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Here’s why many electric vehicles are so expensive

Battery costs are keeping the price of electric vehicles higher than their gas-powered counterparts, analysts say.  

Electric vehicle batteries are typically made from minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel that have to be made from minerals that are in high demand.  

The high costs keep these vehicles out of reach for many Americans, hampering the adoption of an important tool in the fight against climate change.  

“Batteries are still expensive. They’re more expensive than gas engines at the moment,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. 

While the price of an electric vehicle may vary, these types of cars are typically more expensive upfront than those that require gasoline.  

As of July, the average price for an electric vehicle was about $18,000 more than the average for cars generally, according to Kelley Blue Book. The organization has also pointed out that price disparities can be seen between electric and gas-powered versions of the same car.  

Consumer Reports found in 2020 that electric vehicles can cost between 10 and 40 percent more than other, similar vehicles. But the reports noted that consumers typically save between $6,000 and $10,000 on fuel and other costs over the course of their electric car ownership.  

Several industry analysts told The Hill that batteries are the main source of this difference.  

“In any vehicle the power plant is the most expensive part of the product, and that’s driven by the raw materials, the refining, the amount of energy and the precision that’s required in creating a battery cell and in creating battery packs,” said Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research. 

Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst of e-mobility research at Guidehouse Insights, said that the batteries typically account for a third of the cost of the vehicle. 

“Battery prices have come down pretty dramatically over the last decade,” he said, “But nonetheless, especially this year, we’re actually seeing battery prices go back up again because of a spike in some of the key raw materials that are required for the battery.” 

Electric vehicles are most commonly powered by batteries that are made up of minerals including lithium, graphite, manganese, cobalt and nickel.  

Abuelsamid said that the current high prices for minerals are a “short-term problem,” adding that the demand for lithium is spiking right now but that the mineral is abundant across the globe.  

“Over the last two, three years, as the demand for EVs has grown dramatically, particularly in China and Europe and more recently here in North America, the demand for lithium has exploded and so have the prices,” he said, noting that nickel prices also rose after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since some nickel comes from Russia.  

But the prices of electric vehicle batteries in the next few years could decrease “because we’re developing new sources of lithium … and also moving toward some different battery chemistries that are using materials that are more accessible and more affordable.” 

He predicted that prices for electric vehicles could be in line with gas-powered cars in 2025 or 2026.  

Bailo said another factor in the high prices of electric vehicles is that there are fewer of them, so certain costs for automakers are spread out among fewer cars and companies can’t get as favorable rates from their suppliers.  

Many electric vehicles are also made by luxury brands or by a company will make their most expensive models electric, meaning that they can be more expensive than an average car. 

Krebs, from Cox Automotive, said that for just about every new automotive technology, “it always starts on more expensive cars and then works its way down as volume increases and they figure out ways to make it more affordable.” 

Democrats, meanwhile, have said that their new Inflation Reduction Act is expected to help bring down the costs for consumers, with tax credits totaling as much as $7,500 for electric vehicle purchases.  

But the credit comes with certain stipulations that may be very difficult to meet, at least in the near term. Half of the credit — $3,750 — will rely on where battery minerals come from, requiring a certain, escalating percentage to come from countries with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. The other half of the credit will be based on manufacturing battery components in North America.  

Experts say the minerals requirement will likely disqualify most cars in the near term, making the credits less effective, but could help shore up a U.S. or U.S.-friendly supply chain in the long term and make the country less reliant on places like China.  

“What they came up with, in the long term, will actually probably be better because it will incentivize … localizing production of materials of batteries so you’re not shipping stuff all the way around the world,” Abuelsamid said. “But, in the near term, the program as it is right now was clearly structured to appease Joe Manchin.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Environmental groups sue US to stop Puerto Rico dredging plan

Climate groups have sued the federal government in an effort to stop a dredging project in Puerto Rico’s San Juan Bay.  

A lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C.’s district court earlier this week by El Puente, CORALations and the Center for Biological Diversity against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  

The project aims to expand the San Juan Bay shipping channel for large vessels. Widening the port would involve dredging and disposing of more than two million cubic yards of sediment from the bay’s floor, according to a statement from the plaintiffs.   

