Top brass in the Biden administration, including Defense Secretary Lloyd...
Top brass in the Biden administration, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby, said they have directly pushed Israel to seek diplomatic solutions to a conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon during a weekend of increased hostilities and fears of a wider ground war. A Hezbollah leader said an “open-ended battle of reckoning” has started, while the Israeli military’s chief of staff pledged that strikes on Hezbollah “will intensify” until it’s safe for displaced residents in northern Israel, who have fled rocket fire from Lebanon, to return home.
The 50th season of Saturday Night Live begins: Emmy-winning Hacks star...
The 50th season of Saturday Night Live begins: Emmy-winning Hacks star Jean Smart will host Saturday’s season premiere, with the Grammy-winning country singer Jelly Roll serving as the musical guest. The show is bringing back former cast member Maya Rudolph to portray Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the election. The season will also welcome new cast members: Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline will replace Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and Chloe Troast.
Private equity giant Apollo has offered an investment of up to $5 billion in Intel, a sign of support for its comeback efforts, according to Bloomberg.
In-person voting for the 2024 presidential election began on Friday in Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota. See the early voting calendar for your state here.
The sunken superyacht of British tech magnate Mike Lynch may have sensitive intelligence data of interest to foreign governments locked in safes, CNN reported.
The SEC is seeking sanctions against Elon Musk after he failed to give testimony in an investigation of his takeover of Twitter.
Here’s what famed ex-Apple designer Jony Ive is up to (including working on an AI device with OpenAI).
Tropical Storm or Hurricane Helene likely to form in Gulf of Mexico this week
The National Hurricane Center has again increased the development chances...
The National Hurricane Center has again increased the development chances for a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea, meaning millions of people from Florida to Louisiana should prepare for the potential impacts of Tropical Storm or Hurricane Helene later this week.
Through Monday, the development chances for Invest 97L will likely continue to increase, and a tropical depression or tropical storm could form in the western Caribbean by Tuesday.
Hurricane Watches could then be issued for portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast, and we could be tracking Tropical Storm Helene by the middle of the week.
On Thursday or Thursday night, the storm, whether it's a tropical storm or Hurricane Helene, could make landfall somewhere between Louisiana and Florida.
U.S. Rig Count Resumes Decline, Dropping for Fifth Week in Six
U.S. energy firms reduced the number of oil and natural gas rigs this...
U.S. energy firms reduced the number of oil and natural gas rigs this week, reversing last week's brief uptick, according to Baker Hughes' latest report on Friday. The rig count, a leading indicator of future output, fell by two to a total of 588 in the week ending September 20, continuing the downward trend seen in five of the past six weeks.
This drop leaves the total rig count 42 rigs, or 7%, lower than the same time last year. While the number of oil rigs remained unchanged at 488, gas rigs fell by one to 96.
The rig count had declined by about 20% in 2023 after sharp increases of 33% in 2022 and 67% in 2021. This was driven by falling oil and gas prices, rising inflation-related costs, and a shift in corporate priorities toward debt reduction and shareholder returns over production growth.
In 2024, U.S. oil futures have risen around 0.6%, following an 11% drop in 2023, while gas futures are down 4% so far this year after plunging 44% in 2023.
Toby Rice, CEO of EQT, the largest U.S. gas producer, expects natural gas prices to remain below $3 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in the near term. EQT, along with other shale gas producers, had cut production earlier in the year due to multi-year low prices but expects output curtailments to ease in 2024 as demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports rises.
Republican governors unite for "continued energy choice"
A group of 10 Republican...
A group of 10 Republican governors, including Virginia's Glenn Youngkin and Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt, has launched the Governors Coalition for Energy Choice to push back against clean energy mandates and advocate for fewer regulations on traditional energy sources. The coalition's objectives are to "ensure continued energy choice, minimize permitting and other regulatory barriers, limit expensive energy mandates, focus on affordability and reliability of energy infrastructure, and coordinate to positively manage energy resources and the environment."