Business news summaries — Page 4
Essential facts and source links for recent business stories.
-
Sixth Circuit narrows Ohio hemp injunction while preserving key protections
The Sixth Circuit partly granted Ohio’s request to stay a July injunction, narrowing its bar on enforcing the state’s new hemp definition against products sold by 10 out-of-state companies. Key parts remain; Ohio had not made a strong enough case to lift the order pending appeal. -
Oil executives warn Hormuz closure leaves fuel markets with little cushion
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth and other oil executives warn that the prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure amid the Iran war has drained fuel-market buffers. Wirth said he sees little reason for relief; U.S. diesel hit a reported record $6.52 a gallon on Sept. 22, and gasoline was $4.49. -
Vanguard’s VNQ has a higher trailing yield but a higher fee than Schwab’s SCHH
Vanguard’s VNQ has a 3.7% trailing yield, above Schwab’s SCHH at 2.9%, but its expense ratio is higher: 0.13% versus 0.07%. The Motley Fool author favors VNQ for income and diversification, though SCHH led the one-year and five-year return comparisons. -
Batteries power fully electric cargo ships; hybrids combine engines and motors
Electric cargo ships use either hybrid power—combining combustion engines and electric motors—or batteries alone to run propulsion and onboard equipment. Fully electric vessels need large battery stores, but limited range and charging infrastructure constrain their use. -
Massie quips about Trump’s ‘golden age’ as U.S. diesel averages $6.53 a gallon
Rep. Thomas Massie joked about needing gold to buy diesel when asked about President Donald Trump’s “golden age” claim. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported highway diesel averaged $6.529 a gallon on Sept. 21, up from $5.454 five weeks earlier. -
Millionaire counts rise in high-tax states, Fiscal Policy Institute finds
A Fiscal Policy Institute analysis of IRS data found millionaire numbers have grown since 2020 in high-tax states, including New York and California. New York’s millionaire share also rose in 2023, the latest data year, despite a tax increase on incomes over $1 million. -
Hillsborough County says it will dismiss lien topping $23,000
Hillsborough County says it will dismiss a lien of more than $23,000 on a 91-year-old Florida man’s home. His daughter, Terri Bashoor, found the lien in a title search as she tried to sell the home; it grew from two false-alarm charges totaling $150, which she has paid. -
Peter Schiff says US must end welfare to pair open borders with growth
Peter Schiff says the US could pair open borders and economic growth only by dismantling its welfare state. The Congressional Budget Office projects the immigration surge will add $1.2 trillion in federal revenue and cut deficits by about $900 billion by 2034. -
Baku forum brings new investment agreements in energy, tech and manufacturing
Azerbaijan’s second investment forum opened in Baku on Sept. 25, with agreements spanning digital development, renewable energy and manufacturing. The week included Formula 1 racing and a security forum with nearly 600 participants from more than 100 countries. -
A layoff near 60 can mean a tougher job hunt and difficult retirement choices
Workers laid off near 60 may face age-related hiring barriers and struggle to retire comfortably. Claiming Social Security at 62 means a permanent 30% cut versus age 67; Medicare starts at 65. The article urges checking finances before major decisions. -
A proposed U.S. diesel export ban could bring brief relief but risk higher costs later
Trump is open to a proposed U.S. diesel export ban, but it has not been imposed. It might briefly lower prices in some regions; the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) warns it could curb refinery output and later raise diesel and gasoline prices. -
Leslie Friday says a $17 garden-center job helped her through a layoff
Laid off from a senior content role in June 2025, Leslie Friday took a $17-an-hour garden-center job as unemployment benefits ended and severance dwindled. She said it reset her mind; later, she became a health nonprofit communications director and kept some Sunday shifts. -
Birthday hosts should not charge guests for drinks, etiquette experts say
Etiquette experts say birthday hosts should not ask guests to pay for food or drinks. In a hypothetical 50th-birthday scenario, a woman’s sister asks each invitee for $90 toward the open bar; guests uncomfortable with the charge may politely decline. -
Justin Wolfers challenges Trump Accounts’ $271,000 age-18 projection
University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers calls Trump Accounts’ $271,000 age-18 forecast misleading; it assumes 10% annual returns and $5,000 yearly deposits. The White House stands by it; its site puts the $1,000 seed alone at about $6,000 by age 18. -
How heirs can seek estate disclosures from a sibling executor
