Neutral..

 

Senator Joe Manchin {Democrat-VA] insisted the corporate tax rate, which Biden proposed raising to 28%, not inch past 25%. In fact, it ended up not being raised at all, thanks to opposition from another hold-out Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Manchin also proposed a 15% corporate minimum rate, as is now included in the bill.

He wanted any excess revenue to go toward paying down debt, but that idea was never embraced by Democrats.

And on the climate change issue, the coal-state senator insisted on a “fuel neutral” energy policy — essentially one that does not favor wind, solar and other renewable energy sources over fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas.

Manchin insisted plans for a clean energy standard run through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs.

After Manchin objected, the White House scrapped plans for a nationwide clean energy standard that environmental advocates viewed as the most significant tool for curbing climate change.

The new incentives for renewable energy sources did not come with rollbacks on coal, oil or natural gas.

Just this week, Manchin, as chair of the energy panel, removed a Democratic proposal to permanently ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Environmentalists strongly opposed his move, and several Democrats said they would fight to restore the drilling ban.

Cancelled..

 

Just one week before Christmas, the remainder of New York's iconic Radio City Rockettes season was called off, as the city and state continue to deal with a surge of new Covid-19 cases.

New York state on Friday reported 20,627 cases, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.

After canceling Friday shows of "Christmas Spectacular" due to breakthrough cases, the Rockettes announced later in the day the premature end of the season “due to increasing challenges from the pandemic.”

The Rockettes had returned to the stage in November after the 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic.

Covid-19 cases have also prompted the recent cancellations of Broadway performances including “Hamilton.”  Just a "sickly" thought.

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Monster..

 

Oval..

 

Socks..

 

New...

 

Vaxxe..

 

Just Go..

 

Shifting ..

 

Tornado Alley is a loosely defined area of the central United States where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to study severe weather in areas of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.

Tornado climatologists distinguish peaks in activity in certain areas and storm chasers have long recognized the Great Plains tornado belt.

Although the official boundaries of Tornado Alley are not clearly defined, the main alley extends from northern Texas, through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Some other states are sometimes included in Tornado Alley.^[4] Research suggests that the main alley may be shifting eastward away from the Great Plains, and that tornadoes are also becoming more frequent in the northern parts of Tornado Alley where it reaches the Canadian prairies.

Re..Stock..

An example of the chaotic situation, looking at Wall Street, where bank executives have been eager to restock office towers with workers. But New York is now contending with rising virus cases, with models from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating the omicron variant could make up 13% of Covid-19 infections in the area and in New Jersey. 

Last week, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. told bankers to go back to remote work after the firm saw an increase in cases following the Thanksgiving holiday. 
Morgan Stanley has also had recent outbreaks at its New York offices, according to people familiar with the matter. The bank, where workers typically sit in an open-office format, has required employees be vaccinated but doesn’t have a mask mandate. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment.

 Chief Executive Officer James Gorman made waves this summer when he admonished his staff and argued that if they could go to a restaurant, then they could make their way into the office. It reflected a growing reality for many of Wall Street’s top brass: They were ready to get back to normal and were tired of workers resisting. 

Well, the quality of life has to be restored to avoid this deadly virus. Just a thought.