logo
New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants

New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants

Axios01-05-2025
A short documentary focusing on the public health and environmental impacts of MidAmerican Energy's five Iowa coal plants premieres Wednesday at Varsity Cinema.
Why it matters:" Iowa's Dirty Secret: The True Cost of Burning Coal" features testimony from residents, doctors and climate advocates, potentially shedding more light on a recent Reuters investigation that ranked the company among the dirtiest in the U.S.
Zoom in: Wednesday's event is sponsored by multiple environmental groups, including the Iowa Environmental Council, which has advocated for years for closing the plants.
The other side: The Reuters story blamed the plant for Omaha's 2023 summer air quality issues without accounting for broader pollution factors, including massive Canadian wildfires at the time, MidAmerican spokesperson Geoff Greenwood tells Axios.
retire its coal plants by 2049, he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market
Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market

By Siddharth Cavale NEW YORK (Reuters) -Investors expect Walmart's management to strike a cautious tone on customer demand as the U.S. labor market cools and inflation ticks up, though the company has outperformed its peers over the last year due to its reliance on grocery sales and wealthier customers shopping there more often. Still, analysts say this environment is a sweet spot for Walmart, which reports second-quarter results on Thursday before markets open. Its low-price model and dominance in grocery can help it weather economic storms better than others. The world's largest retailer by sales has surpassed earnings estimates for 11 consecutive quarters, according to LSEG data, sending its valuation soaring even as other consumer staples companies have struggled this year. The Arkansas-based chain's stock has gained nearly 37% in the last 12 months, one of the notable non-tech companies leading a market that has largely sloughed off the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war. The broader Consumer Staples sector is up 4.5%, trailing the broad-market S&P 500. The company's May-to-July results are the most closely watched event among this week's retail earnings, following Tuesday's results from Home Depot and Wednesday's reports from Lowe's and Target. Its significance goes beyond retail; as one of the largest and most recognizable companies in the U.S., Walmart is viewed as a barometer for the state of the U.S. consumer. "Walmart essentially is middle America, so I'll be looking for cues from Walmart as to the health of the broader economy," said Charles Sizemore, a Walmart investor. U.S. shoppers remain resilient despite declining sentiment, but they are being increasingly selective about purchases and have shown signs of trading down. RBC Capital Markets analyst Steven Shemesh cautioned that Walmart may adopt a more cautious tone heading into the second half. "The million-dollar question at this point is how customers respond to higher prices. We have seen some higher prices to date, and the consumer has managed through them OK, and we haven't seen a material impact to volume. But I don't think they're very widespread price increases at this point where the consumer has really noticed," Shemesh said. Home Depot missed estimates for quarterly revenue and profit, but kept its annual forecasts intact on Tuesday. Walmart's forward price-to-earnings ratio currently stands at 35.7, compared with an average of 25.5 over the past five years, suggesting investors expect growth. Its market value has soared to about $800 billion, per LSEG Datastream. Investors and analysts expect the retailer to report earnings of 74 cents a share, up nearly 11% from a year ago, and revenue of $176.16 billion, up 4%. Sales fell slightly short of expectations in Walmart's last quarter, but July's retail sales report bolstered analysts' confidence in current spending trends. "July's data showing retail sales grew faster than inflation tells me that the consumer is still spending and unit counts are up," said D.A. Davidson analyst Michael Baker. Reuters' global tariff tracker shows at least 92 out of nearly 300 companies have announced price hikes in response to the trade war, with about one-third from the consumer sectors. That includes Tide detergent and Bounty paper towels maker Procter & Gamble, a top Walmart supplier. "Third quarter is the make-or-break quarter, really, where the higher prices ... are going to be passed along in a more broader way than what we are seeing now," Shemesh said. 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤

Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market
Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Walmart's earnings report will test investor confidence in US market

