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New drilling technologies during the so-called Bakken Boom turned North Dakota into the nation's second-largest crude oil-producing state from 2012 to 2020. "This sale is a big deal in North Dakota," said Ron Ness, head of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, an industry trade group. "There's a sentimentality to this sale," said Kathy Neset, who runs a prominent North Dakota oil industry consulting firm and counts Hess as one of her largest clients. Chevron could take Bakken production higher than the output targeted by Hess in the future, said Matthew Bernstein, a senior analyst at Rystad Energy. Bakken oil production could drop to 1.15 million bpd from 2026 and be flat through 2030, before entering gradual decline as inventory exhaustion sets in, said Nathan Nemeth, a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hess, Boom, Mike Wirth, Wirth, Ron Ness, Kathy Neset, Matthew Bernstein, Bernstein, Jessie Jones, Jones, Nathan Nemeth, Wood Mackenzie, Stephanie Kelly, Ernest Scheyder, Marguerita Choy, Simon Webb Organizations: Chevron, Hess, REUTERS, Gulf Coast, Reuters Graphics Chevron, North Dakota Petroleum Council, Rystad Energy, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Energy, Thomson Locations: North Dakota, New Mexico, Gulf, Gulf Coast ., Midland, Texas

☆ Some pharmacy staff from Walgreens, other chains are walking out again — here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The company's ongoing efforts are focused on how it can recruit, retain and reward pharmacy staff, the spokesperson said. CVS pharmacists make $61.44 an hour on average, while Walgreens pharmacists make $53.85 per hour on average, according to employment website Indeed. However, some Walgreens pharmacy staff told CNBC that the company continues to push their stores to hit performance goals for tasks like verifying prescriptions. IAM Healthcare did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while UFCW has expressed its support for the recent walkouts staged by Walgreens and CVS pharmacy staff. People make their way near a Walgreens pharmacy in New York City, March 9, 2023.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Shane Jerominski, walkouts, Stephanie Keith, I've, Irfan Khan, aren't, Jerominski, UFCW, Leonardo Munoz Organizations: Walgreens, Reuters, CNBC, CVS, Rite Aid, Kansas City, Bloomberg, Getty, Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer, CVS Pharmacy, Los Angeles Times, Kroger, IAM Healthcare, United Food, Commercial Workers International Union, Corbis Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, Kansas City, Kansas, U.S, Massachusetts , Pennsylvania, California , Texas , Michigan , Missouri, Indiana, New York, Eagle Rock , CA, Canada, New York City

☆ Muslims and Jews Report Rising Harassment in U.S., Advocacy Groups Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An NYPD officer patrols in front of a synagogue in New York City. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesMuslim and Jewish Americans are reporting more harassment, intimidation and assaults since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, organizations representing those communities said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group, said it received 774 complaints between Oct. 7 and Oct. 24, roughly triple what was recorded over about two weeks, on average, last year. The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, said of the 312 reported antisemitic incidents it has recorded between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23, 190 were related to the war, an increase unlike anything the group has seen tied to a specific event.

Persons: Stephanie Keith Organizations: Getty, Islamic, Defamation League Locations: New York City, Israel

The decision by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend the voluntary cuts drove up oil prices to over $90 a barrel in late September. Saudi crude exports to China rose to nearly 1.6 million bpd in September, up from 1.2 million bpd in August and 1.37 million bpd in July, Kpler data showed. U.S. CRUDE EXPORTS FALLAs the U.S. sees less crude imports, it has exported less oil to Europe. U.S. crude exports to Europe fell to 1.86 million bpd in September and 1.84 million bpd in August, from 2.01 million bpd in July, Kpler data showed. Tight supply led the premium for front-month Brent crude futures to rise to as much as $3.26 a barrel above the second month , the highest since 2022.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Matt Smith, Smith, refiners, Vortexa's Rohit Rathod, Adi Imsirovic, Brent, Stephanie Kelly, Alex Lawler, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Port, REUTERS, Brent, Organization of, Petroleum, Total U.S, Americas, Kpler, West, Surrey Clean Energy, CSIS, Midland, P, Insights, Thomson Locations: Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi, China, Richmond , California, Los Angeles, Midland, Brent

A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, near Iraan, Texas, U.S., March 17, 2023. Gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose by about 160,000 barrels in the week to 223.5 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with expectations for a 900,000-barrel drop. "It will reverse the gasoline crack," Yawger said, referring to the profit oil refiners can make producing gasoline from crude. U.S. crude futures last traded at just over $83 per barrel, while Brent crude futures was around $87.50 a barrel. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub (USOICC=ECI) rose by 213,000 barrels in the last week, EIA said.

