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WASHINGTON — In 2015, bomb-throwers in the House Freedom Caucus derailed Kevin McCarthy’s quest to become speaker. Even though no major news network has made the call, House Republicans have begun jockeying for leadership roles under the assumption that they will be able to seize power. McCarthy has spent years trying to position himself to be the next Republican House speaker. Some House Freedom Caucus members are outright opposed to McCarthy, while others are demanding concessions from him that would greatly water down his power as speaker. Some Freedom Caucus lawmakers huddled Thursday at the headquarters of the Conservative Partnership Institute, a nonprofit aligned with Trump.

☆ Factbox: Over 210,000 without power in Florida from Hurricane Nicole
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Over 210,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida early on Thursday after Hurricane Nicole crashed into the state's east coast overnight. Utilities have already restored service to about half of the roughly 400,000 customers who lost power since the storm hit Wednesday night. Hurricane Nicole weakened into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall on Florida's east coast, the National Weather Service said. read moreThe utility with the most outages and most customers already restored is Florida Power & Light Co (FPL), the nation's biggest power utility. FPL is a unit of Florida energy company NextEra Energy Inc (NEE.N).

☆ U.S. natgas output, demand to hit record highs in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 8 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas production and demand will rise to record highs in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. EIA projected dry gas production will rise to 98.07 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2022 and 99.69 bcfd in 2023 from a record 94.57 bcfd in 2021. The agency also projected gas consumption would rise from 84.01 bcfd in 2021 to 88.39 bcfd in 2022 before sliding to 85.08 bcfd in 2023. In 2020, coal output fell to 535 million short tons, its lowest level since 1965. That compares with 4.577 billion tonnes in 2020, which was the lowest since 1983 because the coronavirus pandemic depressed demand for energy.

☆ Nobel-Winning Economist Edward C. Prescott Dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Growing up in Glens Falls, N.Y., Edward C. Prescott got an insider’s view of business from chats with his father, an engineer and later comptroller for a global supplier of pigments. Those insights made the economics courses he took in college seem less theoretical and more relevant than they might have seemed to other students. Dr. Prescott, who earned a Ph.D. degree at Carnegie Mellon University in 1967 and shared a Nobel Prize in economics with Finn E. Kydland in 2004, helped transform thinking on how central bankers and other policy makers should steer economies and on what causes booms and busts.

☆ U.S. power use to hit record in 2022 as economy grows, hotter weather -EIA
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

EIA projected power demand will climb to 4,036 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2022, from 3,930 billion kWh in 2021, before sliding to 3,989 billion kWh in 2023 as temperatures moderate. That compares with an eight-year low of 3,856 billion kWh in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic depressed demand, and an all-time high of 4,003 billion kWh in 2018. EIA projected 2022 power sales would rise to 1,509 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,371 billion kWh for commercial customers as more people return to work in offices and 1,014 billion kWh for the industrial sector. That compares with all-time highs of 1,477 billion kWh in 2021 for residential consumers, 1,382 billion kWh in 2018 for commercial customers and 1,064 billion kWh in 2000 for industrial customers. EIA said natural gas' share of power generation would rise from 37% in 2021 to 38% in 2022 before sliding to 36% in 2023.

☆ Rick Scott doesn't rule out run for majority leader if GOP takes Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on Sunday declined to say whether he would run for majority leader if Republicans gain control of the Senate in the midterm elections. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has faced intraparty backlash after declining to support former President Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election. Scott appeared to take aim at McConnell in an op-ed published in the conservative news site Washington Examiner in September. In the final weekend before the midterm elections, senators from both sides of the aisle appeared on Sunday programs to express confidence in their party's prospects of winning control of the chamber. Republicans can “absolutely” get to at least 52 Senate seats, Scott said.

☆ Duke sees big benefits from U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Duke Energy Corp FollowNov 4 (Reuters) - Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) expects to receive significant tax incentives from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act , the American company said on Friday. Duke said it will benefit from several parts of the law -- which took effect in August -- including production tax credits (PTC) for nuclear and solar power and investment tax credits for energy storage. Duke also said it could have about 13 to 17 gigawatt (GW) of connected solar power over the next 10 years, with each gigawatt of solar equal to about $60 million in annual gross PTCs. In addition, Duke said it had the potential to make $2.5 to $4.5 billion of storage investments over the next 10 years to qualify for 30% storage investment tax credits. Duke said those credits would provide its customers with a more affordable transition to clean energy.

☆ U.S. natgas futures jump 7% in volatile week on cold forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Freeport LNG submitted a draft Root Cause Failure Analysis to the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on Nov. 1, according to sources familiar with the filing. Freeport LNG, however, has not yet submitted a request to resume service. Prism Brilliance, Prism Diversity and Prism Courage were waiting off the coast from the plant, and Prism Agility was expected to arrive around Nov. 29. In what has already been an extremely volatile week, front-month gas futures rose 42.5 cents, or 7.1%, to settle at $6.400 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), the highest close since Oct. 14. With the coming of seasonally colder weather, Refinitiv projected average U.S. gas demand, including exports, would rise from 97.6 bcfd this week to 100.1 bcfd next week and 119.0 bcfd in two weeks.

