North America

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that the Corpus Christi'ship channel' in southern Texas had been closed on Wednesday after a vehicle was found to have entered the waterway. Port Aransas South Jetty reported on Facebook that a man drove into the ocean between 5:30 a.m. (1130 GMT), and 6 a.m. while doing donuts at the beach. Police were preparing to remove a pickup. According to LSEG ship tracker data, as of Wednesday afternoon there were no tankers transporting crude oil, refined products of petroleum, or liquefied gas through the 'channel. Another 11 tankers waited at anchorage. Port?currently handles half of...

According to data from tanker monitoring and documents of the state-run PDVSA energy company, Venezuelan oil exports dropped slightly last month?to 1.24 million barrels per daily from 1.24 bpd in may?as a result of two deadly quakes causing?minor delay at terminals operated. The vast PDVSA infrastructure was mostly unaffected by the twin earthquakes, which left nearly 2,000 dead and hundreds of buildings damaged according to official statistics. The power issue must be resolved before all the oil refineries, including El 'Palito, can resume operation. Documents show that the main oil terminal for the state-owned company in the eastern part of...

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into a JetBlue flight that reported hitting a drone as it approached New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The FAA reported that the pilot of an Airbus A321, departing from Las Vegas at the time, reported the incident while the aircraft was on final approach. According to the U.S. regulator, the incident occurred around 7:15 am EDT. The airline reported that the flight landed safely, passengers deplaned as usual, and that the plane had been withdrawn from service after a post-flight check, during which no evidence of damage or collision was...

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had?launched a probe after JetBlue reported a JetBlue plane?hitting an unmanned aerial vehicle while approaching New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday. The FAA reported that the pilot of an Airbus A321, departing from Las Vegas at the time, had reported the incident while the plane was on final approach. According to the agency, the incident occurred around 7:15 am EDT. The airline reported that the flight landed without incident and customers deplaned as normal. A post-flight check found no evidence of damage or a collision. The Port...

After a vessel was struck in the Gulf of Oman, the?United Nations Shipping Agency halted an evacuation effort on Thursday, aimed at getting hundreds of stranded vessels and tens of thousands of seafarers through 'the Strait of Hormuz. "I was informed of a ship that had passed through the Strait of?Hormuz today being attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel was not evacuated under the IMO framework", Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of?the U.N. International Maritime Organization said in a press release. "I've decided to temporarily pause the implementation of this plan in order to confirm that all the necessary...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed Thursday that the government should 'end its requirement for self-driving vehicles to have manual brake pedals. This would make it easier to deploy such vehicles on U.S. highways. The proposal does not apply to cars with a human driver. NHTSA has also stated that it will not abandon braking requirements for self-driving cars, such as strict standards on stopping distance. The?agency has proposed a number changes to help facilitate the introduction of self-driving cars. NHTSA has begun developing "safety performance" tests for self driving vehicles, as part of an independent standard. Automakers...

The White House asked Congress for $1 billion on Wednesday to increase the pensions of former General Motors Auto Parts Unit Delphi workers that were reduced during a bankruptcy restructuring in 2009. As part of a supplemental request, the?White?House also wants to raise $1 billion for reconstruction work at New York's Penn Station. It is also requesting $500 million to continue construction on Washington's World War II Memorial and Tidal Basin. The White House wants Congress to allow the Federal Aviation Administration to reallocate funds from the $12.5 billion modernization of air traffic control effort approved last year, to any...

U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner said to Congress on Wednesday that the financially struggling agency had a broken business?model and needed help from legislators to re-energize its.operations. "The bottom line is that we're out of money." Steiner said in his written testimony to a U.S. Senate Committee that they were borrowing money from the retirement funds of their employees to continue operating. He warned it would run out of funds if it didn't stop deferring payments. Congress must act to fix the Postal Service's broken business model. Steiner wants Congress compensated for "money-losing" operations and to make other reforms. Steiner...

