Plant Vogtle: Boon or Bust for the Future of U.S. Nuclear Power?

The United States has big plans to expand its nuclear energy industry. The country already boasts the biggest nuclear fleet in the world and is solely responsible for about a third of the world’s total nuclear energy output, and the Biden administration is set on dramatically increasing output over the next decade or so. However, the United States nuclear energy sector has been neglected and underfunded for decades now, and many of the nation’s reactors are scheduled to be retired in the near future. Turning this down-trend…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Plant-Vogtle-Boon-or-Bust-for-the-Future-of-US-Nuclear-Power.html

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Strengthen Trade Ties

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are strengthening their trans-Caspian relationship. Closer bilateral ties can provide a big boost to the development of the Middle Corridor trade route. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has sought to reinforce relations with Central Asia’s Turkic states, likely as part of an overall strategy to minimize Baku’s susceptibility to pressure from the United States and European Union over its poor rights record. In a speech shortly after he secured another presidential term in February, Aliyev announced:…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Kazakhstan-and-Azerbaijan-Strengthen-Trade-Ties.html

Air-Stable Ruthenium Catalyst to Revolutionize Industrial Chemistry

Researchers at The University of Manchester have achieved a groundbreaking advancement in catalyst technology by developing a new catalyst which has been shown to have a wide variety of uses and the potential to streamline catalyzed optimization processes in industry and support new scientific discoveries. The paper titled An air- and moisture-stable ruthenium precatalyst for diverse reactivity has been published in Nature Chemistry. Catalysts, often considered the unsung heroes of chemistry, are instrumental in accelerating chemical reactions,…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Air-Stable-Ruthenium-Catalyst-to-Revolutionize-Industrial-Chemistry.html

European Gas Prices Soar As Russian Retribution Puts Kyiv in the Dark

European natural gas prices popped on Thursday amid Russia’s intensification of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with Russia claiming to have destroyed Kyiv’s biggest power plant in an overnight missile strike. The attack has so far led to power cuts in the Ukrainian capital and some regions that rely on power from Kyiv.  Dutch TTF Natural Gas Futures May 24 contract gained over 8.5% on Thursday, while UK NBP Natural Gas Futures rose over 9.3%.  Russia’s latest attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/European-Gas-Prices-Soar-As-Russian-Retribution-Puts-Kyiv-in-the-Dark.html

China Exports Gasoline Using Blockchain In Unprecedented Move

China’s Sinochem Energy Technology Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of state-owned multinational conglomerate Sinochem Corp., has successfully completed the shipment of gasoline from China’s Quanzhou City to Singapore using blockchain technology. According to Sinochecm, this marks “the first time that blockchain applications have been applied to all key participants in the commodity trading process.” However, the company points out its first blockchain shipment was carried out in Dec. 2017 whereby it imported crude…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/China-Exports-Gasoline-Using-Blockchain-In-Unprecedented-Move.html

Iran Strike Threat Hangs Over Inflation-Focused Oil Markets

German airline Lufthansa canceled flights to Tehran, and Russia advised its citizens not to travel to the Middle East on Thursday as Israel prepares for what it sees as an imminent attack in retaliation for the leveling of its embassy in Syria on April 1, Russian and Western news agencies reported.  On the first day of the month, an airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus leveled a building and killed a top Iranian general and six other diplomats. Iran blamed the attack on Israel, which has not declared…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Iran-Strike-Threat-Hangs-Over-Inflation-Focused-Oil-Markets.html

M&A Fever Hits Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry

The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) wave sweeping through the U.S. oil and gas industry has reached Canada, which could see a megamerger in the coming months.    Smaller deals are already taking place as 2023 saw an increase in the value of transactions in Canada’s oil and gas sector. Unlike in the United States, most Canadian firms are not in an urgent need to add future drilling inventory as the oil sands have years of crude yet to be produced. The Groundwork for Canadian Oil & Gas Deals The next M&A wave in Canada will consist…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/MA-Fever-Hits-Canadas-Oil-and-Gas-Industry.html

Texas Natural Gas Prices Are Negative As Drillers Chase Oil Sales

Natural gas prices at the Waha hub in the Permian basin in Texas slumped to a negative value of -$2.00 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) this week as the recent rise in oil prices prompts producers to bring drilled but uncompleted wells online. As the U.S. benchmark oil price, West Texas Intermediate, hit $85 per barrel—the highest level in nearly six months, Texas producers keep pumping crude, but their wells also produce gas, which basically has nowhere to go.   While producers are chasing higher realizations for the crude…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Texas-Natural-Gas-Prices-Are-Negative-As-Drillers-Chase-Oil-Sales.html