By Siddharth Cavale NEW YORK (Reuters) -Investors expect Walmart's management to strike a cautious tone on customer demand as the U.S. labor market cools and inflation ticks up, though the company has outperformed its peers over the last year due to its reliance on grocery sales and wealthier customers shopping there more often. Still, analysts say this environment is a sweet spot for Walmart, which reports second-quarter results on Thursday before markets open. Its low-price model and dominance in grocery can help it weather economic storms better than others. The world's largest retailer by sales has surpassed earnings estimates for 11 consecutive quarters, according to LSEG data, sending its valuation soaring even as other consumer staples companies have struggled this year. The Arkansas-based chain's stock has gained nearly 37% in the last 12 months, one of the notable non-tech companies leading a market that has largely sloughed off the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war. The broader Consumer Staples sector is up 4.5%, trailing the broad-market S&P 500. The company's May-to-July results are the most closely watched event among this week's retail earnings, following Tuesday's results from Home Depot and Wednesday's reports from Lowe's and Target. Its significance goes beyond retail; as one of the largest and most recognizable companies in the U.S., Walmart is viewed as a barometer for the state of the U.S. consumer. "Walmart essentially is middle America, so I'll be looking for cues from Walmart as to the health of the broader economy," said Charles Sizemore, a Walmart investor. U.S. shoppers remain resilient despite declining sentiment, but they are being increasingly selective about purchases and have shown signs of trading down. RBC Capital Markets analyst Steven Shemesh cautioned that Walmart may adopt a more cautious tone heading into the second half. "The million-dollar question at this point is how customers respond to higher prices. We have seen some higher prices to date, and the consumer has managed through them OK, and we haven't seen a material impact to volume. But I don't think they're very widespread price increases at this point where the consumer has really noticed," Shemesh said. Home Depot missed estimates for quarterly revenue and profit, but kept its annual forecasts intact on Tuesday. Walmart's forward price-to-earnings ratio currently stands at 35.7, compared with an average of 25.5 over the past five years, suggesting investors expect growth. Its market value has soared to about $800 billion, per LSEG Datastream. Investors and analysts expect the retailer to report earnings of 74 cents a share, up nearly 11% from a year ago, and revenue of $176.16 billion, up 4%. Sales fell slightly short of expectations in Walmart's last quarter, but July's retail sales report bolstered analysts' confidence in current spending trends. "July's data showing retail sales grew faster than inflation tells me that the consumer is still spending and unit counts are up," said D.A. Davidson analyst Michael Baker. Reuters' global tariff tracker shows at least 92 out of nearly 300 companies have announced price hikes in response to the trade war, with about one-third from the consumer sectors. That includes Tide detergent and Bounty paper towels maker Procter & Gamble, a top Walmart supplier. "Third quarter is the make-or-break quarter, really, where the higher prices ... are going to be passed along in a more broader way than what we are seeing now," Shemesh said.

Finance industry bodies call for changes to crypto rules for banks
Finance industry bodies call for changes to crypto rules for banks

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Finance industry bodies call for changes to crypto rules for banks

By Elizabeth Howcroft (Reuters) -A group of finance industry bodies is calling for a rethink on looming regulatory standards that they say will make it difficult for banks to participate in crypto markets. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which comprises regulators and central banks from the world's main financial centres, agreed a set of standards in 2022 for how banks should manage and disclose risks around their exposure to crypto assets. In an open letter to the committee, various finance industry groups said that the crypto market has changed since 2022, making the proposed standards too conservative. While the crypto market remains a small part of the overall financial system, it has grown rapidly in recent years, with cryptocurrency prices reaching record highs. It has also become increasingly connected to mainstream financial markets. Banks are trying to tap into a shift in the regulatory environment in the U.S., where President Donald Trump has taken a pro-crypto approach. U.S. regulators this year made it easier for banks to engage in crypto-related activities. "The Cryptoasset Standard's restrictive qualification standards, combined with otherwise punitive market and credit risk capital treatments, effectively make it uneconomical for banks to meaningfully participate in the cryptoasset market," the letter said. The letter called for the committee to "temporarily pause" implementation of the new standards, seek new information and consider making changes. Signatories included the Global Financial Markets Association, the Institute of International Finance and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association - which lobby for the mainstream financial sector - as well as crypto industry groups. The Basel Committee has no enforcement powers, but its members agree to apply its standards to international banks in their jurisdictions. The standards around crypto are due to come into effect in January 2026. The Bank for International Settlements, where the Basel Committee is based, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A series of collapses at major crypto companies in 2022 left millions of investors out of pocket and revealed widespread misconduct in the industry, prompting calls for regulation.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store