Persons: Bing Guan, Bob Yawger, Yawger, Stephanie Kelly, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Energy Information Administration, EIA, Mizuho, Brent, Cushing, Net, Thomson Locations: West, Iraan , Texas, U.S, Oklahoma

Euro zone business activity data took a surprise downturn this month, suggesting the bloc may slip into recession, creating a drag on the outlook for oil demand. Overall, the region's oil refineries have been consuming less crude than a year ago amid lacklustre economic growth, Euroilstock data has shown. Falling crude oil stockpiles in the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer also supported prices. That went against eight analysts polled by Reuters who had estimated on average that crude inventories were up by about 200,000 barrels for the week. Gasoline inventories dropped by 4.2 million barrels, while distillate inventories fell by about 2.3 million barrels, the API data showed.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Israel, Vishnu Varathan, durably, Varathan, Stephanie Kelly, Muyu Xu, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Iran, Mizuho Bank, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Gaza, East, Israel, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia, China, U.S

REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - U.S. oil refiners have cranked up output of diesel, heating oil and jet fuel for winter but are struggling to turn a profit because gasoline margins have fallen over 80% since the summer driving season ended. Refiners, which typically produce more distillates such as diesel and heating oil in autumn, are trying to rebuild inventories of these fuels that are near seasonal record lows. While fuel makers focus on maximizing distillate output, they inevitably produce gasoline as well. Meanwhile, Russia's short-lived diesel export ban, along with less refinery capacity and Western sanctions on Russian diesel, have hit diesel inventories and tightened supplies. Shortages have kept the U.S. heating oil crack at near $44 a barrel, nearly twice the seasonal average.

Persons: Bing Guan, fuelmakers, RIN, Laura Sanicola, Stephanie Kelly, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Phillips, Los, Los Angeles Refinery, Rights, Diesel, AAA, U.S ., U.S . Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Carson , California, U.S, Singapore, U.S . East

That shift in legal doctrine was profound, shaping how courts have applied antitrust law ever since. Khan’s ideas have challenged the closest thing to a sacred cow in antitrust law. The most ambitious of those never became law, but Khan’s role in the probe, which Cicilline described as “critical,” helped further raise her profile. Amazon and Meta have both pushed for Khan to recuse herself from matters involving the companies, questioning her objectivity. The US Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon.com Inc. in a long-anticipated antitrust case, accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing online marketplace services by degrading quality for shoppers and overcharging sellers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Khan, Stephanie Keith, ” Khan, “, Joe Biden, ”, William Kovacic, George W, Bush, Barry Lynn, Lynn, New America Foundation —, Obama, —, ” Lina Khan, Rong Xu, ” Lynn, it’s, ’ ”, Reagan, Robert Hockett, Khan’s, David Cicilline, Lina, ” Cicilline, Cicilline, Justin Tallis, Biden, Trump, Douglas Farrar, Gary Gensler, Tom Williams, Jonathan Kanter, Roe, Wade, Kevin Kiley, Meta, she’s, “ We’ve, they’re, Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, Al Drago, Kathleen Bradish, Bradish, Christine Wilson, Wilson, Noah Phillips, Gabby Jones, NetChoice, Carl Szabo, “ It’s, ” Szabo, There’s, ” Kovacic Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, FTC, Big, Microsoft, Meta, Bloomberg, Getty, Republican, White House, Williams College, New America Foundation, Washington Monthly, Yale Law, Washington Post, Cornell Law School, Big Tech, Rhode, Rhode Island Democratic, Apple, Facebook, Cambridge, Activision, SEC, Financial Services, General Government, Securities and Exchange Commission, Capitol, Justice Department, Epic Games, California Republican, Washington , D.C, American Antitrust Institute, GOP, US Federal Trade Commission, Amazon.com Inc Locations: Big Tech, Robbinsville , New Jersey, Washington, Larchmont , New York, Rhode Island, Washington ,, New York