UK Confident Its Energy Demand Will Be Met at All Times This Summer

The UK’s gas transmission and electricity system operators are confident that Britain will have sufficient natural gas and power supply to meet demand at all times during the period from April to September. There is more than enough gas to meet demand this summer, National Gas said in its Summer Outlook 2024 report on Thursday, while National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) said in a separate report today that “We expect there to be sufficient available supply to meet demand at all times this summer.”…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/UK-Confident-Its-Energy-Demand-Will-Be-Met-at-All-Times-This-Summer.html

OPEC Expects Solid Global Oil Demand This Summer

Global oil demand in the summer is expected to be strong as consumption of transportation fuels is set to rise across the board and across regions with summer and holiday travel picking up, OPEC said on Thursday. The group sees a “robust oil demand outlook for the summer months.” Strong oil demand in the second and third quarters of this year could further tighten the market, especially if the OPEC+ group doesn’t begin to ease the current production cuts in July. In its closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR)…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/OPEC-Expects-Solid-Global-Oil-Demand-This-Summer.html

Deficit in Grid Capacity Threatens European Energy Policy Targets

A new analysis by the energy think tank Ember has found that several countries in Europe could soon face bottlenecks in their national transmission energy grids, as more solar and wind power will be generated than these networks have capacity for. As Statista’s Anna Fleck shows in the following chart , Spain, France and Poland are just some of the countries that will have energy grids that undershoot their country’s respective 2030 policy targets for wind and solar capacity. Out of the 26 countries studied by Ember in this comparison, 11…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Deficit-in-Grid-Capacity-Threatens-European-Energy-Policy-Targets.html

OPEC Oil Production Inched Higher in March

OPEC’s crude oil production edged up by 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March compared to February as Iran and Saudi Arabia slightly boosted output while Iraq continued to produce more than it is expected to. Crude oil production from all 12 OPEC members – including Iran, Libya, and Venezuela which are exempted from the OPEC+ cuts – averaged 26.60 million bpd in March, up by 3,000 bpd from February, OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) showed on Thursday. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gabon, and Kuwait slightly increased…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/OPEC-Oil-Production-Inched-Higher-in-March.html

European Parliament Endorses EU Electricity Market Reform

The European Parliament adopted on Thursday a proposed reform in the bloc’s electricity market to make power prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources. The Parliament passed the legislation with 433 votes in favor, 140 against, and 15 abstentions.   Following the energy price spike in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has been seeking to reform the way its electricity market works to avoid a repeat of the energy crisis which hit households…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/European-Parliament-Endorses-EU-Electricity-Market-Reform.html

Russia Claims Massive Strikes on Ukrainian Oil and Gas Sites

Russia has hit Ukrainian oil, gas, and power infrastructure with high-precision long-range weapons and drones on Thursday night, in response to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refining capacity, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. “In response to the attempts of the Kyiv regime to cause damage to Russia’s oil and gas industry and energy facilities, tonight the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles,…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Claims-Massive-Strikes-on-Ukrainian-Oil-and-Gas-Sites.html

U.S. Imports of Mexican Crude Slump to Record Low

As Mexico is slashing oil exports, U.S. imports of Mexican crude slumped last week to the lowest level on record, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed this week. Weekly U.S. crude oil imports from Mexico fell to 209,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the week to April 5, the data from the EIA showed, as Mexican state oil firm Pemex is cutting exports to divert more crude to domestic refineries.   To compare, U.S. imports of Mexican crude averaged more than 730,000 bpd last year.   Mexico has started to cut…

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Imports-of-Mexican-Crude-Slump-to-Record-Low.html

S&P 500 closes higher in rebound from inflation-fueled sell-off; Apple and Nvidia pop: Live updates

The S&P 500 rose Thursday as Wall Street digested fresh inflation data.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

Why car insurance costs are skyrocketing and leading to higher inflation

On a monthly basis, car insurance prices as part of the consumer price index (CPI) rose by an unadjusted 2.7%, pushing the year-over-year increase to 22.2%.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/why-car-insurance-costs-are-skyrocketing-leading-to-higher-inflation.html

Ford prepares to resume F-150 Lightning shipments, drops prices on some models

The included models are expected to ship later this month for between $2,000 and $5,500 less than before the automaker halted shipments.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/f-150-lightning-ford-prepares-to-resume-shipments-drops-some-prices.html

