Worker filings for unemployment insurance likely ticked down again last week, continuing their long glide path toward pre-pandemic levels as the labor market improves.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate that the Labor Department will report Wednesday that initial filings for jobless benefits, a proxy for layoffs, declined to 260,000 last week from 269,000 the prior week.
U.S. Inflation Likely Reached 30-Year High in October
U.S. inflation likely hit a three-decade high in October, pushed up by pandemic-related supply shortages and continued strength in consumer demand.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate the Labor Department will report the consumer-price index-which measures what consumers pay for goods and services-rose 5.9% in October from the same month a year ago. That would mark the fastest pace since 1990 and the fifth straight month in which inflation topped 5%.
China's Factory Inflation Grows at the Fastest Pace in 26 Years on Soaring Energy Prices
HONG KONG-China's factory-gate prices surged at the fastest pace in 26 years in October due to higher energy costs, adding to anxieties that global inflation will persist while constraining Beijing's ability to stimulate the nation's economy.
China's producer-price index rose by 13.5% in October from a year earlier, accelerating from a 10.7% increase in September, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Biden Administration Outlines New Moves to Alleviate Supply-Chain Logjams at Ports
WASHINGTON-Ports snarled with supply-chain problems, including a major one in Georgia, will be able to redirect money from other federally funded projects to help ease the logjams under a plan outlined by the Biden administration.
The existing grant money could be used more quickly under the new policy, administration officials said Tuesday. They also highlighted $17 billion for ports and waterways that will be available after President Biden signs the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure spending package Congress approved last week.
German Consumer Prices Increased in Line With Forecasts in October
German consumer prices rose strongly in October, confirming preliminary data, statistics office Destatis said Wednesday.
Consumer prices rose 4.5% on year measured by national standards and prices rose 4.6% on year by European Union-harmonized standards, both in line with the forecasts of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
Bullard Says Fed Should Weigh Shrinking Its Balance Sheet Eventually
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Tuesday that he was open to allowing the central bank's massive holdings of cash and bonds to shrink at some point.
Mr. Bullard, who was speaking in a virtual appearance, was commenting on what he would like to see happen once the U.S. central bank winds down, or tapers, the process of expanding its holdings.
California Scrutinizes Doctors as Parents Seek Exemptions From School Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate
As some California parents scramble for ways around a new Covid-19 vaccine mandate for schools, the state is increasingly scrutinizing doctors issuing suspicious medical exemptions.
Dr. M. Kelly Sutton is among them, accused by the Medical Board of California of improperly exempting several students from required school vaccines. She disputes the findings though acknowledges considering parent input when granting exemptions, not a recognized reason in the state.
Federal Judge Rejects Trump Request to Block Disclosure of Records to Jan. 6 Committee
WASHINGTON-A federal judge said records from the Trump White House can be turned over to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, rejecting a request by former President Donald Trump to block their disclosure.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said late Tuesday that Congress should have access to the records.
In Ransomware Fight, FBI Balances Unlocking Victims' Data and Chasing Attackers
Law-enforcement officials who get their hands on a key that can unlock ransomware victims' computer systems walk a fine line between aiding the hacked companies and pursuing the criminals responsible.
Act too soon and the hackers will be tipped off, changing their strategies. Act too late and risk criticism for not moving fast enough to help victims.
The Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Theranos Lab Director Says Founder Resisted Efforts to Address Problems
SAN JOSE, Calif.-The lab director who joined Theranos Inc. in late 2015 as the blood-testing startup faced increasing scrutiny about its technology testified Tuesday in the criminal fraud trial of founder Elizabeth Holmes that he faced pushback when he concluded the company's proprietary technology was beset with problems.
Kingshuk Das told jurors he became lab director in December 2015 and began working there full time a few months later after wrapping up a job at the University of California, Los Angeles. He said he spent much of this time responding to a scathing 2016 report from federal regulators that found deficiencies in its lab.
Write to sarka.halas@wsj.com
COP26 ROUNDUP ############### ###############
Will 'Green Energy' Produce More Jobs? Three Experts Discuss
As Washington considers increasing incentives for businesses moving to a clean-energy future, one of the big questions is: Will the "greening" of the economy result in more employment or less?
