choose from. I chose the first option, but failed to realize that it didn't have the tiny label marking it as "Included with RxPass."Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThat’s when my troubles began. I transferred my prescription from CVS Pharmacy over to Amazon Pharmacy by filling in my prescriber information and my old pharmacy address.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon told me it received my transfer request and said that it would let me know when my medicine was ready to be checked out.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderThe process took a long time.Amazon Pharmacy's Gupta told Insider in an emailed statement that to ensure safety, prescriptions can only be held by one pharmacy at a time. Moving a prescription can sometimes create delays, for instance in cases where the doctor or transfering pharmacy is slow to provide the needed information. Five days after I requested my prescription transfer, I got an email saying that my medicine was ready. That was relatively easy, I thought! Unfortunately, no.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderWhen I tried to check out for free using RxPass, I saw that I was being asked to pay $13.40.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAfter a lot of searching, I realized that the medicine I picked was missing the tiny label that read "Included with RxPass," even though the medicine name was included on RxPass' list of available medicines.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon Pharmacy's Gupta said that currently search results provide a list of all available options for a specific medication and that the full list includes "detailed information about each medication as well as upfront pricing that allows customers to make the best decision based on their individual health needs." I clicked through the other links and saw the same thing — if you try to find a medicine through RxPass' list of available drugs, the site will link you to the wider Amazon Pharmacy site, where you have to wade through a list of options to find one that is included with the RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon: please make that label bigger.Back to square one. Luckily I had a different medicine that was definitely included with RxPass.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI checked. A lot. So I did the whole thing again — asked to transfer my prescription to Amazon Pharmacy then waited as my prescription went under a review.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAfter a week of waiting, this time I received an email saying that my prescription was no longer available.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI called Amazon Pharmacy's customer care number and the rep told me that my doctor had prescribed my medicine in a way that "didn't exist" in their system. After making a series of calls between my doctor's office and Amazon Pharmacy, it turned out that my doctor had prescribed the medicine in a slightly different way than how Amazon Pharmacy categorized the medicine in their system.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderPictured here: a log of the calls I made between my doctor's office and Amazon Pharmacy to figure out why my prescription wasn't going through.I had to call my doctor to ask them to re-prescribe my medicine. They did, but that meant I'd have to start the process all over again.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderAmazon Pharmacy's Gupta said there may be a few reasons why this happened. He said the doctor may have prescribed a formulation that Amazon doesn't carry or that isn't available, or prescribed an over-the-counter therapy.Not wanting to wait another week, I called Amazon again the next day and asked if there was a way for me to get my medicines more quickly. The phone rep was able to mark my case as “important” and said that should expedite the process.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderWhen I checked my account the following day, I saw I was finally able to check out my medicine for $0 under RxPass. I placed my order and the tracker showed that I should expect my package the next day.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderTwo and a half weeks after making my RxPass account, I finally got my package with my medicine (which, by the way, is also sold over the counter).Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderI plan to cancel my RxPass soon. I can see why people with expensive generic medicines taken over a long period of time might find the service useful, but I think I'll stick to taking a 10 minute walk to my pharmacy and picking up my drugs in person.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderUnlimited generic prescriptions may sound like an awesome idea, but in reality this experience showed me it's really hard to build and pull off an entirely new system.Yeji Jesse Lee/InsiderIn total, I saved $10 compared to what I could have paid on Amazon Pharmacy without the pass.While I hope I had a one-off bad experience, I definitely think there are kinks in the system that need to be addressed.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»