Engineers Unveil Game-Changing Thin-Film Solid-Sate Battery

Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) engineers aim to revolutionize rechargeable batteries: Their thin-film batteries are not only safer and longer-lasting than conventional lithium-ion batteries, they are also much more environmentally friendly to manufacture and can be charged in just one minute. For now, the battery is very small, but the founders have big plans for it. The research paper explaining the results has been published in Communications Chemistry. Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere: from smartphones…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Engineers-Unveil-Game-Changing-Thin-Film-Solid-Sate-Battery.html

Russia Ships First Oil To Brazil

Russia—after suffering Western oil embargos and price caps on its oil and oil products, has shipped its first crude oil cargo to Brazil in its quest to find more outlets for its fossil fuels. The Aframax tanker Stratos Aurora is now less than 500 miles off the shore of Brazil, according to Bloomberg ship tracking data, carrying 650,000 barrels of Varandey crude oil from the Murmansk port. Russian oil hasn’t been shipped to Brazil since 2016, but sanctions on Russian crude oil, as well as the price cap, have made it difficult for the…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Ships-First-Oil-To-Brazil.html

The Final Curtain For Incandescent Light Bulbs

Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb, which has been used for lighting for more than a century, is now effectively banned in the United States.  As part of an energy conservation drive, the Biden Administration finalized earlier this year new rules for light bulbs, also known as general service lamps.      One of the rules sets the minimum standard of 45 lumens per watt for light bulbs. Since incandescent light bulbs cannot meet that 45 lumens per watt standard for brightness (they provide around…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Final-Curtain-For-Incandescent-Light-Bulbs.html

Germany Passes Modified Fossil-Fuel Heating Law

Germany’s lower house of parliament managed to pass a controversial bill that would ban fossil-fuel heating—but the end result was a watered-down version of the bill that will interfere with the country’s ability to meet the industry’s 2030 climate goals, according to Germany’s economy ministry. Germany has a goal of being climate neutral by 2045, and the bill is considered instrumental in reaching that goal. Included in the bill are provisions that require certain heating systems—those installed in new developments…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Germany-Passes-Modified-Fossil-Fuel-Heating-Law.html

Rig Count Sees Small Gain As WTI Holds At $87

The total number of active drilling rigs in the United States rose by 1 this week, according to new data from Baker Hughes published Friday. The total rig count rebounded to 632 this week. So far this year, Baker Hughes has estimated a loss of 147 active drilling rigs. This week’s count is 443 fewer rigs than the rig count at the beginning of 2019 prior to the pandemic. The number of oil rigs rose by 1 this week to 513, down by 108 so far in 2023. The number of gas rigs fell by 1 again this week to 113, a loss of 43 active gas rigs from the…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Rig-Count-Sees-Small-Gain-As-WTI-Holds-At-87.html

Power Cuts Hit Sierra Leone After $40 Million Unpaid Debt

Turkey’s Karpowership has switched off electricity supply to Sierra Leone’s capital city Freetown over an outstanding debt of some $40 million, the energy minister of the West African country told Reuters on Friday.  Karpowership has 36 powerships with a total of 6,000 MW of installed capacity, and powers towns and communities in more than 20 countries. Sierra Leone’s debt “was accrued over time because the government subsidises more than half the cost the ship charges per kilowatt hour,” Kanja Sesay told Reuters. …

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Power-Cuts-Hit-Sierra-Leone-After-40-Million-Unpaid-Debt.html

Vaca Muerta Oil Boom Could Change Argentina’s Economic Landscape

In a surprise development, there are indications that the economically strife-torn country of Argentina will emerge as a major regional energy player. The exploitation of the 7.5 million Vaca Muerta shale formation has delivered an unconventional hydrocarbon boom for Argentina, a fiscally fragile nation once dependent on oil and gas imports. After a decade of development, the geological formation, which has been compared to the prolific U.S. Eagle Ford and Permian shales, is now responsible for nearly half of Argentina’s oil output and 60%…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Vaca-Muerta-Oil-Boom-Could-Change-Argentinas-Economic-Landscape.html

Marathon Shuts Gasoline Unit At Texas Refinery After Fire

Marathon Petroleum shut the gasoline-making unit of its huge Galveston Bay refinery in Texas, the fourth-largest in the U.S. by capacity, after a fire broke out on Thursday night, sources with knowledge of the situation told Reuters. Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, Texas, has a total crude processing capacity of 593,000 barrels per calendar day (bpcd). The refinery can process a wide variety of crude oils into gasoline, distillates, natural gas liquids and petrochemicals, heavy fuel oil, and propane.…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Marathon-Shuts-Gasoline-Unit-At-Texas-Refinery-After-Fire.html

