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☆ Two Big Texas Oil Producers Announce $26 Billion Merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Karen Weise | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two large Texas oil producers are joining forces in a deal valued at $26 billion, the latest in a wave of consolidation in the U.S. energy industry. Diamondback Energy and Endeavor Energy Resources, both major players in the booming Permian Basin oil field that straddles New Mexico and Texas, announced on Monday that they would merge in a cash-and-stock deal, with Diamondback’s shareholders owning about 60 percent of the combined company. The Permian Basin was once seen as a worn-out patch. The basin has been transformed into the most productive oil and gas field in the United States. “With this combination, Diamondback not only gets bigger, it gets better,” Travis Stice, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Persons: ” Travis Stice, Diamondback’s Organizations: Diamondback Energy, Endeavor Energy Resources Locations: Texas, U.S, New Mexico, United States

Diamondback Energy will attempt to buy rival Endeavor Energy Resources to create an energy giant in the Southwestern United States worth more than $50 billion. A tie-up between Diamondback and Endeavor, if it succeeds, would create a player in the massive Permian Basin oil and gas field that straddles Texas and New Mexico. Photos You Should See View All 22 ImagesEndeavor is the largest private operator in the Permian Basin. Lower oil prices are good for U.S. drivers, as it means they'll pay less at gas pumps. Shareholders of Diamondback Energy Inc. will own about 60.5% of the combined company, while Endeavor’s equity holders would own approximately 39.5%.

Persons: Hess, Diamondback, Travis Stice, ” Stifel's Derrick Whitfield, ” Stice Organizations: Diamondback Energy, Endeavor Energy Resources, Southwestern United, Exxon Mobil, Mobil, Diamondback, Endeavor, Exxon, Chevron, Drillers, OPEC, U.S, International Energy Agency, Diamondback Energy Inc, Chesapeake Energy, Southwestern Energy, Occidental Locations: Southwestern United States, U.S, Texas, New Mexico, United States, Israel, Midland , Texas

☆ The most expensive home for sale in the U.S. goes up for $295 million in Naples, Florida
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The most expensive home for sale in the U.S. hit the market this week for $295 million. Gordon Pointe, as it's called, is a roughly 9-acre compound in Naples, Florida, on the Gulf Coast, in an affluent enclave called Port Royal. The mega-listing includes a main house that spans about 11,500 square feet, with six bedrooms. Two guest houses, each over 5,000 square feet, bring the estate's total interior living space to 22,800 square feet. The residence sits high atop 217 West 57th Street, overlooking Central Park, spanning three floors and over 17,500 square feet.

Persons: Gordon Pointe, Leighton Candler, Corcoran, Candler, Gordon, John, Rhodora Donahue, John Donahue, Hermes, Dawn McKenna, McKenna, she's, It's, Cody Boone, Ryan Serhant, Serhant, naysayers, Donna Olshan, Karen Winnick, Gary Winnick, Kurt Rappaport, that's, Jonathan Miller, Miller Samuel, Jeff Bezos, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Ken Griffin, Larry Ellison, Marc Andreessen, Jim Bartsch, Jerry Perenchio, Miller, Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch Organizations: Royal, CNBC, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Dawn McKenna Group, Coldwell, Coldwell Banker Realty, St, SERHANT Studios, Encantada, U.S, Washington , D.C, Reuters, Amazon, Oracle, Bel Air, Fox Corp Locations: Gordon Pointe, U.S, Naples , Florida, Gulf, New York, of Mexico, Pittsburgh, Port Royal, America, New York City, Central, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Bel, Washington ,

☆ A 13-year-old found a 5-million-year-old fossil, and now there's a new species of walrus named in his honor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Co-authors Robert Boessenecker and Sarah Boessenecker hold the Valenictus walrus skull. Robert BoesseneckerEleven years after Sheperd found it, Boessenecker named the newly-identified walrus species Valenictus sheperdi, after Sheperd's last name. But because the new skull was older and larger than other Valenictus species and had some physiological differences, Boessenecker suspected it was an unknown species. The smooth surface is part of the walrus skull emerging from the rock. AdvertisementThe walruses of CaliforniaMillions of years ago, over a dozen walrus species roamed the planet.

