Canadian National Railway’s efforts to consolidate freight railroads may have ended but the drama at the carrier isn’t over. Activist investor Elliott Management has taken a big stake in the railroad, the WSJ’s Cara Lombardo reports, adding pressure on Canadian National after its chief executive resigned following the failed bid for rival Kansas City Southern. Canadian National is already facing a proxy fight from another activist, TCI Fund Management, which is seeking to add four board seats. The railroad announced in the wake of its latest earnings that CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest is stepping down at the end of January, which TCI called “a clear admission by the board that change is needed.” The U.K.-based firm is backing former Union Pacific executive Jim Vena to replace Mr. Ruest. Elliott also supports Mr. Vena, who worked for Canadian National for 40 years, rising from a brakeman to become chief operating officer.

China is unleashing its coal sector in a bid to ease its worst power crunch in two decades. Beijing has ordered all coal mines to operate at full capacity and taken other steps to roll back record-high coal prices heading into the winter, the WSJ’s Chuin-Wei Yap reports, as it reverses course on earlier ambitions to curb coal use. China is also loosening imports of the electricity-generating fuel as part of the set of actions that will roil energy markets and may give a boost to the bulk-commodities shipping sector. Beijing’s push to meet tougher environmental standards by limiting coal production in a country that consumes half the world’s supply has aggravated a global shortage of the commodity. At Chinese ports, importers have already been able to unload Australian coal, signaling a potential end to a yearlong ban on the trade, although the cargoes haven't yet cleared customs.

Tesla is a long drive away from the supply-chain struggles that once troubled the company. The car maker’s $1.6 billion third-quarter earnings marked its third straight record quarterly profit, the WSJ’s Rebecca Elliott reports, thanks in part to the electric-vehicle maker’s ability to navigate persistent global supply-chain disruptions that have hamstrung the automotive sector. Tesla delivered 241,300 vehicles to customers during the quarter, up roughly 73% from a year earlier and about 40,000 more than it delivered in the second quarter. Analysts expect Tesla’s vehicle deliveries to continue climbing, positioning the company to hand over nearly 900,000 vehicles to customers in 2021. Tesla says semiconductor shortages, port congestion and rolling blackouts are hitting production. But the impact appears to be affecting its projected new products, including the long-delayed Semi heavy-duty freight truck. Production that was originally due in 2019 has now been pushed back again, to 2023.

A new Amazon employee group formed by warehouse workers in New York’s Staten Island says it hopes to vote on unionization. (WSJ) 

The Federal Reserve says U.S. economic growth slowed to a modest to moderate rate this fall as companies grappled with supply-chain problems. (WSJ)

This year’s supply-chain woes are helping fuel a retreat from globalization. (WSJ)

Exxon Mobil’s remade board of directors is debating whether to continue with several major oil and gas projects. (WSJ)

Memory-chip maker Micron Technology plans to boost investment to more than $150 billion to boost production over the coming decade. (WSJ)

Nestlé’s quarterly revenue rose 6.5% on strong demand for coffee and pet food. (WSJ)

White House officials have explored whether the National Guard could be deployed to help address the nation’s supply chain backlog. (Washington Post)

Foxconn Technology Group plans to build electric-vehicle factories in Europe and India by 2024. (Nikkei Asia)

Rio Tinto plans to spend $7.5 billion over the next nine years to cut its carbon emissions in half. (Financial Times)

U.S. Bank says freight spending by shippers jumped 32.6% in the third quarter from a year ago and 5.6% from the previous quarter. (Supply Chain Quarterly)

Lowe’s has been speeding up its ordering and inventory stocking to get enough products in stores for the holidays. (Modern Retail)

PepsiCo is expanding use of wearable technology after Frito-Lay manufacturing and distribution workers reported far fewer injuries using the equipment. (Supply Chain Dive)

Dollar Tree will work with software provider Relex Solutions to streamline the retailer's supply chain. (Progressive Grocer)

Canadian Pacific Railway’s third-quarter net income fell 21% despite a 4% gain in revenue. (Progressive Railroading)

United Airlines' quarterly cargo revenue nearly doubled from two years ago to $519 million even though freight traffic declined. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Truckload carrier Knight-Swift Transportation’s third-quarter profit jumped 69% to $206.2 million but it lowered capital spending on slower deliveries of trucks. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Trucking companies’ dedicated fleet operations are growing as shippers seek greater stability in transport. (Transport Dive)

Alphatanker says orders for new tankers are up 12% this year over 2020. (Lloyd’s List)

Freight forwarder Kuehne + Nagel more than doubled third-quarter operating earnings to about $854 million. (ShippingWatch)

Steam Logistics will use local tax incentives to add 400 jobs at its Chattanooga, Tenn., base. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Canadian Pacific won’t run its holiday train for food banks for the second straight year because of the threat of Covid-19. (Muscatine Journal)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Write to him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ, and @pdberger. and @LydsOneal. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.