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy spurns regulators after failed iRobot deal: ‘It’s a sad story’

Jassy said regulators’ move to stop the iRobot deal shows they “trust these two large Chinese companies with maps” of Americans’ homes more than they do Amazon.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/amazon-ceo-jassy-spurns-regulators-after-failed-irobot-deal.html

These are Goldman’s top tactical stock picks going into earnings season

As first-quarter earnings kick off, Goldman Sachs shared its most out-of-consensus ideas with the potential for upward earnings revisions.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/these-are-goldmans-top-tactical-stock-picks-into-earnings-season.html

Wholesale prices rose 0.2% in March, less than expected

The producer price index was expected to increase 0.3% in March, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/ppi-inflation-report-march-2024-wholesale-prices-rose-0point2percent-in-march.html

What to expect from bank earnings as high interest rates pressure smaller players

JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest lender, kicks off earnings for the industry on Friday, followed by Bank of America and Goldman Sachs next week.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/bank-earnings-high-interest-rates-set-to-pressure-small-players.html

S&P 500 futures are showing a bearish trend, here’s what chart analysts are saying about it

The S&P 500 futures chart has shown a similar trend three times in the past eight sessions.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/sp-500-futures-are-showing-a-bearish-trend-heres-what-chart-analysts-are-saying-about-it.html

Bitcoin rebounds above $70,000, and Uniswap says SEC warned of potential lawsuit: 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, Steven Lubka, managing director of Swan Private Client Services, discusses spot bitcoin ETF adoption as well as how inflation and interest rate expectations are impacting crypto markets.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/04/11/bitcoin-rebounds-above-70000-uniswap-sec-warned-potential-lawsuit-cnbc-crypto-world.html

Ohtani translator accused of stealing $16 million from Dodgers star

Ippei Mizuhara has been the subject of an investigation surrounding millions of dollars in wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/ohtani-translator-accused-of-stealing-16-million-from-dodgers-star.html

Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death in country’s largest financial fraud, state media reports

The Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan was sentenced to death on Thursday for her involvement in the country’s biggest financial fraud case.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/vietnamese-property-tycoon-sentenced-to-death-in-financial-fraud-case.html

O.J. Simpson, former NFL star whose murder trial gripped the nation, dies at 76

The former NFL star who was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife in a televised trial that gripped the nation has died of cancer, his family announced.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/oj-simpson-dies-of-cancer-at-age-76.html

The upcoming bitcoin halving is different from others before it. Here’s what investors need to know

With the advent of ETFs, this cycle could be the one where bitcoin’s trend of diminishing post-halving returns reverses.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/11/the-upcoming-bitcoin-halving-is-different-from-others-before-it-heres-what-investors-need-to-know-.html

“Peak Coal? Hmm, How To Put It: No”

Have you ever wondered why climate warrior Greta Thunberg rarely, if ever, protests China for being the world’s biggest polluter?

Instead, the child runs around the West, pushing climate misinformation and disinformation (see here) that sparks climate anxieties among the youth.

Hi @GretaThunberg! Why did you delete this? pic.twitter.com/YRyrCje0L1

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) March 11, 2023

Her latest climate stunt was in Hague.

Good news…Greta Thunberg…a Paid WEF Actor….was just arrested with her Climate Communist Comrades in The Hague. pic.twitter.com/t3QPPfjcxJ

— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) April 6, 2024

X users share our same questions…

Greta Thunberg … Is a Uneducated mouth piece..She does …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/peak-coal-hmm-how-put-it-no

Berkeley Students Disrupt Dinner At Law Dean’s Home; Accuse Law Professor of Assault

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

UC Berkeley’s law school dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, and his wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, faced a bizarre scene this week when third-year students invited into their home for a dinner held a disruptive protest and refused to leave. The students accused Fisk of assault after she tried to pull a microphone from the hands of Malak Afaneh, leader of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine.

Afaneh has been featured …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/berkeley-students-disrupt-dinner-law-deans-home-accuse-law-professor-assault

Kyle Bass Says Email Hacking By China Follows Exposé On Secret ChiCom Hypersonic Space Station Base In Argentina

Dallas-based hedge fund manager Kyle Bass claims the Chinese government hacked his email account after he quoted an article on X about a ‘secret’ space station base in the Patagonia region of Argentina that the Chinese military use “to steer their hypersonic weapons over the pole.”

“The Chinese need this ‘secret’ space station in Argentina to steer their hypersonic weapons once over the pole. Milei should take it down (or somebody else will 🇺🇸),” Bass wrote on X.

