Talk of the Town
Microporous has adjusted its plans to invest $1.3 billion and create 2,015 new jobs, with wages in the mid-50s, in neighboring Pittsylvania County. At a meeting last night, the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facilities Authority approved a $1.6 billion increase in investment, an average pay increase to $61,000, and a decrease in the number of jobs to around 1,700. They hope to have the plant open in 2028.
(NEW YORK) — Gas prices in the United States topped $4 per gallon on average Tuesday, crossing the milestone for the first time in nearly four years, just weeks after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran set off a global oil shock and spiked fuel costs.
Prices at the pump have soared more than 30% since the war began on Feb. 28., AAA data showed. Fuel costs last exceeded $4 a gallon in August 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Middle East conflict prompted Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The risk of a prolonged oil shortage triggered a surge in crude prices.
The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.
Global oil prices hovered around $104 a barrel on Tuesday, which amounted to a nearly 50% price leap from pre-war levels.
Crude oil is the main ingredient in auto fuel, accounting for more than half of the price paid at the pump, according to the federal U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), earlier this week said the current oil crisis had surpassed the combined effect of worldwide energy shocks in the 1970s.
The global economy faces a “major, major threat,” Birol said at an event in Canberra, Australia, noting that no country would be “immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction.”
Member nations of the IEA announced two weeks ago that they plan to release 400 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve, marking the largest oil release in the 32-nation group’s history.
The Trump administration is set to carry out the second-largest-ever delivery from the nation’s emergency reserve, which will make up nearly half of the IEA’s planned release. Trump also eased sanctions on Russian oil and suspended a key regulation of domestic oil transport. The president has also sought to restore tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
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A sharp turn toward true winter is on tap for Martinsville this weekend, as a blast of Arctic air and…
(NEW YORK) — More than 120 million people are on alert for a brutal storm that’s going to bring dangerous ice and snow to the South, bitter cold to the Midwest, and a massive snowfall to the Northeast.
South
The storm moves into the South on Friday afternoon. By the evening, Dallas will see a wintry mix and Oklahoma and Kansas will get some snow.
On Saturday morning, the temperature is forecast to fall to 27 degrees in Dallas; 8 degrees in Oklahoma City; 14 degrees in Little Rock, Arkansas; and 19 degrees in Nashville, Tennessee.
As temperatures drop on Saturday, extremely dangerous snow and ice will move in from Dallas to Little Rock to Memphis, Tennessee.
Residents should be prepared for dangerous travel conditions and widespread power outages, which could leave people without electricity or heat.
The lack of heat will be very dangerous in several major cities — including Dallas, Little Rock and Memphis — where the bitter cold is expected to continue well after the storm passes.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he was activating state emergency response resources, saying the freezing rain, sleet and snow “could create hazardous travel conditions into the weekend and cause impacts to infrastructure.”
By Saturday afternoon, the snow and ice could stretch as far east as Georgia and the Carolinas.
The governors of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have declared states of emergency.
Midwest
This unforgiving arctic blast will strike the Midwest late Thursday into Friday, bringing extremely dangerous temperatures.
On Friday morning, the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — is forecast to plunge to minus 39 degrees in Minneapolis, minus 32 in Chicago and minus 39 in Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin. In these conditions, frostbite can develop in just 10 minutes.
Northeast
The brutal cold will strike the Northeast on Friday night, with below-freezing temperatures expected for New York City and Philadelphia.
Then on Sunday, the storm will hit the Northeast, bringing likely plowable snow from Washington, D.C., to New York City to Boston.
The snow totals are not yet clear, but by the Monday morning commute, 6 to 12 inches is possible in some areas.
Airline travel alerts
Many airlines are issuing travel alerts and waiving rebooking fees ahead of the storm.
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have waived rebooking fees, allowing passengers to rebook their flights at no additional cost.
United has issued travel waivers for cities expected to be affected, allowing those who bought tickets on or before Tuesday to rebook without a fee if their travel is affected.
Southwest said it’s monitoring the weather and will issue any advisories or make any changes as needed.
ABC News’ Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.
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