☆ Secret audio, a star witness, and ‘Thai prostitutes’ complicate Sam Bankman-Fried’s defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

‘The ultimate insider’Caroline Ellison offered crucial testimony this week against her former boss and ex-boyfriend, Sam Bankman-Fried. Like Bankman-Fried, Ellison faces the prospect of 110 years in prison if given a maximum sentence. Bankman-Fried’s defense team cross-examined Ellison for about six hours on Thursday in a meandering, halting back-and-forth that repeatedly prompted objections from the prosecution. The secret audio recordingCaroline Ellison, former chief executive of Alameda Research, leaves federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. Statements like the ones Ellison made in the recording are known as “prior consistent statements of a witness,” Estes said.

Persons: Sam Bankman, He’s, Caroline Ellison, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, —, ”, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, “, SBF’s, Ellison, Gary Wang, FTX, Sam, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Stephanie Keith, Christian Drappi, “ Sam’s, ” Estes, they’ve, ’, What’s, Estes, that’s, Mary, ” Prosecutors, there’s, ’ ” Estes, you’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Reuters, US Attorney’s, Bloomberg, Getty, Alameda, Christian, ”, CNN Locations: New York, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, Hong Kong, China

Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. The conflict in the Middle East has had little impact on global oil and gas supplies, and Israel is not a big producer. Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Friday oil prices are expected to reach $100 per barrel due to the current situation in the Middle East, according to the ministry's news agency SHANA. If the U.S. tightens enforcement of sanctions on Iran's oil exports due to any role it may have in the conflict, then Iran's oil supply could fall. On the U.S. supply front, drillers this week added four oil rigs in the biggest weekly rise since March, Baker Hughes said.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Israel, Javad Owji, SHANA, Iran's, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Andrew Lipow, Baker Hughes, Stephanie Kelly, Paul Carsten, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, Marguerita Choy, David Gregorio, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, . West Texas, Iran's Oil, Hezbollah, U.S, Wall Street, Lipow Oil Associates, The, of, Petroleum, drillers, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Gaza Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Lebanese, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, China, New York, London, Tokyo, Beijing

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Prices pared gains after U.S. government data showed U.S. crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 10.2 million barrels in the last week to 424.2 million barrels, much higher than analyst expectations for a 500,000-barrel rise. U.S. crude output also hit a record 13.2 million barrels per day in the week, the data showed. Meanwhile, the IEA lowered its oil demand growth forecast for 2024, suggesting harsher global economic conditions and progress on energy efficiency will weigh on consumption. However, it raised its 2023 demand forecast to 2.3 million bpd from a forecast of 2.2 million.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Bob Yawger, Yawger, Giovanni Staunovo, Prince Abdulaziz, Novak, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Alexander Novak, Stephanie Kelly, Ahmad Ghaddar, Trixie Yap, David Gregorio, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, U.S, Mizuho, EIA, European Central Bank, UBS, Saudi Energy, IEA, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, Lower U.S, Saudi, Israel, Russia, New York, London, Singapore

☆ Caroline Ellison says she wasn't an ambitious person until she met Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Caroline Ellison, former chief executive officer of Alameda Research LLC, arrives to court in New York, US, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. Ellison, ex-girlfriend of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, outlined for a New York jury Wednesday how she worked with Sam Bankman-Fried to deceive lenders and customers to build his multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency empire, and their failed attempts to prevent a spectacular collapse. She pleaded guilty in December to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. By 2021, she testified, Bankman-Fried had largely stopped coming into the Alameda office and had left more of the job to Ellison. Ellison also testified that Bankman-Fried had discussed adding a new co-CEO when Trabucco left, but she resisted.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Ellison, FTX, Sam Bankman, Stephanie Keith, Mark Cohen, Lewis Kaplan, Cohen, Sam Trabucco, Alameda's, Trabucco, Fried, Ryan Salame, Ellison's Organizations: Alameda Research, New, Bloomberg, Getty, FTX Locations: New York, Manhattan, Alameda

