Alison Ritter's Quick Connects -- October 17, 2025

Locator: 49419B.  

The links:

• Summit pipeline considers new route and North Dakota could be left out -- KX News

• North Dakotans will get to weigh in on Xcel Energy proposed 19% rate hike -- KFYR - TV

• Intransigent opposition to carbon pipelines is about to cost North Dakota dearly -- InForum

• BLM rejects only bid in Montana coal lease sale, postpones Wyoming auction -- E&E News

• Congress passes bill that would overturn BLM rule and open more coal development in ND -- KFYR - TV

• Hess' new owner cutting 48 jobs in Tioga, 63 in Minot; number higher than initially expected -- The Journal

• Kinder Morgan looking for transportation options to move North Dakota NGL to the south -- REN Energy

• McKenzie County asks the US Supreme Court to settle mineral royalty fight with federal govt. -- Westlaw

• Today in History: Tioga and nearby Ray tout position as 'Oil Capital of North Dakota' -- InForum

• November 1st deadline approaches to remove hay bales from highway rights of way -- Dickinson Press

• Hoeven announces military, aerospace company collaborations for counter-UAS work -- Dickinson Press

• $15 million in grant funding for destination development coming to 23 North Dakota projects -- KX News

• North Dakota and Minnesota farmland prices keep rising despite challenges in ag industry -- InForum

• North Dakota Legislative Council adopts Meta AI to speed bill summarizations -- Dickinson Press

• Medora prepares for 'presidential' transformation; could become year-round tourist destination -- The Journal

• North Dakota lawmakers build wish list for $500 million federal rural health care grant -- Dickinson Press

• McKenzie County Commissioner urges agencies to prioritize spending locally -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Mercer County Commission approves 2026 budget; numerous tweaks made since August -- The Beacon

• Key indicators show North Dakota's rural economy continued to deteriorate in October -- KX News

• Dunn County Planning and Zoning Commission to hold hearing for communication tower -- KFYR-TV

• Williston City Commission approves up to $462,850 in STAR Fund grant requests -- Williston Herald

• Clean water and drinking water loans support North Dakota communities -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Services for North Dakota students with disabilities will not be affected by federal staff reductions -- KX News

• Burlington Des Lacs welcomes state superintendent to celebrate blue ribbon honor -- Minot Daily News

• By winter break, Williston expects to have staffing plans finalized for Sloulin Elementary -- Williston Herald

• Xcel Energy's proposed electric rate increase would cost NDSU about $1M a year -- North Dakota Monitor

• Dickinson's Orton elected vice president of North Dakota School Boards Association -- Dickinson Press

• United States and India to resume previously suspended trade talks focused on energy -- The Center Square

• Surge in U.S. geothermal leasing activity signals new growth frontier for subsurface drilling -- World Oil

• The center of the carbon dioxide removal universe appears to be moving north to Canada -- E&E News

• New report finds clean energy and efficiency progress lagging despite record 2024 growth -- Oil Price

• US federal judge dismisses youth activists' lawsuit challenging president's energy policies -- Reuters

• Meta commits to investing $1.5B in Texas data center, breaking ground at its 29th facility globally -- Reuters

• API's Mike Sommers calls for new era of U.S. energy leadership, infrastructure investment -- World Oil

• U.S. coal that could prove decisive in helping to bring the war in Ukraine to a close -- RealClearEnergy

• "Hard No:" Trump administration moves to block UN global carbon tax on maritime industry -- Daily Caller

• Beautiful Coal Power: The common sense choice for America's reliable energy future -- RealClearEnergy

• GOP lawmakers consider attending climate summit in break with Trump's energy agenda -- Daily Caller

• COP30 summit sparks backlash over net zero edicts, soaring energy costs -- Climate Change Dispatch

• The Climate Creed: How crusaders pushed irrational fear to replace real science -- American Thinker

Apple: Update -- October 17, 2025

Locator: 49418AAPL.  

Apple: just released, no discount at Amazon, yet -- 

AI prompt: 

For the price, about $1,600, is there any personal desktop computer that compares with the just released Apple MacBook Pro with M5 chip?

ChatGPT: a typically long response, but bottom line -- 

It should go without saying, that the M5 also gives you everything Apple gives you plus the Apple ecosystem.  

From MacRumors:  

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Other Apple News

China: link here. 

Confirming, link here. 

Demand for the ‌iPhone Air‌ reportedly surged immediately after pre-orders opened. Apple's online store and the official Tmall flagship both listed multiple color and storage configurations as unavailable within the first two hours of availability, reflecting even higher demand than the device saw in western markets last month. Prices begin at 7,999 yuan (approximately $1,122).

The ‌iPhone Air‌ was introduced globally in September but delayed in mainland China pending government approval for eSIM, which replaces physical SIM cards and enables slimmer smartphone designs.

The launch coincides with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's decision to authorize eSIM trials for smartphones, marking the first time Chinese users can activate a mobile number without a physical SIM card. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom confirmed this week that they had received approval to begin commercial operations, paving the way for the ‌iPhone Air‌ to launch without regulatory restrictions.