Persons: Forrest Sheperd, who's, Robert Boessenecker ., Robert Boessenecker, Sarah Boessenecker, Sheperd, Boessenecker, Sheperd's, I've, Forrest, clacking, walruses, it's Organizations: Business, Santa Cruz Museum, California, Los Locations: Santa Cruz , California, California, West, San Joaquin, Sierra

GREEN RIVER, Utah (AP) — A plan to extract lithium — the lustrous, white metal used in electric vehicle batteries — in southeast Utah is adding to an anxiety familiar in the arid American West: how the project could affect water from the Colorado River. The company has also acquired rights to freshwater from the Green River nearby, leading to questions about how groundwater and river water are connected, and how its plans to produce lithium could affect the environment. The Green River is a tributary of the Colorado River, the over-tapped powerhouse of the West upon which 40 million people rely. So far, Anson has acquired rights for 2,500 acre-feet of water from the Green River. “There’s a difficulty turning anything down in a community like Green River,” he said.

Persons: ”, Lauren Wood, Anson, “, ” Anson, Bruce Richardson, Michael McKibben, Ren Hatt, Gayna, Salinas Organizations: Anson Resources, University of California, Interior Department, Land Management, . Department, ExxonMobil, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: GREEN, , Utah, Utah, Colorado, An Australian, Utah , Colorado , New Mexico, Arizona, Green, Green River , Utah, Anson, U.S, Riverside, Argentina, Qinghai, China, Arkansas, Nevada, Amargosa, Las Vegas, , Nevada, Australia, Chile, Gayna Salinas, “, America

☆ The most expensive property for sale in the US is a Florida compound where a late investing mogul gathered hundreds of his family members
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A compound in Naples, Florida, is on the market for a potentially record-setting $295 million. Late financier John Donahue spent $1 million for land on the Gulf of Mexico in 1985, then added to it. His family is ready to let go of three mansions on 9 beachfront acres — take a look around. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementA family compound in Naples, Florida, just hit the market for $295 million.

Persons: John Donahue, —, Donahue Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Business Locations: Naples , Florida, of Mexico, Naples, Port Royal

At least 112 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. Scientists say climate change makes the heat waves and drought now hitting South America more likely — and both contribute to wildfires by drying out the plants that feed the blazes. “Climate change has made droughts more common,” said Mitchard. Climate change makes stronger El Niños more likely, said Mitchard, and droughts caused by it are likelier to be more intense. And the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that globally, extreme heat waves happen five times more often because of human-caused global warming.

Persons: Edward Mitchard, ”, We’ve, Mitchard, — Organizations: South America, University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences, it's, World Resources Institute, Associated Press Locations: Chile, Colombia, CHILE, Santiago, Scotland, South America, Belgium, AP.org

☆ Wealth manager for the super-rich names 3 stocks to buy right now
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For Kevin Teng, CEO of Wrise Wealth Management Singapore, which serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, three top stocks stand out as good plays right now. Of 52 analysts covering the stock, 48 give it a buy or overweight rating at an average price of $460.37, according to FactSet data. Barrick Gold Beyond tech and energy, Teng is also bullish on gold, naming Canadian miner Barrick Gold among his top picks. Spot gold prices are up around 7.5% over the last 12 months. Shares in Barrick Gold are down over 15% over the last 12 months.

Persons: Kevin Teng, Teng, Morgan Stanley, — CNBC's Jordan Novet, Fred Imbert Organizations: Big Tech, U.S . Federal, Wrise Wealth Management Singapore, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, CRM, CNBC Pro, ExxonMobil, Natural Resources, Exxon, Barrick, Barrick Gold Locations: Asia, East, Europe, West Texas, New Mexico, Guyana, Zambia, Pakistan

☆ Cramer says the 'bifurcated consumer' is making this market hard to understand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday told investors why it's hard to generalize about consumer behavior, saying that as inflation continues, there's a stark divide between cash-strapped consumers and ones that are flush. "High rates may not be helping, but they aren't hurting yet either, right now at least," he said. "In the meantime, we've got a bifurcated consumer in this country, and until you understand that, nothing in this market will make sense at all, let alone the inequality that comes with it." Cramer took McDonald's mixed earnings report as an example of the consumer divide. The fast-food giant's CEO Chris Kempczinski discussed how the low-income consumer cohort is a "battle ground" as many trade down to deal with higher costs.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, we've, Cramer, Chris Kempczinski, Taylor Organizations: Federal, Apple Vision, Costco, Walmart Locations: United States

