Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) on Wednesday restarted a reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s biggest nuclear power plant by potential capacity, which had been completely shut down for 13 years. The Japanese operator said it received approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority to conduct trial operations at 2 pm local time, despite residents’ ongoing safety concerns, with the official restart slated for 7 pm, for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima accident. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which has seven reactors overall and is situated in Niigata Prefecture, approximately 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, was shut down in 2012, after the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant meltdown in 2011, in which over 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes as a preventative measure to protect them from radiation.
Air Force One lands back in DC after forced U-turn
Air Force One, the official United States presidential jet, touched down back in DC on Wednesday after it was forced to pull a U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean due to “a minor electrical issue.” US President Donald Trump and passengers are being offloaded and will soon continue their travel on another plane to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The current Air Force One planes are Boeing 747-200B originally designed in the 1960’s, Models the government purchased entered service in 1990 and 1991, meaning they are over 30 years old . Worth $15 million at best. And well past their useful life. In fact the flying junks are relegated to flying cargo regarded as to old and to dangerous for passenger flights.
Boeing received a sweetheart $3.9 billion contract to build two new Air Force One planes. Two billion dollars per plane that is already obsolete and sell for $400 million dollars. The 747-8 aluminum is a outdated and out of production. It’s a ten years old updated redesign. They have been out of production since 2023 . Originally, they were to be delivered to the airforce in 2024 , But delivery is now delayed , with the first plane expected around 2028.
The outdated junk 747-8 aluminum. Has been replaced by the 777X series which is much lighter. Utilizing carbon fiber a revolutionary new design to replace aluminum and is more fuel efficient and faster. Only requiring two modern high out put engines replacing the older technology planes. Which are much heaver and require 4 old type engines.
To add insult to injury the original contract for the “new” Air Force One was $3.9 billion, but due to delays and added costs, the total is now expected to reach around $5.6 billion. This means the cost increased by roughly $1.7 billion.
Fitch: Global oil volumes unlikely to change quickly
Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday that global oil volumes are unlikely to change quickly due to the situation in Venezuela, predicting that any potential increase in output in the country will take “quite a long time.” Meanwhile, the agency said that a drop in Iran’s exports due to widespread anti-government protests could affect the volume of transports, although Iran is already under sanctions and already mostly uses a shadow fleet.
Fitch said that the redirection of Venezuelan oil could result in an increase in tanker rates in the near to medium term “due to a shift to the mainstream fleet from shadow tankers.” It also saw the possibility of downside risks for tanker rates if shipping is resumed through the Suez Canal or if global economic growth weakens.
Trump trolls European leaders with wild AI image of him planting US flag on Greenland, leaks fawning texts from world leadersTrump’s wild AI image of him planting US flag on Greenland
President Trump trolled European leaders over Greenland by sharing an AI-generated picture of himself planting a US flag on the autonomous Danish territory — as he leaked fawning text messages from world statesmen ahead of the high-stakes Davos summit this week. The image, shared by the president early Tuesday on Truth Social, shows Trump marking his territory, followed by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It also features a sign declaring Greenland a “US territory est. 2026.” In a separate AI-generated picture shared by the defiant commander-in-chief, European leaders — including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — gather around a map in the Oval Office that shows Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela absorbed into the US.
Trump trolls European leaders with a pic of him planting the US flag on Greenland. The taunting posts come as Trump ramped up his push to acquire Greenland, declaring on Tuesday that there was “no going back” on his goal and refusing to rule out taking the Arctic island by force. The president — who will join the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week — also shared a series of sweet-talking texts from Macron and Rutte praising him for recent foreign policy triumphs in Syria and elsewhere.
“My friend, we are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran,” Macron tells Trump, according to a screenshot of the exchange posted on Truth Social.
Trump leaked a fawning text from French President Emmanuel Macron. While Macron raises concerns about Trump’s desire to annex Greenland, he also makes plans for a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday with Ukraine, Denmark, Syria and Russia, as well as scheduling a dinner for the two statesmen in Paris before Trump returns to the States. Here’s the latest on Trump’s negotiations with Greenland “Mr President, dear Donald — what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible,” Rutte also gushed in another text exchange, according to a screenshot shared by Trump. “I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine. I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark,” the message concludes.
