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Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras reversed an initial gasoline price increase after the government implemented tax cuts totaling 0.63 reais per liter. The combined effect will reduce gasoline prices at the pump by 0.19 reais ($0.0372) per liter for consumers. The move comes as President Lula seeks re-election with first-round voting scheduled for October 4.
- Petrobras initially announced scrapping a 0.44 real-per-liter discount, but government tax cuts of 0.63 reais per liter more than offset this, resulting in net price reduction of 0.19 reais per liter
- The government also announced a diesel subsidy initially set at 1 real per liter to be added to existing subsidies, pending regulatory publication
- The fuel price reduction is politically timed ahead of Brazil's October 4 election first round, where incumbent President Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term
The U.S. FDA imposed a partial clinical hold on Biohaven's experimental epilepsy drug BHV-7000 on September 4, pausing new patient enrollment after rodent testing identified a concerning metabolite. The hold affects trials for a treatment targeting refractory focal epilepsy, though over 600 already-enrolled patients can continue receiving the drug.
- The FDA cited insufficient information to assess human risk from a metabolite found in rodent testing, though Biohaven says the finding's significance to humans is uncertain and may be rodent-specific
- More than 1,200 participants have received BHV-7000 with generally good safety results; one late-stage trial remains on track to report results in the second half of 2026
- Biohaven disclosed the findings to SK Biopharmaceuticals before their August 26 deal granting worldwide rights to BHV-7000, with the transaction still pending U.S. antitrust approval
Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva reached a $455 million settlement with North Carolina and 11 local entities over PFAS 'forever chemicals' contamination claims linked to Chemours' Fayetteville Works plant and other historical discharges. The settlement will be paid over 15 years and resolves lawsuits from governments excluded from a 2024 public water system class settlement.
- Chemours will pay 50% of the settlement ($227.5 million), while DuPont and Corteva split the remaining 50%, with payments beginning within 30 days and Chemours expecting to pay about $50 million in the next 12 months
- The agreement covers North Carolina's PFAS contamination claims beyond Fayetteville Works, including pollution from aqueous film-forming foam
- The settlement recognizes Chemours' progress under its 2019 consent order with North Carolina, including investments to reduce PFAS emissions and address off-site environmental impacts
Britain has spent nearly $40 million on SpaceX satellite services, becoming the first country outside the U.S. to publicly acknowledge using Starshield, the military version of Starlink. The disclosure reveals the UK operates about 1,000 Starshield and 500 Starlink terminals, deepening its reliance on Elon Musk's company for military communications amid European concerns about dependence on U.S. security infrastructure.
- UK spent £13 million ($17.6 million) on Starshield and £16.5 million on Starlink, with Starshield costing substantially more at £5,500-£25,000 monthly versus £1,830 for comparable Starlink business plans
- Britain began using Starlink in mid-2022 and shifted operational military communications to Starshield after SpaceX mandated Starlink be used only for morale, welfare, recreation and training purposes
- Starshield offers enhanced encryption, military-specific terms of service, highest network prioritization and expanded coverage, with terminals costing £4,000-£7,000 each, at least double the price of business-grade Starlink terminals
Macy's reported strong second fiscal quarter results and raised its full-year guidance as its turnaround strategy gains momentum. Overall comparable sales rose 2.7%, driven largely by reimagined store locations, while the company posted net income of $169 million. The retailer increased its net sales outlook to $21.68-$21.83 billion and expects comparable sales growth of 1-1.5% for the full year.
- Bloomingdale's showed strongest performance with 11.3% comparable sales increase, while Bluemercury rose 6.2% and namesake Macy's brand grew 1.1%
- CEO Tony Spring noted this marks six consecutive quarters of better-than-expected performance and five quarters of comparable sales growth
- Company received $116 million in tariff refunds and plans to reinvest approximately $96 million into customer experience and turnaround initiatives
Artisan Partners, a top-20 Novartis shareholder, is publicly calling for board changes and governance reforms at the Swiss drugmaker following recent clinical trial failures and disappointing acquisitions. The pressure comes after a $12 billion Avidity acquisition saw its key drug fail a late-stage trial this week, and follows earlier setbacks including writedowns on the MorphoSys acquisition and disappointing results from heart drug pelacarsen.