Beneficiaries who suspect a sibling executor is withholding a deceased parent’s assets may ask probate court for an accounting if probate is open. Tax returns and county or court records may offer clues, but rights and procedures depend on the estate plan. -
Kia Love says Florida solar deal left her bill unchanged and added $175 monthly
Florida Army veteran Kia Love says a solar system she bought in 2016 did not cut her electric bill and added a $175 monthly payment. Her loan rose from about $16,000 to more than $24,000 after two years; she says a technician later found it was improperly installed. -
TotalEnergies signs Venezuela oil MoU, with key terms still unknown
TotalEnergies signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuela’s government on Sept. 19, potentially setting up a return after its 2021 exit. Financial and production terms remain undisclosed; a hydrocarbons ministry official said the agreement includes the Travi field. -
Goldman raises Marathon Petroleum price target to $472, above its record
Goldman Sachs raised its Marathon Petroleum price target to $472 from $376 on Sept. 21, kept its Buy rating and sees more than 17% upside from the current share price—above the refiner’s $428 record set earlier this month. MPC has gained over 143% in 2026. -
Truist lifts Targa Resources price target to $345, keeps Buy rating
Truist raised its price target on Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP) to $345 from $312 on Sept. 21, reaffirming its Buy rating and citing the 20-year fee-based ExxonMobil agreement; the target implies more than 19% upside from then-current levels. -
Petrobras takes 90% operating stakes in eight Ivory Coast blocks
Petrobras signed production-sharing contracts on Sept. 17 for eight offshore exploration blocks in Ivory Coast, taking a 90% stake in each; state-owned Petroci holds 10%. The deal targets reserve replacement, but the blocks aren't producing and bring no immediate revenue. -
LNG Canada partners could decide on a 14-mtpa expansion as early as October
Shell and its LNG Canada partners could make a final investment decision as early as October on Phase 2, a British Columbia expansion that would add 14 million metric tons of LNG export capacity annually, taking the project’s total to 28 mtpa. It remains unapproved. -
TotalEnergies and Iraq agree to discuss energy projects as investment could reach $16 billion
TotalEnergies and Iraq agreed to discuss energy projects, Reuters reported. CEO Patrick Pouyanné said the company’s Iraqi oil-and-gas investments are valued at $12 billion and it intends to raise them to $16 billion. -
Vitesse Energy completes $26 million deal for Chevron-operated DJ Basin assets
Vitesse Energy completed a $26 million deal for non-operated oil and gas assets in Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg Basin, operated by Chevron. They are expected to produce 900 boe/day over the next year, 28% oil; Vitesse expects immediate per-share gains in earnings and cash flow. -
BrightSpire Capital prices $960 million CLO backed by mortgage interests
BrightSpire Capital priced a $960 million real estate loan securitization on Sept. 18, with $844.8 million in investment-grade securities expected to be placed. Closing is scheduled for Oct. 16, and the company plans to redeem its 2024-FL2 deal Oct. 19. -
Vanguard’s planned Generate Upcycle deal would nearly double food-waste gas capacity
Vanguard Renewables plans to acquire Generate Upcycle’s North American operations; the companies expect to close Oct. 1, 2026. The deal would nearly double Vanguard’s food-waste-to-gas capacity and bring its network to 19 facilities in the U.S. and Canada. -
U.S. factory payrolls climb as new-plant construction spending falls
Bessent says construction is laying the groundwork for a U.S. manufacturing resurgence. Labor Department data show factory employment rose 58,000 from December 2025 to August 2026, while July manufacturing-construction spending was 32% below its September 2024 peak. -
LongHorn's comparable sales rise 6.8%, topping Olive Garden's 1%
LongHorn Steakhouse's comparable sales rose 6.8% in Darden's fiscal first quarter, versus 1% at Olive Garden and 3.2% companywide. KPMG's summer 2026 survey found 67% of Americans ate at home more often; 76% of that group blamed budget constraints. -
Jamie Dimon urges caution on U.S. tariffs targeting India over Russian oil
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon urged Washington to think twice before using tariffs on India over Russian oil, warning they could disrupt global markets. A Sept. 18 law lets President Donald Trump impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas. -
Hope Lodge offers a Scottish safari on a 100,000-acre Highland estate
Hope Lodge, a “Scottish safari” retreat on a 100,000-acre estate in Sutherland, opened in May 2026 for wildlife viewing. Rooms are available August–October from £1,100 a night; the entire property can be rented year-round for £21,000 nightly.