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In the lawsuit, the conservation and climate groups argue that the Corps failed to prepare an environmental impact statement analyzing the effects of “tankers and a new terminal for liquified natural gas” on neighboring communities and wildlife.  

Thousands of people who live in the adjacent neighborhoods of Cataño and Guaynabo were not properly notified of the project, plaintiffs said.  

“This lawsuit will bring justice closer to the environmental justice communities located on the southwest part of the San Juan Bay. These communities from Cataño and Guaynabo have fought and dealt for years with the systemic placement of power plants and fuel terminals, which places a disproportionate burden on these disadvantaged communities whose population is primarily composed of minorities,” said Federico Cintrón Moscoso, director of El Puente in a statement.  

 “We reject this project because it will aggravate the already acute situation and circumstances which these communities encounter day to day.” 

Plaintiffs also argue that the project would hinder the progress of a 2019 mandate enacted to transition the island away from fossil fuels.  

The law was enacted shortly after Hurricane Maria hit the island, killing at least 3,000 people and knocking out most of its power grid.  

Under the law, 40 percent of Puerto Rico’s electricity must come from renewable energy by 2025 and 100 percent by 2050.  

“By deepening the shipping channel for fossil fuel imports, this project also deepens the climate crisis,” said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Corps’ plan to dredge San Juan Bay is a disaster for the corals and wildlife that inhabit the sensitive estuary and for Puerto Rico’s plans to transition to renewable energy.” 

A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers told Changing America that the agency does not comment on matters in litigation.   

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DeSantis announces 20 charges of voter fraud by new election security office

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that the state’s new Office of Election Crimes and Security has uncovered 20 instances of voter fraud since its establishment on July 1.

“The Office of Election Crimes and Security, in conjunction with the Attorney General’s office and FDLE of the state of Florida, has charged and is in the process of arresting 20 individuals across the state for voter fraud,” DeSantis said.

The governor claimed that the 20 individuals from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade counties voted despite being disqualified due to previous convictions of either murder or sexual assault.

The state of Florida does not allow convicts of serious crimes including homicide and sexual assault to retain voting rights.

The 20 being charged with voter fraud face up to five years in prison in addition to a $5,000 fine for the third-degree felony, according to DeSantis.

DeSantis added that Florida’s election security office will continue to review the 2020 election in search of fraud, as well as monitor upcoming elections.

“One of the things that we did in the most recent legislative session, though, is recognize, yes, you can have all these great policy reforms, and it’s important to do it, but if it’s not actually enforced then what difference is it going to make at the end of the day?” DeSantis said in support of the election security office and its work.

The Office of Election Crimes and Security was proposed in a voting bill passed by the Florida House in March. DeSantis named lawyer Peter Antonacci director of the office on July 6, shortly after its establishment as part of the Florida State Department.

Source: TEST FEED1

Nadler widens lead over Maloney in New York House race: poll

Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-N.Y.) lead over Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) in New York’s 12th Congressional District primary has grown by 10 percentage points, according to a new Emerson College Polling/Pix11/The Hill survey released Thursday.

The survey found that 43 percent of respondents polled said they planned on voting for Nadler in the primary compared to 24 percent who said they would be voting for Maloney. Fourteen percent said they would be voting for attorney Suraj Patel.

Another 19 percent said they were undecided.

When the polling factored in undecided voters who were asked which way they were leaning, Nadler saw his support rise to 51 percent, while Maloney’s surged to 29 percent and Patel got 19 percent. 

The polling shows that Nadler has increased his lead over Maloney. An Emerson College Polling/Pix11/The Hill survey out earlier this month showed Nadler with a 9 percentage point lead over Maloney.

The survey found that 40 percent of very likely voters in the Democratic primary planned to back Nadler compared to 31 percent for Maloney and 11 percent for Patel.

The polling comes ahead of next Tuesday, when New York is slated to hold its House primaries. The three Democrats, considered the leading candidates in the race, are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 12th Congressional District, and the state’s redistricting placed Maloney and Nadler in an awkward member-on-member primary.

