Tech Notes -- Update -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51256TECH.

Trump: comes between Micron and Apple. Fascinating. Link here.  

Trump: Trump calls them tariffs; the EU calls them fines. Link here. 

Google: trending toward $1 billion / day in revenue for "search." Link here. The company just delivered one of the strongest quarters of the AI cycle with Cloud revenue growing 82% and operating margins reaching 36%.

And that's it. 

*****************************
Enbridge

One of my favorite stocks. I have had positions in ENB for as long as I can remember. 

For one reason or another I was looking at ENB this evening -- I guess it had to do with its Canadian Sunrise project.  And then I stumbled on this Motley Fool article:  

And one particular oil and gas pipeline name proves it. Better still, it could continue proving it to patient newcomers. That company is Enbridge(NYSE: ENB).

I had those dividends automatically re-invested in Enbridge for many years, but now those quarterly payments have become so big they are being used for tech. 

Having said that, Costco (COST) would have been a much better investment over the last 30 years, but this past year? ENB, over 20%; and, COST? Much more volatile and essentially flat (about 0%). The interesting thing? Right now, it looks like this may hold true for the next several years. 

By the way, one could substitute BRKB for COST in the above note. 

*********************************
Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.  

 

Iranian Update -- Headlines -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51255IRAN.

Tipping point: an international coalition? Link here. 

Joining the fight: Bahrain, Kuwait. Link here. 

Asian diplomacy: now we have a Chinese-initiated push. Won't make a difference. Link here. 

Major escalation? Link here. Nothing Friday night. 13-night consecutively -- the streak broken -- nothing tonight. The White House Correspondents' Dinner. The calm before the storm?

LDCs And CRH Plc --- An Update -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51254LDCS.

Query: 

Ticker CRH what does this company do? Is it involved at all with building data centers and fabs?

Reply:

 LDC update, link here. Across the USA, 4,620 data centers. 

*********************************************
LEGO

The X-Files. Link here. 

Being released in a couple of weeks, my birthday month. Whoo-hoo.

No. But interesting.

NDIC End-Of-Day Report Not Posted Yet -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51253B.

CENTCOM: no strikes tonight. Breaks a 13-day streak. Some suggest this is the calm before the storm. It's also the night of the White House Correspondents' Dinner which ties up the President and DOD Hegseth. Not a good night to do anything in this arena. 

CENTCOM: no strikes but two US Navy destroyers have entered the Arabian Gulf to begin clearing mines. 

Immigration crisis: it is interesting the number of folks that think I'm overly concerned about the immigration crisis instigated by Biden, if not earlier. Today, a headline: "Bombshell Memo Shows Biden Planned To Leave Trump With Even Bigger Immigration Crisis."

Social security: another interesting headline -- "New COLA formula could halve Social Security's 75-Year Shortfall Gap." Link here for the plan/proposal. Has been proposed before -- decades before.

META: has closed lower for the past seven (7) trading days in a row. After backlash, META pauses plan to "rate limit" its smart glasses. The two may or may not be related. I think the drop in daily value for META is more related to its 2027 CAPEX.

Coming: an AI app that will manage your portfolio according to your rules and guidelines. Target: surviving spouses with no investing experience.

Nvidia: working with SK Hynix on a $500 billion AI initiative

• plan includes a 2-GW AI data center, Nvidia Vera Rubin chips and SK Hynix HGM4 memory.

Google: CAPEX boosted forecast by $15 billion, now expecting to spend between $195 - 205 billion this year versus its prior forecast for $180 - 190 billion.

Yemen: the war has now expanded -- again -- Yemen. 

**********************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $89.31.

Active rigs: 24.

