Featured Stories
USDA's Regenerative Feedstock Guidance Could Create New Value for Corn Growers
CHESTERFIELD, Missouri, July 11 -- The National Corn Growers Association issued the following news:
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USDA's Regenerative Feedstock Guidance Could Create New Value for Corn Growers
Author: Matt Ziegler
Overview
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently published a final rule entitled, "Technical Guidelines for the Production of Regenerative Agricultural Biofuel Feedstocks." The rule establishes a voluntary framework for quantifying, reporting and verifying how certain agricultural practices impact the carbon intensity of corn and other commodity crops used in the production of biofuels.
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CHESTERFIELD, Missouri, July 11 -- The National Corn Growers Association issued the following news:
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USDA's Regenerative Feedstock Guidance Could Create New Value for Corn Growers
Author: Matt Ziegler
Overview
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently published a final rule entitled, "Technical Guidelines for the Production of Regenerative Agricultural Biofuel Feedstocks." The rule establishes a voluntary framework for quantifying, reporting and verifying how certain agricultural practices impact the carbon intensity of corn and other commodity crops used in the production of biofuels.This rule could help unlock additional value for farmers under the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit.
The National Corn Growers Association has played an active role in providing feedback to USDA throughout the rulemaking process. To inform farmers about the actions that are being taken on this issue, we posed several questions to Matt Ziegler, who handles biofuels policy for NCGA.
1. What is the Regenerative Agricultural Biofuel Feedstock rule?
The new rule enables farmers to document and verify how several regenerative agriculture practices can reduce emissions when growing four commodity crops - corn, soy, sorghum and spring canola. The voluntary program could help farmers capture additional value for crops used as biofuel feedstocks based on lower carbon intensity scores.
2. What is the Feedstock Calculator?
USDA's Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (USDA FD-CIC) was published alongside the Regenerative Feedstock rule. The tool quantifies greenhouse gas emissions per bushel of production. Field-level data is collected for several agronomic practices including tillage, nutrient management and cover crops. The resulting carbon intensity score can be marketed to biofuel producers that are seeking low-carbon feedstocks.
3. How will farmers participate in this kind of program?
Farmers wishing to participate in voluntary low-carbon markets will need to keep detailed agronomic records, submit their data to the Feedstock Calculator and be willing to have their records reviewed by a third-party verifier. Furthermore, USDA's Feedstock Rule adopts a "mass balance" chain of custody standard, which means that the grain must be physically traced to an ethanol plant to qualify for the program.
Note: NCGA continues to advocate for a "book and claim" chain of custody model, which would allow farmers to market their carbon reductions separate from the grain; however, this has not yet been enabled under current USDA rules.
4. How is this related to the 45Z tax credit, and what else needs to happen for farmers to benefit from this policy?
The Treasury Department published a proposed rule for implementing the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit in February 2026, which indicated that future action could be taken to incorporate low-carbon farming practices into the value of the biofuel tax credit. Now that USDA's Regenerative Feedstock rule has been finalized, we are urging Treasury and the Department of Energy to update its guidance to enable farmer participation in the 45Z program.
5. What can growers do to help advance this process?
Stay involved with your state organization and NCGA. That means joining and becoming a member, if you aren't already. We would also encourage you to sign up for advocacy alerts at www.ncga.com to get updates on this and other issues and invitations to participate in letter-writing campaigns and other methods of outreach.
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Matt Ziegler
Director, Public Policy, Renewable Fuels
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Original text here: https://www.ncga.com/stay-informed/media/in-the-news/article/2026/07/usda-s-regenerative-feedstock-guidance-could-create-new-value-for-corn-growers
[Category: Agriculture]
UBPR Loan Nomenclature and Other Changes
WASHINGTON, July 11 [Category: Financial Services] (TNSxrep) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors posted the following news release:
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UBPR Loan Nomenclature and Other Changes
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The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's member agencies will implement several changes to the Uniform Bank Performance Report on or shortly after August 10, 2026.
These revisions, led by the Task Force on Surveillance Systems, include updates to UBPR loan category nomenclature and minor modifications to the Liquidity and Funding page.