Maloney and Nadler both chair powerful House committees and have similar track records on voting, according to The New York Times. However, Nadler received the endorsement of the newspaper in addition to one from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D) — endorsements that could help push Nadler across the finish line in the primary next week.

The Emerson College Polling/Pix11/The Hill was conducted between Aug. 12 and Aug. 17 with 895 voters, including those who were considered very likely Democratic primary voters and those who had voted already. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Can bipartisan consensus yield action on youth mental health crisis?

Kids have been through so much since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were isolated, often relying on a small screen to communicate with friends, teachers, coaches and others. Many watched their families struggle with financial insecurity, wondering how they might afford housing and food. Most devastating of all: More than 200,000 lost a parent or primary caregiver.

And while our children endured these unprecedented challenges with strength and resilience, we cannot ignore the trauma these last two and a half years have caused. Mental health challenges among children and youth have risen sharply, leading the U.S. surgeon general to declare that the country is facing a youth mental health crisis.

The number of U.S. children experiencing anxiety or depression jumped 26 percent between 2016 and 2020, according to the “2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book” from my organization the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which tracks the well-being of children in every state. That’s an additional 1.5 million children who are struggling. 

Youth of color and LGBTQ young people appear to have seen the most serious effects. The rate of Black high school students and students of two or more races who attempted suicide was significantly higher than the national average. The rate was highest among LGBTQ and Native American students, with nearly one in four having attempting suicide in the previous year.

While none of these issues are new, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly exacerbated them and shined a light on the many contributing factors. 

When families cannot meet their basic needs, their children’s mental, physical and emotional health suffer. Inadequate access to food, housing and early education can influence a child’s brain development, behavior and readiness to learn. And when families lack health care, children are less likely to access critical mental health services that can help them address issues and avoid crisis. 

The good news is that elected leaders from both major parties have begun to recognize the importance of these issues. Since March 2020, states have passed nearly 100 bills focused on youth mental health. In June, the president signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which aims to significantly expand access to mental health care for young people. 

While these are much-needed steps, solving the youth mental health crisis requires a look at the underlying causes and more comprehensive solutions. We must ensure our children have a solid foundation of nutritious food, stable housing and safe neighborhoods — and that their families have financial stability — to foster positive mental health and wellness.

We must expand mental health services to children and young people, when and where they need them, including in schools. We need to bolster mental health care that takes into account young people’s experiences and identities. We must also make sure every child in America has health insurance to afford mental health services, that they are easily accessible and that they take into account their unique experiences and identities.

Whatever our differences, we are united in the desire to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our children. The bipartisan majorities supporting state and federal legislation on youth mental health demonstrate that we can come together to deal with difficult issues. Let’s build on that momentum and provide the full scope of resources that contribute to mental well-being. 

In the last two years, our children have shown us how to be strong, how to endure, to weather, to adapt and rebound. We must give all children access to the mental health care they need, when and where they need it so they can feel healthy, safe and ready to thrive.

Now is the right moment for bipartisan action that can make a long-term impact on the health and well-being of our nation’s youth. Our leaders should strengthen our systems so they fully support children and families and give young people every opportunity to realize their potential.

Lisa M. Hamilton is president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Source: TEST FEED1

'The more they bully us, the more we need friends': Taiwan's envoy to the US welcomes further visits

Taiwan’s highest-ranking official in the Unites States says China’s aggressive behavior in response to visits by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other U.S. officials will only draw the island closer to its allies.

“The more they bully us, the more we need friends,” Bi-khim Hsiao said in an interview with The Hill on Wednesday, just hours before the U.S. and Taiwan announced plans to formally begin trade negotiations early this fall.

Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., isn’t shying away from the trips even though China has answered them with military drills and angry rhetoric. In fact, she welcomes more. 

“We are very concerned and worried about China’s provocative, reckless, and irresponsible actions that are extremely dangerous,” Hsiao said.  

“But then again, as a victim of their bullying, we’re not going to go out and say, ‘We don’t want friends. Stop visiting us.’”

Hsiao’s remarks punctuated weeks of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over Pelosi’s trip. The Speaker became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan in more than two decades earlier in August, and that trip was followed by five-member bipartisan delegation to Taiwan earlier this week.  

