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CNBC Daily Open: Diesel deal may not be enough to curb high energy prices

The diesel deal between the U.S. and Russia is unlikely to substantially reduce energy prices for U.S. truckers and farmers.

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Hello, this is Justina Lee writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia may not be able to do enough to significantly reduce fuel prices.

Bank of America was hit with more than $1.2 billion in federal penalties, while other U.S. banks like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are posting mixed financial results.

Anthropic will release its third-quarter financials for the first time, and Apple has announced a voice-controlled smart home hub.

What you need to know today

Analysts are expressing skepticism over Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, as the supply of 4.8 million metric tons — which amounts to a little more than a single day of global demand — is unlikely to reduce fuel prices significantly for U.S. truckers and farmers.

The deal comes as President Trump is under pressure to lower fuel prices, with the U.S. midterm elections less than a month away.

Meanwhile, oil may rally another $20-$25 due to the Iran conflict, hedge fund manager and notable commodity trader Paul Tudor Jones said on on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Moving over to markets, U.S. banks like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are posting mixed financial results amid concerns including growing borrowing costs, AI and high oil prices.

Bank of America, which will be reporting its earnings on Wednesday, was hit with more than $1.2 billion in federal penalties for allegedly violating sanction and anti-money laundering laws.

Investors are keeping a close eye on the outlook of interest rates, after New York Federal Reserve President John Williams’ recent comments put him at odds with the broader market and some other central bank members.

Moving over to tech, AI giant Anthropic, which is preparing for what could be the largest IPO in history, will release its third-quarter financials for the first time in a meeting with potential investors on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Apple announced HomeView, which will function as a voice-controlled smart home hub for Apple devices that will showcase new Siri AI abilities. This marks CEO John Ternus’ first launch — outside of iPhones — since he took over from Tim Cook.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings shifted into a higher gear on Day 3 in Bangkok, with Bank of France Governor Emmanuel Moulin and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey joining the conversations.

The IMF raised its global growth forecast to 3.1% for 2026 on Tuesday, up slightly from its July forecast. Even so, Economic Counsellor Silvana Tenreyro said global resilience is “under strain,” with risks tilted to the downside.

Ben Hung, president of International at Standard Chartered Bank, will join CNBC for an exclusive interview on Wednesday, followed by Citi’s chief client officer David Livingstone.

— CNBC’s Anniek Bao also contributed to this newsletter

And finally…

FBI arrests Saudi OpenAI employee who allegedly planted recording device in conference room

An OpenAI employee was arrested after a “sophisticated recording device” was discovered inside its executive conference room, according to the Department of Justice and a post by the company.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, who is a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Oct. 9 in connection with the matter, the DOJ said in a release on Tuesday.

The company said an employee planted the device a few days before it was found, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation “moved quickly to make an arrest,” the post said. The employee was terminated.

— CJ Haddad

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Technologies

Six Flags shares decline following deadly roller coaster incident

One person died and several others were injured in an incident involving the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to reports.

Shares of Six Flags Entertainment declined more than 16% Tuesday following a deadly roller coaster incident at one of its amusement parks in Georgia.

One person died and several others were injured Monday in an incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to a statement from Georgia’s Cobb County Board of Commissioners. The board’s chairwoman, Lisa N. Cupid, said that county authorities are working with Six Flags and other partners in the investigation.

According to reports citing local police, the incident occurred on the Atlanta-area park’s 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster shortly before 4 p.m. Monday. Riders were later seen being evacuated from the roller coaster after it stopped near the top of the ride, according to the report.

Witnesses told a local news station that they saw a man fall from the roller coaster and strike the ride several times.

In a statement to ABC News, a Six Flags spokesperson said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and had temporarily closed similar attractions across its parks.

Six Flags did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Tuesday’s decline is on pace to be the stock’s worst day since August and puts shares at their lowest level since December 2009. Shares have now fallen by more than 50% over the past year.

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Technologies

French supermarket fridges get hacked, heating to 122°F and sparking fires

Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a large-scale cyberattack, causing refrigerators to overheat, spoiling food, and sparking fires.

Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a cyberattack that reportedly caused refrigerators and freezers to overheat, spoiling food and sparking fires.

Fridges at French supermarket chains Carrefour, Monoprix, the Les Mousquetaires-owned Intermarché, and Coopérative U, among others, all saw fridges heat up to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, Reuters reported Monday.

Coopérative U’s CEO, Dominique Schelcher, confirmed that cyberattacks had affected “refrigeration production facilities of several stores.”

