The Energy News Digest for October 22, 2025

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest. 

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Multiple Atmospheric Rivers & Substantial Precipitation (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/10/multiple-atmospheric-rivers-and.html

NERC President Warns of ‘Five-Alarm Fire’ for Grid Reliability (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/data-center-grid-reliability-ferc-nerc/803467/

PacifiCorp Reaches $125 Million Settlement with Oregon Wineries, Vineyards Over Wildfire Smoke Damage to Crops (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2025/10/pacificorp-reaches-125m-settlement-with-oregon-wineries-vineyards-over-wildfire-smoke-damage-to-crops.html

For the Birds: Horse Heaven Project Could Shrink to Protect Ferruginous Hawks (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_617dca8f-01c6-4fc9-9a20-32e637ba13bc.html

State Halts Rebates to Farmers Hit with Fuel Fees Under WA Climate Law (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/21/state-halts-rebates-to-farmers-hit-with-fuel-fees-under-wa-climate-law/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      NERC President Warns of ‘Five-Alarm Fire’ for Grid Reliability

2.      PacifiCorp Reaches $125 Million Settlement with Oregon Wineries, Vineyards Over Wildfire Smoke Damage to Crops

3.      Oregon: Holiday Farm Fire Survivors Blame the Bonneville Power Administration, EWEB; Justice Yet to Come

4.      NorthWestern Plans ‘Large Load’ Tariff for Montana Data Centers

5.      Hydro Project Upgrade to Restrict Access to Oregon Reservoir for Five Years

6.      After Closing Coal Plants, Idaho Power Is the Rare Utility Cutting Rates

7.      Video: Small Nuclear Reactors – Why Canada Is Investing Billions

8.      LIHEAP Funding at Risk Amidst Shutdown

9.      Idaho: Twin Falls May Get Push-Button Waterfalls

10.   The Bonneville Power Administration Solidifies Senior Leadership Positions; Suzanne Cooper Named Deputy Administrator & COO

11.   For the Birds: Horse Heaven Project Could Shrink to Protect Ferruginous Hawks

12.   Proposal for 1,300-Acre Solar Farm Goes Again to Washington Governor for Approval

13.   Heat Pumps Face Their Toughest Test Yet

14.   Sea Cucumbers Wash Ashore by the Thousands in a Coastal Oregon Town

15.   Idaho Power Boosts Snake River Fishing with 70,000 Rainbow Trout Release

16.   One of the World’s Rarest Whales That Makes the Atlantic Its Home Grows in Population

17.   Kennewick Irrigation District Appeals Water Curtailment Order

18.   Washington State Cities Face Unprecedented Water Cuts Amid Drought

19.   Water Tensions Rise on Both Sides of the Cascades

20.   State Halts Rebates to Farmers Hit with Fuel Fees Under WA Climate Law

21.   A DNS Error Appeared to Cause a Major AWS Outage, Bringing Down Platforms from Reddit to Snapchat

22.   Satellite Images Show How Data Centers Are Changing America's Landscape

23.   Newspapers Closing, News Deserts Growing for Beleaguered News Industry

24.   A Theory Why the Internet Is Going Down the Toilet

25.   Five Steps to Find Balance Between the Madness and Magic of Artificial Intelligence

26.   Key U.S. Senate Panel Approves Bill That Would Help Co-ops Reduce Wildfire Risk

27.   Multiple Atmospheric Rivers & Substantial Precipitation

28.   La Niña’s Fingerprints Are All Over Winter Weather Forecasts

29.   Analysis-New Copper Demand Drivers from U.S., India as China Juggernaut Slows

30.   Editorial: Will Wild Salmon Pay the Price for Artificial Intelligence?

31.   Guest Essay: Utility Identity Fraud Is a Bigger Problem Than People Think

Word of the Day – Horrible Haiku Edition

Blandish \BLANN-dish\ Verb - 1: to coax or persuade with flattery: cajole 2: to act or speak in a flattering or coaxing manner.\

     Blandishments aside

     Haggis is Haggis, always

     Not my cup of guts

https://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      NERC President Warns of ‘Five-Alarm Fire’ for Grid Reliability (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/data-center-grid-reliability-ferc-nerc/803467/

2.      PacifiCorp Reaches $125 Million Settlement with Oregon Wineries, Vineyards Over Wildfire Smoke Damage to Crops (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2025/10/pacificorp-reaches-125m-settlement-with-oregon-wineries-vineyards-over-wildfire-smoke-damage-to-crops.html

