Biden Administration

Continued U.S.-India Cooperation Under Biden Administration Remains An Open Question, Experts Say

Australian, Indian and U.S. ships sail past each other as fixed-wing aircraft from the India and U.S. navies conduct a flyover during Malabar 2020 on Nov. 20, 2020. US Navy Photo

The question of whether the “accelerated rise” in military cooperation with India – from exercises like Malabar to sharing sensitive satellite targeting intelligence – will continue under the Biden administration remains open, two experts in Indian strategy said Wednesday.

Retired Vice Adm. Shekhar Sinha, who served in...

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/06/continued-u-s-india-cooperation-under-biden-administration-remains-an-open-question-experts-say

Summary of Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead Debate

The following is the Jan. 5, 2021 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, A Low-Yield, Submarine-Launched Nuclear Warhead: Overview of the Expert Debate.

From the report

The Low-Yield D-5 Warhead

The Trump Administration developed a new low-yield version of the W-76 warhead for existing submarine-launched Trident II (D-5) missiles. Unclassified sources state that the existing W76-1 warhead has an explosive yield of around 100 kilotons. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)...

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/06/summary-of-low-yield-nuclear-warhead-debate

STRATCOM: U.S. Needs ‘Broader-Based Strategic Review’ To Assess Threats

An unarmed Trident II D5 missile launches from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) off the coast of California. US Navy Photo

The United States should conduct a new broad strategic review to evaluate global threats and determine its strategy, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said Tuesday.

During a virtual roundtable hosted by the Defense Writer’s Group, Adm. Charles Richard said he supports reassessing the nuclear posture review, but argued for a holistic approach...

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/05/stratcom-u-s-needs-broader-based-strategic-review-to-assess-threats

8 questions with Brett Pope, Volvo Trucks electric vehicles director

The 12% federal excise tax (FET) on new heavy-duty trucks has lots of detractors who think the 103-year-old levy has long outlived its original purpose. That was to defray the costs of America fighting in World War I.

Brett Pope may or may not be for getting rid of the tax. He won’t say. But the director of electric vehicles at Volvo Trucks North America thinks waiving the tax on purchases of the VNR Electric regional hauler would help bring it closer to price parity with diesel models of the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/8-questions-with-volvo-trucks-electric-vehicles-director-brett-pope

CNO: Navy Will Have to Convince Biden Administration to Invest in Larger, Lethal Fleet

USS Sterett (DDG-104) steams through the night in the Gulf of Oman on Sept. 17, 2020. US Navy Photo

After it took the better part of nine months to convince Mark Esper’s Pentagon that the naval force needed greater investment to be ready to deter or defeat China and Russia – even if that investment came at the expense of the Army or the Air Force – the Navy and Marine Corps will have to start anew with the incoming Biden administration, the chief of naval operations said today.

The two sea...

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/03/cno-navy-will-have-to-convince-biden-administration-to-invest-in-larger-lethal-fleet

XL Fleet expands electric truck conversions to infrastructure

Startup XL Fleet is expanding its electric drive business to creating charging infrastructure. The new division called XL Grid covers energy storage and solar power for electrified fleets.

XL Fleet’s goal is creating electrification as a service (EaaS).

“Fleet electrification requires a massive rollout of vehicle charging infrastructure. And XL Fleet has the customers and data already in place to quickly deliver charging solutions,” founder and Chief Strategy Officer Tod Hynes said in a press...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/xl-fleet-expands-electric-truck-conversions-to-infrastructure

Biden administration airs concerns over COVID-19 vaccine delivery – Midday Market Update (with video)

Midday Market Update

How will Tesla fare on the S&P 500, Canada’s role in COVID vaccines, and an update on upstream supply chains 

Tuesday’s headlines

Tesla dropped the news that after five straight quarters of profitability, the company will be joining the S&P 500 index on Dec. 21. 

Tesla’s revenue continued to gain in Q3 2020, and its stock jumped 10% after the announcement. 

The Biden administration is concerned about how President Donald Trump’s unwillingness to transition power will affect the distribution of a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/biden-administration-air-concerns-over-covid-19-vaccine-delivery-midday-market-update-with-video

Big business bullish on infrastructure in 2021

America’s big-business lobby considers the biggest priority for the new Congress and the incoming Biden administration in 2021 is to build back economic losses sustained by the COVID-19 pandemic with major infrastructure legislation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is backing two Republican incumbent U.S. senators in Georgia who, if successful in runoff elections on Jan. 5, will allow Republicans to maintain control of the Senate. But the resulting divided legislature — Democrats maintained control...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/big-business-bullish-on-infrastructure-in-2021

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