NPR
It's the inflation you're not supposed to see.
From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It's dubbed "shrinkflation," and it's accelerating worldwide.
In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces. In the U.K., Nestle slimmed down its Nescafe Azera Americano coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams.
Shrinkflation isn't new, experts say. But it proliferates in times of high inflation as companies grapple with rising costs for ingredients, packaging, labor and transportation. Global consumer price inflation was up an estimated 7% in May, a pace that will likely continue through September, according to S&P Global.
More Omicron Variants Gain Ground U.S., According to C.D.C. Estimates – The New York Times
The Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 now represent 13 percent of new coronavirus cases in the United States, up from 7.5 percent a week ago and 1 percent in early May, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The spread of the subvariants adds more uncertainty to the trajectory of the pandemic in the United States, where current case counts are likely to be a significant underestimate. But whether it leads to a major new wave of infections, or spikes in hospitalizations and deaths, remains unclear, scientists cautioned.
Tonight at Sunset – June 9, 2022
Tonight at Sunset 🌇
At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 64 degrees. The dew point will be 53 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph with gusts up to 21mph.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:56 pm with sun having an altitude of 70.3° from the due south horizon (-0.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:50 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (296°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (303°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:33 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 26 seconds with dusk around 9:06 pm, which is 36 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous 🌔 Moon in the south (182°) at an altitude of 42° from the horizon, 234,894 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:52 pm.
Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous 🌔 Moon with 70% illuminated. The moon will rise at 3:07 pm. The Strawberry 🍓 Moon is on Tuesday, June 14.
Weather Update – June 9, 2022
The week ahead … 😎
| Today. Feels like … May 19th. |
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Rain and thunderstorms likely before noon, then a chance of showers, mainly between noon and 1pm. Partly sunny. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
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72 degrees | 63 max dew point | 8:33 sunset |
| Tonight. Feels like … June 5th. |
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Mostly clear. West wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
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54 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Friday. Feels like … June 4th. |
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Sunny. West wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
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76 degrees | 53 max dew point | 8:34 sunset |
| Friday Night. Feels like … June 5th. |
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Partly cloudy. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
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54 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Saturday. Feels like … May 23rd. |
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A chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy. Light southwest wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
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73 degrees | 53 max dew point | 8:34 sunset |
| Saturday Night. Feels like … June 5th. |
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A chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
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54 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Sunday. Feels like … June 4th. |
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A chance of showers. Partly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
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76 degrees | 57 max dew point | 8:35 sunset |
| Sunday Night. Feels like … June 15th. |
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A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
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57 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Monday. Feels like … June 4th. |
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A chance of showers. Mostly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
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76 degrees | 59 max dew point | 8:35 sunset |
| Monday Night. Feels like … June 11th. |
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Partly cloudy.
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56 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Tuesday. Feels like … June 15th. |
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Mostly sunny.
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79 degrees | 56 max dew point | 8:36 sunset |
| Tuesday Night. Feels like … June 18th. |
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Partly cloudy.
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58 degrees | 5:15 sunrise |
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| Wednesday. Feels like … June 27th. |
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A chance of showers. Mostly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
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82 degrees | 58 max dew point | 8:36 sunset |
Daily Update – June 9, 2022
Good morning! Happy Thursday.
By the time I dropped Big Red off at the shop for his oil change and tire rotation, the rain had stopped. Now I’m catching the bus to work.
Rain showers and 59 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌧️ There is a southeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 57 degrees.
So it’s the Big Day for Big Red. 🛻 Truth be told, I looked at the odometer last night and was shocked how few miles I had driven since last August, but I figured it still best to get the oil changed and tires rotated before summer driving season. In the grand scheme of things it’s not that expensive, and it’s better to do an oil change early rather then late. Although with inflation, maybe I’ll start doing my own oil changes again.
The plan is at lunch time to catch a bus and get my truck 🚌 then after work I will go grocery shopping. 🏪 I got some gas for my truck — $30 worth of it — and I think that will be enough for the weekend, even if I do decide to go to the gas up. But it probably won’t happen as it looks rainy, and I’ve done it a lot over the years. Doesn’t change that much year to year, and gas is so darn expensive these days.