The visits have demonstrated U.S. support for Taiwan in the face of rising threats from China.  

Beijing has reacted by staging military drills around Taiwan, moving to suspend cooperation with the U.S. on climate change and other issues, and slapping sanctions on Taiwanese officials, including Hsiao.  

“If they think sanctions will restrict our pursuit of international space or stifle our voices, they are wrong,” Hsiao told The Hill. “We will not be silenced by these sanctions.” 

She argued that China with its actions has inspired more international support for Taiwan.  

“They are the ones that are stirring up a lot of attention and they are also, ironically, promoting greater sympathy and interest in visiting Taiwan from the international community, and China needs to be held accountable for their own behavior,” Hsiao said.  

Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that Beijing has long claimed is part of China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has indicated China is prepared to take Taiwan by military force if necessary.  

The U.S. does not recognize Taiwan as independent but does provide it with defensive assistance, and the two countries have a substantial but unofficial relationship. 

U.S. officials have grown concerned about the prospect of China invading Taiwan, and the White House has warned China that its military activity near the island threatens peace and stability in the region. 

President Biden acknowledged weeks before Pelosi’s trip was made official that the military had concerns about it, but the Speaker decided to go ahead with the visit.  

Hsiao said Wednesday that the Taiwanese people have embraced the congressional trips, which have occurred for years but picked up recently as China’s threats to the island have multiplied.  

“It’s a constant struggle for us to be seen and heard and have a presence internationally,” Hsiao said. “By trying to suffocate our international space, China is actually prompting an even greater desire of the Taiwanese people to have these friends.”

Hsiao said that China’s military drills around the island threaten to disrupt commerce in the region, given that they have been taking place near busy commercial routes.   

“Any escalation or dangerous behavior has a potential consequence of impacting global commerce and I think China, as a sizable presence in the region, should also show their responsibility of maintaining stability instead of provoking potential friction and tensions,” she said. 

The White House has accused Beijing of using Pelosi’s trip as a pretext for applying more pressure to Taipei.

“China has overreacted, and its actions continue to be provocative, destabilizing, and unprecedented,” White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell told reporters last week.

Biden raised eyebrows back in May when he said that the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense if it were invaded by China, apparently stepping away from the long-held policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan. The White House quickly clarified that the president’s remarks — not the first time he has made such a comment — did not reflect a change in U.S. policy.  

Asked about Biden’s comments, Hsiao said Wednesday that “the people of Taiwan welcome strong commitments.” She also made clear that Taiwan must be prepared for the worst when it comes to China by fortifying its defenses.  

“We want peace and we will exert as much effort as possible to preserve the peace the stability and the status quo in the region, but we also have to be prepared for the worst and that is potentially very dangerous scenarios,” Hsiao said. 

Hsiao said that Taiwan needs develop a hybrid toolkit for responding to a multipronged threat from China that also bleeds into the economic and cyber realms.  

Hsiao, speaking before news broke of Washington-Taipei trade talks, said she hoped discussions on a prospective trade pact between the U.S. and Taiwan would be “expedited,” citing deeper economic ties with the U.S. as another way to push back on China’s behavior.

Source: TEST FEED1

Vance leading Ryan by 3 points in Ohio Senate race: poll

Republican J.D. Vance is leading Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) by 3 points in Ohio’s Senate race, according to a new poll.

A survey by Emerson College Polling found that Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” has 45 percent support among somewhat and very likely general election voters, while Ryan has 42 percent.

Four percent of respondents said they would opt for someone else if the Senate race were held that day, and 10 percent remain undecided.

The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The race tightens even further when just examining very motivated general election voters: Vance leads Ryan 45 percent to 44 percent among that group. Among somewhat motivated general election voters, Vance leads Ryan 46 percent to 26 percent.

Meanwhile, in FiveThirtyEight’s polling average of the race on Wednesday, Ryan held a lead of roughly 1 point over Vance.

The polling comes less than three months before the two men will face off in the Buckeye State to fill the seat being departed by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who opted out of running for reelection.