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. U.S. job growth rose by 336,000 in September according to Labor Department statistics, far exceeding economists' forecasts of a 170,000 rise. The sentiment of the statistics is mixed for oil prices. A strong U.S. dollar is typically negative for oil demand, making the commodity relatively more expensive for holders of other currencies. "Fear for the health of the global economy and thus oil demand going forward is at the heart of the sell-off," SEB analyst Bjarne Schieldrop said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, Brent, WTI, SEB, Bjarne Schieldrop, Stephanie Kelly, Robert Harvey, Sudarshan, William Maclean, Sharon Singleton, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, YORK, . West Texas, Labor Department statistics, ING, Companies, Day, Xinhua, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, gasoil, U.S, New York, London, Singapore

☆ Key takeaways from Sam Bankman-Fried’s first week in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And Alameda was the only FTX customer allowed to carry a negative balance. Christian Everdell and Mark Cohen, attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried, exit court in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2023. Star witness coming TuesdayCaroline Ellison, Alameda’s CEO and Bankman-Fried’s on-and-off girlfriend, is expected to take the stand when court resumes on Tuesday. Ellison, 28, is considered the prosecution’s star witness, given her position as the head of Alameda and her personal knowledge of Bankman-Fried’s behavior. According to court documents, when one employee asks who made the decision, Ellison responds: “Um … Sam, I guess.”

Persons: Sam Bankman, Gary Wang, Wang, SBF, Mark Cohen, Fried, FTX, Christian Everdell, Stephanie Keith, Everdell, “ FTX, ” Wang, ” FTX, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Sam Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bankman, Alameda, Bloomberg, Getty, “ Locations: New York, Alameda

☆ U.S. online sales to grow 4.8% in crucial holiday season, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - Online sales during the crucial U.S. holiday season are expected to rise 4.8% from a year earlier as retailers go all out to woo inflation-hit consumers with even bigger discounts and promotions, a report from Adobe Analytics showed on Thursday. Adobe said the holiday season would see heavy discounts this year, especially in the toys, sporting goods and furniture categories, with markdowns peaking at 35%. Last month, Mastercard's (MA.N)SpendingPulse report forecast a 6.7% rise in online sales during the holiday season. Online discounts expected to be as high as 35% this holiday seasonWith Amazon.com (AMZN.O) hosting its second Prime Day sale in October, holiday shopping is expected to start as early as this month. Shoppers, especially the younger ones, are more likely to use buy-now-pay-later services to stretch their budgets, according to the report.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Adobe, Savyata Mishra, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Walmart, Adobe, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial appears at Federal Court in New York on Oct. 4th, 2023. Two years later, Julliard stood as the prosecution's first witness in the criminal fraud trial against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who's accused of misusing billions of dollars in client money. He and thousands of other FTX customers were practically wiped out when the exchange went belly up late last year. Allan Joseph Bankman, father of FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and Barbara Fried, mother of FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried, arrive at court in New York, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial begins in New York

Persons: Sam Bankman, Claudia Johnson Marc, Antoine Julliard, Julliard, who's, FTX, Gisele Bündchen, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, Sam, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Attorney Thane, Rehn, Alameda's, Caroline Ellison, Allan Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Stephanie Keith, Ellison's, Sam Trabucco, Trabucco, Rein, Adam Yedidia, Bankman, Yedida, hadn't, Gary Wang Organizations: Court, FTX, Federal Court, Reuters Defense, Alameda Research, Bankman, Assistant U.S, Attorney, Capitol, U.S, Bloomberg, Getty, MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Prosecutors Locations: New York, London, Manhattan, FTX, New York City, U.S, Alameda, Attorney Thane Rehn, Rehn

