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FBI announces that North Korea was behind the $6.3 billion hack of Binance, Montana lottery paused on technical issues, Albertsons & Kroger trial ends with more paperwork, Oregon natural gas customers see 8-10% cost increase, Seattle offers free rent for in push to bring businesses back downtown, Intel drop totaled nearly 30% in second worst trading day ever.

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Binance resumes withdrawals following $6.3 billion hack, says 90% of stolen user assets are covered (CNBC)

Binance halts trading after biggest-ever crypto hack (Axios)

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Taxes and safety top concerns in Seattle business survey (KUOW)

“A new survey of Seattle business owners shows widespread pessimism among those who responded, with more than half saying the city’s business climate worsened over the past year.

The online survey was distributed by the Seattle Metro Chamber and Downtown Seattle Association to its members in late summer. It drew 247 responses, a small fraction of the Chambers’ overall membership of more than 2,500 business employers.

Of the participants who answered a question about moving operations, jobs or investment out of Seattle, 47% said they had seriously considered it during the past year. Fifty of the 247 participants skipped the question.

Recent office figures show some improvement on that front. Downtown Seattle gained about 300,000 square feet of occupied office space in the third quarter — its first quarterly gain since 2021, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE. Still, more than a third of downtown office space remains vacant, according to the report.

On labor costs, Scholes supports allowing restaurants to count tips toward the minimum wage, which Seattle currently prohibits. Seattle’s minimum wage will rise from $21.30 an hour to $22.14 in January under the existing ordinance, an annual cost-of-living adjustment Wilson defends as necessary.

The tax picture differs by business. Changes that took effect in January exempt businesses with less than $2 million in annual taxable revenue from the city’s business-and-occupation tax. Businesses must still file returns, and the changes raised tax rates for those above the threshold.”

Oregon's natural gas rates to climb starting Oct. 31 (OCC)

“Hundreds of thousands of natural gas customers across the state will see rates climb across three utility companies.

Natural gas prices for more than 892,000 Oregon customers are set to increase starting Saturday.

On Wednesday, the Oregon Public Utility Commission finalized how much each of the state’s three major gas companies could increase rates, effective Oct. 31.

Here’s what residential customers can expect:

NW Natural, Oregon’s largest gas utility, serves more than 700,000 customers in Northwest Oregon. The company says on its website that its rate increase reflects the cost of natural gas for the upcoming winter season and accounts for the difference between the estimated and actual cost of gas from the previous year.

A spokesperson acknowledged that the rate hike is coming at the same time as many customers are facing rising costs due to inflation, and said in an email that the company works to keep its service reliable and its rates affordable.

Utility commission Chair Letha Tawney said in a statement NW Natural’s rates are climbing less than it requested, under a settlement that will still ensure the company can continue to provide reliable service to customers.

“The approved settlement reduces the company’s requested increase, supports critical infrastructure investments, and includes measures that promote accountability and long-term planning for the Coos County Pipeline,” she said.

Meanwhile Cascade Natural Gas, which serves more than 86,000 customers in central and eastern Oregon, said its rate hike will fund system upgrades, maintenance and costs associated with new investments.

The company will also begin a three-year phase out of “line extension allowances” which are subsidies that help with costs like laying down new pipes or hooking up gas to homes and businesses.

Cascade will also pilot a new program offering $1,500 rebates to eligible customers who install a heat pump.

“Cascade’s filings involved complex issues, ranging from cost recovery to climate compliance,” Tawney said. “These decisions balance customer impacts with Oregon’s energy and climate goals, and they improve transparency through required studies and future filings.”

For Avista, which serves about 106,500 customers in southwest and northeast Oregon, gas prices were a factor in rate hikes as well as accounting-related adjustments.

The increases at all three gas companies go into effect one day before the state’s ban on “winter months” rate hikes goes into effect. Utilities are no longer allowed to raise rates Nov. 1 through March 31 — when gas and electricity use is at its highest.”

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