The Future Of Lithium-ion Battery Recycling

Chinese researchers have introduced a novel approach for the recovery and recycling of lithium from used Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs). The team explored the technique by publishing in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Lithium-ion batteries provide our portable devices like tablets and cellular/mobiles – and increasingly also vehicles – with power. As the share of volatile renewable energy needing electricity storage increases, more and more LIBs are needed, lithium prices rise, resources dwindle, and the amount of depleted batteries that…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Future-Of-Lithium-ion-Battery-Recycling.html

New State Laws Could Derail Biden’s Zero-Carbon Ambitions

Grassroots resistance to the Biden administration’s ambitious push for a “zero-carbon” economy is coalescing in varied new state laws and local ordinances that threaten to bog down solar and wind development in a multi-front legal and regulatory war on a scale not seen before.  Until recently and with few exceptions, squabbles pitted loosely organized local residents against renewable developers, with an average of two major projects a month facing protests and legal action in mostly rural areas, according to a database of…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/New-State-Laws-Could-Derail-Bidens-Zero-Carbon-Ambitions.html

Armenia Leans West Amid Strained Ties With Russia

For centuries, Armenians have had a tight relationship with Russia. But those ties have come under strain over the past year and a half as Russia, bogged down in Ukraine, has largely stood aside as its Armenian ally faces ever increasing pressure from Azerbaijan. Over the past two weeks, that strain has neared a breaking point as the Armenian government under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has made several demonstrative moves criticizing and distancing itself from Russia. To top it off, Yerevan announced that it would be hosting U.S. soldiers for…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Armenia-Leans-West-Amid-Strained-Ties-With-Russia.html

European Automakers Rally As EU Launches Probe Into Chinese EV Subsidies

Apparently, things are going a little too well for the EV market in China, prompting the EU to launch an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles, according to Bloomberg.  Because, you know, why let consumers benefit from competition when you can stoke the flames of a trade war that’ll probably backfire on European automakers? The news saw shares of European automakers rally first, before paring gains on the eventual thought of potential backlash.  Before paring gains, shares of Volvo Car were up 4.9%, followed by Renault…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/European-Automakers-Rally-As-EU-Launches-Probe-Into-Chinese-EV-Subsidies.html

Russian Natural Gas Pipeline Catches Fire Following Blast

A natural gas pipeline has caught fire in Russia, RIA news agency said on Thursday. The blast took place at 7:40 a.m. local time and was followed by a fire that affected the underground Peschany Umyot-Storozhevka pipeline near the village of Krasny Oktyabr, operated by Gazprom. Videos and photos show balls of fire near the pipeline that engulfed acres, and reports were that a smoke column could be seen from several miles away. The “open burning” of the gas pipeline has since been extinguished, according to the emergency response system.…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-Natural-Gas-Pipeline-Catches-Fire-Following-Blast.html

European Central Bank Surprises Markets With Rate Hike

As we previewed earlier, while the ECB decision was a tough call and while pure mathematical consensus expected no hike today, moments ago the ECB surprised the consensus (if not our readers) with what is most likely the final rate hike, when it raised all three deposits rates by 25bps (and the key Deposit rate for the 10th consecutive time to a record 4.00%) because while “inflation continues to decline but is still expected to remain too high for too long. The Governing Council is determined to ensure that inflation returns…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/European-Central-Bank-Surprises-Markets-With-Rate-Hike.html

Oil Price Rally Sees WTI Top $90

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) soared past $90 in Thursday morning trading, up over 30% in three months, driven by sustained OPEC+ production cuts and indications that a tighter market is coming.  At 10:51 a.m. ET on Wednesday, WTI was trading at $90.14, up $1.62 on the day for a gain of 1.83%.  WTI’s flirtation with the $90 mark comes a day after the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that Saudi-led OPEC+ production cuts would create a “significant supply shortfall” that would send oil prices surging amid…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Price-Rally-Sees-WTI-Top-90.html

Rising Gasoline Prices Push August Consumer Price Index Higher

US consumer prices increased by the most in more than a year in August amid a surge in the cost of gasoline, but a moderate rise in underlying inflation could encourage the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold next Wednesday. The consumer price index increased by 0.6 percent last month, the largest gain since June 2022, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. The CPI had risen 0.2 percent for two straight months. Gasoline prices accelerated in August, peaking at $3.984 per gallon in the third week of the month, according to data from…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Gas-Prices/Rising-Gasoline-Prices-Push-August-Consumer-Price-Index-Higher.html

