European regulators are trying to get the region’s tumultuous natural-gas markets under control. Energy ministers reached an agreement to impose an emergency limit for gas prices, the WSJ’s Kim Mackrael and Joe Wallace report, in a high-stakes bid to shield citizens from skyrocketing energy prices as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The plan that kicks in Feb. 15 is a complicated effort to navigate what one official says are the “risks to security of supply and financial markets stability.” Some countries have pushed back on the plan, arguing it could inadvertently lead to shortages. For now, it sets up a potential fight with the exchange that runs the biggest market in European natural-gas futures and that has threatened to move. The cap will apply to month-ahead, three months-ahead and year-ahead derivative contracts. EU officials say it could be suspended if risks to the flow of gas within Europe emerge.

• A Tuscany town is fighting the addition of a floating LNG terminal that Italy says is urgently needed. (WSJ)
• Clarksons Research says orders for LNG carriers have nearly doubled this year to 170 ships. (Splash 247)

Brick-and-mortar is making a comeback in the retail sector. Bookseller Barnes & Noble plans to expand its physical footprint by 30 stores next year, the WSJ’s Kate King reports, in the latest sign that big-box retailers are building again after years of shrinking their real-estate presence. Clothing store Burlington is on track to open 87 net new stores during its current fiscal year, Ross Stores is adding 92 net new sites and T.J. Maxx and Marshalls parent TJX is starting a bigger growth effort. The scale isn’t enormous, but the moves suggest the steep contraction in physical stores that began before the pandemic may have run its course. That could reverberate across the supply-chain sector, including warehouse demand as some retailers look to funnel more goods to their stores. For Barnes & Noble, that will include two outlets in Boston at sites formerly occupied by Amazon Books.

With $3 trillion in goods traveling through Chicago every year, the city is the busiest rail hub in the U.S. In a WSJ video report, we look at the region that sees 25% of all freight trains moving in the U.S., and 50% of all intermodal trains. That makes Chicago a crucial part of U.S. supply chains, and it raises the stakes when weather, cargo congestion or work stoppages are threatened.

A measure of U.S. home builder confidence fell for a 12th straight month. (MarketWatch)

Mondelez International is selling its gum brands in developed markets for $1.35 billion. (WSJ)

Manufacturers and brands are being drawn to the Thai border city of Mae Sot and its cheap labor that is easily exploited in an area with weak legal oversight. (The Guardian)

Union Pacific says it is pausing the shipment embargoes that have drawn shipper anger and regulator inquiries. (Railway Age)

Mediterranean Shipping denies a Bloomberg report that its vessels have been systematically infiltrated over years by drug cartels. (gCaptain)

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are ending the container dwell fee they announced last year but never imposed. (Supply Chain Dive)

An Australian government report says congestion and delays are continuing to disrupt operations at the country’s ports. (Maritime Executive)

SCH Logistics plans to increase car-transport capacity at the U.K.’s Port of Liverpool under a lease agreement with Peel Ports. (Port Technology)

A.P. Moller-Maersk is building a large cold storage facility in Norway targeting seafood shipments. (ShippingWatch)

Eagle Bulk Shipping is switching trading in its shares from the Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange. (TradeWinds)

Truckload carrier Knight-Swift Transportation will operate a rig outfitted with autonomous technology from Embark. (Commercial Carrier Journal)

CMA CGM Air Cargo is looking at launching operations in Vietnam. (The Loadstar)

Aviation services provider ASL Aviation and Reliable Robotics will work together on development of autonomous aircraft. (Inside Logistics)

U.S. grocery distributor SpartanNash is launching a predictive ordering and inventory management tool using artificial intelligence. (Winsight Grocery Business)

Hong Kong-based freight forwarder Unique Logistics International went public under a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. (Dow Jones Newswires)

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

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