Greenlanders protest Trump’s demand for the island to become part of the US. REUTERS
The snarky social media flurry comes after Trump threatened further tariffs on the European powers if they try to halt his plans to purchase Greenland from Denmark. Meanwhile, on Monday, Trump warned France he would hit the country with a 200% tariff on wine and champagne if Macron didn’t agree to join his “Board of Peace” for rebuilding Gaza.
NN: The Artic is the most strategic place on earth. He who controls the artic controls the world.
Hamm to Halt Drilling in Bakken Shale
Harold Hamm, the billionaire wildcatter who helped kick off the US shale oil revolution, said he’s about to shut down his company’s drilling in North Dakota’s Bakken for the first time in decades because of low crude prices. “This will be the first time in over 30 years that Harold Hamm has not had an operation with drilling rigs in North Dakota,” Hamm, the founder of shale driller Continental Resources Inc., said in a telephone interview Thursday. “There’s no need to drill it when margins are basically gone.” It’s a significant milestone for the Bakken. The shale patch in North Dakota is where Hamm, 80, first proved that fracking and horizontal drilling techniques could be successfully applied to previously untouchable oil reserves. The fracking revolution ushered in a new growth era in US oil and the country went on to become the world’s top producer. Operators in the US shale patch, once the world’s leader in oil production growth, are now closely watching commodity prices as they hover near the level that makes drilling profitable for producers. If prices drop into the low $50-per-barrel range for several months, companies are expected to make more drastic cuts to drilling and fracking.
While each shale basin has different cost levels, the Bakken in particular is seen as a bellwether for the direction of US crude output. The average well in the Bakken requires a minimum of $58 a barrel to cover costs and generate a small profit, according to a report from BloombergNEF. That’s up almost 4% from a year earlier, largely due to rising drilling expenses.
Meanwhile global oil prices have steadily declined in the past several months on expectations of a glut. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, has fallen 26% over the past year, trading around $60 a barrel Friday.
Even before prices began declining, shale operators started pulling back from drilling new wells over the past year or so because many of the best sites in US basins have already been tapped after years of breakneck growth. Diamondback Energy Inc., one of the biggest pure-play shale producers, said last year that production had likely already peaked in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the US’s most prolific crude region. At the same time, tariffs have increased the cost of essential oilfield equipment such as pipe, drilling gear and generators. “A lot of people are assessing their activity in all the basins,” said Hamm, who also has oilfield assets in Oklahoma and Texas, among other locations. The number of rigs drilling across the US has dropped by 15% over the past year, led by the cutting of 60 rigs in the Permian. Still, Hamm is leaving the door open to return to drilling in the Bakken at some point, depending on prices. “We’re price takers, as you’re aware — not price makers,” he said with a laugh. “See what we can get.”
NN: As we have talked about in the past WTI under $60 production falls off. A price that cannot be sustained.
Zelensky: Russia ready for ‘massive’ strike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on Monday that Russia is ready to launch a new “massive” strike on his country, adding that it will take place in the “coming days.” In his address, Zelensky also announced Pavlo Yelizarov will assume the post of deputy head of Ukraine’s Air Force. “There will be a new approach to the use of air defense by the Air Force – in terms of mobile fire groups, interceptor drones, and other means of ‘small’ air defense. This system will be transformed,” he said on his Telegram channel. The Ukrainian leader repeatedly warned that the nation was facing a shortage of air-defense systems amid continuing Russian drone and missile strikes against energy infrastructure, leading to widespread problems with power supply.
Turn Top Line Headlines Into Bottom Line CASH
HEADLINE:
Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln Steaming Toward a Showdown
The United States, in coordination with Israel, is on the brink of a decisive military strike on Iran. One of the key targets is none other than Ayatollah Khamenei himself, along with the elite Revolutionary Guard barracks. While the world has been led to believe that tensions are de-escalating, the reality is far more intense. Oil terminals and loading platforms are also in the crosshairs, and oil prices could skyrocket to $100 a barrel almost overnight.
In the Middle East, major U.S. military assets are on high alert, and Israel is preparing for possible retaliation, opening bomb shelters and readying defenses against hypersonic missiles. The clock is ticking, and the situation is rapidly evolving. You don’t have a lot of time to prepare for what could become a historic and potentially devastating conflict.