A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. Brent crude oil futures were up 55 cents to $91.26 a barrel by 1:01 p.m. EDT (1701 GMT), after falling to a session low of $89.50, the lowest price since Sept. 8. Higher interest rates and a stronger dollar make oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, which could dampen oil demand. Talks to restart Iraqi oil exports via a crude oil pipeline that runs through Turkey are still ongoing, an Iraqi oil official told Reuters on Tuesday, a day after Turkey said operations would start again this week after nearly a six-month stoppage. U.S. crude inventories were expected to have fallen by about 500,000 barrels last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Phil Flynn, Alexander Novak, Stephanie Kelly, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Marguerita Choy, Mark Potter, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, U.S ., Federal Reserve, Price Futures Group, Investors, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Gulf Cooperation, BMI Research, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Asia, Turkey, Gulf, Iraq

A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. Brent crude oil futures were down 10 cents to $90.61 a barrel by 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT), after falling to a session low of $89.50, the lowest since Sept. 8. Higher interest rates and a stronger dollar make oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, which could dampen oil demand. Talks to restart Iraqi oil exports via a crude oil pipeline that runs through Turkey are still ongoing, an Iraqi oil official told Reuters on Tuesday, one day after Turkey said operations would start again this week after a near six-month stoppage. U.S. crude inventories were expected to have fallen by about 100,000 barrels last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Phil Flynn, Craig Erlam, Stephanie Kelly, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Marguerita Choy, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Brent, . West Texas, U.S ., U.S, Reserve, Futures, Investors, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Gulf Cooperation, BMI Research, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Turkey, Gulf, Iraq, .

☆ Wells Fargo sells $2 billion of private equity investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Wells Fargo logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo (WFC.N) said on Friday it had sold about $2 billion of its private equity investments as the bank aims to sharpen focus on its core businesses. "With this transaction, we are continuing with our strategic efforts to focus on Wells Fargo's core businesses and customers," Wells Fargo CFO Mike Santomassimo said. The investments were in certain funds managed by Norwest Equity Partners and Norwest Mezzanine Partners. They were sold to a group of buyers that included private equity firm Carlyle Group's (CG.O) unit AlpInvest Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, Lexington Partners and Pantheon, according to Wells Fargo.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Wells, Mike Santomassimo, Carlyle Group's, Lazard, Niket, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Norwest Equity Partners, Partners, AlpInvest Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, Lexington Partners, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Wells Fargo, Bengaluru

JPMorgan did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, which will give $55 million to Virgin Islands charities and the American territory's anti-trafficking efforts. The remaining $20 million will cover attorneys' fees incurred by the Virgin Islands as part of the litigation in federal court in New York. The Virgin Islands said the deal "includes several substantial commitments by JPMorgan Chase to identify, report, and cut off support for potential human trafficking, including establishing and implementing comprehensive policies and procedures." Virgin Islands Attorney General Ariel Smith said the agreement settles what was the first enforcement action against a bank for facilitating and profiting from human trafficking. The Virgin Islands previously obtained a $105 million settlement from Epstein's estate, and another $62.5 million from billionaire investor Leon Black to resolve potential claims related to Epstein.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Rod Stewart, Cipriani, Joe Schildhorn, Patrick McMullan, Jes Staley, Epstein, Staley, Ariel Smith, Smith, Boies Schiller Flexner, Stephanie Keith, Leon Black, Jamie Dimon, Jed Rakoff, Virgin Organizations: JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin, Virgin Islands, Virgin, Barclays Plc, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Treasury Department Locations: New York, New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Virgin, Epstein's, Florida

☆ Centerbridge teams up with Wells Fargo to launch direct-lending fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Wells Fargo logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 26 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Centerbridge Partners is launching a direct-lending fund with backing from Wells Fargo (WFC.N), the companies said on Tuesday. The direct-lending market is dominated by private equity firms, which in recent months have been looking to expand their footprints in the sector as mid-sized banks tighten loan standards. The fund named Overland Advisors will target at least $5 billion in investible capital with a focus on meeting credit requirements of North American mid-sized companies, the San Francisco-based bank and Centerbridge said. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation have agreed to provide nearly $2 billion in initial equity commitments.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Wells, Centerbridge, JPMorgan Chase, forayed, Jaiveer Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Centerbridge Partners, Overland, North, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Columbia Investment Management Corporation, JPMorgan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Wells Fargo, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, Bengaluru