Examples of "green jobs" include workers who build electric cars; construction contractors who install solar arrays and charging infrastructures; scientists who design carbon-capture solutions; and engineers who improve electricity grids and increase energy efficiency. Estimates vary widely on how many jobs the decarbonization of the economy could create. Those who support government action in this area see big net gains. But opponents say that a move away from fossil fuels could put nearly 600,000 U.S. jobs in oil, natural gas and coal at risk.
The Wall Street Journal hosted a videoconference about these issues with Marc Hafstead, a fellow and director of the Carbon Pricing Initiative at the nonprofit Resources for the Future, a nonpartisan think tank; Marilyn A. Brown, regents professor of sustainable systems at the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Benjamin Zycher, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. Edited excerpts follow.
Nuclear Fusion Attracts Startups-and Skeptics
Recent technological breakthroughs and a surge in private funding have reignited interest in nuclear fusion, the atomic reaction that powers the sun and other stars.
Replication of the process on Earth has the potential to provide virtually unlimited clean energy to the world, according to researchers. But for decades that goal has eluded scientists, some of whom joke that nuclear fusion is 30 years away and always will be.
Now, some private companies are saying that the timeline to make fusion a viable, large-scale energy source is changing and that we could see fusion power on the grid as soon as the 2030s. While many others say that won't be feasible until the second half of the century, optimism about a long shot that could pay off is powering investment around the world.
The Electric-Truck Battle to Come: Batteries Versus Hydrogen Fuel Cells
The Future of Everything covers the innovation and technology transforming the way we live, work and play, with monthly issues on education, money, cities and more. This month is Transportation, online starting Nov. 3 and in print Nov 10.
WÖRTH AM RHEIN, Germany-Felix Kauffmann grabs the top rung on the ladder and hoists himself up into the cab, slipping behind the wheel, and reaching forward to start the motor on the 40-ton rig.
There is no wheezing or coughing or knocking sounds of the tiny explosions as diesel fuel ignites, no black soot cloud belching out of the smokestack. There is also no need to wait for the rig to charge, no charging-station cord to unplug. Mr. Kauffmann, a vehicle software developer at Daimler Truck AG, presses the starter button. The electric motor begins to whir, drawing power from a hydrogen fuel cell, not a battery. In less than a minute the machine is cruising at 55 mph.
Empty Plastic Bottles Go From Trash to Hot Commodity
The used plastic bottles best known for clogging the world's oceans are in surprisingly short supply, as consumer brands compete to meet recycling targets.
Spot prices for recycled PET flakes that are made from plastic-bottle waste have almost doubled in Europe since the beginning of the year, data from S&P Global Platts shows. Prices have also increased in the U.S., where environmental rules on packaging are less strict, but not by as much. The cost of food-grade recycled PET has hit $1 a pound, up from around 64 cents before the pandemic, according to the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR).
TODAY IN CANADA
Earnings:
Ag Growth Intl Inc. (AFN.T) 3Q
Andlauer Healthcare Gp (AND.T) 3Q
BBTV Hldgs Inc.(BBTV.T) 3Q
Boyd Grp Svcs Inc (BYD.T) 3Q
CCL Indus Inc. (CCL.A.T) 3Q
CCL Indus Inc. (CCL.B.T) 3Q
CGI Inc. Class A (GIB.A.T) 4Q
Chemtrade Logstcs Incm (CHE.U.T) 3Q
Computer Modelling Gp.(CMG.T) 2Q
Converge Tech Solutions (CTS.T) 3Q
ECN Capital Corp. (ECN.T) 3Q
Element Fleet Mgmnt Corp (EFN.T) 3Q
Enthusiast Gaming Hldgs (EGLX.T) 3Q
Ero Copper Corp. (ERO.T) 3Q
Galiano Gold 3Q
GDI Integrated Facility Svs (GDI.T) 3Q
Kinross Gold 3Q
LifeSpeak 3Q
Lion Electric Company (LEV.T) 3Q
mdf commerce inc (MDF.T) 2Q
Medexus Pharms (MDP.T) 2Q
Mogo 3Q
Points Intl Ltd.(PTS.T) 3Q
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11-10-21 0607ET