Vance won the GOP nomination in May, besting a crowded field of Republicans for the nod.

Ryan significantly outraised Vance in the second quarter, with the candidates bringing in $9.1 million and $2.3 million, respectively.

The seat is rated lean Republican by Cook Political Report.

While Vance polled better than Ryan in the head-to-head match-up, the Democrat had a stronger favorability rating in the survey. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they have a favorable view of Ryan, and 50 percent said the same of Vance.

The poll surveyed 925 somewhat and very likely general election voters Aug. 15-16.

— Updated at 4 p.m.

Source: TEST FEED1

What will the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines look like?

As the coronavirus continues to evolve into newer and more contagious variants — capable of evading immunity from infection or vaccination — public health experts are trying to develop the next generation of vaccines that can outsmart the novel virus.

The federal government’s unprecedented effort to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine — Operation Warp Speed — produced several jabs capable of preventing severe illness and death from the disease, and an estimated 1.9 million lives have been saved in the U.S. in the first year vaccines were made available. 

But variants of concern continue to emerge with enhanced transmissibility, and people who are fully vaccinated are experiencing breakthrough infections and spreading the virus to others. In the U.S., daily new cases are still hovering around the 100,000 mark and most counties still have a “medium” or “high” level of COVID-19, although hospitalizations and deaths have fallen dramatically from the early days of the pandemic. 

A sub lineage of the omicron variant, BA.5, is dominant in the U.S. and is causing reinfections in people who already had COVID-19. The variant is believed to be the most contagious version of COVID-19, but is generally milder than previous strains.  

New infections give the virus the opportunity to mutate, and thus, COVID-19 vaccines can wane in efficacy. That’s why during a White House summit last month, federal health officials, public health experts and vaccine manufacturers stressed the need to develop innovative new vaccines to help induce broad and durable protection against coronaviruses. 

Here are some of the next generation vaccines under development:

Universal COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccines are generally tailored to protect against one or a handful of versions of a virus. Current COVID-19 vaccines target the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is used to penetrate host cells and cause infection. But the spike protein can mutate quickly, making it a moving target for vaccines. 

To combat this, researchers are working on a universal COVID-19 vaccine that would ideally protect against all current and future strains of SARS-CoV-2. Such a vaccine could significantly slow the transmission of the virus. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have committed $200 million and $43 million, respectively, for research and development of several pancoronavirus vaccine programs. Some universal vaccines under development aim not only to protect against multiple types of COVID-19, but against a variety of coronaviruses. 

“The current vaccine is highly effective against the original virus, but the virus has moved on and there’s several new variants. Lab studies show the effectiveness of the neutralizing ability against new variants has decreased substantially,” Wan Yang, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said in an interview. 

“It is crucial to prevent severe disease and the vaccine has been so important in terms of saving so many people. But if we’re going to get ahead of the game in terms of preventing large pandemic waves in the future, I think we really need a universal vaccine that works against future variants and is able to block infection,” Yang said. 

Work in this area is in its early stages. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is currently conducting a phase 1 clinical trial of a vaccine to target multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other coronaviruses as well. Pre-clinical research showed the vaccine produced “highly potent and broad neutralizing” antibody responses against  several SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV-1 virus. Several entities including CalTech, Duke University, Pfizer and BioNTech and other biotech companies are in early testing of a range of universal coronavirus vaccines. 

Nasal vaccine

A vaccine in the form of a nasal spray could be another weapon in the arsenal against COVID-19 as early research has shown interesting results in animal studies. 

While current mRNA vaccines induce robust immunity in the blood, preventing severe disease, the antibody response in the nose and airways, the body’s first line of defense against respiratory infection, are lacking. This is particularly true of the omicron sublineage. Recent research published in Science Immunology suggests coupling mRNA vaccines with a nasal booster vaccine could provide much stronger protection where the virus enters the body, thus preventing infection. 

Researchers showed that mice given an mRNA vaccine experienced a good antibody response in the blood but not very good mucosal immunity. However, when given a nasal booster, researchers observed a “very robust” mucosal immunity response against all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested.