Qatargas Rebrands To QatarEnergy LNG

Qatargas has changed its name to QatarEnergy LNG to reflect the tiny Gulf nation’s commitment to continue to be one of the top suppliers of LNG globally, the parent company QatarEnergy said on Thursday. QatarEnergy LNG, with the new name and a new logo, highlights Qatar’s growing role in meeting global energy needs, especially demand for natural gas, according to QatarEnergy. “It also reflects QatarEnergy’s continued commitment to LNG as a critical source of energy for decades to come and a vital enabler of the…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Qatargas-Rebrands-To-QatarEnergy-LNG.html

China’s Economic Resurgence Boosts Global Commodity Prices

Via Metal Miner Month-over-month, the Renewables MMI (Monthly Metals Index) ended up dropping significantly by 11.16%. The main culprit for this was cobalt prices dropping significantly in August, despite prices flattening again in the beginning of September. Steel plate prices also found support as of September 6th. Most other components of the index moved sideways or slightly up, including silicon. Despite supply abundance for silicon, China’s economy managed to rebound, thus adding support to silicon prices. However, many factors remain…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Metals/Commodities/Chinas-Economic-Resurgence-Boosts-Global-Commodity-Prices.html

TotalEnergies Considers $9 Billion Oil Project Offshore Suriname

TotalEnergies is launching development studies for a 200,000-bpd oil project offshore Suriname worth $9 billion, in what could be the first commercial crude production in the South American country neighboring the new hotspot for discoveries, Guyana. The French supermajor announced this week its intention to start detailed engineering studies (FEED) for a project in Block 58 by the end of 2023, during a visit by TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné to Suriname to meet with Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and the CEO of…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/TotalEnergies-Considers-9-Billion-Oil-Project-Offshore-Suriname.html

OPEC Slams The IEA Over Peak Fossil Fuel Demand Claims

Consistent data-based forecasts show that peak oil and other fossil fuel demand will not happen before 2030, as the International Energy Agency (IEA) claimed earlier this week, OPEC said on Thursday, dismissing the claims of the “beginning of the end of fossil fuels.” Demand for oil, natural gas, and coal is nearing its peak, the head of the International Energy Agency said in an op-ed for the Financial Times on Tuesday, citing IEA research. Noting that demand for oil and gas has been growing despite forecasts of peaks, Fatih Birol…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/OPEC-Slams-The-IEA-Over-Peak-Fossil-Fuel-Demand-Claims.html

Energy Commissioner Calls On The EU To Phase Out Russian LNG Imports

The European Union should phase out imports of LNG from Russia instead of buying more of Moscow’s super-chilled fuel, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said on Thursday.   Unlike Russian oil, Russian gas is not banned or under sanctions in Europe. But while pipeline gas supply from Russia has slowed to a trickle, Europe has raised imports of LNG, including LNG from Russia. Russia’s LNG exports to the EU have surged this year as the bloc is now buying significantly more Russian LNG than it did before the invasion…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Energy-Commissioner-Calls-On-The-EU-To-Phase-Out-Russian-LNG-Imports.html

Fault Shuts 25% Of LNG Output At Chevron’s Australia Plant

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at Chevron’s Wheatstone export facility was reduced by 25% after a fault, a spokesman for Chevron told Reuters on Thursday, the day on which trade unions escalated their strikes at the plant and the other Chevron LNG facility, Gorgon. Chevron has already identified the cause of the fault and is working to restart LNG production at full capacity, the U.S. supermajor’s spokesman added. The current loss of 25% LNG production at Wheatstone “shouldn’t move the dial” for international gas…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Fault-Shuts-25-Of-LNG-Output-At-Chevrons-Australia-Plant.html

Mexico Vows Long-Delayed Oil Refinery Will Reach Full Capacity This Year

Mexico’s state oil firm Pemex is expected to start running the long-delayed Dos Bocas oil refinery at full capacity this year, Mexican Energy Minister Rocio Nahle said this week. The oil refinery has seen delays and cost overruns estimated around or even above $3.6 billion, and it hasn’t started producing usable gasoline yet. The plant is one of the flagship projects of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador aimed at weaning the country off fuel imports and having “energy independence”. Originally, the…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Mexico-Vows-Long-Delayed-Oil-Refinery-Will-Reach-Full-Capacity-This-Year.html

