Phnom Penh – September 29, 2026 -- Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand are shipping raw critical minerals abroad while processing and value capture happen elsewhere, according to a new report from Fair Finance Asia (FFA) and research partner Profundo.

Linden, N.J. – – September 29, 2026 -- Members of Teamsters Local 877 at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery voted by a 92 percent margin to authorize a strike, putting the largest oil refinery on the East Coast at risk of a labor disruption as its current contract expires Oct. 1.

Akron, Ohio – September 29, 2026 -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) declared a quarterly dividend of 46.5 cents per share of outstanding common stock, payable December 1, 2026.

Board sets record date for shareholder payout

Shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 6, 2026, will be eligible to receive the payment. The declaration was approved by FirstEnergy's Board of Directors.

Knoxville, Tenn. – – September 29, 2026 -- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a construction permit for Clinch River Unit 1, making the Tennessee Valley Authority the first U.S. utility cleared to build a GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR). The permit, granted for TVA's Clinch River Nuclear Site near Oak Ridge, Tenn., marks only the second advanced reactor construction permit ever issued in the country.

Oakland, Calif. – September 29, 2026 -- The PG&E Corporation Foundation is directing $1.32 million in shareholder-funded grants to more than 50 food banks, tribal food banks and senior meal programs across 45 California counties, an amount expected to provide the equivalent of approximately 3.13 million meals.

The funding, timed to Hunger Action Month, is financed entirely by PG&E shareholders and will not be recovered through customer utility rates.

Charleston, W.Va. – September 29, 2026 -- West Virginia American Water has rolled out FlowCam flow-imaging technology to rapidly detect algae and cyanobacteria in source-water samples, part of a broader push during American Water Works Association's Source Water Protection Week (September 27 to October 3) to reduce contamination risks and treatment costs across its supply network.

The utility, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), serves approximately 610,000 people in the state and employs around 315 people.

Beijing – September 29, 2026 -- ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: RETO) will cut its outstanding Class A share count from 145,814,975 to approximately 7,290,749 through a 20-to-1 reverse share consolidation, with post-combination trading starting October 2, 2026.

Philadelphia – September 29, 2026 -- ConnectDER, a manufacturer of meter socket adapters (MSAs) for solar, battery, and EV charging installations, has named Chad Conway as VP of Product to lead development of its flagship IslandDER product line launched in 2025.

Calgary, AB – – September 29, 2026 -- Canadian oil sands production is projected to average a record 3.5 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2026, a 100,000 b/d increase of 3% over the prior year, according to S&P Global Energy's latest 10-year production outlook. Output is forecast to climb further to 3.9 million b/d by the early 2030s.

Marina del Rey, Calif. – September 29, 2026 -- CommanderAI has launched a mobile app for iOS and Android that extends its AI-powered sales and CRM platform to field representatives in the waste, recycling, and scrap industries, letting reps prospect and close accounts directly from trucks and job sites.