More information on the changes to the UBPR is available
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 11 [Category: Financial Services] (TNSxrep) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors posted the following news release:
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UBPR Loan Nomenclature and Other Changes
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The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's member agencies will implement several changes to the Uniform Bank Performance Report on or shortly after August 10, 2026.
These revisions, led by the Task Force on Surveillance Systems, include updates to UBPR loan category nomenclature and minor modifications to the Liquidity and Funding page.
More information on the changes to the UBPR is availableat Latest Updates | FFIEC (https://www.ffiec.gov/data/ubpr/latest-updates).
UBPR users should contact the CDR helpdesk at cdr.help@cdr.ffiec.gov (link sends email) or 1-888-237-3111 if they have any questions.
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Original text here: https://www.csbs.org/newsroom/ubpr-loan-nomenclature-and-other-changes
NAR Survey Finds Americans Value Neighborhood Walkability
WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The National Association of Realtors issued the following news release:
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NAR Survey Finds Americans Value Neighborhood Walkability
NAR Community and Transportation Preference Survey reinforces need for housing choices and shows support for community design to easily access daily destinations.
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A new survey by the National Association of REALTORS(R) shows that Americans value walkability, mixed-used neighborhoods and a broad range of housing choices. Demand for smart-growth features, such as access to parks, shops, restaurants, schools and workplaces, is real--and
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WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The National Association of Realtors issued the following news release:
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NAR Survey Finds Americans Value Neighborhood Walkability
NAR Community and Transportation Preference Survey reinforces need for housing choices and shows support for community design to easily access daily destinations.
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A new survey by the National Association of REALTORS(R) shows that Americans value walkability, mixed-used neighborhoods and a broad range of housing choices. Demand for smart-growth features, such as access to parks, shops, restaurants, schools and workplaces, is real--andmany Americans are willing to pay more for them.
"It's clear that Americans place a high value on making sure the place they call home has the amenities they need to lead a happy and healthy life," said NAR Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn. "NAR members know this intuitively, but having hard data like this is an asset in our advocacy efforts at the federal, state, and local level."
Among noteworthy findings of the survey:
Walkability remains a top priority for homebuyers and residents.
* 89% say sidewalks and places to walk are important when deciding where to live.
* 82% say that being within an easy walk of shops and parks is important when deciding where to live.
* 74% say having a place to walk or exercise a pet is important.
* 71% say that the places they need to go are too far to walk. The weather (41%) and concerns about safety because of traffic (39%) are other major barriers to walking.
Walkability has real market value.
* Nearly two-thirds (63%) say they would be willing to pay more to live in a community where they could easily walk to parks, shops, and restaurants.
* When presented with a choice between a larger home site requiring more driving and a smaller lot in a walkable neighborhood, 59% preferred the walkable option.
There is meaningful support for reducing driving trips through community design.
* 46% of respondents say it should be a high priority for local governments to make it easier to develop communities where people do not have to drive long distances to work or shop. 39% say it should be a middle priority.
* Only 15% of respondents think community design that reduces long drives should be a low priority. Support is strongest for practical housing solutions that expand choice.
* 63% say small-lot single-family homes are a good idea for their communities.
* 51% support townhomes, duplexes, and other attached housing options.
NAR's Community and Transportation Preference Survey is a triennial survey of 2,000 residents in America's 50 largest metropolitan areas to assess their preferences related to NAR's Smart Growth principals. The complete results can be found at NAR Community and Transportation Preferences Surveys.
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About the National Association of REALTORS(R)
The National Association of REALTORS(R) is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS(R) and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes--from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation--visit facts.realtor.
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Original text here: https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/new-nar-survey-finds-americans-value-neighborhood-walkability
[Category: Real Estate]
Conference Board: LEI for Germany Increased Again in May
NEW YORK, July 11 -- The Conference Board issued the following news release:
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The LEI for Germany Increased Again in May
Using the Composite Indexes: The Leading Economic Index (LEI) provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term. The Coincident Economic Index (CEI) provides an indication of the current state of the economy. Additional details are below.