China’s Massive Gold-Buying Spree Continues

After returning to net gold buying in June, central banks continued to add to their gold reserves in July. Globally, central banks reported net purchases of 55 tons in July, according to the latest data compiled by the World Gold Council. In March, April and May, central banks reported net gold sales, primarily due to Turkey selling 160 tons of gold over that three-month period. According to the World Gold Council, this was a specific response to local market dynamics and didn’t likely reflect a change in the Turkish central bank’s…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Metals/Gold/Chinas-Massive-Gold-Buying-Spree-Continues.html

Mercedes And BMW Unleash New EVs For Chinese Market

Both Mercedes and BMW have their sights set on growth in China and taking down the industry leader, Tesla, new reports revealed this week. Mercedes is going to try and count on a range boost to beat out Tesla’s Model 3. The company’s near-production concept of its CLA sedan has 466 miles of range on a single charge, Bloomberg reported this week.  It’s said to be able to add 400km of range in just a 15 minute charge.  Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer commented last weekend: “We’re taking it to the next…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Mercedes-And-BMW-Unleash-New-EVs-For-Chinese-Market.html

Oil Markets Tighten On Constant Inventory Draws

While Saudi Arabia’s pledge to extend production cuts and Russia’s pledge to extend export cuts may have made headlines, it is the continued inventory draws in the U.S. that are tightening markets.Friday, September 8th, 2023Whilst market sentiment was capped by weaker-than-expected macroeconomic data from China earlier this week, the fourth consecutive crude inventory draw in the United States combined with another week-on-week drop in gasoline stocks provided firm support for ICE Brent to stay around $90 per barrel. The extension of Saudi and…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Markets-Tighten-On-Constant-Inventory-Draws.html

Russia Set To Slash Diesel Exports In September

Amid refinery maintenance and rising domestic fuel prices, Russia is set to cut its diesel exports from its ports on the Baltic and Black Seas by nearly 25% in September compared to the export plans for August, Bloomberg reported on Friday, quoting industry data it had seen.   The shipments of diesel out of Russia’s western ports, including some exports from Belarus, are planned at 1.874 million tons in September, or 466,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from about 600,000 bpd planned for August exports, according to Bloomberg’s…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Set-To-Slash-Diesel-Exports-In-September.html

The Oil Market Hasn’t Felt The Full Impact Of Saudi Arabia’s Cuts Yet

The market hasn’t seen the full impact of Saudi Arabia’s extra production cut, which could lead to a drastically tighter market if the world’s top crude oil exporter keeps export levels low, according to Vortexa. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it would extend its 1 million bpd cut through December. The move reinforces “the precautionary efforts made by OPEC Plus countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets,” the Kingdom says. Russia also extended its 300,000 bpd export…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Oil-Market-Hasnt-Felt-The-Full-Impact-Of-Saudi-Arabias-Cuts-Yet.html

Oil Breaks Out But Stronger Dollar Caps The Rally

The global oil market, a critical element of the world’s economic engine, is currently at a pivotal junction. Recent events have caused dramatic shifts, impacting both supply and demand dynamics. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures recently bucked their steady climb, with numerous indicators pointing to demand fluctuations in the near future. A Tug of War Between Major Producers The ripple effects of decisions made by Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the largest oil exporters globally, are hard to ignore. Their recent move to extend voluntary…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Breaks-Out-But-Stronger-Dollar-Caps-The-Rally.html

Moving Alliances In The Middle East

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Over the past year, the signs have been everywhere that Middle East alliances are truly shifting, and the very tricky game of normalization of ties with Israel is happening on multiple fronts. First and foremost, this is because Israel’s major natural gas discoveries and first-time production have given it much more regional clout, and plenty of soft-power leverage over neighbors, particularly those who need gas. Setting the stage in 2020, we saw the UAE normalize ties with Israel, followed by a series…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Moving-Alliances-In-The-Middle-East.html

Apartment rents are on the verge of declining due to massive new supply

A year ago, rents were posting 11% annual growth. Now they look like they’re about to go negative year over year.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/apartment-rents-on-verge-of-declining-due-to-massive-supply.html

