Sunday, October 25, 2026

Biggest Business Story Of This Weekend -- Audi To Build US Plant -- October 25, 2026

Locator: 52032AUDI. 

Link here to TWSJ.  

Summary:

  • President Trump announced that Audi will build its first-ever U.S. factory in Macon, Georgia, to produce 200,000 cars annually. 
  • Audi Chief Executive Gernot Döllner said the automaker plans to produce its biggest and most premium SUVs at the Macon plant. 
  • Audi has been vulnerable to tariffs, which hit its profits by about 1.2 billion euros in 2025 and are expected to do the same this year.

This is much, much more than about tariffs. It is discouraging that TWSJ focuses on tariffs when there is so much more to the story.

A "lot of stuff" is happening in the automobile manufacturing sector right now. Most notably: GM abruptly canceling its contract with a magnet factory in Germany.

It is interesting to do a word search on the blog: renewable energy in Europe, West Germany, etc. 

How Are Intel Shipments Doing? October 25, 2026

Locator: 52031INTEL. 

Link here. Link: https://share.google/aimode/J4Mrynrp00qAgqGpu.  

Interesting URL (last three letters -- these URLs are randomly generated). 

Apple iPhone Duo Update -- October 25, 2026

Locator: 52030IPHONEDUO. 

Query: where are the bottlenecks -- China, India, or the US? This is quite surprising. For the DUO the problem is not component supply. It's quality control.

Link here. Link: https://share.google/aimode/dkxtxbxbRfLItX1RW.  Final assembly process is in China and they're only able to produce "one hundred per day"???? with many, many near-final products scrapped due to defects????

Query: has there been any Apple product ever that has had its online orders pushed out this long -- this is late October and online orders are being pushed out to the end of January, more than three months from now? 

***************************
Apple iPhone Duo Over The Weekend

Electric Rates By State -- August, 2026, Data -- Posted October 25, 2026 -- IN PROGRESS

Locator: 52029ARCHIVES. 

Link here. 

Usual disclaimer applies: typographical errors and content errors likely. I go through the report quickly.  

By state. 

Holy mackerel: North Dakota really stands out this time! Then Louisiana -- only two states with a 9-handle or less. North Dakota drops to 8.91 cents. Holy mackerel. 

  • the New England states at 24.41 cents on average
  • California at 28.88 cents
  • most everyone else in the low teens but that 8.91 really, really stands out

All sectors: only two states with a single digit rate: North Dakota, 8.91 cents; Louisiana, 9.86 cents.

  • North Dakota: up from 8.38 a year ago
  • New Mexico: down from 10.38 a year ago 
  • Louisiana: up from 9.73 a year ago

Residential: only eight states with a 13-handle or less -- North Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky. BUT, Louisiana with a 12-handle. 

  • Nevada: 12.72 vs 12.54 last year 
  • Louisiana: 12.87 vs 12.55 last year
  • North Dakota: 13.31 vs 12.97 last year -- in line with inflation rate at 2.6% y/y
  • Utah: 13.31 vs 13.62 last year 
  • Tennessee: 13.42 vs 13.09 last year
  • Idaho: 13.37 vs 12.08 last year
  • Nebraska: 13.54 vs 12.80 last year
  • Kentucky: 13.80 vs 13.10 last year 

Industrial: California with a 24-handle vs so many states well below 10 cents. NY state is at 10.54 vs 10.20 last year. Others of note:

  • New Mexico: 5.08 vs 6.37 last year (very little industry; lots of coal?); obviously an outlier
  • Tennessee: 6.92 vs 6.85 last year 
  • South Carolina: 7.88 vs 7.21 last year

The big LCD states, industrial:

  • Virginia:  9.98 vs 9.40 last year
  • Ohio: 9.75 vs 8.47
  • Texas: 7.21 vs 6.42 last year

The big LCD states, residential:

  • Virginia: 17.64 vs 15.85 last year
  • Ohio: 19.38 vs 17.55 last year
  • Texas: 15.91 vs 15.40 last year

The big LCD states, overall:

  • Virginia: 13.15 vs 11.54 last year  
  • Ohio: 13.93 vs 12.67 last year
  • Texas: 11.23 vs 10.42 last year

The wind state: residential:

  • Iowa:  17.06 vs 15.48 last year.

Clearing Off The Desk And Enjoying A Good Cup Of Coffee -- October 25, 2026

Locator: 52029ARCHIVES. 

The global-geo-political spectrum just got a whole lot more interesting: President Trump --> Elon Musk --> Ukraine/Russia. 

Hamas: says it's ready to "re-do" another "October 7th." That's who we're dealing with here, folks. Their mother-ship was soon to have a deliverable nuclear weapon until temporarily delayed. Tea leaves suggest that program will be re-started in 2030 if not sooner. 

For all the grief the current administration gets, one should go back and look at these administrations with an unbiased eye:

  • Bush II: first lost decade. 
  • Obama: second lost decade, but even worse than that.
  • Biden: among all presidents, America's biggest embarrassment? 

Six links to consider: 

Stanford University: politics -- link here. Link: https://share.google/aimode/DcN1jxUqc4nn4HVvj.  

Iran: out of oil -- link here. Link: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/irans-fleet-of-shadow-tankers-has-run-out-of-oil-after-monthslong-u-s-blockade-0822b050?mod=e2tw.  

Movie review: 1971 scandalous -- now respectable -- link here. 

Another movie review: Dorian Gray -- link here. Link: https://share.google/aimode/n3t4r8wsUjnQNT2In.  

GM / magnets: previously posted -- must read. Link here. 

***************************
Apple iPhone Duo Over The Weekend