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Sept 30 (Reuters) – DOE: * DOE: ENERGY DEPARTMENT SELECTS FOUR COMPANIES FOR ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL LINE PILOT PROJECTS * DOE: SELECTED OKLO, TERRESTRIAL ENERGY, TRISO-X LLC & VALAR ATOMICS FOR NEW PILOT PROGRAM TO BUILD ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL LINES * DOE: ACTIONS TO SUPPORT DEPARTMENT’S REACTOR PILOT PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE REACTORS ACHIEVE CRITICALITY BY JULY 4, 2026 Further company coverage:

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Sept 30 (Reuters) – SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES: * SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES: UNIT PRICES $600 MILLION 7.875% SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2030

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(Recasts with outlook; adds details and context in paragraphs 3, 5-9) BRASILIA, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Brazil's Treasury expects a larger debt stock this year, reflecting its strategy of frontloading bond sales ahead of expectations for a more volatile environment in 2026, when Latin America's largest economy holds a general election. In a revision of its Annual Financing Plan, first published in February, the Treasury on Tuesday forecast year-end debt between 8.5 trillion and 8.8 trillion reais, compared with a previous estimate of 8.1 trillion to 8.5 trillion reais. "That increase reflects the volume of issuance so far, supported by stronger demand for federal government securities," the Treasury said. In August, the debt stock rose 2.59% from the prior month to 8.145 trillion reais, according to Treasury data released on Tuesday. With intermediate and long-term rates of the yield curve falling and volatility easing from late 2024 levels, the Treasury said it seized a window to ramp up debt issuance, aligning volumes with market demand and avoiding price pressure. Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron told Reuters in July that the Annual Financing Plan could be revised after the government stepped up domestic debt issuance to take advantage of favorable market conditions, while also preparing for expected volatility around the 2026 election. Ceron argued that Brazil has stood out among peers with a bulk of its debt in local currency and offering high real interest rates. These factors have drawn strong capital inflows, helping to strengthen the currency more than 13% so far this year, spurring corporate fundraising, boosting foreign participation in public debt, and lifting equity prices. In 2027, the Treasury faces a large maturity of floating-rate bonds linked to the benchmark rate Selic, highlighting the strategic push to issue now under what it sees as better conditions and avoid tougher market dynamics later. ($1 = 5.3180 reais) (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)

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REFILE-TXSE SAYS SEC APPROVES APPLICATION FOR NEW DALLAS-BASED STOCK EXCHANGE (FIXES TYPO)

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(Repeats with no change to text) Sept 30 (Reuters) – The TXSE said on Tuesday that the SEC has approved its application to launch a stock exchange based in Dallas. The exchange said it will begin trading in corporate stocks and exchange-traded products in 2026. The new Texas Stock Exchange has received backing from about two dozen investment and trading firms, including BlackRock , Charles Schwab and Citadel Securities. It aims to compete head-to-head with Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Suzanne McGee)

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* Gold up 11.5% so far this month * Payrolls data likely to be delayed if government shutdown occurs * Gold on track for best month since August 2011 * Silver on track for best month since July 2020 (Updates prices for US closing hours) By Noel John and John Biju Sept 30 (Reuters) – Gold prices rose on Tuesday to hover near record highs, buoyed by concerns over a looming U.S. government shutdown, while soft jobs data bolstered expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,843.43 per ounce as of 01:51 p.m. ET (1750 GMT), rebounding from earlier losses in U.S. hours. Prices hit a record high of $3,871.45 during Asian trading. U.S. gold futures for December delivery settled 0.5% higher at $3,873.20. "Gold is showing remarkable resilience again, effortlessly clawing back early losses after uninspiring U.S. JOLTs data that won't stand in the way of another rate cut in a month's time," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader. "The looming U.S. government partial shutdown adds to uncertainty and adds to the chorus of 'buy gold'." U.S. job openings increased marginally in August while hiring declined, consistent with softening labor market conditions that could allow the Fed to cut interest rates again next month. Traders are currently pricing in a 97% chance of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's October meeting, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool. Non-yielding gold tends to thrive during periods of uncertainty and low interest rate environments. Bullion has risen 11.5% so far in September, and is on track for its biggest monthly percentage gain since August 2011. It is up 16.4% for the quarter. Washington braced for a looming government shutdown on Tuesday, with Republicans and Democrats still deadlocked and unlikely to strike a deal before the midnight funding deadline. "Any shutdown that lasts for a prolonged period is going to have an adverse effect on economic performance in the United States and that encourages easing by the Federal Reserve, which would very likely be a positive for gold," Melek added. The U.S. Labor Department said Monday its statistics agency would halt data releases – including Friday's closely-watched monthly jobs report – if a partial government shutdown occurs. Elsewhere, spot silver lost 1.1% to $46.42 per ounce, but has climbed 17% so far this month. Platinum fell 2.7% to $1,576.75 and palladium lost 1.5% to $1,249.37. (Reporting by Noel John, John Biju and Kavya Balaraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo and Saha)

