Supreme Court requests DOJ input in utility antitrust petition
On Monday, the justices invited Solicitor General D. John Sauer to file a brief on the case Duke Energy Carolinas v. NTE Carolinas II LLC. Duke Energy is aiming to overturn a 2024 lower bench ruling finding that a combination of actions the electric power company had taken involving Florida-based power supplier NTE could qualify as anticompetitive.
At least four justices have to vote to take up a case. The solicitor general's view of the dispute's nationwide significance can be an important factor in deciding whether the justices will grant a petition.
Advertisement
The North Carolina-based company claims that a decision allowing a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to stand could revive a dormant legal theory that could open the door to more litigation among competing companies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
DDC Developments Announces 200% Surge in Demand and Launches National Expansion with New Manufacturing Facility
Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2025) - DDC Developments, a Miami-based leader in eco-friendly modular construction, announced a significant corporate milestone: a 200% year-over-year increase in inquiries for its patented hurricane-resistant, energy-efficient modular building systems. In direct response to this unprecedented growth, the company is launching a national expansion initiative, establishing a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing facility to scale production and meet surging demand across the United States. DDC Developments Announces 200% Surge in Demand and Launches National Expansion with New Manufacturing FacilityTo view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The new facility, set to open later this year, will significantly boost DDC Developments' production capacity, enabling the company to serve a broader range of commercial, residential, and institutional projects nationwide. This expansion marks a pivotal step in DDC's strategy to deliver resilient, sustainable construction solutions to markets facing increasing climate risks and a forecasted "above-normal" 2024 storm season, as projected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DDC Developments Announces 200% Surge in Demand and Launches National Expansion with New Manufacturing FacilityTo view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: "Our 200% surge in demand is a clear signal that the market is urgently seeking faster, greener, and more resilient building solutions," said Danilo Dominguez Cruz, Founder and CEO of DDC Developments. "The new manufacturing hub will allow us to accelerate project delivery and support communities nationwide as they adapt to evolving climate challenges." DDC Developments' modular systems are engineered to exceed Florida's stringent building codes, utilizing stay-in-place insulated panels made with 40% recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS). These panels provide superior insulation, reduce heating and cooling demands by approximately 30%, and are rated to withstand winds exceeding 200 mph, surpassing Category 5 hurricane standards. The company's technology reduces build times by up to 60%. It lowers labor costs by 40%, offering developers and investors a rapid return on investment, with many projects reporting ROI within six months. The company's national expansion is further supported by ongoing partnerships with ESG-focused investment firms, reinforcing DDC's commitment to sustainability and innovation in the construction sector. For more information about DDC Developments' expansion and modular construction solutions, visit or contact Danilo Dominguez at danilo@ Cannot view this video? Visit: Contact Info:Name: Danilo DominguezEmail: danilo@ DDC DevelopmentsPhone: 305-915-0002Website: To view the source version of this press release, please visit Se produjo un error al recuperar la información Inicia sesión para acceder a tu portafolio Se produjo un error al recuperar la información Se produjo un error al recuperar la información Se produjo un error al recuperar la información Se produjo un error al recuperar la información
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Elon Musk says he will start a new political party
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Musk has spoken with friends in recent days about his plan for a political party and what it would take to accomplish it, according to a person briefed on those conversations. The discussions have been more conceptual than pragmatic, the person said. Advertisement Even as Musk has proved that he is willing to use his resources to move quickly and dramatically, he also has a long history of not following through on promises. Musk, who helped slash government programs and funding by leading the Department of Government Efficiency before publicly feuding with Trump, had grown incensed by the president's sweeping domestic policy bill. Last month, on social media, he called it a 'disgusting abomination,' adding that it would 'massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit' and that 'Congress is making America bankrupt.' Advertisement For weeks, Musk teased that he would start a new political party if the legislation passed, but he had not explicitly stated his intention to do so until Saturday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two-party system has been a defining feature of modern American politics, and plenty of moderate billionaires have dreamed of a successful third-party effort for decades. But the barriers to creating a new, influential political party are plentiful, including heavily gerrymandered districts, deep political polarization and onerous state laws, some of which require expensive and complicated ballot-qualification procedures that would most likely challenge even Musk. Musk donated nearly $300 million to Republican candidates in the 2024 election, and his super political action committee led Trump's get-out-the-vote operation in battleground states. But the tech billionaire failed to deliver the GOP a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat this year, even after putting over $20 million into that race. On Friday, Musk wrote on X that an initial approach could be to back America Party candidates in just two or three Senate races and between eight and 10 congressional races in next year's midterm elections. He reiterated a version of that plan Saturday, saying on X that he would 'crack the uniparty system' through 'extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Fight continues to save Main Street Station in Hobart from wrecking ball