“Attacking equipment that is essential to the preservation of fresh products and the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and unprecedented. It is unacceptable,” Schelcher said in a LinkedIn post.

CNBC has reached out to Carrefour, Monoprix, Intermarché, Coopérative U and E Leclerc for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Felix Aime, a senior cyberthreat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said the attack affected several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium, according to the Reuters article.

“I strongly condemn the cyberattack targeting food products at @intermarche @CooperativeU @Leclerc,” European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said in a post on X on Monday.

“Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponization of food has become a reality.”

AI enhancing cyberattacks

Les Mousquetaires said it was expecting the damages, which affected around 180 stores, to reach “several million euros in losses,” in an email to CNBC.

It said some fresh and frozen food displays have been out of service after the cyberattack affected one of its service providers responsible for managing refrigeration systems inside some stores.

“Intermarché and Netto have taken all necessary precautions to remove and dispose of any affected products as quickly as possible, to ensure consumer safety,” the Les Mousquetaires spokesperson said. “In some stores, the overheating of equipment resulted in smoke, but no fires have been reported.”

They’re now awaiting findings from a court-appointed bailiff and insurance experts to get more precise figures on damages.

Stop & Shop parent Ahold Delhaize

This comes amid a broader wave of cyberattacks and cybercrimes, which experts are warning are being enhanced by artificial intelligence. British online fashion retailer Asos experienced a cybersecurity breach last week which revealed some customers’ personal information.

Meanwhile, a small power plant in the U.K. was shut down for four days in July after a cyberattack which was suspected to be linked to Iran.

Interpol’s global chief information security officer, Bjorn R. Watne, recently told CNBC that AI can be used to target multiple victims at once, and is increasing the scale and speed of cyberattacks. “It’s an evolution and not a revolution.”

Correction: Bjorn R. Watne is global chief information security officer at Interpol. An earlier version misspelled his name.

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Technologies

Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI

The iPhone maker also announced the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini.

Apple on Tuesday announced a new home hub called HomeView.

Apple said the device with a 7-inch screen was designed to be mounted on a wall or placed on a table. It’s designed for multiple people in a household, and will recognize the user by their face to display pertinent information. It starts at $299 and ships on Nov. 13.

Tuesday’s launch event is the second under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September. Last month, Apple announced new models of its most important product, the iPhone, including a foldable model called the Duo that retails for nearly $2,000.

Apple also announced new Apple TV and HomePod hardware on Tuesday. The new Apple TV 4K costs $299 and has a redesigned remote that can play a sound if it is lost. Apple’s HomePod Mini speaker comes in new colors and costs $149, a slight increase over its previous $129 price.

The products announced Tuesday are less critical for Apple than the iPhone, and investors remain focused on iPhone sales, but the accessories were positioned on Tuesday as a showcase for the company’s new Siri abilities released last month.

Apple said that HomeView features Siri AI, which can answer a broad range of questions. Users will be able to converse with Siri, and their conversations will continue on their iPhone or iPad. It has a built-in speaker for playing music.

“It recognizes your face to shift from a household screen to your own experience, fills the room with incredible sound, keeps you connected to the people who matter most with FaceTime, and makes it easy to control your smart home,” Apple’s chief marketer Greg Joswiak said in a statement.

Apple said that HomeView will show information from the Messages, Photos, Calendar, and Reminders apps based on who is using the device, powered by Apple Intelligence. It can also be used to make FaceTime calls and as a digital photo frame. It’s equipped with an Apple A18 chip. It supports up to six users.

But while Apple has dabbled in home products and platforms in the past, Tuesday’s announcement shows Apple is making its home products a higher priority under Ternus.

Apple said on Tuesday that its new products, including HomeView, can be used as a smart home hub, coordinating notifications and actions in the home and working with a range of products, including new locks, doorbells, and cameras from LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.

Apple’s integration with the smart home is not just about sales but also helps further lock customers into its own ecosystem. People who use multiple Apple products and connections are less likely to switch to an Android phone.

HomeView can also become a smart home dashboard, Apple said. It can be used to view camera feeds, adjust the thermostat, or lock connected doors around the house.

Apple said that setting up a new smart home device takes one tap from the user’s iPhone.

Tuesday’s launch shows Apple’s confidence as it launches new product categories. But the broader consumer electronics industry has been dealing with price increases and demand deterioration related to component shortages in memory and storage. It also comes as new boss Ternus has reportedly pushed the company to release products faster.

Apple’s new Apple TV 4K got a price hike from $199 to $299, and comes after a similar price increase earlier this year, after Cook said that memory costs for Apple were unsustainable.

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