Consumers confound; NOLA grant

A flow of recent data from the U.S. government has made one thing strikingly clear: A surge in consumer spending is fueling strong growth, demonstrating a resilience that has confounded economists, Federal Reserve officials and even the sour sentiments that Americans themselves have expressed in opinion polls. (The AP 10/31/23) US consumers keep spending despite high prices and their own gloomy outlook. Can it last? | AP News 

$3.9M NOLA recycling grant from EPA 

DALLAS - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,982,000 grant-funding to the City of New Orleans to improve material management and to improve existing recycling programs in the city. 

The announcement comes from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the nation.

“By providing nearly $4 million in funding, EPA is fulfilling our promise to identify marginalized communities and fund projects designed to address climate change and improve public health," said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance.  

New Orleans continues "to fight the climate crisis" and is "ensuring overlooked communities" receive the resources they need for a cleaner environment, Nance continued. 

New Orleans will expand its current residential curbside recycling program to all eligible households. The expansion is designed to ensure universal and equitable access to curbside recycling, providing new recycling access to about 73,000 households and to replace 10,000 legacy recycling carts.

The city will also develop a 10-year solid waste master plan that evaluates recycling processing infrastructure and capacity.

The grant supports the implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy to build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible –what’s known as a “circular economy.”

In the coming months, EPA will announce selected recipients of recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA’s new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program. (EPA 10/30/23) EPA Announces Nearly $4 million to the City of New Orleans to expand recycling infrastructure | US EPA  

AI exec order impact on DoD industry

WASHINGTON - A new artificial intelligence executive order signed by President Joe Biden today is being hailed by the administration as one of the “most significant actions ever taken by any government to advance the field of AI safety” in order to “ensure that America leads the way” in managing risks posed by the technology. 

But new regulations on how the commercial world develops AI could have an impact on how the Defense Department and industry collaborate moving forward, with a lot of unknown effects that will need to be worked out. (Breaking Defense 10/31/23) White House AI exec order raises questions on future of DoD innovation - Breaking Defense