☆ Taylor Swift used my company's casket for her 'Anti-Hero' music video. We saw a huge spike in traffic and thank her profusely.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Joshua Siegel cofounded Titan Casket, a direct-to-consumer casket seller. It sold a casket to a production company, which Taylor Swift used in her new video for "Anti-Hero." When Scott described the industry structure to me, I immediately saw the opportunity to create a direct-to-consumer business selling caskets. Liz and Scott ran the business full-time, and we brought on an intern from the University of North Carolina for the summer of 2020. Because funeral caskets don't constitute a highly competitive space, we could book Google Ads without much competition.

The market was supported by another decline in U.S. oil inventories as refineries picked up activity ahead of the winter heating season. The oil market held its rally even as stocks fell and the dollar rallied after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said it was premature to think about pausing rate increases. U.S. crude oil stocks fell about 3.1 million barrels on the week, according to federal data. Gasoline inventories while distillate stocks rose only marginally ahead of the key heating season, when demand is expected to pick up. The ban, a reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, will be followed by a halt on oil product imports in February.

Brent crude rose $1.74, or 1.8%, to $96.39 as of 12:01 p.m. EDT (1601 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up $1.95, or 2.2%, to $90.31 per barrel. U.S. crude oil stocks fell about 3.1 million barrels on the week, according to federal data. "That is why we are seeing oil prices being supported." China's zero-COVID policy has been a main factor in keeping a lid on oil prices as repeated lockdowns have slowed growth and pared oil demand. Therefore, expect oil prices to close out this year heading into triple-digit territory," PVM analyst Stephen Brennock said.

During long, cold winters, the U.S. Northeast consumes more oil and gas for heat than most of the country, especially the six-state New England region. Exacerbating those high energy costs, New England lacks enough gas pipeline capacity to meet all its heating and power generation needs on the coldest winter days. "The worse conditions get for Europe, the more exposed New England will be to elevated gas prices and LNG cargo shortages this winter." U.S. pipeline gas costs about $6 per million British thermal units, far cheaper than in Europe where gas is trading around $39 to attract LNG cargoes. But LNG accounts for about 5% of New England's gas supply, so power generators there are competing with global markets for the fuel.

☆ U.S. natgas futures drop 10% on profit-taking, mild forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures dropped about 10% on Tuesday, following a 12% rise on Monday as traders took profits during a period of extreme volatility after the latest forecasts called for the weather to remain mild for the next two weeks. Analysts at energy consulting firm Gelber & Associates said the "early week surge in ... gas futures (saw) signs of exhaustion today as profit-takers pile on." Front-month gas futures fell 64.1 cents, or 10.1%, to settle at $5.714 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Daily output was on track to drop about 4.5 bcfd to a preliminary five-month low of 95.7 bcfd on Tuesday. Last year, just 29%, or about 2.8 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe.

☆ Julia Roberts says Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill for her birth
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Ariana Brockington | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In honor of Julia Roberts’s 55th birthday, fans are recirculating the unbelievable historical fact that connects her to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. “The King family paid for my hospital bills.”The television personality emphasized the significance and clarified, “Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. As Obsev reported, one of those children was the Kings’ daughter Yolanda King, who died in 2007 at the age of 51. Yolanda King was cast as the love interest of a white actor in one of the school’s productions and the two shared a kiss in a scene. Yolanda King said, “It was an extended family, it really was.

☆ U.S. regulators want more data on Texas Freeport LNG plant before restart
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. federal regulators have told Freeport LNG to provide information needed for the planned restart of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas, the second-largest U.S. LNG export plant, as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for review. Freeport cannot restart without regulatory approval. At least four vessels were already lined up to pick up LNG at Freeport, according to Refinitiv data. Prism Brilliance and Prism Diversity were waiting off the coast from the plant, while Prism Courage was expected to arrive on Nov. 1 and Grace Freesia on Nov. 27. The plant's restart will provide needed fuel for heating and power as winter descends on the Northern Hemisphere.

☆ U.S. oil production nears 12 mln barrels/day, at pre-pandemic high
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. President Joe Biden has called on oil companies to boost production to reduce fuel prices. A little over two years after the pandemic wrecked havoc on demand and slashed profits, four of the five largest global oil companies brought in roughly $50 billion in net income in the most recent quarter. Crude production rose 0.9% to 11.98 million bpd in August, highest since March 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in monthly figures. In top oil producing states, monthly output rose 1.6% to 5.10 million bpd in Texas and 0.6% to a record 1.58 million bpd in New Mexico, but fell 0.5% to 1.06 million bpd in North Dakota.

