Companies: Rail giants advance an eighty five billion dollar merger. Shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern approved the large rail merger with near unanimous support, and the deal now awaits review by federal regulators. The combined network would create a coast to coast freight operator, and shippers are preparing for a lengthy approval process. International: Strikes disrupt a major Russian oil hub. Ukrainian attacks on facilities near the Novorossiysk terminal forced a temporary halt in crude exports, and the interruption affected a meaningful share of global seaborne supply. Tankers were diverted while crews assessed damage, raising concerns over short term energy logistics. Markets: United States stocks slip as rate cut hopes fade. Comments from Federal Reserve officials reduced expectations of a near term policy cut, pushing Treasury yields higher and weighing on equities. Technology shares led the decline, although some semiconductor names rose on signs of tightening memory supply. Innovation: Artificial intelligence driven hacking methods escalate. Security researchers reported that advanced systems were used to automate parts of cyberattacks, including social engineering and intrusion steps, and the findings highlighted a growing trend of threat actors adapting generative artificial intelligence to scale operations, prompting renewed calls for stronger defensive measures.