3.      Oregon: Holiday Farm Fire Survivors Blame the Bonneville Power Administration, EWEB; Justice Yet to Come (The Lookout, Eugene, OR)

https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/holiday-farm-fire/2025/10/21/holiday-farm-fire-survivors-blame-bpa-eweb-justice-yet-to-come/

4.      NorthWestern Plans ‘Large Load’ Tariff for Montana Data Centers (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/utility-identity-fraud-is-a-bigger-problem-than-people-think/803159/

5.      Hydro Project Upgrade to Restrict Access to Oregon Reservoir for Five Years (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)

https://kval.com/outdoors/hydro-project-upgrade-to-restrict-access-to-reservoir-for-5-years

6.      After Closing Coal Plants, Idaho Power Is the Rare Utility Cutting Rates (Latitude Media)

https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/after-closing-coal-plants-idaho-power-is-the-rare-utility-cutting-rates/

7.      Video: Small Nuclear Reactors – Why Canada Is Investing Billions (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6945943

8.      LIHEAP Funding at Risk Amidst Shutdown (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)

https://www.kmvt.com/2025/10/22/liheap-funding-risk-amidst-shutdown/

9.      Idaho: Twin Falls May Get Push-Button Waterfalls (KIVI-TV, Nampa, ID)

https://www.newsbreak.com/idaho-news-6-563647/4305412957353-twin-falls-may-get-push-button-waterfalls

10.   The Bonneville Power Administration Solidifies Senior Leadership Positions; Suzanne Cooper Named Deputy Administrator & COO (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20251017-bpa-solidifies-sr-leadership-positions-cooper-named-dep-administrator-am

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

11.   For the Birds: Horse Heaven Project Could Shrink to Protect Ferruginous Hawks (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_617dca8f-01c6-4fc9-9a20-32e637ba13bc.html

12.   Proposal for 1,300-Acre Solar Farm Goes Again to Washington Governor for Approval (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/21/proposal-for-1300-acre-solar-farm-goes-again-to-washington-governor-for-approval/

Conservation & Efficiency

13.   Heat Pumps Face Their Toughest Test Yet (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heat-pumps-face-toughest-test-150000425.html

Fish & Wildlife

14.   Sea Cucumbers Wash Ashore by the Thousands in a Coastal Oregon Town (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/oregon-sea-cucumbers-wash-ashore-seaside-083a22bbd6b7ba94d5aa4c727b51ba4a

15.   Idaho Power Boosts Snake River Fishing with 70,000 Rainbow Trout Release (KTVB-TV, Boise, ID)

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-power-boosts-snake-river-fishing-70000-rainbow-trout-release/277-e21797ca-39da-4f32-b609-f72eea0b861c

16.   One of the World’s Rarest Whales That Makes the Atlantic Its Home Grows in Population (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/right-whales-endangered-species-fishing-4e732806eb7f52a0e3dc2db42dbd1361

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   Kennewick Irrigation District Appeals Water Curtailment Order (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/kennewick-irrigation-district-appeals-water-curtailment-order/article_66837374-719d-40ec-8a13-798e8ccd77ac.html

18.   Washington State Cities Face Unprecedented Water Cuts Amid Drought (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/washington-state-cities-face-unprecedented-water-cuts-amid-drought,389529

19.   Water Tensions Rise on Both Sides of the Cascades (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/21/major-water-decisions-on-both-sides-of-the-cascades/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

20.   State Halts Rebates to Farmers Hit with Fuel Fees Under WA Climate Law (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/21/state-halts-rebates-to-farmers-hit-with-fuel-fees-under-wa-climate-law/

London Calling –Telecommunications

21.   A DNS Error Appeared to Cause a Major AWS Outage, Bringing Down Platforms from Reddit to Snapchat (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/common-error-appeared-cause-major-010258022.html

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

22.   Satellite Images Show How Data Centers Are Changing America's Landscape (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/satellite-images-show-data-centers-103501609.html

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

23.   Newspapers Closing, News Deserts Growing for Beleaguered News Industry (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/newspapers-closing-media-industry-report-traffic-b0a3a14510ffe104da836d46432c2678

24.   A Theory Why the Internet Is Going Down the Toilet (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/21/theory-why-the-internet-is-going-down-the-toilet/

25.   Five Steps to Find Balance Between the Madness and Magic of Artificial Intelligence (Pioneer Utility Resources)

https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/2025aiworkshop/

Politics, Governance, and Management

26.   Key U.S. Senate Panel Approves Bill That Would Help Co-ops Reduce Wildfire Risk (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/key-senate-panel-approves-bill-that-would-help-co-ops-reduce-wildfire-risk