- Artisan Partners' David Samra specifically urged Chairman Giovanni Caforio to overhaul the board team overseeing M&A deals, stating 'the party is over' and calling the acquisition track record value-destroying
- The muscle-wasting drug from Novartis' $12 billion Avidity takeover failed its late-stage trial Tuesday, with Samra arguing management should be penalized when deals 'go to zero'
- The investor praised CEO Vas Narasimhan's operational performance but criticized the board's compensation structure for relying too heavily on adjusted metrics that exclude writedowns rather than reflecting 'real economic outcomes'
A Republican-led Senate subcommittee responsible for disaster management oversight is investigating OpenAI's response to a security breach at Hugging Face that occurred in July. The probe examines how OpenAI handled the incident, which reportedly affected the AI development platform.
- The investigation is being conducted by a Senate subcommittee with disaster management oversight responsibilities
- The probe focuses on OpenAI's response to a breach at Hugging Face, an AI development platform, that took place in July
- Axios first reported the Senate inquiry, though specific details about the nature of the breach or OpenAI's involvement remain limited
The European Union's cybersecurity agency ENISA has been granted access to two advanced AI models for testing purposes: Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT-6-Astra. The European Commission confirmed the development on Thursday, marking a significant step in the EU's oversight of cutting-edge AI technology.
- ENISA is currently testing Anthropic's Mythos 5 AI model after receiving access approval
- The cybersecurity agency also gained access to OpenAI's latest GPT-6-Astra model
- This represents the EU's effort to evaluate and assess advanced AI systems for security and regulatory purposes
President Trump has warned Iran against activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear site near the damaged Natanz facility, as the U.S. and Iran exchange attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite imagery shows a surge in construction at the site, raising concerns Iran could be reconstituting its nuclear program. The escalating conflict has pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatens a vital oil shipping route.
- Satellite analysis by CSIS shows more road activity at Pickaxe Mountain in 2026 than at any point in the site's history, with construction shifting from excavation to probable internal work just 2 kilometers from the damaged Natanz uranium facility
- Iran attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz and fired missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan, while U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on Navy vessels
- Brent crude futures hit $100.40 per barrel as attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20% of global oil traffic, put energy markets on alert for supply disruptions
Associated British Foods announced that its Primark clothing division will launch home delivery services in the UK, marking a strategic shift for the discount retailer. This comes as AB Foods plans to spin off Primark next year, though the business faces near-term headwinds with like-for-like sales expected to decline 3.0% in Q4 ending September 12.
- Primark will introduce home delivery in the UK for the first time, departing from its traditional store-only sales model
- AB Foods plans to spin off Primark as a separate entity in 2026
- Like-for-like sales at Primark are projected to fall 3.0% in the fourth quarter ending September 12
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reported record monthly revenue of NT$514.8 billion for August, up 53.3% year-over-year and 10.1% from July. The world's largest contract chipmaker continues to benefit from strong demand for chips used in artificial intelligence applications, marking its fourth consecutive month of revenue growth.
- TSMC maintains dominant 72.5% global foundry market share, with advanced 5-, 4-, and 3-nanometer capacity fully booked due to AI server processor demand
- Company forecast Q3 revenue between $44.6-$45.8 billion and reported over 77% year-over-year jump in Q2 earnings
- TSMC announced partnership with ASML to adopt High NA chipmaking technology for large-scale manufacturing starting in 2030 to support complex AI architectures
Venezuelan opposition-controlled boards that have overseen U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum for seven years are preparing to wind down as soon as this month. The change follows a shake-up by Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, whose government replaced Nicolas Maduro's administration after his capture by the U.S. in January and gained formal recognition from Washington.
- Rodriguez's administration has been replacing law firms that represented Venezuela and PDVSA in lawsuits abroad, switching from those hired by the opposition-led National Assembly
- Sources indicate the boards are no longer recognized as valid by political and legal counterparties, forcing them to cease operations
- The transition is occurring without prior discussion, ending seven years of opposition control over the Venezuela-owned refiner
American Eagle Outfitters exceeded second-quarter revenue expectations on September 9, reporting $1.38 billion versus analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. The better-than-expected performance was driven by strong consumer demand for its Aerie brand, which sells intimates, sleepwear, and apparel.
- Quarterly revenue reached $1.38 billion, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $1.37 billion compiled by LSEG
- The Aerie brand, focusing on intimates, sleepwear, and apparel, was the primary driver of the revenue outperformance
Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9, 2026, featuring upgraded cameras with a 48-megapixel variable aperture system and enhanced AI capabilities. The devices are priced at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, representing a $100 increase over the previous year's models, with availability starting September 18.