The company's Press Office announced on Wednesday that Exxon's oil refinery in the 'Belgian Port' of Antwerp will stop production from June 29 until July 3, due to a striking action. ABVV Petroleum union stated on its website that workers at the refinery oppose a plan of cutting 35 jobs from a total of 735. According to the union, staff are also protesting about their deteriorating conditions of work and fewer options for early retirement despite ExxonMobil making higher profits because fuel prices have risen. The union stated that the job cuts were part of a wider reorganization, which will...

The ambitions of the Democratic Republic of Congo in cobalt are?becoming more and more clear. Export restrictions have been used by the world's biggest producer of strategic metals, which are used in everything from stealth bombers to mobile phones, to reduce excesses and raise prices. Kinshasa is trying to shift its focus away from Chinese operators and towards the United States, as it gains more control of its cobalt industry. This rebalancing is accompanied by a renewed effort to integrate the artisanal and smaller-scale mining sector (ASM), a minefield of ethical issues for Western cobalt purchasers, into official sectors. MOVING...

A spokesperson announced on Wednesday that ships have started sailing through the 'Strait of Hormuz' under a new scheme by the U.N.'s shipping agency in order to evacuate vessels trapped there by the conflict. International Maritime Organization announced on Tuesday that the initiative, which took months to complete, would allow hundreds of ships and 11,000 seafarers stranded at the Gulf of Mexico to pass through Hormuz. A spokesperson for the IMO said that "ships have already started to pass under this plan", refusing to give any details about the vessels that have crossed. LSEG ship-tracking data showed that at least...

Cobalt ambitions of the Democratic Republic of Congo are becoming more and more apparent. Export restrictions were used by the world's biggest producer of the strategic metal used in everything from stealth bombers to mobile phones, to "drain" the market and raise prices. Kinshasa, as it gains more control of its cobalt industry, is also trying to lessen its reliance on Chinese operators, and pivot toward the West, particularly the United States. The rebalancing is accompanied by new attempts to integrate the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), a minefield of ethical issues for Western cobalt purchasers, into official sector. MOVING...

PJM, America's largest?electric grid operator?, warned on Wednesday of price spikes and massive transmission line congestion, as it?prepared? for record-breaking demand fueled by a heatwave ahead of the July 4th celebrations. In PJM’s Virginia zone - home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world - spot wholesale electricity prices soared Wednesday afternoon to over $600 per megawatt. Prices were around $40 per megawatt hour earlier in the day before temperatures rose to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. On Wednesday afternoon, the demand on the grid reached 160 gigawatts. This is close to an all-time record. PJM forecasts indicate that...

In a speech to the European Commission in Baku, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that up to EUR200m ($228m) would be provided as grant funding for boosting transport, energy, and digital links across 'the South Caucasus. Von der Leyen met with Azerbaijani president?Ilham Alyeev along with EU Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos. She said the initiative was intended to support peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia through strengthening regional connectivity and providing targeted assistance to local communities. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at war for nearly four decades, over the mountainous region Nagorno Karabakh. They reached a...

PJM, America's largest electric grid operator, warned on Wednesday of a massive transmission line backlog as it prepared for record-breaking demand due to a heatwave in advance of the July 4th celebrations. PJM, the largest U.S. electric grid operator, warned of massive transmission line congestion and a price spike on Wednesday as it prepared for record-breaking demand driven by a heatwave ahead of?July 4 celebrations. PJM’s low-voltage warning signaled a higher risk of rotating power outages as transmission?lines' voltage levels weakened. Grid operator has also warned power plants that they should bring their generators back into service to be ready...

These are the 'top stories' from selected Canadian newspapers. The accuracy of these stories has not been verified by us. THE GLOBE AND MAIL **Bank of Montreal has struck a cash deal worth A$142m ($97.87m) to buy Euroz Hartleys Group, a Perth-based financial services firm that focuses on metals and mining. **Canadian Prime minister Mark Carney said he does not expect to sign a new trade agreement with the United States or Mexico during the six-year review scheduled for Wednesday. This is because the U.S. has indicated that it would like to renegotiate the deal. **Canada's prime minister?Carney?said that there...

