Northeastern refineries shut down because of the hurricane, but Sandy also shut down traffic across the region, saving far more gas than those refineries produce.
In the teeth of a not-so-perfect storm savaging the East Coast, the freer the flow of digital news, the better. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have temporarily taken down their paywalls.
As the hurricane-turned-superstorm Sandy heads for densely populated and economically vibrant regions. Its costs could spread to housing, consumer spending and jobs.
The power grid is too large, too dependent on distant electricity supplies and not smart enough to pass the hurricane test. The result: long power outages. Upgrading to a more reliable grid will cost billions and take decades.
Overnight, New York City's financial authorities decided to close the markets today as Hurricane Sandy moves in — the first time since 1985 that a weather event has shut down trading.