The roar of the leaf blower has become an inescapable part of daily life in communities across America, leading towns and states to ban or restrict blowers that run on gasoline. “If you look at what this machines does, how loud it is, how much it pollutes, it's not normal to be accepted where we live, where our children play," said Jessica Stolzberg, a writer and crusader against gas-powered leaf blowers who helped get a ban on the machines enacted in her hometown of Montclair, New Jersey. Just as the push to move away from burning fossil fuels to power cars and homes is drawing opposition from business groups and numerous device owners, the move by government to force a switch to battery-powered leaf blowers has the industry complaining of increased costs and decreased performance under the new regulations.
Oil prices settled higher Thursday, as traders digested falling crude inventories and ongoing rising hopes for the U.S. rate cuts following weaker-than-expected economic data. At 14:30 ET (18:30 GMT), the U.S. crude futures traded 0.7% higher to settle at $82.17 a barrel and the Brent contract climbed 0.8% to $85.71 a barrel.
(Bloomberg) -- Ecuador’s government on Tuesday unveiled a plan to slash subsidies for low-octane gasoline as it continues to adjust public finances amid a war on drug gangs President Daniel Noboa declared in January.Most Read from BloombergWhat to Know About the Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria Spreading in Japan‘I Live in Hell’: Anti-Growth Fervor Grips US South After Pandemic BoomNvidia’s 591,078% Rally to Most Valuable Stock Came in WavesNvidia Becomes World’s Most Valuable Company as AI Rally St