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (r) (LEI) for Germany increased by 0.6% in May 2026 to 87.5 (2016=100), after an uptick of 0.1% in April's
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, July 11 -- The Conference Board issued the following news release:
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The LEI for Germany Increased Again in May
Using the Composite Indexes: The Leading Economic Index (LEI) provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term. The Coincident Economic Index (CEI) provides an indication of the current state of the economy. Additional details are below.
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (r) (LEI) for Germany increased by 0.6% in May 2026 to 87.5 (2016=100), after an uptick of 0.1% in April'supwardly revised figure. Overall, due to weakness in the first few months of the year, the LEI fell by 1.1% between November 2025 and May 2026, a negative turn from the marginal 0.1% growth over the previous six-month period, from May to November 2025.
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (r) (CEI) for Germany inched up by 0.1% in May 2026 to 103.3 (2016=100), after being unchanged in March and April. Over the six-month period between November 2025 and May 2026, the CEI for Germany declined by 0.1%, like the 0.1% contraction over the previous six-month period.
The next release is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 9:30 A.M. ET.
The Germany LEI increased for the second consecutive month in May, after continuous declines in each month of Q1
All components of the Germany LEI showed improvement in the month
The annual growth rate of the Germany LEI remained negative, but stabilized, indicating possibly easing headwinds to economic activity in the near-term
About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(r) (LEI) and Coincident Economic Index(r) (CEI) for Germany
The composite economic indexes are key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. Comprised of multiple independent indicators, the indexes are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning points in the economy in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component.
The CEI reflects current economic conditions and is highly correlated with real GDP. The LEI is a predictive tool that anticipates-or "leads"-turning points in the business cycle by around seven months.
The seven components of Leading Economic Index(r) for Germany are:
* New Orders for Investment Goods
* Yield Spread, 10-Year Minus 3-Month Time Deposits Rate
* Consumer Confidence Index
* Inventory Change
* New Residential Construction Orders
* Stock Price Index
* Gross Enterprises and Properties Income
The four components of the Coincident Economic Index(r) for Germany are:
* Industrial Production
* Employed Persons
* Retail Trade
* Manufacturing Sales
To access data, please visit: https://data-central.conference-board.org
About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is the Member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What's Ahead (r) (r). Founded in 1916, we are a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. TCB.org l Learn about Membership
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Original text here: https://www.conference-board.org/topics/business-cycle-indicators/germany
American Seafood Producers Express Strong Support for Proposed Additional Tariffs in Section 301 Investigation on Forced Labor
NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida, July 11 [Category: Food/Beverage] (TNSrpt) -- The Southern Shrimp Alliance posted the following news release:
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American Seafood Producers Express Strong Support for Proposed Additional Tariffs in Section 301 Investigation on Forced Labor
American Catfish, Crawfish, and Shrimp Industries Weigh in with USTR
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On Monday, the Southern Shrimp Alliance, joined by the American Shrimp Processors Association, the Catfish Farmers of America, the Crawfish Processors Alliance, and the Crawfish Commodity Committee of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, submitted comments
... Show Full Article
NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida, July 11 [Category: Food/Beverage] (TNSrpt) -- The Southern Shrimp Alliance posted the following news release:
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American Seafood Producers Express Strong Support for Proposed Additional Tariffs in Section 301 Investigation on Forced Labor
American Catfish, Crawfish, and Shrimp Industries Weigh in with USTR
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On Monday, the Southern Shrimp Alliance, joined by the American Shrimp Processors Association, the Catfish Farmers of America, the Crawfish Processors Alliance, and the Crawfish Commodity Committee of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, submitted commentsexpressing strong support in favor of the Office of the United States Trade Representative ("USTR") proposal that additional tariffs of 12.5 percent be imposed on imported goods from China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, including seafood, and additional tariffs of 10 percent be imposed on imported merchandise from Ecuador, Indonesia, and Mexico, including seafood.