Dow jumps 300 points for best day since early August as Arm debut revives IPO market hopes: Live updates

Arm shares rallied in a public debut investors hope will kickstart the IPO market, and some economic reports showed a resilient consumer.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/13/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

Everything you need to know about UAW’s targeted strike plans – and possible lockouts

The UAW union is ready to conduct targeted strikes against the Detroit automakers if the sides fail to reach new deals by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/uaw-strikes-everything-you-need-to-know.html

More companies, especially airlines, warn higher costs will eat into profits

UPS and airlines are digesting big new labor deals, while Hollywood and the auto industry are at odds with unions.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/more-companies-warn-higher-costs-will-eat-into-profits.html

Hunter Biden indicted on firearms charges

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on three criminal counts related to his possession of a firearm, a court filing showed.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/hunter-biden-indicted-on-firearms-charges.html

This new ETF tries to squeeze income from zero-day options

Defiance announced Thursday that it launched the Nasdaq-100 Enhanced Income Options Income ETF (QQQY), which will sell short-term put options.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/this-new-etf-tries-to-squeeze-income-from-zero-day-options.html

IRS halts processing of a small business tax break amid ‘surge of questionable claims’

The IRS will immediately stop processing new claims for the employee retention credit to protect filers from a “surge of questionable claims.”

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/irs-halts-employee-retention-credit-processing-amid-questionable-claims.html

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son says AI-fueled technology can surpass human intelligence ‘big time’

AI is capable of helping solve the world’s biggest problems and could potentially surpass the intelligence of humans, says SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/softbanks-masayoshi-son-says-tech-can-surpass-human-intelligence.html

Air Force chief sounds off on Musk’s Ukraine decision, tensions with China and the future of war

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall spoke to CNBC about the use of SpaceX’s Starlink in Ukraine, a potential conflict between the U.S. and China, and AI.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/air-force-secretary-frank-kendall-talks-elon-musk-ukraine-china-ai.html

August wholesale inflation rises 0.7%, hotter than expected, but core prices in check

The producer price index was expected to increase 0.4% in August, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/ppi-inflation-report-august-2023-.html

Caesars paid millions in ransom to cybercrime group prior to MGM hack

There have now been two highly disruptive attacks on the gaming industry in a matter of weeks.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/caesars-paid-millions-in-ransom-to-cybercrime-group-prior-to-mgm-hack.html

Kevin Hart’s tequila brand strikes deal with Philadelphia Eagles as spirits push deeper into sports

Kevin Hart’s tequila brand Gran Coramino reached a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, as celebrity spirits grow and sports teams move away from beer.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/kevin-hart-tequila-brand-gran-coramino-sponsors-philadelphia-eagles.html

Manhattan median rent remains at record high of nearly $4,400 a month

Brokers said buyers who would normally be looking to purchase apartments are choosing to rent for now given high interest rates.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/manhattan-median-rent-remains-at-record-high.html

U.S. raises Mexico air safety rating in boost for country’s airlines

The FAA upgraded Mexico’s air safety rating on Thursday, expanding U.S. routes and adding new service.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/us-raises-mexico-air-safety-rating-in-boost-for-countrys-airlines.html

The Walls Are Closing In On Joe Biden

Authored by Yves Smith via NakedCapitalism.com,

In a key bit of synchronicity, two events took place in close succession that show that the Biden plan to run for 2024 is on the ropes.

The first was that the White House counsel’s office sent letters to major press outlets pressuring effectively directing them to treat the impeachment inquiry as a lie. Mind you, this media meddling comes after the Biden Administration lost its fight against a preliminary injunction, both at the trial court and appeals court level, against its campaign to influence social media platforms not to publish what it deemed to be “misinformation”. If you read Matt Taibbi’s Twitter files revelations, that campaign was light touch compared to this letter.

But the fact that it was Democratic Party fixture CNN that was first to public about the Biden Administration narrative control campaign was a sign that …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/walls-are-closing-joe-biden

China Boosts Economy With Second RRR Cut This Year

With the ECB effectively ending its hiking cycle, and the Fed said to pause in September (and unlikely to hike in November) thereby also ending its tightening, Chins is way ahead of both central banks and continues to ease ahead of the coming global recession.

