WTI Settles Below $40 For First Time In More Than Three Months -- December 2, 2015

From Seeking Alpha:

WTI crude oil settled below $40/bbl for the first time in more than three months, tumbling 4.6% to $39.94 as U.S. government data showed a 10th straight weekly increase in crude supplies.

Meanwhile, Brent crude sank 4.4% to $42.49 on London’s ICE futures exchange, the lowest settlement since March 2009.

The dollar's surge to 12-year highs after pro-rate hike comments by Janet Yellen also weighed on oil and other dollar-denominated commodities.

John Kemp tweets:

US commercial crude stock rose +1.2 million bbl last week and now +110 million bbl (+29%) higher than in 2014. 

Repeat: almost 30% higher this year than last. 

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Bakken Economy

The Bismarck Tribune is reporting a 150-MW wind farm will be built north of Tioga.

Located 4 miles north of Tioga, up to 75 wind turbines are planned to be constructed within a 13,000-acre project area. Kalk said the wind turbines used will range from 2 megawatts to 3.3 megawatts.

This pretty much limits city growth to the north. But that's fine: there must be 20 miles to the east and west to develop.

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Healthcare Costs Inflate Following ObamaCare

The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

U. S. healthcare spending grew 5.3% last year to $3 trillion, another sign that a historic slowdown in medical inflation may be ending.

The massive expansion of insurance coverage under the health law and rapid growth in specialty drug spending fueled the uptick in medical costs, officials said. Annual spending growth was 3.7%, on average, during the last five years.

 What did one expect? Under ObamaCare, there are no limits on coverage.

The country spent $9,523 per person on healthcare in 2014, including Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance. That's far higher than what other developed countries pay, and healthcare spending now accounts for 17.5% of the U.S. economy.

Experts aren't predicting a return to double-digit increases in medical spending. But the latest trend underscores how difficult it will be for policymakers, employers and insurers to control healthcare costs going forward. [And that's why UnitedHealth Group is getting out of ObamaCare. Others will follow.]

When the bill was signed, VP Joe Biden said healthcare accounts for 1/6th of the US economy, or 16.7%, so we're still in the same ballpark.

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The Apple Page

Updates

December 28, 2015: add Hyundai to the list -- Macrumors is reporting:

Hyundai has confirmed that CarPlay will launch in the 2016 Sonata in the first quarter of next year, per the Detroit Free Press. The carmaker will reportedly sell an SD card with new software to get the system for an undisclosed price.

December 7, 2015: Volvo announces first Volvo to have CarPlay -- the new 2016 XC90 --

The new vehicle is equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen in the center console, with the CarPlay interface featured on the bottom half of the screen. Volvo's Sensus Connect controls remain at the top of the screen, offering access to features like directions, media playing, temperature, and more.  

Original Post

Macrumors is reporting:

Most carmakers in the U.S. are now clearing out 2015 models to make way for new 2016 vehicles, a growing number of which feature CarPlay for the first time since Apple introduced the software platform at WWDC in 2013.

Apple's in-dash software provides hands-free or eyes-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps including Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio, CBS Radio and MLB At Bat.

The link has all automobiles that will have Apple CarPlay. It would have been easier to list the manufacturers that won't include Apple CarPlay.