☆ Exxon beats earnings expectations even as lower oil prices weigh on profits
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Exxon Mobil reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations, but the company's profit declined significantly from same period the year prior as oil prices weakened. The company returned $32.4 billion to shareholders in 2023 through $14.9 billion in dividends and $17.4 billion in share buybacks. Excluding those charges, Exxon earned $2.48 per share, beating Wall Street's expectations of $2.21 per share. Exxon's profits from its oil and gas segment declined to $4.1 billion in the quarter, down 49% compared to the $8.2 billion reported in the year ago period. Exxon produced 3.73 million oil equivalent barrels per day in 2023, largely flat compared to the year prior.

Persons: Brent Organizations: Exxon Mobil, Exxon, LSEG, West Texas Intermediate, Natural Resources Locations: Washington , DC, California, U.S, Guyana

☆ Your energy costs could become a lot more unpredictable
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For more than a decade, Americans could rely on cheap natural-gas prices to heat their homes and power businesses. Prices shot up exponentially, and homeowners, renters, and businesses are still seeing the ripple effects on their utility bills — even though natural-gas prices have since fallen. Just six years later, the US surpassed Qatar to become the world's leading exporter of natural gas. Slocum added that natural-gas exports put upward pressure on prices, citing recent reports by the US Energy Information Administration and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission . The higher costs between 2021 and late 2023 are due to the energy crisis in Europe and "cannot explicitly be linked" with greater US gas exports, the spokesperson said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tyson Slocum, Goldman Sachs, Slocum, Mike Sommers Organizations: Service, Business, LNG, US Energy Information Administration, Federal Energy Regulatory, American Petroleum Institute, CNBC, Energy, Consumer Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Texas, New Mexico, Qatar

GUALBA, Spain (AP) — Plastic jugs in hand, Joan Torrent takes a path into the woods in search of drinking water. The drought emergency, which takes effect Friday, limits the daily amount of water permitted for residential and municipal purposes to 200 liters (53 gallons) per person. Catalonia’s water agency says the average resident uses 116 liters (30 gallons) per day at home. Gualba's name, according to local lore, means “white water” thanks to the streams flowing down from the Montseny mountain that overlooks the village. Only the Guadalete-Barbate river basin in southern Andalusia, which faces similar shortages and restrictions, is worse off at 14.6%.

Persons: Joan Torrent, Gualba, don’t, ”, Jordi Esmaindia Organizations: ” Locations: Spain, Gualba, Barcelona, Spain’s, Catalonia, Llobregat, Andalusia

☆ Sea of Nectar: What you should know about the moon area where Japan’s lander touched down
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

If the lander turns on again, it could make good on its objectives to collect unprecedented information about a region called the Sea of Nectar. The 1969 US moon mission Apollo 11 captured this oblique view of the large crater Theophilus at the northwest edge of the Sea of Nectar. Here's the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. The Sea of Nectar is much smaller than its neighbor the Sea of Tranquility, which is over 540 miles (875 kilometers) across and is similarly smooth and flat. “After the Apollo missions, we brought back samples and learned they were essentially massive lava planes,” Osinski said.

Persons: Smart, SLIM —, Moon, Theophilus that’s, ”, Gordon Osinski, who’s, Artemis, Osinski, we’ve, ” Osinski, Sara Russell, haven’t, Russell, “, SLIM, ” “, John Pernet, Fisher, Pernet, it’s, Tranquillity, Canada’s, maria ”, “ It’s, NASA’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, Western University, Lunar Reconnaissance, Planetary Materials, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu, University of Manchester, Planetary Institute, Apollo, Getty Locations: Japan, , Ontario, Shioli, United Kingdom

☆ Mars rover data confirms ancient lake sediments on red planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this concept illustration provided by NASA, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter stands on the Red Planet's surface as NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover (partially visible on the left) rolls away. NASA's rover Perseverance has gathered data confirming the existence of ancient lake sediments deposited by water that once filled a giant basin on Mars called Jerezo Crater, according to a study published on Friday. The findings from ground-penetrating radar observations conducted by the robotic rover substantiate previous orbital imagery and other data leading scientists to theorize that portions of Mars were once covered in water and may have harbored microbial life. The findings reinforced what previous studies have long suggested - that cold, arid, lifeless Mars was once warm, wet and perhaps habitable. In the meantime, the latest study is welcome validation that scientists undertook their geo-biological Mars endeavor at the right place on the planet after all.