Apple brand, link here. For the 13th consecutive year -- 

Apparently Samsung has stopped development of its new slim phone and production of its current model due to poor sales performance? Source not provided. Needs to be fact-checked.

It is common in the north Texas region -- DFW -- Dallas-Ft Worth -- that in coffee shops frequented by the under-30 crowd, the only computer one sees is the computer with an Apple logo.

By the way, back to the iPhone Air. Imagine how much better it will be when upgraded: the iPhone's only barrier to "thinness" will be the camera. 

My hunch: we're going to find out that the quality of the Apple iPhone Air is just good enough. That interestingly enough is why the cellular phone cameras (Apple and Samsung) literally destroyed the 35mm single-lens reflex camera (think Nikon, Canon).  

 AI prompt: 

Some years ago -- now decades? --  I remember reading that cameras in cell phones (Android and Apple) were just "good enough" to compete with 35mm single-lens reflex cameras, pretty much ending the dominance of those cameras. Because of size constraints we may see the same thing with regard to the iPhone Air.  The camera is just "good enough" to meet the needs of those who might otherwise argue for bigger / thicker cell phones.

ChatGPT reply: link here. If I'm reading this correctly, it proves my point, and it is simply amazing: even though the iPhone Air camera is less capable than the cameras in the iPhone 4 - 6 versions, consumer satisfaction with regard to Apple iPhone Air has actually increased.

This is a very, very common comment on MacRumors regarding the iPhone Air:

More numbers here: link here.

A New Supercomputer Enters The TOP500 At #4 -- EU -- Supercomputer Jupiter -- Sited In Germany -- October 17, 2025

Locator: 49417SC.  

I track supercomputers here. Supercomputers at wiki and TOP500.

This is pretty cool. I last checked a few months ago. 

I checked again last night when updating the blog. 

There's been a new supercomputer added to the TOP500 lsit. Since I last looked a few months ago, a new computer has been added to the list of supercomputers and it enters the list at ... #4. Wow. The rest of the list is unchanged, but all computers ranked below #4 now move down one notch. The top three superconductors, all in the US, and mostly related to nuclear weaponry research, it appears, remain the same.

The new supercomputer, coming in at #4, in very small print, you can see "new" in the far left column, as of June, 2025:

Jupiter Booster here. 

So, the top four look like this:

Of interest, this one, the "Eagle Supercomputer": 

This "Eagle" supercomputer should not be confused with the IBM "Eagle processor": 

Also, note:

Blogging Will Be Delayed Today -- Or In Short Blurbs -- October 17, 2025

Locator: 49416B.  

Sad: link here. 

Must watch --how Gaza "peace" unfolded and what must be done next: link here. 

Blogging will be delayed today. Mostly because I'm overwhelmed with content that needs to be posted. In the tech arena alone, the following stories need to be posted:

• Apple iPhone Air sales in China: sold out in hours
• Intel: reports that Intel has a customer for its new chip; if true, "Katie, bar the door."
• Ellison, the "père": for an 81-year-old what he is doing is simply amazing; seems to have his hand in everything; I could argue that right now he looks to be at the top in the tech world -- seriously
• Larry Ellison and I share a birthday (okay, four days apart, day and month; not year, but close) 
• his bio is fascinating -- almost as fascinating as that of Steve Jobs, perhaps more fascinating (wiki) 
• a bio, The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison, by Mike Wilson , might be entertaining. 
• supercomputers: how even chatbots can be unhelpful
• energy requirements of chatbots

Energy in general:

• England's energy costs are going to surge over the next five years; they bet on wind

Democrats voted against funding military pay in first vote of that process. Needs to be fact-checked. 

Lego: will be retired soon -- 

Apple: just released, no discount at Amazon, yet -- 

AI prompt: 

For the price, about $1,600, is there any personal desktop computer that compares with the just released Apple MacBook Pro with M5 chip?

ChatGPT: a typically long response, but bottom line -- 

It should go without saying, that the M5 also gives you everything Apple gives you plus the Apple ecosystem.  

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Disclaimer
Brief Reminder 

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. 
• Many posts are not proofread for several days after they've been posted.  
• 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.
• And Oracle. 
• Longer version here.  

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The Book Page

The books today.

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings -- JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski, c. 2015.

The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England, Joanne Paul, c. 2023. 

TGIF -- October 17, 2025

Locator: 49415B. 

AI prompt for the day; 

What's driving the energy requirements for these large data centers: the energy requirement for a query vs the number of queries? To what extent will the energy cost increase using a chatbot vs the "old-fashioned" google search. I'm getting conflicting reports: some reports suggest that the chatbot queries aren't really that more energy intensive. If that is accurate, then we're talking about more queries, not more energy per query.

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Back to the Bakken

WTI: $57.39. Link here.

New wells: link here. 

RBN Energy: link here.