The Chinese need this ‘secret’ space station in Argentina to steer their hypersonic weapons once over the pole. Milei should take it down (or somebody else will 🇺🇸). #China #Hypersonic #PLA #Argentina @JMilei https://t.co/e2Ah5zxgW3 pic.twitter.com/EYv09nNXjU

— 🇺🇸 Kyle Bass 🇹🇼 (@Jkylebass) April 7, 2024

Bass was quoting an article on X account

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/kyle-bass-says-email-hacking-china-follows-expose-secret-hypersonic-secret

Israeli Media Says Iran Postponed Attack ‘At Last Minute’ Due To Threat Of US Intervention

Update(1329ET): Israeli media sources have claimed that Iran is poised to launch a major attack on Israel, but that the strikes were postponed “at the last minute”.

Israeli news website Ynet reported Thursday that “Tehran decided to either delay the strike or change the nature of its response to Israel’s attack on its consulate in Damascus, likely due to warnings from the administration of United States President Joe Biden. According to more:

The outlet cited Iranian semi-official news agency Mehr as claiming the attack could happen “maybe tonight,” but soon after deleting the video with the assertion.

The last 48 hours has seen Washington raise the possibility that it could intervene militarily in defense of Israel if Iran retaliates for the April 1st Israeli attack on its embassy in Damascus.

Meanwhile, some international airlines, most notably German airline Lufthansa, have paused their flights to Tehran, citing heightened fears of imminent military action in the region. Russia has also taken steps to warn its citizens against travel to the region, particularly Israel, as the region remains at boiling point.

Oil Price underscores that as the waiting game continues, an Iran Strike Threat Hangs Over Inflation-Focused Oil Markets. The industry publication observes, “Oil markets have not visibly responded to the threat …

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-blames-un-security-council-inaction-what-might-come-next

Postmistress jailed while pregnant rejects ex-Post Office boss’ apology

Seema Misra was pregnant when she was wrongly jailed after being prosecuted by the Post Office.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68787990

Regulator fears big tech firms’ power in AI market

CMA points to “interconnected web” involving Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68789880

Factory to make plane fuel out of poo in world first

Biofuel company Firefly says it has already made a deal to supply airline Wizz Air.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-68789981

Weak yen may actually deter Bank of Japan from hiking rates soon

The BOJ is seen raising this year’s price forecast at the next meeting on April 26 and project inflation to stay near its 2% target through 2026, said two of the sources, underscoring its readiness to jack up rates from zero later this year.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/weak-yen-may-actually-deter-bank-of-japan-from-hiking-rates-soon/articleshow/109216196.cms

Jefferies says US stocks can rally even if Fed doesn’t cut rates

US equities are likely to continue their uptrend based on good economic news, which Zervos, the bank’s chief market strategist, expects to swamp discussions about keeping rates higher for longer.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/jefferies-says-us-stocks-can-rally-even-if-fed-doesnt-cut-rates/articleshow/109212673.cms

Sensex surges 5,000 points in 80 days, turbo charged by FPI and domestic flows

The Sensex took 27 years to breach the 10,000-mark for the first time in February 2006, while it gained the next 10,000 points in just 22 months as a flood of fresh foreign flows drove stock prices higher at a faster pace.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/sensex-surges-5000-points-in-80-days-turbo-charged-by-fpi-and-domestic-flows/articleshow/109210251.cms

Tamer wholesale costs offer ray of hope on inflation, but prices are still headed in the wrong direction

A tamer increase in wholesale prices in March raised hopes that inflation is slowing enough to keep the Federal Reserve on the path to cut interest rates, but more evidence is needed. A lot more.

Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tamer-wholesale-costs-offer-ray-of-hope-on-inflation-but-prices-are-still-headed-in-the-wrong-direction-7e6975b2?mod=mw_rss_topstories

Long-term Treasury yields end at nearly five-month highs after March producer-price data

Yields on U.S. government debt finished little changed on Thursday, leaving 10- and 30-year rates at their highest levels since mid-November following the release of March’s tame producer-price index.

Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/treasury-yields-near-five-month-high-ahead-of-producer-prices-data-and-jobless-report-2025d0fb?mod=mw_rss_topstories

The S&P 500’s rally is approaching a make-or-break moment

The stock market’s recent stumble has brought the S&P 500 to within striking distance of an important trendline for the first time in five months — hinting at a make-or-break moment for the stock rally.

Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-s-p-500s-rally-is-approaching-a-make-or-break-moment-b53d7a20?mod=mw_rss_topstories