In those comments, the American seafood producers highlighted Appendix C of the USTR's Report in Section 301 Investigations: Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure to Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, identifying countries that imported fish as inputs from nations where fish is harvested with forced labor that also exported processed seafood and fishmeal products to the United States, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. As the USTR's Report explains, the failure of these countries to prohibit the importation of goods produced through forced labor unfairly reduces the cost of inputs for the production of merchandise exported to the United States, harming American producers forced to compete with these imports.
While noting their agreement with this analysis, the American seafood producers observed that the USTR's Report failed to address the principal means through which inputs produced through forced labor distort the U.S. and global markets for seafood: trade in farmed seafood raised on fishmeal produced from fish harvested through forced labor. Addressing the specific supply chains attributable to each of the seven countries, the American seafood producers described how access to fishmeal imports produced in countries where the fishing industry is associated with forced labor unfairly reduced costs for foreign suppliers and reduced the prices paid for U.S. commercial fishermen and farmers.
Southern Shrimp Alliance Testifies at Public Hearing
Following the submission of written comments, the Southern Shrimp Alliance presented testimony at a public hearing before the Section 301 Committee yesterday in Washington D.C. At the hearing, federal government officials asked witnesses about the domestic seafood industry's capability to increase production should import volumes be reduced. A representative from the American Coalition for Fair Trade in Seafood emphasized that in recent investigations conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission, that federal agency confirmed that both the domestic catfish and shrimp industry had substantial unused capacity and were capable of significantly increasing production with improved market conditions. Similarly, the Southern Shrimp Alliance noted that the large number of shrimp boats tied up across the Gulf and South Atlantic was a testament to how the U.S. shrimp industry could quickly harvest significantly more shrimp.
Trade Relief Will Spur Substantial Increases in American Seafood Production
Although groups representing seafood importers claim that American seafood production could not be reasonably expected to increase if action was taken to curb imports, these arguments are not supported by official government data. Instead, official government reported statistics make clear that American seafood production has declined significantly over the last few years as imports have been permitted to seize an even greater share of the U.S. market.
* According to NOAA Fisheries, in the nine year period running from 2011 to 2019, American commercial fishermen landed an annual average of 9.7 billion pounds of fish valued at $5.5 billion. However, in the five years between 2020 and 2024, landings have fallen to an annual average of 8.3 billion pounds - a decline of 14.3 percent.
* Although the value of the seafood harvested in U.S. waters initially increased following COVID, with commercial landings valued at $6.5 bill in 2021, prices have since collapsed under pressure from imports, with total landings reported to be worth just $4.9 billion in 2024, a drop of 25 percent in three years.
* The U.S. shrimp industry in the Gulf and South Atlantic has been particularly hard hit.
* Commercial landings of shrimp were 227.5 million pounds in 2021, valued at $521 million, consistent with the annual average of the preceding decade (2011 to 2020 = 236.2 million lbs. valued at $478.2 million).
* Shrimp prices collapsed in 2023 and the 210.9 million pounds of shrimp landed in 2023 were valued at only $269.1 million.
* With half of the value of domestic shrimp wiped out, boats tied up in 2024 and the volume of warmwater shrimp landings dropped to just 158.2 million pounds that year.
* Preliminary reporting from NOAA Fisheries indicates that President Trump's actions to address unfairly-traded imports last year resulted in a ten percent increase in the volume of warmwater shrimp harvested in the United States last year compared to 2024. Similar significant increases in shrimp production are anticipated this year if there are further improvements in market conditions.
* Similarly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the American catfish industry has seen its water acreage used for the production of catfish fall from 63,760 acres in 2018 to 48,115 acres this year - a loss of 25 percent of production area over the past nine years.
