Market Watch (October 1)
“A tiny mining town in western North Carolina was among those battered by Hurricane Helene — and the damage could have serious implications for the massive tech-industry supply chain that relies on it.” Two mines in Spruce Pine account for about 80–90% of the “high-purity quartz used in semiconductor manufacturing.” Most foundries carry a several month inventory, but if repairs take longer it “could lead to supply-chain bottlenecks and temporary price increases on chips and electronics.”
Tags: Battered, Bottlenecks, Chips, Damage, Electronics, Foundries, Hurricane Helene, Implications, Inventory, Mining, North Carolina, Quartz, Repairs, Semiconductors, Serious, Supply chain, Tech industry
USA Today (July 24)
“America has a transportation problem. Its highways and bridges are in desperate need of repairs. Its major population centers are in desperate need of road and rail capacity to get people and products out of traffic jams. And the Highway Trust Fund—used to build and maintain those roads, bridges and transit systems—is running short of cash.” Congress needs to take action and increase the “federal gasoline tax which hasn’t been raised since 1993.” This “simple and fair” solution “hits people who use the roads the most and drive the least fuel-efficient vehicles. Just raise it already.”
Tags: Bridges, Congress, Gasoline tax, Highway Trust Fund, Highways, Rail, Repairs, Road, Traffic jams, Transportation, U.S.