The PBOC announced today (September 14th) it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25bp for a second time this year in a bid to bolster the country’s sinking economy. The weighted average RRR for most banks will be 7.4% after the cut, the lowest in more than 15 years, a move which will release a fresh 500BN yuan in liquidity.  The reduction, which takes place from Friday, is to help maintain reasonably ample liquidity, the PBOC said in the statement.

“The economy continues to recover and its internal driver keeps strengthening,” the central bank said.

Analysts had expected the central bank to take additional steps to ease policy, including through adjusting the RRR. The PBOC last lowered� …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/china-boosts-economy-second-rrr-cut-year

US Government Runs Budget Surplus In August, But…

Authored by Michael Maharrey via SchiffGold.com,

The federal government charted a surprising budget surplus in August…

…but don’t be fooled. The feds didn’t miraculously fix their deficit problem.

The Biden administration continued to spend money at an unsustainable pace last month.

The surplus was merely a function of the reversal of student loan forgiveness.

Officially, the US government recorded an $89.26 billion surplus deficit in August, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement.

But if you factor out the $333.65 billion student loan forgiveness reversal, there was a $244.39 billion budget shortfall. That was a 56.8% increase over the August 2022 deficit.

The reversal of student loan forgiveness, funds added to the sp …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-government-runs-budget-surplus-august

Taiwan Lashes Out At Elon Musk Over Hawaii Comparison

Ukraine is not the only country currently outraged at Elon Musk, as Taiwan has added itself to the list aggrieved countries due to his ‘politically incorrect’ speech. Musk this week addressed the “All-in Summit” held in Los Angeles.

Speaking to the conference remotely, Musk at one point used language suggesting Taiwan is still “part of China”. In the wide-ranging remarks, the billionaire owner of X, Tesla, SpaceX and other companies began that particular section of the talk by saying he possesses a “pretty good understanding, at least as an outsider, of China.”

Bloomberg/Getty ImagesAnd that’s when he issued the ‘controversial remarks’ as follows: “From their standpoint, you know, maybe it’s analogous to like Hawaii or something like that, like an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China mostly because … the U.S. Pacific Fleet has stopped any sort of reunification by force,” he said.

Naturally this didn’t sit …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/taiwan-lashes-out-elon-musk-over-hawaii-comparison

HS2: Government refuses to guarantee Manchester branch

The prime minister and chancellor are said to have concerns over spiralling costs and delays.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66813734?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Chick-fil-A to try again in UK four years after LGBT backlash

The US fast food chain closed its initial store in 2019 following protests by campaigners.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66813904?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Eurozone interest rates raised to all-time high

The European Central Bank increases rates for the 10th time in a row to a record high.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66805855?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Ahead of Market: 10 things that will decide D-Street action on Friday

A small negative candle was formed on the daily chart with minor upper and lower shadow. Technically, this market action hints at a formation of a spinning top type candle pattern at the new highs

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/ahead-of-market-10-things-that-will-d-street-action-on-friday/articleshow/103670608.cms

Dollar hits 6-month high after data, ECB announcement

The dollar index was last up 0.5% at 105.18, just off the 105.31 level hit earlier in the day, its highest since March 10

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/forex/dollar-hits-6-month-high-after-data-ecb-announcement/articleshow/103671276.cms

Rly, defence and power stks will be trending for 3-5 yrs: Sanjiv Bhasin

“The under ownership in railway, defence and power continues to be a sour spot. There are enough people who are calling it for a top and so on. They may be when stocks go up 300%; if a 20% downside happens, there will be alarm bells but in no way can you change the future of these companies. These are now trending for the next three-five years.”

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/railway-defence-and-power-stocks-will-be-trending-for-next-3-5-years-sanjiv-bhasin/articleshow/103640594.cms

Market Extra: Triple witching day: analysts brace for volatility as $3.4 trillion in stock options set to expire Friday

Friday could be a historic day for the options market, according to a derivatives strategist at Goldman Sachs Group.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-7263-D95D5845600A%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

The Ratings Game: Amazon’s stock heads for best close in 17 months as healthcare moves draw praise

Amazon.com just added a new board member with healthcare expertise, and that’s fueling optimism for its stock.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-7263-5E9798A1920F%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

In One Chart: Cash can earn 5%. Don’t fret another deluge of T-bill supply in the fourth quarter, Barclays says.

Money-market funds are easily absorbing this year’s torrent of Treasury bill supply, according to Barclays.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-7263-8A7B568167BC%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1