- The new 48-megapixel camera features variable aperture with six blades for improved low-light photography, 4K Dolby HDR Vision video recording, and post-shoot cinematic effects
- Powered by A20 Pro silicon with improved vapor chamber cooling, the phones offer 36 hours (Pro) and 45 hours (Pro Max) of video playback time
- New Siri AI with contextual on-screen intelligence launches in English beta with iOS 27 this month, with support for five additional languages coming in October
TotalEnergies announced a $10 billion investment with partners in Angola over the next five years to maintain oil production levels in the country. The French oil major currently produces around 450,000 barrels per day in Angola, Africa's second-largest crude producer after Nigeria. The investment comes as Angola pursues regulatory reforms to attract exploration capital for its aging offshore fields.
- TotalEnergies aims to maintain its current production of 450,000 barrels per day in Angola as the country works to sustain national output around 1 million bpd
- The company signed two new exploration licenses for offshore Blocks 17 and 32
- TotalEnergies will launch an AI-powered geoscience initiative with major companies to support exploration of Angola's offshore oil blocks
CME Group appointed Jack Tobin as its new CFO, effective March 2027, succeeding Lynne Fitzpatrick who will become the derivatives exchange's first female CEO. Tobin, CME's chief accounting officer since 2015, will transition through a deputy CFO role starting November. The leadership change occurs as traditional derivatives exchanges face growing competition from perpetual futures and prediction markets.
- Tobin has over 35 years of financial experience, joining CME in 2002 and previously serving as finance director at the Chicago Board of Trade before its 2007 merger with CME
- The appointment is part of a broader leadership transition announced in June when longtime leader Terry Duffy stepped aside for Fitzpatrick to become CEO
- Matthew Render, who joined CME as deputy chief accounting officer in August, will succeed Tobin as chief accounting officer
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey urged Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian to remain neutral in ongoing unionization efforts by flight attendants, accusing management of threatening employees' pay and benefits. Delta responded by stating it supports employees' right to choose union representation and maintains a strict non-interference policy. The unionization campaign has been ongoing since the 1990s, with a coordinated effort beginning in November 2022.
- Over 170 House lawmakers also wrote to Bastian in June urging neutrality as flight attendants, fleet service workers, and technicians attempt to organize
- Senators cited reports that Delta published an official anti-union website and suggested joining a union would jeopardize employee benefits
- Delta's pilots are already represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, while other employee groups continue organizing efforts that date back to the 1990s
The article content is unavailable as the page could not be found. Based on the title, Brent crude oil prices surpassed $100 per barrel amid escalating Middle East conflict, driven by concerns about potential supply disruptions from the region.
- Brent crude oil crossed the $100 per barrel threshold, a significant psychological and economic price level
- Escalating Middle East tensions raised fears of supply disruptions from a key oil-producing region
- Article content unavailable - full details on price movements and geopolitical developments cannot be verified
Analog Devices will acquire privately held Alif Semiconductor for $1.35 billion in cash, with potential additional payments of up to $200 million. The deal expands ADI's capabilities in on-device AI as artificial intelligence applications increasingly move into physical systems, combining ADI's sensing and power technologies with Alif's AI processors.
- Pleasanton, California-based Alif develops low-power processors combining AI computing, sensor data, connectivity and security for consumer and industrial applications
- The acquisition enables customers to build systems that can analyze and respond in real time by merging ADI's signal-processing technologies with Alif's AI chips
- ADI recently reported a 40% rise in third-quarter revenue and Alif's chips are already shipping with secured customers in consumer and industrial sectors
The European Commission proposed new rules on September 9 to help local authorities restrict short-term rental platforms like Airbnb in areas facing housing shortages. The proposal establishes the first common EU framework for assessing and implementing housing measures, requiring that any restrictions be evidence-based, necessary, and limited to affected areas. The rules aim to address affordable housing crunches in tourism hotspots while harmonizing diverse local regulations across Europe.
- Authorities can identify housing squeeze areas by checking if price-to-income levels are high or if there has been an upward price trend over the past 10 years
- Any restrictions on short-term rentals must be evidence-based, necessary, limited to affected areas, and cannot be retroactive
- Airbnb criticized the proposal, arguing the housing shortage stems from limited construction and renovation, not short-term rentals, and warned about lack of independent oversight