Persons: David Paige, Mars, Perseverance, Paige, that's Organizations: NASA, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, University of Oslo Locations: Mars, Los

Torrential rain in Gaza is making an already brutal existence even harder for the tens of thousands of people displaced and camping in the open air. Raging flames engulfed the walls of a UN shelter west of Khan Younis, after the facility was shelled on Wednesday. “Persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis are utterly unacceptable and must stop immediately.”Smoke rises after an attack on an UNRWA facility in Khan Younis on January 24, where more than 10,000 civilians were taking shelter. The ICRC warned the collapse of Nasser Medical Complex and the European Gaza Hospital could lead to "thousands of preventable deaths." The ICRC highlighted the deficiencies in the current healthcare system in Gaza where only two referral hospitals – Nasser Medical Complex and the European Gaza Hospital – providing advanced medical services are operational.

Persons: Deir, ” Jamal Ramadan, Ashraf Amra, Balah, “, ”, Ahmad Al Rebai, Um Muhammad, It’s, Khan, Khan Younis, Thomas White, Ramez, Crews, Mahmoud, Mohammed Al, Rifi, Al Amal, PRCS, Fatima Shbair, Cross, Ashraf Al, ” Al, Qidra Organizations: CNN, “, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, Humanitarian Affairs, of Health, IDF, Israel Meteorological Service, UN, Palestine, Gaza’s Civil Defense, Al Shifa, ” CNN, Nasser, Al Amal Hospital, Palestine Red Crescent Society, ICRC, European Gaza, International Committee, Hamas, Nasser Hospital, Al Locations: Gaza, Deir Al, Anadolu, Israel, Khan, ”, Gaza City, Gaza Civil, Kuwaiti, Palestine, Rafah

☆ Humans are depleting groundwater faster than in the past 40 years, but places like Saudi Arabia and Thailand have figured out how to boost their freshwater reserves
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Suman Naishadham | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Humans in many parts of the world are pumping groundwater faster than it can be replenished. Places like Thailand and Saudi Arabia, however, have managed to slow groundwater depletion rates. USGSGroundwater is one of the largest freshwater sources anywhere in the world, making the depletion of aquifers a significant concern. AdvertisementGroundwater depletion is more severe now than a few decades agoFarms are responsible for much of the US's groundwater depletion. The Bangkok basin in Thailand is another example the study highlighted where groundwater levels rose in the early 21st century compared to previous decades.

Persons: Scott Jasechko, Upmanu Lall, Jasechko, Richard Taylor, Taylor, Hydrologists, Felicia Marcus, Marcus, you've Organizations: Service, University of California, Columbia University, Columbia Water Center, University College London hydrogeology, Stanford, Water, West Program Locations: Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Santa Barbara, drylands, Mexico, Iran, California, Bangkok, Thai, Tucson , Arizona, Colorado

The Ely Shoshone, Duckwater Shoshone, and the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation — a coalition representing about 1,500 enrolled tribal members — are lobbying the federal government to designate nearly 40 square miles (100 square kilometers) as Bahsahwahbee National Monument. He testified in a multi-decade legal battle alongside ranchers, local officials and environmental groups who all opposed the project by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Protecting water for sacred trees is not something the agency had previously done, Sullivan said. Even if the land becomes a national monument, the water beneath Bahsahwahbee would remain under the state’s jurisdiction. The Southern Nevada Water Authority supports a monument designation that allows for the continuation of existing ranching and agricultural activities, said Bronson Mack, water authority spokesman.

Persons: ELY, — White, ”, Warren Graham, Mamie Swallow, Spilsbury, Charlene Pete’s, —, ” Pete, Ely Shoshone, Alvin Marques, David Charlet, ” Charlet, Adam Sullivan, Sullivan, Neal Desai, Bahsahwahbee, Graham, Bronson Mack, Avi Kwa, Joe Biden, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, Deb Haaland, Cortez Masto’s, Monte Sanford, “ Organizations: Rocky, Ely Shoshone, Southern Nevada Water Authority, College of Southern, Nevada Division of Water Resources, Southern, Southern Nevada Water, National Park Service, National Parks Conservation Association, National Register of Historic Places, Land Management, The Southern, The Southern Nevada Water Authority, Nevada Legislature, United, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP, Press, Lilly Endowment Inc Locations: Nev, Nevada, Ely, Duckwater Shoshone, ”, Bahsahwahbee, Vegas, College of Southern Nevada, Southern Nevada, The, The Southern Nevada, Arizona, U.S, United States

