���ϳԹ���

WASHINGTON — Since the pandemic erupted two years ago, Forest Ramsey and his wife, Kelly, have held the line on prices at their gourmet chocolate shop in Louisville, Ky. Now, they’re about to throw in the towel.

OTTAWA — Canadian lawmakers expressed increasing worry about the economic effects of disruptive demonstrations after the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada became partially blocked by truckers protesting vaccine mandates.

Cold and ice is set to sweep Texas, raising the risk of power outages and boosting energy demand in what will be the biggest test to the state’s electric grid since last year’s catastrophic blackouts.

About 60 million households in the U.S. have ordered at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government and “tens of millions” of tests have been shipped out by the U.S. Postal Service, according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

While trucking industry trade groups have expressed support for a federal apprenticeship program that will train under-21 drivers to operate tractor-trailers across state lines, concerns are being raised that some of the initiative’s reporting requirements for motor carriers are overly burdensome.

Union Pacific Corp. is erecting physical barriers and increasing its own policing of an area in Los Angeles where people have been stealing goods from its trains.

As of Jan. 15 new, tougher COVID-19 vaccine requirements took place for people to cross from the U.S. into Canada. That applies to truck drivers and other essential workers.

The United States Supreme Court on Jan. 13 blocked enforcement of the Biden administration’s proposed sweeping vaccine rules, which would have required companies with more than 100 employees — including trucking companies — to ensure workers receive a COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has formally announced establishment of the truck driver apprenticeship program that was included in last year’s sweeping $1 trillion infrastructure bill, an initiative that will train candidates younger than 21 to drive in interstate commerce for the first time ever.

The Supreme Court appears divided on legal challenges centering on the scope and federal authority of the Biden administration’s sweeping proposed COVID vaccine mandate, which would require private-sector firms to vaccinate or test tens of millions of employees.