S&P 500 snaps 3-day losing streak Friday, but incurs first weekly loss in three: Live updates

Stock were little changed on Friday as Wall Street headed for a losing week amid concern that the Federal Reserve could raise rates more than expected.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/07/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

Apple’s iPhone 15 event kicks off on Tuesday. Here’s what to expect

Apple is hoping that its new iPhones can bust a sales slump, fend off renewed competition from Huawei, and can persuade owners of Android phones to switch.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/apples-iphone-15-event-kicks-off-on-tuesday-heres-what-to-expect.html

Stellantis offers 14.5% pay increase to UAW, days before possible strike

Stellantis’ proposed wage hikes for UAW members would be higher than those offered by rivals Ford and GM, but those two companies offered other payments.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/stellantis-offers-pay-increase-to-uaw-days-before-possible-strike.html

Modi, Biden pledge to deepen India-U.S. partnership as world leaders descend on Delhi for G20 summit

This Biden meeting is part of the dozen or so bilateral meetings Modi planned for this weekend, underscoring India’s strategic ambitions as a key global player.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/modi-biden-india-us-g20.html

Roblox is letting game creators sell 3D virtual goods as it looks for ways to boost revenue

Roblox’s new updates include letting premium subscribers create and sell 3D goods, enabling users to make phone calls, and giving developers subscription tools.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/roblox-is-letting-game-creators-sell-3d-goods-looks-to-boost-revenue.html

Obesity drugs’ popularity put a dent in these stocks. Why analysts say they’re still worth buying

The popularity of new diabetes and weight loss drugs have been bad news for diabetes device makers, but the news may not be all bad.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/medical-device-stocks-could-still-be-a-good-buy-even-as-obesity-drugs-take-off.html

Abortion pill company asks Supreme Court to decide mifepristone case

Danco asked the court to reverse a lower court ruling that would impose restrictions, saying the case is of “indisputable importance” to women’s health.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/drug-company-asks-supreme-court-to-decide-abortion-pill-case.html

Former FTX exec Ryan Salame to forfeit $1.5 billion after guilty plea: CNBC Crypto World

CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what’s ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today’s show, Bakkt CEO Gavin Michael discusses the company’s international expansion, latest earnings and more.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/09/08/former-ftx-ryan-salame-forfeit-1point5-billion-guilty-plea-crypto-world.html

TurboTax maker Intuit deceived users with offers of ‘free’ tax products, FTC judge rules

A judge ruled that Intuit violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act by misleading consumers with “free” service claims.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/ftc-judge-turbotax-maker-intuit-deceived-users-with-free-tax-offers.html

Taylor Swift is single-handedly giving a boost to hotel industry revenue

An analysis found hotels in states Swift visited did notably better than the national average.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/taylor-swift-is-single-handedly-giving-a-boost-to-hotel-industry-revenue.html

The IRS plans to crack down on 1,600 millionaires to collect millions of dollars in back taxes

The IRS announced on Friday it is launching an effort to aggressively pursue 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/the-irs-plans-to-crack-down-on-1600-millionaires-to-collect-millions-of-dollars-in-back-taxes.html

Morgan Stanley updated its portfolio of top stock picks which trounced the market in the last year

Morgan Stanley added a slew of tech behemoths to its latest top stock picks list.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/morgan-stanley-updated-its-portfolio-of-top-stock-picks-which-trounced-the-market-in-the-last-year.html

How Deep Runs The Corruption?

Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times

For the past several years, my friends in public health and science have expressed astonishment and professional disorientation at the behavior and messaging of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The scientific journals are part of this.

They simply couldn’t believe the brazen manipulation of science for political purposes. They couldn’t believe that so many people within these agencies and journals went along with it for reasons of career protection. They’ve been appalled that science and public health have been deployed in this way.

They worry about the future with this level of corruption. And they’ve been quite passionate in decrying it, while paying a professional price for not going along.

Implicit in this reaction is a history in which they

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/how-deep-runs-corruption

Nancy Pelosi Announces She’s Running For Reelection In 2024

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is 83-years-old, announced on Friday that she’ll run for reelection to another term in Congress, as Democrats attempt to win back the majority in 2024.

Pelosi made the announcement while speaking to labor allies in the San Francisco area district she’s represented for more than 35 years.

“Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery,” Pelosi also said in a tweet. “Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote.”

Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 – becoming the first female speaker in 2007.

Last November, Pelosi vowed not to seek reelection as Speaker.

As noted last year by Insider, America’s Congress is the oldest in its history, be …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nancy-pelosi-announces-shes-running-reelection-2024

“We Are Seeing A Minsky Moment For A Grossly Overvalued Nasdaq”

Authored by Ven Ram, Bloomberg cross-asset strategist,

By the close of trading on Thursday, the Nasdaq 100 trimmed its losses by about half from the initial declines we saw.

That recovery represents a false message of “All is well” — one that is unlikely to last in the months to come.

Stock gains can be typically decomposed into:

1. an enhancement of income yield;
2. growth in earnings;
3. and/or a fundamental repricing that warrants a shift in the P/E ratio that investors are willing to assign.

It’s clear that this year’s Straight-to-the-Moon rally in technology stocks has zero to do with the first; a little more to do with earnings growth, though it’s hard for corporate earnings to outgrow economic growth over the longer term.

Definitely much of the optimism that has left those on the sidelines gaping is how much traders are willing to bid up anything that may be r …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/we-are-seeing-minsky-moment-grossly-overvalued-nasdaq

Greenwald Exposes “Fraudulent” WaPo Disinformation Study, David Frum, And ADL Propaganda To Silence Dissent

Journalist Glenn Greenwald has once again dissected a load of establishment propaganda disguised as legitimate reporting – this time shredding a new, and fraudulent, “disinformation study” from the Washington Post. And of course, Greenwald has receipts.

The study, which was sponsored by the European Union ‘with an Omidyar-funded group’ accuses Twitter (X) of facilitating “pro-Russia propaganda” by failing to censor more.

The Washington Post’s latest “disinformation study” – sponsored by the EU with an Omidyar-funded group that accuses Twitter of failing to censor “Russian propaganda” – is another in a long line of fraudulent attempts to justify censorship with pro-censorship demands.

Looking at… pic.twitter.com/2B63f …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/greenwald-exposes-fraudulent-wapo-disinformation-study-david-frum-and-adl-propagand

Heathrow and Gatwick airports have Raac on sites

Heathrow has means to keep it safe, while Gatwick has found no cause for concern.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66754328?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Roblox coming to PlayStation 4 and PS5

The popular children’s gaming platform has more than 60 million players a day, according to the firm.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66755095?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

No bids for offshore wind in government auction

There will be no new offshore wind projects after firms said the price for electricity was too low.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66749344?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

These 8 stocks can zoom up to 400% in next 12 months

According to Trendlyne Forecaster, these 8 stocks can rally between 59-400% in the next 12 months. Take a look

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/superstars-of-tomorrow-these-8-stocks-can-zoom-up-to-400-in-next-12-months/money-spinners/slideshow/103514434.cms

Ratnaveer Precision to marke first T+3 listing debut

Markets regulator has recently announced changes to IPO listing rules, reducing the timeline from the T+6 days to T+3 days, where ‘T’ is the IPO closing date.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/ipos/fpos/ratnaveer-precision-engineering-shares-to-list-on-september-11-marking-the-first-t3-debut/articleshow/103514333.cms

Tech View: Nifty momentum indicators blinking buy. What traders should do on Monday

On the hourly chart, we can observe that Nifty has reached the upper end of the rising channel and hence a consolidation is likely in the upcoming week. The range of consolidation is likely to be 19,850 – 19,670.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/tech-view-nifty-momentum-indicators-blinking-buy-what-traders-should-do-on-monday/articleshow/103510310.cms

The Ratings Game: Taylor Swift is propping up the hotel industry, analysts say, amid questions about revenge-travel fluctuations

Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour has caused a “notable” uptick in hotel sales, analysts said on Friday.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-725E-85D4737FFCCC%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

The Tell: Why U.S. dollar is at no ‘meaningful risk’ of losing status as the world’s reserve currency, despite challenges from China, says Wells Fargo

The U.S. dollar isn’t about to lose its leadership position despite challenges such as China’s increasing importance to the global economy, according to Well Fargo Investment Institute.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-725E-B3DF31F487C7%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

Living With Climate Change: 2023 fall foliage guide: What a scorching summer means for autumn leaf color

Popular leaf-peeping destinations in New England, the Upper Midwest and the aspen groves of Colorado and Utah should have vivid colors on the early side.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-725E-8CF0F64F46A1%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1