☆ ‘Hot drought’ in the West is unprecedented in at least 5 centuries, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The West’s recent heat-driven megadroughts are unprecedented in at least 500 years, new research shows. “Hot drought” — when extreme drought and heat occur simultaneously — has increased in severity and frequency over the last century due to human-caused climate change, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. While the previous study measured the length and width of the tree rings to gauge drought conditions, King’s research analyzed the density of the rings to measure how temperatures changed over time. “More dense rings mean warmer temperatures, and less dense rings mean cooler temperatures, typically,” King explained. “Water security and wildfire will become bigger problems until climate change is stopped,” said Overpeck, who was not involved with the study but has done research on hot droughts.

Persons: ”, Karen King, ” King, King, Jonathan Overpeck, Overpeck Organizations: CNN, University of Tennessee, University of Michigan’s School for Environment, Sustainability Locations: Knoxville, Pacific Northwest, Utah , Arizona, Colorado

☆ As more tankers divert from Suez Canal, there's a 'sea change' in way Europe is buying crude
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Al HUDAYDAH, YEMEN - JULY 17: Yemen's replacement oil tanker Nautica floats over its arrival to Al Hudaydah port in the Red Sea on July 17, 2023 in Hudaydah, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)Energy prices for Europe are expected to increase as more petroleum products and crude tankers are diverting away from the Rea Sea and Suez Canal. They would rather go around the Cape of Good Hope versus taking a chance through the Red Sea." LNG vessels travel faster than oil tankers because they are lighter and they can sail up to 21 knots versus the 12-13 knots for crude tankers. Before the Red Sea disruptions, a tanker from Jamnagar, India to Rotterdam, Netherlands would have taken 24 days.

Persons: Al, Mohammed Hamoud, Rea, Viktor Katona, Good Hope, It's, Katona Organizations: United Nations, Europe, U.S, Good Locations: Al HUDAYDAH, YEMEN, Al Hudaydah, Hudaydah, Yemen, Sana'a, Europe, Suez, Brazil, Africa's, Good, Israel, Jamnagar, India, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Basrah, Iraq, Milazzo, Sicily

For decades, federal and state officials have struggled to control farm runoff, the biggest source of nutrient pollution that is not typically federally regulated. Water pollution from factories and industry is typically federally regulated. The Biden administration recently proposed toughening regulations on meat and poultry processing plants to reduce pollution, Wall said. When nutrient pollution flows into the Gulf of Mexico, it spurs growth of bacteria that consume oxygen. That affects the productivity of commercial fisheries and marine life in general, but nutrient pollution is also damaging upstream.

Persons: that's, It’s, ”, Olivia Dorothy, Tom Wall, Biden, Wall, Nancy Rabalais, Anne Schechinger, Gregory Klinger, Brad Carlson, Martin Larsen, He's, Larsen, ___ Walling, ___, Melina Walling Organizations: LOUIS, Environmental, Agency, Midwest, EPA, Louisiana State University, University of Minnesota, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Midwest, Minnesota, Olmsted County, Chicago

☆ Surging U.S. oil production may set a record in 2024, shielding consumers from Mideast war and pressuring OPEC
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Supply is forecast to grow by 1.5 million barrels per day to a new high of 103.5 million barrels per day, according to the IEA. Demand will grow by 1.2 million barrels daily, down from 2.3 million in 2023, with the post-pandemic recovery over and major economies set to slow. WTI and Brent closed out 2023 down more than 10% and OPEC+ production cuts have so far failed to lift prices. Goldman Sachs, for example, says oil prices could double if there is a prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. 'Golden era' Stronger U.S. oil production in 2023 surprised even oil industry CEOs such as Chevron's Wirth and Occidental's Vicki Hollub, they told CNBC in recent interviews.