HEADLINE:
The U.S. State Department just issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Iran
Urging Americans there to leave immediately. In Israel, U.S. personnel have been advised to limit non-essential travel. There’s also a warning for airlines to avoid Iranian airspace due to the risk of conflict. Essentially, the U.S. is adjusting its personnel and advising caution as tensions in the Middle East rise.
HEADLINE:
U.S. Withdraws Personnel from Middle East Bases Amid Rising Tensions
US military bases in the Middle East sending out non-essential personnel and warning about an “attack.” As of right now, the U.S. is pulling non-essential military personnel out of some key bases in the Middle East, like Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. This is basically a precaution because tensions with Iran are ramping up, and Iran has been warning of retaliation against U.S. bases if there’s any military action. So for now, they’re moving folks out and advising extra caution in the region.
HEADLINE:
Israel Readies Missile Defenses and Bomb Shelters as Tensions with Iran Escalate.”
Israel is stepping up its preparations for a possible Iranian attack by boosting both its civilian and military defenses. The Israeli Air Force has put its missile defense systems like the Iron Dome on high alert to intercept any incoming threats. So overall, they’re really ramping up both their civil defenses and their military readiness to keep people safe. The Israeli Defense Forces are conducting operations in areas like Gaza and Lebanon, and they’re telling the public to follow official updates and that there’s no immediate change to defensive policies.
Iran is indeed working on rebuilding some of its nuclear facilities that were damaged in previous U.S. and Israeli strikes from mid-2025. They’re doing construction at sites like Natanz and a couple of other key locations, and that’s raising a lot of international concern. The U.S. has also warned that they might take military action if Iran is clearly rebuilding its nuclear program. So, it’s definitely a tense situation with a lot of eyes on what Iran does next. Iran has indeed been advancing its missile technology, especially around hypersonic missiles. They’ve rolled out models like the Fattah-1 and Fattah-2, which they claim can reach very high speeds and evade missile defenses. Iran has been ramping up production and is now back at full readiness. They’ve also demonstrated these missiles operationally during recent conflicts.
HEADLINE:
Senator Graham Urges Trump to Unleash ‘Holy Hell’ on Iran Through Military and Cyber Attacks.
The United States, in coordination with Israel, is on the brink of a decisive military strike on Iran. One of the key targets is none other than Ayatollah Khamenei himself, along with the elite Revolutionary Guard barracks. While the world has been led to believe that tensions are de-escalating, the reality is far more intense. Oil terminals and loading platforms are also in the crosshairs, and oil prices could skyrocket to $100 a barrel almost overnight.
sounds like a war to me
Netanyahu: If Iran attacks, we’ll act with strength
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran during his address in the Knesset on Monday of his country’s response if Tehran launches an attack on Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran during his address in the Knesset on Monday of his country’s response if Tehran launches an attack on Israel. “If Iran makes a mistake and attacks us, we will act with strength that Iran hasn’t yet known,” he vowed. Netanyahu revealed that Israel was monitoring the situation in Iran, reiterating his support for anti-government protesters, while also praising them for their “heroic struggle.” Meanwhile, tensions between Israel and the United States on one hand, and Iran on the other, remain high, despite Washington seemingly softening its rhetoric against the authorities in Iran, after US President Donald Trump previously threatened to intervene militarily in favor of the demonstrations
Pezeshkian: Attack on Khamenei would lead to war…. DAH! its already war
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Sunday that any attack on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would lead to an “all-out war.” “If the people of Iran face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X. “Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation,” he added. The Iranian president’s comments follow remarks from US President Donald Trump, who said that Khamenei is a “sick man” and that it is time to “look for new leadership in Iran.
NN All out war with Iran is a good thing. Now while they are weak and before they perfect their nukes.
Venezuela oil exports down as much as 75%
Venezuela’s oil exports have plunged 75% since the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro early this month, the Wall Street Journal reported based on data from trade intelligence company Kpler. Most of the oil shipments in the following days headed to the US or were used in domestic refineries. According to Kpler, almost 48 million barrels worth of oil from Venezuela are in tankers outside Venezuelan territorial waters and could be subject to sanctions and forced to turn back. The country reportedly experienced a “sharp halt” in exports to Asia, particularly China, while no Venezuelan oil has reached Cuba in January.