Other Things to Know About Today

27.   Multiple Atmospheric Rivers & Substantial Precipitation (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/10/multiple-atmospheric-rivers-and.html

28.   La Niña’s Fingerprints Are All Over Winter Weather Forecasts (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/21/la-ninas-fingerprints-are-all-over-winter-weather-/

29.   Analysis-New Copper Demand Drivers from U.S., India as China Juggernaut Slows (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/analysis-copper-demand-drivers-us-000253643.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

30.   Editorial: Will Wild Salmon Pay the Price for Artificial Intelligence? (The Daily Astorian, OR)

https://dailyastorian.com/2025/10/22/editorial-will-wild-salmon-pay-the-price-for-ai/

31.   Guest Essay: Utility Identity Fraud Is a Bigger Problem Than People Think (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/utility-identity-fraud-is-a-bigger-problem-than-people-think/803159/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Woman Cooks 40 Recipes Found on Gravestones – And Says They’re “To Die For”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/society-culture-and-history/pop-culture/woman-cooks-40-recipes-found-on-gravestones-and-says-they-re-to-die-for/ar-AA1NZZyl

NASA Confirms Earth Now Has Two Moons Until 2083

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nasa-confirms-earth-now-two-213956357.html

This Seat Taken? Thieves Busted for Stealing Over 1,000 Restaurant Chairs in Spain

https://apnews.com/article/stolen-chairs-spain-restaurants-51556ca98953700f5a9c305b59b0fa5c

Errol the Courthouse Dog Retires After a Decade of Service

https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/10/22/king-county-errol-courthouse-dog-retires-seattle

Song of the Day

George Strait - The Chair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfUdRDxNjpI

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which may result in broken links.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie files may help you access some paywall sites.

The Energy News Digest for October 20, 2025

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major Outage That Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-web-services-outage-issues-major-apps-websites-worldwide/

Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan Guarantee to Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/trump-energy-loan-power-transmission-lines-midwest-df38cc75193e29317d706c2d7c03c1eb

Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New Reactors to WA. Training Center to Open (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/amazon-bringing-one-nation-1st-120000665.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court Over Fuel Exemption Rules (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/washington-farmers-take-ecology-to-supreme-court-over-fuel-exemption-rules/

Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge Rebound of Baker River Sockeye (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/environment/2025-10-16/upper-skagit-indian-tribe-baker-river-sockeye-puget-sound-energy

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan Guarantee to Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest

2.      Montana: Public Service Commissioners Squabble Over NorthWestern Case

3.      State Regulators Appeal Utility’s Victory in Wyoming Rate Hike Case

4.      Shutdown Shuts Out Low-Income Wyomingites from Heating Help, Threatens SNAP

5.      Deregulation to Blackouts: How California’s Power Past Is Shaping High Costs Today

6.      Washington’s Hydropower: Key to a Unified Western Power Grid

7.      Is Artificial Intelligence Making My Electric Bill Higher? Here’s the Surprising Answer.

8.      At a Rodeo, Linemen Race Amid Spiking Power Demand

9.      Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New Reactors to WA. Training Center to Open

10.   WA State: Energy Northwest Will Deploy 12 Amazon-Funded Small Modular Reactors

11.   News Release: Energy Northwest Unveils Name, Concept Images for First-Ever Small Modular Reactor Project in the Pacific Northwest

12.   Chelan County Approves Permit for World’s First Fusion Power Plant

13.   Utah Counties Submitting Sites for Nuclear Reactors

14.   Nuclear Stocks Mixed After U.S. Army Launches Program to Deploy Small Reactors

15.   Energy Secretary Wright Says ‘Nuclear Is Going to Become Sexy Again’

16.   Renewable Energy Is Booming Despite Trump’s Efforts to Slow It

17.   Netherlands’ Renewables Drive Putting Pressure on Its Power Grid

18.   California Made It Through Another Summer Without a Flex Alert. Thank Batteries, Experts Say

19.   Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge Rebound of Baker River Sockeye

20.   Migrating Summer Chum Numbers at Union River Continue Positive Trend

21.   Washington Will Close Hatchery That Produces Thousands of Steelhead

22.   Scientists Hope Underwater Fiber-Optic Cables Can Help Save Endangered Orcas

23.   Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court Over Fuel Exemption Rules

24.   United Nations Agency Says Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit Record High Last Year, Causing More Extreme Weather

25.   Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major Outage That Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide

26.   ‘Advancing Digital Sovereignty’ with Tribal Broadband Bootcamps

27.   OpenAI Would Have to Spend Over $1 Trillion to Deliver Its Promised Computing Power. It May Not Have the Cash.

28.   Chart: Electric Vehicle Sales Just Hit a Record in the U.S., But a Cliff Looms

29.   Meta Adds Parental Controls for Artificial Intelligence-Teen Interactions

30.   How to Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower, Debris of Halley’s Comet

31.   States Sue Trump Administration Over Terminated Solar Funding

32.   Not All Electricity Grid Projects Are Feeling Trump’s Ax

33.   Alaska Storm Damage So Bad Many Evacuees Won’t Go Home For at Least 18 Months, Governor Says

34.   Weather Service Warns of Potential Atmospheric River Next Week

35.   Another Delay for Richland’s Prized $1.3 Billion Fertilizer Plant Project. Why the Holdup?

36.   Guest Essay: Scott Simms & Chris Robinson – A Critical Moment for the Columbia River Treaty

37.   Commentary: Energy Transition Set to Divide Manufacturers Across the Atlantic

Word of the Day – The Horrible Haiku Edition

Tergiversation /turr-jiv-er-SAY-shun/ Noun – 1: evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement: equivocation. 2: desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith.

     Tergiversation

     Well, of course YOU could say that

     I couldn’t comment

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan Guarantee to Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/trump-energy-loan-power-transmission-lines-midwest-df38cc75193e29317d706c2d7c03c1eb

2.      Montana: Public Service Commissioners Squabble Over NorthWestern Case (The Daily Montanan)

https://dailymontanan.com/2025/10/15/public-service-commissioners-squabble-over-northwestern-case/

3.      State Regulators Appeal Utility’s Victory in Wyoming Rate Hike Case (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/state-regulators-appeal-utilitys-victory-in-wyoming-rate-hike-case/

4.      Shutdown Shuts Out Low-Income Wyomingites from Heating Help, Threatens SNAP (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/low-income-wyomingites-shut-out-of-heating-help-during-shutdown/

5.      Deregulation to Blackouts: How California’s Power Past Is Shaping High Costs Today (KXTV-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/deregulation-to-blackouts-power-past-high-costs/103-b7ca31a1-1717-4350-9bff-6c538416e148

6.      Washington’s Hydropower: Key to a Unified Western Power Grid (Newsbreak - Selkirk Sentinel)

https://www.newsbreak.com/selkirk-sentinel-1591979/4298450728902-washington-s-hydropower-key-to-a-unified-western-power-grid

7.      Is Artificial Intelligence Making My Electric Bill Higher? Here’s the Surprising Answer. (USA Today – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ai-making-electric-bill-higher-090607722.html

8.      At a Rodeo, Linemen Race Amid Spiking Power Demand (Washington Post – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/at-a-rodeo-linemen-race-amid-spiking-power-demand/ar-AA1OLkoj

Fascination with Fission & Fusion – Nuclear News

9.      Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New Reactors to WA. Training Center to Open (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/amazon-bringing-one-nation-1st-120000665.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

10.   WA State: Energy Northwest Will Deploy 12 Amazon-Funded Small Modular Reactors (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/washington-nuclear-facility-smrs-cascade-amazon-modular/802967/

11.   News Release: Energy Northwest Unveils Name, Concept Images for First-Ever Small Modular Reactor Project in the Pacific Northwest (Energy Northwest)

https://www.energy-northwest.com/whoweare/news-and-info/Pages/Energy-Northwest-Unveils-Name,-Concept-Images-for-First-Ever-Small-Modular-Reactor-Project-in-the-Pacific-Northwest.aspx

12.   Chelan County Approves Permit for World’s First Fusion Power Plant (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/helion-fusion-plant-chelan-county/

13.   Utah Counties Submitting Sites for Nuclear Reactors (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/10/17/trump-administration-plans-to-launch-10-nuclear-reactors-in-two-years/

14.   Nuclear Stocks Mixed After U.S. Army Launches Program to Deploy Small Reactors (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/army-nuclear-reactor-trump-oklo-nuscale-nano-centrus.html

15.   Energy Secretary Wright Says ‘Nuclear Is Going to Become Sexy Again’ (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/19/repub/energy-secretary-wright-says-nuclear-is-going-to-become-sexy-again/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

16.   Renewable Energy Is Booming Despite Trump’s Efforts to Slow It (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/19/renewable-energy-is-booming-despite-trumps-efforts/

17.   Netherlands’ Renewables Drive Putting Pressure on Its Power Grid (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/netherlands-renewables-drive-putting-pressure-230442329.html?

Conservation & Efficiency

18.   California Made It Through Another Summer Without a Flex Alert. Thank Batteries, Experts Say (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-made-another-summer-without-100000648.html

Fish & Wildlife

19.   Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge Rebound of Baker River Sockeye (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/environment/2025-10-16/upper-skagit-indian-tribe-baker-river-sockeye-puget-sound-energy

20.   Migrating Summer Chum Numbers at Union River Continue Positive Trend (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/migrating-summer-chum-numbers-union-110131570.html

21.   Washington Will Close Hatchery That Produces Thousands of Steelhead (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/20/washington-will-close-hatchery-that-produces-thousands-of-steelhead/

22.   Scientists Hope Underwater Fiber-Optic Cables Can Help Save Endangered Orcas (Courthouse News Service)

https://courthousenews.com/scientists-hope-underwater-fiber-optic-cables-can-help-save-endangered-orcas/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

23.   Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court Over Fuel Exemption Rules (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/washington-farmers-take-ecology-to-supreme-court-over-fuel-exemption-rules/

24.   United Nations Agency Says Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit Record High Last Year, Causing More Extreme Weather (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-greenhouse-gases-wmo-un-708c3d35ce6fc3d3bcaccafdba6bba45

London Calling –Telecommunications

25.   Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major Outage That Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-web-services-outage-issues-major-apps-websites-worldwide/

26.   ‘Advancing Digital Sovereignty’ with Tribal Broadband Bootcamps (Indian Country Today)

https://ictnews.org/news/advancing-digital-sovereignty-with-tribal-broadband-bootcamps/

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

27.   OpenAI Would Have to Spend Over $1 Trillion to Deliver Its Promised Computing Power. It May Not Have the Cash. (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-would-have-to-spend-over-1-trillion-to-deliver-its-promised-computing-power-it-may-not-have-the-cash-145324242.html

I Sing the Car Electric

28.   Chart: Electric Vehicle Sales Just Hit a Record in the U.S., But a Cliff Looms (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/ev-record-sales-tax-credit-end-trump

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

29.   Meta Adds Parental Controls for Artificial Intelligence-Teen Interactions (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/meta-instagram-ai-chatbot-teens-parents-306b9c49ef69f6894044b2d82c6172fe

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

30.   How to Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower, Debris of Halley’s Comet (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/how-to-watch-the-orionid-meteor-shower-debris-of-21105666.php

Politics, Governance, and Management

31.   States Sue Trump Administration Over Terminated Solar Funding (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5560598-states-sue-trump-solar-energy-epa/

32.   Not All Electricity Grid Projects Are Feeling Trump’s Ax (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2025/10/16/not-all-grid-projects-are-feeling-trumps-ax-00611220

Other Things to Know About Today

33.   Alaska Storm Damage So Bad Many Evacuees Won’t Go Home For at Least 18 Months, Governor Says (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/alaska-typhoon-flooding-7e6e6b72c5587c3a00b82982ffab56bd

34.   Weather Service Warns of Potential Atmospheric River Next Week (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/atmospheric-river-2/4143726

35.   Another Delay for Richland’s Prized $1.3 Billion Fertilizer Plant Project. Why the Holdup? (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/another-delay-richland-prized-1-194325731.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

36.   Guest Essay: Scott Simms & Chris Robinson – A Critical Moment for the Columbia River Treaty (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/16/scott-simms-and-chris-robinson-a-critical-moment-f/

37.   Commentary: Energy Transition Set to Divide Manufacturers Across the Atlantic (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/energy-transition-set-divide-manufacturers-across-atlantic-2025-10-17/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Thieves Steal Crown Jewels in Four Minutes from the Louvre Museum

https://apnews.com/article/france-louvre-museum-robbery-a3687f330a43e0aaff68c732c4b2585b

Pumpkin Reappears on University of Montana Spire in 30-Year Mystery

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/10/16/University-of-Montana-Main-Hall-pumpkin/3111760623668/

‘Creepy Dolls’ Take Over Minnesota Museum in Time for Halloween

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/10/17/History-Center-Olmstead-County-creepy-dolls/5921760720228/

This CIA Code Went Unsolved for 35 Years. An Amateur Discovered the Answer in Plain Sight

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cia-code-went-unsolved-35-215443791.html

Song of the Day

David Benoit - The Great Pumpkin Waltz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoO9hwg722o

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