☆ Biden's IRA Drives Surge in US Imports of Chinese Used Cooking Oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrew HayleyBEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. incentives to boost consumption of more environmentally friendly fuel has created a new market for used Chinese cooking oil, worth almost $390 million in the last 12 months and growing rapidly, China's customs data shows. In the first eight months of 2023, Chinese exports of used cooking oil (UCO) to the U.S. totalled almost 384,000 metric tons, customs data shows. Used cooking oil can be refined into fuels such as biodiesel and SAF, which can be blended with conventional fuels to reduce carbon emissions. State-run Chinese oil majors Sinopec and PetroChina, which are among those shipping UCO cargoes to the U.S., according to Kpler, did not respond to requests for comment. Used cooking oil can be one-third the price of fresh vegetable oil, and has lower carbon intensity than non-waste feedstocks such as palm or canola oil.

Persons: Andrew Hayley BEIJING, Biden, Kpler, Sophie Byron, Global's Byron, Andrew Hayley, Stephanie Kelly, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: U.S, SAF, P, Argonne National Laboratory, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Exports, European Commission, European Union Locations: China, U.S, California, Argonne, U.S . China, Europe, Germany

Pump jacks operate at sunset in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. Earlier, it hit a session peak of $95.96 a barrel, their highest since November. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 28 cents to $91.20 after earlier reaching $93.74 a barrel, also the highest since November. After Brent topped $95 a barrel on Tuesday, investment bank UBS said in a note it started taking profits. Industry data on Tuesday showed U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell last week by about 5.25 million barrels, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Brent, Analysts, Amin Nasser, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Stephanie Kelly, Andrew Hayley, Paul Carsten, Kirsten Donovan, Jason Neely, David Goodman, David Gregorio, Jan Harvey Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, UBS, Reuters, U.S . Energy, Administration, American Petroleum Institute, Nasdaq, U.S, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Saudi Aramco, Saudi, OPEC, Britain, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, U.S . Federal, New York, Beijing

Its startup could add as much as $2 per barrel to prices paid by U.S. Midwest oil refineries that sit along Canada's existing main oil-export route. "They will be competing for barrels that no longer transit through their region," said a Calgary-based oil trader. That has left Canadian oil producers vulnerable to deep price discounts or "blowouts" whenever pipelines become congested or rupture. The start-up of TMX could add a "buck or two" to the cost of a barrel for Midwest refiners, he estimates. So far this year, over 200,000 bpd of Canadian crude has been re-exported from the U.S. Gulf Coast, up from about 73,000 bpd in 2019, Kpler data showed.

Persons: Rory Johnston, Matt Smith, Smith, Stephanie Kelly, Nia Williams, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: U.S ., U.S, BP, Citgo Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Flint Hills Resources, Canadian, Energy, Administration, TC, Keystone, refiners, Americas, Thomson Locations: CALGARY, Alberta, Coast, U.S, U.S . Midwest, Gulf Coast, Midwest, Flint, Calgary, Canada, Pacific, U.S . West Coast, Asia, Gulf, China, Kpler

☆ Prominent German banker on trial in giant tax fraud scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Christian Olearius, former CEO of Warburg Bank looks on as he arrives for Cum-Ex tax fraud trial, at a regional court, in Bonn, Germany, September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Acquire Licensing RightsBONN, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A top German banker went on trial on Monday accused of playing a role in a multibillion-euro German tax fraud scheme that has ensnared scores of domestic and global banks and hundreds of individuals. The trial that began on Monday in Bonn involves Christian Olearius, the 81-year-old former CEO and chair of the Hamburg-based bank M.M. Prosecutor Stephanie Kerkering told the court that Olearius had conspired with others inside and outside Warburg to engage in the transactions. Earlier this year, a tax lawyer alleged to have masterminded the fraud received a second eight-year jail sentence, the longest to date.

Persons: Olearius, Wolfgang Rattay, Christian Olearius, M.M . Warburg, Stephanie Kerkering, Warburg, Olaf Scholz, Matthias Inverardi, Tom Sims, Friederike Heine, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Warburg Bank, REUTERS, Rights, M.M, Warburg, Thomson Locations: Bonn, Germany, Rights BONN, German, Hamburg, M.M ., Warburg

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