Five new permits, #43150 - #43154, inclusive:

• Operator: Formentera Operations;
• Field: Black Slough 

• #43150: Formentera Operations, Saint-14-35-PGN S610HX, NENW 14-162-93, 
• to be sited 350 FNL and 1797 FWL, Black Slough,
• #43151: Formentera Operations, Saint-14-35-PGN S512H, NENW 14-162-93, 
• to be sited 350 FNL and 1832 FWL, , Black Slough,
• #43152: Formentera Operations, Saint-14-35-PGN S614H, NENW 14-162-93, 
• to be sited 350 FNL and 1867 FWL,  Black Slough,
• #43153: Formentera Operations, Saint-14-35-PGN S516H, NENW 14-162-93, 
• to be sited 350 FNL and 1902 FWL,  Black Slough,
• #43154: Formentera Operations, Saint-14-35-PGN S618H, NENW 14-162-93, 
• to be sited 350 FNL and 1937 FWL,  Black Slough,  

One producing well (a DUC) is reported as completed:

• 41878, 87 (sic), Petro-Hunt, State 159-92-36D-24-3H, Mountrail County;

Alison's Quick Connects -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51252B.

Quick Connects:

• North Dakota just unveiled a secret weapon to beat China in the AI race -- WZFG

• US Supreme Court to hear North Dakota property rights case -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota lawmakers explore options for limited regulation of AI -- North Dakota Monitor

• Minnesota considers lifting ban on new nuclear power plants -- Yale Climate Connections

• Data shows North Dakota households spent hundreds more on gas since start of Iran war -- Dickinson Press

• FEMA providing $682K to North Dakota electric cooperatives for storm damage repairs -- Bismarck Tribune

• Basin makes progress on zoning effort; county board recommends approval for Tande line -- The Journal

• Morton County Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss handling data center proposals -- KFYR-TV

• ND oil experts monitor wide fluctuations prompted by 'hot war' between U.S. and Iran -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota collected an estimated $29 million more in oil tax revenue in May -- North Dakota Monitor

• Data center ordinance discussed by Morton County's Planning and Zoning Commission -- Bismarck Tribune

• Data center developer signs Mandan land deals; Morton Co says it has no jurisdiction -- Bismarck Tribune

• Triple-digit temps forecasted for western and central North Dakota as workweek ends -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND National Guard unit deploys to Fort Bragg to provide medical evacuation support -- Bismarck Tribune

• Finally some transparency for the out-of-state money spent in North Dakota's primaries -- Williston Herald

• North Dakota judge Dan Traynor confirmed to serve on 8th Circuit Court of Appeals -- North Dakota Monitor

• Secretary of State candidates say North Dakota elections are secure, fair and free -- North Dakota Monitor

• Jefferson National Parks Association expands partnership with 2 North Dakota parks -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota cropland prices have flattened out after years of double-digit increases -- Bismarck Tribune

• NDDEQ monitoring potential US, Canadian wildfire smoke impacts for the state -- Bowman County Pioneer

• UND, NDUS tracking enrollment in coming years; other states look at 'enrollment cliff' -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota's top college freshman classes: UND followed by Bismarck State College -- Dickinson Press

• Dr. Jeff Spaletta begins new role as Grenora Public School superintendent as of July 1 -- Williston Herald

• Stanley's Christian Crossroads Academy announces receipt of formal NDDPI approval -- Minot Daily News

• Williston State College announces its largest summer enrollment in the college's history -- Minot Daily News

• Minot Area Community Foundation and partners announce 2026 Chevron Scholarships -- Minot Daily News

• Dickinson schools review renovation update, accomplishment of Choice Ready goal -- Dickinson Press

• Ray Public School moving forward with use of building fund bonds toward multipurpose space -- The Journal

• Divide County School District tweaks student phone ban policy to align with state law -- The Journal

• Authorities search for missing hiker in North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park -- Bismarck Tribune

• Roosevelt Library CEO Ed O'Keefe leaving library to become CEO of the WNET Group -- Bismarck Tribune

• Surrey city taxes would go up by 3% allowed in state law under preliminary 2027 budget -- Minot Daily News

• Belfield addresses water project disputes, mowing assessment, infrastructure funding -- Dickinson Press

• Minot City Council to scrutinize 2027 budget proposal of nearly $218M in coming days -- Minot Daily News

• 'One step at a time' Killdeer community rallies around Kuntz family after devasting fire -- Dickinson Press

• NDDOT to discuss proposed improvements to U.S. Highway 52 from Minot to Voltaire -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota Wildlife Federation helps ranching while enhancing habitat -- McKenzie County Farmer

• State of internal emergency declared by Oliver County Commission is lifted -- The Center Republican

• Kyle Erickson, House of Representatives District 5 candidate, facing petty theft charge -- Minot Daily News

