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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — President Joe Biden predicted Oct. 6 a $20 billion investment by IBM in New York’s Hudson River Valley will help give the United States a technological edge against China, hailing the expansion during an appearance with two House Democrats in competitive races in next month’s critical elections.

WASHINGTON — America’s employers slowed their hiring in September but still added a solid 263,000 jobs — a dose of encouraging news that may mean the Federal Reserve’s drive to cool the job market and ease inflation is starting to make progress. Trucking however saw a sizable decline in truck transportation payrolls. 

Trucking companies, government entities and nonprofit groups responded to the devastation wrought along Florida’s Gulf Coast by Hurricane Ian last month with relief efforts for the many areas affected by the storm, and are working to overcome challenges in getting aid to those in need.

Motor carriers transporting relief supplies to regions of Florida and South Carolina affected by Hurricane Ian are working with a variety of emergency vehicle size and weight exemptions in effect in neighboring states, moves made by governors and state agencies looking to help speed relief supplies to storm-ravaged areas.

The implementation of the $1 trillion infrastructure law and proceeding with workforce and parking programs for the trucking industry will headline the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s fall agenda.

The threat of a nationwide strike by railroad workers that could have shut down the nation’s freight trains exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain that could have proved devastating to the economy.

Biodiesel is getting a boost from new government incentives as city fleet owners are using it to quickly lower truck emissions.

Hours before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that emergency road and bridge repairs to Pine Island had been completed ahead of schedule on Oct. 5, cheers and a little laughter greeted some of the first motorists — including a Publix truck — to cross a temporary bridge built to restore access by land to the island, which took much of the brunt from Hurricane Ian.

The trucks are rolling again. They’re going right into the areas Hurricane Ian devastated, and many are from companies with the regional or national scale to deliver emergency goods to communities where they also have affected employees and local stores in need of resupply.

Legislation designed to expedite emergency recovery aid recently advanced to the president’s desk amid renewed calls for enhancing infrastructure resilience.