Persons: Michael Wirth, Wirth, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, Goldman Sachs, Walt Chancellor, Daniel Yergin, Brent, Adi Imsirovic, Imsirovic, Yergin, Bob Yawger, Yawger, Matt Smith, Smith, Chevron's Wirth, Occidental's Vicki Hollub, I'm, Macquarie, Chancellor, Hollub, — Organizations: P, Energy Information Agency, Chevron, P Global, CNBC, Economic, West Texas, Center for Strategic, International Studies, OPEC, Bank of America, Oil, International Energy Agency, IEA, Brent, Mizuho, Gulf, Americas, Western Hemisphere Locations: East, U.S, Macquarie, Davos, Switzerland, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, OPEC, Brazil, Guyana, Americas, Europe, Red, Kpler, Iran, Hormuz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday withdrew its approval of a right-of-way permit that would have allowed the construction of a railroad project through about 12 miles (19 kilometers) of roadless, protected forest in northeastern Utah. It would allow them to access larger markets and ultimately sell to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico. An attempt to reach the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, which is spearheading the project, was unsuccessful Wednesday evening. In the August ruling, the Washington, D.C.-based appeals court decided that a 2021 environmental impact statement and opinion from the federal Surface Transportation Board were rushed and violated federal laws. The Forest Service's decision Wednesday to withdraw its approval was based on the appeals court ruling, but Ashley National Forest Supervisor Susan Eickhoff said the agency could issue a new decision if deficiencies in the environmental impact statement are addressed.

Persons: “, Ted Zukoski, Susan Eickhoff Organizations: LAKE CITY, U.S . Forest Service, Wednesday, Railway, Center for Biological Diversity, County Infrastructure Coalition, D.C, Transportation Board, National Locations: U.S, Utah, Ashley, Uinta, Gulf of Mexico, Colorado, Gulf, Washington, Eagle

☆ Deadly fire ants are forming rafts to cross Australian flood waters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Red fire ants are forming rafts to travel on flood waters in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland, with the extreme weather threatening a countrywide spread of the highly invasive species. Two rafts of fire ants are seen floating on water in this screengrab taken from video released by Australia's Invasive Species Council in January 2024. Invasive Species CouncilQueensland has seen brutal weather and heavy flooding in recent weeks. Modeling by the ISC suggests fire ants will spread to “every corner of Australia” if the outbreak in Queensland isn’t curbed. Red ants can spread quickly on their own, but an infestation is typically accelerated by human activity, such as in cargo containers or shipments of potted plants or soil.

Persons: ” Reece Pianta, ” Pianta, ‘, ”, Pianta, Murray, Tara Moriarty, “ Organizations: CNN, Species Council, ISC, Council, invicta, Agriculture Locations: Australian, Queensland, Species Council Queensland, Cairns, Cyclone Jasper, Australia, Victoria, South America, United States, Mexico, Caribbean, China, Europe, Brisbane, New South Wales, NSW, Darling

☆ Top Wall Street analysts recommend these stocks for dividend-oriented investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As investors confront uncertain markets in the short term, dividend paying stocks could offer some portfolio stability and income. Civitas ResourcesFirst, there is independent oil and natural gas producer Civitas Resources (CIVI). This payment included a base dividend of $0.50 per share and a variable dividend of $1.09 per share. (See Civitas Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks)Williams CompaniesWe move to another energy dividend stock – Williams Companies (WMB). Williams recently acquired a portfolio of natural gas storage assets from Hartree Partners LP's affiliate for $1.95 billion.

Persons: Eric Greager, Wall, Nitin Kumar, Kumar, TipRanks, Williams, Selman Akyol, Akyol, KIM, Kimco Realty's, Simon Yarmak Organizations: Civitas Resources, NYSE, Williams, Hartree Partners, U.S, TipRanks, Kimco, RPT Realty, Aid, Kimco Realty Locations: Denver, Civitas, U.S, Transco, Kimco

AGAM, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupted again on Sunday, spewing smoke and ash high into the air, but no casualties were reported. The Marapi Volcano Observation Post in West Sumatra province recorded an eruption with an ash column about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) high from its peak, followed by ash rain. Sprays of ash from the eruption were seen blanketing roads and vehicles in nearby villages. At least 100 residents have been evacuated since Friday after Indonesian authorities raised the alert level of the volcano from Level 2 to Level 3, or the second-highest level, on Wednesday. Marapi has been active since an eruption in January last year that caused no casualties.

Persons: Marapi, Gobah Cumantiang, Edna Tarigan Organizations: Associated Press Locations: AGAM, Indonesia, West Sumatra, Rubai, Jakarta

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