• Tioga Medical Center earns national recognition for excellence in stroke care -- Williston Herald

• US oil firms sign $60B in agreements with Iraq to develop alternative shipping routes -- Minot Daily News

• US gas prices hit an average of $4 a gallon again as the US and Iran launch more attacks -- KFYR-TV

• Persian Gulf oil product exports briefly recovered to pre-war levels before latest escalation -- Oil Price

• Exports of LNG through Strait of Hormuz have ground to a halt as conflict escalates -- Oil Price

• NextEra, Dominion file merger applications which would create nation's largest power company -- E&E News

• Feds call on two separate regional power markets to coordinate transmission in the West -- E&E News

• Oil stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fall by 5.1 million barrels to lowest level since 1983 -- Reuters

• White House expands voluntary pledge to mitigate data center electricity costs to utilities, states -- The Hill

• Trump warns of authorizing strikes to civilian infrastructure if Iran targets ships in Strait of Hormuz -- The Hill

• Oil prices settle up to six-week high on mounting supply concerns and escalating hostilities -- Reuters

• China produced record amount of crude last year with natural gas production rising substantially -- Oil Price

• US crude oil inventories build in week ending July 17 as Hormuz shipping headache drags on -- Oil Price

• Iran warns of nuclear safety risk after the US struck a nuclear power plant under construction -- Oil Price

• Opponents of data centers have one winning argument: sheer panic ? and it will backfire -- New York Post

• Inside the rise of the anti-data center movement, it all began with environmental extremists -- City Journal

• Super El Ni?o weather phenomenon will cause a boom in India's demand for coal generation -- Oil Price

• Trump claims 'considering a massive attack' against Iran that would be 'bigger than ever before' -- The Hill

• Average refinery capacity utilization across United States hits 96.2% amid tight fuel markets -- Oil Price

• Trump executive order: Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure -- The White House

Apple's AI Business Strategy As "Gatekeeper" -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51250APPLE.

Today, on CNBC, a talking head suggested that Apple's AI business strategy, if it succeeds, will make Apple the dominant player for ten years; if Apple's strategy fails, Apple is "dead."

That talking head analyst feels that Apple's AI business strategy will not succeed. Unfortunately the CNBC anchor did not ask a follow-up question, why she felt that Apple's AI business strategy would fail.

I asked a chatbot, but not able to know the best way to ask the question. But this is what I have:

Query: CNBC Apple gatekeeper could result in Apple failing 

Reply:

 

NYT Vs WSJ -- Cyclosporia -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51249CYCLOSPORIASIS.

NYT says it's a parasite.

WSJ says it's a bacterium. 

So which is it?

It's a parasite, not a bacterium or a virus.

Link here. 

Link here. 

AMD -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51248AMD.

Be sure to read the replies at the link to put the story in perspective.  

Link here.

Then, to the extended family members, this link. 

Also, this link. 

Gene Munster said yesterday that Intel, at the little kids' table, is not yet at the adults' table.

We Should All Be So Smart -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51247MARKCUBAN.

Query: What company did Mark Cuban start? Where did he make his billions? 

 
So, Mark Cuban survived the dot-com bust!

Which of course leads to the next query, but we will leave that for another day.

Priced At A Premium -- LEGO #10365 -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51246LEGO.

Link here. 

No excuse to not buy.

LEGO introduced this set in September, 2025. 

Except For The P/E -- This Appears To Be The Stock To Buy -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51245CAT.

This is not an investment site. 

This is for extended family members only. Not for general readership. 

 The grid, link here:

*********************************
Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Chart Of The Day -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51244NVIDIA.

Link here. 

Mideast -- Hormuz -- Tipping Point In Sight? July 24, 2026

Locator: 51243HORMUZ.

Don't want to lose this.

[Rambling thought, 2:46 p.m. -- is something afoot? Netanyahu canceled his trip to Washington, DC, that was scheduled for next week (?). If so, it won't be tonight -- White House Correspondents' Dinner.]

Will come back to this later if I have time / don't forget.

Bottom line: surfing through x suggests Trump is winning the "political" was on the Strait of Hormuz. 

For deal to be made for the strait, a five-sided table will be needed:

• US, Iran, IGRC, OPEC, China. 