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Even with a high-profile hiccup, No. 22 Illinois keeps clicking behind an explosive offense entering Saturday afternoon's game against Big Ten Conference rival Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. The Fighting Illini (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) are averaging 35.8 points a game, and yes, that includes the 63-10 loss in its conference opener at then-No. 19 Indiana on Sept. 20. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer rallied to rebound last week, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors in a 34-32 home win against then-No. 21 Southern California, passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one TD and even catching a scoring pass. Altmyer's 11 touchdown passes are tied for ninth-best in the country. While wideout Hank Beatty has been splashy as the nation's only player with passing, rushing, receiving and punt-return TDs, Justin Bowick is tops on the team with four touchdown receptions. Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney said he thinks the 6-foot-4 Bowick's size will be a concern for Purdue and going forward. A Ball State transfer, Bowick was limited to 20 receptions and three TDs last season due to injury. He began his collegiate career at Eastern Illinois. "He's a threat no matter where he's at; he's a good football player, and he's going to continue to play for us and make an impact in games," Lunney said. "But obviously, he's done a great job with his opportunities. … J-Bo, he's been a nice threat for us." Purdue (2-2, 0-1), meanwhile, is coming off a bye week in which it sought to make bygones out of the past two games. During a 33-17 home loss to Southern Cal on Sept. 13 and a 56-30 defeat at then-No. 24 Notre Dame a week later, the Purdue defense yielded 32 plays of at least 10 yards. That included 11 plays of more than 20 yards. Meanwhile, Purdue's offense averaged only 2.3 yards per carry in those defeats and is averaging just 3.1 this season. "It gave us a lot of time to sit back and really, truly evaluate," Boilermakers defensive coordinator Mike Scherer said. "No one's feelings are getting hurt. Nothing like that. There's no egos, there's no nothing. We look at it and say, 'OK, here's what's been good, here's what's been bad. How do we move forward and play better?'" Purdue will aim to ramp up the pressure against Altmyer and the Illinois attack. Defensive back Myles Slusher recorded Purdue's lone sack at Notre Dame as the defense generated just two tackles for loss. Offensively, the Boilermakers showed some pizzazz, as quarterback Ryan Browne caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Devin Mockobee in addition to throwing for 250 yards and a score against Notre Dame. "I think where he's at, I think he's playing really well," Purdue coach Barry Odom said of Browne. "I think he can play better. Ryan will tell you that, too." Purdue leads the all-time series 48-46-6, but Illinois boasts recent bragging rights after earning a 50-49 overtime victory at home last season. Altmyer passed for a career-best 379 yards while accounting for four total touchdowns, including three through the air. –Field Level Media

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* Soybeans, corn, wheat eased after quarterly US stocks data * Looming US government shutdown adds to cautious mood (Updates for market open, changes dateline to CHICAGO from PARIS) By Heather Schlitz CHICAGO, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Chicago soybean, corn and wheat futures fell on Tuesday on a bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture quarterly stocks report, U.S. harvest progress and a lack of Chinese demand hung over the markets, analysts said. The USDA's quarterly stocks report, one of the most closely tracked publications in grain markets, showed U.S. farmers and grain handlers had 13% less corn in storage ahead of the autumn harvest than a year earlier, though a record-large crop was set to replenish inventories. The USDA said in a quarterly report that there were 1.532 billion bushels of corn in storage as of September 1. That was above analysts' expectations for 1.337 billion bushels. "It's the primary reason we're seeing some pressure right now," Rich Nelson, strategist at Allendale, said. The run-up to a possible U.S. government shutdown from Wednesday also encouraged caution on grain and wider financial markets. The most-active Chicago Board of Trade corn contract was down 6 cents to $4.15-1/2 a bushel as of 12:30 p.m. CT (1730 GMT), while CBOT wheat ticked down 11 cents to $5.08-1/2 a bushel. CBOT soybeans were down 9-3/4 cents to $10.01 a bushel. A lack of export demand for soybeans has been the primary factor weighing on soy futures, analysts said. U.S. soybean exporters are missing out on business to China amid a trade war between the two nations, with rival suppliers from South America taking their share. Pressure from ongoing U.S. corn and soy harvests has also pressured futures. Warm and dry weather over the U.S. grain belt helped harvesting over the weekend, and forecasts called for more of the same this week. Corn, which has found support from brisk exports and doubts over U.S. yield potential, was set to be virtually unchanged over the month and higher for the quarter. (Reporting by Heather Schlitz in chicago. Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Alan Barona, Eileen Soreng, Shailesh Kuber and Alan Barona)