☆ Attack on Nancy Pelosi's home was 'not a random act', police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - An attack on the husband of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi at their San Francisco home was not a random attack, police said on Friday. "This was not a random act. And it's wrong," San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told a news conference. Scott declined to comment further on a possible motive for the assault. Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell three to 768 in the week to Oct. 28, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday. , ,Despite this week's rig decline, Baker Hughes said the total count was still up 224, or 41%, over this time last year. U.S. oil rigs fell two to 610 this week, while gas rigs decreased one to 156, their lowest since July. For the month, drillers added three rigs, after activating six oil rigs and cutting three gas rigs. That was the first monthly decrease in gas rigs since August 2021.

☆ U.S. natgas futures falls 3% on mild weather forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures fell about 3% on Friday on record output and forecasts for mild weather and low heating demand through mid November, which should allow utilities to inject more gas into storage than usual for at least a few more weeks. The market was still waiting for the return of Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas. On its first day as the front-month, gas futures for December delivery fell 19.1 cents, or 3.3%, to settle at $5.684 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). During the first nine months of 2022, roughly 60%, or 6.3 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, as shippers diverted cargoes from Asia to fetch higher prices. Last year, just 29%, or about 2.8 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe.

☆ Wealthy people are splurging on bucket-list trips, flying to the Arctic Circle for private-chef-catered meals, renting out African safari lodges, and spending $300,000 for a half-hour opera serenade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Hard-to-access places like the Arctic Circle and Galapagos Islands are bucket-list travel hot spots. These well-off wanderlusters have helped create a travel-industry boom, with pent-up demand pushing bucket-list travel into this year's shoulder seasons. American Express Travel's 2022 Global Travel Trends report, which used polling data collected in early February 2022, confirms the move toward bucket-list travel this year. Quality time with loved ones matters above allBut not all bucket-list travel experiences need to be in far-flung corners of the world. Finnegan said traveling with his family made it a bucket-list trip.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% after sliding to a fresh seven-month low earlier in the session on a technical rebound and expectations demand would rise as liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports increase once export plants exit maintenance outages in coming weeks. Some traders expect Freeport will return to service in November while others believe the return will be delayed. Front-month gas futures rose 24.0 cents, or 4.8%, to settle at $5.199 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). During the first nine months of 2022, roughly 60%, or 6.3 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, as shippers diverted cargoes from Asia to fetch higher prices. Last year, just 29%, or about 2.8 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe.

☆ In Nevada, national Republicans exude optimism over Senate takeover: 'People are fed up'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Nevada Senate race remains within the margin of error, but McDaniel called Scott’s aggressive early spending critical to having blunt attacks from Democrats, when the national conversation centered on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. [Then] once our candidates had the money to get on TV, they closed the gap," McDaniel said. Vance in Ohio, McDaniel and Scott both quickly called it a “team sport,” without specifically naming McConnell, despite his group’s sizable investments. Some Republicans have expressed frustration over Scott, saying he spent too much too soon while his group’s fundraising this year fell behind the pace it held in previous campaign years. Cortez Masto, the first-ever Latina elected to the Senate, scoffed when asked about Laxalt's contention that he's eating into her Latino support.

☆ For $15k and a signed NDA, students at Kanye West's unaccredited Donda Academy start the day with 'full school worship' before parkour enrichment classes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The unaccredited pre-K through 12th-grade school, Donda Academy, costs $15,000 per year to attend, Rolling Stone reported. In comparison, Donda Academy charges $15,000 per student, Rolling Stone reported, with about half of students receiving some sort of financial aid. Donda Academy, its principal, Brianne Campbell; assistant principal, Allison Tidwell; and sports director Shayla Scott did not respond to Insider's requests for comment. Tamar Andrews, an educational consultant for Donda Academy, confirmed to Rolling Stone that parents are asked to sign an "informal agreement" to enroll. "The process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees," Yusef told Rolling Stone.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Snap, American Express, Verizon, Twitter and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Snap — Shares of the Snapchat parent company cratered 30% after missing revenue estimates and sharing its slowest sales growth since going public as advertising spending slows. The results from Snap hit other ad-reliant stocks, sending shares of Pinterest and Meta Platforms down about 7.7% and 2.6%, respectively. Twitter — The social media stock sank more than 4% Friday amid a slew of media reports surrounding Twitter and Elon Musk. American Express – Shares of American Express fell about 3.5% even after the bank reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat analysts' expectations. Huntington Bancshares — Shares gained 8% after the bank operator topped earnings estimates for the third quarter and upped its net interest income outlook for 2022.

☆ Fox News CEO had strong doubts about Trump's election-fraud claims, NYT report says. The network pushed them anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fox News' CEO privately doubted Donald Trump's election fraud claims, The NYT reported. The network pushed Trump's baseless claims the 2020 was stolen from him through fraud. Scott's claims about the election are likely to figure prominently in Dominion's case, with the company arguing that the network broadcast the fraud claims despite knowing them to be false. Afterwards, Fox News hosts and Trump allies pushed election-fraud claims on the network, often unchallenged. In a statement to The Times, Fox News defended Scott's record at the network and said that the discussion of the election fraud claims on the network was protected under the First Amendment.

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