All posts tagged: cripple

Russia Bans Jet Fuel Exports As Ukrainian Attacks Cripple Refining

Russia Bans Jet Fuel Exports As Ukrainian Attacks Cripple Refining

Published by Jenni Sidey

Russia is banning exports of jet fuel through November 30, 2026, as it seeks to ensure domestic supply amid intensifying Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian refining infrastructure, OilPrice.com reported. Russia on Monday announced it is temporarily banning jet fuel exports until the end of November to keep sufficient domestic aviation fuel supplies. Supplies under intergovernmental agreements are exempted from the ban, the Russian government said today. The decision comes after drone strikes on refineries pushed Russia’s crude-processing rate to the lowest in more than 16 years. In an effort to curb the flow of petrodollars into the Kremlin’s coffers, Ukraine has targeted a wide range of energy assets including sea ports and pipelines.  The ban is not expected to be felt on the tight international jet fuel market as Russia is a small exporter of aviation fuels.  Last year, it exported an average of 30,000 barrels a day, or less than 2% of the global supplies, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Vortexa Ltd. Daily average exports slipped to 28,000 barrels …

Pentagon’s ‘Attempt to Cripple’ Anthropic Is Troublesome, Judge Says

Pentagon’s ‘Attempt to Cripple’ Anthropic Is Troublesome, Judge Says

Published by skeptic

The US Department of Defense appears to be illegally punishing Anthropic for trying to restrict the use of its AI tools by the military, US district judge Rita Lin said during a court hearing on Tuesday. “It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic,” Lin said of the Pentagon designating the company a supply-chain risk. “It looks like [the department] is punishing Anthropic for trying to bring public scrutiny to this contract dispute, which of course would be a violation of the First Amendment.” Anthropic has filed two federal lawsuits alleging that the Trump administration’s decision to designate the company a security risk amounted to illegal retaliation. The government slapped the label on Anthropic after it pushed for limitations on how its AI could be used by the military. Tuesday’s hearing came in a case filed in San Francisco. Anthropic is seeking a temporary order to pause the designation. The relief, Anthropic hopes, would help convince some of the company’s skittish customers to stick with it just a bit longer. Lin can issue a pause …

“Going To Cripple Our Economy”: Small Businesses Sound Alarm Over Record Diesel Price Spike

“Going To Cripple Our Economy”: Small Businesses Sound Alarm Over Record Diesel Price Spike

Published by Jenni Sidey

The latest AAA fuel data from across America shows that the national average diesel price at the pump has jumped nearly 40% this month, surpassing the 2022 fuel spike that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Surging diesel prices are already generating a shock across trucking, rail, shipping, farm equipment, construction machinery, generators, and much of industrial logistics, given that the fuel powers the core of the economy. Seasonality: AAA Daily National Avg. Diesel 2022 vs. 2026 Companies now face three difficult choices if they did not lock in fuel prices before the spike: absorb the impact and accept margin compression, add surcharges, or raise prices. Last week, Rapidan Energy’s Director of Refined Products, Linda Giesecke, told us that, “unlike 2022, the current tightness reflects physical supply disruptions rather than policy risk and trade reshuffling.” Giesecke warned that if the fuel spike proves prolonged, global economic growth could suffer because of diesel’s close link to industrial production and freight activity. BloombergNEF forecast that $5-per-gallon diesel could inflict a weekly $6 billion or more hit on the …

Melting Antarctic ice could cripple a deep ocean climate engine

Melting Antarctic ice could cripple a deep ocean climate engine

Published by Jenni Sidey

Cracking, creaking ice at the bottom of the world is quietly shaping the future climate you live in. New research from Australian scientists shows that melting Antarctic ice shelves and changing sea ice are disturbing one of the planet’s most important deep ocean engines, with potential ripple effects for rainfall, heat waves and storms far from the poles. A team led by Dr David Gwyther at The University of Queensland has pinpointed competing forces around East Antarctica that control the birth of some of the coldest and densest water on Earth. This icy water mass, called Antarctic Bottom Water, helps drive global ocean circulation, like a hidden conveyor belt running along the sea floor. When that conveyor slows, the entire climate system can shift. “This very cold, salty water, called Antarctic Bottom Water, is formed by the freezing of the ocean surface in sea ice factories that we call polynyas,” Dr Gwyther said. Bathymetry map of Cape Darnley, the Amery Ice Shelf (AIS) and Prydz Bay with grounding line and calving front (orange line), fast …