" Years of granting foreign seafood preferential access to our market has devastated all American fishermen and farmers forced to compete with these imports," said Blake Price, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. " The Trump Administration continues to prove its commitment to American workers and businesses by directly confronting the true cost of cheap imports. The U.S. shrimp industry strongly supports the USTR's proposal to impose additional tariffs on imported seafood and is grateful for everything being done by our federal government to get fishermen back to work. "
Review the July 6 th joint submission of the American Shrimp Processors Association, the Catfish Farmers of America, the Crawfish Processors Alliance, and the Crawfish Commodity Committee of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and Southern Shrimp Alliance to the USTR in the Section 301 investigations on forced labor here: https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SSA-ASPA-CFA-CPA-LFBF-USTR-2026-0265-00132137-CAT-19083-Public-Document.pdf
Review the July 6 th submission of the American Coalition for Fair Trade in Seafood to the USTR in the Section 301 investigations on forced labor here: https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/American-Coalition-for-Fair-Trade-in-Seafood-USTR-2026-0265-00132591-CAT-19658-Public-Document.pdf
Read the testimony provided on behalf of the Southern Shrimp Alliance on Panel 14 of the July 8 th public hearing on the Section 301 investigations on forced labor here: https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Southern-Shrimp-Alliance-Testimony-Panel-14-July-8-2026.pdf
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REPORT: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/2026/USTR%20Report%20Sec%20301%20FL%20301%206-2-26%20FINAL%20for%20upload.pdf
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Original text here: https://shrimpalliance.com/american-seafood-producers-express-strong-support-for-proposed-additional-tariffs-in-section-301-investigation-on-forced-labor/
America's Electric Grid Delivered Record-Breaking Output as Heat Dome Blanketed the Nation
WASHINGTON, July 11 [Category: Energy] (TNSxrep) -- The Edison Electric Institute issued the following news release:
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America's Electric Grid Delivered Record-Breaking Output as Heat Dome Blanketed the Nation
U.S. electric output hit an all-time high last week, surpassing 100,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) for the first time ever, according to new data released today by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Output for the week of June 28-July 4, 2026, reached 100,996 GWh, breaking the previous record of 99,445 GWh set nearly four years ago (July 17-23, 2022). In the past 12 months, U.S. electric
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 11 [Category: Energy] (TNSxrep) -- The Edison Electric Institute issued the following news release:
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America's Electric Grid Delivered Record-Breaking Output as Heat Dome Blanketed the Nation
U.S. electric output hit an all-time high last week, surpassing 100,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) for the first time ever, according to new data released today by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Output for the week of June 28-July 4, 2026, reached 100,996 GWh, breaking the previous record of 99,445 GWh set nearly four years ago (July 17-23, 2022). In the past 12 months, U.S. electricoutput totaled 4,346,875 GWh -up 2.3 percent from the previous year.
The record 100,996 GWh is roughly 22 percent above the average U.S. weekly generation level. That's nearly twice the amount of electricity New York City uses in an entire year, delivered by America's grid in just seven days.
The record was set as a punishing heat dome pushed triple-digit temperatures and heat indices as high as 115degF across much of the central and eastern United States, placing more than 200 million Americans under extreme heat alerts and driving air-conditioning use to seasonal highs.
Across the country, electric companies including Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, and FirstEnergy took proactive steps to prepare for the heat. They worked around the clock to keep the lights on and quickly restore power after storm-related outages, keeping power flowing to families, businesses, hospitals, and Fourth of July celebrations.
"Hitting 100,000 gigawatt-hours in a single week for the first time in history is a milestone -and a preview of what the grid of the future must be built to handle," said EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney. "Meeting surging demand and ensuring the grid can withstand severe weather will require continued investment in America's energy infrastructure."
Last week's record output is a direct result of sustained investment in a modern, interconnected grid -a high-value national asset that supports the U.S. economy, national security, and modern life, according to a report from Concentric Energy Advisors. A new independent analysis from the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure also shows that blunt caps on return on equity (ROE) could undermine the capital attraction needed to finance the grid investment customers depend on as electricity demand continues to climb.
America's electric companies are projected to invest $239 billion this year alone, and $1.4 trillion through 2030, in stronger transmission lines, advanced grid-enhancing technologies, new generation, and modernized distribution systems -the very investments that allowed the grid to meet record-breaking demand during last week's heat dome and enabled electric companies to quickly restore service where storms caused outages.
