Week 40: October 2, 2023 -- October 8, 2023

Locator: 45673TOPSTORY.

Top, top story:

• Israel: declares war; Hamas invades; Iran all over this
  
• for GOP: should Israel give up some land to stop the conflict? Maybe just negotiate surrender terms?
  

Top story:

• Nobel prizes announced: includes mRNA (proxy for Covid vaccine)
• rabies cure? A bridge too far for the GOP?
  
• Kevin McCarthy kicked out as Speaker of the House.
• 45 GOP reps now call it "grave injustice"
• first time in US history for party in power to "kick out" its Speaker
• McCarthy instrumental in preventing government shutdown
  

Top international non-energy story:

• Russian-Ukraine war continues
• US House refuses to provide funding that the president wanted for Ukraine
• US House seems to support Putin's invasion of Ukraine
• GOP apparently wants US to stay out of European conflicts; WWII was enough
  
• MAGA: "not a dollar more for Ukraine"
  

Top international energy story:

• Saudi Arabia and Russia say they will maintain production cuts
  

Top national non-energy story:

• space wars: Amazon takes on StarLink (Elon Musk)
• Biden directs money to re-start construction of unfinished "Trump" wall;
• makes it sound like decision to stop building was misunderstanding of bureaucrats in charge of funding the wall; 
• certainly doesn't express it as change in policy
  
• Bill Maher weighs in
• GDPNow remains at 4.9% for 3Q23 estimate;
• mortgage rate trending toward 8%;
• US stock market plunges
• hard-landing anticipated by some/many/most analysts
• renewable energy transition not going well at all
• IMF says cost of transition not sustainable
• rising interest rates killing solar, wind, and EV development 
• it appears BRK / Warren Buffett is liquidating his HPQ position
  

Top national energy story:

• WTI: drops the fastest it's dropped in recent memory -- goes from $90 to $82 almost overnight
  
• XOM appears to be in talks to buy Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) in $60-billion deal
  

Focus on fracking: most recent edition.

Top North Dakota non-energy story:

• first winter freeze warning for most off the state this past week
  

Top North Dakota energy story:

• DAPL: it ain't over until it's over -- new EIS to include carbon cost
  
• active rigs relatively unchanged; maxing out at 34, it appears

Geoff Simon's quick connects:

• Quick connects.

Bakken economy:

• holding in there -- but active rigs running about 34

Commentary: