LME Nickel Stocks up 264 MT to 271,008 MT

Gas cost an average of $4.15 per gallon yesterday, according to AAA:

• The previous record for the holiday was $3.82/gallon, set in 2012 (the record is $5.02/gallon in June 2022).

🛬 NTSB is investigating the fatal Amazon cargo plane crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the cause of Sunday’s incident, in which an Amazon cargo jet overshot a runway at Miami International Airport and barreled into vehicles, killing five people. Per the Associated Press, the investigation is focusing on whether the plane touched down too late upon landing. The Miami airport is not equipped with arresting systems that the FAA says have saved hundreds of lives by stopping planes that overshoot the runway. Instead, the airport has a 1,000-foot safety buffer on each of its runways.

🇩🇪 Far-right AfD party wins state election in Germany. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won a landslide victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, giving it the chance to form the country’s first far-right state government since the Nazi era, the Associated Press reported. It’s unclear if AfD would receive the support necessary from other parties in order to govern in the state, as Germany’s mainstream political parties have historically put up a firewall to keep it from taking power. The country’s intelligence agency classifies the nationalist, anti-immigrant AfD as an extremist group in some regions, though it’s increasingly gained popularity in Germany and has been embraced by figures like Elon Musk.

Inflation inspection: We’ll get two price checks this week: The producer price index report for August will be released on Thursday, and the consumer price index report will be out on Friday. It’ll be the last bit of inflation data the Federal Reserve gets before its meeting next week. If inflation is hot, the Fed could lean toward raising interest rates. If inflation taps the brakes, the central bank may keep rates where they are.

Welcome to the fold: Tim Cook may have left the kitchen, but Apple still has hungry customers. We’ll see what new CEO John Ternus can serve up tomorrow at the company’s fall launch event. From the long-anticipated foldable iPhone to a smart home hub with a screen, it’s expected to be Apple’s biggest-ever slate of new products, according to Bloomberg. Also of importance: Can Ternus top the originality of Cook’s signature “good morning!” catchphrase?

First down (under): Tomorrow, the NFL season picks up where it left off, with the Seattle Seahawks playing the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch. The following day, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play in the league’s first regular-season game in Australia. Technically, the game will be played on Friday morning, but because of the time difference, it will stream in the US on Thursday on Netflix. So it’ll be both a g’day and a g’night simultaneously.

MINING.COMBrazil Targets Bigger Role in Critical Minerals RushBrazil's Senate approved legislation creating a National Policy for Critical and Strategic Minerals, now with President Lula for final approval, setting up a council under the presidency able to scrutinise changes in corporate control, significant foreign influence and international supply agreements touching minerals deemed critical or strategic. The bill pairs that oversight with a R$2 billion mineral guarantee fund, about US$383 million, and up to R$5 billion in tax credits over five years, roughly US$958 million, directed at processing and transformation projects. It also allows export rules tied to value-addition commitments and disclosure of destination, final beneficiary and degree of processing.

Answer to today's trivia question: The Bat