The following table summarizes electric output by region for the week that ended July 4, 2026, along with output for the trailing 52-week period. Level figures are in GWh:
Region ... Weekly Output (GWh) ... Weekly Y/Y % ... 52-Week Output (GWh) ... 52-Week Y/Y %
U.S. Total (Lower 48) ... 100,996 ... 7.73% ... 4,346,875 ... 2.33%
New England ... 2,842 ... 15.48% ... 115,567 ... 1.33%
Mid-Atlantic ... 10,657 ... 11.34% ... 419,216 ... 0.63%
Central Industrial ... 17,027 ... 11.00% ... 685,153 ... 3.43%
West Central ... 8,437 ... 5.18% ... 349,667 ... 2.94%
Southeast ... 24,827 ... 9.76% ... 1,066,304 ... 1.62%
South Central ... 22,482 ... 11.69% ... 954,861 ... 3.91%
Rocky Mountain ... 6,329 ... -7.99% ... 310,723 ... 0.98%
Pacific Northwest ... 2,847 ... -2.94% ... 164,582 ... 1.47%
Pacific Southwest ... 5,548 ... -4.22% ... 280,801 ... 1.35%
NOTE: Data excludes Alaska and Hawaii
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EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide safe, reliable electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States and drives economic growth and prosperity. EEI also includes hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.
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Original text here: https://www.eei.org/News/news/All/2026-grid-record
AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases Accident Case Study: Night Falls on Final
FREDERICK, Maryland, July 11 [Category: Aerospace] (TNSxrep) -- The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association posted the following news release:
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AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases Accident Case Study: Night Falls on Final
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The latest video, Night Falls on Final, recreates the tragic events that led an experienced aviator to become disoriented on an instrument approach into Raleigh-Durham International Airport at night on October 20, 2019.
The accident aircraft was N534Z, a 1989 Piper Saratoga, and its instrument-rated pilot filed an IFR flight plan for a 370-nautical-mile journey from
... Show Full Article
FREDERICK, Maryland, July 11 [Category: Aerospace] (TNSxrep) -- The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association posted the following news release:
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AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases Accident Case Study: Night Falls on Final
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The latest video, Night Falls on Final, recreates the tragic events that led an experienced aviator to become disoriented on an instrument approach into Raleigh-Durham International Airport at night on October 20, 2019.
The accident aircraft was N534Z, a 1989 Piper Saratoga, and its instrument-rated pilot filed an IFR flight plan for a 370-nautical-mile journey fromColumbus, Georgia. He and his wife were headed to North Carolina for vacation. Weather in Raleigh was marginal VFR, and a stubborn layer of clouds lay close to the ground.
According to his logbook, the pilot had just under 3,000 hours of total flight time. But his last logged instrument approach had been almost 10 months earlier, and it had been almost a year since his last night flight. Therefore, he was not current to fly IFR or at night, nor was he authorized to carry passengers.
"Unless the pilot completed his required night currency before the accident flight and didn't log it, he was not legal, current or proficient doing the type of flying he was confronted with that night," ASI senior vice president Mike Ginter said. "It was a long flight from Columbus, and an unexpected runway change at his destination coupled with challenging weather conditions during the final phase of the flight created a very difficult situation for this pilot."
N534Z crashed into the woods of a state park, just one mile short of runway 32 at Raleigh-Durham.
In its final report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident was caused by the pilot's "failure to maintain a safe glidepath during final approach to the runway."
"Stress and fatigue are a dangerous combination that can easily lead to mistakes," Ginter said. "Add to that the anxiety the pilot may have felt after having to change plans on the fly, reprogram his avionics, and try to get his bearings in less-than-ideal weather. The dark, featureless terrain before the brightly lit airport environment could have given him the illusion of being too high on approach, when really, he was too low."
Accident Case Studies use Federal Aviation Administration records, NTSB documentation, and video animation to recreate the dynamics of each accident and track the chain of events. The videos share critical lessons to help pilots recognize and avoid similar mistakes.
Watch Night Falls on Final, which is sponsored by Sporty's, here (https://youtu.be/rItYoEwFZ3I).
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Original text here: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/july/10/pr-aopas-air-safety-institute-releases-accident-case-study-night-falls-on-final