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* Senate vote on temporary spending bill expected to fail again * Democrats push for health benefits extension amid shutdown threat * Trump threatens federal workforce layoffs amid shutdown uncertainty (Adds new Trump quotes, new details on impact of shutdown throughout) By Richard Cowan, David Morgan, Nolan D. McCaskill and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump warned congressional Democrats on Tuesday that allowing the federal government to shut down at midnight would allow his administration to take "irreversible" actions including shutting down programs important to them. "We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like," Trump said in remarks to reporters from the White House Oval Office. "You all know Russell Vought," Trump added, referring to the director of the Office of Management and Budget. "He's become very popular recently because he can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way." Trump did not specify the actions he might take, but he has raised the possibility recently of further downsizing the federal workforce. At midnight, the United States will enter its 15th government shutdown since 1981, unless Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree on a deal to temporarily fund federal agencies with Wednesday's start of a new fiscal year. No signs pointed to such an outcome, however. The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on a temporary spending bill that has failed once already, with no sign that a second vote will bring success before the midnight deadline (0400 GMT Wednesday). Democrats want to modify the bill to extend health benefits for millions of Americans that are due to expire at the end of the year. Republicans say they must tackle that issue separately. Budget-related showdowns have become a routine feature in Washington as the nation's politics have grown increasingly dysfunctional, though they are often resolved at the last minute. The government last shut down for 35 days in 2018 and 2019, during Trump's first term, due to a dispute over immigration. TRILLION-DOLLAR FIGHT At issue now is $1.7 trillion that funds agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government's total $7 trillion budget. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt. Federal agencies, meanwhile, began to issue detailed plans that would close offices conducting scientific research, customer service, and other activities not deemed essential and send thousands of workers home if Congress does not agree on a fix before funding expires. Budget experts warned that some Americans already could be feeling the fallout. With Medicare reimbursements for at-home "acute hospital care" potentially being disrupted, patients were needing to find in-patient facilities, said Jonathan Burks, a health specialist at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "That's a real disruption as we speak," he told reporters early on Tuesday. He added that Medicare reimbursements for telehealth medical visits also would expire at midnight. Airlines warned that a shutdown could slow flights, while the Labor Department said it would not issue its monthly unemployment report, a closely watched barometer of economic health. The Small Business Administration said it would stop issuing loans, while the Environmental Protection Agency said it would suspend some pollution-cleanup efforts. The longer a shutdown lasts, the broader the impact. Public housing subsidies for low-income families could shrivel and some operators of Head Start early education programs for children of low-income families could see delays in their receiving grant money, according to Bipartisan Policy Center experts. DEEPFAKE VIDEO A White House meeting on Monday between Trump and the leaders of Congress led to no agreement. Trump followed up on it by posting a deepfake video showing manipulated images of Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer appearing to criticize Democrats while top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries stood next to him, with a crudely drawn sombrero and mustache imposed over his face. Speaking to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol, Jeffries responded to Trump's post: "The next time you have something to say about me, don't cop out through a racist and fake AI video. When I'm back in the Oval Office, say it to my face." Any last-minute agreement would also have to be approved by the Republican-controlled House, which is not due to convene until Wednesday, after funding expires. ADMINISTRATION THREATENS MORE LAYOFFS Trump's willingness to ignore spending laws passed by Congress has injected more uncertainty this time around, and he has threatened to extend his purge of the federal workforce if Congress allows the government to shut down. In the spring, he ordered federal agencies to consider firing "nonessential" employees who normally would be ordered not to work during a shutdown. Trump has also refused to spend billions of dollars approved by Congress, prompting some Democrats to question why they should vote for any spending legislation at all. Though Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they need at least seven Democratic votes to pass legislation out of the Senate. Along with the extended health subsidies, Democrats have also sought to ensure that Trump will not be able to undo those changes if they are signed into law. Locked out of power in Washington, Democrats are under pressure from their frustrated supporters to score a rare victory ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the final two years of Trump's term. The healthcare push has given them a chance to unite behind an issue that resonates with voters. Still, some in the party have questioned whether it is worth risking a shutdown. “It’s not about politics or who gets blamed for it. It’s about the damage to millions of Americans,” Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania told reporters. (Reporting by Richard Cowan, Courtney Rozen, David Morgan, Nandita Bose, Andy Sullivan and Bo Erickson in Washington; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Nolan McCaskill and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION REVENUE COLLECTIONS WILL CONTINUE DURING ANY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

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