Entries for September 2021

Class 8 Orders in August Hit Five-Month High

North American Class 8 orders in August reached a five-month high, ACT Research reported.

Exxon Taps Strategic Oil Reserve After Ida Shuts Gulf Output

ExxonMobil Corp. is tapping the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to revive gasoline production in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida left much of the devastated state’s refining and oil production offline.

Port Fourchon Sustains Less Hurricane Damage Than Feared

BATON ROUGE, La. — A critical port that serves as the primary support hub for the Gulf of Mexico’s deepwater offshore oil and gas industry sustained less damage from Hurricane Ida’s direct hit than initially feared and should be back to working operations “in the near future,” a port leader said Sept. 2.

Daimler Rejects Environmental Groups’ Climate Demand

BERLIN — German automaker Daimler on Sept. 3 dismissed a “cease and desist” demand from two environmental groups to commit to ending the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2030.

Hiring Slows to 235,000 Jobs After Two Strong Months

WASHINGTON — America’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a surprisingly weak gain after two months of robust hiring at a time when the delta variant’s spread has discouraged some people from flying, shopping and eating out.

Manchin Urges Pause on $3.5 Trillion Bill

Sen. Joe Manchin is demanding a “strategic pause” in action on President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, potentially imperiling the $3.5 trillion tax and spending package that Democratic leaders plan to push through Congress this fall.

Walmart Boosts Average Hourly Wage to $16.40

Walmart Inc. said it will raise wages for a swath of its U.S. workforce, bringing its average hourly wage to $16.40 as the big-box retailer competes for employees amid a labor shortage.

Half of Small Businesses Have Unfilled Positions

Top House Democrat Still Eyes Passing Biden Agenda This Month

The chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee said Sept. 1 that Democrats are trying to complete work on President Joe Biden’s $4 trillion economic agenda by the end of September.

GM, Ford Halt Some Production as Chip Shortage Worsens

DETROIT — The global shortage of computer chips is getting worse, forcing automakers to temporarily close factories including those that build popular pickup trucks..