“We think the robust antibody responses in the respiratory tract would neutralize the virus immediately upon viral entry when the individual contracts the virus, preventing the establishment of viral infection and subsequent passing of the infection to others,” Jie Sun, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia and co-author of the study said. 

Akiko Iwasaki, an immunobiologist at Yale University working to commercialize a nasal booster, said during last month’s White House COVID-19 vaccine summit the only way to stop the emergence of new variants is with transmission-blocking vaccines. 

Plenty of nasal vaccine candidates are being tested, but most studies are in the early phase and few have been tested on humans. Researchers say it will likely be a couple of years before a viable nasal vaccine is made available to the public. 

Oral vaccine

Biotechnology company Vaxart is currently testing a COVID-19 adenovirus vaccine that comes in the form of a small tablet and induces antibodies in the mucosal tissues in the nose and lungs. Sean Tucker, Vaxart’s senior vice president chief scientific officer, kicked off research on an oral vaccine for influenza more than 12 years ago to make a flu vaccine more convenient and accessible than traditional injections. 

Preliminary phase 1 clinical data released last month showed Vaxart’s oral COVID-19 vaccine induced long-lasting mucosal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Most of the 35 vaccine recipients in the trial experienced an increase in mucosal antibodies which were highly cross-reactive against all coronaviruses tested and persisted up to a year. The vaccine also appeared to be safe and well tolerated. 

In addition, results showed the participants had higher antibody levels than people whose antibodies were produced by past COVID-19 infections. 

“We think our technology would pair pretty well with an mRNA vaccine. Those do really well from the standpoint of antibodies in the serum, our vaccine will add to that because they are going to be able to do a mucosal response. And it could be that we’ll be able to boost their serum responses as well. We just don’t know that yet,” Tucker said in an interview. 

A phase 2 trial with nearly 900 participants is currently underway. 

Limitations

The success of Operation Warp Speed was the result of huge investments into research and development and a sense of urgency to tame the coronavirus that has killed millions globally. But as deaths and hospitalizations have subsided and Congress gridlocks on new rounds of COVID-19 funding, the path to bringing innovative new vaccines to the market is uncertain. 

“The question is will Congress act to fund,” Mark Herr, a communications representative for Vaxart, said. “If there was substantial effort and money put into it, we could certainly get to the finish line within a year, 18 months, and have a vaccine available.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Job seekers with no degrees – but plenty of skills – need and deserve more

With fierce competition for talent in today’s labor market, many employers ask if a college degree is really necessary. They range from giants like Google to small companies in the nation’s heartland. For example, Central Iowa Vapors in Cedar Rapids recently decided that new hires no longer need degrees after a star manager trainee revealed that he never even graduated high school. 

Policymakers are also starting to remove degree barriers. The federal government recently released new rules that make it easier for people without four-year college degrees to apply for federal jobs. And in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan removed degree requirements for thousands of state jobs. 

The trend is building. A 2022 Harvard Business Review report analyzed more than 50 million job postings and found a clear shift in the workplace. A growing numbers of employers are looking for skills and competencies, rather than reflexively relying on degrees. 

While we support education after high school for all Americans and believe degrees lead to better careers and lives, these are much-needed steps in the right direction. It’s a win-win for workers and employers as “degree inflation” subsides and more jobs are open to qualified applicants. 

Yet, simply removing degree requirements won’t automatically lead to greater equity and access for workers of color and others who struggle to find jobs. As Lumina Foundation’s Stronger Nation shows, Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American adults are much less likely to have a college degree than their white counterparts. So they face tougher barriers to jobs — even when they have the right skills. Removing arbitrary degree requirements helps to level the playing field, but we must do more. 

Next steps 

We need coordinating, systemic changes to create a more equitable workforce. Here’s a good start: about 100 major U.S. companies have committed to offering high-wage jobs with career paths to people without four-year degrees. These include the Business Roundtable’s Multiple Pathways program; OneTen, an initiative to hire 1 million Black workers over the next decade; and Opportunity@Work’s efforts to draw attention to workers who are “skilled through alternative routes” (STARS). 

