Reports are emerging that 23 miles outside of New York City leaks of radioactive material from the Indian Point Energy Center are increasing (archived). This base load power station contributes 2 Gigawatts of electricity to its service area in New York City and Westchester county from two pressurized water reactors built by Westinghouse. The two operating reactors were completed in 1974 and 1976 respectively and are a substantial reason for New York City's relatively affordable electricity prices. The increasing rate of leaked radioactive materials suggests that Indian Point may be entering a state of disrepair which would deny the New York City area the benefits of a well-run nuclear power plant on their electric grid. The twin dilemmas of a sinking energy extraction industry and failing nuclear power infrastructure may fertilize the ground sufficiently for a politically driven electrical energy crisis prominently featuring terms like "smart grid" and "single national electricity distribution grid" in the vocabulary.

The already bleak picture for United States agriculture is only getting bleaker as 2016 continues. Farmers are now openly talking about this year's planting as an exercise in minimizing their losses instead of profit seeking with agricultural commodity prices in the toilet. The surplus of agricultural products is so great that prices remain depressed even with minimal product entering the market from storage. The consumption of products derived from staple crops is substantially increasing as evidenced by mayo gendered obeasts becoming a substantial political bloc trending to become the majority of the population, yet even the transmayo can not accelerate their consumption enough to adequately stimulate demand. Secondary effects of the agricultural industry's malaise are starting to be felt as manufacturers of heavy equipment are suffering the double whammy of slumping farms and an agonal energy industry. Sorry for your loss.