On Tuesday, members of the PJM interconnection voted to advance a proposal to increase electricity supply to meet the 'rising demand for data centers' that threatens to overwhelm regional electricity supplies on the largest U.S. grid. PJM has been inundated with requests from Big Tech and developers over the past two years to connect data centers that are energy-intensive to the grid, which covers 13 states and DC. This has thrown the'supply-and demand balance' off, which is needed to provide power reliably and affordably to 65 million people within PJM footprint. PJM's capacity prices have risen by over 1,000% in...

South Bow Canada and Bridger Pipeline will jointly develop a new 'pipeline project' from?Guernsey in Wyoming to Cushing in Oklahoma, Canada South Bow announced via email on Tuesday. South Bow stated that the project would be developed along an existing corridor acquired from another company. The Bridger and South Bow project teams have been working on the details and will release additional information as it becomes available. Two companies are proposing an Alberta to Guernsey oil pipeline. If it is approved, the pipeline could increase Canada's crude exports into the U.S. more than 12%. Analysts have stated that Guernsey does...

The PJM Interconnection is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the'most important issue facing the U.S. grid operator: How to manage the 'rising demand for data centers that threatens to overwhelm regional electricity supplies. PJM has been inundated with requests from Big Tech and developers over the past two years to connect energy-intensive, data-centers to the grid covering 13 states and 'the District of Columbia. This has thrown the supply-and demand balance off needed to reliably - and affordably - supply power to 65 million people within PJM footprint. This imbalance has sent PJM's capacity prices, which power plants are paid...

These are the 'top stories' from selected Canadian newspapers. The?reports?have not been verified and?we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these stories. THE GLOBE AND MAIL Theravance Biopharma, based in Dublin, is being acquired by Vancouver-based Zymeworks for C$1.32 Billion ($927.49 Million) cash. This marks the Canadian company's entry into the respiratory illness treatment market. The deadline for the submission of a proposal to the federal government for consideration is July 1. NATIONAL POST Alberta will unveil its proposal to build a new pipeline that would transport a million barrels of oil per day to the West Coast on Thursday....

In the six "Freedom Trucks," which will travel across the nation to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, an AI-generated George Washington welcomes visitors. He says: "Thy Rights are a Gift from God," under a ceiling that reads "In God We trust." The "Freedom 250", a fleet of mobile museums, have been parked from Washington State, on the west coast, to North Carolina, on the east coast, in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday. The trucks are part of what supporters call a 'year-long patriotic salute' to the American Revolution and nation it spawned. Freedom 250's spokesperson Rachel Reisner stated that the...

The data centers are blamed for the rising cost of electricity in America. The real problem is not that AI and consumers are increasing energy consumption. The real issue is structural and began before the recent infrastructure boom. The average residential electricity rates increased by 6% in the past year, which is more than double the inflation rate. About one-third of American homes now spend over 5% of their earnings on electricity. Investor-owned utilities will file the most rate increase requests in 2025. This is their highest level since mid-1980s. There is clearly a problem. The data centers that are...

A power outage on ?Sunday forced the shutdown ?of Venezuela's ?largest ?refinery, the 645,000-barrel-per-day Amuay, workers from that facility said, the second refinery without electricity following two deadly earthquakes in the country. After the earthquakes, in which at least 1,450 people died, South America has struggled to supply power to industrial plants, refineries and businesses as well as its citizens. Amuay was key to fuel production for domestic distribution and processed 137,000 bpd before the earthquakes. Some workers have said that the lack of water in some?power plant and?industries, including the refinery located in the western Falcon State is also...

Bloomberg News reported?on Sunday that U.S. Pipeline Operator?Williams was in advanced discussions to acquire Momentum 'Midstream, the natural gas pipeline company of its rival, for $5.5 billion. This is according to people familiar with this matter. The Tulsa-based company, which is based in Oklahoma, is finalizing an agreement to purchase Momentum from the private equity firm EnCap Flatrock?Midstream. According to the report, a deal may be announced within a week. Could not immediately verify the report. Williams Companies, Momentum Midstream, and EnCap Flatrock Midstream didn't?immediately reply to a request for comment. Bloomberg reported that the deal would give Williams a...