These and other employers are rewriting job descriptions, revising interview processes, adding more training, and developing new career pathways. Companies can expand on these opportunities by partnering with community colleges and other providers offering high-quality non-degree training. More companies should also consider funding tuition to make it easier for workers to sharpen their skills and continue learning beyond entry level. And employers can’t lose sight of job quality — a job not requiring a degree is not an excuse to pay less or offer fewer benefits. 

Many community colleges already work closely with employers to align programs with jobs. But here, more can be done, too. Community colleges and other training providers need to focus more attention on communities of color and ensure they provide the right skills and resources for students to succeed both on campus and in the marketplace. 

Meanwhile, policymakers must ensure that lifting degree requirements for public sector jobs means those jobs are truly accessible to people who have been turned away due to their race, ethnicity, or income. We need to get closer to our peer nations to fund workforce development. While some states are increasing investments in non-degree credentials to help workers quickly train for new jobs, more needs to be done to sustain and expand efforts to create equitable pathways to employment. 
If we get this right, skills-based hiring can be crucial in expanding opportunities for millions of workers while helping U.S. businesses compete with wider talent pools. Remember — jobs that don’t require degrees still need advanced skills. While removing degree requirements is a good first step, helping workers get the skills they need is just as essential as they learn, earn, and build a brighter future. 

Amanda Cage is president and CEO of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, which invests in a network of communities that advance workforce development. Kermit Kaleba is strategy director for Employer Aligned Credential Programs at Lumina Foundation, which works for racial equity as it helps all Americans learn beyond high school. The two leaders are working together to advance industry partnerships with community colleges. 

Source: TEST FEED1

What researchers are learning about monkeypox virus

There have been more than 13,500 reported cases of monkeypox (MPX) virus in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This virus is primarily thought to be spread through close and prolonged contact, although it can be detected in the environment and in body fluids. Other areas researchers are focusing on are how much the virus could spread at mass gatherings and new techniques to test for MPX. These are a few of the MPX studies that have come out recently. 

What we know about how the virus survives in the environment 

Some recent studies have focused on sampling the air, surfaces and objects for live monkeypox virus. One paper published in Environmental Microbiology details an MPX case in the U.K. where someone traveled from Nigeria. Researchers analyzed environmental samples using vacuum and surface sampling methods from rooms that adjoined to the patient’s room. The MPX virus was detected in multiple locations in the rooms and up to three days after the patient left the premises. 

Another study sampled more widely in a UK hospital: high-touch areas in patient rooms, personal protective equipment of health care workers and air samples before and during bedding changes. This study is a preprint and has not yet been published in a peer reviewed academic journal. The scientists found there was widespread surface contamination, with 66 out of 73 samples coming back positive. In addition, three out of four air samples taken during a bed linen change were positive. 

The virus could be spreading at mass gatherings 

A group of researchers report results from simulations of transmission of MPX virus at large gatherings in a preprint paper, which has not been published or peer-reviewed. The team ran simulations to see how much MPX virus could potentially spread in groups, with various levels of close contacts and total number of attendees. They found that on average one case could lead to more than one additional case if they have a high number of group contacts (30 and up) or more than eight close contacts at the event. 

However, these simulations are not based on real world data, so it’s important to understand the limitations of what the results mean. They represent a range of possibilities based on the parameters set by the researchers. In real life, actual number of cases resulting from an infectious person could vary due to factors like how much virus people are shedding, how much time they are in contact with others and how transmissible the virus is. 

More accessible testing is on its way 

Unlike with COVID-19, MPX is currently not very easy to test for. Some people are asymptomatic, and people with symptoms like skin lesions may not have very many of them so they may be getting misdiagnosed. Incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days, according to the World Health Organization. And a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the median number of days from onset of first symptoms to first positive PCR test is 5 days (with a range of 2 to 20 days). This means that getting tested more than once could be important for detecting MPX. 

One research group has posted a preprint report on tests for MPX that can be done on portable genetic sequencing devices. These devices are often used in doctors’ offices and in emergency care clinics. This technique is able to detect specific sequences in the strains that are currently circulating and visualizes it in real-time as fluorescence. 

Source: TEST FEED1