text: REGULATION AND PIPELINE CONNECTIVITY HINDER DIESEL SHIPMENTS TO NORTHEAST: Oil executives and trade groups met with Biden administration officials and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to discuss diesel stockpiles and the potential for a shortage this winter. Following the meeting, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and American Petroleum Institute trade groups released a joint statement saying that U.S. refineries are running at full capacity but that regulatory limitations and lack of pipeline connectivity are obstacles to getting diesel to the Northeast. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and other legislators sent a letter urging the Department of Energy to accelerate the distribution of federal funds and to create a plan for possible energy shortages in the Northeast this winter. UNION LEADERS TELL RAIL WORKERS THAT CONGRESS WILL ACT: The two largest rail unions are set to vote on a contract deal Sunday, 20 November. The national leaders of SMART Transportation Division and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen stated at a joint press conference that they expect Congress to step in if the vote fails. A strike would involve more than 30 railroads, and the major railroads will likely throttle traffic a week ahead of the strike date.DIESEL HITS RECORD PREMIUM OVER GASOLINE: Decreasing stock has driven the price of diesel up 50% this year, with gasoline seeing a 14% increase in price. Wholesale diesel traded at a record premium in October. Gasoline refinery inventory in California is down 3.1% from last week. ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR EV ADOPTION UNDERESTIMATED: A study conducted by National Grid Plc. found that electrifying a typical highway gas station for passenger EVs would require as much power as a professional sports stadium. The study also found the projected power needs for a truckstop servicing electric Semi trucks would be the same as a small town. Currently, infrastructure to accommodate EVs and electric trucks lags behind their availability on the market. GEOSTRATEGIC INTSUMNAVY FORCE POSTURE CHANGE: The Navy has significantly changed its force posture without announcing its intent. It currently has fewer Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARG) deployed than it has over the past five years. It also has not deployed a group to the Persian Gulf at all in 2022, breaking a decades-long tradition of maintaining one there continuously. (AC: Such a significant shift towards maintenance and away from the Gulf indicates the Navy is fully shifting focus to Great Power Competition. – J.V.)UK PRAISES OUSTING OF RUSSIAN SPIES, TURNS A WARY EYE TO CHINA: Speaking at an annual threat review, the United Kingdom’s Security Service (MI5) Director General Ken McCallum called the ousting of Russian spies from Europe, the “most significant strategic blow” against Russia in “recent European history.” McCallum said 400 suspected spies were among the 600 Russian officials expelled from European countries this year, saying the expulsions and “coordinated waves of sanctions” had “taken Putin by surprise.” The director warned that while Britain must be prepared for “Russian aggression for years to come,” China also represented a substantial and growing threat. In an abnormally frank and open discussion, McCallum warned China was “playing the long game” by targeting local officials who were likely to later become Parliament members, in addition to its efforts to recruit prominent lawmakers. McCallum said Chinese willingness to invest large amounts of “patience,” “money,” and “effort” to cultivate an extensive network of assets made the country “a large and enduring challenge.” (AC: Open and highly public discussion of China’s elite capture efforts by a western security agency director indicates that the threat posed by these efforts is likely pervasive. – R.P.) Russia-NATO SITREP