the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections.
Toyota Chairman Says the Masses Don‘t Want EVs
CEO Akio Toyoda told reporters that waning demand for electric vehicles is a sign that people are waking up to the reality that EVs aren’t the silver bullet against the supposed ills of carbon emissions they’re often made out to be. Demand growth for EVs in various markets has slowed, leading some companies to reconsider their electrification plans.
Factors Affecting the Insurance Industry
According to my local insurance agent, factors affect auto and property insurance.
Factors Impacting Auto Insurance:
- Supply Chain Shortages.
A limited inventory of chips and replacement parts drives up prices for repairs and new/used vehicles. - 4% Decline in Employment for Auto Technicians.
Labor shortages are lengthening repair times and increasing the time customers spend on rental vehicles. - 10.5% Increase in Auto Fatalities.
An increase in unsafe driving behavior is leading to more catastrophic accidents.
Factors Impacting Property Insurance:
- In 2022, there were 18 weather disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each in the United States, correlating to a significant increase in claims.
- Studies suggest an increase of up to 8% in nonresidential building costs in 2022, thus resulting in higher costs to repair.
- 412,000 job openings in the construction industry as of February 2023 create a lengthier process to repair or replace property.
Amazon will begin selling vehicles to customers in the U.S. starting next year. These plans were unveiled on November 16 during the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show. Hyundai expects to be the first brand to sell cars on the platform, starting in the second half of 2024.
Texas Leads US in Foreign-Owned Agricultural Land
Nearly 5.3 million acres of ag land in Texas are owned by foreign entities, based on the USDA‘s 2021 revised data, up by nearly 549,000 acres from the year earlier. Texas, along with many other states, has no restrictions on who can purchase agricultural land.
Rite Aid files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the company has struggled with slowing sales, mounting debt, and multiple lawsuits alleging that the pharmacy chain contributed to the opioid crisis across the United States.
42 PERCENT DECREASE
Pfizer’s third-quarter revenue totaled $13.23 billion, down 42% from the year-earlier period, primarily due to a slump in sales of its COVID-19 products.
The Department of the Air Force has raised its maximum recruiting age to 42 from 39 to bolster recruitment after missing its enlistment goal for the first time since 1999.
People who drank two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day experienced a 67% increased risk of colon cancer recurrence or mortality compared to those who consumed less than two services monthly.
$17.33 PER GALLON
The actual cost of fueling an electric vehicle equates to an EV owner paying $17.33 per gallon of gasoline, according to the Austin-based think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation.
49 percent of Americans say high prices are eroding their living standards, according to a University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers report.
On Nov. 1, 1512, the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, a fresco painted by the Renaissance master Michelangelo, was opened to the public. Michelangelo worked on his back atop a high scaffolding from 1508 to 1512 to create the work that stretches the length of the ceiling, some 800 square meters. The work is still enjoyed today by an estimated 6 million visitors annually.
The road of duty, when plain and unmistakable, inspires a sense of gladness, even if it be difficult and dangerous.
Ellicott
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