We go to a circular table if others invited: EU.

Israel won't be invited. 

Electricity Rates By State -- Just Posted -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51242ELECTRICITY.

By state. 

Link here. 

All sectors: only two states with an 8-handle: New Mexico, 8.07 cents; and North Dakota, 8.67 cents. 

Residential: only four states with a 13-handle, despite record-setting a/c use / hot summer -- Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. BUT, Utah and Idaho with a 12-handle. 

Industrial: California with a 20-handle vs so many states with a 6-handle. NY state is below 10 cents. Amazing.  

Friday Morning -- Yup, The Stressed Consumer -- Buying Homes, Gas, Apple Computers; Fed Likely To Raise Rates; Trump To "Hammer" Iran This Weekend; And, It's A Friday -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51241ARCHIVES.

Updates

Later, 11:27 a.m. CT: reminder, Jim Cramer and Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett all said nothing to buy at this level. 

Later, 11:26 a.m. CT: AMD just went positive for the day -- yes, the stressed consumer ....

Original Post 

 

 

 

 

The New Red Badge Of Courage -- Eat Healthy And You'll Do Fine -- July 24, 2026

Locator: 51240MEASLES.

I have no idea why TNYT posts an article this long ... oh, that's right. But technically, a short headline would have sufficed. 

When I was growing up, measles was the red badge of courage.  

The big disappointment with the story below: fails to do / report the whole story -- my hunch -- the reporter actually missed that part of the story. One can trace it back to President Biden which would be painful to report. 

Link here.  

TGIF -- Friday, July 24, 2026

Locator: 51239TGIF.

APP ECONOMY INTC: now, this is what I would call a bubble -- obviously a case where data means something or data doesn't mean anything. 

**************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $91.70.

New wells reporting:

• Tuesday, July 28, 2026: 41 for the month, 41 for the quarter, 394 for the year, 
• 43182, conf, Oasis, Cyclone 5502 11-17 3B,
• 43181, conf, Oasis, Cyclone 5502 11-17 2B,
• Monday, July 27, 2026: 39 for the month, 39 for the quarter, 392 for the year, 
• 42077, conf, Silver Hill Energy Operating, K&L Hegstad North W 158-92-3-27-MBHX,
• 41538, conf, Devon Energy, Stallion 33-28 6H, 
• Sunday, July 26, 2026: 37 for the month, 37 for the quarter, 390 for the year, 
• None.
• Saturday, July 25, 2026: 37 for the month, 37 for the quarter, 390 for the year,   
• None.
• Friday, July 24, 2026: 37 for the month, 37 for the quarter, 390 for the year, 
• None.

RBN Energy: changes ahead for crude oil flows into (and out of) southwestern Louisiana. Link here.

Ask a dozen Louisiana cooks to make jambalaya and you’ll get 12 different versions cooked 12 different ways. Tomatoes vs. no tomatoes. Chicken for sure, but different types of sausage, and some jambalaya with shrimp and some with wild game or pork shoulder. And don’t get those cooks started on how to make the perfect roux (or whether to make a roux at all!). The same holds true for crude oil sourcing in the Bayou State’s three refining regions: Each has its own sources for crude oil and its own ways of delivering that oil to refineries. In today’s RBN blog, we conclude our four-part series on Louisiana refining with a look at crude oil sourcing, pipeline flows and supply/demand balances in the southwestern and northwestern parts of the state — and how the status quo may be in for changes.

As we said in Part 1, the 16 refineries in Louisiana and the southern tier of Arkansas account for almost one-fifth of total U.S. refining capacity and can consume more than 3 MMb/d of crude oil from a wide range of domestic and foreign production areas. We also divided the refineries into three buckets — Southeastern Louisiana (eight refineries with a combined capacity of nearly 2.2 MMb/d; pink-shaded rows in Figure 1 below), Southwestern Louisiana (three with 911 Mb/d; blue-shaded rows), and Northwestern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas (five with 176 Mb/d; green-shaded rows) — and noted that refineries in each of the buckets generally turn to many of the same sources for their crude oil and use pretty much the same means to deliver oil to their facilities.

Three Groups of Louisiana (and Southern Arkansas) Refineries