The owner of a long-shuttered, 151-year-old building deemed unsafe by the city of Hobart and scheduled for demolition is making one last-ditch effort to save it so he can reestablish his bar. In an email Jimmie Batalis' Portage-based attorney sent to the Post-Tribune, Patrick McEuen said he and Batalis filed an appeal with Hobart Building Official Steve McDermott asking him to rescind the July 5, 2023, demolition order imposed by the city. The Hobart Board of Public Works and Safety at its February 19 meeting awarded a $40,631 contract to C. Lee Construction Services of Gary to complete the demolition within the next month or two. McEuen, on behalf of Batalis, asked McDermott 'to modify the demolition order dated July 5, 2023, to permit John Cantu an opportunity to present plans to renovate the building.' McEuen also sent a purchase agreement, apparently signed by Cantu, that said, 'John Cantu has agreed to purchase Main Street Station 235 Main Street Hobart IN 46342 for $100,000 on contingency of the building not being demolished by the City of Hobart.' 'Jimmie Batalis understands that Mr. Cantu will pursue a restaurant/bar operation, and my (sic) intend to renovate the single-family apartment dwelling upstairs,' the appeal said. McEuen also attached a 2022 opinion from Porter-based James F. Gianni & Associates engineer Mark Stern that said, 'It is our opinion that the building is structurally sound and capable of sustaining code-compliant structural loads required for a retail/mercantile operation on the first floor and a single-family residential apartment on the second floor.' That letter was submitted to the Lake County Superior Court's Civil Division during hearings on the matter. 'We have based this opinion on our observations made at time of inspection; specifically, that no distress of structural members was observed,' Stern's letter said. 'The frustrating part about it is that the City never heard evidence in July 2023 to confirm the claim of the former Building Commissioner, Mr. McDermott, that the building is unsafe,' McEuen said in an email. 'We have an engineer's report to refute the claims of the former Building Commissioner showing the building is structurally sound. Privately, every politician from the Mayor on down admits the building is not unsafe, but either they have an insider who wants it, or they just don't want Jimmie Batalis to own it. 'The city is so hell-bent on tearing down a perfect historical building, they are acting as if the Petition does not exist. In fact, an asbestos inspector went through the building on Monday, June 30, and made sure to tell Mr. Batalis he did not feel unsafe in the building at all. So, we are left with a city fighting a person, Jimmie Batalis, not a city fighting for the safety of its citizens or the appearance of its downtown. With the eyesore on Main Street known as the former Bright Spot, the city has other problems more important than tearing down an iconic building at taxpayer expense.' Hobart City Attorney Heather McCarthy issued a statement on behalf of the city, reiterating the city has held multiple talks with Batalis about renovating or rebuilding on the property because Batalis – not the city – owns it. 'Beginning in June of 2022, the investigation began regarding complaints that the building was unsafe,' the City's statement said. 'The City provided over a year for the owner to address the ongoing issues with the building prior to issuing the initial demolition order. 'The initial Demolition Order of the Unsafe Building Hearing Authority was issued July 5, 2023. Additionally, the Lake County Superior Court granted two orders for the City to proceed with the demolition. 'The majority of building owners bring their buildings into compliance after being notified of an investigation. In this case, despite the owner being represented by multiple attorneys and the Unsafe Building Hearing Authority granting numerous hearings and opportunities, the building was never brought into compliance.' Batalis, who was paroled in December 2023 after serving 16.5 years of a 57-year sentence for the May 2003 murder of 28-year-old Jason Nosker, said previously he believes the city is against his plans because he is a convicted felon. Nosker was the boyfriend of Batalis' ex-girlfriend, and they were threatened repeatedly by Batalis before he shot into their bedroom window while they were asleep, according to court records. Nosker was paralyzed from the waist down before dying of his injuries. Batalis' sentence was handed down before the state of Indiana required those with high-level felonies and murder convictions to serve at least 75% of their sentence. Batalis said the property went into probate after his father and brother died while he was in prison, and the unsafe building issues started during that time. 'They (city officials) are coming up with every little excuse to tear the building down because they don't want me there,' Batalis said. Lake Superior Court Civil Judge Stephen Scheele on March 8 ruled in favor of the city of Hobart, the Hobart Board of Works and former Hobart Building Official Karen Hansen against Batalis and his business partner, Harold Killian, the Post-Tribune previously reported. In the building case, Scheele found 'no genuine issue as to the fact that Plaintiffs failed to file a timely complaint for judicial review as required by the Indiana Unsafe Building Law,' the city 'is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Count I of Plaintiffs' Complaint for Judicial Review,' the judge wrote. The court also found that the city 'did not violate Plaintiffs' procedural or substantive due process rights,' he wrote in the judgment. Batalis and Killian previously offered to put $60,000 into renovating the building, but Huddlestun said that isn't enough to make the building habitable. The Board of Works originally set 235 Main St. for condemnation at its July 5, 2023, meeting after at least a year of trying to get the owner's representatives to repair it, the Post-Tribune previously reported. During that meeting, a local contractor appeared before the board with attorney Dana Rifai, who said Batalis had given him limited power of attorney to act on his behalf while he was in prison. Since the contractor's company wasn't licensed with the city to do work at the time, he told the board he reached out to Tak Construction, which is licensed to work in Hobart, to do the work with him acting as the project manager — a move the board immediately shot down, the Post-Tribune reported. The contractor then said he had a copy of a report that says the building is structurally sound, a point which Hansen disputed, the Post-Tribune reported. The building's east wall needs to be replaced, plus the owners failed to maintain it, she said at the time. Additionally, the owners did have a Hobart-licensed contractor lined up to do the work at one point, but that contractor claims they never got a deposit from the owner, Hansen said. Former Hobart Fire Chief Randy Smith added that there have been two fires at the building, and as it stands now, he would not allow his firefighters to enter the building if there were a third, the Post-Tribune reported. The Lake Superior Court Civil Division on May 23 denied Batalis' motion for summary judgment, a temporary restraining order and for hearing on preliminary injunction saying, among other things, that the Indiana Unsafe Building Law grants the City 'all requisite authority to enforce and carry out its July 2023 demolition order, according to the ruling.'
