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French energy company investing in U.S. Gulf Coast energy sites

Secl via Wikimedia Commons

Total SA, a French energy company, is partnering with Nova and Borealis in building two units on the U.S. Gulf Coast as part of a multi-billion dollar petrochemical venture. One unit will convert natural gas into chemicals used in plastic, and the other will be a polyethylene plant, both in Texas.

Why it matters: The move is betting on the Trump Administration's ability to maintain a "business-friendly environment," but might have even longer-term effects: CEO Patrick Pouyanne said this was part of an effort to boost Total's long-range presence in the U.S.

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Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
26 mins ago - Economy & Business

The fragile recovery

Data: Department of Labor; Chart: Axios Visuals

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits is falling but remains remarkably high three weeks before pandemic assistance programs are set to expire. More than 1 million people a week are still filing for initial jobless claims, including nearly 300,000 applying for pandemic assistance.

By the numbers: As of Nov. 14, 20.2 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits of some kind, including more than 13.4 million on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs that were created as part of the CARES Act and end on Dec. 26.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Ben Geman, author of Generate
46 mins ago - Politics & Policy

The top candidates Biden is considering for key energy and climate roles

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has urged President-elect Joe Biden to nominate Mary Nichols, chair of California's air pollution regulator, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: The reported push by Schumer could boost Nichol's chances of leading an agency that will play a pivotal role in Biden's vow to enact aggressive new climate policies — especially because the plan is likely to rest heavily on executive actions.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Courtenay Brown, Felix Salmon
2 hours ago - Economy & Business

U.S. economy adds 245,000 jobs in November as recovery slows

Data: BLS; Chart: Axios Visuals

The U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate fell to 6.7% from 6.9%, the government said on Friday.

Why it matters: The labor market continues to recover even as coronavirus cases surge— though it's still millions of jobs short of the pre-pandemic level. The problem is that the rate of recovery is slowing significantly.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow